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Edward Snowden thanks Russia for granting him temporary asylum

Diane A. Wade
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Edward Snowden thanks Russia for granting him temporary asylum

Edward Snowden has thanked Russia for granting him temporary asylum, allowing him to leave the Moscow airport where he has been holed up since June.

In a statement, Edward Snowden also accused the US government of showing “no respect” for international law.

The US has charged Edward Snowden with leaking details of its electronic surveillance programmes.

Washington has expressed its “extreme disappointment” at Russia’s decision.

White House spokesman Jay Carney said they were considering whether a meeting between US President Barack Obama and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in September should go ahead.

The latest developments came amid fresh revelations from the cache of documents leaked by Edward Snowden.

Documents seen by the UK’s Guardian newspaper appear to show the US government paid at least $150 million to the UK’s GCHQ spy agency to secure access to and influence over Britain’s intelligence gathering programmes.

Edward Snowden’s lawyer, Anatoly Kucherena, said the former CIA contractor had left Sheremetyevo Airport at about 14:00 local time for an undisclosed destination.

Showing a photocopy of the document issued to his client, he described Edward Snowden as “the most pursued man on the planet”.

Anatoly Kucherena said Edward Snowden was being looked after by a legal expert from the whistleblowing organization WikiLeaks.

Russia’s Federal Migration Service later officially confirmed that Edward Snowden had been granted temporary asylum for one year, Interfax news agency reported.

Russia granted Edward Snowden temporary asylum, allowing him to leave the Moscow airport
Russia granted Edward Snowden temporary asylum, allowing him to leave the Moscow airport

In a statement issued on the WikiLeaks website, Edward Snowden said: “Over the past eight weeks we have seen the Obama administration show no respect for international or domestic law, but in the end the law is winning.

“I thank the Russian Federation for granting me asylum in accordance with its laws and international obligations.”

President Barack Obama and President Vladimir Putin had been scheduled to meet on the sidelines of a G20 summit in early September in Saint Petersburg.

However, Jay Carney said: “We’re extremely disappointed that the Russian government would take this step despite our very clear and lawful requests in public and in private to have Mr. Snowden expelled to the United States to face the charges against him.

“We’re evaluating the utility of a summit in light of this and other issues.”

Earlier, Senator Robert Menendez, chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee, described Thursday’s development as “a setback to US-Russia relations”.

“Edward Snowden is a fugitive who belongs in a United States courtroom, not a free man deserving of asylum in Russia,” he said.

Republican Senator John McCain also issued a stinging rebuke, saying Russia’s actions were “a disgrace and a deliberate effort to embarrass the United States”.

“It is a slap in the face of all Americans. Now is the time to fundamentally rethink our relationship with Putin’s Russia. We need to deal with the Russia that is, not the Russia we might wish for,” he said.

Vladimir Putin has said previously that Edward Snowden could receive asylum in Russia on condition he stopped leaking US secrets.

The Russian president’s foreign policy adviser, Yury Ushakov, said the situation was “rather insignificant” and should not influence relations with the US.

Information leaked by Edward Snowden first surfaced in the Guardian newspaper in early June.

It showed that the National Security Agency (NSA) was collecting the telephone records of tens of millions of Americans.

The systems analyst also disclosed that the NSA had tapped directly into the servers of nine internet firms including Facebook, Google, Microsoft and Yahoo to track online communication in a surveillance programme known as PRISM.

PRISM was allegedly also used by Britain’s electronic eavesdropping agency, GCHQ. The agency was further accused of sharing vast amounts of data with the NSA.

Allegations that the NSA had spied on its EU allies caused indignation in Europe.

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Silvio Berlusconi jail term for tax fraud confirmed

Diane A. Wade
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Silvio Berlusconi jail term for tax fraud confirmed

Rome’s Court of Cassation has upheld a prison sentence given to former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi for tax fraud.

When he was convicted last October, Silvio Berlusconi was sentenced to four years in prison but this was automatically reduced to a year under a 2006 pardon law.

Silvio Berlusconi faces house arrest or community service instead of going to jail because of his age – he is 76.

However, the court ordered a review of a five-year ban on public office that was part of the original sentence.

It is Silvio Berlusconi’s first definitive conviction in up to 30 court cases on a variety of charges.

The ruling by Rome’s Court of Cassation came after a three-day hearing.

Rome's Court of Cassation has upheld a prison sentence given to Silvio Berlusconi for tax fraud
Rome’s Court of Cassation has upheld a prison sentence given to Silvio Berlusconi for tax fraud

The judicial review of the five-year ban from public office will enable Berlusconi to remain as a senator and as leader of his centre-right People of Freedom Party (PDL) for now.

It is a devastating judgement against the former prime minister, although he will be relieved that judges ordered a review of the political ban.

Silvio Berlusconi’s party is one half of Italy’s coalition government: Prime Minister Enrico Letta needs both the PDL and his own centre-left Democratic Party to govern.

Italian President Giorgio Napolitano issued a statement after the court ruling, urging the country to stay calm.

“The country needs to rediscover serenity and cohesion on vitally important institutional matters which have for too long seen it divided and unable to enact reforms,” he said.

The original ruling said that Silvio Berlusconi’s Mediaset media empire had inflated the price it had paid for film distribution rights to avoid paying taxes.

He was labeled the “author of a whole system of tax fraud”.

The three-time prime minister and senator has faced a string of trials since leaving office in November 2011.

Appeals are pending in other cases in which he was convicted of having paid for s** with an underage prostitute, and arranging for a police wiretap to be leaked and published in a newspaper.

Two other alleged tax evasion cases, one of them involving British lawyer David Mills, expired under the statute of limitations.

Silvio Berlusconi accuses magistrates from his home city of Milan of pursuing a “vendetta” against him.

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Michelle Knight reads statement during Ariel Castro sentencing

Nancy Clayson
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Michelle Knight reads statement during Ariel Castro sentencing

Michelle Knight, one of three women held in Cleveland horrors house for about a decade, has told their captor Ariel Castro will “face hell for eternity”, as he was jailed for life.

Michelle Knight, 32, wept as she delivered her victim impact statement before Ariel Castro.

Ariel Castro, a 53-year-old former school bus driver, who was imprisoned for life without parole, plus 1,000 years, told the court he was not a monster.

The court heard Ariel Castro kept his victims chained up and repeatedly raped them.

The captives, Michelle Knight, 32, Amanda Berry, 27, and Gina DeJesus, 23, were rescued in May after one of them escaped from the Cleveland home.

Passing sentence on Thursday, Judge Michael Russo told Ariel Castro there was no place in the world for people who enslave others.

In her statement, Michelle Knight told how their captor went to church every Sunday, before coming home to “torture” the women.

“I spent 11 years in hell. Now your hell is just beginning,” she said.

“You will face hell for eternity.

“From this moment on, I will not let you define me, or affect who I am. I will live on, you will die a little every day.”

Michele Knight reads her statements during the sentencing of her accused kidnapper Ariel Castro at a court hearing in Cleveland
Michele Knight reads her statements during the sentencing of her accused kidnapper Ariel Castro at a court hearing in Cleveland

Michelle Knight was the only victim to speak at the hearing.

Ariel Castro then made a rambling statement to the court in which he blamed his s** addiction, his former wife and the FBI for not properly investigating the kidnappings.

The former bandsman continued: “To be a musician and to be a monster like you’re trying to say that I am – I don’t think I can handle that – I’m a happy person inside.”

“I’m just sick. I have an addiction, just like an alcoholic has an addiction,” he said.

Ariel Castro said he never planned to abduct the women, but acted on the spur of the moment when he kidnapped his first victim.

While claiming that most of the s** with his victims had been “consensual”, Castro turned to their families and to Michelle Knight to say he was “truly sorry”.

“I just hope they find it in their hearts to forgive me,” he added.

The hearing earlier heard testimony from policewoman Barbara Johnson, one of the officers who found the women.

She said that as she and another officer searched the darkened house, she shone a flashlight on herself so the women could see they were really police.

But Gina DeJesus was initially too afraid to leave her room, she added.

Prosecutors will ask the judge to ban Ariel Castro from ever seeing his daughter Jocelyn, now six years old, whom he fathered with Amanda Berry.

Other details of the women’s ordeals have already emerged.

There are plans to demolish the Cleveland house where the three were held. They were rescued after Amanda Berry kicked open a door and alerted a neighbor.

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Inside Ariel Castro’s house: First pictures from Cleveland house of horrors revealed in court

Nancy Clayson
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Inside Ariel Castro’s house: First pictures from Cleveland house of horrors revealed in court

Pictures from inside Ariel Castro’s house were shown today in court as the Cleveland abductor is to be sentenced.

The detective in charge of the case described how Ariel Castro abducted the three women, took them to his home and immediately tied them in chains in the basement and raped them.

He put a motorbike helmet on each girl and left them in the dark basement overnight, Detective Andrew Harasimchuk said.

Dr. Frank Ochberg described to the court the long-term impact the continuous abuse will have on the victims.

He described their “terror-induced states of mind, defilement, dehumanization and how they were treated like animals and deprived of their sense of self and dignity”.

“They have life sentences. They will never be free of the damage done,” Dr. Frank Ochberg told the court.

FBI agent Andrew Burke said he had been familiar with Gina DeJesus’ and Amanda Berry’s disappearances prior to their discovery earlier this year.

He described the moment he saw the girls as “surreal” as they were so pale and malnourished.

“I’ll never forget it,” he said.

Pictures from inside Ariel Castro’s house were shown today in court as the Cleveland abductor is to be sentenced
Pictures from inside Ariel Castro’s house were shown today in court as the Cleveland abductor is to be sentenced

“It was surreal to me. I had been involved in the missing persons investigations for quite some time.”

Andrew Burke talked the court through pictures of inside the home, describing how the back door was equipped with an alarm, a bedspread separated the kitchen and living area, a porch swing obstructed a flight of stairs and a curtain was put over the stairs leading to the area where the women were held captive.

Bedroom windows were boarded shut from the inside with heavy closet doors and doorknobs had been removed and replaced with multiple locks, he said. The house was divided in ways to make it more secure and to hide the existence of rooms, he said.

Pictures of dirty mattresses draped in chains were shown as Burke explained it was from the room Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight lived.

Authorities also found a “significant amount” of cash in a washing machine in the basement, the same room as the pole the women were chained to while he raped them.

On occasion, Ariel Castro would throw the money at the women after abusing them and require they pay him to pick up any special items for them when he left the house, the agent said.

He would also force them to hold a gun to his head and dare them to shoot him.

The letter written by Ariel Castro was found in his home and shown in court. It read “Confession and Details” at the top.

Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Detective Dave Jacobs said he talked with Ariel Castro a few days after the women escaped and that Castro said: “I knew what I did was wrong.”

Early in the hearing, Ariel Castro tried to apologize to the victims, but after speaking with the judge said he would do that later in the proceeding.

A picture of a handwritten letter was also shown, in which Ariel Castro described the horrible things he forced the women to endure when they were in captivity.

The accused arrived in court just after 9 a.m. shackled in his orange prison jumpsuit to learn his fate and come face-to-face with one of his victims for the first time since they were rescued.

Michelle Knight, who suffered for the longest and most severely, is expected to come face-to-face with Ariel Castro for the first time since she was rescued to speak about the horrific abuse.

Officer Barbara Johnson was the first to take the stand today. As one of the first responders to the “house of horrors” on Seymour Avenue, Cleveland, she described the girls as very pale, very thin and very scared when they found them.

She said: “Michelle Knight literally launched herself at another officer and kept repeating, <<You saved us, you saved us>>.”

Dr. Gerald Maloney, the emergency room doctor on duty when the three victims were taken to the hospital, described them as “very much emotionally fragile at the time” and said Michelle Knight requested that no male physicians attend to her.

He said Michelle Knight specifically was bruised and emaciated. Every witness described the girl’s as malnourished, pale and traumatized.

With the possibility of the death penalty for a forced miscarriage taken off the table, Ariel Castro stands to get life in prison plus 1,000 years today.

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Matthew Mosshart and Kelly Osbourne at VH1’s 2013 Do Something Awards in Hollywood

Lisa.Felice
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Matthew Mosshart and Kelly Osbourne at VH1’s 2013 Do Something Awards in Hollywood

Kelly Osbourne was looking radiant from head to toe as she hit up the VH1’s Do Something Awards on Wednesday with her new fiancé Matthew Mosshart.

Kelly Osbourne, 28, wore a classy A-line frock with lace sleeves and modest scoop neckline along with black platform pumps.

Kelly Osbourne at the VH1's Do Something Awards
Kelly Osbourne at the VH1’s Do Something Awards

She accessorized her outfit with a whimsical orange handbag that echoed her happiness with a decorated smile.

The bag was a definite hit at the star-studded event being held at Avalon in Hollywood.

Kelly Osbourne had every reason to be smiling with glee as she strolled down the lime-green carpet with Matthew Mosshart looking equally chic in black suit.

She recently announced her engagement to Matthew Mosshart after holidaying in the Caribbean.

Kelly Osbourne has raved that his healthy cooking and their joint workout sessions have helped to maintain her 70 lbs weight loss.

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Sugar Bear admits he is a chubby chaser as he proposes to June Shannon

Lisa.Felice
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Sugar Bear admits he is a chubby chaser as he proposes to June Shannon

June Shannon’s larger than life size is all part of her attraction, according to her beau Sugar Bear.

“I consider myself a chubby chaser,” Honey Boo Boo’s father revealed on Wednesday night’s episode of the show, which saw him propose for the third time to his partner of nine years June Shannon.

Having turned him down twice before, it took some persuading to get Mama June to agree to a commitment ceremony.

After being confronted with a ring inside a golden egg after a tasty chicken dinner, Sugar Bear needed his three stepdaughters and daughter Honey Boo Boo to help talk their mother round.

“The M word scares me because he’s been through two marriages and it hasn’t worked,” June Shannon admitted.

“Marriages are easy to get into and hard to get out of.”

Mama June may have said “no” to Sugar Bear’s marriage proposal, but the lack of paperwork attracted June to the idea of a commitment ceremony.

“I don’t believe in forever but I do believe in Sugar Bear,” she confessed, before their children make the couple confess their love for one another.

June Shannon's larger than life size is all part of her attraction
June Shannon’s larger than life size is all part of her attraction

And it wasn’t long before the duo were reminiscing at old photographs of themselves with Sugar Bear objecting to June Shannon’s decision to lose some weight before the ceremony, as it emerged that the couple had met in an online chat room.

June Shannon and daughters Pumpkin, 13 and Chubbs, 15 began planning an exercise routine, with the reality show matriarch concerned about her two middle daughters being picked on in school.

Pumpkin thought she had got her regime off to a good start, walking around the block and eating “apples and pears”, maintaining that “an apple a day keeps the fat away”.

But the family soon got bored with exercise, with June Shannon needing to run to the bathroom after just one sit up.

“We are a dysfunctional family,” she declared before taking Sugar Bear to a local wedding planner where he was hoping their ceremony would include “an ice sculpture or something cool like that”.

Unsure about the details of their big day, Mama June and Sugar Bear were agreed on one thing.

“The ceremony can be crappy as hell but when it’s time to eat, people have got to eat,” June Shannon said.

However, she got laughed out of the building after asserting she was only planning to spend $2,000 on the big day.

“This commitment ceremony is about having a good time more than anything else,” said Sugar Bear, while the two began to plan their list of 60 guests.

Discussing whether to invite friends L’il Willie, Pork Chop, Boxcar, Catfish, Corn, Niblet and Phlegmie, June Shannon dismissed some of her beau’s guest proposals as being “too crazy”.

Despite her reservations, even June Shannon began to get excited about the looming big event, agreeing to Honey Boo Boo’s request to be a flower girl.

“I’ll add a bit of paint to the barn and get my roots done,” she mused.

“Everybody in McIntyre are going to want a piece of this.”

However, after a rather nerve-racking effort to teach Chubbs to drive, events took a bad turn when Sugar Bear was rushed to hospital in pain.

June Shannon was clearly upset when Sugar Bear’s diagnosis was delayed before doctors informed her he was suffering from pneumonia and pancreatitis.

“Without Sugar Bear, I’d be lost,” Mama June wept.

Luckily, Sugar Bear appeared to pull through, although remained in hospital much to the chagrin of his extended family who sent colorful get well cards.

Simon Cowell and Lauren Silverman’s relationship described in his biography

Lisa.Felice
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It is as yet unclear whether or not Simon Cowell and Lauren Silverman will attempt to make their relationship work for the sake of their unborn child.

While some sources say Simon Cowell and Lauren Silverman are a couple, others say he is preparing for a legal battle over his $350 million fortune – a huge chunk of which could go on child maintenance.

Simon Cowell and Lauren Silverman are believed to have met while on vacation in Barbados some years ago through her real estate husband Andrew.

Biographer Tom Bower witnessed the beginnings of Simon Cowell and Lauren Silverman’s close friendship a year-and-a-half ago, when he spent time on a yacht called the Slipstream, which the mogul had chartered for $3 million a month.

Simon Cowell and Lauren Silverman are believed to have met while on vacation in Barbados some years ago
Simon Cowell and Lauren Silverman are believed to have met while on vacation in Barbados some years ago

In his biography, Sweet Revenge: The Intimate Life of Simon Cowell, Tom Bower noted that there were a number of high-octane glamour women who were competing for Cowell’s attention, but that Lauren Silverman was “his closest confidante”.

Tom Bower described him as “occasionally, an insecure, lonely man whose greatest comfort was lying on a couch between Lauren Silverman and [his TV producer] Kelly Bergantz, watching a film and grazing on simple food suitable for kids in a nursery”.

He also details in the book Lauren Silverman’s shock when Simon Cowell initially told her about his engagement to Mezhgan Hussainy in February 2010.

According to Tom Bower, Lauren Silverman, who he calls Simon Cowell’s “best friend in New York” was “completely flabbergasted” by the news, telling her husband Andrew as she finished her phone call with the mogul: “The whole thing is wrong.”

Andrew Silverman now believes Lauren started getting close to Simon Cowell during one of the many vacations they all shared together.

Lauren Silverman and her husband, who have a seven-year-old son called Adam, are now officially separated.

It is not known whether Andrew Silverman filed the legal papers after learning of his wife’s pregnancy with Simon Cowell, although their break-up does leave his estranged wife free to start a new life with Cowell.

Andrew Silverman is being represented by Manhattan family lawyers Cohen Goldstein and filed his affidavit on July 24.

Syrian rebels ban croissants in Aleppo

Roy Siemens
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Syrian rebels ban croissants in Aleppo

Syrian rebels in the city of Aleppo have banned croissants as symbols of “colonial” oppression.

Syria is a former French colony, so some there apparently associate this culinary symbol of Frenchness with France and with imperialism more generally.

The sharia committee specifically targeted croissants, al-Arabiya reports, because the pastry’s “crescent shape celebrates European victory over Muslims.”

A fatwa against croissants might seem ridiculous, particularly in a time and place where bread shortages can be common. But there’s a serious side to the edict. Rebel-held regions of Aleppo are increasingly dominated by extremist elements, further marginalizing more moderate rebel groups and putting some Syrians at the groups’ mercy. In some areas, hardline Islamist groups have moved off the battlefield and begun setting up administrative councils and other governing and charitable bodies.

Syrian rebels in the city of Aleppo have banned croissants as symbols of “colonial” oppression
Syrian rebels in the city of Aleppo have banned croissants as symbols of “colonial” oppression

Two groups in particular – Jabhat al-Nusra and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, both affiliated with al-Qaeda – have begun to dominate rebel-held areas of the city, bringing with them a strict interpretation of sharia law. The ISIL, an affiliated group, claimed respnsibility for breaking hundreds of insurgents, including several senior al-Qaeda detainees, out of prison in Iraq.

The extremist element in previously moderate Aleppo threatens to further divide Syria’s rebel factions, which are fractious enough already. And the West is unlikely to send much-needed aid to rebels who mix with al-Qaeda – particularly when those al-Qaeda-affiliated groups are condemning even the most tangentially Western things.

In recent weeks, sharia committees in the area have also banned make-up and tight clothes for women and threatened a year in jail for anyone who fails to fast during Ramadan.

The much-repeated legend that seems to be behind the anti-croissant fatwa – that a baker in Budapest invented the treat after the city repelled an Ottoman invasion – has been debunked by food historians several times over. Most agree the bread migrated to France by way of Austria in the early 1800s. And while France did rule Syria for a period before World War II, Austria obviously never did. Then again, Syrian extremists aren’t exactly known for their nuance.

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Simon Cowell accused of adultery in Andrew and Lauren Silverman’s divorce papers

Lisa.Felice
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Simon Cowell was named in divorce papers filed by his married lover Lauren Silverman’s husband Andrew, as his brother blasted the music mogul for his “betrayal”.

Alexander Silverman insisted that news of Lauren’s pregnancy constituted a breach of trust by Simon Cowell, as he had been close friends with both Lauren and millionaire casino owner Andrew.

He told the New York Post: “It is an unbelievable story of betrayal. It is a sad story and a tragic story.”

Alexander Silverman’s comments came as it was reported that Andrew had made the unusual choice to name Simon Cowell as a co-respondent in the divorce papers he filed in the Manhattan Supreme Court two weeks ago, citing adultery as the reason for ending the marriage.

The decision, widely regarded as a means to embarrass both Simon Cowell and Lauren Silverman, means that Cowell is likely to be called to the witness stand to reveal not only details of the alleged affair with Lauren but also details of his personal finances, estimated to be in the region of $350 million.

Noted divorce attorney Martha Cohen Stine said of Andrew Silverman’s decision: “It’s really a signal to the spouse who cheated that the wronged spouse is very angry and that it’s going to be a very nasty, scorched-earth, high-profile litigation.”

Simon Cowell pictured for the first time since the pregnancy revelations while leaving a television studios in Los Angeles
Simon Cowell pictured for the first time since the pregnancy revelations while leaving a television studios in Los Angeles

No evidence has been revealed so far to suggest that Simon Cowell and Lauren Silverman’s affair started before the marriage began to fall apart.

Simon Cowell, 53, maintained a stony silence on the subject as he was pictured for the first time since the pregnancy revelations while leaving a television studios in Los Angeles after filming The X Factor on Wednesday night.

Wearing a grey top and jeans, Simon Cowell, who is said to be “freaked out” by the news he is to become a father for the first time, remained silent as he was quizzed about the baby news, but did not deny the reports.

It is understood that Simon Cowell has hired tough Los Angeles-based lawyer Marty Singer to help him handle the crisis, described by friends as being of gargantuan proportions.

While Simon Cowell is said to accept that the baby, due next February, is his, the news of 36-year-old Lauren Silverman’s pregnancy came as a huge shock to both Simon and his closest female friends including Sinitta and ex fiancée Mezhgan Hussainy – otherwise known as his “harem”.

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Edward Snowden leaves Moscow airport

Diane A. Wade
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Edward Snowden leaves Moscow airport

Edward Snowden has left the Moscow airport where he has been staying since June, his lawyer said.

Anatoly Kucherena said Edward Snowden had received the necessary papers to enter Russian territory from the transit zone at Sheremetyevo Airport.

Edward Snowden has left the Moscow airport where he has been staying since June
Edward Snowden has left the Moscow airport where he has been staying since June

Russia is currently considering his request for asylum.

The US has charged Edward Snowden with leaking details of its electronic surveillance programmes.

He arrived in Moscow on June 23 from Hong Kong, after making his revelations.

The Snowden affair has caused diplomatic ructions around the world, upsetting America’s close allies and traditional enemies.

The US Attorney General, Eric Holder, has given Moscow an assurance that Edward Snowden will not face the death penalty if extradited to America, but the Russians say they do not intend to hand him over.

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Mariano Rajoy admits making a mistake in Luis Barcenas case

Diane A. Wade
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Mariano Rajoy admits making a mistake in Luis Barcenas case

Spanish PM Mariano Rajoy has admitted to MPs that he made a “mistake” in trusting disgraced former colleague Luis Barcenas.

Mariano Rajoy also told MPs that claims he was corrupt were “lies and manipulations”, and defied calls for his resignation.

He is appearing in parliament to answer claims over illegal payments from a slush fund run by the Popular Party’s ex-treasurer, Luis Barcenas.

The claims sparked widespread anger and anti-government protests.

Revelations of apparent corruption have touched a nerve in Spain, hit by a double-dip recession and high unemployment.

Clashes erupted between anti-government protesters and police in mid-July after more than 1,000 people gathered outside the Partido Popular (Popular Party, PP) headquarters calling on the government to quit.

Mariano Rajoy appeared before MPs after threats of a no-confidence vote.

In opening remarks, he said he was appearing to rebuff the “lies, manipulations and malicious insinuations encouraged by certain political leaders” over the scandal.

Mariano Rajoy suggested that the Spanish economy was beginning to recover from years of crisis, and expressed concern that a continued focus on the scandal was damaging Spain’s image.

For the first time, he admitted making a mistake by putting trust “in someone who we now know did not deserve it”. But he denied “committing the criminal offence of covering up for someone who is alleged to be guilty”.

Mariano Rajoy has admitted to MPs that he made a "mistake" in trusting disgraced former colleague Luis Barcenas
Mariano Rajoy has admitted to MPs that he made a “mistake” in trusting disgraced former colleague Luis Barcenas

Luis Barcenas is in custody while being investigated over other corruption allegations.

Mariano Rajoy repeated that he would not resign, and concluded by saying a package of measures would be implemented to strengthen anti-corruption safeguards.

In response, the leader of the country’s main opposition Socialist Party, Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba, said Mariano Rajoy was not in the chamber to debate the state of the Spanish economy.

He said it was Mariano Rajoy’s “resistance” to answering parliament that was causing damage to Spain, and said the PP had won elections over 20 years on the back of a system of illegal financing.

Even if Mariano Rajoy did not respect parliament, he said, “he should respect the intelligence of Spaniards”.

“You must go, Mr. Rajoy,” he said.

Each parliamentary group will have 10 minutes to ask questions and set out its own position, with individual deputies also allowed to put a limited number of questions.

On Wednesday, the deputy leader of the opposition Socialists, Elena Valenciano, said her party’s aim was “two-fold – that the prime minister tell the truth and that he quit his post.

“If we don’t get that [on Thursday], we will keep insisting and fighting for it.”

The scandal originated in a 2009 judicial investigation into corrupt payments involving PP members.

In January this year, El Pais newspaper published an alleged list of illegal payments within the party.

The list was signed off by Luis Barcenas, who is currently in custody on corruption and tax fraud charges, with his role in the scandal still being investigated.

He originally denied allegations that he wrote documents, but later admitted they were in his handwriting.

The former party treasurer now says he made numerous bonus payments – in cash – to Mariano Rajoy and other senior party members, out of the party slush fund of donations by businesses.

Mariano Rajoy and other PP members have repeatedly denied that they received illegal payments and have accused Luis Barcenas of trying to blackmail them.

The PP’s deputy leader, Maria Dolores de Cospedal, has been summoned to appear before investigating judge Pablo Ruz on August 14.

Calls for Mariano Rajoy to resign intensified after private text messages published by El Mundo newspaper suggested that he had friendly ties to Luis Barcenas from May 2011 to March 2013.

Mariano Rajoy admitted sending messages of support to Luis Barcenas.

However, throughout the scandal, Mariano Rajoy has at no point given any indication he would resign.

The PP was handed a clear mandate by Spanish voters at the end of 2011 and as a result Mariano Rajoy and his party enjoy a clear majority in parliament.

The corruption allegations coincide with Spain’s worst economic crisis for decades, and have threatened to destabilize government attempts to shore up public finances and bring the recession to an end.

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Zimbabwean election result: Morgan Tsvangirai alleges vote-rigging by rival Robert Mugabe’s camp

Diane A. Wade
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Zimbabwean election result: Morgan Tsvangirai alleges vote-rigging by rival Robert Mugabe’s camp

Zimbabwean presidential election was a “huge farce”, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has said, alleging vote-rigging by rival President Robert Mugabe’s camp.

At a news conference, Morgan Tsvangirai said that Wednesday’s poll was “null and void”.

The largest observer group earlier said up to a million people were prevented from voting.

Robert Mugabe’s party – which is claiming a victory – denied the accusations, saying the voting went smoothly.

It is illegal to publish unofficial results.

Vote counting started overnight, and the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) has five days to declare who won the poll.

Police have warned they would take action against anyone trying to leak early results. Extra units – some in riot gear – have now been deployed in the capital, Harare.

African regional observers have praised the peaceful nature of the election.

Speaking at his Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) headquarters in Harare, Morgan Tsvangirai said: “In our view, that election is null and void.”

“It’s a sham election that does not reflect the will of the people.”

Morgan Tsvangirai spoke shortly after the monitors from the Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) said the poll was “seriously compromised”.

In a statement, the ZESN said that potential voters were turned away from 82% of polling stations in urban areas, where support for Morgan Tsvangirai is strong.

In rural areas – seen as strongholds of President Robert Mugabe – the percentage was less than half that, the group added.

On Wednesday, villagers, MDC polling agents and the ZESN said there had been voting irregularities in rural parts of Masvingo province.

Vote counting started overnight, and the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission has five days to declare who won the poll
Vote counting started overnight, and the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission has five days to declare who won the poll

They said local traditional leaders and village heads had lined up people, forcibly marched them to the polling stations and given them voting numbers as if to cross-check who they had voted for.

They also allege that in these areas some literate people were forced to pretend they could not read or write and were assisted to cast their vote in favor of Zanu-PF.

Zanu-PF spokesman Psychology Maziwisa denied that many voters had been deliberately prevented from registering.

He admitted that there were some irregularities, but stressed that both main parties had been affected.

“You’ve got to bear in mind that that was partly due to the fact that resources were not being made available by the finance minister who is Tendai Biti, who comes from the Movement for Democratic Change party,” he said.

“If you look at the Zimbabwean situation you can only come to one conclusion. And that is that over the last four years we’ve made a lot of effort to make this environment in Zimbabwe as conducive as it possibly can [be] for an election that is free and fair.”

Robert Mugabe, 89, has pledged to step down after 33 years in power if he and his party lost.

President Mugabe’s Zanu-PF party and Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC have shared an uneasy coalition government since 2009 under a deal brokered to end the deadly violence that erupted after a disputed presidential poll the previous year.

The first round of the 2008 poll was also praised for being peaceful – trouble broke out after the results were announced, with Morgan Tsvangirai gaining more votes than Robert Mugabe.

On Tuesday, the MDC accused Zanu-PF of doctoring the roll of registered voters, which was released by the ZEC only on the eve of the polls after weeks of delay.

The MDC claimed the roll dated back to 1985 and was full of anomalies.

It appears the document features the names of thousands of dead people.

MDC Secretary-General Tendai Biti said there were as many as two million such names, while some genuine voters were not on the rolls.

The MDC has already handed its evidence to observers from the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

But a senior Zanu-PF member has denied the allegations, saying that appointees from both parties were in the electoral commission.

In addition to Robert Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai, there are three other candidates standing for the presidency: Welshman Ncube, leader of the breakaway MDC-Mutambara; Dumiso Dabengwa of the Zimbabwe African People’s Union (Zapu), and Kisinoti Munodei Mukwazhe, who represents the small Zimbabwe Development Party (ZDP).

To be declared a winner, a presidential candidate must win more than 50% of the vote. If no candidate reaches this mark, a run-off will be held on September 11.

The elections were the first to be held under the new constitution approved in a referendum in March this year.

On Wednesday, voters were also electing the country’s new parliament.

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China’s Dead Sea: World’s most packed swimming pool can accommodate 10,000 visitors at once

Kathryn R. Bown
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China’s Dead Sea: World’s most packed swimming pool can accommodate 10,000 visitors at once

A giant saltwater swimming pool, known as China’s “Dead Sea” is located in Daying county, Sichuan province, and is a riot of color as the masses grab their rubber rings and descend upon it.

The indoor water park is said to be the largest in China and covers 30,000 square meters.

China's “Dead Sea” is located in Daying county, Sichuan province, and is a riot of color as the masses grab their rubber rings and descend upon it
China’s “Dead Sea” is located in Daying county, Sichuan province, and is a riot of color as the masses grab their rubber rings and descend upon it

The pool can accommodate up to 10,000 visitors at once and over a million people have visited the resort this summer, claim the operators.

The man-made “sea” was created using rich salt resources in the region and contains 43 different minerals and microelements.

Due to its salinity of over 22%, swimmers float freely on the surface – much as they do in the Dead Sea in the Middle East.

The resort also offers a Spa centre, a golf course and even on-site cheerleaders.

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Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom in secret getaway to help with marriage woes

Lisa.Felice
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Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom in secret getaway to help with marriage woes

Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom went on their own secret getaway earlier this summer to help with some marriage woes.

A source told Us Weekly: “There were lots of kisses and tears. It was a really good time for them to spend time together and focus on each other.

“They’re committed to the relationship [and] they adore each other.”

Khloe Kardashian – who has been getting herself in tip top shape recently – revealed that she still feels like a newlywed and the couple are not in a rush to have kids.

She said: “I love my little lamb. He’s pretty cute.

Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom went on their own secret getaway earlier this summer to help with some marriage woes
Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom went on their own secret getaway earlier this summer to help with some marriage woes

“Time flies. Time really does fly. And I consider myself a newlywed. Four years is a lot in this weird world that we’re all in, but it’s not a lot in the grand scheme of things.

“I’ve been married almost four years now. I’m still in my newlywed phase is what I call it, so whenever it’s time for me to have a baby, that’s when it’s gonna be time.”

Khloe Kardashian understands why people doubted her marriage would last because she tied the knot just one month after meeting Lamar Odom, 33, for the first time, but insists she instantly knew he was “the one” for her.

She explained: “I met him on August 27 and I married him on September 27, so it was 30 days. That’s the first time I ever met him, so I completely understand everyone’s criticism.

“If I wasn’t me, I would have been judging too. I would have been like <<You’re crazy and you’re insane and you don’t even know this person>>.

“But I just felt something. We both did and I went with it and it’s fun. I love our story too. I’m not sure I would recommend it for everyone, but I love that I could say this is our story.”

Simon Cowell’s relationships history

Lisa.Felice
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Simon Cowell’s relationships history

Paula Hamilton, 1976

Paula Hamilton claims she lost her virginity to Simon Cowell when she was 16, and they remained childhood sweethearts when she was growing up in Hertfordshire.

Jackie St Clair, 1970s

Simon Cowell and Jackie St Claire dated on and off during the 1970s. Like Simon Cowell and many of his exes, they have remained friends and are often seen out on the town together.

Louise Payne, 1995 – 1998

Simon Cowell is said to been engaged to former Page Three model Louise Payne. They met in 1995 shortly after Louise Payne split from Right Said Fred Drummer Fred Fairbrass.

Sinitta, 1985 to 2000 (on and off)

Sinitta and Simon Cowell engaged an on-off relationship for nearly twenty years before she had an affair with David Essex.

Alicia Douvall, 2001

Alicia Douvall and Simon Cowell dated for six months in 2001.

Simon Cowell is constantly surrounded by a harem of beautiful women, and has remained close to all of his ex-girlfriends
Simon Cowell is constantly surrounded by a harem of beautiful women, and has remained close to all of his ex-girlfriends

Georgina Law, 2000 – 2001

Simon Cowell and lap dancer Georgina Law dated for a year after he met her during a night out at Spearmint Rhino gentleman’s club.

Terri Seymour, 2002 – 2006

Terri Seymour and Simon Cowell dated for four years before their split in 2006. Following their break-up, Terri Seymour continued living in one of his Los Angeles homes for a further three years.

Jasmine Lennard, 2006

While Simon Cowell and Jasmine Lennard only had a short-lived six month affair, she has since called him the “love of her life”. During her appearance on Celebrity Big Brother in 2012, Jasmine Lennard insisted she and Simon cowell still care about each other “very much”.

Dannii Minogue, 2007

Simon Cowell and Dannii Minogue’s fling during their time together on the X Factor panel in 2007 was revealed in Tom Bower’s tell-all book last year.

Mezhgan Hussainy, 2009 – 2011

Simon Cowell met make-up artist Mezhgan Hussainy on the set of American Idol back in 2003. They began a relationship and got engaged in 2010. Their split was confirmed in February 2012 by a mutual friend Zeta Graff, who said Mezhgan Hussainy had been “too needy” for Simon Cowell.

Carmen Electra, 2012 – 2013

Simon Cowell and his X Factor fellow judge Carmen Electra were first romantically linked in late 2012, when they were seen out on several dates together. They called things off in early 2013.

Lauren Silverman, 2013

On 31st of July, 2013, it was revealed that Simon Cowell is expecting a baby with New York socialite Lauren Silverman, who is still married to real estate mogul Andrew Silverman.

Lauren Silverman: Who is the mother of Simon Cowell’s child?

Lisa.Felice
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Lauren Silverman: Who is the mother of Simon Cowell’s child?

A close friend of Simon Cowell confirmed on Wednesday afternoon that socialite Lauren Silverman – the wife of Cowell’s friend Andrew Silverman – was expecting his child, and claimed she wanted to marry him.

Although Lauren and her husband Andrew Silverman, who have a son together, have holidayed together on numerous occasions over the past four years, it wasn’t until they ended their union around a year ago that her friendship with Simon Cowell turned to romance.

Meanwhile, Simon Cowell’s mother, Julie, 87, seemed thrilled at the prospect of becoming a grandmother, telling The Sun: “I’ve not heard anything officially. But if it’s true then I’m absolutely delighted. It’s wonderful! He’ll make a fantastic father. He’ll be great.”

And Lauren Silverman’s stepmother confirmed she was expecting a child with the music mogul. Rosy Davis, who is the wife of the socialite’s father Steven, spoke of the family’s joy at the news: “We are all excited for the baby. It’s beautiful. We feel blessed. Any kid is a blessing.”

Lauren Silverman is said to be “around 10 weeks along” in the pregnancy, according to Us Weekly magazine.

Lauren Silverman is expecting Simon Cowell’s child and claims she wants to marry him
Lauren Silverman is expecting Simon Cowell’s child and claims she wants to marry him

Simon Cowell and Lauren Silverman’s situation is made more complicated by the fact that she is still married to Andrew.

However, some reports claim that the property magnate filed for divorce earlier this month.

Lauren and Andrew Silverman, who have a seven-year-old son called Adam, are now officially separated. It is not known whether Andrew Silverman filed the legal papers after learning of his wife’s pregnancy with Simon Cowell, although their break-up does leave his estranged wife free to start a new life with the music mogul.

Andrew Silverman is being represented by Manhattan family lawyers Cohen Goldstein and filed his affidavit on July 24.

Simon Cowell and Lauren Silverman are believed to have met while on vacation in Barbados some years ago through Andrew Silverman.

However, a source revealed that there had been issues in the Silvermans’ marriage right from the start – as Andrew Silverman’s parents Eleonora and Allen never attended their wedding.

Andrew Silverman now believes Lauren started cheating on him with Simon Cowell during one of the many vacations they all shared together.

A source told Usmagazine.com: “Lauren and Andrew have been unhappy in their marriage for some time, and their divorce has been in the works for a while. As their marriage deteriorated, she and Simon became close.”

Simon Cowell, 53, and Lauren Silverman, 36, have been seeing each for at least a year, according to friends, and were even seen viewing houses together in Los Angeles earlier this year.

The music mogul made no reference to impending fatherhood when he opened up to Chelsea Handler during an interview on her talk show on Tuesday night, sticking to topics including One Direction and his recent health kick.

It remains to be seen just how the news that he is to be a father will go down with Simon Cowell, who has never made a secret of the fact that he doesn’t believe he is the right material to become a parent.

Sinitta’s reaction to Simon Cowell and Lauren Silverman’s baby news

Lisa.Felice
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Sinitta’s reaction to Simon Cowell and Lauren Silverman’s baby news

Simon Cowell’s close friend, former flame and confidante, 80’s pop icon Sinitta, was less than impressed with the news that he is set to father a child with New York-based socialite Lauren Silverman.

Taking to her Twitter page two days before news of Simon Cowell’s impending fatherhood broke to the world, the 49-year-old singer appeared to suggest the situation was “half miracle, half nightmare”.

Although Sinitta didn’t directly reference Lauren Silverman’s pregnancy in her tweet, the timely posting seemed to allude to Simon Cowell’s parenthood.

Writing on July 29, Sinitta said: “Something has just happened ..half miracle, half nightmare! #WakeMeUpIWantToGetOff!!”

And the rest of Cowell’s harem of close female friends, including former flames Mezhgan Hussainy, Terri Seymour and Jackie St Clair, seem equally unimpressed, according to reports.

Simon Cowell's former flame Sinitta was less than impressed with the news that he is set to father a child with Lauren Silverman
Simon Cowell’s former flame Sinitta was less than impressed with the news that he is set to father a child with Lauren Silverman

A friend close to Simon Cowell said: “Simon is in no doubt the child is his. The other girls can’t believe that she is the one who has [got his baby]. They’ve all met her, they know who she is and they have been reduced to tears by this.

“She has apparently been going around telling people for the last three to six months that she is going to have his baby. Simon has been very stressed in the last few months with his various shows and juggling everything that he has in his life.

“In the harem hierarchy, Lauren is regarded as the fun, party girl. Simon is [said to be] freaked out by this but there is no question that he will not support the child.”

However, one person quick to voice his excitement was comedian David Walliams, who appeared to confirm the news via a jokey post on his Twitter page.

David Walliams – who recently welcomed his first child with model wife Lara Stone – wrote: “Oh yeah, and @SimonCowell is doing a baby with a lady.

“For the record @SimonCowell and I tried to have a baby together for many years. But I just couldn’t get pregnant.”

Simon Cowell’s relationship history includes romances with Sinitta, Terri Seymour and Alicia Douvall, with many of his exes joining him on an annual Caribbean holiday each January.

US economic growth beats forecasts in Q2 2013

Clyde K. Valle
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US economic growth beats forecasts in Q2 2013

The US economy grew at an annualized pace of 1.7% in the second quarter of 2013, the Commerce Department has said.

That was a faster pace than expected by economists.

It was also up from the growth rate for the first three months of 2013, which was revised lower to 1.1% from 1.8%.

A slowdown was widely expected due to the impact of federal spending cuts, but also from the continuing weakness in the global economy.

In March, $85 billion of public spending was cut as a result of a deal between Democrat and Republican politicians.

But the Commerce Department said that the federal government cut spending by only 1.5% in the April-to-June period, compared with a sharp drop of 8.4% in the first quarter.

The US economy grew by 0.4% in the second quarter compared with the previous three months. That compares to 0.6% growth in the UK in the same period.

The US economy grew at an annualized pace of 1.7 percent in the second quarter of 2013
The US economy grew at an annualized pace of 1.7 percent in the second quarter of 2013

The eurozone’s GDP figures are released on August 14. The 18-member region shrank 0.2% in the first quarter – the sixth quarter of decline in a row.

“We have an upside surprise in the GDP, which speaks volumes for the job recovery that we’re putting together,” said Andre Bakhos, a market analyst at Lek Securities in New York.

“The recovery in the economy is starting to take root. This will be an interesting development given the fact that we’ll have a Fed announcement today.”

The Federal Reserve meets on Wednesday to make its latest statement on its massive bond-buying programme to stimulate the economy.

Consumer spending accounts for about 70% of US GDP. Official figures showed that consumers spent less in the second quarter than in the first, with personal consumption expenditure up 1.8%, compared with 2.3% previously.

As well as the last set of quarterly figures, the Commerce Department also revised growth figures going back several decades.

It said the US economy now grew by 2.8% in 2012, up from its previous estimate of 2.2%. This may help to explain why growth appeared weak last year but hiring continued to improve.

The government also said that the economy contracted by 4.3% during the recession, which lasted from December 2007 to June 2009, better than the previous estimate of a 4.7% drop.

The economy expanded by 8.2% from the middle of 2009 through to the end of last year, which was more than the 7.6% previously suggested.

The latest figures showed a pickup in both imports and exports. Exports rose 5.4% in the second quarter, compared with a drop of 1.3% in the first quarter. Imports jumped 9.5%, compared with an increase of 0.6% in the previous quarter.

Vanity Fair International Best-Dressed List 2013

Lisa.Felice
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Vanity Fair International Best-Dressed List 2013

Vanity Fair International Best-Dressed List is finally over as the most fashionable people of 2013 have been declared.

Some of the choices were far from surprising. Kate Middleton makes the list for the fourth time since she first appeared in 2008.

Princess Letizia of Asturias is also on the List, as is Princess Madeleine of Sweden.

Scandal actress Kerry Washington, who graced the cover of the magazine’s August issue, made the number one spot.

Gisele Bundchen, Charlize Theron and Justin Timberlake also appeared, as did Stella Tenant.

Victoria Beckham was also listed.

There were the obvious choices, and then the more intriguing ones. Peng Liyuan, the wife of the Chinese President Xi Jinping, makes her debut this year. Peng Liyuan, who is also a singer and performing artist, has been feted for adding some glamor to her husband’s staid office.

Kate Middleton was included in Vanity Fair's International Best-Dressed List for the fourth time
Kate Middleton was included in Vanity Fair’s International Best-Dressed List for the fourth time

But if the List charts those whose star is on the rise, those whom it excludes must feel the burn. With that in mind, it’s interesting that the List’s compilers have failed to include Michelle Obama – for the second year running. Barack Obama hasn’t appeared since 2009.

In fact, the wives of Western politicians are conspicuously absent. Samantha Cameron hasn’t appeared since she was included for the first time in 2010. And, while Carla Bruni-Sarkozy is a veteran of the List, having appeared four times, the wife of the former French president isn’t in the List this year.

For some, the List is a sacred affair, but there are those who treat it more lightheartedly. While Lara Stone, appearing in the Couples category with husband David Walliams, said her favorite item of clothing is “my wedding dress, made by Riccardo Tisci”, David said his were his “Charvet pajamas”.

He added that his style icon is Italian actress “Ornella Muti as Princess Aura in Flash Gordon”.

When asked who his is, Keith Richards, new to the List, responded: “Why should I [have one]… I am one!”

He also insisted that: “I don’t shop!”

Other newbies include Beyonce and Dita von Teese. The burlesque dancer said her favorite article of clothing is “The <<Hussar>> gown from Jean Paul Gaultier’s 2002 winter haute couture collection”. Fittingly, her style icons are “the women of 1940s-era fetish artist John Willie”.

Ronan Farrow, a writer, human-rights lawyer and diplomat but better known as the son of Mia Farrow and Woody Allen, was also included.

For the first time in its history, the fashion’s who’s who has been opened up to the public. The International Best-Dressed Challenge, as it was known, invited submissions from readers. Fashion blogger Hallie Swanson and interior Designer Darren Henault were selected.

Hallie Swanson’s style icon is Miranda Kerr.

Darren Henault’s styel icon is “Bill Blass with a touch of Pee-wee Herman and the Mad Hatter thrown in”.

Queen Elizabeth’s World War III speech revealed

James J. Williams
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Queen Elizabeth’s World War III speech revealed

Queen Elizabeth II was expected to urge British people to pray and remain united and resolute in the event of the “madness” of nuclear war, papers from 1983 show.

The script for a hypothetical broadcast has the Queen describing the threat to the “brave country” as “greater” than any other in history.

It also mentions the Queen’s son Prince Andrew, then in the Royal Navy.

The speech, devised by Whitehall officials at one of the most fraught Cold War periods, was never recorded.

The document, released by the government under the 30-year rule, was drawn up as part of a war-gaming exercise in the spring of 1983, which worked through potential scenarios.

Among the other pieces of history released from the archives on Thursday were:

  • Margaret Thatcher blocked a 21-year-old William Hague from a potential job as a Treasury adviser, saying his appointment would be a “gimmick” and could prove “an embarrassment”
  • The then British PM secretly wanted the Army to move coal around the UK in the event of a miners’ strike
  • Government officials considered deliberately flooding Essex and Kent to prevent London being swamped by a tidal surge as it waited for the Thames Barrier to be completed
  • The UK sent a laser weapon designed to “dazzle” Argentine pilots during the Falklands war
  • A senior government official had urged Margaret Thatcher to seek out a fertile female panda for London Zoo before a visit to China in 1982.

Although it was only a simulation, the text of the Queen’s address – written as if broadcast at midday on Friday 4 March 1983 – seeks to prepare the country for the ordeal of World War III.

In a Whitehall-written script, the Queen speaks of the "madness" of war
In a Whitehall-written script, the Queen speaks of the “madness” of war

The script, which starts off by referring to the Queen’s traditional Christmas address, reads: “The horrors of war could not have seemed more remote as my family and I shared our Christmas joy with the growing family of the Commonwealth.

“Now, this madness of war is once more spreading through the world and our brave country must again prepare itself to survive against great odds.

“I have never forgotten the sorrow and the pride I felt as my sister and I huddled around the nursery wireless set listening to my father’s [George VI’s] inspiring words on that fateful day in 1939 [at the start of the World War II].

“Not for a single moment did I imagine that this solemn and awful duty would one day fall to me.

“But whatever terrors lie in wait for us all, the qualities that have helped to keep our freedom intact twice already during this sad century will once more be our strength.”

Striking a personal note, the script continues: “My husband and I share with families up and down the land the fear we feel for sons and daughters, husbands and brothers who have left our side to serve their country.

“My beloved son Andrew is at this moment in action with his unit and we pray continually for his safety and for the safety of all servicemen and women at home and overseas.

“It is this close bond of family life that must be our greatest defence against the unknown.

“If families remain united and resolute, giving shelter to those living alone and unprotected, our country’s will to survive cannot be broken.”

The speech concludes by saying the Queen’s message to the nation was “simple”.

It adds: “As we strive together to fight off the new evil, let us pray for our country and men of goodwill wherever they may be. God Bless you all.”

In the war-gaming exercise, Orange bloc forces – representing the Soviet Union and its Warsaw Pact allies – launch a chemical weapon attack on the UK.

Blue forces – representing NATO – retaliate with a “limited-yield” nuclear strike, forcing Orange to initiate a peace process.

The exercise came in the year that US President Ronald Reagan both enraged and alarmed Moscow with his denunciation of the Soviet Union as the “evil empire”, his plans for a “Star Wars” ballistic missile shield in space, and the deployment of US nuclear cruise missiles to Europe – including to RAF Greenham Common.

Tensions increased when the Soviets shot down a South Korean airliner that strayed into their airspace, killing all 269 on board.

A NATO military exercise, codenamed Able Archer, then nearly triggered an actual conflict with the Soviet leadership apparently convinced it was cover for a genuine attack.

The Soviet Union and the US later negotiated a reduction in the number of nuclear weapons, as the Cold War came to an end.

[youtube 5raavNgVJo4]

Monica Lewinsky new tape reveals she asks Bill Clinton to meet her for a movie or at his office

Nancy Clayson
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Monica Lewinsky new tape reveals she asks Bill Clinton to meet her for a movie or at his office

A never-before-heard tape of Monica Lewinsky asking for an illicit meeting with President Bill Clinton has surfaced today.

The tape, which records Monica Lewinsky desperately trying to attract President Bill Clinton into meeting her, was reportedly released to the National Enquirer after it was obtained by a cleaner hired by friends of Lewinsky.

It was long thought that the raunchy four-minute tape, which was recorded in November 1997, had been destroyed after the affair was revealed in 1998, according to the Enquirer.

The recording, made months after their final alleged trust in March 1997, reportedly shows a determined Monica Lewinsky, then 24, pleading with the married president to meet her – and telling him she plans to be persistent because: “I really want to see you.”

Monica Lewinsky adds that she is “too cute and adorable” to be ignored, according to the magazine.

On the recording, Monica Lewinsky offers Bill Clinton two choices – that she could meet him at his office, or that they could watch a movie together.

“Since I know you will be alone tomorrow evening, I have two proposals for you, neither of which is you not seeing me,” Monica Lewinsky says, the National Enquirer reported.

“I could take my clothes off and start… well… I know you wouldn’t enjoy that? I hope to see you later and I hope you will follow my script and do what I want.”

Monica Lewinsky tells Bill Clinton that his secretary, Betty Currie, should plan his schedule so that they could get away with not formally recording the meeting, according to the magazine.

For one plan, Monica Lewinsky instructs the president to tell Betty Currie that he was going to leave the office around 7 p.m. the next evening before returning later that evening.

“In the meantime I quickly sneak over and then we can have a nice little visit for, you know, 15 minutes or half an hour. Whatever you want,” she says.

Monica Lewinsky’s second suggestion is meeting Bill Clinton for a movie “and just have kind of, I don’t know, boxed dinners or something like that”, she says.

The former White House intern adds: “You can’t refuse me because I’m too cute and adorable and soon I won’t be here anymore to pop over.”

Monica Lewinsky tells Bill Clinton that he should tell Betty Currie what he wanted to do so she could call her “so I don’t have to stress out all day and I don’t have to call her every two hours and bug her because, I know you will find this very hard to believe, but I can be a pain in the ass sometimes”.

A never-before-heard tape of Monica Lewinsky asking for an illicit meeting with President Bill Clinton has surfaced
A never-before-heard tape of Monica Lewinsky asking for an illicit meeting with President Bill Clinton has surfaced

“I’m very persistent, but um… I really want to see you,” she says.

The Enquirer reported that Monica Lewinsky played the tape for Linda Tripp, who later revealed telephone tapes of the intern which led to Bill Clinton’s impeachment.

Linda Tripp reportedly heard it on November 20, 1997, and it was taken to the Oval Office the next day, but it is not known if a rendezvous ever occurred. In the audio, Monica Lewinsky explained that she had decided to record it because she couldn’t face writing him another letter.

The Enquirer reported that the tape – and begging love letters Monica Lewinsky wrote to Bill Clinton – were obtained by a cleaner who was hired by friends of Lewinsky’s.

“I was supposed to shred everything in late 1998, but for some reason I kept this material,” the cleaner told the Enquirer.

The pleading notes reportedly reveal Monica Lewinsky begging Bill Clinton to make time for her and to explain why he ended their illicit romance.

“It was so sad seeing you last night because I was so angry with you that you once again rejected me and yet, all I wanted was for everyone else in the room to disappear and for you to hold me,” she wrote.

“I loved you with all of my heart, Bill.

“For the life of me, I can’t understand how you could be so kind and so cruel to me.”

Another letter asks: “What did I do to deserve this? I am seriously depressed because of everything that has happened…

“I have lost profoundly both professionally and personally, and in a toss-up, our personal relationship changing has caused me more pain.”

Monica Lewinsky was just 22 when she allegedly had the first of nine s**ual encounters with President Bill Clinton between November 1995 and March 1997. Details of the affair emerged in 1998.

In the wake of the scandal, Monica Lewinsky became the center of a political storm and gave a series of high-profile interviews.

But unable to escape the shake the reputation, Monica Lewinsky moved to England in 2005 where she earned her master’s degree and worked as a news correspondent for the UK’s Channel Five News.

Though it has been 15 years since her claims, her presence still looms in the life of Bill Clinton’s post-presidency and Hillary’s political career.

And sources told the National Enquirer that this most recent revelation could derail Hillary Clinton’s expected bid for the White House in 2016.

“The Clintons thought this s** tape was dead and buried,” said the source.

“If this tape and other material are surfacing now, imagine what else must be out there?”

It comes at an already embarrassing moment for the Clintons as they deal with yet another texting scandal surrounding mayoral candidate Anthony Weiner.

Anthony Weiner’s wife, Huma Abedin, is one of Hillary Clinton’s top aides – but is taking an extended vacation to deal with the upset following news of her husband’s latest indiscretions.

Lauren Silverman cuddles up to Simon Cowell as her husband looks on

Lisa.Felice
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Simon Cowell and Lauren Silverman were pictured together, as they enjoyed a cozy Caribbean holiday in January 2012 alongside her husband Andrew Silverman.

Although real estate mogul Andrew Silverman was just a mere matter of feet away, his wife was seen tenderly running her hands through the hair of Simon Cowell.

Enjoying a new year break in St. Barths, Simon Cowell and the Silvermans seemed to be in high spirits as they sat on-board Cowell’s luxury yacht soaking up the sun as the sipped on glasses of orange juice.

And while the group appeared to be chatting away amiably, the pictures show Simon Cowell certainly only had eyes for one of the Silvermans, with him seeming utterly unable to distract himself from the alluring Lauren.

With Andrew Silverman looking on, Simon Cowell leaned in closely to the stunning socialite, with a smirk spreading across his face as he indulged in a close conversation with the beauty.

But it wasn’t long until the property entrepreneur got some quality time with his wife, with the tables turning as he tenderly cupped Lauren’s bottom as Simon Cowell looked on.

Rather than suffer an attack of the green-eyed monster, the star appeared utterly amused by the entire debacle, and grinned away as he stared at the couple.

After the two men enjoyed a brief chat, Lauren Silvrman and Simon Cowell made their way over to a sun lounger, where they kicked off a rather friendly display.

Reclining with their heads tilted into each other, the pair appeared to be sharing a joke as they giggled away in the sunshine.

Simon Cowell and Lauren Silverman were pictured together, as they enjoyed a cozy Caribbean holiday in January 2012 alongside her husband Andrew Silverman
Simon Cowell and Lauren Silverman were pictured together, as they enjoyed a cozy Caribbean holiday in January 2012 alongside her husband Andrew Silverman

And despite her husband being in full view, Lauren Silverman seemed to throw caution to the wind as she ran her hands through the music mogul’s hair, with the duo even posing for a phone picture together at one point.

Following their playful display, Lauren Silverman hopped up off the lounger, and appeared to bend down to treat the star to a friendly peck.

While her face couldn’t be seen in the angle of the shot, Lauren Siverman put her arm across Simon Cowell as she leaned into him with her hair tumbling around her shoulders.

After his close pal wandered off to another part of the yacht, Simon Cowell was left looking like the cat who’d got the cream as he stretched out with his arms behind his head and a huge smirk on his face.

A close friend of Simon Cowell confirmed on Wednesday afternoon that Lauren Silverman was expecting his child, and claimed she wanted to marry him.

Although Lauren Silverman and her husband, who have a son together, have holidayed together on numerous occasions over the past four years, it wasn’t until the socialite and her real estate mogul husband ended their union around a year ago that her friendship with Simon Cowell turned to romance.

Lauren Silverman is said to be “around 10 weeks along” in the pregnancy, according to Us Weekly magazine.

Simon Cowell and Lauren Silverman’s situation is made more complicated by the fact that she is still married to Andrew.

But a source told Usmagazine.com: “Lauren and Andrew have been unhappy in their marriage for some time, and their divorce has been in the works for a while. As their marriage deteriorated, she and Simon became close.”

Simon Cowell, 53, and Lauren Silverman, 36, have been seeing each for at least a year, according to friends, and were even seen viewing houses together in Los Angeles earlier this year.

He made no reference to impending fatherhood when he opened up to Chelsea Handler during an interview on her talk show on Tuesday night, sticking to topics including One Direction and his recent health kick.

Metformin linked to long life in mice study

Kathryn R. Bown
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Metformin linked to long life in mice study

Diabetes drug metformin has anti-ageing effects and extends the life of male mice, a new research suggests.

Scientists believe metformin may mimic the effects of extreme calorie restriction.

This regime, which is based on eating a very low calorie diet, is thought to promote healthy ageing.

The human implications of the study are unclear, the researchers report in the journal, Nature Communications.

Rafael de Cabo, of the National Institute on Ageing in Baltimore, Maryland, said calorie restriction in laboratory animals had been shown to increase their lifespan.

His team is searching for interventions – such as a drug – that can mimic these effects.

Diabetes drug metformin has anti-ageing effects and extends the life of male mice
Diabetes drug metformin has anti-ageing effects and extends the life of male mice

Metformin is one of the most widely prescribed treatments for type-2 diabetes, which occurs mainly in people above the age of 40. It is also used to treat metabolic syndrome, a combination of diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity.

Previous work has shown that metformin can extend the lifespan of simple organisms such as worms, but studies in flies and mammals have given conflicting evidence.

The scientists gave one of two different doses of metformin to middle-aged male mice and found that lower doses increased lifespan by about 5%, and also delayed the onset of age-associated diseases. But they said the higher dose of metformin was toxic and reduced the lifespan of mice.

Further studies were needed to determine if metformin has any effect on human health and lifespan, said Dr. Rafael de Cabo.

“These are very promising results that need to be translated to humans via clinical studies,” he said.

He said the best current advice was to eat a good diet and exercise.

“Right now the best that we can say is probably what your grandmother told you,” Dr. Rafael de Cabo.

“Eat a good diet and exercise are the only two things that we know for sure that they work very well in humans.”

US declassifies documents on its phone-snooping

Diane A. Wade
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US declassifies documents on its phone-snooping

The Obama administration has released documents on its phone-snooping, as a Senate panel questions intelligence officials about the programme.

The declassification was made in the “interest of increased transparency”, intelligence officials said.

However, the three documents include significant redactions.

Meanwhile the father of Edward Snowden, who leaked information about the surveillance, says the FBI has asked him to go to Moscow to see his son.

Lon Snowden told Russian state TV he wants to learn more about the FBI’s intentions. His son is a sought by the US government for revealing details of its electronic snooping by phone and internet.

Meanwhile, slides published by the UK’s Guardian newspaper detailed a secret US surveillance system known as XKeyscore, which reportedly enables American intelligence to monitor “nearly everything a typical user does on the internet”.

The programme includes real-time data and suggests analysts could narrow searches through use of so-called metadata also stored by the NSA, the newspaper reports.

The official US documents released on Wednesday include a court order describing how the data from the programmes would be stored and accessed.

Two reports to US lawmakers on the telephone and email records were also declassified.

But lines in the files, including details on “selection terms” used to search the massive data stores, were blacked out.

For the first time, however, the government acknowledged publicly that using what it calls “hop analysis” it can analyze the phone calls of millions of Americans in the hunt for just one suspect.

NSA analysts could use the records of everyone a suspect calls, and the contacts of those records, as well as everyone who contacts the contacts of contacts of the initial suspect.

The Obama administration has released documents on its phone-snooping
The Obama administration has released documents on its phone-snooping

If the average person calls 40 unique people, such three-hop analysis could allow the government to mine the records of 2.5 million Americans when investigating one suspected terrorist.

“What’s being described as a very narrow program is really a very broad program,” Democratic Senator Richard Durbin said.

Deputy Attorney General James Cole told a Senate judiciary committee hearing on Wednesday that the court order spells out how the government can use call data obtained from telecom giants such as Verizon.

It is the first congressional session on the issue since the House narrowly rejected a proposal to effectively shut down the NSA’s secretive collection of hundreds of millions of Americans’ phone records.

During the early parts of the hearing, NSA deputy director John Inglis said “no” when asked if anyone had been fired over the leak.

“No-one has offered to resign,” John Inglis said.

“Everyone is working hard to understand what happened.”

Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy, the chairman of the committee, also questioned the deputy director on the number of attacks the agency said had been disrupted by the programmes.

General Keith Alexander, the head of the NSA, has said phone and internet surveillance disrupted 54 schemes by militants.

Sen. Patrick Leahy said a list of the relevant plots provided to Congress does not reflect dozens or, as he said, “let alone 54 as some have suggested”.

John Inglis said the phone surveillance helped disrupt or discover attacks 12 times, and the larger number were foiled thanks to both the phone-records snooping and a second programme collecting global internet users’ data.

In a letter to lawmakers last week, the Obama administration acknowledged there had been an unspecific number of “compliance problems” with the rules governing the secret collection of US phone records.

But the director of national intelligence, James Clapper, said no intentional or bad-faith rules violations were found.

Edward Snowden, the NSA contractor that released the information, has been stuck in transit at a Moscow airport for more than a month after the US revoked his travel documents.

He said he has applied for asylum in Russia but has not been able to leave the airport.

Edward Snowden’s father, Lon Snowden, said in the interview with Russian state TV on Wednesday, he believes his son would not get a fair trial in America and, if he were in his son’s place, he would stay in Russia.

He described his son as a “true patriot” who had “made America a more democratic country” by revealing secret details of the US National Security Agency’s surveillance programmes.

“Edward, I hope you are watching this,” Lon Snowden said in the interview.

“Your family is well. We love you. We hope you are healthy, we hope you are well, I hope to see you soon, but most of all I want you to be safe. I want you to find a safe haven.”

Long Breath Diet: Miki Ryosuke’s cheap way to lose weight that takes just five minutes a day

Kathryn R. Bown
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Long Breath Diet: Miki Ryosuke’s cheap way to lose weight that takes just five minutes a day

Former actor Miki Ryosuke claims to have lost 28 lbs and 5 inches from his waist in seven weeks by following his Long Breath Diet.

Miki Ryosuke, 55, claims that followers of the diet just have to spend two minutes a day concentrating on taking long breaths and then exhaling aggressively.

The dieting guru says that he invented the diet by mistake while practicing breathing techniques in an attempt to reduce his back pain, Oddity Central reports.

While he was practicing the breathing techniques, Miki Ryosuke noticed that he was losing weight.

As a result of the discovery, he drew up the Long Breath Diet which involves the dieter taking a specific position before inhaling for three seconds and then exhaling powerfully for seven seconds.

Miki Ryosuke claims that people who practice this breathing technique for two to five minutes a day will see rapid benefits.

Miki Ryosuke claims to have lost 28 lbs and 5 inches from his waist in seven weeks by following his Long Breath Diet
Miki Ryosuke claims to have lost 28 lbs and 5 inches from his waist in seven weeks by following his Long Breath Diet

Oddity Central reports that there are two ways of practicing the diet.

The first involves tensing the buttocks while standing with one foot in front of the body and placing most of the body’s weight on the back foot.

In this position, the dieter is encouraged to inhale for three seconds while lifting their arms above their head.

They are then told to breathe out while tensing all of their muscles for seven seconds.

The second way of practicing the technique involves the dieter standing upright while tightening their buttocks and placing one hand on their stomach, and the other on the bottom of their back.

They are then told to inhale for three seconds before breathing out for seven seconds, all of the time holding in their stomach.

Jill Johnson, creator of the Oxycise, another weight loss programme based on breathing, told Oddity Central: “Fat is made up of oxygen, carbon, and hydrogen. When the oxygen we breathe reaches these fat molecules, it breaks them down into carbon dioxide and water.

“The blood then picks up the carbon dioxide – a waste product of our bodies – and returns it to the lungs to be exhaled. Therefore the more oxygen our bodies use, the more fat we will burn.”

The Long Breath Diet is believed to increase a dieter’s muscle strength and to boost their metabolism by increasing their blood oxygen levels.

However, most experts believe that practicing it for just two minutes a day is not sufficient to see any significant weight loss.

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