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Wendi Deng and Tony Blair? Former prime minister denies affair with Rupert Murdoch’s wife

Lisa.Felice
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Wendi Deng and Tony Blair? Former prime minister denies affair with Rupert Murdoch’s wife

Tony Blair strongly denied outrageous internet rumors today linking him with the divorce of Rupert Murdoch and Wendi Deng.

The internet was awash with unfounded suggestions that the former British Prime Minister may have been romantically involved with 44-year-old Wendi Deng, who is a close friend.

The feverish speculation followed a Twitter claim by BBC business editor Robert Peston, who has close links with Murdoch empire insiders, that he had been “told that undisclosed reasons for Murdoch divorcing Deng are jaw-dropping – & hate myself for wanting to know what they are”.

The rumors are understood to have been emphatically rejected by Tony Blair aides as untrue – either now or in the past – and also as highly defamatory.

A spokesman for Tony Blair told the Hollywood Reporter: “If you are asking if they are having an affair, the answer is no.”

The spokesman said Tony Blair would not be making a public comment on the divorce himself.

With no explanation forthcoming from the Murdoch camp, rumors started flying within hours of the bombshell news that the media tycoon had filed for divorce in a New York court, ending his 14 years marriage to his third wife.

It is no secret that the ambitious Wendi Deng and Tony Blair are good friends. He is godfather to Grace, her older child with 82-year-old Rupert Murdoch.

Rupert Murdoch biographer Michael Wolff described Tony Blair as “one of Wendi’s first official social conquests” and suggested that the former prime minister had seen her as a key link in his efforts to woo her politically powerful husband.

Rupert Murdoch, who is estimated to be worth nearly $11 billion, cited as grounds for the divorce “that the relationship has broken down irretrievably”.

Tony Blair strongly denied outrageous internet rumors today linking him with the divorce of Rupert Murdoch and Wendi Deng
Tony Blair strongly denied outrageous internet rumors today linking him with the divorce of Rupert Murdoch and Wendi Deng

Insiders said the marriage has actually been strained for years. Some pointed to an article in the New York Times last year in which Wendi Deng’s friends admitted the Murdochs were living “largely separate lives” as she looked after their two children and played the socialite while her husband ran his huge media business.

They reportedly came close to splitting up as long ago as 2006 when Wendi Deng reacted with fury to Rupert Murdoch’s decision that their two young daughters, Grace and Chloe, would not have the same say over the running of the family media empire as his children from previous marriages.

Rupert Murdoch’s biographer Neil Chenoweth suggested that the media mogul had planned the divorce as long ago as February after the death of his mother two months earlier gave him extra shares in the family business that he could use to pay off his wife.

In the same month, observers of the couple at the Oscars saw a noticeable change in Wendi Deng’s behavior towards her husband.

“She was snippy with him during the Oscar weekend and she’s really impatient with him these days,” a source at the time told Deadline Hollywood, a film industry website which first reported the divorce.

Michael Wolff recalled reports that Rupert Murdoch told his oldest son, Lachlan, some years ago that he had concluded that marrying the fiery Wendi Deng was a “mistake”.

Other sources claimed the workaholic Rupert Murdoch was more concerned with the imminent division of his media empire into publishing and entertainment arms than with his split from his wife.

Although the couple have a pre-nuptial agreement which should ensure that the Murdoch business empire is not affected by the split, their settlement will have to sort out what happens to their seven homes.

They include a Manhattan apartment Rupert Murdoch bought for $45 million, a 16-acre vineyard in Los Angeles, a flat in London’s Mayfair, an 11-bedroom house in Beverly Hills and a period house outside the Forbidden City in Beijing.

The Wall Street Journal reported in 2000 that Wendi Deng helped break up the marriage of an American couple, Jake and Joyce Cherry, who had befriended her.

In 1988, they arranged for Wendi Deng, then aged 19, to leave China for Los Angeles to learn English.

Wendi Deng reportedly ran off with 53-year-old Jake Cherry and later married him, enabling her to get a “green card” to work in the US. The marriage soon ended after Jake Cherry discovered Wendi Deng was spending time with a man nearly half his age, said the Journal.

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Rupert Murdoch and Wendi Deng: Their histories

Lisa.Felice
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Rupert Murdoch and Wendi Deng: Their histories

Rupert Murdoch and his Chinese-born third wife, Wendi Deng, married on June 25, 1999, just 17 days after his divorce from Anna Maria Torv, to whom he was married for 32 years.

Rupert Murdoch married his first wife, a flight attendant named Patricia Booker, in 1956 and they had a daughter, Prudence, in 1958 before divorcing in 1967. That same year, Rupert Murdoch married Anna Maria Torv, a journalist working for The Daily Telegraph in Sydney, and they went on to have three children: Elisabeth, Lachland and James.

After three decades, Rupert Murdoch and Anna Maria Torv divorced in 1999, with Anna receiving a record settlement of $1.7 billion in assets. She blamed their divorce on Rupert Murdoch’s affair with Wendi Deng, an employee of his Hong Kong-based company Star TV, and “his determination to continue with that. I thought we had a wonderful, happy marriage. Obviously, we didn’t,’ she said, calling him ‘extremely hard, ruthless”.

The marriage to Rupert Murdoch was not the first for Wendi Deng either; her tangled love life was revealed by the Wall Street Journal in 2000.

Growing up as the daughter of a factory worker in Guangzhou in southern China, Wendi Deng’s childhood was a far cry from the opulence she enjoys today. She lived in a modest home but worked hard at school, where she was a champion volleyball player.

While studying at a medical college, Wendi Deng met an American couple, Jake and Joyce Cherry, who had been temporarily relocated to the country to work on a factory. She learned English from the couple and they ultimately sponsored her to travel to the U.S. when she was 19 to take classes at California State University.

But Joyce Cherry soon learned Wendi Deng was having an affair with Jake Cherry, who was three decades her senior, the Wall Street Journal reported. She ordered the girl out of her home and Jake Cherry followed closely behind. He divorced his wife and married Wendi Deng, who was 22.

But they too divorced after Jake Cherry learned Wendi Deng was spending time with a man named David Wolf.

After achieving her MBA from Yale, Wendi Deng joined the Murdoch-owned Star TV in Hong Kong as an intern in 1996.

Rupert Murdoch and Wendi Deng married on June 25, 1999, just 17 days after his divorce from Anna Maria Torv
Rupert Murdoch and Wendi Deng married on June 25, 1999, just 17 days after his divorce from Anna Maria Torv

While his company has claimed that Rupert Murdoch and Wendi Deng met after his separation from his second wife, Anna, sources told the New York Times last year that they met months before in a question session at Star TV.

It was there Wendi Deng stood up and asked: “Why is your China strategy so bad?”

But Wendi Deng was not satisfied with Rupert Murdoch’s answer and after the meeting, she spoke to him further and they discussed media and business, the New York Times reported.

In a biography, Rupert Murdoch explained that he met her “casually once or twice” during meetings at Star TV. He claimed their first date was in June 1998 in London, when Wendi Deng traveled to the city with colleagues from Star.

“I was a recently separated, lonely man, and I said, <<Let’s go out to dinner one night>>, and I talked her into staying in London a couple of extra days – and that was the start of it,” Rupert Murdoch said.

The couple’s wedding ceremony, attended by 81 guests, took place aboard a yacht in the New York Harbor. They went on to have two children: Grace, born in 2001, and Chloe, born in 2003.

The New York Times profile piece noted that while Rupert Murdoch transformed following their marriage – hair dye, Prada suits, workouts – Wendi Deng was also very much changed.

While Wendi Deng once never wore makeup and would try to get dresses on the cheap, she was soon traveling around the world with her husband, stocking up on expensive homeware and bedecking herself in designer gowns and jewelry. Friends noted that she has remained the same brash, confident person throughout, however.

Wendi Deng and Rupert Murdoch’s relationship has not been entirely smooth. In 2006, Rupert Murdoch declared in a television interview that his daughters with Wendi Deng would not have the same voting rights as his children from previous marriages.

His wife was enraged and friends told the Times Wendi Deng threatened to leave him – but they worked through it.

The piece noted that the couple were living “largely separate lives” as Rupert Murdoch struggled to deal with the News of the World phone hacking scandal in London.

Wendi Deng’s defensiveness of her husband became apparent when she famously protected him from a pie-throwing activist during a hacking hearing in London two years ago.

Wendi Deng, showing her athleticism that harked back to her volleyball days, lunged at the attacker to smack him across the head.

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Rupert Murdoch and Wendi Deng: The biggest divorce in history?

Lisa.Felice
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Rupert Murdoch and Wendi Deng: The biggest divorce in history?

With a net worth of $11.2 billion, Rupert Murdoch’s divorce from Wendi Deng could be the most expensive ever.

Rupert Murdoch was married three times and his split from second wife, of 32 years, Anna Murdoch, in 1999, is currently the world’s biggest.

Anna Murdoch received $1.7 billion of his assets – including $110 million in cash, according to ABC news.

The second most expensive divorce was in 2008, when Formula One tycoon Bernie Ecclestone settled with Slavica for $1.2 billion.

Australia-born Rupert Murdoch took residence in the U.S. in 1974 and became a naturalized American citizen in 1985, based in New York City.

Rupert Murdoch and Wendi Deng filed for their divorce at the New York State Supreme Court this morning. It is not clear which of them will move out of their Upper East Side apartment.

As well as New York being their main residence, Rupert Murdoch and Wendi Deng may have filed their petition in the city because it’s “a place where prenups are generally given a significant amount of presumptive validity by the courts”, Bernard Clair, an established Manhattan divorce lawyer not involved in the Murdoch case, told NBC.

The issue of such validity would arise if the agreement was challenged in court.

With a net worth of $11.2 billion, Rupert Murdoch's divorce from Wendi Deng could be the most expensive ever
With a net worth of $11.2 billion, Rupert Murdoch’s divorce from Wendi Deng could be the most expensive ever

Entering into a prenup has long been an option in the U.S. and all states recognize premarital agreements through statutes or court decisions.

Such agreements have only recently become legally enforceable in Australia, since 2000; and prenups first became legally recognized in Britain in 2010.

A pre-nuptial agreement is a contract entered into before marriage which specifies property and financial distribution in the event that the marriage terminates.

In the case of the Murdochs, the education and upbringing of the children born to the couple will also be an issue, as they have two daughters together – Grace, 11 and Chloe, 9.

Rupert Murdoch and Wendi Deng had a pre-nup agreement and have held shares in trust for their children, so the divorce is unlikely to lessen the media mogul’s grip on his media empire.

Under the property distribution laws in many states, a spouse who brings a large amount of cash, property, and other financial holdings to a marriage and makes them part of the marital estate may lose much of that property to the other spouse upon divorce.

Therefore, a spouse who brings substantially more money or property to a marriage may want a premarital agreement to protect some or all of those assets if the marriage fails.

Rupert Murdoch’s marriage to his first wife, Patricia Booker, a former shop assistant and flight attendant from Melbourne, lasted from 1956 to 1967.

They had one daughter, Prudence, in 1958. It is not clear what settlement they reached.

Why Rupert Murdoch is divorcing Wendi Deng?

Lisa.Felice
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Why Rupert Murdoch is divorcing Wendi Deng?

New reports claim the reason Rupert Murdoch has filed for divorce from his wife of 14 years Wendi Deng is a “jaw-dropping” one.

Since news emerged of the media tycoon’s decision, Twitter has been awash with speculation about why the 82-year-old is splitting up with his third wife.

BBC financial correspondent Robert Peston, who is said to be a close friends with some key Rupert Murdoch staffers, hinted at a shocking reason writing on his Twitter page: “Undisclosed reasons for Murdoch divorcing Deng are jaw-dropping.”

Later several US websites began carrying a denial of one of the astonishing theories that emerged from the Twitter rumor mill and which was unsupported by any evidence.

Rupert Murdoch’s biographer, Michael Wolff, added to the speculation writing on his Twitter account: “I’m hearing the WHY, the big reveal, the scandal details, could come tomorrow.”

“I think he genuinely loved her,” Michael Wolff told the Guardian.

“Everyone is wondering what went wrong.”

The News Corp chairman and CEO married Wendi Deng, 44, in 1999 after meeting at a party in Hong Kong two years prior.

Wendi Deng is most famously known for punching a man who threw a pie at Rupert Murdoch over the phone hacking scandal during a British parliamentary committee.

British media reported there is not only a pre-nuptial agreement, but also two further “post-nups” in 2002 and 2004. The divorce will not have any real effect on News Corporation.

Rupert Murdoch and Wendi Deng 1999 marriage came 17 days after his divorce from ex-wife Anna Maria Torv Murdoch Mann was finalized, which was one of the most expensive in history at $1.7 billion.

Court papers state “the relationship has been irretrievably broken for the last six months”.

Rupert Murdoch and Wendi Deng lived in a $44 million Fifth Avenue penthouse previously owned by Laurance S. Rockefeller and have an impressive portfolio of homes in Los Angeles, London, Canberra, Australia, Carmel, California, and Centre Island, New York.

The Murdochs would have celebrated their fourteenth wedding anniversary in less than a fortnight.

A source told the Mail: “This divorce is no surprise, it’s been on the cards for a while. Wendi and Rupert have been living separate lives. She’s a New York fixture and is interested in her own career.”

Ira E. Garr of the law firm Garr Silpe is representing Rupert Murdoch in the divorce. He has represented Ivana Trump in the past.

Rupert Murdoch and Wendi Deng, who married on a private yacht in 1999, have two children, Grace, 11, and Chloe, 9, to whom Wendi Deng admits to being a disciplinarian mother.

According to the Guardian, the pair has filed for joint custody of their children.

The reason Rupert Murdoch has filed for divorce from Wendi Deng is reported to be jaw-dropping
The reason Rupert Murdoch has filed for divorce from Wendi Deng is reported to be jaw-dropping

It appears also that Wendi Deng has no voting stock in News Corp.

Though their two daughters have financial shares in the family trust, they do not have voting shares.

Rupert Murdoch’s older children by his previous wives have the holding rights. He and second wife Anna had three children – Lachlan, James and Elisabeth.

The couple are said to have clashed over this in 2006 after Rupert Murdoch said in an interview that Grace and Chloe would be on a level footing in terms of the family’s economic trust with his children from his previous marriages, but they would not have the same voting rights.

They are said to have eventually come to a more acceptable agreement.

In 2012, Wendi Deng was profiled in a New York Times story which claimed the couple were leading “largely separate lives and sleeping in separate bedrooms”, a far cry from the show of unity just one year earlier when Deng leaped to the defense of her husband during a grueling question and answering session in British Parliament, punching a protestor who tried to throw a cream pie in his face.

Wendi Deng’s actions seemed to give their marriage legitimacy, as she was previously thought to merely be a “gold-digger” and “trophy wife”.

Rupert Murdoch’s net worth was listed at $11.2 billion by Forbes in March, ranking him 33rd on the U.S. billionaire’s list.

His last divorce, from Scottish-born Anna Murdoch, after 32 years of marriage, cost him £1 billion ($1.6 billion).

However, Wendi Deng may be able to demand a larger settlement because she has been actively involved in the Murdoch business in China, where she is chief of strategy for its social networking site MySpace.

The divorce papers were filed at the New York state supreme court in Manhattan yesterday morning.

Wendi Deng was credited with rejuvenating the 82-year-old News Corporation founder, chairman and CEO, transforming his wardrobe and introducing him to a new group of younger friends in the new media world, including Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.

She is reportedly the daughter of a factory director who grew up in the eastern Chinese city of Xuzhou in 1968.

Wendi Deng left for the U.S. when she was 19-years-old to study and worked in a Chinese restaurant in California before going on to graduate from Yale University in 1996.

While studying at a medical college, she met an American couple, Jake and Joyce Cherry, who had been temporarily relocated to the country to work on a factory.

Wendi Deng learned English from the couple and they ultimately sponsored her to travel to the US when she was 19 to take classes at California State University.

But Joyce Cherry soon learned Wendi Deng was having an affair with Jake Cherry, who was three decades her senior, the Wall Street Journal reported in 2000.

Joyce Cherry ordered the girl out of her home and Jake Cherry followed closely behind. He divorced his wife and married Wendi Deng, who was 22.

But they too divorced after he learned Wendi Deng was spending time with a man named David Wolf.

Soon after, Wendi Deng was employed as an intern by Star TV, News Corp’s Asian satellite-television operation in Hong Kong, where she met Rupert Murdoch during one of his visits.

Wendi Deng approached Rupert Murdoch and asked: “Why is your China strategy so bad?”

After the meeting, they discussed media and business, the New York Times reported.

In a biography, Rupert Murdoch explained that he met Wendi Deng “casually once or twice” during meetings at Star TV. Their first date was in June 1998 in London, when she traveled to the city with colleagues from Star.

At News Corp, Wendi Deng was involved in the conglomerate’s Chinese interests and Internet and film ventures, and she produced the 2011 feature Snow Flower and the Secret Fan for Fox Searchlight pictures. This was largely eclipsed when the phone-hacking scandal emerged.

Wendi Deng was described by friends in a New York Times article last year like someone who is a world-class networker, collecting powerful friends and brokering connections.

She would host annual dinner parties with powerful women, hosts book parties for friends, and regularly holds get-togethers.

The same article, from June 2012, said the Murdochs had grown to live largely separate lives, with Wendi Deng taking the girls to piano lessons and attending red-carpet galas, and Rupert Murdoch dealing with the phone-hacking scandal that was unfolding in Britain at the time.

The filing comes just days before the split of News Corp into two companies, one for its entertainment assets and the other for its publishing business.

It was not immediately clear whether the divorce and the company split were connected in any way, though analysts said the end of the Murdochs’ marriage was unlikely to have an effect on the corporate separation.

“I doubt it has a substantial impact on the spin,” said Gabelli & Co. analyst Brett Harriss.

“Given that it’s his third wife, I see it unlikely that he didn’t plan for this contingency.”

News Corp shares were unchanged in midday trading.

Rupert Murdoch controls 40% of the voting shares of News Corp through a separate family trust.

Wendi Deng and Rupert Murdoch’s children are having shares currently worth around $270 million.

Rupert Murdoch handed each of his six children $100 million in shares in February 2007 and another $60 million nine months later.

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India to become world’s most populous country by 2028

James J. Williams
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India to become world’s most populous country by 2028

According to the United Nations, India looks set to overtake China as the world’s most populous country from 2028.

At that point, India and China will number 1.45 billion people each. Subsequently India’s population will continue to grow until the middle of the century, while China’s slowly declines.

The UN also estimates that the current global population of 7.2 billion will reach 9.6 billion by 2050.

That is a faster rate of growth than previously estimated.

The population growth will be mainly in developing countries, particularly in Africa, the UN says.

The world’s 49 least developed countries are projected to double in size from around 900 million people in 2013 to 1.8 billion in 2050, whereas the population of developed regions will remain largely unchanged.

India looks set to overtake China as the world's most populous country from 2028
India looks set to overtake China as the world’s most populous country from 2028

The UN said the reason for the increase in its projection for total global population in 2050 is largely new information on fertility levels in certain high birth rate countries.

Large developing countries, such as China, India and Brazil, have seen a rapid fall in the average number of children per woman, but in other nations, such as Nigeria, Niger, Ethiopia and Uganda, fertility levels remain high.

Nigeria’s population is expected to exceed that of the United States by the middle of the century, and could start to rival China’s by 2100.

China’s population is expected to start decreasing after 2030.

“Although population growth has slowed for the world as a whole, this report reminds us that some developing countries, especially in Africa, are still growing rapidly,” commented Wu Hongbo, the UN’s Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs.

The UN publishes an assessment of past, current and future population trends every two years, in a recurrent series known as the World Population Prospects.

Researchers have used data for 233 countries and areas to produce Friday’s report.

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Edward Snowden: CIA leaker banned from flying to UK

Diane A. Wade
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Edward Snowden: CIA leaker banned from flying to UK

The British government has warned airlines not to allow Edward Snowden, an ex-CIA employee who leaked secret US surveillance details, to fly to the UK, according to reports.

The Associated Press news agency reported seeing a document at a Thai airport telling carriers to stop Edward Snowden, 29, boarding any flights.

The travel alert – reported to feature a Home Office letterhead – said Edward Snowden “is highly likely to be refused entry to the UK”.

The Home Office would not comment.

According to AP, the alert was issued on Monday by the Home Office’s risk and liaison overseas network.

The document had a photograph of Edward Snowden and gave his date of birth and passport number, the news agency reported.

It said: “If this individual attempts to travel to the UK: Carriers should deny boarding.”

The British government has warned airlines not to allow Edward Snowden to fly to the UK
The British government has warned airlines not to allow Edward Snowden to fly to the UK

It went on to warn airlines they may “be liable to costs relating to the individual’s detention and removal” should they allow him to travel.

According to the Home Office website, a charge for such a situation would be £2,000 ($3,130).

Bangkok Airways, Singapore Airlines and Malaysia Airlines confirmed they had received the notice, which was not supposed to be seen by the public, AP reported.

The Home Office does have the power to block people’s entry to the UK in certain circumstances, such as if it believes it is in the public interest to do so.

The powers had been used in the past, including to deny entry to extremist preachers and extremist European politicians.

Edward Snowden was last seen in Hong Kong, where he travelled ahead of the Guardian newspaper’s stories revealing the extent of the National Security Agency’s (NSA) programme to take data from US internet and telephone firms.

There is no suggestion that he has any intention of trying to travel to the UK.

Edward Snowden’s actions have divided opinion in the US, with some calling him a hero and others calling for him to be tried for treason.

Menopause and its side effects can be blamed on men

Kathryn R. Bown
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Menopause and its side effects can be blamed on men

Menopause and its side effects can all be blamed on men, Canadian experts suggest.

Evolutionary geneticists from McMaster University say men’s tendency to choose younger mates meant fertility became pointless for older women.

According to a PLOS Computational Biology article, experts say men’s preferences eventually led to the menopause.

However, a UK expert said that was the “wrong way round” and men chose younger women because older women were less fertile.

Researchers have long been puzzled as to why it appears that human are the only species where females cannot reproduce throughout their lives.

Previous theories had proposed a “grandmother effect”. This suggests that women lose their fertility at an age where they might not live to see a child grow, and instead are available to care for younger women’s children.

The menopause was therefore seen as the block to older women from continuing to reproduce.

But this latest theory suggests things work the other way around, and that it is the lack of reproduction that has given rise to menopause.

Evolutionary geneticists from McMaster University say men's tendency to choose younger mates meant fertility became pointless for older women
Evolutionary geneticists from McMaster University say men’s tendency to choose younger mates meant fertility became pointless for older women

Using computer modelling, the team from McMaster’s concluded “preferential mating” was the evolutionary answer – men of all ages choosing younger women as partners.

That meant there was “no purpose” in older women continuing to be fertile.

Prof. Rama Singh, an evolutionary geneticist who led the study, said men choosing younger mates were “stacking the odds” against continued fertility.

He said: “There is evidence in human history; there was always a preference for younger women.”

Prof. Rama Singh stressed they were looking at human development many thousands of years ago – rather than current social patterns,

He said this extended longevity – plus later childbirth – could potentially alter the timing of the menopause, over a significant period of time.

“The social system is changing. There are women who are starting families later, because of education or a career.”

Prof. Rama Singh suggested this trend would mean those women would have a later menopause, and those genes would be passed on to their daughters “with the possibility of menopausal age being delayed”.

However, Dr. Maxwell Burton-Chellew, an evolutionary biologist in the department of zoology at the University of Oxford, challenged the theory.

“The authors argue that the menopause exists in humans because males have a strong preference for younger females.

“However, this is probably the wrong way round – the human male preference for younger females is likely to be because older females are less fertile.

“I think it makes more sense to see the human male preference for younger females largely as an evolved response to the menopause, and to assume that ancestral males would have been wise to mate with any females that could produce offspring.”

Dr. Maxwell Burton-Chellew added: “Evolutionarily-speaking, older females
faced an interesting ‘choice’: have a child that may not reach adulthood before your own death, or stop reproducing and instead focus on helping your younger relatives reproduce.”

Barack Obama approves arms for Syria rebels

Roy Siemens
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Barack Obama approves arms for Syria rebels

The White House has announced today that President Barack Obama has approved for the first time a direct military aid to the Syrian opposition.

President Barack Obama made the decision after his administration concluded Syrian forces under President Bashar al-Assad were using chemical weapons, a spokesman said.

Ben Rhodes did not give details about the military aid other than to say it would be “different in scope and scale to what we have provided before”.

Russia said the US claims on Syria’s chemical weapons use were unconvincing.

Yury Ushakov, a senior aide to President Vladimir Putin, told reporters that Washington had provided Moscow with its evidence, but “what was presented…. does not look convincing to us”.

The US announcement is one that the Syrian opposition has been pushing and praying for months.

It seems clear that President Barack Obama has finally been persuaded, as Britain and France have argued, that the battlefield cannot be allowed to tilt strongly in the regime’s favor, as is currently happening.

Washington’s “clear” statement was welcomed by NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, who urged Syria to let the UN “investigate all reports of chemical weapons use”.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague said the UK agreed with Washington’s assessment and said an urgent response to the Syria crisis would be discussed at the G8 this week.

But a spokesperson for UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon told said that he remained against “any further militarization” of the conflict in Syria, saying the people there need peace not more weapons.

Ben Rhodes, a deputy national security adviser to Barack Obama, said the US intelligence community believed the “Assad regime has used chemical weapons, including the nerve agent sarin, on a small scale against the opposition multiple times over the last year”.

He said intelligence officials had a “high confidence” in their assessment, and also estimated that 100 to 150 people had died from chemical weapons attacks, “however, casualty data is likely incomplete”.

“We have consistently said the use of chemical weapons violates international norms and crosses red lines that have existed in the international community for decades,” Ben Rhodes said.

President Barack Obama has approved for the first time a direct military aid to the Syrian opposition
President Barack Obama has approved for the first time a direct military aid to the Syrian opposition

Ben Rhodes said President Barack Obama had made the decision to increase assistance, including “military support”, to the Supreme Military Council (SMC) and Syrian Opposition Coalition.

He did not give details of the aid, but administration officials have been quoted by US media as saying it will most likely include sending small arms and ammunition.

The New York Times quoted US officials as saying that Washington could provide anti-tank weapons.

Syria’s rebels have been calling for both anti-tank and anti-aircraft weaponry.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Washington is also considering a no-fly zone inside Syria, possibly near the border with Jordan, that would protect refugees and rebels who are training there.

When asked whether Barack Obama would back a no-fly zone over Syria, Ben Rhodes said one would not make a “huge difference” on the ground – and would be costly.

He said further actions would be taken “on our own timeline.”

The CIA is expected to co-ordinate delivery of the military equipment and train the rebel soldiers in how to use it.

Until now, the US has limited its help to rebel forces by providing rations and medical supplies.

Ben Rhodes said the White House hoped the increased support would bolster the effectiveness and legitimacy of both the political and military arms of Syria’s rebels, and said the US was “comfortable” working with SMC chief Gen Salim Idris.

“It’s been important to work through them while aiming to isolate some of the more extremist elements of the opposition, such as al-Nusra,” he said.

The US decision marks a significant escalation of the proxy war that has been gathering pace in Syria, our Beirut correspondent says.

The support of the West’s regional allies, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, had helped the rebels in the days after the uprising became militarized.

But the tide turned after the Assad government turned to Moscow and Tehran for help. Hezbollah fighters have also been involved in the government’s counter-offensive.

Now the West is lining up to try and help the rebels, but that is likely to take many months with more bloodshed and destruction.

The White House announcement immediately shook up the ongoing debate in Washington DC over how the US might provide assistance to the rebels.

Republican Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham, who have been particularly strident in their calls for military aid, said the finding must change US policy in Syria. They called for further action, saying US credibility was on the line.

“A decision to provide lethal assistance, especially ammunition and heavy weapons, to opposition forces in Syria is long overdue, and we hope the president will take this urgently needed step,” they said in a joint statement.

“But providing arms alone is not sufficient. The president must rally an international coalition to take military actions to degrade Assad’s ability to use airpower and ballistic missiles and to move and resupply his forces around the battlefield by air.”

The White House announcement came on the same day the UN said the number of those killed in the Syrian conflict had risen to more than 93,000 people.

A UN report released on Thursday found at least 5,000 people have been dying in Syria every month since last July, with 30,000 killed since November.

More than 80% of those killed were men, but the UN’s Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) says it has also documented the deaths of more than 1,700 children under the age of 10.

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Killing Kennedy: Ginnifer Goodwin channels Jackie Kennedy in new TV movie about JFK’s assassination

Sonia Pantiss
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Killing Kennedy: Ginnifer Goodwin channels Jackie Kennedy in new TV movie about JFK’s assassination

Ginnifer Goodwin was picked to play America’s most famous First Lady Jackie Kennedy in Killing Kennedy – a new TV movie about JFK’s assassination.

With her hair back-combed and with the same make-up style Ginnifer Goodwin, 35, is the mirror image of Jackie “O”.

Ginnifer Goodwin – whose credits include Big Love – will play the part alongside Rob Lowe as J.F.K in Killing Kennedy about the ill fated 35th United States President.

The National Geographic Channel’s film adaptation is from Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard’s book Killing Kennedy: The End Of Camelot and will have its small screen release in November.

It is a dream role for Ginnifer Goodwin – who is currently dating her Once Upon A Time co-star Josh Dallas – while Michelle Trachtenberg has been chosen to play Lee Harvey Oswald’s wife Marina Oswald.

The make-up and wardrobe specialists on the project have obviously pulled-out all the stops to make both Ginnifer Goodwin and Rob Lowe look just like the iconic couple for the new movie.

Rob Lowe, 49, too bears an uncanny resemblance to the late former president and strikes a mirror image pose of JFK in his promotional shot for Killing Kennedy.

With the same posture, and president’s classic comb-over, Rob Lowe somehow manages to evoke the image of JFK, who was assassinated in 1963.

Ginnifer Goodwin was picked to play America's most famous First Lady Jackie Kennedy in Killing Kennedy
Ginnifer Goodwin was picked to play America’s most famous First Lady Jackie Kennedy in Killing Kennedy

Rob Lowe started filming the movie earlier this week, and the National Geographic Channel will be hoping that it proves to be ratings gold with viewers.

The actor of course previously played Sam Seaborne in The West Wing from 1999 to 2003 so he knows all about the workings of The White House albeit from a different era from his new project.

Chronicling the final years of JFK and his assassin Lee Harvey Oswald before their deaths in 1963, the subject of the film seems to have had an effect on Rob Lowe.

He tweeted: “Just saw Ginnifer Goodwin as Jackie Kennedy in the sad and awful blood-stained dress. Extremely emotional.”

Rob Lowe also said the show will be to mark the 50th anniversary of the president’s death, adding: “We were never the same.”

He isn’t the only actor to be playing JFK this year, as James Marsden will also portray the late president in the film The Butler.

The film by director Lee Daniels also stars Oprah Winfrey and Mariah Carey, and is scheduled for release on August 16.

Rob Lowe recently confessed to having a ball getting a makeover as plastic surgeon Jack Startz in Behind the Candelabra.

He told EW: “I’ve taken great glee in showing pictures that I have on my iPhone of Dr. Startz to people.

“People, honestly, fall over. They are so repelled and engaged, which is sort of what I was going for. I wanted him to be at once repellant and engaging, if that’s possible.”

Rob Lowe also plays the hyperactive character Chris Traeger on Parks and Recreation and Ulysses S. Grant in the upcoming American Civil War drama To Appomattox.

Ireland Baldwin shows incredible resemblance to Kim Basinger at amfAR Inspiration Gala in New York

Lisa.Felice
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Ireland Baldwin shows incredible resemblance to Kim Basinger at amfAR Inspiration Gala in New York

Ireland Baldwin shows an incredible resemblance to her mother Kim Basinger as she attended the amfAR Inspiration Gala in New York on Thursday in a breath-taking black gown.

Ireland Baldwin, 17, ruled the red carpet when she stood on the steps of the historic Plaza Hotel in Manhattan, revealing that she is true Hollywood royalty.

And it was plain to see just how much she resembled her similarly stunning mother, actress Kim Basinger.

Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger’s model daughter was dripping in glamour in a curve-kissing black gown with capped sleeves that rested on her arms and showed off her toned shoulders.

The sweeping train meant that the dress was long enough even for the Amazon-sized teenager who has inherited tall genes from her 6 foot tall father and 5’6 1/2″ mother, but surpassed both of them in height.

While the lace topped bodice of the beautiful dress hung low on her bust-line, the classic cut meant that the overall silhouette was elegant.

Large silver cluster earrings and heavy sparkling bangles added a dramatic touch, while Ireland Baldwin kept her makeup simple with pale lips, lush dark lashes, and smooth bronzed skin.

Ireland Baldwin shows an incredible resemblance to her mother Kim Basinger as she attended the amfAR Inspiration Gala in New York
Ireland Baldwin shows an incredible resemblance to her mother Kim Basinger as she attended the amfAR Inspiration Gala in New York

Ireland Baldwin’s hair is most often seen loose and natural like any carefree California teen, but for the special occasion she had it secured back in a sophisticated chignon with long, perfectly straight bangs falling over her face.

As she stared out with a sultry expression through the blonde fringe, Ireland Baldwin looked shockingly similar to her stunning mom, Kim Basinger.

Ireland Baldwin, who recently scored a top contract with agency IMG, recently told People.com she is working hard towards her goal of becoming a top model: “I’m getting into it. Doing it right. I want to know where it’s going to take me.”

She said she was inspired by a number of contemporary models including Kate Moss and Miranda Kerr, but of course also looks up to Kim Basinger.

“Oh! And my mom, of course,” Ireland Baldwin told People.

“My mom’s very happy she can finally give me tips. She’s always there, so she’ll stand in the back and say, <<Turn your head this way, or do this>>.”

Iran presidential election 2013: 50 million voters expected to cast their ballots

Diane A. Wade
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Iran presidential election 2013: 50 million voters expected to cast their ballots

Some 50 million voters across Iran are casting their ballots in the country’s key presidential elections.

Although all six candidates are seen as conservatives, one of them, cleric Hassan Rouhani, has been reaching out to the reformists in recent days.

The election will decide a successor to outgoing leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s eight years in power have been characterized by economic turmoil and Western sanctions against Iran over its controversial nuclear programme.

Polls across Iran opened at 08:00 local time and are due to close at 18:00. Some 50 million people are eligible to cast their ballots.

The past week brought a surprising change to what otherwise had looked like being a predictable election.

Hassan Rouhani has been attracting increasing attention, speaking publicly about the need to re-engage with the West, our correspondent says.

He has also promised to free political prisoners and called for greater reform of the media.

The surge of support for him came after Mohammad Reza Aref, the only reformist candidate in the race, announced on Tuesday that he was withdrawing his candidature on the advice of pro-reform ex-President Mohammad Khatami.

Hassan Rouhani now has the endorsement of two ex-presidents, Mohammad Khatami and Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, who was disqualified from the race by the powerful Guardian Council.

However, Hassan Rouhani faces a tough challenge from hard-line candidates, including top nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili and Tehran’s mayor Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf.

Six candidates are running for Iran’s presidential race
Six candidates are running for Iran’s presidential race

The remaining candidates are conservatives close to Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei.

He has called for a large turnout but not publicly stated his preference for any single candidate.

After casting his vote early, Ayatollah Khamenei spoke live on state television.

“Inshallah [God willing], the Iranian people will create a new political epic,” he said.

He also attacked US criticism of the presidential poll and those, in the US, who said they did not recognize the election.

“The Iranian people… will do what is in their interest.”

If no candidate secures 50.1 percent or more of the votes to win outright, a second round will be held in a week’s time.

Friday’s election is the first since 2009, when protesters took to the streets in anger at the results which they said had been rigged in favor of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

But the disqualification of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani in May left supporters of the post-2009 liberal movement divided about whether to bother voting in the election at all.

No foreign observers will be monitoring the poll, and there have also been concerns that media coverage in the run-up was unfair.

Many reform newspapers have been shut down, access to the internet and foreign broadcasters restricted, and journalists detained.

Iranian presidential elections:

  • Six candidates running
  • Race is seen as contest between Ayatollah Ali Khamenei loyalists and moderate reformers
  • About 50 million eligible voters
  • If no candidate wins 50.1%, run-off held on June 21

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Airbus A350 takes off on its maiden test flight

Clyde K. Valle
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Airbus A350 takes off on its maiden test flight

Airbus A350, the newest aircraft from the European planemaker, has taken off on its maiden test flight.

The Airbus A350 is designed to be more fuel-efficient, and a direct competitor to US rival Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner.

It is seen as vital to the future of Airbus, which competes with Boeing to supply the majority of the world’s airlines with new planes.

It took off from Blagnac airstrip in the French city of Toulouse, where the A350 is assembled, on Friday morning.

The plane will take a short four-hour trip to carry out tests, and then land back at Toulouse.

Boeing’s Dreamliner has proved popular since its first flight in 2009, despite recently being grounded by regulators over safety fears relating to its batteries.

Airlines are being squeezed by high fuel costs and falling passenger numbers, and are looking for more fuel-efficient aircraft.

Airbus A350, the newest aircraft from the European planemaker, has taken off on its maiden test flight
Airbus A350, the newest aircraft from the European planemaker, has taken off on its maiden test flight

Airbus claims the A350, powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines, will use about 25% less fuel than previous generation wide-bodied aircraft.

Like the Dreamliner, the A350 is made largely of advanced materials, particularly carbon composites, in order to save weight.

Airbus has already taken more than 600 orders for the new plane, whereas there have been 890 Dreamliner orders so far.

The company hopes to start delivering the first A350s to customers by the end of 2014.

Analysts say a successful test flight would be a major milestone for Airbus in the A350 project, with major aircraft manufacturing projects frequently beset by delays.

“All recent programmes before it, both by Airbus, Boeing and others, have had reasonably horrendous technical problems and delays,” said Nick Cunningham, an aviation analyst at the London-based Agency Partners, speaking to French agency AFP.

“So every time you hit a milestone [such as a test flight], it’s good news because it means that you’ve missed an opportunity to have another big delay.”

The wings of A350 were designed at an Airbus facility in Filton near Bristol, and are manufactured at Broughton in Wales.

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Recep Tayyip Erdogan holds talks with Taksim Square protest group

Diane A. Wade
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Recep Tayyip Erdogan holds talks with Taksim Square protest group

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has held talks with members of Taksim Square protest group, hours after issuing a “final warning” to demonstrators.

Tayfun Kahraman from the umbrella group Taksim Solidarity described the outcome as “positive”.

A meeting would be called in Istanbul’s Taksim Square on Friday “to allow citizens to make up their own mind”.

Taksim Solidarity is opposed to the redevelopment of Gezi Park, the issue that sparked the unrest.

Clashes between police and protesters in the park and nearby Taksim Square have continued for nearly two weeks.

Activists have said they will not leave until the government abandons plans to redevelop the park.

The meeting in the capital, Ankara, was the first time Recep Tayyip Erdogan had met protest organizers directly.

It was earlier described as a “last-ditch” attempt to find a solution after two weeks of anti-government protests.

Speaking after Thursday night’s meeting, government spokesman Huseyin Celik said a public vote would be held on the future of Gezi Park.

“The park should not be a place where people live for 24 hours,” he said.

“The environmentalists should leave. We will ask everyone in Istanbul what they think. Anyone who does not want a vote cannot speak of democracy.”

The spokesman added that allegations of “excessive use of force” by the police would be investigated.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has held talks with members of Taksim Square protest group, hours after issuing a "final warning" to demonstrators
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has held talks with members of Taksim Square protest group, hours after issuing a “final warning” to demonstrators

Meanwhile Tayfun Kahraman said no action would be taken by the government regarding Gezi Park “until all lines of justice are exhausted”.

“This is positive and should be received positively,” he said.

His Taksim Solidarity group is seen as the most representative body of the demonstrators, many of whom are still encamped in Gezi Park.

“We will stay in Gezi Park with all our demands and sleeping bags,” the group said in an earlier statement.

“We did not suffer through the attacks… so that a referendum could take place.”

Gezi Park is a rare patch of green in Turkey’s biggest city, and has been the focus of public anger.

Plans to redevelop it into a shopping centre were the initial spark for the protests, which then broadened into anti-government demonstrations in several cities.

Protesters have accused Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government of becoming increasingly authoritarian and trying to impose conservative Islamic values on a secular state.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan has taken a tough line on the protests, branding the demonstrators as “extremists” and “looters”. He has said the unrest was being encouraged by foreign forces to undermine Turkey and its economy.

Speaking at a meeting of his ruling AK Party (AKP) in Ankara earlier on Thursday, Recep Tayyip Erdogan said: “Our patience is at an end. I am making my warning for the last time.”

“I say to the mothers and fathers, please take your children in hand and bring them out,” he added, going on to say that the park belonged not “to occupying forces but to the people.”

Some of those camped in the park have been waiting for news from city governor Huseyin Avni Mutlu, who has been assuring them for several days that police will not intervene, while urging them to leave so that “police can tackle marginal groups”.

Several riot vehicles are still on standby in Taksim – a sign that police have no intention of abandoning the square they stormed on Tuesday – though crowds gathered there once more on Thursday evening.

The police crackdown on protesters has drawn international concern, especially from Europe.

On Thursday, the European Parliament passed a non-binding resolution that “deplores the reactions of the Turkish Government and of Prime Minister Erdogan, whose unwillingness to take steps towards reconciliation, to apologize or to understand the reactions of a segment of the Turkish population have only contributed to further polarization”.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan angrily dismissed the resolution shortly before it was passed.

Also on Thursday, White House spokesman Jay Carney said the US expected Turkish authorities to uphold the “fundamental freedoms” of expression and assembly.

Five people have died and thousands have been injured since the protests began in Gezi Park on May 31, spreading to Taksim Square a day later.

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Kris Jenner planned to have Kim and Kanye move into her mansion after birth of their child, but they have a secret hotel

Lisa.Felice
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Kris Jenner planned to have Kim and Kanye move into her mansion after birth of their child, but they have a secret hotel

Momager Kris Jenner planned to have Kim Kardashian and Kanye West move into her Calabasas mansion after the birth of their first child, but they have a secret hotel already lined up.

In an interview to promote Kris Jenner’s new chat show, Kim Kardashian revealed: “We have a hotel that she does not know about yet.”

During the far-ranging chat with The Hollywood Reporter Kris Jenner apparently confirmed that Kim Kardashian and Kanye West would be moving in with her.

This comes despite the fact that publicity-shy Kanye West reportedly refused the invitation, with a source telling HollywoodLife.com he wasn’t “trying to impose on nobody”.

Kanye west, 36, has already moved out of his Hollywood Hills home while Kim Kardashian has sold her Beverly Hills mansion.

With the couple’s new $9 million Bel Air mansion still undergoing construction, Kris Jenner kindly offered to open the doors of her own home in their hour of need.

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West have a secret hotel lined up for the birth of their first child
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West have a secret hotel lined up for the birth of their first child

But although it would make perfect sense for Kim Kardashian to be beside her mother after giving birth it now looks like the couple may want their own privacy too.

Maybe, their “secret hotel” is a back-up plan in case they want a break from Kris Jenner and to spend some “quality time” alone.

Whatever the case somebody better tell the Kardashian matriarch because she likes to know what all her family are doing so that she can plan her own busy schedule around them.

Kris Jenner’s huge mansion certainly has plenty of room to house the couple and their baby daughter when she finally arrives.

The 8,860 sq ft Tuscan mansion – which Kris and her husband Bruce Jenner bought for $4 million in 2010 – has six bedrooms, eight bathrooms plus a huge entry with double staircases, wet-bar, spa, steam, gym and a master suite with fireplace.

There are also three suites downstairs an office and three additional family suites upstairs that Kim Kardashian and Kanye West could easily convert into a nursery for their daughter.

Kate Middleton wears Dalmatian-print Hobbs coat to launch Royal Princess cruise ship

Lisa.Felice
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Kate Middleton wears Dalmatian-print Hobbs coat to launch Royal Princess cruise ship

Eight months pregnant Kate Middleton cut a fashion-forward figure as she appeared at Southhampton Docks yesterday to christen the Royal Princess.

Forgoing maternity clothes yet again, Kate Middleton looked chic in a £169 ($265) Dalmatian mac from High Street store Hobbs.

The water-resistant coat was the ideal choice for the blustery conditions at the waterside where Kate Middleton listened to a brass band play out before smashing a £1,250 Nebuchadnezzar – a 15 litre bottle of champagne the equivalent of 20 regular 75 cl bottles – on the ship’s hull.

The Duchess of Cambridge paired her coat with a sinamay hat with bow detail from royal favorite milliner Jane Taylor and black court shoes.

As has become her signature maternity style, Kate Middleton chose a dress shorter than the styles she wore prior to her pregnancy.

Eight months pregnant Kate Middleton cut a fashion-forward figure as she appeared at Southhampton Docks to christen the Royal Princess
Eight months pregnant Kate Middleton cut a fashion-forward figure as she appeared at Southhampton Docks to christen the Royal Princess

With almost precisely one month to go before her reported due date of 14 July, Kate Middleton, still managing to wear non-maternity clothes, is an inspiration to women out there who feel frustrated by lack of choice in maternity shops.

This was to be the Duchess of Cambridge’s last solo engagement before her baby is born.

Kate Middleton looked relaxed as she stepped from her chauffeur-driven vehicle to the quayside in Southampton.

She made the journey from London by helicopter for the naming ceremony of Princess Cruises’ 3,600-passenger vessel Royal Princess.

Dalmatian-print Hobbs coat worn by Kate Middleton to launch Royal Princess cruise ship sold out in minutes
Dalmatian-print Hobbs coat worn by Kate Middleton to launch Royal Princess cruise ship sold out in minutes

A musical extravaganza was staged ahead of the christening of the new vessel and blue carpet, not the customary red, was laid out for her arrival.

She took her place on a stage in blustery conditions that threatened rain.

Seated opposite in a large grandstand were guests associated with charities that have the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge or Prince Harry as their patrons.

Spectators were from East Anglia’s Children’s Hospice, Kate Middleton’s charity, SkillForce which has prince William as its figurehead, and Prince Harry’s organization WellChild.

Kate Middleton is the new liner’s godmother, a symbolic position similar to a patron or sponsor that dates back to the mid-19th century when leading women were selected for the honor.

Princess Cruises has a history of illustrious godmothers for past ships including Diana, Princess of Wales, who named the first Princess Royal in 1984, actress Audrey Hepburn, Sophia Loren, and Baroness Margaret Thatcher.

The Band of her Majesty’s Royal Marines Portsmouth accompanied by the Pipers of the 1st Battalion Irish Guards gave the start of the ceremonies a military flavor.

They lined Kate Middleton’s route to her seat after playing rousing tunes such as Pomp And Circumstance, sea shanties and a march called HMS Queen Elizabeth.

The Royal Princess in numbers:

3,600: Number of passengers the ship can accommodate at any given time

1,082: The ship’s length in feet

141,000: The gross tonnage of the Royal Princess

Five: The number of stops the ship will make on her maiden voyage. These include Barcelona, Gibraltar, Malaga, Lisbon and Vigo

10: The number of restaurants on board

One: The number of casinos on the Royal Princess

Two: The number of royal princesses at the naming ceremony. One is the ship itself, the other is Kate Middleton.

1,780: The number of staterooms on the Royal Princess

30: The number of days the leisurely voyage to Fort Lauderdale will take

Four: The number of Caribbean islands the Royal Princess will visit. They include the Bahamas, the Virgin Islands and St. Maarten.

Amanda Bynes claims her bizarre behavior is just a publicity stunt, reveals Jonathan Jaxson

Lisa.Felice
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Amanda Bynes claims her bizarre behavior is just a publicity stunt, reveals Jonathan Jaxson

Amanda Bynes is claiming her very public meltdown, including a head-shaving and an arrest, was in fact a desperate publicity stunt.

On Thursday night Amanda Bynes, 27, apparently sent a series of text messages to her friend Jonathan Jaxson – who promptly posted them on his Twitter account.

In them Amanda Bynes appears to admit her increasingly strange behavior was nothing more than a childish ploy to increase her fame and gain more Twitter followers in advance of a movie role.

In one text to Hollywood publicist Jonathan Jaxson, Amanda Bynes writes: “All this has been an act and you know it! I am an actress and know what I am doing.”

In another she types: “I got to 2 million followers and now everyone wants me, I am smart and not stupid. Everyone mentions my name. The world loves me!”

Amanda Bynes apparently sent a series of text messages to her friend Jonathan Jaxson, who promptly posted them on his Twitter account
Amanda Bynes apparently sent a series of text messages to her friend Jonathan Jaxson, who promptly posted them on his Twitter account

Given Amanda Bynes’ previous highly publicized dramas, it’s hard to know if she is being genuine or not.

If it is, she is likely to infuriate fans who have been worried about her mental health in recent months.

Jonathan Jaxson, a longtime friend of Amanda Bynes, posted on his Twitter page: “@Amandabynes has told tonight that she has been acting this entire time on Twitter to get attention as she prepares for next movie!”

It was Jonathan Jaxson who called police on the night she was arrested for allegedly throwing a b**g out of her 36th floor apartment window last month because he feared she was suicidal.

Jonathan Jaxson told Radar Online hours later: “I got police to be able to go to her home. I am told they found drugs and other things.

“I had proof she was suicidal. There were text messages and other things. I repeated all of this to the NYPD and they took it seriously.”

Later Amanda Bynes caused a stir by shaving her head and sporting a bad platinum blonde wig.

But it is Amanda Bynes’ Twitter use that has caused most cause for concern having become increasingly out of hand with her hurling insults at fellow celebrities.

In recent months she has called both Miley Cyrus and Drake “ugly” and said Chris Brown assaulted Rihanna because she wasn’t pretty enough.

Last week things went from bad to worse as Amanda Bynes was evicted from her Manhattan apartment.

Amanda Bynes’ worried father Rick has been hoping to stage an intervention but she refuses to see him.

White House: Syria used chemical weapons against opposition rebels

Roy Siemens
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White House: Syria used chemical weapons against opposition rebels

The White House said today that Syrian forces under President Bashar al-Assad have used chemical weapons “on a small scale” against the opposition rebels.

A senior aide to President Barack Obama said the US estimated 100-150 people had died in “multiple” attacks.

Ben Rhodes said the US president had decided to provide unspecified “military support” to the opposition.

The White House had previously warned that the US considers the use of such weapons crossing a “red line”.

Ben Rhodes, a deputy national security adviser to Barack Obama, said the US had no “reliable” evidence the opposition had used chemical weapons.

Earlier, the United Nations said the number of those killed in the Syrian conflict had risen to more than 93,000 people.

Ben Rhodes said the president had made the decision to increase assistance, including “military support”, to the opposition’s Supreme Military Council (SMC).

He declined to provide further details, other than to say it would be “different in scope and scale to what we have provided before”.

Syrian forces under President Bashar al-Assad have used chemical weapons on a small scale against the opposition rebels
Syrian forces under President Bashar al-Assad have used chemical weapons on a small scale against the opposition rebels

“The president has been clear that the use of chemical weapons – or the transfer of chemical weapons to terrorist groups – is a red line for the US,” Ben Rhodes said.

“Our intelligence community now has a high confidence assessment that chemical weapons have been used on a small scale by the Assad regime in Syria. The president has said that the use of chemical weapons would change his calculus, and it has.”

Ben Rhodes said US intelligence agencies had concluded Bashar al-Assad’s forces had used chemical weapons, including the nerve agent sarin, based on battlefield reports, “descriptions of physiological symptoms” from alleged victims, and laboratory analysis of samples obtained from alleged victims.

However, the full number killed by chemical weapons was “likely incomplete”, Ben Rhodes said in a conference call with reporters.

“Put simply, the Assad regime should know that its actions have led us to increase the scope and scale of assistance that we provide to the opposition,” he said, including direct support to the SMC.

“These efforts will increase going forward.”

Further actions will be taken “on our own timeline”, Ben Rhodes said.

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Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal of Saudi Arabia defends libel action against Forbes magazine

Clyde K. Valle
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Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal of Saudi Arabia defends libel action against Forbes magazine

Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal of Saudi Arabia has defended his decision to sue the business magazine Forbes.

The billionaire is seeking damages over what he claims were “seriously defamatory comments” made about him.

In March, Forbes calculated Prince Alwaleed’s fortune to be $20 billion, placing him 26th on the magazine’s Rich List.

The 58-year-old disputed the methodology used and said Forbes had “insulted” the business community in Saudi Arabia.

Prince Alwaleed has previously said that the magazine underestimated his fortune by $9.6 billion.

Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal of Saudi Arabia has defended his decision to sue the business magazine Forbes
Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal of Saudi Arabia has defended his decision to sue the business magazine Forbes

However, in a statement, Prince Alwaleed’s investment vehicle, Kingdom Holding Company, said the libel action was not about his ranking on the Forbes Rich List, but about “correcting the seriously defamatory comments that have been made about HRH Prince Alwaleed as an individual and Kingdom Holding Company”.

The case has been filed in a London court.

Kingdom Holding Company owns stakes in Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation and London’s Savoy Hotel.

Prince Alwaleed also accused Forbes of publishing a “deliberately insulting and inaccurate description of the business community in Saudi Arabia and specifically, Forbes‘ denigration of the Saudi stock exchange (Tadawul), which is one of the most regulated in the world”.

In the Forbes article, a former executive with Prince Alwaleed’s company is quoted as describing the Saudi Stock Exchange as a place of gambling.

In calculating his wealth, Forbes said it valued the underlying investments of Kingdom Holding Company, rather than the shares listed on the Saudi Stock Exchange.

This, according to Prince Alwaleed, was an “irrational and deeply flawed valuation methodology, which is ultimately subjective and discriminatory”.

In a statement, Forbes said it is “bemused by Prince Alwaleed’s ego-driven PR stunt”.

Edward Snowden case: FBI head Robert Mueller pledges action over leaks

Diane A. Wade
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Edward Snowden case: FBI head Robert Mueller pledges action over leaks

FBI Director Robert Mueller says the US is taking “all necessary steps” to hold Edward Snowden responsible for exposing secret surveillance programmes.

Robert Mueller confirmed to the House judiciary committee that a criminal investigation had been launched.

Edward Snowden, 29, has admitted leaking information about National Security Agency (NSA) programmes that seize data from US internet and telephone firms.

Meanwhile, US senators briefed on the programmes have largely defended them.

Edward Snowden, who has pledged to fight any attempt to extradite him to the US, fled his home in Hawaii for Hong Kong shortly before reports of the top secret programmes were published by the Guardian and Washington Post newspapers last week.

China says it has “no information to offer” on the leaker’s whereabouts.

Edward Snowden, a former NSA contract computer technician, has admitted giving the newspapers information about NSA programmes that seize vast quantities of data from US internet and telephone companies.

In testimony on Thursday, Robert Mueller told the judiciary committee the leak caused “significant harm to our nation and to our safety”.

The FBI director, who is due to step down in September after 12 years in the job, said intelligence gathered following the leaks showed plotters were adapting to the revelations.

“One of my problems is that we’re going to… lose our ability to get their communications,” Robert Mueller said.

“We are going to be exceptionally vulnerable.”

He also stressed the phone records programme collected “no content whatsoever”.

Some committee members remained unconvinced by Robert Mueller’s defense.

Representative John Conyers, the committee’s top Democrat, said he feared the US was “on the verge of becoming a surveillance state”.

FBI Director Robert Mueller says the US is taking "all necessary steps" to hold Edward Snowden responsible for exposing secret surveillance programmes
FBI Director Robert Mueller says the US is taking “all necessary steps” to hold Edward Snowden responsible for exposing secret surveillance programmes

Robert Mueller said if the programmes had been place before the 9/11 attacks, they might have uncovered the plot.

“That opportunity would have been there,” he said.

But John Conyers replied: “I am not persuaded that that makes it OK to collect every call.”

The FBI director also told lawmakers Edward Snowden was the “subject of an ongoing criminal investigation” related to the leaks but would not give details on the status of the case.

Meanwhile, senators leaving a closed-door briefing with General Keith Alexander of the NSA largely defended the programmes.

Democrat Ben Nelson of Nebraska insisted procedures were already in place to protect Americans from government snooping and that the revelations in the news media had mischaracterized the programmes.

“It is misunderstood that American private information, emails and phone calls are being rummaged through by the government – that is not true,” he said.

“Only when there is probable cause given with a court order of a federal judge can they go into the content of phone calls and emails in order to be able to disrupt a terrorist plot.”

Tennessee Republican Senator Bob Corker told reporters lawmakers were given “some specific and helpful information about how these programmes have helped keep Americans safe”.

Senate intelligence committee chairwoman Dianne Feinstein, a California Democrat, predicted the Senate would consider legislation to curb contractors’ access to secret data.

In an interview at an undisclosed Hong Kong location published in the South China Morning Post on Wednesday, Edward Snowden said he believed there had been more than 61,000 NSA global hacking operations which targeted powerful “network backbones”.

He vowed to fight extradition to the US.

“All I can do is rely on my training and hope that world governments will refuse to be bullied by the United States into persecuting people seeking political refuge,” the paper quoted Edward Snowden as saying.

“Things are very difficult for me in all terms, but speaking truth to power is never without risk,” he said.

“It has been difficult, but I have been glad to see the global public speak out against these sorts of systemic violations of privacy.”

Who is Edward Snowden?

  • Age 29, grew up in North Carolina
  • Joined army reserves in 2004, discharged four months later, according to the Guardian
  • First job at National Security Agency was as security guard
  • Worked on IT security at the CIA
  • Left CIA in 2009 for contract work at NSA for various firms including Booz Allen
  • Called himself Verax, Latin for “speaking the truth”, in exchanges with the Washington Post

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Rupert Murdoch and Wendi Deng file for divorce

Nancy Clayson
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Rupert Murdoch and Wendi Deng file for divorce

Rupert Murdoch has filed for divorce from Wendi Deng because their marriage has “irretrievably broken down”, his spokesman announced today.

The divorce papers were filed at the New York State Supreme Court.

The News Corp boss and Wendi Deng, married in 1999 aboard a private yacht in New York, have two daughters together, Grace and Chloe.

In 2011, Wendi Deng famously leapt to her husband’s defense to slap a protester who threw a pie at him as British MPs quizzed him over phone-hacking.

Rupert Murdoch, 82, met his Chinese-born third wife in 1997 at a cocktail party in Hong Kong. They were married two years later, weeks after his second divorce.

Wendi Deng, 44, is 38 years younger than the Australian-born media mogul, who is said by Forbes to be worth $9.4 billion.

“I can confirm for the record that Rupert filed in New York State Supreme Court this morning for divorce,” Rupert Murdoch spokesman Steven Rubenstein told AFP news agency on Thursday.

The couple had a pre-nuptial agreement and have held shares in trust for their children.

Rupert Murdoch has filed for divorce from Wendi Deng because their marriage has irretrievably broken down
Rupert Murdoch has filed for divorce from Wendi Deng because their marriage has irretrievably broken down

So our business editor believes the divorce is not likely to lessen the magnate’s grip on his media empire.

Rupert Murdoch, now a US citizen, reportedly paid $1.7 billion in his divorce settlement from his last wife.

Wendi Deng, said to be the daughter of a factory director, was born in 1968 and grew up in the eastern Chinese city of Xuzhou before leaving for the US at 19 to study.

She worked in a Chinese restaurant in California before going on to graduate from Yale University in 1996.

Wendi Deng was later employed by Star TV, News Corp’s Asian satellite-television operation in Hong Kong, where she met Rupert Murdoch during one of his visits.

The divorce filing comes two days before News Corp is to be split into two companies, one for its entertainment assets and the other for its publishing business. Rupert Murdoch is to be chairman of both firms.

His global media portfolio includes the Wall Street Journal, television channels such as Fox News and Sky, and the 20th Century Fox movie studio.

Two years ago, his UK newspaper division became embroiled in a phone-hacking scandal, which led Rupert Murdoch to close one of the titles, the News of the World.

In July 2011, Wendi Deng jumped from her seat during a UK parliamentary hearing to slap a prankster who tried to shove a shaving-cream pie into Rupert Murdoch’s face.

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Human DNA Patents Banned by US Supreme Court

James J. Williams
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Human DNA Patents Banned by US Supreme Court

The US Supreme Court has ruled unanimously that human genes may not be patented, but artificially copied DNA can be claimed as intellectual property.

The court quashed patents held by Utah-based company Myriad on two genes linked to breast and ovarian cancer.

The opinion said DNA came from nature and was not eligible for patenting.

The US biotechnology industry had warned any blanket ban on such patents would jeopardize huge investment in gene research and therapies.

“We hold that a naturally occurring DNA segment is a product of nature and not patent eligible merely because it has been isolated,” Justice Clarence Thomas wrote in Thursday’s opinion.

But his ruling said that synthetic molecules known as complementary DNA can be patented “because it is not naturally occurring”.

Myriad Genetics, the company at the heart of the lawsuit, saw its shares rise after Thursday’s compromise decision.

The legal battle was prompted by a lawsuit from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in 2009 that centered on whether companies should be able to patent genes.

Currently, researchers and private companies work to isolate genes in order to use them in tests for gene-related illnesses, and in emerging gene therapies.

The US Supreme Court has ruled unanimously that human genes may not be patented
The US Supreme Court has ruled unanimously that human genes may not be patented

The genes at the centre of the lawsuit are linked to breast and ovarian cancer. Myriad Genetics developed a pioneering test to look for mutations in those genes that might increase the risk of developing cancer.

Myriad Genetics, based in Salt Lake City, argued that the genes in question had been “isolated” by the company, making them products of human ingenuity and therefore patentable.

But the ACLU argued that genes are products of nature, and therefore cannot be patented under US laws.

In 2010 a New York federal court ruled in favor of the ACLU.

But an appeals court on two separate occasions sided with Myriad. It said DNA isolated from the human body had a “markedly different chemical structure” from other human genetic material.

Thursday’s Supreme Court ruling largely sided with the ACLU.

“Genes and the information they encode are not patent eligible… simply because they have been isolated from the surrounding genetic material,” Justice Clarence Thomas wrote.

In a concurring opinion, Justice Antonin Scalia wrote “the portion of the DNA isolated from its natural state sought to be patented is identical to that portion of the DNA in its natural state”.

Sandra Park, a lawyer for the ACLU, welcomed the decision.

“Because of this ruling, patients will have greater access to genetic testing and scientists can engage in research on these genes without fear of being sued,” she said.

Universities and medical research firms have been able to claim intellectual property over human genes for nearly three decades.

According to researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College in the US, patents now cover some 40% of the human genome.

David Siegel’s shocking email sent to all Westgate employees ahead of Barack Obama’s re-election

Clyde K. Valle
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David Siegel’s shocking email sent to all Westgate employees ahead of Barack Obama’s re-election

David Siegel is the founder and CEO of Westgate Resorts, a huge national timeshare company and one of the largest resort developers in the world.

In 2007 David Siegel was a billionaire, although he may be only a hundred-millionaire now.

David Siegel, 78 and his 47-year-old wife Jackie were the subjects of the recent documentary The Queen of Versailles, about their ongoing quest to build the largest house in America, a 90,000 square foot monument to excess.

Last year David Siegel sent an email to all of his thousands of employees, in which he—in a veiled way—insinuated that they would be fired of Barack Obama is reelected.

In fact it was a popular chain letter that was circulated just before the 2008 elections. Even David Siegel confirmed he used a chain letter which was adapted to fir his company. “I did use the letter that had circulated before as a guideline, but I changed it [to fit my circumstances],” he said.

“It speaks the truth and it gives [employees] something to think about when they go to the polls.”

David Siegel also said that its threats of possible layoffs are real, based on his assessment of the political and economic climate. He added that he “hasn’t had any negative feedback” on the letter.

The Florida-based Westgate Resorts is not a public company. It is the domain of David Siegel, a staunch Republican. In fact, David Siegel has publicly claimed credit for George W. Bush defeating Al Gore, saying: “I had my managers do a survey on every employee [8,000 total]. If they liked Bush, we made them register to vote. But not if they liked Gore.”

The Queen of Versailles documentary depicts the dashing of David Siegel’s mansion dreams after the recession hit. But just months before, he restarted construction on his personal Palace of Versailles (with the intention of selling it for $100 million) and told Reuters: “We’re the most profitable we’ve ever been.”

David Siegel and his wife Jackie were the subjects of the recent documentary The Queen of Versailles, about their ongoing quest to build the largest house in America
David Siegel and his wife Jackie were the subjects of the recent documentary The Queen of Versailles, about their ongoing quest to build the largest house in America

David Siegel’s amazing email sent to all Westgate employees:

Subject: Message from David Siegel
Date:Mon, 08 Oct 2012 13:58:05 -0400 (EDT)
From: [David Siegel]
To: [All employees]

To All My Valued Employees,

As most of you know our company, Westgate Resorts, has continued to succeed in spite of a very dismal economy. There is no question that the economy has changed for the worse and we have not seen any improvement over the past four years. In spite of all of the challenges we have faced, the good news is this: The economy doesn’t currently pose a threat to your job. What does threaten your job however, is another 4 years of the same Presidential administration. Of course, as your employer, I can’t tell you whom to vote for, and I certainly wouldn’t interfere with your right to vote for whomever you choose. In fact, I encourage you to vote for whomever you think will serve your interests the best.

However, let me share a few facts that might help you decide what is in your best interest. The current administration and members of the press have perpetuated an environment that casts employers against employees. They want you to believe that we live in a class system where the rich get richer, the poor get poorer. They label us the “1%” and imply that we are somehow immune to the challenges that face our country. This could not be further from the truth. Sure, you may have heard about the big home that I’m building. I’m sure many people think that I live a privileged life. However, what you don’t see or hear is the true story behind any success that I have achieved.

I started this company over 42 years ago. At that time, I lived in a very modest home. I converted my garage into an office so I could put forth 100% effort into building a company, which by the way, would eventually employ you. We didn’t eat in fancy restaurants or take expensive vacations because every dollar I made went back into this company. I drove an old used car, and often times, I stayed home on weekends, while my friends went out drinking and partying. In fact, I was married to my business — hard work, discipline, and sacrifice. Meanwhile, many of my friends got regular jobs. They worked 40 hours a week and made a nice income, and they spent every dime they earned. They drove flashy cars and lived in expensive homes and wore fancy designer clothes. My friends refinanced their mortgages and lived a life of luxury. I, however, did not. I put my time, my money, and my life into this business —-with a vision that eventually, some day, I too, will be able to afford to buy whatever I wanted. Even to this day, every dime I earn goes back into this company. Over the past four years I have had to stop building my dream house, cut back on all of my expenses, and take my kids out of private schools simply to keep this company strong and to keep you employed.

Just think about this – most of you arrive at work in the morning and leave that afternoon and the rest of your time is yours to do as you please. But not me- there is no “off” button for me. When you leave the office, you are done and you have a weekend all to yourself. I unfortunately do not have that freedom. I eat, live, and breathe this company every minute of the day, every day of the week. There is no rest. There is no weekend. There is no happy hour. I know many of you work hard and do a great job, but I’m the one who has to sign every check, pay every expense, and make sure that this company continues to succeed. Unfortunately, what most people see is the nice house and the lavish lifestyle. What the press certainly does not want you to see, is the true story of the hard work and sacrifices I’ve made.

Now, the economy is falling apart and people like me who made all the right decisions and invested in themselves are being forced to bail out all the people who didn’t. The people that overspent their paychecks suddenly feel entitled to the same luxuries that I earned and sacrificed 42 years of my life for. Yes, business ownership has its benefits, but the price I’ve paid is steep and not without wounds. Unfortunately, the costs of running a business have gotten out of control, and let me tell you why: We are being taxed to death and the government thinks we don’t pay enough. We pay state taxes, federal taxes, property taxes, sales and use taxes, payroll taxes, workers compensation taxes and unemployment taxes. I even have to hire an entire department to manage all these taxes. The question I have is this: Who is really stimulating the economy? Is it the Government that wants to take money from those who have earned it and give it to those who have not, or is it people like me who built a company out of his garage and directly employs over 7000 people and hosts over 3 million people per year with a great vacation?

Obviously, our present government believes that taking my money is the right economic stimulus for this country. The fact is, if I deducted 50% of your paycheck you’d quit and you wouldn’t work here. I mean, why should you? Who wants to get rewarded only 50% of their hard work? Well, that’s what happens to me.

Here is what most people don’t understand and the press and our Government has chosen to ignore – to stimulate the economy you need to stimulate what runs the economy. Instead of raising my taxes and depositing that money into the Washington black-hole, let me spend it on growing the company, hire more employees, and generate substantial economic growth. My employees will enjoy the wealth of that tax cut in the form of promotions and better salaries. But that is not what our current Government wants you to believe. They want you to believe that it somehow makes sense to take more from those who create wealth and give it to those who do not, and somehow our economy will improve. They don’t want you to know that the “1%”, as they like to label us, pay more than 31% of all the taxes in this country. Thomas Jefferson, the author of our great Constitution, once said, “democracy” will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not.”

Business is at the heart of America and always has been. To restart it, you must stimulate business, not kill it. However, the power brokers in Washington believe redistributing wealth is the essential driver of the American economic engine. Nothing could be further from the truth and this is the type of change they want.

So where am I going with all this? It’s quite simple. If any new taxes are levied on me, or my company, as our current President plans, I will have no choice but to reduce the size of this company. Rather than grow this company I will be forced to cut back. This means fewer jobs, less benefits and certainly less opportunity for everyone.

So, when you make your decision to vote, ask yourself, which candidate understands the economics of business ownership and who doesn’t? Whose policies will endanger your job? Answer those questions and you should know who might be the one capable of protecting and saving your job. While the media wants to tell you to believe the “1 percenters” are bad, I’m telling you they are not. They create most of the jobs. If you lose your job, it won’t be at the hands of the “1%”; it will be at the hands of a political hurricane that swept through this country.

You see, I can no longer support a system that penalizes the productive and gives to the unproductive. My motivation to work and to provide jobs will be destroyed, and with it, so will your opportunities. If that happens, you can find me in the Caribbean sitting on the beach, under a palm tree, retired, and with no employees to worry about.

Signed, your boss,

David Siegel

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David and Jackie Siegel unhappy with the way they were portrayed in The Queen of Versailles

Sonia Pantiss
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David and Jackie Siegel unhappy with the way they were portrayed in The Queen of Versailles

Jackie Siegel, David Siegel’s wife who is better known as the much maligned subject of the riveting The Queen of Versailles documentary, has only one regret about her screen debut: she didn’t wear enough makeup.

Former Miss Florida Jackie Siegel, now 47, was captured on camera with her billionaire timeshare mogul husband trying to create the home of their dreams – a gaudy, over-the-top sprawling 90,000-square-foot mansion (the largest single family dwelling ever built in the U.S.) modeled on France’s 17th century Palace of Versailles.

And Jackie told TODAY show correspondent Janet Shamlian that she would have no hesitation in doing it all over again!

“What I would do different if I had known so many millions of people would be seeing it… is I would have worn more makeup,” Jackie Siegel explained.

Not surprisingly, the mother-of-eight from Windermere, Florida said she is hoping to land her own reality TV show once work on her humungous home is finally finished.

However, despite his larger-than-life wife’s penchant for starring in front of the camera, David Siegel, founder of Westgate Resorts, said he does not want to appear on TV.

Instead, David Siegel, 78, wants to finish construction on the mega-mansion that’s taken more than 5 years to build – following a financial crisis and recession that caused the project to be stalled and almost forced him into losing his business and title to the property – all of which ended up becoming the main focus of the documentary.

The property, 20 miles outside Orlando, will have a whopping 30 bedrooms and 23 bathrooms when completed and offer stunning views over Lake Butler.

David and Jackie Siegel were unhappy with the way they were portrayed in The Queen of Versailles documentary
David and Jackie Siegel were unhappy with the way they were portrayed in The Queen of Versailles documentary

All 23 bathrooms will have full-sized hot tubs, while the hand built windows cost more than $2 million. Bespoke materials have also been sourced from all over the world for the outrageous and overblown interior decor.

For the kids – a roller rink, children’s theater, bowling alley and three swimming pools are being created, while for the fitness-concerned two tennis courts will be installed.

Outside, there will be a large boat house, formal gardens, a one-story gatehouse, as well as an underground car park with space for 20 cars.

“We never sought out to build the biggest house in America. it’s just what kind of happened,” Jackie Siegel explained.

Now that the Siegels have taken the half-finished property off the market (they listed it for $65 million back in July last year) they are looking forward to completing the work.

“We’re finishing it to actually finish it. but we do want to live in there,” Jacqueline Siegel added.

As previously reported, David and Jacqueline Siegel were far from pleased with the way they were portrayed in the documentary, and accused the filmmakers of likening them to trashy reality TV stars.

In an official letter, obtained by RadarOnline.com to director Lauren Greenfield’s attorney, David Siegel claimed Jackie “didn’t hesitate to orchestrate unrealistic over-the-top scenes for entertainment purposes even when they vastly distorted day-to-day life. That’s why what you call a documentary, I call a Real Housewives Of Orlando pilot.”

The Queen of Versailles, grossed more than $2 million, and won several prestigious awards including the U.S. Directing Award at Sundance Film Festival.

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Turkey protests: Recep Tayyip Erdogan issues final warning to protesters to leave Gezi Park

Diane A. Wade
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Turkey protests: Recep Tayyip Erdogan issues final warning to protesters to leave Gezi Park

Turkey’s PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan has issued a “final warning” to protesters to leave Gezi Park in Istanbul.

“Our patience is at an end. I am making my warning for the last time,” he said.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan has issued a "final warning" to protesters to leave Gezi Park in Istanbul
Recep Tayyip Erdogan has issued a “final warning” to protesters to leave Gezi Park in Istanbul

Clashes between police and protesters in the park and adjoining Taksim Square have continued for nearly two weeks.

Activists have said they will not leave Gezi Park until the government abandons plans to redevelop it. Recep Tayyip Erdogan has promised a local vote on its future.

Such a plebiscite would not be legally binding but Recep Tayyip Erdogan implied he would honor its outcome.

“I say to the mothers and fathers please take your children in hand and bring them out,” Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared.

“We cannot wait any more because Gezi Park does not belong to occupying forces but to the people.”

Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s speech at a meeting of his ruling AK Party in the capital, Ankara, received a standing ovation.

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Duck Dynasty stars: Jep and Jessica Robertson

Sonia Pantiss
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Duck Dynasty stars: Jep and Jessica Robertson

Jules Jeptha “Jep” Robertson of Duck Dynasty was born in 1978 and is Phil and Miss Kay’s youngest son.

Jep Robertson currently films and edits DVDs of the Robertson family hunting for enthusiasts worldwide and is often seen at Duck Commander and at family dinners.

Duck Dynasty’s Jep and Jessica Robertson
Duck Dynasty’s Jep and Jessica Robertson

He is married to Jessica and they have four kids.

Jessica Robertson is Jep’s wife. She is often seen helping Korie and Miss Kay with ideas to expand the Duck Commander women’s line.

Jessica and Jep Robertson have four children: Lily, Merritt, Priscilla, and River.

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