MJ's 'Moonwalk' glove up for auction

A rhinestone-studded leather glove worn by pop icon Michael Jackson on his maiden Moonwalk in 1983, was on display on Tuesday in New York before it rocks on to the auction block.

The sparkling bit of pop history was among 350 lots in the catalogue at the sale set to take place on Saturday at the Hard Rock Cafe in New York's Times Square.

For fans of the late King of Pop, about 80 items are up for grabs, from the singer's public and private sides.

Among the Jackson belongings: a pair of sparkle-encrusted shoes, portraits of Charlie Chaplin drawn by Jackson when he was just nine years old, a black shirt signed by the star, hats, a 1985 Mercedes, handwritten letters, and assorted travel souvenirs.

The glove could fetch more than the estimated $40,000- $60,000, as a number of collectors already have voiced interest, said Darren Julien of Julien's Auction.

"We have toured the glove to Asia, Russia. There is a lot of interest, people are flying from all over the world on Saturday," he noted.

The "made in Korea" left-handed golf glove encrusted with Swarovski crystals was probably purchased for about $30, Julien said. But it was famously worn by the star in a televised concert marking Motown's 25th anniversary.

Jackson wowed viewers, performing the song Billie Jean and premiering his Moonwalk moves for mass consumption.

"This was his most historical performance. ... It was his first performance of Moonwalk, he performed it in his kitchen at home two nights before," says Julien.

Jackson died on June 25 at his rented mansion in Los Angeles after an accidental overdose of powerful prescription drugs.

Michael Jackson's secret novel?

A secret novel penned by the 'King of Pop' Michael Jackson has reportedly led to a bidding battle between New York publishers for the printing rights.

It is not known when the 'Thriller' hitmaker put pen to paper and wrote the fictional account of a rock star's struggles with money and fame at the height of his success, Essence.com reported.

"The untitled book mirrors Jackson's own rise to superstardom and self-imposed seclusion," a source told the website.

Insiders claim that the pop icon conceptualised the plot and characters and then worked with a collaborator on the story and accompanying illustrations.

Jackson, who died of drug overdose on June 25, was laid to rest in peace at the Los Angeles' Forest Lawn Memorial
Park earlier this month.

Madonna turns Correspondent for Israeli newspaper

Queen of Pop' Madonna has turned correspondent for Israel's biggest newspaper.

The 50-year-old pop star's article on her conversion to the Jewish cult of Kaballah has been displayed prominently on the front page of 'Yediot Ahronot' with a

The article titled 'How My Life Changed' was translated into Hebrew by the paper and an excerpt of it was published Wednesday while the full article will be published tomorrow.

In her article, the controversial singer describes her religious awakening more than a decade ago.

The singer who was born a Christian had alienated the Church with her antics including her many sexually explicit stage shows where she had appeared crucified.

The 'Material Girl' is an astute follower of Kaballah and has adopted the Hebrew name of Esther and studies Jewish mysticism.

She had also made a private pilgrimage to Israel in 2004 and will perform two shows in the country in September as part of her 'Sticky & Sweet' international tour.

Michael Jackson Up for Nobel Peace Prize?

Fans of pop legend Michael Jackson, including Indian admirers, have launched a massive online campaign to have their idol nominated for the coveted Nobel Peace Prize.

The Thriller hitmaker whose sudden death on June 25 resulted in a global outpouring of sorrow, is the ideal candidate for the prestigious prize, according to his fans who are lobbying for the late pop icon.

The groups which are active on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, have thousands of members who have signed a petition which will be sent to the Nobel Peace Prize Committee, the deciding body based in Norway.

"He has done a great deal for this world and he deserves this for his contribution to humanity. If not him who else?" wrote Ramaswamy from India, on one of the petition sites.

The petitioners from all around the world are campaigning for Jackson citing the humanitarian work undertaken by the 'King of Pop'.

"Michael Jackson deserves a Nobel Peace Prize for his humanitarian work! I don't nominate him for his musical work or artist expression but for his compassion for all things living on this earth," wrote Antoinette Albert from California.

The campaigners cite the various charities aided by the singer, who had written the unity anthem We Are The World to raise awareness about the famine stricken countries of Africa during the 80's.

"It would be nearly impossible to count the multiple hundreds of millions of dollars Michael has donated to charity from his own finances and also through organising major fund raising events," reads one of the online petitions.

An online group which had earlier campaigned for Jackson's nomination last year has also emerged. "We are a group of Michael Jackson fans who last year sent a letter to highly ranked people such as Nelson Mandela, Jimmy Carter, Kofi Annan and the United Nations," reads their website ForMichael.org.

As the number of people joining the petition increases, Jackson who died at the age of 50 of a suspected cardiac arrest, could quickly become a front-runner amongst other international names like Chinese activist Hu Jia and Vietnamese Buddhist monk Thich Quang.

From the world of music U2 front man Bono has also been previously nominated. Former winners of the Nobel Peace Prize include Nelson Mandela, Al Gore and Jimmy Carter.

Michael Jackson Up For Nobel Peace Prize?

Fans of pop legend Michael Jackson, including Indian admirers, have launched a massive online campaign to have their idol nominated for the coveted Nobel Peace Prize.

The 'Thriller' hitmaker whose sudden death on June 25 resulted in a global outpouring of sorrow, is the ideal candidate for the prestigious prize according to his fans who are lobbying for the late pop icon.

The groups which are active on social networking sites like Face Book and Twitter, have thousands of members who have signed a petition which will be sent to the Nobel Peace Prize Committee, the deciding body based in Norway.

"He has done a great deal to this world. he deserves this for his contribution to humanity. If not him who else?" wrote Ramaswamy from India on one of the petition sites.

The petitioners from all around the world are campaigning for Jackson citing the humanitarian work undertaken by the 'King of Pop'.

"Michael Jackson deserves a Nobel Peace Prize for his humanitarian work! I don't nominate him for his musical work or artist expression but for his compassion for all things living on this earth," wrote Antoinette Albert from California.

The campaigners cite the various charities aided by the singer, who had written the unity anthem 'We Are The World' to raise awareness about the famine stricken countries of Africa during the 80's.

"It would be nearly impossible to count the multiple hundreds of millions of dollars Michael has donated to charity from his own finances and also through organising major fund raising events," reads one of the online petitions.

An online group which had earlier campaigned for Jackson's nomination last year has also emerged.

"We are a group of Michael Jackson fans who last year sent a letter to highly ranked people such as Nelson Mandela, Jimmy Carter, Kofi Annan and the United Nations," reads their website ForMichael.org.

As the number of people joining the petition increases, Jackson who died at the age of 50 of a suspected cardiac arrest, could quickly become a front-runner amongst other international names like Chinese activist Hu Jia and Vietnamese Buddhist monk Thich Quang.

Former winners of the Nobel Peace Prize include Nelson Mandela, Al Gore and Jimmy Carter while U2 front man Bono has also been previously nominated.

Diamonds to be made out of Jackson's Hair

Bosses at a US company have announced a bizarre plan to produce 10 sparkling diamonds from King of Pop Michael Jackson's hair.

Executives at LifeGem have obtained a sample of the pop icon's tresses from a memorabilia collector, who owned some of the hair when Jackson burned off his scalp while filming a 1984 Pepsi commercial, reports said.

LifeGem founder Dean Vanden Biesen plans to create a limited edition set of 10 diamonds using a laboratory process that takes carbon from hair and turns it into high-quality gems.

In 2007, Vanden Biesen created three diamonds from the locks of German composer Beethoven's hair, selling one of the stones for approximately USD 200,000.

Britney Spears receives death Threats

Pop singer Britney Spears is refusing to take her sons on tour to Russia after she received a series of death threats by e-mail.

The Toxic hit-maker will base herself in Finland and fly in just for the two concerts in St Petersburg and Moscow next week, reported thesun.co.uk.

"Originally, both boys were to accompany Britney but she was against taking them because of these constant threats," said a source.

After the Moscow performance, Spears will fly straight to London in her private jet to be reunited with sons Sean Preston, three, and Jayden James, two.

The identity of the e-mail sender is unknown.

Jackson's record sales top 9 mn since his Death

Michael Jackson's sudden death has made him once again the most dominant musical figure on the planet.

His recordings have dominated the US pop charts for the third consecutive week ending Wednesday - counting a sale of more than 9 million of the singer's albums since his death June 25.

Nielsen SoundScan said Jackson's albums sold 1.1 million copies over the last seven days and had combined to sell an impressive 2.3 million in the US in the nearly three weeks since he died, reports the Los Angeles Times.

According to the Los Angeles Times an unidentified source with knowledge of sales figures for the catalog said that more than 9 million Jackson albums have been sold worldwide since June 25.

Sony Music, which controls the catalog of his solo adult recordings, declines as a policy to comment on sales issues, but a spokeswoman for the label did not dispute the accuracy of the 9-million figure.

Jackson's music has also topped the pop charts in countries including France, Germany, Australia and Britain during the same period.

Jackson's Daughter writes letters to him everyday

Michael Jackson’s sister La Toya has revealed that the legend’s eleven-year-old daughter, Paris, has been writing letters to him everyday after his death.

“She wears Michael T-shirts every day and the walls of her room are covered with posters and pictures of her daddy. She still writes him letters every day, sweet lovely letters about how much she loves him. Her letters are brilliant. When you read them you cry," Contactmusic quoted La Toya as saying.

The 53-year-old sibling of Jackson also added that Paris bought a ''mood'' chain to place in her father’s coffin before he was buried.

The necklace, which had a metal heart on it that changes colour when it touches someone''s skin, divides into two.

And Paris kept half of it and said she will wear it "forever".

Britney Planning to convert to Judaism

Pop princess Britney Spears wants to prove her love for new boyfriend Jason Trawick by converting to his religion of Judaism.

The 'Toxic' singer who has been dating 37-year-old Trawick, who is also her agent, for the past four months wants to prove her commitment to the relationship by converting, reported Sun online.

The 27-year-old singer who is currently on a world tour to promote her latest album Circus has also hired the services of a Rabbi to teach her the tenets of the faith.

"Britney wants to try the religion Jason was brought up with as a mark of love," a source close to the singer said.

Spears who has two young children from her former marriage to Kevin Federeline, was recently spotted wearing a necklace with the 'Star of David' symbol.

The hitmaker who had a Baptist upbringing had also dabbled in the Jewish cult of Kabbalah in 2005, following in the footsteps of good friend Madonna, but gave up the practice soon.

Jackson was killed for his £1 Billion fortune: Sister

In a new twist to the controversy surrounding Michael Jackson's death, his sister La Toya has claimed that the 'King of Pop' was murdered for his 1 billion pound fortune as "he was worth more dead than alive".

Her claim comes just two days after the chief of Los Angeles police admitted they were investigating Jackson's death as possible homicide.

La Toya said she and the family are convinced her brother's apparent drugs overdose was "foul play" by a shadowy group out to get their hands on his 1 billion pounds fortune, the News of the World reported.

"Michael was murdered. And we don't think just one person was involved. Rather, it was a conspiracy of people. I feel it was all about money. Michael was worth well over a billion pounds in music publishing assets and somebody killed him for that. He was worth more dead than alive," the newspaper quoted La Toya as saying.

The 53-year-old claimed that the pop icon, who died at the age of 50 on June 25, was fed a series of addictive drugs to keep him submissive and controlled.

"Michael had many needle marks on his neck and on his arms, and more about those will emerge in the next few weeks. But nothing has changed my mind that this was murder and I won't give up until I find out what killed my brother," she said.

La Toya believes that Jackson was kept away from his family by manipulative people who blocked their visits, pushed him to work hard even though he didn't want to do the 50 shows in London.

"He didn't want to do 50 shows, he only wanted to do 10. But he was pushed. And Michael being Michael didn't want to let down his fans.

"But even his daughter Paris said 'They worked Daddy too hard'. Somebody that fragile can't keep going on like that," La Toya said.

She claimed that Jackson wanted to give up music. "He really wanted to be a movie director. He was doing everything to make that happen. He had an idea to do a horror film called Thriller. He designed the poster for it already," the former Playboy model revealed.

La Toya claimed those plotting against her brother deliberately cut him off to become "the loneliest man in the world."

"Michael always had cash in his homes, usually around 2 million dollars (1.2 million pounds) which he used to pay out on things. People said, he wasn't wealthy, but Michael always had money with him.

"When I went to the house later that day there was no cash or jewellery. So many people had been through that house before I got there. Someone went in there and did a good job. It was very strange," La Toya said.

She claims that Jackson was being inappropriately treated by people who got him hooked on drugs.

Jackson was killed for his billion-dollar Assets, claims sister

Pop legend Michael Jackson's elder sister La Toya has claimed that the singer was murdered by people conspiring to lay their hands on his $1.6 billion assets.

"Michael was murdered, and we don't think just one person was involved. Rather, it was a conspiracy of people. I feel it was all about money. Michael was worth well over a billion in music publishing assets and somebody killed him for that. He was worth more dead than alive," she said in a four-hour interview to the News of the World.

La Toya, 53, however, refused to name people involved and said: "I can't say who I believe is responsible as I don't want to jeopardize the police investigation."

She also said that Jackson feared he could be targeted in a conspiracy.

"A couple of years ago, Michael told me he was worried that people were out to get him. He said that 'they're gonna kill me for my publishing. They want my catalogues and they're gonna kill me for these'," she said.

"Michael was being controlled. No one could get through to him...Michael was being inappropriately treated by people who got him hooked on drugs," she added.

Jacko's death second biggest Internet story of the Century

Pop singer Michael Jackson's death is officially the second biggest internet news story of the 21st century, according to figures published.

Only Barack Obama's election to the White House eclipsed the King of Pop's dramatic passing away.

According to a news daily, in the 72 hours after his death, Jackson, 50, generated twice as much web news than in the same period after coalition troops entered Iraq.

Other top stories he left standing included last year's Beijing Olympics, Hurricane Katrina, the death of Pope John Paul II and the Indonesian tsunami disaster.

His death has also leapt to the ninth biggest story in global print media since the start of 2000.

The Global Language Monitor, which recorded trends in word usage of the top 5,000 print and electronic media sites carried out the research worldwide.

The analysis tracked news stories within the first 72 hours after the event.

Moonwalker Michael Jackson gets Moon Crater named after him

Moonwalker has got the ultimate tribute. As a homage to the late King of Pop Michael Jackson, a crater on the Moon has now been named after him.

In what could be called as a heavenly tribute, the Lunar Republic Society has said that the Moonwalker has made his mark on the moon.

The news came as the singer`s family, friends, and fans celebrated his life in the Memoruin Cocert at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on July 7, reported a newspaper.

The crater, previously named Posidonius J, is located in the Moon`s Lake of Dreams, and is close to a 1,200-acre parcel purchased by Michael Jackson.

This is the first instance when a celebrity has reached such a status that a hugely important celestial existence has been named after him. Until now it has only been an honour to scientists and philosophers.

Even though Jacko found much reason painful enough to wipe out joy from his life, with this awe-inspiring tribute, Jacko must finally have smiled in death.

Was Michael Jackson Dating his children's nanny?

Michael Jackson was secretly romancing his children's nanny Grace Rwaramba, his personal photographer has revealed. The 'King of Pop' who died at the age of 50 after a suspected cardiac arrest, had a long relationship with the Uganda native, claimed Ian Barkley his personal photographer.Grace loved Michael and he loved her.. it was an open secret among staff," said Barkley. According to the photographer, Jackson's children used to call 42-year-old Rwaramba "mom", reported the Mirror online. Barkley, who travelled the world with the 'Thriller' hitmaker for three years as his personal photographer says that Jackson fell in love with Grace, 42 after she became the nanny of his children in 1999 following his divorce from Debbie Rowe.

She acted like a normal mother toPrince Michael, 12, Paris Katherine, 11 and six-year-old Prince Michael II behind closed doors, claims Barkley. Jackson's former head of security, Matt Fiddes had earlier claimed that the King of Pop had a secret lover but he had refused to reveal her name. Fiddes who has known Jacko since the 1990s, said, "The family were aware that there was someone special in his life who he loved and adored and had his ups and downs with.

For some time she's been present in his life. She wasn't a celebrity figure, absolutely not."Another of Jackson's bodyguards has also confirmed that the secret woman was none other than Rwaramba. "Matt was referring to Grace. They were more like a married couple than employer and employee. "The romance was well-known among staff but it was made very clear to them that this was not something that should become part of the public domain," the unnamed security guard said.

Grace had started as a secretary before working her way up to become the most important woman in the superstar's life. The former nanny is now back in Beverly Hills after Jackson's family asked her to help comfort the kids. She is expected to be among the chief mourners at the private family funeral on Tuesday.

Rwaramba who also had a short-lived romance with Jackson's older brother Jermaine earlier, had said in an earlier interview that she quit the US in December last year after being sacked by Jackson. She had claimed that the star fired her after becoming jealous of her closeness to the children.

Jackson was spending $50,000 per Month on drugs: report

Pop legend Michael Jackson was battling with numerous disorders and was spending 30,000 pounds ($50,000) a month on prescription drugs like narcotic pain relievers, muscle relaxants and anti-depressants before his death.

The ailing "Thriller" star, who died last week, was said to have consumed "mountains of medication" as he battled numerous disorders in the year leading up to his death, reported the sun.co.uk.

Along with narcotic pain reliever Vicodin, 50-year-old Jackson gorged on other drugs like muscle relaxant Soma and sedative Xanax, antidepressant Zoloft, anti-anxiety drug Paxil and heartburn pill Priolosec.

The revelations on the true scale of the tragic star's pills habit came as his family said they now wanted an investigation into the quantity of drugs he was prescribed.

"They suspected the drugs were harming Michael - but not as badly as this. What is crucial to them is not the drug types Michael was taking, but the quantities he was taking them in," said Brian Oxman, the Jackson's family lawyer.

"This is a huge and major concern. During Michael's court trial he was taking 40 Vicodin a day - and this may have even increased. Its an insane amount of drugs to be given and to be taken," added Oxman.

His Beverly Hills dermatologist Arnold Klein allegedly wrote some of the King of Pop's prescriptions. Most were taken from Jackson's local drug store Mickey Fine Pharmacy.

Many prescriptions were bought under the fictitious name Omar Adams, claimed to be a name Jackson devised for a fictitious alter ego. The cost of the superstar's spiraling prescription drugs usage led to a number of lawsuits.

In 2001, Mickey Fine Pharmacy sued him for arrears of about 7,000 pounds on his account.

Jackson also owed Klein around 18,000 pounds at the same time. And in 2002, lupus specialist Allen Metzger claimed that the singer owed him 16,000 pounds.

Michael Jackson told India: "You are My Special Love

Entertainment icon Michael Jackson had a special bond with India and Hinduism.

According to reports, he was reading India's first Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore's poems during the last days of his life.

When Oscar winner Indian musician A. R. Rahman (Slumdog Millionaire) met him after the Oscars few months back in Los Angeles (USA), Michael reportedly asked him to compose a unity anthem for him. Rahman collaborated with Michael on a track titled *Ekam Satyam* in 1999. Michael was reportedly currently working with Adnan Sami, Bollywood musician, on an album, which included Indian musical instruments sarangi, tabla, and dholak. Halima, Michael's brother Jermaine's wife, reportedly lived in Chandigarh (India) for some time.

Michael reportedly learned how to meditate and he was vegetarian. When he was presented statues of Hindu deities Ganesha and Nataraja, Michael knew who they were, and explained their significance to the presenters. He was very anxious to meet Mother Teresa, who lived in India. India born author Deepak Chopra calls Michael a longtime friend.

When Michael flew to India in 1996 for a live show, he was welcomed at the Mumbai airport by an aarti (Hindu ceremony performed in adoration of a deity or any outstanding personage or guest by circular movement of a lighted lamp before his person) by Filmfare Award winner actress Sonali Bendre (Hamara Dil Aapke Paas Hai).

Acclaimed Indo-American statesman Rajan Zed has urged Government of India to honor Michael Jackson posthumously at least by issuing a postage stamp. Michael's personal life might had been controversial, but he did provide "joy" to a large populace of the world through his music. Ancient Hindu scripture *Upanishads *talking about "joy" say, "From joy are born all creatures, by joy they grow, and to joy they return", Zed, who is chairperson of Indo-American Leadership Confederation, added.

When Michael left India after the concert in 1996, he reportedly wrote on the pillow he slept in the hotel suite: "India, all my life I have longed to see your face. I met you and your people and fell in love with you. Now my heart is filled with sorrow and despair for I have to leave, but I promise I shall return to love you and caress you again. Your kindness has overwhelmed me, your spiritual awareness has moved me, and your children have truly touched my heart. They are the face of God. I truly love and adore you India. Forever, continue to love, heal and educate the children, the future shines on them. You are my special love, India. Forever, may God always bless you. - Michael Jackson."