Monday, February 16, 2026
Newsletter
Home Blog Page 1002

Silvio Berlusconi denies Ruby Rubacuori intimate ties

Diane A. Wade
-
0
Silvio Berlusconi denies Ruby Rubacuori intimate ties

Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has denied any “intimate ties” with underage prostitute Ruby Rubacuori he is charged with.

Speaking at his trial in Milan, Silvio Berlusconi said there were never scenes “of a sexual nature” at his home.

Silvio Berlusconi said the expression “bunga-bunga” to refer to alleged sex parties came from a joke he had used from time to time.

Referring to the charge of abusing his powers to get the girl, nicknamed Ruby, released from police custody, he denied ever having pressured Milan police.

The girl, Moroccan nightclub dancer Karima El-Mahroug, had been arrested for suspected theft.

Silvio Berlusconi, now 76, is accused of paying to have sex with Karima El-Mahroug – who is widely known as Ruby Rubacuori (“heart-stealer”) – in 2010 when she was 17.

In a statement before judges in Milan, he said she was 24 “as she herself said”.

Prosecutors maintain that the former prime minister had sex with Karima El-Mahroug on 13 occasions.

“I have never had any intimate relations with her,” Silvio Berlusconi said.

Silvio Berlusconi has denied any "intimate ties" with underage prostitute Ruby Rubacuori he is charged with
Silvio Berlusconi has denied any “intimate ties” with underage prostitute Ruby Rubacuori he is charged with

Karima El-Mahroug has always denied having sex with the prime minister when she was 17 – or being a prostitute.

“I can exclude with absolute certainty that there were ever any scenes of a sexual nature” at his Milan villa, the Italian media mogul and politician said.

Correspondents have promised wire-tap evidence expected to reveal how women were procured for parties at the villa.

The list of 78 witnesses named by Silvio Berlusconi includes Real Madrid footballer Cristiano Ronaldo, Hollywood star George Clooney and his girlfriend, and the Italian model and TV star Elisabetta Canalis.

All are said to have been guests at one of Silvio Berlusconi’s parties.

The former leader told the court on Wednesday that he had hosted dinners where everybody ate together – with him at the centre monopolizing the conversation. There had also been dancing at his children’s discotheque.

Silvio Berlusconi, who resigned over Italy’s economic crisis last November, is said to have urged police officers to release Ruby, allegedly telling them she was a granddaughter of former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

Referring to the abuse-of-power charge, he said: “I have never exercised pressure on officials of the Milan police.”

“The girl said she was Egyptian, coming from an important family related to Mubarak,” he said.

Silvio Berlusconi added that he had believed her and had telephoned police because he did not want to provoke “a diplomatic incident”, but that the call had been limited to “seeking information”.

Silvio Berlusconi faces up to 15 years in jail if found guilty.

 

EU reaches bank supervision deal

Clyde K. Valle
-
0
EU reaches bank supervision deal

European Union leaders have agreed to set up a single eurozone banking supervisor – a major step towards a banking union.

A legislative framework is to be in place by January 1st 2013, with the body starting work later next year.

The European Central Bank-led mechanism will have the power to intervene in any bank within the eurozone.

The deal appears to be a compromise between France and Germany, who earlier disagreed over the timing and over the number of banks the ECB would oversee.

The timetable remains important, because only when the body is fully operational will the eurozone’s rescue fund inject cash directly into ailing banks – so important for countries like Spain.

The deal was, at best, an uneasy compromise between the French and Germans and much wrangling lies ahead.

France and the EU Commission wanted joint banking supervision, with the ECB in the lead role, to become operational in January 2013.

But German Chancellor Angela Merkel stressed that national budget discipline should be the priority.

Germany had been at odds with the European Commission over the scope of the proposed ECB supervision. Under the draft plan, all 6,000 banks in the 17-nation eurozone would be included – Germany wanted it limited to the biggest, “systemic” banks.

Previously, the German government has expressed a desire to retain supervisory responsibility within Germany over the country’s Landesbanks – state-owned banks that play a key role in the economies and state finances of Germany’s federal regions.

Announcing the result of talks early on Wednesday, European Council President Herman Van Rompuy said the 27 EU member states had agreed to set up – by the end of this year – “a Single Supervisory Mechanism [SSM], to prevent banking risks and cross-border contagion from emerging”.

“Once this is agreed, the SSM could probably be effectively operational in the course of 2013,” he said.

EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said that the ECB “will be able to intervene if needed in any bank in the euro area”.

With new supervisory powers the ECB would be able to act early on to prevent a systemically dangerous accumulation of debt on a bank’s balance sheets.

And once the legal framework is in place the new permanent rescue fund, the European Stability Mechanism (ESM), will be able to recapitalize struggling banks directly, without adding to a country’s sovereign debt pile.

ECB supervision will not extend to the UK – Europe’s main financial centre, but outside the euro.

It is more than a theoretical possibility that the interests of the UK and City of London in shaping financial rules will be systematically ignored or overridden, he says.

Both Germany and France appeared to be claiming victory in the negotiations.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that the agreement was that “banks must be supervised in a differentiated way. That means that some will be direct… at the ECB level and others indirectly, via the national authorities.”

She also said that ECB President Mario Draghi had told her it would be a matter of some months before the ECB was ready to take on its new role.

Angela Merkel confirmed that the EU bailout funds would not be used to directly inject risk-absorbing capital into troubled eurozone banks until the new supervisory arrangements were in place.

A decision about how to recapitalize Spain’s banks will be made in the next couple of weeks, according to Jean-Claude Juncker, who chairs the Eurogroup of finance ministers.

French President Francois Hollande said there had been no discussion of a possible request by the Spanish government for a bailout of its own finances.

But he said “the worst is behind us”.

“We are on track to solve the problems that for too long have been paralyzing the eurozone and made it vulnerable,” Francois Hollande told a news conference.

EU leaders agreed that the ECB’s new bank supervisory responsibilities would be strictly separated from its role in setting monetary policy.

The banking union plan is fraught with legal complications, as it would give more powers to the ECB and possibly weaken those of national regulators.

There is speculation that it could lead to treaty changes – something that has caused big headaches for the EU in the past.

The UK wants safeguards to protect the powers of the Bank of England.

Jose Manuel Barroso said the arrangement would be “as inclusive as legally possible for non-euro members to join if they want to”.

Earlier, Angela Merkel called for the EU to be given the power to veto member states’ budgets. She said the EU economics commissioner should be given clear rights to intervene when national budgets violated the bloc’s rules.

 

Kim Han-sol, Kim Jong-un’s nephew, gives rare interview to Elisabeth Rehn in Bosnia

Diane A. Wade
-
0
Kim Han-sol, Kim Jong-un’s nephew, gives rare interview to Elisabeth Rehn in Bosnia

Kim Han-sol, the grandson of the late Kim Jong-il and nephew of North Korea leader Kim Jong-un, has given a rare TV interview from Bosnia, where he is studying.

Kim Han-sol, 17, said that he wished to ”make things better” for the people in his country.

He was speaking to former UN Under-Secretary General Elisabeth Rehn in an interview for Finnish television.

Kim Han-sol is the son of Kim Jong-nam, eldest brother of Kim Jong-un, who has been living in Macau and China.

“I’ve always dreamed that one day I would go back and make things better and make it easier for the people there,” said Kim Han-sol, in fluent English.

Sporting ear-studs, styled hair and a black suit, the teenager spoke of his dreams of reunification of the two Koreas in the televised interview.

Kim Han-sol had South Korean friends, he said, and while it was awkward when he first met them, ”little by little” they started to understand each other.

”Through meeting people, I’ve concluded that I will just take opinions from both sides, see what’s good and what’s bad, and make my own decisions,” he said.

It is not clear why Kim Han-sol agreed to the interview. He first drew international attention in October 2011, when pictures and comments on his Facebook page were reported by South Korean media.

His account was quickly blocked and it was reported that he would be studying at the United World College (UWC) in Mostar.

Kim Han-sol was speaking to former UN Under-Secretary General Elisabeth Rehn in an interview for Finnish television
Kim Han-sol was speaking to former UN Under-Secretary General Elisabeth Rehn in an interview for Finnish television

Elisabeth Rehn is the patron of the UWC initiative in Bosnia. She is also formerly Finland’s Minister of Defence and a UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Kim Han-sol said he had never met his grandfather or uncle. He described an isolated childhood spent mostly in Macau and China, after his birth in Pyongyang in 1995.

He only realized who his grandfather was after putting ”pieces of the puzzle” together as he grew up.

”I was actually waiting for him… till before he passed away, hoping he would come find me, because I really didn’t know if he knew that I existed,” he said.

On the succession, Kim Han-sol added that he did not know how his uncle, Kim Jong-un ”became a dictator”.

“It was between him and my grandfather,” he said.

His father, Kim Jong-nam, 39, was thought to have fallen out of favor in 2001 after he was caught trying to sneak into Japan using a false passport. He told officials that he was planning to visit Tokyo Disneyland.

Kim Jong-nam has maintained a low profile overseas but he was quoted by Japanese TV station Asahi in October 2011 as saying he was opposed to ”dynastic succession”.

“My dad was definitely not really interested in politics,” Kim Han-sol said, when asked why his father was passed over for succession.

As for his own future, he said he pictured himself going to university and then ”volunteering somewhere”.

”I would like to engage in more humanitarian projects… work to contribute to building world peace, especially back home because that is a really important part of me….” he said.

[youtube T_uSuCkKa3k]

Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom launch Unbreakable Joy perfume for holiday season

Lisa.Felice
-
0
Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom launch Unbreakable Joy perfume for holiday season

Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom are releasing their second scent just in time for the holiday season.

In the same way music artists monetize on the time of year for giving, Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom are hoping to increase their earnings with a follow-up perfume titled, Unbreakable Joy.

Playing on the first cologne called Unbreakable, the name simply screams Christmas.

When last year’s bottle hit the shelves they stated it was all their strong bond.

In a new statement, Khloe Kardashian, 28, describes how they channeled the most wonderful time of the year.

“The holiday season is all about surrounding yourself with the ones you adore, and we wanted to create a fragrance that really captures that overpowering joy you feel during this wonderful time,” Khloé Kardashian said.

The pair picked notes of fresh spices, champagne, jasmine, chocolate truffle, cedar wood and musk, which are apparently, the ingredients this charismatic couple surrounds themselves with during the holidays,’ according to a release.

In the advert, Khloe Kardashian can be seen wrapping her arms around her husband’s neck as she grins.

Her flowing brunette locks which cover one eye fall onto his bald head as they both look down the camera lens.

While the photograph is black and white the product stands out as it is allowed to be seen in its red glass bottle form.

The scent – which retails for $45 – features silver foil bubbles that represent champagne and the festive spirit of the season.

Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom are releasing their second perfume Unbreakable Joy just in time for the holiday season
Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom are releasing their second perfume Unbreakable Joy just in time for the holiday season

A handwritten note at the top of the print commercial reads: “A thing of beauty is a joy forever. Khloe you are my joy – Lamar”

At the bottom of the shot, it is introduced as “A blissful new fragrance from Khloe & Lamar”.

Khloe Kardashian has wasted no time in promoting it and has already made the print her Twitter background.

In her blog she wrote: “Lamar and I are beyond thrilled to announce the release of our second fragrance – Unbreakable Joy!!!! It’s out just for the holiday season, and our goal was to create a scent that embodies that wonderful feeling of pure love, happiness and joy that this time of year is all about.

“We poured our hearts into the creation of this fragrance and we’re so happy with how it turned out – we hope you are too!

“Unbreakable Joy is available online for a limited time at perfumania.com. I can’t wait to hear what you all think!”

 

French secret services stopped tracking Mohamed Merah

Roy Siemens
-
0
French secret services stopped tracking Mohamed Merah

Leaked documents suggest that French secret services stopped tracking Toulouse gunman Mohamed Merah, despite evidence of his extensive links to jihadists.

Le Monde newspaper says it has seen notes from the domestic intelligence agency DCRI describing his successful efforts to conceal his movements.

The judge investigating the case said he was perplexed by the DCRI decision.

Mohamed Merah killed seven people in March before being shot dead by police.

The victims included three soldiers and four Jewish people.

The leaked papers suggest there was more than just suspicion on the part of the French intelligence services.

Mohamed Merah had been tracked by the security services since 2006.

The report prepared for the French government and leaked to Le Monde cites a DCRI officer raising concerns about the man in March 2011.

The officer said Mohamed Merah rarely left his home and was paranoid and suspicious. He had no internet in his flat, did not appear to have a mobile phone and always used public telephone booths.

 

Another note, on 26 April 2011, reported that Mohamed Merah was violent to women for having shown disrespect to a Muslim.

The note said he glorified the murder of “Western infidels” in songs he composed, and he was photographed with a knife and Koran. He travelled frequently to the Middle East.

He had a long list of contacts to Islamist movements in the UK, the same leaked document says.

According to Le Monde, Mohamed Merah was last questioned in November 2011 and had great difficulty explaining a visit to Pakistan where he had been training with militants.

Just a week later, the DCRI suddenly stopped monitoring him.

Judge Christophe Teissier said he was surprised by the move.

The judge said Mohamed Merah’s profile was typical of a home-grown threat – he was independent, radicalized quickly, and did everything possible to conceal the support and training he was receiving.

In August, Le Monde said other documents it had seen showed Mohamed Merah had made more than 1,800 calls to over 180 contacts in 20 different countries.

Mohamed Merah was shot dead on 22 March after a huge manhunt culminated in a 32-hour stand-off with police at an apartment in Toulouse.

The Jewish victims included three children murdered at a school.

Mohamed Merah’s rampage, from 11 to 19 March, terrorized the region.

 

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen honored for their fashion influence at Innovator Of The Year Awards

Lisa.Felice
-
0
Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen honored for their fashion influence at Innovator Of The Year Awards

Former child stars Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen were honored for their fashion influence on Thursday as they attended WSJ Magazine’s Innovator Of The Year Awards in New York City.

The 26-year-old twins stepped up their appearance for the event at MOMA where they were joined by Vogue Editor-in-chief Anna Wintour.

The sisters wore silky clothing which was of course too big for them, curly-haired blonde Ashley wearing a deep V-neck back maxi dress and Mary-Kate keeping her hair in a bun to pair with her blue layered look.

Ashley Olsen added animal touches to her ensemble with a snake-style bracelet around her wrist and the animal’s skin on her maroon bag.

Mary-Kate Olsen flashed her toes in heeled sandals with her trouser suit and toted a patent shoulder bag.

Both bags were from their popular The Row line, which has helped the pair achieve their iconic style reputations.

They were given the Fashion category’s Innovator of the Year accolade for possessing “an eye for nearly monastic classicism that’s redefining American luxury”.

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen posed with Vogue editor in chief Anna Wintour
Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen posed with Vogue editor in chief Anna Wintour

Mary-Kate Olsen has been dating Olivier Sarkozy – the cavalier half-brother of former French president, Nicolas Sarkozy – despite him being 20 years her senior.

She also has a history of dating high profile men.

Mary-Kate Olsen was linked romantically to Heath Ledger before his death and dated Greek shipping heir and Paris Hilton’s ex Stavros Niarchos.

Other famous faces in attendance at the WSJ bash included actress Julianne Moore, who covered up in a black dress but flashed hints of skin with a sheer panels.

Revenge star Christa B. Allen opted for the androgynous look in an ebony suit.

 

Kim Kardashian’s birthday celebrated in Rome

Lisa.Felice
-
0
Kim Kardashian’s birthday celebrated in Rome

With the big 32 coming up for Kim Kardashian on Sunday, Kanye West must’ve known he had to pull out all the stops for her birthday weekend.

Kanye West, 35, whisked Kim Kardashian out to a romantic restaurant in Rome on Thursday night to kickstart the festivities.

And she looked delighted with the choice of Il Bolognese in the H’Errys Nar in Via Veneto.

The restaurant is, like it says on the tin, famous for its bolognese pasta.

Kanye West whisked Kim Kardashian out to a romantic restaurant in Rome on Thursday night
Kanye West whisked Kim Kardashian out to a romantic restaurant in Rome on Thursday night

The trip Europe is well-timed break from travails in Miami, where Kim Kardashian is currently residing.

The reality star has been in the Sunshine State with sisters Kourtney and Khloe as the ladies film the latest season of their spin-off show, Kourtney & Kim Take Miami.

The show chronicles their attempts to set up a new branch of their clothing store Dash and the trio have been seen scouting locations.

 

Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart finally confirm they’re back together

Lisa.Felice
-
0
Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart finally confirm they’re back together

Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart have finally confirmed they’re back together properly but not with a hoary old press statement, but rather a kiss!

They were spotted canoodling by 22-year-old Kristen Stewart’s pool at her new Los Feliz mansion on Wednesday; which as we reported, is just a stone’s throw about from Rob’s nest.

They could be seen laughing and cuddling each other before and after Kristen Stewart changed into a bikini and enjoyed a dip in her new blue lagoon.

In the pictures Robert Pattinson, 26, looks particularly content and happy; it’s the clearest sign yet that he’s forgiven his partner for three years for her transgression with married director, Rupert Sanders.

Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart have finally confirmed they're back together
Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart have finally confirmed they’re back together

In one picture, Robert Pattinson can be seen holding a mug and beaming like crazy at Kristen Stewart, who is wearing her bikini top and looks sodden from the pool.

To say he’s pleased to see her would be an understatement, Robert Pattinson has the look of man fixing a gaze upon the very apple of his eye.

In other pictures, Rob has given his snap-back cap to his girlfriend, who also wears it backwards… just like her man.

With Kristen in the cap, they can be seen kissing; both partner leaning in as much as the other in that rarest example of perfectly symmetrical body language.

In another they are pictured with their arms locked around each other from behind, not even a sliver of daylight has a chance of getting between the pair, they are literally inseparable.

You can see all the exclusive images on PopSugar.

Why we keep on betting until there’s nothing left to gamble

Kathryn R. Bown
-
0
Why we keep on betting until there’s nothing left to gamble

Gamblers interpret near-misses as frustrating losses rather than near wins, according to new research which sheds light on the compulsive nature of betting.

This sense of frustration from just losing out encourages the gambler to bet again, which in turn may contribute to addictive gambling behavior, the researchers say.

“Our findings support the hypothesis that these types of near-misses are a particularly frustrating form of loss, and contradict the supposition that they are a mis-categorised win,” said study author Dr. Mike Dixon.

“Specifically, following these types of near-misses, participants may be driven to spin again as quickly as possible to remove themselves from a particularly frustrating state.”

Dr. Mike Dixon and his colleagues’ work is published online in Springer’s Journal of Gambling Studies.

 

Google shares suspended for more than 2 hours after 20% drop in profits accidentally revealed early

Clyde K. Valle
-
0
Google shares suspended for more than 2 hours after 20% drop in profits accidentally revealed early

Google shares’ trading was suspended for two-and-a-half hours after the internet giant released its third-quarter results early by mistake.

Its quarterly profits fell 20% from a year earlier to $2.18 billion – below analysts’ expectations.

Google blamed financial printing firm RR Donnelley for filing an early draft of the results, which had been expected after the closing bell.

Shares in Google were down 9% when trading in the stock was suspended.

When trading resumed, the shares recovered slightly to end the day 8% lower.

Google chief executive Larry Page apologized to analysts on a conference call after the market closed.

“I’m sorry for the scramble earlier today,” he said, adding that the company had had a strong quarter.

In a statement after the inadvertent release, Google said: “Earlier this morning RR Donnelley, the financial printer, informed us that they had filed our draft 8K earnings statement without authorization.

“We have ceased trading on Nasdaq while we work to finalize the document. Once it’s finalized we will release our earnings, resume trading on Nasdaq and hold our earnings call as normal at 1:30 PST.”

Google chief executive Larry Page apologized to analysts on a conference call after the market closed
Google chief executive Larry Page apologized to analysts on a conference call after the market closed

The company’s draft results statement, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, was published at 09:30 Pacific time (16:30 GMT), three-and-a-half hours ahead of schedule.

It says “PENDING LARRY QUOTE” at the beginning, referring to chief executive Larry Page and indicating that it was not ready for publication.

Its final results statement, published at 12:00 Pacific time (19:00 GMT), included the following quotation from Larry Page: “We had a strong quarter. Revenue was up 45% year-on-year, and, at just fourteen years old, we cleared our first $14 billion revenue quarter.

“I am also really excited about the progress we’re making creating a beautifully simple, intuitive Google experience across all devices.”

Net revenue rose to $11.3 billion from $7.5 billion, but was still below forecasts.

Including websites that generate traffic for Google’s ads, revenue rose 45% to $14.1 billion.

The slide in Google’s share price took the company’s market value back down below that of Microsoft, which it had overtaken earlier this month.

Joe Saluzzi from Themis Trading said: “You can’t make those mistakes any more.”

He added: “Mistake or not, the earnings are earnings. The problem is when this happens in the middle of the day, there is no time for a conference call to massage it, there is no time for analysts’ questions and for an evaluation.”

Google completed the purchase of the loss-making mobile phone maker Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion earlier this year and has been struggling to turn the firm around.

Costs related to the acquisition – for employee stock compensation and restructuring charges – knocked Google’s overall results, as did the strong dollar.

The company said that if foreign exchange rates had been unchanged, its revenue would have been $136 million higher.

 

Recipe: Roasted sweet corn soup with salmon

Kathryn R. Bown
-
0
Recipe: Roasted sweet corn soup with salmon

Roasted sweet corn soup with salmon (4 serves)

INGREDIENTS

6 large sweet corn cobs

70 g (2½ oz) butter, melted

6 spring onions, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 small leek, cleaned and thinly sliced

1 small carrot, finely chopped

1 medium potato, peeled and finely diced

1.2 litres (2 pints) boiling hot vegetable stock

2 tsp lemon juice

50 ml (2fl oz) single cream

25 g (1oz) hot smoked salmon, skinned and flaked

Finely snipped dill to garnish

Roasted sweet corn soup with salmon
Roasted sweet corn soup with salmon

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/gas 6. Place the sweetcorn in a single layer in a roasting tin and brush with half the butter. Season and roast in the oven for 25-30 minutes, turning halfway through. Remove and allow to cool. Slice the kernels from the cobs. Set aside. Heat the rest of the butter in a pan. Add the spring onion, garlic, leek, carrot and potato, cover and cook gently for 12-15 minutes, stirring often. Add the stock and bring to boil. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the roasted kernels and cook gently for 5-6 minutes. Leave the soup to cool, then purée using a stick blender until smooth. Return to the pan, stir in the lemon juice and cream, and season to taste. Reheat gently. Divide the soup between warmed bowls and top with the salmon and dill.

 

EU Banking Union: Angela Merkel agenda for euro reform riles Francois Hollande at EU summit

Clyde K. Valle
-
0
EU Banking Union: Angela Merkel agenda for euro reform riles Francois Hollande at EU summit

German chancellor Angela Merkel has called for the EU to be given the power to veto member states’ budgets, as leaders meet in Brussels for a summit.

Angela Merkel said the EU economics commissioner should be given clear rights to intervene when national budgets violated the bloc’s rules.

But French President Francois Hollande said the summit must keep focused on plans for a banking union.

Francois Hollande wants action to revive growth, while Germany stresses budget discipline.

“The topic of this summit is not the fiscal union but the banking union, so the only decision that will be taken is to set up a banking union by the end of the year and especially the banking supervision. The other topic is not on the agenda,” Francois Hollande said.

The banking union plan is fraught with legal complications, as it would give more powers to the European Central Bank (ECB) and possibly weaken those of national regulators. There is speculation that it could lead to treaty changes – something that has caused big headaches for the EU in the past.

The aim is to agree first on joint banking supervision, with the ECB playing the lead role. But the UK – the EU’s main financial centre – wants safeguards to protect the powers of the Bank of England.

The UK and some of the other nine non-euro states are also concerned about voting rights in the proposed banking union.

France and Germany differ over the timetable for such a union, with Berlin advocating caution.

Germany is also at odds with the European Commission over the scope of the proposed ECB supervision. Under the plan, all 6,000 banks in the 17-nation eurozone would be included, but Germany wants it limited to the biggest, “systemic” banks.

As the summit got under way its chairman, European Council President Herman Van Rompuy, invited all 27 leaders to attend the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in Norway. The EU was awarded the prize last week.

“To mark this joyful occasion I hope all EU Heads of State or Government will be able to join celebrations in Oslo in December,” he said on Twitter.

But Greece, the eurozone state worst hit by the debt crisis, was gripped by another 24-hour general strike on Thursday, with at least 20,000 protesters thronging central Athens, amid clashes between demonstrators and police.

Addressing the German parliament in Berlin on Thursday morning, Angela Merkel said the EU should have “real rights to intervene in national budgets” that breached the limits of the EU’s growth and stability pact.

The EU’s economics commissioner, she suggested, should have the authority to send a budget back to a national parliament.

Unfortunately, Angela Merkel said, some EU member states were not ready for such a step.

“I am astonished that, no sooner does someone make a progressive proposal… the cry immediately comes that this won’t work, Germany is isolated, we can’t do it,” she added.

“This is not how we build a credible Europe.”

On the banking union Angela Merkel has repeatedly stressed that “quality must trump speed”.

Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt of Sweden, one of the 10 EU countries outside the euro, echoed her stance, saying “there are a lot of questions that need to be answered legally” and “it’s better to get things right than to rush things”.

The idea is that the ECB would be able to intervene early on to prevent a systemically dangerous accumulation of debt on a bank’s balance sheets.

Once the legal framework is in place the new permanent rescue fund, the European Stability Mechanism (ESM), will be able to recapitalize struggling banks directly, without adding to a country’s sovereign debt pile.

The prize is a system that avoids huge taxpayer-funded bailouts like those arranged for Greece, the Republic of Ireland and Portugal.

The summit is taking place amid calmer European stock markets than at previous meetings and with less immediate concern over the debt crises in Spain and Greece, analysts say.

UK Prime Minister David Cameron made it clear that improving the EU single market was his priority at the summit.

He said that in the “global race” there was a risk of the EU falling behind.

The EU single market “still isn’t finished, in digital, in services, in energy, and that is the agenda I’ll be pushing very hard at this council”, he said.

Later Finland’s Europe Minister, Alex Stubb, said the UK was looking increasingly isolated and the summit appeared to be “26 plus one”.

“I think Britain is right now, voluntarily, by its own will, putting itself in the margins,” he told Reuters news agency.

“It’s almost as if the boat is pulling away and one of our best friends is somehow saying ‘bye bye’ and there’s not really that much we can do about it.”

Banking union – Brussels’ 3-stage plan

• Single supervisory mechanism (SSM)

• Joint resolution scheme to wind down failing banks

• Joint deposit guarantee scheme

 

Martha Stewart admits she paints soles of her Christian Louboutin heels black

Lisa.Felice
-
0
Martha Stewart admits she paints soles of her Christian Louboutin heels black

Martha Stewart has admitted that she is not a fan of Christian Louboutin’ signature, and uses black paint to obscure it.

Martha Stewart, 71, told InStyle: “See the soles? I paint them black.”

Explaining the unlikely practice, which might be considered sacrilege by many fashionistas who covet the $700+ shoes, Martha Stewart continued: “I don’t like them red, even though they’re his trademark.”

But through the legendary French cobbler is famously protective over the red sole trademark – he sued YSL for using red soles on its red pumps, sparking a series of counterclaims which this week were finally dropped – it seems he doesn’t object to Martha Stewart customizing his designs.

“He doesn’t mind,” she said.

“He said it’s okay if I do that – I asked him!”

Martha Stewart has admitted that she is not a fan of Christian Louboutin' signature, and uses black paint to obscure it
Martha Stewart has admitted that she is not a fan of Christian Louboutin’ signature, and uses black paint to obscure it

Martha Stewart, whose empire is worth $638 million, was speaking yesterday at her inaugural American Made event.

It saw Grand Central Terminal’s Vanderbilt Hall turned into a hub of crafts, croissants and conversation with experts in the areas of gardening, decorating, cooking and fashion.

In a session called The Makers of American Fashion, Martha Stewart did a one-on-one interview with J Crew CEO Millard Drexler, and then led a panel discussion with Calvin Klein, Tory Burch and Ralph Rucci.

As the grande dame of the home, Martha Stewart said what she brought to the fashion table is an ability to sew, an affinity for design and a desire to promote American-grown talent.

The talent in question seemed to agree that the success of the industry lies largely with new ideas and the customers who will embrace them.

Right now, everything looks too similar, said Millard Drexler: “It’s a broken record around the world.”

It’s the person willing to be a “contrarian” that will leave the biggest impact, he said.

“In business, you must stay creative,” Calvin Klein added.

“If you give people what they will want, your business will grow.”

Tory Burch, who in eight years has grown from a kitchen-table idea into a global brand, said she takes inspiration anywhere she can get it: art, music or a book, for example. But she also has to keep regional trends and taste in mind.

There’s a big divide between Brazilian bathing suits with very little fabric and the covered-up customs in the Middle East, she said.

The goal, according to Tory Burch, is balance.

Ralph Rucci made the case that being a well-rounded person makes him a better designer, and that fashion doesn’t operate in a total vacuum. For him, painting is “my trap door”.

On the practical side, though, Millard Drexler said price is a factor in long-term success.

“As a kid, I realized you can never afford everything you want,” he said.

“Calvin [Klein] and Ralph [Lauren] were it, but they were more expensive than I thought it should be. No offense. But I didn’t think good taste should cost more.”

 

Google threatens French media ban

Nancy Clayson
-
0
Google threatens French media ban

Google has threatened to exclude French media sites from its search results if France goes ahead with plans to make search engines to pay for content.

In a letter sent to several ministerial offices, Google said such a law “would threaten its very existence”.

French newspaper publishers have been pushing for the law, saying it is unfair that Google receives advertising revenue from searches for news.

French Culture Minister Aurelie Filippetti also favors the idea.

Aurelie Filippetti told a parliamentary commission it was “a tool that it seems important to me to develop”.

Google France had said earlier that the plan “would be harmful to the internet, internet users and news websites that benefit from substantial traffic” that comes via Google’s search engine.

It said it redirected four billion clicks to French media pages each month.

Print newspapers have seen their incomes gradually eroded in recent years as consumers and advertisers turn to the web.

Previously the French government has considered introducing a tax on online advertising revenues but it later dropped the plan, worried it would hurt small local companies more than global internet giants.

“France has a track record of enacting laws to protect its local media interest that seem out of step with the conventional wisdom in other markets,” said Adrian Drury, an analyst with research firm Ovum.

“The question is whether by returning a search result Google is infringing the copyright of a site. The publishers will continue to contest this, but the general consensus is that it is not,” he added.

 

Saudi Arabia’s religious police to employ women

Diane A. Wade
-
0
Saudi Arabia’s religious police to employ women

The head of Saudi Arabia’s religious police has said there is a pressing need to employ more women in the force.

Speaking to the official Saudi Gazette newspaper, Abdul Latif Abdul Aziz al-Sheikh said he hoped a recruitment drive would take place soon.

Saudi’s religious police enforce the kingdom’s strict Islamic laws, including dress and prayer times.

Correspondents say the introduction of women could be a sign of the king’s cautiously reformist agenda.

Earlier this month, Abdul Latif Abdul Aziz al-Sheikh announced that he would curb the powers of the religious police, known as the “mutawa”.

He himself was appointed in January to deal with growing public anger about excessive behavior by the force.

Recently, a mobile phone clip of a religious policeman ordering a young woman to leave a mall because of her make-up went viral on the internet.

There is no indication that the introduction of women into the religious police would necessarily make the rules any less strict, but it would boost the presence of women in public life.

The sanctioned duties of the mutawa, officially known as the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, include preventing women driving, enforcing modest dress codes, policing bans on public entertainment and making sure all businesses close for prayers five times a day.

Although Saudi Arabia remains a deeply conservative country, King Abdallah has recently introduced some cautious political and social reforms.

In September 2011, he announced that women would be given the right to vote and run in future municipal elections.

 

Pianist Fazil Say in court for insulting Muslims values

Diane A. Wade
-
0
Pianist Fazil Say in court for insulting Muslims values

World-famous Turkish pianist Fazil Say has appeared in court in Istanbul charged with inciting hatred and insulting the values of Muslims.

Fazil Say is being prosecuted over tweets he wrote mocking radical Muslims, in a case which has rekindled concern about religious influence in the country.

Fazil Say, who denies the charges, said recently he was “amazed” at having to appear before judges.

Rejecting an acquittal call, the court adjourned the case until 18 February.

Prosecutors brought the charges against Fazil Say in June. He faces a maximum sentence of 18 months in prison although correspondents say any sentence is likely to be suspended.

The indictment against him cites some of his tweets from April, including one where he says: “I am not sure if you have also realized it, but if there’s a louse, a non-entity, a lowlife, a thief or a fool, it’s always an Islamist.”

Fazil Say has appeared in court in Istanbul charged with inciting hatred and insulting the values of Muslims
Fazil Say has appeared in court in Istanbul charged with inciting hatred and insulting the values of Muslims

Dozens of the pianist’s supporters gathered outside the courthouse with banners, one of which called on the ruling Islamist-based AK Party to “leave the artists alone”.

Fazil Say has played with the New York Philharmonic, the Berlin Symphony Orchestra and others, and has served as a cultural ambassador for the EU.

Egemen Bagis, Turkey’s minister in charge of relations with the EU, suggested the case against him should be dismissed, saying the court should regard his tweets as being within “his right to babble”.

However, Egemen Bagis also criticized the pianist for “insulting people’s faith and values”.

 

Katherine Hepburn’s style celebrated in New York exhibition

Sonia Pantiss
-
0
Katherine Hepburn’s style celebrated in New York exhibition

Katharine Hepburn was an early pioneer of androgynous fashion, appearing on set dressed in high-waisted pants and button-down shirts.

And now a new exhibition, which opened in New York today, pays homage to Katharine Hepburn’ chic sense of style, which was decidedly unconventional in the Thirties and Forties, when feminine dresses were the order of the day.

Curators say one of the first things visitors to the Katharine Hepburn: Dressed for Stage and Screen exhibit will note, is how slender the American star was, as she had just a 20-inch waist.

The display, at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, featuring forty items of Katharine Hepburn’s clothing, will run through to January 12.

Katharine Hepburn, who died in 2003 at age 96, saved almost all the costumes from her long career that included four Oscars and such memorable films as The Philadelphia Story, The African Queen, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner and On Golden Pond.

She also had an impressive personal collection and a grouping of seven khaki pants artfully arranged on a pair of mannequin legs, illustrate her personal sense of style.

The fiercely independent Katharine Hepburn famously once said: “Anytime I hear a man say he prefers a woman in a skirt, I say, <<Try one. Try a skirt>>.”

Jean Druesedow, co-curator of the exhibition and director of the Kent State University Museum, which was given 700 items from Katharine Hepburn’s estate, said: “The fact that she wore slacks and wanted to be comfortable influenced women’s ready-to-wear in the United States.

“That image said to the American woman <<Look you don’t have to be in your girdle and stockings and tight dress. You can be comfortable>>. That was probably the first aspect of becoming a fashion icon.”

Katharine Hepburn was an early pioneer of androgynous fashion
Katharine Hepburn was an early pioneer of androgynous fashion

The strong-willed actress known for taking charge of her career worked closely with all her designers to decide her performing wardrobe.

“They understood what would help her characters, what she would feel comfortable wearing… how it would support the story,” Jean Druesedow said.

Margaret Furse, an English designer who created Katharine Hepburn’s wardrobes for The Lion in Winter, A Delicate Balance and Love Among the Ruins, went shopping with the star and talked extensively about what kinds of things would set the scene.

Among the highlights is a stunning satin and lace wedding gown created by Howard Greer for her role as Stella Surrege in The Lake.

The 1933 production was her first major Broadway role and also a huge flop. Writer and wit Dorothy Parker described her performance as running “the gamut of emotion from A to B”.

The experience taught Katharine Hepburn to have a bigger say in what roles she accepted, said Barbara Cohen-Stratyner, curator of exhibitions at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.

When she really liked a costume she had copies made for herself, sometimes in a different color or fabric.

A silk dress and coat by Norman Hartnell from Suddenly, Last Summer and a green raw silk jumpsuit by Valentina from The Philadelphia Story were among the pieces she had copied.

Comfort was paramount to Katharine Hepburn – being able to throw her leg over a chair or sit on the floor. She always wore her uniform – khakis and a shirt – to rehearsals and pant ensembles to publicity appearances.

A companion book, Katharine Hepburn: Rebel Chic, describes how RKO executives hid Hepburn’s trousers in an effort to persuade her to abandon them.

“Her response was to threaten to walk around the lot naked. Though she only stripped down as far as her silk underwear before stepping out of her dressing room, she made her point – and she got her trousers back,” fashion writer Nancy MacDonell wrote in an essay for the book.

But comfort didn’t mean sacrificing style – and she certainly knew how to be glamorous especially when a role called for it.

In her private life, Katharine Hepburn shopped at the major cutting-edge New York couturiers and worked with the best costume shops of the period, including Muriel King and Valentina, said Barbara Cohen-Stratyner.

“She really appreciated good fabric and good construction,” she said.

“Even her trousers are couture.”

The exhibition is supplemented by film clips, movie posters, and archival photographs of Katharine Hepburn wearing the very costumes worn by the mannequins. Her false eyelashes, makeup trays and sensible shoes are also on display.

 

Apple loses appeal versus Samsung in UK

Nancy Clayson
-
0
Apple loses appeal versus Samsung in UK

Apple has lost its appeal against a UK ruling that Samsung had not infringed its tablet design rights.

A judge at the High Court in London had originally ruled in July that the look of Samsung’s Galaxy Tab computers was not too similar to designs registered in connection with the iPad.

He said at the time that Samsung’s devices were not as “cool” because they lacked Apple’s “extreme simplicity”.

Apple still needs to run ads saying Samsung had not infringed its rights.

The US firm had previously been ordered to place a notice to that effect – with a link to the original judgement – on its website and place other adverts in the Daily Mail, Financial Times, T3 Magazine and other publications to “correct the damaging impression” that Samsung was a copycat.

The appeal judges decided not to overturn the decision on the basis that a related Apple design-rights battle in the German courts risked causing confusion in consumers’ minds.

“The acknowledgment must come from the horse’s mouth,” they said.

“Nothing short of that will be sure to do the job completely.”

However, they added that the move need not “clutter” Apple’s homepage as it would only have to add a link entitled “Samsung/Apple judgement” for a one-month period.

A spokeswoman for Samsung said it welcomed the latest ruling.

“We continue to believe that Apple was not the first to design a tablet with a rectangular shape and rounded corners and that the origins of Apple’s registered design features can be found in numerous examples of prior art.

“Should Apple continue to make excessive legal claims in other countries based on such generic designs, innovation in the industry could be harmed and consumer choice unduly limited.”

Apple declined to comment. It can still appeal to the UK Supreme Court, otherwise the ruling applies across the European Union.

Three judges were involved in the Court of Appeal review of the case.

Apple had reasserted its claim saying that the front face and overall shape of the tablets was the most important factor – rather than the overall design – because users would spend most of their time looking at a tablet’s screen and holding it.

One of the judges – who noted he owned an iPad himself – explained why Apple had lost the appeal in his ruling.

“Because this case (and parallel cases in other countries) has generated much publicity, it will avoid confusion to say what this case is about and not about,” wrote Sir Robin Jacob.

“It is not about whether Samsung copied Apple’s iPad. Infringement of a registered design does not involve any question of whether there was copying: the issue is simply whether the accused design is too close to the registered design according to the tests laid down in the law.”

“So this case is all about, and only about, Apple’s registered design and the Samsung products.”

Sir Robin Jacob noted that Samsung’s decision to place its logo on the front of its devices distinguished them from Apple’s registered design which said there should be “no ornamentation”.

He also highlighted the fact that the sides of the iPad’s design – which featured a “sharp edge” – were significantly different from those of the Galaxy Tabs.

In addition, Sir Robin Jacob wrote that Samsung’s designs were “altogether busier” with a more varied use of color on the devices’ rear and their inclusion of a thicker section to house a camera.

Apple has now lost a series of lawsuits against Samsung based on the design of their tablets.

These include cases in the Netherlands, Australia and US – despite sometimes winning temporary sales bans.

However, the California-based company has been more successful with other claims.

Most notably a US jury proposed Samsung should pay Apple a $1.05 billion fine for infringing several software patents, and the look and feel of the iPhone. Samsung is appealing the verdict.

 

Sylvia Kristel, Emmanuelle star, dies aged 60

Sonia Pantiss
-
0
Sylvia Kristel, Emmanuelle star, dies aged 60

Dutch actress Sylvia Kristel, who starred in the 1974 erotic French film Emmanuelle, has died aged 60.

“She died during the night during her sleep,” her agent, Marieke Verharen, told the AFP news agency.

Sylvia Kristel, who had cancer, was admitted to hospital in July after suffering a stroke.

Emmanuelle, which told the story of a sexually promiscuous housewife, spawned numerous sequels and played in a cinema on the Champs-Elysees for 11 years.

Released in 1974, the soft-focus French film was one of the first erotic movies to be shown in mainstream cinemas.

Sylvia Kristel herself attributed its success to the changing censorship laws of the era.

“In a lot of countries the light went on, and that contributed very much to the success,” she said.

Sylvia Kristel went on to star in several Emmanuelle sequels, as well as more mainstream films – many of which, like Lady Chatterley’s Lover and Mata Hari, played on her reputation as an erotic film star.

Sylvia Kristel, who starred in the 1974 erotic French film Emmanuelle, has died aged 60
Sylvia Kristel, who starred in the 1974 erotic French film Emmanuelle, has died aged 60

Born in Utrecht, Holland, in 1952, Sylvia Kristel grew up with her younger sister Marianne in Room 21 of The Commerce Hotel, which her parents owned.

Convent-educated, she fled her strict Calvinist upbringing for Amsterdam as a teenager, where she worked as a secretary and a waitress before becoming a model.

Aged 21, Sylvia Kristel won two beauty competitions – Miss TV Holland and Miss TV Europe – and, shortly afterwards, was encouraged to pursue acting by her boyfriend, Belgian author Hugo Claus.

She had already appeared nude in the film Because of the Cats, when she stumbled into the audition for Emmanuelle, having been sent to a casting call for a soap powder commercial next door.

Speaking to The Evening Standard in 1994, she said she had no problem convincing director Just Jaeckin of her suitability for the part.

“He asked me to take my dress off,” she said.

“Luckily it was an easy dress to take off.

“It had spaghetti straps which I just slipped over my shoulders and it just fell off. I carried on talking and smoking in the nude. I was not inhibited at all. I’d done nude modeling and he thought I was very graceful.”

Set in Thailand, the film was based on the erotic novel by Emmanuelle Arsan. It told the story of a bored wife, who had followed her diplomat husband to Asia, and filled her time with romantic trysts.

On release, Emmanuelle inevitably caused controversy. It was banned in Paris, where it was supposed to have its premiere, for six months. But it also made Sylvia Kristel a star.

She spent seven years in Hollywood, appearing in such films as The Concorde: Airport ’79, and Private Lessons.

But the actress, whose parents were both alcoholics, soon found herself addicted to drink and drugs.

“I sometimes needed a shot before doing certain scenes,” she said.

“It definitely comforted me and gave me courage. But then it turned out that I almost couldn’t start a day without a drink.”

By this time she had left Hugo Claus, with whom she had a son, for British actor Ian McShane. Their relationship was volatile. In her autobiography, she described it as “awful – he was witty and charming but we were too much alike”.

Further relationships followed. She wed American millionaire Alan Turner, who ended their marriage after five months, telling Sylvia Kristel he had made a terrible mistake.

Her second husband, would-be director Philippe Blot, persuaded her to bankroll his films. They were disastrously received.

Sylvia Kristel said she left the marriage with $400 to her name.

“If I’d known then what I know now, I probably wouldn’t have gone ahead with any of the relationships I was involved in, with the exception of Hugo,” she told the Daily Mail in 1993.

She stopped appearing nude on screen in the 1980s because her son, Arthur, was being “teased at school”, but returned to the Emmanuelle series in 1994, in a direct-to-video sequel where she appeared, fully-clothed, reminiscing about the exploits of her younger alter-ego.

After leaving America, Sylvia Kristel retreated to the South of France to paint, specializing in female portraits and pictures of roses. She was diagnosed with both throat and lung cancer in the early 2000s and fought the disease over the last decade.

Her agent declined to say whether Sylvia Kristel died at home or at hospital, but said her funeral would be private.

 

Newsweek magazine will become an online-only publication

Clyde K. Valle
-
0
Newsweek magazine will become an online-only publication

Newsweek, the 80-year-old US current affairs magazine, is to become an online-only publication.

The last print edition will be on 31 December, reflecting the trend for newspapers and magazines to move online as traditional advertising declines.

Newsweek merged with the internet news group the Daily Beast two years ago.

The Daily Beast’s founder, Tina Brown, said its site now had more than 15 million unique visitors a month, a 70% increase on last year.

Tina Brown said in a statement: “Exiting print is an extremely difficult moment for all of us who love the romance of print and the unique weekly camaraderie of those hectic hours before the close on Friday night.

“But as we head for the 80th anniversary of Newsweek next year, we must sustain the journalism that gives the magazine its purpose – and embrace the all-digital future.

“This decision is now about the quality of the brand or the journalism – that is as powerful as ever. It is about the challenging economics of print publishing and distribution.”

Newsweek is to become an online-only publication
Newsweek is to become an online-only publication

Newsweek rose to become the second largest US news weekly magazine, behind Time. But declining circulation and advertising saw it fall into losses.

It was sold by the Washington Post Company to Sidney Harman in August 2010, and was merged with the Daily Beast three months later.

Tina Brown, who became Lady Evans when her husband Harold Evans, the legendary journalist, was knighted, is a former editor of Vanity Fair and The New Yorker.

She teamed up with Barry Diller to launch The Daily Beast in 2008. The website’s name comes from the fictional newspaper in Evelyn Waugh’s 1938 novel Scoop.

 

America’s Next Top Model will include male contestants

Lisa.Felice
-
0
America’s Next Top Model will include male contestants

For almost a decade America’s Next Top Model has been a female-only contest, but male contestants will be accepted for the first time starting with the show’s next season.

Tyra Banks, the series’ creator and host, took to Twitter to convey her excitement, writing: “ANTM 20. Bring on the boys!”

Both male and female models will live in the same house, and all will battle it out to be crowned winner.

America’s Next Top Model first aired in 2003, and there have since been 19 cycles of the series.

It was confirmed yesterday that cycle 20 will debut in 2013 on the CW network, although a specific premiere date has not yet been announced.

It is only known that the show will start airing in summer instead of the fall, in a bid to boost ratings.

There is also no word on who will feature on the judging panel.

Tyra Banks shook up the series when she parted ways with Nigel Barker, Jay Manuel and J Alexander.

The three were replaced with male model Rob Evans, Johnny Wujek as photo shoot creative consultant and social media correspondent Bryanboy.

The judge panel for Cycle 19 also saw the addition of Kelly Cutrone.

America’s Next Top Model is currently in the midst of its 19th cycle, which stars college students.

 

Demi Moore looks healthy at GEMS gala in New York

Lisa.Felice
-
0
Demi Moore looks healthy at GEMS gala in New York

It has been reported in recent weeks that Demi Moore has been worrying friends amid claims she’s “struggling to cope” with split from Ashton Kutcher.

But on Wednesday night, Demi Moore single-handedly dismissed the reports as she attended a charity gala.

Demi Moore, 49, glowed as she posed up for photographs inside the Girls Educational and Mentoring Services Benefit Gala in New York City.

The actress also cut a much healthier figure than she has at previous red carpet events.

Despite having previously sparked concern with her scarily skinny figure, Demi Moore appeared to have gained some weight, and showed off her new figure in a fitted patterned dress.

Earlier in the evening, Demi Moore had chosen not to walk the red carpet into the event, instead opting to head inside via a side entrance.

However, once inside the event, Demi Moore was happy to pose up for photographs, both alone and the charity director Rachel Lloyd.

Demi Moore was there to help bring in cash for GEMS – which was founded in 1998 while currently being the largest service provider to commercially sexually exploited and domestically trafficked girls in the United States.

Demi Moore glowed as she posed up for photographs inside the Girls Educational and Mentoring Services Benefit Gala in New York City
Demi Moore glowed as she posed up for photographs inside the Girls Educational and Mentoring Services Benefit Gala in New York City

The event included the reading of excerpts from the memoir of Rachel Lloyd, read by stars including Jada Pinkett Smith, Natasha Lyonne, and India Arie.

It was claimed recently that Demi Moore has been finding it difficult to cope with news of estranged husband Ashton Kutcher’s relationship with Mila Kunis.

Ashton Kutcher, 34, has been stepping out regularly with Mila Kunis and often putting on public displays of affection.

After Ashton Kutcher’s indiscretions with a woman in San Diego on their sixth wedding anniversary in 2001 were exposed, Demi Moore is said to be getting increasingly embarrassed by his antics.

A source told People magazine: “Her friends aren’t convinced she’s all better.”

In August Demi Moore attended an 80s-themed birthday party for friend and actress Soleil Moon Frye in which one partygoer described her as “a little more subdued that she’s been in the past”.

The magazine also reveals that as well as Moore, his friends were surprised by Ashton Kutcher’s romance with Mila Kunis.

A friend said: “I would have never believed Ashton could get serious this fast.

“He was so happy to get out from under the stagnant relationship with Demi that he was overeager to play around and have fun. But it didn’t take long to bring him home again.”

 

Madagascar palms face extinction due to land clearing

James J. Williams
-
0
Madagascar palms face extinction due to land clearing

An environment protection group says that the majority of Madagascar’s palms face extinction due to land clearing.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) said 83% of the 192 tree varieties had been added to its threatened species list.

The group called the figures “terrifying”, saying the tree loss also endangered animals and put people’s livelihoods at risk.

The findings bring the global number of species at risk of dying out to 20,219.

The IUCN’s global director for biodiversity conservation, Jane Smart, said the latest study showed the situation could no longer be ignored.

“The figures on Madagascar’s palms are truly terrifying, especially as the loss of palms impacts both the unique biodiversity of the island and its people,” she said.

Madagascar is the world’s fourth biggest island after Greenland, New Guinea and Borneo.

Because of its isolation most of its mammals, half its birds, and most of its plants exist nowhere else on Earth.

Palm trees represent an integral part of the island’s biodiversity, with many of its poorest communities relying on the trees to provide housing and food.

The raw materials are used to build houses, utensils and crafts, as well as to produce food, drinks and medicine.

But forests have been rapidly shrinking as land is being cleared for agriculture and logging.

Excessive palm heart harvesting has also put the trees at risk.

“The majority of Madagascar’s palms grow in the island’s eastern rain forests, which have already been reduced to less than one quarter of their original size and which continue to disappear,” the IUCN’s Dr. William Baker said.

Animals like the lemur have fallen victim to the domino effect of deforestation, which destroys essential habitat.

“The high extinction risk faced by Madagascar’s palms reflects the decline in these forests, which threatens all of the remarkable wildlife that occurs there,” Dr. William Baker said.

The worldwide number of animals and plants on the IUCN’s Red List of Threatened Species is now 65,518.

 

Vitamins lower male cancer risk

Kathryn R. Bown
-
0
Vitamins lower male cancer risk

US researchers have claimed that taking a daily multivitamin pill may lower the risk of developing cancer in men.

Their study followed nearly 15,000 men, aged over 50, for more than a decade.

The findings, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, reported a small reduction in cancer cases in men taking vitamin pills.

But experts warned that other studies had found the opposite effect and that eating a diet packed with fruit and vegetables was a safer bet.

Vitamin supplements are recommended for some groups of people, such as vitamin D in the over 65s.

However, the benefits of multivitamins on general health have been mixed. Some studies suggest they cause more harm than good when taken by healthy people while others have shown no benefit in cancer.

Doctors at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School analyzed data from men who were given either a multivitamin or a sugar pill every day.

There were 17 cancers per 1,000 people taking multivitamins per year compared with 18 cancers per 1,000 people taking the dummy pills per year.

One of the researchers, Dr. Howard Sesso said: “Many studies have suggested that eating a nutritious diet may reduce a man’s risk of developing cancer.

“Now we know that taking a daily multivitamin, in addition to addressing vitamin and mineral deficiencies, may also be considered in the prevention of cancer in middle-aged and older men.”

The researchers do not know if a similar effect would be seen in women or in younger men.

 

Honey Boo Boo discovers cupcake ATM in Beverly Hills

Lisa.Felice
-
0

Only in LA would you find an ATM machine that dispenses cupcakes and Honey Boo Boo and her family sought it out pretty much immediately after arriving on the West Coast.

Honey Boo Boo, 7, was as excited as can be to make her selection, and even stuck her head into the machine while still eating her first cake.

Everyone’s favorite reality star was joined by her mother June Shannon.

Here Comes Honey Boo Boo reality show star recently endorsed President Barack Obama as her choice to continue his run as Commander in Chief.

Honey Boo Boo, real name Alana Thompson, appeared on Jimmy Kimmel this week, where her mother revealed she is saving the profits from her young daughter’s fame in a fund for her.

June Shannon told Jimmy Kimmel: “I am the manager, the agent in all of this. I know what’s best for my kids… that’s why I chose to put money in the trust fund.

“This journey may last six months or it may last a year but I don’t want ten years down the road Alana or any of the kids to be thinking, <<oh my god, I have nothing to show for it>>. So I wanted to put it in a trust fund, split equally for all the kids.

“So most of the money is there, and the other money goes to our community outreach programmes like the UR brand that we raise for anti-bullying.”

Honey Boo Boo says she doesn’t get her own allowance just yet, but that Mama gives her money to go to the store.

“Like if I wanna go to the store, she gives me my own money. I buy some candy or somethin’, or somethin’ to eat,” she said.

On her nickname as “coupon queen”, June Shannon admitted: “Unfortunately because we’ve had a busy schedule I don’t get to coupon as much as I used to, but when I do get to coupon… oh boy.

“It’s kind of like an addictive drug for me, you save money for your family, but I could be a multimillionaire and I’d still save family for my family.”

 

1...1,0011,0021,003...1,243Page 1,002 of 1,243