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| Prince Charles, Camilla begin Japan visit |
October 28 2008 |
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Britain's Prince Charles and his wife Camilla have kicked off a five-day trip to Japan in what marks the first visit in nearly two decades by the heir to the British throne. During the five-day tour, the prince and duchess are scheduled to travel around the country, meeting Prime Minister Taro Aso and having dinner with Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko. Charles and Camilla will also travel to Nara, an ancient city in the west of the country with some of Japan's most famous Buddhist temples, as well as to the central mountain town of Nagano, according to the Japanese ...
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| Jurors coming back in Britney Spears case |
October 20 2008 |
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Jurors will return Monday to continue considering Britney Spears' fate in her misdemeanor driver's license case. Jurors deliberated for a little over two hours Friday at a San Fernando Valley courthouse before recessing for the weekend. The jury listened to roughly a day's worth of testimony and arguments in the case, which was filed last year after Spears hit a parked car and left the scene. Twelve jurors would have to agree to convict the 26-year-old pop singer, who faces jail time and a fine if she's found guilty. Spears hasn't appeared in court and didn't testify during the trial.
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| Beckhams' staff held over alleged theft: reports |
October 13 2008 |
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Two housekeepers working at a mansion owned by former England football captain David Beckham and his pop star wife Victoria have been arrested on suspicion of theft, reports said Tuesday. Newspaper reports said items belonging to the LA Galaxy star and his wife, a former Spice Girl, turned up for sale on Internet auction website eBay. Police said they are looking into allegations of theft from a private address in the eastern English country of Hertfordshire, where the Beckhams have a home. They confirmed a 56-year-old woman and a 55-year-old man, both from the neighbouring county of Essex, had been arrested and released on bail.
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| Even Britney Spears wonders what she was thinking |
October 10 2008 |
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If you're wondering what was going through Britney Spears' head during her erratic era, you are not alone — so does she. "I sit there and I look back and I'm like, 'I'm a smart person. What the hell was I thinking?'" Spears said in an interview to air on MTV on Nov. 30, two days before the release of her new album. "I've been through a lot in the past two or three years, and there's a lot that people don't know." The 90-minute special, "Britney: For The Record," was executive-produced by Spears' manager Larry Rudolph. It features behind-the-scenes footage of the singer and her talking about her life over the past two years.
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| Dissident North Korean plays "Amazing Grace" in U.S. |
October 06 2008 |
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A dissident North Korean pianist played "Amazing Grace" at the U.S. State Department on Monday at a recital designed to dramatize North Korean human rights abuses without upsetting delicate nuclear negotiations. The musician, Cheol Woong Kim, fled to China twice and was forcibly repatriated before escaping in 2003 to South Korea, where he formed the "Pyongyang Artists Band" with other North Korean refugees, the State Department said. "The regime's human rights record is abysmal, not only on denying freedom of expression but with reports of torture, forced labor, forced abortions and executions," Undersecretary of State Paula Dobriansky said as she introduced Kim.
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| O.J. Simpson jury begins deliberating in Las Vegas |
October 03 2008 |
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Jurors began deliberating on Friday in the Las Vegas kidnap and robbery trial of former football star O.J. Simpson, who could face life in prison if he is convicted on the charges against him and a co-defendant. The jury of nine women and three men went behind closed doors at about 8:30 a.m. (1530 GMT) to begin their first day of deliberations on the 12 counts against Simpson and Clarence "C.J." Stewart, a court spokesman said. Simpson, 61, and Stewart, 54, were absent from the mostly empty courtroom of Clark County District Court Judge Jackie Glass. Simpson, who was acquitted in the slayings of his ex-wife and her friend in the so-called "Trial of the Century" in the 1990s ...
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| Janet Jackson released from hospital |
September 30 2008 |
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Janet Jackson was released from a Montreal hospital just two hours after she arrived, a spokeswoman for the facility said Tuesday, but it was still not clear why she was admitted. The 42-year-old singer became "suddenly ill" and was taken to Royal Victoria Hospital on Monday night shortly before her scheduled concert in Montreal, which was canceled, according to a statement released by W&W Public Relations. Jackson was at Royal Victoria but was released two hours later, said Rebecca Burns, representative for McGill University Health Centre, which runs the hospital. Representaives for Jackson would not elaborate on her condition Tuesday, simply saying that she was ...
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| Paris Hilton portrait shown in NYC is made of porn |
September 25 2008 |
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A well-known British artist is exhibiting collage portraits of President Bush and Paris Hilton he made out of porn magazine images. Jonathan Yeo's portrait of Hilton was bought by artist Damien Hirst ahead of Thursday's show opening, said Lazarides Gallery spokeswoman Elizabeth Barrett, who didn't know the sale price. Yeo has painted portraits of Tony Blair, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Rupert Murdoch and Prince Philip. He got the idea for the collages following the cancellation of a commission by the White House to paint Bush in 2004. He made the portrait, anyway, but in the form of a collage using pieces of pornographic magazines.
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| Clay is gay: Aiken comes out of the closet |
September 23 2008 |
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Clay Aiken is finally confirming what many people already knew: He's gay. The cover of the latest People magazine shows Aiken holding his infant son, Parker Foster Aiken, with the headline: "Yes, I'm Gay." The cover also has the quote: "I cannot raise a child to lie or hide things." The magazine has an interview with Aiken and confirmed that he was on the cover but refused to release the article to The Associated Press until Wednesday. The baby's mother is Aiken's friend and record producer Jaymes Foster. Aiken, who gained fame as the runner-up on "American Idol" in 2003, rarely addressed the frequent rumors about his sexuality. |
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| 'Sopranos' actor's murder trial set for October |
September 20 2008 |
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"Sopranos" actor Lillo Brancato Jr. is set to go to trial next month in the death of an off-duty New York police officer. A judge ruled Friday that Brancato and co-defendant Steven Armento would be tried separately. Prosecutors wanted them tried together. Authorities say they broke into an apartment to look for prescription drugs in 2005. Officer Daniel Enchautegui (en-chow-TAY'-gee) confronted them and was killed in a shootout. Armento is accused of firing the fatal shot. Brancato, who played an aspiring mobster on HBO's "The Sopranos," says he didn't know Armento had a gun. Brancato's murder trial is set for Oct. 28. Armento goes on trial Sept. 29. |
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| R. Kelly says he was betrayed during porn probe |
September 17 2008 |
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R&B star R. Kelly has broken his silence about his recent acquittal on child pornography charges, saying he was betrayed by close associates but hopes to move on with his life. "If it has had any impact, I would hope it would be a positive impact and I can move on with my life," Kelly told BET News on Tuesday, after being asked if the trial tarnished his career. "I hope people can give me my life back." A jury in Kelly's Chicago hometown acquitted the singer in June, finding he did not make an explicit videotape showing him having sex with an underage girl who called him "godfather." The 26-minute videotape that was the focus of the case featured oral sex, masturbation and ... |
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| Britney Spears due to release album in December |
September 15 2008 |
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Britney Spears' second comeback is in full swing: She's due to release a new album in December, on her 27th birthday. "Circus" is set for release Dec. 2, a little over a year after she released last November's "Blackout," which was perhaps her most critically acclaimed CD, but came during her infamous year of erratic behavior, rehab, custody battles and at least one hospitalization. She barely promoted it, and the album — though it was certified platinum — was one of her least successful. But these days, Spears has been in the spotlight for all the right reasons. She won three MTV Video Music Awards for her clip "Piece of Me" and appeared on the Sept. 7 awards show looking fit and stunning ... |
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| Australia grants Snoop Dogg visa, plus counseling |
September 12 2008 |
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Australia granted gangsta rapper Snoop Dogg a visa on Friday after public complaints over a planned tour in October, but said he would be required to undergo counseling before arriving Down Under. Snoop Dogg, whose real name is Cordozar Calvin Broadus Jr., was refused permission to even apply for a visa to enter Australia in 2007 because of his criminal record, sinking plans for him to co-host the MTV Australia Video Music Awards. Australian immigration officials last month cleared an October visit, but then demanded more information after a spate of public complaints from Australian victims of crime groups. "We took into account all relevant factors and, on balance ... |
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| Anne Hathaway's ex admits to fraud |
September 10 2008 |
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An Italian businessman who dated Hollywood star Anne Hathaway and did a deal with supermarket mogul Ron Burkle, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to charges of fraud in which he lied about links to the Vatican. Millionaire Raffaello Follieri, 30, admitted in U.S. District Court to a scheme in which he fraudulently obtained more than $2 million in a web of shell companies with phony consultancies. Dressed in dark blue prison-issue pants and shirt over a white undershirt, Follieri answered "guilty" to each of 14 counts charging him with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud and money laundering. Follieri was arrested on June 24 and accused of operating the scheme ... |
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| 'Batman' star Bale arrested for attacking mother and sister |
July 22 2008 |
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Hollywood actor Christian Bale, the star of the new Batman film "The Dark Knight", was arrested over allegations he attacked his mother and sister, police said Tuesday. After being questioned at a London police station a day after appearing at the film's West End premiere, he was bailed to appear again in September pending further enquiries, Scotland Yard said. Police sources quoted by the domestic Press Association news agency said the actor was detained over an alleged assault in his suite at London's plush Dorchester Hotel on Sunday. The force confirmed they had received a formal complaint after the two women, who live in the county of Dorset, southwest England...
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| Judge halts release of Verne Troyer sex tape |
June 29 2008 |
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Verne Troyer successfully shut down the distribution of a sex tape featuring the "Austin Powers" actor and a former girlfriend — for now. The celebrity Web site TMZ posted a 25-second snipped of the video Wednesday, but pulled the clips down Friday evening after a federal judge granted a temporary restraining order requested by Troyer's attorneys. The ruling also prevents any attempt by a porn distributor from taking orders for the full 50-minute video, and keeps TMZ from broadcasting any more clips. Troyer's lawsuit also seeks $20 million in damages and the return of all copies of the tape. U.S. District Judge Philip Gutierrez wrote that Troyer's motion "demonstrated...
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| Naomi Campbell pleads guilty in 'air rage' case |
June 21 2008 |
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Naomi Campbell pleaded guilty Friday to assaulting two police officers during an "air rage" incident at Heathrow Airport. She has not been sentenced yet. The model, known for her tempestuous behavior and frequent confrontations with her staff, faces substantial fines and up to six months in jail if the harshest sentence is imposed at Uxbridge Magistrates Court.Prosecutor Melanie Parrish told the court that Campbell had taken a first class seat on a British Airways flight from London to Los Angeles when she was told one of her bags, along with other passengers' luggage, had not been loaded onto the plane. She said the captain came out to explain the situation to Campbell...
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| Blame for Spears' pap hit-run on other foot |
June 16 2008 |
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A paparazzo who pressed charges against Britney Spears after her car allegedly ran over his foot was himself to blame for any injury it may have caused, prosecutors said in refusing to pursue the case. After reviewing police records and a videotape of the incident last year, Deputy District Attorney Joseph D. Shidler wrote Friday that the "only way the victim's foot could have been where the video indicates it to be was by the victim placing it in that location." The photographer, who was not identified in the report, filed a criminal complaint against Spears in early May, nearly six months after the alleged incident. A copy of the police complaint was not immediately available Monday...
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| R. Kelly not guilty of child porn |
June 13 2008 |
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Grammy-award winning rhythm and blues superstar R. Kelly broke down and wept Friday as a jury cleared him of 14 charges of child pornography. The hugely successful Chicago-based star had consistently denied the charges since his arrested in 2002 after an incriminating video tape was sent to the Chicago Sun-Times. "There wasn't enough evidence," jubilant defense lawyer Edward Genson told a press conference saying they were "ecstatic" that Robert Kelly was cleared of all the charges against him after the jury deliberated for less than a day. "What happened today when those verdicts started (was) you got to see the real Robert Kelly. He sat there and he was contrite...
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| Ashley Harkleroad poses for Playboy |
May 26 2008 |
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America's Ashley Harkleroad was knocked out of the French Open by Serena Williams on Sunday but stole the headlines from her publicity-conscious compatriot by announcing she has posed for Playboy. The blonde 22-year-old, who has endured a mediocre career on the women's tour and sits at 61 in the world, revealed she had agreed to the photoshoot while she lay in a hospital bed recovering from surgery to remove a cyst on her ovaries. Harkleroad, who lost her first round match 6-2, 6-1, believes she is the first tennis player to pose for the magazine and follows American swimmer Amanda Beard in baring all for the cameras.
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| French first lady's new album out in July |
May 19 2008 |
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French first lady Carla Bruni releases a third pop album in July featuring 14 songs, most of which were written before she met President Nicolas Sarkozy, her agent said Monday. The yet untitled album includes a vintage Bob Dylan tune, an Italian song and a piece based on a poem by French author Michel Houellebecq, said Bruni's agent Bertrand de Labbey. Among the brow-raising titles on the album are "My junk" about drugs and "Love Song", but De Labbey said they were both written more than two years ago. Bruni, 40, composed the music and wrote the lyrics to most of the songs on the album that is due out in France, Britain, Germany...
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| R. Kelly on trial for child pornography charges |
May 09 2008 |
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Six years after he was charged with videotaping himself having sex with an underage girl, R&B superstar R. Kelly went on trial on Friday, with his alleged victim prepared to deny she is the person on the tape. Kelly has been charged with 14 counts of videotaping, producing or soliciting child pornography. Prosecutors argue he knew, or should have known, the girl was a teenaged minor. If convicted of all charges, the 41-year-old performer, whose given name is Robert Kelly, could be sentenced to up to 15 years in prison. As Kelly arrived at the Cook County Criminal Courthouse, fans cheered and critics waved signs...
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| Former pool-cleaner convicted of stalking Uma Thurman |
May 06 2008 |
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A former pool cleaner with a history of mental illness was convicted by a New York court on Tuesday of stalking and harassing Hollywood actress Uma Thurman and ordered to undergo psychological observation. Jack Jordan, 37, was found guilty of stalking and aggravated harassment but cleared of two other counts of aggravated harassment. He faces up to a year in jail when he is sentenced next month. During the five-day trial, Jordan's lawyer had portrayed his client as a harmless eccentric, according to the New York Times, while prosecutors told the jury that Jordan had hounded and frightened the 38-year-old actress.
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| Lindsay Lohan's mugshot used in liquor industry ad |
May 03 2008 |
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Lindsay Lohan is not exactly toasting her latest public appearance. A mugshot of the 21-year-old actress, who has been in and out of rehab after two arrests last year on drunken driving and cocaine charges, was prominently featured Friday in an advertisement attacking legislation for devices that measure a driver's blood alcohol level before their vehicle can start. The full-page black-and-white ad appeared in USA Today on Friday and was paid for by the American Beverage Institute, a trade group that supports the interests of the alcohol industry. The ad reads "Ignition interlocks are a good idea for" above Lohan's mug shot...
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| Miley Cyrus apologizes for sexy photos |
April 27 2008 |
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Teen idol Miley Cyrus, the fresh-faced star of Disney's "Hannah Montana" television franchise, has apologized for two sets of photos in which she flashes her bra, lies across a boy's lap, and appears semi-nude. The 15-year-old churchgoing daughter of country singer Billy Ray Cyrus said in a statement on Sunday that she was embarrassed about some photos released on the Internet and others to be published in Vanity Fair magazine. The first series of photos, which circulated on the Internet last week, showed Cyrus draped over the lap of her then-boyfriend, her producer's son, while another showed her revealing part of her green bra.
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| Megan Fox tops FHM's sexiest women list |
April 24 2008 |
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Megan Fox is the sexiest woman in the world — at least according to FHM magazine. The "Transformers" co-star tops FHM's annual 100 Sexiest Women in the World poll of FHM readers. The 21-year-old model-actress beat out the likes of Angelina Jolie (No. 12), Rihanna (No. 14), Kim Kardashian (No. 17), Paris Hilton (No. 77) and last year's champion, Jessica Alba (No. 3). Fox debuted on the annual list in 2006 at No. 68 and ranked at No. 65 in 2007. Joining her in the top 10 this year are — in descending order — Jessica Biel, Alba, Elisha Cuthbert, Scarlett Johansson, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Hilary Duff, Tricia Helfer, Blake Lively and Kate Beckinsale.
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| Richie Sambora pleads out DUI case in California |
April 22 2008 |
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Richie Sambora struck a deal with prosecutors Tuesday just hours after they filed drunken driving charges against him, pleading no contest to one misdemeanor count of driving with a blood-alcohol level above the legal limit. In turn, the district attorney agreed to drop a second charge — driving under the influence of alcohol — against the Bon Jovi guitarist, said Farrah Emami, a district attorney spokeswoman. Sambora was sentenced to three years of informal probation, three months of first-offender alcohol awareness class and court fees. He also cannot have any measurable amount of drugs or alcohol in his system while driving during his probation.
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| Cosby prepares "unflinching" hip-hop album |
April 15 2008 |
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Comedian Bill Cosby's hip-hop album, described as an "unflinching look at life in the 21st century, but without the profanity, misogyny, violence and braggadocio" is expected to reach stores within the next several weeks, a spokesman said. "Cosby Narratives Vol. 1: State of Emergency" is designed as a companion to Cosby's provocative book "Come on People: On the Path From Victims to Victors," which he co-wrote with Dr. Alvin Poussaint last year. The album weaves hip-hop, jazz, pop, funk and other genres around frank, positive messages drawn from Cosby's lyrics, stories and musical ideas.
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| Lawsuit: Ledger used cocaine at party |
April 11 2008 |
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A lawsuit against the photo agency and two paparazzi who allegedly filmed Heath Ledger in a hotel room where drugs were being taken claims that the late actor was also using cocaine that night. The lawsuit, filed Friday in Los Angeles Superior Court by a woman who was not named, alleges that two Splash News paparazzi lured Ledger up to her room at the Chateau Marmont Hotel on Jan. 29, 2006. It says they gave him cocaine and secretly filmed the actor, who also had some of his own cocaine. The woman is listed as "Jane Doe" in the court documents for "fear of consequences and repercussions," but identifies her as a People magazine freelance reporter covering...
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| Charlton Heston dies (1923-2008) |
April 07 2008 |
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Charlton Heston, the Oscar-winning actor who achieved stardom playing larger-than-life figures including Moses, Michelangelo and Andrew Jackson and went on to become an unapologetic gun advocate and darling of conservative causes, has died. He was 84. Heston died Saturday at his Beverly Hills home, said family spokesman Bill Powers. In 2002, he had been diagnosed with symptoms similar to those of Alzheimer's disease. With a booming baritone voice, the tall, ruggedly handsome actor delivered his signature role as the prophet Moses in Cecil B. DeMille's 1956 Biblical extravaganza "The Ten Commandments," raising a rod over his head as God miraculously parts the Red Sea. |
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| Hermes unveils limited edition Bugatti Veyron |
April 03 2008 |
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If a car with a price tag of $1.25 million doesn't seem luxurious enough - that's how much the original limited edition Bugatti Veyron costs, before tax - now there's an even more exclusive version, the Bugatti Veyron Fbg par Hermes, which costs nearly double: $2.3 million. What makes this sports car so special? For one, with a 16-cylinder engine and 1001 horsepower, it's the fastest legal car on the market, with speeds from zero to 62 mph in just 2.5 seconds. But for the fabulously wealthy, the addition of an Hermes-designed interior on top of the finest automotive technology is what makes it truly out of the ordinary. |
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| Anna Nicole's son died of accidental drug overdose |
March 31 2008 |
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A four-month investigation into the death of late Playboy model Anna Nicole Smith's son determined Monday that the 20-year old died from an accidental drug overdose. A coroner's court ruled that Daniel Smith's death was caused by the "nondependent use of drugs," suggesting that he was not addicted to the substances found in his body and unaware at the time of this death that the mixture could be fatal. The court, which said it was unlikely that criminal charges would be filed, said Monday's findings probably represented the end of the marathon case in Bahamas' court system. Daniel Smith died in September 2006, just days after arriving here to be with his mother and new born sister Dannielynn. |
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| Hulk Hogan sued by family of Florida crash victim |
March 24 2008 |
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Pro wrestling and reality TV star Hulk Hogan was sued in Florida on Monday by the family of a man who was critically injured in the crash of a car driven by Hogan's teenage son.
The suit filed in Pinellas County by the parents of John Graziano says Hogan, whose real name is Terry Bollea, was responsible for the August 26 crash in Clearwater, Florida, because he knew his son liked to speed and race other drivers.
Nick Bollea, 17, has been charged with reckless driving. No trial date has been set... |
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