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Syria: Aleppo fighting increased in the past few days

Roy Siemens
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Syria: Aleppo fighting increased in the past few days

Fighting in Syria’s embattled city of Aleppo has increased significantly in the past few days, the UN says.

Sausan Ghosheh of the UN mission in Syria says opposition forces were now in possession of heavy weapons, including captured tanks.

She urged both sides to show restraint and to distinguish between civilians and fighters in the conflict.

Meanwhile, reports suggest army troops have killed 35 people near Damascus, most of them unarmed civilians.

They died after government forces shelled and overran the neighborhood of Jdeidet Artouz, southwest of the capital, on Wednesday, activists and residents told Reuters.

On Wednesday, video footage emerged apparently showing the public shooting of four Bashar al-Assad loyalists by rebels in Aleppo, sparking criticism from human rights groups.

Fighting in Syria's embattled city of Aleppo has increased significantly in the past few days
Fighting in Syria's embattled city of Aleppo has increased significantly in the past few days

More than 200,000 people have fled Aleppo in recent weeks, the UN says, as government forces battle to oust Free Syria Army (FSA) rebels from the country’s biggest city.

The rebels appear to control large parts of the city despite government assertions that they have suffered heavy losses.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported 135 deaths on Wednesday while the Local Coordination Committees gave a figure of 170.

“In the last 72 hours we saw a significant increase in the level of violence. Our observers are reporting heavy exchanges of fire,” Susan Ghosheh said on Wednesday.

“They also reported the use of helicopters, tanks, heavy machine guns and artillery. Yesterday, for the first time we saw firing from fighter aircraft.”

Susan Ghosheh confirmed reports that the FSA was “in possession of heavy weapons including tanks” in the city.

There are reports that the FSA may have been given shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles, which could reduce the threat posed by government helicopter gunships.

The opposition Syrian National Council has criticized rebel gunmen for killing several prisoners who were said to belong to a pro-government militia in the city of Aleppo, after footage emerged of the incident.

Human Rights Watch has said the incident could potentially be a war crime.

Video posted online shows the men, some of them bruised and bloodied, being put up against a wall half-naked and shot with Kalashnikov rifles.

One of the men killed has been identified as Ali Zeineddin al-Berri, known as Zeno, accused of leading a pro-regime shabiha militia group which killed 15 FSA fighters during a truce in Aleppo on Tuesday.

Abdullah Omar, a cousin of a rebel fighter who had been killed by the militia, said it was naive to imagine that the rebels would have the same standards as a regular army.

“We have to remember of course that the FSA is predominantly made up of defectors from Syria’s army and it is absurd to imagine that merely by defecting they will magically transform themselves into an organization that adheres by international standards of warfare.”

Meanwhile, Reuters news agency reports that President Barack Obama approved an order earlier this year authorizing US support for Syria’s opposition.

The intelligence “finding”, as the order is called, allows the CIA and other agencies to aid the rebels, US sources told the news agency.

The White House – which declined to comment on the report – has openly expressed support for the opposition, but has stopped short of providing arms.

Activists estimate some 20,000 people have died since March last year.

Russian President, Vladimir Putin, is arriving in the UK on Thursday and is expected to discuss the Syrian crisis with Prime Minister David Cameron.

 

Palm trees once grew in Antarctica

James J. Williams
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Palm trees once grew in Antarctica

Scientists drilling deep into the edge of modern Antarctica have pulled up proof that palm trees once grew there.

Analyses of pollen and spores and the remains of tiny creatures have given a climatic picture of the early Eocene period, about 53 million years ago.

The study, published in Nature, suggests Antarctic winter temperatures exceeded 10C, while summers may have reached 25C.

Better knowledge of past “greenhouse” conditions will enhance guesses about the effects of increasing CO2 today.

The early Eocene – often referred to as the Eocene greenhouse – has been a subject of increasing interest in recent years as a “warm analogue” of the current Earth.

“There are two ways of looking at where we’re going in the future,” said a co-author of the study, James Bendle of the University of Glasgow.

“One is using physics-based climate models; but increasingly we’re using this <<back to the future>> approach where we look through periods in the geological past that are similar to where we may be going in 10 years, or 20, or several hundred,” James Bendle said.

The early Eocene was a period of atmospheric CO2 concentrations higher than the current 390 parts per million (ppm ) – reaching at least 600 ppm and possibly far higher.

Global temperatures were on the order of 5C higher, and there was no sharp divide in temperature between the poles and the equator.

Scientists drilling deep into the edge of modern Antarctica have pulled up proof that palm trees once grew there
Scientists drilling deep into the edge of modern Antarctica have pulled up proof that palm trees once grew there

Drilling research carried out in recent years showed that the Arctic must have had a subtropical climate.

But the Antarctic presents a difficult challenge. Glaciation 34 million years ago wiped out much of the sediment that would give clues to past climate, and left kilometres of ice on top of what remains.

Now, the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) has literally got to the bottom of what the Eocene Antarctic was like, dropping a drilling rig through 4 km of water off Wilkes Land on Antarctica’s eastern coast.

The rig then drilled through 1 km of sediment to return samples from the Eocene. With the sediment came pollen grains from palm trees and relatives of the modern baobab and macadamia.

Crucially, they contained also the remnants of tiny single-celled organisms called Archaea.

The creatures’ cell walls show subtle molecular changes that depend on the temperature of the soil surrounding them when they were alive. The structures are faithfully preserved after they die.

They are, in essence, tiny buried thermometers from 53 million years ago

Together, the data suggest that even in the darkest period of Antarctic winter, the temperature did not drop below 10C; and summer daytime temperatures were in the 20Cs.

The lowland coastal region sported palm trees, while slightly inland, hills were populated with beech trees and conifers.

Dr. James Bendle said that as an analogue of modern Earth, the Eocene represents heightened levels of CO2 that will not be reached any time soon, and may not be reached at all if CO2 emissions abate.

However, he said the results from the Eocene could help to shore up the computer models that are being used to estimate how sensitive climate is to the emissions that will certainly rise in the nearer term.

“It’s a clearer picture we get of warm analogues through geological time,” he said.

“The more we get that information, the more it seems that the models we’re using now are not overestimating the [climatic] change over the next few centuries, and they may be underestimating it. That’s the essential message.”

 

Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis jet off on romantic trip to Bali

Lisa.Felice
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Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis jet off on romantic trip to Bali

Ashton Kutcher and his new girlfriend Mila Kunis have jetted off on a romantic trip to Bali.

Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis were pictured cuddling at Los Angeles airport on Sunday morning as they prepared to fly out to the tropical destination together.

Ashton Kutcher, 34, who is currently going through a divorce with Demi Moore, whisked Mila Kunis, 28, off to a five-star resort on the island’s southern peninsula.

The lavish suites boast wooden four-poster beds, a sunken indoor bathtub and private pools.

Ashton Kutcher and his new girlfriend Mila Kunis have jetted off on a romantic trip to Bali
Ashton Kutcher and his new girlfriend Mila Kunis have jetted off on a romantic trip to Bali

Although they have not confirmed their romance, friends of the couple – who first met 14 years ago when they co-starred in That 70s Show – say they are ready to go public with their relationship now it is getting more serious.

A source told the New York Post: “Ashton was Mila’s first kiss while on That ’70s Show, so they’ve always had a special bond. They started dating in the spring, and things have recently become more serious.”

Last week, Mila Kunis accompanied Ashton Kutcher to the wrap party for his new movie Jobs.

A source said at the time: “They stayed within five feet of each other the whole entire evening. It was very obvious to everyone that they were together.

“They both seemed in good spirits, happy and having fun. They just sat next to each other and mainly talked to each other the whole time they were there.”

Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis stayed at the party, which took place at The Duplex on Third Restaurant in Los Angeles, for two hours.

 

Olympics 2012: bus crash kills cyclist near Olympic Park in Hackney

Clyde K. Valle
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Olympics 2012: bus crash kills cyclist near Olympic Park in Hackney

A cyclist has been killed in a crash with what police are describing as an “Olympic bus” on the border of the Olympic Park in Hackney, eastern London.

The man, believed to be aged 30, was injured just before 19:45 BST at the junction of Ruckholt Road and East Cross Road, Hackney.

Police and an air ambulance attended but the man was pronounced dead at the scene about half an hour later.

The crash involved a media bus.

Olympic bus crash kills cyclist in Hackney
Olympic bus crash kills cyclist in Hackney

No arrests have been made in connection with the incident.

The crash happened close to the Olympic hockey centre, velodrome and Paralympic tennis arena.

The victim has not yet been identified, but an International Olympic Committee official said the dead man was not an athlete.

Following the collision no buses were allowed to arrive or depart from the Media Transport Mall’s multi-story car park.

The Olympic Park internal shuttle remains operational.

The incident is being investigated by the Met’s Traffic Investigation Unit.

LOCOG has said it will provide updates as they become available.

 

Boris Johnson left dangling on zip wire at an Olympic live screen event

Clyde K. Valle
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Boris Johnson left dangling on zip wire at an Olympic live screen event

London’s Mayor Boris Johnson was left dangling on a zip wire for several minutes when it stopped working at an Olympic live screen event.

Boris Johnson was trying out a 45 m (150 ft) high zip wire at Victoria Park, where the Games are being shown on big screens.

The wire then lost momentum, leaving him suspended “like an odd Christmas decoration” above a crowd of people.

As onlookers snapped photos, he joked: “This is great fun but it needs to go faster.”

London’s Mayor Boris Johnson was left dangling on a zip wire for several minutes when it stopped working at an Olympic live screen event
London’s Mayor Boris Johnson was left dangling on a zip wire for several minutes when it stopped working at an Olympic live screen event

Lee Medcalf, who was at the event, said: “When Boris came down the zip wire, it was very James Bond-esque with him shouting <<Team GB>>.

“However, he seemed to lose momentum and was left hanging there like an odd Christmas decoration for about five to 10 minutes.

“He spoke to the crowd, which had gathered beneath him, saying <<this is what it’s all about; this is great, this is fantastic, this is Team GB>>.

“I was thinking <<Yeah it’s good, but you’re still just hanging there>>.”

A spokesman for the mayor said: “The mayor has survived his first zip wire experience relatively unscathed.

“Clearly the judges are likely to have marked the mayor down for artistic impression, and unlike team GB, the mayor may not be winning too many Gold medals today.

“He does however remain unbowed.”

British Prime Minister David Cameron said London was “lucky to have” Boris Johnson as mayor.

David Cameron said: “If any other politician got stuck on a zip wire it would be disastrous.

“With Boris it’s a triumph… London is lucky to have him.”

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Golden Dawn party hands out free food only to Greek nationals

Diane A. Wade
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Golden Dawn party hands out free food only to Greek nationals

Far-right Golden Dawn party in Greece has handed out free food to hundreds of struggling people in central Athens, but only to Greek nationals.

The ultra-nationalists won 18 parliamentary seats in Greece’s June election, with a campaign openly hostile to illegal immigrants.

People lining up for food had to show identity papers to get the free packages from party volunteers.

Greece’s debt crisis has pushed the unemployment rate up to nearly 23%.

At Wednesday’s event on Syntagma Square the Golden Dawn activists handed out packets of pasta, milk, potatoes and cooking oil.

One of the party’s MPs, Ilias Kasidiaris, told Reuters TV that they had bought the food “exclusively from Greek producers to give to Greek people”.

Far-right Golden Dawn party has handed out free food to hundreds of struggling people in central Athens, but only to Greek nationals
Far-right Golden Dawn party has handed out free food to hundreds of struggling people in central Athens, but only to Greek nationals

A fellow MP at the event, Christos Pappas, said: ”We are in Greece, so Greeks have priority.”

“The illegal immigrants that have come here, who enjoy, if you will, all the rights and privileges that come from Greek taxpayers are illegal, invaders. They are a threat to Greece,” he said.

The Greek newspaper Kathimerini says the event took place despite a ban from the local authorities, who did not want it to be held in Syntagma Square.

Greece’s ruling coalition was meeting on Wednesday to decide on more painful budget cuts. They have not yet agreed on 11.5 billion Euros ($14 billion) in additional savings required to access a new loan installment from the EU and IMF, worth 31.5 billion Euros.

 

Pussy Riot’s Mariya Alekhina falls ill during trial

Sonia Pantiss
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Pussy Riot’s Mariya Alekhina falls ill during trial

Mariya Alekhina, one of the three members of Russian punk band Pussy Riot, on trial for an anti-Putin protest at Moscow’s main cathedral, has been given medical treatment in court, a lawyer says.

Medics were called when the women said they felt unwell on the third day of the trial on Wednesday, the court said.

The defendants say they are being deprived of sleep and are poorly fed, according to a defense lawyer.

They deny hooliganism charges in the case, which has divided Russia.

Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Mariya Alekhina and Yekaterina Samutsevich were taken into custody in February after performing a protest song against President Vladimir Putin at Moscow’s Christ the Saviour Cathedral.

The song outraged the Russian Orthodox Church, which accused them of blasphemy. Supporters say the case reflects the state’s growing intolerance of government opponents.

Mariya Alekhina, one of the three members Pussy Riot, on trial for an anti-Putin protest at Moscow's main cathedral, has been given medical treatment in court
Mariya Alekhina, one of the three members of Pussy Riot, on trial for an anti-Putin protest at Moscow's main cathedral, has been given medical treatment in court

The first prosecution witness called on Wednesday testified that he was not in the cathedral during the performance and had only seen it on video.

Proceedings were interrupted for several hours to allow Mariya Alekhina to be given treatment after a fall in her blood sugar levels, defense lawyer Nikolay Polozov told Russian media. He added that Mariya Alekhina was a vegan and needed a special diet.

Later on Wednesday, there was a further interruption when Mariya Alekhina again repeatedly complained about feeling poorly, according to media reports.

Nikolay Polozov told the Interfax news agency that the defendants have been subjected to a punishing regime since the start of their trial.

“For a third day running, the girls have been woken at 5:00 a.m., held in a 1sq m [11 sq ft] unventilated room, after which they are taken to court,” he said.

“They are not fed, and court sessions last up to 12 hours, during which they are only given 20-30 minutes for a small snack of dry rations. They are then taken back to remand after midnight. They are also denied an evening meal and can only sleep for small number of hours.”

The women are facing the charge of hooliganism motivated by religious hatred or hostility and could face up to seven years in prison.

At the start of their trial on Monday, the three pleaded not guilty, but apologized for the offence their performance had caused.

The case has divided Russia, with many feeling the women are being made an example of as part of attempts to clamp down on the opposition.

 

Missing Moslemuddin Sarkar reunited with his family after 23 years

Diane A. Wade
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Missing Moslemuddin Sarkar reunited with his family after 23 years

Moslemuddin Sarkar, a Bangladeshi man who went missing for 23 years, has been reunited with his family, who had given him up for dead.

Moslemuddin Sarkar, 52, arrived back in Dhaka on Tuesday, a day after being freed from a Pakistani jail with the help of the Red Cross.

His family lost contact after Moslemuddin Sarkar left for India in search of work in 1989. Years later, he ended up in Pakistan, where he was arrested.

Moslemuddin Sarkar says he was beaten and tortured in his subsequent 15 years in prison.

“I requested that embassy officials send me back to Bangladesh but no one listened to me,” he said.

“I suffered a lot in the prison and was crying for help. But no-one came to my rescue. Still I don’t understand why I was kept in jail for such a long time. At last, I am back with my family and I feel great.”

Moslemuddin Sarkar, a Bangladeshi man who went missing for 23 years, has been reunited with his family, who had given him up for dead
Moslemuddin Sarkar, a Bangladeshi man who went missing for 23 years, has been reunited with his family, who had given him up for dead

There were emotional scenes when Moslemuddin Sarkar was welcomed by relatives at Dhaka airport.

A younger brother, Julhas Uddin, told the AFP news agency that Moslemuddin Sarkar’s mother “passed out as he hugged her” after returning to his home village.

“It was a heartbreaking scene. He could not control his tears for hours,” Julhas Uddin said.

A dockworker at the port of Chittagong, Moslemuddin Sarkar says he illegally crossed the border to India in 1989 in search of better opportunities, without telling his family.

“We searched for him for years and finally gave up hope believing he might have drowned in the sea. But our mother always believed that her son would return home one day,” Julhas Uddin said.

In 1997, Moslemuddin Sarkar was caught trying to enter Pakistan without valid travel documents, spending the next 15 years in prisons in Lahore and Karachi. He said he was completely cut off from the world during that time.

“I went to Pakistan believing that I would get a better job there. But they caught me at the border,” he told AFP.

“I wrote dozens of letters to my village address, but did not have any clue that they were never posted. At one stage I lost all hope of returning home.”

His fate reportedly came to light when Pakistan sent a list of long-serving Bangladeshi prisoners to consular officials, who informed Moslemuddin Sarkar’s family. They in turn appealed to the International Committee of the Red Cross, who facilitated his release.

 

Vertigo named as Greatest Film of All Time

Sonia Pantiss
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Vertigo named as Greatest Film of All Time

Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo has usurped Orson Welles’s Citizen Kane as the greatest film of all time in a poll by the British Film Institute’s Sight and Sound magazine.

Sight and Sound polls its experts once a decade – and Citizen Kane has been their top pick for the last 50 years.

This time, 846 distributors, critics, academics and writers chose Alfred Hitchcock’s 1958 suspense thriller, about a retired police officer with a fear of heights.

Starring James Stewart and Kim Novak, Vertigo beat Citizen Kane by 34 votes.

In the last poll 10 years ago, it was five votes short of toppling Citizen Kane.

Alfred Hitchcock called it his most personal film and it sees the director tackle one of his recurring themes – love as a fetish that degrades women and deranges men.

It opens with police officer Scotty Ferguson (James Stewart) retiring from the police force after his vertigo inadvertently leads to the death of a colleague during a rooftop chase.

He is then hired by an old friend, whose wife Madeleine (Kim Novak) has been behaving strangely.

As the story plays out against a glistening San Francisco skyline, there are dozens of twists and revelations that challenge the audience’s preconceptions about the characters and events.

It has become famous for a camera trick Alfred Hitchcock invented to represent Scotty’s vertigo: A simultaneous zoom-in and pull-back of the camera that creates a disorientating depth of field, known as a “dolly zoom” or “trombone shot”.

Vertigo has usurped Citizen Kane as the greatest film of all time in a poll by the BFI's Sight and Sound magazine
Vertigo has usurped Citizen Kane as the greatest film of all time in a poll by the BFI's Sight and Sound magazine

Like 1941’s Citizen Kane, Vertigo received mixed reviews on release but has grown in stature as time passed.

The BFI’s list contained few surprises, with the top 10 mostly representing a reshuffle of the 2002 list – and all of the films more than 40 years old.

Yasujiro Ozu’s Tokyo Story from 1953 was ranked third, bettering its last placement of number five, while Jean Renoir’s La Regle Du Jeu dropped one place from three to four.

The two new entries in the top 10 were both silent – Dziga Vertov’s Man With a Movie Camera (1929) at number eight, and Carl Theodor Dreyer’s The Passion of Joan of Arc (1927) at nine.

The most recent film in the top 10 was Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) at six.

The top British film was The Third Man which came in at number 73.

For the poll, the panel voted for 2,045 films overall.

They were asked to interpret “greatest” as they chose – whether the film was most important to film history, aesthetic achievement or personal impact on their own view of cinema.

“This result reflects changes in the culture of film criticism,” Nick James, the editor of Sight and Sound said.

“The new cinephilia seems to be not so much about films that strive to be great art, such as Citizen Kane, and that use cinema’s entire arsenal of effects to make a grand statement, but more about works that have personal meaning to the critic.

“Vertigo is the ultimate critics’ film because it is a dreamlike film about people who are not sure who they are but who are busy reconstructing themselves and each other to fit a kind of cinema ideal of the ideal soul mate.”

Meanwhile, in a separate poll run by the magazine involving 358 film directors, Yasujiro Ozu’s Tokyo Story was voted the Greatest Film of All Time.

Again Citizen Kane was knocked down to number two, a place it shared with Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. Vertigo took seventh place.

Directors including Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino, Francis Ford Coppola, Woody Allen and Mike Leigh participated in the poll.

The full results of the polls will be published in Sight and Sound’s September issue.

CRITICS TOP 10 FILMS OF ALL TIME

1. Vertigo (Alfred Hitchcock, 1958)

2. Citizen Kane (Orson Welles, 1941)

3. Tokyo Story (Yasujiro Ozu, 1953)

4. La Regle Du Jeu (Jean Renoir, 1939)

5. Sunrise: a Song for Two Humans (F.W. Murnau, 1927)

6. 2001: A Space Odyssey (Stanley Kubrick, 1968)

7. The Searchers (John Ford, 1956)

8. Man with a Movie Camera (Dziga Vertov, 1929)

9. The Passion of Joan of Arc (Carl Theodor Dreyer, 1927)

10. 8 ½ (Federico Fellini, 1963)

Source: Sight & Sound

DIRECTOR’S TOP 10 FILMS

1. Tokyo Story (Yasujiro Ozu, 1953)

=2 2001: A Space Odyssey (Stanley Kubrick, 1968)

=2 Citizen Kane (Orson Welles, 1941)

4. 8 ½ (Federico Fellini, 1963)

5. Taxi Driver (Martin Scorsese, 1980)

6. Apocalypse Now (Francis Ford Coppola, 1979)

=7 The Godfather (Francis Ford Coppola, 1972)

=7 Vertigo (Alfred Hitchcock, 1958)

9. Mirror (Andrei Tarkovsky, 1974)

10. Bicycle Thieves (Vittorio De Sica, 1948)

Source: Sight & Sound

 

Bulgaria releases Burgas bomber image

Diane A. Wade
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Bulgaria releases Burgas bomber image

Bulgarian police have released a composite image of the suspected suicide bomber who killed five Israeli tourists and a local driver on a bus on 18 July.

The bomber, who blew up a bus in the Black Sea resort of Burgas, has not been identified yet.

Forensic experts created the image of a dark-haired man with pale skin. The bomber’s head was found at the scene.

Bulgarian police have released a composite image of the suspected suicide bomber in Burgas
Bulgarian police have released a composite image of the suspected suicide bomber in Burgas

Police suspect that he entered Bulgaria in June and had accomplices.

But Bulgaria has declined to back Israeli claims that Iran and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah played a role.

As well as those killed, dozens of people were wounded in the blast.

Shortly after the bombing, Bulgarian authorities released CCTV images of the suspected bomber, but they appeared to contrast with some witness descriptions.

So far no match has been found in international databases for the fingerprints and DNA samples taken after the bombing.

 

Hans Kristian Rausing sentenced for preventing Eva Rausing’s burial

Diane A. Wade
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Hans Kristian Rausing sentenced for preventing Eva Rausing’s burial

Tetra Pack billionaire Hans Kristian Rausing has been sentenced after admitting preventing the lawful and decent burial of his wife, Eva Rausing.

The body of Eva Rausing, 48, was discovered at the couple’s house in Belgravia, London, on 9 July.

Hans Kristian Rausing, 49, was sentenced to 10 months in custody, suspended for two years, at Isleworth Crown Court.

Judge Richard McGregor-Johnson said the case illustrated the “utterly destructive effects of drug misuse”.

A second two-month prison sentence, also suspended for two years, was imposed to run concurrently after he admitted a charge of driving while unfit through drugs.

Hans Kristian Rausing was also ordered to attend a residential drug rehabilitation treatment programme for two years.

Hans Kristian Rausing has been sentenced after admitting preventing the lawful and decent burial of his wife, Eva Rausing
Hans Kristian Rausing has been sentenced after admitting preventing the lawful and decent burial of his wife, Eva Rausing

Police discovered the body of mother-of-four Eva Rausing in an advanced state of decomposition after they arrested her husband.

In a statement read to the court earlier, Hans Kristian Rausing said he had been unable to confront the reality of his wife’s death.

The court heard that Hans Kristian Rausing told police in a statement after his arrest: “I do not have a very coherent recollection of the events leading up to and since Eva’s death.

“Safe to assure you that I have never wished her or done her any harm.”

He added: “I did not supply her with drugs. I have been very traumatised since her death.

“I do not know what caused her death. I did not feel able to confront the reality of her death.

“I do not feel, with the benefit of hindsight, that following her death I acted rationally.

“I tried to carry on as if her death had not happened and batted away any inquiries about her.”

In a separate statement read to the court, Hans Kristian Rausing’s doctor said his patient had told him: “I know it sounds selfish but I just didn’t want her to leave.”

His doctor described him as a shy, socially awkward man who could not cope with the overwhelming emotional trauma of his wife’s death.

Hans Kristian Rausing was stopped by police on 9 July on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

A subsequent search of the couple’s home led to the discovery of Eva Rausing’s body under a pile of bin bags, clothing and bed linen in a room which had been sealed with gaffer tape.

A post-mortem examination to determine the cause of her death proved inconclusive.

Medical reports showed that she probably died on 7 May. Initial toxicology reports showed the presence of drugs in her system.

Prosecutor James O’Connell said Eva Rausing had expressed concerns about her husband’s “chaotic lifestyle” to her financial adviser on 3 May, the last time she was seen by witnesses.

Hans Kristian Rausing’s family is said to be worth more than $6 billion.

They made their fortune from the Tetra Pak carton firm, although the family exited the company in 1995.

In sentencing, Judge McGregor-Johnson told Hans Kristian Rausing: “You and your wife had every material advantage imaginable, and for a time a happy family life.

“Your relapse into the misuse of drugs, together with that of your wife, destroyed all that.

“It is graphically illustrated by the contrast between the rooms visitors saw and the utter squalor of the rooms you really lived in.”

The couple had struggled with drug addiction for many years.

After an earlier court appearance, Hans Kristian Rausing’s parents issued a statement, saying they hoped their son could “find the strength to begin the long and hard journey of detoxification and rehabilitation”.

In 2008, Eva Rausing and her husband faced drug charges after crack, heroin and 52 g of cocaine were found in their home.

Eva Rausing had been arrested after she allegedly tried to smuggle small amounts of crack cocaine and heroin into the US embassy in London.

 

Karl Lagerfeld says he doesn’t like Pippa Middleton’s face

Lisa.Felice
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Karl Lagerfeld says he doesn’t like Pippa Middleton’s face

After apologizing to Adele for calling her fat, Karl Lagerfeld has now found fault with the Duchess of Cambridge’s sister, Pippa Middleton.

Karl Lagerfeld, 78, was commenting on Pippa Middleton’s style, when he admitted that he admired only the rear view of her.

According to The Sun, the Chanel designer said: “Kate Middleton has a nice silhouette and she is the right girl for that boy.

“I like that kind of woman, I like romantic beauties.”

“On the other hand, her sister struggles,” Karl Lagerfeld continued.

“I don’t like the sister’s face. She should only show her back.”

Karl Lagerfeld was commenting on Pippa Middleton's style, when he admitted that he admired only the rear view of her
Karl Lagerfeld was commenting on Pippa Middleton's style, when he admitted that he admired only the rear view of her

No doubt Pippa Middleton’s fans, who have dubbed the 28-year-old “Her Royal Hotness”, will not be best pleased.

It is not the first time Karl Lagerfeld has voiced his opinion on the Middleton sisters.

At the launch of his pop-up beauty boutique in London’s Covent Garden last week, the designer was full of compliments for Kate – even defending her style against critics who might deem it dull.

Karl Lagerfeld said: “She knows pretty well what to wear and what to do. She has a divine silhouette so she can wear anything.

“She has a sense of what’s right for the moment because you can not dress like a mad woman in those situations.”

While he slammed Pippa Middleton in yesterday’s interview, Karl Lagerfeld did have high praise for Victoria Beckham, who he recently hosted for a shoot in his couture atelier in Paris.

“That body, after four children,” he exclaimed.

“There are not so many who have a body like that. She is very disciplined.”

 

Olympics 2012: China’s Olympic delegation to probe badminton match loss

Diane A. Wade
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Olympics 2012: China’s Olympic delegation to probe badminton match loss

Chinese Olympic delegation has begun an investigation into allegations two badminton players “deliberately lost” their match, state media says.

Doubles players Yu Yang and Wang Xiaoli are among eight players charged by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) with “not using one’s best efforts to win”.

Four players from South Korea and two from Indonesia have also been charged.

China’s Olympic Committee opposed any behavior which violated “sporting spirit and morality”, a spokesman said.

Further action could be taken based on the results of the investigation, the spokesman said in a report published by Xinhua news agency.

Reports have suggested both pairs wanted to lose to secure an easier draw.

Chinese Olympic delegation has begun an investigation into allegations two badminton players "deliberately lost" their match
Chinese Olympic delegation has begun an investigation into allegations two badminton players "deliberately lost" their match

The match between the top-seeded Chinese duo and South Koreans Jung Kyung-Eun and Kim Ha-Na came under scrutiny after the longest rally in their game lasted four shots.

Match referee Thorsten Berg came on court at one point to warn the players, who also appeared to make deliberate errors.

Both pairs were already through to the quarter-finals.

The Chinese duo lost, meaning – Xinhua noted – that if both Chinese pairs continue to do well, they will not meet until the final.

Yu Yang said after the match that the performance was about saving strength.

“We’ve already qualified, so why would we waste energy? It’s not necessary to go out hard again when the knockout rounds are tomorrow.”

A subsequent match between South Korean third seeds Ha Jung-Eun and Kim Min-Jung and Indonesian pair Meiliana Juahari and Greysia Polii also came under scrutiny, with both teams apparently keen to lose – and so avoid the Chinese in the next round.

A statement from the BWF confirmed that all four pairs would face charges of “not using one’s best efforts to win a match” and “conducting oneself in a manner that is clearly abusive or detrimental to the sport”.

It is not clear what kind of penalties they could face. They are due to play in the quarter-finals later on Wednesday.

Australian coach Lasse Bundgaard said the group format of the tournament was to blame.

“If you can win a medal by losing, but not by winning, that’s not a good situation to be put in,” the Associated Press news agency quoted him as saying.

But a commentary piece carried by Xinhua was more reflective. The players’ actions did not “break any rules”, it said, but such behavior damaged “sportsmanship and ethics”.

“It is purely an act just for getting gold, with absolutely no respect to the spectators. You will be widely criticized even if you win the gold medal in the end,” the commentary read.

“Is it more important for us to ensure a gold-winning opportunity, or to protect China’s image and to spread the Olympic spirit?”

The row provoked heated debate on Sina Weibo – one of China’s Twitter equivalents. Moderators put up a page dividing comments into support and criticism of the players – and 70% of commentators backed the players.

One user in Beijing said: “It all depends on the result! Once the result is right, the way you achieve it doesn’t really matter.”

But another from Foshan in southern Guangdong said: “Passive competition, no matter what, goes against the Olympic spirit. All you want to achieve by doing this is to secure both gold and silver.”

 

North Korea Arirang Mass Games 2012

Diane A. Wade
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North Korea Arirang Mass Games 2012

Arirang Mass Games will be held in North Korean capital Pyongyang from August 1st until September 9th, 2012.

Mass Games takes place in the one of the biggest world’s stadium – Pyongyang’s May Day Stadium (for 150,000 visitors). The most magnificent show on Earth involves over 100,000 performers.

Amazing choreography, unbelievable synchronism and intricacy of acrobatic numbers – result of many months’ hard trainings of thousands of people. Ninety minute-long spectacular performance really astonishes imagination.

Arirang Mass Games will be held in North Korean capital Pyongyang from August 1st until September 9th, 2012
Arirang Mass Games will be held in North Korean capital Pyongyang from August 1st until September 9th, 2012

After success of the Arirang Festival in 2005, the organizers decided to extend Mass Games into next years. In 2007, August 16, Mass Games entered to Guinness Book of World Records. The record of “largest gymnastic and artistic performance in the world was created in Pyongyang, the capital of the DPRK” the Guinness Certificate says.

The Mass Games at Arirang Festival possess an important ideological character praising the Workers Party of North Korea, its armed forces, Kim Il-Sung and Kim Jong-Il. These messages may not be clear to foreign spectators who are not aware of North Korean iconography: a rising sun symbolizes Kim Il-Sung. When a gun is shown, it signifies the gun which Kim Il-Sung gave to his son Kim Jong-Il. The color red, particularly in flowers, stands for the working class. And the color purple and red flowers represent Kim Il-Sung (as the flower “Kimilsungia” is a purple orchid and the flower “Kimjongilia” is a red begonia). A snowy mountain with a lake represents Mount Paektu where Kim Jong-Il is said to have been born in a log cabin.

From as young as 5 years old, citizens are selected based on skill level to serve for the Arirang Festival for many years. In most cases this will be the way of life for them until retirement.

Don’t miss this unique opportunity to visit DPRK and to see the most spectacular show in the world!

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Javier Bardem as James Bond villain “Silva” in Skyfall

Sonia Pantiss
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0
Javier Bardem as James Bond villain “Silva” in Skyfall

Trailer of the latest James Bond film, Skyfall, has given fans their first glimpse of Oscar-winning actor Javier Bardem’s blond villain in action.

Javier Bardem’s character, named Silva, is seen confronting a manacled James Bond, played by Daniel Craig, and is later shown disguised as a British policeman.

The trailer features actor Ben Whishaw as “The New Q” and explosive action in various London locales.

It also shows James Bond being “killed” in action and M typing up his obituary.

Played by Dame Judi Dench, 007’s boss is then seen being chastised by Ralph Fiennes’ character Gareth Mallory for losing a disc drive containing details of undercover British agents.

Subsequent scenes depict an explosion at MI6’s Thameside HQ and a Tube train plummeting into an underground vault.

The trailer reveals previously unknown plot points, one of which appears to have been drawn from Ian Fleming’s novel You Only Live Twice.

Trailer of the latest James Bond film, Skyfall, has given fans their first glimpse of Oscar-winning actor Javier Bardem's blond villain in action
Trailer of the latest James Bond film, Skyfall, has given fans their first glimpse of Oscar-winning actor Javier Bardem's blond villain in action

The 1964 book concludes with an obituary for James Bond written by M after the secret agent is believed to have been killed during a mission in Japan.

The latest trailer comes shortly after Daniel Craig’s cameo appearance during the Olympic Opening Ceremony in a short film that showed Bond escorting the Queen to the Olympic Stadium.

Audiences in the US were treated to a teaser of the new footage during NBC’s telecast of the London 2012 launch.

Other scenes unveiled on Tuesday include one showing British actress Naomie Harris, in her role as field agent Eve, “shooting” James Bond off the roof of a moving train in Turkey.

Skyfall marks Daniel Craig’s third big-screen appearance as Ian Fleming’s legendary spy.

Daniel Craig, 44, was previously seen in the role in 2006’s Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace in 2008.

Spanish actor Javier Bardem, 43, won the best supporting actor Oscar in 2008 for his villainous role in No Country for Old Men.

Javier Bardem, who is married to fellow Spaniard Penelope Cruz, was also Oscar-nominated in 2001 and 2011.

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Polish catholic groups protest over Madonna’s MDNA show in Warsaw

Sonia Pantiss
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0
Polish catholic groups protest over Madonna’s MDNA show in Warsaw

Catholic and veterans groups in Poland are protesting against Madonna’s concert in the Polish capital because it falls on the anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising.

Some are urging ticket-holders to boycott Wednesday’s show, which comes 68 years after the city’s failed revolt against Nazi occupation began.

Organizers of the concert have agreed to show a short clip about the events of 1944 before the performance.

Every year, Poles commemorate the 200,000 lives lost during the uprising.

One Catholic group called Krucjata Mlodych (Youth Crusade) has started an online campaign urging people not to attend the concert.

They say more than 50,000 people have signed up to their Don’t Go To See Madonna campaign.

Catholic and veterans groups in Poland are protesting against Madonna’s concert in the Polish capital because it falls on the anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising
Catholic and veterans groups in Poland are protesting against Madonna’s concert in the Polish capital because it falls on the anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising

The group also says anti-Madonna Mass services and street prayer sessions have been held.

They accuse the singer of offending their faith through her use of burning cross and crown of thorns imagery, and say she promotes pornography and sexual deviation.

Billboards around the capital promoting the concert have been defaced with the sign of the Polish Home Army, the largest underground army in Nazi-occupied Europe.

Every year, at 1700 on 1 August, sirens wail across Warsaw and people stand still to pay their respects to the victims of the 63-day uprising.

Conservative opposition MP Stanislaw Pieta has appealed to the government not to allow the concert to go ahead in Warsaw’s National Stadium, Polish Radio reports.

Concert organizers have agreed to a proposal by city officials to show a short film about the uprising in the stadium before the show, in an attempt to appease the protesters.

Ania Pietrzak, a spokeswoman for concert organizer Live Nation, told the Press Association: “It is an important moment in Polish history, so we have decided to remind people of that moment.”

It is the latest controversy to hit the 53-year-old singer’s MDNA tour.

In Paris, some fans booed her when she ended the show after only 45 minutes.

Madonna also angered supporters of France’s right-wing National Front party, by showing a swastika imposed on the face of the party’s leader, Marine Le Pen.

 

India’s power supply fully restored

Diane A. Wade
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India’s power supply fully restored

Power supply in India has been fully restored after a two-day blackout hit much of the country, officials say.

More than 600 million people were affected by the power cut after three electricity grids collapsed, one for a second consecutive day.

The power failure caused havoc, with whole cities grinding to a halt and transport and other services badly hit.

The breakdowns in the northern, eastern and north-eastern grids affected 20 of India’s 28 states.

Power System Operation Corporation chief SK Soonee said electricity had been restored in all three grids overnight on Tuesday by engineers from the state-owned company.

The blackout caused chaos on transport networks with hundreds of trains stranded and water supplies interrupted.

Power supply in India has been fully restored after a two-day blackout hit much of the country
Power supply in India has been fully restored after a two-day blackout hit much of the country

In Delhi, Metro services were halted and staff evacuated trains. Many traffic lights in the city failed, leading to massive traffic jams.

Other areas affected included Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan in the north, and West Bengal, Bihar, Orissa and Jharkhand in the east.

In the eastern state of West Bengal, around 200 miners were trapped underground as lifts failed, but officials later said they had all been rescued.

One shopworker in Delhi, Anu Chopra, 21, said: “I can understand this happening once in a while but how can one allow such a thing to happen two days in a row?

“It just shows our infrastructure is in a complete mess. There is no transparency and no accountability whatsoever.”

In a statement on national TV on Tuesday evening, Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde blamed the crisis on states taking more than their quota of power from the national grid.

He said he had appealed to states to stop this and instructed his officials to penalize those states which did.

But officials in Uttar Pradesh, one of the states blamed in the Indian media, said there was “no reason to believe” they were at fault.

Anil K. Gupta, the chairman of the state’s power company, called for “further investigation to ascertain the real cause”.

The power minister of Haryana state, Captain Ajay Singh, was quoted by NDTV as saying his was not the only state with overdraw from the grid.

“We are not to be blamed for the technical snag that tripped the grid,” he said.

“We are simply being blamed for what everyone does.”

Also on Tuesday it was announced that Sushil Kumar Shinde had been promoted to the post of home minister, in a widely anticipated cabinet reshuffle.

He has been replaced by the current corporate affairs minister, Veerappa Moily.

Power cuts are common in Indian cities because of a fundamental shortage of power and an ageing grid – the chaos caused by such cuts has led to protests and unrest on the streets in the past.

But the collapse of an entire grid is rare – the last time the northern grid failed was in 2001.

India’s demand for electricity has soared in recent years as its economy has grown but its power infrastructure has been unable to meet the growing needs.

Correspondents say unless there is a huge investment in the power sector, the country will see many more power failures.

 

Olympics 2012: eight Olympic badminton players face charges over deliberate losing

Clyde K. Valle
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Olympics 2012: eight Olympic badminton players face charges over deliberate losing

The Badminton World Federation (BWF) has charged eight female Olympic badminton players with “not using one’s best efforts to win a match”.

Four pairs of players – two from South Korea, one from China and one from Indonesia – could be disciplined.

Spectators booed the two badminton matches played at Wembley Arena on Tuesday, in which the four accused pairs of players were appearing.

China’s Yu Yang and Wang Xiaoli and South Koreans Jung Kyung-Eun and Kim Ha-Na are among those facing charges.

The longest rally in their game lasted four shots, with match referee Thorsten Berg coming on to court at one point to warn the players. The players also appeared to deliberately serve into the net and hit the shuttlecock out of the court.

Both pairs were already through to the quarter-finals. Reports have suggested they both wanted to lose to secure an easier draw.

The Badminton World Federation has charged eight female Olympic badminton players with not using one's best efforts to win a match
The Badminton World Federation has charged eight female Olympic badminton players with not using one's best efforts to win a match

The unseeded South Koreans eventually won their match, meaning they would next play China’s Tian Qing and Zhao Yunlei.

The South Korean pair did not comment, but Yu Yang said she and Wang Xiaoli were saving energy for the knockout stages.

Meanwhile, China’s Olympic sports delegation launched an investigation into the alleged “deliberate losing” by its badminton players, saying it opposed any behavior violating “sporting spirit and morality”, as reported by state media.

A later match between South Korean third seeds Ha Jung-Eun and Kim Min-Jung and Indonesian pair Meiliana Juahari and Greysia Polii is also under scrutiny by the Badminton World Federation.

Both pairs of those teams had also already qualified for the knockout stages, with the winner of Group C to play Yu Yang and Wang Xiaoli and the Korean pairs to face each other if Kim Ha-Na and Kim Min-Jung lost.

At one point the referee, Thorsten Berg, again intervened and brandished a black card to disqualify the players. However, he then rescinded his decision following protests from the two teams.

Both teams appeared keen to lose and therefore not play the Chinese in the next round, but the Koreans eventually won by two sets to one.

A statement from the BWF confirmed that all four pairs would face charges of “not using one’s best efforts to win a match” and “conducting oneself in a manner that is clearly abusive or detrimental to the sport”.

 

Gore Vidal dies from pneumonia complications at 86

Sonia Pantiss
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0
Gore Vidal dies from pneumonia complications at 86

Celebrated author and political commentator Gore Vidal has died aged 86, his family has confirmed.

Gore Vidal, born Eugene Luther Gore Vidal, died at his home in Los Angeles on Tuesday evening, with the cause of death believed to be complications from pneumonia.

Gore Vidal produced 25 novels, including the best-selling Burr and Myra Breckenridge, more than 200 essays and several plays.

The author also ran for political office twice and was a well-known commentator.

His nephew Burr Steers told US media that his uncle had been ill “for quite a while”.

Celebrated author and political commentator Gore Vidal has died aged 86
Celebrated author and political commentator Gore Vidal has died aged 86

Gore Vidal was among a generation of literary writers who were also genuine celebrities – fixtures on chat shows and in gossip columns.

His social circle included Tennessee Williams, Orson Welles, Truman Capote and Frank Sinatra.

Gore Vidal wrote his first book aged 19 and later went on to become one of America’s most distinguished authors.

But he was not always comfortable with the literary and political establishment.

His second book, the City and the Pillar, tackled homosexuality, making it highly controversial at the time.

Bookshops refused to stock it, and he was ostracized for most of the 1950s and forced to work under pseudonyms.

In the late 1950s he began to write under his own name again, working on the screenplay to Ben Hur, among other films.

Born in 1925, Eugene Luther Gore Vidal was the scion of one of America’s grandest political dynasties.

His grandfather, TP Gore, was a senator and his father a one-time Secretary of Aviation under President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

 

Microsoft Surface tablet set to go on sale on October 26th

Nancy Clayson
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Microsoft Surface tablet set to go on sale on October 26th

Microsoft has confirmed that it will release its Surface tablet to coincide with the launch of its Windows 8 software on October 26.

Microsoft revealed the date in a US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing.

“The next version of our operating system, Windows 8, will be generally available on October 26, 2012,” Microsoft said.

“At that time, we will begin selling the Surface, a series of Microsoft-designed and manufactured hardware devices.”

Microsoft has confirmed that it will release its Surface tablet to coincide with the launch of its Windows 8 software on October 26
Microsoft has confirmed that it will release its Surface tablet to coincide with the launch of its Windows 8 software on October 26

The Surface tablet was announced in June, but no release date or specs were given at the time.

Microsoft has not confirmed if the 26 October release date covers the US only, or if it will extend to other markets.

While the Surface tablet release was largely expected to coincide with Windows 8 availability, this is thought to be the first time the date has been publicly confirmed by Microsoft.

The announcement that Microsoft is to make its own hardware for the first time angered many of its partners, something Microsoft alludes to in its filing.

However, the firm has refused to release details of the price of the unit.

Some internet users have speculated that a top of the range model could cost in excess of $1,600.

 

Cuba Gooding Jr. wanted by police after altercation with New Orleans female bartender

Lisa.Felice
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Cuba Gooding Jr. wanted by police after altercation with New Orleans female bartender

According to new reports, police have issued an arrest warrant for Cuba Gooding Jr. after an altercation at a New Orleans bar in the early hours of this morning.

Cuba Gooding Jr., 44, is allegedly accused of shoving a female bartender at the Old Absinthe House on Bourbon Street around 2:00 a.m., according to TMZ.

The star became agitated and started swearing when bar patrons who recognized began taking photos, a witness tells TMZ.

When the female bartender approached the actor and asked him to leave, Cuba Gooding Jr. allegedly pushed her up against the wall.

Cuba Gooding Jr. is allegedly accused of shoving a female bartender at the Old Absinthe House on Bourbon Street in New Orleans
Cuba Gooding Jr. is allegedly accused of shoving a female bartender at the Old Absinthe House on Bourbon Street in New Orleans

Police are now under orders to arrest the actor on sight.

Cuba Gooding Jr. is currently in New Orleans to film The Butler, about a White House employee who serves eight Presidents over the course of three decades, with Oprah Winfrey and Lenny Kravitz.

Cuba Gooding Jr. was last spotted on set on Friday where he appeared to be in good spirits.

 

Vanity Fair International Best Dressed List 2012

Lisa.Felice
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Vanity Fair International Best Dressed List 2012

The Vanity Fair International Best Dressed List in full:

1. Duchess of Cambridge, wife of Prince William, British style icon

2. Jessica Chastain, U.S. actress, star of The Help and Coriolanus

3. Bill Cunningham, 83, New York Times street style photographer

4. Léa Seydoux, French actress and model, appeared in Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris

5. Jay-Z, aka Shawn Corey Carter, rapper, songwriter, record producer and husband of Beyoncé

6. Colin and Livia Firth, British actor and his Italian producer wife

7. Tom Brady, New England Patriots quarterback, husband of Gisele Bundchen

8. Alicia Keys, U.S. singer-songwriter and actress

9. Fan Bingbing, Chinese actress,singer and producer

10. Morley Safer, Canadian reporter and correspondent for CBS News

Colin and Livia Firth appeared as a single entry at number six on the Vanity Fair International Best Dressed List
Colin and Livia Firth appeared as a single entry at number six on the Vanity Fair International Best Dressed List

11. Michelle Harper, Colombian-born, New York-based brand consultant

12. Richard E Grant, actor, screenwriter, and director

13. HRH Princess Alexandra of Greece, child-life specialist

14. Carlos Souza, worldwide brand ambassador for Valentino

15. Farida Khelfa, French actress and director, new muse of house of Schiaparelli

16. Eddie Redmayne, British actor, star of My Week With Marilyn

17. Stacey Bendet, founder and designer of fashion label Alice & Olivia

18. Iké Udé, Nigerian-born artist

19. Diane Kruger, German actress and former model

20. Matteo Marzotto, president of fashion label Vionnet

21. Lauren and Andres Santo Domingo, Vogue contributing editor and her beer heir husband

22. Robert Rabensteiner, fashion editor at L’Uomo Vogue

23. Erika Bearman, senior vice president of global communications at Oscar de la Renta

24. Victor Cruz, wide receiver for the New York Giants

25. Ulyana Sergeenko, fashion designer

26. Matt Lauer, Today show co-anchor

27. Stella McCartney, fashion designer, daughter of Sir Paul McCartney

28. Prince Harry, British royal, Apache helicopter pilot

29. Lizzie Tisch, consultant, wife of Jonathan Tisch

30. Ozwald Boateng, British menswear designer

31. Poppy Delevigne, British model and socialite

32. Jean Pigozzi, entrepreneur, photographer, and art collector

33. Princess Mary of Denmark, wife of Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark, mother of four

34. Elettra Wiedemann, model, daughter of Isabella Rossellini

35. Vito Schnabel, son of Julian Schnabel, art dealer

36. Charlotte Casiraghi, Monaco royal, face of Gucci

37. Arki Busson, financier, partner of actress Uma Thurman

38. HH Sheikha Moza Bint Nasser of Qatar, wife of the Emir of Qatar

39. Ginevra Elkann and Giovanni Gaetani dell’Aquila d’Aragona, Italian power couple; she is a producer, he is an entrepreneur

40. HSH Prince Heinrich von und zu Furstenberg, entrepreneur

 

The full list appears in the Vanity Fair September issue, on sale from Friday, and online at Vanityfair.com

 

Kate Middleton wins Vanity Fair’s Best Dressed list 2012 for third year running

Lisa.Felice
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0
Kate Middleton wins Vanity Fair’s Best Dressed list 2012 for third year running

Kate Middleton has topped Vanity Fair’s annual International Best Dressed list for the third year running.

The prestigious ranking, which appears in the September issue of the glossy title, saw the Duchess of Cambridge trump some of the fashion world’s most influential figures including actresses Jessica Chastain, Diane Kruger and Léa Seydoux, as well as the much-loved New York Times street style photographer Bill Cunningham.

Kate Middleton won praise for patriotically championing home-grown designers such as Alexander McQueen, Alice Temperley, and Matthew Williamson, as well as High Street brands.

Of course, the Duchess was not the only royal to make the list. Her brother-in-law, Prince Harry, also featured at number 27, while Monaco’s Charlotte Casiraghi and HRH Crown Princess Mary of Denmark placed at numbers 35 and 32 respectively.

Kate Middleton has topped Vanity Fair's annual International Best Dressed list for the third year running
Kate Middleton has topped Vanity Fair's annual International Best Dressed list for the third year running

They appeared alongside fashion industry power players such as Stella McCartney, Alice & Olivia designer Stacey Bendet and Odcar de la Renta PR Erika Bearman, better known by her Twitter handle, OscarPRGirl.

Among the men to make the list was Gisele Bundchen’s quarterback husband Tom Brady, who ranked high at number seven. Interestingly the supermodel herself didn’t even make the list at all. The same was true of Jay-Z, who came fifth, while wife Beyonce didn’t feature either.

Several couples featured as a single entry, however. Colin Firth appeared alongside his wife Livia, who regularly steps out on the red carpet in eco-friendly designer creations.

Moda Operandi founder and Vogue contributor Lauren Santo Domingo came 20th in the list with her music executive husband Andrés

Italian socialites and power couple Ginevra Elkann and Giovanni Gaetani dell’Aquila d’Aragona also appeared together at number 38.

Other major names to make the list were singer Alicia Keys, actress Fan Bingbing and British actor Eddie Redmayne.

Today show anchor Matt Lauer came in at 25, New York Giants Wide Receiver Victor Cruz at 23 and Isabella Rossellini’s daughter Elettra Wiedemann came in at 33.

Vanity Fair is not the first title to have put the Duchess of Cambridge top of its best-dressed list.

People magazine named her one of their ten most stylish women in the world last September. And Harper’s Bazaar followed suit by putting her top of their list in November.

 

Iraq: two car bomb explosions kill 19 people in Baghdad

Diane A. Wade
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Iraq: two car bomb explosions kill 19 people in Baghdad

At least 19 people have been killed in two car bomb explosions in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, officials say.

The blasts happened within minutes of each other in the central Shia district of Karrada in the middle of the afternoon rush hour.

The first bomb exploded outside a restaurant and a bakery in al-Andalus Square, and the second outside a court opposite a major police headquarters.

More than 240 people have been killed this month in militant attacks in Iraq.

At least 19 people have been killed in two car bomb explosions in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad
At least 19 people have been killed in two car bomb explosions in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad

Sunni insurgents linked to al-Qaeda appear to have been behind most of the violence, including a wave of bombings and shootings in Baghdad and towns to the north on 23 July which left at least 107 dead.

Clouds of black smoke rose above the centre of the capital on Tuesday after the latest bombings, which also injured more than 50 people.

“We were in a patrol when we heard the first explosion. The second explosion hit another square, and we went to help,” Ahmed Hassan, a policeman, told the Reuters news agency.

“There was a minibus with six dead passengers inside it.”

At least five policemen were also among those killed, officials said.

An interior ministry official told the AFP news agency that the first attack had been carried out by a suicide bomber, while the local TV news channel al-Sharqiya said they had both been suicide bombings.

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