As the first day of the $40 billion dollar lawsuit got underway the family of Michael Jackson say concert promoters AEG Live ‘ignored red flags’ when employing Conrad Murray and basically sent the late King of pop to his death.
The family’s lawyer, Brian Panish claimed the company failed to properly vet the singers physician and ignored previous drug addictions in order to profit on his residence at the O2 in London, England.
Murray – who has been stripped of his medical license – is currently serving a four-year jail sentence after being convicted of manslaughter for administering a lethal dose of Propofol, resulting in Michael’s death from accidental overdose in June 2009.
The trial is expected to last three months and it’s thought several stars, including Michael’s sister Janet Jackson, singer Diana Ross, filmmaker Spike Lee, musician Prince and music producer Quincy Jones could be called to testify.

Speaking in court, he said: “When a red flag comes up, do you turn away or do you look into it? AEG ignored red flags and hired Dr. Murray.
“Michael Jackson, Dr. Conrad Murray and AEG Live each played a part in the ultimate result – the death of Michael Jackson.”

http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/auckland/news/nbent/423796557-aeg-live–ignored-red-flags–in-michael-jackson-case

According to ABC News, Chris Kelly (also known as Mac Daddy’) of the rap duo Kriss Kross has died. Kelly was pronounced dead last Wednesday at 5pm at the Atlanta Medical Centre.

Although authorities do not yet know the cause of death, Kelly was found unconscious at his home and an autopsy will be performed in the next few days.
Kelly performed in the 90’s with Chris Smith otherwise known as Daddy Mac. Their number one hit ‘Jump’ in 1992 stayed in the Billboard Hot 100 for eight weeks.
Kelly was also famous for wearing his clothes back to front.

http://www.examiner.com/article/chris-mac-daddy-kelly-of-rap-duo-kris-kross-dies-atlanta

Aged only 64, sailor Magnus Olsson has died in Spain after suffering a stroke. He has previously survived two heart attacks although these are not thought to be connected to the recent stroke.

Swedish born and also known as ‘Mange’ Olsson was a central figure in the history of the Volvo round the world race and was leading the management and coaching of a Swedish-flagged all-woman team, SCA, at its Lanzarote base for the race which starts in Alicante next October.

“It is with great sadness that I received the news of Magnus passing away,” said Knut Frostad, ceo of the Volvo Ocean Race. “He was my mentor when I sailed round the world with him 20 years ago. He was the inspiration for me and for so many more. The sailing world will never be the same without Magnus and his smile.”

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/general/sailing/sailing-magnus-olsson-dies-in-spain-age-64-8581680.html

Authorities have now released the names of the five victims of the 600-foot-wide avalanche in Colorado last Saturday.
Sadly the victims were on the slopes promoting back country safety when the avalanche struck. A rescuer says that the four snow boarders and one skier were found ‘wrapped around each other’.
Tragedy struck the Rocky Mountain High Back Country at nearly 12,000 feet and is the first avalanche since 1962 to have claimed so many lives.
Joseph Timlin, 32, of Gypsum; Ryan Novack, 33, of Boulder; Ian Lanphere, 36, of Crested Butte; and Rick Gaukel, 33, of Estes Park. Fellow snowboarder Jerome Boulay was the sole survivor of the 600-foot wide avalanche however is in hospital.
Another snowboarder, identified by friends as Jerome Boulay, was buried and survived, but authorities have not released his condition.

Snowboarder Mike Bennett of Dillon told the newspaper he dug through hard-packed snow to help free Boulay before finding two others buried about two feet below the surface.
‘They were wrapped around each other, below a patch of trees,’ he said.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2312726/Colorado-Avalanche-Victims-identified-died-promoting-backcountry-safety.html

Theatre producer and director Patrick Garland has died at the age of 78. Married to actress Alexandra Bastedo since 1980,
Garland, was one of Britains most distinguished directors and producers. His wife Alexandra was at his side at a Worthing Hospital when he passed away following a long illness.
Garland was the only director to have had four plays running in the West End of London at the same time. He was also the artistic director of Chichester Festival Theatre twice.
Garland worked with many stars of film and stage, including Rex Harrison on Broadway in a revival of My Fair Lady, about whom he also wrote a best-selling biography, The Incomparable Rex.
He also won a Golden Globe for his 1971 film ‘The Snow Goose’ which was also nominated for a Bafta and an Emmy Award.
During his time at Chichester, he raised money to build and open the West Sussex theatre’s second space, The Minerva Theatre, from where many productions have transferred to London.
He wife said “Patrick had been ill for a long time but bore all of his troubles with great fortitude,” she said.
“He was a wonderful man, brilliant with people of all types, and life will never be the same.”
A private funeral service will be held with a memorial service at Chichester Cathedral at a later date.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-22232389

According to one of her close friends Baroness Thatcher did not plan her own funeral service.

Baroness Trumpington, a close friend of Thatcher, said she did not believe that Thatcher planned any of the service due to her mental decline.

Thatchers funeral caused controversy due to the huge expense and extravagance however this was defended as to being the prime ministers dying wish.

The statement by Trumpington raises the question over who dd actually plan the £10 million funeral

Baroness Trumpington said “I knew her as well as anyone,” she said. “I don’t think she wrote her own funeral.”

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/margaret-thatcher/10002337/Margaret-Thatcher-didnt-plan-her-own-funeral-says-Baroness-Trumpington.html

Under a Dutch Company’s recycling scheme in the UK, metal body parts from cremations are to be recycled into road signs.
Items including steel hips, plates and screws from legs and skulls are to be made into car parts, lamp posts, aircraft engines and lamp posts under the new scheme.
After the cremation service, metal body parts will be collected and sent off for recycling as part of a nationwide scheme.
The money-saving scheme came about as some crematoriums easily fill a large recycling bin with metal body parts every month. Even metal plates from false teeth and tiny fragments from fillings can be recovered and re-used, together with metal fittings on coffins.
High value metals which survive the 1000-degree cremation are then sold for use in the automobile and aeronautical industries.
The Dutch company behind the recycling says around half Britain’s 260 crematoriums have signed up to the scheme which is generating 75 tonnes of metal a year.

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/metal-body-parts-recycled-road-signs–hips-leg-screws-skulls-used-in-lamp-posts-car-parts-112558907.html#bTh9gkh

Brighter Days Grief Camp will be held on the 18th May at the Blackburn Baptist Church on N.C between 8.30am and 4.00pm. The camp is intended to help children who have suffered the loss of a loved one. They will make crafts, ride horse, play games, share in group time and make new friends.
The camp hopes to help children deal with their feelings and readjust both at home, work or at school. They hope that knowing they are not alone with their grief will help them get over their loss far quicker. They’ll also learn that grief is not a process of forgetting but one of remembering, only with less pain.
To enrol in the camp reservations are required no later than May 10th.

http://www.hickoryrecord.com/news/article_1d1a1d52-a223-11e2-989e-001a4bcf6878.html

According to a report in TMZ on March 31st, Prince maybe called upon to testify in Michale Jacksons wrongful death lawsuit.
The ‘Purple Rain’ pop star has apparently also had a bad experience with AEG (the company who hired Dr Conrad Murray who is convicted of involuntary manslaughter for administering a lethal dose of painkiller in June 2009 to Jackson.) and it is thought that this could prove relevant to the suit. The lawsuit alleges AEG was negligent in hiring and supervising Murray.
Michael’s mother, Katherine Jackson, 82, along with the singer’s three children: Blanket, 11, Paris 15, and Prince 16, are plaintiffs in a lawsuit seeking more than $40 billion in damages from AEG.

http://www.examiner.com/article/prince-may-be-called-as-witness-michael-jackson-wrongful-death-lawsuit

MTV reality TV star Shain Gandee is dead. The ‘Buckwild’ TV star who went missing on Sunday was found dead in West Virginia on Monday.
Gandee was one of three people found dead in a sport utility vehicle in the Sissonville area. Authorities say that his uncle, 48 year old David Gandee was one of the other two people who died in the crash.
A passerby, on a four wheeler found the bodies and said they were all unresponsive at this time.
Local police say the “Buckwild” star went missing 31 hours earlier, having last been seen at or around 3 a.m on Sunday.
Police also have not confirmed or denied whether foul play was involved.

http://www.examiner.com/article/buckwild-s-shain-gandee-dead-cause-of-death-pending