Bengali poet and novelist Sunil Gangopadhyay has died in the Indian city of Calcutta aged 78.
Sunil Gangopadhyay died early on Tuesday morning following a heart attack, reports said.
His body will be kept in a mortuary till his son arrives from the US for his cremation, his family said.
Sunil Gangopadhyay wrote more than 200 books and was awarded several prestigious awards, including the Sahitya Akademi Award and the Hindu Literary Prize.
One of India’s most popular contemporary authors, Sunil Gangopadhyay wrote novels, short stories, travelogues and children’s fiction, but always said that poetry was his “first love”.
He was the founder editor of Krittibas – a poetry magazine that encouraged new poets experimenting with new forms.
“One of Bengal’s brightest literary stars has been extinguished. This loss will be extremely difficult to overcome. Sunil Gangopadhyay was one of the greatest Bengali intellectuals,” India’s President Pranab Mukherjee said in his tribute.
Bengali poet and novelist Sunil Gangopadhyay has died in Calcutta aged 78
Many of his friends and fans have also been paying tribute to the author.
“Deeply shocked by the death of the great Bengali writer Sunil Gangopadhyay. He was warm, kind man and a dear friend. Will miss him terribly,” well-known author Amitav Ghosh wrote on the micro-blogging site Twitter.
“It will be extremely difficult to fill the vacuum in Bengali literature after his death as Sunil had heralded a new style in Bengali literature,” PTI quoted eminent Bengali writer Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay as saying.
“Bengali literature has lost its guardian,” said fellow writer Samaresh Majumdar.
Angelina Jolie’s daughter Vivienne was cast as the young Princess Aurora in her upcoming live action film Maleficent.
And now two of Angelina Jolie’s six children – Pax and Zahara – will also make their big-screen debuts in the same movie.
“They have smaller parts,” a source told Us Weekly, adding the 8-year-old boy and 7-year-old girl will not have speaking roles.
“Shiloh was supposed to be in it, too, but she was bored and not in the mood during the day her part was supposed to happen, so she ended up not being in the film.”
The tomboyish 6-year-old did, however, have a role as her father Brad Pitt’s daughter in his film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button back in 2008.
Angelina Jolie, 37, stars as the title role in Disney’s reimagining of the classic fairy tale Sleeping Beauty told from the evil doer’s point of view.
The focus of the film centres on the events that hardened Maleficent’s heart, leading her to curse the Princess Aurora played by Elle Fanning.
Back in August, The Sun reported that once 4-year-old Vivienne was cast as the younger version of 14-year-old Elle Fanning, the rest of the kids wanted to be included too.
“Ange thought it would be a fun experience for her and Viv to share, and Viv is a natural,” said the source.
“The other kids are now nagging Ange and Brad to land them roles.”
Angelina Jolie’s daughter Vivienne was cast as the young Princess Aurora in her upcoming live action film Maleficent
Both of the twins, Vivienne and Knox, were spotted visiting their famous mother on the set back in June and at one point Angelina Jolie held one of them in front of the soundstage’s green screen.
The next day, Pax and Shiloh were seen walking around the Buckinghamshire set with a minder.
Wearing her horned headdress, complete with prosthetic cheekbones and a long brown dress and matching cape, the dark-haired star looked frightening as the villain.
Speaking about her new film Angelina Jolie told EW: “It’s not anti-princess, but it’s the first time they’re looking at this epic woman.
“I hope in the end you see a woman who is capable of being many things, and just because she protects herself and is aggressive, it doesn’t mean she can’t have other [warmer] qualities.”
She said: “It sounds really crazy to say that there will be something that’s good for young girls in this, because it sounds like you’re saying they should be a villain. [Maleficent] is actually a great person. But she’s not perfect. She’s far from perfect.
“In general, it’s a very good message to say, <<Let’s look at something from the other side>>. But then also, what our challenge will be – and the script writer [The Lion King and Alice in Wonderland’s Linda Woolverton] has already cracked it – is not to simplify it, not to just reverse the story but tell a bigger story that doesn’t point the finger [at Princess Aurora] either.”
Juno Temple, Sam Riley, and Miranda Richardson also appear in the film directed by Robert Stromberg, which is set for release on March 14, 2014.
Meanwhile, according to the New York Daily News, the Jolie-Pitt clan has already gotten into the autumn spirit as recent aerial shots of the A-list couple’s Los Feliz home revealed a backyard table packed with Halloween pumpkins.
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, 48, also have an 11-year-old son named Maddox.
Songstress Azealia Banks tweeted that she is ”definitely boycotting” Dolce & Gabbana for the “corny, racist” imagery in their spring 2013 collection.
The Italian fashion house raised some eyebrows when they sent an army of all-white models down the runway donning controversial earrings featuring dark-skinned women wearing burlap dresses and plantation-era cornucopias.
“Whoever designed that racist ass Dolce and Gabanna collection needs a swift kick in the mouth and a big d***up the ass,” she tweeted on Saturday.
“I really hate when people do corny, racist things then try to justify it as <<art. It’s all just really unnecessary. the clothes in the collection were fine without all the “black mammie>> imagery” she added.
Azealia Banks says she is boycotting Dolce and Gabbana for the corny, racist imagery in their spring 2013 collection
Dolce & Gabbana representatives said that the imagery used is said to be inspired by their Sicilian roots.
A host of high-end designers from Alexander McQueen and Prada to Victoria Beckham and Louis Vuitton have contributed to Children In Need by each designing an adorable and oh-so-chic Pudsey bear.
The 2012 Designer Pudsey Collection, which was the brainchild of Love magazine editor Katie Grand, also features stylish creations from Balenciaga, Burberry, Versace, Paul Smith and Gucci.
The adorable bears will be auctioned at Christie’s auction house on November 15 with every single penny going towards the worthwhile cause.
The iconic yellow and red Pudsey has been recreated in an array of different fabrics from suede to Swarovski crystals.
From Gucci’s equestrian Pudsey, to Burberry’s English Gentleman’s Pudsey each bear is completely unique, reflects the designer’s trademark style and gives fans an insight into trends for 2013.
Anya Hindmarch, Paul Smith and Selfridges have also created 10 inch limited edition Designer Pudsey’s, which will be sold exclusively in Selfridges from 24 October 2012.
Designer Pudsey Collection 2012
“I was honored to curate this fantastic collection, and have had such fun working with the designers on all of their amazing designs, BBC Children in Need is an incredibly worthwhile cause, and one which myself and all of the designers involved in the collection are privileged to support” said Katie Grand.
“Selfridges is delighted to support such a purposeful and creative project. It is wonderful to see such remarkable talent helping this most worthy of causes,” added Alannah Weston, Creative Director, Selfridges and Co.
“We are absolutely elated to have such prestigious designers turn Pudsey into a fashion icon once again.
“And to have Selfridges exhibit this one-off collection, allows everyone to view a piece of fashion history. A truly inspirational fundraising initiative,” said Sarah Monteith, Director of Marketing and Fundraising, BBC Children in Need.
The British woman’s lust for the fuller brow is yet another Kate Middleton-driven craze, this time brought about by her former predilection for hearty, well-conditioned eyebrows.
And not only has a Harley Street clinic spoken of a spike in numbers of patients wishing to undergo their non-invasive eyebrow hair implant surgery since the Royal Wedding last April, but now an eye make-up brand has developed a brow-plumping product promising to give your eyebrows a make-over fit for a duchess.
Dr. Raghu Reddy, one of the UK’s leading hair restoration experts, performs eyebrow transplants at The Private Clinic on Harley Street, using hair from behind the patient’s ears.
The procedure – which costs between £4,000 ($6,200) and £5,000 ($7,800) – is used as a solution for those who have over-plucked their eyebrows, or those who are simply looking for a fuller brow.
Dr. Raghu Reddy said: “We have witnessed interest in the eyebrow transplant procedure grow since around the time of the Royal Wedding and it has steadily risen.
“Now we have a healthy stream of women who come into the clinic and undergo the treatment. There is also greater awareness now of the procedure and the results it can achieve.
“While I do have patients who come to me who have over-plucked their brows, I also have women who come in with perfectly normal eyebrows, who are looking for a thicker, fuller brow to rival the likes of Kate Middleton.
“Today, women are more aware of the treatments available to them and more willing to consider treatment to achieve the look they desire.”
Meanwhile, Eye Candy has released a new product which claims to enhance the appearance and length of eyebrows.
The new LashXLR8R is aimed at those who want to give their brows a natural boost, without the use of eyebrow pencils.
The serum is already being hailed by make-up artists and has been proven strengthen and thicken lashes and eyebrows in just four weeks.
Prior to its launch, the product had a waiting list of 8,000, but it is now available in Boots for £19.99 ($31).
Developed in the UK, the brow-booster has been formulated with a unique liposome-based delivery system, containing natural seaweed extracts Laminaria Digitata and Pelvetia Canaliculata.
These naturally occurring minerals are known to stimulate growth and increase brow density and lash length.
The serum, which is paraben-free, also contains D-Panthenol (Vitamin B5) which helps to improve lash flexibility, the condition and moisturisation of both lashes and brows.
LashXLR8R is aimed at those who want to give their brows a natural boost, without the use of eyebrow pencils
THE EYEBROW TRANSPLANT
Performed by Dr. Raghu Reddy, one of the UK’s leading hair restoration experts, at The Private Clinic on Harley Street, the eyebrow transplant uses “third generation follicular unit extraction” (3G FUE) to provide a solution for patients who have over-plucked their eyebrows beyond repair, or to those who are looking for a fuller brow. The eyebrow transplant enables those patients who would like a fuller, thicker brow to achieve that result.
• The treatment itself lasts around 4-5 hours and it is virtually pain free.
• It involves using a special punch, less than 1mm in diameter, to remove hair follicles from behind the patient’s ear. The hair is then transplanted into the brow area
• The hair will then grow gradually in its new location and you will start to see growth within 3-4 months.
• The treatment is minimally invasive
• Requires no scalpels, stitches or linear scarring
• Lifelong guarantee for the number of hairs displaced
• It costs between £4,000-£5,000 ($6,200-$7,800), depending on the patient, the desired result and the number of hairs required.
• The treatment is walk-in, walk-out so no down time is required. After they have undergone the treatment, they can get immediately back to their day to day routine
Kim Basinger and her stunning daughter, Ireland Baldwin, seemed to be having a whale of a time as they enjoyed a spot of mother-daughter bonding while on a sun-soaked holiday in Maui, Hawaii.
Ireland Baldwin, Kim Basinger’s daughter with her actor ex-husband Alec Baldwin, certainly seems to have inherited her mother’s model looks.
The 17-year-old played around on the sands in a two-piece bikini while her mother snapped pictures of the teenager.
Kim Basinger, 58, looked on proudly as her pretty daughter ran in and out of the sea, and even performed a cartwheel at one stage in the afternoon.
She let her daughter take centre stage as she dressed casually in a loose-fitting grey tracksuit and a white T-shirt.
And it was clear that as well as being lookalikes, the duo are the best of friends, with Kim Basinger and Ireland Baldwin chatting and giggling together as they soaked up the sun.
Kim Basinger and Ireland Baldwin enjoyed a spot of mother-daughter bonding while on a sun-soaked holiday in Maui
Ireland Baldwin has an equally close relationship with her father Alec Baldwin, and gave him away at his Manhattan wedding to Hilaria Thomas earlier this year.
Despite Hilaria Thomas being just 28 years old, Ireland Baldwin admitted she calls her “mom” as a joke from time to time.
Ireland Baldwin recently told Page Six Magazine: “Hilaria and I are really close. She’s like a big sister to me, but I feel like I haven’t spent enough time with her yet.
“We have a lot more to learn about each other and we have a lot more experiences to have together.
“We joke around and I call her <<Mom>>. But I respect her, it’s not like I’m Parent Trap-ping her, setting up booby traps in her room.”
Mitt Romney has doubled his lead in a new national poll just hours after the final presidential debate in Boca Raton, Florida.
Just two weeks to go until election day it is unclear whether President Barack Obama will be able to make up the gap.
Mitt Romney held a four-point lead in the Rasmussen tracking poll released on Tuesday, with 50% of the vote compared to 46% for Barack Obama. In Monday’s poll he led by two points.
In addition, Mitt Romney’s lead was five points in swing states and as many as nine points among self-declared independent voters.
The poll was released just a few hours after the third and last debate of the presidential election campaign, which saw the two candidates clash over foreign affairs in Boca Raton.
Barack Obama showed off his foreign-policy experience, repeatedly patronizing his opponent as he accused him off being “all over the map” on how to deal with the world, even describing him as “wrong and reckless”.
But Mitt Romney held his own in the face of Barack Obama’s sustained assaults, working hard to establish his credentials as a sober and steady statesman with an obviously well-briefed analysis of world matters, from Iran to Poland to Mali.
The two bitter rivals were meeting for the final time at Lynn University in Boca Raton with all to play for in a neck-and-neck race for the White House.
CNN’s survey of debate-watchers showed that 48% considered the President the winner, with 40% favoring Romney and 12% undecided. A CBS poll had Barack Obama in front with 53% compared to just 23% for Romney, with 24% on the fence.
The Rasmussen Reports poll released on Tuesday recounted only the results of surveys conducted before the debate, so it is not yet known whether either candidate will receive a boost from the evening.
Mitt Romney has doubled his lead in a new national poll just hours after the final presidential debate in Boca Raton
One contest Barack Obama undoubtedly won was that of loquaciousness – the President spoke for 41 minutes and 42 seconds, 35 seconds longer than Mitt Romney. The Democratic candidate had the majority of speaking time in all four presidential or vice-presidential debates this year.
It was Barack Obama who appeared to be the challenger at times – a clear sign that he fears his re-election hopes are slipping away from him – hammering away at Mitt Romney, trying to belittle him and all but calling him a liar.
Mitt Romney tried to remain above the fray and appeal to moderate and undecided voters. He was noticeably less tetchy than in the bad-tempered second debate in Hempstead, New York.
But Mitt Romney hit home with a precise attack on Barack Obama’s “apology tour” of the Middle East in 2009, which seemed to rile Obama visibly. He said that the President had said he was sorry the U.S. had dictated to countries, adding: “Mr. President we have not dictated to other nations, we have freed other nations from dictators.”
The Romney campaign appeared confident in the aftermath of the debate, arguing that Barack Obama was “shedding voters” and was “trying to manage the rate of decline” in support ahead of election day.
“We entered this debate in a good position and we leave it in a stronger position,” said strategist Stuart Stevens.
“Whatever is that intangible quality of being presidential and who you would trust, Governor Romney had it more than the President.”
Speaking about Barack Obama’s performance in Boca Raton, Stuart Stevens added: “It was not the demeanor you would expect of a President. He came in with a bunch of political talking points like a young fresh graduate of a spin class trying to come off with these points.”
But the President’s campaign manager Jim Messina described Mitt Romney as “unsteady”, adding that he “did not look like a commander-in-chief. He did not pass the test and that’s a very bad moment for the Romney campaign”.
Jim Messina continued: “The contrast tonight was between a strong and steady President and an uncertain Romney and that’s how incumbent presidents get re-elected.”
Experts from Edinburgh University found that exercising in your 70’s may stop your brain from shrinking and showing the signs of ageing linked to dementia.
Brain scans of 638 people past the age of retirement showed those who were most physically active had less brain shrinkage over a three-year period.
Exercise did not have to be strenuous – going for a walk several times a week sufficed, the journal Neurology says.
But giving the mind a workout by doing a tricky crossword had little impact.
The study found no real brain-size benefit from mentally challenging activities, such as reading a book, or other pastimes such as socializing with friends and family.
When the researchers examined the brain’s white matter – the wiring that transmits messages round the brain – they found that the people over the age of 70 who were more physically active had fewer damaged areas than those who did little exercise.
And they had more grey matter – the parts of the brain where the messages originate.
Experts already know that our brains tend to shrink as we age and that this shrinkage is linked to poorer memory and thinking.
And previous studies have shown that exercise helps reduce the risk of dementia and can slow down its onset.
But scientists are still baffled about why this is.
Exercise increases blood flow to the brain, delivering oxygen and nutrients to brain cells, which may be important.
Or it may be that as people’s brains shrink, they become less inclined to exercise.
Regardless of why, experts say the findings are good news because exercise is an easy thing to do to boost health.
Prof. James Goodwin, head of research at Age UK, the charity that provided the funding for the research, said: “This research re-emphasizes that it really is never too late to benefit from exercise, so whether it’s a brisk walk to the shops, gardening or competing in a fun run it is crucial that, those of us who can, get active as we grow older.”
A Los Angeles coroner has confirmed film-maker Tony Scott’s death was suicide, caused by blunt force injuries and drowning.
Preliminary autopsy results showed the Top Gun director had “therapeutic levels” of the anti-depressant Mirtazapine and the prescription sleep-aid Lunesta in his system.
It added Tony Scott did not have any serious illnesses, including cancer.
Tony Scott jumped from Vincent Thomas Bridge in Los Angeles on 19 August.
The findings shed no light on a motive for why Tony Scott took his own life.
It had been revealed previously that the director left notes behind in his car including messages to friends and loved ones, but did not explain his actions.
Tony Scott jumped from Vincent Thomas Bridge in Los Angeles on 19 August
Initial reports after his death suggested Tony Scott had been diagnosed with inoperable brain cancer, but his widow Donna Wilson dismissed the rumors as “absolutely false”.
A coroner’s spokesman said the final report would be ready in two weeks.
The younger brother of director Ridley Scott, Tony also directed Enemy of the State, Beverly Hilly Cop II and Crimson Tide.
At the time of his death, Tony Scott was reported to be involved in a number of film projects including a sequel to Top Gun, where Tom Cruise was expected to reprise his role as fighter pilot Maverick.
Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani has arrived in the Gaza Strip – the first head of state to visit since the Islamist group Hamas came to power there in 2007.
Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani is expected to launch a $254 million construction project to help rebuild the war-torn Palestinian territory.
Qatar has become one of Hamas’s main benefactors since it fell out with Syria and has had a rift with Iran.
The Palestinian Authority expressed reservations about the emir’s visit.
Sheikh Hamad flew to Egypt and crossed into Gaza by car amid tight security.
The Hamas interior ministry said it had a “well-prepared plan” to protect the emir, deploying thousands of security personnel and blocking roads to Gaza City’s stadium, where he is expected to address a crowd.
Earlier, the Israeli military said a soldier had been wounded by a bomb explosion along Israel’s border fence with Gaza, near Kissufim.
The visit is a sign of the increasing ties between the Gulf state and Hamas.
Qatar, one of the richest countries in the Arab world, has become an important source of revenue for Hamas in the aftermath of its fallout with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
In February, Hamas announced that its political leadership had been moved from Syria to Egypt and Qatar, because it could no longer effectively operate because of the unrest in its long-time ally.
The political bureau of Hamas had been based in Damascus since 1999, and relations appeared to be good until anti-government protests erupted throughout Syria in March 2011.
Hamas initially neither publicly endorsed the Syrian government’s handling of the uprising nor repudiated it.
Analysts said the Sunni Islamist movement was torn between risking the financial backing of Syria and its ally, Iran, and supporting Syria’s majority Sunni community, which has borne the brunt of the crackdown by the Alawite-dominated security forces.
But in February, the head of the Hamas government in Gaza, Ismail Haniya, declared his support for “the heroic people of Syria who are striving for freedom, democracy and reform”.
Qatar, meanwhile, was the first Arab nation to call publicly for military intervention in Syria to topple the government.
It was the main Arab player in the NATO-led coalition in Libya and has played a major part in trying to resolve regional conflicts.
The country maintains cordial relations with both the US and Iran, and – even more unusually for an Arab state – with both Hamas and Israel.
Most recently, Qatar has been involved in the reconciliation process between Hamas and its long-time rival faction, Fatah, which dominates the Palestinian Authority and is in power in the West Bank.
Hamas, which won parliamentary elections in 2006, ousted forces loyal to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Gaza during clashes in 2007 and set up a rival government.
In response, Israel tightened its blockade on the coastal territory, which has had a crippling effect on Gaza’s economy.
A spokesperson for Mahmoud Abbas said the Palestinian Authority welcomed Qatar’s efforts to help the people in Gaza but also stressed “the necessity to preserve the legitimate representation of the Palestinian people”.
Mahmoud Abbas called on Sheikh Hamad to “urge Hamas in Gaza to go for reconciliation and to end this split”.
At 6:00 p.m. Tuesday evening, Apple CEO Tim Cook is set to take to the stage in a San Jose theatre to introduce Apple’s latest blockbuster product – a mini tablet set to fend off competition from Amazon’s Kindle Fire and a raft of relatively cheap smaller tablet computers.
The shrunken iPad is rumored to have a screen that is 7.8 inches across the diagonal – which compares to 9.7 on the original version.
Tech watchers suggest the device – like the latest incarnation of the iPhone – will work on the superfast 4G mobile network.
Apple is said to be planning to charge $350 for the smaller version, which is around half the price of the cheapest iPad 3.
However, it will remain considerably more expensive than Amazon’s Kindle Fire, which costs $200, and the higher specification Kindle Fire HD, which is $250.
Amazon has suggested it is selling its tablets at a loss in order to get it into the hands of families.
The idea is that it can then cash in through sales of a vast library of books, music, films and TV programmes.
Apple’s innovative phones, tablets and computers have always come with a hefty price premium, while its rise to become the world’s most valuable company has been fuelled by sales through its vast iTunes store.
It is thought that Apple will also launch a tweaked version of the iPad 3 that works on the 4G network.
HOW SMALL?
iPad Mini is thought to be 7.85in diagonally, compared to the 9.7in of the full-size iPad.
This would allow it to be used easily on public transport, and fit into a (large) jacket pocket.
TrustedReviews is predicting the mini – which some are dubbing the iPad nano – will use a 1,024 x 768 pixel panel.
Apple’s yet-to-be-announced iPad Mini has apparently been revealed in full for the first time in the best set of pictures yet leaked on the internet.
iPad Mini has apparently been revealed in full for the first time in the best set of pictures yet leaked on the internet
Sonny Dickson, a researcher for fansite 9to5mac.com, published the images on his Twitter feed last week, sparking a wave of excitement among Apple enthusiasts.
The images show a device that is significantly smaller than the regular iPad.
According to rumors it boasts a 7.85 in liquid crystal display, making it a rival to Google’s Nexus 7 and Amazon’s Kindle Fire.
The images also show the iPad Mini utilizes the controversial new connector introduced with the iPhone 5, which has made all accessories available to previous Apple gadgets obsolete at a stroke.
It also emerged that Apple had instructed suppliers in China to manufacture 10 million of the new smaller tablet computers, showing faith in their product in the face of stiff competition.
Insiders say the iPad Mini will go on sale November 2.
As yet, however, Apple has not officially confirmed any of the reports, rumors of leaks about a smaller iPad.
Clocks in many countries around the world will be wound back an hour this Sunday (October 28th) as they switch to Daylight Saving Time.
There will be an extra hour in bed; however, UK Government figures suggest that sticking with British Summer Time (BST) all year round could improve road safety.
Darker evenings bring a rise in road casualty rates, according to figures from the Department for Transport.
It is claimed that keeping the clocks in BST could prevent around 80 deaths and at least 200 serious injuries on UK’s roads every year.
The number of pedestrians killed or seriously injured in November is 14% higher than the monthly average. The number of cyclist casualties rise by 5% while motorcycle casualties per vehicle mile are 28% more common.
Simon Best, Chief Executive of the Institute of Advanced Motorists, believes that lighter evenings would save lives.
“While an extra hour of daylight would help to make the commute home much safer for all road users, children, cyclists and motorcyclists would benefit most,” he said.
“We want to see a three-year trial of the new daylight system. If the trial period proves the new daylight hours have a positive effect on road safety, it is clear that it is the system we should keep.
“With convincing evidence of the potential benefits, it is only right that we pilot a new system.”
The Daylight Saving Bill would have delivered a three-year trial of Greenwich Mean Time plus one hour in the winter (GMT +1) and GMT +2 in the summer.
However, the Bill was “talked out” of the House of Commons in January 2012 despite overwhelming support from 120 MPs.
David Williams, CEO of GEM Motoring Assist, added: “Changing the clocks only adds further to the dangers for road users.
“The reduced daylight hours not only mean that motorists are driving in the dark during rush hour, but pedestrians and other road users, particularly school children, are also at an increased risk.
“Poor weather, decreased visibility, and bad road conditions are all rife during the winter months and have a serious effect on the rise in number of accidents and hazardous breakdown situations.”
Liberty Ross has revealed that she plans to “learn” from her husband’s recent infidelity with actress Kristen Stewart.
The model mother-of-two made her comeback at Alexander Wang’s runway show – and strutted down the catwalk with a confident pout upon on her lips.
And in her first public statement on her husband Rupert Sanders’ affair with Kristen Stewart, Liberty Ross, 34, said: “I believe that we’re all on journeys and we are all given lessons at certain times in our lives.
“…Sometimes, when things seem really bad, you have to be able to see the good and learn from it, and just move forward as graciously as possible.”
Liberty Ross had maintained a dignified silence ever since her it was revealed that her husband, movie director Rupert Sanders, 41, had been having a seedy affair with Kristen Stewart, 22, after meeting her on the set of Snow White and the Huntsman.
Liberty Ross – who lost even more weight during her marriage crisis – had concentrated on caring for their two children, Skyla, 7, and Tennyson, 5, at their home in the Hollywood Hills.
However, the British model broke her silence on the liaison as she got ready for Alexander Wang’s show during New York fashion week last month.
As she was filmed backstage, Liberty Ross spoke out about the affair – and although she failed to mention any names, it was perfectly clear what she was referring to.
Liberty Ross made her first public statement on her husband Rupert Sanders’ affair with Kristen Stewart
When asked about her life, Liberty Ross replied: “I have a really good balance. I’m very happy with my life, and I’m lucky. I have good people.
“I have two amazing children. I believe that we’re all on journeys and we are all given lessons at certain times in our lives, and sometimes when things seem really bad, you have to be able to see the good and learn from it, and just move forward as graciously as possible.”
Although she had recently been pictured at counseling sessions with her husband, Liberty Ross made it clear that their marriage was by no means saved just yet.
She said: “This year was the end of some things and the beginning of something else. Beginnings and endings are always really exciting.”
Liberty Ross had co-starred in her husband’s feature film debut, playing Queen Eleanor opposite Kristen Stewart.
When the affair broke in July, the couple split and she was pictured looking gaunt and without her wedding ring as the toll had obviously taken its toll on her.
The liaison left Kristen Stewart’s long-term boyfriend and co-star, heartthrob Robert Pattinson, reeling – as she begged him publicly for his forgiveness.
However, the couple, who are now set to go on a worldwide promotional jaunt to premiere the third and last installment in the Twilight trilogy – Breaking Dawn – are now back together and were pictured kissing in Los Angeles last week.
US researchers have discovered that beluga whale vocalizations were remarkably close to human speech.
While dolphins have been taught to mimic the pattern and durations of sounds in human speech, no animal has spontaneously tried such mimicry.
But researchers heard a nine-year-old whale named NOC make sounds octaves below normal, in clipped bursts.
The researchers outline in Current Biology just how NOC did it.
But the first mystery was figuring out where the sound was coming from. The whales are known as “canaries of the sea” for their high-pitched chirps, and while a number of anecdotal reports of whales making human-like speech, none had ever been recorded.
When a diver at the National Marine Mammal Foundation in California surfaced saying: “Who told me to get out?” the researchers there knew they had another example on their hands.
Once they identified NOC as the culprit, they made the first-ever recordings of the behavior.
Researchers have discovered that beluga whale vocalizations were remarkably close to human speech
They found that vocal bursts averaged about three per second, with pauses reminiscent of human speech. Analysis of the recordings showed that the frequencies within them were spread out into “harmonics” in a way very unlike whales’ normal vocalizations and more like those of humans.
They then rewarded NOC for the speech-like sounds to teach him to make them on command and fitted him with a pressure transducer within his nasal cavity, where sounds are produced, to monitor just what was going on.
They found that he was able to rapidly change the pressure within his nasal cavity to produce the sounds.
To amplify the comparatively low-frequency parts of the vocalizations, he over-inflated what is known at the vestibular sac in his blowhole – which normally acts to stop water entering the lungs.
In short, the mimicry was no easy task for NOC.
“Our observations suggest that the whale had to modify its vocal mechanics in order to make the speech-like sounds,” said Sam Ridgway, president of the National Marine Mammal Foundation and lead author on the paper.
“The sounds we heard were clearly an example of vocal learning by the white whale.”
A team of scientists has created what it believes is the first really accurate reconstruction of Neanderthal man, from a skeleton that was discovered in France over a century ago.
In 1909, excavations at La Ferrassie cave in the Dordogne unearthed the remains of a group of Neanderthals. One of the skeletons in that group was that of an adult male, given the name La Ferrassie 1.
These remains have helped scientists create a detailed reconstruction of our closest prehistoric relative for a new BBC series, Prehistoric Autopsy.
La Ferrassie 1 is one of the most important discoveries made in the field of Neanderthal research.
His skull is the largest and most complete ever found. The discovery of his leg and foot bones was hugely significant, revealing to scientists that Neanderthals walked upright, contradicting previous research.
We now know that Neanderthals were stocky with strong arms and hands, and that they had large skulls – longer and lower than ours – with sloping foreheads and no chin.
But modern scientific research methods can now probe further to help us build a more accurate picture of the Neanderthals’ look and lifestyle. The scientists used these new approaches to reconstruct La Ferrassie 1.
But how do you go about reconstructing an entire lifelike body from a collection of 70,000 year old bones?
Much of La Ferrassie 1’s frame was intact, but the thorax, ribs, pelvis and some spinal pieces were missing.
US-based paleoartist Viktor Deak – who specializes in reconstructions and images of early man – filled in the gaps with copies of Neanderthal bones discovered at Kebara Cave in Israel in 1982. That dig uncovered a near-complete Neanderthal skeleton, missing just the cranium, right leg, and an area of the left leg.
A copy of the newly-complete La Ferrassie 1 was sent to a team of model makers in Buckingham. They pieced the bones together and set the finished skeleton in the correct, upright position.
The next stage was to add the Neanderthal’s muscles. But without a guide to follow, how could they be accurately replicated? Some detective work was required.
The La Ferrassie 1 skeleton was helpful in giving clues to assist the team of model makers, led by Jez Gibson-Harris.
He said that the size and texture of the bones gave an indication of the type of muscles the hominid would have had.
“You [could] see where the tendons would have attached. There were pretty big attachment points. You can see there were big muscles there.”
“[La Ferrassie 1 is] very strong looking, very stocky and well built. But really quite short.”
A team of scientists has created what it believes is the first really accurate reconstruction of Neanderthal man
The bones also provided clues to the Neanderthal’s demanding and injury-prone lifestyle.
La Ferrassie 1’s arm bones are asymmetrical – the right is larger than the left. Bones change shape over a lifetime, so this led the scientists to look into the type of activities he may have carried out.
Dr. Colin Shaw of the University of Cambridge studied La Ferrassie 1’s flattened humerus.
“What you do to the bone through a lifetime causes adaptation, if it’s strenuous and repetitive enough,” says Dr. Colin Shaw.
The team studied the ways Neanderthals hunted their prey and carried out domestic chores, noting the impact those actions had on their bodies.
They concluded that they would have repeatedly stabbed their prey – the woolly mammoth – with spears, but that the really intense work would have been making garments to survive the cold climate.
A Neanderthal would have needed a new garment every year, which would have been made up of approximately five or six hides. They would have needed to scrape each hide for eight hours to make it wearable.
On the basis of this evidence La Ferrassie 1’s muscles, including those in the strong right arm, were reconstructed accordingly and layered on in clay.
Viktor Deak and Professor Alice Roberts leant their expertise to guide the model makers on other areas of the body.
“With Alice and with Viktor, and other scientists, commenting on the pose – ‘this muscle should be bigger on that side or the buttock should be smaller, or that should be longer’ – we built up the body structure in that way,” says Jez Gibson-Harris.
There were other, more obvious clues to La Ferrassie 1’s appearance contained within his remains. Many of his teeth were still attached and this helped Viktor Deak determine the shape of the face.
Studying teeth with state of the art technology is helping to unlock previously hidden secrets about the Neanderthals’ lifestyle. Powerful x-rays a thousand billion times stronger than a hospital x-ray machine can reveal the daily growth rate of teeth.
Studies comparing the age of teeth with the age shown by the rest of the skeleton suggest that Neanderthal children grew up faster than modern humans, and this may cast light on why our species survived and theirs did not.
The final stage of creating the replica was to add head and body hair. Here the team looked to previous research which revealed that many Neanderthals were redheads. La Ferrassie 1 was given red hair and a pale skin tone, suggestive of life in a northern climate.
Adding the hair was a painstaking process for the model makers, with each strand punched individually into the replica.
After two and a half months of meticulous work, La Ferrassie 1 was complete.
“It’s got a humanizing effect, putting the flesh on,” says Dr. John Hawks, an anthropologist from the University of Wisconsin, who is impressed by the result.
“Focusing on bone doesn’t give us the whole picture.”
The Neanderthal, La Ferrassie 1, is one of three recreations. Over six months the team also built Nariokotome boy, a member of the species Homo erectus, and one of our earliest prehistoric ancestors – an Australopithecus afarensis named Lucy.
Actor Russell Means, who played a leading role in The Last of the Mohicans, has died at the age of 72.
Russell Means played Chingachgook, the adopted father of Daniel Day Lewis’s character Hawkeye, in the 1992 film.
He was also a former American Indian Movement (AIM) activist, who helped lead a 1973 uprising at Wounded Knee.
Russell Means died on Monday at his ranch in Porcupine, South Dakota, a spokeswoman for the Oglala Sioux Tribe said.
Donna Salomon, the tribal spokeswoman, called Russell Means’ death a “great loss” for the tribe.
In August 2011, Russell Means announced he had inoperable throat cancer and told the Associated Press he was eschewing mainstream medicines in favor of traditional Native American treatments.
The Last of the Mohicans was his first film role and he went on to also appear in films such as Oliver Stone’s Natural Born Killers.
He also voiced Chief Powhatan in Disney’s 1995 animated movie Pocahontas.
Russell Means guest starred in US TV series Curb Your Enthusiasm in 2004.
He also made two albums of protest music with lyrics he wrote – Electric Warrior and The Radical.
Russell Means, who played a leading role in The Last of the Mohicans, has died at the age of 72
The AIM’s armed occupation of Wounded Knee in South Dakota – the site of an infamous massacre of Native Americans by US soldiers in the late 19th Century – lasted for 71 days.
The protest followed the failure of AIM followers to impeach the elected tribal president, whom they accused of corruption.
Russell Means ran unsuccessfully for president of his tribe and for the Libertarian nomination for US president in 1988.
But he was also a controversial figure, partly because of the AIM’s alleged involvement in the slaying of one of their activists Annie Mae Aquash in 1975.
Authorities believed it was the work of AIM members because they suspected she was an FBI informant.
Paul deMain, a Native American journalist who researched the case, said the AIM’s leaders know who ordered Aquash’s killing but have covered up the truth for decades.
Russell Means blamed one of his fellow AIM leaders, Vernon Bellecourt, for ordering her killing.
Vernon Bellecourt denied the allegations in a 2004 interview. He died in 2008.
Russell Means was married four times and leaves ten children.
President Barack Obama won the third presidential debate against his Republican rival Governor Mitt Romney according to two instant polls released by CNN and CBS News.
CBS News said that its poll of 521 undecided voters said the president had won the night by a 53% to 23% margin over his GOP counterpart, with a further 24% saying they thought it was a tie. CBS said the margin of error in its poll was +/- 4 percentage points.
CNN said Barack Obama won by eight percentage points among the debate watchers it polled, 48% to 40%, with a margin of error of +/- 4.5 percentage points. CNN noted the Obama win was within the margin of error. The network didn’t say how many respondents there were to its poll.
Barack Obama and his challenger Mitt Romney have battled over national security in the third and final presidential debate at Boca Raton, Florida.
The rivals tangled over the Arab Spring, Iran, China’s rise and more in a feisty 90-minute head-to-head.
Barack Obama said his Republican challenger was “all over the map” on foreign policy, while Mitt Romney said the president had failed to uphold American global leadership.
The two candidates are running neck and neck with two weeks until the election.
In the final debate, moderated by veteran CBS News presenter Bob Schieffer, there were no noticeable gaffes or knockout blows.
The forum at Lynn University featured little of the interrupting that marked their second encounter last week in New York, when Barack Obama came out swinging after his lackluster performance in their first head to head in Denver, Colorado.
The rivals found some common ground – each declared unequivocal support for Israel and both voiced opposition to US military involvement in Syria.
Mitt Romney also said he agreed with the president’s policy of withdrawing troops from Afghanistan by 2014 – the Republican has suggested otherwise in the past.
In laying out one of his overarching themes on foreign policy, Mitt Romney said the US under President Barack Obama’s leadership had allowed “tumult” to engulf the Middle East.
He cited civilian deaths in Syria, the rise of al-Qaeda affiliates in North Africa and Iran’s nuclear programme.
But the Republican steered clear of his suggestion in the last debate that the Obama administration had mishandled last month’s Libya US consulate attack, which left four Americans dead.
Barack Obama and his challenger Mitt Romney have battled over national security in the third and final presidential debate at Boca Raton
“What’s been happening over the last couple of years is, as we’re watching this tumult in the Middle East, this rising tide of chaos occur, you see al-Qaeda rushing in, you see other jihadist groups rushing in,” Mitt Romney said.
“I congratulate him on taking out Osama Bin Laden and taking on the leadership of al-Qaeda, but we can’t kill our way out of this… We must have a comprehensive strategy.”
Barack Obama hit back that he was glad that Mitt Romney had recognized the threat posed by al-Qaeda, reminding the former Massachusetts governor that he had earlier this year cast Russia as America’s number one geo-political foe.
The president sought to portray Mitt Romney as a foreign policy novice who lacked the consistency needed to be commander-in-chief.
Barack Obama said Mitt Romney had backed a continued troop presence in Iraq, opposed nuclear treaties with Russia, even when they had broad bipartisan backing, and accused the Republican of flip-flopping over whether the US should have a timeline for leaving Afghanistan.
“What we need to do with respect to the Middle East is strong, steady leadership, not wrong and reckless leadership that is all over the map,” Barack Obama said.
The president said that he had ended the war in Iraq and “decimated” al-Qaeda’s leadership, allowing the US to prepare a responsible timeline for withdrawing from Afghanistan.
Mitt Romney, whose book is called No Apology, accused Barack Obama of having gone on “an apology tour” after he took office and of saying at the time he would meet “all the world’s worst actors”, including leaders from North Korea and Iran.
“I think they looked at that and saw weakness,” Mitt Romney said.
The president hit back, saying: “Nothing Governor Romney has just said is true, starting with the notion of me apologizing,” a claim Barack Obama labeled the “biggest whopper” of the campaign.
The rivals also jostled to act tougher than the other on China, as allegations flew about trade violations and currency manipulation by Beijing.
Although the debate’s focus was meant to be on foreign affairs, the two candidates pivoted repeatedly back to the fragile US economy, the issue uppermost in voters’ minds.
Mitt Romney said he knew what it took to create jobs and boost pay, while Barack Obama was nine million jobs short of his pledge of 5.4% employment.
But Barack Obama accused Mitt Romney of planning $5 trillion of tax cuts and $2 trillion of defence spending the military had not even requested.
“You mentioned the Navy, for example, and that we have fewer ships than we did in 1916,” Barack Obama said in one of the night’s most memorable lines.
“Well, governor, we also have fewer horses and bayonets, because the nature of our military’s changed.”
An NBC poll on Sunday put the men in a dead heat, each with 47% support.
A lackluster performance by Barack Obama in the opening debate in Denver, Colorado, on 3 October gave Mitt Romney a campaign boost.
But in their second face-off in New York last week, a more aggressive Barack Obama buried the memory of a poor first showing as he came out swinging on the economy, tax and foreign policy.
After Monday night’s showdown, both candidates will be returning to the campaign trail for a grueling final two weeks of wooing voters in swing states.
The final debate behind them, both men will now launch a final fortnight of campaigning. Already four million ballots have been cast in early voting in more than two dozen states.
These are the 10 most expensive burgers in the world; culinary works of gastronomic excellence with an astronomical price tag to match.
Eight of the patties can be found in upmarket restaurants in the U.S., while a ninth is on offer in London and a tenth in Indonesia. One of them even comes with a diamond-encrusted solid gold toothpick.
However – with the cheapest on sale for $155 and the most expensive being offered for $5,000 – it’s debatable whether your average burger-loving diner will ever be wealthy enough to sample the delights of these dishes.
The most expensive on the list is the FleurBurger 5000, at Fleur de Lys in Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Nevada, which costs a whopping $5,000.
Containing foie gras and a special truffle sauce, it is served on a brioche truffle bun with black truffles on the side and comes with a bottle of Chateau Petrus 1990, poured in Ichendorf Brunello stemware.
And the $777 Kobe Beef and Maine Lobster Burger from Le Burger Brasserie in Paris Las Vegas, Nevada, consists of Kobe beef and fresh Maine lobster, caramelised onions, imported brie cheese, prosciutto, 100-year aged balsamic vinegar. It is served with a bottle of Rose Dom Perignon champagne.
It’s class all the way for the “666” burger in New York. With a price tag of $666, the foie gras-stuffed Kobe patty is topped with gruyere cheese that has been melted with champagne steam, lobster, truffles, caviar, and a BBQ sauce made with Kopi Luwak coffee beans.
Some might say the $499 Absolutely Ridiculous Burger, from Mallie’s Sports Bar & Grill in Southgate, Michigan, is precisely that.
Not only is it one of the most expensive, the 185.6 lbs burger also holds the Guinness World Record holder for being the world’s largest.
If you’re wary of parting with $295 for the Serendipity Burger from New York’s Serendipity 3 restaurant, fret not – the meal even comes with its very own diamond-encrusted solid gold toothpick.
The patty of Japanese Waygu beef is infused with ten herb white truffle butter, seasoned with Salish Alderwood smoked Pacific sea salt, topped with cheddar cheese hand-formed by James Montgomery in Somerset, England, and 18-month “cave-aged” shaved black truffles.
A fried quail egg, a white truffle-buttered Campagna Roll – itself, topped with blini, creme fraiche, and Paramout Caviar’s exclusive Kaluga caviar – finishes the dish.
Celebrated chef Hubert Keller has created the world’s most expensive burger for his Fleur de Lys restaurant at the Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas
London’s offering to this list is the $200 meal from One Burger King restaurant. Wagyu beef, white truffles, Pata Negra ham slices, Cristal onion straws is joined with Modena balsamic vinegar, lambs lettuce, pink Himalayan rock salt, organic white wine and shallot infused mayonnaise in an Iranian saffron and white truffle dusted bun.
The $175 Richard Nouveau Burger, at the Wall Street Burger Shoppe in New York, is topped with real gold flakes, 25 grams of black truffles, a seared slab of foie gras and aged Gruyere.
The $120 DB Royale Double Truffle Burger, on sale at New York’s B Bistro and the Daniel Boulud Brasserie in Las Vegas, is stuffed with red wine-braised short ribs – off the bone – foie gras, a mix of root vegetables and preserved black truffle.
Indonesia’s Million Rupiah Hamburger, served at the Four Seasons Hotel in Jakarta, earns its place in the top ten with the $108 patty topped with foie gras, portobello mushrooms and Korean pears.
At a mere $100, McGuire’s Grand Burger, from McGuire’s Irish Pub in Pensacola, Florida, is the least expensive patty on the list. It boasts a filet mignon and is served with Moet and Chandon white star champagne.
Beyoncé and Jay-Z have lost a battle to trademark the name of their baby daughter Blue Ivy.
The celebrity couple had filed legal papers to protect the name of their first born child soon after her birth in January.
Beyoncé and Jay-Z were said to be planning to launch a range of baby products and clothes called Blue Ivy that would have added to their already substantial fortune of more than $1.1 billion.
But the pair have lost out on trade marking their daughter’s name to a small wedding planner based in Boston who had called her company Blue Ivy in 2009.
The ruling from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office means Beyoncé and Jay-Z have no legal right to keep the name to themselves.
Veronica Alexandra, the owner of Blue Ivy, found herself up against the most powerful couple in show business soon after they revealed the unusual name for their daughter.
Days after the birth of Blue Ivy Carter in January Jay-Z and his wife filed an application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to protect the baby’s name.
The move followed two unsuccessful applications from New York based fashion designers who tried to trademark the name.
The trademark office denied both filings, saying the name belonged to a “very famous infant” and consumers would falsely assume that the products were approved by the celebrity parents.
But event and wedding planner Veronica Alexandra, 32, said she was forced to file her own application as she feared she could be put out of business if the power celebrity couple were successful.
She said: “My company had been called Blue Ivy since 2009. I came up with the name, and if they had won my business could have been restricted.
“It was important for me to protect the name of my company. We are very successful as wedding planners and wanted to stay that way.
“Of course Blue Ivy is a lovely name, but I had to make sure that I would be able to continue using it for my business.”
Veronica Alexandra, whose office is in Boston, Massachusetts, said she had no hard feelings towards Beyoncé and her husband.
A photograph of the pair on her company’s website says: “Congrats to our soul mate couple with baby Blue Ivy.”
Veronica Alexandra, a former Harvard graduate, chose the name Blue Ivy to make her company stand-out among the crowed market of wedding planners.
She said: “Blue is a very powerful color used by any companies and Ivy conjures up a very romantic image. I was very happy with the name, and of course business spiked after Beyoncé called her baby Blue Ivy. We do between 40 and 60 weddings a year.”
Veronica Alexandra said she would happily relinquish her rights to the Blue Ivy name if the couple were to make her an offer.
“If Beyoncé and Jay-Z want to buy me out I’d welcome that,” she said.
The couple has never revealed their reasons for naming their daughter Blue Ivy.
The color blue is said to be Jay-Z’s favorite having released three albums called Blueprint.
That middle name “Ivy”, reportedly references the Roman numeral IV for 4 – a significant digit for both Beyoncé and Jay-Z.
Beyoncé ‘s birthday is September 4, Jay-Z’s is December 4, they were married on April 4, 2008, and the singer’s latest album is entitled 4.
Six Italian scientists and an ex-government official have been sentenced to six years in prison over the 2009 deadly earthquake in L’Aquila.
A regional court found them guilty of multiple manslaughter.
Prosecutors said the defendants gave a falsely reassuring statement before the quake, while the defence maintained there was no way to predict major quakes.
The 6.3 magnitude quake devastated the city and killed 309 people.
Many smaller tremors had rattled the area in the months before the quake that destroyed much of the historic centre.
It took Judge Marco Billi slightly more than four hours to reach the verdict in the trial, which had begun in September 2011.
Lawyers have said that they will appeal against the sentence. As convictions are not definitive until after at least one level of appeal in Italy, it is unlikely any of the defendants will immediately face prison.
The seven – all members of the National Commission for the Forecast and Prevention of Major Risks – were accused of having provided “inexact, incomplete and contradictory” information about the danger of the tremors felt ahead of 6 April 2009 quake, Italian media report.
In addition to their sentences, all have been barred from ever holding public office again, La Repubblica reports.
In the closing statement, the prosecution quoted one of its witnesses, whose father died in the earthquake.
It described how Guido Fioravanti had called his mother at about 11pm on the night of the earthquake – straight after the first tremor.
“I remember the fear in her voice. On other occasions they would have fled but that night, with my father, they repeated to themselves what the risk commission had said. And they stayed.”
The judge also ordered the defendants to pay court costs and damages.
Reacting to the verdict against him, Bernardo De Bernardinis said: “I believe myself to be innocent before God and men.”
“My life from tomorrow will change,” the former vice-president of the Civil Protection Agency’s technical department said, according to La Repubblica.
“But, if I am judged by all stages of the judicial process to be guilty, I will accept my responsibility.”
Another, Enzo Boschi, described himself as “dejected” and “desperate” after the verdict was read.
“I thought I would have been acquitted. I still don’t understand what I was convicted of.”
One of the lawyers for the defence, Marcello Petrelli, described the sentences as “hasty” and “incomprehensible”.
The case has alarmed many in the scientific community, who feel science itself has been put on trial.
Some scientists have warned that the case might set a damaging precedent, deterring experts from sharing their knowledge with the public for fear of being targeted in lawsuits.
Among those convicted were some of Italy’s most prominent and internationally respected seismologists and geological experts.
Earlier, more than 5,000 scientists signed an open letter to Italian President Giorgio Napolitano in support of the group in the dock.
• Franco Barberi, head of Serious Risks Commission
• Enzo Boschi, former president of the National Institute of Geophysics
• Giulio Selvaggi, director of National Earthquake Centre
• Gian Michele Calvi, director of European Centre for Earthquake Engineering
• Claudio Eva, physicist
• Mauro Dolce, director of the the Civil Protection Agency’s earthquake risk office
• Bernardo De Bernardinis, former vice-president of Civil Protection Agency’s technical department
Ann Romney cooled off on a Florida beach this weekend as her husband got fired up for the final presidential debate.
As Mitt Romney indulged in a beach football game between his staffers and invited reporters, Ann Romney took advantage of the Florida sunshine in her fetching floral suit, going for a swim with her family at Delray Beach.
Ann Romney, 63, looked glamorous in the brightly-colored, halterneck suit with matching sarong.
She splashed around in the water with her sons, their wives and her grandchildren, before she grabbed a towel and headed for a sun lounger.
Hours before they hit the beach, Mitt Romney and wife Ann were pictured attending church in Boca Raton on Sunday where she grabbed attention in a scarlet dress with full-length zip and chunky jewellery.
The latest poll has Mitt Romney neck-and-neck with Barack Obama as they each have 47% of likely voters ahead of their debate this evening.
Today’s face-off represents one of the last major opportunities for Barack Obama and Mitt Romney to capture the attention of millions of voters – especially that small but sought-after group who haven’t yet made up their minds.
And while the former Massachusetts governor was relaxing on the beach, Barack Obama was holed up in Camp David in Maryland’s Catoctin Mountains.
The President had arrived on Friday to prep for the debate, a 90-minute encounter focused on international affairs.
British restaurant Smokey’s Joint has unveiled the largest chilli cheese hotdog in Europe with 13,000 calories – that’s six times a woman’s recommended daily intake.
At over one metre-long and filled with 1.5 kgs of beef sausage, a whole pound of homemade chilli and lashings of cheese, the Monster Dog at Smokey’s Joint in Walsall, near Birmingham, contains an estimated 13,000 calories.
It is more than five times the daily recommended allowance of 2,500 calories for a man.
The gastronomic gauntlet is the latest in what the eatery hopes will be a long line of food challenges and follows the creation of the 3 lbs cheeseburger, which has yet to be successfully tackled by any contender.
Dean Key, 30, director of Smokey’s, said he began seeking out a new challenge following his customers failed attempts to complete the Monster Burger.
He said: “I’ve had people asking us for weeks when it’s going to come out and if it’s ready yet.
“We’ve spent ages developing the prototypes and we’ve had a lot of fun trying them out. The most any of the guys here have managed to eat is about half of one.
“The real struggle was in sourcing a really big sausage and eventually we got a local butcher to supply the meat which he uses to fill extra large sausage skins ordered especially from Holland.
“It’s pure beef sausage. We wanted to make sure the ingredients were of a really high quality because if you’re going to eat that much of something it has to taste good.”
Europe’s largest chilli cheese hotdog has 13,000 calories
The Monster Dog boasts a massive 1,000 grams of fat as opposed to the modest 70 grams recommended as part of woman’s recommended daily intake, and 100 grams recommended for a man.
It also contains a whopping 34,274 mgs of salt.
With 80 people so far having attempted – and failed – to overcome the gut-busting burger, it is unlikely anyone will manage to complete a whole Monster Dog in the near future.
Dean Key said: “Both the burger and the hotdog are £29.95 or free if you eat it in an hour.
“When we made the burger I had a load of T-shirts printed that said “I conquered the Monster Burger” and I still have all of them.
“I wish I’d got a bunch that said, <<I was defeated by the Monster Burger>> because I could have sold dozens of them.”
The restaurant launched the challenges after enjoying the hit American show Man vs. Food, in which presenter Adam Richman travels the US seeking out the biggest food challenges.
Dean Key, who runs the restaurant with business partners Jonathan Caddick, 31, Dale Key, 27 and Stefan Hilton, 22, believes the Monster Dog is the biggest in Europe, dwarfing the competition.
However, it has a long way to go to beat the current world’s longest meat hot dog record holder, measured at 203.8 m and manufactured by Ochsi of Paraguay.
As we age, we’re tempted to plaster on more make-up in a bid to hide lines, hollow cheeks and sagging eyes.
Yet as supermodel Cindy Crawford, 46, has revealed, her secret to looking youthful is to do the opposite.
“I wear less make-up,” she tweeted.
“It can make you look older.”
Since then, Sharon Stone, 54, and Carol Vorderman, 51, have been seen looking bare-faced and beautiful.
“Too much make-up shrinks your features and makes skin appear dry,” says make-up artist Kim Jacob.
Here, we reveal how to reduce the signs of ageing:
EYES
Problem: Eyes become lined and appear smaller. Powder eyeshadows accentuate crepiness, while dark make-up closes up the eyes.
Turn back the years: Opt for brown or grey liners, and stick to paler eyeshadow. Use color sparingly on the outer corners of the lid and as a liner. Plum is in fashion and looks good with green and blue eyes.
Try Wild About Beauty’s Eyeshadow Pencil Duo or Elizabeth Arden Beautiful Colour Eye Shadow.
LIPS
Problem: Lips become thinner and wrinkles form. As we mature, lips can lose definition and dark colors accentuate this.
Lipstick can also bleed into fine lines. Older skin can be dry, and matte lipsticks make them look worse.
Turn back the years: Draw outside your natural lip line with a nude, matte lip pencil. Fill in the rest of the lip with a light color and add a dab of gloss. Try Pixi Lip and Line and Bobbi Brown Brightening Lip Gloss in pink.
EYEBROWS
Problem: Brows start to droop, while lashes fade and thin. Many of us overpluck, leaving brows looking sparse.
Daily use of waterproof mascara can dry out lashes, so they become fragile.
Turn back the years: Defined, high arches lift the face. Use a brow shadow to cover any grey hairs and fill out the shape. Tint lashes dark brown to make them appear fuller.
CHEEKS
Problem: Cheeks lose volume and the face gets thinner. Dark bronzers can make the face can look gaunt. Blush worn too high can make eyes looks smaller and accentuate any crepiness.
Turn back the years: Apply a warm blush to the plumpest part of your cheeks to create youthful fullness. Use a rosy pink or peach-toned creamy blush and smooth it out towards the ears for a full, fresh look. Try Clinique Blushwear sticks in Peachy Blush.
SKIN
Problem: Skin gets dull and wrinkled. Powdery make-up sits in lines and large pores, exaggerating them. Thick, matte make-up dulls the complexion.
Turn back the years: Make sure your foundation is exactly right for your skin tone. It’s best to avoid powder as this can be too matte – using a primer under foundation is a better way to reduce shine.
Try Yves Saint Laurent Le Teint Touche Eclat foundation and Pore-fessional primer, or Miracle Glo, which makes tired skin look fresh and radiant.
