An armada of US and British naval power is massing in the Persian Gulf in the belief that Israel is considering a pre-emptive strike against Iran’s covert nuclear weapons programme.

 Battleships, aircraft carriers, minesweepers and submarines from 25 nations are converging on the strategically important Strait of Hormuz in an unprecedented show of force as Israel and Iran move towards the brink of war.

Western leaders are convinced that Iran will retaliate to any attack by attempting to mine or blockade the shipping lane through which passes around 18 million barrels of oil every day, approximately 35 per cent of the world’s petroleum traded by sea.

A blockade would have a catastrophic effect on the fragile economies of Britain, Europe the United States and Japan, all of which rely heavily on oil and gas supplies from the Gulf.

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most congested international waterways. It is only 21 miles wide at its narrowest point and is bordered by the Iranian coast to the north and the United Arab Emirates to the south.

In preparation for any pre-emptive or retaliatory action by Iran, warships from more than 25 countries, including the United States, Britain, France, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, will today begin an annual 12-day exercise.

The war games are the largest ever undertaken in the region.

They will practise tactics in how to breach an Iranian blockade of the strait and the force will also undertake counter-mining drills.

The multi-national naval force in the Gulf includes three US Nimitz class carrier groups, each of which has more aircraft than the entire complement of the Iranian air force.

The carriers are supported by at least 12 battleships, including ballistic missile cruisers, frigates, destroyers and assault ships carrying thousand of US Marines and special forces.

The British component consists of four British minesweepers and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary Cardigan Bay, a logistics vessel. HMS Diamond, a brand-new £1billion Type 45 destroyer, one of the most powerful ships in the British fleet, will also be operating in the region.

In addition, commanders will also simulate destroying Iranian combat jets, ships and coastal missile batteries.

Amanda Bynes has been making headlines recently for her dangerous driving habits, and now her erratic behavior has people worried that something might be seriously wrong with the actress.

According to TMZ, one of Byne's neighbors has spotted her "having long conversations with inanimate objects," while other witnesses at her gym have seen her talking to herself and "laughing hysterically for no reason" while working out.

The concern over Bynes' mental health follows several car incidents she's been involved in over the past few months. She has been charged with two hit-and-runs as well as a misdemeanor DUI, and her license has been suspended, though that doesn't seem to have stopped her from driving or allegedly smoking a suspicious substance in her car.

According to E! Online, Bynes' next court date is set for Sept. 21 for her misdemeanor DUI charge, and she'll appear in court again on Sept. 27 for her hit-and-run charges.

You may think that the Lingerie Football League is all about exploitation and silliness, and well ... yes it is. Let's not fool ourselves. But these ladies do love themselves some football, and if you think they don't take it seriously when they're in the arena, I give you this wallop laid by one Nikki Johnson of the Regina Rage.

I'm not sure what the formation is here, but it's a standard quarterback option, and Ms. Johnson would not be denied. Veering around the left side in the direction of the end zone, Johnson took out defender Davine Burton of the Toronto Triumph to score with a hit that Cam Newton would be proud of -- if Cam Newton ran over scantily-clad women on an indoor football field. And we're not suggesting that he would.

Ms. Johnson is quite the passer in her league -- through five games in the 2012 season, she's completed 41 of 73 passes for 384 yards, 12 touchdowns and one interception. Her hero is Peyton Manning (at least that's what her Facebook page said when she played for the Las Vegas Sin), but we doubt that Peyton could put a crusher on Darrelle Revis like Johnson did on Burton.

And for that, Ms. Johnson, we salute you.

Amy Adams has received some of the best reviews of her career for playing Peggy Dodd in "The Master." Or is she playing Mary Sue Dodd?

Over the last few months, Adams' character in "The Master" -- Paul Thomas Anderson's latest film, which was partially inspired by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard -- has often been referred to as Mary Sue. In April, the New York Times noted that both Hubbard and Philip Seymour Hoffman's character in the film, Lancaster Dodd, had wives named Mary Sue. After Anderson screened "The Master" for Tom Cruise in May (something the director later confirmed), HuffPost Entertainment wrote a post calling Adams by that name as well. Early reviews of "The Master" in The Hollywood Reporter and Movie City News also referred to Adams' character as Mary Sue, as did Reuters coverage of a press conference for the film held at the Venice Film Festival earlier this month.

However with "The Master" out on Friday, numerous critics are calling Adams' character by the name Peggy -- even A.O. Scott in the New York Times.

Meanwhile, both Rotten Tomatoes and Wikipedia list Adams' character as Mary Sue and Peggy. (IMDb has her listed as just Peggy, as do production notes for "The Master.")

Why is there such confusion about the name of Adams' character? It could trace back to a script review of "The Master" posted by The Playlist in 2010. The site noted that Lancaster's wife was called Mary Sue in the original Anderson screenplay, though how much of that script wound up being used in the version of "The Master" in theaters now is unclear.

HuffPost Entertainment reached out to The Weinstein Company to confirm the name of Adams' character. Per the studio, it is Peggy Dodd.

Divorce is hard no matter how it transpires. But just like leaving one job and starting another, the downtime between ending a marriage and seeking a new person is the perfect time to regroup, refresh and reevaluate. It is a rare and wonderful occurrence when we have the opportunity to objectively look at ourselves and decipher where we are, who we are and what we want going forward.

Besides looking at your career, living situation, goals, dreams and desires, one thing that should be looked at that can have a profound impact on all of the elements of your new life is your personal style.

As you reenter the dating scene, your style is going to brand you and make a very strong impression. How you show up for a date will not only telegraph visual clues about who you are, but may even impact how the date goes and influence whether or not there is a second one.

Let me relay the cautionary tale of Brenda. Vivacious, gorgeous and smart, Brenda both married and divorced young. One afternoon post-divorce, we enjoyed lunch at her apartment. Over dessert, she shared that she was off shortly to a blind coffee date. I was thrilled for her until she disappeared into the other room and appeared in what was intended to be her date outfit. Brenda had replaced her cute cotton sundress with a pair of ill-fitting jeans, a faded t-shirt and scuffed boots. It also looked as if she had removed much of her make-up. I think my stare said it all. She looked down and said, "I don't want it to look like I am trying too hard." She wore this ensemble on her date. Needless to say, even though she was interested, there was never a second date. Perhaps there was nothing in common. But perhaps her date was turned off by the bizarre, disheveled ensemble she chose to wear for her unveiling and his first impression. I can not help but wonder if he was the guy for her and her style choice was the reason she didn't land a second date.

We are a visual society, and the first impression others have of you at a job interview, party or first date is purely visual. If you are thinking, "But I want people to like me for me, not for the way I dress," you are greatly limiting yourself. Why not be the big brain who is also attractive and well put together? A date's first impression is always going to be visual.

Before I divulge what you should wear on your first post-divorce date, I am going to ask you to do a little style check. Ask yourself if the clothes on your body reflect who you are today -- not a year ago, but right now. Do the words that you would use to describe the clothes in your closet also accurately describe your personality? Is what you choose to wear really flattering, or is it something that worked a long time ago and you have not bothered to change the formula? Are you dressing yourself or merely covering your body? What once suited you perfectly before and during your marriage might not work for you now.

As you start to think specifically about what to wear on your first post-divorce date, the very first rule is to never wear an outfit that you wore at any point with your ex. Now is the time for creating new memories without that person. It is of the utmost importance that your first impression on a date is as an open, sexy, confident person -- someone your date would like to get to know. I suggest buying something new to celebrate this new beginning. Unlike Brenda, you need to put out a romantic vibe, so use a romantic color.

Your individual romantic color, or personal version of red, is your sexy color. The warm passionate glow from this hue gives the perfect welcoming impression on a first date with the person whom you might possibly spend the rest of your life with. Here is the way to discover yours, regardless of your skin tone:

The fury over an anti-Islam film that targeted American diplomatic missions has spread to a number of other Western facilities in the Muslim world, raising the specter Saturday of a widening protest.

Attacks on German and British embassies in Sudan, the ransacking of an American school in Tunisia, a fire at a U.S.-based fast-food restaurant in Lebanon and attacks against multi-national peacekeepers in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula were among the latest targets in protests that turned violent.

The unrest reached Australia, where hundreds of demonstrators clashed Saturday with police outside the U.S. Consulate in Sydney.

Top Western diplomats warned leaders in countries where the unrest has been most pronounced to ensure the protection of its missions and its people.

"I am following the unfolding events with grave concern and call on national authorities in all countries concerned to swiftly ensure the security of diplomatic mission and protect diplomatic staff," Catherine Ashton, the European Union foreign affairs chief, said in a statement.

"It is vitally important leaders across the affected regions should call immediately for peace and restraint."

Capital cities and other cities in North Africa and the Middle East where protests against an anti-Islam film have broken out. Capital cities and other cities in North Africa and the Middle East where protests against an anti-Islam film have broken out.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton took it one step further, warning that the United States would take action to protect its diplomatic facilities if the countries in question did not stop the violence and seek justice for the attacks.

"Reasonable people and responsible leaders in these countries need to do everything they can to restore security and hold accountable those behind these violent acts," she said Friday. "And we will ... keep taking steps to protect our personnel around the world."

From Morocco to Malaysia, thousands of Muslims have taken to the streets in recent days -- with sometimes deadly results -- over the release of a 14-minute trailer, privately produced in the United States, that mocks the Prophet Mohammed as a womanizer, child molester and ruthless killer.

Despite the firm condemnation by U.S. government officials, some in the Muslim world -- especially those raised in regimes in which the government must authorize any film production -- cannot accept that a movie like "Innocence of Muslims" can be produced without being sanctioned by Washington, said Council of Foreign Relations scholar Ed Husain.

"They're projecting ... their experience, their understanding (that) somehow the U.S. government is responsible for the actions of a right-wing fellow," said Husain, a senior fellow at the New York think thank.

The demonstrations, notably, haven't all been violent and the protesters represent only a fraction of their respective nations' populations: A few thousands, for example, clashed with security forces outside the U.S. embassy in Cairo, in a city of more than 18 million people.

But protests that have turned violent have led to a number of deaths -- including those of the U.S. ambassador to Libya and three other Americans killed in an attack Tuesday in Benghazi, Libya.

Libyan authorities said they were cooperating with a U.S. investigation into the Benghazi attack.

"Things are moving very, very well," Muhammad Alkari, spokesman for the prime minister's office, told CNN.

The FBI was expected to arrive in the country Saturday.

 An interstate bank robbery suspect nicknamed the Bucket List Bandit because he allegedly told a Utah bank teller he had only four months to live has been captured in Oklahoma, an FBI agent said Friday.

Michael Eugene Brewster, 54, was arrested Thursday night after a traffic stop in Roland, Okla., said Jason Crouse, the acting head of the FBI office in Erie, Pa. Crouse's office is investigating a robbery in the northwestern Pennsylvania city earlier this week. He wouldn't provide details of the arrest because the FBI planned a national announcement later in the day.

Erie FBI agents got a warrant for Brewster's arrest earlier Thursday for robbing the Huntingdon National Bank branch in Erie, about 120 miles north of Pittsburgh, on Monday.

A confidential informant called to give agents Brewster's name and birth date after recognizing his picture in media accounts of the robberies that began June 21 in Arvada, Colo., a Denver suburb, according to the warrant. The warrant doesn't say how the person knew that information.

A teller at the Erie bank picked Brewster's photo out of a lineup and authorities then reviewed surveillance video and found an "obvious likeness" to Brewster during nine prior robberies in Flagstaff, Ariz.; Pocatello, Idaho; Roy, Utah; Winston-Salem, N.C.; Chattanooga, Tenn.; Bloomington, Ill.; Columbia and O'Fallon, Mo., and the Colorado heist. Photos from the various robberies show a man with grayish, thinning hair, generally combed or brushed backward, wearing glasses and what appears to be the same blue polo shirt with a front pocket.

Authorities have released few details of the robberies, beyond those that appear to link the heists and relate to his nickname, which derived from the July 6 robbery of a Wells Fargo Bank in Roy, Utah.

That's where the suspect allegedly told the teller, "I have four months to live," after passing her a note demanding money, Rebecca Wu of the FBI's St. Louis office told the AP after the Missouri robberies in late August.

Roy Police Sgt. Danny Hammon said police don't know the specific wording of the note because the suspect took it back. Investigators haven't said whether they've confirmed if Brewster is even terminally ill.

Online federal court records don't list an attorney for Brewster, who was expected to make an initial appearance before a federal magistrate in Oklahoma City on Friday. He was being held in the city jail in Roland in the meantime, according to Assistant Police Chief David Goode.

Crouse, the FBI agent, didn't say how authorities tracked Brewster to Oklahoma.

The warrant doesn't identify his hometown, but indicates he's wanted for borrowing a black Chevy Captiva from a woman in Pensacola, Fla. on June 11 and not returning it. The vehicle was similar to one described by witnesses at several of the robberies authorities think Brewster committed, but Crouse said the vehicle didn't figure in to how authorities tracked down Brewster.

No one has been hurt in any of the robberies and officials aren't saying how much money he's gotten away with except for the $4,080 taken from the Erie bank, which was disclosed in the FBI arrest warrant.

Heidi Klum has finally come clean about her reported relationship with bodyguard Martin Kristen.

In an episode of "Katie" that aired Wednesday, the supermodel acknowledged to host Katie Couric that she is dating Kristen -- but she stopped short of calling it a relationship.

"I don’t even know if I can call it that, you know? It just started so I don’t know. I don’t know where it’s gonna go," Klum said.

"I’ve known him for four years and he’s been with our family for the last four years," Klum continued. "He’s cared for our entire family, mostly for our four children, helped us tremendously... I trust him with my children’s life. He’s a great man, you know, and we just got to know each other from a completely different side."

Rumors of their relationship surfaced late last month when Klum was photographed getting close to Kristen while on vacation with her family in Sardinia. Seal fueled speculation by telling TMZ that he wished his ex had waited until they were separated before she decided to "fornicate with the help." His publicist later clarified that Seal did not intend to imply that Klum had cheated on him; rather, he meant that their divorce is not yet finalized so the couple is still legally married.
Klum, who split from her singer husband in January 2012, told Couric that Seal used a "unique choice of words" and denied that she cheated on him during their marriage.

"It’s not true. I’ve never looked at another man while I was with him," she said.

She also revealed that she once thought her marriage would last forever.

"I’m someone who believes in a fairy tale and when I said I do, I meant forever," she said. "But I don’t know... You never know what happens. Life changes. It’s that road with all those bumps and holes and you’re trying to struggle through them. And I don’t know…we just couldn’t make it work, you know?"

Watch the clip above for more of Klum's interview. Then, check out photos of the couple in happier times below:

A Texas woman who lost all four limbs to a flesh-eating bacteria has been approved for a double arm transplant at Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital in what will be the first such procedure performed in the United States.

Katy Hayes, 44, of Kingwood, Texas, will receive two new arms above the elbow. The hospital is working with a regional organ donor bank to find a donor. The surgery has not yet been scheduled.

"I have the determination to make these arms my own," Hayes said at a news conference in Boston. "I want my life back. I want to hold my children. I want to hug my husband."

Hayes contracted a life-threatening Group A Streptococcal infection after giving birth to her third child in February 2010. She lost her large intestine and her uterus as well as her limbs.

The transplant could give Hayes the ability to flex and extend her elbows and to lift herself out of a wheelchair.

The level of function she will acquire, especially in her new hands, is uncertain, said Bohdan Pomahac, director of plastic surgery transplantation at the Brigham.

Hayes and her family moved from Texas in July to prepare for the surgery. She has been undergoing psychological and physical screening at the hospital to determine her eligibility for the grueling surgery and long recovery.

Among other things, the former massage therapist said she is looking forward to wearing her wedding ring again. "When you don't have hands, you can't wear rings," she said.

The world's first double above-the-elbow arm transplant was performed in Germany in 2008 on a farmer who had lost both limbs in a farming accident.

Brigham and Women's has done two double hand transplants in the past few years, and a few other U.S. hospitals have performed the hand surgeries.

Arm transplants are considered less difficult, technically, than hand transplants, but the recovery is more challenging and the potential nerve connections more tenuous. (Reporting By Ros Krasny)

 Google Inc rejected a request by the White House on Friday to reconsider its decision to keep online a controversial YouTube movie clip that has ignited anti-American protests in the Middle East.

The Internet company said it was censoring the video in India and Indonesia after blocking it on Wednesday in Egypt and Libya, where U.S. embassies have been stormed by protestors enraged over depiction of the Prophet Mohammad as a fraud and philanderer.

On Tuesday, the U.S. Ambassador to Libya and three other Americans were killed in a fiery siege on the embassy in Benghazi.

Google said was further restricting the clip to comply with local law rather than as a response to political pressure.

"We've restricted access to it in countries where it is illegal such as India and Indonesia, as well as in Libya and Egypt, given the very sensitive situations in these two countries," the company said. "This approach is entirely consistent with principles we first laid out in 2007."

White House officials had asked Google earlier on Friday to reconsider whether the video had violated YouTube's terms of service. The guidelines can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/t/community_guidelines.

Google said on Wednesday that the video was within its guidelines.

U.S. authorities said on Friday that they were investigating whether the film's producer, Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, a 55-year old Egyptian Coptic Christian living in Southern California, had violated terms of his prison release. Basseley was convicted in 2010 for bank fraud and released from prison on probation last June.