Jackson children to stay with grandma

• Instead Prince Michael,12 and 11-year-old Paris will stay with the late pop star's mother, Katherine along with their younger brother Prince Michael II, aka Blanket.
• Katherine Jackson,79, and her son's ex-wife Debbie Rowe reached an agreement on Thursday.
• Rowe will have "meaningful visitation rights".
• Katherine Jackson's lawyer, Londell McMillan, said: "There is no situation better for these children than for them to be raised and reared in the loving care of Mrs. Katherine Jackson."
• In a will written by Michael Jackson in 2002 he stated he wanted his mother to care for the children if he died.

By www.MICHAELJACKSON50.com

Cruise Ship Docks With Dead Whale On Bow

:A luxury cruise ship has returned to port after a summer trip with a dead whale lodged on its bow.

• The animal was discovered as the Sapphire Princess prepared to dock in Vancouver after travelling from Alaska.
• Officials from Canada's Department of Fisheries and Oceans later removed the carcass from the scene at the Canada Place terminal.
• Tourists stopped to take pictures of the whale, while employees from the nearby Vancouver Convention Centre and Pan Pacific Hotel also gathered to watch.
• Princess Cruise Lines, which operates the Sapphire Princess, said it did not know how or when the whale came to be stuck to the ship.
• The company said: "We were shocked and saddened by this discovery, and sincerely regret the circumstances which led to the whale's death.
• "It is unknown how or when this could have happened, as we have strict whale avoidance procedures in place when our ships are in the vicinity of marine life."
• The company insisted it was not aware of any whales being sighted as the ship sailed through the Inside Passage to Vancouver.
• The Canadian Coast Guard was notified as soon as the dead animal was discovered, Princess Cruise Lines said.
• Promising to co-operate with any inquiry, the firm added: "We take our responsibility to be good stewards of the marine environment very seriously, and have clear guidelines for our ships on how to operate if whales are sighted nearby, which include altering course and reducing speed as required."
• The Sapphire has four swimming pools, boutiques and a spa on board.
  She spends each summer in Alaska and travels to Mexico, Australia and the South Pacific at other times of year.

By www.MICHAELJACKSON50.com

Michael Jackson continues to rule over the European albums chart

• Michael Jackson continues to rule over the European albums chart, dominating the top 10 with six entries as the aptly-titled compilation CD King Of Pop sits at number one.
• Sales of the late superstar's back catalogue have surged in the weeks since his death on 25 June and his hits are still proving popular across the world.
• Four other Jackson compilations feature in the continent's top 10 - The Essential is in second place, The Collection climbs to number four, The Motown Years is at seven and Number Ones is at nine on the new countdown.
• The biggest selling album of all time, Thriller, claims the third spot.

By www.MICHAELJACKSON50.com

Swine flu fears prompt run on UK pharmacies

• Pharmacies in England are reporting a run on supplies like surgical masks, thermometers and anti-bacterial gels by customers concerned about swine flu amid a surge in the number of people infected by the virus.
• Surgical masks will be distributed by the UK's Department of Health?
• In some cases, drug stores in England say they are out of the items and may not get more in for weeks or months.
• "People are very panicked," said a pharmacy assistant at Zafash Pharmacy in southwest London. "That's why everyone is running for thermometers, surgical masks, and anti-bacterial gels."
• The UK's Department of Health estimated this week that there were around 100,000 new cases of swine flu in England in the week ending July 17 -- nearly double the number of cases for the previous seven days.
• The UK has been hit hard by the H1N1 virus, with only the U.S. and Mexico recording more cases of infection, according to World Health Organization figures earlier this month.
• The World Health Organization has stopped giving a global tally of cases but said Friday that swine flu has now spread to more than 160 areas and territories in the world.
• At least 26 people have died of the disease and this week the British government set up a national flu hot line and Web site to allow those suspected of having swine flu to get a prescription for antiviral medication over the phone.
• Those who are given prescriptions must pick up the medication at designated collection points in their area.
• But at Hodgetts Chemist in north London, a supply of surgical masks that normally lasts for half a year has gone in three days, said pharmacy assistant Sylwia Sznyk.
• Sznyk displayed a receipt from the chemist's suppliers that showed three types of digital thermometers that were out of stock. The pharmacy is now out of thermometers.
• "One of the manufacturers, he said the next thermometers they will have is in October, so now there is no chance to get them from this particular supplier,".
• The supplier is also out of stock of three different types of anti-bacterial gel, she said, even though the gel is ineffective against viruses.
• Central Pharmacy in Ashington, in northern England, is also out of thermometers, pharmacist Nadeem Shah. He said he believes most shops and pharmacies in the area are also out.
• "There's no thermometers at all, which is worrying because it's just a sign that it's going to impact on other supplies as well linked to people generally not feeling well -- in particular paracetamol (acetaminophen), ibuprofen, and other medications," Shah said.
• The pharmacy was out of stock of anti-bacterial gels last month, but manufacturers are making more so it's back on the shelf, he said. However, it's being sold for nearly double the price, he said.
• "They're pennies otherwise to buy, but very quickly some manufacturers have got into the market of producing gels and their prices are quite high," Shah said.
• At their sister pharmacy in nearby Morpeth, any anti-bacterial products at the checkout counter are "gone in a day, rather than in a month," he said.
• "Some of the gels don't do anything different to your soap at home," he said, emphasizing that good hygiene, good handwashing, and disposable tissues are the best way to ward off viral infection.
• "There's definitely some kind of misunderstanding -- people are thinking that having those type of products will give them a bit more confidence. But it's their choice, obviously."
• Though Central Pharmacy does not normally sell surgical masks, they considered stocking some when the virus broke out a few months ago, Shah said. They decided against it so as not to stoke panic.
• "It could be seen as a sign of endorsement rather than asking people to get advice," he said. "It would just give a very visible panic message."
• Croydon Pharmacy, south of London, still has stocks of thermometers despite higher demand, but it has run out of surgical masks, said pharmacist Michael Hammond. He said the pharmacy has noticed a rise in people asking questions and wanting information about swine flu.
• "I think the reaction has been in response to what they've heard on the news," Hammond said. "And even where it is not a true case of the patient suffering, they still want more information. But I think generally we've been able to give them what they need."
• A branch of the Boots pharmacy chain in Fulham, southwest London, has been out of thermometers for two weeks, said employee Wilson Le. They're also running out of anti-bacterial gels; the store doesn't stock surgical masks.
• While it is not running out yet, one pharmacy in the eastern English city of Norwich said it is noticing an increase in demand for masks, thermometers, and anti-bacterial items.
• "It's not completely a foregone situation where I can't get hold of it, but it's becoming difficult," said the pharmacist, who asked not to be identified because his pharmacy is one of the government's distribution points for the antiviral medication Tamiflu, and he didn't want to spark concern.
• The pharmacist said he was doling out Tamiflu to 70 to 80 people a day and described the lack of supplies as worrying.
• "From a business point of view, yes, and from a clinical point of view, yes, because I can't offer the services I need to," he said. "And if people want reassurance from (the supplies), I'm not able to reassure them."
• The pharmacist complained that the paperwork he is required to fill out for each patient takes him five minutes per person, giving him less time to spend consulting with other customers.
• "I wish somebody would have organized it a little bit better," the pharmacist said.
• Shah, of Central Pharmacy, said the run on supplies makes him worry that they won't be available later in the year, when flu season kicks in.
• "Manufacturers would have made their plans for winter a while ago, but if we're consuming these products early, in August and July, I don't know if those manufacturing plans are in place yet," he said.
• The government advises anyone suspected of having swine flu to send a friend or relative -- a "flu friend" -- to their pharmacy to pick up the medicine for them. But that advice isn't being followed by everyone.
• "Some patients come in directly rather than ask their friend to come," said Le, of Boots pharmacy in Fulham. He said one dispenser has come down with swine flu after being infected by a sick customer.

By www.MICHAELJACKSON50.com

Chomsky: Sri Lanka, a Rwanda-like major atrocity the West didn't care

:Prof Noam Chomsky

:Chomsky: Sri Lanka, a Rwanda-like major atrocity the West didn't care

• Prof Noam Chomsky, professor emeritus of linguistics at MIT, said Thursday during a United Nations forum on Responsibility to Protect (R2P), that what happened in Sri Lanka was a major Rwanda-like atrocity, in a different scale, where the West didn't care.
• "There was plenty of early warning. This [conflict] has been going on for years and decades.
• Plenty of things could have been done [to prevent it]. But there was not enough interest." Chomsky was responding to a question that referred to Jan Egeland, former head of UN's Humanitarian Affairs' earlier statement that R2P was a failure in Sri Lanka, where Inner City Press (ICP) noted that nearly 20,000 Tamil civilians were killed.
• On ICP Matthew Lee's reference to the UN's doctrine of R2P which was signed by 191 states in 2005 and question if there was a consensus in UN about this doctrine, Chomsky described the power interests at play at the UN, and how Western Governments' policies of structural adjustments in other countries are tearing those societies apart.
• Lee also noted that Robert Evans, former head of the International Crisis Group (ICG) had earlier said that UN had responded to Sri Lanka in the R2P sense.Chomsky took issue with the optimistic characterization by Evan's of the activities of the UN with regards to R2P.
• R2P is generally noted as Kofi Annan's greatest achievement in "humanitarian intervention," to bring governments and leaders massacring their own people to account. Noam Chomsky, is known as one of the fathers of modern linguistics, a libertarian socialist intellectual, and is also described as a "hero of Homeric proportions," belonging solidly in the pantheon of US's finest minds.
  

By www.MICHAELJACKSON50.com

Michael Jackson doc hires bodyguard

Michael Jackson's doctor Conrad Murray has had to hire a bodyguard, his representative has said.

• Murray has emerged as a central figure in the investigation into Jackson's death but has denied reports he gave the pop star any drugs that contributed to the tragedy.
• His representative posted a message on his law firm's website saying: "Dr. Murray was the last doctor standing when Michael Jackson died and it seems all the fury is directed toward him... he is frustrated by negative and often erroneous media reports, he has to walk around 24-7 with a bodyguard.
• "He continued: "He can't operate his practice. He can't go to work because he is harassed no matter where he goes.
• "Investigators trying to figure out what killed Jacko are looking for additional information from the doctor, who tended to him as he was dying.
• "The coroner wants to clear up the cause of death; we share that goal," Murray's rep said."Based on Dr. Murray's minute-by-minute and item-by-item description of Michael Jackson's last days, he should not be a target of criminal charges," he added.Investigators found the powerful anaesthetic propofol in Jackson's home, it has been reported.
• Police detectives have already spoken to Murray twice -- once immediately after the singer's death and again two days later. Murray's clinic in north Houston has also been searched by police investigators.
• A cause of death has yet to be determined for the pop star. The coroner's office is expecting to release autopsy results next week.

By www.MICHAELJACKSON50.com

Racial tension in the US

:Riot police have broken up a tense standoff between black and white protesters in a town in Texas.

• The conflict began with a march by 100 mostly African-American activists, who were unhappy at the state’s handling of the case of 24-year-old Brandon McClelland who was run over and killed by a vehicle.
• Speaking to US television network ABC, Brandon's mother Jacquiline said: "The reason for today's rally is to let everybody know how the justice system around here is really doing things."
• When the protesters reached the town square, the crowd of black demonstrators ballooned to around 200 people on one side of the street.
• Approximately a dozen white supremacists, including four skinheads carrying Nazi swastika flags, gathered on the other side.
• A skinhead and another white man were arrested on suspicion of disorderly conduct, before the protesters separated peacefully.
• No blows were exchanged.

By www.MICHAELJACKSON50.com