A judge has ruled that negligence by US Army engineers led to massive flooding in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina in a move which could lead to a massive Government payout to claimants.

A lawsuit filed against American television network ABC and Pop Idol judge Simon Cowell alleges they conspired to steal the brand and concept of Million Dollar Idea, a series being aired in the US.

Michael Jackson’s lavish lifestyle has left him on the brink of bankruptcy, his former financial advisers claim in a lawsuit.