Remembering Michael Jackson on Twitter

As the news of Michael Jackson’s death spread around the world June 25, the social networking site Twitter came to a virtual standstill, flooded with visitors tweeting the news. Within moments of the first breaking news reports — indicating that Jackson had suffered cardiac arrest and had been rushed via ambulance to a Los Angeles hospital — both “#michaeljackson” and “Cardiac Arrest” emerged as two of the network’s highest-rated “trending topics.” As TIME’s Michael Scherer notes, nearly three times as many tweets were posted about Michael Jackson on Thursday than either Iran or swine flu. In the hour following confirmation of his death, celebrities rushed to make their grief and condolences public: Miley Cyrus : michael jackson was my inspiration.

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Fabregas laments Arsenal’s ‘impotence’

Spain midfielder Cesc Fabregas has followed his country’s surprise 2-0 Confederations Cup defeat to the United States by hinting he could be ready to leave English Premier League club Arsenal because of their limited success. The 22-year-old star told British newspaper The Sun that the loss to the USA was not the prime factor contributing to his depressed mood, instead he focused on his club’s inability to win silverware. “The absence of titles at Arsenal is what angers me the most

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Egyptian tycoon, ex-cop face execution

An Egyptian court on Thursday confirmed the death sentences of a business tycoon and a former police officer convicted of killing rising Lebanese pop star Suzanne Tamim. In a case that has captivated Egypt and the region because of the fame of the victim and one of the defendants, a judge sentenced to death real estate mogul Hisham Talaat Moustafa and former officer Muhsen el Sukkari last month. Tamim’s body was found stabbed, with her throat slit, in her apartment in the United Arab Emirates in July 2008.

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Reality TV stars Jon and Kate are divorcing

After 10 years of marriage, eight kids and a popular reality show documenting the ups-and-downs of life with two sets of multiples, Jon and Kate Gosselin are officially separating. The couple made the announcement on Monday’s episode of “Jon & Kate Plus 8.” “Kate and I have decided to separate,” Jon said during Monday’s broadcast. “It’s just not good for our kids to be arguing in front of our kids.” “I’m not very fond of the idea, personally,” Kate said.

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Obama signs bill putting tobacco products under FDA oversight

President Obama signed landmark legislation Monday giving the Food and Drug Administration new power to regulate the manufacturing, marketing and sale of tobacco. The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act gives the FDA power to ban candy-flavored and fruit-flavored cigarettes, widely considered appealing to first-time smokers, including youths. It also prohibits tobacco companies from using terms such as “low tar,” “light” or “mild,” requires larger warning labels on packages, and restricts advertising of tobacco products

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