Iranian lawmaker questions Saudi defence pact with Pakistan, Türkiye

Perez Hilton is receiving medical care after a livestream on Tuesday triggered an emergency response at his Miami-area home. The video, later removed, showed the celebrity blogger appearing to harm himself while viewers watched online. The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office confirmed deputies responded to reports of someone livestreaming self-harm on social media. Their initial statement did not name Hilton directly. A follow-up statement confirmed the person involved was safely recovered. He was then taken to a local hospital for treatment. According to details from the scene, Hilton was alone inside his residence at the time. His children and other family members were not present. Deputies arrived with multiple patrol vehicles and set up yellow tape around the neighbourhood. They later confirmed with family members that he was alone inside. The Sheriff’s Office added that in cases involving a mental health crisis or active self-harm, deputies focus on de-escalation. They said this involves creating time, distance and space for communication. The goal is to avoid immediate confrontation wherever possible. Golden Artists Entertainment, the talent management firm representing Hilton, said it was aware of the circulating content. The co-CEOs said Hilton and his family’s wellbeing was their main concern right now. They added that despite ongoing efforts, they had not yet been able to reach him directly. Hilton, 48, first became known in the early 2000s as a celebrity gossip blogger. He built one of the internet’s most-read entertainment sites during that era. He is a father of three children, all born via surrogacy. He had recently announced a move back to Miami from Las Vegas. This came shortly after a hospital stay earlier this year. The incident has sparked concern among fans and fellow public figures online. Many have shared messages of support and called for privacy during his recovery. As of now, further updates on his condition have not been released. Authorities and his team have not commented further on what led to the livestream.

Michael Jackson’s estate has secured a significant legal victory in a lawsuit filed by four siblings who accused the late pop icon of sexually abusing and trafficking them when they were minors. The case was brought earlier this year by siblings Edward, Dominic, Marie-Nicole and Aldo Cascio against the estate of Jackson, who died in 2009 at the age of 50. The siblings claimed that the singer had groomed and brainwashed them during their childhood and alleged that they were subjected to sexual abuse and trafficking. The Cascio siblings had a close relationship with Jackson while growing up and have previously described themselves as part of his “second family.” Their connection with the singer became the focus of legal proceedings after they made allegations against him and subsequently reached a settlement with his estate. In 2019, Jackson’s estate agreed to pay the siblings $3.5 million as part of a settlement. The agreement did not include any admission of wrongdoing by the estate or acknowledge the allegations made against the late singer. The siblings later attempted to challenge the settlement, arguing that the agreement should be declared invalid and unenforceable. They claimed they had been pressured or coerced into signing the deal and sought to pursue their allegations through the court system. However, their effort to bring the dispute before a public trial has now been rejected. On Wednesday, August 12, Judge Hernán D. Vera ruled that the legal dispute must be resolved through confidential arbitration instead of proceeding as a public court case. The decision represents a major victory for Jackson’s estate, as arbitration generally keeps legal proceedings private and limits the matter from moving forward through a public trial. According to court papers obtained by Billboard, Judge Vera acknowledged the seriousness of the allegations but concluded that the existing agreement required the dispute to be handled through arbitration. “Although the allegations are horrific, the court is without discretion to do aught but enforce the language of the arbitration clause,” the court stated. The ruling does not determine whether the allegations made by the Cascio siblings are true or false. Instead, it focuses on the legal terms of the 2019 settlement and whether the dispute must follow the arbitration provision contained in that agreement. The siblings’ allegations have nevertheless brought renewed attention to Jackson’s relationships with children and families who were close to him during his lifetime. Jackson, one of the most influential entertainers in music history, faced allegations of sexual misconduct during his career, though he consistently denied wrongdoing. The latest ruling means that the Cascio siblings’ dispute with Jackson’s estate will now continue, if at all, through a private arbitration process rather than a public courtroom trial. The outcome of that process could determine whether their challenge to the 2019 settlement has any further legal consequences.