As new pictures emerged of Jennifer Aniston on the set of her latest movie yesterday, the actress sparked concern with what appeared to be an overly plumped up face.
The images of Jennifer Aniston, 43, caused fans to take to the internet to comment on the actress’ “pillow face” – a common term used for women who have used too much filler in their face.
Jennifer Aniston has admitted to having a little cosmetic help in the past, telling talk show host Conan O’Brien earlier this year that she previously had a chemical peel to help her stay looking young.
Jennifer Aniston sparked concern with what appeared to be an overly plumped up face
The actress said: “I became obsessed with laser porn. I did this thing called like, a peel. It’s extremely intense – you don’t realize you look like a battered burn victim for a week – and then the dead skin on your face just kind of falls off.”
Jennifer Aniston was Thursday seen shooting new movie We’re The Millers, in which she stars as a prostitute, in Wilmington, North Carolina.
The actress sported a pair of Daisy Dukes that were ripped and frayed, paired with a revealing white vest top.
Jennifer Aniston wore minimal make-up and accessorized with just a simple pendant necklace and single beaded bracelet, as well as gold earrings.
While the outfit may have been a bit too saucy no doubt Jennifer Aniston would have preferred it to the drab ensemble she switched into later in the day.
She was later seen sporting a much more modest get-up in the form of a red and white checked top and khaki trousers.
We’re The Millers follows Jason Sudeikis’s pot dealer as he creates a fake family in order to smuggle 1,000 pounds of pot across America.
Jennifer Aniston plays a prostitute hired to play Jason’ wife and co-stars alongside Emma Roberts and Parks and Recreation star Kathryn Hahn.
The National Enquirer is firmly standing by its story that Macaulay Culkin is hooked on heroin and highly addictive painkillers.
The tabloid has posted a statement on its website, urging Macaulay Culkin, 31, to seek urgent professional help – and challenged him to take a blood test.
It comes after his representatives strenuously denied the magazine’s report on Wednesday – which features on the cover under the headline: “Macaulay Culkin addicted to heroin: 6 months to live.”
The Enquirer posted a statement on its website yesterday, reading: “Should Macaulay’s representatives continue to deny The ENQUIRER’s accurate and detailed report, we are ready to offer him the opportunity to take a blood test administered by an independent medical lab.”
It adds: “Our advice to Macaulay is to seek professional help to avoid the same tragic fate of other beloved celebrities, including Whitney Houston who died earlier this year.”
The National Enquirer is firmly standing by its story that Macaulay Culkin is hooked on heroin and highly addictive painkillers
The Enquirer‘s statement also refers to Macaulay Culkin’s friend Elijah Rosello, who died in March aged 24 from a heroin overdose.
In the article, the magazine alleges Macaulay Culkin and Elijah Rosello used to do drugs together – and repeats this again in today’s statement.
It went on: “We believe that the former child star should be doing everything he can to get the treatment he so desperately needs – and which could have saved the life of his friend Elijah Rosello.
“Her family confirmed to The ENQUIRER that she did drugs with Macaulay before her drug-related death in March.”
On Wednesday, Macaulay Culkin’s spokeswoman Michelle Bega branded the article – which claimed the actor has a $6,000-a-month drug habit – as “ridiculously fictitious” and “insulting”.
The magazine alleged Macaulay Culkin regularly shoots up heroin and the highly addictive painkiller oxycodone – dubbed hillbilly heroin.
The article went on to say the former child star turned his Manhattan apartment into a drug den where he gets high either by himself or with friends.
Responding to the allegations earlier this week, Michelle Bega said: “The report in the National Enquirer that Macaulay Culkin is addicted to heroin and assorted hallucinogenics is not only categorically without merit, but it is also impossibly and ridiculously fictitious.”
She added that the story was “destructive and insulting”, to her client.
The Enquirer says Macaulay Culkin’s drug use intensified 18 months ago – around the time he split from long-term girlfriend Mila Kunis, who is now dating Ashton Kutcher.
A source told the publication: “Macaulay Culkin is hooked on drugs and it’s killing him.
“He’s been hooked for a year and a half, and his drug of choice is either heroin or oxycodone.
“Mac is surrounding himself with junkies and lowlifes. It’s a real tragedy.”
The source – described by the Enquirer as a “close friend” – also claimed Macaulay Culkin has had a close brush with death in the past year and almost overdosed.
“Mac suffered a near overdose, and needed help,” the insider said.
“Fortunately he didn’t need to call 911 and the near-OD was kept quiet among his pals. But Mac got very sick.”
In February, pictures of Macaulay Culkin looking emaciated and shockingly thin made headlines.
At the time his representatives strenuously denied the actor was addicted to prescription drugs or heroin amid reports the 5-foot-7 star’s weight had dropped to 104 lbs.
Macaulay Culkin is best known for his roles as cheeky Kevin McCallister in the 1990 film Home Alone and the 1992 sequel, Home Alone: Lost In New York.
He also starred in the likes of Uncle Buck, My Girl and Richie Rich.
But his adult career has failed to match the blockbuster success of his childhood days.
In 2003 he played a drug-addled club hopper alongside Seth Green in Party Monster, while his last film role was in 2007 in the Indie flick Sex And Breakfast.
These days he earns a living DJ-ing at clubs around New York.
Macaulay Culkin’s half sister Jennifer Adamson died of a drug overdose in 2000.
In 2004, Macaulay Culkin he was arrested on suspicion of marijuana and two controlled substances – Alprazolam and Clonazepam – eventually pleading guilty to misdemeanor drug offences. He was slapped with three one-year suspended prison terms.
Kris Jenner has admitted her own marital dust-ups with husband Bruce have made it particularly hard for her to watch this season of Keeping Up With the Kardashians.
Kris Jenner told Us Weekly: “I watch it back and I’m like, <<Oh my God, I can’t watch>>. It’s so crazy painful that I can’t watch it.”
The latest trouble started with Bruce Jenner getting a new golf partner in model Angie Everhart.
In what appeared to be a somewhat staged retaliation and story line, jealous Kris Jenner set up a meeting with her old flame Todd Waterman.
Kris Jenner has admitted her own marital dust-ups with husband Bruce have made it particularly hard for her to watch this season of Keeping Up With the Kardashians
Kris Jenner had an affair with Todd Waterman when married to her children’s father Robert Kardashian.
She later came clean about the rendez-vous with but hubby Bruce Jenner, but he was less than impressed.
Daughters Kim, Kourtney and Khloe Kardashian sided with their stepdad, with Khloe even calling her mother a “whore”.
The girls urged their mother to take a lie detector test to prove her meeting with Todd Waterman meant nothing. Kris Jenner passed the test.
Since then, Kris Jenner told Us Weekly she and Bruce have managed to put the incident behind them.
“Bruce and I are okay and that’s all that matters,” Kris Jenner said.
“The kids understand. It’s just hard to watch. I just can’t wait until Season 8!”
US medal-winning athletes at the Olympics will have to pay tax on their prize money – something which is proving controversial in the US.
But why are athletes from the US taxed when others are not?
The US, unlike most countries, has a “worldwide” system of tax, which means that money earned abroad is liable for US tax.
The US is right up there in the medals table, and has produced some of the finest displays in the Olympics so far.
Michael Phelps has broken the record for most Olympic medals ever, and 16-year-old rising star Gabby Douglas has won the all-round gold in the gymnastics – the first African-American woman to do so.
So the US is feeling pretty proud of its athletes right now. But not everyone is happy to hear that their Olympic medal-winning athletes are being taxed on their medal prize money.
Athletes are effectively being punished for their success, argues Florida Senator Marco Rubio, a Republican, who introduced a bill earlier this week that would eliminate tax on Olympic medals and prize money.
“Athletes representing our nation overseas in the Olympics shouldn’t have to worry about an extra tax bill waiting for them back home,” said Marco Rubio.
This, he said, is an example of the “madness” of the US tax system, which he called a “complicated and burdensome mess”.
US medal-winning athletes at the Olympics will have to pay tax on their prize money
The US Olympic Committee awards prize money to its medal winners – $25,000 for gold, $15,000 for silver, and $10,000 for bronze.
This money is considered taxable income by the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
According to the advocacy group Americans for Tax Reform (ATR), an athlete on the highest rate of tax (35%), could face a tax bill of $8,750.
The value of the medals themselves could be subject to tax too, according to the ATR – adding a further $236, $135 and $2 respectively for gold, silver and bronze.
The Olympic example highlights what they regard as the underlying problem of the US’ so-called “worldwide” tax model.
Under this system, earnings made by a US citizen abroad are liable for both local tax and US tax.
Most countries in the world have a “territorial” system of tax and apply that tax just once – in the country where it is earned.
With the Olympics taking place in London, the UK would, in theory, be entitled to claim tax on prize money paid to visiting athletes. But, as is standard practice for many international sporting events, it put in place a number of tax exemptions for competitors in the Olympics – including on any prize money.
That means that only athletes from countries with a worldwide tax system on individual income are liable for tax on their medals.
And there are only a handful of them in the world, says Daniel Mitchell, an expert on tax reform at the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank – citing the Philippines and Eritrea as other examples.
But with tax codes so notoriously complicated, unravelling which countries would apply this in the context of Olympic prize money is a tricky task, he says.
Daniel Mitchell is a critic of the worldwide system, saying it effectively amounts to “double taxation” and leaves the US both at a competitive disadvantage, and as a bullyboy, on the world stage.
“We are the 800 lbs [360kg] gorilla in the world economy, and we can bully other nations into helping enforce our bad tax law.”
The tax burden may not be as heavy as it first appears, however, as there are a number of credits and tax treaties which can either exempt or reduce the amount due, says tax lawyer and blogger, Kelly Phillips Erb.
She believes that the US tax system needs to be modified, and – most importantly – simplified.
The Rubio bill – by adding another exemption to the already complicated tax code – would only make matters worse, she says.
Congress is about to go off on a one-month recess, and with the Olympics already well underway, this is, says Kelly Phillips Erb, more about “political grand-standing” than anything else.
Not all athletes get prize money along with an Olympic medal – it depends what country you come from.
Money is not awarded by the International Olympic Committee. The decision whether to offer prize money is made by the national Olympic Committees in each individual country, who also set the sum.
At the opposite end of the scale is Singapore, which is offering $800,000 (£515,000) for a gold medal.
Many countries in Central Asia are also offering large sums to medal winners.
John Hoberman, a sports historian and expert on doping at the University of Texas at Austin, says Americans are focusing on the wrong issue.
The real question, he believes, is whether athletes should be awarded prize money at all at the Olympics – and he is firmly in the “no” camp.
“Cash incentives are just an incentive to cheat,” says John Hoberman.
He believes the more money you offer, especially in poorer countries, the greater the chance an athlete will be tempted to dope.
How much for a gold medal at London 2012 Olympics:
According to US and Canadian researchers, a “spray-on skin” developed by Healthpoint Biotherapeutics in the US, which coats a wound with a layer of skin cells, could help healing leg ulcers.
The spray was tested on 228 people with leg ulcers, which are painful open wounds that can last for months.
The findings, published in the Lancet, showed that ulcers treated with the spray were more likely to heal and did so more quickly.
Experts said faster healing could save money despite the cost of the spray.
Leg ulcers are hard to treat. The best treatment, compression bandages, will heal only about 70% of ulcers after six months. Other options include taking skin from somewhere else on the body and grafting it over the wound.
Instead the spray puts a coating of donated skin cells and blood-clotting proteins over the ulcer.
A "spray-on skin" developed by Healthpoint Biotherapeutics, which coats a wound with a layer of skin cells, could help healing leg ulcers
In the study, patients who were given the spray-on-skin every 14 days showed the most improvement.
The researchers said the size of the wound “began to decrease rapidly” as soon as the treatment started. In the patients who had the spray, 70% were healed after three months compared with 46% who received other treatment.
The spray was developed by Healthpoint Biotherapeutics in the US, which also funded the research.
One of the scientists involved, Dr. Herbert Slade, said: “The treatment we tested in this study has the potential to vastly improve recovery times and overall recovery from leg ulcers, without the need for a skin graft.
“This means not only that the patient doesn’t acquire a new wound where the graft is taken from, but also that the spray-on solution can be available as soon as required – skin grafts take a certain amount of time to prepare, which exposes the patient to further discomfort and risk of infection.”
The study largely tested the safety of the spray and the best dose to use, further studies will decide if it is a practical treatment for leg ulcers.
Leg ulcers are most commonly caused by high blood pressure in the veins of the legs which damage the skin, causing it to break down and develop into an open wound.
Clint Eastwood has endorsed Republican Mitt Romney in the race for the White House.
Oscar-winning actor and director Clint Eastwood attended a Mitt Romney fundraiser in Sun Valley, Idaho, said to have raised over $2 million.
Clint Eastwood said he was endorsing the Republican because “the country needs a boost somewhere”.
In February Clint Eastwood starred in a Chrysler Superbowl advert, Halftime in America, sparking debate over whether he backed President Barack Obama.
Clint Eastwood has endorsed Republican Mitt Romney in the race for the White House
At the time, Clint Eastwood had said he was not endorsing either candidate and, speaking to Fox News, said he was “certainly not politically affiliated with Mr. Obama”.
“It was meant to be a message about just about job growth and the spirit of America,” Clint Eastwood said in February of the Super Bowl advert.
“I think all politicians will agree with it. I thought the spirit was OK. I am not supporting any candidate at this time.”
On Friday Mitt Romney said of Clint Eastwood’s endorsement: “He just made my day. What a guy.”
After an introduction from Mitt Romney, Clint Eastwood spoke to about 325 guests gathered for the Idaho fundraiser.
Clint Eastwood said he first saw Mitt Romney when he was running for governor of Massachusetts, and Eastwood was directing the film Mystic River in Boston.
The actor said he thought: “God, this guy, he’s too handsome to be governor. But it does look like he could be president.”
Backing Mitt Romney, Clint Eastwood added that Romney would “restore a decent tax system… so there’s a fairness and people are not pitted against each other,” according to reports from Idaho.
Mitt Romney is challenging Barack Obama for the White House in November’s presidential elections.
Also on Friday figures showed that the US added 163,000 jobs in the month of July, but national unemployment rose to 8.3% from 8.2%.
Correspondents say the health of the US economy is likely to become a decisive factor in the outcome of the election.
The UN General Assembly has voted by a big majority to condemn its own Security Council for failing to end the unrest in Syria as fighting rages.
It passed a non-binding resolution, which also condemns the Syrian government’s use of heavy weapons, by 133 votes to 12 with 31 abstentions.
The move came after the resignation of UN envoy Kofi Annan and failure of his six-point peace plan.
Government forces backed by tanks have launched a new assault in Damascus.
The UN General Assembly has voted by a big majority to condemn its own Security Council for failing to end the unrest in Syria as fighting rages
Shelling also continued on Friday in Syria’s largest city, Aleppo.
Activists say more than 20,000 people – mostly civilians – have died in 17 months of unrest.
The resolution passed at the UN expresses “grave concern” at the escalation of violence in Syria and deplores “the failure of the Security Council to agree on measures to ensure the compliance of Syrian authorities with its decisions”.
“The first step in the cessation of violence has to be made by the Syrian authorities,” the resolution said.
Abdallah Al-Mouallimi, the envoy for Saudi Arabia which is the driving force behind the resolution, had urged the Assembly to maintain its moral and humanitarian values by approving the resolution.
Syria’s envoy, Bashar Jaafari, reacted to the passing of the resolution by saying his government still supported Kofi Annan’s six-point plan.
Accusing Saudi Arabia and Qatar of having undermined the plan before coming out in support of it, he said: “You cannot be a fireman and an arsonist at the same time.”
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said the conflict in Syria had become a “proxy war” and called on powers to overcome their rivalries in an effort to end the violence.
“The acts of brutality that are being reported may constitute crimes against humanity or war crimes,” he said.
Russia and China have blocked attempts in the UN Security Council to impose sanctions against Damascus.
Miley Cyrus has tweeted a picture of herself and her ultra miniature waist.
Miley Cyrus, 19, was clearly so impressed with her own figure, that she even chopped off her head from the snapshot to focus solely on her taut and toned midriff.
Alongside the picture, the Hannah Montana actress added the caption: “my <<Fiance>> jeans. but for real though.”
The wording is a play on the popular boyfriend-style of jeans that are popular with girls who favor baggier trousers and the fact that Miley Cyrus is now engaged to Hunger Games star Liam Hemsworth.
Miley Cyrus has tweeted a picture of herself and her ultra miniature waist
Following her obsession with Pilates and workouts, it seems Miley Cyrus’ figure has continued to shrink, with the actress taunting critics by flaunting her sculpted body at every opportunity.
Even her fitness instructor spoke out on the issue, but in Miley Cyrus’ defense saying there is nothing to worry about when it comes to the singer’s health.
Mari Winsor told People: “I think people need to chill out. She’s healthy and she feels good, that’s the main thing. She’s smart about her body. She wanted to sculpt her body, that’s all.”
The fitness guru added: “When this girl comes in, she is on fire. She’s focused.”
But whatever Miley Cyrus’ secret, it seems she may not be so sure herself – or at least, doesn’t want anyone to know.
Back in April, Miley Cyrus claimed her changing shape was not a quest for size zero, but a health issue.
Miley Cyrus tweeted: “For everyone calling me anorexic I have a gluten and lactose allergy. It’s not about weight, it’s about health.”
However, last night Miley Cyrus insists she does eat, saying: “upallnighteatinchicken&waffles/makin beats.”
Romanian pianist Mihaela Ursuleasa was found dead in her apartment in Vienna, Austria.
The 33-year-old international musician was found dead in her apartment in Vienna, where she had lived since studying in the city.
A statement on Mihaela Ursuleasa’s website said: “We have not only lost a wonderful person but one of the greatest artists our musical world has known.”
The artist is survived by a five-year-old daughter, according to Arts Journal.
The arts website said several reports blamed her death on a brain haemorrhage.
Romanian pianist Mihaela Ursuleasa was found dead in her apartment in Vienna, Austria
The message on Mihaela Ursuleasa’s own website continued: “We are in deep sorrow because of her sudden unexpected death. Our thoughts are with her daughter and her mother.”
Mihaela Ursuleasa had been due to play with the National Youth Orchestra on Wednesday in Bucharest and on Saturday in Berlin.
She was born in Brasov, Romania and began her career at the early age of five, before making the decision to withdraw from the stage in 1990 to concentrate on studying in Vienna.
Her “rare combination of vivacity and technical mastery” meant she went on to win the highly acclaimed Clara Haskil Competition in 1995.
Her online biography from EAS Music Management said she was “one of the most remarkable pianists of her generation”.
Mihaela Ursuleasa performed at world renowned venues such as Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, the Philharmonie Cologne, Konzerthaus Vienna, Tonhalle Zurich and in the renowned Carnegie Hall in New York.
She had also been welcomed as a guest soloist by orchestras such as the Radio Symphony Orchestra of Berlin, Mozarteum Orchestra, Orchestre National de France, London Philharmonic Orchestra and Vienna Symphony Orchestra.
In 2010, her debut solo album, Piano & Forte won the ECHO Klassik award for Solo Recording of the Year.
Mihaela Ursuleasa’ second solo album Romanian Rhapsody was released in March 2011.
An invasion of Giant African Land Snails is causing havoc in parts of Florida.
The slimy creatures, which are native to East Africa, cause widespread damage to crops and buildings, while some carry thousands of “rat lungworms” which can cause meningitis if ingested by humans.
Government officials battling to stem the tide have collected more than 40,000 of the snails since they were first found in the south of the state late last year.
Large numbers of the snails, which can grow up to eight inches in length and more than four inches in width, have also infested parts of South and Central America.
Giant African Land Snails cause widespread damage to crops and buildings, while some carry thousands of "rat lungworms" which can cause meningitis if ingested by humans
Parasitic Rat lungworms use the snails as hosts.
After a rat eats an infected snail, thousands of the worms – up to 60 mm long – may grow in its brain.
If a human ingests a snail infected by the worms they can reach the brain, causing eosinophilic meningitis.
Symptoms can include headaches, numbness and spasms and in the most serious cases – death.
The snails are eaten in parts of South and Central American. Properly cooked, they are safe to eat, but they are eaten either raw or partially cooked by some communities.
They eat hundreds of types of crop, are known to cause slicks on pavements when present in large numbers and can cause damage to plasterwork on the front of buildings.
The last reported outbreak of Giant African Land Snails in Florida took place in 1966 after a boy smuggled some into Miami as pets.
It is not clear what caused the latest invasion, but eradicating them could take years.
They can grow to be 8 inches long and 4 inches around, much larger than average snail.
The species can live up to nine years, and produce more than a thousand eggs a year.
They reach maturity after a year and can produce 200-300 eggs a month. This leads to enormous infestations over a short time-scale.
The snails are listed among the world’s top 100 invasive species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Tons of the snails have been collected in Columbia and other parts of South America, while some are even reported to have been found in the Galapagos Islands.
Los Angeles police stormed pop star Miley Cyrus’s house, after receiving an emergency call about a possible kidnapping and shooting.
Armed police and rescue crews surrounded the former Hannah Montana star’s house in Hollywood on Wednesday, while helicopters circled the property.
But they soon discovered there was no one in the building.
Los Angeles police stormed Miley Cyrus's house, after receiving an emergency call about a possible kidnapping and shooting
Police say the incident may have been part of a trend of prank calls, which has been dubbed “swatting”.
Swatting is when an anonymous call is made to get a team of police to storm a building or an innocent person’s home.
Police told ABC News that such incidents were on the rise – even though false calls to emergency services are a crime in California.
An investigation is underway into the incident at Miley Cyrus’s home.
Police said they were tracking the caller. If found, the person will be prosecuted and could face up to a year in jail.
Miley Cyrus, the 19-year old actress and singer, is the daughter of American country star, Billy Ray Cyrus – who had a worldwide hit with Achy Breaky Heart in 1992.
The actress gained worldwide fame when she was cast as Miley Stewart, the lead role in Disney’s Hannah Montana.
In 2010, Miley Cyrus was ranked number thirteen on Forbes’ Celebrity 100.
Katherine Jackson, mother of late megastar Michael Jackson, has been re-instated as guardian of his three children by a court in Los Angeles.
Katherine Jackson, 82, will share custody with their cousin TJ (Tito Jackson Jr.), who was made temporary guardian last week after she was reported missing.
She had not had contact with her grandchildren for ten days, but was later found at a spa in Arizona.
A hearing on 22 August will decide if the arrangement will be made permanent.
Tito Jackson Jr., the 34-year-old son of Michael Jackson’s brother Tito, stepped in as guardian for Prince Michael, 15, Paris, 14 and 10 year-old Blanket.
However, his lawyer Charles Shultz said he “in no way was trying to displace his grandmother” as “they respect each other”.
Katherine Jackson will share custody of Michael’s children with their cousin TJ, who was made temporary guardian last week after she was reported missing
Under the new agreement, TJ Jackson remains as co-guardian, with control over the staff and day-to-day operations of the family home.
Perry Sanders Jr., Katherine Jackson’s lawyer, has said the arrangement will allow his client to focus on the children’s upbringing and not on financial or logistics issues.
The co-guardianship arrangement would also allow either adult to serve as sole guardian if the other were no longer able to serve
In a sworn statement, Katherine Jackson said: “I am, and have been, very close with my grandson TJ and have relied on him to help me raise Prince, Paris and Blanket since the death of their father.
“While I was away, I assumed that (the children) would be secure and safe in the hands of the person who had essentially been acting as an informal co-guardian on many matters with me since my appointment as guardian.”
The Jackson family has been involved in legal and financial disputes since the singer’s sudden death in June 2009.
His will left nothing to his siblings and last week several of them signed a letter claiming it was a fake, calling on executors of the estate to resign.
However, Jermaine Jackson withdrew his support for the letter on Wednesday and issued a plea on Twitter for peace in the family.
He wrote that the family is still raw from Michael Jackson’s death, and his mother has endured incredible stress and pressures since then.
Katherine Jackson returned to the family compound near Los Angeles last week after publicly denying rumors she had been kidnapped by some of her adult children.
She said she was unaware she had even been reported missing during her stay at the luxury spa in Tucson, Arizona last month, from where she said was unable to communicate with the outside world.
Katherine Jackson claims she was not allowed access to a phone or her iPad after being sent there following doctor’s orders to rest, but was told that the kids were fine.
Court documents revealed that she had only learned she was the subject of a search when she accidentally heard a TV report.
“While there was a telephone in my room, the telephone was not functioning and I could not dial out,” she said in the documents.
“In addition, there was no picture on the television in my room,” she added, and said she had repeatedly asked to have the TV fixed.
“One morning I woke up to the sound of the television,” she said. “While there was no picture, I heard a broadcast that stated I was missing.”
Katherine Jackson made a statement to ABC News before she left Tucson, seated with her children Randy, Janet and Rebbie next to her, denying that she had been prevented from leaving.
“My children would never do a thing to me like that, holding me against my will,” she said.
“It’s very stupid for people to think that.”
Katherine Jackson also said she was devastated she had lost guardianship of her grandchildren “based on a bunch of lies.”
Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff said an investigator who looked into the children’s care found the late singer’s mother was an excellent guardian and the children love her.
Michael Jackson died aged 50 from an overdose of the surgical anaesthetic propofol.
His former doctor Conrad Murray was jailed for four years in November, after being convicted of the singer’s involuntary manslaughter.
Gu Kailai, wife of controversial Chinese politician Bo Xilai, will go on trial for the murder of British businessman Neil Heywood next Thursday.
Prosecutors announced last week that Gu Kailai and Zhang Xiaojun, employed at Bo Xilai’s home, had been charged with intentional homicide.
Neil Heywood was found dead in a hotel in Chongqing on 15 November 2011.
The alleged murder of Neil Heywood triggered Bo Xilai’s downfall in a scandal that has rocked Chinese politics.
The trial is expected to take place in the eastern city of Hefei, even though the crime allegedly took place hundreds of miles to the west in the city of Chongqing.
Gu Kailai, wife of controversial Chinese politician Bo Xilai, will go on trial for the murder of British businessman Neil Heywood next Thursday
Legal experts have previously said that authorities would have had concerns about the political influence Bo Xilai and his family may still exert in Chongqing and whether that would affect a fair trial.
Local officials initially said Neil Heywood died of excessive drinking, but the government announced in April it was investigating Bo Xilai’s wife in connection with the case.
The exact nature of Neil Heywood’s role and his relations with Bo Xilai’s family have been the subject of much speculation inside and outside China. At the very least, there were close business contacts between the Bo family and Neil Heywood.
Bo Xilai, the former high-flying leader of the south-western Chinese megacity of Chongqing, was sacked in March and is under investigation for allegedly flouting Communist Party rules.
He made his name tackling corruption in Chongqing and had been expected to be elected to an important position during the once-in-a-decade leadership change due at the Communist Party congress this autumn.
Analysts say the authorities are keen to resolve the case quickly before China undergoes that politically sensitive transition.
A group of scientists believe they have discovered a clue to why women tend to live longer than men by studying fruit flies.
Published in Current Biology, the study focuses on mutations in mitochondrial DNA – the power source of cells.
Mitochondria are inherited only from mothers, never from fathers, so there is no way to weed out mutations that damage a male’s prospects.
But one ageing expert said there were many factors that explained the gender difference in life expectancy.
And females outlive males in many other species.
Scientists believe they have discovered a clue to why women tend to live longer than men by studying fruit flies
In the research, experts from Australia’s Monash University and the UK’s Lancaster University analyzed the mitochondria of 13 different groups of male and female fruit flies.
Mitochondria, which exist in almost all animal cells, convert food into the energy that powers the body.
Dr. Damian Dowling, of Monash University who was one of the researchers, said the results point to numerous mutations within mitochondrial DNA that affect how long males live, and the speed at which they age.
“Intriguingly, these same mutations have no effects on patterns of ageing in females,” he said.
“All animals possess mitochondria, and the tendency for females to outlive males is common to many different species.
“Our results therefore suggest that the mitochondrial mutations we have uncovered will generally cause faster male ageing across the animal kingdom.”
They suggest this is because there is no evolutionary reason for the faults that affect males to be picked up – because mitochondria are passed down by females.
Dr. Damian Dowling added: “If a mitochondrial mutation occurs that harms fathers, but has no effect on mothers, this mutation will slip through the gaze of natural selection, unnoticed.
“Over thousands of generations, many such mutations have accumulated that harm only males, while leaving females unscathed.”
Kim Kardashian revealed her diet secrets as she shared another picture of herself in a bikini on her Twitter page, showing off her toned curves in a sexy purple two-piece.
Kim Kardashian, 31, said in a recent interview: “I used to eat a ton of junk food, but there are plenty of fast food places that offer healthy options, so there’s no excuse for eating badly all the time.
“Although, when I go out for dinner, I eat what I want. You can’t spend your life worrying about calories.”
Kim Kardashian later shared another picture of herself in the bikini, with the caption: “#nofilter #nophotoshop.”
Kim Kardashian revealed her diet secrets as she shared another picture of herself in a bikini on her Twitter page
She has been keeping her fans updated with her diet and exercise regime on her Twitter page.
And earlier this week Kim Kardashian tweeted that she was keen to tone up, writing: “Back on my workout grind!”
Kim Kardashian’s bikini pictures came after she was subjected to abuse on Twitter over her weight.
After she received comments surrounding her figure, and the size of her derriere on the micro-blogging site, sister Khloe Kardashian came forward to defend her sibling.
Khloe Kardashian wrote on Twitter: “Still get disgusted by how people judge others by weight. Either <<fat>> or <<skinny>>. Nothing is ever good enough…
“Throwing stones behind a screen. If you must judge a person. Try judging their soul. My brick walls are getting higher and higher.
“U can’t love any1 else until u know how to love urself first. The good, bad, ugly, beautiful…. Love yourself deeply. The rest is easy.”
Curiosity, the big robot rover NASA is sending to Mars, looks in excellent shape for its Monday (GMT) landing.
Curiosity – also known as the Mars Science laboratory (MSL) – was launched from Earth in November last year and is now nearing the end of a 560-million-km journey across space.
To reach its intended touch-down zone in a deep equatorial crater, the machine must enter the atmosphere at a very precise point on the sky.
Engineers told reporters on Thursday that they were close to a bulls-eye.
A slight course correction – the fourth since launch – was instigated last Saturday, and the latest analysis indicates Curiosity will be no more than a kilometre from going straight down its planned “keyhole”.
The team’s confidence is such that it may pass up the opportunity to make a further correction on Friday.
“We are about to land a small compact car on the surface with a trunk-load of instruments. This is a pretty amazing feat getting ready to happen. It’s exciting, it’s daring – but it’s fantastic,” said Doug McCuistion, the head of NASA’s Mars programme.
Curiosity, also known as the Mars Science laboratory, was launched from Earth in November last year and is now nearing the end of a 560-million-km journey across space
Curiosity is the biggest and most sophisticated Mars rover yet.
It will study the rocks inside Gale Crater, one of the deepest holes on Mars, for signs that the planet may once have supported microbial life.
The $2.5 billion mission is due to touch down at 05:31 GMT Monday 6 August; 22:31 PDT, Sunday 5 August.
It will be a totally automated landing.
Engineers here at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California, can only watch and wait.
The vast distance between Mars and Earth means there is a 13-minute lag in communications, making real-time intervention impossible.
NASA has had to abandon the bouncing airbag approach to making soft landings.
This technique was used to great effect on the three previous rovers – Sojourner, Spirit and Opportunity.
But at nearly a ton, Curiosity is simply too heavy to be supported by inflated cushions.
Instead, the mission team has devised a rocket-powered, hovering crane to lower the rover to the surface in the final moments of its descent.
Adam Steltzner, who led this work for NASA, said: “It looks a little bit crazy. I promise you it is the least crazy of the methods you could use to land a rover the size of Curiosity on Mars, and we’ve become quite fond of it – and we’re fairly confident that Sunday night will be a good night for us.”
The team is also keeping a sharp eye on the Martian weather and any atmospheric conditions that might interfere with the descent manoeuvres.
It is the equivalent of August also on Mars right now, meaning Gale Crater at its position just inside the southern hemisphere is coming out of winter and moving towards spring.
It is the time of year when winds can kick up huge clouds of dust, and a big storm was spotted this week about 1,000km from the landing site. But NASA expects this storm to dissipate long before landing day.
The first black-and-white images of the surface taken by Curiosity should be returned to Earth in the first hours after touch down, but the mission team do not intend to rush into exploration.
For one thing, the rover has a plutonium battery that should give it far greater longevity than the solar-panelled power systems on previous vehicles.
“This is a very complicated beast,” said Pete Theisinger, Curiosity’s project manager.
“The speech I made to the team is to recognize that on Sunday night at [22:32 PDT], we will have a priceless asset that we have placed on the surface of another planet that could last a long time if we operate it correctly, and so we will be as cautious as hell about what we do with it.”
Curiosity – Mars Science Laboratory:
• Mission goal is to determine whether Mars has ever had the conditions to support life
• Project costed at $2.5 billion; will see initial surface operations lasting two Earth years
• Onboard plutonium generators will deliver heat and electricity for at least 14 years
• 75 kg science payload more than 10 times as massive as those of earlier US Mars rovers
• Equipped with tools to brush and drill into rocks, to scoop up, sort and sieve samples
• Variety of analytical techniques to discern chemistry in rocks, soil and atmosphere
• Will try to make first definitive identification of organic (carbon-rich) compounds
• Even carries a laser to zap rocks; beam will identify atomic elements in rocks
Madhura Nagendra, the woman who appeared in India’s Olympic contingent in the opening ceremony, has apologized for an “error of judgement”.
Madhura Nagendra told the NDTV news channel she was a cast member at the event, and had not gatecrashed it.
Indian team officials were angered by the woman’s presence and had sought an apology.
The head of the London 2012 organizing committee, Lord Sebastian Coe, said she was a cast member who got “slightly over-excited” and joined the ceremony.
Madhura Nagendra became known as “the woman in red” because of the color of the top she was wearing.
She said she had entered the cast after “rounds of audition” and did not walk into the stadium “off the streets”.
Madhura Nagendra, the woman who appeared in India's Olympic contingent in the opening ceremony, has apologized for an "error of judgement
“[It was an] error of judgement [that] I landed up walking with the athletes. I think I have hurt the sentiments of my people. I apologize,” Madhura Nagendra said.
“There was chaos. Thousands of people were walking. I was blinded and as a result there was an error of judgement.”
Madhura Nagendra said she was “hurt” by the criticism of her act on social media outlets.
“I am a proud woman of India with a lot of enthusiasm. I was taken aback by the criticism. I hope this incident will be forgiven and I want to move forward.”
India is fielding 81 athletes at the London Games.
When first buying a home, you dream about designing the new house the way you want to. You try to make the home look how you want it. While some may obtain this goal sooner than others, one thing remains true, your home is perhaps the greatest investment you will ever make. That being said, it makes sense to provide protection for this investment. The way in which consumers protect their homes is to obtain a home insurance policy. Home insurance can encompass a variety of coverage to provide a sufficient level of protection.
Theft is unfortunately a common occurrence for homes in the United Kingdom. On average, a home is burgled about every 37 seconds. With such a high incidence rate it is important to have home insurance which provides reimbursement for items that have been stolen. Also, if any damage is done to the home by the thief will committing the crime, this can be covered as well.
Fire can also be another hazard that homeowners must protect themselves against. Home insurance can also cover any damage to both the dwelling itself as well as the contents. Typically, these will come in two kinds of coverage bundled into the home insurance policy. If the fire leads to severe damage, home insurance can help the family pay for alternative lodging until repairs can be made. If the home is totally destroyed, home insurance will cover the expenses to rebuild the home.
Flooding can also be covered with some types of home insurance. Depending upon the insurer, it might need to be taken out as a separate policy. Flooding can cause water damage to the exterior as well as the interior of the home. Contents can also be damaged and in some cases, destroyed. Having home insurance can lessen anxiety homeowners face when the unthinkable does happen. Without insurance, homeowners may not be able to recoup from such significant losses.
You can find further information about different types of insurance at http://www.endsleigh.co.uk. They have lots of information to help you discover which type of insurance will best secure your home and contents.
King Juan Carlos I of Spain, who is still recovering from his fall in Botswana and who has been using a crutch, took another tumble yesterday when he was inspecting the troops during a visit to the Estado Mayor de la Defence.
King Juan Carlos tripped on a step and fell to the floor hitting his nose and chin hard. His injuries did not stop him continuing with his visit and he presided over the meeting of the military chiefs.
King Juan Carlos took another tumble yesterday when he was inspecting the troops during a visit to the Estado Mayor de la Defence
Yesterday evening at 17:00, King Juan Carlos was due to meet the Italian Prime Minister, Mario Monti.
The King has had several falls, and has passed through surgery nine times since the 80’s.
Kim Kardashian was spotted sitting in a hair salon for a reported five hours yesterday.
The raven-locked reality star emerged after getting a snip (and presumably a few other indulgences), with glossy waves tumbling around her shoulders.
The marathon trip was par for the course for Kim Kardashian, however, being is known to keep herself perfectly primped and polished for the camera.
The 31-year-old multihyphenate was photographed sitting in a salon chair while a female stylist combed her finger’s through her freshly dried hair.
And while most would take the moment to tune the world out, it seemed Kim Kardashian was reluctant to relax, clinging to her iPhone and making sure it didn’t die out with a charger attached in a nearby socket.
Kim Kardashian was spotted sitting in a hair salon for a reported five hours
Kim Kardashian appeared to have had a pedicure as well, holding her feet up with tissue paper tucked between her toes to prevent the polish from sticking.
And her make-up was done in perfect detail – a lash of pink lipstick highlighting her pout, and enough black eyeliner to give her a smouldering gaze.
Walking out of the salon, Kim Kardashian was undeniably glowing, her skin and hair the main attraction in her safely all-black ensemble.
Not one to skimp on beauty treatments when out or at home, she carried a bag of Kevin Murphy products as she left the West Hollywood salon according to Splash News, whose photographers captured the reported five-hour beauty session.
Somewhat out of character, Kim Kardashian juggled her heels alongside her phone and handbag, hobbling to the car barefoot, lest she smudge her pedicure.
Kim Kardashian, who some might say is a modern-day bombshell, surely enjoyed the pampering session after an exhausting day on set for a recent fashion photoshoot.
One day before, Kim Kardashian likened herself to Sophia Loren as she tweeted an array of pictures of herself slipping into costume.
“I love playing dress up,” Kim Kardashian wrote on her Twitter page, with the accompanying snap of herself in a shimmering silver backless dress.
Earlier she posted a picture of herself puckering up her lips in front of the mirror, her hair, sans her usual extensions, coiffed into a bouffant style.
“Finding my inner Sophia Loren,” Kim Kardashian mused.
Sinead O’Connor is in the beginning stages of her menopause – the period in her life when her menstrual period ceases for good.
And while most women approaching their middle age associate it with hot flushes and a feeling of dread as it signals them getting older.
This is clearly not the case for Sinead O’Connor, who quite simply can’t wait to enter this latest stage in her life.
Sinead O’Connor, 45, who has four children from previous relationships, took to Twitter this week to reveal the personal information to her devotees.
The Irish singer wrote: “I think I’ve started menopause!!! Am SO excited!! Can’t WAIT for the first hot flush!!”
Sinead O’Connor took to Twitter this week to reveal she is starting her menopause to her devotees
The controversial singer recently claimed she has grown more open-minded as she has gotten older and wants to bare all for Playboy before she dies.
Sinead O’Connor said: “There’s so much I wouldn’t liked to do when I was younger and I was too miserable and Irish.
“A Playboy shoot is on my bucket list. And I like the idea of doing some interview in weird sex gear, talking about something really serious. The economy!
“You can talk about serious issues while you’re b****ck naked. On all fours in your dog collar!”
Earlier this year she was forced to pull out of her tour as a result of her “bipolar disorder”.
Sinead O’Connor wrote on her website at the time: “With enormous regret I must announce that I have to cancel all touring for the year as am very unwell due to bipolar disorder.
“As you all know I had a very serious breakdown between December and March and I had been advised by my doctor not to go on tour but didn’t want to <<fail>> or let anyone down as the tour was already booked to coincide with album release.”
Sinead O’Connor released her latest album How About I Be Me (And You Be You) in February, which was met with praise from critics.
London’s Olympic Stadium will welcome the athletics events later in the day, ensuring the Olympic Park’s busiest day since the Games opened a week ago.
More than 200,000 people will be at the park, prompting warnings for those not attending the Games to avoid the area.
The Central Line, which serves the Olympic Park in Stratford, is suspended from Liverpool Street to Leytonstone.
It follows a signal failure at Bethnal Green station, London Underground said. Tickets are being accepted on National Rail services in the area.
Friday’s events at the 80,000-capacity Olympic stadium will bring thousands more people pouring into the east London park and mean access to the neighboring Westfield shopping centre will be restricted for the next two days.
London's Olympic Stadium will welcome the athletics events later in the day
Only staff and Olympic ticket holders will be able to go into the centre between 10:30 BST and 17:00 as organizers seek to minimize congestion.
Transport for London (TFL) said public transport services and roads to the Olympic Park would be exceptionally busy on Friday and urged anyone not going to the site to avoid the area.
The Docklands Light Railway, Jubilee and Central lines are expected to be busier than usual, especially in the morning, evening and late-evening peaks and driving in central London should be avoided where possible, TFL said.
London’s transport commissioner Peter Hendy said: “This Friday and Saturday will be the busiest days of the Games so far as the Olympic Stadium opens its doors and sporting events continue to take place across the capital.
“Westfield Stratford City may not be open to shoppers without a ticket during these times but London has a rich and vast array of other attractions to offer during the Games.”
North Korea has requested immediate food aid after devastating floods last month, the United Nations says.
UN officials in Pyongyang said the need for aid was urgent after visiting flood-hit parts of the country to assess damage.
North Korea state media said that at least 119 people died and tens of thousands were left homeless.
Damage to infrastructure and farmland has affected the country’s already dire food shortage problem.
North Korea has requested immediate food aid after devastating floods last month
The most badly affected areas are Anju city and Songchon County in South Phyongan Province, and Chonnae County in Kangwon Province, said the UN.
Residents in these areas are in urgent need of food supplies, as well as clean water, as wells have been contaminated by sewerage during the floods.
A UN spokesman in New York confirmed that the North Korean government has asked the UN to release emergency supplies such as food and fuel.
Some international aid groups have already begun gathering supplies and donations. On Thursday, the Red Cross said it would allocate more than $300,000 for flood victims.
Recent images from Anju taken by state news agency KCNA showed houses underwater, flooded agricultural land and people sheltering in the upper stories of buildings.
Kim Kwang-Dok, vice-chairman of the Anju City People’s Committee, told the Associated Press news agency that the flooding was the worst in the city’s history.
The floods – which followed a severe drought earlier this year – have sparked fresh concern over North Korea’s struggle to feed its people.
North Korea relies on food aid because it cannot grow enough food to feed its people. Famine in the mid-1990s is believed to have killed hundreds of thousands of people.
A UN report released last month estimated that two-thirds of North Korea’s 24 million population suffer from a chronic shortage of food.
Tameka Raymond, Usher’s ex-wife, has accused the singer of feigning grief over the sudden death of her son Kile Glover in a bid to win sympathy in their bitter custody battle.
Tameka Raymond slams Usher in newly-filed court documents, claiming he visited his former stepson, Kile Glover, in hospital only once before the 11-year-old was taken off life support.
According to TMZ, Tameka Raymond is asking the judge to deny her ex’s request to delay their next custody hearing, claiming he is only pretending to need the extra time to mourn Kile Glover’s death.
Usher, real name Usher Terry Raymond IV, and fashion stylist Tameka Raymond, who divorced in 2009 after two years of marriage, are currently fighting for custody of their two sons, Usher Raymond V, 4, and Naviyd, 3.
According to TMZ, Usher, 33, requested their August 13 hearing be delayed, claiming heading to court “in the immediate wake of this tragedy” would cause “unnecessary stress and strain” for all parties involved.
He also fears the court might rule against him in the case in favor of a grieving mother, according to the website.
Tameka Raymond has accused Usher of feigning grief over the sudden death of her son Kile Glover in a bid to win sympathy in their bitter custody battle
But Tameka has scoffed at the request in subsequent filings, claiming Usher’s attempt to delay the hearing is “simply a transparent sham”, calling his feelings for Kile “bogus”, reports suggest.
The grieving mother claims Usher “visited Kile in the hospital only once” in the 15 days he was on life support following a freak boating accident last month.
Tameka Raymond also claims Usher refused to tweet a message asking followers to “please pray for Kile”, instead opting to tweet a photo of his breakfast.
She asks the judge to move forward with the hearing as scheduled, and claims it will help her to move on from the tragedy, TMZ reports.
Kile Glover, Tameka Raymond’s son with Atlanta-based clothier Ryan Glover, was struck in the head during a jet ski collision while riding an inner tube on Lake Lanier in Atlanta, Georgia on July 6.
According to authorities, a family friend who was riding a jet ski behind the pontoon lost control and collided with Kile Glover’s tube.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports Kile Glover was with an unidentified 15-year-old girl at the time and both children were airlifted to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston.
He was later declared brain dead.
Kile Glover was taken off life support by doctors, who determined that he would not recover from his injuries, two weeks after the accident.
Tameka Raymond subsequently led mourners at his funeral, held in Atlanta, Georgia, on July 27.
Tameka Raymond and Usher’s sons are both believed to have been present at the service.
Oprah Winfrey showed off her vast selection of wigs on the set of her new film today.
Oprah Winfrey, 58, tweeted a photo of her make-up free self in front of a whole wall of hairpieces, writing “me and my <<girls>> in the make-up trailer”.
The usually glamorous star has been seen wearing some of the less than flattering hairpieces as she films her new movie The Butler.
Oprah Winfrey plays Gloria Gaines in the historical drama – the first time she will appear as a character other than herself since 1998’s Beloved.
She has been filming scenes with co-star Lenny Kravitz and Cuba Gooding Jr. in New Orleans.
Oprah Winfrey showed off her vast selection of wigs on the set of her new film The Butler
The star-studded film tells the tale of a White House butler who serves eight Presidents over the course of three decades.
Her hair seems to be on Oprah’s mind recently.
This week saw her grace the cover of her self-titled O magazine, showing off her natural hair in all of its glory.
In the snap, Oprah Winfrey proudly models her curly tresses with a big smile.
She also shows off her curves in a dress by Badgley Mischka paired with earrings by Alexis Bittar and a ring by Jordan Alexander.
For decades Oprah Winfrey has rocked several hairstyles and weaves during her long-spanning career as the world’s most famous talk show host.
Writing in the column “What I Know For Sure” inside September’s Makeover Issue, Oprah Winfrey discusses her tresses and the role they play in the expression of “self”.
The talk show icon, who often wears her hair naturally in her down time and on the weekends, reveals that she once nearly chopped it all off.
“I wanted to wear it close-cropped a la Camille Cosby but her husband Bill (Crosby) convinced me otherwise,” she explains.
“<<Don’t do it>>, he said. <<You’ve got the wrong head shape and you’ll disappoint yourself>>. I took his advice.”
Oprah Winfrey, who has sported countless dos during her career, believes that altering your hairstyle can be liberating.
“I even notice a change in my dogs when they get their summer cuts: they’re friskier and livelier, feeling more themselves once the weight of the hair is released,” she says.
And while she is a firm believer in change, Oprah Winfrey says that the makeovers which are the most successful and maintained are those in which something inside the receiver clicks, aligning with that which is being received.
“The only way to real transformation is through the mind.”
