Kate Middleton is already six months pregnant but she appears to be almost as slim as ever, with the merest hint of a baby bump.
The Duchess of Cambridge looked slim as she played basketball and table tennis as she visited a homeless shelter in Glasgow this week with Prince William.
Dressed in a chic tartan coat and her trademark black suede boots, Kate Middleton was unusually happy to reveal details about her condition saying she plans to go on maternity leave from her royal duties from “around June time”.
Kate Middleton is already six months pregnant but she appears to be almost as slim as ever, with the merest hint of a baby bump
The duchess, who is six months’ pregnant, also revealed that her due date is “around mid-July” – a slightly more precise hint than the official announcement.
St James’s Palace has previously only confirmed the royal couple’s baby will be born “in July”, with officials refusing to give the exact due date.
Kate Middleton, 31, also said that she and Prince William had drawn up a list of boys’ and girls’ names for their first child – and that she has taken up knitting. “I’ve been trying to knit and I’m really bad. I should be asking for tips,” the duchess said.
When Rachel Sawyer, a project manager at Glasgow shelter, asked when her due date was and if she had any names, Kate Middleton replied: “It’s around mid-July but apparently babies have their own agenda …
“We have a shortlist for both [boy and girl] but it’s very difficult. My friends keep texting me names.”
When asked if she had got her nursery ready, Kate Middleton smiled and said: “No… we have got a lot to do!”
During the visit, the duchess also got an unusual insight into being a mother – from an eight-month-old baby with a taste for flowers. Kate Middleton chatted to Heidi Addison and her mother Shirley, who had a bouquet of flowers to give to the duchess, while they were in a crowd outside a sports centre.
Kim Kardashian tweeted a picture of her sizable belly as she hit six month mark pregnancy.
Kim Kardashian, 32, wore black skintight leggings and a white sheer top rolled up to reveal her pregnant belly.
Kim Kardashian revealed her sizable belly as she hit six month mark pregnancy
The reality star’s black bra is visible under her see-through white T-shirt, and she is seen with her dark hair in a glamorous high ponytail.
Kim Kardashian, who is six months’ pregnant, has been criticized for gaining weight during her pregnancy, but the brunette showed off a slender figure in the picture, which she accompanied with the simple caption “baby love” followed by a heart icon.
According to TMZ, the Keeping Up With Kardashians star weighed in at 151lbs at her latest check up.
Known for its highly secretive banking sector, Luxembourg would now consider a greater transparency in banks activity to help curb tax evasion, Finance Minister Luc Frieden has told a German newspaper.
In an interview published on Sunday, Luc Frieden said he wanted to “strengthen co-operation with foreign tax authorities”.
Germany is among the countries who say it is being used by foreign customers as a tax haven.
Speaking to Germany’s Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung newspaper, Luc Frieden acknowledged that other countries were increasingly demanding more information on what their citizens were doing with their money in foreign banks.
Finance Minister Luc Frieden said Luxembourg would consider a greater transparency in its banking sector
“The international trend is going toward an automatic exchange of bank deposit information. We no longer strictly oppose that,” he said.
On Friday Germany signed a tax evasion treaty with Switzerland – another European banking centre known for its secrecy.
The treaty is designed to allow Germany to claw back taxes from German depositors hiding money in Swiss banks.
Luxembourg is a country of only 500,000 people, but its banks and other financial institutions have assets worth more than 20 times the country’s economic output.
Despite its heavy reliance on financial services, Luc Frieden insisted Luxembourg “does not rely on clients who want to save on their taxes”.
The finance minister has previously said he wants banking customers to be attracted to Luxembourg by the quality of its banking services, rather than it secrecy.
Calls for more transparent banking sectors have grown louder in Europe in recent years, as governments seek to raise more taxes to support their finances amid a global recession.
The recent bailout of Cyprus has also raised particular concerns about the risks posed by small European states with over-sized financial sectors.
China starts running tourism cruises to Paracel Islands, a chain of disputed islands in the South China Sea by next month, state media reports.
Chinese news agency Xinhua said tourists would live on board ships, as the largest island has only one hotel and no fresh water.
The islands, known in China as Xisha but the Paracels elsewhere, are claimed by China, Vietnam and Taiwan.
China has controlled Paracel Islands since a short war with South Vietnam in 1974.
In recent years tensions have been rising over the over-lapping territorial claims in the South China Sea, amid a more assertive stance from China.
The islands, known in China as Xisha but the Paracels elsewhere, are claimed by China, Vietnam and Taiwan
Analysts view the latest move as another step in China’s battle to demonstrate that the potentially oil-rich area is Chinese.
Xinhua quoted the Haihang Group ship company as saying that a 47,000-tonne ship, capable of accommodating nearly 2,000 passengers, was ready to sail and that another was being built.
The first tours would take place ahead of the May Day holiday, said Tan Li, the executive vice governor of Hainan province, just north of the islands.
Tan Li said tourists would eat and sleep on the ship but visit land for sightseeing, Xinhua reports, and that the currently limited facilities would be improved by the addition of more ports and sanitation infrastructure.
China claims a U-shaped swathe of the sea that extends well into what UNCLOS (UN Convention on the Law of the Sea) recognizes as the 200-mile-from-shore Exclusive Economic Zones of other claimants.
Last year, Beijing set up a local government office on the largest island, Yongxing – known in English as Woody Island – to oversee its territorial claims, a move which angered Vietnam.
And in March this year, Vietnam said China had fired on one of its fishing boats in the area, setting it alight.
China said the Vietnamese boats were illegally fishing in what it says is its territory when the incident occurred on March 20, and that it had fired flares not weapons.
Last year, the Philippines and China engaged in a lengthy stand-off over another disputed area, the Scarborough shoal, in a spat that left diplomatic ties very strained.
The South China Sea, seen to be rich in oil and natural gas reserves, has been a source of maritime conflict between several countries.
Back in February, a photograph of what appeared to be Miley Cyrus smoking a suspicious hand-rolled cigarette was uploaded on Instagram, and on Saturday, the star sparked concerns once again when she was pictured enjoying what appeared to be the same on her hotel balcony.
Miley Cyrus, 20, was seen inhaling and puffing smoke into the air as she sat outside at her accommodation in Miami, Florida, with the brown paper coated item.
The singer chatted to friends as they relaxed on a veranda, looking as though she had just woken up as she donned only a black T-shirt with gold writing across.
Miley Cyrus squinted her eyes as she took a deep drag of the cigarette with her left hand, which was missing the engagement ring given to her by fiancé Liam Hemsworth.
Miley Cyrus sparked concerns once again when she was pictured enjoying what appeared to be a hand-rolled cigarette on her hotel balcony
Afterwards the star laughed to herself as she peered down at the action below her.
Later on Miley Cyrus covered up her messy locks with a black beanie hat and covered her eyes with huge dark sunglasses.
Again a suspicious object was seen between her forefinger and thumb as she inhaled and exhaled the smoke.
Miley Cyrus and Snoop Lion released their new collaborative track Ashtrays And Heartbreaks on Wednesday.
While the track’s title may sound like Miley Cyrus is about to reveal the truth behind her rumored relationship split, she instead reflects on friends who have passed in a reggae – and drug reference infused – melody.
The collaboration, which will feature on Snoop Lion’s new album Reincarnated, is the first of many expected from Miley Cyrus as she prepares to release her new album.
Former Pakistani military leader Pervez Musharraf has been given the permission to run in the country’s general elections next month.
General Pervez Musharraf will be a candidate in the remote northern district of Chitral, after being rejected in two other parts of the country.
Pervez Musharraf, who led Pakistan for nine years after seizing power in a military coup, returned to the country from self-imposed exile last month.
Former Pakistani military leader Pervez Musharraf has been given the permission to run in the country’s general elections next month
The former president is facing a number of charges relating to his time in office.
Among them, is the accusation he failed to provide adequate security for former PM Benazir Bhutto ahead of her assassination in 2007.
He is also wanted in connection with the murder of a Baloch tribal leader, Nawab Akbar Bugti, and for sacking the entire higher judiciary in November 2007.
Pervez Musharraf has described the cases against him as “baseless” and politically motivated.
Last week, officials rejected his nomination papers in Kasur after objections were filed.
But officials in Chitral, close to the Afghan border, said Pervez Musharraf’s papers there were in order.
“He is not convicted so far so we cannot disqualify him,” returning officer Jamal Khan told AFP news agency.
Two US lawmakers from Florida are demanding to know if the government sanctioned Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s vacation to Cuba.
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Mario Diaz-Balart have contacted the Office of Foreign Assets Control at the Treasury Department, asking if Beyoncé and Jay-Z obtained the correct license to travel to Cuba.
Angered by pictures showing Beyoncé and Jay-Z flaunting their retreat to the communist country, the legislators are criticizing the couple for indirectly supporting the oppressive regime of Raúl Castro by splashing as much as millions of dollars for luxurious accommodations for their entourage of family, friends and security.
A report in The Caribbean Journal said the two members of Congress have written to the director of the US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).
Two US lawmakers from Florida are demanding to know if the government sanctioned Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s vacation to Cuba
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Mario Diaz-Balart, who have openly criticized the repressive government in Cuba, are inquiring after the type of license Beyoncé and Jay-Z obtained to enter Cuba.
“We would like to respectfully request, within all applicable rules and guidelines, information regarding the type of license that Beyoncé and Jay-Z received, for what purpose, and who approved such travel,” the lawmakers stated in their letter.
“If these individuals were given people-to-people licenses, we would like to bring to your attention the Cuba Travel Advisory issued by OFAC on July 25, 2011 which states, <<OFAC only licenses People-to-People Groups that certify that all participants will have a full-time schedule of educational exchange activities that will result in meaningful interaction between the travelers and individuals in Cuba>>,” they added.
According to a description of the license on the agency’s website: “OFAC does not authorize transactions related to activities that are primarily tourist-oriented, including self-directed educational activities that are intended only for personal enrichment.”
Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s trip coincides with the news that a Cuban editor, Roberto Zurbano, was fired from his post at publishing house because of an article he wrote that claimed the country had a history of discriminating against blacks.
Roberto Zurbano had mentioned the discrimination in an op-ed piece for the New York Times, For Blacks in Cuba, the Revolution Hasn’t Begun, published on March 23.
On Friday, The Havana Times reported that Roberto Zurbano told his colleagues that he had been dismissed from the publishing house of the Casa de las Americas cultural center, in the wake of the article.
Pictures showing Beyoncé and Jay-Z sauntering down a street in Havana, Cuba and taking in the island’s nightlife have sparked outrage among activists appalled that the couple could vacation in a country known for its oppressive regime.
Beyoncé and Jay-Z took a jaunt to Cuba this week to celebrate their 5th wedding anniversary but many wonder why they decided on a place known for extreme poverty and repression of political dissidents.
On Friday, the couple were pictured at the University of Arts in Havana and posed for pictures with students.
It was not reported if Beyoncé and Jay-Z participated in any classes nor were details provided about the visit.
Beyoncé, 31, even sang, though she was technically lip synching, the national anthem at Barack Obama’s 2013 inauguration and for his 2009 inauguration she sang while the president danced with First Lady Michelle Obama at a ball during the celebration.
Since the jet-setters have politically tied themselves to the 44th president and could literally select any location in the world to travel, why would they decide on such a controversial destination?
The US State Department classifies Cuba as “an authoritarian state that routinely employs repressive methods against internal dissent” and does not have diplomatic relations with the government, now lead by Fidel Castro’s brother Raúl.
The vacation has left one human rights activist in a state of disbelief.
“There are women getting beaten on a daily basis, women who are jailed for no reason…people are fighting for their freedom. It’s extremely insensitive,” Mauricio Claver-Carone, from the U.S.- Cuban Democracy Political Action Committee, told TMZ.
Washington’s 51-year embargo makes it illegal for US citizens to visit Cuba for mere tourism, although tens of thousands of Americans travel there each year on academic, religious, journalistic or cultural exchange visas.
The Obama administration eased many of the restrictions in 2011, but tourists still need a special visa to visit Cuba.
Kim Kardashian told sister Kourtney she was pregnant in the middle of the night.
Kim Kardashian, 32, called her older sister in a panic, as revealed in the teaser for Sunday’s Kourtney & Kim Take Miami.
“I know you’re mad at me, but can you please get me from Jonathan’s. It’s an emergency,” Kim Kardashian said in the panicked call.
Kim Kardashian told sister Kourtney she was pregnant in the middle of the night
The clip shows Kourtney Kardashian pulling herself from bed and rushing to relieve her sister from friend Jonathan Cheban’s home, putting aside the fight she had with Kim about her decision to hire a P.I. to determine whether Scott Disick was cheating.
Make-up free, Kim Kardashian turns to her sister in the car, knowing that she has to divulge something she’d been keeping secret.
“I have to tell you something, but I don’t want to tell Khloe, but… you’re gonna die,” Kim Kardashian says.
Concerned, sister Kourtney asks what it is.
“I’m pregnant,” Kim Kardashian finally reveals.
After confirming her seriousness, the reality star explains what caused her to call her big sis: “And I have, like, the worst stomach pain ever.”
In the clip, Kim Kardashian is only a month pregnant, a vulnerable time during one’s first trimester.
Aside from telling Kourtney for emergency’s sake, Kim Kardashian reveals that the only other person who knew of her pregnancy at the time was rapper boyfriend Kanye West.
The pregnancy reveal episode of Kim & Kourtney Takes Miami airs on E!, Sunday at 9/8C.
Matthew Warren, Rick Warren’s youngest son, has committed suicide at the age of 27 after a long battle with depression.
It was reported that the estimated time of Matthew Warren’s death was Friday at 10 a.m. and said he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Rick Warren, the evangelical pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California, revealed his son’s death to his church on Saturday.
“No words can express the anguished grief we feel right now,” the pastor told his congregation in a statement, pleading for their prayers as the family mourned.
Rick Warren revealed in a statement that Matthew had struggled with mental illness from a young age, experiencing “dark holes of depression, and even suicidal thoughts”.
Matthew Warren, Rick Warren’s youngest son, has committed suicide at the age of 27 after a long battle with depression
Despite countless doctors and medication, “the torture of mental illness never subsided”.
“Kay and I often marveled at his courage to keep moving in spite of relentless pain. I’ll never forget how, many years ago, after another approach had failed to give relief, Matthew said <<Dad, I know I’m going to heaven. Why can’t I just die and end this pain?>> but he kept going for another decade,” Rick Warren continued.
Rick Warren is married to Kay, who is active in her husband’s ministry, and they have two other adult children, Amy and Joshua, and five grandchildren.
He said that the tragic event occurred after Matthew had spent time with the couple on Thursday.
“In a momentary wave of despair at his home [in Mission Viejo, California], he took his life.”
The Coroner’s office said that an autopsy would be conducted next week on either Monday or Tuesday.
Rick Warren frequently communicates via his Twitter account but did not post any messages on Friday.
On Saturday afternoon, the pastor posted this tweet referencing the Lord’s Prayer.
“We pray <<Thy WILL be done on earth AS IT IS IN HEAVEN>> since in heaven God’s will is done #always. On earth, it’s done rarely,” seemingly in response to the family’s tragic loss.
Rick Warren, 59, is one of the leading voices in the evangelical movement in America.
His church, located in Orange County, is ranked the seventh largest congregation in the U.S. with an average weekly attendance of 20,000.
The Southern Baptist pastor authored the Purpose Driven Life, a devotional study book, that was published in 2002 and became a New York Times bestseller, selling over 32 million copies as it exploded as a popular trend among conservative Christians.
Rick Warren has taken an active role in promoting social justice and even hosted the Civil Forum on The Presidency, attended by both Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.) and then Senator Barack Obama (D-Ill.) during the 2008 presidential election.
Pastor Rick Warren was also selected to deliver the invocation at President Barack Obama’s 2009 inauguration.
His wife, Kay Warren, helped him establish the evangelical church in 1980.
The United States has decided to delay Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test scheduled for next week, Pentagon officials have announced.
The Minuteman III ICBM test was put off over concerns it could be misinterpreted by North Korea, amid fears of a conflict.
The test could be postponed till May, in what correspondents say will be portrayed by Pyongyang as a victory.
North Korea has issued a series of unusually strong threats since it was sanctioned by the UN in March for carrying out a third nuclear test.
The Minuteman III ICBM test was put off over concerns it could be misinterpreted by North Korea, amid fears of a conflict
The communist country has threatened nuclear strikes on the US, formally declared war on South Korea, and pledged to reopen a nuclear reactor in defiance of UN Security Council resolutions.
A Pentagon official said the US wanted to “avoid any misperception or miscalculation” that might result from the Minuteman 3 test.
The US and South Korean officials have sought to play down fears of a conflict on the Korean peninsula in recent days.
Pyongyang will likely use the delay to its advantage in propaganda, and say the US has been forced to climb down in the face of resilience from the North Korean army.
The North Korean media are full of images of military preparedness intended to rally people behind the leadership.
On Friday, North Korea warned it would not be able to guarantee the safety of embassy staff in the event of a war, but no foreign governments have announced plans to evacuate their embassies.
Many of North Korea’s angry statements have cited annual military exercises between US and South Korean forces as provocation.
The US flew nuclear-capable B2 and B52 bombers over the South as part of the drill, and has since deployed warships with missile defense systems to the region.
This week, North Korea reportedly moved at least one missile to its east coast. It has threatened to strike the Pacific island of Guam, where the US has a military base.
North Korea’s missiles have the capability to carry nuclear warheads, but the country is not yet thought to have developed such warheads.
Many observers say that North Korea’s belligerent rhetoric appears intended for a domestic audience and at shoring up the position of Kim Jong-un, who came to power after his father’s death in December 2011.
Former Dire Straits frontman Mark Knopfler has decided to cancel two concerts in Russia in protest over what he called the country’s “crackdown” on human rights groups.
Mark Knopfler pulled out of Moscow and St Petersburg concerts in June after Russian authorities searched the offices of organizations including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International.
Critics say the raids are an attempt to crush government dissent.
“I hope the current climate will change soon,” the singer wrote on his website.
Mark Knopfler pulled out of Moscow and St Petersburg concerts in June after Russian authorities searched the offices of organizations including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International
Mark Knopfler’s statement said: “Given the crackdown by Russian authorities… I have regretfully decided to cancel my upcoming concerts in Moscow and St Petersburg.
“I have always loved playing in Russia and have great affection for the country and the people.”
His decision was backed by opponents of President Vladimir Putin, whose United Russia Party passed a bill in November requiring all non-governmental organizations (NGOs) engaging in political activity and receiving overseas funding to register as “foreign agents”.
Anti-government blogger Anton Nosik wrote: “I don’t just understand Knopfler’s decision. I respect it.”
More than 100 NGOs are said to have been searched in recent weeks.
Last month, human rights watchdog Agora said it had been swamped with calls from NGOs complaining about visits by officials from the prosecutor-general’s office, the justice ministry and tax officials.
Russian authorities claim the searches are routine but Pavel Chikov, a member of the Russian presidential Human Rights Council, said up to 2,000 organizations had been targeted with inspections and searches last month, in connection with the NGO law.
“It goes full circle across the whole spectrum – they’re trying to find as many violations as possible,” Pavel Chikov added.
Movie Star News Collection, one of the largest collections of old Hollywood photographs, has been gone up for auction this week.
Guernsey’s auction house in New York is holding a two day sale from April 6-7 to sell the Movie Star News Collection of 3 million photographs and negatives that capture the history of Tinseltown.
Guernsey’s auction house in New York is holding a two day sale from April 6-7 to sell the Movie Star News Collection of 3 million photographs and negatives that capture Hollywood history
The pictures were captured by Irving Klaw, a Manhattan photographer who was the first to tap into the public’s insatiable demand for movie photographing.
Irving Klaw, a candy shop owner by trade, branched into the photography business in 1939 and negotiated a deal with movie studios to capture scenes of famous faces on movie sets.
The photographer captured the most celebrated figures from old Hollywood including Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor, Cary Grant, Judy Garland, Audrey Hepburn and Paul Newman.
The collection of pictures of Marilyn Monroe includes more than 600 photographs.
North Korea has released footage showing its leader Kim Jong-un supervising a “drone drill” attack amid tensions on the Korean peninsula.
Kim Jong-un is seen watching a rocket-launched small aircraft blowing up in the sky after being intercepted by anti-aircraft missile – on Friday he was seen brandishing a gun in a video.
The footage broadcast by North Korea’s state television comes amid reports the US has deployed an unmanned spy plane to Japan for surveillance following reports the rogue state has moved missile launchers to its east coast.
North Korea has released footage showing its leader Kim Jong-un supervising a “drone drill” attack amid tensions on the Korean peninsula
The Global Hawk will be stationed at the US airbase in Misawa, northern Japan – it was due to be deployed between June and September, but it has now been bought forward according to the Sankei Shimbun.
On Friday, foreign embassies in Pyongyang have been warned to evacuate staff as their safety cannot be guaranteed beyond Wednesday, April 10.
But on Saturday staff appeared to be staying in embassies across North Korea despite the appeal.
Several aid organizations were also given the warning, as the North Koreans moved more mid-range Musudan missiles to their east coast – where they could directly threaten Japan and America’s Pacific bases.
President Barack Obama is ready to offer cuts to Americans’ pensions to strike a deficit deal with Republicans, a White House official says.
In return, Democratic Barack Obama wants higher taxes on the rich.
The president will outline his budget plan next Wednesday, April 10.
Barack Obama’s proposal is to cut the deficit by $1.8 trillion over 10 years, say administration officials.
But Democrats would oppose cuts to pensions, while Republicans have refused to accept tax rises.
President Barack Obama is ready to offer cuts to Americans’ pensions to strike a deficit deal with Republicans
Under the deal trailed by the White House, Barack Obama would support lowering the inflation measure used to calculate cost-of-living increases in Social Security pensions.
The plan will also include reductions in Medicare spending for the elderly, much of it by targeting payments to healthcare providers and drug firms.
The senior administration official who discussed the so-called grand bargain spoke anonymously because the budget has yet to be released.
Barack Obama will seek to wine and dine Republican lawmakers as he hosts a dinner for them after unveiling his budget on April 10.
The president’s plan also envisages making pre-school education available to more children by increasing taxes on tobacco.
He discussed the main elements of his plan with Republican House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner last December during previous fiscal talks.
Those negotiations ended at the beginning of this year with John Boehner accepting tax rises on earnings of more than $400,000, returning rates to levels seen during the Clinton administration.
But the Republican deal-maker is likely to balk at the idea of another tax rise on the rich.
Congressional Democrats and labor groups, meanwhile, are expected to staunchly oppose cuts to pensions and healthcare.
“Millions of working people… will be extremely disappointed if President Obama caves in to the long-standing Republican effort to cut Social Security,” Senator Bernard Sanders, a liberal independent from Vermont, said earlier this week.
In a budget proposal passed by the Senate last month, Democrats called for nearly $1 trillion in new tax revenue and no cuts to Social Security or Medicare.
Halle Berry confirmed news that she is pregnant with her second child on Friday and she already shows a growing baby bump while shopping with friends in New York City on Saturday.
Halle Berry, 46, used her friends as shields from the crowd, standing between the male-female pair as they made their way along the busy sidewalks.
Despite the cold temperatures, the Oscar-winning actress left her long grey coat unbuttoned around her waist, exposing her growing midsection.
Underneath Halle Berry wore loose fitting trousers and a clingy cotton top that did nothing to quell the excitement after confirming on Friday that she is expecting her first child with her fiancé Olivier Martinez.
Pregnant Halle Berry already reveals growing baby bump one day after confirming she’s expecting
This is the first child for French actor Olivier Martinez, 47.
Meanwhile, Halle Berry is set to reprise her role as Storm in the next installment of the X-Men series.
As the mutant Ororo Munroe in her last two X-Men films, Halle Berry famously wore a skin-tight leather suit that showcased her slim physique.
No word yet if the film, which is currently in pre-production and set to be released in 2014, will work around her pregnancy.
Halle Berry and Olivier Martinez announced their engagement in 2012 and had planned to move to Paris with her 5-year-old daughter Nahla, but the move only served as fuel for a public battle with her French Canadian ex-boyfriend Gabriel Aubry.
Gwyneth Paltrow may have been launching her new diet cookbook in Beverly Hills on Friday, but it looked more like it was an official unveiling of her amazing legs.
Gwyneth Paltrow, 40, certainly looked like a woman half her age on Friday as she signed copies of her new diet cookbook, It’s All Good.
The gluten-free and low-carb diet plan, seems to be working a charm as Gwyneth Paltrow glowed in a white and black outfit at the Williams-Sonoma store.
She wore a tailored white suit jacket with a black top that created the illusion of having a plunging neckline thanks to a gold checkered pattern, and, of course her black short shorts.
The star added some eye-catching black and gold T-bar heels.
Gwyneth Paltrow launched new diet cookbook It’s All Good
The shoe’s straps went around the actress’ ankles, and while that would not be the most flattering look for most women, Gwyneth Paltrow’s legs were the envy of everyone in the room.
Gwyneth Paltrow’s appearance was obvious a clever marketing technique to promote her new cookbook born out of a strict elimination diet.
It’s All Good is Gwyneth Paltrow’s third cookbook, which she started last year after her health took a turn for the worse.
Tests revealed that she was anemic, vitamin D deficient, and suffering from stress so her doctor prescribed an elimination diet banning coffee, alcohol, sugar, eggs, wheat, meat and processed foods to help her body heal.
However, in a bid to put the fun back into food, Gwyneth Paltrow forces with Julia Turshen to compile a collection of 185 “surprisingly delicious” recipes that adhered to her strict dietary guidelines.
However, It’s All Good hasn’t been well-received by critics.
Touted as “laughable Hollywood neuroticism” by The Atlantic, many have slammed Gwyneth Paltrow for promoting fine fare only a wealthy individual like herself could afford.
Editors at Yahoo!estimated it would cost $300 a day to feed an average American family based on Gwyneth Paltrow’s recipes, including a duck egg fish and tuna salad with Manuka honey that typically rings in at $25 for a jar.
A critic at Eater.com wrote: “It’s All Good is drenched in a chatty faux-populism that could only come from a rich person fearlessly boasting about her life of privilege.”
Gwyneth Paltrow meanwhile appears unfazed by the criticism; she also credits working out constantly for her amazing figure and is a devotee to the Anderson method by celebrity trainer Tracy Anderson.
Miley Cyrus took to Twitter late Friday night with a series of snaps displaying her newly acquired rocker look.
Miley Cyrus, 20, has recently opted for an edgier look – including a tomboyish bob and lots of leather and red lipstick.
The portraits were full of playful swagger as she and some of her friends struck poses in skimpy outfits.
Miley Cyrus donned black leather shorts and open toed stiletto pumps for the impromptu photo shoot.
Miley Cyrus took to Twitter late Friday night with a series of snaps displaying her newly acquired rocker look
Her once luxuriously long locks were dyed platinum blonde and coiffed in her now signature bob as she made silly faces for the camera.
The singer wore a loose mid-riff exposing tank top and, at least in one snap, a steel studded leather punk rock jacket.
Miley Cyrus and her two friends all sported bright red lipstick, which appeared to delight the former teen idol, who promptly captioned one of the Twitter snaps with the hashtag: “#redlipcrew.”
The snap featured the young ladies lined up in a chain-link group pose with the actress striking a rocker attitude as she clutched her inner thigh in a nod to her punk-inspired attire.
Miley Cyrus tweeted that same evening: “Girl in boys clothing.”
The tweet generated quite a response from her fans.
One follower replied: “@MileyCyrus only you can pull it off.”
Meanwhile, Miley Cyrus has been logging in recording time in Los Angeles for a new album.
Designer Zac Posen has created an evening gown completely covered in 24-karat gold paillettes.
Zac Posen’s $1.5 million dress was made to look like melting ice cream and was created in honor of Magnum’snew Gold ice cream bar.
The 32-year-old designer said: “Creating my first-ever 24-karat gold dress was a truly priceless experience.
“I’m naturally drawn to luxury and love to push my creativity, so the design process of creating a couture dress made of gold was thrilling.”
Zac Posen’s $1.5 million dress was made to look like melting ice cream and was created in honor of Magnum’s new Gold ice cream bar
Zac Posen added: “I pulled inspiration from Magnum Gold?! for the dress design… the train reminds me of melting ice cream. The dress is so decadent.”
The gold dress will make its debut on April 18th in a short film for Magnum Gold?! starring Joe Manganiello.
Premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival, the movie is called As Good As Gold.
This isn’t the first time Magnum has collaborated with the fashion industry, however.
Karl Lagerfeld and Rachel Bilson joined forces in 2011 for a three-part short film series, which featured Chanel model Baptiste Giabiconi directing Rachel Bilson, who demanded a Magnum to continue, at a fashion shoot.
Magnum Gold?! ice cream bar is made of vanilla bean with swirls of sea salt caramel and a “golden” milk chocolate coating.
South African Paralympic Oscar Pistorius appears to be back at the track for the first time since he was charged with murder of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day this year.
Oscar Pistorius, 26, is pictured with his hands on his hips wearing his blades as he walks across a running track as his agent said his return to training was imminent.
The double amputee Olympian is keen to begin training again – just weeks after he appeared weeping in court charged with the death of Reeva Steenkamp and despite facing a murder trial.
The Afrikaans-language Beeld newspaper printed the image of what it said was Oscar Pistorius on the front page of its Thursday edition.
In the photo, Oscar Pistorius is seen from some distance wearing his blades and dark lycra running clothes and is walking on a track with his hands on his hips.
The Beeld said the photo was taken on March 24 by a high school student visiting the University of Pretoria, where Oscar Pistorius’ regular practice facility is.
It was the first time Oscar Pistorius had put his blades on since he shot dead Reeva Steenkamp in his home his agent, Peet van Zyl, said, but it was not a training session.
Oscar Pistorius appears to be back at the track for the first time since he was charged with murder of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp
Oscar Pistorius was only “having a jog around the track”, the agent said, as the newspaper claimed sources had told it the Olympic 400-meter runner and Paralympic champion had begun full training on March 21.
Peet Van Zyl disputed that and said neither he nor Ampie Louw, Oscar Pistorius’ coach and the man who controls his training sessions, were present at the track on the day the photograph was taken.
The single photo, a grainy image taken through a metal fence showing Oscar Pistorius walking on the far side of the track, was accompanied by a front-page story under the headlines “Oscar is back on the track” and “In training with other athletes”.
However, while Oscar Pistorius wasn’t yet in a training routine, his return could be any day now, his agent said.
“He was just having a jog around his track on his own accord. He wasn’t back at training,” Peet Van Zyl said. “That picture was taken by a schoolkid on March 24. Myself, Oscar and his coach had a meeting on Tuesday to discuss him getting him back to training.
“Based on that he told us he would like to get back in training and we can now look at formulating his training schedule.
“He is finding it very difficult and he is still coming to terms with the sad loss of Reeva. That is why it will be better for him to be back at training. It will be great to get him back to the track and get some routine. That’s why we are taking it day by day.”
While a return to training might be on the cards for Oscar Pistorius, who holds several IPC World Championship titles over 200 metres, 400m and 4x400m, Peet Van Zyl revealed there is currently no plan regarding his competitive return, if he is invited to compete.
“We haven’t even spoken to him or contemplated him running in a competition,” Peet Van Zyl said.
“He has got to be able to train first and be in some decent form as a world-class athlete before we would allow him to run in a competition.
“If he trains well and his mindset is right then by all means we will look at competitions and options. When that will be we don’t know. It could happen quickly or it could take a year.
“But at the moment, there is no specific date when it comes to him returning to training.
“In the current state he is in he might get up tomorrow and give the coach a phone call and say he might want to train again. He then might not want to train for a few days.
“We are not going to force him. We are going to be guided by him.”
Oscar Pistorius’ family also said: “Oscar is not back on any official training programme.
“This may change in future, but this will be a decision taken by Oscar, and Oscar alone. At this point Oscar is still in an extremely traumatized state and has made it clear to all of us that he is not able or willing to even contemplate this issue at this stage.
“We can confirm that we did have a meeting with Oscar yesterday where various family members and his trainer were present.
“We all encouraged him to get back onto the track to help stabilize him emotionally.
“Oscar has been out running on a number of isolated occasions in the days following the relaxation of his bail conditions, but each time has been very difficult and he has <<struggled immensely>> with the decision to even leave the house.
“As a family however we encourage him to start exercising as we believe it is a vital step in helping him deal with the trauma.”
Peet Van Zyl insisted Oscar Pistorius’ desire to start training again did not show disrespect to the family of Reeva Steenkamp.
“I can’t see there would be any people saying this is disrespectful. This is not disrespectful to Reeva or her family.
“This has been part of his life for so many years. If it makes things easier for him to work through it and get some sense back into his life, let him run and let him jog.
“He’s a human being and that’s maybe an outlet for him.”
Oscar Pistorius denies murder in the Valentine’s Day killing of model Reeva Steenkamp, saying he mistook her for a nighttime intruder in his home.
The athlete’s next scheduled court appearance is June 4, when prosecutors say they intend to serve indictments.
Oscar Pistorius is free to compete in the UK this summer after a judge relaxed his bail terms in March to allow him to make money.
It is certain to prove controversial as it potentially paves the way for Oscar Pistorius, one of the world’s most successful athletes, to earn vast sums of money while he is awaiting trial.
Ashton Kutcher’s T-shirt brand has released this week its summer 2013 collection with a tunnel-vision focus on quality and craftsmanship.
Ashton Kutcher, 35, is in the T-shirt business since last year when he launched his online-only label of luxury basics, Pickwick & Weller.
The actor told Elle.com: “T-shirts are the uniform of this generation. If you are going to wear something every day, it should be the best. Our aim is to make the best T-shirts on earth.
“We want a product that people want to live in. Your best T-shirt should be like your bed, it just feels like you are home when you are in it.”
Ashton Kutcher is a co-founder of the Los Angeles-based brand (named after the Charles Dickens novel, The Pickwick Papers) along with Ryan Donahue and Matt Rowe, who started the project in early 2012.
Ashton Kutcher’s T-shirt brand, Pickwick and Weller, has released its summer 2013 collection
At no cost, Pickwick and Weller allows customers to try on different styles, colors and sizes at home via a Home Fit Kit, where you have five days to make your decision, keep what you want, and send the rest back for free.
Ashton Kutcher explained: “Our edge is in providing a great product at a great price that you can get without leaving your living room, and backing all that up with world-class customer service.”
Prices range from $26 for a T-shirt to more expensive $79 for a long-sleeve top.
“I think we live in a prove-it-to-me world. In e-commerce, your prices have to be better because the consumer has to take a leap of faith in your product,” the actor said.
Ashton Kutcher said he is “involved with the design standard creation”, adding: “The true designers are the consumers – we just provide the palette.”
According to the Pickwick & Weller’s website, all cotton is sourced locally in California, and no manufacturing is done off-shore.
Ashton Kutcher said: “We build our technology in America, we sell our product in America, and we make our product in America.
“I think the quality of our product and brand reflects the spirit of America through and through. Our consumers don’t cut corners and neither do we.”
Kim Kardashian wanted to assert her new status as mother-to-be with a Twitter picture of her pregnant belly on Saturday.
The reality star star is shown wearing black leggings and a sheer white T-shirt that she rolled up to reveal her sizable tummy.
Kim Kardashian, 32, accompanied the photo with the simple caption “baby love” followed by a heart icon.
Kim Kardashian, who is six months pregnant, has been criticized for gaining weight during her pregnancy, but the brunette showed off a slender figure in the picture.
Kim Kardashian wanted to assert her new status as mother-to-be with a Twitter picture of her pregnant belly
Ray J describes his relationship with Kim Kardashian in his new single I Hit It First and even features a blurred out picture of the reality star on the cover.
In leaked lyrics of the song, due out on April 9, Ray J, 32, clearly references his videotape with Kim Kardashian, 32, that catapulted her to stardom after its release in 2007.
Ray J also makes mention of Kanye West, Kim Kardashian’s fiancé and father of the pregnant star’s unborn child, as well as her ex-husband Kris Humphries and ex-boyfriend Reggie Bush.
“She might move on to rappers and ballplayers, but we all know I hit it first,
“I had her head going North and her ass going South, but now baby chose to go West,” say the lyrics, according to TMZ.
“No matter where she goes or who she knows, she still belongs in my bed,” Ray J concludes.
Ray J and Kim Kardashian dated for five years before breaking up in 2007
Ray J and Kim Kardashian dated for five years before breaking up in 2007.
This isn’t the first time the rapper has publicly claimed responsibility for Kim Kardashian’s fame.
In 2012, Ray J caused a stir when he retweeted Kim Kardashian, adding a “lol”.
“Lol RT @KimKardashian: Keep your life in a positive perspective. We are not defined by our pasts.”
Ray J later explained his tweet in an interview with hip hop radio station Power 106: “I felt like it was real, what [Kim Kardashian tweeted].”
“I kinda laughed about it, ’cause it was 100.”
The rapper then went on to address Kim Kardashian’s relationship with Kanye West, stating: “I wish ’em the best. Life is a roller-coaster, so you never know what’s gonna happen.”
“But I wish ’em the best, much success to both of ’em. Yo, this whole thing is like a Magic Mountain experience.”
Meanwhile, Kim Kardashian, who has so far remained mum about Ray J’s new single, rather chose to assert her new status as mother-to-be with a Twitter picture of her pregnant belly on Saturday.
Lindsay Lohan has just appeared in a second spoof fashion ad in as many weeks.
In a play on Saint Laurent’s high-profile new campaign starring Marilyn Manson and Courtney Love, Lindsay Lohan is seen staring seductively into the camera, wearing a glossy padded jacket.
The image first appeared on the 5thVillage Instagram feed.
The photo, in fact, is an edited shot of Lindsay Lohan modeling for the Italian clothing company, Fornarina, in fall 2010.
When the image appeared on Twitter this week, Lindsay Lohan replied: “Omg I would die! So amazing !!! I love Hedi [Slimane, Saint Laurent’s creative director] & shooting w/him!”
It is not the first time Lindsay Lohan has appeared in a spoof commercial. Last month she starred in a spoof of Louis Vuitton’s Core Values ad series.
The spoof Saint Laurent ad is, in fact, an edited shot of Lindsay Lohan modeling for Fornarina in fall 2010
The image, which appeared on the blog of Daniel Pianetti, showed her sat in court apparently admiring her lawyer’s LV embossed briefcase.
And like the real ads, the photo was framed by a thick white border with the brand name spelled out in the bottom right-hand corner.
While Lindsay Lohan perhaps wouldn’t fit with Louis Vuitton’s glossy image, her look certainly works for Saint Laurent – especially given this season’s rock ‘n’ roll theme.
The troubled actress even worked with the label’s creative director Hedi Slimane in 2009.
Hedi Slimane, 44, who is also a photographer, captured her in a series of provocative shots for his own portfolio, around the time her apparent weight-loss was starting to make press.
However, for his latest Saint Laurent campaign, Hedi Slimane selected subjects to complement his music-inspired project.
He opted for American musicians including Courtney Love, Marilyn Manson, Los Angeles-based rock artist Ariel Pink and former Sonic Youth singer and guitarist Kim Gordon.
New Secret Service director Julia Pierson’s personal information has been hacked and published online according to new claims now under federal investigation.
The hacking would be the latest in a string of such incidents against top officials that include first lady Michelle Obama and CIA Director John Brennan.
The information on the website included a Social Security number, phone numbers, and a credit report that includes accounts with The Home Depot, Sears, and Macy’s.
It was unclear how much of the data that appeared on www.exposed.re was accurate or who posted it.
The website appeared to have information about other government officials and celebrities that had been published online previously at another Internet address, www.exposed.su.
That address appears to have been taken down after its launch last month.
Julia Pierson’s personal information has been hacked in her first days as Secret Service director
In that one-month period the former site was viewed more than a half a million times, Information Week reports. The latest site reports more than 770,000 page views and counting.
“We are investigating and we are aware of the matter,” a Secret Service spokesman said without commenting further.
Julia Pierson was sworn into office on March 27 and is the first woman to head the Secret Service which protects the US president.
An FBI spokeswoman said they are aware of the reports but she would not say whether the federal bureau was investigating them.
The Internet domain country code for the island of Reunion is .re, while .su was the domain code for the Soviet Union.
