'Homicide' ruling in Michael Jackson case welcomed

:Michael Jackson's family have welcomed a ruling of homicide by a coroner in America.

The Los Angeles County Coroner said the singer's death was the result of "acute propofol intoxication".

• It follows revelations earlier this week that his personal Dr, Conrad Murray, administered several drugs to Jackson to help him sleep in the days and hours leading up to his death.
• Police have interviewed the doctor, but he has not been named as a suspect and has strenuously denied any wrongdoing.
• The 50-year-old singer died in June from cardiac arrest at his LA mansion.
• Today, Michael Jackson fans are marking what would have been the King of Pop's 51st birthday.

By www.MICHAELJACKSON50.com

Barack Obama 'heartbroken' at Ted Kennedy's death

:Politicians around the world have been paying tribute to one of America's most respected statesmen. Senator Edward Kennedy has died, aged 77, after a long battle with cancer.

• Senator Kennedy, who was affectionately known as "Teddy", became the head of one of the most famous dynasties in the world after his older brothers - JFK and Bobby Kennedy - were assassinated.
• Paying tribute, Prime Minister Gordon Brown said he would be "mourned not just in America but in every continent".
• After following his brothers into politics, Kennedy eventually became the most senior representative of Massachusetts.
• He backed Barack Obama to win the 2008 election and was working closely with the President to help him push through his liberal healthcare reforms.
• President Obama has said he was heartbroken when he heard of Kennedy's death, adding: "Over the past several years, I've had the honor to call Teddy a colleague, a counsellor, and a friend. And even though we have known this day was coming for some time now, we awaited it with no small amount of dread."
• Senator Kennedy was diagnosed with brain cancer in May 2008 and had to leave President Obama's inauguration lunch in January after suffering a seizure.
• His death follows that of his older sister - Eunice Kennedy Shriver - who passed away a fortnight ago.
• American media is reporting Senator Kennedy will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery, where his brothers are buried.

By www.MICHAELJACKSON50.com

Soviets planned invasion of United Kingdom

:A map showing the route Soviet tanks would have taken in a planned invasion of Manchester in 1974 have been revealed.

• Moscow's generals targeted roads wide enough for the armoured vehicles to roll into the city centre.
• The Russians aimed to conquer the city during the Cold War by heading along Washway Road, the Mancunian Way and Princess Road.
• The map is on display in an exhibition at the University of Manchester's John Rylands Library as part of the Royal Geographical Society annual conference.
• Soviet mapmakers used colour codes to describe targets - black for industrial sites, purple for public buildings and green for military sites.
• They also added secret information left out of Ordnance Survey maps from 35 years ago, such as the Risley Moss nuclear research site.
• Manchester University geography lecturer and curator Chris Perkins said: "This and other maps in our exhibition called Mapping Manchester reveal a very different side to this city.
• "It shows the roads - familiar to many Mancunians - which the Soviets felt were wide enough to carry tanks, including Washway Road, the Mancunian Way and Princess Road.
• "They even transliterated place names - such as Urmston, Salford and Stretford - into Russian.
• Quite unnerving really as the map - and their intelligence - is only 35 years old. It's incredible how detailed their information was. After declassification by the Russians at the end of the Cold War, these maps became available on the international market."
• He added: "The Soviet military who compiled the maps used aerial sources such as spy planes and satellite imagery to supplement information from UK Ordnance Survey maps and publicly available road atlases and trade directories.
• But there's so much extra information, it would be fair to assume that they were able to gather a considerable amount of intelligence on the ground. No doubt Nato were doing similar things in Russian cities."

By www.MICHAELJACKSON50.com

Michael Jackson died of lethal levels of the powerful anaesthetic propofol

:Michael Jackson died of lethal levels of the powerful anaesthetic propofol, according to court documents, the Los Angeles Times has revealed.

• The newspaper said LA County Coroner's officials found the drug after examining the singer's body.
• The star's personal doctor Conrad Murray told detectives he gave Jackson the drug to treat insomnia, the paper added, quoting a newly unsealed search warrant affidavit.
• Jackson suffered cardiac arrest and died on June 25 at the age of 50.
• The police investigation into his death has focused on his use of prescription drugs and the role of the doctors who treated the music star, including Dr Murray.
• An autopsy report in to Jackons' death remains sealed while police complete their investigation.
  

By www.MICHAELJACKSON50.com

Goldfish survives loo flush

:A goldfish which survived being flushed down the toilet is enjoying a new lease of life after being rescued from a sewage plant.

• Worker Jake Huey noticed the fish flailing on a mesh filtering screen he was cleaning at the Scottish Water site near East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire.
• He picked it up and rushed to the treatment building, where he put it in water in an emergency tank.
• The fish, nicknamed Pooh, is now being looked after at the Philipshill Waste Water Treatment Works (WWTW) until a new home can be found for it.
• Mr Huey said: "Obviously someone thought their pet was on its last legs and flushed it down the toilet, which obviously we wouldn't advise.
• "The fish has rallied as it made its way through the waste water network underneath the streets of East Kilbride and popped up in our screens totally revived.
• "This is one lucky little fish. We just need to find a good home for him now."

By www.MICHAELJACKSON50.com

Michael Jackson's doctor speaks out

The man at the centre of the investigation into Michael Jackson's death has broken his silence, thanking supporters and assuring them he is telling the truth.

• Dr Conrad Murray, who treated the singer in the final months of his life, posted a short message on YouTube as police continue to focus on his role in the King of Pop's death.
  
  
  
  
• He thanked friends and patients for letters of support, saying: "Please don't worry, as long as I keep God in my heart and you in my life I will be fine.
• "I have done all I can do. I told the truth and I have faith that truth will prevail."
• Federal agents are believed to be working on the theory that Dr Murray administered a powerful sedative of the type thought to have killed Jackson shortly before he collapsed in his rented Beverly Hills home on June 25.
• 51-year-old Dr Murray has been interviewed twice by officers involved in the case, but has not been named as an official suspect.

By www.MICHAELJACKSON50.com

Police hunt £40m gem raiders

:Police are hunting an armed gang which stole around £40 million worth of jewellery in just two minutes at an exclusive London shop.

• The raid at Graff Jewellers in the city's West End is believed to be the biggest gems heist in British history.
• Two smartly dressed robbers conned their way past security guards at the New Bond Street store and pulled out two handguns once inside. They threatened staff before snatching expensive rings, bracelets, necklaces and watches.
• Before escaping in a series of vehicles across Soho, the men fired a warning shot into the ground outside the Mayfair store.
• Scotland Yard issued CCTV images of the two men who went into the store. They believe at least two others helped with the getaway.
• Det Ch Insp Pam Mace, of the Flying Squad, said: "This was a well planned robbery with a number of vehicles used to help the robbers escape. Someone knows who these men are.They would undoubtedly have spoken about it beforehand or boasted about it afterwards.
• "I would urge anyone who recognises them, knows the whereabouts of the jewellery or has any other information to contact us."

By www.MICHAELJACKSON50.com

Michael Jackson film deal approved

Audiences will get to see Michael Jackson perform one more time after a judge approved a major movie deal.

• A proposed contract between Michael Jackson's estate, concert promoter AEG Live and Columbia Pictures states the movie will feature footage of the King of Pop's final rehearsals for a planned series of London comeback concerts.
• The film could also include videos prepared for display during the This Is It shows, which were due to take place at the 02 Arena.
• A Los Angeles Superior Court judge had until Monday to approve the film and allowed Jackson's mother, Katherine, to review the contracts and raise any objections.
• It comes after the same judge approved several other deals involving the singers estate, including calendars, school supplies, posters and a commemorative coin.
• He also granted authority so that reprints of Jackson's autobiography Moonwalk can be sold in China, Korea and several Eastern European countries.
• The judge also agreed to allow Jackson's estate to partner with Apple's iTunes to sell songs and videos of Jermaine Jackson's performance of the Charlie Chaplain song Smile at the pop singer's public memorial.
• The deals were presented to the judge by the current administrators of Jackson's estate. Financial details of the agreements were not disclosed.
• The judge is also considering a deal between the estate and merchandiser Bravado for worldwide distribution rights to several Jackson-themed products, including trading cards, apparel, lighters, stuffed animals that play Jackson's music and digital apparel and even tattoos for online games such as Second Life.
  

By www.MICHAELJACKSON50.com

Michael Jackson 'secretly buried'

Michael Jackson's body has been secretly buried, according to reports.

• His family members were apparently so worried about the singer's fans setting up camp around the grave, they have ensured the exact location is not known.
• However, Forest Lawn Cemetery in the Hollywood Hills has been named by US media as the star's final resting place.
• Meanwhile, Jackson's family lawyer has rejected claims from child star Mark Lester that he could be the biological father of the pop legend's daughter Paris.
• Brian Oxman said: "The thing I always heard from Michael was that Michael was the father of these children, and I believe Michael."
• Lester, who starred in 1960s musical Oliver! and is godfather to Jackson's three children, revealed yesterday that he donated sperm to the King of Pop 13 years ago.

By www.MICHAELJACKSON50.com

Swine flu ad man gets virus

:Face Of Swine Flu Adverts Admits He Has Virus

• The star of Government swine flu prevention adverts has admitted he has caught the virus himself.
• Actor David McCusker was filmed sneezing in a lift for the national campaign.
• In the Department of Health adverts, he demonstrates how to "Catch It, Bin It, Kill It".
• But the 30-year-old confessed: "Instead I've been shivering, shaking and spreading it."
• He called the national hotline, saw his GP and received a prescription for Tamiflu.
• "It was a shock when I found out," he told the Sun.
• "I quarantined myself to sweat it out. I've been getting lots of stick from mates. I caught it, didn't bin it and spread it all over the place."
• Swine flu is believed to have affected 193,000 people worldwide and killed 1,362.
• In England, there have been 36 deaths related to the virus, although the number of new cases dropped from 110,000 to 30,000 last week.
• The Department of Health appeared to play down reports that schools would vaccinate all schoolchildren against the H1N1 virus.
• It was thought ministers were examining plans to administer the jab to 8.5m five to 16-year-olds.
• "We have not said that schools will deliver the vaccination programme for swine flu," a spokesman for the department said.
• "Decisions have not been made on how the vaccine programme will be delivered, and the Chief Medical Officer has said that he expects GPs to be the bedrock of the programme."
• While young people seem susceptible to swine flu, experts believe healthcare workers will be first to get a vaccine, then pregnant women and children under five.

By www.MICHAELJACKSON50.com

Extra £50bn pumped into economy

:The Bank of England's rate-setters have decided to pump another £50bn of new money into the economy in their programme of quantitative easing.

• It will take their total spending to £175bn, unexpectedly going over the £150bn set aside by the chancellor.
• In a statement, they said that the UK recession "appears to have been deeper than previously thought".
• The rate-setters also decided to keep interest rates unchanged at their historic low of 0.5% for a sixth month.
• Also on Thursday, the European Central Bank decided to keep its interest rates unchanged at 1%.

By www.MICHAELJACKSON50.com

King of Pop meets King of Pop Art

:Michael Jackson is pictured as many fans will most fondly remember him - young and smiling - in an Andy Warhol portrait unveiled on Wednesday.

• Warhol's (Green) Michael Jackson, will go on display for three days at the British Music Experience exhibition at the O2 arena in London, where he was set to stage his comeback gigs.
• The painting will then be auctioned, starting with an opening bid of 800,000 US dollars (£471,280). However, it is expected to fetch far more than that.
• Warhol's Lemon Marilyn, one of his famous portraits of actress Marilyn Monroe, fetched 28 million US dollars (£16,494,800) at Christie's in New York in 2007.
• The picture of Jackson, created in 1984 to celebrate the massive popularity of his Thriller album, shows the pop star dressed in a red shirt against a green background.
• Janet Lehr, partner at the Vered Gallery in New York which is acting as an agent for the seller, said: "This Andy Warhol portrait brings together the uncontested King of Pop Art with the uncontested King of Pop.
• "The portrait was painted at the height of their careers and is a celebration of two of the great talents in global cultural history."
• Paul Lilley, British Music Experience curator, said: "Michael Jackson's influence on the world of pop is unparalleled. This is a perfect chance for us to give our visitors a once in a life time opportunity before the portrait disappears from the public eye into a private collection."

By www.MICHAELJACKSON50.com

Chinese Town Sealed Off After Plague Outbreak

:A town of 10,000 people in north west China has been sealed off from the outside world after an outbreak of deadly pneumonic plague.

• The town of Ziketan in Qinghai Province has been quarantined after a dozen people were infected with the highly contagious lung disease.
• The outbreak has already claimed two lives. A herdsman died from the disease on Friday and his neighbour died on Sunday.
• Another 10 people, mostly relatives of the dead men, were undergoing treatment in an isolation hospital. A team of medical experts are being flown into the remote town.
• Health authorities are warning that anyone suffering from a cough or fever who has visited the town since the middle of last month should seek urgent medical attention.
• There are fears the disease may have spread before the town was sealed off.
• Pneumonic plague is easily transmitted through the air and can be passed from person to person by coughing. It is the same bacteria that occurs in bubonic plague.
• The Black Death killed more than 25 million people throughout western europe in the Middle Ages.
• According to the World Health Organisation, pneumonic plague is one of the deadliest infectious diseases and can kill within 24 hours of infection.

By www.MICHAELJACKSON50.com

Jackson still top of British album charts

• Michael Jackson's popularity with British music buyers shows no signs of waning as "The Essential" stayed top of the album charts for the fifth week in a row, the Official Charts Company said on Sunday.
• Jackson has topped the album chart since his death in June, with "Essential" and hits package "Number Ones" occupying the top spot for the last six weeks as fans snap up copies of his back catalogue.
• There was no change at number two where Florence & the Machine held on with "Lungs," while U.S. hip hop group the Black Eyed Peas moved up to third with "The End."

By www.MICHAELJACKSON50.com

South African policeman kills self while guarding Mandela's home

:A police sergeant working for the police VIP unit killed himself outside Nelson Mandela's Johannesburg home.

• JOHANNESBURG, South Africa - A South African policeman guarding former South African President Nelson Mandela's home shot and killed himself Saturday, police said.
• The police sergeant, who was working for the police VIP unit, killed himself while on duty at the guard house outside Mandela's Johannesburg home, National Police spokeswoman Sally de Beer said.
• Mandela, who rose to lead South Africa after being a prisoner of the former apartheid government, was at home at the time, but was not in any danger, de Beer said.
• The shooting occurred at around 11 a.m. (5 a.m. ET), de Beer said.
• She did not identify the sergeant, but said he was 37 and had been a member of the South African Police Service since 2005.
• Before that, he was a member of the South African Defence Force, she said.
• He used his service weapon in the act, she said. Police said there was no apparent reason for the suicide.
• The Nelson Mandela Foundation said it was aware of the incident, but referred all calls to the South African police.

By www.MICHAELJACKSON50.com