MJ Estate statement sent to Today show

“Mr. Robson has adamantly denied under oath and in numerous interviews over the past 20 years that Michael Jackson ever did anything inappropriate to him. Now he wants us to believe that he committed perjury at least twice and has been lying to anyone and everyone about Mr. Jackson since the early 1990s so he can file a claim for money. Mr. Robson’s transparent lawsuit comes nearly 4 years after Michael passed. His claim is outrageous and sad. ”

Howard Weitzman for MJ Estate

source mjj

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‘Iron Man 3′ races past $1 billion dollar mark on monster foreign take

‘Iron Man 3′ (Photo: Marvel Studios/Walt Disney Pictures)LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) – “Iron Man 3″ was soaring past $1 billion at the worldwide box office Thursday, in a display of world domination that would make one of Marvel’s super villains proud.

The box-office bounty – roughly $700 million from abroad and $300 million domestically – is a major triumph for Disney, which bet big on comic book superheroes when it bought Marvel Studios for $4 billion in 2009. And its decision to bring aboard a Chinese partner for “Iron Man 3″ and focus the Disney marketing machine on the booming foreign market looks pretty good right now, too.

“To an extent, It’s a sign of the times,” Disney’s head of distribution Dave Hollis told TheWrap Thursday, referring to the huge recent growth of the international market. “But we had a great movie that was embraced all around the world as the summer’s first blockbuster. We had that incredible May Day, the word of mouth was terrific and we’re still seeing the effects of that.”

Disney made China the cornerstone of the international campaign, despite its protectionist policies and tough censors. The studio partnered with that country’s DMG Entertainment on the film, shooting extra footage for a special edition featuring Chinese actress Fan BingBing that was released in that country.

The plan worked – in a big way. “Iron Man 3″ scored the biggest opening day ever and has taken in more than $102 million in China, making it by far the movie’s most lucrative foreign market.

The next biggest were Korea ($56 million), the U.K. ($49 million), Mexico ($43 million), Russia ($39 million), Brazil ($38 million), France ($36 million) and Australia ($33 million).

Only 15 other movies have hit the $1 billion plateau. Disney and Marvel’s superhero sequel did it in 24 days, not as quickly as their blockbuster “The Avengers,” which managed the feat in 19 days of release last year.

“Iron Man 3,” which stars Robert Downey Jr. as billionaire Tony Stark, wrote itself into the box-office record books. Its $175 million U.S. debut was the second-largest ever, behind only “The Avengers.”

To get to the No. 16 slot on the all-time list, “Iron Man 3′ passed “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End” ($963 million), “Jurassic Park” ($967 million) and “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” ($975 million).

“Iron Man 3″ is the sixth Disney film to reach $1 billion globally. Besides “The Avengers,” the others are “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest,” “Toy Story 3,” “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” and “Alice in Wonderland.” No other studio has more than two.

Source from Yahoo

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‘Iron Man 3′ races past $1 billion dollar mark on monster foreign take

‘Iron Man 3′ (Photo: Marvel Studios/Walt Disney Pictures)LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) – “Iron Man 3″ was soaring past $1 billion at the worldwide box office Thursday, in a display of world domination that would make one of Marvel’s super villains proud.

The box-office bounty – roughly $700 million from abroad and $300 million domestically – is a major triumph for Disney, which bet big on comic book superheroes when it bought Marvel Studios for $4 billion in 2009. And its decision to bring aboard a Chinese partner for “Iron Man 3″ and focus the Disney marketing machine on the booming foreign market looks pretty good right now, too.

“To an extent, It’s a sign of the times,” Disney’s head of distribution Dave Hollis told TheWrap Thursday, referring to the huge recent growth of the international market. “But we had a great movie that was embraced all around the world as the summer’s first blockbuster. We had that incredible May Day, the word of mouth was terrific and we’re still seeing the effects of that.”

Disney made China the cornerstone of the international campaign, despite its protectionist policies and tough censors. The studio partnered with that country’s DMG Entertainment on the film, shooting extra footage for a special edition featuring Chinese actress Fan BingBing that was released in that country.

The plan worked – in a big way. “Iron Man 3″ scored the biggest opening day ever and has taken in more than $102 million in China, making it by far the movie’s most lucrative foreign market.

The next biggest were Korea ($56 million), the U.K. ($49 million), Mexico ($43 million), Russia ($39 million), Brazil ($38 million), France ($36 million) and Australia ($33 million).

Only 15 other movies have hit the $1 billion plateau. Disney and Marvel’s superhero sequel did it in 24 days, not as quickly as their blockbuster “The Avengers,” which managed the feat in 19 days of release last year.

“Iron Man 3,” which stars Robert Downey Jr. as billionaire Tony Stark, wrote itself into the box-office record books. Its $175 million U.S. debut was the second-largest ever, behind only “The Avengers.”

To get to the No. 16 slot on the all-time list, “Iron Man 3′ passed “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End” ($963 million), “Jurassic Park” ($967 million) and “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” ($975 million).

“Iron Man 3″ is the sixth Disney film to reach $1 billion globally. Besides “The Avengers,” the others are “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest,” “Toy Story 3,” “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” and “Alice in Wonderland.” No other studio has more than two.

Source from Yahoo

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How David Beckham became a byword for marketability

David Beckham was not quite the outstanding British footballer of his generation. That his retirement is gathering such headlines across the world is a reflection not only of what he did on the pitch – which was an awful lot – but of what he became off it.

Beckham signed his first professional contract at a time when England footballers would still retire to run pubs or sell double-glazing. When he left the game, 21 years later, he did so as arguably the most famous footballer on the planet, the face of everything from soft drinks to supermarkets, perfumes to pants, football academies to entire overseas leagues.

No other British sportsman would have a welcome party thrown for him at the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art with a guest list that included Tom Cruise, Will Smith, George Clooney and Oprah Winfrey.

Nor would their children have Elton John and Elizabeth Hurley as godparents.

No stranger to the headlines, Beckham’s celebrity went up a notch when he moved to Los Angeles

For some that is no bad thing. Such relentless pursuit of profile and wealth is not everyone’s idea of successful living. That an anagram of metatarsal, the foot bone he famously broke before the 2002 World Cup, is “a tart’s lame” is almost too neat.

Yet that profile was founded not on empty hype but exceptional footballing ability. Beckham genuinely achieved: 19 major trophies including 10 league titles; the only English player to win championships in four countries; scoring or providing assists in more than half of his 534 top-flight games.

He could not beat a defender for pace, but he didn’t have to – he would simply bend his crosses round them. He was an average tackler who seldom headed the ball, but possessed a right foot so precise and versatile that it was as if he had every golf club in the bag to hand – long drives, little chips, curving approaches, flighted dinks.

Paul Scholes, who retired just a few days earlier, was arguably a more complete midfielder. Liverpool fans will maintain a similar case for Steven Gerrard, Chelsea supporters for Frank Lampard. Ryan Giggs has won more and played longer for Manchester United.

So how has Beckham surpassed them all on the global stage?

Beckham met Victoria Adams of the Spice Girls at a charity football match in 1997 and they married in 1999

He did not invent the template for sportsman as celebrity. But he and his advisors did establish new methods and new parameters. And in his wife Victoria he has had a campaign manager and cheerleader like no-one else.

England captains had married pop stars before. England stalwarts would marry them afterwards. But unlike Billy Wright, Beckham did so at a time when the media world was about to orbit celebrity like never before. And unlike Ashley Cole, he also generally managed to retain the nation’s goodwill.

While his footballing career probablyreached its zenith with the astonishing display against Greece in 2001, his commercial appeal accelerated even as his on-pitch talents gently waned.

He had already signed lucrative deals with Adidas, Pepsi and Brylcreem before signing to Simon Fuller’s 19 Management in 2003, but those endorsements would multiply in scale and status over the following decade.

His haircuts, banal though it might sound, changed British fashion. A film that borrowed his name gave back a phrase to popular culture. You could travel to the most backwater village in as distant a country as Cambodia or Laos and still see posters of him stuck up in bars and restaurants.

Beckham’s image brought him admirers worldwide

At times Beckham the brand has subjugated the footballer underneath. Last year a study from France Football magazine declared him the world’s richest footballer, his estimated annual income of £28.3m more than that of Messi and Ronaldo even as less than 5% was generated by football wages.

So successful has this endless brand extension been that his name has become a benchmark for a sportsman’s marketability. MS Dhoni is thus the David Beckham of Indian cricket, Andy Murray the next to seek Fuller’s Midas touch.

Ever-present at his side has been perhaps the most influential presence of all, Victoria. His wife may have possessed no noticeable talent for singing, but in parlaying so little into such vast and lasting celebrity status she has revealed a strange sort of genius.

The two careers first intertwined and then became inseparable, each aiding and advancing the other’s.

Beckham’s club football career

• 1992-2003: Manchester United (394 apps, 85 goals)
• 1994-1995: Preston North End (loan) (five apps, two goals)
• 2003-2007: Real Madrid (157 apps, 19 goals)
• 2007-2012: Los Angeles Galaxy (118 apps, 20 goals)
• 2009-2010: Loan spells at AC Milan (33 apps, two goals)
• 2013: Paris St-Germain (13 apps, no goals)

Ferguson may have believed that Beckham’s migration into the land of fashion and entertainment diluted his ability on the pitch. But towards the end it also allowed him to extend his footballing career, his reputation beyond the sport and commercial status a significant draw for brand-conscious clubs.

No other British sportsman is as well-known around the world. No other could have pulled in the same publicity or glamour for London’s successful Olympic campaign or even England’s ill-fated World Cup bid.

Even those turned off by what they saw as mercenary mercantile pursuits could not dispute that Beckham maintained a remarkable standard of public behaviour in the face of relentless – if carefully orchestrated – media attention.

As a young man coming into the United team, he was impeccably polite to journalists, as far removed from the archetype of spoiled young superstar as it is possible to be.

The media training he subsequently received in a bid to give him more gravitas – think of the fingertips steeple he makes with his hands in television interviews, or the narrowing of the eyes for photographs – may have altered his image, yet he remained a genuinely nice bloke, even when the clothes or hair made him appear, at times, faintly ridiculous.

He also genuinely loved football – playing, watching, practising. In return he has been loved at some clubs, and appreciated almost everywhere else.

Source from BBC

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The UN’s refugee agency has said that more than 1.5m people have fled the conflict in Syria.

Most have fled to Jordan and Lebanon, but not have all been registered yet, meaning the true total is likely to be far higher, according to the UNHCR.

The situation inside Syria has deteriorated dramatically over the past four months, according to the agency.

The UN estimates that 80,000 people have died in the uprising against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

It says some 4.25 million have been displaced within the country.

“Refugees tell us the increased fighting and changing of control of towns and villages, in particular in conflict areas, results in more and more civilians deciding to leave,” UNHCR said in a statement.

The UNHCR says it has registered 1m refugees since the beginning of this year alone, and that “the widening gap between the needs and resources available is a growing challenge”.

Early next month, UNHCR and non-governmental organisations are due to launch a “revised funding appeal” for the Syrian crisis.

Last month, children’s charity Unicef said it would have to scale back “life-saving” support in Jordan’s Zaatari camp if more money was not forthcoming.

‘Show of force’

Meanwhile, US media reported that Russia had sent sophisticated anti-ship missiles to Syria.

The New York Times quoted unnamed US officials as saying missiles sent by Russia to Syria could be used to counter any potential future foreign military intervention.

Without confirming details, Russia’s foreign minister said Russian supplies did not break any international rules.

It comes amid growing alarm that chemical weapons may be being used in Syria, something US President Barack Obama has said would be “a red line”.

Russia is one of Syria’s few remaining allies and its major arms suppliers. Over the years, in contracts worth billions of dollars, it has sold thousands of tanks, artillery units, aircraft, helicopters and defence systems to Damascus.

Another US newspaper, the Wall Street Journal, reports that Moscow has deployed at least a dozen warships to patrol waters near the Russian naval base in the Syrian city of Tartus.

It quotes a senior US defence official as saying the deployment is a “show of force” by Moscow to demonstrate its commitment to the region.

Although there have been growing calls for arms to be channelled to the rebel fighters in Syria, there has so far been very limited enthusiasm in the West for outright military intervention.

But there is concern that the presence of sophisticated Russian-supplied weaponry will make it much harder to agree and carry out such intervention, implement a blockade or conduct targeted airstrikes in the future.

Israel is also concerned such weapons could fall into the hands of Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, which could use them to either attack Israel or defend itself against any Israeli assault.

Read more on http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-22576924

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Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer is reportedly in talks to buy blogging platform Tumblr for as much as $1 billion.

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The biggest threat facing UK trees is a disease that is both unknown and unexpected, Dr Slawson said

The warning came as a leading UK citizen science programme launched a tree health monitoring project.

Tree officers suggest urban trees, already under stress from city living, are among the most susceptible.

Last year’s arrival of ash dieback threatens to change the nation’s treescape forever, ecologists say.

“Firstly, it is important to say that is very difficult to prioritise what are the main threats,” explained David Slawson, head of plant health public engagement at the Food and Environment Research Agency (Fera).

“But I would always say the main threat is ‘unknown’.”

Dr Slawson added: “It may sound slightly alarming, but the likes of Phytophthora ramorum was not defined by science when it started causing problems.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-22552149

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The brain stimulation technique could help children who struggle with arithmetic, say researchers

A small study in Current Biology suggests the brain stimulation technique makes neurons function more efficiently.

It could help those suffering with neurodegenerative illness, stroke or learning difficulties.

An expert said the technique could have “real, applied impact.”

Transcranial random noise stimulation (TRNS) involves applying random electrical noise to targeted areas of the brain by placing electrodes on the surface of the scalp.

It is a relatively new method of brain stimulation which is painless and non-invasive.

Fifty-one students from the University of Oxford, split into two groups, were asked to perform two arithmetic tasks over a five-day period. Only one group received TRNS while performing the tasks each day.

The tasks tested participants’ abilities for calculation (eg 32-17+5=20) and rote learning (committing times tables such as 4×8=32 to memory).

Dr Roi Cohen Kadosh, study author from the department of experimental psychology at the University of Oxford, said the noise stimulation group showed improvements in cognitive and brain functions compared with the control group.

“Performance on both the calculation and rote learning tasks improved over the five days, and the former improvements were maintained until six months after training.

“Our neuro-imaging results suggested that TRNS increases the efficiency with which stimulated brain areas use their supplies of oxygen and nutrients.”

There were no significant differences in performance between the groups at the start of the study yet TRNS was found to improve the speed of learning for both calculation and rote learning tasks.

Six months later, when participants were contacted again and asked to solve calculations, researchers found that the group which had received five days of transcranial random noise stimulation showed “superior long-term performance, compared to sham controls”.

Source: BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-22556735

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The BBC’s Will Ross said Nigerian troops will have difficulty flushing out Boko Haram militants in urban areas

An army spokesman said jets and helicopter gunships had been used to attack several camps.

He told the BBC that a plane had been hit by anti-aircraft fire but had managed to return to base.

States of emergency were declared this week in three north-eastern states hit by Boko Haram’s Islamist insurgency.

Nigerian forces are trying to regain control in the states of Adamawa, Yobe and Borno.

Meanwhile, explosions and gunfire have been heard overnight in Katsina state.

Residents have told the BBC’s Hausa service that banks, police stations and prisons were destroyed in the town of Daura, near the border with Niger.
They said they had seen the bodies of five members of the security forces and three militants, but there has been no official confirmation of casualties.

Mobile phone networks were not functioning in many parts of north-east Nigeria on Thursday.

A security official told the AP news agency that the mobile phone service had been shut down during the military operation.

Militants have previously attacked mobile phone masts in the area in an effort to disrupt communications.

Source: BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news

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Eastern Grey Kangaroos are a common sight in the suburbs of Canberra, Australia’s capital.

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