Broke Jackson living in friend’s houses

Pop star Michael Jackson has been depending on the kindness of friends to provide him and his children shelter after being sent out of places he rented in Las Vegas and Washington, reports IANS from New York.

Jackson, who is nearly broke and about to lose his Neverland Ranch, had to spend last week at the Beverly Hills home of his good friend Ron Burkle. “The whole family has been hiding out. They were holed up in Burkle’s place behind the Beverly Hills Hotel. Jackson is at default on a $23 million loan against his ranch and is on the verge of losing his entire fortune.

Ray is London's best actor: poll

Beowulf star Ray Winstone has topped a poll conducted by a website to find London’s best actor.Winstone beats out the likes of Gary Oldman and Oscar winning legend Michael Caine, ananova.com reports. The poll was conducted by lovefilm.com and marked the release of Jude Law and Caine starrer Sleuth. The top 10 British actors are: Ray Winstone, Gary Oldman, Michael Caine, Alan Rickman, Helen Mirren, Jude Law, Daniel Day Lewis, Emma Thompson, Rachel Weisz and Helena Carter.

$40,800 bid to name butterfly

An unidentified person bid $40,800 for the naming rights of a new species of butterfly — and scientists will use the money to continue their research, reports IANS from New York.

Researchers at the University of Florida discovered the new owl butterfly in Mexico’s Sonoran desert earlier this year and decided, in a first, to offer its naming rights in an online auction. The new butterfly’s scientific name is Opsiphanes blythekitzmillerae, but its popular name, chosen by the winning bidder, is Minerva — in memory of Margery Minerva Blythe Kitzmiller of Ohio.