Octomom To Perform At Stripclub

Just when the Octomom story couldn't get any more tawdry, along comes this report from TMZ.com that Nadya Suleman will undress for money at a strip club in Florida next month. Suleman will do two topless shows a night from July 11-15 at T's Lounge in West Palm Beach because she feels "sexually liberated" and wants to promote her upcoming solo porn release, reports TMZ.com. The mom of 14 definitely needs the money - last month, she filed for bankruptcy, stating that she has less than $50,000 in assets but between $500,000 and $1 million in liabilities, reported Us Weekly. In April, she expressed her eagerness to do any work to make some money. "If it's a job, and it's a well-paying job, and it's gonna allow me to get out of here and move in a very safe, huge home that they deserve, I'm gonna do it," she told HLN's Nischelle Turner. Source: HuffPost

Tennis: Sharapova, Shvedova spurred on by injury heartache

PARIS - Global superstar Maria Sharapova and unheralded Yaroslava Shvedova attempt to set-up a French Open semi-final date on Wednesday spurred on by having conquered career-threatening injuries. Sharapova, who needs a Roland Garros title to complete a career Grand Slam, saw her meteoric rise halted by shoulder surgery which sidelined her for almost a year until mid-2009. Shvedova, meanwhile, injured her knee while on Hopman Cup duty for Kazakhstan in January 2010, and missed the Australian Open. Although she won the women's doubles at Wimbledon with Vania King, her singles ranking collapsed to 206 from a place in the top 30. That condemned her to play qualifiers at this French Open and if she makes it to the last four, she will be the first qualifier to reach the semi-finals. Sharapova, the world number two, is now the overwhelming favourite to capture the title after the early exits of top seed Victoria Azarenka, defending champion Li Na and former winner Serena Williams. Her 2004 Wimbledon triumph, 2006 US Open victory and 2008 title at the Australian Open all came before her shoulder surgery. "I think I'm just much more grateful today for what I'm doing and what I have, more than anything," said Sharapova, who for the first time faces Estonian 23rd seed Kaia Kanepi for a place in the last four. "So now when I'm playing, I really feel like I'm much more positive. Overall, I see my career much more positive than I looked at it back then, especially during the tough days. "In the past I would always have to save myself, because knowing that it's seven matches. I never felt like I recovered that well. But I think with experience and just being physically stronger, I'm much better at that." Sharapova, who came into Paris with claycourt titles in Stuttgart and Rome, cruised through her first three rounds for the loss of just five games. But she struggled over three sets to beat experienced Czech Klara Zakopalova in a chilly, windswept fourth round on Monday, finishing with 53 unforced errors and 12 double faults, including one on match point. Shvedova, now the world number 142, was a quarter-finalist in Paris in 2010, but she admitted that the last year had been tough. "I had the injury and surgery right after Australia. I was recovering a very long time and when I came back my knee was bothering me for half a year," said the 24-year-old Moscow native. "Then my coach left, and I had some tough periods mentally. I was very down and lonely. I was playing doubles but lost all my singles points. "Since September I got a new coach (Emiliano Redondi) and he helped me out a lot. For this year we set a goal to get my ranking back, and I was working hard." As she battled to rebuild her singles ranking, she found herself playing humble, third-tier events in Mexico. It may have been intimate and friendly, but for a player used to being in the big events, it was also a professional endurance test. "Even though it was nice atmosphere and there was no superstars and we were like big a big family, I wished I could come back here." Shvedova tackles Czech fourth seed and Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova for a place in the semi-finals. The two have never played each other before. Source: AsiaOne

Anglers' extraordinary find is no sea monster, but a giant squid

Al McGlashan, a prominent big-game fisherman in Australia, ventured to sea Friday in search of tuna and swordfish. The highlight, however, was the bizarre discovery of a fresh giant squid carcass. Giant squid are elusive, mysterious denizens of the ocean's darkest depths, believed to have spawned ancient tales of sea monsters. To find even parts of a dead specimen is rare, but to find a specimen largely intact and still with its bright-orange coloration is extraordinary. "In all my time on the water -- and I've spent 200-plus days out there -- I've never seen anything like it," McGlashan said in a phone interview. The discovery occurred 30 miles off Jervis Bay in New South Wales. On board was McGlashan's fishing partner, Justin Lewis, a film crew and Phil Bolton, who works for the regional fisheries department. The crew obtained underwater footage of the squid being preyed upon by a blue shark, which is posted below. McGlashan, who writes a weekly column for the Daily Telegraph, was quoted in the newspaper as saying the squid "must have died not that long before we found it because it didn't smell at all and its colors were still strong. Most giant squid remains are smelly and rotten and just off-white by the time someone finds them." Giant squid can measure 50-plus feet but the specimen McGlashan and friends found was only a sea monster in waiting, stretching out at about 13 feet. It was missing long portions of its tentacles, however, perhaps because of a deep-sea battle with a sperm whale. Sperm whales are the only large predators to specifically target giant squid in the abyss. The clashes between species were legendary in books and on the silver screen, even though in real life the battles are generally one-sided. "Sperm whales are far bigger, heavier and faster in the water -- the giant squid are quite slow -- so the whale generally wins," Mandy Reid of the Australian Museum told the Telegraph. As a testament to the elusive nature of giant squid, the first images of a live giant squid in its natural habitat were not captured until 2004, by Japanese scientists 600 miles south of Tokyo, in a known sperm whale feeding area. They dropped a baited line with a special camera to about 3,000 feet and snagged a 26-foot squid, which stayed on the hook for several hours. McGlashan and friends were also fishing in an area where sperm whales are often sighted, though none were sighted on this excursion. A lone albatross sitting on some kind of clump is what lured the fishermen to the squid carcass. The anglers collected tissue samples and the beak for the museum, then left the rest for the blue shark and other scavengers.

Michelle Pfeiffer: Why I became a vegan

Michelle Pfeiffer admits in a new interview that vanity played a part in her decision to adopt a vegan lifestyle, but she adds that more than anything it was because of a desire to live a healthier life. The 54-year-old actress tells Dr. Sanjay Gupta on Monday's edition of "Piers Morgan Tonight" that watching his documentary, "The Last Heart Attack," gave her plenty of food for thought. "I was finishing up working on, I think it was 'Dark Shadows,'" she says. "And I was watching CNN, and 'The Last Heart Attack' came on." As she was watching the documentary, which explores preventative measures for heart disease, it was former President Bill Clinton's story that really hit home. Pfeiffer, who considers herself to also be a "foodie," watched Clinton and said, "OK, Bill Clinton loves food, so there must be something to [veganism] that's making him stick to it. And also, he's smart, so he's not going to do something unless he really thinks there's some science behind it." After reading the book "Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease," which advocates for a plant-based, oil-free diet, Pfeiffer says her mind was made up. "I just felt like...there was science behind it," she says. "And, you know, it was sort of irrefutable. ... I couldn't not listen to it. My father died from cancer, and the older you get, there's a lot of disease around you. And you see people struggling with chronic disease. You see people dying with terminal illnesses. And if in any way .... this is true, then you kind of have to listen to it." As someone who loves carbs, Pfeiffer says she's enjoying the vegan diet, and has her husband of 19 years, David E. Kelley, trying to make the switch. The older she gets, Pfeiffer says of her views on diet, the more her focus and intent is geared toward living a longer life. "Vanity is right under there," she admits, "but I have to say that it's a close second with wanting to live long." Watch the full interview with Michelle Pfeiffer when she stops by "Piers Morgan Tonight" at 9 p.m. ET.

China says Syria peace efforts at 'crossroads'

UNITED NATIONS - China's UN envoy said Monday that efforts to end the Syria crisis are at a "crossroads" and that government and opposition forces must halt violence. The Houla massacre has dealt a huge blow to the mediation mission of UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan, ambassador Li Baodong said as China took over the UN Security Council for June. "The Syrian issue now is at a very critical moment. The political process to solve the Syrian crisis is at a crossroads," Li told reporters, without signalling any easing in China's opposition to sanctions against President Bashar al-Assad. Syria could have a "bright" outcome with a negotiated settlement or "a black prospect where the bloody violence, the conflict lingers on, turning into full fledged civil war, turning into sectarian revenge, sectarian conflict between villages, between neighborhoods, between cities," the envoy said. The May 25 massacre in Houla, in which 108 people were killed, "has caused collateral damage to Kofi Annan's mediation effort. And also it presents a huge challenge to the international community," Li said. "Whoever did that must be brought to justice," the Chinese envoy said, giving backing to an "independent" inquiry into the killings. But he said the UN Security Council and the international community must now get behind Annan's six-point plan which calls for the withdrawal of heavy weapons and troops from cities so that political talks can start. Annan says that the Syrian president has not carried out any of the points. "The forces in Syria - government, opposition forces - they must fulfill their pledge, their obligations, their commitments to ceasefire," Li said. China has twice supported Russia in vetoing UN Security Council resolutions which hinted at sanctions against Assad. It has also publicly rejected any kind of military intervention. Li said however that "Syria will be one of the most pressing issues on the council's agenda" in June. There will be five meetings at which Syria is discussed, starting with a briefing by Annan at the council on Thursday. Source: AsiaOne

Miss USA 2012, Olivia Culpo, Cites Audrey Hepburn As Role Model

LAS VEGAS -- The newest Miss USA winner is a Rhode Island cellist who describes herself as a nerd and aspires to be more like Hollywood icon Audrey Hepburn. Olivia Culpo shares Hepburn's European heritage and dark brown hair and soon they will share something else. Culpo said after winning her crown Sunday night that she plans to go to Tiffany & Co. in New York and recreate Hepburn's iconic opening scene from "Breakfast at Tiffany's." Culpo, a Boston University sophomore, will take a year off from her studies to tackle her duties as Miss USA and represent the nation in the 61st Miss Universe contest in December. The 20-year-old said she wished she could have shared her crown with her 50 competitors during the pageant at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino on the Las Vegas Strip. Culpo strutted across the stage in a lilac bikini, then donned a flowing fuchsia gown with sparkly trim around her waist and décolletage. After making it to the final five, Culpo voiced her support for transgender beauty queens during the make-or-break interview round. "Would you feel it would be fair that a transgender woman wins the Miss USA title over a natural-born woman?" asked celebrity judge Rob Kardashian. The question came from a pageant follower on Twitter, a first for the competition. Culpo didn't hesitate before embracing the Miss Universe Organization's recent decision to admit transgender contestants. "I do think that that would be fair, but I can understand that people would be a little apprehensive to take that road because there is a tradition of natural-born women, but today where there are so many surgeries and so many people out there who have a need to change for a happier life, I do accept that because I believe it's a free country," Culpo said. Culpo said after the pageant that she wasn't put off by the question when she heard it. "This is a free country and to each their own," she said. Culpo said she was short and chubby as a girl, but blossomed after a growth spurt. She spent her summers at band camp after learning to play the cello in second grade. Her parents are also musicians, and her love for music saw her perform at Symphony Hall in Boston and Carnegie Hall in New York City. Culpo is a 2010 graduate of St. Mary Academy Bay View, an all-girls Catholic school in Riverside, where she was a member of the National Honor Society. She said she comes from a big, Italian family and speaks some Italian. On her Twitter account, she describes herself as a nerd and model. "I was just so surprised, so shocked, so honored to be there," she said of her win. Rounding out the top five contestants were first runner-up Nana Meriwether of Maryland, second runner-up Audrey Bolte of Ohio, third runner-up Jade Kelsall of Nevada and fourth runner-up Jasmyn Wilkins of Georgia. As Meriwether and Culpo held hands waiting for the winner to be announced, Culpo bit her lip and cringed with anticipation. Culpo demonstrated an outgoing personality throughout the competition, blowing a kiss and shimmying across the stage during the opening number. She cited Hepburn as her source of inspiration, noting her many years of volunteer work. "She was beautiful on the outside, but also beautiful on the inside," said Culpo, who sang the chorus of "Funny Face" from her favorite movie of the same name after her win. Miss Iowa USA Rebecca Hodge was named Miss Congeniality, and Miss Oregon USA Alaina Bergsma was named the most photogenic. They both won $1,000, but didn't make the top 16. The pageant had three competitions: swimsuit, evening gowns and interview question. The contestants were whittled to 16 after the show's opening fashion show number. The contestants were later narrowed down to a field of 10 and then five. Pop band Cobra Starship performed as the beauty queens modeled their string bikinis. Singer Akon danced with the top five during the evening gown competition. Culpo had one of the more modest dresses of the contest, with many of the beauty queens wearing revealing gowns with bare backs, high slits and sheer fabric. In contrast, Culpo's flowing gown covered her legs and lower back while revealing some cleavage. The judge's panel included Chef Cat Cora, TV personality Arsenio Hall and singer Joe Jonas. Andy Cohen and Giuliana Rancic stepped in to host. Miss USA 2011 Alyssa Campanella of California crowned Culpo her successor at the end of the night. The first-ever transgender contestant to compete in the Miss Universe Canada pageant made it to the penultimate round before losing her bid to win the title last month. She was initially denied entry to Canada's pageant because she was not born female. Donald Trump, who runs the Miss Universe Organization, subsequently overruled that decision. Miss Universe publicity director Brenda Mendoza has said transgender competitors are now welcome at all of its pageants around the world. The competition is not affiliated with the Miss America pageant. Source: HuffPost

Beyonce In Paris Bravely Wears Hot Pink Pants

All hail Beyonce, Queen of the Wild Pants! Our favorite printed lady stepped out in Paris today, there with Jay-Z and their adorable bundle of joy, baby Blue Ivy. While Jay was his usual dressed-down self (leather jacket, baggy pants, Air Jordans) and Blue was in blue leggings and a blue baby blanket (we can't make this stuff up), Beyonce was sporting the kind of wild outfit only she could pull off: a hot pink and yellow zigzag print blouse, pointy high heels and hot pink pants. Oh, Beyonce, how we wish we could be you. The Carter-Knowles family was in France for the weekend while Jay-Z performed with Kanye West the Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy on Friday. Kanye and Jay are in the midst of their European tour, which will take them to Germany, Ireland and England. (They will presumably perform "N****s In Paris" in all of them.) But while gang jaunts all over Europe, don't expect them to blend in.

Olympic torch lights up Northern Ireland

GIANT'S CAUSEWAY, United Kingdom - The Olympic torch was held aloft Monday at the Giant's Causeway, the spectacular coastal rock formation, the highlight of its journey across Northern Ireland. The torch is being taken round all parts of the United Kingdom in a 10-week, 8,000-mile (12,875-kilometre) relay ahead of the 2012 London Games, which start on July 27. Northern Irish triathlete Peter Jack, 54, carried the flame in broad sunshine at the Giant's Causeway, which comprises around 40,000 interlocking mostly hexagonal basalt columns formed by volcanic activity. Celtic legend has it that the giant Fionn mac Cumhaill (Finn MacCool) built the causeway as stepping stones across to Scotland in a challenge to a giant called Benandonner. The iconic world heritage site attracts more than half a million tourists visit each year. The flame was also carried over the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge, which links the mainland to a tiny island. In Londonderry, Northern Ireland's second city, the torch was to cross the Peace Bridge in a symbol of cross-community reconciliation before a party marking the end of the torch's journey for the day. The link was opened relatively recently between a disused army barracks in a mainly Protestant part of Derry and its largely Catholic centre. Northern Irish sports minister Caral Ni Chuilin said: "The all-Ireland torch relay is a celebration of all we have to offer. "The Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge, Giant's Causeway and Dunluce Castle are just some of this island's jewels." The torch is on a five-day journey around Northern Ireland and will cross the border as a token of closer ties between Britain and the Republic of Ireland following Queen Elizabeth II's landmark visit there last year. The trip comes as Britain celebrates the sovereign's diamond jubilee, marking her 60 years on the throne. It will visit Dublin on Wednesday, passing some of the capital's main sights. The highly-charged visit was the first by a British monarch since her grandfather king George V in 1911, before the republic won independence in 1922. In his diamond jubilee personal tribute, Prince Charles, the heir to the throne, said he thought the visit had been his mother's "greatest achievement". Seen as the last piece in the jigsaw of peace in Northern Ireland, the four-day trip required the republic's biggest-ever security operation. However, through some highly symbolic gestures - including speaking in Irish - she melted away enough post-colonial angst to permit an unscheduled public walkabout at the end of the visit. Source: AsiaOne

Canada says 'Psycho' extradition process under way

MONTREAL - Canada said Monday that it was working on the documents needed to secure the extradition of a murder suspect dubbed the "Canadian Psycho," arrested in Germany on suspicion of dismembering his lover. Police in Berlin picked up Luka Rocco Magnotta, 29, at an Internet cafe after a days-long hunt for the man believed to have murdered his Chinese lover with an ice pick, dismembered his body and filmed the grisly killing. "Mr. Magnotta has been arrested in Berlin, Germany on an Interpol Red notice which under German law constitutes a provisional request from Canada for his extradition," justice ministry spokeswoman Julie Di Mambro said in a statement. "Pursuant to the Canada-Germany Treaty on extradition, Canada has to now submit a formal request for his extradition accompanied by documentation outlining the evidence supporting the request," she said. The spokeswoman said officials were working "to prepare the materials in support of the request," adding that Magnotta was expected to appear in a Berlin court on Tuesday. "Canada will continue to be advised of the progress of this matter through the German courts," she said. Interpol had issued a Red Notice wanted-persons alert for Magnotta, also known as Eric Clinton Newman and Vladimir Romanov, to its 190 member countries after a video of the grisly killing surfaced online. The murder came to light when Canadian police said last week that a human foot had been sent to the headquarters of Canada's ruling Conservative Party. A hand was later found in the mail at an Ottawa post office, and a torso was discovered in Montreal. Canadian police believe the remains belong to a Chinese man who was dating Magnotta - and that Magnotta is to blame. Source: AsiaOne

US drone strike targets Al-Qaeda No. 2: Reports

WASHINGTON - Al-Qaeda's second-in-command Abu Yahya al-Libi was the target of a US drone strike that killed 15 people in Pakistan's lawless tribal belt on Monday, US media reported. US officials confirmed to The New York Times that Al-Libi had been the target of the missile attack in North Waziristan, a Taliban and Al-Qaeda stronghold along the Afghan border, but could not say whether he had survived. "People are looking very closely to see whether he's still alive," a US official told the New York Times. "It'll take some time for people to gain a high level of confidence that he's dead. But he's number two in Al-Qaeda, and this would be a major blow." A senior US official also told ABC News that Al-Libi had been the target of the attack, the third drone strike in three days and the deadliest this year. "This would be a major blow to core Al-Qaeda - removing the number two leader twice in less than a year," a senior US official told AFP on condition of anonymity, adding he could not confirm if Al-Libi was dead or alive. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, noted that Al-Libi had served as "general manager" for Al-Qaeda's main branch, overseeing its daily operations in Pakistani's lawless tribal regions and managing links to affiliates around the world. Al-Libi, a Libyan citizen believed to be in his late 40s, has been an influential Al-Qaeda commander. He became the international terror network's deputy leader after the August death of Atiyah abd al-Rahman, another Libyan national who was killed in a US missile strike in North Waziristan. Al-Libi, who has a $1 million US bounty on his head, was falsely reported dead previously, after a December 2009 drone strike in South Waziristan. A senior Pakistani security source in Peshawar told the Times that it "looks like he has been killed." Pakistani officials said two missiles slammed into a compound in the village of Hesokhel, east of Miranshah, the capital of North Waziristan, before dawn. A security official in Miranshah told AFP that the bodies of those killed could not be identified and that there were unconfirmed reports that foreigners were among the dead, a possible reference to Al-Qaeda fighters. Source: AsiaOne

Lisa Medford, Cary Grant: First Nude Showgirl In Vegas Tells About Relationship With Actor

Lisa Medford may seem like just another retiree living out her golden years in the suburbs of Las Vegas. But the 74-year-old brunette is the embodiment of Sin City history with a thousand stories to tell, reports the Los Angeles Times. Medford claims to be the first nude showgirl, when she bared her breasts while performing in singer Harry Belafonte's show at the Riviera casino. She was also a family friend of legendary gangster Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegal, letting him braid her hair when he came over to play poker. The beauty also captivated actor Cary Grant, who she says asked her to bear his child, an offer which she still regrets not making. "I spent nights crying, thinking, 'What if I had Cary Grant's baby?"' she told the Times. "Would my parents really disown me? But I didn't want kids. He was basically gay, and I wasn't in love with him." In her 2010 autobiography, "I Can Hear the Applause: Adult Language... Some Nudity," she also recounts her time getting shot while photographing the Russian occupation of Prague in 1968, selling marijuana, working as a chauffeur for call girls and racking stock cars. Even into old age, Medford retains her toughness. In 2005, while working as a limousine chauffeur, two young thugs tried to leave without paying. But she dug her nails into the neck of one "right where his tattoo was" and pulled him out of the car. "Remember, I grew up with the mob," she bragged to the Las Vegas Sun. Source: HuffPost