Prom night was almost a complete washout for a group of students from the Kettle Moraine High School, Wisconsin, when they posed for a picture standing on a pier and ended up in the water.
After a day of styling – including manicures, pedicures and hair appointments – this group of teenagers gathered at the lake house home of one of their parents for the traditional prom night ritual of having their photographs taken.
And as more and more of them squeezed on to a wooden pier to pose for the camera, the wooden panels collapsed – and the party landed in the water.
Prom night was almost a complete washout for a group of students from the Kettle Moraine High School, Wisconsin, when they posed for a picture standing on a pier and ended up in the water
One of the students, Sydney Rogers, told Wisn.com: “One of my friends was screaming and on the verge of tears and the other was laughing.
“We were all trying to squeeze on one part of the pier… and we were trying to get more people on.
“All of a sudden I was standing in the water. We landed on our feet, but it went from posing for a picture to standing in the water, just like that.”
The students had gathered at a friend’s lakehouse in Lac La Belle in Oconomowoc, to have their photographs taken ahead of the big night.
As the teenagers lined up and leaned in closer for the big group shot, their parents looked on with pride. However, their smiles turned to shrieks as the pier collapsed, with some of their parents screaming in horror too.
Luckily, the students saw the funny side and were able to laugh about the mishap afterwards.
And they didn’t let it ruin the prom either: The resourceful teens – and their mothers – whipped out a sewing kit and hairdryers to repair the damage before heading off to enjoy their big night.
President Vladimir Putin has told President Barack Obama that he will not attend the G8 summit in the US later this month.
Vladimir Putin, who was inaugurated as President this week after an absence of four years, told US officials he was busy finalizing his cabinet.
Russian president will send the outgoing president, Dmitry Medvedev, who replaces him as prime minister, instead.
The two presidents will now hold talks at the G20 meeting in Mexico in June.
Earlier this week, Washington criticized the Russian police response to anti-Putin rallies in Moscow.
A State Department spokesman said the US was “disturbed” by the “mistreatment” of peaceful protesters.
Organizers said 20,000 people took part in a protest on Sunday against Vladimir Putin’s inauguration, though police put the figure at 8,000.
President Vladimir Putin has told President Barack Obama that he will not attend the G8 summit in the US later this month
In a statement, the White House said President Vladimir Putin “expressed his regret” to President Barack Obama by phone.
The US and Russian leaders will meet during the G20 summit in Mexico in June.
“The two presidents reiterated their interest in the sustained high-level dialogue that has characterized the reset of relations and the substantial progress of the last three years,” the statement said.
The US is hosting the G8 summit of seven of the world’s most industrialized nations, and Russia, at Camp David on 18-19 May.
It was widely expected that Vladimir Putin would use the event to mark his return to the world stage.
It is not clear whether his decision not to attend is a deliberate snub to the US, following criticism of the Russian election process.
It also highlights growing tensions between the two nations over the US missile defense plans in eastern Europe.
President Barack Obama has ended months of hedging on the issue of same-sex marriage by saying he thinks gay couples should be able to wed.
Barack Obama has become the first sitting US president to back gay marriage.
Mitt Romney, the Republican who is set to challenge Barack Obama for the White House in November’s elections, promptly said he was against gay marriage.
In recent days, Vice-President Joe Biden and cabinet member Arne Duncan had expressed support for gay unions.
A Gallup poll on Tuesday suggested that 50% of Americans were in favor of legalizing same-sex marriage – a slightly lower proportion than last year – while 48% said they would oppose such a move.
The interview with ABC News was apparently hastily arranged as Barack Obama came under mounting pressure to clarify his position on the issue.
President Barack Obama has ended months of hedging on the issue of same-sex marriage by saying he thinks gay couples should be able to wed
“At a certain point, I’ve just concluded that for me personally it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same-sex couples should be able to get married,” Barack Obama told ABC.
He pointed to his administration’s commitment to increasing rights for gay citizens. He cited the repeal of the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy and said his administration had dropped support for the Defense of Marriage Act.
“I’ve stood on the side of broader equality for the LGBT community. I hesitated on gay marriage in part because I thought civil unions would be sufficient,” Barack Obama said.
He said he had changed his views after seeing gay members of his own staff who were in “incredibly committed monogamous relationships”, and service personnel who felt constrained by not being able to wed.
Barack Obama also said discussions with his own family had helped the “evolution” of his views on the issue.
“There have been times where Michelle and I have been sitting around the dinner table and… Malia and Sasha, it wouldn’t dawn on them that somehow their friends’ parents would be treated differently,” Barack Obama said.
“It doesn’t make sense to them and frankly, that’s the kind of thing that prompts a change in perspective.”
In 2010, Barack Obama said his views on the issue were “evolving”, a stance that had frustrated gay rights supporters and donors.
His comments aired on Wednesday come a day after North Carolina approved a constitutional amendment effectively banning same-sex marriage or civil unions.
The Obama campaign had opposed that measure, which was passed with 61% in favor and 39% against.
In the US, 31 states have passed constitutional amendments or legislation against same-sex marriage.
Meanwhile, Mitt Romney set the stage for an election year clash over the polarizing social issue by saying he was against gay marriage.
The former Massachusetts governor told a Fox News affiliate: “I do not favor marriage between people of the same gender, and I do not favor civil unions if they are identical to marriage other than by name.
“My view is the domestic partnership benefits, hospital visitation rights, and the like are appropriate but that the others are not.”
Celebrity hairdresser Vidal Sassoon has died at his home in Los Angeles, aged 84.
A police spokesman said officers went to the stylist’s home on Wednesday morning to confirm the death. He said Vidal Sassoon had died of natural causes.
Vidal Sassoon is regarded as one of the best-known hairdressers of his generation.
He is credited with revolutionizing haircuts in the 1960s, and developed a popular line of hair products under his name.
The creator of the “bob” hairstyle, he is best known for his short, geometric cuts, ending the bouffant styles trendy in the 1950s.
One of his best-known clients was Mary Quant, the famous British fashion designer who popularized the mini-skirt. Mary Quant called Vidal Sassoon the “Chanel of hair”.
Celebrity hairdresser Vidal Sassoon has died at his home in Los Angeles, aged 84
In a tribute, fellow British coiffeur and friend Nicky Clarke said he was “hugely significant – the most iconic of hairdressers”.
Before Vidal Sassoon’s arrival on the scene, he said: “People were in rollers, backcombing their hair. What he bought was a different kind of hairdressing.
“It was all about modernism – in some ways he defined the 60s. He helped to put Britain on the map.”
Nicky Clarke said Vidal Sassoon was a “humble person” who “loved his craft”, and would be greatly missed.
Vidal Sassoon was born to Jewish parents in West London in 1928.
His father left when he was five, and his mother had to put him and his brother into a Jewish orphanage because she could not afford to keep them.
In 1948, at the age of 20, Vidal Sassoon travelled to Israel to fight in the Arab-Israeli War.
On his return to Britain, Vidal Sassoon began working for the famous hairstylist Teasy Weasy Raymond, in Mayfair, before opening his own salon in 1954.
“My idea was to cut shape into the hair, to use it like fabric and take away everything that was superfluous,” Vidal Sassoon said in 1993 in an interview with the Los Angeles Times.
“Women were going back to work, they were assuming their own power. They didn’t have time to sit under the dryer anymore.”
Vidal Sassoon also campaigned against anti-Semitism, establishing the Vidal Sassoon International Center for the Study of Antisemitism at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in the 1980s.
Vidal Sassoon’s private life attracted as much publicity as his business success. He divorced three times and married his fourth wife in 1992.
A helicopter has spotted what is thought to be wreckage of the Russian Sukhoi Superjet plane that disappeared on Wednesday, Indonesian officials say.
The Sukhoi Superjet 100 vanished from radar screens 50 minutes after taking off from Jakarta for a brief demonstration flight.
Officials said the helicopter had seen debris on the side of a cliff near a dormant volcano.
About 45 people are said to have been on board the aircraft.
“The aeroplane crashed at the edge of Salak mountain,” Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said on television.
“I have spoken directly to our officer in the field, it was found around 1.5 km (one mile) from the spot where the plane last made contact,” he said.
“An investigation must be carried out immediately and thoroughly. Search and rescue operations must prioritize finding any survivors.”
The Sukhoi Superjet 100 vanished from radar screens 50 minutes after taking off from Jakarta for a brief demonstration flight
There was no sign of any passengers but rescuers were preparing to drop a team from a helicopter onto the ridge to search for survivors, a military official said.
Eight Russian pilots and technicians, Indonesian airline representatives and journalists were among those said to be on board the plane.
Earlier reports had said 50 people were on board, but Indonesian agents of the Russian-made plane said this figure had been revised down because some people got off before take-off.
Aerial searches for the plane on Wednesday were hampered by darkness and strong winds. Fog early on Thursday also delayed search effort
The plane took off from east Jakarta’s Halim Perdanakusuma airport at 14:00 (07:00 GMT) on Wednesday, on its second flight of the day.
At 14:50, it was recorded as dropping from 10,000ft (3,000m) to 6,000ft near Salak, a peak measuring 7,200ft (2,200m).
Juanda, a villager who lives near the mountain, told local TV: “I saw a big plane passing just over my house.”
Rescue teams on the ground were working to reach the site where the debris was spotted, officials said.
Sukhoi officials have been on an Asia-wide tour in recent months to show off their aircraft to airline firms.
The Superjet, a mid-range airliner that can carry up to 100 people, is military plane-maker Sukhoi’s first commercial aviation plane.
It was created by a joint venture, majority-owned by Sukhoi, with Italy’s Finmeccanica and a number of other foreign and Russian firms also involved.
Sukhoi aimed to sell 42 of its planes to Indonesia, which has witnessed a fast-expanding aviation market to cater for a growing middle class in the world’s fourth most populous nation, Reuters adds.
Car maker Ferrari has apologized after one of its cars drove on top of an ancient Chinese monument in Nanjing as a publicity stunt.
Ferrari suggested the incident was the fault of a single reckless employee.
The car was filmed wheel-spinning on top of a 600-year-old Ming-dynasty era wall in the city of Nanjing.
Footage of the screeching vehicle has infuriated China’s online community. It has hit a nerve in a society where such cars are a symbol of privilege.
Car maker Ferrari has apologized after one of its cars drove on top of an ancient Chinese monument in Nanjing as a publicity stunt
One web user called it a “rude insult” to Chinese tradition and culture.
The stunt, in the run-up to a Ferrari show, left tire marks on the wall.
But most public anger has been directed at city officials after reports emerged suggesting they had agreed to rent the use of the wall to the Ferrari dealership for about $12,000.
City officials have retorted that the car company did not have approval.
“No enterprise or individual is allowed to use the city ramparts in Nanjing for commercial purposes,” Nanjing Cultural Relics Bureau Captain Wu Jing said.
Other than the tire marks, physical damage to the monument does not appear to be substantial.
As a publicity stunt, the incident could not have gone more wrong.
The night-time spin, shortly after the car had been hoisted on to the wall, reportedly led to the cancellation of the event itself, a celebration of 20 years since Ferrari entered the Chinese car market.
The word Ferrari has now been blocked on Chinese microblogs, perhaps as part of an effort to contain criticism of the actions of government officials.
Last night Beyoncé and Jay-Z attended the launch party for friend Erica Reid’s parenting book The Thriving Child.
Beyoncé, 30, showed off her stunning post-baby body in a form-fitting teal dress, highlighting her tiny waist with a thin belt for the occasion, while husband Jay-Z in a printed T-shirt and denim jacket.
The singer, who welcomed Blue Ivy, her first child with Jay-Z, in January, left her blonde hair down and straight for the event, pairing her outfit with a pair of hoop earrings.
The pair looked more in love than ever at the party, held at a private residence in New York, with Jay-Z smiling as he playfully pinched his wife’s cheeks while the pair posed up for photographers.
Last night Beyoncé and Jay-Z attended the launch party for friend Erica Reid's parenting book The Thriving Child
Beyoncé and Jay-Z were joined at the event by other famous faces including Mary J. Blige, with the two female singers pulling in author Erica Reid for a tight hug at the event.
Erica Reid, the wife of X Factor USA judge L.A. Reid, decided to pen her bestselling book The Thriving Child: Parenting Successfully through Allergies, Asthma and Other Common Challenges after discovering that both her son and daughter suffered from serious allergies and irritations since birth.
Erica Reid, who is mother to 11-year-old daughter Arianna and eight-year-old son Addison, said in a recent interview that she believes in a firm but fair approach to parenting.
She said: “I love my children, I am very sweet to them but I’m also very firm with them, and they don’t get their way with every single thing.
“The world is not always going to present them with a silver spoon and I want them to learn that now rather than having them wake up shell-shocked in 30 years.”
Erica Reid’s manual is sure to come in useful for Beyoncé in the future, as the singer revealed earlier this week that she and Jay-Z are definitely planning to have more children.
She told Entertainment Tonight: “I definitely want to have more. I don’t know how many. God knows, I don’t know yet.”
Rihanna was reportedly rushed to hospital with dehydration after partying at the Met Gala in New York on Monday night.
Rihanna, 24, tweeted a picture of herself attached to an IV drip in a hospital.
The singer was suffering from “exhaustion and dehydration”, according to MediaTakeOut.
However, after a brief stay in the undisclosed medical center, Rihanna was discharged and allowed to fly back to her home in Los Angeles, arriving in California earlier this morning.
After a brief stay in the undisclosed medical center, Rihanna was discharged and allowed to fly back to her home in Los Angeles
It comes just days after she pulled out of a Saturday Night Live rehearsal due to her tiredness.
Rihanna has certainly been burning the candle at both ends in recent months and the new issue of America’s Star magazine claims she is “spiraling out of control”.
“Rihanna loves to party but this past month she’s gotten really out of control,” an insider tells the publication.
“She’s been drinking almost everyday and talking about smoking weed a lot too.”
Rihanna’s wild nights out have included a late visit to a strip club in Queens, New York, on May 2 where she was seen throwing money at female performers.
“Everyone is telling her to slow down and think about therapy, or even rehab,” the source continues.
But Rihanna has always been proud of her Good Girl Gone Bad reputation.
She has said: “I’m crazy and I don’t pretend to be anything else.”
For the first time ever in France, the incoming presidential couple, Francois Hollande and his partner Valerie Trierweiler, are not man and wife and the protocol boffins at the French foreign ministry are straining over an interesting conundrum: what to call the new First Lady?
Francois Hollande and journalist Valerie Trierweiler have been together since 2005; openly so since 2007, when Hollande’s relationship with fellow Socialist Segolene Royal was publicly ended.
Theirs is by all accounts a devoted partnership. Valerie Trierweiler was at Francois Hollande’s side throughout the campaign, with an office at his headquarter.
Valerie Trierweiler gives him regular advice, and is credited with having masterminded his “relooking” – the makeover and weight-loss programme that preceded his presidential candidacy.
Many will have a got a first look at Valerie Trierweiler during the victory celebrations at the Bastille on Sunday night: an attractive woman of 47 with thick chestnut hair, clearly delighted by her partner’s triumph.
Francois Hollande and journalist Valerie Trierweiler have been together since 2005
After the exotic glamour of Carla Bruni – and before her the buttoned-up correctness of Bernadette Chirac – she will offer a very different version of the presidential consort.
Valerie Trierweiler’s origins are not exactly humble, but certainly rather more ordinary than the backgrounds of her predecessors. In her own words, she comes from a family of “impoverished bourgeoisie”.
Her paternal grandfather owned a bank in the western town of Angers, but by the time Valerie Massonneau was born in 1965 the affluence had long since petered out.
Her father lost his leg at the age of 12 while playing with an unexploded shell in World War II. They lived in a council house in Angers, and her mother did part-time work as a cashier at a local skating-rink.
One of six brothers and sisters, Valerie had ambition and came to Paris to study politics. She started in journalism at the now-defunct magazine Profession Politique, and in 1989 was taken on as a political reporter at Paris Match, where she has been ever since.
Funnily enough one of her early assignments was to interview the 38-year-old Segolene Royal, who in 1992 had just given birth to her fourth child with Francois Hollande.
Segolene Royal was environment minister at the time – she was the first ever French minister to give birth in office – and spoke to Valerie Trierweiler in her hospital room.
Valerie Trierweiler briefly met Francois Hollande a few years earlier, but their friendship deepened from 2000 when they met often in the corridors of the National Assembly.
“We both loved politics, and we both loved to have a laugh,” she told one interviewer.
Today Valerie Trierweiler says she has to pinch herself to believe the extraordinary change that suddenly come upon her life.
“It’s a bit like I am the subject of one of my own despatches,” she said.
“You know that film in which a person in the audience enters the screen and becomes part of the film. It’s like that.”
Pestered by questions about how she will approach her new life, Valerie Trierweiler has said she needs time to work it out.
The couple has indicated they do not intend to live in the Elysee palace, but they have been told by the presidential security people that their current residence in the 15th arrondissement of Paris is unsuitable.
As much as possible, Valerie Trierweiler wants to maintain her previous lifestyle. She has three children by her former husband Denis Trierweiler, two of whom are taking the baccalaureate in June.
She also intends to keep on with her journalism – though she has already been obliged to give up writing on politics because of her relationship with Francois Hollande.
“It is going to be very complicated,” said the journalist and writer Philippe Labro, who gave her a job as political interviewer on the TV station Direct8.
“She is someone who has always worked, who’s come from nowhere, who’s done everything for herself. I understand her point of view, but it’s going to be very hard to keep doing that and be First Lady.”
One thing she should understand well, given her background at Paris Match, are the demands of the celebrity press – though a recent contretemps with her own employer suggests there could still be tensions to come.
When the magazine published a large and favorable photo-story about her on 8 March (International Women’s Rights Day), she tweeted: “Bravo to the sexism of Paris-Match.”
As for the protocol, no-one seriously thinks the marital status of Francois Hollande and Valerie Trierweiler presents a problem.
Times have changed – and today being unmarried is as “normal” (Francois Hollande’s watchword) as being married.
There just remains the tricky question of what to call her. Conjoint? Compagne? Maybe. Or conceivably Madame Hollande?
Francois Hollande and Valerie Trierweiler have said they will not get married purely for reasons of protocol.
A study published in the journal BMJ Open suggests that a simple drawing test may help predict the risk of older men dying after a first stroke.
Taken while healthy, the test involves drawing lines between numbers in ascending order as fast as possible.
Men who scored in the bottom third were about three times as likely to die after a stroke compared with those who were in the highest third.
The study looked at 1,000 men between the ages of 67 and 75 over 14 years.
Of the 155 men who had a stroke, 22 died within a month and more than half within an average of two- and-a-half years.
Taken while healthy, the test involves drawing lines between numbers in ascending order as fast as possible
The researchers think that tests are able to pick up hidden damage to brain blood vessels when there are no other obvious signs or symptoms.
Dr. Clare Walton, from the Stroke Association in UK, said: “This is an interesting study because it suggests there may be early changes in the brain that puts someone at a greater risk of having a fatal stroke.
“This is a small study and the causes of poor ability on the drawing task is not known. Although much more research is needed, this task has the potential to screen for those most at risk of a severe or fatal stroke before it occurs so that they can benefit from preventative treatments.”
Dr. Bernice Wiberg, lead author from Uppsala University in Sweden, said: “As the tests are very simple, cheap and easily accessible for clinical use, they could be a valuable tool – alongside traditional methods like measuring blood pressure (and) asking about smoking – for identifying risk of stroke, but also as a possible important predictor of post-stroke mortality.”
She also suggested it could help improve information given to patients and their family.
A new study findings presented at the European Congress on Obesity suggest that older obese men could shift excess weight by taking testosterone supplements.
In a study, hormone-deficient men were given testosterone supplements in a similar way to HRT for older women.
Men lost an average of 16 kg over five years when testosterone levels were increased back to normal.
But experts warn that supplements may not be the answer due to possible risks of prostate cancer and heart disease.
Prof. Richard Sharpe from the University of Edinburgh Centre for Reproductive Health said: “The notion that this is a quick fix for obese older men is, as always, simplistic. It is far more sensible and safer for men to reduce their food intake, reduce their obesity, which will then elevate their own testosterone.”
Men lost an average of 16 kg over five years when testosterone levels were increased back to normal
The findings announced at the conference also suggest that raising testosterone levels could reduce waist circumference and blood pressure.
Dr. Farid Saad, lead author of the study said: “We came across this by accident. These men were being given testosterone for a hormone deficiency – they had a range of problems – erectile dysfunction, fatigue and lack of energy.
“When we analysed the data we found that every year, for five years, they had lost weight. It may be that the increased testosterone restored their energy levels and led to a behavioural change of being more physically active.”
However, experts remain dubious. While some experts have linked low testosterone levels to a male “menopause”, with symptoms including changes in sleeping patterns, poor concentration, feeling worthless and anxiety, others have found to have no such link.
The study looked at 115 obese men aged between 38-83 years with low testosterone levels. They were injected with the hormone every 12 weeks to increase levels. The research, paid for by Bayer Pharma, a manufacturer of testosterone replacement therapy, found no increased risk of prostate cancer, a side-effect found in other studies.
The relationship between obesity and testosterone appears to be a vicious cycle. There are numerous studies showing that obesity, in particular abdominal obesity, is associated with reduced testosterone levels in men and a reduction in muscle.
With ageing, especially beyond 40-50 years, testosterone levels tend to decline slowly, which may predispose to abdominal obesity which will then further lower testosterone levels.
A Russian Sukhoi Superjet 100 with at least 44 people aboard has gone missing on a demonstration flight in Indonesia.
The plane disappeared from radar screens during a flight from Jakarta meant to last 30 minutes, a blogger with the Sukhoi delegation said.
Helicopters were dispatched to look for the jet, thought to have been flying near a mountain, Sergey Dolya said.
Emergency services confirmed a Sukhoi plane was missing.
The plane, which took off at 07:00 GMT, is believed to have had about four hours’ fuel aboard.
A Russian Sukhoi Superjet 100 with at least 44 people aboard has gone missing on a demonstration flight in Indonesia
Gagah Prakoso, spokesman for Indonesia’s national search and rescue agency, said 46 people had been aboard the plane, which vanished from radar near Bogor, a city in West Java province.
He said it was unclear who was on board because they were people invited by Sukhoi, but they were “likely to be reps of Indonesian airlines”.
Sergey Dolya tweeted that there were 44 people aboard, eight of them Russians.
The plane took off from east Jakarta’s Halim Perdanakusuma airport, which is used for some commercial and military flights, at 14:00 (07:00 GMT), the Indonesian search and rescue agency spokesman said.
“At 14:50 it dropped from 10,000ft [3,000m] to 6,000ft,” the agency told AFP.
Herry Bakti, head of the transport ministry’s aviation division, said the aircraft had been on the second of two demonstration flights, and those on board were invited guests.
The Russian embassy in Jakarta said in a statement earlier this week that a Sukhoi Superjet 100 demonstration would take place in Jakarta on Wednesday, AFP added.
The embassy could not be immediately reached for comment.
The Superjet, a mid-range airliner that can carry up to 100 people, is military plane-maker Sukhoi’s first commercial aviation plane.
It was created by a joint venture, majority-owned by Sukhoi, with Italy’s Finmeccanica and a number of other foreign and Russian firms also involved.
Gagah Prakoso said Sukhoi had been offering the Superjet to Indonesian airlines.
Actor John Travolta faces new allegations of sexual assault after a second male masseur joined the $2 million legal action against him.
In amended court documents filed on Tuesday, the unidentified man claimed John Travolta, 58, tried to initiate sex at a hotel in Atlanta on 28 January.
The new accusation follows allegations that he sexually assaulted a masseur at the Beverly Hills Hotel on 16 January.
Actor John Travolta faces new allegations of sexual assault after a second male masseur joined the $2 million legal action against him
John Travolta’s lawyer called the new claim “just as ridiculous as the first one”.
“Our client will be fully vindicated in court on both of these absurd and fictional claims,” said attorney Martin Singer.
The second man, a resident of Georgia, was referred to in court documents as John Doe No. 2. He claimed that John Travolta rubbed his legs, touched his genitals and tried to initiate sex during a private appointment.
His claims echoed those of the first masseur, referred to as John Doe, who accused John Travolta of exposing himself and groping him.
Both legal actions were filed by Okorie Okorocha, a lawyer based in Pasadena just outside Los Angeles, and have been dismissed as “fabricated” by John Travolta’s legal representatives.
Best known for his roles in Saturday Night Fever and Pulp Fiction, John Travolta has been married to Kelly Preston since 1991.
Twitter is objecting at a New York state court order to hand over the message history of Malcolm Harris, one of its users who is an Occupy protester.
The court has called on Twitter to release tweets written by an activist who took part in the Occupy Wall Street protests last year.
The micro-blogging service disputes a judge’s ruling that messages are owned by Twitter rather than its users.
The American Civil Liberties Union commended the company for defending free speech rights.
Twitter’s lawyer, Ben Lee, said: “Twitter’s terms of service make absolutely clear that its users <<own>> their own content. Our filing with the court reaffirms our steadfast commitment to defending those rights for our users.”
The case centres around Malcolm Harris, managing editor of the New Inquiry website.
Malcolm Harris was arrested on 1 October along with hundreds of other campaigners during a march across Brooklyn Bridge.
Malcolm Harris was arrested on 1 October along with hundreds of other campaigners during a march across Brooklyn Bridge
Prosecutors claim tweets by Malcolm Harris would reveal that he was “well aware of police instructions” ordering protesters not to block traffic.
Malcolm Harris’s lawyer had tried to block access to the postings, but a judge ruled that once the messages had been sent they became the property of Twitter, meaning the defendant was not protected by Fourth Amendment protection against unlawful search and seizure.
Twitter’s lawyers argued that the judge had misunderstood how the service worked, noting that the Stored Communications Act gave its members the right to challenge requests for information on their user history.
“This is a big deal,” said the American Civil Liberties Union in a blog post.
“Law enforcement agencies… are becoming increasingly aggressive in their attempts to obtain information about what people are doing on the internet.
“If internet users cannot protect their own constitutional rights, the only hope is that internet companies do so.”
One media analyst said Twitter’s action also reflected its wider desire to avoid becoming caught up in litigation.
“Twitter, like any internet service provider, wants people who upload material to be responsible – it doesn’t want to be in a position where it has to review all of the tweets,” said Benedict Evans from Enders Analysis.
“It sees itself as being like an email provider and doesn’t want to have to worry about issues of copyright (and) libel about other matters relating to what people post.
“That said, it can’t totally avoid the issue. We have seen cases of US courts forcing email providers to hand over evidence, and Twitter has access to the data.”
Reports from the US say the al-Qaeda underwear bomber sent to blow up a U.S.-bound airliner was actually a double agent who infiltrated the group and volunteered for the suicide mission.
US officials are quoted as saying that the person dispatched by Yemen-based al-Qaeda to attack a US-bound plane had infiltrated the group.
In an apparent intelligence coup, the agent left Yemen with the device and delivered it to the CIA.
Meanwhile, the Pentagon says it is sending military trainers back to Yemen to help counter al-Qaeda militants.
US intelligence learned last month that militants with al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) in Yemen planned to attack a plane with a more sophisticated version of a bomb hidden in a passenger’s underwear, similar to one used in a failed 2009 attempt, Associated Press news agency reported.
Officials told US media that the would-be bomber had been recruited by Saudi Arabia’s intelligence agency and sent to Yemen where he infiltrated the militants’ cell.
The double-agent was reportedly given an ambitious task by Saudi intelligence – to convince AQAP that he wanted to blow up himself and a US-bound aircraft.
The agent was given the device which he then delivered to the CIA and Saudi officials.
The New York Times reports that the double-agent is now safe in Saudi Arabia.
FBI analysts are studying the device.
The upgraded underwear bomb is described by officials as a “custom-fit” device that would have been difficult to detect even with careful security checks.
It is said to have two forms of detonator, unlike a similar bomb, from the same Yemeni source, that failed to explode on Christmas Day 2009.
Underwear bomber Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab
The main charge was a high-grade military explosive that “undoubtedly would have brought down an aircraft”, an official told the New York Times.
Experts quoted in the US media say both bombs bear the hallmarks of AQAP master bomb-maker Ibrahim Hassan Tali al-Asiri.
“The plot itself indicates that the terrorists keep trying… to devise more and more perverse and terrible ways to kill innocent people,” Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said during a visit to India.
The agent also provided intelligence that led the CIA to conduct a drone strike in Yemen on Sunday that killed AQAP leader Fahd al-Quso, the New York Times reported.
Fahd al-Quso was wanted in connection with the bombing of the American destroyer USS Cole in Yemen 12 years ago. The US was offering a $5 million reward for information leading to his capture or death.
US officials told ABC News that Fahd al-Quso had been planning an attack similar to the failed 2009 attempt to blow up a passenger plane.
The device seized from Yemen shares some features with the bomb sewn into the underwear of would-be suicide bomber Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab during that attempt, officials said.
The Nigerian was arrested when his device failed to explode fully while on a plane bound for Detroit.
Meanwhile, Pentagon spokesman Capt. John Kirby told reporters on Tuesday that the US had “begun to reintroduce small numbers of trainers into Yemen”.
“We have been working with the government of Yemen and the Yemeni military for some time now to help them deal with the growing threat of al-Qaeda in Yemen,” he added.
Capt. John Kirby would not say how many trainers were involved or where they were based.
Months of political upheaval in Yemen have left militants in control of large parts of the south of the country.
Washington’s military training programme in Yemen was suspended in 2011 after then-President Ali Abdullah Saleh was badly injured in a rocket attack.
Ali Abdullah Saleh gave way to his deputy, Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, in February after more than a year of mass pro-democracy protests and bouts of open warfare between rival groups.
Reverend Jesse Lee Peterson, a frequent Fox News guest, has drawn wide condemnation for saying women should have never been given the right to vote.
In a sermon that was posted on YouTube in March, Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson said women are leading the United States down a path of wickedness because they have too much political power.
Fox News host Sean Hannity has invited Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson on his show several times, including after the video was posted, and sits on the board of the conservative activist’s organization.
The remark seemed to draw disagreement, if not condemnation, from Fox News founder Rupert Murdoch, who tweeted: “When? Women voting is best thing in a hundred years.”
Rev. Jesse lee Peterson’s fiery statement had drawn immense criticism.
Reverend Jesse Lee Peterson, a frequent Fox News guest, has drawn wide condemnation for saying women should have never been given the right to vote
“I think that one of the greatest mistakes America made was to allow women the opportunity to vote,” Jesse Lee Peterson said in the sermon.
“We should’ve never turned this over to women. It was a big mistake… And these women are voting in the wrong people. They’re voting in people who are evil who agrees (sic) with them who’re gonna take us down this pathway of destruction.
“And this probably was the reason that they didn’t allow women to vote when men were men. Because men, in the good old days, understood the nature of the woman. They were not afraid to deal with it and they understood that if they let them take over, this is what would happen.”
Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson is no stranger to controversial statements. He has previously said “thank God for slavery’ because it brought the Africans to live in the United States, the ‘greatest country in the world”.
He has also said: “Barack Obama hates white people, especially white men.”
He has been quoted saying men should be legally allowed to hit their wives and that he wishes he could take “all black people back to the South and put them on the plantation so they would understand the ethic of working”.
Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson’s comments about women come from his sermon called “How most women are building a shameless society.”
During the 12-minute speech, he says women are incapable of making good decisions because they are too emotional.
“You walk up to them with a issue, they freak out right away. They go nuts. They get mad. They get upset, just like that. They have no patience because it’s not in their nature. They don’t have love. They don’t have love,” he said.
When he appeared on Fox News last week at the invitation of Sean Hannity, Democratic commentator Kirsten Power confronted him for the sermon and called his words “misogynistic”.
He replied: “I have a responsibility to tell the truth. You’re on the side of lies. Why shouldn’t I be on the side of truth? And it’s the truth that’s gonna make us free. Somebody gotta tell the truth, so I’m going to tell the truth.”
Russell Brand is said to be “seething with jealously” after his ex-wife Katy Perry was pictured at the Coachella Festival last month with Robert Ackroyd of Florence And The Machine.
This led Russell Brand, 36, to send Katy Perry, 27, a long email admitting that he “gave up” on their marriage too soon.
Russell Brand filed for divorce from Katy Perry in December and cited “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for the split but now it appears being faced with the green-eyed monster has caused him to think things over.
It has been reported that Russell Brand sent the singer an emotional e-mail in which he has asked for a second chance and said ending their 14 month marriage was a “mistake”.
Russell Brand sent Katy Perry a long email admitting that he “gave up” on their marriage too soon
A source close to Russell Brand told Grazia magazine: “Word has it Russell was <<seething with jealousy>> when he saw pictures of her with Rob. He apparently feels he gave up on their relationship too easily.”
The source continued: “It’s fair to say that Russell only wishes Katy happiness but perhaps he should have realized just how special his wife was when he was married to her rather than five months later.”
When Russell Brand filed for divorce at the end of last year, it was reported that he did not agree with Katy Perry’s partying lifestyle and he told her to “tone it down”.
Added to the fact that Katy Perry was on a mammoth tour it seems their marriage ultimately paid the cost.
Although Katy Perry has moved on, Russell Brand was spotted with the main woman in his life – his beloved mother Barbara.
The comedian and his mum were spotted lunching in Primrose Hill, North London yesterday.
One day before, Katy Perry tweeted a line from Forrest Gump: “Dear God make me a bird, so I can fly far far far away from here.”
Mark Rothko’s artwork “Orange, Red, Yellow” has achieved the highest ever price for a piece of contemporary art at auction – fetching $86.9 million.
The 1961 painting was sold at Christie’s in New York.
The auction house said the total takings of $388.5 million had beaten the previous record for a contemporary art auction, set in 2007.
Last week Edvard Munch’s “The Scream” set the world record for an artwork – selling for $119.9 million.
Another high-profile contemporary art auction takes place on Wednesday – when Roy Lichtenstein’s “Sleeping Girl” is the pick of the pieces going under the hammer at Sotheby’s in New York. The estimated value is put at $30 million-$40 million.
Mark Rothko’s artwork “Orange, Red, Yellow” has achieved the highest ever price for a piece of contemporary art at auction fetching $86.9M
On Tuesday, “Orange, Red, Yellow” soared past the previous Mark Rothko record of $72.84 million.
Sales director Laura Paulson said the work was a personification of the art of Mark Rothko, who died in New York in 1970.
Francis Bacon’s Triptych held the previous post-war art record – selling for $86.3 million in 2008.
A total of 14 artists recorded new highs for their works on Tuesday, including the $36.5 million paid for Yves Klein’s piece “FC1” and the $21.8 million registered for Gerhard Richter’s “Abstraktes Bild”.
“The market really responded,” said Brett Gorvy, Christie’s international head of post-war and contemporary art.
“It is a very knowledgeable market, a very sophisticated market. We saw very seasoned collectors, as well as new collectors coming forward.”
New estimates suggest that one in six cancers, two million a year globally, are caused by largely treatable or preventable infections.
The Lancet Infectious Diseases review, which looked at incidence rates for 27 cancers in 184 countries, found four main infections are responsible.
These four – human papillomaviruses, Helicobacter pylori and hepatitis B and C viruses – account for 1.9 million cases of cervical, gut and liver cancers.
Most cases are in the developing world.
HPV infection can cause cervical cancer
The team from the International Agency for Research on Cancer in France says more efforts are needed to tackle these avoidable cases and recognize cancer as a communicable disease.
The proportion of cancers related to infection is about three times higher in parts of the developing world, such as East Asia, than in developed countries like the UK – 22.9% versus 7.4%, respectively.
Nearly a third of cases occur in people younger than 50 years.
Among women, cancer of the cervix accounted for about half of the infection-related cancers. In men, more than 80% were liver and gastric cancers.
Dr. Catherine de Martel and Dr. Martyn Plummer, who led the research, said: “Infections with certain viruses, bacteria, and parasites are some of the biggest and preventable causes of cancer worldwide
“Application of existing public-health methods for infection prevention, such as vaccination, safer injection practice, or antimicrobial treatments, could have a substantial effect on the future burden of cancer worldwide.”
Vaccines are available to protect against human papillomavirus (HPV) – which is linked to cancer of the cervix – and hepatitis B virus – an established cause of liver cancer.
And experts know that stomach cancer can be avoided by clearing the bacterial infection H. pylori from the gut using a course of antibiotics.
Commenting on the work, Dr. Goodarz Danaei from Harvard School of Public Medicine in Boston, the US, said: “Since effective and relatively low-cost vaccines for HPV and HBV are available, increasing coverage should be a priority for health systems in high-burden countries.”
Carla Bruni-Sarkozy will start singing live again and is planning to release a new album of songs in the autumn, her promoter confirmed today.
There are even rumors of France’s outgoing First Lady starring in a new biopic about her family history.
News of Carla Bruni’s desire to revive her showbiz career came as her husband, Nicolas Sarkozy, was pictured at his first public engagement since losing the French presidential election.
Nicolas Sarkozy, 57, announced his retirement from politics after Sunday’s election defeat, which made him the first French head of state to be rejected after just one term for 31 years.
In the event, the vote was closer than many had predicted, and Nicolas Sarkozy has insisted his loss was not humiliating.
Despite claiming he “loves life too much to be bitter”, however, Nicolas Sarkozy appeared visibly tense today while accompanying Francois Hollande to a ceremony marking the 67th anniversary of the Allied victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.
The former rivals laid a wreath at the tomb of the untold soldier, beneath the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
Despite winning their bitter contest, Francois Hollande looked almost as strained as the outgoing president.
Nicolas Sarkozy is facing an uncertain future – his poor English means he is unlikely to be able to make money on the lucrative US lecture circuit, and he has ruled out any return to politics.
Carla Bruni will start singing live again after Nicolas Sarkozy lost presidential election
Veronique Rampazza, spokeswoman for Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, said: “Carla did not put her career on hold during Nicolas Sarkozy’s five years in office. She continues to compose.
“What she gave up for practical reasons was her public concerts, which she is now able to start again.”
Carla Bruni, 44, has a recording studio in her Paris townhouse and will release her new album in time for Christmas.
She is hoping to repeat the success of Quelqu’un m’a dit (Somebody Told Me), which came out 10 years ago, and sold around 2 million copies, mostly in France.
While critics praised the charming, folksy effort, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy’s later albums, No Promises and Comme si de rien n’était (As If Nothing Had Happened), were less well received.
After her marriage to Nicolas Sarkozy in 2008 following a whirlwind romance of just 80 days, Carla Bruni was never out of the limelight.
There were cover photo shoots for glossy magazines like Vanity Fair and Vogue – including a controversial one on the roof of the Elysee Palace – and she took a role in the Woody Allen film Midnight in Paris.
Carla Bruni-Sarkozy’s actress sister, Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi, is producing a movie about the history of their multi-millionaire family, and the outgoing first lady may play herself.
In an interview in 2008 Nicolas Sarkozy said he would “start to make money” when he quit frontline politics.
This has led to speculation that he will follow the lead of his friend Tony Blair and try and establish himself as a multi-millionaire lecturer and international trouble shooter.
Nicolas Sarkozy’s problem in this respect is that he speaks poor English, and would struggle to impress backers in the United States, where political celebrities like Tony Blair and former American president Bill Clinton can earn up to $400,000 plus expenses per talk.
Nicolas Sarkozy is unlikely to return to his first career as a lawyer, either, but thanks to his Italian-born wife’s $30 million plus personal fortune he does not need to work again.
What it certain is that Nicolas Sarkozy will have a lot more time to spend with the couple’s seven month old baby daughter, Giulia.
According to Julia Carta, Simon Cowell’s make-up artist, the media mogul has been spritzing his face with a “miracle” serum made with Japanese herbs and water from the bottom of the sea.
Simon Cowell’s devotion to Botox is no secret, once famously describing it as “no more unusual than toothpaste”.
But, after several face freezing mishaps with the cosmetic toxin, it appears Simon Cowell has turned to a more natural way of maintaining his youthful looks.
Shinso Skin Care – which costs between £155 ($245) and £255 ($400) a bottle – is made from 69 different Japanese herbs and botanicals, including grapefruit peel, honey and olive tree extract, plus water from the depths of the Sea of Japan.
It claims to improve the appearance of skin “within two minutes”, working as a “natural face-lift” by penetrating deep into the skin to boost collagen levels, repairing damage and reducing wrinkles.
Shinso Skin Care is made from 69 different Japanese herbs and botanicals, including grapefruit peel, honey and olive tree extract, plus water from the depths of the Sea of Japan
International celebrity make-up artist Julia Carta, whose clients include actresses Sienna Miller and Keira Knightley, said she had used Shinso on Simon Cowell during filming for this year’s Britain’s Got Talent series.
“It’s like the Rolls-Royce of skin care – a real treat for the skin,” Julia Carta said.
“It is a bottle of precious water from the bottom of the Japanese sea – it’s really quite unique.
“I used the product on Simon whilst filming throughout the day to refresh his skin. It’s fantastic to hydrate and balance the skin.
“It is great for people coming off long haul flights who need instant hydration. It brightens and plumps the skin. It’s a great product.”
Beauty experts say the sea is one of the most bountiful sources of nutrients for anyone who prefers natural skin care.
Dr. Stefanie Williams, a Harley Street dermatologist, said Shinso was unlikely to give users instant results, as the product makers claimed, but that it did contain ingredients likely to be “beneficial” to staying young.
“This product contains anti-ageing ingredients, such as Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 [a muscle relaxer] and Human Oligopeptide-1 [promotes skin cell growth],” Dr. Stefanie Williams said.
“The instant-effects claim seems like an exaggeration, as it takes time to induce real changes in skin biology.
“But, overall, a good product with beneficial ingredients.”
Nao Tsuruta, who created the product, added: “With Shinso Skin Care, you can rejuvenate even the deepest layers of your skin by utilizing some of nature’s most precious ingredients found in deep sea waters and rare Japanese herbs and botanical extracts.”
Botox is a toxic protein or nerve poison which is injected into the face and forehead to relax frown lines and smooth wrinkles. It works by temporarily paralyzing the facial muscles.
Simon Cowell has admitted having the treatment in the past, saying: “Yes, I’ve had Botox, but not in an obsessive way.
“Then again, every guy I know who works in the City has had it now. It works, you do it once a year – who cares?”
But last year viewers were shocked at Simon Cowell’s appearance when, in June, he appeared to have a drooping left eye during the live Britain’s Got Talent semi-final.
A few months later his face and forehead appeared unnaturally smooth and waxwork-like when he was interviewed on Piers Morgan’s U.S. chat show.
Image-conscious Simon Cowell was also recently reported to have become hooked on an anti-ageing smoothie containing lingonberry, acerola berry and chokeberry that he discovered while touring the U.S. for the American X Factor last year.
Kim Kardashian was spotted yesterday struggling to make a graceful exit from Kanye West’s silver sports car after taking it for another spin around LA.
Kim Kardashian, 31, looked rather awkward as she tried to heave herself out of the snug bucket seat in the low-riding Mercedes SLR McLaren.
The reality star was taking her sister Khloe for a drive in the luxury vehicle before they both stopped in to visit Kourtney and Scott Disick, who are expecting their second child.
Kim Kardashian’s new rapper boyfriend, Kanye West, who attended the Met Gala in New York on his own last night, is letting her borrow his $500,000 car while she’s back on the West Coast.
Kanye West, 34, keeps the expensive motor at his Los Angeles residence and was seen driving it around the city with his ex girlfriend Amber Rose last year.
Kim Kardashian was spotted yesterday struggling to make a graceful exit from Kanye West's silver sports car
Earlier this week, Kim Kardashian was spotted rolling up at Barry’s Bootcamp fitness class in the silver vehicle and later stopped in for a snack at Mexican chain, Baja Fresh.
Car enthusiast Kim Kardashian has plenty of nice wheels herself – she owns a Range Rover, a Ferrari, a Bentley and Rolls Royce Ghost.
Meanwhile, Kim Kardashian’s acrimonious split from Kris Humphries rumbles on.
It has emerged that her estranged husband is adamant that her testimony is recorded on film, a move which she is said to be fighting.
Although the procedure is the norm in such cases, to be used as evidence if necessary, Kim Kardashian’s lawyer, Laura Wasser, is afraid the footage may emerge before their divorce trial gets to court.
A source told RadarOnline: “Kris’ lawyer Lee Hutton has told Laura that he intends to videotape Kim’s deposition, which is common practice in divorce proceedings.
“This is done in case a witness becomes unavailable at trial, and the deposition can be used as evidence. Kardashian’s camp has vowed to vehemently fight having the deposition taped, they don’t think it’s necessary and are afraid that it could get leaked to the media, despite assurances from Kris’ lawyer all video evidence will be kept in a safe and won’t see the light of day until the trial.”
RadarOnline reports that although Laura Wasser is expected to file documents to ask a judge to intervene, Kris Humphries’ people are ready to hit back with reasons why they should be for the move and will not back down unless his ex publicly apologizes for their sham marriage.
Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries split last October following 72 days of marriage and Kim went public with her romance with Kanye West last month.
A witness claimed a blonde girl identical to Madeleine McCann was seen at a campsite in Spain just three days after the British toddler went missing five years ago.
The groggy-looking blonde girl appeared alienated from the German family she was staying with at the resort on the Costa del Sol, according to a witness.
The potential sighting came three days after Madeleine McCann was abducted from Praia da Luz in Portugal, a few hours drive away.
British detectives investigating her disappearance have been told the German family paid extra after arriving at the campsite with one more child than expected on May 6, 2007, reports The Sun.
It is also believed that their vehicle had fake number plates to avoid detection.
The alarm was raised by holidaymaker Karen Sisson, 49, who was staying at the Cabopino campsite near Fuengirola.
A witness claimed a blonde girl identical to Madeleine McCann was seen at a campsite in Spain just three days after the British toddler went missing five years ago
Karen Sisson, from Gibraltar, told police at the time that the girl was wearing a pink T-shirt, shorts and a beige hat and seemed “out of it”.
She said that the girl seemed out of place with the German couple and their two curly-haired children.
Karen Sisson’s suspicions were further raised when she saw the girl wearing the same outfit the following day.
The mother-of-two left the next day but records show the German family stayed at the campsite for two weeks.
They checked in under the name Karsten Mayer, who gave 1970 as his year of birth.
Their car had a “BE” German number plate, which went out of official use 38 years ago – but the vehicle was a Mercedes Vito people carrier that was first manufactured in 1996.
A spokesman for the McCanns said yesterday: “This lady has done the right thing in reporting what she saw to the police.”
The development comes as Madeleine’s parents Kate and Gerry McCann on Sunday declared they will never give up their search for their missing daughter as they took part in a ten-kilometre charity run.
Just three days after the fifth anniversary of Maddie’s abduction, the couple took part at the busy Liverpool event for the first time.
Kate McCann, 44, wore a white vest with a picture of Madeleine on the front and the words “Never give up” on the back.
It was the first year they felt able to take part in the event.
Writer Maurice Sendak, the author of children’s book Where the Wild Things Are, died early on Tuesday at 83.
Longtime friend and caretaker Lynn Caponera said she was with him when Maurice Sendak died at a hospital in Danbury, Connecticut. She said he had a stroke on Friday.
Where the Wild Things Are earned Maurice Sendak a prestigious Caldecott Medal for the best children’s book of 1964 and became a hit movie in 2009.
President Bill Clinton awarded Maurice Sendak a National Medal of the Arts in 1996 for his vast portfolio of work.
Maurice Sendak didn’t limit his career to a safe and successful formula of conventional children’s books, though it was the pictures he did for wholesome works such as Ruth Krauss’ A Hole Is To Dig and Else Holmelund Minarik’s Little Bear that launched his career.
Where the Wild Things Are, about a boy named Max who goes on a journey – sometimes a rampage – through his own imagination after he is sent to bed without supper, was quite controversial when it was published, and his quirky and borderline scary illustrations for E.T.A. Hoffmann’s Nutcracker did not have the sugar coating featured in other versions.
Maurice Sendak, the author of children's book Where the Wild Things Are, died early on Tuesday at 83
Maurice Sendak also created costumes for ballets and staged operas, including the Czech opera Brundibar, which he also put on paper with collaborator Pulitzer-winning playwright Tony Kushner in 2003.
He designed the Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Nutcracker production that later became a movie shown on television, and he served as producer of various animated TV series based on his illustrations, including Seven Little Monsters, George and Martha and Little Bear.
But despite his varied resume, Maurice Sendak accepted – and embraced – the label “kiddie-book author”.
“I write books as an old man, but in this country you have to be categorized, and I guess a little boy swimming in the nude in a bowl of milk (as in In the Night Kitchen) can’t be called an adult book,” Maurice Sendak told The Associated Press in 2003.
“So I write books that seem more suitable for children, and that’s OK with me. They are a better audience and tougher critics. Kids tell you what they think, not what they think they should think.”
During that 2003 interview, Maurice Sendak also said he felt as if he were part of a dying breed of illustrators who approached their work as craftsmen.
“I feel like a dinosaur. There are a few of us left. (We) worked so hard in the `50s and `60s but some have died and computers pushed others out.”
Maurice Sendak, who did his work in a studio at the Ridgefield, Conn., home he moved into in the early 1960s, never embraced high-tech toys. He did, however, have a collection of Mickey Mouse and other Walt Disney toys displayed throughout the house.
When director Spike Jonez made the movie version of Where the Wild Things Are, Maurice Sendak said he urged the director to remember his view that childhood isn’t all sweetness and light. And he was happy with the result.
“In plain terms, a child is a complicated creature who can drive you crazy,” Maurice Sendak told the AP in 2009.
“There’s a cruelty to childhood, there’s an anger. And I did not want to reduce Max to the trite image of the good little boy that you find in too many books.”
Maurice Sendak’s own life was clouded by the shadow of the Holocaust. He had said that the events of World War II were the root of his raw and honest artistic style.
Born in 1928 and raised in Brooklyn, Maurice Sendak said he remembered the tears shed by his Jewish-Polish immigrant parents as they’d get news of atrocities and the deaths of relatives and friends.
“My childhood was about thinking about the kids over there (in Europe). My burden is living for those who didn’t,” Maurice Sendak told the AP.
Maurice Sendak, his sister Natalie, and late brother Jack, were the last of the family on his father’s side since his other relatives didn’t move to the United States before the war. The only family member Maurice Sendak really knew on his mother’s side was his grandmother.
Maurice Sendak told the New York Times in 2008 that he was gay and had lived with his partner, psychoanalyst Eugene Glynn, for 50 years before his death in 2007.
He never told his parents: “All I wanted was to be straight so my parents could be happy. They never, never, never knew.”
Maurice Sendak didn’t go to college and worked a string of odd jobs until he went to work at the famous toy store FAO Schwarz as a window dresser in 1948.
But it was his childhood dream to be an illustrator and his break came in 1951 when he was commissioned to do the art for Wonderful Farm by Marcel Ayme. By 1957 he was writing his own books.
Maurice Sendak received the international Hans Christian Andersen medal for illustration in 1970. In 1983 he won the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award from the American Library Association.
But it was Brundibar, a folk tale about two children who need to earn enough money to buy milk for their sick mother that Maurice Sendak completed when he was 75, that he was most proud of.
“This is the closest thing to a perfect child I’ve ever had.”
Maurice Sendak stayed away from the book-signing bandwagon that many other authors use for publicity; he said he couldn’t stand the thought of parents dragging children to wait on line for hours to see a little old man in thick glasses.
“Kids don’t know about best sellers,” he said.
“They go for what they enjoy. They aren’t star chasers and they don’t suck up. It’s why I like them.”
Isabella Cruise, the adopted daughter of Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise, has always kept quiet about her private life – until now.
Isabella Cruise, 19, has revealed she has reunited with her adoptive mother Nicole Kidman.
The artist has not appeared in public with her famous Australian mother for many years but is adamant they don’t have a troubled relationship.
In an interview with New Idea magazine, Isabella rubbished allegations that she does not speak to Nicole Kidman.
Isabella Cruise said: “I love mom. She’s my mom. She’s great. I see her sometimes and I speak to her.”
She added: “We’re a very close family. I love all of our family.”
Isabella Cruise, 19, has revealed she has reunited with her adoptive mother Nicole Kidman
The new claims are in stark contrast to what Nicole Kidman, who is currently filming The Railway Man, once said about both her adopted children back in 2007.
Nicole Kidman told GMTV: “My kids don’t call me mommy, they don’t even call me mom. They call me Nicole, which I hate and tell them off for it.”
It was also widely reported at the time that Tom Cruise’s current wife Katie Holmes admitted Connor and Isabella called her “Mom” after just two years in their lives.
Katie Holmes said: “His first two children are incredible, really smart and kind. They call me Mom.”
Isabella Cruise decided to stay in her father’s Beverly Hills mansion when her parents divorced in 2001, but she has now moved into a apartment with her boyfriend.
She is rumored to be living in a small apartment with Eddie Frencher in Downtown Los Angeles’ notorious Skid row district.
They are both followers of Scientology and she unashamedly told the magazine: “We are very proud to be Scientologists.”
Isabella Cruise and Eddie Frencher, 23, made their public debut at her brother Connor’s birthday party in January.
They have been dating for some time but kept their relationship under wraps for months.
