Two men from Wales have been charged after a fairy penguin was taken from Sea World theme park in Queensland, Australia.
The pair, aged 20 and 21, and another man, allegedly broke in to the enclosure in a prank after a night out.
It is claimed they swam with dolphins before taking seven-year-old Dirk back to their hotel room. Dirk has never lived in the wild.
The men, who have been charged with stealing the penguin and trespass, will appear in court on 2 May.
One of the men involved in the incident, calling himself Rhys Jones, apologized and said in an interview on Australian TV: “Still a bit fuzzy about the whole thing but on behalf of the three of us we are very sorry and it was just a prank which went way too far.”
Rhys Jones added later: “We are all three of us sorry to Sea World for the time lost in them searching for Dirk and we’re glad he’s all right.”
It is alleged the men found Dirk in their hotel room the morning after.
Sea World, which is based at Southport on the Gold Coast, said Dirk was exhausted after being recovered from water near the park
Queensland Police said the charges were of trespass, stealing and unlawfully keeping a protected animal, an offence under the Nature Conservation Act.
Sea World, which is based at Southport on the Gold Coast, said Dirk was exhausted after being recovered from water near the park.
In a statement, Sea World said they had received a call from a member of the public who spotted the penguin being chased out of the water in an estuary near the theme park – possibly by a shark – and then being chased back in by a dog.
”Had we not got him it wouldn’t have been a good situation at all in the long term for Dirk,” Sea World’s director of marine sciences, Trevor Long, told Australian media.
Tom Forbes, ABC reporter, who has been following the case, said: “The day after they were arrested they were quite remorseful coming out – these are a couple of guys who had a big night out and will probably get a rap over the knuckles.”
Dirk, who belongs to a breeding colony, has since been reunited with his girlfriend, Peaches.
Researchers have found that traces of ancient viruses which infected our ancestors millions of years ago are more widespread in us than previously thought.
A study shows how extensively viruses from as far back as the dinosaur era still thrive in our genetic material.
It sheds light on the origins of a big proportion of our genetic material, much of which is still not understood.
The scientists investigated the genomes of 38 mammals including humans, mice, rats, elephants and dolphins.
The research was carried out at Oxford University, the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Centre in New York and the Rega Institute in Belgium.
It is reported in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
One of the viruses was found to have invaded the genome of a common ancestor around 100 million years ago with its remnants discovered in almost every mammal in the study.
Another infected an early primate with the result that it was found in apes, humans and other primates as well.
The work established that many of these viruses lost the ability to transfer from one cell to another.
Instead they evolved to stay within their host cell where they have profilerated very effectively – spending their entire life cycle within the cell.
The researchers found evidence of the viruses multiplying so extensively within mammals’ genomes that they have been compared to an outbreak of disease.
The senior author of the study, Dr. Robert Belshaw from Oxford University’s Zoology Department, said: “This is the story of an epidemic within every animal’s genome, a story which has been going on for 100 million years and which continues today.
“We suspect that these viruses are forced to make a choice: either to keep their ‘viral’ essence and spread between animals and species. Or to commit to one genome and then spread massively within it.”
The study shows that the viruses involved have lost a gene called envwhich is responsible for transmission between cells.
Known as endogenous retroviruses, these micro-organisms have gone on to become 30 times more abundant in their host cells.
The study is one of many attempting to understand the full complexity of the human genome.
Astonishingly, only 1.5% of the genetic material in our cells codes for human life. Half of the rest is sometimes described as “junk DNA” with no known function, and the other half consist of genes introduced by viruses and other parasites.
According to the lead author, Dr. Gkikas Magiorkinis, “much of the dark matter in our genome plays by its own rules, in the same way as an epidemic of an infectious disease but operating over millions of years.
“Learning the rules of this ancient game will help us understand their role in health and disease.”
This raises the extraordinary scenario of our DNA serving as an environment in which viruses can evolve – a micro-ecology within the double-helix of our genetic material.
There is evidence that they can provide positive services. For example the protein syncytin – derived from a virus – helps develop the placenta.
Dr. Robert Belshaw says that endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) are not known to have any obvious or direct health effects.
“But there could be effects we’re not picking up on or things we could even take advantage of if we detect ERVs moving around or expressing proteins as a result of cancer or infection.”
The study was supported by the Wellcome Trust and the Royal Society in UK.
Kanye West, who recently started dating Kim Kardashian, accompanied the whole family to the opening of Kourtney’s boyfriend Scott Disick’s restaurant where their every affectionate moment could be captured by the cameras.
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West arrived together holding hands, their first public declaration that they are in a relationship together.
The action was to say the least a rather large sign that the rapper is moving ahead with his relationship with Kim Kardashian quickly.
Kim Kardashian, 31, stepped out for the event looking elegant in a black tight-fitting pencil skirt and matching halterneck top with frill detailing at the bib.
She paired the look with some black satin and perspex pointy stilettos, a black weave clutch and two gold cuffs on each of wrists.
Kanye West, 34, appeared to be matching his outfit to his girlfriend’s.
He looked dashing in a black tuxedo-style suit with a simple grey T-shirt worn underneath.
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West arrived together holding hands to the opening of Kourtney's boyfriend Scott Disick's restaurant
However, it was pregnant Kourtney Kardashian who stole the show in the fashion stakes.
Kourtney Kardashian, 33, kept her baby bump underwraps in a black and white maxi dress to celebrate her boyfriend new business coup.
Her boyfriend, Scott Disick, has teamed up with nightlife impresario Chris Reda to introduce the Meatpacking District’s new restaurant, RYU.
RYU will offer delectable Japanese-inspired cuisine and world class cocktails in a chic dining space.
Scott Disick was as per usual dressed-to-the-nines in a black double-breasted suit, a checked white shirt and paisley printed tie.
Khloe Kardashian, 27, opted for a thigh-skimming animal print mini dress, which she paired with a cropped leather jacket and bright orange heels.
The two youngest siblings, Kendall, 16, and Kylie, 14, also went for shorter styles.
Kendall Jenner opted for a bold multi-colored striped dress, while Kylie looked like she had raided older sister Kim Kardashian’s wardrobe, slipping on a pleated mini-skirt, a bright yellow blouse and a black jacket.
Kris Jenner meanwhile showed off her curves in a black and white patterned body-con dress.
But she kept her figure somewhat undercover by wearing an oversized black tuxedo jacket over the top.
Yesterday, Khloe Kardashian insisted her sister Kim’s relationship with Kanye West was not “serious” yet.
Khloe Kardashian – who with husband Lamar Odom enjoyed a double-date with the fledgling couple in New York last weekend – revealed things between Kim and Kanye West are only just getting off the ground.
Appearing on US show Watch What Happens Live, Khloe Kardashian said: “I don’t think it’s serious. I think it’s too soon. But because they’ve been friends for so long, it’s just so easy and that’s something I love seeing for Kim – the easiness and how happy she is. And it’s just more of a great friendship and friendships make the best relationships.
“We’ve known Kanye for like nine years. He’s great with the family, but again we’ve known him for so long. It’s not like some stranger getting into a hurricane.”
Last weekend, the newly engaged Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt and their brood enjoyed a day on Galapagos Islands beach.
Brad Pitt could be spied in his wetsuit carrying the couple’s 7-year-old daughter, Zahara, into the water.
Like any other father, Brad Pitt elicited giggles and faux terror as he tilted Zahara back towards the water as a wave came crashing in.
Later, Zahara splashed about happily while her eight-year-old brother Pax did some snorkelling nearby.
Vivienne and Knox, both three years of age, stuck close to Angelina Jolie, who was the epitome of elegance in a wide-brimmed black hat and matching dress.
They watched as their mother struggled with a parasol, and later dug around in their sand messily – something Angelina Jolie wasn’t too elegant to get stuck into.
Last weekend, the newly engaged Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt and their brood enjoyed a day on Galapagos Islands beach
Four-year-old Shiloh – sporting her tomboy cut and jeans – did the same, and played quietly by her sister Vivienne when the younger sister was asleep.
Ten-year-old Maddox didn’t appear to with his family, perhaps he feels too grown-up now he’s heading towards the big 1-1.
Later the family enjoyed a boat ride together, and Angelina Jolie styled out a life-jacket.
The nautical theme continued as later, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt enjoyed a trip together and seemed to be locked in conversation.
Perhaps they were talking about Angelina Jolie’s visit to refugees in a village in Ecuador this weekend.
Or perhaps they were discussing plans for their forthcoming nuptials.
Californian voters are to be asked whether they want to abolish the state’s death penalty law.
The measure will appear on November’s ballot after more than 500,000 people signed up to back the proposal.
It would see death row inmates have their sentences commuted to life. Just 13 people have been executed since the law was re-introduced in 1978.
Backers say abolition could save California $100 million per year, but opponents say justice would be harmed.
“Our system is broken, expensive and it always will carry the grave risk of a mistake,” said Jeanne Woodford, a former warden of San Quentin Prison, home to the largest death row unit in the US.
Jeanne Woodford is now an anti-death penalty advocate and is named as the official proposer of the measure, which is backed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
The former warden and other supporters say the cash savings would be achieved by taking prisoners off death row and by cutting down on fees for lawyers arguing death penalty cases. The money could be better spent investigating unsolved crimes, backers of the measure say.
Under the terms of the measure those sentenced to life in prison for murder would in future have to take up jobs while incarcerated.
San Quentin State Prison in California is one of the most famous death row sites in the US
With the state of California wracked by long-standing budget issues, there is wide acceptance that the death penalty system needs reform.
Data from the Death Penalty Information Center shows that at the start of the year the state had 723 inmates on death row. The US as a whole had 3,189.
But no inmate has been put to death in California since 2006, and a respected study in 2009 noted that the state was spending some $184 million each year to keep death row and the death penalty infrastructure up and running.
Opponents of the measure argue that the principle of the death penalty is valid and should remain, but say the constant and costly appeals and legal fees are inflating the costs.
“On behalf of crime victims and their loved ones who have suffered at the hands of California’s most violent criminals, we are disappointed that the ACLU and their allies would seek to score political points in their continued efforts to override the will of the people and repeal the death penalty,” former Sacramento prosecutor McGregor Scott told the Associated Press.
The death penalty measure is the fifth to qualify for November’s ballot, California’s secretary of state said on Monday.
Other measures deal with water costs, political contributions, car insurance and local legislative boundaries.
Chinese President Hu Jintao pledged strong ties with North Korea, amid serious tensions between the two Koreas in the wake of Pyongyang’s failed rocket launch.
Hu Jintao’s promise came at a meeting with a Workers’ Party delegation headed by Kim Yong-Il in Beijing on Monday.
It came as North Korea threatened “unprecedented action” against Seoul.
Meanwhile the US says it has raised allegations with China that a missile launcher seen in Pyongyang last week was of Chinese origin.
Tension on the Korean peninsula is high following the failed rocket launch on 13 April. Pyongyang said it was putting a satellite into orbit but critics said the launch was a disguised test of missile technology banned under UN resolutions.
US has raised allegations with China that a missile launcher seen in Pyongyang last week was of Chinese origin
South Korea also says there are signs that North Korea may be planning a third nuclear test.
China – which is North Korea’s closest ally and biggest trading partner – did not block UN condemnation of the launch.
But in the meeting on Monday with the Workers’ Party international relations chief, President Hu Jintao emphasized close ties between the two nations.
“We will carry on this tradition… boost strategic communication and coordination on key international issues and work for peace and stability on the Korean peninsula,” state television quoted him as saying.
China – seen as the country with the greatest degree of influence over North Korea – has repeatedly called for calm on the Korean peninsula, as tensions between the two Koreas have risen.
On Monday North Korea warned of “unprecedented” action against South Korea’s ruling establishment, in response to its criticism of the rocket launch.
A special operation to begin “soon” would “reduce its target to ashes”, the North Korean military said in an unusually strong statement. On Friday North Korea also held a rally calling for the death of South Korea’s president.
South Korea, meanwhile, said last week it had deployed new missiles capable of hitting any target in North Korea.
Meanwhile, White House spokesman Jay Carney said in a briefing on Monday that Washington had raised questions over a mobile missile launch vehicle seen in a North Korean military parade earlier this month.
Analysts believe that the 16-wheel missile transporter-erector-launcher (TEL) seen carrying what appeared to be a new missile may have been of Chinese origin.
Last week Jane’s Defence Weekly, citing an unnamed official, reported that the UN Security Council was investigating the claims.
If it had supplied the technology or vehicle, China could be violating UN resolutions passed after North Korean nuclear and missile tests in 2006 and 2009, the report suggested.
Asked about the matter, White House spokesman Jay Carney said the US would “continue to work with the international community, including China, to enforce sanctions against North Korea’s ballistic missile program and nuclear programme”.
“We’ve raised the allegations with the Chinese government … as part of our ongoing close consultations on North Korea,” he said.
China says it has abided by UN sanctions on North Korea.
Jessica Simpson is due to give birth any day now, but she wants to world to know she is still very much pregnant.
Jessica Simpson, 31, took to Twitter this morning to end speculation that she has secretly given birth.
She tweeted: “To everyone who keeps congratulating me on the birth of my baby girl…I’m still pregnant!! Don’t believe what you read ladies and gents.”
Jessica Simpson was referring to a series of rumors claiming she’s already delivered her first child.
The April 30th issue of In Touch Weekly trumpets the headline “Inside Jessica’s Dramatic Delivery”.
The story inside goes on to say: “As a first-time mother, Jessica Simpson couldn’t be more thrilled to finally welcome her baby girl, Maxwell.”
It even adds the juicy details: “She ultimately chose to schedule a C-section,” although Jessica Simpson hasn’t yet given birth.
Jessica Simpson is due to give birth any day now, but she wants to world to know she is still very much pregnant
Jessica Simpson and her very large bump are frequently spotted out and about with fiancé Eric Johnson.
She has been upfront about her pregnancy and the cravings it’s brought about, revealing in a series of interviews that she is indulging in her favorite childhood foods.
Unlike some expectant mothers, Jessica Simpson says she is not concerned about watching what she eats and is happily “give into my cravings”.
She is said to have put a grand baby weight loss plan in place after giving birth and is rumored to be the next face of Weight Watchers for the post-baby slim down plan.
And the reality TV star, who will no doubt be feeling the pressure to shed the pregnancy pounds, has also decided her “thinspiration” is actress Jessica Alba.
Jessica Simpson recently posted on her Twitter page: “New goal: look like @jessicaalba after baby. Job well done lady!”
Giuliana Rancic has some good news to share after she battled breast cancer, revealing she is expecting a baby.
Giuliana Rancic, 37, and husband Bill are excitedly awaiting the birth of their first child through a gestational surrogate.
Their baby news comes just a week after she admitted they were considering adoption after years of struggling to conceive.
Appearing on the Today show this morning, an ecstatic Giuliana Rancic said: “We are so thrilled that our prayers have been answered.
“It was one of the best moments of my life, if not the best moment of my life.
“It’s incredible. We’ve been trying for so long, we’ve been through so much…And to finally get that call from the doctor, it was just another world, another level.”
Giuliana Rancic has some good news to share after she battled breast cancer, revealing she is expecting a baby
Bill Rancic, 40, added: “We are absolutely ecstatic to be sharing this with everyone who has been following our journey.”
The unnamed surrogate mother is due to give birth in late summer, with the both of the Rancics being the genetic parents.
Giuliana Rancic already said they know the sex of the child, but were going to try and keep it secret from the media.
The E! News host admitted: “But we’re seeing how long we can keep it secret.”
The mother lives out of California – where they are based – and the Rancics visit her every month and join her for hospital appointments.
Following their TV announcement, Bill Rancic wrote on Twitter: “The Rancic family is growing….thank you for all the prayers & support!!!”
Their wish to have children contributed to Giuliana Rancic’s decision to have a double mastectomy last December following her breast cancer diagnosis.
The couple were concerned that the medication and treatments following a lumpectomy and radiation therapy would have further delayed their hopes for parenthood.
Two years ago, Giuliana Rancic suffered a heartbreaking miscarriage.
At the time, she said: “I said, <<I’m not doing this again. I can’t>>. I was angry at life and at God.”
But the couple went on to try in-vitro fertilization, before that was halted following her diagnosis.
Giuliana Rancic is the latest in a list of celebrities to use a surrogate to become a parent.
Ricky Martin has three-year-old sons Matteo and Valentino via a surrogate, while Sir Elton John and civil partner David Furnish welcomed baby Zachary together in December 2010.
Sarah Jessica Parker’s twin daughters Tabitha and Marion were born via surrogate in 2009, as was Nicole Kidman’s youngest daughter Faith in December 2010.
Hunger Games star Elizabeth Banks recently admitted a “womb issue” stopped her from getting pregnant when she explained her reason to use a surrogate to bring her son Max into the world last year.
Last night Kim Kardashian shared her beauty secret, by posting a picture of herself on Twitter.
In the shot, Kim Kardashian, 31, is seen with some kind of yellow-based primer smeared all over her otherwise make-up free face.
The reality star posted the picture with the caption: “Glamming up with @1maryphillips!!! A little confused by her new technique BUT I know it will be fab!”
Celebrity make-up artist Mary Phillips counts Kim Kardashian, Jessica Simpson, Jennifer Lopez and Salma Hayek among her famous clients.
Kim Kardashian later tweeted a shot of the finished look, writing: “Flash a little bright but here’s the after pic!!!”
While it is not clear exactly what kind of product was used on Kim Kardashian's face, it appeared to be some kind of color-correcting primer
She was having her make-up done ahead of attending the Jeep Brand and USA Basketball celebration of the launch of the 2012 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Altitude at LA Center Studio.
While it is not clear exactly what kind of product was used on Kim Kardashian’s face, it appeared to be some kind of color-correcting primer.
Yellow-colored primer is usually used to disguise under-eye circles and mild red tones on the face.
Despite the fact that Kim Kardashian has long been an advocate of experimenting with make-up, she has also posed make-up free in the past – describing the experience as “empowering”.
The reality star said: “Make-up is fun, but it’s just another accessory.
“Posing make-up free is really empowering. Why not show people what I really look like?
“I’m happy with myself, and this is who I am.
“As much as it’s fun to glam up, the most important thing is to be comfortable in your own skin – with or without makeup.”
Ronald Fenty, Rihanna’s father, has revealed that she had a childhood obsession with Whitney Houston.
“She used to love Whitney. Robyn would always sing along to I Will Always Love You,”The Sun quoted Ronald Fenty as saying.
“She admired Whitney because of her range, her voice, her appearance, her personality – everything. She loved Whitney so much she would be honored to play her. I think she would accept in a heartbeat.”
But Ronald Fenty, 58, a former crack addict, insisted that he hopes Rihanna does not emulate her heroine too closely.
“I hope she will be smart enough not to go down that path. I think she is smart enough not to,” he added.
Ronald Fenty, Rihanna's father, has revealed that she had a childhood obsession with Whitney Houston
And like the tragic diva, who was 48 when she died, fears have grown over Rihanna’s suspected drug use.
Last week Rihanna was accused of promoting drug use after posting a picture on photo-sharing website Instagram showing her sitting on her bodyguard’s shoulders and “cutting up” what looks like a white powder on his head.
The snap, taken at the Coachella music festival in California, triggered a barrage of criticism.
With the similarities stacking up, it is unsurprising that Rihanna is being touted to play Whitney Houston on the big screen.
Also, Rihanna has confessed she would love to take on the part.
“If I was going to do a biopic, it would have to be someone I admire and she is definitely one of those,” she said.
“That would be something I would have to give my entire life to do because I would want to really pull it off,” Rihanna added.
Ten facts could paint the big picture of North Korea’s isolation from the international community.
1. High militarized area
The border between North and South Korea is one of the most militarized areas in the world, according to the State Department, with a combined total of almost two million military personnel under the control of Pyongyang (1.2 million), Seoul (680,000) and foreign powers including the United States (28,000). North Korean arms outnumber those in the South by about two to one, including offensive weapons such as tanks, long-range artillery, aircraft and armored personnel carriers. However, much of the military equipment in North Korea is obsolete.
2. Still at war
Both sides are technically in a state of war, after a ceasefire halted the Korean War more than 50 years ago. Tensions reached their highest levels in years in 2010 with the torpedoing of a South Korean warship, resulting in the deaths of 46 sailors. The South blamed the attack on Pyongyang, but North denied responsibility. Later that year, the North bombarded a South Korean island, the first such attack against civilian target since the 1950-53 Korean War.
3. 51 social categories
North Korea groups its citizens into 51 social categories, graded by loyalty to the regime, according to The Economist. Of those groups, 29 are considered to make up a mostly rural underclass that is hostile or at best ambivalent towards the regime.
4. Gourmet cuisine, starvation
Late dictator Kim Jong-Il had a taste for cigars, cognac and gourmet cuisine, while four in five of North Korean children suffer from malnutrition because food is poorly distributed. In March 2011, the World Food Programme (WFP) estimated that 6 million North Koreans needed food aid and a third of children were chronically malnourished or stunted daily potato rations have been cut by a third, to two for each person.
5. At least two inches shorter
Analysis of escapees from North Korea shows that those born after the partitioning of the Korean Peninsula in the North were consistently about two inches shorter than their counterparts in the South, according to a 2004 report in Economics and Human Biology. The minimum height for recruitment to the North Korean army is reported to have fallen by just under an inch. The well-nourished Kim Jong-Un was fit enough to have been a keen basketball player while at school in Switzerland, according to fellow students.
Kim Jong-Un was kept from public view until September 2010, when he was 27 years old and appeared with his father Kim Jong-Il
6. Secret children
Kim Jong-Un was kept from public view until September 2010, when he was 27 years old. The existence of his eldest brother, who was passed over in Kim Jong-Il’s succession, was hidden completely from grandfather Kim Il-Sung until his death in 1994.
7. “Clairvoyant wisdom”
North Korea is famous for its colorful use of language, praising its leaders and denouncing its critics. The statement announcing Kim Jong -Il’s death ran to 1,500 words, and was addressed to “All Party Members, Servicepersons and People”. It praised his “clairvoyant wisdom” and said he had “put the dignity and power of the nation on the highest level and ushered in the golden days of prosperity unprecedented in the nation’s history.” It concluded: “Arduous is the road for our revolution to follow and grim is the present situation. But no force on earth can check the revolutionary advance of our party, army and people under the wise leadership of Kim Jong-Un.”
8. China crucial
North Korea’s survival depends on crucial trade with China: in 2010, trade between the two was worth an estimated $3.5 billion, up nearly 30% from 2009.
9. What a golfer!
Kim Jong-Il piloted jet fighters, according to the country’s propaganda machine, even though he traveled by land for his infrequent trips abroad, reputedly because he was nervous about flying. He penned operas, had a photographic memory, produced movies and accomplished a feat unmatched in the annals of professional golf, shooting 11 holes-in-one on the first round he ever played — if North Korea is to be believed.
10. War, war or jaw, jaw?
Despite the regular tensions, at least one expert thinks the North and South have too much to lose from a full-scale military conflict. Dr. Jim Hoare, a British former diplomat who served in the country, said both sides had “gone to the brink of conflict several times” but stopped short.
“Seoul [20 miles from the border] is a vulnerable city and the North would face annihilation.”
As Vladimir Putin prepares to take up Russia’s Presidency for an unprecedented third time, speculation is mounting as to why the future First Lady Lyudmila Putina is never seen by his side.
Some say an affair with spy-turned-lingerie model Anna Chapman, which has been strongly denied, is the reason Lyudmila Putina, a former Aeroflot-hostess, is now rarely seen out in public.
Others say he is still seeing former Olympic gold medallist Alina Kabayeva, claims also heavily rebutted, but who he was alleged to have fathered a child with.
A third theory is Lyudmila Putina, 54, is “locked away” in a $1.5 million state-built guest house in the grounds of the ancient Yelizarov monastery outside Pskov – close to Estonia’s border.
Locals say they have “proof” Lyudmila Putina has been there – but all official enquiries to the authorities are met with a steely silence.
A final hunch is Lyudmila Putina became angry when, in 2008, Vladimir Putin stepped down from the top job but then took up the post of Prime Minister.
Lyudmila Putina is rumored to have moved back to his native St. Petersburg while Vladimir Putin remained in the capital Moscow.
Lyudmila Putina is rumored to have moved back to his native St. Petersburg while Vladimir Putin remained in the capital Moscow
Sociologist Olga Kryshtranovkaya said Vladimir Putin was merely copying Soviet leaders who hid their wives from view.
The one exception, she said, was Mikhail Gorbachev whose wife Raisa played a higher-profile role during the 1980s – but that led to criticism from ordinary Russians.
Olga Kryshtranovkaya told The Times: “For Russia, the status of First Lady is different than in Western countries. It’s our mentality about the role of women, unfortunately.
“Our First Lady has practically always been a housewife who looked after the children and didn’t invite herself into politics.
“The first change was with Gorbachev and it was a very unsuccessful example from the Russian point of view.”
Vladimir Putin, 59, will be inaugurated on May 7, then fly to the U.S. on May 18 for the annual G8 summit of world leaders.
It is unlikely Lyudmila Putina will be with him, as in the last two years they have been seen together just twice. Previously, they were often pictured together on diplomatic trips abroad – Lyudmila Putina seen posing with Tony Blair’s wife Cherie and George W Bush’s First Lady Laura.
In October 2010 the couple, married in 1983, tried to quell rumors they had divorced by posing for pictures as they jointly answered questions for the national census.
Then, on March 4, Lyudmila Putina was spotted leaving a polling station after casting her vote. Little is also known about the couple’s two daughters.
Photographs of Maria, 26, and Yekaterina, 25, have never been published by Russia’s media and no family portraits have ever been released.
Although being undeniably tough on his marriage, speculation that former KGB agent Vladimir Putin is “seeing” flame-haired beauty Anna Chapman will certainly do no harm to his image.
Arrested in the U.S. in 2010 for espionage, Anna Chapman was soon catapulted into the limelight as her pictures were splashed around the world.
Her intelligence career came to an abrupt end when, along with her nine colleagues, she was arrested in New York City an FBI counter-intelligence swoop.
But Anna Chapman, daughter of a senior KGB agent, has become a celebrity in Russia since her dramatic Cold War-style prisoner swap deportation back to her home country in July 2010.
It culminated when last month she appeared on the catwalk at Russian Fashion Week in Moscow clothed in a skin-tight leather ensemble.
Vladimir Putin has also been linked to Olympic gymnast Alina Kabayeva, who appeared on Russian Vogue’s cover in January 2011.
Alina Kabayeva, 28, who won a bronze medal in the rhythmic gymnastics at the Sydney Games in 2000 and bettered it with gold four years later at Athens, is alleged to have mothered his lovechild.
Prime Minister Mark Rutte has presented his government’s resignation to Queen Beatrix of Neatherlands, paving the way for early elections.
Dutch government was plunged into crisis when Geert Wilders’ Freedom Party (PVV) quit talks aimed at slicing 16 billion Euros from the budget.
Geert Wilders said he would not accept austerity demands to bring the budget deficit in line with EU rules.
His party was not part of the coalition but supported the minority government.
Dutch broadcaster Nos said Mark Rutte spent almost two hours on Monday afternoon at the queen’s palace in The Hague where he made the cabinet’s resignation official.
Speaking after a cabinet meeting in the morning involving Mark Rutte’s liberal VVD and the Christian Democrats (CDA), Finance Minister Jan Kees de Jager said they would “show the financial market and Dutch people that we can also put forward a solid financial policy”.
Since 5 March, the two coalition parties along with the Freedom Party have been trying to reach agreement on budget cuts. A recent forecast from the Netherlands’ Central Planning Bureau estimated that the country’s 2013 public deficit would raise to 4.7% of GDP, well above the 3% EU target.
Prime Minister Mark Rutte has presented his government's resignation to Queen Beatrix of Neatherlands
The Netherlands has been asked to submit its budget measures to the European Commission by 30 April, although it is not clear how firm that deadline is.
Geert Wilders said the coalition’s proposals would harm economic growth and affect many people’s spending power. Socialist Party leader Emile Roemer said he too was not prepared to support the attempt to bring the budget deficit below 3% by 2013.
But there are fears that the failure of the budget talks could harm the Netherlands’ prized AAA credit rating status and the low yield on government bonds.
If the Netherlands cannot balance its books without the government collapsing, then which government can; and where it leaves the EU fiscal compact, aimed at enforcing budget discipline.
Economic Affairs Minister and CDA leader Maxime Verhagen said on his Twitter feed earlier on Monday that the main concern was “how, on the way to elections, we can keep the economy and finances on the rails”.
Dutch daily NRC Handelsblad reported that confidence in the Netherlands had already fallen on the financial markets on Monday, with the gap widening between Dutch and German government bonds.
Mark Rutte’s government lasted just 558 days. Only three other Dutch administrations since World War II have been in office for shorter periods, Dutch news agency ANP says.
A parliamentary debate on the Dutch political crisis is expected to take place on Tuesday afternoon. A key question facing the political parties is whether to hold general elections before or after the summer recess.
An international group of researchers say a “miniature honeycomb” – or scaffold – could one day be used to encourage damaged nerves to grow and recover.
The scaffold can channel clusters of nerves through its honeycomb of holes, eventually healing a severed nerve.
The findings of their study on mouse nerves are published in the journal Biofabrication.
Academics hope to one day treat spinal cord injuries with the scaffold.
When nerves are severed, such as in car accidents, it can result in a loss of feeling and movement.
Repairing this damage can be a challenge – but nerves outside of the brain and spinal cord can repair themselves, if only over short distances.
The scaffold can channel clusters of nerves through its honeycomb of holes, eventually healing a severed nerve
One technique to improve this repair is to use tubes. Either end of the severed nerve is placed in a tube and the two ends of the nerve should grow and join in the middle.
Researchers at the University of Sheffield and Laser Zentrum Hannover, Germany, investigated using a honeycomb structure.
Dr. Frederik Claeyssens, from the department of materials science and engineering at Sheffield, said: “That is much more like the structure of the nerve itself.
“The nerve has small regions of ‘cable’ that go through from one end to the other end, you have a whole bunch of little cables inside a larger cable, that’s what we tried to reproduce with this type of scaffold.”
The honeycomb is made from photopolymerizable polylactic acid, which biodegrades once the nerve has repaired.
The researchers showed nerve cells could grow on the scaffold and are now testing it in mice to see if it can fully repair the damage.
Dr. Frederik Claeyssens said: “This technology could make a huge difference to patients suffering severe nerve damage.”
Scaffold technology is used in a range of “regenerative medicines”. Building a scaffold and then coating it with human cells has, for example, been used to give patients new windpipes and bladders.
Pinterest clones have flooded China’s web world – only months after the original social photo-sharing website reached massive popularity.
Pinterest has recently surpassed 10 million users, in record time.
Copying it seems to be the latest cloning trend in China – a country known for copying the designs of everything from shoes and cars to iPads and tech start-ups.
Tech blogs say there are about 20 Chinese clones of Pinterest already.
Some copycats modify the original site’s design only slightly, while others go a step further.
Several have taken the basic idea of “pinning” and sharing theme-based photos a bit further, for example changing the interface to allow online shopping.
Tech blogs say there are about 20 Chinese clones of Pinterest already
In China, locals joke that they have much more choice of products than in the Western world – and in a way, they do.
Local markets offer anything and everything that looks like the original version, but often with subtle differences.
And the online world is no stranger to cloning.
For instance, in 2011 copycats of a social network Tumblr were popping up here and there, with one of the most popular clones being Diandian.
Even a major Chinese Facebook clone, Renren, and China’s microblogging site Sina Weibo, dubbed a hybrid of Facebook and Twitter, launched their own Tumblr-type blogs – Renren Stations and Qing.
But in the second half of 2011, Pinterest clones started to emerge.
One of the most recent ones is Alibaba Group’s social shopping platform Fa Xian.
It was launched only four weeks ago in a test mode, but already has some 60,000 viewers a day.
Just like Pinterest, it lets users “pin” images of items on virtual pinboards, where others can then post comments.
But with a different twist, Fa Xian lets people shop, too – anything pinned on the platform is available for purchase through two Alibaba-operated websites, Taobao Mall and Taobao Marketplace.
Besides Fa Xian, two other Pinterest clones have proved a huge success in China – Mogujie.com and Meilishuo.com.
But instead of letting users “pin” images from anywhere on the web, they only offer content from China’s biggest e-commerce site, Taobao.com.
On Mogujie, visitors can buy items as well.
And just like sharing “pinned” Pinterest images on Facebook and Twitter, Chinese clones allow you to share on Sina Weibo and Tencent Weibo, another Twitter copycat.
There are other Pinterest clones that, just like the original website, do not allow users to shop and open the entire web space for “pinning” images.
They include Qihu 360’s, Woxihuan.com, Huaban.com and iCaitu.com.
Many reports claimed that North Koreans are a few inches shorter than their counterparts south of the border.
Is that true?
North Korea’s recent failure to launch a long-range rocket was embarrassing for its new leader, Kim Jong-Un. It was supposed to be a symbol of progress.
Renewed media interest in North Korea since Kim Jong-Un replaced his father has prompted the re-emergence of a claim which appears to be a symbol not of progress, but of relative decline: that North Koreans are much shorter than South Koreans.
The Independent reported last week that “nothing is small in North Korea apart from the people, who are on average three inches shorter than their cousins in the South”.
This statistic, or versions of it, have been quoted for some time. In 2010 the late Christopher Hitchens put the difference at six inches in an article in Slate titled A Nation of Racist Dwarfs.
Senator John McCain referred to a three-inch gap in a 2008 presidential debate.
So what’s the truth? Professor Daniel Schwekendiek from Sungkyunkwan University in Seoul has studied the heights of North Korean refugees measured when they crossed the border into South Korea.
He says North Korean men are, on average, between 3 – 8 cm (1.2 – 3.1in) shorter than their South Korean counterparts.
The Independent reported last week that "nothing is small in North Korea apart from the people, who are on average three inches shorter than their cousins in the South"
A difference is also obvious between North and South Korean children.
“The height gap is approximately 4 cm (1.6in) among pre-school boys and 3 cm (1.2in) among pre-school girls, and again the South Koreans would be taller.”
Prof. Daniel Schwekendiek points out that the height difference cannot be attributed to genetics, because the two populations are the same.
“We’re dealing with the Korean people,” he says, “and Korea is interesting because it basically hasn’t experienced any immigration for many centuries.”
Martin Bloem is head of nutrition at the World Food Programme, which has been providing food aid to North Korea since 1995. He says poor diet in the early years of life leads to stunted growth.
“Food and what happens in the first two years of life is actually critical for people’s height later,” he says.
In the 1990s North Korea suffered a terrible famine. Today, according to the World Food Programme, “one in every three children remains chronically malnourished or ‘stunted’, meaning they are too short for their age”.
South Korea, in contrast, has experienced rapid economic growth. Bloem says “economic growth is one of the main determinants of height improvement”.
So while North Koreans have been getting shorter, South Koreans have been getting taller.
“If you look at older Koreans,” says Prof. Daniel Schwekendiek, “we now see a situation where the average South Korean woman is approaching the height of the average North Korean man.
“This is to my knowledge a unique situation, where women become taller than men.”
The secretive nature of North Korea makes it difficult to find reliable data for analysis.
Prof. Daniel Schwekendiek has studied refugees, but he rejects the notion that people driven to cross the border to South Korea are the most disadvantaged and therefore most likely to be stunted.
The refugees, he says, “come from all social strata and from all regions”.
He has also studied data collected by the North Korean government and by international organizations working in North Korea, which he says support his findings.
It seems that this height statistic reveals a tragic fact – that as South Koreans have got richer and taller, North Korean children are being stunted by malnourishment.
Russian scientists have made what they believe to be the first sighting of an adult white orca, also known as killer whale.
The adult male, which scientists have nicknamed Iceberg, was spotted off the coast of Kamchatka in eastern Russia.
Iceberg appears to be healthy and leading a normal life in its pod.
White whales of various species are occasionally seen; but the only known white orcas have been young, including one with a rare genetic condition that died in a Canadian aquarium in 1972.
The sightings were made during a research cruise off Kamchatka by a group of Russian scientists and students, co-led by Erich Hoyt, the long-time orca scientist, conservationist and author who is now a senior research fellow with the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS).
“We’ve seen another two white orcas in Russia but they’ve been young, whereas this is the first time we’ve seen a mature adult,” said Dr. Eric Hoyt.
“It has the full two-metre-high dorsal fin of a mature male, which means it’s at least 16 years old – in fact the fin is somewhat ragged, so it might be a bit older.”
Russian scientists have made what they believe to be the first sighting of an adult white orca, also known as killer whale
Orcas mature around the age of 15, and males can live to 50 or 60 years old, though 30 is more commonplace.
“Iceberg seems to be fully socialized; we know that these fish-eating orcas stay with their mothers for life, and as far as we can see he’s right behind his mother with presumably his brothers next to him,” said Dr. Eric Hoyt.
The cause of his unusual pigmentation is not known. The captive white orca, Chima, suffered from Chediak-Higashi syndrome, a genetic condition that causes partial albinism as well as a number of medical complications.
It is possible that an attempt may be made to take a biopsy from Iceberg; but with researchers reluctant to do so unless there is a compelling conservation reason, they are hoping instead for closer observations including a detection of eye color.
The project Dr. Eric Hoyt co-leads, the Far East Russia Orca Project, has pioneered visual and acoustic monitoring in the inhospitable Kamchatka seas, and has produced a number of papers on the communication of killer whales.
This may lead to improved understanding of the animals’ complex social structure, which includes matrilineal family clans, pods consisting of several families, and much larger “super-pods”.
A related project aims to study and conserve habitat for all whales and dolphins around the Russian coast.
In recent years a white humpback whale nick-named Migaloo has drawn intense interest in Australia, while the Arctic beluga is naturally white.
The most famous white whale, though, is the fictional sperm whale that drove Captain Ahab to his eventually fatal fury in Moby Dick.
• Promises to call national referendums on compulsory training for the long-term unemployed and how to deal with illegal immigrants.
• In a bid to shed his reputation for favoring the rich, he promises to tax dividend income, apply a minimum 15% tax on major French corporations and introduce a levy for tax exiles who seek refuge abroad.
• To curb the excesses of the financial industry, Nicolas Sarkozy promises tougher regulation on banks and the introduction of a financial transaction tax.
• Plans to raise VAT to fund a reduction in social charges for employers and lower the cost of labor.
• Wants to halve the number of foreigners entering the country legally each year and increase deportations of illegal immigrants. Conditions for obtaining French papers and benefits will be tightened – Nicolas Sarkozy has threatened to suspend France’s membership of Europe’s visa-free Schengen zone unless he sees progress on EU external border controls.
• Threatens to impose unilateral trade restrictions in public procurement unless the EU introduces “buy European” legislation within a year.
• Backs nuclear power but says renewable energy will make up 23% of power supply by 2020.
• In the wake of shootings by gunman Mohamed Merah, Nicolas Sarkozy proposes making it an offence to access jihadist websites that glorify killing and to go abroad for jihadist indoctrination.
• Nicolas Sarkozy opposes gay marriage and euthanasia.
Nicolas Sarkozy vs. Francois Hollande
François Hollande
• Will balance French finances by 2017.
• Opposes a financial policy based only on austerity and has promised to renegotiate the European fiscal compact to include provisions on jobs and growth.
• His deficit-reduction measures include reversing tax breaks for the wealthy. Promises to target the rich with a 75% tax rate on those earning more than €1 million a year and a 45% tax rate for those earning more than €150,000. He plans to limit executive pay to 20 times the average wage and cut the president’s salary.
• Has outlined €20 billion of new spending over five years, including creating 150,000 state-aided jobs to tackle youth unemployment, 60,000 posts in education and more police jobs.
• Will restore the right to retire at 60 for those who began work at 18.
• Promises to fight discrimination with sanctions for companies failing to offer equal pay, the creation of a ministry of women’s rights and the allocation of half the ministerial posts in his cabinet to women.
• Wants to curb financial excess by: separating retail and investment banking and imposing a financial transaction tax; banning toxic financial products and stock options; curbing bonuses; creating a European ratings agency; and stopping banks operating in offshore tax havens.
• Supports the creation of a public investment bank to support small businesses.
• He wants to reduce the share of nuclear energy in the power supply to 50% from 75% by 2025, and promises to close the ageing Fessenheim nuclear plant but complete work on the advanced Flamanville European pressurized reactor power station.
• Will allow gay marriage and adoption for gay couples.
Anders Behring Breivik says his killings in Norway last July were “a small barbarian act to prevent a larger barbarian act” on what may be his final day of evidence.
Anders Breivik, 33, has already admitted the Oslo bombing and island shootings that left 77 people dead. The main aim of the trial is to decide whether he is sane.
He said he “lost absolutely everything” on 22 July, all his family and friends.
Therefore he understood the loss he imposed on others, he said.
On 22 July 2011, Anders Breivik set off a car bomb near government buildings in Oslo, killing eight, and then massacred 69 participants in a Labour Party youth camp on the nearby island of Utoeya.
Anders Breivik said he wanted to apologize for killing or injuring the “innocent” people in the Oslo bombing who were just passing by and had no political connections.
But he offered no apology for the Utoeya massacre.
Anders Behring Breivik says his killings in Norway last July were "a small barbarian act to prevent a larger barbarian act
In his other evidence on Monday, Anders Breivik said he:
• believed political leaders would be “emotionally unstable” and would instruct police to execute him after his arrest at Utoeya
• told police he believed his family might be executed after his actions
• considered at one stage stealing a small plane from a nearby airfield to flee after his actions
• planned to make a video recording of himself decapitating former PM Gro Harlem Brundtland while reading a prepared text spelling out her “crimes”
• repeatedly replied “no comment” to any questions about other members of an anti-Muslim network called the Knights Templar, which Anders Breivik says he belongs to but which prosecutors believe does not exist
Anders Breivik admits killing all 77 victims, but denies criminal responsibility, saying he was defending Norway from multiculturalism.
He said he had envisaged the most important attack as being the Oslo bombing, but Utoeya “became the most important attack when the government building did not collapse” as planned.
Depending on whether he is found sane or not, he faces either prison or committal to a psychiatric institution.
Anders Breivik himself maintains he is sane, but a practitioner of political extremism.
In earlier statements to the court, he insisted he was “under normal circumstances a very nice person, very caring about those around me”.
He said he “absolutely” understood why his testimony was horrifying to others.
But said he had embarked on a deliberate programme of “dehumanization” in 2006 to prepare to carry out killings.
Anders Breivik has been allocated five days in total to give evidence, with the entire proceedings expected to last 10 weeks.
President Nicolas Sarkozy faces an uphill struggle in the second round of the French presidential election, after coming second in Sunday’s first vote.
Nicolas Sarkozy won 27.1% of the vote, while his Socialist rival Francois Hollande took 28.6%, the first time a sitting president has lost in the first round.
Francois Hollande and Nicolas Sarkozy will face each other in a second round of voting on 6 May.
Third-place Marine Le Pen took the largest share of the vote her far-right National Front has ever won, with 18%.
Francois Hollande’s narrow victory in this round gives him crucial momentum ahead of the run-off in two weeks’ time.
Nicolas Sarkozy, leader of the ruling centre-right UMP, will now need to woo the far-right voters who backed Marine Le Pen if he is to hold on to the presidency. But Francois Hollande remains the front runner.
Around one in five people voted for the National Front candidate, including many young and working class voters, putting her ahead of seven other candidates.
The election has been dominated by economic issues, with voters concerned with sluggish growth and rising unemployment.
Marine Le Pen, who campaigned on a nationalist, anti-immigration platform, said she would wait until May Day next week to give her view on the second round.
She told jubilant supporters that the result was “only the start” and that the party was now “the only opposition” to the Left.
Opinion polls taken after voting on Sunday suggested that between 48 and 60% of Le Pen voters would switch to backing Nicolas Sarkozy in the second round.
But pollsters also predict a large abstention rate in the second round.
Nearly a fifth of voters backed a party – the National Front – that wants to ditch the euro and return to the franc.
President Nicolas Sarkozy faces an uphill struggle in the second round of the French presidential election, after coming second in Sunday's first vote
But polls suggest Francois Hollande will comfortably win the second round.
As the results came in, he said he was “best placed to become the next president of the republic” and that Nicolas Sarkozy had been punished by voters.
“The choice is simple, either continue policies that have failed with a divisive incumbent candidate or raise France up again with a new, unifying president,” Francois Hollande said.
It is the first time a French president running for re-election has failed to win the first round since the start of the Fifth Republic in 1958.
Nicolas Sarkozy – in power since 2007 – said he understood “the anguish felt by the French” in a “fast-moving world”.
He called for three debates during the two weeks to the second round – centring on the economy, social issues, and international relations.
Francois Hollande promptly rejected the idea. He told reporters that the traditional single debate ahead of the second round was sufficient, and that it should “last as long as necessary”.
Turnout on Sunday was high, at more than 80%.
Marine Le Pen achieved more than the breakthrough score polled in 2002 by her father and predecessor, Jean-Marie Le Pen, who got through to the second round with more than 16%.
Leftist candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon, who was backed by the Communist Party, came fourth with almost 12%.
He urged his supporters unconditionally to rally behind Francois Hollande in the run-off.
Centrist Francois Bayrou, who was hoping to repeat his high 2007 score of 18%, garnered only about 9%.
If Nicolas Sarkozy cannot change the minds of a substantial number of people, he will become the first sitting president to lose an election since 1981.
Wages, pensions, taxation, and unemployment have been topping the list of voters’ concerns.
Nicolas Sarkozy has promised to reduce France’s large budget deficit and to tax people who leave the country for tax reasons.
Francois Hollande has strongly criticized Nicolas Sarkozy’s economic record.
The Socialist candidate has promised to raise taxes on big corporations and people earning more than 1 million Euros a year.
He also wants to raise the minimum wage, hire 60,000 more teachers and lower the retirement age from 62 to 60 for some workers.
If elected, Francois Hollande would be France’s first left-wing president since Francois Mitterrand, who completed two seven-year terms between 1981 and 1995.
A British team from Newcastle University is developing new technology aimed at helping older drivers stay on the road.
Many give up because their reaction times have slowed down – but this means they become more isolated and inactive.
One of the Intelligent Transport team’s developments is a “Granny-Nav” which identifies the safest route, such as avoiding right turns.
The Age UK charity said such developments could help the elderly maintain their independence.
The work is part of a £12 million ($19 million) “social inclusion through the digital economy (SiDE)” project, led by Newcastle University, which aims to see how technology can improve peoples’ lives.
The researchers have converted an electric car into a mobile laboratory.
The “DriveLAB” has navigation tools, night vision systems and intelligent speed adaptations.
It can monitor concentration, stress levels and driving habits via glasses that can track eye movement, and monitors to assess where the key stress points are for older drivers.
The car also has night vision systems to help driving in the dark.
Around 20 drivers in their 80s from across the north-east of England and Scotland have so far taken DriveLAB out on the road.
Around 20 drivers in their 80s from across the north-east of England and Scotland have so far taken DriveLAB out on the road
The team looked at developing a bespoke sat-nav because the elderly drivers they spoke to said finding a route they were comfortable with was a major factor in making them feel comfortable driving.
Many avoid turning right because they do not feel confident about judging the speed of oncoming traffic.
It also uses pictures of local landmarks, such as a post box or public house, as turning cues for when people are driving in unfamiliar places.
Phil Blythe, professor of intelligent transport systems at Newcastle University, said: “For many older people, particularly those living alone or in rural areas, driving is essential for maintaining their independence, giving them the freedom to get out and about without having to rely on others.
“And people base their whole lives around driving a car, having mobility.
“But we all have to accept that as we get older our reactions slow down and this often results in people avoiding any potentially challenging driving conditions and losing confidence in their driving skills. The result is that people stop driving before they really need to.
“What we are doing is to look at ways of keeping people driving safely for longer, which in turn boosts independence and keeps us socially connected.”
Dr. Amy Guo, who is leading the older driver study, said it had produced some surprises.
“For example, most of us would expect older drivers always go slower than everyone else but surprisingly, we found that in 30mph zones they struggled to keep at a constant speed and so were more likely to break the speed limit and be at risk of getting fined.
“We’re looking at the benefits of systems which control your speed as a way of preventing that.”
The team is also looking at displaying information on the windscreen, rather than the dashboard – so drivers do not feel the need to look away from the road – and systems that can detect if the car has strayed out of its lane.
Car manufactures have expressed interest in the work, and Prof. Phil Blythe said some of the technologies could be seen “soon”, with others within “five to 10 years”.
Michelle Mitchell, charity director general of Age UK, said: “Ability, not age, should determine how safe someone is on the road – so any research should look at all drivers and what makes them safe or unsafe.
“When it comes to driving, everyone is responsible, at whatever age, for making sure they are safe on the road.
“The emphasis should be on supporting older people to continue driving safely so that older people retain their ability to get out and about.”
You have cut out calories and joined a gym, but are seemingly innocuous things stopping you from losing weight?
Researchers say you have to cut more other things to help losing weight:
1. Your oversized handbag
We know those extra Easter eggs don’t help your battle with the dreaded muffin top, but your handbag? After noticing some of his patients carry more fat on one side of their body, cosmetic doctor Michael Prager realized that it was often the side on which the patients held their oversized handbags.
“Before I perform laser fat removal I measure where patients carry fat, so we can measure inch loss post-treatment,” Dr. Michael Prager says.
“Many of my female patients carry more fat down one side of their body and their fat stores were uneven. The only thing these women had in common was their ridiculously big handbags.”
Postural expert Ivana Daniell says that Dr. Michael Prager’s observations are due to the effects of heavy bags on our deportment. Over time, bad posture leads to distorted fat distribution.
“Our posture affects where we store fat,” Ivana Daniell says.
“If you do more weight-bearing exercises on one side – i.e. by carrying a heavy bag – you’re not only activating the muscles more on one side, you’re also creating a muscular and skeletal imbalance which can affect fat distribution.”
Her advice? “Don’t carry so much, because it affects your posture, and good posture makes you look slimmer. And switch your handbag from side to side.” As well as evening out fat stores, this will also reduce pain in your neck, shoulders, and back.
Over time, bad posture due to the effects of heavy bags on our deportment leads to distorted fat distribution
2. Fake tan
For years we’ve thought a fake tan will leave us looking slimmer and more toned. But could it actually make us fatter in the long run? Scientists in Sweden have discovered that chemicals known as phthalates in self-tanning lotions make us more prone to weight gain and twice as likely to develop diabetes.
The chemical is also found in make-up, cleaning products and plastic containers. The study has raised concerns that phthalates can encourage your body to store fat around the stomach area because they disrupt the hormone balance (in a similar way to puberty or the menopause) which can cause weight gain.
Study author Monica Lind says: “These phthalates are making people obese. Many are used in body products like fake tan and they are absorbed into the body and bloodstream through the skin.”
3. Multi-tasking
For most women, continuously switching between chores is part and parcel of daily life. But new research has found that serially switching tasks exhausts the part of our brain that regulates self-control.
“When you help your kids with their homework, then respond to a work email on your BlackBerry, then go right back to algebra, you’re doing tasks that require very different mindsets, which is what we found saps self-control resources,” says Professor Ryan Hamilton, who worked on the study.
“Being busy also affects the food choices you make,” says personal trainer Dalton Wong, who trains Hunger Games actress Jennifer Lawrence.
“If you’re so busy you can’t think straight, you’re more likely to grab a coffee and a pile of biscuits to keep going.
“However, while this type of snack provides a quick hit of energy, it will lead to more stress and exhaustion. Artificial sugar disrupts the body’s blood-sugar levels, leading to tiredness and more sugar cravings, and more than two or three cups of coffee will flood your body with the stress hormone cortisol.”
Dalton Wong advises never eating a meal while distracted (“You won’t chew properly because you’ll be in a rush, and this leads to bloating”).
He also says you should snack on nuts and berries, or vegetables and hummus, until you’re completely distraction-free.
4. Leggings
That trusty wardrobe staple, a pair of black leggings, can hide a multitude of sins. But can wearing them too often make you fat? Sammy Margo, a physiotherapist who works with the England football team, has warned that too-tight leggings can cause your muscles to become lazy, which results in a flabby stomach, bottom and legs.
“Leggings feel good and look great, and I am as addicted to them as anyone, but there is a downside,” Sammy Margo says.
“They hold in and support the thigh muscles, buttocks and core muscles in your tummy, and do the job the muscles are supposed to do.
“As a result, the muscles are allowed to relax and switch off. So when we reveal our bodies for the first time as summer approaches, they are not as svelte or firm as they otherwise would be.”
Sammy Margo advises that people “should already be weaning themselves off their leggings if they want to look their best in time for summer”, and they should also try the String Workout.
“Suck your stomach in as far as it will go, then breathe out about halfway,” she explains.
“Tie a piece of string around your stomach at that point and keep it there all day.”
This ensures you’re working your abdominal muscles and not letting them get slack.
5. High heels
You wouldn’t believe it from looking at super-slim stiletto lovers like Victoria Beckham, but high heels can give you a pot belly. That’s the opinion of personal trainer Dax Moy, who thinks that wearing vertiginous heels too often can cause your stomach muscles to spill forward.
“Wearing very high heels causes the forward tilting of the pelvis, which allows the abdominal contents to spill forward, producing a pot belly which many women have wrongly come to think of as a fat stomach,” says Dax Moy.
Dalton Wong agrees. He says: “High heels can weaken your abdominals, leading to a tummy that sticks out just below your belly button. I tell my clients to wear their heels on the red carpet, but to slip them off once they’re sitting down.
“So wear them in a nice restaurant, but travel there in your trainers and put your heels on at the last minute. Then slip them off underneath the table once you’re seated. When you’re at home, walk around barefoot throughout the house. This strengthens muscles that have been weakened by wearing high heels.”
Knowing that would be photographers waiting for her at LAX airport yesterday, Kim Kardashian chose to wear Kanye West’s initials in her ear with her hair swept up.
Limelight loving Kanye West is presumably happy with this, despite him possessing an actual.
One night before Kanye West took his new girlfriend Kim Kardashian to one of New York City’s hottest restaurants.
Kim Kardashian wearing Kanye West's initials in her ear
The lovebirds caused a major stir last night as they emerged from Spice Market, a trendy Asian Fusion spot in the city’s Meatpacking District.
The couple, now known as Kimye to their fans, was spotted arriving at the restaurant and later leaving with several members of the Kardashian clan.
Carla Bruni looked almost unrecognizable yesterday as she voted in the French presidential elections alongside with her husband President Nicolas Sarkozy.
Just before exit polls predicted that Nicolas Sarkozy would suffer a humiliating defeat, Carla Bruni, 44, ticked her ballot paper close to her home in Paris’s 16th arrondissement.
Many suggested that too much Botox and other surgical procedures had transformed Carla Bruni’s fresh good-looks into something a lot stranger.
“She looks like the Bride of Wildenstein,” said one onlooker, referring to former millionaire art dealer’s wife Jocelyn Wildenstein who severely altered her face through cosmetic procedures intended to make her look younger.
“Carla is barely recognizable as the glamorous young woman who married Sarkozy in 2008. She looks extremely tired and as if she’s been trying too hard to hold back the years.”
Carla Bruni looked almost unrecognizable yesterday as she voted in the French presidential elections
In January, it was claimed a leading American dermatologist said Carla Bruni has had so much Botox she “looks like a chipmunk”.
Los Angeles skin expert Dr. Ben Behnam launched the astonishing personal attack after seeing photos of the former supermodel.
Dr. Ben Benham said: “Carla is over Botoxed. She’s had way too much done.
“That’s why she has the surprised look on her face and looks like a chipmunk.”
Carla Bruni had had a “lateral brow lift” and fillers in her cheeks, Dr. Ben Benham said.
He added: “She looks like she’s had Radiesse, which is a filler for wrinkle reduction. But her results do not look natural.
“A lot of celebrities these days look the same. They all have the puffy cheeks and cat like eyes.
“What they should do is just do a little bit so it just makes them look like a younger version of themselves rather than a 50-year-old trying to look 25.
“A good treatment to get is Sculptra because it looks more natural and can make patients look pretty and attractive rather than that ridiculous fake look.”
Carla Bruni has been the focus of intense French media attention and a raft of unflattering photographs since marrying French president Nicolas Sarkozy four years ago.
She gave birth to their first baby, a daughter named Giulia, late last year.
British cosmetic surgeon Dr. Alex Karidis said a year ago that Carla Bruni – who once dated Mick Jagger and Eric Clapton – was showing “all the classic signs of a devotion to Botox and fillers”.
Dr. Alex Karidis said: “The tiny shadows you can just see beneath her nose were probably caused by injectable fillers to get rid of nose-to-mouth lines.”
Kim Kardashian knows exactly how to dazzle in swimwear and obviously doesn’t keep her trim body by just lying by the beach.
On a family holiday in the Dominican Republic, Kim Kardashian’s showed her love of adventure by diving straight into the sea.
Kim Kardashian, 31, flaunted a fabulous figure in her aqua bikini.
Her curves were made for bikinis and the string number, accessorized with a perfect tan meant Kim Kardashian certainly stood out from the crowd.
On a family holiday in the Dominican Republic, Kim Kardashian's showed her love of adventure by diving straight into the sea
According to TMZ, Kim Kardashian’s relationship with rapper Kanye West is going from strength to strength with him even being introduced to the Kardashian crew who “absolutely loved him”.
A source said: “Kanye and Kim were excited for the family gathering and the opportunity to show them just how great they are together.
“The meeting went great and the family thinks they make the perfect couple.”
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West celebrated by going on a romantic stroll in New York City but perhaps soon it will be a family holiday for the pair.
