Rafael Nadal won a record seventh French Open title after beating Novak Djokovic with 6-4 6-3 2-6 7-5 in a rain-affected final.
Rafael Nadal, 26, resumed leading 6-4 6-3 2-6 1-2, but his uncharacteristic wobble late on Sunday had fuelled Novak Djokovic’s belief.
The Spaniard broke back in the first game of the day however, and then piled pressure on an unsettled Novak Djokovic.
The Serb finally folded with a double fault to hand Rafael Nadal an 11th Grand Slam.
Having drawn level with Bjorn Borg on six Roland Garros titles last year, the victory gave Rafael Nadal sole ownership of the landmark, and he is likely to have plenty of opportunities to stretch further clear.
Rafael Nadal won a record seventh French Open title after beating Novak Djokovic with in a rain-affected final
The only three men to have more Grand Slam victories – Roger Federer with 16, Pete Sampras on 14 and Roy Emerson on 12 – are now in his sights.
The crowd had returned to Court Philippe Chatrier entertaining the possibility that they may witness a different piece of tennis history.
Novak Djokovic, aiming to become only the third man in history to hold all four Grand Slam titles simultaneously, seemed to have the upper hand on his rival when Parisian drizzle had forced them off on Sunday.
Rafael Nadal led a precariously-poised contest 6-4 6-3 2-6 1-2 overnight, but, having been broken early in the fourth, he had looked ill at ease on the court he has made his own.
The Spaniard had surrendered eight successive games and grew increasingly irritated by the wet conditions underfoot before tournament officials called an end to proceedings.
With the chance to reassess his position and resume in dry, if cloudy, conditions the world number two emerged reenergized.
Novak Djokovic’s hopes of becoming the first man to beat Rafael Nadal on clay after losing the opening two sets immediately dimmed as Nadal toppled his serve in the opening game.
Rafael Nadal’s body language had spoken volumes on Sunday and, after the Serb’s forehand down the line was snagged by the tape to bring up 2-2 , it was Novak Djokovic who allowed his frustration to show.
The world number one pounded his head with his racquet strings, but the brutal treatment he was receiving from the opposite end of the net proved harder to halt.
Twice Rafael Nadal held to love, while Novak Djokovic’s serve continued to look vulnerable.
Novak Djokovic’s resolve and fight had seem him haul back four match points to beat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga earlier in the tournament, but he appeared drained as he gifted Rafael Nadal the championship without forcing him to play a return.
The Serb’s second serve was long to signal an end of three successive Grand Slam final wins over Rafael Nadal and continue his rival’s extraordinary record of just one defeat in the tournament since making his debut in 2005.
Rihanna is said to have used a body double for the sexy Armani advertisement which she filmed earlier this year.
However, Rihanna, 24, may not be so forthcoming about this revelation and no doubt wants fans to believe she features throughout the minute-long video.
According to The Sun, Irish model Jahnassa Aicken is the other woman who bares her body in a pair of designer knickers.
However, Rihanna’s management allegedly made her sign an order banning her from speaking about the fact that she was used as a double.
“Jahnassa’s torso, body and bum appear in parts of the ad,” a source told The Sun.
“It’s shocking Rihanna wanted one considering she loves posing with no clothes, plus she’s in great shape.”
Rihanna is said to have used model Jahnassa Aicken as a body double for the sexy Armani advertisement which she filmed earlier this year
The advert shows Rihanna laying in a large double bed on her own wearing black lace underwear as she appears to have a nightmare.
It then cuts to her getting out of bed as she picks up the telephone and then slips into a pair of Armani jeans and a leather jacket.
The close-up shots of the singer’s derrière and of her bust are said to be Jahnassa Aicken – not Rihanna.
Jahnassa Aiken is said to have acted as Rihanna's body double in Armani Jeans commercial
Rihanna – who first stated that she would be collaborating with Armani late last year – clearly wasn’t feeling over-confident about her own figure.
Jahnassa Aicken is said to have received a “modest sum” for the job, and was first spotted by Rihanna’s people in a crowd during the filming of her We Found Love music video in Northern Ireland.
“If we have complaints consumers have been misled by the use of a body double, we will investigate,” an Advertising Standards Authority spokesman told The Sun.
British Prime Minister David Cameron and his wife, Samantha, left their eight-year-old daughter, Nancy, in a pub after having Sunday lunch, Downing Street has confirmed.
Nancy Cameron is reported to have spent about 15 minutes at the Plough Inn at Cadsden in Buckinghamshire, before David Cameron returned to collect her.
Number 10 says the couple were “distraught” when they realized Nancy was not with them.
It said it happened “a couple of months ago”.
Prime Minister David Cameron and his wife, Samantha, left their eight-year-old daughter, Nancy, in a pub after having Sunday lunch, Downing Street has confirmed
The pub is near David Cameron’s country residence at Chequers.
The Camerons were at the pub with Nancy and their other children Arthur, six, and 22-month-old Florence, as well as two other families.
After leaving, David Cameron went home in one car with his bodyguards and thought Nancy was with his wife and their other children in another car.
Samantha Cameron had assumed her eldest daughter was with her father. The mistake was discovered when they got home. When the prime minister returned to collect Nancy he found her helping staff.
A Downing Street spokesman said: “The prime minister and Samantha were distraught when they realized Nancy wasn’t with them.
“Thankfully when they phoned the pub she was there safe and well. The prime minister went down straight away to get her.”
In a newly revealed legal filing that asked a court to prohibit Mary Kennedy from threatening suicide in front of their children Robert Kennedy claimed that his estranged wife abused his children from an earlier marriage and violently attacked him on numerous occasions.
Portions of the 60-page confidential divorce affidavit filed in 2011, which includes shocking claims that Mary Kennedy was physically abusive towards Robert and – on one occasion – his daughter, were disclosed in Newsweek magazine’s cover story about her troubled life.
Struggling with debt, depression and drinking heavily, Mary Kennedy searched on the Internet for how to make a noose and asked her housekeeper’s husband to buy some rope, saying it was for a sofa she was making.
Mary Kennedy committed suicide last month at the family’s estate in Bedford, New York, two years after Robert filed for divorce.
Sworn on September 16 2011, Robert Kennedy’s affidavit paints a desperately sad picture of a woman who, experts told Newsweek‘s Laurence Leamer, was suffering from a psychiatric disorder – Borderline Personality Disorder.
The couple, who had four children together, married in April 1994 when Mary was six-months pregnant.
And, according to the affidavit, Mary Kennedy became violent towards Robert shortly before they were married.
“Soon after Mary became pregnant with our first son, Mary, in a sudden rage about my continued friendship with [my ex-wife] Emily, hit me in the face with her fist,” Robert Kennedy said in the documents.
“She was a trained boxer and I got a shiner. Her engagement ring crushed my tear duct causing permanent damage … Mary asked me to lie to her family about the cause of my shiner.”
Robert Kennedy alleges in the affidavit that Mary’s physical abuse frequently reduced him to tears.
Years after that first alleged attack, in May 2011, shortly after the couple separated, Mary Kennedy ran over the family dog Portia, the affidavit claims.
With their children devastated, Mary Kennedy persuaded Robert to come and stay the night to console them – promising that if he visited she would not harass him.
Robert Kennedy duly went over to the estate where a drunken Mary launched a vicious attack on him.
“She […] hit me with a roundhouse punch that, had I not blocked it, would have undoubtedly broken my face. Pointing to Aidan [their youngest son], she screamed, <<You told this child you didn’t love me?>> and hit me again, raining blows down on me as I backed down the hall.
“She struck me maybe 30 times or more,” he alleged in the documents.
Portions of the 60-page confidential divorce affidavit filed in 2011, which includes shocking claims that Mary Kennedy was physically abusive towards Robert, were disclosed in Newsweek magazine’s cover story
In this particular incident, Mary Kennedy allegedly yelled at a crying Aiden that his father was “the most evil kind of man in the world”. Robert Kennedy escaped her continued raining blows by ducking out the kitchen door.
The couple’s housekeeper, who worked for the Kennedys throughout their marriage and was with Robert when he found Mary’s body, remembers an incident where Mary allegedly attacked her husband with a pair of scissors while he was in the bath.
As the couple’s marriage fell apart, their finances dwindled with legal bills soaring to over $1 million, on top of the monthly $40,000 cost to maintain the staffed estate.
Their famously tumultuous relationship began in 1993 while Robert Kennedy’s marriage to Emily was coming to an end after 10 years and having two children, Bobby III and Kathleen “Kick”, together.
Both regulars at AA, Robert and Mary Kennedy each suffered from addictive personalities, the Newsweek article highlighted.
Robert Kennedy had infamously battled a drug addiction while Mary had suffered from anorexia since she attended Putney School in Vermont, where she shared a room with Robert’s younger sister, Kerry.
But, according to Chris Bartle, a godfather to the couple’s youngest son, the couple could not resist one another.
“They couldn’t take their eyes off each other, couldn’t keep their hands off each other. She was glowing and he was repeatedly saying how much he loved her and how glad he was they had gotten together,” Chris Bartle told Newsweek.
However, the marriage soon ran into trouble, according to the affidavit, with the first major incident involving Mary Kenendy’s treatment of Kick, Robert’s daughter from his first marriage.
Visiting her father three weekends a month Kick seemed to lose something at the end of each stay, once it was a plane ticket another time her wallet disappeared.
After being chided by her father, Kick confided to him that she thought Mary Kennedy was stealing from her.
Robert Kennedy immediately dismissed the suggestion.
“She looked me in the eye and said, <<No, Daddy, Mary hates me.>>
“A few weeks later, looking for something in Mary’s bureau, I found a collection of Kick’s lost items concealed beneath a layer of Mary’s clothing,” Robert Kennedy recalls in the documents.
According to the affidavit, it was the first time that Robert Kennedy considered divorce although, on the surface at least, he brushed the incident aside.
Five years later, the affidavit states, Robert Kennedy “learned from Kick and many others who had witnessed Mary’s conduct, the heartbreaking story of Mary’s long campaign of cruelty and abuse directed toward Kick”.
Kick said that her step-mother would take her into a closed room where she would berate her for her apparent faults, Robert Kennedy alleges.
On one occasion Mary slapped Kick for arguing with one of the other children, the affidavit says.
Remaining stoically composed after the deaths of his brothers, Michael and David, Robert Kennedy broke down crying when he discovered Mary’s body hanging from the rafters in a barn at her estate on May 16.
Before Mary Kennedy’s death, he had taken to appearing at public events with their four children, who he had full temporary custody of, and his new girlfriend, 46-year-old actress Cheryl Hines.
Documents showed Mary Kennedy was facing a $32,000 lawsuit from American Express, though this was dropped following her death.
Speaking after Mary Kennedy’s funeral, her old school friend Kerry Kennedy said that Mary had suffered from mental illness the entire 37 years they had known one another.
“She struggled so hard, for so long, with mental illness, which so many Americans suffer with,” Kerry Kennedy said after her death.
“She fought with dignity, and in the end, the demons won.”
The domestic turmoil extended into preparations for her funeral. One of Mary Kennedy’s brothers went to court in an attempt to get custody of her body, while the Kennedys planned to bury her near the family’s seaside compound in Hyannisport, Massachusetts.
Kate Middleton has come in for some rare sartorial criticism over her fondness for her favorite LK Bennett nude heels.
It seems the fashion police will have to try a little harder if they hope to part the Duchess of Cambridge from those trusty LK Bennett court shoes.
Kate Middleton was once again sporting the £185 ($296) heels on Saturday, when she attended the wedding of Prince William’s cousin, Emily McCorquodale – Princess Diana’s niece.
Duchess of Cambridge, 30, was joined by her husband and her brother-in-law, Prince Harry, for the ceremony in Stoke Rochford, Lincolnshire.
While some observers have criticized Kate’s safe choices, she seems happy to be building up a reputation for thrift.
Kate Middleton was once again sporting the $296 LK Bennett nude shoes on Saturday, when she attended the wedding of Prince William’s cousin, Emily McCorquodale, Princess Diana’s niece
Kate wore her faithful court shoes to two events over the Diamond Jubilee weekend, and was seen in them six times during her tour of Canada and the US last summer.
Indeed, her entire outfit for the wedding had been recycled.
She wore the floral Jenny Packham dress at a polo match in the US last year, the dove grey coat at the Order of the Garter service and the hat at last June’s Epsom Derby.
The court shoes are such a favorite that in the last year the Duchess has worn them to the Epsom Derby, to Prince Philip’s 90th birthday at Windsor, to attend Zara Phillips’s wedding and on a visit to the Royal Marsden Hospital, London.
On last summer’s tour of Canada and the U.S. Kate was photographed in them no fewer than six times. On Sunday’s Jubilee River Pageant, they were given another outing on the Royal Barge.
And on Tuesday she got them out of the closet to attend the service of thanksgiving at St Paul’s cathedral.
The high street platforms have also of late been adopted by Princesses Eugenie, who wore a similar black version at the Jubilee River Pageant.
With every outfit coming under the microscope Kate’ support has given a welcome boost to the British brand.
The pumps have become such a success that LK Bennett brought out a Sledge 2 patent version.
Lady Gaga was left stunned by an unexpected mishap while in the middle of her hit song Judas at Sunday’s show in New Zealand.
Lady Gaga, 26, is in the middle of a world tour but was brought back to earth with a bump when she was hit on the head with a giant pole by one of her backing dancers.
The controversial singer had been dancing attached to the pole by a rope but later left the podium and ducked down to pick up a prop gun
Her backing dancer then immediately picked the pole up and was turning it from its vertical position to carry it off horizontally.
It was at this moment that as Lady Gaga raised her head, the pole came crashing down on her.
She immediately carried on but later mentioned the incident to the audience.
“I want to apologize,” she told fans according to TMZ.
“I did hit my head and I think I may have concussion. But don’t you worry, I will finish this show.”
Lady Gaga was left stunned by an unexpected mishap while in the middle of her hit song Judas at Sunday's show in New Zealand
Lady Gaga is playing three concerts at the Vector Arena.
During the shows she, unsurprisingly, underwent numerous costume changes.
She also appeared as a hologram and later thanked a 78-year-old male fan for turning up, telling him “you’re lovely”.
During the two-hour sellout show she also played guitar, rode a motorbike and fell into a “meat grinder”.
Lady Gaga also appeared onstage riding what resembled a giant louse.
The singer made for a bright sight as she arrived in Auckland last week clad in a neon orange dress.
She got a lively welcome from crowds of fans packed outside her hotel.
Her appearance came amid reports she has rekindled her romance with Vampire Diaries actor Taylor Kinney.
Lady Gaga sparked rumors of a reunion after she was joined by the 30-year-old actor in Thailand and then continued on to Singapore with her.
A source told Us Weekly: “They sure looked like they were back together – holding hands and being cute everywhere they went. They were seen kissing right as they got into the [hotel] elevator.”
The insiders confirmed that they were dating once again back on and trying to make things work despite her demanding lifestyle.
They said: “They are going to try and make it work even with her crazy schedule. Gaga realized she missed him.”
Taylor Kinney and Lady Gaga initially split in early May after ten months together. At the time, sources said the Grammy winner’s hectic calendar was to blame.
The informant explained: “She will be touring nonstop until next year. There’s just no room for anything else. Her work is all-consuming.”
A second source admitted last month that things between Lady Gaga and the screen star were still complicated.
“They may still be trying to make it work. She feels like having him keeps her grounded. Obviously she thinks he’s hot… She says he’s ‘really cool.”
Meanwhile, Lady Gaga was forced to cancel her June 3 concert in Jakarta during the Asian leg of her tour following protests from a local hardline Islamist group.
People who regularly get fewer than six hours of sleep a night are at significantly increased risk of stroke, a study suggests.
Researchers found that those in middle age who skimped on sleep were more likely to suffer stroke symptoms than those who got at least nine hours of shut-eye – even if they were a healthy weight and with no family history of stroke.
More than 5,000 participants, who were between 45 and retirement age, were monitored for three years as part of the US study.
Those who slept for fewer than six hours were most likely to experience symptoms such as numbness or weakness down one side of their body, dizziness, loss of vision or a sudden inability to express themselves verbally or in writing.
People who regularly get fewer than six hours of sleep a night are at significantly increased risk of stroke, a study suggests
Scientists at the University of Alabama said the impact of sleep deprivation was a major one, even after taking into account age, weight and other known risks such as high blood pressure.
The participants were divided into five groups according to how many hours a night they slept. They were asked to report their symptoms every six months.
Co-author Virginia Howard, a professor of epidemiology, said: “Many people can have these symptoms and not recognize them as a precursor to having a stroke, and perhaps not even mention them to their doctor.
“Sleeping habits can exacerbate the potential for these symptoms, which are internationally recognized as putting people at extraordinary risk of subsequent stroke.”
It is already known that sleep apnea – a breathing problem which produces poor quality sleep – is linked to strokes.
A study of hundreds of thousands of participants by Warwick University last year also linked lack of sleep to increased incidence of both strokes and heart disease.
But the latest study focuses on the early symptoms of strokes, which are often ignored.
Prof. Virginia Howard’s team plans to continue monitoring the participants for several more years. She said: “It will be very interesting to see what the stroke rate is, and whether early detection may have helped.”
Dr. Megan Ruiter, lead author of the study, which will be presented today at the American Association of Sleep Medicine’s annual conference, speculated that lack of sleep could be a precursor to more traditional stroke risk factors.
The Euro and stock markets have boosted in Asia after a deal to shore up Spain’s troubled banks eased concerns about a European currency break up.
In Asian trade, the euro rose 1% versus the US dollar and Japanese yen. Stock indexes in Japan and Hong Kong rose 2%.
On Saturday, eurozone ministers agreed to lend Spain up to 100 billion Euros ($125 billion) to help its banks.
Analysts said the deal would buy time for policymakers to solve other problems facing the 17-nation eurozone.
The biggest issue now looming on the horizon is the 17 June elections in Greece, and the worry that an anti-eurozone party may end up in a position of power.
“All eyes are still on Greece’s upcoming elections but investors’ worries over the eurozone have eased in the short term,” said Andy Du of Orient Futures Derivatives.
According to Stephen Davies of Javelin Wealth Management, the fact that the Spanish banking bailout was bigger than many people had expected pointed to a continuing “degree of strain within the European banking system”.
The Euro and stock markets have boosted in Asia after a deal to shore up Spain's troubled banks eased concerns about a European currency break up
“It reflects the fairly dire straits within which Europe continues to find itself,” he added.
Spain’s weakest banks were left with billions of Euros of bad loans following the collapse of a property boom and the recession that followed.
Currently Spain is in its second recession in three years and the economy is expected to shrink by 1.7% this year.
Its economic problems have become so acute, and its borrowing costs in the international markets so high, that there have been concerns that the government would not be able to service its debts.
At the same time, there were fears that some of its banks would not be able to find enough capital to continue to operate.
The exact amount of emergency funding that Spain will receive will be decided after two audits of its banks are completed within the next few days.
Spain’s loan was welcomed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as well as the US and Japan.
Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy hailed the decision as a victory for the single currency.
European Union economic affairs commissioner Olli Rehn said the deal was a clear signal to the markets that the euro area was ready to take decisive action to calm markets and contain contagion.
Spain is the eurozone’s fourth-biggest economy – twice the size combined of those of Greece, Ireland and Portugal, the countries bailed out so far.
However, tensions over the euro remain high with another election to be held in Greece next weekend.
If voters elect a government that refuses to abide by the terms of the country’s bailout deal, Athens faces a possible exit from the bloc.
Analysts said that in the days leading up to the election it was likely that a low-risk appetite from investors would return.
There are fears that a Greek exit could trigger a run on the banks, not only there but in other eurozone countries.
Greece has been in recession for five years, crippled by huge debts, high unemployment and labor unrest.
Cissy Houston, mother of late star Whitney Houston, is cashing in on her child’s tragic death, that’s what some family members think of her plans to write a tell-all book, new reports have claimed.
Sources close to the Houston family told TMZ that Cissy Houston’s new publishing deal with Harper-Collins for a memoir is merely a lame attempt to make money – since Whitney Houston left everything to her daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown – and not at all about honoring the late singer.
Cissy Houston is cashing in on Whitney Houston's tragic death, that's what some family members think of her plans to write a tell-all book
One source said the book, which is slated for release in 2013, could also be a PR move for Cissy Houston, claiming: “She will try to come out looking like the world’s greatest mom, when in actuality, she wasn’t.”
French exit polls suggest that Francois Hollande’s Socialists and their allies are set for a majority following the first round of legislative elections.
The Socialists appear tied with the right-wing UMP party on about 35% of the vote, but the support of Green allies gives them closer to 40%.
The outcome of the polls is expected to determine the extent and pace of reform under the newly-elected French leader.
Run-offs are to be held a week later.
French exit polls suggest that Francois Hollande's Socialists and their allies are set for a majority following the first round of legislative elections
The early indications are that turnout has been much lower than in the presidential elections in April, at about 60%.
France’s 46 million eligible voters are picking representatives for 577 seats in the National Assembly.
TNS Sofres, Ipsos and OpinonWay pollsters all agreed that the political left, including the Communist-backed Left Front, would win at least 289 seats in the 577-seat Assembly and possibly as many as 368 seats.
These are predictions rather than hard results and it is hard to predict accurately what the final tallies will be before next week’s decisive round of voting.
But with the Senate already under the control of the Socialists, it appears that Francois Hollande will have a majority in the lower house – even if only with the support of allies – which would give him unprecedented power to force through his reform programme.
Francois Hollande’s government is due to present a revised budget plan to parliament next month.
The result of the parliamentary election will determine the pace of reform and how radical it becomes.
“It’s a good result tonight… but we have to remain mobilized for the second round,” Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, an influential Socialist, was quoted by news agency AP as saying.
The election also saw a surge in support for Marine Le Pen’s far right National Front, which won almost 14% of votes, according to the exit polls – well above the 4% it got in the 2007 parliamentary elections.
Krystle Marie Reyes from Salem, Oregon, who was given a $2.1 million tax refund after filing a false claim went on a massive spending spree until she was caught.
Krystle Marie Reyes, 25, was only caught after she reported the Visa card containing the seven figure sum had been lost.
By that time she had already spent more than $150,000, including buying a car and other household items.
Krystle Marie Reyes had used Turbo Tax to file her income tax return for 2011.
She claimed earnings of $3 million but used the tax calculator programme to claim a refund of $2.1 million, Oregon Live reported.
Due to the size of the refund, her electronic claim was examined by several people within the Oregon Revenue Department.
Incredibly they approved the payout and Krystle Marie Reyes was sent a visa card by the tax preparation computer programme containing a balance of $2.1 million.
Krystle Marie Reyes from Salem, Oregon, who was given a $2.1 million tax refund after filing a false claim went on a massive spending spree until she was caught
Prosecutors said she went on a spending spree and spent more than $150,000.
She later reported the card missing prompting an investigation which uncovered the massive fraud which is believed to be the biggest in the history of the state of Oregon.
Krystle Marie Reyes, according to an arrest affidavit, paid $2,000 in cash for a 1999 Dodge Caravan and used the card to buy $800 worth of tires and wheels.
She was also caught on CCTV cameras using the card at various outlets.
According to the probable cause statement, Krystle Marie Reyes spent $13,000 in Marion County over two days in February, $26,000 in March and more than $35,000 in April.
The statement says the fraud was discovered on May 7 by the issuer of the debit card after Krystle Marie Reyes reported a “second card” as lost or stolen.
Oregon Department of Justice agents arrested Krystle Marie Reyes on Wednesday at a Northeast Salem address.
The apparent ease with which Krystle Marie Reyes was allegedly able to defraud the state revenue department has stunned officials.
“They’ve got some explaining to do to restore the confidence of Oregonians,” Rep. Vicki Berger, R-Salem, who serves as co-chair of the House Revenue Committee told the OregonLive.com.
“Is this is an anomaly? If so, let’s make sure it never happens again. Or do we have a systematic problem in the way the Department of Revenue treats this and other transactions?”
The revenue department processes about $7 billion in tax returns each year on computer systems designed in the 1980s.
In January, the state’s chief operating officer, Michael Jordan, pulled the plug on a $100 million computer upgrade that the department said would pay for itself by finding tax cheats.
In 2010, the state reported $559 million in delinquent taxes, mostly from unpaid personal and corporate income taxes.
Revenue officials estimate that, in 2006, Oregon’s personal income tax compliance rate was 81.5% – far lower than other states – and translating to $1.2 billion in unreported or uncollected taxes that year.
Krystle Marie Reyes has been charged with aggravated theft and computer crime.
She was released from Marion County jail and is due in court on July 5th.
After last weekend Kris Humphries was enjoying the company of his rumored new girlfriend Fatima “Myla” Sinanaj on Miami Beach, he has now got his focus back – and was yesterday seen with his nutritionist and sometimes-trainer.
Kris Humphries, 27, was photographed in the turquoise blue Florida waters with the woman – who TMZ has identified as Tracy Paradise.
Sources told TMZ there is nothing romantic going on between the pair – and things are strictly professional.
The sighting comes as Kris Humphries’ lawyers are trying to keep his rumored relationship with Myla Sinanaj on the quiet.
His legal team want the basketball star to walk into his divorce depositions at the end of June looking like a heartbroken and very single man.
Kris Humphries’ lawyers are going to great lengths to keep his new rumored girlfriend Myla Sinanaj quiet about her supposed relationship with the basketball player, as they aim to prove that his 72-day marriage to reality TV star Kim Kardashian was indeed fraud.
Kris Humphries was photographed in the turquoise blue Florida waters with the woman, who TMZ has identified as Tracy Paradise
According to TMZ, Kris Humphries’ lawyer reached out to Myla Sinanaj’s lawyer to negotiate a non-disclosure agreement in order to get a lockdown on any sensitive texts, emails, or other documents the 25-year-old Kardashian-lookalike has relating to their relationship.
Kris Humphries is demanding millions from Kim Kardashian, and Kris doesn’t want anything to jeopardize his case that their union should be annulled rather than granted a divorce.
His lawyers are willing to pay a price in order to get Myla Sinanaj’s signature on a joint statement as well.
RadarOnline first reported that Kris Humphries had no plans to publicly date anyone until after his divorce was finalized, but TMZ claimed that Kris has been dating Myla Sinanaj since January, even flying her to Miami for a romantic beach holiday last weekend.
They have apparently been seeing each other regularly, meeting at various basketball games where Kris Humphries provided her and family members with courtside seats.
The pair met at a prominent five star hotel in New York, TMZ claims.
“Kris is expecting to be asked if he has a girlfriend, or has had one since Kim filed for divorce,” an insider told RadarOnline.
“Kris will answer under oath that he hasn’t had a girlfriend and that he is very single. Kris doesn’t care that Kim is dating Kanye West, he has truly moved on with his life.
“Kris is going to be in Minnesota for the summer getting in the best shape possible for the upcoming basketball season, end of story. Kris’ primary focus has been basketball, and that is it.”
Myla Sinanaj’s Twitter page, which has since been deleted, had a number of interesting posts related to Kardashian patriarch Bruce Jenner and Kim Kardashian’s new boyfriend rapper Kanye West.
“Say my name, say my name. When no one is around, you say baby I love you. Why the sudden change?” Myla Sinanaj tweeted, quoting a Destiny’s Child song.
Myla Sinanaj also shared: “Bruce Jenner’s face scares me – it should be on the <<Why not to get plastic surgery>> poster.”
“[Kanye should be] bigger than taking petty shots at s**t that got nothing to do with him. Lost respect,” read another post by Myla Sinanaj, commenting on his new song Theraflu.
Kim Kardashian began dating Kanye West in April, and the pair are reportedly discussing moving in together, so Kris Humphries most likely wants to look single by comparison to his famous ex.
“Myla is very upset with Kris for not wanting an exclusive relationship,” a source told RadarOnline.
“Kris was honest with her from the beginning and it’s very likely that he won’t be seeing her anymore now. There are always going to be girls that are looking for their 15 minutes of fame and say they are dating Kris. It just comes along with the territory.”
A new study suggests that an “early and aggressive” approach to people on the cusp of developing Type 2 diabetes is justified to reduce cases of the disease.
People with “pre-diabetes” have higher than normal blood sugar which has not yet reached diabetic levels.
A US study, published in the Lancet, showed restoring normal sugar levels more than halved the numbers going on to Type 2 diabetes.
Experts said the findings were clinically important.
It is thought that 7 million people have pre-diabetes in the UK and 79 million in the US. They are at heightened risk of Type 2 diabetes, heart attack and stroke. Many are undiagnosed.
A new study suggests that an "early and aggressive" approach to people on the cusp of developing Type 2 diabetes is justified to reduce cases of the disease
Some measures, such as weight loss and more exercise, can reverse pre-diabetes. The study, by the US Diabetes Prevention Program Research Group, tried to determine how effective the treatment was at preventing Type 2 diabetes.
It followed 1,990 people with pre-diabetes. Some were being treated through drugs or lifestyle change, others were not.
It showed patients who reduced their blood sugar levels to normal, even briefly, were 56% less likely to develop Type 2 diabetes during the six years of the study.
Lead author Dr. Leigh Perreault, from the University of Colorado, said: “This analysis draws attention to the significant long-term reduction in diabetes risk when someone with pre-diabetes returns to normal glucose regulation, supporting a shift in the standard of care to early and aggressive glucose-lowering treatment in patients at highest risk.”
Dr. Natalia Yakubovich, from McMaster University in Ontario, Canada, said the “findings clearly suggest” that restoring normal blood sugar levels was “of clinical relevance”.
She added: “Identification of regression to normal glucose regulation could be an important way to stratify people into those at higher and lower risk of progression to diabetes.
“Such stratification could therefore identify individuals for whom additional treatment might be needed to prevent diabetes or to slow down disease progression.”
Accounts of unusual sexual activities among Adelie penguins, observed a century ago by Dr. George Murray Levick, a member of Captain Scott’s polar team, are finally being made public.
Details, including “sexual coercion”, recorded by Dr. George Murray Levick were considered so shocking that they were removed from official accounts.
However, scientists now understand the biological reasons behind the acts that Dr. George Murray Levick considered “depraved”.
The Natural History Museum in UK has published his unedited papers.
Dr. George Murray Levick, an avid biologist, was the medical officer on Captain Scott’s ill-fated Terra Nova expedition to the South Pole in 1910. He was a pioneer in the study of penguins and was the first person to stay for an entire breeding season with a colony on Cape Adare.
He recorded many details of the lives of Adelie penguins, but some of their activities were just too much for the Edwardian sensibilities of the good doctor.
He was shocked by what he described as the “depraved” sexual acts of “hooligan” males who were mating with dead females. So distressed was he that he recorded the “perverted” activities in Greek in his notebook.
Accounts of unusual sexual activities among Adelie penguins, observed a century ago by Dr. George Murray Levick, a member of Captain Scott's polar team, are finally being made public
On his return to Britain, Dr. George Murray Levick attempted to publish a paper entitled “the natural history of the Adelie penguin”, but according to Douglas Russell, curator of eggs and nests at the Natural History Museum, it was too much for the times.
“He submitted this extraordinary and graphic account of sexual behaviour of the Adelie penguins, which the academic world of the post-Edwardian era found a little too difficult to publish,” Douglas Russell said.
The sexual behavior section was not included in the official paper, but the then keeper of zoology at the museum, Sidney Harmer, decided that 100 copies of the graphic account should be circulated to a select group of scientists.
Douglas Russell said they simply did not have the scientific knowledge at that time to explain Dr. George Murray Levick’s accounts of what he termed necrophilia.
“What is happening there is not in any way analogous to necrophilia in the human context,” Douglas Russell said.
“It is the males seeing the positioning that is causing them to have a sexual reaction.
“They are not distinguishing between live females who are awaiting congress in the colony, and dead penguins from the previous year which just happen to be in the same position.”
Only two of the original 100 copies of Dr. George Murray Levick’s account survive. Douglas Russell and colleagues have now published a re-interpretation of Dr. George Murray Levick’s findings in the journal Polar Record.
Douglas Russell described how he had discovered one of the copies by accident.
“I just happened to be going through the file on George Murray Levick when I shifted some papers and found underneath them this extraordinary paper which was headed <<the sexual habits of the adelie penguin, not for publication>> in large black type.
“It’s just full of accounts of sexual coercion, sexual and physical abuse of chicks, non-procreative sex, and finishes with an account of what he considers homosexual behaviour, and it was fascinating.”
The report and Dr. George Murray Levick’s handwritten notes are now on display at the Natural History Museum for the first time. Douglas Russell believes they show a man who struggled to understand penguins as they really are.
“He’s just completely shocked. He, to a certain extent, falls into the same trap as an awful lot of people in seeing penguins as bipedal birds and seeing them as little people. They’re not. They are birds and should be interpreted as such.”
Kenyan Internal Security Minister George Saitoti has died in a helicopter crash, officials say.
Officials say George Saitoti and his deputy, Orwa Ojode, have been killed when the aircraft went down west of Nairobi, bursting into flames as it hit the ground.
There is no word on the cause of the crash, in which six people were killed, including bodyguards and pilots.
George Saitoti, 66, a former vice-president, had been planning to run in a forthcoming presidential poll.
He was on his way to a security meeting when his helicopter crashed on Sunday morning.
An AFP agency news journalist saw six charred bodies being removed from the wreckage.
Officials say George Saitoti and his deputy, Orwa Ojode, have been killed when the aircraft went down west of Nairobi, bursting into flames as it hit the ground
Another reporter at the scene says debris of the burnt-out police helicopter were strewn in the brush.
George Saitoti had been a key figure in Kenyan politics, holding a number of senior ministerial posts over the last 30 years.
The professor of mathematics joined Daniel Arap Moi’s government as a finance minister in 1983, going on to become his vice-president in 1988.
He briefly stepped down as education minister in 1996 over accusations he was involved in the Goldenberg financial scandal, but was reinstated when a Kenyan court ruled he should not be charged.
After years as a senior member in the long-dominant Kanu party, George Saitoti joined the current president Mwai Kibaki’s National Alliance of Kenya in 2002.
As Internal Security Minister under Mwai Kibaki, he was a leading government voice against the Somali militant group al-Shabab.
Kenyan troops have been fighting al-Shabab in Somalia since they sent troops into the country last October.
The militants have killed several people in a string of grenade attacks in various parts of Kenya, including Nairobi.
George Saitoti announced he would stand for the presidency last November.
No date for the presidential election has so far been set. Mwai Kibaki’s mandate ends in January 2013.
Prime Minister Raila Odinga – a rival of both Mwai Kibaki and George Saitoti – has also announced he was standing for president.
The last presidential election, in December 2007, was followed by a wave of ethnic and political violence in which about 1,500 were killed.
Raila Odinga has warned about the emergence of ethnically-based political groups in the run-up to the next poll.
A US scientific team is embarking on a mission to capture a 3D image of every ant species known to science.
The scientists are visiting museums around the world to photograph all of the ant specimens in their collections.
They are using a technique that, for the first time, allows microscopic anatomical detail of the insects’ bodies to be photographed.
The aim is to make an online catalogue called Antweb, providing a unique tool for scientists who study the insects.
It will also allow anyone with access to the internet a detailed glimpse of the diverse world of ants.
Brian Fisher from the California Academy of Sciences is leading the study. He and his colleagues have started their “world ant tour” at the Natural History Museum (NHM) in London.
The team has already used the imaging technique on ant collections in the US, capturing snapshots of 8,000 ant species so far.
But there are approximately 15,000 species that have been “formally described” in science, and about 30,000 species in total.
Each named and described species has a specimen – an ant that provides the reference for what this species looks like – housed in a museum collection.
A US scientific team is embarking on a mission to capture a 3D image of every ant species known to science
Dr. Brian Fisher and his team plan to capture a snapshot of every single one of these specimens.
“Our goal is to image 10,000 a year,” he said.
And for the database to be complete, the team is taking several images of each species, including examples of all the different ant castes – queens, soldiers, minor workers – and the different sexes.
To achieve this, they need to find the museums with the most complete ant collections, and the NHM is the first one outside of the US that the team has targeted.
Dr. Brian Fisher says it has “one of the best ant collections in the world”, with more than 6,000 species pinned into display cases in the museum’s carefully curated store rooms.
The team will systematically work its way through every one of these boxes of long-dead and preserved ants, and use a special technique that takes dozens of highly magnified pictures all on a different plane of focus.
Combining all of these images into one final picture reveals each insect in unprecedented detail.
“You can zoom in and see fine hairs, the eyes, all of this detail,” Dr. Brian Fisher explains.
“And all of this, under a microscope, is not in focus.
“So this is actually the first time, as a scientist, I get to see this ant in 3D. It’s very useful for scientists.”
The researcher and his team hope to bring the ant world out of museum cupboards, not just for researchers studying the insects, but also to reveal the diversity of ants to the public.
“Many people don’t know the amazing creatures that live in their back yards,” he said.
“This project will mean that anybody, anywhere at any time will have access to these specimens that we hide in museums.”
Demi Moore put on a brave front at the high school graduation for 18-year-old daughter Tallulah on Thursday and looked in great shape.
Although still slim, Demi Moore, 49, looked like she had put on a few healthy pounds and wore a black mini dress to show off her legs.
Keeping her long dark hair in a simple style and wearing flats, Demi Moore, who turns 50 in November, seemed to be focused on just being there for her teen.
The actress was reunited with ex-husband Bruce Willis who was also there to support Tallulah and their other daughters Rumer, 23, and Scout, 20, were along for the family occasion too.
Rumer showed off her toned stomach in a belly baring grey top which she paired with a see-through white summer skirt and her orange bag matched her flaming locks.
Meanwhile, middle girl Scout flew in to Los Angeles from New York to face all the family after recently being arrested for underage drinking and having an open alcohol container on the street.
Demi Moore put on a brave front at the high school graduation for 18-year-old daughter Tallulah on Thursday and looked in great shape
Scout is studying at Brown University and is also an aspiring singer.
It’s not the first time she has been at the centre of controversy. Earlier this year she took to Twitter and ranted about how much she hated her parents and how she tried the drug MDMA.
She later claimed the tweets were a ‘hoax’ and that she did it for a class project at school.
One person who was noticeably absent was Demi Moore’s estranged husband Ashton Kutcher.
The clan had always prided themselves on attending special events together but it seems now that Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher have split it may not be as comfortable a situation as it once was.
Ashton Kutcher, who is currently filming the Steve Jobs biopic, is apparently still close to his stepdaughters but stayed away.
There have been recent rumors swirling that Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher may reunite after calling it quits on their marriage following allegations the actor cheated on Demi on their six-year anniversary
RadarOnline said that they have met up on several occasions are “still desperately in love and could be on for a reconciliation”.
No divorce papers have yet been filed.
Meanwhile, Bruce Willis became a father for the fourth time in April when his new wife Emma Heming gave birth to a girl, Mabel Ray.
He was all smiles for the graduation and beamed proudly as he got to spend time with his daughters.
Matthew McConaughey wed the mother of his two children, Camila Alves, in an intimate Saturday evening ceremony at his Austin, Texas property, according to People magazine.
The couple, who got engaged last Christmas Day after almost five years together, tied the knot in front of their close friends and family.
Also witnessing the ceremony was their two children, Levi, who turns 4 next month, and daughter Vida, 2½.
Camila Alves has taken Matthew McConayghey’s surname and has officially become Camila McConaughey, the actor’s representation told the publication.
It is said that the couple kept the nuptials a secret from some guests up until the very last minute.
Yesterday, plans were well underway for the nuptials with a sea of camping equipment acting as accommodation for their guests.
The couple is believed to have provided guests with the state-of-the art tents which line the back yard.
Matthew McConaughey wed the mother of his two children, Camila Alves, in an intimate Saturday evening ceremony at his Austin, Texas property
The luxury temporary abodes, numbered 1-47, are in four rows in the garden and are said to be kitted out with beds, cosy white fur rugs on the floor, and outdoor seating with doormats at the front.
They have also been equipped with what appears to be high-tech air-conditioning units.
Yesterday Matthew McConaughey, 42, appeared to be relaxing in a hammock as preparations went on around him, with a giant white marquis erected – no doubt where the happy couple walked down the aisle this evening.
Also visible from the bird’s eye view were seven long, wooden dinner tables, that seat 18 people each.
There were boxes of candles that also looked set to provide extra romance for this evening spectacular event.
Security was on hand at the three-story, seven-bedroom mansion, called Old Oak Estate.
Just two dozen close friends and relatives are thought to have been invited to the “cosy” celebration, with those working at the event signing a nondisclosure contract, according to E! News.
Camila Alves, 29, was due to be honored at the Step Up Women’s Network event in Beverly Hills yesterday but instead sent a video message so she could remain close to the wedding plans.
The Brazilian model recently said she didn’t expect marriage to alter their relationship.
“We’ve been living a married life for over six years now,” she says.
“We have homes together, we have family together, we have kids, we’ve built a life together. So, we’ve been living a married life this whole time.”
Matthew McConaughey recently moved his family back to Austin, Texas because he loves the laid-back vibe of the city and enjoys a level of anonymity he cannot achieve elsewhere.
The actor said: “No one recognizes you and no one asks you, <<Hey, what do you do?>>, because I don’t think anyone cares.
“Fridays show up sooner here. You want to get along in Austin, you want to get along in Texas, all you have to do is be yourself.”
Matthew McConaughey previously dated Penélope Cruz and Ashley Judd.
German Development Minister Dirk Niebel who sent home a big Afghan carpet free of charge aboard an intelligence service plane has drawn criticism from opposition politicians.
A spokesman for Minister Dirk Niebel says the customs duty required for the carpet will be paid.
Dirk Niebel bought the 30 kg (66-pound) carpet for himself in the Afghan capital Kabul, the Spiegel news website reports. It cost about $1,400.
Import duty was not paid when it arrived in Berlin last month.
German Development Minister Dirk Niebel who sent home a big Afghan carpet free of charge aboard an intelligence service plane has drawn criticism from opposition politicians
The opposition Social Democrats (SPD) have demanded an explanation from the minister. He is a member of the liberal Free Democrats (FDP), junior coalition partners with Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative Christian Democrats.
Dirk Niebel had left the 9 sq m (97 sq ft) carpet at the German embassy because he could not get it on a scheduled flight. Then the German foreign intelligence service (BND) offered to fly it back to Berlin as a favor, German media report.
Spain’s decision to request a loan of up to 100 billion Euros ($125 billion) from eurozone funds to help shore up its struggling banks has won broad support.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said the bailout was big enough to restore credibility to Spain’s banks.
Washington welcomed the measure as a vital step towards the “financial union” of the eurozone.
The move was agreed during emergency talks between eurozone finance ministers on Saturday.
IMF managing director Christine Lagarde said the plan for Spain should provide “assurance that the financing needs of Spain’s banking system will be fully met”.
“I strongly welcome the statement by the Eurogroup, which complements the measures taken by the Spanish authorities in recent weeks to strengthen the banking system,” she said.
“The IMF stands ready, at the invitation of the Eurogroup members, to support the implementation and monitoring of this financial assistance through regular reporting.”
Spain's decision to request a loan of up to 100 billion Euros ($125 billion) from eurozone funds to help shore up its struggling banks has won broad support
US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner welcomed the latest moves as “important for the health of Spain’s economy and as concrete steps on the path to financial union, which is vital to the resilience of the euro area”.
France’s Finance Minister Pierre Moscovici said the deal would “contribute to restoring confidence in the eurozone”.
The president of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, said he was confident that through bank restructuring and other reforms, Spain could gradually regain the confidence of investors and create the conditions needed for sustainable growth and job creation.
Earlier, Spanish Economy Minister Luis de Guindos announced that his country would shortly make a formal request for assistance.
Luis de Guindos said the help would be for the financial system, not the economy as a whole.
“This is not a rescue,” he said.
He also said the aid would not come with new austerity measures attached to the economy. Spain has already imposed strict economic reforms in a bid to tackle its debt problems.
The loan will bolster Spain’s weakest banks, left with billions of Euros worth of bad loans following the collapse of a property boom and the recession that followed.
Some banks borrowed large amounts on the international markets to lend to developers and homebuyers, a riskier strategy than funding it with deposits from savings.
The exact amount that Spain will receive will be decided after the completion of two audits of its banks, due to be completed by the end of June.
The money will come from two funds created to help eurozone members in financial distress – the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) and the European Stability Mechanism (ESM), which enters into force next month.
Investors have recently demanded higher and higher costs to lend to Spain, making it too expensive for the country to borrow the money needed for a bank rescue from the markets.
Peruvian police officials say they have found the wreckage of a helicopter missing in the south of the country, and all 14 on board are dead.
The helicopter had left the Amazon region of Madre de Dios on Wednesday bound for Cusco.
The 12 passengers were mostly South Korean but included a Dutchman, a Czech, a Swede and a Peruvian, police said. The two members of the crew were Peruvian.
The wreckage was at 4,900 m (16,000 ft) near Mount Mamarosa, police said.
Peruvian police officials say they have found the wreckage of a helicopter missing in the south of the country, and all 14 on board are dead
Police commander Raul Aybar, who visited the scene, said the helicopter had “crashed and exploded”.
“Everyone died in the initial impact because everything is burned and scattered,” Raul Aybar told AP news agency.
Peru’s police chief, General Raul Salazar, said that some parts of the helicopter had been thrown up to 200m by the force of impact.
Officials said bodies were being recovered from the crash site, although rain and snow have hampered the team’s efforts.
The South Korean embassy in the Peruvian capital, Lima, said its nationals had been part of a team exploring a potential hydro-electric project near Puno, in southern Peru.
Samsung C&T and the Korea Water Resources Corporation, which employed some of those on board, had sent teams to assist in the search.
The helicopter went missing in a mountainous area that is regularly covered in clouds.
Thousands of tourists travel to the Cusco region each year to visit Machu Picchu, a 15th Century Incan city on a mountain above the town of Aguas Calientes.
UEFA has initiated disciplinary proceedings against the Football Union of Russia for “improper conduct of supporters” during Friday’s Euro 2012 game against the Czech Republic in Wroclaw.
Four stewards needed hospital treatment after being attacked by fans in the Municipal Stadium in Poland.
And claims of racist abuse directed at Czech defender Theodor Gebre Selassie, who is black, are being investigated.
The Control and Disciplinary Body will review the case on Wednesday, 13 June.
A UEFA statement read: “Having looked at the security reports and available images, UEFA has today announced that disciplinary proceedings have been opened against the Football Union of Russia [RFS] for the improper conduct of its supporters, the setting off and throwing of fireworks, and the display of illicit banners at Friday’s UEFA match.”
UEFA has initiated disciplinary proceedings against the Football Union of Russia for "improper conduct of supporters" during Friday's Euro 2012 game against the Czech Republic in Wroclaw
Anti-racism campaigners claimed Czech defender Theodor Gebre Selassie was the victim of monkey chants during Russia’s 4-1 victory, while footage seemingly shows Russian supporters attacking stewards in a walkway of the stadium.
The FARE (Football Against Racism in Europe) network confirmed one of their observers at the match heard “fleeting” racist abuse of Gebre Selassie.
Asked if it included monkey chants, FARE chief executive Piara Powar said: “Our observer reported descriptions of that nature.
“It was directed at the Czech Republic’s only black player,” Piara Powar added.
Footage of the incident involving the stewards has emerged online, with UEFA releasing a statement saying they are aware of “a brief and isolated incident involving a small group of around 30 fans who attacked a handful of stewards”.
The statement continued: “The situation was quickly and efficiently brought under control. The local police are aware of the incident and investigating.
“The cause of the incident is not currently known but we are studying the security reports and available images. UEFA remains entirely committed to the safety and security of all fans and spectators at all matches of Euro 2012.”
The tournament has already been beset with problems of racism, with UEFA confirming on Friday there were “isolated incidents of racist chanting” aimed at Netherlands players during an open training session.
France is voting in parliamentary elections expected to determine the extent and pace of reform under new President Francois Hollande.
Voting for the lower house is beginning with a first round, followed by run-offs a week later.
Correspondents say if Francois Hollande’s Socialist Party can win a majority, he will have the mandate to push through bold tax and spend policies.
There is also a closely watched battle between the far right and the far left.
The far-right National Front is hoping to follow up a strong performance in the recent presidential election by gaining its first presence in the 577-seat National Assembly since the 1980s.
France is voting in parliamentary elections expected to determine the extent and pace of reform under new President Francois Hollande
With the senate already under the control of the Socialists, a majority in the lower house would give Francois Hollande unprecedented power to force through his reform programme.
Francois Hollande’s government is due to present a revised budget plan to parliament next month.
The result of the parliamentary election will determine the pace of reform and how radical it becomes.
If the left fails to win, France would enter into a period of “cohabitation”, in which the presidency and the lower house are controlled by political rivals.
The right-wing Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) – the party of former President Nicolas Sarkozy – is defending an absolute majority in the current National Assembly.
The party has concluded an electoral agreement with its centrist Radical Party and New Centre allies.
With the parliamentary polls coming hot on the heels of April’s presidential election, there have been concerns over voter turnout.
Speaking on Thursday, Francois Hollande said: “I call on the French to vote. I call on them to give a large majority, a solid and coherent one.”
One of the main stories of the presidential election was the third place finish of the National Front’s Marine Le Pen.
The far right’s strongest chances of success in this poll are in a string of constituencies in the north and southeast.
The key battle is in the northern industrial town of Henin Beaumont where Marine Le Pen faces the flamboyant leader of the far left, Jean Luc Melenchon.
Maria Sharapova blasted her way to victory over Italian Sara Errani in the French Open final to become only the 10th woman to complete a career Grand Slam.
Maria Sharapova, 25, claimed a one-sided 6-3 6-2 win to add to the Wimbledon, US Open and Australian Open titles from earlier in her career.
The Russian overwhelmed her Italian opponent, who was playing in her first Grand Slam singles final.
Maria Sharapova’s run in Paris has also moved her top of the women’s rankings.
At a time when the women’s game is lacking a dominant and consistent figure, Maria Sharapova provided more evidence that she is capable of filling that vacuum.
Since she was last world number one in June 2008, the top ranking has been held by eight different players and changed hands on 15 occasions, while the last six Grand Slams have been won by six different women.
Maria Sharapova blasted her way to victory over Italian Sara Errani in the French Open final to become only the 10th woman to complete a career Grand Slam
Maria Sharapova, who has battled back from shoulder surgery that threatened her career and severely disrupted her serve, produced a display of power and precision which will now see her head into Wimbledon as a strong favourite.
She and Sara Errani had never met before and, while the Russian was the clear favourite, her opponent posed a threat having won three clay court tournaments coming into the French Open.
But the Italian had her first two service games broken and struggled to handle the power of her opponent’s game.
The Russian had lost her last two Grand Slam finals at Wimbledon and the Australian Open but was clearly determined not to slip up again.
Sara Errani engineered a break back to register her first game but it was a temporary reprieve as Maria Sharapova claimed a third set point with a backhand down the line.
Maria Sharapova broke to love at the start of the second set and despite Sara Errani drawing cheers from the crowd with some adventurous shotmaking, it was not enough to disrupt the second seed.
Sara Errani had won the women’s doubles title with Roberta Vinci on Friday and, after her semi-final win over Samantha Stosur, said she had to start showing greater belief against more illustrious opponents.
But the Bologna-born right-hander rarely looked like she thought she could overcome Maria Sharapova and after wasting a break point in game four, she was broken again in game five.
Maria Sharapova set up her third match point with a magnificent running forehand winner up the line, and converted it when Sara Errani sliced a tame backhand into the net.
It was her first Grand Slam title since the 2008 Australian Open and she sunk to her knees in celebration.
