Maria Menounos showed her affection for an adorable little dog as she carried the perky pooch in her arms around the set of Extra.
Even though she was impeccably dressed in a red frock and matching leather vest top, Maria Menounos brushed off any concern about getting dog hair on her outfit and draped the puppy over her shoulders.
The television presenter was spotted at The Grove shopping centre on Tuesday, holding her cute canine companion and riding to the set with it on a golf cart.
The little dog was also dressed to impress in a pink vest and sparkling identification tag shaped like a bone.
Maria Menounos, 34, has several pet pooches and is known to rescue abandoned animals that she finds on the streets.
Maria Menounos showed her affection for an adorable little dog as she carried the perky pooch in her arms around the set of Extra
On 19 October Maria Menounos tweeted a picture of a German Shepherd with the caption: “What is god trying to tell me by sending me all these dogs?
“Just found another on the streets but this one has tags thank god!left vmail for owner.”
In a recent interview with Modern Dog Magazine, Maria Menounos discussed her love of dogs.
“Right now, the four I have at home are Baby and Benjamin – they’re Bichons. I have Athena, a Poodle. And Apollo is a white German Shepherd.
“He was thrown out of a moving car in front of the shelter. It was tragic.”
She added: “Dogs bring us so much joy every single day. They deserve to be treated well. Right now, with the economy, there are so many beautiful dogs being turned in [to shelters] because families are struggling.”
Maria Menounos also said she volunteers for the Humane Society.
Jenny McCarthy slipped herself into a voluminous strawberry costume for a Halloween carnival on Monday night.
Jim Carrey’s ex now makes a living as something of a raconteur via her warm, witty and sometimes shocking books.
The former Playboy model’s racy new book Bad Habits is subtitled, “confessions of a recovering Catholic”.
It looks at how the mother-of-one was at one time set on becoming a nun, and how her perceptions changed as she grew older.
Her steps into the world of nude modelling, which saw her become Playmate of the Year in 1993, no doubt had a particularly strong effect on her (lack of) faith.
Jenny McCarthy’s also bagged a parenting column in the Chicago Sun-Times, which is attracting controversy given her conviction that her son’s autism is linked to him being vaccinated as a child.
This view doesn’t isn’t supported by medical evidence, and there is concern that Jenny McCarthy’s outspoken views could scare other parents away from essential vaccinations.
Jenny McCarthy, 39, has also been outspoken about Jim Carrey’s lack of contact with her son, who is from a previous relationship.
Jenny McCarthy slipped herself into a voluminous strawberry costume for a Halloween carnival
Jenny McCarthy, who dated the 50-year-old comedian for more than five years, says Jim Carrey completely turned his back on Evan, 10, following their 2010 split.
“I’ve tried to ask [Jim] numerous times [to see Evan], because my son still asks,” the Love in the Wild host told Howard Stern in June, adding that Evan tells her he misses Jim Carrey “almost weekly”.
“I haven’t [reached out directly] . . . I think that sometimes people need to take a real break from each other,” she explained.
“But I still love him. I think you can love people from a distance and respect him. But as a mother, you just hope when you have a relationship with someone, it has nothing to do with the child when you break up.”
A new survey suggests that business activity in the eurozone contracted at its fastest pace in almost three-and-a-half years in October.
The Markit Flash Eurozone Purchasing Managers’ (PMI) Composite Output Index fell to 45.8, from 46.1 in September. A figure below 50 indicates contraction.
The reading is consistent with a quarterly rate of economic contraction in the bloc of 0.5%, Markit said.
Firms also continued to cut employment, but at a slightly slower rate.
The figures represent an initial estimate based on 85% of the normal number of monthly responses, and so are likely to be revised slightly.
Earlier, PMI figures collected by HSBC bank showed that manufacturing activity in China in October slowed at a slower pace than in previous months. The country’s PMI hit 49.1, up from 47.9 in September and the highest level in three months.
The rate of decline in the services sector eased in the eurozone, to 46.2 from 46.1 in September, but in manufacturing the rate accelerated, to 45.3 from 46.1.
Despite the easing in services, optimism in the sector deteriorated, suggesting employment would be cut further, Markit said.
Europe’s industrial powerhouse, Germany, saw output contract faster, with car exports particularly weak. France, the eurozone’s second largest economy, saw a “steep contraction” in overall business activity.
“The eurozone has slid further into decline at the start of the fourth quarter,” said Markit’s chief economist Chris Williamson.
“Official data have showed surprising resilience over the summer compared to the survey data, but the underlying business climate has clearly deteriorated markedly in recent months.
“While GDP may decline only modestly in the third quarter, a steeper fall looks to be on the cards for the fourth quarter.”
The eurozone economy contracted by 0.2% between April and June, having recorded no growth in the first quarter.
Many economists expect official figures, released in the middle of November, to show a further contraction between July and September, pushing the bloc back into recession.
“October’s decline in the eurozone composite PMI is an unpleasant surprise and reinforces concern that the economic downturn in the region may be deepening and widening,” said Martin van Vliet at ING.
Eurozone economies are struggling as governments focus on reducing debt levels following the financial crisis by cutting spending and increasing taxes, measures that are undermining growth.
Imogen Thomas, who is around six months pregnant, might be a few days early for Halloween but she decided to turn her bump into a pumpkin to celebrate.
With the help of a friend, Imogen Thomas daubed her stomach in bright orange paint and added a scary face, mimicking a traditional Halloween pumpkin.
Not stopping there the former glamour girl added a green bikini top, obviously supposed to be the pumpkin stalk.
Pulling one of her trademark racy poses, Imogen Thomas seemed to be acting tongue in cheek as she showed off her handiwork.
Imogen Thomas celebrates Halloween by turning her baby bump into a pumpkin
The night before, Imogen Thomas had been the picture of sophistication as she attended the launch party for hair and beauty salon SWALK on London’s Portobello Road.
Wearing a bodycon dress and over-the-knee boots, Imogen Thomas smiling sweetly as she posed for photographers at the bash.
Lakhdar Brahimi, the UN’s envoy to Syria, says President Bashar al-Assad’s government has agreed to abide by a ceasefire during the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Adha.
Lakhdar Brahimi told reporters in Cairo that most opposition factions had also said they would observe any ceasefire.
The government said it would make its final decision on Thursday.
Lakhdar Brahimi said he hoped to use the lull in fighting over Eid al-Adha, which starts on Friday, to “discuss a longer and more effective ceasefire”.
Eid al-Adha, the Festival of the Sacrifice, is celebrated by Muslims to commemorate the willingness of Abraham to sacrifice his son Ishmael as proof of obedience to God.
Lakhdar Brahimi has travelled across the Middle East over the past two weeks in an effort to persuade the Syrian government and opposition, as well as their respective backers, to agree to his proposal for a ceasefire to “allow a political process to develop”.
After holding talks on Wednesday with the Arab League’s Secretary General, Nabil al-Arabi, the Algerian diplomat announced that the Syrian government had expressed its support.
“After the visit I made to Damascus, there is agreement from the Syrian government for a ceasefire during the Eid,” he told a news conference.
“Other factions in Syria that we were able to contact – heads of fighting groups – most of them also agree on the principle of the ceasefire.”
Lakhdar Brahimi did not give a precise time period for the truce.
“If this humble initiative succeeds, we hope we can build on it in order to negotiate a longer and more effective halt of military operations, which could be a part of a comprehensive political process,” he added.
The Syrian foreign ministry subsequently issued a statement saying the government’s final decision would be taken on Thursday because the army command was still “studying the cessation of military operations”.
A ceasefire negotiated in April by Lakhdar Brahimi’s predecessor, Kofi Annan, broke down within days and was followed by an escalation in the conflict.
Human rights and opposition activists estimate that more than 30,000 people have been killed since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began in March 2011.
A study in the journal PLoS ONE suggests that some people responding to treatments that have no active ingredients in them may be down to their genes.
The so-called “placebo effect” was examined in 104 patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in the US.
Those with a particular version of the COMT gene saw an improvement in their health after placebo acupuncture.
The scientists warn that while they hope their findings will be seen in other conditions, more work is needed.
Edzard Ernst, a professor of complementary medicine at the University of Exeter, said: “This is a fascinating but very preliminary result.
“It could solve the age-old question of why some individuals respond to placebo, while others do not.
“And if so, it could impact importantly on clinical practice.
“But we should be cautious – the study was small, we need independent replications, and we need to know whether the phenomenon applies just to IBS or to all diseases.”
The placebo effect is when a patient experiences an improvement in their condition while undergoing an inert treatment such as taking a sugar pill or, in this case, placebo acupuncture, where the patient believes they are receiving acupuncture but a sham device prevents the needles going into their body.
Two groups in the study had this type of treatment. One group received it in a business-like clinical manner and the other from a warm supportive practitioner. A third randomly chosen group received no treatment at all.
After three weeks the patients were asked if they had seen an improvement in their IBS, a common gastrointestinal disease that can cause abdominal pain and discomfort.
The team then used blood samples to look at what variant the individual had of the catechol-O-methyltranferase (COMT) gene. This plays a role in the dopamine pathway, a chemical known to produce a feel-good state.
Paper author Dr. Kathryn Hall, from the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), said this gene had been chosen because “there has been increasing evidence that the neurotransmitter dopamine is activated when people anticipate and respond to placebos”.
The researchers found individuals with a COMT variant that triples the amount of dopamine in the front of the brain felt no improvement without treatment but an improvement with the placebo acupuncture.
Ted Kaptchuk, director of the Program in Placebo Studies and Therapeutic Encounter at BIDMC, said: “We wanted to tease apart the different doses of placebo.
“We got an effect in individuals with this specific genetic signature for the general placebo, but an even bigger effect in the elaborate placebo where warmer care was given.
“You can really see the advantage of a positive doctor-patient relationship.”
Fabrizio Benedetti, professor of neurophysiology at the University of Turin Medical School, Italy, warned that dopamine may not be the only chemical involved with the placebo effect.
“A previous study on the genetics of placebo in social anxiety disorder showed that it is serotonin that is associated to placebo responsiveness and not dopamine,” he said.
“While this is a very interesting work, what we have learned in the past few years is that there is not a single placebo response and a single mechanism, but many, across different medical conditions and therapeutic interventions.”
Anne Hathaway is known for her impeccable red carpet style, but she made rare misstep in an unflattering pair of “mom jeans” on the streets of New York.
The Devil Wears Prada actress was spotted walking around the city on Tuesday with a group of male friends.
Anne Hathaway, 29, appeared to be enjoying a day off and wore minimal make-up, loose fitting jeans held up with a black belt, a striped sweater and black blazer.
The actress completed the look with black boots and she sported a matching umbrella, along with her closely cropped hair.
Anne Hathaway has been enjoying a little down time after marrying Adam Shulman on September 29.
The actress married Adam Shulman after a one year engagement in an intimate ceremony with 100 guests in attendance.
Anne Hathaway is known for her impeccable red carpet style, but she made rare misstep in an unflattering pair of “mom jeans” on the streets of New York
Anne Hathaway reportedly began dating her 31-year-old actor husband in 2008; the couple became engaged three years later.
She had originally claimed in media interviews that the wedding would not take place until 2013 because of her work commitments.
Anne Hathaway just recently wrapped filming Les Misérables, in which she co-stars as Fantine.
The movie musical tells the story of ex-prisoner Jean Valjean – played by Hugh Jackman – who is hunted for decades by the ruthless policeman Javert (Russell Crowe) after he breaks parole.
When Jean Valjean agrees to care for factory worker Fantine’s (Anne Hathaway) young daughter, Cosette played by Amanda Seyfried and their lives change forever.
Anne Hathaway is also currently working on the animated adventure Rio 2.
Superman is giving up his once-promising career in journalism.
Alter ego Clark Kent is resigning from the post of star reporter at the Daily Planet, the Metropolis newspaper where he has worked since the first Superman comics were published in the 1940s.
DC Comics, which publishes the Superman stories, says Clark Kent will walk out in protest that hard news has given way to too many “soft” entertainment stories.
The move has been prompted by the Daily Planet’s takeover by a conglomerate.
The publisher has hinted that the Man of Steel might even go the way of many journalists and become a blogger, in an effort to get his views across to a wider audience.
Superman is giving up his once-promising career in journalism
“Why am I the one sounding like a grizzled ink-stained wretch who believes news should be about, I don’t know, news?” says a disillusioned Clark Kent, according to a leaked panel from Wednesday’s edition of the comic that appeared on the Newsarama.com website.
New Superman writer Scott Lobdell told USA Today newspaper: “This is really what happens when a 27-year-old guy is behind a desk and he has to take instruction from a larger conglomerate with concerns that aren’t really his own.”
Bobbi Kristina Brown and Nick Gordon appeared closer than ever as they walked hand-in-hand around New York City.
The two enjoyed a romantic stroll on Tuesday, hours after the premiere party for the Lifetime reality series The Houstons: On Our Own, about the lives of Whitney Houston’s family members.
Bobbi Kristina Brown was pictured smiling as she left her hotel with her brother-turned-lover Nick Gordon yesterday for their afternoon stroll.
Dressed in jeans, a black tank top, a matching leather jacket and boots, the 19-year-old appeared delighted to be spending time with her significant other.
A preview clip from the series released exclusively to E!Online earlier this month allegedly confirmed that she is in fact engaged to Nick Gordon.
According to reports on E!Online, Bobbi Kristina Brown, daughter of late singer Whitney Houston, shocks her family when she tells them of her plans to wed Nick Gordon.
The website claims that Bobbi Kristina Brown announces the news as she laughs, saying: “We’re engaged!”
Bobbi Kristina Brown and Nick Gordon appeared closer than ever as they walked hand-in-hand around New York City
Bobbi Kristina Brown arrived on Nick Gordon’s arm on Monday night at the premiere party for the series in New York.
She was even photographed spinning around for the cameras, clearly at ease in the limelight, and flaunting her huge “engagement ring”.
In another teaser trailer for the series, the family members of the Houston clan are seen worrying over Bobbi Kristina Brown’s relationship with Nick Gordon.
During the clip Gary Houston, Whitney’s brother, appears to disapprove of their bond, as he has a heated discussion with Nick Gordon.
Gary Houston says: “No one knew that from a godson you would turn into a boyfriend. No one knew that.”
With the 22-year-old stating: “The family has me out to be a bad person.”
And determined to make her family accept her blossoming romance, Bobbi Kristina Brown firmly asserts: “They want to see us fail. We won’t.”
Bobbi Kristina Brown and Nick Gordon lived together as siblings for more than a decade before Whitney Houston’s death in February, with Nick considered to be the superstar’s unofficial adopted son.
Panama’s President Ricardo Martinelli says he cancels plans to sell off state-owned land in the duty-free zone of Colon, after violent protests.
Three people have been killed in the clashes between residents and security forces, local media report.
The protesters said the land sale, signed into law on Friday, would cost jobs and cut incomes.
The Colon region is the biggest duty-free zone in Latin America but is blighted by poverty and crime.
President Ricardo Martinelli had said the sale of the state-owned land would benefit the region.
But late on Tuesday, he said on Twitter: “If the people of Colon don’t want the sale of lands in the Free Trade Zone, the sale will be repealed.”
Ricardo Martinelli said instead, commercial rents would be increased and the money reinvested in the region, as protesters had been demanding.
The president, who is on an official visit to Japan, has come under criticism for not breaking off his trip in the face of the continuing protests.
A 27-year-old woman became the latest person to die on Tuesday, following the death of a man and a nine-year-old boy in clashes over the past five days.
Panama’s President Ricardo Martinelli says he cancels plans to sell off state-owned land in the duty-free zone of Colon, after violent protests
Opponents of the law included trade unions, members of the Colon Chamber of Commerce and a variety of civil society groups.
A government delegation which had travelled to Colon to meet the protesters returned to the capital, Panama City, on Tuesday after the activists refused to talk to them unless the new legislation was repealed.
Colon Chamber of Commerce President Anacleto Ceballos had announced on Tuesday that a 48-hour strike would be extended for another day.
Panama’s economy has boomed in recent years, but sections of the population remain excluded from its commercial success.
The city of Colon – one of the largest free trade ports in the world and in operation since the 1950s – sits at the end of the Panama Canal just outside the former Panama Canal Zone.
The canal, linking the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific, is Panama’s main source of revenue.
Chancellor Angela Merkel is to unveil a memorial in Berlin to the Roma (Gypsy) victims of the Nazi Holocaust.
The memorial – a circular pool of water with a small plinth in the middle – will be in the Tiergarten park, near the Reichstag, the German parliament building.
The unveiling comes after years of delays and disputes over the memorial’s design and its cost.
Experts say between 220,000 and 500,000 Roma were killed during World War II.
“It’s very important to me that we have a culture of remembrance,” German Chancellor Angela Merkel said in an interview on her YouTube channel.
“Every generation must confront its own history afresh. And for that we must have suitable places that people can go to in the future, when the witnesses from the time are no longer alive.”
Angela Merkel acknowledged that the building of the memorial had taken a long time and entailed “many discussions”, and recalled that the memorial to murdered Jews of Europe had also taken more than 15 years to complete.
President Joachim Gauck and some 100 elderly survivors will join Angela Merkel at the opening ceremony on Wednesday.
Roma Holocaust memorial is a circular pool of water with a small plinth in the middle in the Tiergarten park, near the Reichstag
The memorial has been designed by the Israeli artist Dani Karavan. A fresh flower will be laid on the plinth at the centre of the memorial every day.
“Auschwitz” by Italian poet Santino Spinelli is engraved around the pool’s rim.
A chronology of the Nazi extermination campaign stands next to the memorial.
In 1982, Germany officially recognized the genocide of the Roma and Sinti – a related people who live mostly in German-speaking areas of Central Europe.
The leader of the Central Council of Sinti and Roma in Germany, Romani Rose, will also be at the ceremony.
He told Agence France-Presse: “Opening the memorial sends an important message to society that anti-Roma sentiment is as unacceptable as anti-Semitism.”
In recent years, Germany has been moving to commemorate the persecution of the Roma during World War II.
However, Roma organizations and human rights groups say they are still discriminated against in many European countries.
Daniel Craig has declared the launch of the new Bond film Skyfall as his greatest 007 premiere yet.
James Bond star Daniel Craig, playing the spy for a third time, was the first of the stars to arrive at the Royal Albert Hall for the royal premiere.
“It’s incredible,” said Daniel Craig.
“This is my third premiere and this is the biggest and the best.”
Skyfall is the 23rd official Bond film and marks 50 years of the franchise.
Large crowds of people had turned out to cheer the stars on the red carpet, which stretched along the streets around the venue in Kensington, west London.
The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall attended the screening on Tuesday night, along with stars Dame Judi Dench, Javier Bardem and the film’s director Sam Mendes.
James Bond received the royal seal of approval earlier this year at the Olympics opening ceremony when Daniel Craig’s character appeared in a short film alongside the Queen.
Daniel Craig said he was “incredibly proud” to be playing the hero created by Ian Fleming, who first appeared on the big screen in Dr No in 1962.
“It was the 50th year so we had try and celebrate that,” he said.
“Sam and I are huge Bond fans and we wanted to make the best Bond movie we could, and he’s done a tremendous job.”
Proceeds from the royal gala are going to charities that help members of Britain’s intelligence services.
Skyfall sees spy chief M (Judi Dench) battling a crisis with roots in her past, and Javier Bardem playing a villain bent on revenge.
Daniel Craig and Naomie Harris at the royal world premiere of Skyfall
Javier Bardem said: “Sam Mendes has done something very challenging which is to mix the flavor of the classic Bond movies with something more modern.”
Sam Mendes said: “The weirdest thing is that about two weeks ago I was still finishing the movie with about three other people in a dark room – so the big shock is coming out and finding people about to see the movie.”
Other stars on the red carpet included Ralph Fiennes, who plays a senior government official, Bond girls Naomie Harris and Berenice Marlohe, and Ben Whishaw as the new Q.
Ben Whishaw said: “I’m so thrilled to be a part of this phenomenon.”
Naomie Harris, who plays British agent Eve, said she tried to avoid watching the performances of previous Bond girls as she prepared for the role.
“I didn’t want to be influenced by that. What was much more useful to me was interviewing a former MI6 agent who came along and answered all our questions about what it was like to be a real agent.”
Berenice Marlohe, who plays the mysterious Severine, said on the red carpet: “We filmed the movie a long time ago but suddenly it brings back all the memories, and I feel very moved to be here.”
Barbara Broccoli, who co-produces the Bond films with Michael G. Wilson, said Skyfall was “classic Bond but with a contemporary feel”.
She added: “We wanted to make a film for the 50th anniversary for the fans and we wanted to make the best Bond ever – we tried real hard so I hope the audiences like at as much as we enjoyed making it.”
Skyfall has been praised by critics, with some indeed hailing it as the ultimate Bond adventure.
The Independent’s Geoffrey McNab said: “If not a full-blown triumph, this is certainly one of the best Bonds in recent memory.”
The Times’ Kate Muir called it “a great British bulldog of a movie”.
All eyes will be on the box office after the film opens on Friday to see if Skyfall can top Daniel Craig’s other outings as the secret agent.
2008’s Quantum of Solace made $586.1 million worldwide, while Casino Royale (2006) made $594.2 million.
Donald Trump is to claim that he has unearthed divorce papers of Michelle and Barack Obama, according to a respected financial pundit with links to the tycoon.
It is alleged that Donald Trump will claim that the documents show Michelle and Barack Obama were at one point in their two decades of marriage seriously considering splitting up.
Donald Trump set the hare running on Monday by claiming that he was set to make an announcement on Wednesday that would be “bordering on gigantic” and that it would “possibly” change the Presidential race.
The billionaire told Fox & Friends that he had “something very, very big concerning the president of the United States”.
“It’s going to be very big. I know one thing- you will cover it in a very big fashion.”
Donald Trump declined to elaborate, but today an investor who appears on the same business talk show as him claimed to have more details.
Donald Trump is to claim that he has unearthed divorce papers of Michelle and Barack Obama
Douglas Kass, a Florida-based investor who appears on CNBC’s talk show Squawkbox where Donald Trump is often a commentator, tweeted to his 48,000 followers: “High above the Alps my Gnome has heard that Donald Trump will announce that he has unearthed divorce papers between the Prez and his wife.”
When asked about the Tweet, Donald Trump spokeswoman Holly Lorenzo said: “All we know is that he is going to announce it on his Twitter and Facebook accounts tomorrow. I don’t know what time it will be, that’s all I know.”
Interviews with both Douglas Kass and Donald Trump appeared on the show’s website this morning.
Douglas Kass is an author, the founder and President of Seabreeze Partners Management and has also appeared in newspapers including the Wall St Journal and the New York Times.
The claims about divorce papers have previously been made in a book released earlier this year by author Ed Klein. The White House rubbished the allegations then and claimed Ed Klein had a history of making things up.
Donald Trump also has a questionable record when it comes to his own allegations, most notably being a leading “birther”, so-called because he believes Barack Obama was born in Kenya and not Hawaii, thus disqualifying him from being President of the United States.
Donald Trump even claimed to have sent investigators to Hawaii in his failed attempt to prove the theory.
Despite the support of the Tea Party the issue went away when the President released the long form of his birth certificate last year.
Honey Boo Boo’s gay Uncle Poodle, Lee Thompson, has spoken out about what it is like to be gay in the South.
Uncle Poodle bravely shared his harrowing memories in a video for GLAAD’s Spirit Day.
Lee Thompson says he has fallen victim to some horrible attacks at the hand of ignorant thugs, which have left him with broken ribs and a dislocated jaw.
Sugar Bear’s brother made the horrifying reveal in a video for GLAAD – which was created to fight intolerance and violence against the LGBT community.
Uncle Poodle explains in the reel: “Being gay in the South… people don’t like it.”
“Growing up as a kid, I was bullied day in and day out … broke ribs, dislocated jaw, cars vandalized … I’ve had cars vandalized to this day.”
But Uncle Poodle says he was able to get through it all because of his family and friends who stand by him.
“But I have a family that stands by me, supports me,” he said.
Adding: “I’m wearing purple today to let every youngster and every teen know it is okay to be who you are. Don’t let nobody change that.”
Uncle Poodle bravely shared his harrowing memories in a video for GLAAD’s Spirit Day
Honey Boo Boo herself, real name Alana Thompson, supports her uncle wholeheartedly.
On the season finale of her hit TV show, Honey Boo Boo voiced her pro-LGBT stance, saying “ain’t nothin’ wrong with bein’ a little gay”.
Uncle Poodle is Honey Boo Boo’s undisputed favorite.
Lee Thompson explained to the Georgia Voice how Honey Boo Boo came up with the Poodle nickname.
“We were at practice one day, getting ready for a pageant. Her coach was talking about her gay friends, and she said, <<I love all my poodles>>,” he told the Georgia Voice.
“Alana thought she was really talking about dogs. She wanted to know how many poodles she had, and what were their names. And I said, <<No, Alana, she’s talking about gay people>>. Well, that did it. All gay people are poodles to her now, and I’m her number one poodle.”
Chris Brown announced his split with model girlfriend Karrueche Tran, citing his “friendship” with Rihanna as a reason behind the break up.
But Chris Brown, 23, apparently spent the day with the model on Monday, with onlookers suggesting that the pair went to a studio in Burbank together.
Karrueche Tran, 23, is reported to have left Chris Brown’s house with the singer but in separate cars, according to Just Jared.
They are then reported to have stopped at a gas station together where Chris Brown’s bodyguard handed over cash for Karrueche Tran’s gas.
The bodyguard then accompanied Chris Brown in the passenger seat of his black sports car.
Karrueche Tran spotted with Chris Brown fueling reconciliation rumors
Chris Brown, who spent time with Rihanna at a Beverly Hills party over the weekend, released a statement confirming the split at the beginning of this month.
He said: “I have decided to be single to focus on my career. I love Karrueche very much but I don’t want to see her hurt over my friendship with Rihanna.
“I’d rather be single allowing us to both be happy in our lives.”
However, Chris Brown has released a new video where he apparently describes his mixed feelings about loving two women at the same time, which has been widely interpreted as a reference to his former love.
Today’s sighting is not the first time speculation has been rife about a reconciliatory between the pair.
Karrueche Tran was pictured leaving Brown’s Hollywood home one morning wearing the same clothes from the night before, a few days after the split was announced.
Rihanna recently admitted to Oprah Winfrey that she still considers Chris Brown to be the “love of her life”.
Apple has revealed its new smaller tablet iPad Mini with a 7.9 inch screen that is set to blow away its rivals in the tablet market this Christmas.
The widely-anticipated 7.9 in (20.1 cm) iPad Mini, which is 7.2 mm thick and weighs 0.68 lbs, was announced at an event in San Jose, California.
The entry wi-fi-only model, with 16GB storage, will cost $415 and be available on 2 November.
The iPad Mini will compete directly with similar sized tablets from Google and Amazon.
Apple’s vice-president of marketing Phil Schiller told attendees that the device was 23% thinner and 53% lighter than the third-generation iPad, which was released in March this year.
The other wi-fi-only models will have a recommended retail price of $535 for 32GB and $660 for 64GB.
The devices with cellular capability will be released “a couple of weeks” after the wi-fi-only models, the company said. They will be priced at $568 for 16GB, $691 for 32GB and $815 for 64GB.
The firm also announced upgrades to its Macbook Pro, iMac and Mac Mini ranges of computers.
Its new iMac machines have been made 80% thinner than previous models, Phil Schiller said.
The full-sized iPad, which is just seven months old, was given its own lower-key upgrade. Calling it the “fourth generation” iPad, Phil Schiller said its new A6X chip meant it had twice the CPU power of the third-generation model.
Apple has revealed its new smaller tablet iPad Mini with a 7.9 inch screen that is set to blow away its rivals in the tablet market this Christmas
Paddy Smith, online editor for Stuff.tv, said some Apple users could see the iPad upgrade as a “kick in the face” as it is such a new product.
“I think a lot of people will be upset to see a new full size iPad so soon,” he said.
“For many people that represents a pretty major purchase, something you wouldn’t want to do more than once a year.”
The iPad Mini launch ends years of speculation that Apple was considering launching a new, smaller version of its bestselling iPad range.
In 2010, late founder Steve Jobs described 7 in tablets as being “too small”.
However, Apple’s apparent change of heart comes in the face of mounting pressure from its closest competitors, who already offer smaller – and crucially, cheaper – products.
However, consultants IDC predict that the new device will boost Apple’s already dominant position in the tablet market.
It said that Apple will hold a 68% share of the market in 2012, compared to 29% for Android tablets.
Both will fall off slightly next year with the launch of Windows 8 tablets, IDC said.
The European Parliament has rejected the 27 EU governments’ position on next year’s EU budget, triggering hard bargaining to reach a deal.
In a vote in Strasbourg the MEPs backed the European Commission’s call for a 6.8% budget rise for 2013.
A MEPs’ report deplored a decision by the Council – the 27 governments – to cut that figure to 2.79%.
The MEPs also adopted proposals on the 2014-2020 budget, ahead of a key leaders’ summit next month.
The Commission, however, argues that the cuts proposed by the Council would harm Europe’s growth efforts, hitting research and small firms.
In 2012 the EU budget was 129.1 billion euros ($168.5 billion), a 1.9% increase on 2011.
The Commission says 2013 is the last year of the EU’s current seven-year financial period – the time when bills for existing projects have to be paid, hence the need for a budget increase.
The Commission’s proposal for the long-term budget, called the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), sets the ceiling at just over one trillion euros, that is, 1.03% of EU gross national income (GNI).
The biggest items of spending, accounting for about 80% in total, are agriculture and cohesion funds – aid for Europe’s poorer regions. France is especially keen to maintain agriculture spending, while cohesion is a big issue for the ex-communist countries in Eastern Europe.
The European Parliament’s budget committee calls for spending levels for those major budget items to be at least maintained at the 2007-2013 level.
But the MEPs also call for “significant increases” in the budgets for competitiveness, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), sustainable infrastructure and research and innovation. They see those budget areas as growth-enhancing.
The parliament’s lead negotiators in the 2014-2020 budget talks are Ivailo Kalfin, a Bulgarian from the Social Democrat group (S&D) and Reimer Boege, a German from the conservative European People’s Party (EPP).
The MEPs’ plan includes a controversial call for EU “own resources” – that is, to fund the EU from direct taxation, such as sales tax (VAT), instead of the current system of national contributions.
The MEPs’ report says the current system polarizes the EU into “two opposing camps” – the net contributor countries on the one hand, and the net beneficiary countries on the other.
The report says the EU budget financing “should return to a genuine system of own resources, as provided for in the Treaty of Rome and all successive EU treaties”. It calls the system of national contributions “non-transparent and unfair” and “not subject to parliamentary control at either European or national level”.
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.”
