Yvette Prieto, Michael Jordan’s new wife, is a Cuban-American model born on March 1, 1979, who has posed for famous designers such as Alexander Wang.
The Cuban-born model went to school for business management and, in 2008, she began dating Michael Jordan, and the two moved in together a year later.
Yvette Prieto, 34, and former NBA champion Michael Jordan, 50, live in Kendall, Florida, a suburb outside of Miami in a three-bedroom house.
Michael Jordan and Yvette Prieto got engaged in 2011 and married on April 27, 2013, in a Palm beach lavish ceremony.
Yvette Prieto, Michael Jordan’s new wife, is a Cuban-American model, who has posed for famous designers such as Alexander Wang
Yvette Prieto once dated Julio Iglesias Jr., brother of more famous singer Enrique Iglesias and son of legendary Julio Iglesias.
Julio Iglesias Jr., now 40, once called Yvette Prieto “simple”, saying: “She’s a fantastic girl and I like her. Aside from her beauty, which is obvious, she is loving, simple and very good person.”
According to The Urban Daily, Yvette Prieto and Julio Iglesias Jr. met while “freak dancing at a not-so-sexy club in Miami”.
Yvette Prieto is Michael Jordan’s second marriage. MJ was married to his first wife, Juanita, for 17 years. Forbes magazine reported their divorce settlement was possibly more than $150 million, which, at the time, would have made it the most expensive divorce in entertainment history.
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Yvette Prieto was first registered as a Republican, according to Fox News, then she changed her affiliation to Independent.
Speaking to the June issue of Elle UK magazine, Miley Cyrus insists she and Australian actor Liam Hemsworth are as committed to each other as ever, despite her reluctance to discuss her private life.
Miley Cyrus, 20, admits she has decided to keep their romance away from the spotlight after previously being more open.
Speaking about her June 2012 engagement to Liam Hemsworth, who she has been dating since 2009, Miley Cyrus admitted it felt like a natural progression after moving in together.
The former child star said: “We have a house together and dogs. It just seems right to be wearing this ring and to be committed.
Speaking to the June issue of Elle UK magazine, Miley Cyrus insists she and Liam Hemsworth are as committed to each other as ever
“But we keep our relationship low-key and don’t talk about it anymore.”
Miley Cyrus was previously very open about her emotions on Twitter, but decided to pull back in recent months.
She explained: “We were too nice to the world and gave them too much insight – into my life and my puppies and my house – and I just don’t feel they get that privilege any more.
“Like on my Twitter, I’m much more… not conservative, but you don’t see a picture of my dogs. You don’t get that personal stuff anymore.”
Having found fame as a child star, Miley Cyrus admits it is difficult to find real friends she can trust and who befriend her for her personality, not her celebrity persona.
The actress said: “People who grew up without either (money or fame) can get more of a culture shock and go the wrong way. <<Oh my God, I have all this money! How can I spend it? All these people will like me because I’m famous!>>
“I’ve always had people trying to be my friend for the wrong reasons.”
The June issue of ELLE UK will be on sale starting with 1st of May 2013.
The new issue is available as digital edition through Apple Newsstand.
A massive explosion has damaged a building in the centre of the Czech capital Prague, police say.
Initial reports suggested that some people may be trapped in the rubble. The area around the explosion in Divadelni St has been sealed off by police.
Spokespeople for the fire brigade said that there had been at least one injury from the blast.
A massive explosion has damaged a building in the centre of the Czech capital Prague
Police spokesman Tomas Hulan says it is not immediately clear what caused the blast in Divadelni Street on Monday morning.
A photo, tweeted by RT.com and credited to Digiolli on Twitter, shows the aftermath of the blast.
The street is covered with rubble and has been sealed off by police.
Jirina Ernestova, spokeswoman for the rescue service says rescuers expect some people are buried under the rubble. Firefighters spokeswoman Pavlina Adamcova says at least 13 people have been injured.
Windows in buildings located hundreds of meters from the blast were shattered, including some in the nearby National Theater.
South Korea has decided to pull the last of its workers out of Kaesong Industrial Complex in North Korea, as Seoul announced moves to help affected firms.
A total of 125 South Koreans left the joint Kaesong complex on Saturday, and the remaining 50 were expected to leave on Monday, officials said.
They had been due out at 17:00 local time but were delayed by “details” that needed “ironing out”, officials said.
The move came after North Korea rejected talks on Kaesong industrial park.
Tensions are high following Pyongyang’s third nuclear test in February.
Pyongyang has been angered by tightened UN sanctions imposed after its February 12 nuclear test and by joint US-South Korea military drills, which are scheduled to end on Tuesday.
A total of 125 South Koreans left the joint Kaesong complex in North Korea on Saturday, and the remaining 50 were expected to leave on Monday
Kaesong Industrial Complex, which was launched in 2003 to boost inter-Korean ties, is a factory park situated just inside North Korea.
It is home to 123 South Korean companies which employ North Korean workers, and provides the North with much-needed hard currency.
Earlier this month, North Korea blocked South Korean workers from entering the zone. It withdrew its 53,000 workers from the industrial park a few days later.
Although the North has restricted entry to Kaesong Industrial Complex in the past, this would be the first time that all South Korean workers had withdrawn.
The remaining 50 workers had been expected to cross the border back into South Korea at 17:00.
“The two sides are currently in the process of ironing out some details, with most of the outstanding issues having been worked out,” a spokesman at South Korea’s Unification Ministry said.
He still expected the workers to return on Monday, South Korean news agency Yonhap quoted him as saying.
Earlier on Monday, the Ministry told reporters that North Korea had not yet approved the passage of the workers across the border. Pyongyang said last week it would not hinder those leaving the Kaesong complex.
Some of the workers were reportedly reluctant to leave Kaesong, fearing that company assets would be seized.
Han Jae-kwon, chairman of the Association of Kaesong companies, said: “Those remaining workers are there to take charge of products owned by our customers and raw materials, so we want detailed measures to protect them after the workers have been pulled out.”
The South Korean government said it had set up a taskforce to help companies who had been forced to halt operations at Kaesong.
The taskforce would “assess damages suffered by the firms with factories at Kaesong and… devise comprehensive and practical supportive measures,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement.
The South Korean government had discussed a variety of support measures, including the possibility of offering businesses loans from the inter-Korean co-operation fund, the statement added.
Meanwhile, North Korea seems to be gearing up for a major land and air military exercise, Yonhap said on Sunday, citing a government source.
A US citizen is also due to be tried soon on charges of attempting to overthrow the North Korean government, according to the North’s official news agency KCNA.
Pae Jun-ho, who is known in the US as Kenneth Bae, was held last year after entering North Korea as a tourist.
No date for the verdict has been confirmed, and it is not clear what sort of sanction Kenneth Bae might face, although North Korea’s criminal code provides for life imprisonment or the death penalty for similar offences.
Paris Jackson and her biological mother Debbie Rowe were spotted enjoying quality time together as they headed to lunch together once again in California on Sunday.
Looking like any other mother and daughter, 15-year-old Paris Jackson looked in high spirits as she left Fire Island Grill accompanied by Debbie Rowe.
Dressed in a pair of cut-off denim shorts, with Dr. Martens and camouflage jacket, Paris Jackson flashed the rock sign and a smile to waiting photographers.
Completing her edgy look the teenager wore a Kurt Cobain T-shirt, while her cropped hair fell over her eyes.
Debbie Rowe and Paris Jackson celebrating the teenager’s 15th birthday at Ahi Sushi in Studio City, California on April 3
While Debbie Rowe, 54, may not have the same rock chic style, simply opting for a pair of jeans and T-shirt, she too looked comfortable and at ease.
Paris Jackson jumped into her mother’s car on the passenger seat showing that despite her rather unconventional upbringing she’s still an average teenage girl.
Debbie Rowe and her daughter have plenty to catch up on as they have only been in touch once again since Michael Jackson tragically passed away in 2009.
The lunch trip comes just a few days after the first picture of Paris Jackson with her biological mother Debbie Rowe surfaced.
The touching photo, revealed by Entertainment Tonight, shows Debbie Rowe with her arm around Paris Jackson as they celebrated the teenager’s 15th birthday at Ahi Sushi in Studio City, California on April 3.
Syrian PM Wael al-Halqi has survived a car bomb attack targeting his convoy in western Mazzeh district of Damascus, state television said.
There are also reported to be a number of casualties.
UK-based activist group, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said Wael Halqi’s bodyguard had been killed, AFP news agency reported.
The blast is believed to have been a suicide attack.
Syrian PM Wael al-Halqi has survived a car bomb attack targeting his convoy in western Mazzeh district of Damascus
Syrian state television said the explosion happened at a busy intersection. A picture which activists said was of the scene after the attack showed a large plume of black smoke rising into the air near a road and a high-rise building.
Activist groups said a bus and a car had been set on fire.
Mezzeh is a government-controlled quarter housing a military airport which is vital to the regime’s defenses.
Syrian forces and rebels have been fighting around Damascus for months but with neither side gaining an upper hand.
Monday’s attack is the latest bombing inside government-controlled areas.
Late last year there was a suicide bomb attack on the interior ministry. The state media said top officials had escaped unhurt, but it later emerged that the minister himself had been badly injured.
Six-month pregnant Kate Middleton and her mother were spotted in upmarket South Kensington together, browsing some of the London’s most exclusive baby stores after enjoying a spot of lunch together at the Zefi Mediterranean restaurant where they were seen by fellow diners sipping healthy fruit juices.
First on their list was Blue Almonds, which boasts that it creates “magical rooms for children” – perfect for the third in line to the throne.
Dressed in identical dark blue skinny jeans and knee-high black boots, Kate and Carole Middleton spent up to an hour browsing the Moses baskets on sale.
Priced up to £295 ($450) for an off the shelf model, they are certainly out of reach price-wise for many new mothers-to-be.
Some bespoke versions at the store can cost up to £1,000 ($1,600) and be customized with frilled fitted sheets and sun shades.
Six-month pregnant Kate Middleton and her mother were spotted in upmarket South Kensington together, browsing some of the London’s most exclusive baby stores
Kate Middleton, 31, who was wearing a loose blue maternity top with a pretty white lace collar, and her mother finally settled on a large white wicker version and walked out into the street together, clearly discussing their purchase.
They were then whisked off by a waiting car driven by one of Kate Middleton’s bodyguards, presumably back to Kensington Palace where Kate is overseeing the renovation of her new apartment.
According to recent reports, work on Apartment 1A, once the home of the Queen’s sister, Princess Margaret, will not be finished until at least September or October this year, well after the birth of the Duchess of Cambridge’s baby.
Kate Middleton and Prince William are currently living in a small two-up, two-down cottage in the grounds, which is less than ideal to bring a royal heir home to.
As a result, say sources, Kate Middleton has decided to eschew the help of a maternity nurse and spend the first six weeks after her child’s birth living with her parents at their new $7.5 million Georgian mansion in Bucklebury, Berkshire.
The duchess has told friends that she cannot think of anyone better suited to helping her in those first difficult few weeks than her mother, who has brought up three children of her own.
“It’s where I feel safest,” Kate Middleton has said.
Carole Middelton is said to be nervous but thrilled at the prospect of becoming a grandmother for the first time – to a future king or queen at that.
Although Izabela Minkiewicz, the owner of Blue Almonds, has declined to comment on Kate Middleton’s purchases, she confirmed that she was “honored” to have received a visit from the duchess.
“We spend a great deal of time making sure that we get to know the client, their particular taste and demands,” Izabela Minkiewicz said.
The following day Kate Middleton was seen back out shopping for baby goods again at the Peter Jones department store in Chelsea, where she spent several hours mulling over buggies and a car seat.
Kate Middleton has revealed that her baby is due in mid-July and that she will be going on maternity leave around a month earlier but insists, contrary to speculation, that she and Prince William have chosen not to discover the sex of their first child.
Michael Jordan married former model Yvette Prieto in Palm Beach, Florida, the former NBA champion’s manager Estee Portnoy said Sunday.
Newlyweds Michael Jordan, 50, and Yvette Prieto, 35, took their first spin around the dance floor as married couple at the Bear’s Club in Jupiter, Florida Saturday.
The wedding took place at the Episcopal Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea with nearly 300 guests in attendance, including Tiger Woods, Patrick Ewing, Spike Lee and Ahmad Rashad.
The ceremony was followed by a reception at the luxurious private golf club designed by Jack Nicklaus. Michael Jordan owns a home near the course.
There were fireworks at night as part of the celebration.
In lieu of wedding gifts, donations were made to the James R. Jordan Foundation. The wedding flowers were donated to the Jupiter Medical Center.
Michael Jordan married former model Yvette Prieto in Palm Beach
Michael Jordan and Yvette Prieto met five years ago and were engaged last December.
Yvette Prieto wore a French silk voile corseted sheer sheath gown by J’Aton Couture, in an ecru palette with accents of flesh tones, with handmade silk lace created especially for her, and enhanced with Swarovski crystals.
The gown featured French seamed crinoline borders, which cascaded into a dramatic cathedral train finished in the lace, with accents of a peacock-feathered design.
The newlyweds and their guests were entertained by DJ MC Lyte, singers K’Jon, Robin Thicke and Grammy-Award winner Usher and The Source, an 18-piece band.
Everyone enjoyed an all-white, seven-layer white rum wedding cake that was covered in white fondant and sugar crystals, and adorned with crystal brooches and the couples’ monogram on the top layer.
Guests sat at tables that were a continuous candle-lit landscape with a myriad of crystal candelabras and mercury glass vessels, each filled with one variety of white flower, including roses, peonies and tulips, and one accent of purple.
Jacintha Saldanha’s suicide note has revealed that Australian DJs Mel Greig and Michael Christian, who were given details of Kate Middleton’s health by the nurse during a radio hoax, drove her to take her own life.
Jacintha Saldanha, 46, directly blamed the radio presenters in a suicide letter found by her hanged body.
The note said: “I hold the Radio Australians Mel Greig and Michael Christian responsible for this act.
“Please make them pay for my mortgage.”
Jacintha Saldanha left the handwritten note in her living quarters close to King Edward VII’s Hospital where Kate Middleton was being treated for acute morning sickness last year.
The nurse took her own life last December- just three days after she transferred the hoax call to a ward nurse.
It had been thought that Jacintha Saldanha was unhappy with how the hospital treated her after falling victim to the prank call.
But she exonerates the hospital from any responsibility in the letter and points the finger of blame at the 2Day FM presenters.
Jacintha Saldanha, a mother-of-two, addressed the message to her managers at the exclusive London hospital.
She said: “Please accept my apologies. I am truly sorry. Thank you for all your support.”
Jacintha Saldanha’s suicide note has revealed that Australian DJs Mel Greig and Michael Christian drove her to take her own life
An inquest into Jacintha Saldanha’s death was due to begin this week but has been delayed. The nurse was found hanging by a scarf from a wardrobe in her bedroom on December 7.
Jacintha Saldanha shared a home in Bristol, UK, with her husband Benedict Barboza, 49, and their two children, Junal, 17, and Lisha, 14.
She had been working in England for ten years but was said to be having problems working at King Edward VII.
It has been revealed Jacintha Saldanha had been taking anti-depressants for nine months after attempting suicide twice in 2011.
She was closely monitored as a high-suicide risk but her employers were unaware of this.
Radio DJ Mel Greig has not returned to work since the hoax call was broadcast in December.
She made the call with co-host Michael Christian, who has since taken a lower profile job at a Melbourne station.
Mel Greig and Michael Christian were sent death threats and hate mail in the aftermath of the prank call.
The radio presenters rang the hospital impersonating Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles and asked questions about Kate Middleton’s pregnancy.
Southern Cross Austereo, which owns the radio station, has offered to pay 500,000 AUD into a trust fund for Jacintha Saldanha’s family.
Labour MP Keith Vaz spoke on behalf of Jacintha Saldanha’s family.
He said: “The forthcoming inquest will hopefully provide answers for the family and for them time will represent closure.”
Ruslan Tsarni, one of the Boston bombers’ uncles living in the U.S., was previously married to a CIA officer’s daughter for three years.
Ruslan Tsarni, formerly known as Tsarnaev, who publicly denounced his two terrorist nephews’ actions and called them “Losers”, even lived with his father-in-law agent Graham Fuller in his Maryland home for a year.
Graham Fuller was forced to explain the relationship on Saturday as news of the family link emerged online.
The former CIA agent told Al-Monitor that his daughter, Samantha, was married to Ruslan Tsarni, whose surname was then Tsarnaev, for three to four years in the 1990s.
Ruslan and Samantha divorced in 1999 more than ten years after Graham Fuller left the CIA in 1987.
“Samantha was married to Ruslan Tsarnaev [Tsarni] for 3-4 years, and they lived in Bishkek for one year where Samantha was working for Price Waterhouse on privatization projects,” Graham Fuller said.
“They also lived in our house in [Maryland] for a year or so and they were divorced in 1999, I believe.
“I, of course, retired from CIA in 1987 and had moved on to working as a senior political scientist for RAND.”
Graham Fuller said his son-in-law showed no interest in the agency or politics but spoke generally about his family in Chechnya.
The former CIA agent said any attempts to portray the relationship as a link between the security agency and the two terrorists was “absurd”.
Ruslan Tsarni, formerly known as Tsarnaev, was married for three years to CIA agent Graham Fuller’s daughter Samantha
“Like all Chechens, Ruslan was very concerned about his native land, but I saw no particular involvement in politics,” Graham Fuller told Al-Monitor.
“I doubt he even had much to say of intelligence value other than talking about his own family’s sad tale of deportation from Chechnya by Stalin to Central Asia. Every Chechen family has such stories.”
Graham Fuller visited Samantha and Ruslan Tsarni in Bishek, as a former Russian history graduate himself interested in “Soviet minorities”.
He said he may have met the terror suspects’ father, Anzor Tsarnaev, there once and his daughter knew the Tsarnaev family when Tamerlan was a toddler and before his younger brother Dzhokhar was born.
“I for one was astonished at the events, and to find myself at two degrees of separation from them,” Graham Fuller added.
Ruslan Tsarni, who lives in Montgomery Village, Maryland, was thrust into the spotlight as the names of his two nephews, Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev, emerged in connection to the Boston terror attack.
He stood on his driveway and attacked the two men calling them “Losers”.
Ruslan Tsarni has since reported a rift between his family and that of his brother Anzor’s and said his older nephew Tamerlan had become increasingly extreme in his religious views.
He said he last spoke to Tamerlan Tsarnaev in 2009 when he declared he was dropping out of school to do “God’s business” and Ruslan Tsarni was concerned at his religious fervor.
“[The bombing] has nothing to do with Chechen … He put a shame on our family, he put a shame on the entire Chechen ethnicity,” Ruslan Tsarni told broadcasters in the aftermath of the bombings.
Ruslan Tsarni also told reporters that Tamerlan Tsarnaev had a friend called Misha who “brainwashed” him.
“This person just took his brain. He just brainwashed him completely,” he said.
FBI agents said they had tracked down Misha and believed he had no link to the terror attacks.
Anzor Tsarnaev, father of the Boston Marathon bombing suspects, says he is postponing a trip to the U.S. to visit his hospitalized son Dzhokhar and collect Tamerlan’s body due to his spiking blood pressure.
Anzor Tsarnaev, 47, told The Associated Press on Sunday that he is “really sick” and his blood pressure had spiked.
He said last week that he planned to travel from Russia to the U.S. with the hope of seeing his younger son, who is under arrest, and burying his elder son, who was killed in a clash with police.
The news comes days after it was revealed that the suspects’ mother, Zubeidat Tsarnaeva, was placed on a CIA watchlist 18 months before the Boston Marathon attack.
Anzor Tsarnaev confirmed that he is staying in Chechnya, a province in southern Russia, but did not specify whether he had been hospitalized.
Until Friday, Anzor Tsarnaev and the suspects’ mother had been living in the neighboring province of Dagestan.
Zubeidat Tsarnaeva claimed she had to call an ambulance for her husband on Thursday but did not elaborate on what happened.
It was revealed last week that both parents have left their home in Dagestan for another part of Russia.
Anzor Tsarnaev is postponing a trip to the U.S. to visit his hospitalized son Dzhokhar and collect Tamerlan’s body due to his spiking blood pressure
Zubeidat Tsarnaeva was never planning to accompany her husband to the U.S. because she faces felony shoplifting charges here.
On April 25, the parents held a bizarre press conference in which they claimed that the gruesome carnage of the Boston attacks, which killed three people and injured more than 280, were staged by the U.S. government.
“America took my kids away from me,” Zubeidat Tsarnaeva cried.
“I’m sure my kids were not involved in anything.”
She went so far as to claim that the blood covering the streets after the blasts was in fact paint.
Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26, was killed in a police shootout on April 19 and 19-year-old Dzhokhar was taken into custody – alive, but badly injured – less than 24 hours later in Watertown, Massachusetts following a massive manhunt.
After spending nearly a week in a Boston hospital recovering from gunshot wounds sustained during a firefight with police, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was transferred to the Federal Medical Center Devens on April 26.
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev has been charged in the Boston Marathon attacks and is facing a maximum sentence of the death penalty or life in prison.
The Tsarnaev family emigrated to the U.S. a decade ago, but both parents returned to Russia last year.
Anzor Tsarnaev said Thursday that he was planning to travel to the U.S. as soon as Friday, but hadn’t yet bought a plane ticket.
Banging the table in front of him, Anzor Tsarnaev said: “I am going to the United States. I want to say that I am going there to see my son, to bury the older one.
“I don’t have any bad intentions. I don’t plan to blow up anything. I am not angry at anyone. I want to go find out the truth.”
Zubeidat Tsarnaeva, 45, also described a figure known only as “Misha” – who has been pinpointed as a source of radicalization for her son Tamerlan Tsarnaev.
The mother said that he was a “very nice man”, of Armenian origin and living in Boston. “Misha” is also apparently a convert to the Islamic faith.
Anzor Tsarnaev has already been interviewed by Russian and American authorities – and would face further interviews if he ever gets to the U.S.
A blog dedicated to technology news in North Korea have reported that almost two million North Koreans now use the country’s only 3G network.
The figure has been confirmed by 3G provider Koryolink, a partnership between Egyptian telecoms firm Orascom and the North Korean government.
The service can only be used to make voice calls, and all international calls are banned.
At the start of 2012 Koryolink claimed to have one million 3G subscribers.
In January 2013 the government began allowing visitors to North Korea to bring in their mobile phones for the first time.
Almost two million North Koreans use the country’s only 3G network
Unlike residents, visitors to North Korea would now be able to use the 3G network for mobile internet access as well, by purchasing local SIM cards, the country said at the time.
However, last month, a China-based tour operator called Koryo Tours, which specializes in tourist visits to North Korea, posted a note on its website saying that 3G was no longer available for visitors.
North Koreans only have access to a very limited, state-run set of internet pages.
When Google Chair Eric Schmidt visited North Korea at the start of the year he urged the government to allow citizens access to the wider internet and said it would be “easy” for the 3G network to include data access.
“As the world becomes increasingly connected, the North Korean decision to be virtually isolated is very much going to affect their physical world and their economic growth,” Eric Schmidt wrote in a blog post.
Cristiano Ronaldo last night denied cheating on his girlfriend Irina Shayk with Brazilian model Andressa Urach who won the title Miss BumBum at a catwalk competition in 2012.
Andressa Urach, 27, had claimed Real Madrid striker Cristiano Ronaldo slept with her in a hotel just 48 hours before a key Champions League semi final which his team lost 4-1 to German side Borussia Dortmund.
The Brazilian model told The Sun: “I have always thought Cristiano is one of the most gorgeous men in the world, so I couldn’t believe it when he got in touch with me.
“He said he was very excited by my pictures online and one of the first things he asked me was if I really was a Miss Butt Brazil model.”
However, Cristiano Ronaldo said in a statement on Twitter last night: “I was informed that The Sun, faithful to its editorial line, will publish an article where is given voice to a so called Andressa – someone seeking the limelight on my account.
“And I wonder why this happens one day before a very important game for my team. Deeply outraged by a situation intended, in vain, to affect my personal life.
“I just want to clarify I was in fact at the Hotel Villa Magna on April 22 giving an interview to Manu Sainz, something the reporter himself is able to corroborate. Everything else is pure fiction and forgery.”
Cristiano Ronaldo last night denied cheating on his girlfriend Irina Shayk with Brazilian model Andressa Urach who won the title Miss BumBum at a catwalk competition in 2012
Andressa Urach had told The Sun it happened a day after Cristiano Ronaldo was pictured leaving a restaurant in Madrid with his girlfriend Irina Shayk.
Irina Shayt, 27, had her arms crossed and wore a downcast face.
Speaking about their tryst, she said: “It was incredible, his body’s perfect, like a Greek god. He went on for hours and would not stop talking about my butt.”
Andressa Urach claimed Cristiano Ronaldo told her he had dreamed about her behind and called her his “little horse” before asking her to come to Madrid and meet up.
She told how they linked up at the city’s $20,000-a-night Villa Magna hotel after she took a taxi there and waited for him in the lobby.
Cristiano Ronaldo arrived in a grey Audi R3 and parked in an underground car park before taking a private lift to his room, from where he texted her his room number, The Sun reported.
Cristiano Ronaldo is dating Russian beauty Irina Shayk, who is known as one of the world’s top swimwear and lingerie models.
On Thursday Irina Shayk was in the UK attending the launch of the new Eleven Paris store in London.
Irina Shayk and Cristiano Ronaldo started dating three years ago – just weeks before Ronaldo announced he had become a father to a baby son with an unnamed American mother.
Although the Real Madrid player announced he had “exclusive guardianship” of the tot Cristiano Jr., his mother Dolores is helping to raise the child in Portugal.
Over the past few years, Irina Shayk seemed to have embraced the role as surrogate stepmother to the child and has been seen doting over the little boy on frequent occasions.
However, since they started dating in May 2010, Cristiano Ronaldo and Irina Shayk regularly go for weeks or sometimes months without seeing each other.
Irina Shayk is based in New York for her modeling work, but travels all over the world, while Cristiano Ronaldo splits his time between Madrid and his native Portugal.
Six months pregnant Kate Middleton is said to have told a group of Army wives at a recent drinks reception in Aldershot that she has bought a Bugaboo pram in light blue, which some have taken as a clue to her unborn baby’s gender.
It’s been quite a week for Kate Middleton’s baby shopping: not only has she bought her pram, but she’s also chosen a white wicker Moses basket, which she purchased with her mother Carole from luxurious nursery furniture shop Blue Almonds, in South Kensington.
Made by a Dutch company, the Bugaboo quickly became a status symbol for yummy mummies, and, despite a price roughly the same as a small family car, they became a common sight on the streets of Notting Hill and Chelsea.
The top-of-the-range model comes in at just over $1,900.
Popular models such as the Bugaboo Cameleon, which starts at $1,250, even hold their value second-hand.
Kate Middleton is said to have told a group of Army wives at a recent drinks reception in Aldershot that she has bought a Bugaboo pram in light blue
“A pushchair is no longer something you use to push a child from A to B,” said Jo Studholme, who runs online magazine Pushchair Trader.
“They’ve become a status symbol. There are pramaholics out there who snap up the latest models just as they probably bought handbags before they became pregnant.”
While stores such as Mothercare and John Lewis still have a good selection of own-brand prams at the far more reasonable $390, it’s the designer brands that make most money.
Even without Kate Middleton’s endorsement, the rise of the Bugaboo has been meteoric.
What started out as Dutchman Max Barenbrug’s graduation project at design school in 1994 has turned into a global business.
With two daughters, Max Barenburg wanted to come up with a pram that men and women would be happy to push.
Bugaboo employs 800 staff and sells its products in more than 50 countries. The company’s annual revenue has grown from $2.8 million in 2001 to $97 million at the last count.
While sales are undoubtedly boosted by celebrity endorsement, chief marketing officer Madeleen Klaasen insists that quality is the true benchmark of the brand.
“If your product doesn’t perform, you’re gone after the first-year hype,” she says.
Bugaboo fans insist the pram is well-designed and therefore well worth the price-tag – even though it seems to be universally acknowledged that it doesn’t fit into the boot of a small car and is pretty difficult to work out how to open and collapse them.
There are several YouTube videos attempting to show Bugaboo virgins how to fold and unfold them.
“There was a big buzz about which buggy Kate would go for,” says Jo Studholme.
“I think there will be some disappointed manufacturers out there.
“The Bugaboo does have a high price-tag, but it is well-made and is good quality. The customer service is also excellent, so it’s not a surprising choice. But many had hoped she would go for a British brand, like the iCandy, instead.”
At least three people have been killed by an explosion that partly destroyed a block of flats in the northern French city of Reims, officials say.
Reims Mayor Adeline Hazan told BFM TV that the explosion at the four-storey building was probably caused by a gas leak.
Police said another 14 people were injured, including a number of children.
Images show one end of the building has collapsed.
Adeline Hazan told BFM TV the blast – which happened at 11:15 – had been “very strong” and had shattered windows in other buildings.
At least three people have been killed by an explosion that partly destroyed a block of flats in the northern French city of Reims
Two bodies were brought out of the rubble during the morning. A third was found later by search teams. By Sunday evening, two residents were still thought to be missing.
Ten flats were thought to be affected.
The building, in the Wilson area of Reims, is described as social housing dating back to the 1960s.
It was renovated several years ago but residents said that while the front had been re-painted, no change had been made to the interior structure.
A gas explosion in a flat in nearby Witry-les-Reims in early April left four people from the same family dead.
Housing Minister Cecile Duflot has promised a full inquiry.
“It appears the building was well maintained. All the necessary checks were carried out on the appliances,” Cecile Duflot said.
In a statement, President Francois Hollande sent his condolences to the victims’ families and his solidarity to the city of Reims.
A man has been arrested in Italy after he shot two police officers outside the PM’s office in Rome during new government swearing-in ceremony.
One of the officers was shot in the neck and is said to be in a serious condition.
The incident was around a kilometre away from the swearing-in ceremony at the Quirinal Palace.
Democratic Party Deputy Leader (PD), Enrico Letta, becomes prime minister at the head of a “grand coalition” including Silvio Berlusconi’s People of Freedom party (PDL).
The swearing-in signals the end of two months of political deadlock.
Correspondents say the “grand coalition” between Italy’s current main right- and left-wing parties is unprecedented, and will probably prove an uneasy alliance.
A man has been arrested in Italy after he shot two police officers outside the PM’s office in Rome during new government swearing-in ceremony
Silvio Berlusconi had said he would not be a minister, but had pushed for leading figures from his party to be given top posts.
Angelino Alfano, the PDL’s secretary and one of Silvio Berlusconi’s closest political allies, is deputy prime minister and interior minister in the new government.
Among the other key appointments is Bank of Italy director general Fabrizio Saccomanni to head the powerful economy ministry.
The cabinet is to have more women than usual, including former European Commissioner Emma Bonino as foreign minister.
Other women given government jobs include Olympic kayaker Josefa Idem who becomes minister of equal opportunity and sports, and Anna Maria Cancellieri at the ministry of justice.
Since February’s inconclusive poll there has been political stalemate in Italy, which is still plagued by economic woes after becoming one of the first eurozone victims of the global financial crisis of 2008.
President Giorgio Napolitano said on Saturday that the government would have the support of both chambers of parliament.
“I hope that this government can get to work quickly in the spirit of fervent co-operation and without any prejudice or conflict,” the president said.
“It was and is the only possible government.”
President Giorgio Napolitano, who is serving an unprecedented second term in Italy, has suggested he might resign if the new government fails to enact reforms.
Michael Jackson’s daughter Paris grew up without her mother after Debbie Rowe signed away all parental rights to the megastar in 2001, when the girl was just 3-year-old.
However, since Michael Jackson’s death in 2009, mother and daughter are trying to make up for lost time by slowly forging a close relationship.
And the first picture of Paris Jackson and Debbie Rowe together has surfaced, showing Debbie with her arm around Paris as they celebrated the teenager’s 15th birthday at Ahi Sushi in Studio City, California, on April 3, reports Entertainment Tonight.
Paris Jackson appeared serene and content as she leaned in close to her mother, a dermatologist’s nurse, who looked thrilled to be included in her daughter’s birthday celebration.
Paris – the youngest of Michael Jackson and Debbie Rowe’s two children – showed off her edgy style by wearing her short dark hair swept across her forehead and highlighting her eyes with thick black liner.
The resemblance between them is clear, especially in the color and shape of their eyes and their noses.
Debbie Rowe has reportedly developed an “intense bond” with her daughter and the pair have been spending lots of time together in recent months.
The first public picture of Paris Jackson and Debbie Rowe together, as they celebrated the teenager’s 15th birthday at Ahi Sushi in Studio City, California, on April 3
Michael Jackson’s ex-wife supported Paris, who performed in a dance contest at her school in Los Angeles last weekend, turning up with a bouquet of flowers.
Recently, Paris Jackson revealed that she had also been shopping with her mother, an activity that her grandmother Katherine Jackson was approving of.
The teenager said: “When I’m with my mom, we don’t really have security with us. Which is really nice.”
Paris’ uncle Jermaine Jackson recently said he approved of the pair’s burgeoning relationship.
Jermaine Jackson told TMZ: “I think that’s wonderful. The kids need their mum. I think it’s great. That’s their mother. That’s wonderful. That’s a good thing.’
Debbie Rowe and Michael Jackson met when he was a patient at the specialist skin clinic she worked at when he was being treated for his chronic vitiligo.
They were married between 1996 and 1999, and Debbie Rowe gave full custody of her two children with Michael Jackson, Prince and Paris, during their divorce proceedings in 1999.
Debbie Rowe, now 54, later took things one step further in 2001, and relinquished all parental rights to the children, who were just toddlers at the time.
However, after Michael Jackson’s death in June 2009, Debbie Rowe reached an agreement with the megastar’s mother – who became the children’s legal guardian – for supervised visitation rights.
The Daily Mirror previously reported that Paris Jackson had found it “easy” to bond with her mother, and had been interested to know more about the dynamic of her relationship with her late father.
A friend said: “Paris is very inquisitive and found Debbie easy to bond with.”
Meanwhile, it appears Debbie Rowe and Michael Jackson’s son Prince is not yet ready to develop a relationship with his mother.
The 16-year-old budding TV presenter allegedly isn’t interested in getting to know his birth mother, but she hopes that they will develop a natural connection much like she did with Paris.
Iceland’s centre-right opposition parties are set for a return to power with nearly all votes counted after Saturday’s parliamentary election.
The Independence party has 26% and the Progressive party 24%, putting them on track to win nearly 40 of the 63 seats.
The ruling Social Democrats are trailing with around 13%.
It is a dramatic comeback for the parties widely blamed for Iceland’s economic meltdown in 2008.
Iceland saw its prosperity evaporate, as the country’s three banks collapsed, and the Social Democrats came to power a year later, with a programme of austerity tailored to international lenders’ requirements.
“The Independence party has been called to duty again,” said leader Bjarni Benediktsson, who looks likely to become prime minister.
“We’ve seen what cutbacks have done for our healthcare system and social benefits … now it’s time to make new investments, create jobs and start growth,” he said.
“I’m very pleased,” said Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson, leader of the Progressive party, as results came in.
Iceland’s centre-right opposition parties are set for a return to power with nearly all votes counted after Saturday’s parliamentary election
The centre-right camp has promised debt relief and a cut in taxes.
The two parties are also seen as Eurosceptic, and their poll success could slow down Iceland’s efforts to become a member of the European Union.
The Eurosceptics argue that Iceland already gets most of the benefits of full membership through existing free trade arrangements with the EU and by being part the Schengen visa-free travel zone.
Many Icelanders have become frustrated with the outgoing Social Democrat government, saying that its austerity policies were too painful.
A number of smaller parties have performed well, including Bright Future, which looks set to enter parliament with six seats and the computer activist Pirate party, with three.
The Social Democrats are on course for nine seats and the Left-Greens seven.
Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is being held in a small cell with a steel door at a federal medical detention center about 40 miles outside the city, a federal official said Saturday.
Federal Medical Center Devens spokesman John Collauti described the conditions under which 19-year-old Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was being held in the Ayer facility after being moved there from a hospital Friday.
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was injured during a police chase in which his brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, also a suspect in the bombing, was fatally wounded.
John Collauti said in a telephone interview that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is in secure housing where authorities can monitor him. His cell has a solid steel door with an observation window and a slot for passing food and medication.
The spokesman wouldn’t discuss specific details related to Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, but said that typically medical workers making rounds each shift monitor the inmates. He said guards also keep an eye on some cells with video cameras.
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is being held in a small cell with a steel door at a federal medical detention center about 40 miles outside Boston
Also, inmates in the more restrictive section do not have access to TVs or radios, but can read books and other materials, he said.
“Really this type of facility is fully capable of handling him and it’s not that much of an inconvenience because it’s more or less business as usual,” John Collauti said.
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev left Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center where he was controversially treated just yards from the wards containing many of his victims.
His new home is part of the minimum security facility on the decommissioned Fort Devens U.S. Army base.
It treats federal prisoners and detainees who require specialized long-term medical or mental health care.
It has been referred to in the past as “agreeable” and “fairly pleasant”.
It is designated as an administrative facility, which means it has inmates from different security classifications, from white-collar criminals to mobsters and sex offenders.
The medical center currently houses 1,000 inmates with 124 in a minimum-security satellite prison camp. It costs around $157 for each inmate per day.
According to its website, these minimum security prison camps, have dormitory housing, a relatively low staff-to-inmate ratio, and limited or no perimeter fencing.
They are usually work-and-program oriented and inmates help serve the labor needs of the larger institution or base.
Former NYPD officer William Masso, former New Jersey assemblyman Daniel Van Pelt and one time Underworld mafia boss John Franzese, 96, are currently inmates there.
The medical center inmates are often allowed to leave the facility to see outside specialists and for tests and medical procedures not available in the medical center.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons is focused on preventing rehabilitation by encouraging inmates to participate in a range of programs that have been proven to reduce repeat offending.
The level of security which Dzhokhar Tsarnaev will be held under depends on his changing circumstances – because he is a pretrial inmate – and he has no set protocol at this time.
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev will have access to medical and dental care, and the prison’s handbook states that inmates have the right to a healthy, nutritious diet, as well as information about staying healthy while behind bars.
He admitted to his role in the attacks to the FBI this week – but apparently clammed up when finally read his Miranda rights.
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev had been communicating with law enforcement officials by writing on a pad after suffering an injury to his throat during the frenzied manhunt for him which renders him unable to talk.
However, the moment he was read his rights on Monday – which as a citizen of the United States entitle him to the constitutional right to remain silent and seek a lawyer – Dzhokhar Tsarnaev stopped communicating.
According to a new report, Russian authorities secretly recorded one of the Boston bombers discussing jihad with his mother, Zubeidat Tsarnaeva, in 2011 but failed to alert U.S. security agencies.
U.S. officials were told for the first time this week that two calls of note were discovered when the Russian internal security service, the RSB, were bugging calls at the Tsarnaevs family home in Dagestan, according to reports.
The recording picked up a “vague conversation” about jihad between either Dzhokhar or Tamerlan Tsarnaev and their mother Zubeidat Tsarnaeva, the Associated Press reported.
It also picked up a phone call between Zubeidat Tsarnaeva and a man under FBI investigation living in Southern Russia.
American security sources anonymously revealed the information to the news agency and said if the calls had been flagged to the FBI, the agency may have conducted a more detailed investigation into the two men.
There was no evidence of a plot against America in the calls, according to the report.
Russian authorities secretly recorded one of the Boston bombers discussing jihad with his mother, Zubeidat Tsarnaeva, in 2011 but failed to alert U.S. security agencies
The news comes as the FBI attempts to defend itself against criticism that it failed to fully investigate Tamerlan Tsarnaev that year.
In January, the FBI investigated and interviewed the family after Russian authorities flagged the elder bomber as a possible security threat.
It is not clear why the phone calls would not have been reported to American security officers as part of that briefing and the RSB were unavailable for comment.
Following their probe, the FBI concluded Tamerlan Tsarnaev did not present a threat and ceased monitoring him stating they saw no links to “terrorism activity, domestic or foreign”.
Sen. Lindsay Graham (R. South Carolina) said the agency had “dropped the ball” in that probe.
On Friday, the New York Times reported that the Russian government followed up their concerns over Tamerlan Tsarnaev six months later – asking the CIA for whatever information it had on him.
It is not clear what prompted the Russian request but the CIA review agreed with the FBI that Tamerlan Tsarnaev posed no threat.
As a precaution they placed him on a 70,000 name watch-list called the Terrorist Identities Datamart Environment (TIDE).
However, there were mistakes in both the spelling of his name and in his date of birth, so his six month departure from the country in 2012 wasn’t properly identified, according to the Times.
The first Russian request came in March 2011 through the FBI’s office in the United States Embassy in Moscow.
In a one-page request they said Tamerlan Tsarnaev “had changed drastically since 2010” and was preparing “to join unspecified underground groups”.
By June 2011 the FBI said they were satisfied he provided no threat and notified Russia.
They also added Tamerlan Tsarnaev to another watch-list – the Treasury Enforcement Communications System.
According to the Times, the FBI repeatedly went back to Russia to request more detail but they failed to provide any new information.
Zubeidat Tsarnaeva has come under increasing scrutiny in recent days given her outspoken denial of her sons’ actions and wild accusations of a cover-up.
She has repeatedly said her sons were framed and even claimed blood on the streets, after the bombings, was paint.
On Friday, it emerged agents now consider Zubeidat Tsarnaeva “a person of interest” in their investigation.
“She [Zubeidat Tsarnaeva] is a person of interest that we’re looking at to see if she helped radicalize her son, or had contacts with other people or other terrorist groups,” Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger, a Democrat from Maryland, who serves on the House Intelligence Committee, said.
Both sons appear to have had a close relationship with their mother.
Just before his death Tamerlan Tsarnaev made a final call to her saying: “Mama I love you.”
She was intending to travel with her husband to the U.S. last week but both delayed those plans.
Zubeidat Tsarnaeva said any suggestion she has links to terrorist activity are “lies and hypocrisy”.
Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika has suffered a mini-stroke and has been flown to hospital in Paris, the state news agency said.
Abdelaziz Bouteflika, 76, had a “transient ischemia” – a temporary blockage of a blood vessel often called a mini-stroke – an official told the APS news agency.
But he said there was “no reason for worry” about the president.
The agency said Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who makes few public appearances – was undergoing tests in Paris.
The Algerian leader is reported to be at the Val de Grace military hospital, commonly used by high-profile patients from France and beyond.
Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika has suffered a mini-stroke and has been flown to hospital in Paris
“An initial investigation has already been opened and his Excellency the president of the republic must observe a period of rest to undergo tests,” Rachid Bougherbal, the director of the National Sports Medicine Centre, was quoted as saying by APS.
PM Abdelmalek Sellal echoed Rachid Bourgherbal’s assurances that there was no need for concern.
But the fact that he has been sent to Paris has prompted questions about the accuracy of the official account, correspondents say.
Abdelaziz Bouteflika underwent surgery in hospital in Paris several years ago. Officially the problem was a stomach ulcer, but a leaked US diplomatic cable suggested he had cancer.
In spite of his age and apparently failing health, there are still those who believe Abdelaziz Bouteflika could stand for a fourth term in office in elections scheduled for next year.
Abdelaziz Bouteflika is part of an ageing leadership which has dominated Algerian politics since the country gained independence from France more than 50 years ago.
Rio de Janeiro’s world-famous Maracana stadium has reopened after nearly three years of renovations to prepare it for the World Cup finals in 2014.
Workers who helped with the renovation and their families were treated to an exhibition match between teams of stars past and present.
But leading newspapers reported problems with the new facility.
The reopening follows controversy over delays, costs and the future privatization of the site.
The renovation was completed four months behind schedule.
Days before the test event, seats were still being installed and pavements laid near the venue.
Rio de Janeiro’s world-famous Maracana stadium has reopened after nearly three years of renovations to prepare it for the World Cup finals in 2014.
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff and Rio de Janeiro’s Mayor Eduardo Paes were among the 30,000-strong crowd watching the friendly between teams captained by Ronaldo and Bebeto.
But the Jornal do Brasil said Saturday’s visitors “needed patience to deal with the many problems” at the venue, arising from the rush to complete it.
It highlighted uneven flooring with small gaps and holes, flooding in the VIP area and a dysfunctional lift, and said some staff had tried to prevent journalists taking pictures of the affected areas.
Workers were still finishing building a stadium wall, and ticket offices, turnstiles and gates were not working, said another paper, the Folha de Sao Paulo.
But in a statement quoted by the Folha de Sao Paulo, the Rio de Janeiro state government pointed out that this was a test event, using only 30% of the stadium’s full capacity, and did not represent the full reopening.
It said it was “natural” that some more work remained to be done.
“Maracana will be delivered fully ready on the date set by FIFA: 24 May,” it reportedly said.
Former Brazil star striker Ronaldo, who captained one team for the exhibition match against former teammate Bebeto, said the stadium looked “amazing”.
“I’m happy to see the stadium ready again. The Maracana is a symbol of this country,” he said, according to the Associated Press news agency.
Former Brazil coach and player Mario Zagallo said he had “goose-bumps” when he arrived, AP said.
The first major international test of the facility will be a friendly between Brazil and England on June 2 before the Confederations Cup begins two weeks later.
There has been criticism of the cost of the renovation – nearly $500 million – because the stadium has already seen a number of upgrades.
A Brazilian indigenous group, the Aldeia Maracana (or Maracana tribe), have also protested at the site against their eviction from a former indigenous museum, built in 1862.
Plans to privatize the Maracana have run into controversy too, with demonstrations against the demolition of local facilities to make way for an arena with bars, restaurants and shops.
Critics say privatization will return much less to the government than it invested in the project.
The Maracana is seen as an iconic venue. Nearly 200,000 people watched the 1950 World Cup final between Brazil and Uruguay – the largest crowd ever to have watched a football match at a stadium.
This year’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner (WHCD) saw President Barack Obama in pictures with Michelle-style bangs, quipping about Jay-Z and sideswiping at the media and his political foes.
The traditional send-up speech saw the President earn some laughter at his own expense but also land some funny blows against the media and the Republican Party.
Barack Obama opened with a soft joke about his time in office but increasingly moved onto more controversial territory – even joking about “burning books with Michelle Bachmann”.
The president said his advisers said he should stick to the traditional format and make jokes knocking himself down a peg or two.
Barack Obama added: “After four and a half years how many pegs are there left.”
“I still make rookie mistakes,” he told the 3,000 strong audience.
“Like, I’m out in California, we’re at a fundraiser, we’re having a nice time and I happened to mention that Kamala Harris is the best looking attorney general in the country. As you might imagine, I got trouble when I got back home. Who knew Eric Holder was so sensitive?”
“And then there’s the Easter Egg Roll, which is just supposed to be a nice event with the kids. I got out on the basketball court, took 22 shots, made 2 of them. That’s right, 2 hits, 20 misses. The executives at NBC asked, <<What’s your secret?>>.”
Swipes at the media’s expense are traditional fare at the event and Barack Obama seemed to have plenty of material – knocking CNN for mistakes and poking fun at the revolving door between politics and the media.
Referencing campaign adviser David Axelrod and the fact he is now working for MSNBC, he added: “It’s a nice change of pace because MSNBC used to work for David Axelrod.”
The president referenced his likeness to theSatan actor in The History Channel’s show The Bible saying that maybe the channel didn’t attend because they were too embarrassed for associating him with evil.
He then joked: “That never stops Fox News from turning up. They thought that comparison was not fair … to Satan.”
In another media joke, he added: “I remember when Buzzfeed was something I did in college around 2 a.m.”
Barack Obama wasn’t going to spare the chance to throw in a few barbs about the Republicans and their election campaign either.
“One thing [the Republican Party] agrees on is the need to do a better job of reaching out to minorities. And look, call me self-centered, but I can think of one minority they can start with. [Raises his hand] Think of me as a trial run, see how it goes.”
He spoke about reaching out to Republicans, quipping: “Some folks still don’t think I spend enough time with Congress. <<Why don’t you get a drink with Mitch McConnell?>> they ask. Really? Why don’t you get a drink with Mitch McConnell?”
Barack Obama vowed to take his “charm offensive” on the road to “a Texas BBQ with Ted Cruz, a Kentucky bluegrass concert with Rand Paul, and a book burning with Michele Bachmann”.
Addressing his re-election campaign, Barack Obama joked about his rivals attempts to discredit him.
This year’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner saw President Barack Obama in pictures with Michelle-style bangs
“Did you know that Sheldon Adelson spent $100 million of his own money last year on negative ads? You’ve got to really dislike me to spend that kind of money. I mean, that’s Oprah money. … Sheldon would have been better off offering me $100 million to drop out of the race. I wouldn’t have taken it but I would have thought about it. Michelle would have taken it – you think I’m joking?”
The president made fun about conspiracy theories about his past, joking: “I’m not the strapping young Muslim socialist that I used to be.”
On his appearance, Barack Obama noted his graying hair and also presented a picture of himself photo-shopped with the First Lady’s style bangs.
He said he wanted “a little energy” and a “bit of change” for his second term with the new look.
Another photograph mocked the Bush library, opened earlier this week, and featured the new building alongside a giant “It’s His Fault” sign’.
In the multimedia routine, Steven Spielberg was on-hand to appear in a video mocking a movie on Barack Obama’s legacy.
Steven Spielberg said he called on Daniel Day Lewis to encapsulate the “lame duck, aloof” president.
President Barack Obama then appeared on screen pretending to be the method actor in the role.
In the event which was attacked in recent days for being too celebrity-focused, Barack Obama acknowledged his own controversial celebrity relationships.
He joked: “I’ve got 99 problems and now Jay Z is one.”
The President’s edgier material eased the way for host Conan O’Brien.
“As you all know, the president is hard at work creating jobs,” he joked.
“Since he was first elected, the number of popes has doubled. The number of <<Tonight Show>> hosts has tripled.”
He also leveled a few jokes at the media.
“If HuffPost is here, who’s covering 7 mistakes you’re making with bacon?” he asked.
In a popular topic for ridicule he also mocked CNN, joking: “Tonight’s dinner was halibut and filet, or as John King reported it: Lasagna and couscous.”
“Yes, a lot of online stars are in the room but, unfortunately, Matt Drudge couldn’t make it,” Conan O’Brien said.
“He had a prior commitment to teach a web design class in 1997.”
“Some people say print media is dying, but I don’t believe it,” Conan O’Brien added.
“And neither does my blacksmith.”
“It’s no surprise that Speaker John Boehner isn’t here tonight,” Conan O’Brien said.
“President Obama and John Boehner are kind of like a blind date between Anderson Cooper and Rachel Maddow. In theory, they understand each other’s positions but, deep down, you know nothing’s ever going to happen.”
NBC veteran Tom Brokaw turned down his invite this year claiming the event had become too tabloid.
One of America’s most respected journalists, Tom Brokaw said, it was last year’s appearance of Lindsay Lohan which was the final straw for him.
“The breaking point for me was Lindsay Lohan,” he told Politico on Friday.
“She became a big star at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. Give me a break.”
The red carpet didn’t seem to disprove his point with dozens of celebrities from a-list to z-list lining up in their finest.
However, Conan O’Brien used the small screen attendees to his benefit.
Imagining the casting of a miniseries on Washington, the comedian ran through a series of potential lookalikes from Bob Barker as Vice President Joe Biden; an Easter Island Head as John Kerry; a Furby as Wolf Blitzer and – with one of the biggest laughs of the night – “tan mom” as Boehner.
The tradition of news outlets bringing stars to join their tables began when the cast of Saturday Night Live was brought down from New York to D.C. in the mid-1970s.
This year, celebrities had an Oscars-worthy parade of glamorous designer dresses and stylish suits on show – making it is as much an event for the fashion pack as the usual politicos.
Leading the perfect combination of the two, Michelle Obama arrived in a sequined black gown while Obama supporter and Vogue editor Anna Wintour opted for a white fur shawl.
Constance Zimmer and Kate Mara, who co-star as reporters in the political series House Of Cards, and Connie Britton, who plays an all-American country singer in Nashville, were some of the stars attending.
The women opted to show their patriotic colors with Constance Zimmer, 42, donning a red floaty frock, Kate Mara, 30, in a white floor-length gown, and Connie Britton, 46, in a blue mermaid-style creation.
It wasn’t only female celebrities invited along for the ride, Piers Morgan brought Gerald Butler along as his plus 1.
Kerry Washington, 36, star of the political drama Scandal, donned a dramatic black-and-white patterned gown.
“Just had my fitting with @Stephendatailor – my awesome go to tailor in DC! – getting EXCITED about tonight. #whcd,” tweeted Kerry Washington earlier in the day.
However, excited celebrities weren’t the only ones taking to Twitter to make their feelings known about the events.
Sarah Palin tweeted: “That WHCD was pathetic. The rest of America is out there working our asses off while these DC assclowns throw themselves a nerd prom.”
When Kate Middleton revealed she had bought a pram in light blue, Royal watchers wondered excitedly if she had dropped the biggest clue yet to the sex of her unborn child.
Kate Middleton – who is six months pregnant – told guests at a recent reception that she had chosen a buggy by designer label Bugaboo, which has celebrity fans including actress Sienna Miller and television presenter Peaches Geldof.
The buggies, which cost from £500 to £1,000 ($800-$1,600) and can operate as either a pushchair or pram, come in a variety of colors and parents who do not know the sex of their baby usually prefer neutral hues such as beige, off-white or black.
Kate Middleton and Prince William have insisted that they do not know if they are having a boy or a girl.
Kate Middleton, who is six months pregnant, told guests at a recent reception that she bought a Bugaboo pram in light blue
But although it is possible to swap some of the buggy’s accessories for those in different colors, including pink, Kate Middleton’s choice of blue will be seen as a clear hint as to her feelings about the gender.
The Duchess of Cambridge has said she would prefer a son while Prince William wants a daughter.
Yesterday, Bugaboo said it had not presented the buggy to the Royal couple after being advised by officials not to send gifts.
So it appears that the duchess, who was seen shopping for a Moses basket in South Kensington last week with her mother, bought the pram herself.
Kate Middleton, 31, revealed the Bugaboo color when she chatted to a group of Army wives at a drinks reception in Aldershot on St Patrick’s Day.
A source has claimed: “She and some of the other girls were talking about prams and one of the girls had her baby in a Bugaboo.
“Kate said she has bought one in light blue. It was a bit of a hint.”
Guardsman Lee Wheeler, 29, who met Kate Middleton at the ceremony, said the Duchess was happily discussing the Royal bump.
He said: “I asked her, <<Do you know if it’s a girl or a boy?>> and she said, <<Not yet>>.
“She said, <<I’d like to have a boy and William would like a girl>>. I asked her if she had any names and she said no.”
Since then, however, Kate Middleton and Prince William revealed they have a shortlist of boys’ and girls’ names.
Alexandra and Elizabeth are said to be favorites for a girl, with George in the running for a boy.
