France’s President Francois Hollande has said during a news conference that he is experiencing a “difficult moment” in his private life, following claims of an affair with actress Julie Gayet.
However, Francois Hollande refused to answer questions over the report, saying “private matters should be dealt with privately”.
Francois Hollande was speaking at his first news conference since the allegations in the magazine Closer last week.
The president said he would clarify whether Valerie Trierweiler was still first lady before a February trip to the US.
Francois Hollande has said he is experiencing a difficult moment in his private life following claims of an affair with Julie Gayet
Facing hundreds of journalists at the presidential palace, Francois Hollande said it was “neither the time nor the place” for such questions.
He said he would not be drawn on the reports of the affairs with actress Julie Gayet “out of respect for those involved”.
Francois Hollande’s partner Valerie Trierweiler is in hospital suffering from “shock” over the revelations, her aides say.
Valerie Trierweiler was admitted on Friday and is expected to remain in hospital for a few days.
Francois Hollande news conference is a long-planned event aimed at unveiling policies to help France’s struggling economy.
Nine Swedish women have received womb transplants from living relatives in a pioneering trial.
Dr. Mats Brannstrom, of the University of Gothenberg, who has been leading the experimental fertility project, hopes the technique could help other women who want to become pregnant.
This includes women either born without a womb or who have womb problems that stop them conceiving.
Dr. Mats Brannstrom’s team recruited 10 women to their trial. One could not proceed with the trial for medical reasons, but nine went on to have a womb transplant.
These women were born without a uterus or had it removed because of cervical cancer.
Most are in their 30s and are part of the first major experiment to test whether it is possible to transplant wombs into women so they can give birth to their own children.
Nine Swedish women have received womb transplants from living relatives in a pioneering trial
There have been two previous attempts to transplant a womb – in Turkey and Saudi Arabia – but both failed to produce babies.
“This is a new kind of surgery,” Dr. Mats Brannstrom told Associated Press in an interview from Gothenburg.
“We have no textbook to look at.”
Dr. Mats Brannstrom and colleagues will run the first workshop on how to perform womb transplants and they plan to publish a scientific report on their efforts soon.
The transplant operations did not connect the women’s uteruses to their fallopian tubes, so they are unable to become pregnant naturally. But all who received a womb have their own ovaries and can produce eggs to be used for IVF treatment.
Experts have warned that green tea can weaken the effects of nadolol, a commonly prescribed blood pressure pill.
Japanese researchers found the green tea drink blocks special cell transporters that normally help the body absorb the beta-blocker medicine.
In tests, people who drank green tea alongside taking their tablets ended up with lower circulating blood levels of the drug nadolol.
Experts say consumers need to be aware of this interaction.
Like other drugs, the patient leaflet accompanying nadolol tablets warns that certain medicines, including herbal remedies, can interact with their action. But it does not include green tea in this list.
Japanese researchers found the green tea drink blocks special cell transporters that normally help the body absorb nadolol
Doctors already advise that certain fruit juices, including grapefruit, can interfere with some common medications, including beta blockers.
The study in the journal Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics found nadolol’s lowering effect on blood pressure was blunted in the 10 volunteers who agreed to drink green tea.
Follow-up tests in the laboratory revealed that green tea blocked a drug transporter present in the lining of the human gut that helps move nadolol into the cells.
The scientists estimate that a couple of cups of green tea would be enough to have this effect in humans.
It is not clear if other types of tea have a similar effect.
And they point out that green tea is also purported to have many health benefits.
Green tea is less processed than other teas and, consequently, retains higher concentrations of antioxidants.
JPMorgan Chase has reported a 7.3% drop in profit for Q4 2013 after legal costs relating to the fraudster Bernard Madoff dented earnings gains.
Net income fell 7.3% for the fourth quarter to $5.3 billion, from $5.7 billion in the final quarter of 2012.
JPMorgan said one-off items had damaged income after tax by $1.1 billion.
Separately, Wells Fargo, the US’s biggest mortgage lender, said fourth quarter profits rose 11% to $5.4 billion.
JPMorgan was Bernard Madoff’s principal bank and their business relationship dated back to the 1980s
Wells Fargo cut thousands of jobs in the second half of the year in order to boost earnings.
JPMorgan was Bernard Madoff’s principal bank and their business relationship dated back to the 1980s.
Bernard Madoff, 75, is currently serving a 150-year prison sentence in the US after being found guilty of defrauding investors.
Last week, JPMorgan agreed to pay $2.6 billion to settle government and private claims resulting from its handling of Bernard Madoff accounts. The bank was accused of not reporting its concerns about Bernard Madoff’s investment scheme.
It takes a steely resolve to own a restaurant. Whether you’re keeping your chefs calm as they perfect their culinary delights, making sure your waiters and waitresses are treating your customers well, or tracking down the finest ingredients for the cheapest prices, managing a restaurant can be a lot like spinning plates, except you can’t afford to spin plates if you’re running a restaurant. What if you break your precious, pricey plates? That’ll definitely dent your budget. Best sticking to metaphorical plates, then.
However, one balancing act you can’t afford to mess up is your kitchen’s cleanliness.
That’s right, the hygiene of your restaurant’s kitchen should be one of your top priorities. With health and safety inspections a constant threat and a three-strikes-and-you’re-out policy strictly adhered to, being vigilant of your workplace’s cleanliness is vital.
What’s more, no customer wants the knowledge that their food is being prepared in pongy or unhygienic conditions. Just imagine the reputation you’ll get if you’re exposed by a health and safety inspector as a filth merchant! It’s a situation that some restaurants could fail to recover from.
But, just how can you keep your kitchen safe from those dreaded inspections?
While it’s perfectly possible to keep your kitchen’s cleanliness ticking over when getting rid of day-to-day grime, sometimes you’ll need to bring in the experts for a dash of industrial kitchen cleaning.
Where your regular staff might fail to scrub, professional outfits will clean with ease, whether it’s your hard-to-reach vents or the much-neglected undersides of your shelves, industrial kitchen cleaners will be able to sanitise your workspace thoroughly, giving it that all-new shine once again.
Get your staff to be as clean as can be
It shouldn’t just be the responsibility of your cleaners to keep your workplaces tidy – every member of staff should be aware of good hygiene, and do their bit by cleaning as they go.
Most health and safety rules cover this already, with specific rules regarding cleaning directly after cutting meat to avoid salmonella, as well as various other guidelines to govern good kitchen practice. The real problem is finding employees who will follow the rules down to a tee.
So, give your staff regular crash courses on cleanliness, encourage them to always be vigilant of the mess they make and, above all, ensure that they keep your restaurant as clean as can be.
Tim Minchin is working on a musical adaptation of the film Groundhog Day.
Danny Rubin, who wrote the film script, and Matilda director Matthew Warchus, will also be on board.
Tim Minchin, who revealed the news on his blog, said: “Our version of Groundhog Day is going to be both instantly recognizable, and utterly different.”
The 1993 film, starring Bill Murray, is considered to be a comedy classic.
The movie tells the story of a grumpy weatherman who is sent to a small town to do a weather report and gets stuck in a time loop, having to live the same day over and over again until he learns how to be a better person.
Tim Minchin is working on a musical adaptation of the film Groundhog Day
Tim Minchin wrote: “The central conceit is perfectly suited to the theatre… it has the potential to be complex, dark, visually fascinating, and thematically rich, whilst still being a joyous romantic comedy with cool tunes and lots of gags.
“It’s certainly not an easy job, and I’m truly honored – and genuinely excited – that Danny is letting me have a crack at it.”
He added that Stephen Sondheim had considered adapting Groundhog Day for the stage a few years ago but “it got put on the back burner, and he is now happy that we’re making a go of it. We have Steve’s blessing – and it’s a blessing I value enormously.”
Tim Minchin added that he hoped Groundhog Day would be on the stage in a couple of years but did not reveal where.
The family of late star Michael Jackson has lost its bid for a second wrongful death trial against concert promoter AEG Live.
AEG Live was cleared of liability in October after a five-month trial.
Michael Jackson’s mother Katherine Jackson and his children had claimed the jury was not given proper instructions, but a judge has ruled against a retrial.
The megastar died in 2009 after being given an overdose of powerful anaesthetic propofol by Conrad Murray, which AEG Live had hired as his personal doctor.
The promoter of Michael Jackson’s comeback concerts, This Is It, was sued by the singer’s mother, 83, and three children Prince Michael, Paris and Blanket.
But the company was cleared of negligence by the jury, which concluded that Conrad Murray had been sufficiently qualified for the job.
In court in Los Angeles the Jackson family had argued that the jury was not given the right verdict forms and their instructions were confusing.
“The court finds no jury confusion, based on the admissible evidence,” said Superior Court Judge Yvette Palazuelos.
Michael Jackson’s family has lost its bid for a second wrongful death trial against concert promoter AEG Live
A statement from AEG Live was released through its lawyer Marvin Putnam.
“We were confident that the court would uphold the jury’s verdict,” he said.
Marvin Putnam added: “This is also fantastic news for the taxpayers of California, who won’t have their hard-earned money wasted retrying plaintiffs’ baseless claims. Enough is enough.”
Lawyers for the Jackson family said they may send their appeal to a higher state court.
“We believe there are numerous ways that we can win on appeal,” said lawyer Kevin Boyle.
Jurors who spoke after October’s verdict said it did not mean they thought Conrad Murray was ethical in his care of Michael Jackson, but that he was fit and competent to serve as the singer’s doctor when he was hired.
Conrad Murray was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in 2011 for Michael Jackson’s death. He was released in October after serving half of his 4-year sentence, under a California state plan to reduce prison overcrowding.
The former doctor’s medical licenses remain suspended or revoked in the US states where he previously practiced medicine.
Disney executives revealed that a Broadway musical based on highly-popular animated movie Frozen is in the works.
Frozen, which stars Kristen Bell and Idina Menzel, has grossed $669 million at the worldwide box office and now movie bosses are hoping to capitalize on the surprise success of the film with a Broadway show.
A Broadway musical based on highly-popular animated movie Frozen is in the works
Disney CEO Bob Iger told Fortune.com: “This is for something bigger and longer … We’re not demanding speed. We’re demanding excellence.”
Prince will make a guest appearance on the comedy New Girl at Fox’s post-Super Bowl party.
In an episode of New Girl that will air directly after the big game next month, Zooey Deschanel’s character is invited to a mansion party hosted by Prince – a party her friends are determined to crash.
Prince will make a guest appearance on the comedy New Girl at Fox’s post-Super Bowl party
Fox will also air an episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine that night after New Girl, with the show fresh off its Golden Globe award for best comedy.
The Super Bowl is traditionally the most-watched TV event of the year, so the time slots after it are considered prime real estate.
Michael Douglas will star as Hank Pym in the upcoming Marvel superhero film, Ant-Man.
Michael Douglas, 69, will play Henry “Hank” Pym, the creator of the technology used to shrink a human to the size of an insect.
Anchorman star Paul Rudd, 44, has already announced that he will be playing the part of Scott Lang, Ant-Man’s alter-ego.
“I’ve been dying to do a Marvel picture for so long,” said Michael Douglas.
“The script is really fun, the director is really good. Dylan [the actor’s 13-year-old son] will love it. He’ll have a picture he can see.”
Hank Pym first appeared in the 27th issue of Marvel Comics series Tales to Astonish in January 1962.
Kevin Feige, president of Marvel Studios, said in a statement posted on Marvel.com that Michael Douglas will play Hank Pym with “charm and fortitude”.
Michael Douglas will star as Hank Pym in the upcoming Marvel superhero film, Ant-Man
On Sunday, Michael Douglas won a Golden Globe award for his role as the pianist Liberace in the HBO movie Behind the Candelabra.
“Sometimes – like [when] they didn’t see you for Liberace – you’ve got to shake them up a little bit and have some fun,” he said of surprising audiences with his decision to do a superhero film.
Ant-Man is due to be released in cinemas in July next year and will be directed by Edgar Wright.
Edgar Wright is best known for directing the trilogy Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and The World’s End.
Egypt has begun voting in a two-day referendum on a new constitution, which could pave the way for fresh elections.
The new charter aims to replace the constitution passed under Islamist President Mohamed Morsi months before he was ousted by the army.
The military wants a strong “Yes” vote to endorse Mohamed Morsi’s removal.
Mohamed Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood, now designated a terrorist group, is boycotting the vote and there are fears of violence.
Shortly before voting began, an explosion took place near a court building in Cairo’s Imbaba district, although no casualties were reported.
A huge security operation is being mounted for the two days of voting. The interior ministry says 200,000 police officers, 150 central security units and 200 combat groups are being deployed around polling stations on both days.
Army chief Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Sisi visited one polling station in north Cairo, telling guards there: “Work hard. We need the referendum to be completely secured.”
However, spotting any posters from the “No” campaign is a lot harder and people have been arrested for putting them up.
The referendum is seen by many as more than a ballot on a new constitution – it is widely viewed as a verdict on the removal of Mohamed Morsi.
Television pictures showed long lines of voters at some Cairo polling stations.
Interim PM Hazem Beblawi has called the referendum the “most critical moment” for Egypt.
After voting on Tuesday, he said: “Our country needs every vote from Egyptians.”
Egypt has begun voting in a two-day referendum on a new constitution
The new constitution was drafted by a 50-member committee that included only two representatives of Islamist parties.
The authorities maintain that the new draft delivers more rights and freedoms, and is a crucial step on the road to stability.
Under the new constitution:
The president may serve two four-year terms and can be impeached by parliament
Islam remains the state religion – but freedom of belief is absolute, giving some protection to minorities
The state guarantees “equality between men and women”
Parties may not be formed based on “religion, race, gender or geography”
Critics say the new constitution favors the army at the expense of the people, and fails to deliver on the revolution of 2011 which overthrew Hosni Mubarak.
The new constitution retains a provision allowing civilians to be tried in military courts, and it gives the military control over the appointment of the defense minister for the next eight years.
It also stipulates that the military’s budget will be beyond civilian oversight
A “yes” vote could also pave the way for fresh presidential and parliamentary elections.
It now seems certain that Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who backed Mohamed Morsi’s removal following mass protests, will run for president.
The constitution is expected to attract a resounding “Yes” vote, but the turnout is key, analysts say.
The last charter, passed just over a year ago, was approved by 63.8%, but only 32.9% of the population voted.
Mohamed Morsi was Egypt’s first democratically elected president but was deposed by the military last July.
He is being held in jail in Alexandria, facing several criminal charges relating to his time in office – which he says are politically motivated.
Many of the Muslim Brotherhood’s senior leaders and the movement’s supporters are also behind bars.
More than 1,000 people have died in violence since Mohamed Morsi’s overthrow.
Mexico’s government has announced that federal troops will take over security in Michoacán, an area where vigilante groups and a drugs cartel are clashing.
The “self-defense groups” seized several small towns in the western state of Michoacán over the past week.
They say they are fighting for the freedom of their communities from the notorious Knights Templar cartel.
Mexican Interior Minister Miguel Angel Osorio Chong urged the vigilantes to lay down their weapons.
But he warned that there would be no tolerance for those who continued fighting.
“Be certain we will contain the violence in Michoacán,” he said after a meeting with state governor Fausto Vallejo in the regional capital, Morelia.
Miguel Angel Osorio Chong also encouraged the vigilantes to join the police forces.
But the leader of one of the “self-defense groups,” Estanislao Beltran, rejected that offer.
Mexican federal troops will take over security in Michoacán, where vigilante groups and a drugs cartel are clashing
“If we give up our weapons without any of the drug cartel leaders having been detained, we are putting our families in danger because they will come and kill everyone, including the dogs,” said Estanislao Beltran.
On Sunday, more than 100 vigilantes seized the small town of Nueva Italia. There were brief exchanges of fire with members of the Knights Templar cartel.
Local police were searched and disarmed, and federal forces were nowhere to be seen.
Some months ago, a small number of federal police were deployed in Michoacán state.
The fertile farming area in western Mexico known as Tierra Caliente has been engulfed in a turf war between the Knights Templar and the New Generation cartel, from neighboring Jalisco state.
The vigilantes say the army and federal troops have failed to guarantee the security of their families.
They say they are preparing an offensive against the Knights Templar centre of command, in the nearby city of Apatzingan.
The criminal gang has accused the vigilantes of having sided with the New Generation cartel, something they fiercely deny.
“What we are doing is fighting for the freedom of our families,” Estanislao Beltran said.
British police officers will travel to Portugal to make the first arrests since they started to review the Madeleine McCann case in 2011, Daily Mirror reported.
Police investigating the 2007 disappearance of Madeleine McCann in Portugal want to speak to three men they believe were carrying out burglaries at the time of the girl’s disappearance.
According to the tabloid, police were preparing to travel to Portugal to make the first arrests since British officers started to review the case in 2011.
Madeleine McCann went missing aged three from her room at the Praia da Luz holiday resort in the Algarve in May 2007 while her parents were dining with friends at a nearby restaurant, leading to a global search that gripped the world’s media.
The police have since found mobile phone records which showed the three men in question made numerous calls to each other in the hours after the three-year-old disappeared, the mass-selling newspaper said.
Madeleine McCann went missing aged three from her room at the Praia da Luz holiday resort in the Algarve in May 2007
Britain’s prosecution service has sent an International Letter of Request to Portuguese police seeking permission to arrest the trio, the paper added.
A spokesman for the police confirmed that a letter had been sent to the Portuguese authorities, but declined to comment on the contents of the letter.
“We can confirm a second International Letter of Request has been sent to the Portuguese authorities,” the spokesman said.
Despite huge international interest and numerous reported sightings from Belgium and Spain to Morocco, France and Malta, and investigations stretching as far away as Australia, the girl’s fate remains a mystery.
Madeleine McCann’s parents were named as official suspects by Portuguese police four months after her disappearance, but in 2008 they were cleared and Portugal’s public prosecutor later dropped the case, citing a lack of evidence.
Duck Dynasty’s Sadie Robertson, Willie and Korie’s daughter, said the reality show is leading students to pray before lunch at schools across the country.
Sadie Robertson, 16, told an audience in Montgomery on Sunday that young people are forming Duck Dynasty clubs to pray before lunch at school. She said it’s an awesome thing for a TV show to be able to bring prayer into schools.
Sadie Robertson said Duck Dynasty is leading students to pray before lunch at schools across the country
According to the Montgomery Advertiser, Sadie Robertson made the comments during a fundraiser for Prattville Christian Academy.
The teenager said her family has decided not to talk about the controversy resulting from anti-gay comments made by her grandfather, Phil Robertson.
Sadie Robertson said the family, of West Monroe, Louisiana, is glad to be back together because Phil Robertson is the leader and they couldn’t do anything without him.
Francois Hollande’s official partner, Valerie Trierweiler, is to remain in hospital, where she has been since Closer magazine accused the French president of having an affair with actress Julie Gayet.
Valerie Trierweiler had been expected to leave hospital on Monday, but her aides said doctors had told her she needed more rest.
France’s first lady went to hospital on Friday shortly after Closer magazine alleged Francois Hollande was having an affair with film actress Julie Gayet.
Francois Hollande did not deny the report but protested at invasion of his privacy.
The president and Valerie Trierweiler have been together since 2007.
A presidential news conference scheduled for Tuesday on plans to boost the flagging economy now looks likely to be overshadowed by Francois Hollande’s private life, correspondents say.
Valerie Trierweiler went to hospital shortly after Closer magazine alleged Francois Hollande was having an affair with Julie Gayet
Opinion polls already suggest he is one of the most unpopular French presidents ever.
Aides of Valerie Trierweiler, who is Francois Hollande’s official partner and lives at the Elysee Palace, said she went to hospital on Friday for “rest and some tests”.
On Monday, an aide told Europe 1 broadcaster: “The doctors will determine when she can be dismissed from hospital. She needs to recover from the shock she has suffered.”
Le Parisien newspaper quoted one of Valerie Trierweiler’s friends as saying she is willing to forgive Francois Hollande, but wants to know about his intentions as soon as possible.
The French media face strict privacy laws, but the tradition of secrecy over the private lives of public figures has been steadily eroded in recent years.
On Friday, Closer magazine printed a seven-page article about the alleged affair between Hollande Hollande and Julie Gayet.
The article was illustrated with photos showing a man said to be the president visiting a flat near the Elysee Palace at the same time as Julie Gayet.
Francois Hollande, who has never married, left his previous partner – fellow Socialist politician Segolene Royal – to be with Valerie Trierweiler.
India has announced polio eradication after three years since its last reported case, a landmark in the global battle against the disease.
It is seen as confirmation of one of India’s biggest public health successes, achieved through a massive and sustained immunization program.
India’s health minister hailed it as a “monumental milestone”.
In 2012 the World Health Organization (WHO) removed India from the list of polio-endemic countries. Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria remain on it.
The list refers to countries in which the virus is circulating freely and the transmission of the infectious disease has not been stopped.
Despite India’s success, health experts fear a resurgence of polio in other parts of the world.
“This monumental milestone was possible due to unwavering political will at the highest level, commitment of adequate financial resources, technological innovation … and the tireless efforts of millions of workers including more than 23 lakh (2.3 million) vaccinators,” Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad told reporters.
India is marking three years since its last reported polio case
The WHO is expected to formally certify India’s polio-free status next month after testing its last samples.
“India has now set other important public health goals as a result of the confidence that the country has got from the successful eradication of polio,” the WHO’s Hamid Jafari told AFP news agency, citing a new goal to eradicate measles.
Only one case of polio was recorded in India in 2011, down from 741 in 2009. It came from the eastern state of West Bengal in 2011 when an 18-month-old girl was found to have contracted the disease.
After the eradication of smallpox in 1980, polio is the second disease in India that has been eliminated through immunization.
Nearly 2.3 million volunteers vaccinate some 170 million children under five years of age in India during every round of immunization.
Polio is capable of causing crippling disability or death within hours. It plagued societies in ancient times – and was present in more than 100 countries even in the 1980s, when it left 350,000 people paralyzed each year.
Global cases have decreased since then as part of a mass eradication program – to 372 in 2013.
The stars walking the carpet at the Golden Globes 2014 received some serious swag bags.
According to InStyle, this year’s gift bags contained:
Women’s Dooney & Bourke Blair bag It Cosmetics Heavenly Luxe powder brush Salvatore Ferragamo Signorina eau de parfum Fekkai Classic Brush & Brilliant Glossing Cream
Golden Globes swag bags 2014
Rituals Skin Care Touch of Happiness body cream SK-II facial treatment essence L’Oréal Voluminous Butterfly Mascara & Colour Riche Nail Collection Privée
Men’s Travelpro garment bag Ferragamo Acqua Essenziale fragrance Le Creuset champagne bottle opener Goldtoe boot socks Bee Bald shave cream Martial Vivot shampoo Rituals Skin Care shower gel Zirh face wash DeVita eye crème Braven speakers Lug USA nap sack, blanket and toiletry bag L’Oréal aftershave and anti-wrinkle cream
Israel’s former PM Ariel Sharon was buried at his family ranch in the Negev desert.
Earlier, speakers at the state memorial described him as an “indomitable” man devoted to the security of his people.
PM Benjamin Netanyahu said he was “one of the greatest military commanders the Jewish people have had”.
Israel’s former PM Ariel Sharon was buried at his family ranch in the Negev desert
Ariel Sharon, regarded by many Israelis as a great statesmen but widely loathed in the Arab world, died on Saturday aged 85 after eight years in a coma.
Thousands of mourners paid their final respects on Sunday, when Ariel Sharon’s coffin lay in state outside parliament – the Knesset – in Jerusalem.
Amid final prayers, Ariel Sharon’s coffin was placed in a plot at the Sycamore ranch he owned near Sderot, close to Gaza.
Ariel Sharon lies beside his wife Lili, who died in 2000.
Secretary of State John Kerry presented two large Idaho potatoes as a gift for Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during a meeting in Paris on Monday.
John Kerry said Sergei Lavrov had mentioned Idaho’s most famous export the last time they met.
John Kerry presented two large Idaho potatoes as a gift for Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during a meeting in Paris
Russia’s foreign minister seemed to appreciate the gesture, smiling and remarking that the gifts were “impressive.”
The US and Russian delegations were in Paris along with Syrian opposition groups ahead of UN-led Geneva II peace talks in Switzerland next week.
Red Hot Chili Peppers will join Bruno Mars as half-time performers at this year’s Super Bowl.
Bruno Mars made the announcement during the broadcast of a NFL play-off game between the Seattle Seahawks and New Orleans Saints.
Super Bowl XLVIII takes place at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on February 2.
Red Hot Chili Peppers have been signed up to broaden the audience for the half-time show.
Red Hot Chili Peppers will join Bruno Mars as half-time performers at this year’s Super Bowl
Bruno Mars was named as headliner for the half-time show in September, which is now considered one of the most coveted spots in entertainment.
More than 110.5 million viewers watched last year’s broadcast from New Orleans, which featured Beyonce.
Beyonce was joined by fellow Destiny’s Child members Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams.
They re-united for versions of Bootylicious, Independent Women Part I and Single Ladies.
Other recent half-time performers have been Madonna (2012), Black Eyed Peas with Usher and Slash (2011), The Who (2010) and Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band (2009).
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire has passed Iron Man 3 and became the most successful 2013 release at the US and Canadian box office with takings of almost $414 million.
According to online movie tracker Box Office Mojo, TheHunger Games: Catching Fire has now taken almost $4 million more than Iron Man 3.
Iron Man 3 remains 2013’s biggest draw worldwide, making $1.2 billion.
It was also 2013’s biggest earner at the end of last year.
Hunger Games: Catching Fire becomes 2013’s most successful release
Since then, however, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire has continued to pull in the punters and is now the most profitable film to be released in North America in 2013.
Not since 1968, when Funny Girl was the year’s top earner, has a female-led film topped the chart.
Jennifer Lawrence, who won a Golden Globe on Sunday for American Hustle, plays heroic teenager Katniss Everdeen in the Hunger Games films, based on Suzanne Collins’ dystopian sci-fi novels.
The first film in the series, released in 2012, made $408 million. The final part of the story, Mockingjay, has been split into two films that will be released in 2014 and 2015 respectively.
Catching Fire made almost $847 million worldwide.
The film was nominated for one Golden Globe at the weekend, for the song Atlas by Coldplay.
Justin Bieber is investigated by the police after he was accused of throwing eggs at a neighbor’s house.
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s spokesman Steve Whitmore says Justin Bieber, 19, has been named as a suspect in a crime report of vandalism and assault.
He is accused of egging the house in LA while his neighbor and neighbor’s daughter were on the balcony and videotaping the episode.
Steve Whitmore also said Justin Biber won’t speak to police.
Justin Bieber is investigated by the police after he was accused of throwing eggs at a neighbor’s house
“Mr. Bieber doesn’t tend to ever want to talk to us. When we knock on the door, he doesn’t answer,” he said.
“Once again, which I have done numerous times, I encourage Mr. Bieber, whether it be with an attorney or not, to come and talk to us,” Steve Whitmore added.
At the moment the claims in the report are counted as misdemeanors, however depending on the estimate of the damages, that could rise to a more serious felony.
