President Obama hails Senate health bill support

• US President Barack Obama has welcomed the passage of his healthcare bill through the Senate, saying it paves the way for "real" reform.
• The bill, which passed with 60 to 39 votes, aims to cover 31 million uninsured Americans.
• This will be the most important piece of social legislation since Social Security passed in the 1930s," he said.
• It must still be reconciled with similar legislation passed by the House of Representatives.
  Mr Obama said: "We are now finally poised to deliver on the promise of real, meaningful health insurance reform that will bring additional security and stability to the American people."
• He described the measures as "the toughest measures ever taken to hold the insurance industry accountable".
• Among various reforms, Mr Obama said the insurance companies will no longer be able to deny coverage with a pre-existing condition nor end coverage when a person becomes ill.
  "With today's vote, we are now incredibly close to making health insurance reform a reality in this country," the president said.
• But he said it would be a challenge to "finish the job" of reform.
• For the sake of our citizens, our economy and our future, let's make 2010 the year we finally reform healthcare in the United States of America."
• The process of reconciling the two bills is expected to begin in January and will require further tough negotiations.
• Once that has been done - and the process could still be derailed by last-minute changes of heart among senators - Mr Obama will be able to sign the measure into law.
• The bill's passage in an early morning vote on Christmas Eve follows months of political wrangling and 24 days of debate in the Senate chamber.
• Opposition Republicans say the legislation is expensive, authoritarian and a threat to civil liberties, and accuse the Democrats of rushing it through.
• Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell said the bill's difficult history highlighted its failings.
• The most obvious problem with the bill before us is that it doesn't do what it was supposed to do. The one test for any bill was whether it would lower costs. This bill fails that test.
• It's also clear that even many of the people on this side who are going to support this bill don't like it - otherwise Democratic leaders wouldn't have had such a tough time rounding up the votes."
• The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that efficiency savings made as a result of the Senate healthcare reform bill will cut the federal deficit by $132bn (£83bn) over 10 years, but critics say the predicted savings may never materialise.
• As a nation, the US spent some $2.2tn (£1.36tn) on healthcare in 2007. That amounts to 16.2% of GDP, nearly twice the average of other rich, industrialised countries.
• As costs have spiralled, millions of Americans have found themselves unable to afford health insurance and the cost to the government of providing care for the poor and elderly has risen hugely.

Mad Max - most profitable film

• The Sums: George Miller's dystopian road flick isn't one that immediately springs to mind when debating most profitable films, but it actually loitered around the Guinness Book for a good long while.
• Bringing in over $100m worldwide is - well, certainly WAS - a hugely impressive feat back in the day. Even more so when making it cost just $400k, Australian. That's probably about what James Cameron has earmarked for in-trailer slipper allowance on one of his shoots.
• Why So Profitable? With its defiantly niche steampunk overtones, Antipodean roots and only a pre-fame Mel Gibson silhouetted on the 3-colour poster, it's hard to argue that it wasn't simply down to the film being, y'know, awesome. This one's a relatively rare case of a B-movie going global on merit alone. Hurrah.
• Who Got Rich? George Miller raised the money for Mad Max by working as an Emergency Room Doctor. He raised the money for Mad Max 2 by asking Warner Brothers.
• Though the film had a limited run in the United States and earned only $8 million there, it did very well elsewhere around the world and went on to earn $100 million worldwide.Since it was independently financed with a reported budget of just $400,000 AUD.
• It was a major financial success. For thirty years, the movie held a record in Guinness Book of Records as the highest profit-to-cost ratio of a motion picture, conceding the record only in 2009 to Paranormal Activity. The film was awarded three Australian Film Institute Awards in 1979 (for editing, sound, and musical score).
• Both New Zealand and Sweden initially banned the film.
• George Miller was a medical doctor in Victoria, Australia, working in a hospital emergency room, where he saw many injuries and deaths of the types depicted in the movie. While in residency at a Melbourne hospital, he met amateur film maker Byron Kennedy at a summer film school in 1971. The duo produced the short film Violence in the Cinema, Part 1, which was screened at a number of film festivals and won several awards. Eight years later, the duo created Mad Max, with the assistance of first time screenwriter James McCausland (who appears in the film as the bearded man in an apron in front of the diner).
• Miller believed that audiences would find his violent story to be more believable if set in a bleak, dystopic future. The film was shot over a period of twelve weeks in Australia, between December 1978 and February 1979, in and around Melbourne. Many of the car-chase scenes for the original Mad Max were filmed near the town of Lara, just north of Geelong. The movie was shot with a widescreen anamorphic lens, the first Australian film to use one.

Obama's first state dinner blends pageantry with politics

• Washington - President Obama toasted a growing U.S. friendship with India at the first state dinner of his administration Tuesday, an evening of regal pageantry and symbolic politics in a tent on the White House South Lawn.
• To the future that beckons all of us," Obama said with glass raised toward his guest of honor, visiting Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. "Let us answer its call. And let our two great nations realize all the triumphs and achievements that await us."
• A tradition dating back to 1874, state dinners are the most treasured and formal honor a U.S. president can offer a foreign dignitary, and the most coveted invitation in Washington.
• The Tuesday night dinner showed Obama's intention to signal strong ties with the world's largest democracy and go his own way in navigating the pomp and tradition of White House customs.
• Traditionally, a new administration's first invitation goes to the leader of neighboring Canada or Mexico, though recent presidents also haven't followed that precedent.
• The event planned by first lady Michelle Obama emphasized eco-friendly themes such as White House-grown herbs and lettuce served to guests and sustainably harvested magnolia branches - from species native to both India and the United States - in arrangements adorning the tent where more than 300 guests wearing tuxedos and gowns were wined, dined and entertained.
• A White House document said common themes of state and official visits are "forging friendships, exchanging knowledge and building bridges that last for years."
• In a toast that followed Obama's, Singh praised his host's leadership and prompted applause by citing the charm of the U.S. first lady.
• Obama's election was "an inspiration to all those who cherish the values of diversity, democracy and equal opportunity," Singh said, adding that India "warmly applauded" the Nobel Peace Prize awarded Obama this year for "the healing touch you have provided and the power of your idealism and your vision."
• We need to find new pathways of international cooperation that respond more effectively to the grave challenges caused by the growing interdependence of nations," Singh said. "As two leading democracies, India and the United States must play a leading role in building a shared destiny for all humankind.
• Obama, in a black tuxedo, and the first lady, in a dazzling cream gown with silver accents, greeted Singh and his wife, Gursharan Kaur, as they arrived, shaking hands on the White House steps and posing for pictures before leading their guests inside.
• Guests in tuxedos and evening gowns streamed into the White House for the historic social event, passing a line of journalists. In one humorous mishap, the cummerbund of Sen. Bob Casey, a Pennsylvania Democrat, fell off as he and his wife walked in.
• The guest list included political allies, a few opponents, celebrities and members of the Indian diplomatic community.
• Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made the list, but not her husband, former President Bill Clinton. Democratic colleagues of the president including other Cabinet ministers, several senators and top aides made the list, including Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts (but not his wife, Teresa Heinz Kerry), House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs and White House Budget Director Peter Orszag.
• A couple of Republicans also made it, notably Indiana Sen. Richard Lugar and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal.
• Celebrities included Hollywood director Steven Spielberg, actors Alfre Woodard and Blair Underwood, CBS News anchor Katie Couric and New York Times columnist Tom Friedman.
• However, one name rumored to be included, but not appearing on the list, was Oprah Winfrey.

Michael Jackson’s Dr Death

THE doctor suspected of being responsible for Michael Jackson's death has returned to work

• The superstar's family are furious that Conrad Murray has reopened the clinic where he was working before becoming Jackson's full-time physician.
• A family source revealed yesterday: "Five months have passed and there are still no charges despite all the evidence showing Murray is responsible for Michael's death.
• Now he is being allowed to return to practising medicine. It's a disgrace."
  Murray, 56, has returned to work in Houston, Texas, as his legal bills mount up.
• The medic is suspected of giving 50-year-old Jacko a lethal dose of powerful anaesthetic propofol at his Los Angeles home on June 25.
• Murray said the singer was reliant on it to sleep.
• Propofol is normally only used to put patients under before operations.
• Court documents show Murray had five bottles of the drug sent from a Las Vegas company to Los Angeles the month before Jackson's death.
  Police admit there will be no charges until next year - if at all.
• Jackson's angry family claim cops have ignored a dossier they have compiled that they insist could help lead to Murray's prosecution.
• The source added: "The family are very unhappy with the LAPD and the pace of the investigation.
• They have provided a list of people who were around Michael and Murray in his final days and could help prosecute the doctor, but most of them still have not been contacted."

Michael Jackson's Glove Goes For £210,000 At Auction

Michael Jackson's famous white glove has been sold for £210,000 at a memorabilia auction, far exceeding pre-sale estimates.

• The Jackson memorabilia was the highlight of an auction of hundreds of music items.
  Darren Julien, CEO of Julien's Auctions, called the glove "the Holy Grail of Michael Jackson".
  
• With added commission, the final price was around £250,000. The item had been given a pre-sale estimate of around £30,000.


• The buyer was Hong Kong businessman Fossman Ma.


• The black jacket that Jackson wore during the 1989 Bad tour was sold for £136,000, more than 20 times its estimate.


• Other lots in the auction at the Hard Rock Cafe in New York's Times Square included a car driven by Jackson, David Bowie's guitar and memorabilia from the Beatles.


• I never got to see Michael, and now that he's gone this is the closest I could get," said Jazmynn Moore, 19, a student from Manhattan.


• The rhinestone-studded, modified golf glove was worn by Jackson when he first performed the moonwalk at the Motown 25th Anniversary concert in 1983.


• Most of the 80 Jackson lots were items that came from friends and family to whom Jackson had given them, the auctioneer said.


• Jackson was something of a collector himself, having paid around £1m for the Gone With the Wind best picture Oscar, one of the highest prices ever paid for memorabilia at auction.


• The auction house had valued the Jackson collection at $80,000 to $100,000. But Julien said such pre-auction estimates were intentionally conservative to help generate interest.


• Many of Jackson's items sold for 10 or even 20 times the estimates.


• Julien's had been preparing for a huge auction of Jackson memorabilia in April that was cancelled after an agreement with Jackson, who had filed a lawsuit demanding the return of certain items.


• During the promotion for that sale, Julien's had amassed a large database of Jackson collectors from Asia to the Americas, and many of the winning Internet bidders were from Japan or Hong Kong.

Boyle upset at Slumdog Millionaire stars

Boyle upset at Slumdog stars

• A meeting between director Danny Boyle and two 'Slumdog' stars' families in India has ended very badly.
• Danny Boyle has been left frustrated by the cash demands from the parents of the child stars of Slumdog Millionaire.
• The Oscar winning director and Slumdog Millionaire producer, Christian Colson, pledged to set up a trust fund for the education of two of the film's child stars - Rubina Ali and Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail - and also allocated £31,000 for new houses after their makeshift homes were torn down by the Mumbai government.
• However, Boyle is reported to be stunned by fresh demands from the children's parents.
• They claim the funds aren't enough to sustain the lifestyle they have become accustomed to following the success of the film, and a spokesperson for the family asked the Hindustan Time: "Where is the swimming pools and the bungalow?"
• Boyle flew to India recently to setlle the dispute but was left frustrated after their meeting.
• A spokesman for the trust set up for the child actors, Noshir Dadrawala, said, "We believe that the children are being badly advised. There are properties available located in nearby suburbs.
• We have made many attempts to settle this but now Danny has said that if they don't agree by January, then the money will be given to other charities.

Audi unveils robot co-driver or You may know it as Knight Rider

KNIGHT RIDER?

• A futuristic robot passenger designed to alleviate the stress of driving has been unveiled by Audi.
• Meet Aida, the brainchild of researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), being developed with Audi possibly soon to appear in an A4 near you. Aida, an acronym of Affective Intelligent Driving Agent, is an in-car robot able to 'learn' things about you and your driving thanks to sensors inside and outside the car.
• The idea is that Aida will, within a week or two, become a driving companion, learning where home is, where work is, where you like to shop, what you like to do and, bizarrely, what sort of mood you're in. As Professor Cynthia Breazeal, director of the Personal Robots Group at MIT, puts it: "AIDA [will] read the driver's mood from facial expression and other cues and respond in a socially appropriate and informative way."
• Mounted on the dashboard, Aida (whose eyes look suspiciously like a row of Audi daytime running lights) will appear sympathetic if you look sad, or jolly if you look happy. Like a good satnav system, Aida will also suggest alternative routes when there are traffic problems, can also tell you where to get fuel when you're running low and how to drive in the most fuel efficient way relevant to the driving conditions at the time.
• It's currently a research project, but as a working model has already been built there's no reason why we won't see it on an Audi options list in the near future.

Arctic summer 'to be ice free by 2020' - North Pole Ice Set To Melt By Summer 2020

North Pole Ice Set To Melt By Summer 2020

• The frozen Arctic Ocean will be an open sea during the summer 'by 2020', climate experts have warned.
• The frozen Arctic Ocean will become an open sea during the summer within a decade, according to the latest data.
• Climate change experts predict a massive melt which will see the ice cover completely disappear throughout the warmer months.
• British polar explorer Pen Hadow led an expedition to collect the data behind the alarming prediction.
• He told Sky News: "We were able to reach the areas the scientists can't get to. Our findings are depressing.
• In just ten years or so 80-85 per cent of the Arctic Ocean will be ice free, and within twenty years we'll have completely lost the summer ice.
• Hadow and the rest of the Catlin Arctic Survey team faced temperatures of down to minus 45C, and even had to swim part of the 450km journey.
• Using giant drills they measured the depth and age of the Arctic ice.
• Their results, the most recent gathered from the North Pole, show how the region is gradually disappearing.
• Scientists at the University of Cambridge say it is "invaluable evidence".
• Professor Peter Wadhams, head of the Polar Physics Group said: "Up until now we've always thought of the Arctic Ocean as a white lid on top of the planet.
• But now that lid is being lifted and replaced with an open ocean which changes everything. It really is bad news.
• As the ice disappears so too does its wildlife, from polar bears to walrus and seals.
• Moreover, the Arctic sea ice has been described as earth's refrigerator, and as it melts, it is expected to have a major impact on the world climate.
• Campaigners are taking this latest research to the Copenhagen climate conference in December in the hope that the evidence will convince world leaders to take action in cutting carbon emissions.
• Ed Miliband, the Energy and Climate Change Secretary, said the findings set out the "stark realities of a rapidly changing climate" and "illustrated the risk of an ice free summer in the Arctic in the not-too-distant future".
• This further strengthens the case for an ambitious global deal in Copenhagen in December which the UK is fully committed to achieving," he said.
• Dr Martin Sommerkorn, from the WWF International Arctic Programme, warned there was "no time to lose".
• Countries must see these results and think there is no alternative.
• We must deal with the problem and make investments. Humankind and our way of life is at stake.

WWW - A WORLDWIDE WASTE OF TIME...

Web creator admits those double slashes were a mistake

• Backslash: web creator Sir Tim Berners-Lee apologises for his strokes
• A light has been shone on one of the great mysteries of the internet. What is the point of the two forward slashes that sit directly infront of the “www” in every internet website address?
• The answer, according to the British scientist who created the world wide web, is that there isn’t one.
• Sir Tim Berners-Lee, who wrote the code that transformed a private computer network into the web two decades ago, has finally come clean about the about the infuriating // that internet surfers have cursed so frequently.
• The physicist admitted that if he had his time again, he might have made a change, or more specifically, two.
• “Really, if you think about it, it doesn’t need the //. I could have designed it not to have the //”, he said, speaking at a symposium on the future of technology in Washington DC last week.
• Sir Tim ruefully explained that when he started devising the network almost 30 years ago he could not have predicted the hassle that has been caused by his small error in thinking about the way a web address is written.
• Boy, now people on the radio are calling it ‘backslash backslash’, Sir Tim told his audience, even though he knows they are, in fact, forward slashes.
• Showing them his index finger he added: “People are having to use that finger so much.”
• He knows that no one has calculated the number of exasperated groans emitted at the sight of a “syntax error” message generated by the grave omission of a single slash.
• Nor is there a figure on the number of occupational therapists kept in work treating repetitive strain injury caused by prodding the far right-hand button on the bottom row of a standard keyboard.
• Nowadays web browsers such as Explorer usually fill in the slashes if you start the address with “www”.
• But Sir Tim still laments the amount of additional printing that those two strokes have created over the years — an unimaginable legacy of printer ink and paper that has been wasted on those unnecessary characters.
• The physicist is credited with being the architect of the world wide web, which was to transform the internet into something usable and understandable by more than just computer programmers.
• Suppose all the information stored on computers everywhere else were linked, he mused in his book, Weaving the Web.
• Suppose I could program my computer to create a space in which anything could be linked to anything.
• Today the URLs — better known as web addresses — that Sir Tim created, beginning http://www, are familiar to anyone navigating their way around the internet.
• Many have argued that he would have been awarded the Nobel prize had his discoveries had been spun out of traditional sciences.
• Today, he is the director of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), which oversees the web’s continued development.
• Considering his achievements, maybe Sir Tim can be forgiven his double-slash mistake.
• How was he to know that his interesting idea would cause the biggest revolution in communications since the creation of the printing press?
• The error is characteristic of a restless man with big ideas that he wanted to implement quickly.
• Colleagues at the CERN institute in Geneva where he developed his ideas asked him to speak in French instead of English in the hope of slowing down his torrent of words.
• If he had eased up a little, maybe he would have spotted his error in thinking.
• Although he acknowledges the mistake, he addresses it with a shrug of the shoulders.
• There you go, it seemed like a good idea at the time, he said.

TV show 'to contact Michael Jackson's ghost'

Sky to screen Michael Jackson séance

• Psychic medium Derek Acorah will attempt to talk to Michael Jackson's spirit during a live TV séance.
• Looking for the strangest TV show of the year? Then your search may be over as Derek Acorah will attempt to contact Michael Jackson in a live séance to be broadcast next month. Yes, really.
• The psychic medium, who made his name on Living's Most Haunted, will try to communicate with the late singer on Sky1's Michael Jackson: The Live Séance.
• The programme will be part of a double-bill looking at the life and death of the singer and will give fans "a final chance to connect with their hero."
• Speaking about the show, presenter June Sarpong said: "I've always been a huge Michael Jackson fan, he truly was the King of Pop, and I was shocked and saddened by his sudden death.
• I think viewers will find this programme intriguing and will want to tune in to see what happens.
• "It's the first time I've done anything like this but I'm open-minded and can't wait to see what Derek uncovers," she added.
• Sky1's director of programmes Stuart Murphy said: "There is an insatiable appetite to find out more about Michael Jackson. He was an extraordinary figure and the curiosity surrounding his life - and his death - stretches well beyond fans of his music.

Airport trials 'naked' X-ray - Airport X-ray 'undresses' passengers

Airport X-ray 'undresses' passengers

• An X-ray machine that takes 'naked' images of passengers is being trialled at Manchester airport.
• A human X-ray machine which produces "naked" images of passengers has been introduced at Manchester airport.
• It enables staff to instantly spot any hidden weapons or explosives.
• The full body scanner which is being trialled will also show up any breast enlargements, false limbs, piercings, and a clear outline of passengers' private parts.
• Bosses admit some travellers might not want to be scanned because of the graphic nature of the images. They can refuse to undergo the virtual strip search at Terminal 2, opting for the traditional "pat down" search instead.
• The black and white image will only be seen by one officer in a remote location before it is deleted.
• The scanner, made by the firm RapiScan Systems, makes the check-in process much quicker for passengers, who will not have to remove their coats, shoes or belts.

How to Love Life

• Be optimistic Think of life in the best way possible, look at the glass as half full, and find the better side of every situation. You would be amazed at how much more there is to life than the negative.
• Live every moment to the fullest Don't waste a single second being sad, bored, or lonely. Get out there and dance, and sing as if no one was around. You never know how much longer you have to do so.
• Be selfless Give more than you receive, and share with others. Do less for yourself, and more for the people around you. Also when you do the right thing you get a fantastic feeling inside.
• Laugh often This is possibly the most important point in this how-to guide. Laughter is the number one most important thing in life. Laugh much, and smile often.
• Live in the present Forget about the past, as there is nothing you can do about it. Don't worry about the future, as what is to come is to come, and if you forget to live in the moment, you would be surprised at how quickly time can slip.
• Be yourself Live up to your own standards, not anyone else's. Who cares what others think about you? Who cares if you can't sing, can't dance, or if your clothes don't match. Do what you want to do, and be who you want to be.
• Be kind to everyone Kindness is the key to unlocking your own happiness and joy. If others notice your kindness, they will gratefully return it. Make as many close friends as you can, and help them when they are down, as you never know when you will need them to catch you.
• Stand there At times just standing somewhere peaceful and quiet and thinking about what you have achieved, are about to achieve, or even want to achieve; It will hit you... a feeling of the utmost respect for life.
• Do what you enjoy If you have always wanted to learn something, or feel like improving on something you already do, go for it! Don't let anyone stop you from doing what you love, and if you feel comfortable doing it then don't hold back. If you do, you're going to regret it.
• Encourage others to love life If you have followed the above steps above you are on your way to living a better life, now start to encourage others around you to also love life and spread your message.

Husband for Sale - A very funny story

• Husband for Sale A store that sells husbands has just opened in LONDON, where a woman may go to choose a husband.
• Among the instructions at the entrance is a description of how the store operates. You may visit the store ONLY ONCE!
• There are six floors and the attributes of the men increase as the shopper ascends the flights.
• There is, however, a catch. .... You may choose any man from a particular floor, or you may choose to go up a floor, but you cannot go back down except to exit the building!
• So, a woman goes to the Husband Store to find a husband...

• On the first floor the sign on the door reads:
• Floor 1 - These men have jobs and love the Lord.
• The second floor sign reads:
• Floor 2 - These men have jobs, love the Lord, and love kids.
• The third floor sign reads:
• Floor 3 - These men have jobs, love the Lord, love kids, and are extremely good looking.
• " Wow," she thinks, but feels compelled to keep going.
• She goes to the fourth floor and sign reads:
• Floor 4 - These men have jobs, love the Lord, love kids, are drop- dead good looking and help with the housework.
• "Oh, mercy me!" she exclaims, "I can hardly stand it!"
• Still, she goes to the fifth floor and sign reads:
• Floor 5 - These men have jobs, love the Lord, love kids, are drop- dead gorgeous, help with the housework, and have a strong romantic streak.
• She is so tempted to stay, but she goes to the sixth floor and the sign reads:
• Floor 6 - You are visitor 1,703,007 to this floor.
• There are no men on this floor.
• This floor exists solely as proof that women are impossible to please.
• Thank you for shopping at the Husband Store.
• Watch your step as you exit the building, and have a nice day!

Please note this is just a joke!

Groom shoots bride dead by mistake

A man mistook his fiancée for an intruder and shot her dead the day before their wedding.

• A 'distraught' man has shot his fiancée dead the day before their wedding in a case of mistaken identity.
• John Tabutt told police he seized his gun because he thought he heard someone in his Florida home.
• Thinking his live-in partner was in bed, the 62-year-old fired at a figure in a dark hallway.
  He discovered too late he struck Nancy Dinsmore, also 62, who he was due to marry the very next day.
• Tabutt called 911 in the early hours of Friday, moaning and sobbing, according to local newspaper reports.
• "I thought I had an intruder in the house," he told the emergency operator. "Honest to God, she looks dead."
• A "distraught" Tabutt stood by while his fiancée was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics, according to police.
• He has not been charged with any offence and officers said everything pointed to a tragic accident.
• The couple planned to wed in a small ceremony at St. Stephen Catholic Church in Florida's Winter Springs, Ms Dinsmore's son-in-law Scott Sposato told the Orlando Sentinel.
• They loved each other," he said. "It was quite apparent."

Nicolas Cage's debt catches up with him

Nicolas Cage's $6m Debt Catches Up With Him

• Actor Nicolas Cage is reportedly struggling to stay afloat amid claims of unpaid taxes.
• Oscar-winning actor Nicolas Cage is reportedly struggling to stay afloat amid claims he owes $6m (about £3.7m) in unpaid taxes.
• Celebrity gossip website TMZ reported that the movie star, famous for his roles in Con Air and Gone In 60 Seconds, is $6,257,005 in debt to the US Internal Revenue Service.
• Now the IRS has placed a tax lien on the Hollywood actor's New Orleans properties after the actor failed to pay income tax on his wages dating back to 2007.
• TMZ also reported that in addition to the Leaving Las Vegas star's income tax debt, he also owes the state money from three further years of unpaid debt.
• The second lot of unpaid taxes relates to Cage's earnings between 2002 and 2004.
• The website has published what it calls official documents showing how much Cage owes.
• Last week it emerged that the 45-year-old had defaulted on a $2m (£1.2m) loan.
• Cage was forced to sell off a Bavarian castle he owned in Germany earlier this year due to his financial troubles.

'Lucky idiot' soldier cheats death

A soldier was branded "one lucky idiot" by comrades for cheating death three times during a stint in Afghanistan.

• Private Daniel Britton, 22, from Nantwich, Cheshire, said he is fortunate to be alive after an action-packed six-month tour in Helmand Province.
• He contracted dysentery after nearly drowning in a fast-flowing river, had a bullet brush past his head in an attack by the Taliban and was shot in the chest during a separate strike.
• The soldier, from The 2nd Battalion The Mercian Regiment, had his first brush with death in April, just one month into his tour, when he was trying to cross a swollen river.
• The current became too strong. It swept my feet from under me. I'm not much of a swimmer and I was washed underneath the water.
• The weight of my kit made it very difficult to stay afloat. All that was going through my mind was 'I'm dying'," he said.
• Private Britton's colleagues managed to pull him out, only for the soldier to be diagnosed with dysentery. And the former South Cheshire College pupil had only just recovered when the Taliban shot at his head and thought they had killed him.
• It was very early morning in the patrol base and I was sat outside cleaning my weapon. All of a sudden several bullets whizzed past my head.
• I yelled to everyone to 'stand to' and that began the start of a four-day contact. When I thought about it afterwards I realised how lucky I was to still to be here. I heard later that the Taliban thought they had killed a British soldier. I know that was me they were talking about," he said.
• Private Britton's troubles were not over. He was within centimetres of death when the Taliban shot him in the chest, and the soldier was sure he was bleeding. But the bullet became lodged in his body armour, and the liquid on his skin turned out to be sweat.
• He said: "The first I knew of the Taliban presence was when I was thrown back with massive force.
• It was like a sledgehammer hitting my chest. I could feel liquid on my skin and I was convinced it was blood. It could have been a different story if it had landed a few centimetres to the right. The guy who had pulled me out of the water at the start of the tour was there this time too. He told me I was 'one lucky idiot'."
• Private Britton admits he was relieved to reach his 22nd birthday but, even then, as he celebrated with friends at a fancy dress party in the patrol base, the Taliban fired a series of Chinese rockets in their direction.

By www.MICHAELJACKSON50.com

US President Barack Obama wins Nobel Peace Prize

Obama wins Nobel Peace Prize

• US President Barack Obama has been awarded this year's prestigious Nobel Peace Prize.
• The US President was awarded the prestigious international accolade for his calls to reduce the world's stockpile of nuclear weapons and working for world peace.
• His "extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy" were cited specifically.
• The first African-American to hold the country's highest office, Obama has called for disarmament and worked to restart the stalled Middle East peace process since taking office in January.
• The prize is worth $1.4 million, and it will officially be handed over in Oslo on December 10.
• President Obama held a UN summit last month which focused predominently on nuclear disarmament and curbing Iran's nuclear ambitions.

By www.MICHAELJACKSON50.com

Michael Jackson Five tribute shocks viewers - See the Video

Jackson Jive "Racist" Outrage

• A TV show has outraged viewers after allowing a 'racist' Jackson Five tribute act to appear.
• The Michael Jackson news just keeps on coming. The difference here being it's got nothing to do with the deceased King of Pop.
• In fact, the latest drama took place many miles from his spiritual home of California. Because producers on an Australian TV show are caught-up in an engulfing furore after allowing a Jackson 5 "tribute" act to appear, outraging judge Harry Connick Jr and, we assume, many more the world over.
• Bucking international awareness stretching back years, the Jackson Jive appeared with blacked-up faces in an act that visibly upset their guest, who awarded them zero stars.
• Host Daryl Somers was forced to apologise, while Connick Jr (pictured) pointed to the fact his nation have "spent so much time trying to not make black people look like buffoons", insisting: "If I knew that was going to be part of the show I definitely wouldn't have done it".
• Famethrowa doubts the programme makers have heard the last of this...

This is just sick!!!

Reported by www.MICHAELJACKSON50.com

Scientists discover massive ring around Saturn - would take 1 billion Earths to fill it

NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has spotted a massive, nearly invisible ring around Saturn.

• Scientists at NASA have discovered a nearly invisible ring around Saturn -- one so large that it would take 1 billion Earths to fill it.
• The ring's orbit is tilted 27 degrees from the planet's main ring plane. The bulk of it starts about 3.7 million miles (6 million km) away from the planet and extends outward another 7.4 million miles (12 million km).
• Its diameter is equivalent to 300 Saturns lined up side to side. And its entire volume can hold one billion Earths, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory said late Tuesday.
• This is one supersized ring," said Anne Verbiscer, an astronomer at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville.
• Verbiscer and two others are authors of a paper about the discovery published Wednesday in the journal Nature.
• The obvious question: Why did it take scientists so long to discover something so massive?
• The ring is made up of ice and dust particles that are so far apart that "if you were to stand in the ring, you wouldn't even know it," Verbiscer said in a statement.
• Also, Saturn doesn't receive a lot of sunlight, and the rings don't reflect much visible light.
• But the cool dust -- about 80 Kelvin (minus 316 degrees Fahrenheit) -- glows with thermal radiation. NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, used to spot the ring, picked up on the heat.
• One of Saturn's moons, Phoebe, orbits within the ring. As Phoebe collides with comets, it kicks up planetary dust. Scientists believe the ice and dust particles that make up the ring stems from those collisions.
• The ring may also help explain an age-old mystery surrounding another of Saturn's moons: Iapetus.
• Astronomer Giovanni Cassini, who first spotted Iapetus in 1671, deduced the moon has a white and dark side -- akin to a yin-yang symbol. But scientists did not know why.
• The new ring orbits in the opposite direction to Iapetus. And, say researchers, it's possible that the moon's dark coloring is a result of the ring's dust particles splattering against Iapetus like bugs on a windshield.
• Astronomers have long suspected that there is a connection between Saturn's outer moon Phoebe and the dark material on Iapetus," said Douglas Hamilton of the University of Maryland in College Park - one of the three authors reporting on the findings in the journal Nature.
• This new ring provided convincing evidence of that relationship.

By www.MICHAELJACKSON50.com

Top 5 Tips to Avoid Being Pickpocketed

• 1. Never keep your wallet or valuables in your back pocket, even if it buttons up—it's by far the easiest target.
• 2. Beware of the distraction tactic, such as dropping something near you, squirting something on you, or simply jostling you. Be on guard when in crowds, and secure your belongings.
• 3. Pickpockets often work in pairs or groups and it's not just the usual suspects. Be cautious with any strangers—sometimes people who don't look like they'd be a threat, such as children or the elderly, can be part of larger operations.
• 4. Stay alert in confined spaces and near passageways. Try to avoid standing near the doorways of trains as groups of pickpockets can rush at you when the doors open.
• 5. Before you set off on a trip, pare down the contents of your handbag or wallet – the smaller the bulge, the less likely pickpockets are to covet it.

By www.MICHAELJACKSON50.com

World's worst cities for pickpockets

• We reveal the 10 worst cities in the world for pickpocketing - and give tips on how to avoid being targeted.
• 1. Barcelona, Spain One TripAdvisor reviewer compares Barcelona pickpocketing to a generally practiced and accepted sport, like football. For those who'd rather stay off the field, take caution: Las Ramblas, the famous wide, pedestrian walkway full of life, music, and people at all hours of the day and night, is the perfect place to get your purse poached.
• 2. Rome, Italy With its ancient buildings and astounding historical and cultural attractions, Rome is full of both tourists and incredible things to sightsee. With thousands of people admiring the Trevi Fountain or the Pantheon, it's easy for a pickpocket to lift a camera or purse with a quick snip of scissors or some clever handiwork with a zipper.
• 3. Prague, Czech Republic The famously beautiful Charles Bridge is lined with 30 baroque-style statues, as well as thousands of tourists who crowd its ancient stones each year, making a perfect recipe for pickpocketing. Before taking in the view of the Vltava River and the Prague Castle beyond, be sure valuables are strapped down.
• 4. Madrid, Spain El Rastro flea-market and the crowded metro are often cited as spots where unfriendly pickpocket schemes can put a damper on a visit to this beautiful city. However, travellers should also beware that in museums ( Madrid has many) pickpockets can be crafty as well, preying on distracted tourists.
• 5. Paris, France The City of Light draws enormous crowds from the base of the Eiffel Tower to the steps of Sacré-Coeur and everywhere in between. But enormous crowds can also be found below ground, in the city's metro system, where travellers should be especially cautious.
• 6. Florence, Italy It is certainly easy to see why tourists would be distracted by the majestic beauty of Michelangelo's David and the other incredible and awe-inspiring works of art and pieces of history all around Florence . When admiring Michelangelo's creation, or at its replica in busy Piazza della Signoria , be alert that others may have their attention on your wallet.
• 7. Buenos Aires, Argentina Buenos Aires is a vibrant and culturally rich city with much to offer, from the famed Teatro Colon to the city's many distinct neighborhoods. However, if while sightseeing you find you are suddenly covered in “bird droppings” (likely mustard) and a “friendly” local (likely a thief) happens to be standing by with napkins to help you clean up, beware.
• 8. Amsterdam , Netherlands It's easy to get carried away in Amsterdam with so many fun things to see and do, but don't be too taken in by the canals and the friendly, laid-back atmosphere – pickpocketers have been known to take advantage of countless tourists in this enchanting city.
• 9. Athens , Greece This legendary city features countless ancient monuments, many of which are outdoors. Whether visiting the Parthenon on the Acropolis, or anything else in this magnificent historic city, keep the bags close to your chest while your eyes admire the rest.
• 10. Hanoi , Vietnam The capital of Vietnam has its charming Old Quarter, littered with monuments and colonial architecture, and the city also features 600 temples and pagodas, making it a beautiful and unique place to visit, but also a place to stay alert for mischief.

By www.MICHAELJACKSON50.com

'Woman's education affects lifespan' - A woman's education influences how long she and her partner will live

Women's education affects lifespan

• A woman's education influences how long she - and her partner - will live, according to new research.
• A woman's education influences how long she - and her partner - will live, researchers have said.
• A study on 1.5 million people found a woman's level of education was more important than a man's when it came to the chance of him living a long life. But a man's social class and income seemed to have the most impact on a woman's chances of living longer - more than the impact of her own employment.
• The research, from experts at Stockholm University, examined data from the 1990 Swedish Census on 1.5 million people aged 30 to 59 who were in employment. Information on causes of death, including from cancer and circulatory diseases like heart disease and stroke, was then examined for the following 13-year period.
• Education was found to be "of great importance" through a direct influence on death rates as well as indirectly via occupation and income.
• Education may also have an indirect effect through its possible importance for choice of partner," the authors said.
• They suggested that better educated women may be more aware of healthy diets and medical treatments, thereby influencing their partner's lifespan.
• Women traditionally take more responsibility for the home than men do, and, as a consequence, women's education might be more important for the family lifestyle - for example, in terms of food habits - than men's education.
• If highly educated women more easily understand the plethora of advice about healthy lifestyles, women's education could have a substantial influence on the health and mortality of the partner. Women with higher education may in addition (be able to) receive better medical treatment, which may also be true for men - and for partners of highly educated women."
• The study was published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. It said a man's income influenced death rates for both sexes "presumably since men stand for the major part of the family income and thus the material standard of the family."
• The authors concluded: "For men, the wife's education is more important for the mortality risk than his own education when the man's social class is included in the model.
• For women, the husband's social class yields larger mortality differences than own occupational measures. Women's education and men's social class and income are particularly important for women's deaths from circulatory diseases."

By www.MICHAELJACKSON50.com

Mass password theft hits Hotmail users - 10,000 Hotmail passwords hacked

• A 'phishing' operation has been blamed for the reported theft of thousands of Hotmail users' passwords.
• More than 10,000 Hotmail passwords have been hacked and posted online, a technology website has reported.
• Microsoft, which owns the email service, said it had not yet been able to confirm the report, but it was "actively investigating the situation".
• Technology blog neowin.net reported that an anonymous user had posted the details of Windows Live Hotmail accounts on pastebin.com, a site used by developers to share code, on October 1.
• Neowin administrator Tom Warren wrote on the blog: "The details have since been removed but Neowin has seen part of the list posted and can confirm the accounts are genuine and most appear to be based in Europe.
• The list details over 10,000 accounts starting from A through to B, suggesting there could be additional lists.
• Currently it appears only accounts used to access Microsoft's Windows Live Hotmail have been posted, this includes @hotmail.com, @msn.com and @live.com accounts."
• The blog suggested the details were obtained through a hack or "phishing" scam, in which fake websites are used to trick people into revealing usernames, passwords and other information.
• A Microsoft spokesman said: "Microsoft has been made aware of the claims that Windows Live IDs and passwords have been made available on the web.
• We're actively investigating the situation and will take appropriate steps as rapidly as possible."
• Neowin recommended Windows Live Hotmail users "change your password and security question immediately".

By www.MICHAELJACKSON50.com

Kylie Minogue proves big hit in LA - first-ever American tour

• Australian pop star Kylie Minogue performed in Los Angeles on Sunday night as part of her first-ever American tour.
• The sell-out show at the Hollywood Bowl saw Minogue adorned in feathers and lowered onto the stage on top of a giant metallic skull.
• Fans were enthusiastic about the two-hour, fast-paced performance that included her crowd-pleaser Can't get You Out of My Head, her 2001 club hit.
• The energy is so incredible. Everyone's dancing the whole time", said concertgoer Billy Folchetti. "Her outfits were incredible. It was absolutely an all-around fabulous show."
• The 41-year-old Grammy Award-winning artist is performing in the United States for the first time in a music career which has spanned more than two decades.
• Minogue performed outside of San Francisco and in Las Vegas before coming to LA. Next will be stops in Chicago, New York and Toronto.
• The six-stop run is said to be an effort to test the waters in the US.
• If deemed to be successful, promoters say Minogue may be back for a longer tour.

By www.MICHAELJACKSON50.com

Pilots issue safety warning

Pilots' safety warning over flying hours

• The number of hours pilots are required to fly is risking passenger safety, according to claims.
• British pilots are joining flight crews from other countries in warning that the number of hours they are required to fly are putting passenger safety at risk.
• Pilots from 36 countries will protest outside the European Parliament in Brussels, claiming there is scientific evidence to prove that the EU's pilot flight time rules are "flawed."
• Jim McAuslan, who is General Secretary of the British Airline Pilots Association (Balpa) has written to Transport Secretary Lord Adonis warning that UK standards are threatened by EU laws.
• Pilots across Europe protested three years ago that plans by the European Parliament to standardise pilot flying hours were potentially unsafe and could result in more pilot fatigue.
• Mr McAuslan said: "The European Parliament responded by instructing the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to send the rules to a team of safety experts.
• At the beginning of this year the scientists, some of the most noted fatigue experts in the world, presented their report which concluded that the EU rules were indeed unsafe. But to its shame EASA has ignored this.
• Balpa claims that pressure on pilots was growing as competition between airlines became "brutal."
• The group also says that new EU rules, due to come into effect in 2012, will see the end of an individual country's ability to set their own higher standards, as currently happens in the UK.
• A Department for Transport spokesman said: "The safety of passengers and crew is our top priority and we will not allow this to be compromised."

By www.MICHAELJACKSON50.com

Michael Jackson dies, almost takes Internet with him - June 25 2009

• LONDON, England - How many people does it take to break the Internet? On June 25, we found out it's just one - if that one is Michael Jackson.
• The biggest showbiz story of the year saw the troubled star take a good slice of the Internet with him, as the ripples caused by the news of his death swept around the globe.
• Between approximately 2:40 p.m. PDT and 3:15 p.m. PDT today, some Google News users experienced difficulty accessing search results for queries related to Michael Jackson, a Google spokesman told CNET, which also reported that Google News users complained that the service was inaccessible for a time. At its peak, Google Trends rated the Jackson story as "volcanic.
• As sites fell, users raced to other sites: TechCrunch reported that TMZ, which broke the story, had several outages; users then switched to Perez Hilton's blog, which also struggled to deal with the requests it received.
• CNN reported a fivefold rise in traffic and visitors in just over an hour, receiving 20 million page views in the hour the story broke.
• Twitter crashed as users saw multiple "fail whales" -- the illustrations the site uses as error messages --user FoieGrasie posting, "Irony: The protesters in Iran using twitter as com are unable to get online because of all the posts of 'Michael Jackson RIP.' Well done." The site's status blog said that Twitter had had to temporarily disable its search results, saved searches and trend topics.
• Wikipedia saw a flurry of activity, with close to 500 edits made to Jackson's entry in less than 24 hours. CNET reported that by 3:15pm PDT, Wikipedia seemed to be "temporarily overloaded.
• The LA Times, the first news organization to confirm Jackson's death, suffered outages. The site also reported that AOL's instant messenger service had been hit, quoting an AOL statement that said, "AIM was down for approximately 40 minutes this afternoon." The statement said, "Today was a seminal moment in Internet history. We've never seen anything like it in terms of scope or depth.
• By Friday morning, news sites seemed to be coping with traffic but Jackson fan site mjfanclub.net was still performing sluggishly. Mashable.com reported that tributes to, and remarks upon, Michael Jackson's death were responsible for 30 percent of tweets.
• As with any breaking piece of news on the Web, the reports of Jackson's death sparked something of a feeding frenzy -- and with that came rumor that dragged in other celebrities completely unconnected to the King of Pop's death.
• One Wikipedia prankster wrote that Jackson had been "savagely murdered" by his brother Tito, who had strangled him "with a microphone cord."
• Soon rumors spread online that movie star Jeff Goldblum had fallen from the Kauri Cliffs in New Zealand while filming his latest movie. On several search engines, "Jeff Goldblum" soon became the only non-Jackson-related term to crop up in the top 10.
• The rumors forced Goldblum's publicist to issue a statement to media outlets, saying: "Reports that Jeff Goldblum has passed away are completely untrue. He is fine and in Los Angeles."
• At the same time Harrison Ford was also rumored to have fallen from a yacht off the south of France.
• Web site snopes.com, which shoots down rumors, gossip and urban legends -- and how they originated -- said the likely culprit was a Web site which allows users to input celebrity names -- and then inserts them into fake templated stories (a further variant has stars dying in a plane crash).
• In a sense the feeding frenzy was understandable -- Jackson's death, coming only hours after that of 1970s icon Farah Fawcett, left many Web users, shocked by the news of Jackson's death, asking what would happen next. In this febrile climate any rumor runs the risk of being seized on, believed and treated with more credulity than usual.
• The need of the professional media to be first with the news -- many did for a short time report the Goldblum rumor as fact -- adds further veracity. And, of course, the whole process is speeded up by the Web.
• There is also, of course, the old adage that celebrities die in threes, with the deaths of Gianni Versace, Princess Diana and Mother Teresa in 1997 frequently held up as an example of this.
• But while Diana and Teresa passed away with seven days of each other in August and September, Versace was killed in early July. Their deaths were most keenly mourned by the same broad sections of the public -- and hence were inextricably interlinked.
• The Web can link disseminate news -- but like any form of communication it can also help us create what we expect to see next.

By www.MICHAELJACKSON50.com

Top 10 unusual outdoor activities in the UK

• Try something a little out of the ordinary with our top ten unusual outdoor activities in Britain.
• 1. River bugging'River what?!' you may well ask. River bugging was invented in New Zealand and basically involves strapping yourself into an inflatable armchair and throwing yourself down white-water rapids. The single-person craft makes the rider, or 'bugger' (we kid you not), look like a bug or insect, hence river 'bugging'. There are only around 20 places in Europe where you can go river bugging, and 12 of them are in Scotland!
• 2. Bushcraft and survival skillsThere's a little bit of Britain's favourite “born survivor” Bear Grylls in all of us. Try a bushcraft and survival skills course to bring him out of you. Bushcraft is the art of learning to live in the wilderness and feel at home within the natural world just like our ancestors. Firecraft, tracking, hunting and shelter building are just a few skills you'll learn; practices familiar to our ancestors and many aboriginal and native people around the world today.
• 3. Gorge walkingReady for an extreme river adventure great for families and kids too? Gorge walking gives a whole new meaning to a nice nature walk. Here, you'll walk along steep sided gorges following the course of the river by any means necessary. This can involve climbing beside waterfalls, sliding down rapids, floating down fast flowing chutes and clinging onto rock faces. Wales has some of the best natural formations for gorge walking in the world.
• 4. Canyoning & coasteeringCanyoning is the crazy big brother of gorge walking. Like gorge walking, you'll navigate you way along a river's course, but this is far more extreme involving heart-stopping jumps off steep gorges and high waterfalls. Coasteering is the saltwater cousin of canyoning. Instead of waterfalls, you'll work your way around the coastline by rock climbing, cliff jumping and swimming. Neither are for the faith hearted!
• 5. ZorbingZorbing is one of those things that makes you think, 'who the hell came up with that idea?', but in the same breath scream, 'I wanna have a go!'. It basically involves climbing inside a giant inflatable ball and being bounced, rolled and tumbled head-over-heels down a hill at speeds of up to 30mph. For zorbing in the South West see Zorb South, but there are places to Zorb all over Britain.
• 6. QuadbikingQuad bikes were originally used by farmers in difficult terrain, but it wasn't long before the speed freaks caught on. What's not to like about tearing through fields and woods, up and down steep ditches, through streams and across muddy bogs on a four-wheeled buggy capable of stomach-turning twists and jumps?! Forget a gentle bike ride through the countryside, spin, twist, skid and leap your way through the great outdoors.
• 7. Caving and potholingCaving takes you on a journey deep into Britain's underbelly, where you and your team guide each other through vast underground caves full of striking stalagmites and stalactites. Potholing takes this a step further and is a claustrophobe's nightmare. Here, you'll slide and wriggle through narrow tunnels, cross underground lakes and see sites that went undiscovered for thousands of years.
• 8. BlokartingAlso called land yachting, blokarting is like yachting, but in a kart on land instead of a boat on water. A blokart is essentially a long, thin, three-wheeled buggy with enough room for you to sit inside and a sail to accelerate and manoeuvre. The best place to blokart in Britain has got to be the beach and there are clubs based all around the coast.
• 9. SandboardingSandboarding is to sand what snowboarding is to snow. Now Britain might not have the best snowboarding conditions, but with over 10,000 miles of coastline lined with staggering sand dunes, we certainly have excellent year-round sandbording conditions. If you've never tried it before, it's best to search online for a course, but many experienced snowboarders just use an old snowboard and get going. You could even dig your old sledge out of the garage and try a bit of sand-sledging!
• 10. Power kitingAlso known as traction kiting, power kiting is nothing like flying a kite in the park. The power harnessed by specially designed power kites is enough to drag you along the ground and lift you into the air like you're jumping on the moon. You can use a power kite on its own, known as 'power jumping', or pair it up with a vehicle or board for a more extreme ride.

By www.MICHAELJACKSON50.com

Stunned passengers watch 'pilot punch-up'

Stunned Passengers Watch Pilots Slug It Out

• Two pilots have been grounded after they allegedly left their cockpit mid-flight to trade punches.
• Two pilots have been grounded after they allegedly left their cockpit mid-flight to trade punches with crew members in front of stunned passengers.
• Severe turbulence broke out on the Air India flight after an air hostess accused the men of sexual harassment.
• The 120 passengers watched as the pair left the jet controls to brawl in the aisle with the crew, the Times Of India reported.
• As the row escalated the pilots threatened to divert the jet to Pakistan.
• Air India said the two pilots had been de-rostered and an investigation has been been launched.
• Two crew members have also been suspended.
• A 24-year-old air hostess has filed a police complaint against one of the pilots for "outraging the modesty of a woman", the paper said.
• The woman is alleged to have been pushed out of the cockpit after she deflected the pilots' attentions.
• The air hostess sustained bruises and injuries on her hand, Joint Commissioner of Police (operations) Satyendera Garg said.
• There are several eyewitnesses and we are recording their statements.
• The brawl kicked off on the Airbus A-320 flight from Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates to Delhi.
• But co-pilot Amit Khanna denied there had been a punch-up.
• There was no fight between us on the flight," he told the paper.

By www.MICHAELJACKSON50.com

MICHAEL JACKSON CHILDREN ARE COPING WELL

• MICHAEL JACKSON's three children are faring well since their grandmother KATHERINE took them into her care, according to a U.S. judge.
• The King Of Pop's beloved mother was granted permanent custody of Prince Michael, Paris and Prince Michael II in August (09), just weeks after Jackson died from a cardiac arrest.
• Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff announced at a hearing on Friday (02Oct09) that the children are happy under the court guardianship.
• Insisting he has no plans to set a further date for custody matters. Discussing a status report he received, Beckloff declared, "It was an excellent report" and that the kids are "really doing wonderfully with the grandmother as the guardian".
• Jackson's estate is paying Katherine $60,000 (£40,000) a month to care for the youngsters.

By http://www.michaeljackson50.com/

Banned 'unsafe' airlines revealed - Dozens of airlines are barred

• Dozens of airlines are barred from flying in European airspace because they are considered to be unsafe.


• Crashes over the Atlantic (Air France) and in New York (US Airways), have focused public attention on safety in the skies - prompting many to ask how safe it really is to fly?


• European Commission But what many do not realise is the extraordinary amount of work which goes on behind the scenes to protect their safety.


• A lot of this work is carried out in the sober corridors of the European Commission, which regularly audits airlines from around the world to ensure they meet the exacting criteria necessary to fly European citizens. Airlines which fail to make the grade will simply not be allowed to fly in European airspace.


• "We cannot afford any compromises in air safety, we have to remain vigilant; citizens have the right to fly safely every where in the world," explains commission vice-president Antonio Tajani.

Blacklist

• The first line of defence against potentially unsafe airlines is the Commission's blacklist - which details all airlines barred from European airspace. While largely composed of African and Asian airlines, there are also a number closer to home:
• to name few,Ariana Afghan Airlines,Air Gemini -Angola,Royal Air - Benin,Siem Reap Airways International (SRH) - Cambodia,Air Koryo (KOR) - Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Sun Air Services - Democratic Republic of Congo,Guinea Airways - Equatorial Guinea,Sky Gabon (SKG) - Gabon, Intan Angkasa Air Service - Indonesia, East Wing (Airline) (EWZ) - Kazakhstan,Golden Rule Airlines (GRS) - Kyrgyz Republic,Silverback Cargo Freighters (VRB) - Rwanda, Destiny Air Services, Ltd (DTY) - Sierra Leone,Air West Co.Ltd (AWZ) - Sudan,Swaziland Airlink (SZL) - Swaziland,One Two Go Airlines Company Limited (OTG) - Thailand, Motor Sich Airlines (MSI) - Ukraine.

Can Airlines be Redeemed?

• The European Commission argues one of the principal benefits of its blacklist – other than keeping Europeans out of unsafe planes - is the encouragement it offers to prohibited airlines to reform.
• "The list acts a strong incentive to remedy safety deficiencies; withdrawal from the list is indeed possible, when the parties concerned put effectively in place sound corrective action to comply with all relevant safety standards," explained the Commission.
• The most recent list, for example, saw four Indonesian airlines - Garuda Indonesia, Airfast Indonesia, Mandala Airlines and Premiair – removed from the list following "significant" safety improvements by the Indonesian civil aviation authority.

Safe to Fly

• So then, with unsafe airlines banned and others encouraged to improve, European travellers can be reassured of their safety. Indeed the aforementioned Air France crash aroused such high levels of concern because it involved a flag-carrying European airline. Crashes involving such respected aviation companies are simply not supposed to happen.
• But it is likely the event was the exception which proved the rule, with the European Commission acting to prevent unsafe airlines even offering their services on the continent.

By www.michaeljackson50.com

Air hostess dies of skin cancer at aged 25 - An air hostess who sunbathed in some of the world's hottest destinations

Air hostess dies of skin cancer

• An air hostess who sunbathed in some of the world's hottest destinations has died of skin cancer aged 25.
• An air hostess who sunbathed in some of the world's hottest destinations has died of skin cancer at 25, it has emerged.
• Virgin worker Hayley Birch developed the disease just under two years ago after bronzing herself in places like Las Vegas, Dubai and Australia.
• Her mother Penny, from Solihull in the West Midlands, said her daughter would often top up her tan on rest days between flights.
• "It just seems so cruel and so very unfair," she told The Daily Express. "She was doing a job she absolutely adored and had her whole life ahead of her."
• Miss Birch died last week, just days before a fund-raising ball she organised was due to take place.
• Her family has vowed the event will go ahead as planned, raising money for Birmingham Queen Elizabeth Hospital's Skin Cancer Research Fund.
• The hostess' cancer battle started in December 2007 after she discovered a mole on her leg. It was found to be cancerous and removed.
• Six months later she discovered a lump in her groin, which was also taken off. But the cancer soon spread to her stomach, neck and armpits.
• Miss Birch, who worked for Virgin for four years, started a course of chemotherapy but was told earlier this year that her cancer was terminal.
• Her mother said: "She did enjoy sunbathing and would often top up her tan on rest days between flights."

By www.michaeljackson50.com

8 money myths you need to know - How to avoid traps

Banking

• 1. I'm better off keeping my money under the mattress. It's easy to feel exasperated with low-paying savings accounts. According to Abbey, we keep £5.4billion in cash hidden in our homes. It's not at my place, I can assure you. But apart from this cash earning nothing at all - not even putting you in line for a Premium Bond win - you run the risk of theft, fire or loss and will probably find that most home contents policies only insure about £500 in cash in the home.
• 2. I can't switch banks because I have an overdraft. Rest assured that there are many banks other than your own who would love to take the interest you pay on an overdraft and (assuming you can demonstrate an income) would be happy to let you switch it them.
• 3. Paying bills by direct debit is always cheaper. Well this is certainly true with utilities. In fact recent research by Uswitch shows that you can save more than £200 a year by paying DD. However this works against you with car insurance, where you will almost certainly be charged more for paying monthly, usually around 20% more.
• 4. If I lock away my savings in a long notice account I get a better deal. This used to be the case but it is increasingly rare these days. Before you sign up to a notice account, take a look at no-notice accounts and see if there is any difference. You could be pleasantly surprised. Current offers on Moneyfacts.co.uk include the Chesham Building Society's Reserve 120 account which, as the name suggest, requires 120 days notice for withdrawals. It pays 2.85% AER compared to the 2.80% AER paid by the no-notice West Bromwich Building Society Saver Direct account.

Mortgages

• 5. I'm renting out my property but don't need to tell the mortgage company. Just about every mortgage contract will require you to notify the lender if you plan to rent out your property. In some cases the lender will allow you to remain on the same rate but other lenders may switch you onto a buy-to-let loan (which is usually higher), particularly if you're planning to rent out the property for a long or open-ended period. You may be tempted to just not tell them but you run the risk of invalidating your insurance if anything goes wrong.
• 6. I have a nice cheap mortgage because it's interest-only. Yes, your monthly payment will be cheaper but if you fail to save and/or invest for repayment of the capital then you will lose your home. Personally, I am convinced that we will see a big wave of horror hitting interest-only fans in the next couple of decades as their mortgage terms expire but they have no way to pay down the capital. Aim to switch to a repayment mortgage as soon as you can afford to.

Credit and debt

• 7. I need to pay a specialist to get my credit rating repaired. No, no, no. I promise there is nothing that a paid-for service can provide that you cannot do yourself for FREE. It won't happen overnight though. There are three credit reference agencies, Callcredit, Equifax, and Experian, which store information about your credit history. Missed credit repayments stay on your credit report for 36 months, while County Court Judgments are held on file for six years. If you have paid the debt within one month of the CCJ, you can ask the court to remove the details from your record. Get copies of your records (a small fee will apply unless you use a free trial) and the credit reference agency can provide plenty of free tips and advice on how to correct any errors and improve your credit record.
• 8. The more credit cards I apply for, the better my credit rating will become. Not so. Although having no credit at all can be a problem, lenders will also be put off if you have lots of declined applications. This could signal that you're desperate for credit or having trouble managing your money or existing cards. When you're shopping around for credit, you can ask lenders for a 'quotation search', rather than making full applications.

By www.michaeljackson50.com

Evening Standard becomes free paper - after 180 years as a paid-for title

Evening Standard To Become Free Newspaper

• London's Evening Standard is to turn itself into a free newspaper, after 180 years as a paid-for title.
• The Evening Standard is to turn itself into a free newspaper later this month, ending its 180-year run as a paid-for title.
• The paper will be available free of charge from 12 October, with its circulation more than doubling from around 250,000 to 600,000 copies a day.
• Russian oligarch Alexander Lebedev, who owns a 75.1% stake in the paper, is axing the 50p charge as he seeks to revive its fortunes.
• Standard bosses described the development as "an historic moment and great opportunity", and insisted the publication will remain "a quality newspaper".
• The move follows the increased pressure from free newspapers in the city in the past few years - although one of these, thelondonpaper, was closed last month.
• Andrew Mullins, managing director of the Evening Standard, said: "Sustaining a paid-for afternoon newspaper had its challenges even before the freesheets were launched in 2006.
• "There are so many competing distractions to potential readers, particularly with new technologies.
• "Being a quality newspaper with large scale and reach should transform our commercial fortunes."
• Mr Lebedev, who bought the paper from the publisher of the Daily Mail, said he thought other newspapers may follow the lead.

By www.michaeljackson50.com

Michael Jackson daughter: Stress contributed to death

• Michael Jackson's eleven-year-old daughter has reportedly told her aunt LaToya the strain of preparing for planned gigs in London were too much for the singer to handle.
• LaToya makes the claim on Channel 4's The Paul O'Grady show. She quoted her daughter as saying: "What happened is they worked him too hard. He never got the chance to rest. It was non-stop work."
• LaToya, 53, tells the chat show host: "She said, 'No, you don't understand. They kept working him and Daddy didn't want that, but they worked him constantly'. I felt so bad."
• She and her brother Jermaine paid tribute to Michael Jackson at the Mobo Music awards in Glasgow on Wednesday night.

By www.michaeljackson50.com

Michael Jackson In 'Good Health' Before Overdose

• A post mortem report showed Michael Jackson was in overall good health before his overdose, according to Associated Press.
• The report, obtained by the news agency allegedly says the star's arms were covered with punctures, his face and neck were scarred and he had tattooed eyebrows and lips.
  But he was not the sickly skeleton of a man portrayed in media reports.
• AP claims the Los Angeles County coroner's report shows Jackson was a fairly healthy 50-year-old before he died of an overdose.
• His heart was strong and his kidneys and most other major organs were normal, according to the leaked report.
• Jackson did have health issues including arthritis in the lower spine and chronically inflamed lungs that could could have left him short of breath.
• However, according to the document, the lung condition was not serious enough to be a direct or contributing cause of death.
• "His overall health was fine," said Dr Zeev Kain, chairman of the anesthesiology department at the University of California, who reviewed a copy of the report for the AP.
• "The results are within normal limits."
• Jackson died at his rented Los Angeles mansion on June 25 after his personal doctor, Dr Conrad Murray, administered the anesthetic propofol and two other sedatives to get the chronic insomniac to sleep, court documents state.
• Propofol, normally a surgical anesthetic used in operating rooms, acts as a respiratory depressant and requires constant monitoring.

By www.michaeljackson50.com

Violence link to kids who eat sweets

• Eating sweets every day in childhood increases adult aggression, according to new research.
• The study, published in the October issue of the British Journal of Psychiatry, is the first to examine the long-term effects of childhood diet on adult violence.
• Analysis found that 10-year-olds who ate confectionery daily were significantly more likely to have been convicted for violence between the ages of 29 and 34.
• Researchers from Cardiff University found that 69 per cent of the participants who were violent at that age had eaten sweets and chocolate nearly every day during childhood, compared to 42 per cent who were non-violent.
• This link between confectionery consumption and violence remained after controlling other factors.
• Lead researcher Dr Simon Moore said: "Our favoured explanation is that giving children sweets and chocolate regularly may stop them learning how to wait to obtain something they want. Not being able to defer gratification may push them towards more impulsive behaviour, which is strongly associated with delinquency."
• Almost 17,500 people were questioned in the 1970 British Cohort Study.

By www.michaeljackson50.com

Look What's Left In London's Tube - 'I left my lawnmower on the Tube'

Look What's Left In London's Lost And Found!

• Transport for London's lost property office has revealed some of the strangest items ever handed in.
• A samurai sword, a prosthetic arm and a coffin are just some of the bizarre items left behind on the capital's public transport system.
• The vast treasure chest of weird and wonderful items was unveiled at Transport for London's Lost Property Office.
• The basement in Baker Street, central London, is celebrating 75 years of collecting items mislaid on overground and Tube trains, buses, cabs and coaches.
• And now they are showcasing the forgotten finds, including a stuffed fox, a puffer fish, a lawnmower, a park bench, WWII gas masks and even a home vasectomy kit.
• The staff's fears over the contents of the coffin lessened when its "owner" was tracked down, who revealed it was used for theatrical purposes only.
• In fact, the office enjoys a very successful hit rate at finding the lost items' forgetful friends.
  LPO's office manager Julie Haley told Sky News Online reuniting two urns of ashes with the relatives of the deceased was "particularly heart-warming".
• "It was an emotional moment for all of us. Having said that, all items are important to their owners and returning even the smallest of items can make a big difference," she said.
  A pair of breast implants was also successfully returned.
• However, the toothless man who came in one day asking for his dentures was less fortunate.
• He brought back what he had identified as his own set a few hours later, complaining of "rubbing".
• Despite that rare, unfortunate mis-match, staff have developed keen detective skills - yards from Sherlock Holmes' stomping ground - over the years to identify matches among the thousands of items.
• Julie said keeping up with changing styles and times over three quarters of a century has helped.
• "In the 1960s, the most popular thing we would get was umbrellas. We would get over 90,000 in a typical year," she said. The number handed in today is around 7,000.
  "We used to get loads and loads of fashionable gloves years ago," Julie added.
• "Obviously now they're not the height of fashion any more."
• Shelves full of clothing, bags and books remain dominant among the near-200,000 items recovered each year.
• They have helped to build quite a pricey collection.
• A quarter of a million pounds worth of luxury watches have been among the items which head to charity or auction if not claimed within three months.
• Julie insisted any personal data left on an item will see it kept permanently though, and she advised the public to always check with them.
• "I know some people think if they have lost something on public transport they will never get it back," she said.
• "But I would like to encourage them to give us a call. You never know - we might just have it here."
• So if you see a one-armed, sword-less samurai roaming around the capital, point him in the direction of Baker Street.

By http://www.michaeljackson50.com/