LOS ANGELES, Nov. 3 (Xinhua) — After a lengthy round of closing arguments delivered Thursday by both sides over the involuntary manslaughter trial against Michael Jackon’s personal physician, the fate of the cardiologist now rests in the hands of the panelists.

Deputy District Attorney David Walgren and defense attorney Edward Chernoff traded jabs during the day’s court proceedings at the Los Angeles Superior Court, with Walgren accusing the pop star’s doctor Conrad Murray of performing an “obscene experiment” on Jackson for treating his insomnia with powerful anesthetic Propofol. Continue Reading

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 2 (Xinhua) — Troubled U.S. actress Lindsay Lohan, who has admitted to having violated her probation in grand theft and drunk-driving cases by failing to show up for court- ordered community-service appointments and therapy sessions, was ordered by a Los Angeles judge to spend 30 days in jail on Wednesday.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Stephanie Sautner, at a Wednesday hearing to determine if Lohan has violated her probation terms, found the actress liable for the violation, and gave her two choices — spend 300 days in jail, or do community service at the morgue and therapy sessions and spend 30 days in jail. Continue Reading

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) — Michael Jackson’s personal doctor Conrad Murray, who is charged with involuntary manslaughter for the pop star’s 2009 death, refused to testify in his own defense Tuesday.

The 58-year-old cardiologist told Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael E. Pastor his decision not to testify and resign his fate to a jury instead. Edward Chernoff, the defense attorney, also told the judge that they had discussed the matter many times before. Continue Reading

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) — DreamWorks Animation has won another victory at the North America box office, with “Puss In Boots (3-D)” rising to the top place over the Halloween weekend with softer opening showing.

The computer-animated adventure is projected to take in 34 million U.S. dollars after it debuted at 3,952 venues in the United Stated and Canada, representing a softer-than-expected performance for DreamWorks which has been known to be good at making hit animated features, according to distributor Paramount Pictures. Continue Reading

HONG KONG, Oct. 26, 2011 (Xinhua) — Members of British music band STOMP perform in Hong Kong, south China, Oct. 26, 2011. (Photo by Xinhua/Wong Pun Keung)

WASHINGTON, Oct. 10 (Xinhua) — NBA commissioner David Stern announced Monday that the first two weeks of the 2011-2012 regular season will be canceled after failing to reach a new labor deal.

“Despite extensive efforts, we have not been able to reach a new agreement with the players’ union that allows all 30 teams to be able to compete for a championship while fairly compensating our players,” the NBA said in a statement.

Stern said he is canceling all scheduled regular season games through November 14 after several hours of meetings on Monday in effort to reach the deal.

The two sides are not even close on key issues, according to Stern. “We just have a gulf that separates us,” he said.

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) — Michael Jackson’s personal physician told investigator two days after the singer’s death that he had given powerful anesthetic propofol to him before his death, in a two-hour recording played in court on Friday.

But Conrad Murray insisted that he did so at the star’s request. Continue Reading

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) — A toxicologist who worked on Michael Jackson’s autopsy said Thursday that trace amount of Propofol was found in Jackson’s stomach after he died, but no illegal drugs were found in the pop superstar’s system.

As the involuntary manslaughter trial against Jackson’s personal physician entered eighth day of deliberations, Dan Anderson, a supervising criminalist working with the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office, told the seven-man, five-woman jury that tests showed positive toxicoloy findings for seven drugs in Jackson’s system, including Propofol. Continue Reading

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) — An attorney hired by concert promoter AEG to draft an employment agreement for Conrad Murray, Michael Jackson’s personal physician who is charged with involuntary manslaughter following the singer’s death, testified on Wednesday that Murray had asked for a cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) machine as a precaution during Jackson’s 50- day comeback tour.

Kathy Jorrie said she questioned Murray’s request to have the machine at his disposal. “I wanted to make sure that Michael Jackson was healthy and didn’t have a heart condition,” she said. Continue Reading

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) — Charlie Sheen, the star in CBS sitcom “Two and a Half Men”, has settled a lawsuit with Warner Bros. and the show’s producer Chuck Lorre, and would be paid 25 million U.S. dollars.

“Warner Bros. Television, Chuck Lorre and Charlie Sheen have resolved their dispute to the parties’ mutual satisfaction,” Warner Bros. said in a statement on Monday. Continue Reading

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) — “The Lion King 3-D,” buoyed by an exceptionally great word of mouth, remained at the top spot of the North America box office over the weekend after it roared as the top earner last weekend, according to the latest estimates provided by distributor Walt Disney Pictures.

The Disney animated flick, which first hit screen in 1994 and re-released in 3-D format in the United Continue Reading

NEW YORK, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) — The NBA announced the cancellation of 43 pre-season games and the postpone of training camps indefinitely.

The representatives for the NBA owners and players union are still at an impasse over a new collective bargaining labour agreement after a series of talks. Continue Reading