Proud 24-year-old mother Snooki shows off her eight-day-old baby boy Lorenzo on the cover of this week’s People magazine where she admits that motherhood has already made her a different person.
“When I got pregnant, everything changed,” says Snooki, real name Nicole Polizzi.
“The partying is long gone. I’m a new person.”
Snooki looks fit to burst with happiness on the cover of the magazine, sporting a pink dress with a red flower in her long dark hair.
And in a nod to her adoptive Italian-American parents and the Jersey Shore guidos and guidettes, little Lorenzo is sporting cute booties with the Italian flag on the under-soles.
Snooki shows off her eight-day-old baby boy Lorenzo on the cover of this week's People magazine
The pint-sized reality star seems overwhelmed with love for her new arrival.
“It’s a different kind of love that I never felt before,” says Snooki, who is currently filming the second season of her MTV spin-off Snooki & JWOWW.
Snooki went through 24 hours of labor before she and fiancé Jionni LaValle welcomed little Lorenzo Dominic on August 26.
“We were going back and forth, and I just happened to think of Lorenzo,” says 25-year-old Jionni LaValle, revealing that he was inspired by a child he knew from his hometown.
“She loved it.”
And the couple chose Lorenzo’s middle name in tribute to one of Snooki’s late uncles.
“I did it for my dad,” she says.
Snooki, who will also appear in the final season of Jersey Shore which airs in the U.S, on October 4, is currently enjoying spending time with her family and “adorable son”.
She has wasted no time in taking to her Twitter page to talk about the joys of motherhood.
“Lorenzo is even cuter today,” Snooki wrote in one post, while in another, she tweeted: “I love nursing my little man!”
Snooki has also posted some pictures of her post-baby figure, posting one photograph of her sporting her trademark animal print with the caption: “Slowly getting my swag back.”
And she’s ensured she is returning to her trademark Snooki fashion, tweeting: “I even fit in my heels again – woohoo!” in another post, showing a picture of her feet.
One man has been killed after a gunman has opened fire at a separatist Parti Quebecois election victory rally in the Canadian province of Quebec.
The shooting followed preliminary results indicating the party was on course to form a minority government after nine years in opposition.
PQ leader Pauline Marois was giving a victory speech in Montreal when shots were heard at the back of the hall.
She was rushed off the stage and a man was arrested.
The gunman’s target was unclear but the 50-year-old suspect was heard shouting in French “The English are waking up”, as he was led away in handcuffs. TV pictures showed him wearing a balaclava and what looked like a blue dressing gown over black clothing.
Parti Quebecois leader Pauline Marois was giving a victory speech in Montreal when shots were heard at the back of the hall
Two shots were reportedly fired. One was man was fatally wounded, another is in a critical condition in hospital.
As the suspect was led away, firefighters were called to put out a fire that had been lit outside the building.
The attack marred PQ celebrations after claiming a projected 54 of the 125 seats in the primarily French-speaking province.
It is unclear whether the party’s victory will lead to a new referendum on separation from the rest of Canada.
Previous PQ governments held such votes in 1980 and 1995, but both failed.
The party leader had just expressed her desire for Quebec’s independence when the shooting happened.
Popular support within Quebec for another referendum is low, but Pauline Marois has promised to hold one if the “winning conditions are right”.
She has listed a series of demands for Canadian PM Stephen Harper if her party gains power, including further strengthening of laws to protect Quebec’s French language and identity.
“I would like to have the responsibility about the linguistic policy – about the French policy on the territory of Quebec. About culture, about communication and we would like to have the responsibility of the unemployment programme.”
Pauline Marois, 63, will now become the province’s first female premier.
The PQ was competing against the governing Liberals and a popular new party, Coalition Avenir Quebec (CAQ).
Incumbent Liberal Premier Jean Charest has lost his seat.
His party is on course to lose 14 seats, giving it 50 rather than 64 in the outgoing parliament.
But Jean Chartest stressed that the PQ had only gained a minority victory:
“The result of this election campaign speaks to the fact that the future of Quebec lies within Canada.”
The almost six million people eligible to vote in the only majority French-speaking province of Canada choose 125 members of the national assembly (MNAs).
Many voters contend that the main issue is Quebec’s flailing economy.
The province is weighed down by a staggering C$184 billion ($186 billion) of debt.
Quebec has also been beset for the past year with large student demonstrations – some violent – opposing the government’s attempts to increase tuition fees.
First Lady Michelle Obama has made an impassioned speech backing her husband, President Barack Obama, for another four-year White House term.
Closing the first night of the Democratic convention in North Carolina, Michelle Obama spoke of the couple’s shared background in struggling families.
She said it was “extraordinary privilege” to serve as first lady.
President Barack Obama will formally accept the nomination on Thursday, and face Republican Mitt Romney in November.
A recent opinion poll shows Michelle Obama maintains a thin lead over Mitt Romney.
But an ABC News/Washington Post poll released as the convention got under way in Charlotte, North Carolina, showed Barack Obama with the lowest pre-convention favorability for an incumbent president since the 1980s.
The president is aiming to recapture the political spotlight over the next few days, after last week’s Republican convention.
Michelle Obama said that four years ago she “believed deeply” in her husband’s “vision for this country” but worried about how a run for president would change their life and the life of their daughters.
First Lady Michelle Obama has made an impassioned speech backing her husband, President Barack Obama, for another four-year White House term
In a speech roundly welcomed by a hyped-up crowd, she shared memories from their 23-year relationship, and noted that she had found a “kindred spirit” in a man whose values were similar to hers.
“Barack and I were both raised by families who didn’t have much in the way of money or material possessions but who had given us something far more valuable – their unconditional love, their unflinching sacrifice, and the chance to go places they had never imagined for themselves.”
The first lady’s speech connected their shared background to the values she said guided Barack Obama as president.
“As president, you can get all kinds of advice from all kinds of people,” she said.
“But at the end of the day, when it comes time to make that decision, as president, all you have to guide you are your values and your vision and the life experiences that make you who you are.”
She said Barack Obama was inspired by his own background when advocating for laws involving fair pay for women, healthcare and student debt.
He had not been changed by the White House, she said, and was “still the same man I fell in love with all those years ago”.
“He’s the same man who started his career by turning down high-paying jobs and instead working in struggling neighborhoods where a steel plant had shut down, fighting to rebuild those communities.”
In the toughest moments, Michelle Obama added, “he just keeps getting up and moving forward… with patience and wisdom, and courage and grace.”
Earlier, the chair of the Democratic National Committee, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, brought the gala into session with a strike of the gavel at 17:00 EDT.
Shortly after the convention opened, delegates cheered their backing for the party’s new platform in a open voice vote.
Among the changes found in the text of the party’s 2012 platform was the removal of language from the Middle East section referring to Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
That message was replaced with a passage referring to the party’s “unshakeable commitment to Israel’s security” and Barack Obama’s “steadfast opposition to any attempt to delegitimize Israel”.
The change prompted criticism from Republicans and Mitt Romney, who accuse Barack Obama of “selling out” a key US ally.
Tuesday’s first session saw a series of Democratic governors, members of Congress, mayors and electoral candidates speak in support of Barack Obama and his policies, most notably his much-criticized healthcare reform law.
A video tribute to the late Senator Edward Kennedy included clips from his 1994 Senate debate with Mitt Romney, and independent Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee argued that his former party – the Republicans – had lost their way and had forfeited the label of conservative.
Former White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel said the next president would set the tone for the next 40 years.
“It will be the president’s leadership that determines how we as a nation meet the challenges that face the middle class. It is the president’s values that shape a future in which the middle class has hope,” he said.
Julian Castro, the Latino Mayor of San Antonio, Texas, gave the keynote address immediately before Michelle Obama.
The Democratic gathering will see Barack Obama and Vice-President Joe Biden formally re-nominated as the party’s presidential and vice-presidential candidates on Wednesday.
Later that evening, there will be speeches from Elizabeth Warren, who is fighting Republican incumbent Scott Brown in a high-profile race for a Massachusetts Senate seat, and former President Bill Clinton.
The convention culminates on Thursday with speeches from Barack Obama and Joe Biden.
Republican nominee Mitt Romney is expected to spend the week preparing for a series of debates with Barack Obama.
The gala also offers the Democrats the chance to make a high-profile pitch to voters in North Carolina, a state that narrowly voted for Barack Obama in 2008, but is now firmly up for grabs.
As they did four years ago, the Democrats will take the event outside the convention centre for the president’s prime-time speech, taking over a 74,000-seater stadium in Charlotte for the final night of speeches – despite a poor weather forecast.
Japan’s government has reached a deal to buy disputed islands in the East China Sea from their private owner, local media reports.
The government will pay 2.05 billion yen ($26 million) to buy islands known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China.
There was no confirmation from officials, but the reports were carried by major Japanese media outlets, citing government sources.
The outspoken Tokyo governor had also been seeking to buy the islands.
The Japanese government will pay 2.05 bn yen ($26 million) to buy islands known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China
Shintaro Ishihara had been collecting public donations for the purchase by the Tokyo metropolitan government, amid high tensions with China over the island chain.
At a regular press conference, Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura said the government and owner were in talks but would not comment on details of the discussion.
“We are negotiating with the owner while we try to grasp where the situation stands between [the central government] and the Tokyo metropolitan government,” he said.
An announcement would be made “when we reach a result after completing the process”, he said.
Kyodo news agency, citing government sources, said the agreement to buy three of the five main islands was reached with the owner on Monday.
A formal purchase contract would likely be exchanged by the end of this month, it said.
The cabinet will approve the deal in the middle of this month, both the Asahi and Yomiuri newspapers said.
The Japanese government says it has no plans to build on the islands, unlike Shintaro Ishihara who had suggested he could build a dock.
The purchase is likely to raise tensions with China, but less so than were Shintaro Ishihara to buy them.
Japan controls the islands, which lie south of Okinawa and north of Taiwan, but China also claims them, as does Taiwan.
Earlier this month, a group of Hong Kong activists landed on one of the islands amid the rumbling row. Japanese nationalists also subsequently visited, sparking protests in several Chinese cities.
On Tuesday, two men were held in Beijing for ripping the flag off the Japanese ambassador’s car, in an apparent protest over the islands.
The disputed islands sit in key shipping lanes and are thought to lie close to gas deposits.
On Wednesday an editorial in China’s Communist Party mouthpiece the People’s Daily accused Japan of acting in a two-faced manner over the islands.
“It will be difficult to improve the strained China-Japan relations if the Japanese government continues to adopt the two-faced approach of expressing goodwill on the one hand and allowing right-wing forces to kidnap the government and public opinion on the other hand,” it said.
Scott Disick and Kourtney Kardashian covered their baby daughter Penelope in kisses as they took her to the park for a picnic yesterday.
As their son Mason played nearby the proud parents took it in turns to cuddle their two-month-old daughter.
Penelope responded with smiles as her mother lifted her in the air and kissed her.
After enjoying cuddles with her daughter, Kourtney Kardashian passed her over to daddy Scott Disick, who made cooing noises as he smiled into Penelope’s face.
He then lay her in his legs as he smiled down.
Scott Disick and Kourtney Kardashian covered their baby daughter Penelope in kisses as they took her to the park for a picnic
But KourtneyKardashian soon had her charge back safe in her arms, as two-year-old Mason ran over with his toys.
Dressed in a white smock dress with lace sleeves and sandals, the 32-year-old mother looked happy and healthy.
Kourtney Kardashian took to her blog yesterday to explain that she planned to ignore the old adage to “not to wear white after Labor Day”.
“I remember when I went away to college at Southern Methodist University in Dallas my aunt sent me a book with the rules of being a Southern Belle.
“One of the rules was to never wear white after Labor Day. Fashion has a lot to do with confidence and making up your own rules.
“Winter white was all over the Fall 2012 runways, so I think we can expect to see a lot of people crossing the boundaries way beyond Labor Day.”
In a new interview, Kourtney Kardashian revealed she put on 45 lbs during her pregnancy – but said she is in no rush to shift the pounds.
“I gained nearly 45 pounds,” she explained.
“I’m 5 feet tall, so that’s a lot.”
Doctors recommend 25 lbs to 35 lbs as an appropriate weight gain for a woman of normal weight.
But Kourtney Kardashian is “not really” thinking about losing the weight just yet.
“While I’m here around the house, I just eat healthy,” she told Us Weekly.
With Lara Stone already a regular face for the brand, Calvin Klein Fragrances today announced a new worldwide advertising campaign for euphoria Calvin Klein.
The new campaign will feature the supermodel wife of David Walliams in what Calvin Klein brand says will be an “interpretation of glamour and sensuality”.
The print and TV campaigns were both directed by Fabien Baron of Baron + Baron in conjunction with Calvin Klein’s in-house creative studio, CRK Advertising, in New York City.
The print campaign was shot by renowned industry photographers Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott.
Calvin Klein Fragrances announced a new worldwide advertising campaign for euphoria Calvin Klein featuring Lara Stone
Lara Stone, who follows in the footsteps of original face of the perfume Natalia Vordianova, said: “I’m honored to be the face of Calvin Klein’s new euphoria fragrance campaign, as it’s such an iconic brand,’ said Ms. Stone from the set of the advertising campaign shoot.
“The scent is glamorous, modern and sexy.”
Since launching in 2005, euphoria Calvin Klein remains among the top 10 fragrance brands globally and is the largest women’s fragrance brand in the Calvin Klein portfolio.
Tom Murry, President & CEO, Calvin Klein, said: “Established as a leading global fragrance brand, euphoria Calvin Klein currently represents the largest fragrance business in our portfolio.
“The striking, new advertising campaign conveys both the power and allure of this compelling fragrance.”
“The euphoria fragrance has a sophistication and seduction that resonates with women around the world,” said Catherine Walsh, Senior Vice President, American Fragrances, Coty Prestige.
“Lara Stone truly embodies the sensual glamour of the euphoria woman today.”
The pretty Dutch model has also been revealed as the face of Calvin Klein’s new push up bra in a sexy new video, and what better way to promote it than with the hit Salt-n-Pepa song that goes by the same name.
In the 30 second advert, Lara Stone can be seen dancing around in the black underwear that highlights her ample cleavage.
Lara Stone and husband David Walliams looked super glamorous together at the screening of James Bond film- The Spy who Loved me– last week in London.
A giant sculpture by Jaume Plensa representing the head of a 14-year-old girl has been unveiled on the famous Botafogo beach, in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro.
The white 12 m (39-foot) tall head made out of resin and marble dust is the latest sculpture by the Spanish artist.
Entitled Olhar nos meus sonhos (To see my dreams), the sculpture portrays a girl with her eyes are closed.
Jaume Plensa says the aim of the sculpture is “to make people dream”.
Entitled To see my dreams, Jaume Plensa sculpture portrays a girl with her eyes are closed
The artist, who was born in Barcelona in 1955, is best known for creating public sculptures on a monumental scale.
Jaume Plensa’s work Echo, on display in New York’s Madison Square Park, depicts the head of a nine-year girl seemingly lost in thought.
Another of Jaume Plensa’s female heads, called Dream, can be seen in St. Helens in England.
Olhar nos meus sonhos will be on display on Botafogo beach for two months as part of the public art exhibition Other Ideas for Rio.
McDonald’s is bowing to local demand and is opening a meat-free restaurant in India.
The global chain, whose best-known product is the Big Mac burger in a bun, says it will be its first vegetarian outlet.
McDonald’s, the world’s second biggest food outlet after Subway, increasingly adapts its range to local demand.
Both India’s Hindu majority and Muslims can eat the same meat-free dishes.
Religiously observant Hindus see cows as sacred and avoid beef, while Muslims view pigs as unclean and avoid pork.
McDonald's is bowing to local demand and is opening a meat-free restaurant in India
According to the AFP news agency, McDonald’s will open the outlet in the middle of next year, near the Golden Temple in the Sikh holy city of Amritsar in northern India.
Religious authorities forbid consumption of meat at the shrine.
A spokesman for McDonald’s in northern India, Rajesh Kumar Maini, told the news agency: “There is a big opportunity for vegetarian restaurants as many Indians are vegetarian.
“At the moment, India is still a very small market – we just have 271 restaurants in India, and across the world, we have nearly 33,000.”
The chain plans to open another vegetarian outlet in north-western India, near the Vaishno Devi cave shrine in Kashmir, which is a Hindu pilgrimage site that attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors a year.
McDonald’s has moved to provide more salads and other healthier foods with less sugar, salt and fat in them, in response to public concerns about diet.
In India, its menu is typically 50% vegetarian.
Its signature dish in the country is the McAloo Tikki burger, which uses a spiced potato-based filling. It accounts for 25% of total sales.
Globally, the company plans to open around 1,300 new stores this year.
Apple is believed to be launching an iPad Mini in October, and now fansite Apple.pro claims to have photographed the eight-inch evolution of the iPad.
Apple is notoriously secretive on the run-up to new launches, but leaks from within the industry, including from suppliers and partners, have all but confirmed the device is on its way this Autumn.
The Apple Mini is believed to sport an eight-inch screen, making it a shrunken version of the iPad’s ten-inches.
This will allow a higher degree of portability over previous models, and also give Apple the ammunition to compete with Google, which recently brought out a seven-inch range of Nexus tablets.
Fansite Apple.pro claims to have photographed the eight-inch evolution of the iPad
Apple.Pro also reports this is a 3G-capable model, meaning you can use data on the go.
While Steve Jobs was famously against smaller iPads, the success of the Nexus and Amazon’s “Fire” of budget tablets appears to have convinced Apple there is a market for the slim-line device.
Rumors from Apple suppliers suggest the innards of the Mini will be equivalent to an iPad 2, which analysts suggest will be more than enough to power the shrunken device.
The third iPad had a specification increase but also increased slightly in weight due to the demands of the high-definition Retina display.
Apple is also believed to be announcing the iPhone 5 during September, although it has not yet confirmed a launch date.
The new device which is expected to boast a display of less than eight inches will be unveiled at a separate event, so as not to dilute the impact of the iPhone’s launch, according to analysts.
“I don’t think Apple would want reviews of both a new iPhone and new-size iPad appearing at the same time,” said Daring Fireball’s John Gruber.
“Why share the spotlight? Why have another Apple product battling with the iPhone for the top spots in news coverage?
“The more I think about it, the less sense it makes for the iPhone to even share the stage at the announcement with any other product.
“The iPhone is too big, too cool and garners too much attention – and it’s in Apple’s interest to keep that attention undiluted.”
At least 42 people died and more than 20 others have been injured when a bus plunged into a ravine in southern Morocco, officials say.
The bus, which had been travelling between the cities of Marrakesh and Zagora, crashed near the town of Zerkten in Haouz province, local officials said.
Most of the passengers are believed to be Moroccan. It is not clear if any foreigners are among the casualties.
At least 42 people died and more than 20 others have been injured when a bus plunged into a ravine in southern Morocco
The accident happened in the early hours of Tuesday, the official news agency Map reported. The cause is not yet known.
At least 24 people were said to be injured, 21 of whom were taken to a hospital in Marrakesh and the other three to a hospital in the nearby city of Ouarzazate.
In July, two separate bus crashes in Morocco killed 26 people.
More than 4,000 people died in road accidents in Morocco last year, according to the transport ministry – an increase of 11.6% on the previous year.
Fang Daguo, a Chinese official accused of beating a flight attendant, has been suspended from his post pending an investigation, Chinese state media say.
Fang Daguo was described by Xinhua as a senior official from Yuexiu District in Guangdong province.
He was accused of attacking the stewardess in a row over luggage on a flight from Hefei to Guangzhou last week.
Fang Daguo was initially exonerated of blame in a local probe, creating an angry buzz among netizens and then state media.
The incident on Wednesday came to light after the attendant, employed by China Southern Airlines, reported it on her microblog.
Her account was retweeted more than 30,000 times, Shanghai Daily reported. Pictures of bruises, scratches and a rip in her uniform received during the alleged assault were also posted online.
Pictures of bruises, scratches and a rip in flight attendant’s uniform received during the alleged assault were posted online
On Friday a statement from the local government blamed Fang Daguo’s wife for the incident, but exonerated the official himself and said both parties had reached an agreement.
But netizens and then Xinhua news agency questioned the official account.
Fang Daguo was described by Xinhua as a senior official from Yuexiu District in Guangdong province
Xinhua ran a report on Saturday which largely confirmed the attendant’s account, quoting an eyewitness who was on the flight.
It said the altercation was triggered by an argument over where to place carry-on baggage, because the overhead luggage compartments were full.
In a report posted late on Monday, it said the couple “both smelt strongly of alcohol”, citing the eyewitness.
An editorial from the Global Times described conflicts between officials and the public as “increasingly problematic”.
“Public opinion is taking an unprecedentedly stern line on the restraining of power,” it said.
“This is why any official’s improper actions, whatever the circumstances, can boil over into a public event drawing nationwide attention.”
China’s internet users are increasingly vocal in their online criticism of officials perceived to have done wrong.
Last week, an investigation was launched into a safety official.
Images showed him grinning at the scene of a fatal road crash and outraged netizens then turned up several photos of him wearing a series of expensive watches.
According to a new research, men and women see colors differently.
Research has shown that male and female brains process colors in slightly different ways.
This means that if both sexes look at an orange, it will appear redder to the man than to the woman. Similarly, grass looks yellower to a man and greener to a woman. The differences don’t end there.
The experiments from the City University of New York also showed that men struggle to distinguish subtle differences in shades of yellow, green and blue.
The effect is very small but it might mean that choosing a shade of paint from the dozens on a color chart is a job best suited to a woman.
The intriguing findings come from experiments in which men and women were shown flashes of light and asked to name the colors they saw.
All had normal vision and none were color blind, a trait that is known to be much more common in men than in women.
Research has shown that male and female brains process colors in slightly different ways
Researcher Prof. Israel Abramov said that differences between the sexes’ color vision cannot be explained by differences in the structure of the eye.
Therefore, the answer must lie in the way the brain, with the male sex hormone testosterone likely affecting how it processes and makes sense of the information taken in by the eye.
Prof. Israel Abramov, who described the sex differences as “small but very real” said: “We hypothesize that testosterone plays a major role, somehow leading to different connectivities for males and females.”
He is unsure, however, how big an impact the differences have outside the lab and in the real world.
Vision is far from the only sense to differ between the sexes.
The journal Biology of Sex Differences says that research has shown women to have a better hearing and more acute senses of taste and smell.
Men, however, do come out top in one regard.
Experiments show them to be particularly good at detecting fine detail in moving images – a trait that might have made our male ancestors good hunters.
In the modern world, it might be particularly useful when watching football on TV.
Indian police are carrying out raids across 10 cities as part of an investigation into alleged corruption in the allocation of coalfields.
Police say they are searching the premises of five companies, which allegedly misrepresented facts prior to being allocated the coalfields.
Indian government officials and company employees are also under investigation.
Government auditors recently said India lost $33 billion selling coalfields cheaply between 2006 and 2009.
The raids come as the government rejected opposition demands to cancel the sale of the coalfields.
Parliament has been deadlocked over demands by the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that the government should cancel the sale and order an independent probe into the matter.
Although the report by government auditors does not mention Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, BJP leaders say he must step down as he was heading the coal ministry at the time of the sale.
Indian police are carrying out raids across 10 cities as part of an investigation into alleged corruption in the allocation of coalfields
Manmohan Singh denies any wrongdoing and has refused to quit.
On Tuesday morning, India’s Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registered five cases for alleged cheating against five companies, various individuals and officials and began conducting raids at 30 locations.
Raids were being carried out in Delhi, Mumbai, Calcutta, Patna, Hyderabad and several other cities, a CBI spokesperson said.
Officials say the CBI inquiry began before the government auditors report came out last month.
At the heart of the CBI’s investigation is the allegation that some of the companies were set up only to obtain the coalfields being allocated by the government and then sell them off at profit. Media reports allege that the companies involved misrepresented their ability to mine the coal.
The auditors report said that of the 86 coal blocks, which were to produce coal by 2010-11, “only 28 blocks (including 15 allocated to the private sector) started production as of 31 March 2011”.
But correspondents say the timing of the raids suggests the beleaguered government is eager to be seen to be doing something about an increasingly controversial sale.
Over the weekend the BJP – which has dubbed the controversy “coalgate” – said it would only allow parliament to function if the government cancelled the sales of 142 coal blocks and ordered a probe.
But the government has not relented to those demands and has said that it is looking into the matter.
“The demand for cancellation of all 142 coal blocks… is not founded on sound logic… It [cancellation] cannot be done through diktat or arbitrary orders,” Finance Minister P Chidambaram said on Monday.
“There is a procedure for it and that procedure is under way,” he said.
India is one of the largest producers of coal in the world.
The auditors’ report on the sale of coal is the latest in a series of financial scandals to hit the Congress-led government, and the revelations have caused public anger.
India’s coal industry:
• With about 246 billion tons of coal reserves, India is one of the largest coal producers in the world
• 55% of India’s commercial energy needs are met by coal
• The biggest reserves are in the states of Orissa, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh
• The government took over coal mining in 1973
• A new law to auction coalfields was introduced in 2010
• But auditors say the loss from misselling coalfields is $33 billion
Julia Roberts glows and looks youthful in the latest Lancôme fragrance advert for La Vie Est Belle.
Directed by Mirror Mirror director Tarsem Singh, Julia Roberts, 44, glides through a crowded party as a bottle of Lancôme’s latest fragrance, La Vie Est Belle, glimmers under the chandelier lights.
Julia Roberts has been an ambassador for Lancôme since 2010 but this is her first fragrance campaign with the French beauty company.
A campaign Julia Roberts did for the brand last year was banned by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), who deemed L’Oreal, parent company of Lancôme, had used digitally retouched images that could “mislead” the viewer.
Julia Roberts glows and looks youthful in the latest Lancôme fragrance advert for La Vie Est Belle
L’Oreal said at the time that image had been digitally re-touched to “lighten the skin, clean up make-up, reduce dark shadows and shading around the eyes, smooth the lips and darken the eyebrows”. However, again, it insisted that the image was an accurate reflection of the benefits of the product.
The ASA was not convinced, ruling the images could not be used again in their current form.
Here though, it cannot be denied that Julia Roberts is in possession of a striking natural beauty.
Dressed in a floor length white dress that reveals her ample cleavage, the star shines in her role.
“The only person that could embody this kind of joyful femininity, this woman that could be all women at the same time – in their honesty, truth and diversity – is Julia Roberts,” Youcef Nabi, president of Lancôme International, told WWD.
The perfume itself is made of just 63 subtle ingredients and was the creation of three French masters of perfumery; Olivier Polge, Dominique Ropion and Anne Flipo, who aimed to create “the first ever feminine iris”.
The perfume has fruity flavor notes of blackcurrant and pear, with tones of tonka bean, praline, patchouli and vanilla.
Julia Roberts told Hello! magazine that it’s important for her to wear a nice scent as it makes her feel more confident with herself.
“I like to smell nice. And I think it is best when perfume is kind of there, but still draws people in. You have to get close to figure out what you’re dealing with.”
“The bottle is beautiful. And in this day and age when everything’s about the brand and everything’s got the name of the company and the person and the place stamped all over it, what I think is amazing is that there’s nothing written on the bottle,” she said.
British experts have found that vitamin D could help the body fight infections of deadly tuberculosis.
Nearly 1.5 million people are killed by the infection every year and there are concerns some cases are becoming untreatable.
A study in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences showed patients recovered more quickly when given both the vitamin and antibiotics.
More tests would be needed before it could be given to patients routinely.
British experts have found that vitamin D could help the body fight infections of deadly tuberculosis
The idea of using vitamin D, also known as sunshine vitamin, to treat tuberculosis (TB) harks back to some of the earliest treatments for the lung infection.
Before antibiotics were discovered, TB patients were prescribed “forced sunbathing”, known as heliotherapy, which increased vitamin D production.
However, the treatment disappeared when antibiotics proved successful at treating the disease.
This study on 95 patients, conducted at hospitals across London, combined antibiotics with vitamin D pills.
It showed that recovery was almost two weeks faster when vitamin D was added. Patients who stuck to the regimen cleared the infection in 23 days on average, while it took patients 36 days if they were given antibiotics and a dummy sugar pill.
Dr. Adrian Martineau, from Queen Mary University of London, said: “This isn’t going to replace antibiotics, but it may be a useful extra weapon.
“It looks promising, but we need slightly stronger evidence.”
Trials in more patients, as well as studies looking at the best dose and if different forms of vitamin D are better, will be needed before the vitamin could be used by doctors.
Vitamin D appears to work by calming inflammation during the infection. An inflammatory response is an important part of the body’s response to infection.
During TB infection, it breaks down some of the scaffolding in the lungs letting more infection-fighting white blood cells in. However, this also creates tiny cavities in the lungs in which TB bacteria can camp out.
“If we can help these cavities to heal more quickly, then patients should be infectious for a shorter period of time, and they may also suffer less lung damage,” Dr. Adrian Martineau said.
The doctors suggested this might also help in other lung diseases such as pneumonia and sepsis.
One in three people have low levels of tuberculosis bacteria in their lungs and have no symptoms, known as latent tuberculosis. However, this would turn to full blown TB in about 10% of people.
According to researchers at Stanford University, eating organic food will not make you healthier, although it could cut your exposure to pesticides.
They looked at more than 200 studies of the content and associated health gains of organic and non-organic foods.
Overall, there was no discernible difference between the nutritional content, although the organic food was 30% less likely to contain pesticides.
Critics say the work is inconclusive and call for more studies.
According to researchers at Stanford University, eating organic food will not make you healthier, although it could cut your exposure to pesticides
The research, published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine, looked at 17 studies comparing people who ate organic with those who did not and 223 studies that compared the levels of nutrients, bacteria, fungus or pesticides in various foods – including fruits, vegetables, grains, meats, milk and eggs.
None of the human studies ran for longer than two years, making conclusions about long-term outcomes impossible. And all of the available evidence was relatively weak and highly variable – which the authors say is unsurprising because of all the different variables, like weather and soil type, involved.
Fruit and vegetables contained similar amounts of vitamins, and milk the same amount of protein and fat – although a few studies suggested organic milk contained more omega-3.
Organic foods did contain more nitrogen, but the researchers say this is probably due to differences in fertilizer use and ripeness at harvest and is unlikely to provide any health benefit.
Dr. Crystal Smith-Spangler, the lead author of the latest review, said there were many reasons why people chose to eat organic, including animal welfare or environmental concerns.
“Some believe that organic food is always healthier and more nutritious. We were a little surprised that we didn’t find that.
“There isn’t much difference between organic and conventional foods, if you’re an adult and making a decision based solely on your health.”
Organic:
• Organic food is produced to standards designed to keep the production more “natural”, using environmentally and animal-friendly farming methods
• Fewer, if any, chemicals are used and most pesticides are banned or very carefully controlled
• Food certified as organic is not allowed to contain genetically modified ingredients
Ratings agency Moody’s has lowered its outlook for the European Union’s AAA credit rating to “negative” and warned that the bloc’s rating could be downgraded.
Moody’s said the move reflected the negative outlook for the ratings of the EU’s key budget contributors.
Earlier this year, Moody’s put ratings of Germany, France, Netherlands and the UK on a negative outlook.
It said that these nations were all exposed to the region’s debt crisis, hurting their creditworthiness.
Ratings agency Moody's has lowered its outlook for the European Union's AAA credit rating to "negative" and warned that the bloc's rating could be downgraded
The ratings agency said that in case of “extreme stress”, the AAA-rated member states were more likely to service their own debt obligations rather than “prioritize their commitment to backstop the EU debt obligations”.
It added that if the AAA-rated member states were to default on their debt obligations, there were likely to be defaults on the loans that back the EU’s debt and the bloc’s cash reserve was also likely be stressed.
“Hence, it is reasonable to assume that the EU’s creditworthiness should move in line with the creditworthiness of its strongest key member states,” the agency said.
Germany, France, Netherlands and the UK together account for about 45% of the EU’s budget revenue.
Moody’s warned that if the credit ratings of these member states were downgraded, it could have a knock-on effect on the EU’s rating.
“Additionally, a weakening of the commitment of the member states to the EU and changes to the EU’s fiscal framework that led to less conservative budget management would be credit-negative,” it added.
This year MDA Telethon featured pop singers Carrie Underwood and Paula Abdul among other Hollywood celebrities at the September 2 TV event.
Former American Idol judge Paula Abdul and Idol winner Carrie Underwood had a special reunion. With their star power, much awareness was raised for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
Carrie Underwood performed Nobody Ever Told You from the chart-topping Blown Away album.
Before she took the stage, Carrie Underwood was introduced by Paula Abdul: “Well, I’m not surprised our next guest’s tour is called <<Blown Away>>. I think back to where our journey first began on <<American Idol>> and I’m literally blown away by this beautiful talent. What a blessing it has been for me to be an up close and personal eyewitness to your youth, your talent, your passion and your amazing success.”
This year MDA Telethon featured pop singers Carrie Underwood and Paula Abdul among other Hollywood celebrities at the September 2 TV event
The telethon renamed as MDA Show of Strength played three hours of performances that were pre-taped. Viewers were encouraged to donate to support the continuous search for treatments and cures for the disease.
Muscular dystrophy affects over 1 million Americans. It is a disorder that weakens the muscles to the point of disability. Up until 2011, Jerry Lewis was the main spokesperson and chairman of MDA. He had dedicated his life to find a cure for the disease and have raised more than $2.5 billion dollars.
For many, this Labor Day is just not the same without Jerry Lewis. However, Carrie Underwood and many other performances were warmly welcomed as the potential for raising greater awareness of the disease is great.
Griselda Blanco, a ruthless drug smuggler known as the “Godmother of Cocaine” who was jailed in the U.S. for three chilling murders, has been shot dead by a motorcycle-riding hitman.
Griselda Blanco, 69, was believed to have ordered dozens of executions during the notorious “cocaine cowboys” era of the 1970s and 80s in Miami.
In a grim irony, the mode of her killing was eerily similar to the brutal drive-by killings she herself introduced to slaughter her enemies.
Although she was suspected of murdering many more, the Colombian was eventually convicted of three killings in 1985, including that of a two-year-old boy, for which she served nearly 20 years behind bars.
In 2004, Griselda Blanco was deported to her native country and maintained a low profile in her hometown of Medellin.
According to Columbian press reports, Griselda Blanco was walking out of a butcher’s shop yesterday when two gunmen on motorbikes pulled up before one pumped two bullets into her head.
Griselda Blanco was believed to have ordered dozens of executions during the notorious “cocaine cowboys” era of the 1970s and 80s in Miami
For a woman who had been credited with inventing the notion of a “motorcycle assassin”, the manner of her death came as no surprise to many, it was reported in The Miami Herald.
Nelson Andreu, a former Miami homicide detective who had investigated her, said: “It’s surprising to all of us that she had not been killed sooner because she made a lot of enemies.
“When you kill so many and hurt so many people like she did, it’s only a matter of time before they find you and try to even the score.”
Brought up in the slums of Medellin, Griselda Blanco went from a simple pickpocket to command an empire that shipped an estimated 3,400 lbs of cocaine a month.
Griselda Blanco also symbolized the blood-soaked era of the 1970s and 80s when gangs would ambush their rivals in public, leading to her cartel being dubbed the “Cocaine Cowboys”.
She ran the empire with three of her sons, two of whom were later assassinated in Columbia, while three of her husbands have also been killed in drug-related violence.
Known for her flamboyant lifestyle, Griselda Blanco named one of her sons Michael Corleone in tribute to The Godfather movies.
Griselda Blanco’s exploits were also popularized in the 2006 documentary Cocaine Cowboys, which explored the rise of the drug in Miami during the 1970s and 80s which inspired the films Scarface and Miami Vice.
Interviewees argue that Griselda Blanco played a major role in the history of the drug trade in the city and other areas across America.
Detectives believe Griselda Blanco was behind at least 40 murders and maybe even as many as 240, but could only link her to three.
Two of them, drug dealers Alfredo and Grizel Lorenzo, were shot at their South Miami house after failing to pay $250,000 for 5 kg of cocaine.
Griselda Blanco was also convicted of ordering a shooting that led to the death of two-year-old Johnny Castro, who was shot twice in the head as he drove in the car with his father, Jesus “Chucho” Castro.
She was fully expected to end up on Florida’s Death Row.
But she was able to cut a plea deal after the prosecution’s case suffered a major setback when a chief witness was caught engaging in phone sex with secretaries from the attorney’s office.
Griselda Blanco later entered into a bargain with new prosecutors and was given three 20-year sentences in 1985. She only served a third of that time.
Oscar-nominated star of The Green Mile Michael Clarke Duncan has died after nearly two months of treatment following a heart attack in July.
Publicist Joy Fehily released a statement from Michael Clarke Duncan’s partner, the Rev. Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth, saying the 54-year-old actor died on Monday morning in a Los Angeles hospital.
As the sad news was delivered, it also referred to Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth for the first time as his fiancée, saying: “The Oscar-nominated actor suffered a myocardial infarction on July 13 and never fully recovered.”
Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth confirmed the news herself to Radar, saying: “I am devastated. He was the love of my life.”
RadarOnline has reported that “both public and private memorials are being planned”.
Oscar-nominated star of The Green Mile Michael Clarke Duncan has died after nearly two months of treatment following a heart attack in July
Michael Clarke Duncan’s death came “very suddenly”, with TMZ reporting that Omarosa Manigault-Satllworth was present in the hospital room before momentarily leaving for a short period of time and when she returned he had died.
Her mother is believed to have been present when he passed.
Meanwhile, Michael Clarke Duncan’s Green Mile co-star Tom Hanks also released a heartfelt message, referring to the actor as “Big Mike”.
Tom Hanks said: “I am terribly saddened at the loss of Big Mike. He was the treasure we all discovered on the set of The Green Mile. He was magic.
“He was a big love of man and his passing leaves us stunned.”
And the director of the movie, Frank Darabont, was “devastated”, saying: “[He was] one of the finest people I’ve ever had the privilege to work with or know. Michael was the gentlest of souls – an exemplar of decency, integrity and kindness. The sadness I feel is inexpressible.”
The 6ft 5in, 300 pound star appeared in dozens of films, including box office hits Armageddon, Planet Of The Apes and Kung Fu Panda.
Duncan had a handful of minor roles before The Green Mile brought him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor in 1999, but unfortunately he lost out to Michael Caine after the British legend won his second Oscar to The Cider House Rules.
The Green Mile, based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, starred Tom Hanks as a corrections officer at a penitentiary in the 1930s. Michael Clarke Duncan played John Coffey, a convicted murderer.
The role saw him become a global star, with Michael Clarke Duncan winning the best supporting actor category for the Black Reel Award, Broadcast Film Critics Association Award and Saturn Award ceremonies.
He was also nominated a further nine times, along with his Oscar nod, receiving recognition at the Golden Globes, MTV Movie Awards and Screen Actors Guild Awards.
MICHAEL CLARKE DUNCAN: 10.12.1957 – 03.09.2012
• Born in Chicago, Illinois on December 10, 1957
• Lived in a single-parent household with sister Judy
• Moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting, and found work as a bodyguard to the stars
• In 1995, landed an uncredited role in 1995 comedy hit Friday
• Quit bodyguard work in 1997 following the death of client Notorious B.I.G
• The following year, landed his big break as Bear in Armagedon
• Became a household name in 1999 for his Oscar-nominated role in The Green Mile
• Won Best Supporting Actor for the Black Reel Award, Broadcast Film Critics Association Award and Saturn Award, following his efforts in the Tom Hanks blockbuster
• Nominated for a further nine times for his role as John Coffey
• Starred in blockbusters Planet Of The Apes, The Scoprion King and The Green Lantern
• Suffered a heart attack on July 13, 2012 – given CPR by fiancée Omarosa Manigault
• Despite treatment, Michael Clarke Duncan sadly died on September 3, aged 54
Prince Harry has made his first public appearance since the Las Vegas scandal broke.
Prince Harry, 27, attended the WellChild Awards in London this afternoon in his role as Patron of the charity, which supports terminally and critically ill children in the UK.
At the event he wagged his finger and light-heartedly admonished a little boy who wanted to ask him about his escapade in Las Vegas.
Alex Logan went on television earlier and vowed to tell the Prince: “I’m glad you’ve got your clothes on” but when the pair met at an awards ceremony in London last night, the third-in-line to the throne oversaw, perhaps belatedly, a royal cover-up.
Prince Harry headed off discussion of the touchy subject after catching a glimpse of 6-year-old Alex Logan from Lincoln on ITV’s lunchtime news.
“You keep looking up at your Mum. It looks like you’re dying to say something but you’re worried she’ll tell you off,” Prince Harry said, wagging his finger to admonish him.
“I heard you were on ITV earlier and you said something cheeky but let’s not talk about that here.”
Alex Logan, who was diagnosed with acute leukaemia when he was just three years old, played ball but compensated by wiping his favorite toy penguin, Hookie, all over the Prince’s head.
Sources said the prince was concerned about appearing in public after the media onslaught of the past few weeks but was more worried that the continuing rumpus over his “wild weekend” in Sin City would overshadow such a worthy occasion.
After that embarrassment, there was another encounter with a female that had him blushing last night – his face noticeably reddened when five-year-old Hope Hillis gave him two sloppy licks across his face.
“But we’ve only just met,” said Prince Harry, laughing after the first lick.
When Hope Hillis, who was born prematurely weighing just 1lb 9oz and has undergone more than 50 operations for a host of health problems including a bleed on the brain, licked and hugged him a second time, the Prince giggled and exclaimed: “Oh no.”
Hope’s mother Sarah Hillis, 32, from Lisburn, Northern Ireland, said: “That’s a great compliment from Hope. A lick on the side of the face – that’s better than a kiss.”
Sarah Hillis said Hope had planned to give the Prince what she called a cow lick.
The prince has been patron of the charity since 2007 and is a committed supporter of its work.
Each year the charity hands out awards to children and young people considered to be the bravest in Britain, as well as recognize the work of the doctors and nurses that care for them.
Prince Harry will meet all the winners privately at the hotel beforehand before joining them for tea and presenting the award to the Most Inspirational Child Age 3-6.
He will also deliver a speech at the end of the glittering ceremony.
Today a source close to the prince said: “Prince Harry is keen that what has happened does not overshadow what is going on today. He knows and understands there will be a lot of press interest because of recent events but just wants to focus on the children. That’s why he is there.”
The Royal Family was left reeling last month after photographs of the prince frolicking with an unnamed blonde in his Las Vegas hotel were published on the Internet and in one British newspaper.
St James’s Palace has appealed to British newspapers not to run the pictures, arguing that Prince Harry has a reasonable expectation of privacy since he was on a private holiday.
Only The Sun chose to run them arguing that the photographs – which were taken by fellow revellers with the knowledge of his police protection officers and then sold to a US celebrity gossip website – were an issue of press freedom and in the public interest.
Their decision has prompted 3,600 complaints to the Press Complaints Commission but the palace has not made a decision over whether to take legal action yet.
Violence is continuing in Syria, with opposition activists saying that a warplane may have killed as many as 25 people in a strike in Aleppo province.
In Damascus, a bomb left at least five people dead and many more wounded in the Jaramana area of the city.
Meanwhile, the new international envoy to Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi, said he viewed his new mission as near-impossible.
He is expected to visit Syria and meet President Bashar al-Assad.
Violence is continuing in Syria, with opposition activists saying that a warplane may have killed as many as 25 people in a strike in Aleppo province
Separately, the head of the Red Cross was travelling to Damascus on Monday in an attempt to improve aid access to civilians.
Peter Maurer said in a statement that “an adequate humanitarian response is required to keep pace” with the worsening violence.
In Aleppo, human rights groups said several women and children were among the 25 victims when a building was hit in the town of al-Bab.
Al-Bab, just to the north-east of Aleppo, appears to be largely in rebel hands, and has been heavily pounded by government forces in recent weeks.
Increasingly, as the conflict deepens, the regime has made fuller use of its air power – attack helicopters and fixed-wing jets – to support its ground forces as they try to root out the lightly-armed rebels from towns, cities and villages all over the country, our correspondent says.
In the car bombing in the Damascus suburb, one building was badly damaged and Syrian state news agency Sana reported that women and children were among the victims. Sana blamed “an armed terrorist group” for the attack.
The explosion is the second deadly bombing within a week targeting the predominantly Druze and Christian area of Jaramana.
At least 12 people were killed when a car bomb blew up at a funeral for two people said by opposition activists to have been supporters of President Bashar al-Assad.
Supermodel Heidi Klum has hit back at Seal’s suggestion she cheated on him with her bodyguard Martin Kristen during their marriage.
Heidi Klum, 39, who looked strained as she jetted out of Los Angeles this morning, issued a statement today insisting there was no third party involved in their split.
“Our separation was based on issues between the two of us,” she told People magazine.
Heidi Klum also reminded the public that Seal has had his own romantic liaisons since their break-up, adding: “Seal has moved on and so have I.”
Despite the ugly and unexpected twist in their seemingly amicable divorce, Heidi Klum tried to remain positive about their time together.
Heidi Klum has hit back at Seal's suggestion she cheated on him with her bodyguard Martin Kristen during their marriage
“I cherish all of the great memories Seal and I created together over the years,” she said.
She concluded: “My priority has and continues to be protecting and providing for our children.”
Seal shocked fans – and Heidi Klum – on Friday when he was asked by TMZ about pictures of his estranged wife cosying up to her bodyguard Martin Kristen on a family vacation in Sardinia. Martin Kristen worked for the family while Heidi Klum was married to Seal.
Seal replied: “Whilst I didn’t expect anything better from him, I would have thought that Heidi would have shown a little more class and at least waited until we separated first before deciding to fornicate with the help.”
He continued: “I guess you now all have the answer that you’ve been looking for the past seven months.”
But however unambiguous his words sounded, a representative for the singer yesterday backtracked, claiming he had not meant to accuse Heidi Klum of cheating.
The representative told Us Weekly: “Seal would like to clarify that he was not implying his wife was cheating while they were together, but he was merely pointing out that their separation and divorce were not final and they are still legally married.”
Although they were believed to have one of the most rock-solid marriages in showbiz, Seal, 49, and Heidi Klum, 39, announced the end of their seven-year union in January.
Heidi Klum and Seal have four children together who they continue to co-parent – Leni, eight, Henry, six, Johan, five, and Lou, two.
Former US President Bill Clinton made an insensitive racial remark about Barack Obama while his wife battled him for the Democratic nomination vote, it was claimed today.
Bill Clinton, whose wife Hillary battled Barack Obama in the 2008 primary campaign, is said to have remarked of the current president: “A few years ago, this guy would have been carrying our bags.”
He allegedly made the insensitive remark to Senator Ted Kennedy in 2008, while trying to convince him to endorse Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination, according to the New Yorker.
Writer Ryan Lizza said he heard about the comment from NBC newsman Tim Russert, who died in 2008.
Four years ago Bill Clinton and Barack Obama had clashed following Hillary’s failed bid for Presidency, which she lost to Obama.
Although Bill Clinton is said to have since given his backing to the current U.S. President, his remark is the latest in a series of apparent outbursts against Barack Obama.
Bill Clinton made an insensitive racial remark about Barack Obama while his wife battled him for the Democratic nomination vote
The ill-advised comment follows claims of another remark attributed to Bill Clinton in 2010, where he is said to have commented: “A few years ago, this guy would have been getting us coffee.”
The ex-President is quoted as having made the other remark in the book Game Change by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin.
The latest revelation comes just days before Bill Clinton is due to give a speech to the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, NC on Wednesday night.
Further book claims last year said that Bill Clinton had previously branded Barack Obama “incompetent” and an “amateur”.
Bill Clinton is said to have torn into Barack Obama and branded him “incompetent” and that he “did not know how to be President”.
Bill Clinton added that Barack Obama “does not know how the world works”, according to an article in the Sunday Post by Edward Klein, author of The Amateur: Barack Obama in the White House.
He even urged Hillary Clinton to quit her job as U.S. Secretary of State and challenge him for the Democratic ticket as she knew how to do a better job of it. Bill Clinton’s team denied the remarks, branding Edward Klein as a well known liar.
Bill Clinton is yet to issue comment in response to the latest reported remarks.
The rocky relationship between the 42nd President and the current President has been closely scrutinized since the aggressive primaries in 2008, where Hillary Clinton was running for President.
During that contest, Bill Clinton made headlines for calling the premise of Barack Obama’s campaign, his opposition to the Iraq War, “the biggest fair tail I’ve ever seen”.
But despite their often tense relationship, the President buried the hatchet with charismatic Bill Clinton earlier this year by asking him to be a leading star of his re-election campaign.
Barack Obama’s team will likely be keeping a close eye on Bill Clinton as he takes to the North Carolina stage this week, praying that he causes no further cracks in the party for the Republicans to seize on.
Bill Clinton, 66, said in July that Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s business career was “sterling” and criticized the Obama campaign’s attacks on Romney’s background at the private equity firm Bain Capital.
He caused headaches for the Obama administration again when he said he favored the extension of all of George W. Bush’s tax cuts. Barack Obama has campaigned on repealing the cuts for the richest Americans.
The West Indian American Day Parade & Carnival celebrates its 45th anniversary in 2012.
The party starts on the Thursday before Labor Day, August 30th, and doesn’t end till around 6 p.m. on the following Monday, September 3rd.
1. Monday September 3, 2012: WEST INDIAN CARIBBEAN AMERICAN LABOR DAY PARADE
The parade starts at 11 a.m. and winds its way down Eastern Parkway, in a glorious display of cultural pride. Get there early to grab a good spot! See the costumes, mas bands, masqueraders, floats, moko jumbies and more. Route: Eastern Parkway and Schenectady Ave. to Flatbush Ave.
2. HOW TO GET THERE: Directions to the Parade
Directions to the Labor Day Parade, provided by WIADCA, the organizers:
• From Manhattan: Take the Manhattan Bridge. The Manhattan Bridge becomes Flatbush Ave. Stay straight to go onto Flatbush Ave. Turn Slight Right onto Grand Army PLZ. Go Straight for about 0.1 miles. Turn Slight Right onto Eastern Parkway go approx. 2.0 miles End at Utica Ave & Eastern Parkway Brooklyn NY.
• From Westchester, the Bronx, Queens, or Connecticut: Triborough Bridge to Brooklyn Queens Express (BQE)/Manhattan Bridge exit to Tillary Street, follow directions from Manhattan.
• From Staten Island and Southern or Central New Jersey: Verrazano-Narrows Bridge to Gowanus Expressway (Route 278 towards Manhattan); exit to 38th Street; left on Fourth Avenue for approximately 2 miles; right on Union Street; 5 blocks to Grand Army Plaza; go 1/2 around Plaza; turn right on Eastern Parkway. Go approx. 2.0 miles End at Utica Ave & Eastern Parkway.
• From Long Island: Grand Central Parkway to Jackie Robinson Parkway; exit at Bushwick Avenue; left at third traffic light to Eastern Parkway; approximately 1.5 miles to Utica Avenue.
The West Indian American Day Parade and Carnival celebrates its 45th anniversary in 2012
3. WHAT TO EAT? Labor Day Caribbean Food Fest
Next to the music and costumes, half the fun at the Labor Day parade is the food. Take your pick of vendors: you can find pork, ribs, vegetarian, halal. And there’s everything you might want to eat from the West Indies: fish cakes, sorrel and ginger drinks, tons of deserts. The stalls line Eastern Parkway and start cooking well before the parade begins, so get there early to sample the fare while it’s hot off the stove. Some vendors come from Brooklyn, others from Jersey, and a handful make the trek all the way from the south, for instance Virginia.
4. WHAT TO BUY: Afro-Carib Gear: T-Shirts, Flags, Books, Clothes, Hats
Don’t come without some spare change! The streets are lined with a great collection of affordable gear, including original t-shirts, hats, and flags from every country in the Caribbean.
5. WHAT’S THE MESSAGE?
The festival and parade celebrate Caribbean heritage, music, and culture. But there’s more than that. The roots of this event go back to the history of blacks in America.
6. PRACTICAL INFO: Special Tickets & Parade Map (Parade is FREE)
Come and see the costumes, hear fabulous Caribbean music, grab some ethnic food from the street vendors, and join flag waving crowds celebrating West Indian culture. Among the nations represented are Trinidad, Barbados and Grenada.
• There are indoors and outdoors events. Everything happens rain or shine.
• Some events are especially for kids.
• The Labor Day parade is free. Some events, however, are ticketed.
• Get tickets online at WIADCA.com, email [email protected], or call (718) 467 1797.
7. PAST EVENT 2012: Let the Music Begin! Official Welcome
Thursday, August 30: Mas Mas & More Event.
September 1st 2012 is the “official welcome” ceremony to all mas bands and participants. Music by international DJs. Dr. J, Back to Basics, Trinibago Massive Rhythm Section, Mas competition and more. The event’s open to the public.
When & Where & How Much
• Brooklyn Museum
• 200 Eastern Parkway
• Tickets online or at the door.
8. PAST EVENT Friday August 31st: Brass Band Competition
Running from Saturday evening till 3 a.m. the next day, this steel band competition is about as memorable as any musical event you’ll ever attend.
When & Where & How Much
• Brooklyn Museum
• 200 Eastern Parkway
• Friday doors open 7 p.m. Show at 8 until 3 a.m.
• Tickets online $40. Get tickets online at WIADCA.com, email [email protected], or call (718) 467 1797.
9. PAST EVENT: Sunday, September 2nd, Dimanche Gras or Fat Sunday: All-Star Steel Bands
Come watch and hear the best West Indian steel bands compete in this fabulous carnival event.
When & Where
• Brooklyn Museum
• 200 Eastern Parkway
• Doors open at 6 p.m. Show starts at 7 p.m.
The line up includes: Calypso Rose, Shadow, King Ajamu, Black Stalin and many others, along with winners of all competitions; Something Positive Dance Troupe and (direct from Trinidad & Tobago) traditional characters including “pan-around-the-neck” steelband musicians.
10. PAST EVENT Friday August 31, 2012: Official Brass Fest 2012 (Brooklyn Museum)
Let the festivities begin! The Official Brass Band festival features last year’s best bands, the Kings of the 2010 Festival.
When & Where & How Much
• Brooklyn Museum
• 200 Eastern Parkway
• Friday doors open 7 p.m. Show at 8 until 3 a.m.
• Tickets online $45. Get tickets online at WIADCA.com, email [email protected], or call (718) 467 1797.
11. PAST EVENT Saturday September 1st, 2012: Junior Carnival & Parade
Bring the family to a special Kiddie Carnival. There’s a parade and carnival!
• Junior Carnival events include hip hop, steel band, dance, fashion show and spoken word.
• Junior parade kicks off at Kingston Avenue and St. James, and marches to the Brooklyn Museum.
• Start time: 9 a.m.
• End time: 3 p.m.
12. PAST EVENT: Monday September 3rd, 2012: J’Ouvert (the opening of the parade, at 3 AM)
J’Ouvert is the starting festivities of the Carnival. Every year, early Monday morning, if you want to avoid the huge crowds, join the J’Ouvert parade, a celebration of steel pan drums that you can attend to get a good sense of the festivities. From the organizers of the events in 2011:
“Ouvert or Jouvay is the pre-dawn parade / party / roving band that begins after the Dimache Gras show ends at the Brooklyn Museum sometime after 2AM (but a lot of people take a break and then J’Ouvert starts to really cook around 4AM — and J’Ouvert will still be going at dawn, if you want to <<sleep in>> until 6AM!). By tradition, no amplified music is allowed, only steel drums.
“Steel bands (25 of them this year!) will begin gathering at the intersection of Empire Blvd, Flatbush Avenue, and Ocean Avenue at about 2AM, and a procession will start at 4AM: East on Empire, then South on Nostrand to Lefferts Blvd, the end of the procession.”
