New reports claim that Whitney Houston binged on cocaine, alcohol and pills in her final months.
Insiders say that after months of sober living during 2011, Whitney Houston fell off the wagon.
A source told Star magazine: “The last three months of Whitney’s life were truly tragic.”
Whitney Houston was found dead in the bathtub of her Beverly Hilton hotel in Los Angeles on the eve of the Grammy Awards.
Eyewitness told Star magazine about Whitney Houston partying at Hollywood club Playhouse on January 2.
“Whitney got buck-wild. She drank cognac and champagne and seemed completely out of it from the moment she arrived until the moment she left at 2:30 a.m.”
Whitney Houston, pictured here with her daughter Bobbi Kristina, was said to have binge on cocaine, alcohol and pills in her final months
The reports go on to detail Whitney Houston partying at the luxury Beverly Hills hotel, the Beverly Wilshire.
“Whitney was in a lounge chair drinking pina coladas all afternoon,” another eyewitness told Star magazine.
“Once in a while, she would get on her cell phone and start screaming at someone. She seemed almost manic at moments and practically unconscious the next.”
Whitney Houston’s wild behavior continued right until her death.
CNN anchor Don Lemon claimed he saw Whitney Houston doing somersaults in the pool just days before she died – saying she had been drinking alcohol from as early as 10:00 a.m.
Whitney Houston will be laid to rest tomorrow after a funeral service at New Hope Baptist Church in her hometown of Newark, New Jersey.
Meanwhile Ray J, who was dating Whitney Houston in the months before her death, has finally broken his silence.
Ray-J, 31, released a statement that said: “Over the past few days, I’ve tried to process the emptiness that I am experiencing. What my heart feels cannot be expressed in words. The world lost an icon, but I lost my close friend.”
Alluding to a nickname given to Whitney Houston by her father he added: “Nippy, I miss you so much!”
“You were so happy and full of love. Your smile will live in my heart forever.”
Ray-J was seen at LAX airport today catching a flight to New Jersey ahead of Whitey Houston’s funeral tomorrow.
There will be a galaxy of stars paying tribute to Whitney Houston including Kevin Costner, Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder – the final duo who will be performing.
Today it has been revealed that Mel Gibson reached out to Whitney Houston a few years ago to try and deal with her addiction issues.
Mel Gibson was invited to the funeral tomorrow by Whitney Houston’s family but is unable to attend because of prior family commitments TMZ reports.
FBI has arrested a man near the US Capitol building as part of an anti-terror investigation, US officials say.
Amine El Khalifi, 29, of Alexandria, Virginia was taken into custody by the FBI.
Officials told US media the man thought he was heading to carry out a suicide attack on the Washington DC building, home to the US Congress.
El Khalifi was “closely and carefully monitored” for weeks, according to the FBI and US Capitol police.
Authorities say the public was never in any danger.
El Khalifi allegedly thought undercover FBI agents he was working with were members of the al-Qaeda network.
However, he was not believed to have any known existing connections to al-Qaeda, officials said.
FBI has arrested a man near the US Capitol building as part of an anti-terror investigation
El Khalifi was said to have overstayed a visitor visa for years, and was under investigation for more than a year, according to the Associated Press news agency.
He carried a vest he thought was packed with explosives, reports said, but had in fact been supplied and made harmless by undercover agents.
“Explosives the suspect allegedly sought to use in connection with the plot had been rendered inoperable by law enforcement and posed no threat to the public,” a spokesman for the US Justice Department said.
El Khalifi was not arrested on the Capitol grounds and had been under surveillance for several weeks, AP reported.
US law enforcement officials routinely carry out sting operations in an effort to stop potential terror suspects.
In one of the most recent incidents, in September 2011, 26-year-old US citizen Rezwan Ferdaus was arrested for allegedly plotting to fly explosive-packed, remote controlled planes into the Pentagon and the Capitol building.
Prince Johan Friso, the second son of Queen Beatrix of The Netherlands, is in a critical condition after being hit by an avalanche while on a skiing holiday in Lech, western Austria.
According to Austrian officials, Prince Johan Friso was buried under the snow for about 15 minutes before being rescued.
Prince Johan Friso, 43, was resuscitated at the scene and taken to hospital in Innsbruck – the Dutch government said he was stable but “not out of danger”.
Several members of the Dutch royal family had been on holiday together in the resort of Lech, in the Austrian Alps.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte confirmed that the queen was there but had not been involved in the incident.
Dutch Prince Johan Friso is in a critical condition after being hit by an avalanche while on a skiing holiday in Lech, western Austria
Stefan Jochum, a spokesman for the ski resort, said Prince Johan Friso had been skiing with a small group off the marked pistes when the avalanche hit shortly after midday local time. No-one else was injured, he said.
The Austria Press Agency quoted Lech’s mayor, Ludwig Muxel, as saying the prince had been buried by an avalanche measuring about 30 m wide by 40 m long.
The Dutch government said Prince Johan Friso’s condition was stable but that he was “not out of danger”. An earlier statement said he was in intensive care and that his life was “at risk”.
The statement said Queen Beatrix and Princess Mabel, prince’s wife, were with him but that it would be several days before a full prognosis could be given.
The Austrian Alps have been hit by particularly heavy snow this winter and numerous avalanches. Parts of Voralberg were cut off by the snow this week and an avalanche warning was in place around Lech.
Several people have been killed across Europe this year in avalanches.
Prince Johan Friso gave up his rights to the Dutch throne in 2004, when he married human rights activist Mabel Wisse Smit.
Holland’s government had refused to give its support to the marriage, because the couple had given misleading information about the bride’s relationship with a dead gangster.
Under Dutch law, royals who aspire to the throne must receive permission from the government and parliament to marry as the cabinet will bear responsibility for their actions.
Prince Johan Friso and Princess Mabel have two young daughters, Luana and Zaria.
Kevin Ammons, author of the Whitney Houston unauthorized biography, “Good Girl, Bad Girl,” claims that singer’s mother, Cissy Houston, had an open disapproval of Houston’s former close friend Robyn Crawford.
On more than one occasion, Cissy Houston allegedly told Whitney, “get rid” of Robyn Crawford or she would destroy her career, saying it wasn’t “natural” for two women to be so close.
Kevin Ammons also mentions that Robyn Crawford allegedly became upset when Bobby Brown had sent Whitney Houston four hundred roses before their marriage.
Kevin Ammons, author of the Whitney Houston unauthorized biography, “Good Girl, Bad Girl,” claims that singer’s mother, Cissy Houston, had an open disapproval of Houston’s former close friend Robyn Crawford
The author also said that Regina Brown, Whitney Houston’s former publicist, told him, the story of a very public altercation between Whitney and Robyn Crawford at the 1991 Super Bowl, where the singer sung the national anthem.
Regina Brown allegedly said that M.C. Hammer appeared, he and Whitney Houston went off by themselves, talking and laughing and Robyn Crawford allegedly flipped.
After M.C. Hammer left, Robyn Crawford went and grabbed Whitney Houston’s arm and pulled her aside and started screaming at her. Then, Robyn Crawford allegedly screamed: “Don’t ever disrespect me like that!”
Whitney Houston allegedly jerked away and told her to go to hell and Robyn Crawford hauls off and slaps Whitney.
Cissy Houston allegedly yelled: “Don’t you ever put your hands on my daughter!”
Then Cissy Houston slugged Robyn Crawford in her right jaw with her fists and Robyn falls to the ground. Cissy Houston kept punching and kicking her, yelling: “I’ll kill you, you stupid b**ch!”
Onlookers had to pull Cissy Houston off Robyn Crawford.
Kevin Ammons also claimed that Regina Brown once told him, one of the conditions of working for Whitney Houston was that she never said a word about Robyn Crawford to anyone.
To allegedly insure her silence, Whitney Houston had given Regina Brown many expensive presents: a gold Mercedes-Benz, a diamond studded cross, a corporate credit card, a calling-card account, diamond earrings, free air travel, $125,000 a year salary and free rent on her luxurious apartment.
Robyn Crawford, Whitney Houston’s friend and former personal assistant, says the singer chose the life she led.
While others want to dwell on the bad things that might have led to Whitney Houston’s untimely death, Robyn Crawford has chosen another path.
While it’s true that part of Whitney Houston’s life was full of hardship and trouble, Robyn Crawford told Esquire magazine that’s not how she’ll remember Whitney Houston.
To illustrate that, Robyn Crawford published some of her most cherished memories with her friend.
Whitney Houston and Robyn Crawford met years before Whitney became a huge star. In fact, the singer was just 16. However, Whitney Houston and Robyn Crawford formed a quick friendship and a bond that grew and blossomed. The singer even hired Robyn Crawford to work with her.
Robyn Crawford (right), Whitney Houston’s friend and former personal assistant, says the singer chose the life she led
Robyn Crawford recounts a certain trip around the world they made together. She flew first class with Whitney Houston and stayed in the same hotels as she did.
“She fed everybody with her love,” Robyn Crawford says.
“Deep down inside that’s what made her tired.”
There’s no denying that Whitney Houston loved the high life, but she also shared it with those she cared about. As for her work life, Robyn Crawford says Whitney Houston always gave whatever she was doing 100 percent of her energy. Whitney Houston worked as hard as she played.
“It was never easy. She never left anything undone,” says Robyn Crawford.
Referring the Whitney Houston’s film The Bodyguard, she noted: “…she did the film, she did the music, she did everything….”
Robyn Crawford also compared Whitney Houston’s performance of “I Will Always Love You” to that of an athlete at the peak of his or her career.
Still, Whitney Houston’s death was a shock. Robyn Crawford says February was a special month to her friend. Whitney Houston released her first album on Valentine’s Day.
It was a Grammy month and the time of her mentor, Clive Davis’s, big party. Those were all things to which Whitney Houston looked forward to.
Robyn Crawford hopes that people will remember Whitney Houston for her talent and her drive and not just for the fact she took drugs.
“A lot of people take drugs…,” Robyn Crawford notes.
“I just hope she wasn’t in pain and that she hadn’t lost hope.”
Trained Steller sea lions took part in a Canadian experiment designed to find out why the species is dying out.
The Canadian research team strapped cameras and tracking equipment onto endangered Steller sea lions to see how they dived for food.
Early results from the project indicate that overfishing might not be the main factor in their decline as had previously been thought.
Male Steller sea lions measure 3m (10ft) and weigh more than 950kg.
This makes them the biggest of all sea lions.
These marine mammals once thrived on the shores of the North Pacific Ocean. Now their numbers have dwindled to around 100,000. But no one knows why they are dying out.
To investigate why, Prof. Andrew Trites, a marine mammal specialist from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, has recruited some of them to help him with his experiments.
Trained Steller sea lions took part in a Canadian experiment designed to find out why the species is dying out
Sea lions are well known for their ability to learn tricks. But with the help of trainers from Vancouver Aquarium, Prof. Andrew Trites has trained four females to follow voice commands and hand gestures that enable them to take part in scientific experiments.
“The Steller sea lions are rare in the wild and even rarer in captivity,” explained Prof. Andrew Trites.
“In order to get into their heads you need access to them 24-hours-a-day and that’s what we have here.”
It’s the first time that sea lions have been used in this way. They have been trained for the project since they were pups 15 years ago. According to one of the trainers, Troy Neil, it has been a long, hard process.
“It’s not been easy. It’s taken a lot of time and patience. At times it feels I’ve been spending more time with them than my family,” he joked.
His equally dedicated colleague, Nigel Walker, agrees: “Sometimes I forget it’s not normal to hang out with 500lb seals.”
Then, to prove the point, one of the sea lions raises herself on her hindquarters, approaches Nigel Walker and plants a firm kiss on his lips.
These seals seem happy in their scientific work.
Once the seals are fitted with their sensors, they are taken out to open water on their own personal speed boat, the Steller Shuttle.
They speed into the breathtaking fjords of British Columbia, where the icy waters are more than a mile deep. It is the perfect place to study how these animals hunts for food.
The Steller Shuttle reaches its destination – a small research platform. One of the sea lions, Hazy, eagerly dives into the still waters and, as instructed, makes her way into an enclosure which serves as a kind of underwater laboratory.
On the platform, researchers push pieces of fish down a pipe that goes right to the bottom of the water. Then Hazy is told to dive deep into the water.
Her sensors measure precisely the amount of energy she uses as she speeds down to catch the fish.
Hazy is equipped with a camera so that the researchers witness the transformation from a playful seal to a speeding torpedo.
The research team has discovered that it is much harder for her to feed close to the surface – a possible clue to why her kind is dying out.
Another early result from these experiments, according to Prof. Andrew Trites, is that these mammals are suffering because they may be eating the wrong kind of food.
“It’s called the junk food hypothesis,” he said.
“These animals need oily fish such as herring, sand eels and salmon to thrive. But instead they are eating pollock and the animals are full before they get enough calories.”
For the first time, researchers are looking at the world through the eyes of Stellar sea lions to see if they can reverse the decline of these magnificent creatures.
Whitney Houston’s godmother Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder will sing at the singer’s funeral, to be held in New Jersey on Saturday.
Clive Davis, her musical mentor, will speak at the ceremony, which will include contributions from Whitney Houston’s cousin Dionne Warwick and singer Alicia Keys.
Whitney Houston’s ex-husband Bobby Brown and Kevin Costner, with whom she starred in The Bodyguard, are among those who have been invited to the private service.
Police plan to block off streets around the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark.
No one without an invitation will be allowed near the building and fans have been urged to stay home.
The funeral will be shown live on US television after the Houston family agreed to have a single video camera inside the church.
Whitney Houston’s funeral will also be streamed on the BBC News website at 12:00 EST.
Various media crews are already in place outside the church, hoping to capture footage of the guests arriving and leaving.
Whitney Houston was one of the world's best-selling artists from the mid-1980’s to the late 1990’s, selling 170 million records worldwide
Songwriter Valerie Simpson, whose I’m Every Woman was covered by Whitney Houston in 1992, will also be attending the funeral.
Valerie Simpson told CNN she hoped the day would be a celebration of Whitney Houston’s talent.
“Her personal trials and tribulations have nothing to do with her artistry,” she told Piers Morgan.
“Her record is her music. That incredible voice.”
“It had everything – it was elastic, it had meaning, it had range, it had soul, it had pop sensibility and an ability to interpret a lyric in a way that made you feel it.”
The funeral comes one week after Whitney Houston was found in her hotel bathroom in Los Angeles.
Officials are waiting for the results of toxicology tests that will help them ascertain how the singer died.
Reginald Dowdley, the late singer’s make-up artist, spent three hours with her on the day before her death and said he saw “no signs of stress”.
“She was warm and inviting and welcoming,” he said.
“She didn’t seem erratic. I didn’t get any of that from her at all.”
Whitney Houston was one of the world’s best-selling artists from the mid-1980’s to the late 1990’s, selling 170 million records worldwide.
Sales of Whitney Houston records have soared since her death was announced last Saturday.
A privately-owned Cessna aircraft was intercepted by two fighter jets yesterday entering the same Los Angeles airspace as Marine One while the helicopter was ferrying President Barack Obama.
After the small plane landed at Long Beach Airport, police then discovered it contained about 40 pounds of marijuana, a law enforcement official said.
The Secret Service said President Obama was never in any danger, despite the emergency procedure to remove the unauthorized aircraft from “restricted airspace”.
The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) said it scrambled two F-16 fighters from March Air Reserve Base in Riverside County, California, to intercept a Cessna 182 over Los Angeles at 2:30 p.m. local time.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman Virginia Kice said the department’s Homeland Security Investigations unit questioned the pilot, who has been turned over to Long Beach police and remains in custody.
The pilot will now face local prosecution, Virginia Kice said.
The Secret Service said President Obama was never in any danger, despite the emergency procedure to remove the unauthorized aircraft from “restricted airspace”
NORAD spokesman Michael Kucharek declined to disclose how close the Cessna came to Marine One.
The Federal Aviation Administration had notified pilots that there was an eight-mile radius around Los Angeles International Airport that was off-limits to air traffic yesterday.
It was that radius that the Cessna violated, spokesman Brie Sachse said.
Brie Sachse declined to release the Cessna’s tail number, saying the agency does not identify planes involved in security incidents.
After a short wait at LAX, Barack Obama took off aboard Air Force One to San Francisco – the flight was delayed by the appearance of the Cessna.
Barack Obama made it safely to San Francisco, where he was travelling to three fundraisers.
When he landed he met Jodi Fisher, a 44-year-old cancer patient who recently made headlines by handing out free ice cream in her hometown, which was on her “bucket list”.
Meeting Barack Obama was also on the list, so White House staff arranged for her to greet him at San Francisco airport.
Air Force One is the name for any U.S. Air Force aircraft which is carrying the President.
Carlos “Halfy” Rodriguez, a bad boy from Miami, Florida, who was left with half a head following a dramatic accident has spoken out for the first time – blaming his astonishing appearance on a drink and drugs binge.
Carlos “Halfy” Rodriguez, who also goes by the name Sosa, lost a large portion of his brain and skull in a crash after flying through his car’s windscreen and landing head-first on the road.
In a new video Carlos Rodriguez has used his appearance and story to warn others not to drink and take drugs.
Doctors were forced to cut away large amounts of flesh and bone to help Halfy survive and he has since been able to continue his life.
“I was barred out on drugs. I was driving and I hit a pole and flew out the front window and landed on my head,” Carlos Rodriguez said in a new warning message on You Tube.
Showing his head to camera the man added: “And this is how the old boy has come out. That is why it is not good drinking and driving or drugness (sic) and driving. It is no good kids.”
According to the German tabloid Bild, Carlos Rodriguez had the accident aged 14.
Carlos “Halfy” Rodriguez lost a large portion of his brain and skull in a crash after flying through his car's windscreen and landing head-first on the road
“I was with a cousin and a friend stole the car, there was a near-fatal car accident. As the speed was too fast we lost control of the car and crashed,” Carlos Rodriguez said.
He shot to fame two years ago after he was arrested for allegedly soliciting prostitution.
Miami Police had problems with their paperwork and his forms contained no name and simply the description “half a head”.
Carlos Rodriguez’s mugshots, showing his missing forehead and battered skull, spread across the world online but many thought that it was a hoax.
However this new video has proved that he and his extreme injuries exist.
But despite his serious message to stay away from narcotics, it appears that Carlos Rodriguez is yet to change his ways after admitting he still smokes a lot of drugs.
In a bizarre tirade, Carlos Rodriguez also accuses American President Barrack Obama of doing the same.
“This is what I do daily: burn a stake,” which is slang for a joint.
“Obama is the President of ya’ll United States and he smokes. (Expletive) has the whole White House growing.
An armed robbery took place at a museum in Ancient Olympia, the birthplace of the Olympics, from where dozens of artefacts have been stolen, Greek officials say.
Local mayor Thymios Kotzias told media two masked men had broken into the museum after overpowering the sole guard, a woman.
Thymios Kotzias said items of “incalculable” value had been stolen, but gave no details.
Culture Minister Pavlos Geroulanos has tendered his resignation, state television reported.
An armed robbery took place at a museum in Ancient Olympia, the birthplace of the Olympics, from where dozens of artefacts have been stolen
Officials say the thieves broke into the museum early on Friday, smashed glass displays and took about 60 items – mostly bronze and clay statuettes.
Ancient Olympia, in Western Greece, is regarded as one of the most important cultural sites in the country.
Thymios Kotzias was quoted by AFP as saying: “There were two of them, and they had a gun.
“They immobilized the guard as the shift changed at 7:00 a.m., having previously knocked out the alarm.”
“We must wait and see what the local archaeology supervisor will say, but the items were of incalculable value,” Thymios Kotzias added.
Amanda Knox finally has a book deal after months of tense battling between 20 publishers desperate for a big money windfall.
Amanda Knox, 24, of Seattle, Washington, has signed for a reported $4 million with publisher HarperCollins to write about her murder conviction and acquittal in Italy.
While the deal will be respite for her family who spent $1 million just dealing with her trial, it will provoke anger from her alleged victim’s relatives.
The deal is expected to distress the family of Meredith Kercher, 21, the British student who lived with Amanda Knox in Perugia, Italy, found in a pool of blood.
Amanda Knox, who was jailed for four years in Perugia, has only spoken publically once when she arrived back in the U.S. following her release last October.
Her family spent more than $1 million in legal, travel and living costs to be near her during the murder trial in Italy – and even more on her appeal.
Amanda Knox’s parents, Edda Mellas and Curt Knox, who divorced when she was aged just two, have put on a united front and took out second mortgages.
“Knox will give a full and unflinching account of the events that led to her arrest in Perugia,” a HarperCollins spokesman said on Thursday.
Amanda Knox has signed for a reported $4 million with publisher HarperCollins to write about her murder conviction and acquittal in Italy
The spokesman added that Amanda Knox will talk about her “struggles with the complexities of the Italian judicial system” and read back journals she kept in prison.
“Knox will talk about her harrowing experience at the hands of the Italian police and later prison guards and inmates,” he said.
HarperCollins is promising Amanda Knox will “reveal never before-told details surrounding her case” about “the most challenging time of her young life”.
The book, currently untitled, is tentatively scheduled for early 2013. The mammoth financial agreement was disclosed by the New York Times.
It was negotiated by Washington attorney Robert Barnett, who has worked for President Barack Obama and former President George W. Bush.
Some 20 publishers were interested in the book and Amanda Knox met with seven, all of whom submitted bids during a recent auction.
HarperCollins publisher Jonathan Burnham said that Amanda Knox, who studied creative writing, would work with a collaborator.
The company should be able to recoup some of its investment by selling TV interview rights on the back of the book.
Broadcasters are banned from paying for interviews but they routinely get around it by buying the rights to the interviewee’s book instead.
Amanda Knox’s editor will be Claire Wachtel, whose other authors have included crime novelist Dennis Lehane and journalist Cokie Roberts.
Publishers in recent years have shied from controversial defendants, especially since the fiasco of O.J. Simpson’s “If I Did It”.
That was a fictionalized account of Nicole Brown Simpson’s murder that was cancelled in 2006 by HarperCollins in response to public outrage.
After Casey Anthony was cleared last year of killing her two-year-old daughter, several publishers said they would not consider a book by her.
“I think it’s a huge gamble for somebody,” a publisher who had no intention of bidding on the story told the New York Times earlier this month.
“It’s not like she has been exonerated in a clear and definitive way.”
The value of her story has been compared to that of Jaycee Dugard, who was kidnapped and held captive for almost two decades.
Casey Anthony had a book published last July that has sold 1.2 million copies. But while the deal is good news for Amanda Knox, her legal issues are not over.
Earlier this week, Italian prosecutors asked the top court to reinstate the murder convictions of Amanda Knox and her former boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito.
Raffaele Sollecito, who had reportedly been considering seeing Amanda Knox at Christmas, has since been pictured kissing and cuddling Annie Achille.
Annie Achille is an Italian volleyball player who is also his distant cousin.
Amanda Knox meanwhile has been seen hand-in-hand in Seattle with her new boyfriend, guitarist James Terrano.
Prosecutor Giovanni Galati said he is “very convinced” that Raffaele Sollecito and Amanda Knox were responsible for Meredith Kercher’s death in November 2007.
But the Italian appeals court in October said the guilty verdicts against Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito were not corroborated by any evidence.
It added that the court hadn’t proven they were in the house when Meredith Kercher was killed.
A third defendant, Ivory Coast-born drifter Rudy Guede, was convicted in a separate trial of sexually assaulting and stabbing Meredith Kercher.
Rudy Guede’s 16-year sentence, reduced in appeal from an initial 30 years, was upheld by Italy’s highest court in 2010.
Meanwhile, a lawyer for Amanda Knox recently filed an appeal of her slander conviction in Italy.
The same court that overturned her murder conviction upheld the charges for slander – for falsely accusing bar owner Diya “Patrick” Lumumba of involvement in the slaying.
Diya Lumumba was freed after two weeks in prison for lack of evidence. Amanda Knox later said she was “manipulated” during her lengthy police interrogation.
A judge set Amanda Knox’s sentence for slander at three years, less than the time she spent in prison. That meant she could leave Italy and return to Seattle.
Convicted Marin Stroia collapsed and had to be wheeled out of a Fort Lauderdale, Florida, courtroom on a stretcher Thursday morning after he drank a liquid he claimed was poison when a jury found him guilty of armed trespass.
This isn’t the first time Marin Stroia has caused commotion at the Broward County Courthouse. When the 60-year-old man was taken to the hospital, he was on trial for sneaking a gun into court last year, sitting down and threatening to shoot himself over child support issues.
It’s unclear from Thursday’s incident whether Marin Stroia really tried to take his own life. He was seen drinking a clear liquid from an aspirin bottle, though before he collapsed, he told a court guard the drink was not actually poison.
Marin Stroia collapsed and had to be wheeled out of a Fort Lauderdale, Florida, courtroom on a stretcher Thursday morning after he drank a liquid he claimed was poison when a jury found him guilty of armed trespass
Marin Stroia was listed in good condition at a local hospital Thursday afternoon.
While the jury was deliberating on Marin Stroia’s charges of armed trespass and criminal display of a weapon, he took out a photograph of his son and showed it to defense attorney Maury Halperin, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported.
When the jury returned with a guilty verdict, as his fate was being read out in court, he drank from a large aspirin bottle. He told a courtroom bailiff it was poison.
Marin Stroia later recanted the story and told the deputy he had not quaffed poison.
However, when he was being led away from his lawyer, Marin Stroia stumbled and fell to the floor.
The judge summoned paramedics who took him from the courtroom in a stretcher.
In January 2011, Marin Stroia brought a gun into the Broward County Courthouse, sat down on the floor in the lobby and put a gun beneath his chin.
The courthouse was evacuated as Judge Joel T. Lazarus talked Marin Stroia out of killing himself.
The former security guard faces five years in prison.
New reports are claiming that Whitney Houston visited a doctor three times in the eight day period before she was found dead in a bath tub at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.
According to Star magazine and Radar claim that Whitney Houston, who passed away aged 48, saw a Beverly Hills doctor on February 2, 7 and 8.
This was a day before Whitney Houston was photographed in public for the last time, looking sweaty and disheveled as she emerged from a Hollywood night club.
Whitney Houston then made a visit to a Beverly Hills medical building on February 10, about 48 hours before her death.
The visit, to a throat doctor, was witnessed by X Factor winner Melanie Amaro, who bumped into the idol.
“I was at the doctor’s office and she was there,” Melanie Amaro told CNN last week.
“I had a chance to meet her and talk to her.”
It’s not known if it was the same physician or whether any drugs were prescribed at each of the appointments, if anything.
Whitney Houston was found dead in a bath tub at the Beverly Hilton Hotel
It has already been reported by Radar that the Los Angeles County coroner’s office has issued subpoenas for medical and pharmacy records from Whitney Houston’s doctors and medical providers.
Los Angeles County assistant chief coroner Ed Winter said that Whitney Houston’s medical records could shed additional light on why she died and whether she had any serious medical conditions.
“We’ve already contacted a number of doctors with requests for records,” Ed Winter told Radar yesterday.
“I know there are reports that she maybe was drowned or did she overdose, but we won’t make a final determination until all the tests are in.”
It is also being reported today that Whitney Houston failed a routine medical check two weeks before she was found dead.
Star Magazine are alleging that Whitney Houston had sought a facelift to be performed by a Beverly Hills surgeon.
But Dr. Marc Mani, a board certified plastic surgeon, is alleged to have refused to perform the procedure on Whitney Houston after she didn’t pass the medical clearance exam that tests a patient’s heart, lung and liver, according to a source.
“She was concerned about her appearance and wanted a facelift,” the insider said.
Dr. Marc Mani refused to confirm to Radar Online whether Whitney Houston had attended his clinic, citing federal medical privacy laws.
Radar Online claims that preliminary results have revealed sedatives were found in Whitney Houston’s system.
Speculation has grown over Whitney Houston’s cause of death, which has yet to be determined pending the outcome of toxicology tests that could take up to six weeks.
The extraordinary story of Appalachia’s “Blue Family” began back to the early 1800’s, when an isolated family from eastern Kentucky – who can trace their roots back to a French orphan – started producing children who were blue.
As a result of a coincidental meeting of recessive genes, intermarriage and inbreeding, members of the Fugate family were born with a rare condition that made them visibly discolored.
The mystery behind the astonishing picture of the Fugates, which has been baffling people for years, appears to have finally been solved.
The story began when Martin Fugate, a French orphan, settled on the banks of eastern Kentucky’s Troublesome Creek to claim a land grant in the early 19th century.
Martin Fugate married a red-haired American named Elizabeth Smith – who had a very pale complexion – and their union formed a genetic mutation that resulted in their descendants being born with blue skin.
Looking at the portrait, they appear to have been either Photoshopped or made up to mimic characters from children’s cartoon The Smurfs, but science proves that the condition is in fact real.
Fugate family developed a rare skin discoloration as a result of a coincidental meeting of recessive genes, intermarriage and inbreeding
Called methaemoglobinaemia (commonly known as met-H), the condition reduces the individual’s ability to carry oxygen in their blood. As a result, their blood is darker than the color typically found running through people’s veins.
Because the Fugate family lived in such an isolated part of the Kentucky, they intermarried with a neighboring family for generations which led to a relatively “pure” gene pool where the met-H gene appeared much more frequently.
The family was first discovered in 1958 when one of the blue men, Luke Combs, who was a descendant of another branch of the Fugate family, took his white wife to the University of Kentucky Hospital and doctors paid more attention to him than his wife.
“Luke was just as blue as Lake Louise on a cool summer day,” Dr. Charles H. Behlen II told the Tri-City Herald in 1974.
Aside from the stark discoloration of the carrier’s skin, there are no serious problems associated with the disease.
In 1980, a counter-intuitive solution was discovered where the blue person drinks a chemical-filled solution that is itself blue. This then turns the carrier’s blood into a “normal” red hue which is then reflected in a change in skin tone.
Because of the dispersion of fluids, the solution only lasts for about a day so the carrier would have to drink a serving every day.
As eastern Kentucky has become vastly more populated than the early 19th century, and as more genes are married into the Fugate family tree, there were far fewer children born with the condition.
That said, the recessive met-H gene lingers to this day, but it is statistically insignificant now.
“They weren’t sick; it was just the way they look,” said nurse Ruth Pendergrass in the Tri-City Herald article.
“They’re normal people – they’re good people.”
How Met-H darkens blood?
The methaemoglobinaemia condition, or “met-H”, reduces someone’s ability to carry oxygen in the blood, leaving it darker than the color typically found in veins.
The Fugate family intermarried with a neighboring family for generations, which led to a relatively “pure” gene pool, often including the met-H gene.
But as Kentucky became more populated and more genes came into the Fugate family tree, there were far fewer children born blue.
The gene is still around today but has now become statistically insignificant and there are no serious medical problems associated with it.
Giant technology company Apple has won a patent dispute against Motorola Mobility regarding a “slide-to-unlock” feature on smartphones.
The judgement marks Apple’s first patent victory over Motorola in any part of the world.
Patent consultant Florian Mueller said the ruling could affect patent disputes involving Android device makers worldwide.
Motorola said it planned to appeal and the judgement would have “no impact” on supply or future sales.
A spokeswoman for the Motorola said: “Today’s ruling in the patent litigation brought by Apple in Munich, Germany, concerns a software feature related to phone unlocking in select Motorola devices sold in Germany.
“Motorola has implemented a new design for the feature. Therefore, we expect no impact on current supply or future sales.”
Apple said it would not be commenting on the decision.
Apple was granted the sliding patent in March 2010
Motorola Mobility is in the process of being acquired by Google, and most of its handsets run on the search firm’s mobile operating system, Android.
The Android system is Apple’s closest rival in the mobile market.
Florian Mueller, a patent expert who has in the past consulted for Microsoft, described the ruling as a “very significant win for Apple against Android”.
“After Google closes the acquisition of Motorola Mobility, the Apple-Motorola Mobility dispute will soon gain importance transcending that of the global battle with Samsung,” Florian Mueller said.
While this decision relates solely to activity in the German market, the decision could potentially help Apple with other patent disputes in other parts of the world, Florian Mueller added.
“Apple is already asserting the slide-to-unlock patent in different jurisdictions against all three leading Android device makers and might use it against even more of them going forward.”
The patent in question – EP1964022 – relates to the process of unlocking a smartphone by simply swiping a finger from one area of the screen to another.
A second patent ruling, which covers a method of scrolling through pictures in a photo gallery on mobile device, was also due on Thursday but was postponed by the court.
Jellyfish Lake, based on the Pacific island of Palau, is the only place in the world where tourists can safely swim amongst millions of jellyfish because the sometimes deadly creatures have lost their sting.
The lake was once connected to the Pacific Ocean but when the sea level dropped jellyfish became isolated in the algae rich lake.
With no risk of being eaten by predators, the jellyfish population thrived and there is now estimated to be up to 8 million jellyfish living in the lake.
Over time their stings weakened and these amazing images show tourists can now swim alongside the jellyfish without fear of being stung.
Jellyfish Lake, based on the Pacific island of Palau, is the only place in the world where tourists can safely swim amongst millions of jellyfish
Photographer Kevin Davidson joined the brave tourists to capture the mesmerizing beauty of Jellyfish Lake on camera.
Kevin Davidson, 51, who runs a small camera shop in Palau, said: “People who have a fear of jellyfish freak out, some people just turn around and leave, but there are no dangers.
“The jellyfish have evolved into their own subspecies and have slowly lost their stinging cells, some snorkelers may feel a slight sting on more tender parts of the skin, but they’re harmless.
“Swimming in the lake is an experience of a lifetime.
“It’s hard to describe how it feels but it’s unusually quiet and you can just feel hundreds of soft blobs touching your skin as you move slowly through the water.
“Since first visiting the lake almost 15 years ago, it’s become a small obsession. I’ve been hundreds of times, each thinking of a new way to photograph the tourists and the jellies.”
A group of indomitable and infamous pageant moms have been given the beauty queen treatment, transforming them into adult-sized versions of their daughters on Anderson Cooper show.
Anderson Cooper and his team have taken TLC’s Toddlers and Tiaras’ four most famous mothers and given them pageant makeovers – even going as far as dressing them in copycat outfits to mimic their daughters’ favorite competition costumes.
The results, while hilarious, are an attempt by Anderson Cooper to encourage the controversial women to think differently about dressing their young girls up and asking them to perform in the revealing outfits and make-up.
Six-year-old Alana Thompson, aka Honey Boo Boo Child, looked like a miniature version of her mother, June Shannon, from McIntyre, Georgia.
June Shannon, the self-proclaimed “Coupon Queen”, said she found the corset a little tight, but apart from that she was determined to see the humorous side of the get-up, echoing the mothers’ attitudes towards the pageant world as a whole.
“We have had a blast,” June Shannon said of the day at the studio.
“This is something we’ll laugh about for years to come. This is fun, this is all about having fun.”
A group of indomitable and infamous pageant moms have been given the beauty queen treatment, transforming them into adult-sized versions of their daughters on Anderson Cooper show
When questioned ether the outfit may make her change her philosophy towards child beauty pageants, it became clear the embarrassing makeover experience had made no impact.
“I don’t rethink any decision that I’ve made for my daughter as far as pageants,” June Shannon said.
“This was all in fun for us today, yeah, the corset is a little tight. With her, she enjoys doing it, so we are going to continue doing it.”
June Shannon insists on the programme, airing Thursday, February 16, that the highly criticized pageant world is nothing more than a sport.
“To us women who do it everyday it is a sport. Alana, she loves doing it, she’s not into the basketball or the baseball or anything like that.”
When asked whether she had indulged in any “GoGo Juice” – the caffeine-heavy mix of Red Bull and Mountain Dew she famously uses to energize her child – the larger-than-life June Shannon pointed out that Anderson Cooper and the audience had drunk it all. Indeed, at one point, the host takes a swig from a bottle and declares that the potent mix is “very sweet”.
“I don’t give her GoGo Juice everyday of the week,” explains June Shannon.
“Sometimes I don’t give it to her at pageants at all, we may use another remedy that day which may be pixie sticks or candy or just a regular caffeinated drink.”
The mother of eight-year-old Laci was a little less enamored with her Lady Gaga costume. The tiny electric blue spandex number was a touch on the revealing side for the mother-of-three Alicia, whose daughter’s verdict of the outfit was simply: “Weird.”
Anderson Cooper suggested that the audience had found the diminutive outfit “surprising” for such a young child, but the mom disagreed.
“Not at all. I mean, she doesn’t have anything, it’s different for children, it’s not showing anything, it’s a swimsuit for her.”
Happily for the mothers, there is another team of parents – namely, Lifetime’s Dance Moms – who are perhaps even more eyebrow-raising than they.
“They are worse than us, they make us look really good” said June Shannon, while Kayla, who famously encouraged her daughter to diet and lose 10 pounds, said of the Dance Moms: “I think they are mean, they seem mean-hearted.”
Speaking about eight-year-old EverRose’s diet, Kayla said she simply did not want her children to ever reach the weight of 300 pounds – as she once had.
“Obviously it does look like my child lost ten pounds in a couple of weeks,” the mother said of TLC’s editing.
“If I could do that I would bottle it, I would sell it and I would be a millionaire. Also, I would be skinny too.
“We watch what we eat all the time, not just a couple of weeks… Ten pounds she probably put on over the summer because she did not do as much activity. She takes dance, gymnastic and cheer. Over the summer that usually stops, so she was a little more sitting around. So she probably easily put that on over the summer.”
Kayla explains that she aims to teach her children to be as conscious of diet and exercise as they can be so that they do not have to deal with the bullying caused by obesity.
“I have four children and I want them all to not live the things that I have lived, as we all have experienced things in our lives that we don’t want our children to deal with,” Kayla emotionally revealed.
Following Whitney Houston’s death claims emerged stating that singer was disheveled and incoherent and that she interrupted an E! interview the Thursday before her death.
However, according to Radaronline, this is false and a source said: “Whitney waited until E! had finished filming to say hello. Clive, Brandy and Monica were doing interviews with multiple media outlets to promote their performance at the pre-Grammy party.
“The interview was finished, and the E! crew was off to the side taking their equipment down, and the trio was awaiting the next outlet to come in and set up. As soon as the E! crew saw Whitney enter the room, they started rolling their cameras. Whitney came over, and said hello to all three. She was completely sober, coherent, and absolutely respectful. She just wanted to wish Brandy and Monica good luck.”
Following Whitney Houston's death claims emerged stating that singer was disheveled and incoherent and that she interrupted an E! interview the Thursday before her death
The Beverly Hilton hotel room where Whitney Houston died in is said to be fully booked for the “foreseeable future” it has been reported.
Meanwhile, Whitney Houston’s death certificate has been released, but failed to determine the cause of death listing “pending investigation” as the manner of death and “deferred” is written for the immediate cause.
While it is known that Whitney Houston drank alcohol and had taken prescription drugs before her death it is still not clear what the exact cause is – and it has been reported it will be hard to get a clear picture of exactly what she was taking.
Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston’s godmother, has been asked to sing at the singer’s funeral, Franklin’s spokeswoman said.
According to CNN.com other stars confirmed on the guest list are Chaka Khan, Bebe & CeCe Winans, songwriter Diane Warren, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, pop singer Darlene Love, Bishop T.D. Jakes, Antonio L.A. Reid, Ray J and Brandy.
One person expected not to attend the funeral, which will take place at 12:00 p.m. EST, in Newark’s New Hope Baptist Church, is Bobby Brown, who family members are said to have told that he is not welcome.
Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston's godmother, has been asked to sing at the singer’s funeral
It has also been claimed that Whitney Houston’s mother Cissy is doing her best to stop the singer’s ex-husband Bobby Brown from getting closer to their daughter Bobbi Kristina, for fear it is a ploy to get his hands on Whitney’s fortune.
A source told TMZ.com that friends of the family have contacted Bobby Brown to tell him he’s not welcome at her funeral, and should not increase his part in Bobbi Kristina’s life.
However, a friend of Bobby Brown’s is said to have told TMZ that Bobby is keen to “bury the hatchet for the sake of his daughter”.
Whitney Houston’s death certificate has been released and failed to determine the singer’s cause of death.
The legendary singer’s death certificate is listing “pending investigation” as the manner of death and “deferred” is written for the immediate cause.
While it is known that Whitney Houston drank alcohol and had taken prescription drugs before her death it is still not clear what the exact cause is – and it has been reported it will be hard to get a clear picture of exactly what she was taking.
According to The LA Times: “The Los Angeles County coroner’s office said Wednesday investigators have asked <<a number>> of doctors to provide them with Houston’s medical information.”
L.A. County Sheriff’s Sgt. Steve Opferman told LA Times: “Celebrities often get their prescription drugs from doctors who are more than willing to give them what they want and sometimes using members of their entourage.”
Whitney Houston’s death certificate has been released and failed to determine the singer’s cause of death
Whitney Houston’s funeral will take place on Saturday at the Fairview Cemetery in Westfield, NJ, which is the same place her father is buried.
The funeral will be broadcast by The Associated Press and will allow fans to pay their own tributes from home on the television and web.
There will be no public memorial service and pastor Marvin L Winans, who will be giving a eulogy said the family didn’t want “a parade”.
“I don’t think knowing Cissy (Houston’s mother) and the Houston family … it was a matter of public or private as it was this is my daughter, this is my sister, this is my mother, this is my friend and we want to do this with dignity.”
At least 21 suspected militants have been killed in two separate attacks of an unmanned US drone aircraft in north-west Pakistan, according to Pakistani security officials.
The missiles struck targets in the North Waziristan tribal region near the Afghan border.
Pakistan has previously complained that such attacks violate its sovereignty.
Last month, President Barack Obama defended the use of drones to target militants in Pakistan’s tribal areas.
Security officials said that in the first attack two missiles killed at least five militants. Several others were wounded, although the exact number could not be established.
A second attack in the same area, near Miranshah, the main town of North Waziristan, killed 15 Uzbek fighters, officials said.
There is no way of getting independent confirmation of the figures as reporters are prevented by the authorities from travelling to the region.
The area is known as a sanctuary in Pakistan for the Taliban and al-Qaeda-linked militants.
Another drone attack last week hit a house in Spalga, killing at least nine people, including some Pakistani Taliban militants.
The US does not normally comment on drone operations, which have killed hundreds of people in recent years.
The recent attacks come a week after officials said one of the most senior al-Qaeda militants in Pakistan, Badar Mansoor, was killed in a US drone strike.
Islamabad is hosting talks on Thursday and Friday with leaders of Afghanistan and Iran to discuss counter-terrorism co-operation, and strengthening regional stability.
President Mahmoud Abbas has declared three days of mourning after at least eight Palestinian children have been killed in a collision between a school bus and an Israeli lorry on a road in the West Bank.
The school bus was carrying children as young as five or six on their way to Ramallah, just north of Jerusalem.
The vehicle overturned on impact and burst into flames. More than 30 children were injured, and there are fears the death toll may rise.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has expressed his sorrow and offered assistance.
The bus is believed to have been carrying up to 50 children at the time of the crash, which happened on a busy road junction.
At least one report said a teacher had also been killed.
At least eight Palestinian children have been killed in a collision between a school bus and an Israeli lorry on a road in the West Bank
In a broadcast, President Mahmoud Abbas described the accident as a horrific national disaster and said all flags would fly at half-mast.
“The toll so far shows that more than 10 children have died and scores of injured are receiving treatment in various medical centres in the West Bank,” he said.
The higher figure of the number of dead has not been confirmed.
The children were apparently travelling from their school in the West Bank village of Anata when the two vehicles collided, head-on, according to reports.
The lorry driver, an Israeli-Arab, was injured.
Dr. Ahmad Bitawi, director of Ramallah Hospital, said five children and a teacher had been pronounced dead at the hospital, while a further 54 people injured in the crash were treated there, Reuters news agency reported.
Some of the survivors were also taken to Jerusalem’s Hadassah University Hospital.
“It is an ugly, unbelievable, terrible accident; it shakes the feelings of the whole world because it includes babies,” Adham Al-Hindin, uncle of two injured children, told Reuters.
The road conditions in the area were “pretty treacherous” following heavy rain overnight and the accident had happened during morning rush hour.
Shalom Galil – an Israeli paramedic at the scene – also said the adverse weather conditions appeared to have been a factor.
He said the steep road where the crash happened had been affected by oil. “We assume that either the bus or the truck slipped and crashed into each other.”
Shalom Galil said Israeli and Palestinian emergency services had worked closely together at the scene.
“Palestinian firefighters were involved. As far as I could see, there was full co-operation between the firefighters of Judea and Samaria [West Bank] and the Palestinian firefighters.”
New claims have suggested Whitney Houston was seen “drinking considerably” for at least two mornings in the week before her death on Saturday.
It is claimed that Whitney Houston, who was just 48 when she died, was seen ordering drinks at the bar at the Beverly Hilton Hotel before 10:00 a.m. on both Wednesday and Thursday mornings.
A source revealed to CNN that guests in Beverly Hilton hotel had heard Whitney Houston complaining to the bartender about her drinks being “watered down” or containing “too much ice”.
The source added that some of the guests later complained about Whitney Houston’s “erratic” behavior, saying that her disheveled appearance and odd clothing choice led to her appearing intoxicated.
New claims have suggested Whitney Houston was seen “drinking considerably” for at least two mornings in the week before her death on Saturday
However, Whitney Houston’s close friend Kelly Price, with whom the singer was seen partying just two days before her death, insisted she noticed no erratic behavior when the pair spent time together at the Tru Hollywood nightclub on Thursday night.
Kelly Price said in an interview on ITV’s Daybreak this morning: “I don’t know anything about her not being in a great frame of mind. I’ve said so many times that she came and she was happy and she beat me to my own party.
“She was happy to pose for the press, she was waiting on me when I got there and we had a great time that night.
“She was so happy and so full of life and she brought so much joy into the building that night – she brought an energy into the entire event that I’m so glad we were all able to experience that.”
Kelly Price added that she was so shocked when she was first told of Whitney Houston’s passing that she had hoped it was a hoax.
Kelly Price said: “I was shocked, very hurt, I’m still very hurt. In my heart and in my mind I was hoping it was a crazy internet hoax. As much as I hate them, I would have given anything for it to be a hoax that time.
“I haven’t fully been able to accept it. I need to find a way to have some closure for myself.
“I think going through the process of the Grammy Awards, I had to push my way through it. But in the last 24 hours it has really hit me.”
Meanwhile, plans to broadcast Whitney Houston’s funeral live on television and online have been revealed.
After it was confirmed the funeral will take place on Saturday at the Fairview Cemetery in Westfield, NJ, Whitney Houston’s publicist Kristen Foster announced The AP are allowed to film the service and stream it on their website, with some other broadcasters also taking the footage via a satellite.
