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Katie Holmes files for divorce from Tom Cruise and asks Suri custody

Lisa.Felice
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Katie Holmes files for divorce from Tom Cruise and asks Suri custody

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes have announced they are divorcing after five years of marriage.

Tom Cruise, 49, said he was “deeply saddened” that his younger wife, Katie Holmes, 33, had filed for a separation.

He revealed Katie Holmes had initiated the split, bringing a dramatic end to one of Hollywood’s most high-profile romances.

In a surprise move, Katie Holmes is understood to have filed for sole custody of the couple’s daughter Suri, six.

“This is a personal and private matter for Katie and her family,” Katie Holmes’s lawyer Jonathan Wolfe said in a statement to People magazine.

 “Katie’s primary concern remains, as it always has been, her daughter’s best interest.”

A spokesperson for Tom Cruise, who is currently in Iceland filming his new sci-fi movie Oblivion, said: “Kate has filed for divorce and Tom is deeply saddened and is concentrating on his three children.”

The actress filed documents in New York this week citing “irreconcilable differences”.

Katie Holmes has asked for legal custody, primary residential custody and a “suitable amount” of child support from her husband, TMZ reports.

She is also asking for a division of property in the divorce documents, although there is a significant pre-nuptial agreement that is based on California law.

The couple is worth around $275 million – much of that owing to Tom Cruise’s box office success.

The terms of the pre-nup are understood to be clear – for each year the couple stay married, Katie Holmes collects $3million – to a maximum of $33 million after 11 years – as well as their palatial home in California.

If their marriage had lasted more than 11 years, Katie Holmes would have received half of Tom Cruise’s reportedly $250 million fortune.

After filing for divorce less than six years later, according to the agreement, Katie Holmes should only be entitled to $15 million as well as the couple’s $35 million Beverly Hills Mansion.

But with an estate worth upwards of $275 million, Katie Holmes is expected to seek much more and there is already intense speculation as to how much she will collect when the papers are signed.

Tom Cruise is believed to have “not seen” the divorce coming.

But sources insist that Katie Holmes did tell him that she was filing for divorce – but she didn’t give him a chance to control the spread of the news, as he did with Nicole Kidman.

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes have announced they are divorcing after five years of marriage
Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes have announced they are divorcing after five years of marriage

The fact that she issued a solo statement speaks of some heat around the final extinguishing of the marriage.

The pair has not been seen together in public for almost three months – they were last pictured on April 5 while in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Katie Holmes failed to turn up to at any of the worldwide premieres of her husband’s latest film Rock of Ages, despite Tom Cruise’s constant protestations of love for his wife.

The final arguments seem to have been over where Tom Cruise was going to spend his 50th birthday on Tuesday. He told her that he was planning to be on the set of his latest film Oblivion, in Iceland, and that seems to have been the last straw.

Katie Holmes had frequently been pictured looking drawn and exhausted during her marriage. One Hollywood source said she had been “utterly miserable with Tom for months, if not years”.

Indeed, the row over his birthday followed another bust-up over what Katie Holmes felt were embarrassingly bad taste pictures of him on the cover of W magazine last month.

He was dressed – or rather undressed – as the rock star Stacee Jaxx, the character he plays in Rock of Ages. Two half-dressed blondes were wrapped around him, one licking his face.

Katie Holmes, a nice girl from Ohio who is nevertheless very aware of why Tom Cruise feels the need to play the macho card in public, was apparently “speechless” with disgust and felt the pictures laid both of them open to ridicule.

The marriage has been in such poor shape that for the past year they have led almost entirely separate lives.

Katie Holmes has chosen to stay with Suri in Tom Cruise’s New York apartment while he has travelled the world working.

Suri has been her constant and only companion. They are often out together until late, and Katie Holmes – who gave up all the threads of her old life to become Mrs. Tom Cruise – seems to have no other friends at all.

A shopping and sundries budget reputed to run at $125,000-a- month could only keep her amused for so long.

One Hollywood source said today: “It was an open secret that she was utterly miserable with Tom, and had been for months if not years. They really couldn’t drag out the pretence any longer.”

Another source added: “Katie spent her time avoiding him, and they rowed terribly.”

When Tom Cruise was filming Rock of Ages in Miami, Katie Holmes came along with Suri and they made a family holiday of it. But since then they have spent no more than a handful of nights under the same roof.

Katie Holmes, who used to have a poster of Tom Cruise on her bedroom wall, found that being married to an intense, workaholic, and deeply religious megastar was no picnic.

In pictures of her going about her daily business she looked completely worn out. Her brown hair was prematurely grey, she never wore make up. One shapeless cardigan was succeeded by another baggy jumper.

Those close to her said that she felt he wasn’t putting any effort into her or the marriage.

Her once promising film career – she had been the love interest in Batman Begins – had been stifled. Roles evaporated. She ended up trying to find work as a fashion designer, endorsing the line Holmes and Yang.

The bigger picture is that this is the end of the third of Tom Cruise’s marriages and a spectacular failure of his strategy to re-launch himself as a “regular guy”.

And if the union was supposed to cease gossip about Tom Cruise and his personal life, in particular rumors of his homosexuality – always denied – it failed utterly.

The couple’s 2006 Italian wedding was choreographed like a massive movie premiere, with more bodyguards than guests and the ultimate goal seemingly the fantastically romantic images which were released to the media of the A list star and his pretty bride.

This came in the wake of the president of Paramount Sumner Redstone complaining that women found the actor “creepy”.

When the romance began – Katie Holmes had met Tom Cruise to discuss the possibility of appearing in Mission Impossible III – she was immediately sent on an intensive and lengthy study course about Scientology, the religion founded by sci-fi author L. Ron Hubbard in 1954, which holds that humans are descended from an exiled race of aliens called Thetans.

She was “audited” by Scientology counselors, and unlike Penelope Cruz and Nicole Kidman before her, has totally embraced the movement.

Tom Cruise proposed on June 17, 2005 on the top of the Eiffel Tower following a famously embarrassing declaration of his love on Oprah Winfrey’s show, where he jumped up on the couch yelling: “I’m in love, I’m in love, I can’t be cool, I can’t be laid back.”

Despite earlier reports that there would be a Roman Catholic ceremony of some sort – Katie Holmes was born a Catholic – it was a Scientology wedding. What’s more it was conducted by David Miscavige, Tom Cruise’s best friend who is the head of the movement.

From the outset Katie Holmes struggled to ever settle in their Los Angeles mansion. Cass Mapother is a key figure here, Tom Cruise’s sister – and she and her three sons share the house with Tom and his two adopted children Connor, 17, and Isabella, 19. But Katie Holmes never felt that the massive mansion, stuffed with bodyguards, was her home. Everyone who came through the doors was a Scientologist.

His devotion to the religion meant that he was widely regarded as “weird”. Andrew Morton unauthorized biography repeated claims that Suri was thought by some to have been conceived using the frozen sperm of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard. This suggestion infuriated Tom Cruise, friends describing it as “sick, offensive and very upsetting”.

Before they met, Katie Holmes was a natural beauty, and her physical decline in the five and a half years that followed is almost shockingly obvious.

 

What gifts can you buy from the McLaren shop?

Clyde K. Valle
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What gifts can you buy from the McLaren shop?

If you’re searching for that perfect present and looking for inspiration go to mclarenshop.co.uk, the official mclaren online shop. As well as a wide range of gifts aimed at the Formula One motor racing fan there are fantastic exclusive items that will appeal to all who have a sense of classic sporting style and appreciate well made pieces. Take a look at the Lifestyle section for some top designer- wear items to be seen in, such as the Eyewear Technology By McLaren sunglasses. There is also a cool, funky and exclusive collection of men’s jewellery items from McLaren Sport and Links of London.

The range offers superior design with an urban edge that will appeal to all stylish males. You’ll find a huge selection of gift ideas to suit all tastes and pockets, from Team Vodafone McLaren Mercedes key rings and mugs to a timeless Limited Edition McLaren TAG Heuer watch. There’s also much, much more. The site offers competitions, limited edition items like the Lewis Signature Editions collection and a wide range of clothing, luggage and accessories for men, women and the kids. Find out about gift Memberships of the Team Vodafone McLaren Mercedes fan club and how you and your family can become involved in the ‘Proud To Be’ campaign for F1 racing fans.

There’s so much to choose from and it’s all so easily done online from the comfort of home. If you can’t decide which would work best for your gift then you can always give Gift Vouchers. This way the recipient gets to enjoy having a look around themselves and being able to select their own gift, while still knowing it came from you. There’s something for everyone and you can browse when it suits you, so why not make the McLaren eShop your first pit-stop.

Bob Diamond, Barclays Bank boss, says he will not resign

Clyde K. Valle
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Bob Diamond, Barclays Bank boss, says he will not resign

Bob Diamond, the boss of Barclays Bank, has insisted he will not resign after staff rigged the key lending rate between banks.

Bob Diamond was speaking at a meeting of analysts at US bank, Morgan Stanley.

And in a letter agreeing to give evidence to MPs, Bob Diamond condemned the inappropriate behavior of a “small number” of employees who had tried to make profits for their own benefit.

On Thursday, PM David Cameron said the bank’s management faced “serious questions” after it was fined £290m ($450 million).

Some MPs – including Tories Steve Baker and Nick De Bois – have suggested Bob Diamond should resign and former Liberal Democrat leader Paddy Ashdown said his position was now “untenable”.

Meanwhile, Barclays and other banks face the threat of criminal investigation in the UK over the scandal.

Royal Bank of Scotland has said that it expects to reach a settlement in a few months. One report said the bank faced a fine of £150 million ($240 million) for market manipulation but RBS said it did not recognize that figure.

Bob Diamond, the boss of Barclays Bank, has insisted he will not resign after staff rigged the key lending rate between banks
Bob Diamond, the boss of Barclays Bank, has insisted he will not resign after staff rigged the key lending rate between banks

In his open letter to Andrew Tyrie MP, the chairman of the Commons Treasury Committee, Bob Diamond pointed out that authorities found no evidence that knowledge of the manipulation, for which it has been fined $450 million, went any higher than “immediate desk supervisors”.

But he admitted that the bank’s control systems should have been much stronger.

He added: “When the trader conduct was first discovered by more senior management, steps were immediately taken to stop it, and it was reported to the authorities.”

Bob Diamond’s comments come after Prime Minister David Cameron said: “The whole management team [at Barclays] have got some serious questions to answer. Let them answer those questions first.

“Who was responsible? Who was going to take responsibility? How are they being held accountable?”

Labour leader Ed Miliband said those Barclays staff found to have committed the wrongdoing “should face the full force of the law”.

Bob Diamond also said that Barclays was now “completing a review of employee conduct for all those involved”, and that “all appropriate options will be pursued for those who have a case to answer, ranging from the clawback or withholding of remuneration to being asked to leave the bank”.

Barclays was fined $450 million on Wednesday by the UK and US authorities after an investigation into claims that several banks manipulated the Libor rate at which they lend to each other.

Investigators say that Barclays’ traders lied to make the bank look more secure during the financial crisis and, sometimes – working with traders at other banks – to make a profit.

Barclays had acknowledged that its actions between 2005 and 2009 had fallen “well short of standards”.

The scandal has hit Barclays shares, which ended Thursday trading down 15.5%.

Other banks shares also fell, with RBS losing 11.5%, Lloyds down 3.9%, and HSBC giving up 2.6%.

Meanwhile, Chancellor George Osborne confirmed that HSBC, RBS, Citigroup and UBS were also under investigation.

The Serious Fraud Office subsequently said it was in talks with the Financial Services Authority (FSA) about the case. This could result in UK criminal proceedings being brought.

The US Department of Justice had already confirmed that criminal investigations into “other financial institutions and individuals” were ongoing.

Barclays’ misconduct relates to the daily setting of the London Interbank Offered Rate (Libor) and the Euro Interbank Offered Rate (Euribor).

These are two of the most important interest rates in the global financial markets and directly influence the value of trillions of dollars of financial deals between banks and other institutions.

They can also affect lending rates to the public, for instance with some mortgage deals.

The British Bankers’ Association asked the government on Thursday to consider taking over the regulation of how Libor is set.

The fine imposed on Barclays is part of an international investigation into the setting of interbank rates between 2005 and 2009.

Between 2005 and 2008, the Barclays staff who submitted estimates of their own interbank lending rates were frequently lobbied by its derivatives traders to put in figures which would benefit their trading positions, in order to produce a profit for the bank.

And between 2007 and 2009, during the height of the banking crisis, the staff put in artificially low figures, to avoid the suspicion that Barclays was under financial stress and thus having to borrow at noticeably higher rates than its competitors.

The FSA said Barclays traders were quite open about their routine attempts to manipulate rates.

“Requests to Barclays’ submitters were made verbally and a large amount of email and instant message evidence consisting of derivatives traders’ requests also exists,” the FSA said.

 

Anne Sinclair finally leaves DSK and kicks him out of their Paris home

Diane A. Wade
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Anne Sinclair finally leaves DSK and kicks him out of their Paris home

Anne Sinclair, the long-suffering wife of former IFM chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn has finally left him, it was confirmed last night.

After months of loyal support in the face of seedy vice allegations, Anne Sinclair kicked DSK out of their Paris home.

The split happened a month ago but Anne Sinclair, a 64-year-old art heiress and internet journalist, initially managed to keep it quiet.

But as the now unemployed Dominique Strauss-Kahn, 63, prepared for further court appearances, he confirmed the separation.

“They are no longer living as man and wife,” said a source close to DSK, who at one stage was being tipped to become Socialist president of France.

Anne Sinclair, the long-suffering wife of former IFM chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn has finally left him
Anne Sinclair, the long-suffering wife of former IFM chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn has finally left him

Instead his career was ruined when, in May 2011, a New York chamber maid accused him of attempted rape.

DSK was later cleared in a criminal court, but admitted that a sex act had taken place, and the maid is now pursuing a civil case against him.

Anne Sinclair, who has been with Dominique Strauss-Kahn for 20 years, initially offered him unquestioning support but this began to waver as allegations mounted up.

Anne Sinclair, who used to present programmes on French TV, this year relaunched her media career as an editor on the Huffington Post website’s French edition.

Referring to DSK, a source told Reuters earlier this month: “He’s in a bad way. It’s very sad. He’s mostly just at home on his own while Anne is out and about with her new job. He’s shunned by everybody.”

 

 

How safe is a can of Coke? Coca-Cola cancer risk chemicals.

Kathryn R. Bown
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How safe is a can of Coke? Coca-Cola cancer risk chemicals.

Each day, 1.6 billion cans and bottles of Coca-Cola are gulped down, making it the globe’s most recognized brand.

But ever since it was first concocted as a brain tonic in 1886 (designed to treat “sick headaches, neuralgia, hysteria and melancholy”), the makers of Coca-Cola have been secretive about what goes into their drink.

American pharmacist and Coke founder Asa Chandler was so concerned that the recipe could fall into the wrong hands he reportedly never wrote it down.

That secrecy lives on today. Coca-Cola insists only two people alive know the formula, that they never travel on the same plane in case it crashes and that the list of ingredients is locked in a bank vault.

But while the recipe for Coke is surrounded by the kind of mystique that marketing men dream of, the company found its formula under less welcome scrutiny this week.

For it has emerged that Coca-Cola in the U.S. has reduced levels of one of its ingredients following fears that it could cause cancer.

The chemical – 4-methylimidazole (4-MI) – helps to give the drink its color, but is listed by Californian health officials as a potential carcinogen.

While European regulators do not believe it poses any health risks, the company has also pledged to reduce its levels in Coke sold worldwide, although it hasn’t given a timescale.

Pepsi, meanwhile, has reduced the chemical in its American formula, but refused to change it anywhere else – meaning if the Californian health officials are right, the Pepsi sold worldwide is potentially more carcinogenic than the stuff swigged in America.

Coca-Cola and Pepsi this week insisted that all of their beverages are completely safe, with Coca-Cola claiming it made the change in the U.S. only in response to a “scientifically unfounded” food law in California.

In a statement on Wednesday, Coca-Cola UK said: “Coca-Cola has an uncompromising commitment to product safety and quality. All of the ingredients in our products are safe.”

But the changes to the recipes have raised the inevitable question: just how safe are the ingredients that go into every can of cola? And what does that brown stuff really do to our insides?

And just because you drink sugar-free, diet cola, don’t think you’re off the hook. For there is a growing body of research which suggests that low-calorie and sugar-free drinks are bad for us, too.

Studies have shown that people who have at least one low-calorie fizzy drink a day are at greater risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes.

And some experts also believe that sugar-free drinks confuse the brain, leaving it unable to distinguish between sweeteners, such as aspartame and saccharine, and regular sugar.

In that case, a person may be tricked into overeating, as the brain can no longer calculate the body’s calorific intake.

So while diet colas may make you feel virtuous, they could be doing you more harm than good.

Coca-Cola in the US has reduced level of 4-MI following fears that it could cause cancer
Coca-Cola in the US has reduced level of 4-MI following fears that it could cause cancer

  

Coloring linked to cancer

Cola’s color comes in part from 4-methylimidazole (4-MI), a chemical that forms in the production of caramel food coloring.

Coca-Cola, Pepsi and other manufacturers insist it is safe at the low doses found in drinks.

But in California they disagree. After studies showed that long-term exposure to the chemical causes lung cancer in rats, health officials ruled that products with more than 29 mcg must carry a health warning.

And when research by the Centre for Science in the Public Interest, a campaign group, found cans contained nearly 140 mcg, all cola companies across the U.S. were forced to cut levels.

Food campaigners say daily consumption of 4-MI at 30 mcg would cause cancer in one in 100,000 people over their lifetimes.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says that someone would need to drink more than 1,000 cans of cola every day to reach the levels that caused cancer in lab rats.

  

Caffeine

A can of cola contains 40 mg of caffeine – half the caffeine in a mug of tea and a third of the amount in a mug of filter coffee.

Caffeine is a stimulant that works on the central nervous system. It can trigger a dramatic, short-lived increase in blood pressure and increases the heart rate.

But there is little evidence that it causes long-term high blood pressure, or that it is bad for healthy hearts. Many regular coffee or cola drinkers simply develop a tolerance to the stimulant.

Caffeine can also stop the body from absorbing iron from food – so people with a big cola habit may be at greater risk of iron deficiency.

  

Sugar

Doctors are in no doubt – the biggest danger from cola doesn’t come from the hidden additives, flavorings or colorings, but from sugar.

Too much sugar leads to obesity, the major cause of cancer in the western world.

It also increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, causes heart disease and increases the risk of stroke.

The over-consumption of sugar has been linked to depression, poor memory formation and learning disorders in animal experiments. And it rots teeth.

Each regular can of cola contains eight teaspoons of sugar. When you drink that much sugar so quickly, the body experiences an intense sugar rush.

The cane and beet sugar used in Coca-Cola is used up quickly by the body, which soon experiences a rapid drop in energy, leading to cravings for more sugar.

  

Phosphoric acid

Phosphoric acid is a clear, odorless chemical that gives cola its tangy flavor and helps cut through the sickly sweetness of all that sugar.

It is also an effective rust remover – the reason that a glass of Coke can restore the lustre to coins and old metal.

But it can also disrupt our bodies.

Research at the U.S. National Institutes of Health in Maryland found that drinking two or more colas a day doubled the risk of kidney stones – and the phosphoric acid in it was blamed.

Another U.S. study found that women who regularly drink cola – three or more times a day – had a 4% lower bone mineral density in their hips than women who didn’t drink cola.

Again, phosphoric acid is thought to be the cause. No one is entirely sure why it leads to weaker bones, although some researchers argue it prevents calcium from food being used to renew bones.

 

Gender-bending chemical

The “gender bending” chemical BPA, or bisphenol A, has been linked to heart disease, cancer and birth defects.

It is found in baby bottles, plastic forks, CD cases and in the lining of aluminium fizzy drinks cans, including those of Coca-Cola.

Because it mimics the female sex hormone oestrogen, and thus disrupts the natural balance of the body, some believe it could be dangerous – particularly to foetuses.

Some animal studies have indicated it is safe. Others have linked BPA to breast cancer, liver damage, obesity, diabetes and fertility problems.

Despite the uncertainty, it has been banned in baby bottles across the European Union and in Canada in case it leaches from plastic into formula milk or juice drinks.

 

Citric acid

Citric acid gives lemons, oranges and grapefruit their kick and cola its bite, helping to make the drink nearly as corrosive as battery acid when it comes to teeth.

Prolonged exposure to cola and other fizzy drinks strips tooth enamel causing pain, ugly smiles and – in extreme cases – turning teeth to stumps.

A study in the journal General Dentistry found that cola is ten times as corrosive as fruit juices in the first three minutes of drinking.

The researchers took slices of freshly extracted teeth and immersed them in 20 soft drinks. Teeth dunked for 48 hours in cola and lemonade lost more than five per cent of their weight.

A study in the British Dental Journal found that just one can of fizzy drink a day increased the risk of tooth erosion. While four cans increased the erosion risk by 252%.

 

 

 

Tom Cruise uses nightingale poo face mask to stay looking young

Lisa.Felice
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Tom Cruise uses nightingale poo face mask to stay looking young

Tom Cruise has told friends that his skin has never looked better thanks to the expensive spa treatment based on nightingale poo, according to Now Magazine.

The treatment involves mixing poo from a nightingale with rice bran and water which is then applied as a face mask.

And a source told Now magazine: “Tom doesn’t go in for Botox or surgery but he does pay close attention to all the new natural treatments.

“He recently started experimenting with the nightingale poo facial after it was recommended by a Hollywood pal and the results have been fantastic.”

Tom Cruise has told friends that his skin has never looked better thanks to the expensive spa treatment based on nightingale poo
Tom Cruise has told friends that his skin has never looked better thanks to the expensive spa treatment based on nightingale poo

Tom Cruise, 49, who is married to 33-year-old actress Katie Holmes with whom he has a daughter, Suri, 6, doesn’t believe in plastic surgery and said this is a better alternative.

The source added: “Tom doesn’t see splashing out on the facials as him being vain or weird. In fact, he points out there are much wackier fads out there.”

Other celebrities believed to be fans of the poo treatment include David and Victoria Beckham, who used to be good friends with Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes.

New York beautician Shizuka Bernstein said: “The nightingale poo acts as an exfoliant that brings out the dirt and adds shine.”

 

Bobby Brown cheesed off as leaving La Scala restaurant with Alicia Etheridge

Lisa.Felice
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Bobby Brown cheesed off as leaving La Scala restaurant with Alicia Etheridge

Bobby Brown seemed cheesed off on Wednesday as he left the upmarket Italian restaurant La Scala in Beverly Hills, with Alicia Etheridge trying to calm the New Edition singer down.

His new wife’s soothing words seemed to do the trick, as they were soon holding hands and walking merrily together.

Bobby Brown and Alicia Etheridge got married last week at a ceremony in Honolulu, Hawaii while surrounded by close friends and relatives.

It is said to have been a festive affair, with many of the singer’s children in attendance including 23-year-old Landon, 22-year-old La’Princia, 19-year-old Bobby Jr. and 3-year-old Cassius, his only child so far with Alicia Etheridge.

Bobby Brown seemed cheesed off as he left La Scala in Beverly Hills, with Alicia Etheridge trying to calm him down
Bobby Brown seemed cheesed off as he left La Scala in Beverly Hills, with Alicia Etheridge trying to calm him down

A notable absentee was Bobbi Kristina Brown, his 19-year-old daughter with tragic former wife Whitney Houston.

Bobbi Kristina Brown stayed away to shoot scenes with boyfriend Nick Gordon in New York for her forthcoming Lifetime reality series, The Houston Chronicles.

Bobby Brown, 43, was reportedly very disappointed, with a source saying: “Bobby Brown was desperate for her to go to his recent wedding, but she would not return his calls.”

 

Stephanie Rice bikini photo sparks row on Twitter

Clyde K. Valle
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Stephanie Rice bikini photo sparks row on Twitter

Australian Olympic swimmer Stephanie Rice has been criticized for posing in a bikini deemed “too revealing” – but has started a copycat craze of people wearing the outfit.

Triple gold medalist Stephanie Rice posted the picture of her in a two-piece designer swimsuit on Twitter earlier this week.

The bikini – known as the “tomb raider” – had been given to her as a birthday present from the designer Ellie Gonsalves.

But critics blasted for the sports star for showing off in the costume which some claimed was “too sexy”.

One fan tweeted: “Stephanie Rice posting a photo of herself in swimwear has brought disgrace to the Australian swim team and she should be dropped.”

Despite the public backlash, Stephanie Rice left the photo on her Instagram page.

Australian Olympic swimmer Stephanie Rice has been criticized for posing in a bikini deemed “too revealing”
Australian Olympic swimmer Stephanie Rice has been criticized for posing in a bikini deemed “too revealing”

There were also claims that by posing in the swimsuit she could have breached a sponsorship contract with Speedo.

However, her management denied that she had broken any rules.

A spokesman said: “No, Stephanie isn’t an ambassador for Ellie Gonsalves, she just loves their stuff.

“She doesn’t have any relationship with Speedo anymore so there are no restrictions there.”

Despite some criticism, the picture sparked a string of spoofs with men posting pictures of themselves in the same costume. Many of them were supporting the swimmer.

Radio presenter Ryan Fitzgerald contacted the makers of the bikini and was sent one to wear. He put the picture online of him and friend Michael Wipfli wearing the swimsuit.

The outfit’s designer Ellie Gonsalves also posted a picture of herself in the costume to show support for her athlete friend.

Ellie Gonsalves label director Vanessa Bryce said that sales of the bikini have soared since Stephanie Rice’s picture was made public.

“We’ve had inquires from all over – the US, Singapore. We’ve sold an extra 60 since the photo ran and sales of other swimwear has also gone up,” she told the Herald Sun.

“Yes, we are preparing a special package of things to send (Rice) after the Olympics to say thank you,” she added.

The controversy is the latest to hit the swimmer, who won three golds at Beijing in 2008 and is the world record holder for the women’s 400m individual medley.

In 2008, Stephanie Rice sparked outrage when a picture of her posing in a skin-tight police costume appeared on her Facebook page.

And in September 2010 she was slammned she wrote “suck on that faggots” after Australia beat South Africa in a Rugby Union match.

Stephanie Rice was criticized for the comments and made a tearful public apology.

The latest outrage comes just days after two of Australia’s male swimmers posed with guns for a picture that was posted on Facebook.

The image, taken in a gun shop in Santa Clara, California, showed Nick D’Arcy with two pistols standing next to Kenrick Monk who is holding two shotguns across his chest.

The photo was removed after condemnation from Swimming Australia. A spokesman said: “Swimming Australia does not condone the posting of inappropriate content on Facebook, Twitter or any social media platform.”

 

Eva Longoria and Eduardo Cruz split for the second time

Lisa.Felice
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Eva Longoria and Eduardo Cruz split for the second time

Eva Longoria has split with toyboy Eduardo Cruz for a second time.

Eva Longoria, 37, and the younger brother of Penelope Cruz have split after an on-off relationship which lasted 16 months, a representative has confirmed.

It comes just weeks after the pair enjoyed a romantic holiday in Seville, Spain.

Eva Longoria and Eduardo Cruz, 27, began dating after Eva split with her husband Tony Parker – with who she enjoyed a four year marriage.

They split in March but reunited later on in the spring.

Eva Longoria has split with toyboy Eduardo Cruz for a second time
Eva Longoria has split with toyboy Eduardo Cruz for a second time

A source said earlier this year: “It was a mutual decision. They are staying friends. She’s focusing on work and the end of Desperate Housewives.”

Eva Longoria recently revealed she was going on a “new journey” in her life following the end of the TV show, in which she played Gabrielle Solis.

The actress said: “In the moment of doing the last episode, it was bittersweet, it was very emotional to leave this family I’ve had for eight years, our crew and our cast. It was really heartbreaking to know I would never play Gabby again.

“I mean, all of that was really sad, but at the same time, I’m so excited to turn the page and embark on this new journey of my career, of my life.

“You know, <<Desperate Housewives>> [was] all-consuming. It’s year-round filming. It’s always in L.A., you don’t have time to travel, you don’t have time to do movies, you don’t have time to do anything else. So now, I feel like a free bird.”

 

Ireland Baldwin looks more like her mother Kim Basinger every day

Lisa.Felice
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Ireland Baldwin looks more like her mother Kim Basinger every day

Ireland Baldwin, daughter of Kim Basinger and Alec Baldwin, cut a striking figure as she took a stroll through New York City yesterday.

Ireland Baldwin, 16, wore her tousled hair over one shoulder, reminiscent of her actress mother Kim in her younger days.

White frilly shorts, a baggy navy blue v-necked top and flip flops completed the look as she headed out for lunch with a male friend.

Ireland Baldwin, daughter of Kim Basinger and Alec Baldwin, cut a striking figure as she took a stroll through New York City yesterday
Ireland Baldwin, daughter of Kim Basinger and Alec Baldwin, cut a striking figure as she took a stroll through New York City yesterday

Last week, Ireland Baldwin was spotted out with father Alec, 54, not long after his altercation with a New York Daily News photographer outside a court room.

A photograph of the fracas was splashed all over the U.S. newspaper, but Alec Baldwin told The Charlie Rose Show earlier in the week that he was a victim.

“The guy lunged and almost hit me in the teeth with the lens of the camera,” said the actor, who is engaged to yoga instructor Hilaria Thomas.

“So I just pushed the guy away.”

Alec Baldwin’s relationship with his only daughter has come a long way since he left an infamous voicemail for her back in 2007, referring to her as a “rude, thoughtless little pig”.

Ireland Baldwin was the subject of a long drawn-out custody battle after the split between her famous parents, with their divorce finalized in 2002.

 

EU Brussels Summit: eurozone agrees on bank recapitalization

Clyde K. Valle
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EU Brussels Summit: eurozone agrees on bank recapitalization

EU leaders at Brussels summit have agreed to use the eurozone’s bailout fund to support struggling banks directly, without adding to government debt.

Speaking after 13 hours of talks in Brussels’, EU chief Herman van Rompuy also said a eurozone-wide supervisory body for banks would be created.

Officials said the plans could be finalized during July.

Analysts say Germany appears to have given ground after pressure from Spain and Italy to provide more support.

The two southern European countries had withheld support from an earlier plan to for a growth package worth 120 billion Euros ($149 billion).

They wanted measures to lower their borrowing costs.

Herman van Rompuy said the new proposals would break the “vicious circle” between banks and national governments.

Although Germany appears to have compromised, Chancellor Angela Merkel has managed to ensure that Brussels has more control over the finances of eurozone countries, something she had wanted.

The deal came about after new French President Francois Hollande appeared to throw his weight behind Italy and Spain.

“I’m here to try to find rapid solutions for those countries facing pressure from the market, despite having made huge efforts to balance their budgets,” the socialist French president said.

EU leaders at Brussels summit have agreed to use the eurozone's bailout fund to support struggling banks directly, without adding to government debt
EU leaders at Brussels summit have agreed to use the eurozone's bailout fund to support struggling banks directly, without adding to government debt

The new growth package, announced by Herman van Rompuy, is made up of:

• A 10 billion-euro boost of capital for the European Investment Bank, expected to raise overall lending capacity by 60 billion Euros

• Targeting 60 billion Euros of unused structural funds to help small enterprises and create youth employment

• A pilot launch of EU project bonds worth 4.5 billion Euros for infrastructure improvements, focusing on energy, transport and broadband.

In Brussels, both Italy and Spain were pushing the eurozone bloc to agree steps to reduce the interest rates the two countries have to pay.

Spanish 10-year government bonds were trading at yields above 6.9% on Thursday, coming close to the 7% considered unaffordable.

Spain’s Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said debt sustainability was a pressing problem.

“We are paying rates that are too high to finance ourselves and there are many Spanish public institutions that cannot finance themselves.”

Spanish and Italian leaders are worried that their countries could soon – in effect – be shut out of international markets and forced to seek assistance.

Angela Merkel has warned there is no “magic formula” to solve the crisis.

Several EU leaders want individual countries’ debts guaranteed by the whole eurozone, for instance in the form of centrally issued eurobonds.

But Angela Merkel told the German parliament on Wednesday that eurobonds were “the wrong way” and “counter-productive”, adding: “We are working to breach the vicious circle of piling up debt and breaking [EU] rules.”

She said to loud applause: “Joint liability can only happen when sufficient controls are in place.”

Stronger competitiveness was the condition for sustained growth, the chancellor said.

Meanwhile, UK Prime Minister David Cameron said on his arrival at the summit that eurozone countries had some “hard decisions” to make.

When asked about plans for transferring more budgetary powers to the EU level, he said he shared “people’s concerns about Brussels getting too much power”.

European authorities have also unveiled proposals such as the creation of a European treasury, which would have powers over national budgets. The 10-year plan is designed to strengthen the eurozone and prevent future crises, but critics say it will not address current debt problems

 

Shenzhou 9 capsule returns to Earth

James J. Williams
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Shenzhou 9 capsule returns to Earth

Shenzhou 9 spacecraft carrying three Chinese crew members has returned to Earth following a 13-day mission.

Images of the capsule landing in Inner Mongolia at 10:05 local time (02:05 GMT) were shown live on television.

The astronauts carried out a successful manual docking with the Tiangong-1 laboratory module and performed a series of experiments while in space.

The mission is a key step towards China’s goal of building a space station by 2020.

Shenzhou 9 spacecraft carrying three Chinese crew members has returned to Earth following a 13-day mission
Shenzhou 9 spacecraft carrying three Chinese crew members has returned to Earth following a 13-day mission

Crew member Liu Yang hit the headlines around the world for being the first Chinese woman in space.

The crew of the Shenzhou 9 capsule successfully carried out the country’s manual docking manoeuvre earlier in the week.

The delicate procedure, which involves bringing together two orbiting vessels travelling at thousands of miles an hour, was mastered by the USSR and US space teams in the 1960s.

The crew also carried out automatic docking of the two crafts during their mission.

The three astronauts returned to the Shenzhou 9 spacecraft on Thursday and performed a manual separation from the space laboratory.

They touched down in Inner Mongolia’s Siziwang county, with the capsule deploying a parachute to slow its approach.

All the astronauts were in good health, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Shenzhou-9 spacecraft was launched on 16 June.

 

Kim Kardashian with short wig is the mirror image of Kris Jenner as she poses for L’Uomo Vogue

Lisa.Felice
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Kim Kardashian with short wig is the mirror image of Kris Jenner as she poses for L’Uomo Vogue

Kim Kardashian looks just like her mother Kris Jenner in new stills released from L’Uomo Vogue.

Kim Kardashian, 31, is the mirror image of the famous Kardashian matriarch Kris Jenner, 56.

The reality star wears a racy animal skin dress in one seductive set up and in another, wears a blazer, shirt and pussy-bow – which is one of Kris Jenner’s signature looks.

Kim Kardashian looks just like her mother Kris Jenner in new stills released from L'Uomo Vogue
Kim Kardashian looks just like her mother Kris Jenner in new stills released from L'Uomo Vogue

Other images show Kim Kardashian ever the glamour-queen, wrapped in a feathered gown and clutching an embossed blazer shut as she ducks through a fury of flashbulbs, oversized sunglasses shielding her eyes.

The shoot was filmed on the streets of Los Angeles in May by photographer Francesco Carrozzini and styled by contributing fashion editor Rushka Bergman.

Kanye West was also on the set, keeping an eye on proceedings from behind the scenes.

 

Oldest pottery samples unearthed in China

James J. Williams
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Oldest pottery samples unearthed in China

Archaeologists have unearthed the oldest known samples of pottery in southern China.

The US archaeologists involved have determined that fragments from a large bowl found in Xianrendong Cave, Jiangxi Province, are 20,000 years old.

The discovery, published in the journal Science, is the latest in recent years that have pushed back the invention of pottery by 10,000 years.

It is thought that the bowl was a cauldron to cook food, or possibly to brew alcohol.

Until recently, the majority view was that pottery bowls and drink receptacles were invented after the emergence of agriculture, when people began to stay in one place for long periods.

Part of the reasoning was that pottery items are large and breakable, and so not a useful technology for hunter-gatherer societies that moved from place to place in search of food.

But in the past 10 years, researchers have found instances of pottery pre-dating agriculture.

Archaeologists have unearthed the oldest known samples of pottery in southern China
Archaeologists have unearthed the oldest known samples of pottery in southern China

One possible reason for the invention of pottery is that 20,000 years ago the Earth was the coldest it had been for a million years.

According to the lead researcher, Prof. Ofer Bar-Yosef of Harvard University, pottery cauldrons would have enabled people to extract more nutrition from their food by cooking it.

“Hunter-gatherers were under pressure to get enough food,” he said.

“If the invention is a good one, it spreads pretty fast. And it seems that in that part of southern China, pottery spread among hunter-gatherers in a large area.”

Prof. Gideon Shelach of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem speculates that there may also have been a social driver for the invention of pottery.

“People were gathering together in larger groups and you needed social activities to mitigate against increased tensions,” he said.

“Maybe those potteries were used to brew alcohol.

“It used to be thought that the beginning of pottery was associated with agriculture and sedentary lifestyle,” he added.

“Yet here we find it 8,000 years or more before this transition. This is a very puzzling situation.”

The archaeological team estimates from fragments of the bowl that it was 20cm high and 15-25 cm in diameter.

Prof. Ofer Bar-Yosef is keen to discover what these ancient people were cooking 20,000 years ago. He believes that whatever it was it was either steamed or boiled in the bowl.

“It’s probably not the first wok,” he said.

“Cooking with oil began later.

“We think it was used for cooking with water, so it is more like a caldron.”

 

Reg Traviss, Amy Winehouse’s former boyfriend, charged with two counts of rape

Lisa.Felice
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Reg Traviss, Amy Winehouse’s former boyfriend, charged with two counts of rape

Reg Traviss, the former boyfriend of the late singer Amy Winehouse, has been charged with rape.

Reg Traviss, 35, faces two counts of rape and will appear before magistrates next month.

He had been seeing the singer for more than a year when she died at her home in Camden, north London, last July.

The film director has been behind movies including Psychosis, which featured Charisma Carpenter and Darkness frontman Justin Hawkins.

Reg Traviss, who was charged under his full name Reginald, was arrested on April 5 by the Metropolitan Police in relation to an allegation of rape reported on January 18.

Reg Traviss, the former boyfriend of the late singer Amy Winehouse, has been charged with rape
Reg Traviss, the former boyfriend of the late singer Amy Winehouse, has been charged with rape

Rebecca Mundy, a lawyer for the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “I have authorized the Metropolitan Police to charge Reginald Traviss with two counts of rape.

“The alleged offences took place between 29 December 2011 and 1 January 2012.”

The lawyer from the CPS London Rape and Serious Sexual Offences Unit added: “The decision was taken in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors.”

Reg Traviss will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on July 17.

Last year, Reg Traviss revealed him and Amy Winehouse, who died aged 27, had been planning to get married.

He admitted that he still hadn’t come to terms with the fact she has gone.

Speaking to the Sunday Times, Reg Traviss said: “What felt surreal was not the cameras and the craziness but losing somebody, just like that. One minute I was speaking to her, the next she was gone.

“You might say we were halfway through a conversation in our life together and then, suddenly, she disappeared.”

 

Charlize Theron reveals her shaved look

Lisa.Felice
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Charlize Theron reveals her shaved look

Charlize Theron has kept her new haircut hidden under an array of hats in recent weeks but she finally decide to ditch the head wear and embrace her shaved look.

Charlize Theron, 36, was spotted in Namibia this week with her son Jackson, revealing her dramatic buzz cut in all its glory for the first time.

The South African actress and her little son Jackson wore coordinated red tops as they were spotted whizzing through the city.

Charlize Theron was spotted in Namibia this week with her son Jackson, revealing her dramatic buzz cut for the first time
Charlize Theron was spotted in Namibia this week with her son Jackson, revealing her dramatic buzz cut for the first time

Charlize Theron chopped of her trademark long blonde locks earlier this month to play Furiosa in Mad Max: Fury Road, the fourth film in the post apocalyptic series.

She will feature opposite Tom Hardy, who fills the role made famous by Mel Gibson, and she said she cannot wait for the cameras to roll.

The star said: “I feel like the original <<Mad Max>> created such a vivid world, that to go back and re-imagine it and kind of replay in that sandbox sounds like fun to me.

“George really created a female character that I’ve never read anything like this. I mean, I’m scared (expletive)!

“I’m very excited about it; I’m (expletive) dying! It’s been three years; it’s time to skin this cat already!”

 

Navsop navigation system rivals current technology GPS

Nancy Clayson
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Navsop navigation system rivals current technology GPS

Navsop, a new positioning system made by UK defence firm BAE Systems, has been developed to complement or even replace current technologies such as GPS.

Navsop relies on the same signals used by mobile phones, TVs, radios and wi-fi rather than navigation satellites.

BAE Systems says Navsop could help find victims inside buildings during a fire and locate stolen vehicles hidden in underground car parks.

It could also be used in a war if the sat-nav system was turned off.

For now, the prototype is a big box-like piece of hardware placed in the back of one of BAE’s cars, which sports a radio antenna on the roof.

But once out on the market, it will be as tiny as a GPS dongle is today – a bit bigger than a coin – says Ramsey Faragher, principal scientist at the BAE Advanced Technology Centre in Chelmsford, near London.

“Let’s be clear – for Navsop to start working, you have to have a GPS signal, to know where you are on the face of the Earth,” he says, sitting in the back of the car as it drives along Chelmsford’s streets.

“But if the GPS signal disappears, we’ll still be able to navigate,” he adds, pointing to the computer screen depicting a map with a dotted line showing the vehicle’s location.

Navsop relies on the same signals used by mobile phones, TVs, radios and wi-fi rather than navigation satellites
Navsop relies on the same signals used by mobile phones, TVs, radios and wi-fi rather than navigation satellites

The device works by picking up all the available signals nearby, heavily relying on medium wave radio frequencies.

This is the same part of the spectrum used by radio pioneer Guglielmo Marconi more than a 100 years ago, who opened the world’s first telegraph in the same city.

GPS (global positioning system) uses signals coming from satellites spinning around the Earth, some 20,000 km (12,427 miles) away.

By the time these signals reach the surface of our planet, they are extremely weak and unable to be picked up by receivers, for instance, inside buildings.

They may also suddenly disappear, says Ramsey Faragher.

“Our society has now become hugely dependent on GPS,” he adds.

“The European Commission determined that 800bn euros [$995bn; £642bn] of the European economy is dependent on either precision navigation or precision timing from GPS – the aviation industry, the shipping industry, agriculture, telecommunications, all need GPS to function.

“And that’s why it’s important to have back-up systems in case GPS signal is not available.”

For instance, there have been cases when criminals have stolen cars and used GPS jammers bought over the internet to prevent the vehicles’ owners from trying to locate them.

There are also natural space events such as solar flares that result in a release of a very large cloud of charged particles, which, once they hit the Earth’s atmosphere, can prevent GPS signals from coming through cleanly.

But mobile phones, radios and TVs use signals that are a lot more powerful than those from navigation satellites, as they are broadcast from only a few kilometres away, and cannot be jammed.

So Navsop uses them instead.

“We are not saying that our technology should necessarily replace GPS, but rather complement it,” says Ramsey Faragher.

“If the GPS signal is there, by all means, use it. If not, we say that with Navsop, you can determine your position anyway.”

And this could be useful in a variety of scenarios – from precisely determining the position of trains in tunnels to locating victims trapped in buildings after explosions or earthquakes.

It would also be useful to the military in case one side deliberately switches off GPS to prevent its adversary from locating its units.

BAE Systems says that for now, it is not clear when the technology will be put on the market, but in principle it could be used by countries developing other sat-nav technologies.

Currently, Russia has Glonass, and China is building Beidou, also known as Compass.

The European Union and European Space Agency are developing Galileo, a separate 20 billion-euro project.

 

ObamaCare healthcare reform law is constitutional, rules US Supreme Court

Diane A. Wade
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ObamaCare healthcare reform law is constitutional, rules US Supreme Court

The US Supreme Court has ruled that President Barack Obama’s landmark healthcare reform (ObamaCare) act is constitutional.

The court upheld a core requirement known as the “individual mandate” that Americans buy insurance or pay a fine.

Of the nine justices on the bench, Chief Justice John Roberts’ vote was decisive in the Supreme Court’s 5-4 ruling in favor of the law.

The ruling comes months before the US election, with Republicans vowing to push for a repeal of the bill.

Healthcare is a deeply polarizing issue in the US and Republicans strongly opposed Barack Obama’s legislation.

The state of Florida, along with 12 other states, filed a legal challenge to the bill minutes after Barack Obama signed The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) into law in March 2010.

They were later joined by 13 more states, the National Federation of Independent Businesses and several individuals.

The US Supreme Court has ruled that President Barack Obama's landmark healthcare reform (ObamaCare) act is constitutional
The US Supreme Court has ruled that President Barack Obama's landmark healthcare reform (ObamaCare) act is constitutional

Speaking afterwards, President Barack Obama called the court’s decision a victory for the country, saying people would not need to “hang their fortunes on chance” or fear financial ruin if they became sick.

Barack Obama said it was “time to move forward”, and that he would continue to implement and improve the healthcare law.

He added: “We will be better off because we had the courage to pass this law.”

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney said the healthcare bill was “bad law yesterday, it’s bad law today”.

“This is a time of choice for the American people. If we’re going get rid of ObamaCare we’re going to have to replace President Obama. My mission is to make sure we do exactly that.”

He called “ObamaCare” a tax rise that would add to the national debt, a “job-killer”, and said it would put the federal government “between you and your doctor”.

Congressional leaders also responded quickly to the verdict. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican, said: “We’ve passed plenty of terrible laws around here that were constitutional.”

On the Senate floor, he said the only way to fix the law was “full repeal”.

Meanwhile, the Senate’s Democratic majority leader, Harry Reid, disagreed: “Now that this matter is settled, let’s move on to other things. Like jobs.”

The mandate was eventually upheld by the justices, citing the taxation powers granted to Congress by the US constitution.

Chief Justice John Roberts said: “We do not consider whether the Act embodies sound policies. That judgment is entrusted to the Nation’s elected leaders.

“We ask only whether Congress has the power under the Constitution to enact the challenged provisions.”

A majority of justices agreed that the penalty individuals must pay if they refuse to buy health insurance falls within Congress’ power to levy taxes, upholding the “individual mandate”.

“The mandate can be regarded as establishing a condition – not owning health insurance – that triggers a tax – the required payment to IRS,” Justice John Roberts wrote.

The government’s main argument was that the law was legal under Congress’ ability to regulate “interstate commerce” – but a majority of justices did not agree with this view.

Four dissenting justices said that limits on the power of Congress to regulate commerce and raise taxes “cannot be such as will enable the Federal Government to regulate all private conduct and to compel the States to function as administrators of federal programs.”

“That clear principle carries the day here,” they added.

In an opinion written by Justice Anthony Kennedy, the dissenting justices went further, to say: “In our view, the entire Act before us is invalid in its entirety.”

While the court described the penalty as a tax, it did not invoke a law that could have prevented the justices from ruling on the case.

Under a law called the Anti-Injunction Act, taxes cannot be legally challenged until after they have been levied. This could have delayed a verdict till 2015 – after the “individual mandate” comes into effect and the first round of penalties have been paid.

They were also not required to rule on the issue of “severability”, which would determine whether other parts of the healthcare law could stand even if the mandate was struck down.

In addition to the individual mandate, the Supreme Court was asked consider another part of the law that deals with the expansion of Medicaid, a government healthcare programme for low-income citizens.

The court ruled to limit that provision but did not strike it down altogether, saying Congress could place conditions on the use of federal funds.

“What Congress is not free to do is to penalize States that choose not to participate in that new program by taking away their existing Medicaid funding,” the Supreme Court’s opinion said.

 

Lady Gaga buys Alexander McQueen gown for record price

Lisa.Felice
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Lady Gaga buys Alexander McQueen gown for record price

Lady Gaga is understood to pay record price for a gown by her late friend Alexander McQueen.

Lady Gaga have set a new high for a McQueen, bidding £85,250 ($136,400) in a sale which saw her facing rival bids from institutions and couture collectors from around the world.

She was among bidders, from 21 countries, who paid almost half a million pounds for items from the personal collection of Daphne Guinness which was sold at Christie’s.

The lots went for four times the original estimate and the record price was for an ivory silk tulle empire line gown, entitled The Girl Who Lived In The Tree.

Another McQueen – a metallic silver mini-dress dating from 2008, the year before he committed suicide – also beat the previous record, fetching £79,250 ($126,800).

Daphne Guinness was auctioning items from her personal collection to raise funds for the Isabella Blow Foundation, which she set up in memory of her friend to support emerging fashion talent.

Lady Gaga is understood to pay record price for a gown by her late friend Alexander McQueen
Lady Gaga is understood to pay record price for a gown by her late friend Alexander McQueen

The auction’s purpose was to launch and raise funds whilst supporting new and emerging talent in the sphere where art and fashion meet – a realm championed by Daphne Guinness.

With the help of Christie’s specialists, Daphne Guinness selected pieces to be auctioned from her personal wardrobe which embody her personal style, most of which were acquired by Daphne directly from the designers themselves.

Exceptional designs by the likes of McQueen, Chanel, Balenciaga, Gareth Pugh, Christopher Kane, Lanvin, Lacroix, Prada, Gucci, Alaia and others featured in the sale.

Fashionista Isabella Blow killed herself in 2007 by swallowing a bottle of weed killer, and her own extensive wardrobe – sold to settle debts on her estate – was bought in its entirety by Daphne Guinness to keep it intact.

Lady Gaga has spoken of her admiration for Daphne Guinness and Isabella Blow in the past.

She said in one interview: “Isabella and Daphne are two exceptional human beings, women, icons.

“Daphne, like Isabella, is a huge source of inspiration for me. I cherish them both. It is as if we are all cut from the same cloth.”

The top lot of the sale was a photograph of Daphne Guinness taken by Mario Testino for a 2008 British edition of Vogue magazine, which was sold for £133,250 ($213,200).

Avant-garde and quintessentially quirky British designer Alexander McQueen was found dead in his Mayfair apartment in February 2010, days before London Fashion Week.

His death shocked the fashion industry and he left a legacy behind him.

Daphne Guinness said: “This cause is close to my heart. I am genuinely touched by the response it has generated, and truly excited for the future of the Isabella Blow Foundation.

“I’m overwhelmed by how many bidders took part this evening and I’m particularly moved by Lady Gaga’s support for the foundation. I like her very much, and it’s lovely to see the nascent beginnings of something that may help other people.”

Christie’s confirmed that Lady Gaga was a bidder but was unable to provide further details of the items she purchased, but judging from Alexander McQueen’s stunning range of gowns, she left the auction with a one-of-a kind piece.

The whole collection went for £467,800 ($748,500), including buyer’s premium.

Other items on sale came from designers such as Chanel, Gareth Pugh, Lacroix, Prada and Gucci.

 

EU seeks new strategy for euro at Brussels summit

Clyde K. Valle
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EU seeks new strategy for euro at Brussels summit

EU leaders at Brussels summit are examining how to ease the eurozone debt crisis amid competing visions about how to revive the worst-hit economies.

As the Brussels summit opened, French President Francois Hollande made a new plea for EU solidarity and Spain warned that its borrowing costs were too high.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel scorned talk of pooling eurozone debt, saying it would require more budget rigor.

But there appears to be broad agreement on new measures to stimulate growth.

On arrival at the summit, UK Prime Minister David Cameron said “these are hard decisions for the eurozone countries to make and we should be encouraging them to go ahead”.

But when asked about plans for transferring more budgetary powers to the EU level David Cameron said: “I… in many ways share people’s concerns about Brussels getting too much power.”

European authorities have unveiled proposals such as the creation of a European treasury, which would have powers over national budgets.

The 10-year plan is designed to strengthen the eurozone and prevent future crises, but critics say it will not address current debt problems.

EU leaders at Brussels summit are examining how to ease the eurozone debt crisis amid competing visions about how to revive the worst-hit economies
EU leaders at Brussels summit are examining how to ease the eurozone debt crisis amid competing visions about how to revive the worst-hit economies

Spanish 10-year government bonds were trading at yields above 6.9% on Thursday morning, coming close to the 7% considered unaffordable.

Spain’s Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said debt sustainability was a pressing problem.

“We are paying rates that are too high to finance ourselves and there are many Spanish public institutions that cannot finance themselves.”

Spanish and Italian leaders are worried that their countries could soon – in effect – be shut out of international markets and forced to seek assistance.

The debate about short-term fixes could become very bitter indeed.

Angela Merkel has warned there is no “magic formula” to solve the crisis.

Several EU leaders want individual countries’ debts guaranteed by the whole eurozone, for instance in the form of centrally issued eurobonds.

But Angela Merkel told the German parliament on Wednesday that eurobonds were “the wrong way” and “counter-productive”, adding: “We are working to breach the vicious circle of piling up debt and breaking [EU] rules.”

She said to loud applause: “Joint liability can only happen when sufficient controls are in place.”

Stronger competitiveness was the condition for sustained growth, the chancellor said.

Francois Hollande believes eurobonds should be a eurozone priority for helping countries like Italy and Spain bring their borrowing costs down.

But Angela Merkel continues to insist that before anything is done to increase the burden on German taxpayers, building blocks towards greater fiscal, banking and, eventually, political union must be put in place.

There is certainly a chance that the summit will take a small step on a path that would partly deal with the fundamental weaknesses in the eurozone.

But in the absence of major short-term action, he explains, borrowing costs for countries such as Spain and Italy are likely to remain painfully high, making the eurozone’s financial situation strained for a long time to come.

Angela Merkel said progress had been made on a pact for growth and she hoped European leaders would adopt a 130 billion-euro ($162 billion) stimulus package.

Francois Hollande, who was elected French president on an anti-austerity ticket, said on Thursday there were “points in common on growth”.

“Merkel has moved in the direction I wanted,” he told French TV channel France 2.

Adding that he and the German leader had also agreed on the financial transaction tax, he said they still needed to find agreement “on stability”.

“There are ongoing discussions, it’s normal,” he said.

“We need to act in support of the countries which need it: Spain and Italy.”

 

Ann Curry to tell viewers she is leaving NBC’s Today Show

Lisa.Felice
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Ann Curry to tell viewers she is leaving NBC’s Today Show

Ann Curry is going to tell her viewers this morning that she is leaving NBC’s Today Show and is giving up her co-host chair.

In an interview with USA Today, Ann Curry admitted it is “going to be a bit of a tough day” as she ended over a week of speculation about her future.

“I’m going to have to tell our viewers. That’s what makes me more emotional than anything. I don’t want to leave them. I love them. And I will really miss them.”

Leaving with a reputed $10 million pay-off, Ann Curry, 55, will remain at NBC with a new title – Today Show anchor-at-large and NBC News national/international correspondent.

Negotiated by her lawyer Robert Barnett, her new contract to remain at the Peacock Network lasts “a significant amount of time” but she has not disclosed the size of her new salary, reputed to be as much as $20 million a year.

Ann Curry described the moment that she was called into NBC News president Steve Capus to receive the bad news about her position as co-host of Today after little more than a year as anchor.

“I walked into his office expecting to say goodbye,” said Ann Curry.

“Steve sat me down and told me I’m not done and he convinced me there is far more to do.”

Ann Curry is going to tell her viewers this morning that she is leaving NBC's Today Show and is giving up her co-host chair
Ann Curry is going to tell her viewers this morning that she is leaving NBC's Today Show and is giving up her co-host chair

Creating a seven-person roving news team for Ann Curry, the soon-to-be former Today show anchor will now travel the world to report on the world’s biggest stories.

She will produce pieces for NBC Nightly News, Dateline and Today.

However, despite her cushioned manoeuvre out of the morning show hot-seat, Ann Curry admitted to USA Today that the rumors and reporting over the past week hurt.

“I don’t know who has been behind the leaks, but no question they’ve hurt deeply,” she said.

The main reason for her removal at Today is thought to be her lack of on-screen chemistry with co-host Matt Lauer.

However, Ann Curry was adamant that was unfair.

“You know, Matt and I have had great on-air chemistry for 14 years, been part of the No.1 winning team for a history-making number of years,” she said.

“That said, I just finished my freshman year as co-host.

“In every single co-host’s first year, there have been kinks to be worked out and perhaps I deserve as much blame for that as anyone.”

Ann Curry has also taken the blame from many at NBC for the Today show’s ratings decline.

The program lost the top spot among network morning shows this spring to ABC’s Good Morning America, a position it had held, unbroken, since 1995.

“I know I am not to blame for the ratings worries,” replied Ann Curry.

“And my bosses have said to me there are many factors involved.”

Reports surfaced last Wednesday that Ann Curry, who took over the anchor chair June 9, 2011, would be removed from her spot as Matt Lauer’s co-host before the network’s Olympic coverage begins next month.

In April GMA broke the 16 year winning streak of the Today show as the No.1 rated morning show and in the week of May 21 Today lost to their rival by 33,000.

Ann Curry has been criticized for not being as flexible or quite as quick-witted as Matt Lauer or Katie Couric, who had the hosting job for 15 years before leaving in 2006.

“We had a many-year run in first place in total viewers and it got snapped, but since then, every week in the past month we’ve started a new streak,” said NBC News president Steve Capus.

“There’s nobody complacent around here.

“We’re aggressive and we’re going to continue to evolve the broadcast and this one of the moves, but it’s not the only move in response to all of that.”

While Ann Curry will take some time off after her final appearance on Today, she will be back on U.S. screens reporting from the Olympics in London and then return to her love of foreign reporting.

“In my secret heart of hearts, I see this as a thrilling opportunity. To have a ticket to every big story in the world – no small matter,” said Ann Curry.

Speaking about what it has been like to work alongside Matt Lauer for the past year, Ann Curry was enthusiastic.

“Well, we’ve had a terrific relationship for all these years, and he’s such a star,” said Ann Curry.

“Obviously he’s considered the golden boy of morning television. He’s so good when you sit next to him; it’s hard not to be helped by that.

“He’s funny and glib, and he knows how the show works. It’s been my honor in this last year to sit next to him.”

 

ObamaCare reform bill faces Supreme Court judgement

Diane A. Wade
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ObamaCare reform bill faces Supreme Court judgement

Barack Obama’s wide-ranging healthcare reform bill, which is seen as a key achievement of his presidency, is facing its moment of judgement in the US Supreme Court.

The law, dubbed ObamaCare, passed in 2010, requires all Americans to obtain health insurance or face a penalty fine.

But conservative opponents of the president say that “mandate” is illegal under the terms of the US constitution.

The justices are expected to rule on Thursday, and could cut the mandate or strike down the whole law.

The debate over healthcare is a fiercely polarizing issue in the US, and a verdict either way is expected to have a major impact on the race for the White House.

Barack Obama and Republican Mitt Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, are just five months away from the presidential election.

The president maintains a slender lead in some polls, but is facing a stiff challenge from Mitt Romney and conservative opponents, amid a rocky economic outlook.

ObamaCare, passed in 2010, requires all Americans to obtain health insurance or face a penalty fine
ObamaCare, passed in 2010, requires all Americans to obtain health insurance or face a penalty fine

Mitt Romney told a rally near Washington DC on Wednesday that if the Supreme Court did not quash the law he would “repeal and replace” the bill if he won the White House.

The bitter debate over the legislation has touched such partisan issues as state and individual rights, federal deficits, end-of-life care, and abortion and contraception funding.

The nine-member Supreme Court has several options.

It could decide that it is too early to rule on the case, as many of the law’s provisions – including the mandate to buy health insurance – do not come into force until 2014.

It could also dismiss the challenge to the mandate on a technicality, ruling that the penalty constitutes a tax lawfully imposed by Congress. Few observers expect the court to choose this option.

The meat of the case concerns the challenge to the individual mandate, which the justices could decide oversteps Congress’ right to regulate interstate commerce.

Analysts say that questioning from several conservative justices during oral arguments at the court in March revealed a deep level skepticism on the bench.

The court could decide to strike down the mandate and send the bill back to Congress to find a way to make the rest of it work. It could also overturn the entire law, ruling that the need to buy health insurance is integral to the legislation.

The Supreme Court is composed of nine justices, five seen as conservatives and four as liberals. It has delivered several divisive wafer-thin majority rulings in recent years, prompting criticism from liberals.

A 5-4 ruling in 2010 known as Citizens United changed campaign finance laws in the US to allow unrestricted fund-raising by independent groups not directly affiliated with candidates.

A recent study by the Pew Research Center found public approval of the court at its lowest level since records began in 1987.

The healthcare law – officially known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, but commonly dubbed ObamaCare by opponents – was passed in 2009 without a single Republican vote in Congress, and signed into law by President Obama in June 2010.

Polls suggest many Americans would be pleased to see the law overturned.

However, individual elements of the bill are popular, and some people are opposed because they do not think it goes far enough.

The bill has already enabled millions of Americans aged under 26 to obtain health insurance by staying on their parents’ coverage for longer than previously allowed.

Patients with pre-existing medical conditions have also been able to obtain health insurance since the passage of the law.

 

Turkey sends rocket launchers and anti-aircraft guns along its border with Syria

Roy Siemens
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Turkey sends rocket launchers and anti-aircraft guns along its border with Syria

Turkey begins rocket launchers and anti-aircraft guns deployment along its border with Syria after last week’s downing of a fighter jet.

Columns of military vehicles have been seen moving from military bases to the border, close to where the jet crashed.

The F-4 Phantom went down in the sea after entering Syrian airspace and being hit by a missile. The pilots are missing.

Meanwhile, explosions have been reported outside a court complex in central Damascus.

Syrian state TV said there had been a “terrorist explosion” in the car park of the palace of justice and witnesses spoke of a thick plume of smoke in the area.

There was no word of casualties but opposition activists said ambulances were heard heading to the scene.

There are also reports of clashes in the Damascus suburb of Douma, where activists say four people have been killed.

Turkey begins rocket launchers and anti-aircraft guns deployment along its border with Syria after last week's downing of a fighter jet
Turkey begins rocket launchers and anti-aircraft guns deployment along its border with Syria after last week’s downing of a fighter jet

Turkey’s decision to reinforce its border with Syria comes two days after PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced a change in terms of its military engagement.

He told parliament that Syria was a “clear and present threat” and any game that is dangerous and “military element” that approached the Turkish border from Syria would be treated as a threat and a military target.

Extra troops have been sent to the area and Turkish TV has shown pictures of a small convoy of trucks carrying anti-aircraft guns into a military base near the border town of Yayladagi.

According to local reports, other military vehicles have travelled to the border town of Reyhanli in Hatay province.

More than 33,000 refugees have fled Syria and have crossed the border into the province.

Turkish President Abdullah Gul is due to discuss the heightened tensions with Syria at a National Security Council meeting on Thursday.

Russia and other major powers are considering a proposal from UN envoy Kofi Annan for a national unity government to lead political change in Syria.

Moscow has agreed to back the plan which, according to Western diplomats, proposes a cabinet including members of the opposition and government, but no-one who would undermine its credibility.

The idea will be discussed on Saturday by the UN Action Group on Syria.

Although Western diplomats say President Bashar al-Assad would not be part of any unity government, his future role in Syria is not spelled out in Kofi Annan’s proposal.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday that President Bashar al-Assad’s future had to be decided through a “Syrian dialogue by the Syrian people themselves”, adding that Saturday’s Geneva conference could not dictate the terms of a unity government.

President Bashar al-Assad has described Syria as being in a “real state of war” and the UN’s deputy envoy to Syria said on Wednesday that the violence “had reached or even surpassed” the levels seen in April when Kofi Annan’s ceasefire plan was agreed.

The UN says at least 10,000 people have been killed since pro-democracy protests began in March 2011. In June, the Syrian government reported that 6,947 Syrians had died, including at least 3,211 civilians and 2,566 security forces personnel.

 

Kate Upton high school pictures reveal a nerdy-looking girl

Ricky Robinson
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Kate Upton high school pictures reveal a nerdy-looking girl

Model Kate Upton became a household name overnight, and this year landed the cover of Sports Illustrated’s Swimsuit Edition.

But new images show Kate Upton wasn’t always so open about showing off her body.

In photos taken from the model’s high school yearbook, her celebrated body is covered with a button down shirt.

Kate Upton’s high school friends, who knew her just three short years ago as their fellow classmate, tell how her success seems to have blossomed overnight – shocking them all.

For they remember a flat-chested teenager who was “nerdy looking”.

Speaking candidly, a fellow classmate of Kate Upton’s from Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy in Melbourne, Florida, remembers the supermodel as a B average student who was the opposite of the “it” girl at school.

Kate Upton’ school friends remember a flat-chested teenager who was “nerdy looking”
Kate Upton’ school friends remember a flat-chested teenager who was “nerdy looking”

Wearing a white oxford shirt paired with a khaki kilt as her school uniform, Kate Upton, now 20, was required to go to church services everyday and her favorite pastime was riding horses.

But while nearly every man on this planet would love to date her today, Kate Upton surprisingly didn’t have any dates as a schoolgirl.

“Kate was the bridge between the popular crowd and the losers,” tells Kate’s high school classmate.

“She wasn’t really outgoing and she definitely wasn’t the prettiest girl in school.

“She was very slim, flat chested and sort of nerdy looking – I’m not sure she ever had a boyfriend in school.”

But three years on, you can bet every guy from her high school class is kicking themselves for not jumping at the opportunity to date the world’s hottest supermodel.

“I remember Kate being in and out of class a lot, traveling and trying to make it as a model,” tells her classmate.

“She was never overly confident or annoying about it, but one day she just left school and never came back.

“It was almost like she blossomed overnight and grew into this beautiful woman, never to be heard from again.

“Now, talking to all the guys from our class, we’re all regretful that we never asked her out.”

Kate Upton’s stardom has seen her land on the cover of several big name magazines, most recently men’s quarterly, GQ.

During the shoot Kate Upton recently revealed that she endured a slight mishap.

The model explained what happened in her interview, saying: “For the GQ photo shoot, we were on the ride where the seat spins while the actual ride is spinning, and I’m wearing a one-piece.

“All of a sudden the whole entire top falls off! I’m holding myself, laughing, turning bright red, but a lot of people are watching, so they kicked us out of the Santa Monica Pier – it was so embarrassing.”

 

Coca-Cola and Pepsi contain traces of alcohol

Kathryn R. Bown
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Coca-Cola and Pepsi contain traces of alcohol

A scientific research published in France has revealed that Coca-Cola and Pepsi contain traces of alcohol.

The revelation will cause concern among those who chose the carbonated soft drink for religious, health or safety reasons.

According to tests carried out by the Paris-based National Institute of Consumption (INC) more than half of leading colas contain the traces of alcohol.

These include the brand leaders Coca-Cola and Pepsi Cola, while it is mainly only cheap supermarket versions of the drink which are alcohol-free.

French magazine 60 Million Consumers publishes the results of the tests in its latest issue.

They suggest that the alcohol levels are as low as 10 mg in every litre, and this works out at around 0.001% alcohol.

But the figures will still be enough to upset the thousands of Muslims who regularly drink Cola because their religion forbids them from drinking alcohol.

A scientific research published in France has revealed that Coca-Cola and Pepsi contain traces of alcohol
A scientific research published in France has revealed that Coca-Cola and Pepsi contain traces of alcohol

Those who are teetotal and drink Coke regularly will also be worried, as will those who choose it as an alternative to alcohol when they are driving.

Of 19 colas tested, the nine which did not contain alcohol were made by brands including Auchan, Cora, Casino, Leader Price and Man U-Cola.

Ten which had traces of alcohol in them included Coca-Cola, Pepsi Cola, Coca-Cola Classic Light and Coke Zero.

Michel Pepin, scientific director for Coca-Cola France, said: “It is possible that traces of alcohol come from the process of making Coca Cola according to its secret recipe.”

He insisted, however, that Coca-Cola drinks were provably “soft” and recognized as such “by the government authorities in which they are sold”.

Michel Pepin added: “Furthermore, the Paris Mosque has provided us with a certificate stating that our products can be consumed by the Muslim community in line with the religious opinions of the Committee of the Mosque of Paris.”

A spokesman for Pepsi acknowledged that “some soft drinks can contain minute traces of alcohol because of the ingredients used”, although “the Pepsi Cola recipe does not contain alcohol”.

Both companies suggested that natural fruit can ferment and produce minute traces of alcohol.

Coca-Cola was invented in 1886 by the American John Pemberton and was originally patented as a medicine which could cure everything from headache to impotence.

It went on to dominate the international soft drinks market and is now a US icon sold in more than 200 countries.

However, caffeine is widely considered to be the main stimulant contained in the drink, along with vast amounts of sugar which have come to associate it with a range of health problems including obesity.

Every can of Coke contains approximately 10 teaspoons of sugar.

 

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