Apologies for the lateness of this weeks edition, however, you haven’t missed much, nobody of real note seems to have died. Next week is already shaping up as “a good un” with several good stories and a death of a well known comedian and it’s only Monday!!

Look Who You Could Have Had:

• Jean Rochefort, 87, French actor (Lost in La Mancha, The Phantom of Liberty, Mr. Bean’s Holiday).
• Bob Schiller, 98, American screenwriter (I Love Lucy, All in the Family, The Carol Burnett Show), Emmy winner (1971, 1978).
• Grape-kun, 20, Humboldt penguin.
• William Lombardy, 79, American chess grandmaster, heart attack.

In Other News

Marilyn Manson has discussed for the first time the “excruciating” stage accident that resulted in a leg injury and nine postponed tour dates. The singer was crushed when a giant prop gun collapsed on him during a concert in New York on 30th September. “It was terrifying,” said the rock star, who needed a plate and 10 screws in his fibula after the accident. He said that, contrary to media reports, he was not responsible for the prop toppling over. “I wasn’t trying to climb it,” said the 48-year-old. “It started to fall and I tried to push back and I didn’t get out the way in time. “I’m not sure what I hit my head on, but it did fall on to my leg and break the fibula in two places. The pain was excruciating.” It took several minutes for the stage crew to free Manson, who appeared limp and unconscious. As well as the injury to his lower leg, the star required a screw through his ankle bone. He has spent the last two weeks recovering at home in Los Angeles.

Moors Murderer Ian Brady’s remains must be disposed of with “no music and no ceremony”, a High Court judge has ruled. Two councils asked the judge to step in to ensure the disposal of the serial killer’s body did not cause “offence and distress” to his victims’ families. Sir Geoffrey Vos said Brady’s executor had failed to make proper arrangements for disposal of his remains. Brady died aged 79, on 15th May, but his remains have not yet been disposed of. Brady and Myra Hindley, who died in prison in 2002, tortured and murdered five children in the 1960s. Sir Geoffrey acted after Oldham and Tameside councils raised concerns that five months after Brady’s death his executor, solicitor Robin Makin, had failed to make proper arrangements for the disposal. In issuing directions about the body’s disposal, Sir Geoffrey said: “I decline to permit the playing of the fifth movement of the Symphony Fantastique at the cremation, as Mr Makin requested.” As of yet the cremation has not taken place and nobody seems to know what to do with the resulting ashes.

And finally, an angler who nearly died when he accidentally swallowed a fish he had just caught said he feels lucky “beyond a lottery win” to have survived. Sam Quilliam, 28, stopped breathing and suffered a cardiac arrest after the Dover sole wriggled out of his hand and “swam down” his throat. He was kissing the fish in celebration of his catch on Boscombe Pier, Bournemouth when the accident happened. Paramedics managed to retrieve the fish from his airway with forceps. Mr Quilliam described how he had caught the 14cm long Dover sole while fishing with friends on 5th October. “I went to give it a kiss before throwing it back and it literally, like a bar of soap, shot out of my hand into my mouth and basically swam down my throat,” he said. “I ran around like a headless chicken and then collapsed.” Members of Boscombe Pier Sea Anglers performed CPR on their friend when he passed out before the arrival of emergency crews. Paramedic Matt Harrison, who took seven attempts to remove the fish from Mr Quilliam’s throat, said it was his “most bizarre” call-out.

On This Day

• 1793 – Queen Marie Antoinette of France is tried and convicted in a swift, pre-determined trial in the Palais de Justice, Paris, and condemned to death the following day.
• 1815 – Emperor Napoleon I begins his exile on Saint Helena in the Atlantic Ocean.
• 1863 – American Civil War: The H. L. Hunley, the first submarine to sink a ship, sinks during a test, killing its inventor, Horace L. Hunley.
• 1888 – The “From Hell” letter allegedly sent by Jack the Ripper is received by investigators.
• 1917 – World War I: At Vincennes outside Paris, Dutch dancer Mata Hari is executed by firing squad for spying for the German Empire.
• 1956 – Fortran, the first modern computer language, is shared with the coding community for the first time.

Deaths

• 1917 – Mata Hari, Dutch dancer and spy (b. 1876)
• 1946 – Hermann Göring, German general and politician (b. 1893)
• 1964 – Cole Porter, American composer and songwriter (b. 1891)
• 2011 – Betty Driver, English actress, singer, and author (b. 1920)

Last Week’s Birthdays

Dominic West (48), Sarah Ferguson (58), Steve Coogan (52), Udo Kier (73), Cliff Richard (77), Sacha Baron Cohen (46), Paul Simon (76), Chris Carter (61), Hugh Jackman (49), Robin Askwith (67), Les Dennis (64), Michelle Trachtenberg (32), Emily Deschanel (41), Stephen Moyer (48), Joan Cusack (55), Jane Krakowski (49), Luke Perry (51), John Nettles (74), Dawn French (60), Rose McIver (29), Charles Dance (71), Larry Lamb (70), Martin Kemp (56), Fiona Fullerton (61), Guillermo del Toro (53), Chris O’Dowd (38), Scott Bakula (63), Brandon Routh (38), Tony Shalhoub (64), Brian Blessed (81), Sharon Osbourne (65), Matt Damon (47), Sigourney Weaver (68), Chevy Chase (74), Kristanna Loken (38), Paul Hogan (78), Karyn Parsons (51), Ardal O’Hanlon (52) and R.L. Stine (74).

Firstly, apologies to Martin, I missed that he had Tony Booth last week, so he’s had points awarded posthumously and now heads the leader board!!! I also took the time to go through everyones lists and found the following misses. Sarai got Jean E. Sammet back in May, 61 points. Laura got Irwin Corey back in February, 48 points. So, we’re pretty much all up to date, even with the most obscure of names.

Look Who You Could Have Had:

• Tom Petty, 66, American Hall of Fame musician (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Traveling Wilburys) and voice actor (King of the Hill), heart attack.
• Rodney Bickerstaffe, 72, British trade unionist, General Secretary of NUPE (1982–1993) and UNISON (1996–2001).
• Liam Cosgrave, 97, Irish politician, Taoiseach (1973–1977)
• Terry Downes, 81, British boxer, world champion (1961–1962) and actor (The Fearless Vampire Killers, Caravaggio).
• Ralphie May, 45, American comedian.

In Other News

Swedish model, Arvida Byström, says she’s received rape and death threats after posing for an advert with hairy legs. The 26-year-old featured in an Adidas campaign promoting a new brand of trainers. She received dozens of abusive messages after the advert was released on YouTube. In an Instagram post, which is getting more and more attention, she says she was also threatened with rape in direct messages on social media. She said: “My photo from the @adidasoriginals superstar campaign got a lot of nasty comments last week.” As well as being a model, Arvida is a photographer and is well known for posing with her body hair on show. Adidas says she “questions femininity and gender standards using so-called ‘girly’ aesthetics”. In a statement, Adidas said it’s “honoured to work with creators like Arvida for their creativity, diversity and unique ideas.”

An investigation has been launched by Indiana State Police after an officer shot at a man they believed to be a gunman but was actually an actor in a film. The man in question – Jim Duff – was playing a robber in scenes filming in the city of Crawfordsville. Local police are said to have been responding to a report of a possible robbery at a brewery last week when Sgt. Matt Schroeter encountered the actor wearing a ski mask carrying what they believed to be was a gun. Duff was backing out of the brewery when police ordered him to drop the weapon. However, Duff – caught off guard – turned and an officer fired a shot, missing him. State police confirmed Duff had then dropped the gun, pulled off his mask and told authorities they were on a film set. The film’s production company Montgomery County Movies – who had failed to notify police a robbery scene was being filmed – accepted responsibility for the misunderstanding. Duff was arrested but then released after police could confirm that he was working on the film.

And finally, one for the runners who like to wear Nike apparel. In the 1980s, Nike was locked in an epic war with Reebok for control of the sneaker market. In response, Nike engaged Portland advertising firm Wieden & Kennedy to create a new campaign that would broaden its appeal. The one thing that came to mind was an event that happened around 10 years earlier. A man named Gary Gilmore received mainstream media attention after murdering two men in separate incidents in Utah. Gilmore, then 35, had endured a troubled upbringing and spent half his life in prison for a series of violent crimes including armed robbery. He’d been released from an Indiana prison and moved to live with a distant cousin in Utah in an attempt to turn his life around. But he quickly returned to his previous lifestyle and, in July 1976, robbed and murdered gas station employee Max Jensen, and then killed motel manager Bennie Bushnell the following evening. Gilmore was quickly caught, convicted and sentenced to death. Instead of trying to fight for his life, he appeared to welcome the verdict and chose to be shot by a firing squad instead of being hung. Capital punishment was suspended in the US from 1972 to 1976, so there was high interest in Gilmore’s case. So, after a last meal of steak, potatoes, milk and coffee — of which he only consumed the milk and coffee — Gilmore was put in front of the firing squad on January 17th 1977. When asked if he had any last words, Gilmore famously said: “Let’s do it!” It was a line that stuck with Wieden, and for some reason came to him as he sat trying to finalise the Nike campaign in 1988. “I remember when I read that I was like, ‘That’s amazing — how, in the face of that much uncertainty, do you push through that?’ I didn’t like the ‘let’s’ thing, I just changed that because otherwise I would have to give him credit, now I don’t really have to.” The “Just Do It” tagline first appeared in a 1988 commercial featuring 80-year-old runner Walt Stack and was wildly successful. So, the next time you slip on those trainers, remember you owe it all to a murderer!

On This Day

• 1582 – Because of the implementation of the Gregorian calendar this day does not exist in this year in Italy, Poland, Portugal and Spain.
• 1952 – The Harrow and Wealdstone rail crash kills 112 people.
• 2005 – The 7.6 M_w Kashmir earthquake strikes with a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe), leaving 86,000–87,351 people dead, 69,000–75,266 injured, and 2.8 million homeless.
• 2014 – First person in US diagnosed with Ebola dies.

Deaths

• 1793 – John Hancock, American merchant and politician, 1st Governor of Massachusetts (b. 1737)
• 1967 – Clement Attlee, English soldier, lawyer, and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1883)
• 2015 – Jim Diamond, Scottish singer-songwriter (b. 1951)

Last Week’s Birthdays

Simon Cowell (58), Tim Minchin (42), Alesha Dixon (39), Ioan Gruffudd (44), Elisabeth Shue (54), Britt Ekland (75), Kate Winslet (42), Guy Pearce (50), Jesse Eisenberg (34), Karen Allen (66), Clive Barker (65), Neil deGrasse Tyson (59), Bob Geldof (66), Melissa Benoist (29), Dakota Johnson (28), Liev Schreiber (50), Susan Sarandon (71), Alicia Silverstone (41), Christoph Waltz (61), Sarah Lancashire (52), Denis Villeneuve (50), Lena Headey (44), Neve Campbell (44), Seann William Scott (41), Clive Owen (53), Gwen Stefani (48), Greg Proops (58), Lorraine Bracco (63), Avery Brooks (69), Sting (66), Tiffany (46), Julie Andrews (82), Zach Galifianakis (48) and Randy Quaid (67).

Its been a busy week at Dead Pool Towers, one could argue that the flying monkeys managed to escape. Points!!! With the demise of Liz Dawn, we can award 73 points to John, Nickie & Debbie and with the death of Hugh Hefner, we can award 59 points to Mark, Nickie, Paula, Ashley & Doug. Well done you lot, double bubble for Nickie for getting two deaths in one week! There’s lots to read this week, so best get on with it.

Look Who You Could Have Had:

• Charles Bradley, 68, American singer (“Changes”), stomach cancer
• Tony Booth, 85, British actor (Till Death Us Do Part, Coronation Street, The Contender).
• Elizabeth Dawn, 77, British actress (Coronation Street, Crown Court, The Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club), emphysema.
• Eman Ahmed Abd El Aty, 37, Egyptian woman, world’s heaviest, kidney failure and intestinal shock.
• Bobby Knutt, 71, British actor and comedian (Coronation Street, Benidorm, Emmerdale), heart attack.
• Sir Richard Greenbury, 81, British businessman, Chairman of Marks and Spencer (1988–1999).
• Hugh Hefner, 91, American magazine publisher (Playboy), businessman (Playboy Enterprises) and reality television actor (The Girls Next Door).
• Monty Hall, 96, Canadian-American game show host (Let’s Make a Deal), heart failure

In Other News

Rock star Marilyn Manson was injured during a concert in New York when a large piece of stage scenery fell on him on stage. The prop – apparently two large guns held together with metal scaffolding – fell as he was performing at the Hammerstein Ballroom on Saturday. An eyewitness told the BBC that the singer lay on stage for up to 15 minutes covered by a sheet before he was carried out on a stretcher and taken to hospital. His condition is not currently known. Eyewitness Anthony  Biscardi told the BBC that fans at the concert “instantly freaked out”. “He was performing the song Sweet Dreams. Towards the middle of the song it seemed as though he tried climbing onto a prop. “The first touch of weight on those poles and it came crashing down onto him.” In videos of the incident posted online, stage crew and band members can be seen lifting the prop off the singer but he does not get back up. “He was pretty limp, almost as though he was unconscious,” Mr Biscardi said. Mr Biscardi said a black sheet was put around him until he could be taken off stage, when an announcement was made that the show was cancelled “due to injury”. The 48-year-old artist was three dates into his The Heaven Upside Down Tour. He was due to perform in Boston on Monday night.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus, the award-winning star of US TV comedy series Veep, has announced she has breast cancer, in a message posted on social media. “1 in 8 women get breast cancer,” she wrote. “Today I’m the one.” “The good news”, she said, was that she had a “glorious group” of family and friends supporting her and “fantastic” insurance through her union. The actress, 56, has also featured in Saturday Night Live, The New Adventures of Old Christine and Seinfeld. Earlier this month, Louis-Dreyfus picked up a record-breaking sixth Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a row for her role in HBO series Veep. Louis-Dreyfus’ announcement was met with an outpouring of support from other actors and celebrities.

Lady Lucan, the 80-year-old widow of Lord Lucan, has been found dead at her home in London, police have confirmed. Strangely enough, it seems that she was not famous enough in her own right to be listed in the Wiki death list, however we believe she merits a mention. Officers found her body after forcing entry to the property in Belgravia on Tuesday, but her death is not believed to be suspicious, the Met Police said. Lady Lucan was one of the last people to see her husband John Bingham, the 7th Earl of Lucan, alive before he disappeared in November 1974. A Met Police spokesperson said: “Police attended an address on Eaton Row in Westminster… following concerns for the welfare of an elderly occupant. “Officers forced entry and found an 80-year-old woman unresponsive. Although we await formal identification we are confident that the deceased is Lady Lucan.” Lord Lucan was officially declared dead by the High Court in 1999, but has reportedly been sighted in Australia, Ireland, South Africa and New Zealand. A High Court judge granted a death certificate in February last year allowing his son, Lord Bingham, to take over his title.

And finally, a couple arrested after allegedly murdering and eating up to 30 people in Russia may have used dating sites to lure their victims, it has emerged. Dmitry Baksheev and his wife, Natalia Baksheeva, were detained in the southern region of Krasnodar after pictures of a dismembered body were found on a phone, local media reports. The phone, which is said to have contained several images of Mr Baksheev posing with a female victim’s head and hands, was found by a builder who handed it into police earlier in September. Ms Baksheeva told authorities there had been at least 30 victims over the past 18 years. There are fears the 45-year-old has been feeding human meat to student pilots at the military academy where the couple worked. Remains of a woman were later found in a bag in the academy, Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reported. Seven containers of human body parts, 19 samples of human skin and remains pickled in jars were allegedly also found in the freezer and cellar of the couple’s home. One photograph dated from 1999 was found appearing to show a severed human head on a serving plate alongside fruit. The couple remain in custody on one initial murder charge while the investigation continues.

On This Day

• 1843 – The News of the World tabloid begins publication in London.
• 1861 – Mrs Beeton’s Book of Household Management is published, going on to sell 60,000 copies in its first year and remaining in print until the present day.
• 1958 – NASA is created.
• 1971 – The first brain-scan using x-ray computed tomography (CT or CAT scan) is performed at Atkinson Morley Hospital in Wimbledon, London.
• 1982 – Sony launches the first consumer compact disc player (model CDP-101).

Deaths

• 1975 – Al Jackson, Jr., American drummer, songwriter, and producer (b. 1935)
• 2013 – Tom Clancy, American author (b. 1947)
• 2014 – Lynsey de Paul, English singer-songwriter, pianist, and actress (b. 1948)

Last Week’s Birthdays

Marion Cotillard (42), Monica Bellucci (53), Eric Stoltz (56), Omid Djalili (52), Al Leong (65), Erika Eleniak (48), Ian McShane (75), Luke & Matt Goss (49), Mackenzie Crook (46), Robert Webb (45), Jerry Lee Lewis (82), Patricia Hodge (71), Naomi Watts (49), Hilary Duff (30), Mira Sorvino (50), Brigitte Bardot (83), Dita Von Teese (45), Gwyneth Paltrow (45), Avril Lavigne (33), Meat Loaf (70), Irvine Welsh (59), Linda Hamilton (61), Olivia Newton-John (69), Lysette Anthony (54), Serena Williams (36), Will Smith (49), Mark Hamill (66), Catherine Zeta-Jones (48), Michael Douglas (73), Heather Locklear (56), Michael Madsen (60), Felicity Kendal (71) and Barbara Walters (88).

More points to be awarded, Debbie, Shan, Martin and Doug all score 55 points with the death of the boxer Jake LaMotta, which has caused something I can’t recall happening before. A tie at the top of the leader board! Both Laura and Martin now have 521 points each. If this happens to be the final score we have no rules to decide the winner! So as we are a democratic dictatorship here, we at Dead Pool Towers will let the masses decide how such an occurrence will be decided should it happen, then ignore it all and make up another rule. So, what do you think?

Look Who You Could Have Had:

• Suzan Farmer, 75, British actress (The Scarlet Blade, Doctor in Clover, Coronation Street).
• Bobby Heenan, 72, American professional wrestler, manager and commentator (WWF, AWA, WCW), organ failure.
• Ben Hammer, 92, American actor (The Beastmaster, Law & Order, Sleepers).
• Bernie Casey, 78, American actor (Revenge of the Nerds, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure) and football player (San Francisco 49ers).
• Jake LaMotta, 95, American Hall of Fame boxer and comedian, inspiration for Raging Bull, complications from pneumonia.
• Liliane Bettencourt, 94, French cosmetics businesswoman (L’Oréal) and socialite.
• William G. Stewart, 84, British game show host (Fifteen to One) and television producer.

In Other News

Former Olympics Minister Dame Tessa Jowell has been diagnosed with brain cancer, her family have revealed. Her daughter-in-law Ella Woodward posted on social media that the Labour peer was diagnosed in May. Writing on Dame Tessa’s 70th birthday, she described the last few months as “some of the hardest of our lives”. The politician, who stood down as an MP in 2015, responded by tweeting her thanks for the “love and support” she had been shown. Ms Woodward, a food blogger who is married to the politician’s son Matt Mills, wrote on Instagram: “Matt’s Mum was suddenly diagnosed with brain cancer in May. “Her bravery, optimism, love and support for others during this process has inspired us both so much, and today we’re all pledging to try and do everything we can to make people’s lives with cancer better for longer.”

Former England captain Wayne Rooney has appeared in court and admitted drink-driving. He was arrested when police stopped a car in Wilmslow, Cheshire, in the early hours on 1 st September. The 31-year-old was banned from driving for two years and ordered to perform 100 hours of unpaid work as part of a 12-month community order. Rooney was also ordered to pay £170 when he appeared at Stockport Magistrates’ Court. The court heard Rooney was almost three times the legal limit when he was stopped by police at 02:00 BST. A breathalyser test showed his alcohol level was 104 micrograms in 100 millilitres of breath. The drink-drive limit in England and Wales is 35 micrograms per 100 millilitres of breath. In a statement issued after the hearing, the Everton footballer said: “I want publicly to apologise for my unforgivable lack of judgment in driving while over the legal limit. It was completely wrong. “I have already said sorry to my family, my manager and chairman and everyone at Everton FC. Now I want to apologise to all the fans and everyone else who has followed and supported me throughout my career. “Of course I accept the sentence of the court and hope that I can make some amends through my community service.” Are these his first steps as a possible Gazza replacement??

Robbie Williams has been forced to cancel the remaining dates of his European tour due to a mystery illness. The 43-year-old had been due to perform two concerts in Russia this week, with gigs scheduled for St Petersburg and Moscow, and was also set to appear at the closing ceremony of the New Wave singing contest in Sochi. Now though he’s had to pull out because of his health and won’t be resuming his tour until he heads to New Zealand and Australia in February next year. A statement from his publicist reads: ‘Due to illness, the final two dates of the European leg of The Heavy Entertainment Show Tour, St Petersburg and Moscow, have been cancelled. It comes just days after Robbie had opened up about his health struggles with conditions including arthritis and depression. The Take That star also spoke in depth of his mental health issues and confessed he didn’t think he’d have suffered quite as much if he hadn’t have become famous. In July the singer revealed that he’d been suffering from a rare condition called Nocturnal Sleep-Related Eating Disorder, which causes him to eat in the middle of the night whilst totally unaware he’s doing so. Many of us poolers can surely sympathise with this, I know I certainly can..

On This Day

• 1960 – USS Enterprise, the world’s first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, is launched.
• 1979 – CompuServe launches the first consumer internet service, which features the first public electronic mail service.
• 2015 – At least 1,100 people are killed and another 934 wounded after a stampede during the Hajj in Saudi Arabia.

Deaths

• 1863 – William Debenham, English businessman, founded Debenhams (b. 1794)
• 1945 – Hans Geiger, German physicist & academic, co-invented the Geiger counter (b. 1882)
• 1991 – Dr. Seuss, American children’s book writer, poet, and illustrator (b. 1904)

Last Week’s Birthdays

Kevin Sorbo (59), Brad Bird (60), Sven-Ole Thorsen (73), Karl Pilkington (45), Bruce Springsteen (68), Tom Felton (30), Billie Piper (35), John Woo (71), Ruth Jones (51), Joan Jett (59), Sue Perkins (48), Nick Cave (60), Stephen King (70), David Wenham (52), Bill Murray (67), Ricki Lake (49), Alfonso Ribeiro (46), Faith Hill (50), Sophia Loren (83), Asia Argento (42), Moon Bloodgood (42), George R.R. Martin (69), Jeremy Irons (69), David McCallum (84), Jimmy Fallon (43), Victoria Silvstedt (43), Twiggy (68), Jada Pinkett Smith (46), Tim McInnerny (61), Paul Feig (55), Neill Blomkamp (38), Bruce Spence (72) and Baz Luhrmann (55).

Welcome all, another week passes, more celebrity bucket kicking occurs. An odd one this week, all of us missed Harry Dean Stanton, which was a surprise, however he has now begun a rather tenuous thread online as he is the second cast member from Ridley Scott’s Alien to have died this year. But get this, they have died in sequence. John Hurt who was the first to die in the film by a baby alien bursting through his chest died in January this year, now it’s Harry Dean Stanton who played Brett, was the second to die by being bludgeoned by an alien tentacle. This does not bode well for the actor who played Dallas, Tom Skerritt, who at the age of 84 is not a spring chicken, is due to be eaten by the alien offscreen… Let’s see what happens..

So, onwards we go. Points!!! Yes, with the tragic demise of supercentenarian Violet Brown, the following have scored: Paul C & Sarai both get 133 as she was their Woman, Dave gets 33 as she was listed as a Norm. Well done all, slight shift in the league table, but Laura is still tipped to be the Angel of Death for 2017.

Look Who You Could Have Had:

• Len Wein, 69, American comic book writer and editor (Swamp Thing, Watchmen), co-creator of Wolverine.
• Sir Peter Hall, 86, British theatre, opera and film director, director of the National Theatre (1973–1988).
• Basi, 37, Chinese panda, world’s oldest living, cirrhosis and renal failure.
• Gary Otte, 45, American murderer and robber, execution by lethal injection.
• Frank Vincent, 80, American actor (The Sopranos, Goodfellas, Casino), complications during heart surgery.
• Violet Brown, 117, Jamaican supercentenarian, world’s oldest living person, dehydration.
• Harry Dean Stanton, 91, American actor (Alien, The Green Mile, Big Love).

In Other News

Selena Gomez has revealed that she had a kidney transplant operation this summer linked to her lupus. In an Instagram post, the singer says that her friend Francia Raisa donated an organ to her and says she wanted to explain why fans hadn’t heard much from her despite having new music out. “So I found out I  needed to get a kidney transplant due to my Lupus and was recovering,” she writes. “It was what I needed to do for my overall health.” Selena Gomez also thanked her friend, The Secret Life of the American Teenager actress Francia Raisa, in her Instagram post. “There aren’t words to describe how I can possibly thank my beautiful friend Francia Raisa,” she writes. “She gave me the ultimate gift and sacrifice by donating her kidney to me. I am incredibly blessed. I love you so much sis.” The pair first met at a Disney and ABC charity event at a children’s hospital in 2007. Her first public appearance after recovering from the surgery was in New York with boyfriend The Weeknd last Friday night. She also took time off social media last year to deal with panic attacks, anxiety and depression. The 25-year-old says her ongoing mental health problems are a side-effect of her lupus diagnosis last year. Lupus affects the body’s immune system. The symptoms of the disease include extreme tiredness, rashes (especially on the face, wrists and hands), joint pain and swelling.

Lady Gaga has been taken to hospital, and says she’s suffering with “severe physical pain”. The Bad Romance singer has cancelled her performance at the festival Rock In Rio in Brazil because of it. “I would do anything 4 u but I have to take care of my body right now,” she wrote to fans on Instagram. The 31-year-old recently revealed she’s suffering with fibromyalgia, a condition that causes intense discomfort all over the body. “Lady Gaga is suffering from severe physical pain that has impacted her ability to perform,” a statement on her Instagram page said. “As a result, she sadly must withdraw from this Friday’s Rock In Rio performance.” The singer also posted a picture of her arm with a drip in it. “Brazil, I’m devastated that I’m not well enough to come to Rock In Rio. “I ask for your grace and understanding, and promise that I will come back and perform for you soon. I’m so sorry, and I love you so much.” The musician cancelled a show in Montreal, Canada, earlier this month after falling ill. She’s due to tour the UK in October, and has recently been promoting the documentary, Gaga: Five Foot Two.

A judge has ordered the jailing of ex-pharmaceutical chief executive Martin “Pharma Bro” Shkreli while he awaits sentencing for securities fraud. Judge Kiyo Matsumoto said a Facebook post in which Shkreli offered $5,000 for a strand of Hillary Clinton’s hair showed he was a danger to the public. The former CEO, 34, had been free on $5m (£4m) bail since his 2015 arrest. Shkreli rocketed to notoriety in 2015 – and earned the nickname “Pharma Bro” – after raising the price of a lifesaving anti-parasite drug called Daraprim by 5,000% upon acquiring rights to the medication. Overnight, the price of the drug soared from $13.50 to $750 per dose. On Wednesday, Judge Matsumoto ruled that Shkreli’s post on 4th September – made shortly before Mrs Clinton began a book tour – showed he posed a danger, rejecting arguments his words were protected by US free speech laws. Shkreli – who has clashed frequently with critics on social media – had argued that the since-deleted post amounted to satire, and had been a reference to DNA sequencing. “This is a solicitation of assault in exchange for money,” the judge said. “That is not protected by the First Amendment.” Let’s see how long he lasts in prison. As “the most hated man in America” we’re pretty sure here in Dead Pool Towers that he’ll beaten by the officers a couple of times at least, ironically offered some overly-priced drugs to commit suicide with before finally succumbing to Big Hairy Brenda’s Analphylactic Shock!

On This Day

• 1908 – The Wright Flyer flown by Orville Wright, with Lieutenant Thomas Selfridge as passenger, crashes, killing Selfridge, who becomes the first airplane fatality.
• 1928 – The Okeechobee hurricane strikes southeastern Florida, killing more than 2,500 people. It is the third deadliest natural disaster in United States history, behind the Galveston hurricane of 1900 and the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.
• 1976 – The first Space Shuttle, Enterprise, is unveiled by NASA.

Deaths

• 1868 – Roman Nose, Native American warrior (b. circa 1823)
• 1985 – Laura Ashley, Welsh fashion designer, founded Laura Ashley plc (b. 1925)
• 1999 – Frankie Vaughan, English singer and actor (b. 1928)

Last Week’s Birthdays

Jennifer Tilly (59), Mickey Rourke (65), Danny John-Jules (57), Tom Hardy (40), Tommy Lee Jones (71), Oliver Stone (71), Prince Harry Windsor (33), Brendan O’Carroll (62), Jimmy Carr (45), Sam Neill (70), Andrew Lincoln (44), Walter Koenig (81), Jacqueline Bisset (73), Alfie Allen (31), Ian Holm (86), Linda Gray (77), Virginia Madsen (56), Brian De Palma (77), Johnny Vegas (47), Guy Ritchie (49), Colin Firth (57), Chris Columbus (59), and Amy Irving (64).