Tulisa admits to X Factor fears

Tulisa admits to X Factor fears

X Factor judge Tulisa Contostavlos says she is still dogged by fears she does not 'belong' on the show

X Factor judge Tulisa Contostavlos says she is still dogged by fears she does not "belong" on the show after her troubled childhood.

X Factor judge Tulisa Contostavlos says she is still dogged by fears she does not "belong" on the show after her troubled childhood.


She said she is still overcome by doubts following her teenage years in which she attempted suicide, self-harmed and was a regular dope smoker.

The star told the Radio Times she has her moments of self-doubt "now and again".

Tulisa joined the show this year as the judging panel underwent a revamp.

But reflecting on her role, she said: "I'll think, 'I don't belong here.'

"I get those moments now and again. Although I can be very feisty, that's a defence mechanism for me. I'm defensive because too many years of my life I was treated like shit."

She said it was a result of "being bullied, feeling weak all the time".

This series of ITV1's The X Factor winds to a close on December 11, but Tulisa said she would be happy to return to the show for a second year if asked.

And the star - one-third of chart act N-Dubz along with her cousin Dappy and boyfriend Fazer - said she has formed the most intimate bonds with the acts she has mentored.
"I get closer to my acts than any other judge. I want them to feel they've got a little family.

Amy Childs: I'm nothing like Katie Price

Amy Childs: I'm nothing like Katie Price

Amy Childs is having a bit of a moment. The 21-year-old Essex star, who rose to fame in reality soap The Only Way Is Essex, is launching a showbiz career of her own. She's opened her own beauty salon and now she's got a new fly-on-the-wall show It's All About Amy on Channel 5.

Shortly after she posed for the below promo shot (nothing like a bikini snap to get people watching!) we sat down with the young beautician-turned-TV star to find out what she makes of the countless Katie Price comparisons. After all, it could seem that her life is shaping up to be a bit similar to Katie's.


In the short video clip, Amy explains how she is not like Katie!
Katie rose to fame in the early 2000's as a glamour model and has since launched her one-of-a-kind brand on the UK. Obviously the main difference between the two Essex-born beauties is that Amy started her career on a TV show, and Jordan started hers on Page 3, and this is something Amy is keen to emphasise.

"We're totally different, I see it as we're nothing alike," Amy insisted. "She's done topless, I've never done topless.

"I've done a big beautician's opening and she's never had a salon."

However, we're sure Amy is hoping for just a smidgen of Katie's success. In the past decade, Katie has turned herself into a multi-millionaire, with an estimated fortune of £40m.

Amy's new show starts on Thursday at 10pm on Channel 5.

Indian Farmers Dump Bags of Snakes in Tax Office

Indian Farmers Dump Bags of Snakes in Tax Office

Lucknow, India - Two farmers fed up with alleged bribery demands emptied three bags filled with slithering snakes in a busy tax office in northern India, an official said Wednesday.

The 40 or so snakes of different sizes and species — including at least four deadly cobras — sent clerks and villagers climbing atop tables and scurrying out the door to escape the office in Basti, about 186 miles (300 kilometers) southeast of Lucknow, said Uttar Pradesh state official Ramsukh Sharma.

"Snakes started climbing up the tables and chairs," he said. "There was total chaos. Hundreds of people gathered outside the room, some of them with sticks in their hands, shouting that the snakes should be killed."


No one was bitten or injured in the incident Tuesday afternoon, and police and forest officials captured the snakes.

The farmers had been asking for tax records for their land in nearby Narharpur village, but tax officials withheld the files for weeks while allegedly demanding bribes.

Sharma said their method of protest was unacceptable. Police are searching for the farmers, who were identified as Hukkul Khan and Ramkul Ram. Khan is known locally as a snake charmer.

Kourtney Kardashian expecting baby No. 2

Kourtney Kardashian expecting baby No. 2

Kourtney Kardashian  and her boyfriend, Scott Disick, say they are expecting their second child together.

The couple have a son, Mason, who is nearly 2 years old.The 32-year-old E! reality star tells Us Weekly that she's nine weeks pregnant.Says Kardashian: "You're supposed to wait 12 weeks to tell people, but I feel confident."She appears with her family

1,400 police officers storm Occupy L.A.

1,400 police officers storm Occupy L.A.

In a massive show of force, 1,400 police officers, some in riot gear stormed the Occupy Los Angeles camp early Wednesday, driving protesters from the park and arresting more than 200 who defied orders to leave. Similar raids in Philadelphia led to 50 arrests, but the scene in both cities was relatively peaceful.

Police in Los Angeles and Philadelphia moved in on Occupy Wall Street encampments under darkness in an effort to clear out some of the longest-lasting protest sites since crackdowns ended similar occupations across the country.


Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck praised the officers and the protesters for their restraint and the peaceful way the eviction was carried out.

Officers flooded down the steps of City Hall just after midnight and started dismantling the two-month-old camp two days after a deadline passed for campers to leave the park. Officers in helmets and wielding batons and guns with rubber bullets converged on the park from all directions with military precision and began making arrests after several orders were given to leave.

There were no injuries and no drugs or weapons were found during a search of the emptied camp which was strewn with garbage after the raid. City workers put up concrete barriers to wall off the park while it's restored.

The raid in Los Angeles came after demonstrators with the movement in Philadelphia marched through the streets after being evicted from their site. About 40 protesters were arrested after refusing to clear a street several blocks northeast of City Hall, Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey said. They were lined up in cuffs and loaded on to buses by officers. Six others were arrested earlier after remaining on a street police that police tried to clear.

"The police officers who were involved in this operation were hand-picked for this assignment," Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter said. "They're highly trained and disciplined and showed a tremendous amount of restraint and professionalism in carrying out this morning's operation."

Ramsey said he would have preferred to evict the protesters without making arrests, but some refused orders to clear the street and had to be taken into custody. He said three officers sustained minor injuries. Protesters reported some injuries, but none appeared serious.

more story read here

American Airlines Bankruptcy

American Airlines bankruptcy protection: analysts' reaction

Analysts react to the news American Airlines' parent company, AMR, has filed for bankruptcy protection in a New York court.

Michael Linenberg, Deutsche Bank

Quote The read through for the rest of the industry is that today’s bankruptcy filing is specific to AMR and a reflection of the company’s struggles to achieve a more competitive cost and debt structure. In that regard, the US airline industry is on track to generate a net profit in the seasonally-weak December quarter, something that we have observed only twice during the past decade. Furthermore, we expect that AMR’s restructuring will include further rationalization of its network which likely means some capacity cuts.



Daniel McKenzie, Rodman & Renshaw

The implications for the industry are positive; airlines in Chapter 11 generally shrink, and AMR likely comes out of Chapter 11 a merged airline with US Airways (friendly or hostile). A restructured industry is clawing back pricing power, however, with 34% of AMR’s (and the industry’s costs) continuing to get whipsawed 30-50% from excessive volatility in commodity markets, the industry needs to cut yet more capacity and park more planes, and we would expect that to be part of AMR’s restructuring plan. It’s premature, but we would argue United Airlines, Delta, US Airways, JetBlue, and Southwest Airlines should all be the largest direct and indirect beneficiaries from the reduced capacity.

Will Randow, Citi

We would not be surprised to see pursuit of an AMR-US Airways merger, as US Airways has pursued consolidation with other legacy airlines and AMR’s CEO Gerard Arpey, prior to today’s transition to new CEO Tom Horton, preferred a go-it-alone strategy.

Jamie Baker, JP Morgan

The bank previously thought it unlikely American Airlines would file for bankruptcy, but begins its note: "We were wrong."

‘The company has approximately $4.1 billion in unrestricted cash and short-term investments… [and] is anticipated to be more than sufficient to assure that its vendors, suppliers and other business partners will be paid timely and in full….’ So, this WASN’T about liquidity (liquidity is about 18% of LTM revenue).

Daniel Craig rips the Kardashians

Daniel Craig rips the Kardashians

 Daniel Craig rips the Kardashians, Daniel Craig thinks the Kardashians behave like "f**king idiots".

The James Bond actor explained while he doesn't judge the reality TV family - whose most famous member is Kim - and acknowledges that they have made "millions" through their show 'Keeping Up with the Kardashians', he doesn't agree with selling your soul to make good television.

He explained: "It's a career, I'm not being cynical. And why wouldn't you? Look at the Kardashians, they're worth millions. Millions! I don't think they were that badly off to begin with, but now look at them.


"You see that and you think, 'What, you mean all I have to do is behave like a f***ing idiot on television and then you'll pay me millions?' I'm not judging it. Well I am, obviously."

The 43-year-old star - who is married to actress Rachel Weisz - thinks there is "a lot to be said" for keeping your private life to yourself, as you can never buy it back. +daniel craig kardashians paid millions to act like idiots, +daniel craig kardashians

Daniel added: "There's a lot to be said for keeping your own counsel. It's not about being afraid to be public with your emotions or about who you are and what you stand for, but if you sell it off it's gone. It's precious.
"You can't buy your privacy back. Ooh, I want to be alone. 'F**k you. We've been in your living room. We were at your birth. You filmed it for us and then showed us the placenta, and now you want some privacy?!'"