How to stay fit in flu season

Washington, Sept 20 (ANI): As cold and flu season approaches, giving up junk food for more healthy options would help maintain a strong immune system.

Dr Ara DerMarderosian, professor of pharmacognosy for University of the Sciences in Philadelphia and an expert in nutraceuticals and natural foods, have provided guidance to change how you eat and break habits that pack on the pounds and compromise immunity.

? Don’t play “food police”

Be conscious of what and how much you eat, but don’t overdo self-monitoring to the point that a healthy lifestyle shifts from being a choice to becoming overwhelming, pushing other activities away and interfering with relationships.

? Pay attention to true hunger

Listen to your hunger signals and refrain from eating when you’re not hungry. Eating when your body doesn’t need food can cause you to overindulge.

? Eat slowly

Eat like a gourmet – enjoy each bite to have, chewing methodically, and truly enjoy the taste of your food. Eating slowly gives your body time to break down the food, which can prevent post-meal indigestion and feeling bloated.

? Focus on eating

Do not watch television, read or work while you eat. When you’re not focused on eating, it’s unlikely you’ll notice how much is going in your mouth.

? Avoid eating when stressed

Stress is a well-known cause of overeating and digestive issues, such as heartburn. A relaxing atmosphere, enjoyable company and conversation, and not feeling rushed for time makes for a healthy meal.

? Everything in moderation

Eating food is pleasurable, so enjoy a few morsels of candy, but limit the quantity. (ANI)

How people lose muscles as they get older

Washington, Sep 12 (ANI): Even the most well-built people tend to loose their muscles and develop thinner arms and legs as they get older, and researchers in Nottingham have now explained why this happens.

As age catches up, it becomes harder to keep our muscles healthy-they get smaller, which decreases strength and increases the likelihood of falls and fractures.

The researchers have already shown that when older people eat, they cannot make muscle as fast as the young, and now they have found that the suppression of muscle breakdown, which also happens during feeding, is blunted with age.

Led by Michael Rennie, the scientists and doctors at The University of Nottingham Schools of Graduate Entry Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, believe that a ‘double whammy’ affects people aged over 65.

But the team think that weight training may “rejuvenate” muscle blood flow, and help retain muscle for older people.

The study’s results may explain the ongoing loss of muscle in older people- when they eat they do not build enough muscle with the protein in food and also, the insulin (a hormone released during a meal) fails to shut down the muscle breakdown that rises between meals and overnight.

Normally, in young people, insulin acts to slow muscle breakdown.

These problems could be a result of a failure to deliver nutrients and hormones to muscle because of a poorer blood supply.

In the study, the researchers compared one group of people in their late 60s to a group of 25-year-olds, with equal numbers of men and women.

Professor Rennie said: “The results were clear. The younger people’s muscles were able to use insulin we gave to stop the muscle breakdown, which had increased during the night. The muscles in the older people could not.”

“In the course of our tests, we also noticed that the blood flow in the leg was greater in the younger people than the older ones. This set us thinking: maybe the rate of supply of nutrients and hormones is lower in the older people? This could explain the wasting we see,” he added.

Later, Beth Phillips, a PhD student working with Rennie, confirmed the blunting effect of age on leg blood flow after feeding, with and without exercise.

The team predicted that weight training would reduce this blunting.

“Indeed, she found that three sessions a week over 20 weeks ‘rejuvenated’ the leg blood flow responses of the older people. They became identical to those in the young,” said Rennie.

The study has been published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. (ANI)

Why diet drugs work

London, Sept 11 (ANI): Diet drugs work because they make people eat more healthily, claim psychologists.

In the study, presented at the British Psychological Society’s Division of Health Psychology conference in Birmingham, researchers found that dieters who lost the most weight on the drugs had also reduced the amount of fatty junk food they ate.

However, some people reacted differently to starting the drugs, taking them as a license to eat more unhealthy food such as crisps, reports The Telegraph.

To reach the conclusion, researchers analysed data of 572 people who had been prescribed the diet drug orlistat by their doctor.

The drug works by reducing the amount of fat absorbed by the body.However, this fat is them eliminated in bowel movements, which can cause disagreeable side effects.

Amelia Hollywood, a PHD student at the University of Surrey and one of the researchers who carried out the study, said: “Our findings support the idea that orlistat works not only on a physical level, but also psychologically – as it encourages people to see their diet as a cause of their weight problem.

“In addition, the side effects are so unpleasant that people avoid bad eating fatty foods and therefore lose weight.

“However, the way in which some people responded to orlistat was surprising.

“Some participants in this study reported that their eating behaviour became significantly unhealthier over the six month period.”

She added: “People also told us that they were not adhering to the medication as they should. It seemed that these people were taking orlistat as a lifestyle drug – choosing to take it when they were eating foods higher in fat to reduce any weight gain or not taking it when going on holiday or out for a meal as they didn’t want to experience the consequences of eating fatty foods.”

The preliminary findings found that on average those taking the diet pills lost almost 10lb over six months. (ANI)

Long working hours make parents compromise on food choices

Washington, Sept 10 (ANI): Long work hours and irregular schedules are forcing people to compromise on food choices for themselves and their children, suggests a new study.

The research team from Cornell University measured food choice coping strategies in low- to middle-income families in five categories: (1) food prepared at/away from home; (2) missing meals; (3) individualizing meals (family eats differently, separately, or together); (4) speeding up to save time; and (5) planning.

They found that fathers who worked long hours or had nonstandard hours and schedules were more likely to use take-out meals, miss family meals, purchase prepared entrees, and eat while working.

Similarly, mothers were also likely to purchase restaurant meals or prepared entrees or missed breakfast.

About a quarter of mothers and fathers said they did not have access to healthful, reasonably priced, and/or good-tasting food at or near work.

The findings suggest that better work conditions may be associated with more positive strategies such as more home-prepared meals, eating with the family, keeping healthful food at work, and less meal skipping.

“This study examined how work conditions are related to the food choice coping strategies of low- and moderate-income parents,” said Dr Carol M. Devine, RD, Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, and colleagues.

“Study findings will enhance understanding of social and temporal employment constraints on adults’ food choices and may inform workplace interventions and policies…The importance of work structure for employed parents’ food choice strategies is seen in the associations between work hours and schedule and food choice coping strategies, such as meals away from home and missed family meals.

“Long work hours and irregular schedules mean more time away from family, less time for household food work, difficulty in maintaining a regular meal pattern, and less opportunity to participate in family meals; this situation may result in feelings of time scarcity, fatigue, and strain that leave parents with less personal energy for food and meals,” the researchers added.

The study appears in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior. (ANI)

Pitt enjoys chicken and beer while flying mile high

Melbourne, Sep 10 (ANI): While meeting Hollywood’s hottest hunk remains a dream for some, a passenger on a United Airlines flight was able to not only meet actor Brad Pitt but also film him.

Justin Ross Lee was fortunate enough to be seated alongside Pitt on a recent flight from Los Angeles to New York and he was able to capture the moment on his mobile phone.e has since posted the clip, showing Pitt tucking into his in-flight meal of chicken, enjoying a beer and catching some shut-eye, on brightcove.

“If Brad was any more down to earth, the jet never would have left the ground,” News.com.au quoted Lee as telling Star Magazine.

The New Yorker also enjoyed having a photo taken with the actor in the Los Angeles International Airport’s United Airlines first-class lounge. (ANI)

Nicotine plays “tricks” on the brain

Washington, Sept 10 (ANI): Nicotine, the addictive component in cigarettes, “tricks” the brain into creating memory associations between environmental cues and smoking behavior, say researchers at Baylor College of Medicine.

The study has been published in the journal Neuron.

“Our brains normally make these associations between things that support our existence and environmental cues so that we conduct behaviors leading to successful lives. The brain sends a reward signal when we act in a way that contributes to our well being,” said Dr. John A. Dani, professor of neuroscience at BCM and co-author of the study.

“However, nicotine commandeers this subconscious learning process in the brain so we begin to behave as though smoking is a positive action,” the expert added.

Dani said that environmental events linked with smoking can become cues that prompt the smoking urge. Those cues could include alcohol, a meal with friends, or even the drive home from work.

To understand why the associations are so strong, Dani and Dr. Jianrong Tang, instructor of neuroscience at BCM and co-author of the report, decided to record brain activity of mice as they were exposed to nicotine, the addictive component of tobacco.

The mice were allowed to roam through an apparatus with two separate compartments. In one compartment, they received nicotine. In the other, they got a benign saline solution. Later, the researchers recorded how long the mice spent in each compartment. They also recorded brain activity within the hippocampus, an area of the brain that creates new memories.

“The brain activity change was just amazing. Compared to injections of saline, nicotine strengthened neuronal connections – sometimes up to 200 percent. This strengthening of connections underlies new memory formation,” Dani said.

Consequently, mice learned to spent more time in the compartment where the nicotine was administered compared to the one where saline was given to them.

“We found that nicotine could strengthen neuronal synaptic connections only when the so called reward centers sent a dopamine signal. That was a critical process in creating the memory associations even with bad behavior like smoking,” the expert said. (ANI)

Foreign tourists join Onam celebration in Kerala

Kochi, Sep 3 (ANI): Foreign tourists in Kerala took part in the ten-day long harvest festival ‘Onam’.

The Homestay Operators Association organised Onam celebrations for the foreign tourists staying in the association’s homes.

Many foreigners participated in a simple procession in Kochi along a floral carpet on a street.he foreigners enjoyed sumptuous traditional meal with a variety of delicacies prepared in coconut oil and served on Banana leaf.

“I feel very lucky to be here to be a part of the Onam celebrations today by joining in arranging the flowers and also in the parade. It is a very beautiful experience for me so I feel lucky,” said Claire, a tourist from Australia.

Onam, a harvest festival, is celebrated in Kerala when young girls and women make flower patterns called “Pookalam” in local parlance to welcome the mythical King Mahabali.

Onam recalls the story of the mythical king Mahabali who created a kingdom in what is now Kerala.

The festival falls during the month of Chingam (August-September as per the Gregorian calendar), the first month of the Malayalam calendar and lasts for ten days.

Traditionally celebrated as a harvest festival, mythologically it is linked to Malayalee-Hindu folktales. (ANI)

Three-quarters of Brits surf Internet in the loo

London, Aug 24 (ANI): A survey has revealed that Brits are so much into surfing the Internet that three-quarters of them even do it while they are sitting in the loo.

While newspapers and magazines are traditionally associated with an extended toilet session, modern-day trips to empty bowels appear to have taken on a digital nature, reports the Scotsman.

More than a third (34 per cent) of those polled said that they had sent a text message while on the loo.

The research also revealed that some respondents pass their time in bathroom visits thinking about their next meal (14 per cent) or even eating or drinking (6 per cent).

Even though 18 percent of them admitted that they suffered from cramps or pins and needles, nearly two-thirds were unaware that sitting on the loo for too long could cause haemorrhoids.

The survey of more than 2,000 Britons was carried out by Yakult to mark the launch of Gut Week, which aims to raise awareness of digestive disorders. (ANI)

Oz Federal Govt. cracks downs on weight-loss industry as obesity rate rises

Melbourne, Aug 19 (ANI): The Federal Government in Australia has decided to take a look into the massive diet and weight-loss industry, following reports that the obesity rate in the country is still climbing.

Weight-loss programs and products will have to prove that they can help people keep off the kilos long-term as the Federal Government cracks down on the 414-million dollar-a-year industry.

The Kevin Rudd Government’s Preventative Health Taskforce is understood to have called for the weight-loss industry to be regulated in a report handed down last month.

It follows growing evidence that diets may actually be adding to the obesity crisis, as overweight people lose weight rapidly while following programs, but quickly put it back on after they stop.

The taskforce said that young women in particular were spending hundreds of millions of dollars a year on such programs to manage their weight.

Despite this, the nation’s obesity rate was climbing with more than 60 per cent of adults now overweight or obese.

While weight-loss programs and pharmacy-based meal replacement programs were popular, the task force said there was limited data to show they were actually effective.

It wants a wide-ranging review of diet products and a common code of practice drawn up covering the cost, the training of counsellors and the promotion of the diets.

The Dietitians Association of Australia is backing the recommendation.

According to the Daily Telegraph, a spokesman said all commercial diet programs should be assessed by a body of experts similar to the Therapeutic Goods Administration, which assesses drugs for safety and efficacy before they can go on sale.

The association said regulation should require businesses marketing a diet program to provide evidence to a panel of experts showing what percentage of those who used the diet kept the weight off two years after starting.

Chief executive Claire Hewat said a good diet would result in weight loss of about half a kilogram per week.

“If you can lose 5 per cent of your body weight you are doing really well,” News.com.au quoted her as saying.

“Diets are not the point, it’s lifestyle change that is needed,” she stated. (ANI)

Cameron Diaz dating Sex and the City star Jason Lewis?

Washington, Aug 19 (ANI): Cameron Diaz may have found new love in ‘Sex and the City’ star Jason Lewis.

The ‘My Sister’s Keeper’ star was spotted flirting with the actor during a recent meal together at a sushi restaurant in Venice Beach, reports Contactmusic.

An onlooker said: “Cameron and Jason were sitting in the corner of Shima totally wrapped up in one another. They couldn’t stop touching each other. And we couldn’t stop looking.”

According to reports, the pair has known each other for several years as friends, however, it is only now that they have embarked on a romantic relationship.

The source added to Grazia magazine: “They’ve always got along, but now realise just how much they have in common.

“Jason is exactly Cameron’s type. She’s attracted to athletic types and they’re both passionate about the environment.”

Jason has previously dated Jennifer Aniston, while Cameron has been linked to Maroon 5 star Adam Levine and actors Jude Law and Leonardo DiCaprio. (ANI)

It’s official: weight loss improves depressed people’s mood

Washington, July 28 (ANI): In a new study, researchers have shown that a weight loss program not only counteracts depressed mood but also reduces risk factors for heart disease and stroke in obese patients.

They found that after a 6-month behavioral weight loss program, depressed patients not only lost 8 percent of their initial weight but also reported significant improvements in their symptoms of depression, as well as reductions in triglycerides, which are a risk factor for heart disease and stroke.

“This research is novel because clinically depressed individuals are not usually included in weight loss trials due to concerns that weight loss could worsen their depression,” said Dr. Lucy Faulconbridge, lead author of the study.

“These concerns, however, are not based on empirical evidence, and the practice of excluding depressed individuals from clinical weight loss trials means that we are learning nothing about this high-risk population,” Faulconbridge added.

The new findings suggest that depressed, obese individuals can indeed lose clinically significant amounts of weight, and that weight loss can actually reduce symptoms of depression.

Faulconbridge and colleagues recruited 51 depressed and non-depressed subjects into the study to follow a supervised weight loss program that included lifestyle modification and meal replacements.

Both depressed and non-depressed subjects lost significant amounts of weight, with depressed individuals losing 8 percent of their initial body weight, compared with 11 percent loss by non-depressed individuals.

After 6 months on the weight loss program, depressed subjects also showed significant improvement of their depressive symptoms, based on a questionnaire.

Additional significant improvements in glucose, insulin and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol were observed in both depressed and non-depressed subjects, and depressed individuals showed reduced levels of triglycerides in the blood, which have been linked to risk of heart disease and stroke.

“Depression and obesity are independently associated with increased risk of heart disease and stroke, and so reductions in both body weight and symptoms of depression are likely to improve long-term health outcomes,” said Faulconbridge.

The study is to be presented at the Annual Meeting of the Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior (SSIB). (ANI)

Ponting trying to divert attention from Oz failure: Flower

London, July 15 (ANI): Reacting for the first time after a spellbinding climax in the Cardiff Test, coach Andy Flower has said that Australian skipper Ricky Ponting by accusing the England team of delaying tactics, is trying to deflect attention from Australia’s failure to take the wicket they needed to go ahead in the Ashes series

The England’s team director totally rejected the assertion that his side was guilty of gamesmanship if not cheating.

“I am a little surprised at all the hullabaloo over it, to be honest. From my own perspective, in that last hour of the game, there was no time wasting by us. Have a look at the footage yourself. Never did we consciously try to waste time,” he said.

Flower was upset by the allegations of Ponting, who said in the immediate aftermath that England’s behaviour in twice sending out their 12th man in the closing stages was “pretty ordinary.”

Ponting also suggested that the issue should be taken up with the England hierarchy, The Independent reported.

“He has got his own opinion, and I respect his opinion. He is a very good cricketer and has been a very good ambassador for Australia. But in this instance, I think he has made a meal of it,” Flower said.

Flower added that Ponting was making far too much of it and deflecting attention from what really mattered – England’s great escape and Australia’s failure to take the wicket they needed to go ahead in the series.

Flower seemed perplexed by the attention that has been given to England’s decision to send on the 12th man, Bilal Shafayat, in successive overs, the second time accompanied by the team physiotherapist, Steve McCaig.

“Most teams in those situations, you have batsmen talking in the middle for extended periods, knocking down the pitch, changing gloves, getting drinks, which all waste time. At no stage in the last couple of hours did we do that,” Flower said.

“The second point, was that there was perceived confusion out in the middle about what time the game was going to end. We needed to get messages out to them to make sure they were clear.” (ANI)

Stress of 400m drls debts killed Jackson, says pal Lou Ferrigno

London, July 06 (ANI): Michael Jackson died because of the stress of his 400 million dollars debts, according top his pal ‘The Incredible Hulk’ star Lou Ferrigno.

“He was under tremendous stress, so much I think it killed him. He was 400 million dollar in debt. In the past, he had backed out of doing live shows but this time he was under the gun. The debts put a huge strain on him,” the Mirror quoted him as saying.

The actor and bodybuilder had been training the legend for his demanding 50-date London tour.

He visited Jackson’s rented Bel Air mansion three times a week to bring him back in shape.

He said: “He had undergone a five-hour medical in February and had passed with flying colours, but he wanted to be fitter,

“So I would go to his house with an inflatable exercise ball and 3lb dumbbells. He did not like the dumbbells. He said he didn’t want big shoulders and big muscles like me.

“I laughed and said, ‘Michael, there’s no way you will get big shoulders from 3lb dumbbells.’”

The ‘Sinbad of Seven Seas’ star also revealed that he saw no signs of the King of Pop using any sort of drugs while he was with training under him.

He added: “I was with him until the end of May and he was fine, there was no sign of drug use and his flexibility was improving. That was important, as he was a little tight in certain areas. He hadn’t danced for so long.”

However, he agrees that his client’s diet was poor.

He mentioned: “He ate only one meal a day, always in the evening. He’d wake up and not have anything for the whole day, and when he did eat it was always vegetarian.”

Lou claims to have become a close pal of the ‘Thriller’ singer since they first met through a mutual friend in 1995. (ANI)

Is Katie Green dating Lib Dem MP Lembit Opik?

London, July 5 (ANI): Brit model Katie Green seems to be dating Liberal Democrat MP Lembit Opik.

The curvy beauty was spotted enjoying a cosy meal with Lembit, ex-fianc‚ of Cheeky Girls Gabriela Irimia, in London on Thursday.

According to a friend, the two met at a party two months ago.

“They’re very close and she’s smitten,” News of the World quoted the pal as saying.

“They’ve been on several dates. She finds him witty and charming,” the pal added. (ANI)

UK prison opens West End style restaurant

London, July 3 (ANI): A West End style restaurant called “The Clink” has opened up inside Her Majesty’s Prison High Down. iners can eat a two-course meal at the prison restaurant in Sutton, Surrey, for six pounds, reports The Telegraph.

Food consists of the freshest ingredients, much from the prison garden. However, diners have to make do with plastic cutlery for security reasons.

The chefs, waiters and kitchen porters are all inmates – who could be behind bars for murder or grievous bodily harm.

The Clink is the brainchild of Alberto Crisci, a former chef at Mirabelle, a French restaurant in Mayfair, London, which used to be owned by Marco Pierre White.

Crisci, who moved on to become High Down’s catering manager, said the idea was to rehabilitate prisoners and give them the skills to obtain jobs on release.

He stressed discipline was tougher than anything seen on a show like Hell’s Kitchen.

He told the Daily Mirror: “Prisoners only have to step out of line once and they are out. This is a real restaurant. I expect them to do exactly what I ask them to do.”

Wine is served – but strictly controlled for fear it goes missing. Mains include griddled minute steak, with sauce bearnaise, served with chips and a herb salad, or breast of chicken with pepperonata served with radicchio. This fare is available for 4.50 pounds, while ordering a desert costs 1.50 pounds. (ANI)

Almost 40pct Oz family dinners end up in rifts

Melbourne, July 2 (ANI): For many, having dinner with the family is spending quality time with their loved ones, but a survey of Aussie mothers has revealed that over 40 percent of sit-down meals end in arguments, acrimony and tears.

In the survey, 16,579 Australian mums were asked what they normally did during dinner, 26.22 per cent said that they discussed the day’s events or talked about topical issues, while 15.59 per cent quietly watched TV.

The latest Voice of Aussie Mums survey conducted for Nestle found that almost eight per cent (7.74 per cent) of mums said that they told stories.

However, for 40.45 per cent of families, dinner is an unpleasant experience, with the meal usually ending in an argument.

But, despite the friction, former netball champion and Nestle spokeswoman Liz Ellis has said that families should make efforts and try to eat together at the dinner table.

“Our fast paced lives leave us little time to communicate as a family,” the Courier Mail quoted Ellis as saying in a statement.
She added: “Eating dinner together regularly can be a fantastic source of quality time and a way to keep the family in contact during a hectic week. “

While over 76 per cent of mums said that sit-down meals strengthened their family’s communication, 47.28 per cent believed that it helped foster family traditions.

A total of 61.84 per cent said that they usually ate dinner at the dining room table, 17.85 per cent in front of the TV, and 15.41 per cent at the kitchen bench or table.

A small percentage, 4.9 per cent, eat on a sofa, reading the news or in other informal ways. (ANI)

Jacko often forgot to eat and had to be ‘force fed’ while preparing for O2 gigs

London, July 2 (ANI): One of Michael Jackson’s closest confidants has revealed that the star was so immersed in his preparations for his O2 Arena comeback gigs that he often forgot to eat, and had to be “force fed”.

If AEG Live boss Randy Phillips is to be believed, Jackson’s calorie intake had fallen to dangerously low levels in the days before his death.

The promoter behind the 50 shows at the O2 Arena also said that he and director Kenny Ortega often cut Jackon’s food up into bite-sized potions so that he could be fed quickly.

However, despite trying their level best to keep Jackson healthy, the ‘Thriller’ hitmaker survived on just one meal a day.

Phillips revealed that Jackson continued his gruelling rehearsal schedule eating meagre portions of his favourite dishes-vegetarian lasagne, steamed broccoli, nut loaf or tofu with chilli sauce.

“He used to forget to eat because he was so focused and Kenny Ortega and I used to cut up his food and physically feed him,” the Mirror quoted Phillips as saying.

The promoter was with Jacko at rehearsals the morning of his cardiac arrest.

He revealed: “He did a three-hour rehearsal and we all finished up at 12.30am on Thursday morning. He was really excited. He was super-charged and did a group hug with the director Kenny Ortega and his manager. He was like a kid in the candy store – he was so up for it.”

He added: “I walked him out to the car and he put his arm around me and, speaking softly like he always does, he said to me: ‘Do you know what – we are here, we are going to make it. I love you for doing this and now I know I can do it.’ That was the last thing he said to me and I never heard from him again.”

Just hours later Jackson, 50, was found dead in his exclusive Holmby Hills home after suffering a massive heart attack. (ANI)

Jacko wanted to perform O2 gigs for his kids, says friend

London, June 30(ANI): Michael Jackson’s friend Mark Lester has said that one of the reasons the icon had planned to perform ‘This Is It’ concerts was that he wanted his children to see him live on stage.

“He wanted his children to see daddy do what daddy does best, ” The Scotsman quoted him as saying.

He added: “The kids had never seen Michael performing live. This was their opportunity to see him.

“They had watched him on DVDs and on television, but they had never watched him doing his stuff live.

“He wanted that very much for his children to see, and of course for all the fans and everybody else, but the main motivation behind it was for them to see their daddy.”

Mark also said that the three children – Michael Joseph Jackson Junior, Paris Michael Katherine Jackson and Prince “Blanket” Michael Jackson II- meant “everything” to the singer.

Lester also dismissed gossips that the icon was under too much strain to do the shows and would not have been able to finish them.

He said: “Michael wouldn’t have taken it on if he had any doubt that he couldn’t have done it.

“He was a perfectionist and if he couldn’t have done it to how he wanted to do it, he wouldn’t have taken it on.”

The former Oliver! child actor also said that he had met Jackson for the last time in March.

“We saw him in March and spent the weekend together – he was fit and healthy, we had fish and chips, his favourite meal whenever he comes to London,” he said. (ANI)

Prince Harry, Natalie Imbruglia ‘strike up close friendship’

London, June 29 (ANI): Prince Harry appears to have struck up a close friendship with Australian pop star Natalie Imbruglia since he parted ways with Chelsy Davy.

The 24-year-old Royal and the 34-year-old singer were spotted enjoying a cosy dinner after partying the night away at a rock concert.

They dined on burgers in the VIP area of the Hard Rock Calling event held in London’s Hyde Park. ccording to a witness, the pair exchanged warm hugs and a kiss when they met earlier in the evening during a performance by The Killers.

They watched the rockers’ set together from the side of the stage.

Following the show, they retreated to the plush backstage area for a meal, joined on their secluded table by singer Tom Jones and four others.

After polishing off their food, the group ordered a round of alcoholic lemon drop shots.

“Harry looked absolutely delighted to see Natalie when she arrived,” the Sun quoted the witness as saying.

“They embraced warmly and shared a quick kiss.

“They were dancing and joking together for the entire duration of The Killers’ set.

“At dinner, afterwards, they carried on chatting and laughing like old friends.

“Tom Jones joined them during their meal.

“They were having a whale of a time, drinking beer and wine before a round of shots,” the witness added. (ANI)

No food, just pills in Jacko’s ravaged frame at time of death

London, June 29 (ANI): Leaked autopsy details suggest that Michael Jackson was a virtual skeleton with only pills in his stomach, while his body was riddled with needle wounds and surgery scars at the time of his death.

Experts reportedly found the singer’s hips, thighs, and shoulders bore needle punctures, stemming from alleged injections of narcotic painkillers, given three times a day for years.

A mass of surgery scars was also apparently spotted due to at least 13 cosmetic operations, while investigating the cause of King of Pop’s shock death in Los Angeles on June 25.

The autopsy purportedly showed the ‘Thriller’ hitmaker, once hailed for his fitness, was “severely emaciated” 8st 1oz due to his assumed consumption of just one meagre meal a day.

The 5ft 10in star was also said to have virtually lost all his hair, and was discovered sporting a wig when he died. he 50-year-old bared broken ribs caused from CPR while four needle wounds were also found above or near his heart, according to reports.

The autopsy also reportedly showed yet to be explained bruising on Jackson’s knees and on the fronts of both shins, along with cuts on his back.

Further damage was thought to have been brought on by oxygen masks and tubing inserted during failed resuscitation bids.

“Michael’s family and fans will be horrified when they realise the appalling state he was in,” British tabloid The Sun quoted a source close to Jackson as saying.

“He was skin and bone, his hair had fallen out and had been eating nothing but pills when he died.

Injection marks all over his body and the disfigurement caused by years of plastic surgery show he’d been in terminal decline for years.

“His doctors and the hangers-on stood by as he self-destructed. Somebody is going to have to pay,” the source added.

Jackson’s family has demanded a second autopsy, which was reportedly carried out at a secret location after foul play was ruled out in the first one. (ANI)