The US government filed two lawsuits against Bank of America relating to fraud on $850 million of mortgage-backed securities.
The Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission filed parallel suits in North Carolina.
Attorney General Eric Holder said the government wanted “justice for those who have been victimized.”
Bank of America denied the charges, arguing “these were prime mortgages sold to sophisticated investors.”
The bank already hinted it expected the suits in a filing last week.
The US government filed two lawsuits against Bank of America relating to fraud on $850 million of mortgage-backed securities
In the Justice Department suit, the government alleged that Bank of America “knowingly and willfully misled investors about the quality and safety of their investments” in a residential mortgage-backed security known as BOAMS 2008-A.
The security, worth around $850 million when it was issued in January 2008, eventually collapsed during the crisis as the quality of the loans contained in it soured.
This led to investor losses of more than $100m according to the complaint.
Bank of America says that the fact that the security failed was not the fault of the bank.
“We are not responsible for the housing market collapse that caused mortgage loans to default at unprecedented rates and these securities to lose value as a result,” it argued in a statement.
Bank of America has recently announced a series of settlements, including an $8.5 billion settlement with investors dealing with similar mortgage-based securities and a $1.6 billion deal with MBIA Inc, a bond insurer.
Desiree Hartsock and Chris Siegfried had the most romantic proposal ever on the August 5 Bachelorette finale.
The following day on Live! With Kelly & Michael, Desiree Hartsock dished all the details about their wedding plans.
Desiree Hartsock, 27, and Chris Siegfried, 28, appeared on the morning show the day after their romantic engagement.
Desiree Hartsock accepted to marry Chris Siegfried on the season finale of The Bachelorette
“We would like to get married in the summer – next summer,” said Des to Michael, who added that she isn’t sure if she wants to film their nuptials for ABC.
“We want to keep it intimate.”
Desiree Hartsock and Chris Siegfried made their first appearance as a couple on the After The Final Rose special, and Des called Chris the “greatest man alive.”
“I knew she was the one; she was in it for the long haul,” said Chris Siegfried, while Des added: “Yeah, 100% [I can trust this love]. We’re building something great since, it’s not something I want to get rid of anytime soon or anytime EVER!”
Desiree Hartsock also revealed that she is moving to Seattle to be with Chris Siegfried.
“I’m actually going to be moving to Seattle, this weekend. I want to be with him!”
A spelling error triggered doubts in the mind of a judge who ruled that the $4 billion will of a former Indian Maharaja Harinder Singh Brar had been forged.
Last week, a court in the northern city of Chandigarh said the will of Harinder Singh Brar, Maharaja of Faridkot had been forged.
It had left his wealth in the care of a charitable trust set up by some of his servants and palace officials.
The assets include a 350-year-old royal fort, stables and a private aerodrome.
The maharaja’s daughter Amrit Kaur had questioned the veracity of the will which had deprived her of the property.
After a 21-year-long battle in the court, Judge Rajneesh Kumar Sharma ruled in their favor, declaring the document void and outlining the reasons.
For one, Judge Rajneesh Kumar Sharma said the word holograph – a document written entirely by the person in whose name it appears – had been misspelt as “harrograph” on the opening page of the claimed will.
In his 129-page ruling, Judge Rajneesh Kumar Sharma said the maharaja was “well educated” and was of such a “stature” that it was unlikely he would ever make a spelling error.
Amrit Kaur, the daughter of late Maharaja Harinder Singh Brar of Faridkot, poses with a portrait of her father
The judge said that the mistakes in the will showed it “was never executed by a person of sound state of mind”.
Judge Rajneesh Kumar Sharma also pointed out the:
Use of different pen inks by the testator (the person who makes the will) and the witnesses of the will in their signatures. The judge said the testator had signed using a light blue ink pen, while the witnesses used dark blue ink. “This is a matter of serious suspicion,” the judge said.
Delay in the will becoming public. The maharaja died on 16 October 1989. The will surfaced on 26 October 1989 when people gathered at a ceremony to pay homage to the deceased
Will said the properties of the maharaja would go to a charitable trust. The court found this trust “illegal”.
In their defense, the beneficiaries of the will who ran the trust claimed that the maharaja was angry with his daughter Amrit Kaur for marrying a police officer, and “therefore excluded her from the will”.
Amrit Kaur says she produced letters exchanged with her father to prove that they had a “good relationship”.
“Yes, he was unhappy [with the marriage] at the beginning,” says Amrit Kaur, sitting in her house in Chandigarh city.
“But his unhappiness was temporary. We exchanged so many letters after that. He was so fond of his grandchildren.”
President Hassan Rouhani has called for “serious and substantive” negotiations with the international community about Iran’s nuclear programme.
At the first news conference since his inauguration on Sunday, Hassan Rouhani said he was confident both sides’ concerns could be resolved in a short time.
But a solution could be reached solely through “talks, not threats”, Hassan Rouhani added.
The US has said Hassan Rouhani’s presidency presents an opportunity for Iran to resolve the world’s “deep concerns”.
“Should this new government choose to engage substantively and seriously to meet its international obligations and find a peaceful solution to this issue, it will find a willing partner in the United States,” it added.
Western powers suspect Iran is seeking to develop nuclear weapons, but Tehran insists its nuclear programme is entirely peaceful.
Iran has repeatedly rejected demands by the so-called P5+1 – the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany – to halt uranium enrichment.
Addressing domestic and international journalists in Tehran on Tuesday, Hassan Rouhani stated that Iran’s uranium enrichment programme was peaceful and legal and would continue. But he also said he was determined to resolve the long-running dispute.
Iran’s new President Hassan Rouhani is ready to talk on nuclear issue
“We are ready – seriously and without wasting time – to engage in serious and substantive talks with the other sides. I am certain the concerns of the two sides would be removed through talks in a short period of time.
“However, demands outside any legal framework or illogical and outdated demands will not be useful. We should deal with the issue through a realistic approach.”
But Hassan Rouhani stressed that Iran’s rights must be preserved, adding: “The basis of our agenda should be talks, not threats.”
Hassan Rouhani said the US still did not have a thorough and proper understanding of what was happening in Iran, and that it had not responded in an “appropriate and practical” manner after June’s presidential election.
“[Washington’s] behavior and words are contradictory,” he said, adding that there was a “war-mongering group” there opposed to talks which was taking orders from a foreign country – presumably a reference to Israel.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov welcomed Hassan Rouhani’s call for negotiations.
“We absolutely agree with what he said. Resolving this, like any other issue, must be not on the basis of ultimatums, but based on a respectful attitude to a partner,” he told reporters in Rome.
Earlier, Sergei Lavrov’s deputy said a new round of talks between Iran and the P5+1 must not be delayed and should take place by mid-September.
On Sunday, Hassani Rouhani presented to Iran’s parliament, the Majlis, a new cabinet dominated by technocrats who had previously served under a moderate former President, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani.
Hassan Rouhani also vowed at Tuesday’s news conference that his government would be accountable and act transparently.
He said he would keep his promise to “report on the progress made and the achievements, as well as the shortcomings and failings”.
“Without the people’s support, the government will have no chance of meeting its long-term goals,” he warned.
Hassan Rouhani has inherited a range of problems from his predecessor, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, including high inflation, diminishing revenues and foreign reserves, possible food shortages, as well as sanctions.
Berlin Raceway officials conjured up a special paint scheme for Duck Dynasty Night in Marne, Michigan.
Duck Dynasty star Willie Robertson: “This car is awesome. It looks really good. They did a great job wrapping it. I’m impressed. I wasn’t expecting that.”
When Duck Dynasty Season 3 wrapped up on the A&E network in April, about 9.6 million viewers tuned in, making it the year’s No. 1 nonfiction cable TV series.
Willie Robertson, the CEO of Duck Commander, the duckcalling business that serves as the centerpiece for this series, is not surprised by what has happened, given that, despite all the beards on all the male family members, the show is very clean-cut.
Berlin Raceway officials conjured up a special paint scheme for Duck Dynasty Night in Marne
“I think it’s the family values in the show,” Willie Robertson said prior to making an appearance at Berlin Raceway on Saturday for Duck Dynasty Night.
“It’s funny, it’s well done, and if you put those things together, I’m thinking America was really wanting that.
“We kind of stood out in the crowd, and a lot of people have been watching that, that’s for sure.”
The show, however, is not just about Willie Robertson. His brother, Jase, is a key figure, as are his father, Phil, and Uncle Si. Willie Robertson’s wife, Korie, and his mother, Miss Kay, help keep the house in order while the boys are busy doing what they do on the weekly series.
There will be a new addition or this season, which premieres August 14. Younger brother Alan, the preacher at the church where the Robertsons are members, will be joining his bearded brothers on a semi-regular basis.
“Al is really funny as well, and hopefully he will be on the show more,” Willie Robertson said.
“People will get to see our beardless brother.”
By the time Willie and Korie Robertson and Justin Martin, one of Duck Commander’s more popular employees who is often the butt of jokes because of his girth, began signing autographs on Saturday, hundreds of people were lined up under the Berlin Raceway grandstands to meet the beards.
Figure-skimming brand Spanx launched a collection of slimming undergarments in honor of their A-list fans like Kim Kardashian, Oprah Winfrey or Adele.
Spanx have launched a “Star Power” range, which they promise will make mere mortals look and feel more like “celebrities on the red carpet in picture-perfect gowns”.
Spanx launched a collection of slimming undergarments in honor of their A-list fans
Each product in the range, priced between $28 for a pair of pants and $82 for leggings, has a tongue-in-cheek name like “Dress to Slimpress” or “Award Thinners”.
While most celebrities like to keep their Spanx well hidden, the new range – which is being sold on their website – is seemingly designed to be seen.
There’s leather-look leggings, as well as faux-suede-panelled shapers, which aim to add a dazzling star touch.
The collection is available on Spanx website, spanx.com, and macys.com.
The brand have also unveiled a bra to tackle the dreaded “back fat bulge” and are set to launch a line of loungewear on QVC later this year.
Previously a red carpet secret, Spanx are now proudly worn by A-listers such as Kim and Kourtney Kardashian, Gwyneth Paltrow, Princess Beatrice, Jessica Alba and Beyonce.
Even tiny-waisted Rochelle from the Saturdays admitted to wearing them under her wedding dress last year.
Oprah Winfrey is wearing a giant afro wig on the cover of the September issue of her magazine O.
Oprah Winfrey, 59, who is featured on the cover of every issue, released the image on her social media accounts on Monday.
In her monthly magazine column, the media mogul nicknamed the wig Wild Thang and likened wearing the 3.5-pound weave to “carrying around an extra head”.
“I wish I could say it was all mine,” Oprah Winfrey said in her monthly magazine column.
“My own hair is shorter, not quite to spherical, and a lot lighter. But that doesn’t mean it never gives me grief. When it comes to hair, I’m in the same boat as most every other woman.”
Dressed in a figure-hugging orange dress and simple gold jewellery, Oprah Winfrey was so enamored with the photo that she made it her profile picture on Facebook and Twitter.
Oprah Winfrey wrote: “Just revealed this new over of O, The Oprah Magazine – one of my faves ever – Let’s talk about HAIR! Love this cover so much, I’m making it my new profile pic!”
“For almost 30 years, I’ve had the luxury of a hairdresser, Andre Walker, who loves all kinds of textures and adores experimenting,” she added.
“Hence this month’s cover; we call the wig I’m wearing Wild Thang!”
Oprah Winfrey graces the cover of her O magazine in huge 3.5 lbs afro wig
Oprah has addressed the issue of having a “natural” hairstyle in the past, saying she prefers to wear her hair without blow-drying or straitening on weekends and on holiday.
“This is the <<do>> my grandmother had to deal with when I was a little girl, braiding and unbraiding it regularly to keep it strong,” she said in an editorial published in the September 2012 issue of O Magazine.
“I like wearing my hair this way on the weekends and on vacation – it makes me feel unencumbered.”
Oprah Winfrey continued, saying her best friend Gayle King refers to her natural locks as looking like “you put your finger in a light socket”.
This is not the first time Oprah Winfrey has undergone a major transformation in her more than three decades in the spotlight.
The talk show host endeared herself with viewers by not being afraid to tackle tough subjects including her struggles with weight and her appearance.
In 1988 Oprah famously returned from a summer hiatus carrying out a wagon with a large block of fat to represent her nearly 70 pound weight loss.
Over the years her look has changed as her figure has yo-yo’d up and down in size, her hair also taking a hit as she has worn it curly, straightened, and often resorted to wearing wigs.
“I’ve worn weaves on the show,” she said.
“I’ve worn weaves on the magazine covers.”
While she continues to be an influence to her more than 20 million Twitter followers and 8.4 million more on Facebook, Oprah has struggled to find an audience for her OWN network Since calling quits to her popular syndicated program in 2011.
In her new interview programme Oprah’s Next Chapter, she has sat down with many celebrity names, including landing the first big interviews with disgraced American cyclist Lance Armstrong and fresh out of rehab starlet Lindsay Lohan.
Oprah Winfrey is next set to appear in her first movie role since 1985’s The Color Purple in The Butler with Forest Whitaker.
Lauren Silverman is set to get a share of $4 million of the multi-million dollar pre-nup she signed before marrying Andrew Silverman – despite breaking a cheating clause.
Lauren Silverman, who is expecting a baby with Simon Cowell, has held “productive conversations” with her estranged husband as they continue to thrash out their divorce agreement.
Lauren Silverman is set to get a share of $4 million of the multi-million dollar pre-nup she signed before marrying Andrew Silverman
Andrew and Lauren Silverman – who spent the weekend locked in talks at their rental home in the Hamptons – are also working on plans to share custody of their seven-year-old son Adam.
Meanwhile, Simon Cowell, 53, jetted out of Los Angeles on Friday, watching his band One Direction in concert in Las Vegas on Saturday night before heading to Europe, where he will spend the month on board the Slipstream yacht, touring St Tropez.
Simon Cowell is believed to want to give his lover Lauren Silverman space in order to work out her divorce case. If the case is settled somewhat amicably, then it will avoid an ugly court battle, in which Simon Cowell could be dragged into – and any embarrassing secrets exposed.
The New York Post reported that Lauren Silverman, 36, waited until her 10th wedding anniversary to break the news of her affair with Simon Cowell to her husband so the terms of her pre-nup would kick in.
And a source again insisted today that Lauren Silverman tried to “max out her return by stringing things along past the 10 year mark to increase what she would be eligible to receive”.
Lauren Silverman was the unlikely “ugly duckling” who blossomed into a celebrity swan as it was revealed by her fifth grade school photo.
Before Lauren Silverman joined Miami Country Day School’s “mean girl clique” with Brooke Mueller, Simon Cowell’s pregnant lover was an awkward preteen.
With braces and frizzy hair, Lauren Silverman’s fifth grade school photo is a far cry from the glamorous socialite we’ve seen frolicking around the Hamptons.
The photographic blast from the past comes after revelations Lauren Silverman is set to get a share of the multi-million dollar pre-nup she signed before marrying Andrew Silverman – despite breaking a cheating clause.
Lauren Silverman’s fifth grade school photo is a far cry from the glamorous socialite we’ve seen frolicking around the Hamptons
Lauren Silverman, who is expecting Simon Cowell’s child, has held “productive conversations” with her estranged husband Andrew as they continue to thrash out their divorce agreement.
Andrew and Lauren Silverman – who spent the weekend locked in talks at their rental home in the Hamptons – are also working on plans to share custody of their seven-year-old son Adam.
Meanwhile, Simon Cowell, 53, jetted out of Los Angeles on Friday, watching his band One Direction in concert in Las Vegas on Saturday night before heading to Europe, where he will spend the month on board the Slipstream yacht, touring St Tropez.
Simon Cowell is believed to want to give Lauren Silverman space in order to work out her divorce case. If the case is settled somewhat amicably, then it will avoid an ugly court battle, in which Simon Cowell could be dragged into – and any embarrassing secrets exposed.
The New York Post reported that Lauren silverman waited until her 10th wedding anniversary to break the news of her affair with Simon Cowell to her husband so the terms of her pre-nup would kick in.
And a source again insisted today that Lauren Silverman tried to “max out her return by stringing things along past the 10 year mark to increase what she would be eligible to receive”.
Police evacuated an area of central Copenhagen, Denmark, on Tuesday following the discovery of a parked car with wires attached to it, local television reported.
Police evacuated an area of central Copenhagen following the discovery of a parked car with wires attached to it
“There are cables coming in and out of the vehicle and there are some suspicious items in it,” a Copenhagen police spokesman told TV2 News.
He also said a military bomb disposal unit has been called to the scene. (Reuters)
The US State Department has warned citizens and non-emergency government staff to leave Yemen “immediately” due to security threats.
It comes after the sudden closure of 20 US embassies and consulates on Sunday.
This was prompted by intercepted conversations between two senior al-Qaeda figures, including top leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, US media said.
The US earlier said the closures in North Africa and the Middle East were “out of an abundance of caution”.
A global travel alert issued on Tuesday said: “The US Department of State warns US citizens of the high security threat level in Yemen due to terrorist activities and civil unrest.
“The department urges US citizens to defer travel to Yemen and those US citizens currently living in Yemen to depart immediately.”
It added that “the security threat level in Yemen is extremely high”.
The Yemeni capital has been experiencing unprecedented security measures, with hundreds of armoured military vehicles deployed to secure the presidential palace, vital infrastructural buildings and Western embassies in the capital.
The US State Department has warned citizens and non-emergency government staff to leave Yemen “immediately” due to security threats
A security source confirmed Yemeni intelligence services had discovered that tens of al-Qaeda members had arrived in Sanaa over the past few days from other regions in preparation for the implementation of a large plot.
The source described the plot as dangerous, and suggested it was to include explosions and suicide attacks aimed at Western ambassadors and foreign embassies in Yemen, in addition to operations aimed at the Yemeni military headquarters.
Both the White House and the US state department have said the current threat comes from al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), but have refused to divulge further details.
According to the New York Times, the US intercepted communications between Ayman al-Zawahiri and the group’s head in Yemen, Nasser al-Wuhayshi.
The paper said the conversation represented one of the most serious plots since the 9/11 attacks.
A number of US diplomatic posts in the region – including in the Yemeni capital Sanaa – will remain closed until Saturday.
Several European countries have also temporarily shut missions in Yemen and the UK Foreign Office is advising against all travel to the country.
A state department global travel alert, issued last week, is also in force until the end of August.
In its latest statement, the department referred to previous attacks on US embassies, including the storming of its compound in September 2012.
Earlier that month mob attacks on the US consulate in Benghazi had left US ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans dead.
Meanwhile, officials in Yemen released the names of 25 al-Qaeda suspects, saying they had been planning attacks targeting “foreign offices and organizations and Yemeni installations” in the capital of Sanaa and other cities across the country.
AQAP, the Yemeni branch of al-Qaeda, has also been blamed for the foiled Christmas Day 2009 effort to bomb an airliner over Detroit and for explosives-laden parcels that were intercepted the following year aboard cargo flights.
Seven suspected al-Qaeda militants were killed in two US drone air strikes in southern Yemen in June, officials say.
The central bank of Australia has cut its benchmark interest rate to a new record low, in an attempt to spur a fresh wave of economic growth.
The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) cut its key rate to 2.5% from 2.75%.
Last week, the government cut its growth forecasts and warned that unemployment in the country could rise amid slowing growth.
The rate cut comes just days after PM Kevin Rudd called a general election for September 7.
The state of the economy is expected to be a key poll issue, along with asylum and climate change.
Treasurer Chris Bowen welcomed the move, saying that “the fact is that now, under Labor, interest rates are at record lows”.
“This cut means that a family with a standard mortgage of A$300,000 [$269,500] will now be paying around $A500 less a month and A$6,000 less in annual payments than when the Coalition was last in office,” Chris Bowen was quoted as saying by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).
The Reserve Bank of Australia cut its key rate to 2.5 percent from 2.75 percent
However, the opposition targeted the Labor party government’s economic policies.
“There is no doubt that a reduction in interest rates is a good thing, but you have to ask yourself why are interest rates likely to be cut,” opposition Leader Tony Abbott was quoted as saying by the ABC, ahead of the rate decision.
“If interest rates go down, it is because this government is presiding over an economy which is in much more trouble than government has previously been prepared to admit.”
Australia’s economic growth over the past few years has been powered mainly by the success of its resources sector.
Demand from countries such as China resulted in a commodities boom, which helped the country sustain its growth even through the global financial crisis.
However growth in those economies has slowed recently, driving down demand for commodities as well as their prices.
That led to the government lowering its forecast for growth. On Friday, it said that it now expected the economy to grow by 2.5% in the current financial year, down from its previous projection of 2.75%.
Analysts said that the slowdown in growth is likely to prompt the central bank to lower borrowing costs even further in an attempt to ease the burden on businesses and consumers.
“The economy’s probably slowed down a little bit more than they would have liked,” said Michael Turner a strategist with RBC Capital Markets.
“So they’re kind of playing catch-up a tiny bit, you would suggest.”
Michael Turner added that he expects the central bank to cut rates by another 25 basis points in the last quarter of the year.
The sudden closure of many American diplomatic missions in North Africa and Middle East were prompted after the US intercepted conversations between two senior al-Qaeda leaders.
The chatter, involving top leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, represented one of the most serious plots since the 9/11 attacks, the New York Times wrote.
The US earlier said the closures in North Africa and the Middle East were “out of an abundance of caution”.
Some 20 US embassies and consulates were shut on Sunday.
A state department global travel alert, issued last week, is also in force until the end of August.
US diplomatic posts in Abu Dhabi, Amman, Cairo, Riyadh, Dhahran, Jeddah, Doha, Dubai, Kuwait, Manama, Muscat, Sanaa and Tripoli will remain closed until Saturday.
Several European countries have also temporarily shut missions in Yemen and the UK Foreign Office is advising against all travel to the country.
Both the White House and the US state department said the threat came from al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), but refused to divulge further details.
Some 20 US embassies and consulates in North Africa and Middle East were shut
But according to the New York Times, the US intercepted communications between Ayman al-Zawahiri and the group’s head in Yemen, Nasser al-Wuhayshi.
The paper said that no targets had been singled out in the discussions, but that a possible attack appeared to be imminent.
A US official told the Associated Press news agency that Ayman al-Zawahiri’s message had been picked up several weeks ago and appeared initially targeted at Yemen.
US lawmakers have said it was a huge plot in the final stages, but have offered no specifics.
On Monday, a top member of the House intelligence committee Dutch Ruppersberger told CNN the warnings were not designed to frighten Americans, though he said a planned attack could be “anywhere”.
“Americans should live their lives… we just want them to be aware,” Representative Dutch Ruppersberger said.
White House spokesman Jay Carney said he could not be “specific” about the threats.
He said: “Our current information suggests that al-Qaeda and affiliated organizations continue to plan terrorist attacks both in the region and beyond. And our information suggests that they may focus efforts to conduct attacks in the period between now and the end of August.”
Meanwhile, officials in Yemen have released the names of 25 al-Qaeda suspects, saying they had been planning attacks targeting “foreign offices and organizations and Yemeni installations” in the capital of Sanaa and other cities across the country.
There was also increased security at government buildings and checkpoints in Yemen on Monday.
AQAP, the Yemeni branch of al-Qaeda, has also been blamed for the foiled Christmas Day 2009 effort to bomb an airliner over Detroit and explosives-laden parcels that were intercepted the following year aboard cargo flights.
Seven suspected al-Qaeda militants were killed in two US drone air strikes in southern Yemen in June, officials say.
After reveling until the early hours of the morning at the Crop Over Festival Foreday Morning Jam in Barbados on Saturday, Rihanna was right back at it again on Monday.
This time, Rihanna, 25, was seen sipping out of a hip flask as she danced on a float during the Kadooment carnival, part of the eight day festival.
This time, Rihanna showed off her bikini body in a traditional carnival-style bejewelled two-piece, featuring a low-cut top and a high-cut bottom.
The singer paired the ensemble with a matching necklace, feathered shin guards and headpiece, as well as two cuffs around her wrists and a smattering of diamantes applied to the side of her face.
Rihanna’s look was completed by a pair of fishnet tights and a pair of Adidas trainers on her feet.
Rihanna at the Kadooment carnival
She wore shimmering silver hues for make-up and shielded her eyes with a pair blue-tinted sunglasses.
Rihanna was joined by several other similarly scantily-clad women, including her best pal Melissa Forde, on the float as she reveled in the sunshine.
And she was once again accompanied by her dutiful bodyguard who was also forced to babysit her from midnight till 6AM as she “dutty wined” at the festival on Saturday.
While she is in her hometown, Rihanna was taking no chances when she was joined by two of her bodyguards on Saturday morning as she partied it up in the island’s capital Bridgetown.
Much like on Monday, Rihanna’s bodyguard had the arduous task of watching her party all night – drink in hand – rather raucously.
Rolf Harris was arrested again on suspicion of new offenses.
Rolf Harris, 83, was questioned over “further allegations” made to detectives at Scotland Yard’s Operation Yewtree.
They arose after he was first revealed to be a suspect in the controversial inquiry four months ago.
The British police refused to discuss the nature of the allegations. But they are now believed to involve more than one complainant and cover a period of several years.
Police insisted that the allegations remain unconnected to Jimmy Savile, who sparked the Yewtree inquiry.
Rolf Harris was arrested again on suspicion of new offenses
Neighbors said Rolf Harris has not been seen at his home in Bray, Berkshire, for several days.
The Australian-born star is the biggest name to be arrested as part of the inquiry.
It is understood that he vehemently denies the allegations but has declined to issue a formal statement on the matter.
Rolf Harris’s wife of 55 years is the Welsh sculptress and jeweller Alwen Hughes, 81.
The artist and singer received a rapturous reception from fans when he performed on London’s South Bank and in Bristol this year.
Others held as part of Operation Yewtree include pop star Gary Glitter, comedian Freddie Starr, DJ Dave Lee Travis, publicist Max Clifford and comedian Jim Davidson.
The Powerball lottery jackpot climbed to $400 million after nobody picked the winning numbers in Saturday’s draw.
Dreamers hoping to strike it rich quick plunked down $2 a ticket hoping to win the previous jackpot estimated to be at $300 million – but in vain.
The winning numbers for Saturday’s drawing were 21, 24, 36, 42, and 45, with the Powerball 15.
The jackpot was well below the eye-popping record of $590.5 million, won in May by an 84-year-old Florida widow.
But it was big enough to attract casual players who only buy tickets when they think the payoff is big and potentially life-changing.
The odds of matching all six numbers are 1 in 175,200,000.
Powerball is played in 43 states, Washington DC, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Powerball lottery jackpot climbed to $400 million after nobody picked the winning numbers
When it comes to choosing the winning combination of six numbers, some players use birthdates of family members, but nearly 80 per cent let the computer randomly pick the digits, according to ABC News.
That is the strategy that Gloria Mackenzie, 84, of Zephyrhills, Florida, used back in May, taking home close to $600 million – the largest prize for a sole winner in the history of U.S. lottery.
“While in line at Publix another lottery player was kind enough to let me go ahead of them in line to purchase the winning Quick Pick ticket,” she said in a statement, according to Florida lottery officials.
Of all the states that participate in the Powerball lottery, Indiana is the leader in the number of winners, coming in at 38, followed by Pennsylvania, Missouri, Minnesota and Kentucky.
If Wednesday’s jackpot doesn’t top $400 million, a single winner choosing the cash option would collect $230.3 million before taxes.
The last time that someone won the Powerball jackpot was June 22, Newsday reported. The lucky ticket was sold in Pennsylvania, earning its holder a prize of $131 million.
The largest jackpot in U.S. history stands at $656 million. It was won in March 2012 by participants in the Mega Millions lottery from Maryland, Kansas and Illinois.
Switzerland considers changing its national anthem as being too old-fashioned, so a new one will be chosen through a competition.
The priority is to have a new text, but contestants will also be free to compose a new tune, said project leader Lukas Niederberger.
The current text dates back to 1841 and includes references to God, prayer, mountains and sunshine.
The new text is to include values enshrined in the Swiss constitution, such as democracy and solidarity.
The competition will run from January to the end of June 2014, with the top prize – SFr10,000 ($10,745) – to be awarded in 2015.
The runners-up will get SFr5,000, SFr3,000 and SFr1,000. The competition is open to Swiss nationals and foreigners living in Switzerland.
The winning anthem will be presented to the government – the Federal Council – for approval.
The judging panel has just been selected. It has 25 members from various areas of national life, including football, the Olympics, music, literature and yodelling.
There are four jury presidents – Christine Beerli, Patrizia Pesenti, Pierre Kohler and Oscar Knapp – representing respectively the four official languages spoken in the federation: German, Italian, French and Romansch.
Switzerland considers its national anthem too old-fashioned and a new one will be chosen through a competition
The current anthem is called the Swiss Psalm. In 1981 it replaced Rufst du mein Vaterland (When you call, my Fatherland), which was set to the same tune as the British national anthem – God Save The Queen.
“The real problem is above all the text,” Lukas Niederberger said. He is in the Swiss Society for Public Utility (SGG), the competition organizer. The SGG, founded in 1810, seeks to promote Swiss values and has previously launched social and cultural initiatives.
“Officially the anthem is a psalm, a prayer, but of course we have an open society, religiously neutral. We have atheists, no single god, so this anthem is a difficulty,” he explained by phone.
Since the 1970s pressure for a new anthem has gained momentum, but previously the calls came from individuals or small groups, Lukas Niederberger said.
“Many people are conservative and the anthem is emotional, but if a composer creates a super song, then we can change the tune too. But that’s a bit difficult for conservative people, so we say the contestants don’t have to change the music,” he said.
The SGG says the preamble to the Swiss constitution “forms the textual basis for the new national anthem”.
It speaks of the Swiss people’s “striving… to strengthen their freedom and democracy, independence and peace in solidarity and openness to the world”. It also speaks of “living together in mutual consideration and respect for differences”.
In 2011 Switzerland’s Alpine neighbor Austria decided to change the wording of its national anthem to recognize its “great daughters” alongside its “great sons”.
Lindsay Lohan appeared on Oprah Winfrey’s show in an exclusive sit-down interview.
Oprah Winfrey, 59, asked Lindsay Lohan, 27, who has just got out of rehab after a 90 days stint: “Are you an addict?”
Lindsay Lohan wore a bright orange frock with her trademark hair tied back complete with polka dot shoes as she faced-off with Oprah Winfrey in a serene looking room.
Oprah Winfrey, sitting on a white chair, directly opposite Lindsay Lohan wore a grey cardigan, white shirts and black pants for the interview that will air or Oprah’s Next Chapter on August 18.
The chat host continued: “What does it feel like to be both an adjective and a verb for child-star-gone-wrong?”
The exclusive conversation is just one part of Lindsay Lohan’s plan to turn her life around by getting sober once again.
Oprah Winfrey hits Lindsay Lohan with addict question in an exclusive interview
Lindsay Lohan did a guest-hosting stint on Chelsea Lately (which airs on Monday), along with giving Oprah Winfrey an in-depth interview about her time in rehab.
OWN is also producing an eight-part docu-series chronicling Lindsay Lohan on her mission to rebuild her career and stay sober.
Additionally, a close Lindsay Lohan source exclusively told E! News: “She is taking this really serious. She wants people to know the days of her clubbing and partying are over and she is a new girl.”
LiLo certainly looks a lot healthier these days and she recorded the Chelsea Lately Show just two days after leaving her latest stint in rehab.
According to TMZ, sources on set said the actress was “very funny”, mocking host Chelsea Handler for drinking too much and holding her own during a roundtable with comedians Jen Kirkman and Fortune Feimster.
Lindsay Lohan interview will air on OWN on Sunday, August 18, 9/8C.
Katie Holmes and Bobbi Brown are teaming up to launch Bobbi & Katie, a palette for women with little time for an extensive beauty regime.
Katie Holmes, 34, has been the face of make-up brand Bobbi Brown since September.
Bobbi & Katie make-up line will feature eye shadows, Pot Rouges and eye pencils in nudes and natural colors for busy women who want a “quick fix”.
“Nobody wants to look like they’ve been getting ready for hours,” Katie Holmes told WWD.
“It’s all about the effortless chic.”
The collection will feature a $65 brush set, a set of eight eye shadows for $68, two Pot Rouges and an eye pencil.
The colors in the palette were apparently inspired by an old pink and brown journal owned by Katie Holmes.
Katie Holmes and Bobbi Brown teamed up to launch Bobbi & Katie palette for busy women
“It felt very girly, but at the same time masculine in a way,” Katie Holmes explained, adding that Bobbi Brown was “very open” to using the journal as inspiration for the make-up and packaging.
Katie Holmes and Bobbi Brown also took cues from their own busy lifestyles, aiming to create an easy collection for women with similar schedules.
“I’m busy, Bobbi’s busy,” said Katie Holmes, adding: “I don’t know a woman who isn’t busy, and you need that quick fix.”
Katie Holmes explained that women can apply the cosmetics “in the back of a cab. . . in your bathroom at home. . . [or] in the parking lot at your child’s soccer game”.
One of the more effortlessly chic items in the line is the Pot Rouge, which acts as a two-in-one product for cheeks and lips.
“It feels like it’s a little secret and it has all of your tricks inside,” the actress said of the collection.
“You can quickly get yourself looking the best you could look and then put it back into your bag.
“It makes you feel good, and we all want to feel good,” she added.
Katie Holmes and Bobbi Brown first began working together last September, when the actress was tapped as the face of the make-up brand.
The experience was apparently a positive one, since Katie Holmes and Bobbi Brown are now calling themselves business partners.
While Katie Holmes gushed that Bobbi Brown is “so creative and so smart”, the make-up artist said of the actress: “She really has a feel for what women want and need. She has a great eye for color and design.”
This isn’t Katie Holmes’ first foray into fashion; in January, the actress signed on as the spokesman for eco-conscious haircare brand Alterna.
The Bobbi & Katie make-up collection will launch in select stores in September, and will be followed by a skincare line.
Jennifer Aniston proved she doesn’t need make-up to look good as she appeared fresh faced in a photo posted on Instagram by her longtime hairstylist Chris McMillan.
Jennifer Aniston, 44, has been busy promoting her new film We’re The Millers which she stars in alongside Jason Sudeikis and Emma Roberts.
Jennifer Aniston proved she doesn’t need make-up to look good
The actress showed no signs of fashion fatigue on Saturday when she sported not one but two outfits while attending press conferences in New York to promote her latest film.
Her first outfit was on the edgy side, with Jennifer Aniston showing off her perfectly toned pins in an all-black ensemble, which consisted of a racy leather mini-skirt and chic blazer.
The actress accessorized with some bling in the form of a chunky gold chain necklace and black and gold spiky heels.
For her second outfit of the day, Jennifer Aniston again opted for her favorite color – black – this time wearing an ankle length silk black dress which had a flowing skirt.
Justin Bieber’s latest partying at a New York club ended in a bloody brawl on Saturday night.
Justin Bieber, 19, allegedly “went nuts” at a fellow reveler as he partied at hotspot South Pointe, in ritzy New York resort the Hamptons, leading to a physical altercation between members of the star’s entourage and club patrons.
The fight is thought to have been triggered by a heated exchange between Justin Bieber and a male club-goer after a female friend attempted to hit on the singer in his roped-off V.I.P. section.
A source told the New York Daily News: “He ripped his shirt off and went nuts. He was screaming.”
Justin Bieber’s security team quickly intervened and took the star out to the club’s car park to cool off, but according to TMZ things flared up again.
Justin Bieber’s latest outing at a New York club ended in a bloody brawl
The teen idol – who was by then sat in his SUV – allegedly jumped through the sunroof onto the hood of the car. At that point it’s unclear what happened, but the alleged victim was knocked out on the cement.
Police confirmed to TMZ Justin Bieber’s entourage went after the club-goer, after he had gotten aggressive with them.
Justin Bieber’s entourage are now under investigation after a nightclub patron was left sprawled out in the parking lot and taken to a hospital.
An investigation is underway after the alleged victim filed a police report. Justin will not be the target of the investigation.
Earlier in the evening, Justin Bieber’s bodyguards were accused of being ‘heavy-handed’ with fans who had hoped to meet the star.
Justin Bieber arrived with his entourage and four bodyguards at around 2 a.m. and quickly “took over” the V.I.P. area, which was closely guarded by his eagle-eyed minders.
The security team were described as being “intimidating” and “overbearing”, and even flashed a torch in the face of partygoers who tried to snap pictures of Justin Bieber on their cameraphones.
Frankenburger, the world’s first lab-grown burger, was cooked and eaten at a news conference in London today.
Dutch scientists took cells from a cow and turned them into strips of muscle that they combined to make a patty.
Researchers say the technology could be a sustainable way of meeting what they say is a growing demand for meat.
Critics say that eating less meat would be an easier way to tackle predicted food shortages.
The burger was cooked by chef Richard McGowan, from Cornwall, and tasted by food critics Hanni Ruetzler and Josh Schonwald.
Upon tasting the burger, Austrian food researcher Hanni Ruetzler said: “I was expecting the texture to be more soft… there is quite some intense taste; it’s close to meat, but it’s not that juicy. The consistency is perfect, but I miss salt and pepper.”
She added: “This is meat to me. It’s not falling apart.”
Food writer Josh Schonwald said: “The mouthfeel is like meat. I miss the fat, there’s a leanness to it, but the general bite feels like a hamburger.
“What was consistently different was flavor.”
Prof Mark Post, of Maastricht University, the scientist behind the burger, remarked: “It’s a very good start.”
He said the meat was made up of tens of billions of lab-grown cells. Asked when lab-grown burgers would reach the market, he said: “I think it will take a while. This is just to show we can do it.”
Sergey Brin, co-founder of Google, has been revealed as the project’s mystery backer.
The world’s first lab-grown burger was cooked and eaten at a news conference in London
Prof. Tara Garnett, head of the Food Policy Research Network at Oxford University, said decision-makers needed to look beyond technological solutions.
“We have a situation where 1.4 billion people in the world are overweight and obese, and at the same time one billion people worldwide go to bed hungry,” she said.
“That’s just weird and unacceptable. The solutions don’t just lie with producing more food but changing the systems of supply and access and affordability, so not just more food but better food gets to the people who need it.”
Stem cells are the body’s “master cells”, the templates from which specialized tissue such as nerve or skin cells develop.
Most institutes working in this area are trying to grow human tissue for transplantation to replace worn-out or diseased muscle, nerve cells or cartilage.
Prof. Mark Post is using similar techniques to grow muscle and fat for food.
He starts with stem cells extracted from cow muscle tissue. In the laboratory, these are cultured with nutrients and growth-promoting chemicals to help them develop and multiply. Three weeks later, there are more than a million stem cells, which are put into smaller dishes where they coalesce into small strips of muscle about a centimetre long and a few millimetres thick.
These strips are collected into small pellets, which are frozen. When there are enough, they are defrosted and compacted into a patty just before being cooked.
Because the meat is initially white in color, Helen Breewood – who works with Prof. Mark Post – is trying to make the lab-grown muscle look red by adding the naturally-occurring compound myoglobin.
“If it doesn’t look like normal meat, if it doesn’t taste like normal meat, it’s not… going to be a viable replacement,” she said.
She added: “A lot of people consider lab-grown meat repulsive at first. But if they consider what goes into producing normal meat in a slaughterhouse, I think they would also find that repulsive.”
Currently, this is a work in progress. The burger revealed today was colored red with beetroot juice. The researchers have also added breadcrumbs, caramel and saffron, which were intended to add to the taste, although Hanni Ruetzler said she could not taste these.
At the moment, scientists can only make small pieces of meat; larger ones would require artificial circulatory systems to distribute nutrients and oxygen.
