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How to stop your smartphone battery running out

Nancy Clayson
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How to stop your smartphone battery running out

According to a technology website, everything we think we know about making our smartphone batteries last longer could be wrong.

Technology website Gizmodo has debunked some of the myths around battery life, including never charging it to 100%, not letting the battery charge drop below 50%, avoiding wireless charging and staying away from hot countries.

Journalist Eric Limer also claims that an average battery lasts between 300 and 500 times it takes to run down the battery.

“Battery life” means the time your phone will run before it must be recharged, while “battery lifespan” means the total amount of time your battery will last before it must be replaced.

A common myth is that the first time a phone or tablet is plugged into charge, the owner must charge it for at least 72 hours to improve its battery life.

This was thought to be necessary to teach rechargeable batteries their full potential, by fully charging them and then letting them run down completely each time – a system called the “memory effect”.

The theory was that if batteries aren’t taught this then they will “forget part of their capacity”, yet Eric Limer claims this is wrong.

He said: “Battery memory is a real thing, but it applies to nickel-based batteries.

“Your trusty sidekick doubtlessly has a lithium-ion battery and it needs to be treated a little differently.

“Specifically, it should be topped off whenever you get the chance.”

Topping off means charging the battery before it reaches empty and is also called topping up.

Eric Limer adds that users should try and keep batteries charged more than 50% where possible: “For the most part, going from all the way full to all the way empty won’t help; in fact, it’ll do a little damage if you do it too often.

“That said, it’s smart to do one full discharge about once a month for <<calibration>>, but don’t do it all the time.

“Running the whole gamunt on a regular basis won’t make your battery explode or anything, but it will shorten its lifespan.”

Apple claims phones and tablets should be recalibrated every few months to keep the onscreen battery time and percent display as accurate as possible, and keep the battery operating at “maximum efficiency”.

Eric Limer adds that phones also don’t like being all the way full either and advises that a device is taken off charge before it reaches 100%.

He also claims leaving it plugged in when it’s fully charged causes degradation, so the optimum charge levels are between 40% and 80%.

Apple adds that most lithium-ion polymer batteries use what’s called a fast charge to charge your device to this 80% battery capacity before switching to trickle charging.

Everything we think we know about making our smartphone batteries last longer could be wrong
Everything we think we know about making our smartphone batteries last longer could be wrong

“That’s about two hours of charge time to power to 80 per cent capacity, then another two hours to fully charge it, if you are not using the device while charging.”

This gives iPhone and iPads user an idea of how long it will take to get to the optimum 80%.

The figures come from site Battery University.

It claims that: “This level minimizes age-related capacity loss while keeping the battery in operating condition and allowing self-discharge.”

According to Battery University phones must also be kept cool to protect the batteries. It claims the recommended storage temperature for most batteries is 15C (59F); the extreme allowable temperature is (–40C) to 50C.

Erci Limer adds that at an average temperature of 32F, a lithium-ion battery will lose 6% of its maximum capacity per year.

“At 77 degrees that number jumps to 20 percent, and at 104 degrees it’s a whopping 35.”

According to semiconductor company Qualcomm, mobile phones can be put in a freezer to cool them down.

It has also created a free Android app called Snapdragon BatteryGuru that uses software and hardware to improve battery life.

The app works by learning users’ behavior and intelligently adjusting smartphone settings to minimize background activities without disabling smartphone features.

Eric Limer also warns against using wireless charging to boost battery life adding: “The inductive, wireless chargers out there today have this nasty habit of generating a fair bit of waste heat.

“And that heat will also toast your battery in the process.

“Standard plug-in charging is going to keep your battery in better shape, especially if you’re some place warm to begin with.”

Top tips for boosting your smartphone battery

Your phone works best from 0° to 35°C. Keeping your phone as near room temperature as possible (22° C or 72° F) is ideal.

Viewing Usage Statistics
Awareness of how you use your phone and knowing how long your battery typically lasts can help you improve its battery life. Typically you’ll see two items:

               A.   Usage: Amount of time the phone has been awake and in use since the last full charge. The phone is awake when you’re on a call, using email, listening to music, browsing the web, or sending and receiving text messages, or during certain background tasks such as auto-checking email.

               B.   Standby: Amount of time the phone has been powered on since its last full charge, including the time the phone has been asleep.

Update to the Latest Software: Always make sure your phone has the latest software.

Optimize Your Settings: Depending on how they are configured, a few features may decrease your phone battery life. For example, the frequency with which you retrieve email and the number of email accounts you auto-check can both affect battery life.

Adjust brightness: Dimming the screen’s brightness extends battery life.

In addition, turning on Auto-Brightness allows the screen to adjust its brightness based on current lighting conditions.

Turn off push notifications: Instead of automatically syncing accounts, manually sync them instead to save battery life.

Minimize use of location services: Applications that actively use location and GPS services such as Maps reduce battery life.

Use Airplane Mode or Flight Mode in low- or no-coverage areas: Because your phone always tries to maintain a connection with the network, it may use more power in low- or no-coverage areas.

Lock Your phone: Lock your phone when you’re not using it. You will be able to receive calls and text messages while it is locked, but nothing happens if you touch the screen.

Use your phone regularly:
For proper maintenance of a lithium-based battery, it’s important to keep the electrons in it moving occasionally.

Be sure to go through at least one charge cycle per month (charging the battery to 100% and then completely running it down).

Source: Apple

British Airways to test reusable electronic luggage tags

Nancy Clayson
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British Airways to test reusable electronic luggage tags

British Airways intents to replace classic paper tags and is testing reusable luggage tags made from electronic paper.

Flight information can be transmitted to the tag via the ticket holder’s smartphone, using data from the airline app stored after digital check-in.

Currently operators print off individual paper tags for every bag checked in before each flight.

The electronic tags are to be tested by staff before being made available to some passengers later in the year.

If these tests are successful, the tags will launch in 2014.

BA is testing reusable luggage tags made from electronic paper
BA is testing reusable luggage tags made from electronic paper

Despite various changes to try to speed up airport check-in procedures, the process of dropping off luggage had remained time consuming, said a BA representative.

“The old security questions such as, <<Did you pack your bag yourself?>> are no longer a legal requirement, but the idea of queuing to check in your bag has never gone away,” he said.

“The e-tag still involves going to a desk, but you literally just drop your bag off and someone has a scanner.”

Customers at some airports can now print out their own luggage tags at kiosks, but that still requires more time – and paper – than scanning information direct from a phone, although it is considerably cheaper for the airline.

“[The e-tag] is more expensive, but ultimately it is re-usable – you would acquire and use it multiple times,” said Lewis Freeman, an industrial designer from Designworks, which worked on the electronic tag casing.

“The life of the product is up to five years. I imagine the technology would move on faster than the tag would need replacing.”

Wade Robson: Michael Jackson accuser asks FBI to release files revealing hush money payments

Sonia Pantiss
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Wade Robson: Michael Jackson accuser asks FBI to release files revealing hush money payments

Wade Robson, a former child dancer who is accusing Michael Jackson of years of abuse, says he will ask the FBI to release the files on The King of Pop.

Wade Robson’s lawyers hope the material, which claims Michael Jackson paid $35 million to hush up “abuse victims”, will help win their case.

Choreographer Wade Robson, now 30, is suing Michael Jackson’s estate claiming the star molested him time and time again when he was a child.

This is despite the fact he denied being abused by Michael Jackson at the 2005 trial when the star was cleared of abusing another child.

Yesterday the Sunday People revealed the files show Michael Jackson paid huge sums of hush money over 15 years.

US crime-busters seized the material – including tapes, phone transcripts and names of 17 alleged victims – from investigator Anthony Pellican, who worked for Michael Jackson.

His documents were not passed to prosecutors in Michael Jackson’s 2005 trial.

Last night a friend of Wade Robson said: “He was shocked by the news of this report emerging yesterday.

“Wade has already asked his lawyers to contact the FBI to see if they could access the information.

“He feels his case could be bolstered if he could get another child or even more to come out and support what he went through at the hands of Jackson.

“It has been over 20 years, but right now his prime concern is to build a case to show the world he is in the right.”

The source continued: “Wade has been rocked by the reaction to his claims.

Former child dancer Wade Robson is accusing Michael Jackson of years of abuse
Former child dancer Wade Robson is accusing Michael Jackson of years of abuse

“He knows if he stands shoulder to shoulder with another accuser he might be viewed sympathetically.”

The FBI files challenge Michael Jackson’s insistence he never laid a finger on any of the kids invited to his Neverland Ranch in California for unsupervised sleep-overs.

They describe how Michael Jackson was caught groping a child star, molesting others.

A source said: “Spending a year’s royalties to keep him on his throne was worth it. The world never heard what took place.”

Michael Jackson died in 2009 after a medical drug overdose.

The files were revealed as his family attended the Las Vegas premiere of Michael ONE, a lavish stage show.

Audio tapes from Michael Jackson’s secret FBI file offer a sickening insight into his depravity.

They reveal how children would be invited to his estate and how Michael Jackson, who used the codename Blue Fox, would take them way and abuse them with their parents often just feet away.

The tapes are of interviews former employees Philip and Stella LeMarque gave to investigator Anthony Pellican.

Transcripts said:

Stella: Boy A came to see Michael. The parents were in the room smoking p** with a five-month-old baby. At the time he was crazy about Boy A and his little brother.

Philip: Michael likes them young. Boy A was getting too old. The first time Michael saw Boy A in the movie, …. …., he told Boy A he wanted to meet him.

Investigator: Wait a minute. She (an ex-member of Michael Jackson’s staff) makes deals with the parents?

Philip: She makes the deals with the parents to bring everybody… the parents with the kids to the ranch. If there are five, Michael takes the one he wants.

Investigator: You’re saying (the Michael Jackson staffer) brings a selection of kids for Michael to choose from? Like a p**p?

Philip: Yes.

In another excerpt Philip LeMarque tells how he found Michael Jackson with his hands in the pants of another child after being woken up at 2 a.m. to make the star French fries.

And Stella LeMarque says she saw Michael Jackson kissing a boy in his cinema “like lovers” with his mother sitting just two or three rows in front.

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Nicole Scherzinger and Lewis Hamilton split again

Lisa.Felice
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Nicole Scherzinger and Lewis Hamilton split again

X Factor judge Nicole Scherzinger and Formula 1 racing driver Lewis Hamilton have split after five years together.

Nicole Scherzinger, 34, and Lewis Hamilton, 28, who went public with their romance back in 2007, are believed to have ended their relationship as their busy work schedules meant they just didn’t get to see each other.

A source said: “Nicole is just so heartbroken and completely devastated.”

The sad news comes just a matter of weeks after Lewis Hamilton hinted that he was planning to propose to Nicole Scherzinger.

Lewis Hamilton said: “We’ve been together for five years, which is quite a milestone really. But hopefully in the near future. Maybe before we get to six years.”

Nicole Scherzinger has regularly been seen supporting Hamilton Lewis at his various Grand Prix commitments, but admitted previously she is only there for her beau, rather than knowing anything about the sport as a whole.

She said: “I only go to a Grand Prix to support Lewis. I am in awe of Formula One because there is so much money, technology and talent, but as for the racing, it really is like trying to understand rocket science when I’m there, trackside.

Nicole Scherzinger and Lewis Hamilton are believed to have ended their relationship as their busy work schedules meant they just didn't get to see each other
Nicole Scherzinger and Lewis Hamilton are believed to have ended their relationship as their busy work schedules meant they just didn’t get to see each other

“For me there’s only ever one winner and a lot of people would agree with me on that – Lewis is the best.”

But since recommitting to the X Factor this year, Nicole Scherzinger has been kept busy with auditions in locations including Glasgow, Dublin and London, while Lewis Hamilton has been concentrating on his racing career.

The last time the couple were pictured together was at the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal on June 10th.

Since then, Nicole Scherzinger has gone solo at various events including Wimbledon last week and the Summer Music Festival in Rome, Italy, where she put on a stunning performance last week.

Nicole Scherzinger and Lewis Hamilton met at the European Music Awards in Munich in November 2007, before going public at the Monaco Grand Prix six months later.

In July 2011 there was unconfirmed speculation the couple had become engaged.

Nicole Scherzinger and Lewis Hamilton briefly split in January 2010 when they had been together for 20 months, before later reconciling.

The couple then split again in late 2011, before giving their relationship another go in early 2012.

Nicole Scherzinger is expected to make an appearance at the X Factor auditions in Cardiff later this week.

Egypt: Anti-government protesters storm Muslim Brotherhood HQ in Cairo

Roy Siemens
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Egypt: Anti-government protesters storm Muslim Brotherhood HQ in Cairo

Egyptian anti-government protesters have stormed the national headquarters of President Mohammed Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood in the capital, Cairo.

People are reported to have ransacked the building in the eastern Moqattam district and also set it on fire.

Eight people have been killed outside since Sunday, security sources say.

Earlier, the opposition movement behind the protests that saw millions take to the streets across Egypt on Sunday gave Mohamed Morsi until Tuesday to resign.

Tamarod (Rebel) said Mohamed Morsi would face a campaign of civil disobedience if he did not leave power and allow elections to be held.

Protesters across Egypt have accused the president of failing to tackle economic and security problems since being elected a year ago. His supporters have insisted he needs more time.

Millions of people attended demonstrations across the country on Sunday to demand Mohamed Morsi step down.

The crowds seen in Cairo’s Tahrir Square were the biggest since the 2011 revolution that toppled Hosni Mubarak.

Overnight, protesters threw petrol bombs and rocks at armed guards inside, who retaliated by firing at them.

Anti-government protesters have stormed the national HQ of President Mohammed Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood in Cairo
Anti-government protesters have stormed the national HQ of President Mohammed Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood in Cairo

On Monday morning, the protesters stormed the six-storey building and began throwing objects of broken windows. One protester was seen removing the Muslim Brotherhood sign, while an Egyptian flag was flown from a balcony.

A Muslim Brotherhood spokesman blamed the violence on “thugs” and said it would be demanding the police explain why officers had failed to protect the group’s headquarters, according to the Reuters news agency.

Two people inside had been injured by fires before a Brotherhood security detail could evacuate them on Monday morning, he added.

Earlier, Tamarod issued a statement saying the protesters would give Mohamed Morsi until 17:00 on Tuesday to leave power and allow state institutions to prepare for early presidential elections.

Otherwise, people would begin a campaign of “complete civil disobedience”, the group warned.

It urged “state institutions including the army, the police and the judiciary, to clearly side with the popular will as represented by the crowds”.

The group also rejected offers of dialogue from the president.

“There is no way to accept any half measures,” it said.

“There is no alternative other than the peaceful end of power of the Muslim Brotherhood and its representative, Mohamed Morsi.”

On Saturday, Tamarod said it had collected more than 22 million signatures – more than a quarter of Egypt’s population – in support.

But Mohamed Morsi was defiant in an interview published on Sunday, rejecting the opposition calls for early presidential elections.

“If we changed someone in office who [was elected] according to constitutional legitimacy – well, there will be people opposing the new president too, and a week or a month later they will ask him to step down,” he told the Guardian newspaper.

He said he would not tolerate any deviation from constitutional order.

“There is no room for any talk against this constitutional legitimacy. There can be demonstrations and people expressing their opinions,” Mohamed Morsi added.

“But what’s critical in all this is the adoption and application of the constitution. This is the critical point.”

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Croatia joins European Union

Diane A. Wade
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Croatia joins European Union

Starting with 1st of July 2013 Croatia has become the 28th member of the European Union, with crowds joining celebrations in the capital Zagreb.

Fireworks lit the sky as membership became effective at midnight on Sunday, with President Ivo Josipovic describing the event as historic.

It comes almost two decades after Croatia’s brutal war of independence.

But correspondents say enthusiasm for the EU in the country has been dampened by the eurozone crisis, and Croatia’s own economic problems.

Celebrations took place in the central square of Zagreb, with fireworks and music including Beethoven’s Ode to Joy, the European anthem.

“Welcome to the European Union!” European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said in Croatian to the cheering crowd.

President Ivo Josipovic said it was “a great and joyful day for our homeland”.

“This the day when we open a new chapter in the thick book of our history,” he added.

Starting with 1st of July 2013 Croatia has become the 28th member of the European Union
Starting with 1st of July 2013 Croatia has become the 28th member of the European Union

Earlier he told a meeting of EU and regional leaders: “The accession of Croatia to the European Union is confirmation that each one of us belongs to the European democratic and cultural set of values.”

Croatian officials then unveiled EU signs and removed customs posts at the borders with Slovenia, the first former Yugoslav republic to have joined the bloc, and with Hungary.

Croatia is the first new EU member since Romania and Bulgaria joined in 2007. It is 10 years since it applied.

Croatia’s split from Yugoslavia triggered a 1991-1995 war to secure its independence.

But with one in five unemployed and Croatia’s national debt officially classed as junk, some Croatians feel joining an economic bloc with its own serious troubles will do little to improve their prospects.

“Just look what’s happening in Greece and Spain! Is this where we’re headed?” asked pensioner Pavao Brkanovic in a market in the capital.

“You need illusions to be joyful, but the illusions have long gone,” he told Reuters news agency.

Concerns about Croatian corruption and organized crime remain among some EU leaders, and Croatia will not yet join the single currency nor the visa-free Schengen zone.

But advocates of EU membership say despite this, their case remains a persuasive one.

Two-thirds of Croatians voted in favor of accession last year.

“It’s important for us primarily for the long term guarantees of political stability and then everything else – the single market too,” said Croatia’s First Deputy Prime Minister, Vesna Pusic.

The EU itself has given Croatia a clean bill of health – and praised reforms which improve the rule of law and tackle corruption.

It hopes the other countries of the former Yugoslavia will be encouraged to join – and secure long-term peace for an historically turbulent region.

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Pope Francis says Pope Benedict’s decision to resign was a great example

Diane A. Wade
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Pope Francis says Pope Benedict’s decision to resign was a great example

Pope Francis said during his Sunday Angelus address to pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square that Pope Benedict XVI’s decision to resign was “a great example” of what it means to follow one’s conscience through prayer.

Following one’s conscience doesn’t mean chasing after one’s own self-interests; it calls for listening to God, understanding his will and carrying out his plan with determination, Pope Francis said.

Pope Benedict provided a “recent marvelous example” of following one’s conscience, Pope Francis said, evidently referring to the retired pontiff’s decision to leave office.

“Pope Benedict XVI gave us this great example when the Lord led him to understand, in prayer, what was the step he should take,” Pope Francis said.

“He followed, with a great sense of discernment and courage, his conscience, that is, the will of God, who spoke to his heart.”

References to the retired pope drew applause from the crowd, which Pope Francis urged on with encouraging gestures.

Pope Francis says Pope Benedict's decision to resign was a great example
Pope Francis says Pope Benedict’s decision to resign was a great example

Jesus provides many examples of how important it is to follow one’s conscience by “listening to his father’s voice in his heart and following it,” he said.

Jesus, who is God-made-man, had free will and wasn’t “remote-controlled” by God.

However, Jesus never made his decisions by himself; he was always “in full union” with God and obeyed him after listening carefully and closely to his will, Pope Francis said.

Because he acted after careful consideration “together with his father” and in line with the truth, Jesus was able to be decisive and sure, and “found the strength and light for his journey.”

“We, too, have to learn to listen to our conscience more,” Pope Francis said.

“But be careful: This doesn’t mean following oneself, doing what interests me, what’s worthwhile for me, what I like,” he said.

The conscience is “listening to the truth, to the good, listening to God” and this is fostered by having a close relationship with God, “who speaks to my heart and helps me to discern, understand the path I have to take.”

God also helps people “go forward and be faithful” once they have made their decision, Pope Francis said.

Jim Kelly dead: Enter the Dragon star dies of cancer at the age of 67

Sonia Pantiss
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Jim Kelly dead: Enter the Dragon star dies of cancer at the age of 67

Actor and karate expert Jim Kelly, who starred with Bruce Lee in Enter the Dragon, has died at the age of 67.

Jim Kelly became famed for his cool one-liners and fight scenes as the charismatic Williams in the 1973 martial arts classic.

His other films included Black Belt Jones, Three the Hard Way, Golden Needles and the Black Samurai.

Marilyn Dishman, Jim Kelly’s ex-wife, said he died on Saturday of cancer at his home in California.

Enter the Dragon is considered to be one of the most popular kung fu films of all time, it was bruce Lee’s first film in the English language and was released days after his death at the age of 32.

In the 1980s, Jim Kelly re-trained as a professional tennis coach.

Jim Kelly, who starred with Bruce Lee in Enter the Dragon, has died at the age of 67
Jim Kelly, who starred with Bruce Lee in Enter the Dragon, has died at the age of 67

In an interview with the LA Times in 2010, Jim Kelly said: “I broke down the color barrier – I was the first black martial artist to become a movie star. It’s amazing to see how many people still remember that, because I haven’t really done much, in terms of movies, in a long time.”

He added: “I never left the movie business. It’s just that after a certain point, I didn’t get the type of projects that I wanted to do. I still get at least three scripts per year, but most of them don’t put forth a positive image.

“There’s nothing I really want to do, so I don’t do it. If it happens, it happens, but if not, I’m happy with what I’ve accomplished.”

Jim Kelly was born in Kentucky and began studying martial arts there in 1964 before moving to California.

By the end of the decade, Jim Kelly was teaching at his own karate school before sought out by Enter the Dragon producer Fred Weintraub, who had heard about his karate skills.

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Sarah Guyard-Guillot: Cirque du Soleil acrobat dies during Ka show in Las Vegas

Sonia Pantiss
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Sarah Guyard-Guillot: Cirque du Soleil acrobat dies during Ka show in Las Vegas

Sarah Guyard-Guillot, a performer in the famous Cirque du Soleil, has died after falling off a stage during a show in Las Vegas.

Paris-born Sarah Guyard-Guillot was performing in the Ka show at the MGM Grand.

The 31-year-old acrobat and mother of two was pronounced dead late on Saturday night in hospital after falling 50ft (15m) from the stage.

Sarah Guyard-Guillot’s death is believed to be the first fatality during a live performance in the show’s 30-year history.

Witnesses Dan Mosqueda told the Las Vegas Sun that Sarah Guyard-Guillot was being hoisted up the side of the stage when it appeared that she slipped free of her safety wire and plummeted to an open pit below.

“Initially, a lot of people in the audience thought it was part of the [show],” he said.

Cirque du Soleil performer Sarah Guyard-Guillot has died after falling off a stage during Ka show in Las Vegas
Cirque du Soleil performer Sarah Guyard-Guillot has died after falling off a stage during Ka show in Las Vegas

“But you could hear screaming, then groaning, and we could hear a female artist crying from the stage.”

The show was stopped and audience members told that refunds or vouchers to future shows would be offered. All performances of Ka have been cancelled until further notice.

Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberte issued a statement Sunday praising the performer, who has been with the original cast since 2006 and has worked as an acrobat for 20 years.

“I am heartbroken. I wish to extend my sincerest sympathies to the family. We are reminded with great humility and respect how extraordinary our artists are each and every night,” he said.

The Ka show combines dance, acrobatics and performance art with pyrotechnics and complex aerial displays and is a resident show in Las Vegas. Millions of people around the world go to see touring and resident Cirque du Soleil shows every year.

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Edward Snowden leaks: France, Greece and Italy have been targets of US spying operations

Diane A. Wade
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Edward Snowden leaks: France, Greece and Italy have been targets of US spying operations

According to the latest files leaked to The Guardian newspaper France, Greece and Italy have been the “targets” of US spying operations.

Citing a document by the National Security Agency (NSA), it says America’s non-European allies were also targeted.

The claim follows a report by Germany’s Der Spiegel magazine saying EU offices had been bugged. EU leaders have demanded an explanation from the US.

Fugitive whistleblower Edward Snowden is said to have leaked the documents.

Edward Snowden – a former contractor for the CIA and the NSA – has since requested asylum from Ecuador. He is currently in Russia, marooned at Moscow’s airport after US authorities cancelled his passport.

In response to the allegations in Der Spiegel, senior EU officials, France and Germany have warned warning that relations with America could suffer.

The NSA said the US government would respond through diplomatic channels and discussions with the countries involved.

According to a 2010 secret document leaked to the Guardian, all in all 38 embassies and missions were described by the NSA as “targets”.

A report by Germany's Der Spiegel magazine revealed EU offices had been bugged
A report by Germany’s Der Spiegel magazine revealed EU offices had been bugged

The paper says the file provides details of “an extraordinary range” of spying methods, including bugs implanted in electronic communications gear, taps into cable and the usage of specialized antennae.

The report mentions codenames of alleged operations against the French and Greek missions to the UN, as well as the Italian embassy in Washington.

The paper adds that the list of targets also includes “a number of other American allies, including Japan, Mexico, South Korea, India and Turkey”.

The Guardian also cites another leaked report from 2007, which said a bug was placed in an encrypted fax machine at the EU mission in Washington.

According to the document cited by Der Spiegel – which it says also comes from the NSA – the agency spied on EU internal computer networks in Washington and at the 27-member bloc’s UN office in New York.

On Sunday, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said that if confirmed, the activities would be “totally unacceptable”.

German Justice Minister Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger said the alleged US behavior “recalls the methods used by enemies during the Cold War”.

The president of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz, warned that any such spying could have a “severe impact” on ties between the EU and the US.

The European Commission, which plays a key role in trade talks, has officially asked Washington to investigate the allegations.

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Arizona wildfire: At least 19 firefighters died while fighting Yarnell blaze

Nancy Clayson
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Arizona wildfire: At least 19 firefighters died while fighting Yarnell blaze

At least 19 firefighters have been killed battling a wildfire in central Arizona, local officials say.

The firefighters died while fighting the blaze threatening the town of Yarnell, about 80 miles north-west of Phoenix.

The fire was started by lightning on Friday and spread rapidly amid high heat, low humidity and strong winds. At least 200 homes were burned.

Arizona and other parts of the western US – including California – had near-record temperatures over the weekend.

It is the highest death toll for firefighters in a single incident since 9/11.

Arizona Senator John McCain said the families of the dead firefighters were in the thoughts and prayers of all Americans.

“This devastating loss is a reminder of the grave risks our firefighters take every day on our behalf in Arizona and in communities across this nation. Their sacrifice will never be forgotten,” he said in a statement.

Arizona Governor Jan Brewer said it could take “days or longer” to reveal how the deaths occurred.

At least 19 firefighters died while fighting the blaze threatening the town of Yarnell, about 80 miles north-west of Phoenix
At least 19 firefighters died while fighting the blaze threatening the town of Yarnell, about 80 miles north-west of Phoenix

“This is as dark a day as I can remember,” she said.

“It has been confirmed that 19 wildland firefighters have lost their lives on the Yarnell Hill fire Arizona,” the US Wildland Fire Aviation said in a statement.

The firefighters were part of a specially trained “hotshot” unit who had battled other wildfires in New Mexico and Arizona in recent weeks, officials say.

They were forced to deploy emergency tent-like structures meant to shield them from flames after becoming trapped and “something drastic” happened, said Dan Fraijo, fire chief in the nearby city of Prescott.

“One of the last fail-safe methods a firefighter can do is literally to dig as much as they can down and cover themselves with a protective fire-resistant material, with the hope that the fire will burn over the top of them and they can survive it,” he said.

“Under certain conditions there’s usually only sometimes a 50% chance that they survive. It’s an extreme measure that’s taken under the absolute worst conditions.”

Two other members of the elite unit who suffered severe burns have been flown to a burn treatment centre in Phoenix.

The tragedy is the worst in a wildfire since 1933, when at least 25 firemen died battling a fire in Griffith Park, Los Angeles.

Some 200 firefighters are still battling the fast-moving wildfire, which has grown to 1,000 acres. Additional reinforcements have been called in.

The blaze has forced the evacuation of local residents.

An estimated 200 homes were destroyed in Yarnell, the Associated Press reported, almost half the properties in the town.

In recent days, dozens of people across western US states have been treated for exhaustion and dehydration, as the heat wave continues.

Temperatures in some areas were expected to reach 130F (54C), close to the world’s all-time high recorded 100 years ago in California’s Death Valley.

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Egypt protests: Mohamed Morsi gets ultimatum from opposition group Tamarud

Diane A. Wade
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Egypt protests: Mohamed Morsi gets ultimatum from opposition group Tamarud

Tamarud, the Egyptian opposition movement that has led nationwide protests against President Mohammed Morsi, has given him until Tuesday to resign.

A statement issued by Tamarud (Rebel) said President Mohamed Morsi would face a campaign of civil disobedience if he did not leave power and allow elections to be held.

Protesters across Egypt have accused Mohamed Morsi of failing to tackle economic and security problems since being elected a year ago
Protesters across Egypt have accused Mohamed Morsi of failing to tackle economic and security problems since being elected a year ago

The group said it had collected more than 22 million signatures in support.

The crowds seen in Tahrir Square in the capital, Cairo, on Sunday were the biggest since the 2011 revolution.

In sporadic outbreaks of violence, at least one person was reported killed in an attack on the headquarters of Mohamed Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood in Cairo, while four more died in the central province of Assiut.

Protesters across Egypt have accused the president of failing to tackle economic and security problems since being elected a year ago. Mohamed Morsi’s supporters have insisted he needs more time.

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Brazil protests: Clashes at Confederations Cup final in Rio de Janeiro

Clyde K. Valle
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Brazil protests: Clashes at Confederations Cup final in Rio de Janeiro

Brazilian protesters have clashed with police during the Confederations Cup final between the host nation and Spain in Rio de Janeiro.

Riot police fired tear gas as demonstrators threw missiles near the Maracana football stadium.

President Dilma Rousseff did not attend the match. She was booed at the opening of the tournament.

The protests started nearly a month ago, sparked by transport fare rises, but quickly encompassed other issues.

The main grievances are over the costs of staging the World Cup, corruption and demands for better health, education and transport.

Brazilian protesters have clashed with police during the Confederations Cup final between the host nation and Spain in Rio de Janeiro
Brazilian protesters have clashed with police during the Confederations Cup final between the host nation and Spain in Rio de Janeiro

Earlier on Sunday a group of demonstrators tried to storm a Brazilian Football Association (CBF) building in Rio. But police kept them back and the group settled outside the building.

The protesters demanded the resignation of CBF president Jose Maria Marin, who has been accused of incompetence.

In a separate protest, several thousand people marched on Maracana stadium banging drums.

They demanded free public transport, carrying placards reading “FIFA – you pay the bill”. The demonstrators also called for and end to corruption and the resignation of the Rio State governor.

Minutes before the game began, small groups of protesters threw rocks and firecrackers at police lines.

Security forces responded with tear gas and sent armored vehicles to disperse the demonstrators. There were no further incidents during the game – which saw Brazil beat Spain 3-0.

The wave of protests began nearly a month ago in the city Sao Paulo after bus fares were increased by 10%.

But after heavy-handed police action, it spread to other cities and mobilized public opinion.

The rises in Sao Paulo and many other Brazilian cities were revoked after two weeks of protests.

By then, the demonstrations had turned into a nationwide movement for better education, healthcare and transport.

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Glastonbury 2013: Mumford and Sons close festival with their first ever headline set on Pyramid Stage

Sonia Pantiss
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Glastonbury 2013: Mumford and Sons close festival with their first ever headline set on Pyramid Stage

Mumford and Sons have closed this year’s Glastonbury festival, with their first ever headline set on the Pyramid Stage.

The band began in the dark, playing the slow-burning Lovers’ Eyes, which opens with a lone vocal over feedback.

The lights came up for second song I Will Wait – their only UK top 20 hit – and the crowd erupted.

“We came for a party,” frontman Marcus Mumford said.

The set was the band’s first since bass player Ted Dwane had surgery for a blood clot on his brain this month.

They closed their set by playing the Joe Cocker version of A Little Help From My Friends, for which they were joined on stage by Vampire Weekend, The Vaccines and folk singers The Staves.

This year’s Glastonbury Festival has seen 180,000 people descend on Michael Eavis’s Somerset farmstead.

The music has catered to a wide range of tastes with sets from artists such as Laura Mvula, Chase and Status, Rita Ora and Elvis Costello.

Sunday’s line-up included Vampire Weekend, Smashing Pumpkins, Jessie Ware, Bobby Womack and Sir Bruce Forsyth.

Avon and Somerset Police said crime at this year’s festival has dropped dramatically since the last event in 2011.

Crime levels were 33% lower than in 2011, with 220 reported crimes, including drug offences and thefts from tents, since gates to the campsites opened on Wednesday.

Police added that there were no major incidents on site and a total of 154 arrests have been made.

Mumford and Sons’ had said they would have pulled out of the headline slot if their 28-year-old bass player had not made a full recovery.

The band were hit by the news of Ted Dwane’s condition while they were on tour in the US earlier in June. He had been taken to hospital after being described as “feeling unwell” for several days.

His illness forced the band to cancel the remainder of their North American Summer Stampede tour and threw their first headliner slot at Worthy Farm into doubt.

“Nothing was more important than Ted’s health,” said Ben Lovett.

After leaving hospital, Ted Dwane posted a picture of himself bearing surgery scars on the band’s website, accompanied by the caption: “Bear with a sore head!”

Mumford and Sons have closed this year’s Glastonbury festival, with their first ever headline set on the Pyramid Stage
Mumford and Sons have closed this year’s Glastonbury festival, with their first ever headline set on the Pyramid Stage

The band took to a stage still vibrating from the barnstorming set from Saturday night’s closing act – The Rolling Stones.

The veteran rockers received five-star reviews in most of the Sunday papers.

Some fans in the audience, however, felt the sound was too quiet and there were scattered chants of “turn it up” during the band’s performance.

Mumford and Sons were among those watching the gig, as they had with Friday night headliners the Arctic Monkeys.

Ben Lovett said the shows had made him worry that his banjo-brandishing band did not have quite enough hits to fill their show.

“We’ve only got two albums, so we’ve got to write more,” he laughed.

“But we’re match fit. We wouldn’t perform if we didn’t think we could do a great job.

“We’re confident and we’re looking forward to it.”

The Grammy and Brit-winning band are the biggest stars of the nu-folk scene which emerged from West London five years ago.

Their contemporaries Noah And The Whale, who played on The Other Stage on Saturday, said the headline slot was a coming-of-age moment.

“It’s funny,” said frontman Charlie Fink.

“Every time things get a bit bigger, you think <<I can’t believe it’s got to this stage>> and then something else happens.

“But I think it’s amazing. It’s crazy everything that’s happened to people we know and that genre of music.”

Another oldie making his debut was 85-year-old Bruce Forsyth, who emerged on the Avalon Stage to the Strictly Come Dancing theme and introduced himself as “The Rolling Stones 2”, before playing a set of music hall standards, including Gershwin’s Funny Face.

The turn-out for Sir Bruce Forsyth was so large that security officers shut down the Avalon field for 20 minutes, as hundreds of fans spilled out of the tent into the field beyond.

The notorious Sunday afternoon “Glastonbury legend” slot – which has played host to the likes of Shirley Bassey and Johnny Cash – was filled by country star Kenny Rogers.

“I was told it was a special slot but I don’t always believe everything my manager says when he’s trying to get me to do something,” admitted the singer.

Kenny Rogers added he was unsure whether the Glastonbury audience would be familiar with hits such as The Gambler, Coward Of The County and Islands In The Stream.

“But I think any time you get that number of people together, percentage-wise I should have enough people who know my music to carry the rest of them.

“I’m convinced now that my audience falls into two categories: Either born since 1980 and their parents played my music as child abuse, or they were born before 1960, and can no longer remember the 60s.”

The 74-year-old, who is the seventh-biggest-selling artist in US history, also said he was hoping to see Mumford and Sons.

“I saw them on a Country Music Television show in the States, and I thought they were excellent.

“You know, my first 10 years, I played upright bass and sang in a jazz group – so I can really appreciate what they’re doing melody-wise and time-wise.

“It’s great to hear a group like that be so successful.”

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EU outrage over US bugging claim

Diane A. Wade
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EU outrage over US bugging claim

Germany and France are urging the US to come clean over claims that its intelligence services have been spying on key European Union offices.

A report in Germany’s Der Spiegel magazine said EU offices in the US and Europe had been bugged.

Other “targets” included the French, Italian and Greek embassies in the US, according to leaked documents later mentioned by the Guardian newspaper.

Fugitive whistleblower Edward Snowden is said to be the source of the leaks.

Edward Snowden – who was also a contractor for the National Security Agency (NSA) – has since requested asylum in Ecuador. He is currently believed to be staying at Moscow’s airport.

On Sunday, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said that if the allegations carried by Der Spiegel were confirmed, such US activities would be “totally unacceptable”.

German Justice Minister Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger said the alleged US behavior was reminiscent of the Cold War.

“If the media reports are accurate, then this recalls the methods used by enemies during the Cold War,” she was quoted as saying by the Associated Press news agency.

“It is beyond comprehension that our friends in the United States see Europeans as enemies.”

Meanwhile, the President of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz said he was “deeply worried and shocked” by the allegations.

He said any such spying could have a “severe impact” on ties between the EU and the US.

According to the document – which Der Spiegel says comes from the NSA – the agency spied on EU internal computer networks in Washington and at the 27-member bloc’s UN office in New York.

The document also allegedly refers to the EU as a “target”.

Edward Snowden is believed to be currently staying at Moscow's airport
Edward Snowden is believed to be currently staying at Moscow’s airport

Meanwhile, the Guardian reported that – according to one leaked report – 38 embassies and missions had been targeted.

The Guardian said the list included the French, Italian and Greek embassies, as well as a number of other American allies, including Japan, Mexico, South Korea, India and Turkey.

It is not known what information US spies might have got, but details of European positions on trade and military matters would have been useful to those involved in negotiations between Washington and European governments.

There was particular concerns over claims a building used by ministers in Brussels had its phones tapped and internet hacked by US security services.

The European Commission, which plays a key role in trade talks, has asked Washington to investigate Der Spiegel‘s report.

“We have immediately been in contact with the US authorities in Washington DC and in Brussels and have confronted them with the press reports,” it said in a statement.

“They have told us they are checking on the accuracy of the information released yesterday and will come back to us.”

The US government has so far made no public comments on the allegations.

Der Spiegel quoted Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn as saying: “If these reports are true, it’s disgusting. The United States would be better off monitoring its secret services rather than its allies.”

Edward Snowden is believed to be currently staying at Moscow’s airport. He arrived there last weekend from Hong Kong, where he had been staying since he revealed details of top secret US surveillance programmes.

The US has charged him with theft of government property, unauthorized communication of national defense information and willful communication of classified communications intelligence.

Each charge carries a maximum 10-year prison sentence.

In an interview with ABC television, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange dismissed remarks by US Secretary of State John Kerry that people could die as a result of Edward Snowden’s revelations.

“We have heard this rhetoric. I myself was subject to precisely this rhetoric two, three years ago. And it all proved to be false,” he said.

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Raffaele Sollecito speaks out about Amanda Knox and Meredith Kercher

Nancy Clayson
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Raffaele Sollecito speaks out about Amanda Knox and Meredith Kercher

Raffaele Sollecito, Amanda Knox’s Italian ex-boyfriend, has told of their “intense” relationship claiming he felt he had been “hit by a thunderbolt” when they first met.

Speaking to reporters in New York, where he and Amanda Knox were reunited earlier this week, Raffaele Sollecito said he was horrified by the Italian Court’s decision to reopen the case into the murder of British student Meredith Kercher.

Raffaele Sollecito and Amanda Knox were found guilty of murdering 21-year-old Meredith Kercher in 2009 and were jailed for 25 and 26 years respectively.

They were freed on appeal in 2011, but Italian judges have now ordered them to return to court for retrial.

Raffaele Sollecito told The Sun: “Meeting Amanda was like being hit by a thunderbolt. Our relationship got very intense, very quickly.”

He said he felt great sorrow over the death of Meredith Kercher and added that he would one day like to visit her grave in Mitcham, Surrey.

Raffaele Sollecito said: “I will never forget Meredith. It was terrible what happened. But I am not responsible for her death.

“It makes me sad when her family say they still believe other people were involved. Rudy Guede is in prison for her murder and his DNA was all over the scene.”

He described the reopening of the trial as like a “horror movie where they keep making sequels”, and continues to deny having anything to do with Meredith Kercher’s death.

The court ruled that Meredith Kercher’s death was a “s** game gone wrong” and have ordered Raffaele Sollecito and Amanda Knox back for trial.

This has resulted in Raffaele Sollecito launching a desperate $500,000 online appeal for donations to fund his retrial.

The computer studies graduate said he was hard up and needed the cash for “legal expenses” but added he would donate anything raised above the target “to a research foundation”.

In an appeal posted on his Facebook page, Raffaele Sollecito wrote: “Well Guys, the problem for me now is pretty though.

Raffaele Sollecito, Amanda Knox’s Italian ex-boyfriend, has told of their “intense” relationship claiming he felt he had been “hit by a thunderbolt” when they first met
Raffaele Sollecito, Amanda Knox’s Italian ex-boyfriend, has told of their “intense” relationship claiming he felt he had been “hit by a thunderbolt” when they first met

“I’m deeply concerned not just for the issue I’m facing and most of you already know about, but also because I don’t have resources anymore to fight this injustice.

“I badly need to be able to hire experts, when needed, or pay my attorney fees, documents fees, and so on when the new appeal will start.

“I hope to not bother you, but I need your collaboration to face this ordeal. Otherwise I don’t want to forced to give up just for financial reason. 

“I hope you will understand. I’m just asking if you, buddies, know how to build up a non-profit raising funds foundation. Big Hugs, Raffaele Sollecito.”

Raffaele Sollecito is thought to have been paid $1million for U.S. TV news interviews and an advance on his book Honor Bound: My Journey to Hell and Back with Amanda Knox, which was published last year.

However, a sizeable proportion of that was swallowed up in legal fees to his team of lawyers including Italy’s high flying Giulia Bongiorno who is said to have the highest fees in the country.

On Tuesday, the High Court issued its written reasoning for doing so. Meredith Kercher’s body was found in November 2007 in her bedroom of the house she shared with Amanda Knox in Perugia, a central Italian town popular with foreign exchange students.

Amanda Knox, now 25, and her Italian ex-boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, 29, were initially convicted and sentenced to long prison terms, but a Perugia appeals court acquitted them in 2011, criticizing virtually the entire case mounted by prosecutors.

The appellate court noted that the murder weapon was never found, said that DNA tests were faulty and that prosecutors provided no murder motive.

A young man from Ivory Coast, Rudy Guede, was convicted in a separate proceeding and is serving a 16-year sentence.

In the 74-page Cassation ruling, the High Court judges said they “had to recognize that he [Rudy Guede] was not the sole author” of the crime, Italian news agency LaPresse reported. The judges though said he was the “main protagonist”.

They said the new appeal process would serve to “not only demonstrate the presence of the two suspects in the place of the crime, but to possibly outline the subjective position of Rudy Guede’s accomplices”.

The high court faulted the Perugia appeals court for “multiple instances of deficiencies, contradictions and illogical” conclusions.

The new court must conduct a full examination of evidence to resolve the ambiguities, it said.

Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito denied wrongdoing and said they weren’t even in the apartment that night, although they acknowledged they had smoked marijuana and their memories were clouded.

Raffaele Sollecito was given a 25-year jail term while Amanda Knox was given 26 years but in 2011 the verdicts were overturned and they were released on appeal.

However, three months ago Italy’s highest court ruled there should be a fresh trial for both of them.

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Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular 2013

Sonia Pantiss
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Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular 2013

It wouldn’t be the Fourth of July in New York City without the Annual Macy’s Fireworks, now in its 37th year.

The iconic display will take place over the Hudson River, so the optimal viewing spots are going to be on 12th Avenue between 23rd and 42nd streets, but anywhere with a decent view of the Hudson will work.

It wouldn't be the Fourth of July in New York City without the Annual Macy's Fireworks
It wouldn’t be the Fourth of July in New York City without the Annual Macy’s Fireworks

If you plan on heading to where the action is, aim to be there by 5 p.m. to snag a good spot.

For this mother of all pyrotechnic displays, Macy’s will explode more than 40,000 fireworks choreographed to a 25-minute patriotic score.

Pop-music fans, take note: this year’s show was curated by Usher and features performances by Taylor Swift, Tim McGraw, Mariah Carey and Selena Gomez.

Admission price: Free

For more information, visit macys.com.

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Danica Patrick doesn’t care about Kyle Petty’s comments on her

Clyde K. Valle
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Danica Patrick doesn’t care about Kyle Petty’s comments on her

NASCAR driver Danica Patrick says she doesn’t care that Kyle Petty thinks she’s better at getting attention than driving because she’s heard it all before.

But if Kyle Petty’s going to attack her, the NASCAR Sprint Cup rookie believes he should at least get his facts straight.

On Friday, Danica Patrick responded to Kyle Petty’s comments a night earlier on Speed’s “Race Hub” program, in which the former Sprint Cup driver called her a “marketing machine” rather than a race car driver. Kyle Petty also doubted that Danica Patrick, 31, would become a driver and insisted that she doesn’t race as well as she qualifies.

Danica Patrick’s statistics suggest otherwise. On average she’s finishing almost six spots higher (25.8) than she starts (32nd), which she noted by saying: “Those who watch know I can’t qualify for crap. The race goes much better.”

That likely won’t stop Kyle Petty, the 53-year-old son of seven-time Cup champion Richard Petty and an eight-time race winner on NASCAR’s premier circuit, from criticizing Patrick.

Now an analyst for TNT and Fox/Speed, Kyle Petty has periodically taken jabs at Danica Patrick, a former IndyCar Series driver who now drives the No. 10 Chevy for Stewart-Haas Racing. Danica Patrick is 27th in points in her first full Cup season, which follows an open wheel career highlighted by a fuel-mileage victory in 2008 in Motegi, Japan.

On Thursday night, Kyle Petty seemed to elaborate on his views during the show. While he understands the mass appeal of Danica Patrick, who has been featured in racy TV ads for sponsor Go Daddy and was IndyCar’s most popular driver for several years, her driving skills don’t justify the hype in his opinion.

Danica Patrick says she doesn't care that Kyle Petty thinks she's better at getting attention than driving
Danica Patrick says she doesn’t care that Kyle Petty thinks she’s better at getting attention than driving

“That’s where I have a problem, where fans have bought into the hype of the marketing, to think she’s a race car driver,” he said.

“She can go fast, and I’ve seen her go fast. She drives the wheels off it when she goes fast.”

Asked if she has learned to race, Kyle Petty continued: “She’s not a race car driver. There’s a difference. The King always had that stupid saying, but it’s true, <<Lots of drivers can drive fast, but very few drivers can race>>. Danica has been the perfect example of somebody who can qualify better than what she runs. She can go fast, but she can’t race.”

Danica Patrick won the pole and finished eighth in the season-opening Daytona 500 but has admittedly struggled this season. She said she’s working toward that point where things level out but isn’t there yet.

The main thing is keeping her team, sponsor and fans happy – not giving a second thought to Petty’s comments.

“I really don’t care,” she said during a news conference at Kentucky Speedway. “It’s true that there are plenty of people who say bad things about me. I read them. People want me to die. At the end of the day, you get over that stuff and trust you are doing a good job.”

Asked what it will take to quiet her critics, Danica Patrick’s response brought some laughs.

“Do you think I will silence my naysayers?” she asked.

“You don’t. I’m sure everybody has them. You know who believes in you. That’s what matters.”

Former boss Dale Earnhardt Jr. has shown his faith in Patrick, giving her a chance to transition to stock cars over three years in the Nationwide Series at JR Motorsports. Dale Earnhardt Jr. defended Danica Patrick and called her a tough competitor who works hard and said she wouldn’t have a ride if she couldn’t stay with the pack or finished last every week.

“I have to disagree with Kyle,” Dale Earnhardt Jr. said.

 “She has run some really good races. On every occasion she is outrunning several guys out on the circuit. If she was not able to compete, I think you might be able to say Kyle has an argument.

“But she’s out there running competitively and running strong on several accounts. I think that she has got a good opportunity and a rightful position in the sport to keep competing and she just might surprise even Kyle Petty.”

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Selena Gomez wearing patriotic red, white and blue for Macy’s Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular

Lisa.Felice
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Selena Gomez wearing patriotic red, white and blue for Macy’s Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular

Selena Gomez wore patriotic red, white and blue during a pre-taped concert at Liberty State Park for Macy’s Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular.

Selena Gomez – who turns 21 next month – flaunted her cleavage, midriff and long legs in a red-braided top and bridal-white cascading skirt.

Selena Gomez wore patriotic red, white and blue during a pre-taped concert at Liberty State Park for Macy's Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular
Selena Gomez wore patriotic red, white and blue during a pre-taped concert at Liberty State Park for Macy’s Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular

She finished off her patriotic ensemble with blue eyeshadow, an iridescent microphone and white gladiator heels.

The 37th annual event will air live on NBC Thursday with performances from Selena Gomez, her BFF Taylor Swift, Tim McGraw, Mariah Carey and her husband Nick Cannon.

Selena Gomez will officially kick off her own Stars Dance Tour on August 14 at Vancouver’s Rogers Arena.

And her album of the same name, already available for presale, officially hits shelves on July 23.

Selena Gomez, who has confirmed she is “absolutely available in every way”, spent last Wednesday hanging out with singer Austin Mahone at Disneyland.

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Glastonbury Festival History

Sonia Pantiss
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Glastonbury Festival History

Glastonbury Festival has survived riots, fires, mud swamps in its action-packed 43-year-history.

The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts is a performing arts festival that takes place near Pilton, Somerset, England, best known for its contemporary music, but also for dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and other arts.

From humble hippyfest to music megabrand – Glastonbury has exploded into one of the world’s biggest and best-loved festivals.

It has survived riots, fires, mud swamps and the wrath of the local council throughout the years, to become an institution on the British summer calendar.

When Michael Eavis, a Somerset farmer, organized the first festival in 1970, he was inspired by the psychedelic delights of the Bath Blues Festival. In an attempt to create an even better event, Michael Eavis combined typical pop festival culture with a more traditional fair and harvest-type event.

The festival takes place in south west England at Worthy Farm between the small villages of Pilton and Pylle in Somerset, six miles east of Glastonbury, overlooked by the Glastonbury Tor in the “Vale of Avalon”. The area has a number of legends and spiritual traditions, and is a “New Age” site of interest: ley lines are considered to converge on the Tor. The nearest town to the festival site is Shepton Mallet, three miles north east, but there continues to be interaction between the people espousing alternative lifestyles living in Glastonbury and the festival. The farm is situated between the A361 and A37 roads.

Michael Eavis stated that he decided to host the first festival, then called Pilton Festival, after seeing an open air Led Zeppelin concert at the Bath Festival of Blues and Progressive Music 1970; fourteen people invested everything they had to build the stage.

At the first Glastonbury in September 1970, around 1,500 people paid just £1 ($1.5) to see Marc Bolan and T-Rex headline the event, accompanied by free milk; just one detail that marks Glastonbury’s individuality from its start.

The first festival was influenced by hippie ethics and the free festival movement. The festival retains vestiges of this tradition such as the Green Fields area which includes the Green Futures and Healing Field. After the 1970s the festival took place almost every year and grew in size, with the number of attendees sometimes being swollen by gate-crashers.

A second festival was organized a year later, but this time the date was moved to coincide with the Summer Solstice in June. The first Pyramid Stage was built on the Glastonbury Stonehenge leyline for the event, which added a cosmic, mythical allure to the festival.

It was funded, in Michael Eavis’s words, by “rich hippies”, who wanted to ensure no one would miss out on the delights of Glastonbury simply because they could not afford to get in. That year, David Bowie played in front of 12,000 people, who had not paid a penny for the privilege. Characteristically, this festival came with only three rules: no alcohol sales, vegetarian food only, and no amplified music past midnight.

However, not everyone was happy with the new invasion of free-spirited souls descending on the rural communities surrounding Michael Eavis’s farm.

Glastonbury Festival has survived riots, fires, mud swamps in its action-packed 43-year-history
Glastonbury Festival has survived riots, fires, mud swamps in its action-packed 43-year-history

Some complained that they wandered around with seeming disregard for locals, with claims of people wearing nothing but a top hat at times. Michael Eavis also became increasingly concerned about the impact it was having on his livestock and business, so he vowed to end it for good. But it could not be stopped, and after a six-year break, an “impromptu” event was held in 1978, after 500 travellers arrived from Stonehenge for a virtually unplanned event. The stage was inventively powered by an electric motor in a caravan with the cable running to the stage.

The following year, the Glastonbury Fayre – as it was then known – returned as a three-day festival, but continued to lose the organizers money. In order to save the event, Michael Eavis persuaded the Campaign Against Nuclear Disarmament (CND) to help run the festival in exchange for any profits: £20,000 was raised, with tickets at only £8.

A new permanent pyramid stage was built, which would double up as a cow shed for the rest of the year, as the festival’s organization was stepped up. The event was to be a turning point in Glastonbury’s colorful history as it made a profit for the first time, which was handed over to a grateful CND.

The situation was not totally fixed though. During the 1980s and early 1990s, Michael Eavis faced yet more challenges from unwanted revellers and his fed-up neighbors, which again threatened to end the event.

However, the performers were ever more interesting, with people such as Van Morrison, The Smiths, The Pixies and The Cure making the event increasingly popular. For the first time in the festival’s history, he had to apply for a license from the local Mendip Council to stage the festival after a change in the law in 1983. Refused permission in 1986, 1987 and 1989, Michael Eavis took the authority to court and won each time.

Since 1981, the festival has been organized by Michael Eavis, through his company Glastonbury Festivals Ltd.

In 1990, on the festival’s 20th anniversary, travellers rioted with security staff after attempting to loot the empty site. Police made 235 arrests and the festival had to be cancelled the following year.

Nevertheless, it returned in 1992, having learned some tough lessons, and went from strength to strength – attracting bigger names and bigger crowds. The Pyramid Stage burned down in 1994, but a replacement stage was quickly provided by a local company as the event was televised for the first time. By 1997, tickets were £75, with 90,000 revellers.

In more recent years, the festival site turned into a giant mudbath in 1997, 1998 and 2005 – thanks to torrential rain and thunderstorms.

A £1 million “superfence” was finally erected in 2002 to beat the fence-jumpers and to boost security. After a one-year hiatus, 2007’s festival returned with new security features.

More than 140,000 people supplied ID photos for their tickets in an attempt to kill off the touts, who had grown rich off the booming demand for black market tickets. The festival failed to sell out in 2008 – which some put down to the fear of poor weather and a controversial line-up. But the brand bounced back in recent years and has repeatedly sold out with weeks to spare.

In 2010, Glastonbury celebrated its 40th year, a milestone dampened only by England’s painful World Cup defeat on the Sunday. Glastonbury has grown staggeringly over the years, with a huge range of performers making it the diverse and renowned institution it is today.

Glastonbury 2012 has been cancelled due to a lack of Portaloos and police officers caused by the London Olympics.

Michael Eavis ran the festival with his wife Jean until her death in 1999, and is now assisted by his daughter Emily Eavis. Since 2002, Festival Republic (a company consisting of both Live Nation and MCD) has taken on the job of managing the logistics and security of the festival through a 40% stake in the festival management company. Each year a company, joint owned by Glastonbury Festivals Ltd and Festival Republic, is created to run the festival, with profits going to the parent companies. Glastonbury Festivals Ltd donates most of their profits to charities, including donations to local charity and community groups and paying for the purchase and restoration of the Tithe Barn in Pilton.

Most people who stay at Glastonbury Festival camp in a tent. There are many different camping areas, each with its own atmosphere. Limekilns and Hitchin Hill Ground are quieter camping areas, whereas Pennard Hill Ground is a lively campsite. Cockmill Meadow is a family campsite and Wicket Ground was introduced in 2011 as a second family-only campsite. A disabled campsite is also available in Spring Ground. Campsite accommodation is provided in the cost of a standard entry ticket but festival-goers must bring their own tents.

Campervans, caravans and trailer tents are not allowed into the main festival site. However the purchase of a campervan ticket in addition to the main ticket allows access to fields just outside the boundary fence; and the cost includes access for the campervan or towing vehicle and the caravan; the car, or other vehicle used to tow the caravan, may be parked alongside it but sleeping is only authorized in the campervan/caravan and connected awning, not in the accompanying vehicle. One additional tent may accompany the caravan/campervan if space within the plot allows. Some people choose to bring or hire a motorhome, though drivers of larger vehicles or motorhomes may have to purchase a second campervan ticket if they cannot fit within the defined plot. The 2009 festival saw changes to the campervan fields; commercial vehicles were no longer classed as “campervans”, all campervans had to have a fitted sleeping area and either washing or cooking facilities, and caravans and trailer tents were allowed back at the festival. Prior to this only campervans were allowed on site, caravans and trailers being banned in the early 1990s after a number were stuck in the mud and abandoned.

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Glastonbury 2013: Prince Harry manages to sneak into festival to party with friends until the early hours

Sonia Pantiss
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0
Glastonbury 2013: Prince Harry manages to sneak into festival to party with friends until the early hours

Prince Harry attended this year’s Glastonbury Festival and managed to sneak into the UK’s biggest music event unnoticed to party with friends until the early hours.

The festival’s organizer Michael Eavis said today he had chatted with Prince Harry last night and recommended he stayed to sample the nightlife.

Prince Harry’s on-off girlfriend Cressida Bonas was pictured enjoying the sunshine at the Worthy Farm site in Somerset yesterday, but the prince managed to evade photographers as he partied the night away.

Michael Eavis, 77, said Prince Harry had watched the Rolling Stones performing at the Pyramid Stage last night and also enjoyed music at the Park and John Peel stages.

The organizer said: “Prince Harry was great actually. I recommended that he should go on into the night, because the nightlife is what Glastonbury is all about. At three o’clock in the afternoon, you don’t get it.

“I told him to get his taxi driver to come back at five o’clock in the morning and do you know what? He lasted until four in the morning.

“His friends were all having a great time. He didn’t want to make a formal thing of being here.”

Glastonbury Festival has attracted celebrities including Kate Moss, Wayne and Colleen Rooney and Katherine Jenkins over the weekend.

Backstage today, actress Sienna Miller, singer Florence Welch and presenter Dermot O’Leary were spotted.

Michael Eavis said he did not join Prince Harry for a pint of cider as he abstains from drinking from two months before the festival until after everyone has left the site.

He added that the Rolling Stones had been the festival’s best-ever headline set and that their two-hour performance – complete with fireworks and a burning phoenix on top of the stage – was worth the wait.

He had tried to secure the band, celebrating their 50th anniversary, for years and said he was not sure how next year’s headliners, who have already been booked, would live up to the Stones.

“It was 43 years in the making, 50 years for them, and we’ve finally come together. We’re on the same page at last,” Michael Eavis said, on the third day of music at the festival.

Prince Harry attended this year’s Glastonbury Festival and managed to sneak into the UK’s biggest music event unnoticed to party with friends until the early hours
Prince Harry attended this year’s Glastonbury Festival and managed to sneak into the UK’s biggest music event unnoticed to party with friends until the early hours

He said: “It’s the whole razzmatazz of the occasion – the two of us finally getting together at long last.

“I had to prove myself to them. We were a bunch of hippies; it’s hardly a Rolling Stones set up, is it?”

The capacity of the Pyramid area was expanded for the first time for the Stones, meaning a festival record of 100,000 people saw Mick Jagger strutting his stuff.

Mick Jagger led the band through their classics, starting with an energetic Jumpin’ Jack Flash and ending with a soulful You Can’t Always Get What You Want, before crowd-pleaser Satisfaction.

Sir Mick was said to have been concerned about sound quality ahead of the gig, but his fears were unfounded.

“Musically, they were absolutely brilliant,” said Michael Eavis, who claimed the band were number one in his top 10 of headliners, above Radiohead, U2 and Oasis.

“Mick Jagger’s energy leading that band with such a passion and so much style – he was absolutely amazing.

“I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s quite remarkable to think he can go like that, at his age.

“I’m a bit older and I couldn’t keep going. His legs and his arms and his movement – he was going for it like his life depended on it.”

The mechanical phoenix created by Joe Rush, which came to life during Sympathy For The Devil, was a labor of love, with health and safety officials voicing concerns, Michael Eavis said.

He laughed as he claimed the ornate moving sculpture had cost almost the same as the Stones’ fee for their set.

Bands have already been booked for next year’s key Pyramid Stage headline slots. Asked if there were any veteran rockers on a par with the Stones, Michael Eavis smiled and said: “Ever so slightly, yeah.”

He joked that there were now very few acts left on his wish list, and pondering how many more festivals he will organize, said: “Another 10, do you think?”

Michael Eavis said the ticket holders, of which there were 135,000 this year, were what kept him going.

A BBC Two spokesman said its coverage of The Rolling Stones peaked at 2.5 million viewers, compared to the peak of 2.1 million for U2 who headlined on the Saturday night at the last Glastonbury Festival in 2011.

Other highlights of the weekend have included Friday night’s headline set from the Arctic Monkeys, Portishead on the Other Stage and an early morning performance from Liam Gallagher’s band Beady Eye.

Michael Eavis said he had particularly enjoyed Elvis Costello’s Saturday afternoon gig, and taking part in a karaoke session on the same day.

“It fills me with so much confidence because people love it so much,” he said.

“The people are so thrilled to be here. So that’s my energy, really.”

Police said crime at this year’s Glastonbury Festival has dropped dramatically from the last time the event was staged.

Avon and Somerset Police said crime levels were 33% lower than in 2011, with 220 reported crimes since gates to the campsites opened on Wednesday.

Those crimes included 61 drug offences and 106 thefts from tents. There were no major incidents on site and a total of 154 arrests have been made.

Inspector Shirley Eden said: “We are very pleased with how the festival has gone. It’s been a fantastic event, the atmosphere has been brilliant and crime is low.

“We would like to thank the majority of festival goers for their cooperation, good festival spirit and for being sensible with their property.”

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Bobbi Kristina Brown enjoys morning jog in Georgia

Lisa.Felice
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Bobbi Kristina Brown enjoys morning jog in Georgia

Bobbi Kristina Brown looked like she was back to her best as she enjoyed a morning run in Georgia this weekend.

Whitney Houston’s daughter looked in high spirits as she stretched her legs in the summer sunshine.

Bobbi Kristina Brown, 20, wore a running vest and bottoms, and had the tricky task of juggling a bottle of water, mobile phone and a banana in her hands.

She and her on-off boyfriend and “brother” Nick Gordon were said to be the subject of at least ten different noise complaints, leading up to her moving out of her previous abode in Georgia earlier this month.

A friend of a neighbor also revealed on Reddit that Bobbi Kristina Brown left an angry note for her neighbors following the supposed eviction in which she labeled them “s*** on the bottom of our shoe”.

Bobbi Kristina Brown looks happy and healthy as she went for a jog and appears to be putting her problems behind her
Bobbi Kristina Brown looks happy and healthy as she went for a jog and appears to be putting her problems behind her

The friend revealed: “My friend and his family live in the apartment under Bobbi Kristina Brown.”

“After 6 months of complaints, she was finally kicked out. He found this on his door today.”

However, Bobbi Kristina Brown took to Twitter to deny she had been forced out of her home.

“Awoke2CrazyNeighborStory(:” she wrote, adding: “Ichoose2move(: THEY were the nightmare.”

But neighbor Joshua Morse disagreed, saying he and his wife have filed at least ten different complaints about the noise coming from Bobbi Kristina Brown’s apartment, as well as revealing the existence of the note.

Bobbi Kristina Brown wrote: “Thank You for making a hard year harder. You are a miserable couple and always will be.

“You were honored to have us living above you and you couldn’t stand such a young beautiful couple far more successful than you ever will be.”

Barack Obama tours Nelson Mandela’s Robben Island jail

Diane A. Wade
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Barack Obama tours Nelson Mandela’s Robben Island jail

President Barack Obama has toured South Africa’s Robben Island – the jail in which Nelson Mandela was kept for 18 years.

Barack Obama said he and his family were “deeply humbled” to visit the prison once inhabited by Nelson Mandela – who remains critically ill in hospital.

The US president went on to give a speech at the University of Cape Town and launch a multi-billion-dollar electricity initiative.

Barack Obama did not visit Nelson Mandela, but met the Mandela family in private.

Security is likely to have been strengthened during this final Cape Town leg of his time in South Africa following clashes on Saturday between riot police and anti-Obama protesters in Soweto.

Barack Obama and the first family visited Nelson Mandela’s bleak cell as well as the lime quarry – overlooked by a concrete watchtower – where anti-apartheid fighters including Mandela were forced to undertake hours of back-breaking labor.

Nelson Mandela was at the prison for 18 years and his long history of lung problems can be traced to the tuberculosis he contracted there – which he attributed to the dampness of his cell.

President Barack Obama has toured South Africa’s Robben Island, the jail in which Nelson Mandela was kept for 18 years
President Barack Obama has toured South Africa’s Robben Island, the jail in which Nelson Mandela was kept for 18 years

Later, Barack Obama wrote in the guest book in the prison courtyard: “On behalf of our family, we’re deeply humbled to stand where men of such courage faced down injustice and refused to yield.

“The world is grateful for the heroes of Robben Island, who remind us that no shackles or cells can match the strength of the human spirit.”

Barack Obama also visited a community project before delivering a keynote address at the University of Cape Town.

It was the same venue where 47 years ago, US Senator Robert Kennedy gave his famed “ripple of hope” speech, which gave inspiration to those fighting the racially divisive policies of apartheid rule and linked their struggle with that of the US civil rights movement.

Barack Obama paid tribute to South Africa’s achievements over the past two decades but urged young Africans to fulfill Nelson Mandela’s legacy.

“Nelson Mandela showed us that one man’s courage can move the world,” he said.

More needed to be done to tackle poverty and disease, he said, adding that fear too often prevailed in Africa. For as long as war raged, democracy and economic opportunity could not take hold, he said.

Barack Obama also announced a $7 billion five-year initiative to double access to electricity in sub-Saharan Africa, in partnership with African countries and the private sector.

He arrived in South Africa from Senegal on Friday evening. On Monday, he will continue his African tour in Tanzania.

Nelson Mandela’s family heir, Mandla, has said he will oppose a court action brought by the rest of the family, seeking to exhume the bodies of his father, Makgatho, two of Mandela’s daughters and two other relatives.

The rest of the family want the remains to be reburied in Qunu, where the former South African president wants to be laid to rest, while Mandla, an ANC MP, wants them to stay in the nearby village of Mvezo, Nelson Mandela’s birthplace, where he is building a museum dedicated to his grandfather.

South Africa’s Sunday Times newspaper quotes local chiefs in the area as saying that Madiba, as Nelson Mandela is known in the country, will not be at peace until this issue is resolved.

On Friday, a court granted an interim action saying the bodies could be exhumed and reburied but Mandla Mandela says he was not aware of the case until it was reported in the media and he is now opposing it.

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Saudi Arabia jails seven cyber activists for inciting protests

Roy Siemens
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Saudi Arabia jails seven cyber activists for inciting protests

A Saudi court has sentenced seven cyber activists to between five to 10 years in prison for inciting protests, mainly by using Facebook.

The men were arrested in September last year, according to Human Rights Watch (HRW), and their trial began in April.

The activists were charged with posting online messages to encourage protests in Saudi Arabia, although they were not accused of directly taking part in demonstrations.

It is seen as the country’s latest move against online political dissent.

The New York-based rights group HRW said the case was heard in an anti-terrorism court.

The longest sentence of 10 years was reportedly given to an activist who set up two Facebook groups allegedly explaining the best protest techniques.

A Saudi court has sentenced seven cyber activists to between five to 10 years in prison for inciting protests, mainly by using Facebook
A Saudi court has sentenced seven cyber activists to between five to 10 years in prison for inciting protests, mainly by using Facebook

The rights group said the men had all admitted contributing to Facebook pages supporting the leading Shia cleric Tawfiq al-Amer, who was held in February 2011 after calling for a constitutional monarchy.

His arrest provoked anti-government rallies inspired by a wave of popular revolt in the country’s Eastern Region, where much of its crude oil is sourced.

The seven men were sentenced on June 24 for “allegedly inciting protests and harming public order, largely by using Facebook”, HRW said.

The court also barred them from travelling for additional periods.

Several of the defendants said they had been tortured into signing confessions, according to HRW.

The case contained two elements that the Saudi authorities are particularly sensitive about – political criticism expressed online and protests staged by the Shia minority in the east of the country.

Several Saudi human rights campaigners have recently been imprisoned. Two women were jailed earlier in June for allegedly inciting a woman against her husband, after they tried to help a Canadian who had complained of abuse by her Saudi husband.

HRW urged European Union officials to condemn the latest convictions ahead of a meeting with Gulf leaders on Sunday.

“Sending people off to years in prison for peaceful Facebook posts sends a strong message that there’s no safe way to speak out in Saudi Arabia, even on online social networks,” Joe Stork, HRW’s deputy Middle East director, said.

Michael Jackson paid $35 million to at least two dozen young boys he abused over 15 years. FBI file.

Sonia Pantiss
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2
Michael Jackson paid $35 million to at least two dozen young boys he abused over 15 years. FBI file.

Michael Jackson allegedly spent $35 million to at least two dozen young boys he abused over 15 years.

According to Sunday People, which has published explosive “secret FBI files” suggesting Michael Jackson molested children from at least 1989, despite his insistence he was just spending time with them.

The damning files claim Michael Jackson assaulted a boy, molested a famous child star and groped another child whose mother wasn’t “bothered” by it.

Jackson family lawyers have to date insisted the King of Pop has only paid off the family of Jordan Chandler, 13, who he allegedly abused in 1993.

However, a sleuth hired by Anthony Pellicano – a celebrity private eye Michael Jackson allegedly hired to make the claims go away – has claimed the star was a “serial child predator” who paid out scores of children he allegedly abused at his Neverland Ranch.

Sunday People says it has evidence to back the investigators claims.

When Anthony Pellicano was investigated in 2002 for bugging Hollywood stars, the FBI seized his files, including many about Michael Jackson.

These included case files CADCE MJ-02463 and CR 01046 which Sunday People claims it has access to.

The files were allegedly not passed on to prosecutors in Michael Jackson’s controversial 2005 molestation trial.

The shocking revelations come after Michael Jackson’s daughter, 15-year-old Paris, recently tried to kill herself.

In further scandal, his family is also trying to sue gig promoter AEG Live who they claim hired Dr. Conrad Murray who prescribed Michael Jackson his last fatal drug dose.

AEG Live denies hiring Conrad Murray, who is currently serving a four-year jail term for involuntary manslaughter.

The investigator, who spoke to Sunday People on the condition of anonymity, said he decided to finally come forward after Michael Jackson’s former child friend Wade Robson revealed he was abused by the star.

Michael Jackson’s family lawyers have to date insisted the star has only paid off the family of Jordan Chandler, 13, who he allegedly abused in 1993
Michael Jackson’s family lawyers have to date insisted the star has only paid off the family of Jordan Chandler, 13, who he allegedly abused in 1993

Australian-born Wade Robson, a dancer and choreographer, recently launched a major lawsuit against the Jackson estate, saying he was regularly molested at Neverland in the 1990s.

Sunday People claims it has seen files confirming Robson’s claims.

While Anthony Pellicano is now in jail for racketeering and wire-tapping, his investigator told Sunday People he was hired to help dig the dirt on Michael Jackson and make potential problems disappear.

The investigator said he kept copies of FBI documents naming 17 boys – including five child actors and two dancers – Michael Jackson targeted for abuse.

These included a European boy and the sons of a screenwriter.

The sleuth said at least three boys were paid to stay silent, with the family of a famous film actor given about $596,300 not to talk to the media.

He said a Neverland maid was allegedly paid $2 million after accusing her boss of molesting her son, while another woman who knew her son was being assaulted “turned a blind eye to it because if it didn’t bother him, it didn’t bother her”.

The files on the alleged victims were reportedly compiled when lawyers drew up a list of “potential threats” to Michael Jackson’s image in the early 1990s, when he was on a world tour.

But after the father of Jordan Chandler publicly claimed his son had been abused, other similar accusations began flooding the media.

Jordan Chandler was paid a hefty sum to stay out of the limelight.

“His [Michael Jackson’s] actress friend Elizabeth Taylor encouraged him to hire Pellicano ­because she had used him to stop dirt on her drug problems being released in the media,” the investigator, who spent two years on the case, alleged.

“Pellicano had links to key figures in the US media and made them dance to his tune.

“With the help of people like Pellicano, the world and his fans never heard what took place at Neverland over 15 years.”

While Michael Jackson was found not guilty of abusing a 13-year-old boy in 2005, the private eye insists the boxes of evidence he helped to collect showed “Jackson was a serial child predator”.

The investigator said he didn’t come forward to upset Michael Jackson’s children, but to finally make public that authorities have shocking information on the dead star that has never been released.

However, long-time Michael Jackson lawyer and friend Brian Oxman said he thought only Jordan Chandler had been paid off, but admitted the “gift list on Michael’s income tax returns was astounding”.

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