News of the World Online

Jolie-Aniston porn

2009-12-30T06:04:00.000-08:00

In a porn movie, inspired by their real life rivalry, actresses Angelina Jolie and Jennifer Aniston rip off each others’ clothes in a fight on the red carpet.
Made by porn giant Hustler, the film Untrue Hollywood Stories: Angelina vs. Jennifer has been made with look-alikes of the actresses and is being touted as “every man’s fantasy come to life.”
The movie is due to release soon, and there have been no comments from the actresses so far.

Madonna, Lady Gaga scrap on SNL

2009-10-05T17:27:00.000-07:00

A staged - and rather poorly acted - fight between Lady Gaga and Madonna on Saturday Night Live has become an instant YouTube sensation.
The skit featured the two pop stars performing on stage together in similar tight-fitting outfits.
The duo fought in a short scuffle in which Madonna pulled Lady Gaga's hair and the pair tried to strangle each other.
"What's wrong Madonna - can't get into the groove?" asked Lady Gaga.
"What the hell is a disco stick?" replied Madonna. "What kind of a name is Lady Gaga? It sounds like baby food."
The clip has already had 860,000 views since being placed on YouTube on Saturday.
Watch the video below:

Angelina Jolie, a famous unknown?

2009-09-29T06:21:00.001-07:00

Praised or criticised, she is still one of the most famous stars of world cinema, and yet Angelina Jolie doesn't understand why so much fuss is made about her! The beautiful American admits to never reading articles in the press about her, or her family. She doesn't have time, she says "I have to look after my 6 children and my husband (Brad Pitt), I travel a lot, I appear in films, and I've got better things to do than read those rags. People would be better off minding their own business."Clearly, Angelina Jolie believes she is just like any other woman who needs to reconcile her family, love and work. With the help of a legion of nannies, houses all over the world and a very healthy bank account...

Argentina 1-3 Brazil

2009-09-05T21:05:00.000-07:00

Preamble: Remember when England appointed Kevin Keegan because he was the people's choice? Everyone was so optimistic, only a fool would have gone in a different direction. So much to hope for - who knew the man who gave us Liverpool 4-3 Newcastle would end up playing Gareth Southgate in midfield? You couldn't help but feel sorry for Keegan when he quit, admitting he just wasn't good enough in the Wembley toilets. This wasn't how it was meant to end - England were supposed to win Euro 2000 in a blaze of glory, playing a daring and swashbuckling 4-2-4.
I bring the whole sorry episode uup bring it up because I wonder if Argentinian fans feel Diego Maradona may go the same way. The man who inspired them to the 1986 World Cup took over last November but his reign has not exactly been covered in glory. Argentina are in danger of dropping out of the qualification spots for World Cup 2010 and cannot afford to lose to Brazil tonight.
Kick off is at 1.30 and I'll have team news hot off the wires as soon as possible...
Argentina have endured a torrid time of late. A 6-1 defeat in Bolivia was brushed aside because the match was played in altitude but losing 2-0 to Ecuador in June was disastrous. Before tonight's matches, Ecuador were just two points behind Argentina but they lost 2-0 away to Colombia in bad-tempered tussle a couple of hours ago. However that means Colombia are breathing down Argentina's necks, so the pressure's not exactly off.
As for Brazil, despite the unpopularity of their manager, Dunga, they lie top of their qualification group with progression all but assured. Indeed a win tonight and they're on their way to South Africa. How potentially sweet for them if they can severely damage their fiercest rivals tonight.
While we wait for Paraguay's match against Bolivia to end (Paraguay are 1-0 up), why not take in Joel Richards' Maradona's moment of truth.
Teams? Teams:
Argentina: Andujar; Zanetti, Dominguez, Otamendi, Heinze; Maxi, Mascherano, Veron, Datolo; Messi, Tevez. Subs: Carrizo, Papa,Gago, Milito, Schiavi, Coloccini, Aguero.Brazil: Julio Cesar; Maicon, Lucio, Luisao, Andre Santos;Silva, Felipe Melo; Elano, Kaka; Robinho, Luis Fabiano. Subs:Victor, Dani Alves, Miranda, Lucas, Ramires, Julio Baptista,Adriano.Referee: Julian Oscar Ruiz Acosta (Colombia)
1 min: We're off, Brazil getting us underway and kicking from left to right. It's a raucous atmosphere. Brazil immediately give it away and Veron (VERON!) plays Datolo in on the right, whose dangerous centre towards Tevez is just about herded out for a corner which is easily dealt with.
3 min: Deafening whistles from the home fans as Brazil try to take the sting out of the occasion, knocking the ball around casually, only for an Argentina midfielder to plonk Felipe Melo on his backside.
5 min: Brazil have conceded just six goals in qualifying so far, the best record in the group. They'll do well to keep that going tonight.
7 min: Brazil's first piece of concerted pressure outside the Argentina area comes to nothing on the left as Robinho's repeated stepovers get him nowhere and the ball ends up with Maicon in the right-back position...
10 min: It's been a scrappy start with neither side managing a shot on goal yet. Maradona's just come up on my screen for the first time and might I say he's got a very fetching stud in his ear.
11min: Fouls aplenty so far and we haven't seen much from the likes of Messi, Kaka or Robinho yet. Messi finally gets on the ball and sets up a promising situation on Argentina's right, but Tevez is caught in two minds, not knowing whether to shoot or cross and eventually does pretty much nothing.
12 min: Messi's coming into it a little bit now, picking up the ball 30 yards from goal and cracking a thunderous shot not too far wide. It was one of those where you think it might just have gone in on your tv, though the replay will probably show it went miles wide.
13 min: Free-kick to Argentina just outside the area...
14 min:... which Messi sends straight into the wall left-footed. It was made for the right foot of Veron though but would you argue with the little man from Barcelona?
17 min: Messi has Brazil's defence on the run again, jinking and shimmying to the edge of the area. The crowd's noise levels rise but his shot is blocked by Lucio and rebounds harmlessly away. That all came from Elano giving the ball away. 1-0 Mark Hughes.
18 min: A swerving rocket from Veron from 25 yards is blocked by Lucio with his head and the power of the shot sends the big defender sprawling to the ground. Moments later, Lucio pulls back Datolo and is given a yellow card which will rule him out of Brazil's next match - not the best succession for him.
21 min: The foul by Lucio on Datolo wasn't too dissimilar to one by Mascherano on Kaka a few minutes before. Kaka was booked for pointing that out to the referee and then Mascherano does it again - and escapes a booking! Brazil are in a right old funk about it and rightly so.
GOAL! Argentina 0-1 Brazil (Luisao 24 min) What an absolutely atrocious goal for Argentina to concede! Elano delivers a free-kick from around 40 yards out and Luisao, up from the back and in acres of space, has all the time in the world to direct his header into the bottom corner. That is criminal.
25 min: Maradona looks a little bit perplexed on the touchline. Absolutely no one picked up Luisao there. Brazil don't really deserve the lead but if you defend like that at international level, you will get punished. Argentina threaten an equaliser from Veron's low free-kick from the right which somehow squirmed through the crowd to the far post, but no one was there for what would have been an easy tap-in.
27 min: Datolo, making his first start, tries his luck from outside the area. The less said about that the better. The goal has just been replayed again and Luisao had roughly six yards between him and any defenders. It looks like Sebastien Dominguez was meant to be marking him - not the best start for a man making his international debut.
GOAL! (Argentina 0-2 Brazil, Luis Fabiano 29 min) It's all going wrong for Argentina thanks to another Elano free-kick. He lined it up from 30 yards, yet it was deflected through for Kaka who pulled the back for Melo to shoot. Andujar saved well but the lack of any discernible reaction from anyone in blue and white meant Luis Fabiano had the easiest of tasks and Brazil are two up.
34 min: Argentina haven't done too badly. They started briskly and barely allowed Brazil any momentum but somehow find themselves two goals down. Well, I say somehow, but the defending has been inexcusable. Perhaps Argentina should swap those blue stripes for, say, black...
36 min: It's not going terribly well for Datolo, the left winger playing a simple pass straight out of touch.
37 min: Great save from Julio Cesar! A ball over the top finds Tevez who hustles and bustles his way past Luisao, stabbing it across for Maxi Rodriguez whose effort from close range is brilliantly stopped by Cesar and Brazil's lead is preserved.
39 min: "Something of the haunted look about Maradona," says the commentator. He's not wrong. Old Diego must be wondering where it's all gone wrong. Even if Argentina do qualify, it's hard to see them making any sort of impression in South Africa with this defence.
40 min: Argentina haven't let the goal affect them in an attacking sense. They're still probing, their tiny forwards flitting in and around the gigantic Brazil back four. Datolo takes aim from range again, again the shot is skewed wide, but at least he's prepared to have a go. I've seen too many teams (West Ham) hide in these situations.
42 min: Brazil look like scoring every time they get a free-kick. This time Elano delivers from the left and Fabiano's header is brilliantly kept out by Andujar and somehow the rebound evades the waiting attackers. Have Argentina even been practising set pieces?
43 min: Messi is a rare shining light in this Argentina team. He refuses to give up, charging at Brazil over and over again and is building up a head of steam until cynically brought down by Fabiano who now has a booking to go along with his goal. Datolo, Argentina's trigger-happy left winger, slams the free-kick off target (which could mean high or wide, I can't remember which).
45 min: Peep! Peep! Half-time.The referee blows for half-time to call an end to a woeful 45 minutes for Argentina. Maradona needs to summon something from somewhere and maybe hold a quick crash course in defending set pieces.
Darren Holliday in Berlin writes: "Worse-than-Sunday-League marking at the back from Argentina to concede the opener, then the keeper not coming out after the free kick cannoned off the wall towards him just before the second goal...very poor."The English commentator mentioned something about a Brazilian receiving a water bottle from the Argentinian bench in a previous game. The Brazilian player thankfully swigged from it, but then got all tired. They later foundout, or at least suspected, that there was tranquiliser in the water. The commentator failed to mention any more details and a quick Google hunt did not return anything either. Anyone know anything about this?" Afraid I don't Darren, so I'll open the floor to any other insomniacs...
"Are you sitting all alone in GU towers, wishing you didn't draw the short straw?" posits Jon Cummins, who has an alarming gateway into my mind. "Or are you excited, looking to make a name for yourself and knock Rob Smyth off his perch? If so, here's a hint, fake an email from Gary Naylor." Even Gary Naylor has to sleep, Jon.
Half-time emailsRejoice for Darren Holliday because Mahir Ibrahim has an answer. And a surprisingly simple one at that, in the form of a Wikipedia link! Darren, were you being totally honest when you said you Googled this?
Half-time analysis with an ashen-faced Ossie Ardiles To paraphrase, he says there's no way Argentina will sack Maradona after this game because they have a vital match in Paraguay, who are second after beating Bolivia 1-0 tonight, on Wednesday. But lose that match and it could be curtains.
46 min: Maradona has made a substitute during the break, introducing his son-in-law Sergio Aguero for the ineffective Maxi Rodriguez in a bid to save the game. Brazil are unchanged.
47 min: Argentina have begun positively, Andre Santos doing well to head a Heinze cross away under pressure. Then the Brazil defence stands firm, Tevez trying to get a shot through the massed ranks unsuccesfully.
48 min: Argentina have to go for this but are in danger of leaving gaps at the back. Kaka, who has done little, embarks on a lovely run down the middle before releasing Robinho. It looks like he's away from the last Argentina defender and through on goal, only for a superb last-ditch tackle to deny him.
51 min: The crowd are still getting behind Argentina and Tevez's cross to the near post nearly finds Aguero but Cesar just gets there first. A lesson for Argentina there: stop sending high balls into the box. If you stack Messi, Aguero and Tevez on top of each other, they still wouldn't be as tall as Lucio.
53 min: Argentina clear an Elano free-kick! With ease, I might add. Well done boys.
54 min: "If we can bail out struggling banks for the good of the economy, should we not also be able to bail out struggling teams for the good of the World Cup?" asks Paul Creasy. "I'm not too bothered about Ronaldo but it would be disgusting if Messi didn't make it to South Africa, Isthmian League defending or no."
56 min: Argentina are playing attractive tippy-tappy football, right up until a huge Brazilian defender sticks his foot in and boots the ball away. For all their tiny forwards, Argentina's lack of an out and out striker is costing them. That and their inability to defend.
59 min: Here's Wagner Santos from Brazil: "In the 1990 world cup when brazil played Argentina, Argentina was coached by Carlos Billardo, which, putting it lightly, was a bit of a scumbag. In the match between Brazil and Argentina, Branco drank from water that was given by an argentinean physio, as a player was down on the pitch. Branco claims that he started feeling funny, dizzy, and he threw up at halftime in the locker room. (wonder if he drank that same water in his time at Boro). Later, an argentinean physio admited that they always had a "special"bottle of water that they gave to players from the opposing team." Thanks Wagner and to all the others who are emailing in with information on Darren's earlier question.
60 min: Michael Jordan, who needs no introductions, wants to know who I am. "Two questions. 1. Who are you? Not a full time Guardian employee judging by your email address? 2. Who wouldn't love it if Argentina fail to qualify?" I wouldn't, Messi HAS to go to South Africa next year. And no I'm not a Guardian employee, I'm one of their various web monkeys who often works nights.
63 min: There's been a bit of a lull in the action, but it suddenly comes to life, Fabiano rattling a shot inches wide from 20 yards.
GOAL! Argentina 1-2 Brazil (Datolo 65 min) What a superb goal from a man making his first start for Argentina! Datolo's tried his luck from range without any joy so far tonight, but this is a belter. He tiptoes forward until he's 30 yards out before unleashing a simply unstoppable shot with his left foot into the top corner.
GOAL! Argentina 1-3 Brazil (Fabiano 67 min): No sooner had Argentina got themselves back into it, the two goal lead is restored. A delicious ball from Kaka leaves Argentina's defence in tatters and Fabiano strides through before effortlessly dinking the ball over Andujar for his second. Datolo's goal is but a mere memory now.
69 min: Things that make me jealous: Hello Jacob, hope you're having a nice evening," says James McDavid, before going on to highlight exactly why I'm not having a nice evening. "I've been lucky enough to have watched the 1st half of the game in a Madrid bar full of rather dejected looking argentinians and am now huddled round some grimey stream after they shut the bar at half time, crazy spaniards and their distaste for making money. Currently sat with an over excited Brazilian girl who is having trouble seeing the ball! Enjoy the rest of the game." Yeah, whatever.
71 min: This could become a bit humiliating. Two subs combine for Brazil, Dani Alves firing across goal where Ramires just fails to get a touch. At the other end, Messi skips through flailing challenges. He looks set to score but Luisao's block denies him.
72 min: They're 3-1 up but Brazil can't handle Messi. Who can? He darts through once more and the ball is eventually prodded to the substitute Diego Milito who's free on the right. He should have struck it first time, a touch allowing Cesar to race from his goal and save at his feet.
74 min: Andre Santos has a pop. Not a bad effort but Andujar is able to watch it go safely over.
75 min:Dani Alves has a decent attempt from a free-kick roughly thirty yards from goal. It dips and swerves but goes just over. Andujar had it well covered though.
76 min: On comes Adriano for two-goal Luis Fabiano. He looked absolutely terrifying a few years ago, let's hope he can get his career and life back in order.
77 min: "I'm mystified as to why Lisandro Lopez wasn't selected for this game," says Samuel Zakowski. "If you want an out an out striker, he's the one. An absolute beast. He's terrifying. He, Messi and Aguero in a three-pronged attack would tear all teams in South America (well, except Brazil, heh) a new one." Paul Doyle, of this parish, wrote a blog eulogising him last week.
79 min: Can anyone explain the presence of Veron in Argentina's midfield?
80 min: I fear I've given off the impression I'm not enjoying doing this, but I assure you I am. There are worse things to be doing on a Saturday night, as anyone who's been out in Leicester Square will testify.
82 min: "Evening. I know this may seem like ass licking etc but I think your doing quite a good job!" says James Robinson, easily getting himself published. "Just a few points how can a hardcore football country of 40,482,000 people not produce one good defender is beyond me. Secondly why in god's name is Tevez playing? He's a hard worker yes but surely a midfield of Mascherano, Maxi Cambiasso and Messi with Aguero and Milito up front makes more sense and actually has some balance? I know Cambiasso's injured but Gago can fill a role. It looks like a poorly veiled attempt at appeasing the terraces as opposed to putting out a balanced and functional team?"
84 min: Veron is S-L-O-W. Everything goes through him but with all the speed of a man who's gorged his way through a box of bran flakes.
86 min: Argentina are getting nowhere. Why they insist upon sending high balls into the Brazil box is beyond me. I know I've made this point repeatedly but they are tiny and Brazil are huge. This match is all but over now. Brazil, and this is not exactly news, will be going to the World Cup in South Africa. Argentina, and this is news, may not.
87 min: Let's say, for example, Argentina meet England next year. Just how would they cope with the set piece bombardment?
89 min: Brandon Clements says Veron is there because Riquelme isn't, while Rani Haddad expects Maradona to beg Riquelme to return. This game is drifting now.
90 min: Andrew Sachs emails in to ask whether Maradona is wearing foundation. I have to say I wondered this too, but I'm far too professional to ask...
Full time: The referee calls time on a quite wretched night for Argentina. They defended atrociously and although they looked dangerous in attack, too much rested on Messi's shoulders. They now lie two points ahead of Colombia and Ecuador, and have a difficult match against Paraguay on Wednesday. As for Brazil, they were clinical rather than flamboyant, defended exceptionally and deserved the win. Fans don't seem to like Dunga but surely they can't begrudge him victories like this? What better arena for Brazil to confirm their qualification to the World Cup?

Megan Fox: 'I have a mental problem'

2009-09-03T21:03:00.000-07:00

Megan Fox has said that she may have some type of mental disorder and could die young like Marilyn Monroe.
The Jennifer's Body star told Wonderland that she had a "deep-seated interest" in Monroe, of whom she has a tattoo on her arm.
Fox said: "I basically read every book ever written about Marilyn Monroe.
"I could end up like that because I constantly struggle with the idea that I think I'm a borderline personality - or that I have bouts of mild schizophrenia. I definitely have some kind of mental problem and I haven't pinpointed what it is."
She added: "I don't enjoy being looked at but that's part of being successful, doing magazine covers.
"It's very masochistic - the one thing you're so afraid of you become addicted to. I'm addicted to being uncomfortable

29/08/2009: Manchester United-Arsenal 2-1 (Premier League)

2009-08-29T18:30:00.000-07:00

Darren Fletcher missed an early chance for United, pulling a shot left of Almunia’s goal after nine minutes. At the other end Arsenal were also creating chances, Andrei Arshavin flashing a shot narrowly over Ben Foster’s bar. Wayne Rooney fired a free-kick off target as the match flowed from end-to-end, before Andrei Arshavin silenced Old Trafford with an unstoppable howitzer into the top corner five minutes from the break. The Gunners were denied a second at the start of the second half as Ben Foster produced a top class save to stop van Persie’s close-range effort. With Fergie’s boys dangling on the ropes Wayne Rooney proved the Reds saviour, Almunia clattered into the forward in the box an from the resulting penalty Rooney drew United level. Six minutes later, and after RVP had hit the bar, the unlikely United comeback was complete as Abou Diaby managed to head a Giggs free-kick into his own net. The match ended in a farce as, after RVP had a 94th minute goal ruled out for offside, ref Mike Dean decided to send off Arsene Wenger who reacted in pantomime fashion by retreating to the United stands.

Serie A champions Inter Milan humiliated 10-man AC Milan 4-0 to emphatically earn the derby spoils on Saturday with new striker Diego Milito in fine f

2009-08-29T18:19:00.000-07:00

Champions Inter Milan took the derby spoils by thrashing rivals AC Milan after Gennaro Gattuso was sent off in bizarre circumstances.
Thiago Motta coolly curled in the first goal on 29 minutes after quick passes from fellow close-season signings Samuel Eto'o and Diego Milito.
Former Genoa frontman Milito then doubled the lead from the penalty spot at a packed San Siro.
Gattuso had hauled down the runaway Eto'o to concede the penalty and the Inter bench, who were initially jumping for joy, reacted furiously when he was only booked.
The Italy midfielder then asked to come off with an injury but substitute Clarence Seedorf was not ready, meaning Gattuso stayed on the pitch long enough to hack down surprise debutant Wesley Sneijder and receive his marching orders.
Young Milan coach Leonardo's horror half was compounded by Inter right back Maicon finishing off another fine one-two move with Argentina's Milito, to make it 3-0 just before the break.
In the second half Leonardo threw on Seedorf, new signing Klaas Jan Huntelaar and Massimo Ambrosini, who started on the bench despite being club captain following the retirement of the watching Paolo Maldini.
But the trio were unable to stem the tide as Dejan Stankovic blasted in a fourth for Inter from long range.

Real Madrid 3-2 Deportivo: Los Blancos Pick Up Points In Convincing Display

2009-08-29T18:09:00.000-07:00

Real Madrid began their assault on the Primera Division title with a confident attacking performance against Deportivo La Coruna. A flurry of goals midway through the first half saw Manuel Pellegrini's side take the lead at the break. While the home side's dominance was not reflected in the scoreline, the old defensive flaws were still evident in addition to a number of mistakes associated with a newly assmbled side.Los Blancos' big guns were out in force in the Santiago Bernabeu, as Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, Karim Benzema and Xabi Alonso all started. Deportivo icon Juan Carlos Valeron took to the pitch for the visitors, while Brazilian midfielder Juca made his debut after signing from Partizan Belgrade.Usain Bolt, the world's fastest man, took to the pitch before kick off as Florentino Perez grinned like a Cheshire cat in the stands amid all the applause, but it was soon down to business for the world's most expensively assmbled side.Real came flying out of the blocks - it took less than a minute for Lassana Diarra to split open the visitors' defence, but Kaka could only drag his shot wide.Diarra was spreading the ball around the pitch with consummate ease, but Depor's defence were closing down the space ahead of the strikers well. After a strong opening from the hosts, los Blanquiazules began to create some attacking opportunities of their own but were profligate with their set pieces.Real Madrid were the more adventurous side in the early stages and after Raul's shot from the edge of the area had been blocked, Kaka fired a shot just wide of Daniel Aranzubia's left hand post. The visitors were holding a tight line, but it was pierced after 26 minutes.Kaka's through ball slipped through Juan Rodriguez's legs and found Karim Benzema, whose shot came back off the near post. With Aranzubia stranded, Raul had the easiest of tasks to tap the ball home.The lead should have been doubled minutes later by Cristiano Ronaldo, but he could not direct his header on target from Xabi Alonso's free kick.Real were made to pay for the missed opportunity, as Deportivo equalised in the 30th minute. Juca sent a deep cross in, and Riki was allowed a free header by los Blancos' defence and powered it into the corner.Parity only lasted five minutes, as another clinical pass by Diarra slid Raul through, but 32-year-old was felled by Aranzubia and the referee pointed to the spot. Cristiano Ronaldo stepped up to the plate, and successfully dispatched the penalty low to the keeper's right.Deportivo were now at sixes and sevens at the back, as firstly Raul could only shoot straight at Aranzubia before Garay had an excellent chance from a corner. The visitors arrived at half time with the deficit only at one, and coach Lotina had work to do at the interval.

Family Feud: Jolie Busts Bad Brad

2009-08-27T08:29:00.000-07:00

The tabs are chirping about Brad Pitt being banished to the couch by Angelina Jolie over his recent reefer revelations. A Hollyweed source says, "Their drug fight came to a head when he reportedly smoked pot with another celebrity pal while their six kids were sleeping. She told him to get clean or get out."
According to National Enquirer, Jolie is also upset with Pitt's ex, Jennifer Aniston: “Ange says it''s Jen''s fault Brad is still smoking pot, since the bulk of his drug-taking days were when he was with her. She''s angry and looking for someone to blame, so Jen is always going to be a prime target."That sound pretty far-fetched, though Jolie has distanced herself from prior drug use, such as her admitted LSD trip at Disneyland.Pitt has been in the marijuana news lately. He said he was "done" with pot, suggested he'd legalize it if he were mayor of New Orleans, told Bill Maher that he's an "artist" when it comes to rolling joints and smoked hash with Quentin Tarantino in Paris, according to the director ofInglourious Basterds, in which Pitt is currently starring

Miss Venezuela Stefania Fernandez Wins Miss Universe 2009

2009-08-24T11:14:00.000-07:00

Miss Universe of 2009 is Miss Venezuela Stefania Fernandez, it has just been unveiled. The 18-year-old lady beats 4 big finalists, who are from Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Kosovo, and Australia. Stefania, who is wearing a red dress during the beauty pageant, jumps in joy upon hearing Miss Dominican Republic, Ada Aimee De la Cruz, is named as the 1st Runner-Up, which means she is the new Miss Universe. Stefania and last year's Miss Universe Dayana Mendoza share hug on stage and the two jump in happiness. Receiving her crown from Dayana, Stefania accidentally drops the tiara on-stage. Yet, Dayana helps picking it up and puts it on Stefania's head who then faces the audience like nothing has happened. Meanwhile, named as the 2nd Runner-Up is Miss Kosovo Gona Dragusha. As for the 3rd Runner-Up, the predicate goes to Miss Australia Rachael Finch. In addition to them all, Miss China Wang Jingyao is chosen as Miss Photogenic, while Miss Thailand Chutima Durongdej is named Miss Congeniality. More about Stefania Fernandez, she is no stranger to beauty pageants. She won the Miss Venezuela 2008 title in a pageant held in Caracas, Venezuela on September 10 last year. During the same event she also won the "Miss Elegance", "Best Body" and "Best Face" titles.

What if Britney Spears were president? David Letterman's Top 10 answers

2009-08-21T06:35:00.000-07:00

would the United States be like if Britney Spears were the president?

Here are some observations from David Letterman's Top 10 segment Tuesday night, presented by Britney herself. In a bikini.

"I'd be the first president to wear eyeshadow since Nixon," she says.

No. 9? "We would only invade fun places like Cabo."

And as No. 8, "Free pie for everybody."

But wait, there was more -- oh, never mind.

Funny or lame? Is it just us or has Dave lost his edge?

src: latimesblogs.latimes.com

Celine Dion: Pregnant Again

2009-08-19T08:40:00.000-07:00

Never one to shy away from a challenge, Celine Dion has announced that she’s pregnant with her second child at the age of 41.
The “It’s All Coming Back to Me” songstress and her 67-year-old husband Rene Angelil reportedly employed the services of a team of fertility doctors to help them conceive.

Prior to her recent Taking Chances World Tour, Celine told Oprah Winfrey, “We are going to give it a try after my tour. Hopefully we (can get) pregnant again.”
She continued, “I have a small window of hope. But we have been so blessed already. We tried six years for Rene-Charles. We have our miracle baby.”

Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan held at Newark Airport; claims racial profiling due to Muslim name

2009-08-16T07:05:00.000-07:00

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, who plays a Muslim mistaken for a terrorist in his latest film, says he was racially profiled at Newark Airport and detained for two hours on Friday. The 43-year-old "Tom Cruise of India" - cited last year by Newsweek as one of the world's 50 most influential men - was released only after Indian diplomats intervened. "I was really being hassled, perhaps because of my name being Khan," the international box office sensation charged Saturday in a text message to reporters. "These guys wouldn't let me through." Khan, who has appeared in more than 70 films, said he was waiting for his luggage Friday when his name popped up on a computer alert list. Security then pulled him aside. "Absolutely uncalled for, I think," Khan said. "I felt angry and humiliated." Khan said he endured two hours of interrogation before he was allowed to call the Indian embassy in Washington. An official there vouched for the star, who was then released. "I was really taken aback," Khan told an Indian television station. "I did not want to say anything just in case they took everything wrong, because I am a little worried about Americans because they do have this issue when your name is Muslim." Officials at U.S. Customs and Border Protection did not answer multiple inquiries Saturday about the case. The actor insisted he had all the proper paperwork when he was brought to a detention room at the New Jersey airport. But, he said, Khan "is a Muslim name, and I think the name is common on their checklist." New Dehli-based U.S. Ambassador Timothy Roemer said officials were trying to "ascertain the facts of the case." "Shah Rukh Khan, the actor and global icon, is a very welcome guest in the United States," Roemer said Saturday. "Many Americans love his films." But there were no Bollywood buffs in Newark as Khan came through the airport on his way to Chicago for a celebration of India's independence day. "I told them I am a movie star," Khan said - although the line fell on deaf ears. He recently signed a deal with Fox Star Studios to finance and distribute his new movie, "My Name is Khan" - the story of a Muslim man mistaken for a terrorist in post-9/11 America. The incident caused outrage in his homeland, where the Khan-troversy dominated television news. Last month, Continental Airlines apologized to former Indian President Abdul Kalam for frisking him at New Delhi's airport.

Boy, 11, interviews Barack Obama

2009-08-15T04:48:00.000-07:00

A 11-year-old boy has succeeded where loads of journalists fail by getting an interview with President Barack Obama.
Damon Weaver, from Florida, got his big break after making a name for himself covering the 2008 American presidential campaign for his school news team.
During their 10-minute chat at the White House, Damon quizzed Barack Obama on everything from education and poverty to bullying and mangoes.
Afterwards, Damon said the president was "a good man, very tall and nice".
During their chat, Damon got straight to the point and asked if the president had the power to make school lunches better
He replied: "I used to get school lunches, sometimes they wouldn't taste so good, I got to admit.
"We are actually seeing if we can work to at least make school lunches healthier."
But when Damon suggested a menu of French fries and mangoes everyday, the president wasn't so keen.
"See, if you were planning the lunch program, it'd probably taste good to you," he said. "But it might not make you big and strong like you need to be."
Tackling bullies
Damon also asked the president about what's being done to tackle poverty in America and how he handles people giving him a hard time.
President Obama said: "The main thing I just try to do is stay focused on trying to do a good job, and try to be understanding that sometimes people are going to be mad about things."
When the interview was over, President Obama praised Damon's interview technique, saying: "You did an outstanding job, I look forward to seeing you in the future."

Mystery message: Posh's new tattoo is written in Hebrew

2009-08-11T07:11:00.000-07:00

She was sporting a new tattoo on her wrist. The Hebrew message inscribed on her left wrist is believed to celebrate her 10-year marriage to husband David as it reads 'together forever, eternally'.
Mystery message: Posh's new tattoo is written in Hebrew
Beckham is rumoured to have been paid £155,000 to join music mogul Simon Cowell, songwriter Kara DioGuardi and producer Randy Jackson for the recording of the US show in Denver on Friday.
Sources close to the Beckhams said it was the mother-of-three’s sons who persuaded her to take part as she continues to boost her profile Stateside.
Beckham said before her appearance: 'I’m going to try hard to pout and not shatter the illusion that I’m a moody cow, but I don’t know if I can. I’m just so happy.'
Posh has always promised to be a 'nice' judge.
She said: 'I know how it feels to be stood there and be judged and how it can feel when nerves get the better of you.'
Beckham, a close friend of Cowell, is one of several celebrities stepping in for Abdul, who quit the competition on Tuesday, reportedly in a pay dispute.
I Kissed A Girl singer Katy Perry is also reportedly lined up and Read more:

Mission Impossible 4 in the works, Tom Cruise to act, J.J Abrams to produce

2009-08-11T06:41:00.000-07:00

"Never say never again" appears to be the motto for Paramount Pictures and Tom Cruise. After their famous breakup after Cruise's bizarre celebrity antics during the press tour for "Mission Impossible 3" the studio (and Viacom too) swore off the aging superstar an let him plant at United Artists (and that hasn't been the biggest success story). Rumors had already leaked that J.J. Abrams, the director of the third installment, and Cruise were considering reuniting to produce a fourth Ethan Hunt movie, but today those grumblings became reality. Variety reports Paramount has brought on former "Alias" co-executive producers Josh Applebaum and Andrew Nemec to write the screenplay for "MI4."The script will be based on a storyline developed by the duo and Abrams. The more intriguing news is that its been confirmed by the trade that Cruise's character, Ethan Hunt, will be involved "onscreen in some capacity" in the new movie. That means Cruise will return to the billion-dollar "Mission Impossible" franchise and star in a Paramount Pictures release under the same studio chief, Brad Grey, who dramatically let him go only a few years ago.
This is crazy Hollywood history folks.
It's unclear what lead to this change, but one has to assume Abrams influence as a hit maker for the studio after producing "Cloverfield" and directing "Star Trek" must have been involved at some level.Applebaum and Nemec have a new series on ABC this fall, "Happy Town," and previously spearheaded "October Road" and "Life on Mars."No word on when the studio plans to move forward with "Mission Impossible 4" or who will direct. Cruise's next picture will be the untitled James Mangold romantic comedy he's shooting this fall for Fox. Abrams is developing a "Star Trek" sequel, but has not committed to direct it at this time.

src:hitfix.com

Nude Angelina Jolie statue to be unveiled

2009-08-05T07:47:00.000-07:00

Come September, a nude statue of Angelina Jolie will be revealed to fans in Oklahoma City thanks to artist Daniel Edwards.
Created in honor of World Breastfeeding Week, the life-size bronze statue shows the mother-of-six breastfeeding twins - one of African descent.
"We believe the statue sends a beautiful message by promoting the acceptance of public breastfeeding. Mothers should be encouraged to nurture their babies anywhere," said Sandy Wilson of Phantom-Financial, the organization behind the artwork.
New York artist Daniel Edwards was inspired by Jolie's W magazine cover last year (see below), in which her Hollywood heartthrob partner Brad Pitt snapped the star breastfeeding their newborn twins.
The sculpture is set to be unveiled in the Oklahoma City Metro area on September 11 and then go on display in London later this year (09).

Lionel Messi Expected To Be Handed New Contract At Barcelona

2009-07-31T14:15:00.000-07:00

Lionel Messi is set to have his contract reviewed by Barcelona once the team returns from its pre-season tour of the United States.
Sport believes that the Blaugrana want to make it perfectly clear who their number one star is following the media circus surrounding the arrival of Zlatan Ibrahimovic. It has already been reported that the Catalan giants refused to grant the Swedish striker the same salary he was previously making at Inter, so that Messi would remain the club’s top earner.
Now, it is believed that Barca want to shift their focus back to the Argentine by offering him an improved contract, even though his current term runs until 2014.
Sources close to the club have revealed that negotiations are already underway but will only pick up steam when the player is back in Catalunya.
It is speculated that his buy-out clause will go from €150 million to €250 million, the same amount as Ibrahimovic, and although there are no predictions as to how much he could be earning, his total income is expected to have a significant jump.
The idea behind this is to make sure that Messi continually feels appreciated by the club and that he remains happy with his conditions.
Barca's technical director, Txiki Begiristain, has already said, “The price of having the world’s best player in your ranks is to upgrade his contract every year.
“It is a significant price, but it is worth it.”
KS Leong, Goal.com

Angelina Jolie makes third visit to Iraq

2009-07-30T05:43:00.000-07:00

Globetrotting do-gooder Angelina Jolie visited Iraq Thursday to show her support for Iraqis affected by war.
She met with four families displaced from the district of Abu Ghraib, which is west of Baghdad. Parents told the actress and mother of six that their kids can't attend school, and that they don't have the money to pay for medical help.
"It takes a lot of strength for you to survive this life," Jolie, 34, told one man. "I don't know if I would be strong enough to survive this."
She also made the time to hold a baby with a rash.
The day-long trip marks the third visit to the war-torn country by Jolie, a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations.
Her first visit to Iraq was in 2007, when she addressed 1,200 refugees, followed by another trip in February.
Jolie vowed that Thursday's trip wouldn't be her last.
"I want to come back and find you in a better place and in a different situation," she said. "We hope that the [UN's refugee agency] and the government will support you in getting a piece of land. You need help not because you are poor, but because you are the future of Iraq."
But Jolie added that the country has a long way to go.
"This is moment where things seem to be improving on the ground," she said. "But Iraqis need a lot of support and help to rebuild their lives."

FC Barcelona - Al Ahly: 4-1 (Video-Highlights) The Wembley Cup

2009-07-26T07:57:00.000-07:00

FC Barcelona played this afternoon the last match of the Wembley Cup against Egyptian champions Al-Ahly. Barca won the match 4-1 with goals from Bojan, Rueda, Jeffren & Pedro.

FC Barcelona - Al Ahly: 4-1 (Video-Highlights) The Wembley Cup

Haifa Wehbe to sing 35 tracks in Ramadan TV show

2009-07-22T09:41:00.000-07:00

Thirty five tracks, with vocals by Haifa Wehbe, are to be featured in this year’s Fawazeer Ramadan (Ramadan Conundrums) entitled Cinema El Tarzi (Tailor’s Cinema). The shooting should start sometime this weekend.

Fawazeer Ramadan is a lighthearted musicallike entertainment format traditionally showing in the Muslim holy month of fasting, basically a competition for the audience with one puzzle in every episode around a yearly changeable theme.

This year’s theme is Egyptian actresses throughout the national film history. The title comes from the idea that roles used to be tailored for lead actresses it is inspired by the title of a humor book with the same theme, also by the scriptwriter, lyrics are by Gamal Bekhit, composed by Mohamed Rahim, and the show is directed by SamiAbdel Aziz.

Producer Amr Afifi is talking to Arab satellite that wish to buy the rights to the show. Egyptian TV withdrew from the production.

Barcelona Star Samuel Eto’o Agrees Inter Terms

2009-07-22T08:03:00.000-07:00

The Zlatan Ibrahimovic – Samuel Eto’o transfer saga is nearing the finishing line after the Barcelona hitman agreed a five-year deal with Inter last night, according to Sky Sport.President Massimo Moratti met with the player’s agent, Josep Maria Mesalles, at the club’s new headquarters in Corso Vittorio Emanuele, and it is suggested that Eto’o himself helped break the deadlock.La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Eto’o talked with Inter technical director Marco Branca on the phone in the afternoon, saying he was enthusiastic about joining the Biscione. Indeed, Eto'o also reportedly stated that he is ready to bring the Champions League trophy back to the San Siro.As a matter of fact, the striker has supposedly agreed to tie his bonuses to Inter’s achievements, rather than personal ones.Eto’o has apparently demanded a €2 million bonus for any trophy won by Inter over the next five years. This will come on top of his wages of €10m-per-season.Inter have failed to win Europe’s premier club competition since 1965, but Eto’o has already lifted ‘the big-eared cup’ twice at Barca.Vince Masiello, Goal.com

Princess facing Saudi death penalty given secret UK asylum

2009-07-21T05:20:00.000-07:00

A Saudi Arabian princess who had an illegitimate child with a British man has secretly been granted asylum in this country after she claimed she would face the death penalty if she were forced to return home. The young woman, who has been granted anonymity by the courts, won her claim for refugee status after telling a judge that her adulterous affair made her liable to death by stoning.
Her case is one of a small number of claims for asylum brought by citizens of Saudi Arabia which are not openly acknowledged by either government. British diplomats believe that to do so would in effect be to highlight the persecution of women in Saudi Arabia, which would be viewed as open criticism of the House of Saud and lead to embarrassing publicity for both governments.
The woman, who comes from a very wealthy Saudi family, says she met her English boyfriend – who is not a Muslim – during a visit to London. They struck up a relationship
She became pregnant the following year and worried that her elderly husband – a member of the Royal Family of Saudi Arabia – had become suspicious of her behaviour, she persuaded him to let her visit the UK again to give birth in secret. She feared for her life if she returned to Saudi Arabia.
She persuaded the court that if she returned to the Gulf state she and her child would be subject to capital punishment under Sharia law – specifically flogging and stoning to death. She was also worried about the possibility of an honour killing.
Since she fled Saudi Arabia, her family and her husband's family have broken off contact with her.
The woman has been granted permanent leave to remain in the UK after the Immigration and Asylum tribunal allowed her appeal.
The Home Office yesterday declined to discuss the case. A spokesman for the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in London said that he would call back but subsequently became unavailable.
Relations between the UK and Saudi Arabia have been strained in recent years and were brought to a head in 2006 when Tony Blair intervened to end a Serious Fraud Office (SFO) inquiry into alleged kickbacks paid in a multibillion military aircraft deal between the two states.
The Saudi royal family was deeply concerned about the idea that the investigators might try o open up their Swiss bank accounts, it was alleged at the time.
This led the Saudis to threaten to restrict the sharing of intelligence relating to terror activity if the prosecution went ahead. They also threatened to pull out of other highly-lucrative arms deals.
Last year, the House of Lords ruled that the SFO's decision to drop the corruption investigation into the £43bn Saudi arms deal with BAE Systems was unlawful.
In a hard-hitting ruling, two High Court judges described the SFO's decision as "an outrage".
One of them, Lord Justice Moses, said the SFO and the Government had given into "blatant threats" that Saudi intelligence co-operation would end unless the probe into corruption was halted.
"No one, whether within this country or outside, is entitled to interfere with the course of our justice," he said. "It is the failure of government and the defendant to bear that essential principle in mind that justifies the intervention of this court."
The Middle East state has been shrouded in controversy over oppressive policies against women and homosexuals. Secrecy surrounds much of the Saudi legal system, but in a recent report on the use of the death penalty in the kingdom, the human rights group Amnesty International highlighted its extensive use against men and women.
Adulterers face public stonings and floggings and, in the most serious cases, beheadings and hangings.
The high numbers of executions in Saudi Arabia in 2007 continued into 2008. There were at least 102 executions of men and women last year – at an average rate of two every week. Amnesty is aware of at least 136 individuals currently awaiting execution.
Last week, Saudi Arabia's religious police were blamed for the death of two sisters who were murdered in what was deemed an "honour killing" by their brother, after the sisters were arrested for allegedly mixing with men to whom they were not related.
The Society for Defending Women's Rights in Saudi Arabia said that the religious police had arrested the two sisters, aged 19 and 21, thus putting their lives in danger.
Their brother shot them dead in front of their father when they left a women's shelter in Riyadh on 5 July, according to Saudi news reports.
In 2007, in a case that shocked Saudis, a woman from Qatif was sentenced to 200 lashes and six months in prison after being gang-raped. She offended cultural expectations because she was unaccompanied when she got into a car with a former boyfriend.
The man had agreed to hand back a photograph of the woman who was about to marry another man, but as they drove along a street they were stopped and seized by seven men who raped them both. The woman was originally sentenced to 90 lashes but the sentence was increased when she appealed. Eventually, after an international outcry, she was pardoned.
In 2007, King Abdullah II of Saudi Arabia was jeered during a state visit to Britain as dozens of demonstrators turned out to protest at his country's human rights record.
src: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/princess-facing-saudi-death-penalty-given-secret-uk-asylum-1753007.html

Taliban video shows captive US soldier

2009-07-19T05:49:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON - The American soldier who went missing June 30 from his base in eastern Afghanistan and was later confirmed to have been captured, appeared on a video posted Saturday to a Web site by the Taliban.
Two U.S. defense officials confirmed to The Associated Press that the man in the video is the captured soldier. The video provides the first glimpse the public has had of the missing soldier.

The soldier is shown in the 28-minute video with his head shaved and the start of a beard. He is sitting and dressed in a nondescript, gray outfit. Early in the video one of his captors holds the soldier's dog tag up to the camera. His name and ID number are clearly visible. He is shown eating at one point and sitting cross-legged.
The soldier, whose identity has not yet been released by the Pentagon pending notification of members of Congress and the soldier's family, says his name, age and hometown on the video, which was released Saturday on a Web site pointed out by the Taliban.
The soldier said the date is July 14. He says he was captured when he lagged behind on a patrol.
He is interviewed in English by his captors, and he is asked his views on the war, which he calls extremely hard, his desire to learn more about Islam and the morale of American soldiers, which he said was low.
‘Well I’m scared’Asked how he was doing, the soldier said on the video:
"Well I'm scared, scared I won't be able to go home. It is very unnerving to be a prisoner."
He begins to answer questions in a matter-of-fact and sober voice, occasionally facing the camera, looking down and sometimes looking to the questioner on his left.
He later chokes up when discussing his family and his hope to marry his girlfriend.
"I have my girlfriend, who is hoping to marry," he said. "I have a very, very good family that I love back home in America. And I miss them every day when I'm gone. I miss them and I'm afraid that I might not ever see them again and that I'll never be able to tell them that I love them again and I'll never be able to hug them."
He is also prompted by his interrogators to give a message to the American people.
"To my fellow Americans who have loved ones over here, who know what it's like to miss them, you have the power to make our government bring them home," he said. "Please, please bring us home so that we can be back where we belong and not over here, wasting our time and our lives and our precious life that we could be using back in our own country. Please bring us home. It is America and American people who have that power."
The video is not a continuous recording — it appears to stop and start during the questioning.
It is unclear from the video whether the July 14 date is authentic. The soldier says that he heard that a Chinook helicopter carrying 37 NATO troops had been shot down over Helmand. A helicopter was shot down in southern Afghanistan on July 14, but it was carrying civilians on a reported humanitarian mission for NATO forces. All six Ukrainian passengers died in the crash, and a child on the ground was killed.
Details on disappearance unclearOn July 2, the U.S. military said an American soldier had disappeared after walking off his base in eastern Afghanistan with three Afghan counterparts and was believed to have been taken prisoner. A U.S. defense official said the soldier was noticed missing during a routine check of the unit on June 30 and was first listed as "duty status whereabouts unknown."
Details of such incidents are routinely held very tightly by the military as it works to retrieve a missing or captured soldier without giving away any information to captors.
But Afghan Police Gen. Nabi Mullakheil said the soldier went missing in eastern Paktika province near the border with Pakistan from an American base. The region is known to be Taliban-infested.
The most important insurgent group operating in that area is known as Haqqani network and is led by warlord Siraj Haqqani, whom the U.S. has accused of masterminding beheadings and suicide bombings including the July 2008 attack on the Indian Embassy in Kabul that killed some 60 people. The Haqqani group also was linked to an assassination attempt on Afghan president Hamid Karzai early last year.
On Saturday, a U.S. military official in Kabul, Col. Greg Julian, said the U.S. was "still doing everything we can to return him safely."
Julian said U.S. troops had distributed two fliers in the area where the soldier disappeared. One of them asked for information on the missing soldier and offered a $25,000 reward for his return. The other said "please return our soldier safely" or "we will hunt you," according to Julian.

Jackie Chan Starring in The Karate Kid "Remake"

2009-07-17T07:27:00.000-07:00

Variety reports that Jackie Chan will star in the Chinese-Hollywood movie Kung Fu Kid, which is a so-called remake of the 1984 American box-office smash hit The Karate Kid.
In the original, the late Pat Morita created one of the most iconic characters in movie history, the Karate master known simply as "Mr. Miyagi." He mentored Daniel Larusso, played by Ralph Macchio, a high-school kid who suffers humiliation and physical abuse at the hands of bullies who take karate from a slave-driver coach with a serious attitude problem.
Chan will apparently be a second incarnation of the Miyagi role, and the part of the young pupil will be played by Jaden Smith, the son of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith who starred alongside his father in The Pursuit of Happyness. Will Smith is also acting as one of the movie's producers.
It's strange that Kung Fu Kid's being called a remake when so many aspects of the original have been changed. According to a post on Movieline, the project is shooting in China due to financial obligations, thus forcing changes to parts of the original story that were specifically Japanese. These include the change from Mr. Miyagi, a carpenter born in Okinawa, to "Mr. Han," a Chinese janitor, and also the change from karate to kung fu.
As a result, the product will likely bare only a passing resemblance to the movie from 25 years ago, but calling it a remake will likely stir up the desired anticipation. Shooting for Kung Fu Kid began this past weekend, and the movie is scheduled for release next June. It is a joint project between Columbia Pictures and the China Film Group, and is being directed by Harald Zwart (Agent Cody Banks, The Pink Panther 2).

Woody Allen wants Carla Bruni-Sarkozy for his film

2009-07-12T15:07:00.000-07:00

The veteran director, who is planning to shoot a film in Paris next year, says the French first lady has the charisma to be a movie star.
She's been a supermodel, a singer and songwriter, and is currently the French first lady. Now Carla Bruni-Sarkozy seems one step closer to adding another string to her bow: Woody Allen wants to make her a movie star. In France to promote his latest comedy, Whatever Works, Allen yesterday told RTL radio in Paris that Bruni had a certain star quality which might be perfect for the big screen.
"I'm sure she would be wonderful," he said through a translator. "She has charisma and she performs, so she's not unknown to an audience, and I would cast her in many different ways.
"I don't have a story at the moment but, you know, maybe even I'll ask her, if she's interested," said Allen, who is planning to make a film in Paris next summer. The 73-year-old director is certainly keeping busy: he is due to start shooting his next project, a London-set comedy, in July.
So far, Bruni-Sarkozy has appeared in a number of films and TV series – including in Prêt-à-Porter, Robert Altman's 1994 black comedy skewering the fashion world, as well as the 1998 French comedy Paparazzi – but always playing herself.
Allen is expected to visit the Élysée presidential palace during his stay and meet with Bruni-Sarkozy and her husband.
Whatever Works opens in French cinemas next month, and in the US today. It stars Curb Your Enthusiasm's Larry David in a role many will see as a surrogate for Allen himself. He plays an eccentric physicist-turned-chess teacher from Greenwich Village who winds up marrying a young woman (Evan Rachel Wood) he finds lying on his doorstep.

Kate Winslet: The World Has Seen Enough of My Bum and My Boobs

2009-07-10T05:45:00.000-07:00

fter years of nude scenes, Oscar-winner Kate Winslet is getting ready to put it all away once and for all.
In a new interview with Harper’s Bazaar, the actress says she knows that her age will catch up with her one day, but is happy to have done a full-frontal or two in her heyday.
“If people are noticing my boobs in a movie and saying they do what real boobs do, then that’s great. I’ll be 34 in October. I can’t keep getting away with it. There was much of it in ‘The Reader’ because the story required it, but people have seen enough of my bum and my boobs. I have to put them back.”
Known not just for her fabulous figure but also for her glamorous look, Winslet is quick to dismiss the world of Hollywood glitz. “Our knickers will still go up our ass at the most inappropriate moment. And we’ll still want to flick them out, but you can’t because someone is going to catch you.”
Instead, Winslet said she does it in secret: “Oh, I run behind pillars and things.”
That’s our kind of movie star.

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, review

2009-07-08T09:41:00.000-07:00

A ten year old and an eleven year old give their views of the new Harry Potter film - Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.
Clever, witty, gripping what else do you want from a movie?. Sadly this is not what I can say about The Half Blood Prince. Although I was really excited about the new Harry Potter film and I thought that the start was brilliant, I have to say it started fading away about half way through.
The special effects were outstanding, but don’t they get better every year anyway? I thought the main story line came in very late, so I never got the gist of it. I also thought that it was one of those films that you could have easily gone to sleep in.
Some of the new characters, like Professor Slughorn, were fun but overall it was not the best Harry Potter movie I have seen and I would not go and see it again.
By Freddie Ruddle (10)
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince is very interesting and the best Harry Potter film so far. I am a really big Harry Potter fan and I love them all. The only reason I like the new one best is because the special effects and the graphics are better than the rest.

The beginning was brilliant because it was exciting and a little bit scary, but when it got deeper in it got a little bit worse. For instance, there was a girl who was mindlessly in love with Ron, she kept on snogging him. It was funny at first, but got out of hand.
It was also bad because it was confusing. At one point Harry and Dumbledore were on a rock and then they were suddenly in a cave. It was weird and complicated. Even though this Harry Potter doesn’t have the best structure I want to see it again.

Do You Know Megan Fox's 'Rose Boy'?

2009-07-06T22:40:00.000-07:00

A little boy became famous after trying to present Megan Fox with a yellow rose -- and Kodak is attempting to set up a meet-and-greet between the boy and the bombshell!
The fan, dubbed "Rose Boy" by the media, was snapped attempting to give Megan a rose at the U.K. premiere of "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen."
Kodak is urging people who know who Rose Boy to come forward, and the company is offering "$5,000 to the first person who can provide verifiable information" about him so they can arrange a meeting between the boy and Fox!
Megan recently told Collider.com that she felt horrible for inadvertently ignoring Rose Boy, who she claims she didn't even see. "I feel so sad for him. That's so terrible. That kills me." She added, "There were, like, 80 million people everywhere. It's dark, all I see are flashes -- everyone's yelling different things... and I didn't know that was happening."
The actress went on to say, "If you know his name, I will send him a personal apology. I'm horrified. I would never do that. I'm sorry, sweet boy. I would never do that to you, and I would gladly accept your rose if I see you again."

Winger Cristiano Ronaldo passes Real Madrid medical exam

2009-07-06T12:37:00.001-07:00

MADRID — Real Madrid's record signing Cristiano Ronaldo has passed his medical examination ahead of his presentation to fans at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium.
Madrid's medical staff said the Portugal winger is in "perfect condition" after arriving in the Spanish capital on Monday following his 80-million-pound (C$150.5 million) transfer from Manchester United.
Fans lined up outside the Bernabeu to see the 24-year-old Ronaldo, with up to 80,000 expected at the stadium. The presentation is expected to be the largest reception for a player since Argentina great Diego Maradona arrived at Napoli in 1984.

What's the point of Bernie Madoff's 150-year prison sentence?

2009-06-30T09:41:00.000-07:00

Why did Bernie Madoff get 150 years in prison? Short answer -- he's a sleaze. Real answer -- lots of reasons.
The Ponzi Scheme operator's conviction yesterday produced the sort of unrestrained glee that was entirely to be expected. Madoff, who is certifiably old, obviously won't see the light of day following a 150-year prison term.
Lee Sorkin, Madoff's attorney, called the sentence "absurd" this morning during an interview with Matt Lauer on "Today": "The justice system is not built on vengeance. It's not built on symbolism."
He continued: "This fraud was collapsing for a number of years before he confessed. He could have very easily gotten on an airplane, wired his money out of the United States. He did not choose to do that."
Nice guy, that Madoff. Here's video of the interview:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

So since he won't live another 150 years, is the huge sentence indeed "absurd"? The Associated Press paraphrased the judge as saying "he needed to send a message to potential imitators and to victims who demanded harsh punishment."
That may ring slightly of frontier justice, but Slate, referencing a different case, explained astronomical sentences thusly:
"First, in a case with multiple victims, each family might find solace in knowing the criminal received a specific punishment for each crime. Second, the prosecutor might want multiple sentences on the books in case some were overturned on appeal. Third, the court could use back-to-back sentences to emphasize the crime's severity to the governor or the board of pardons."
So what do you think of the sentence? Empty symbolism? Just right? Not long enough?

Michael Jackson Dies after Apparent Cardiac Arrest

2009-06-25T19:56:00.001-07:00

Michael Jackson, the onetime child star turned King of Pop, died in Los Angeles on Thursday afternoon after suffering an apparent cardiac arrest in his home. He was 50 years old. Jackson was pronounced dead at 2:26 p.m. at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center not far from his rental mansion in the Holmby Hills. The cause of death wasn't known. An autopsy is set for Friday. The entertainer was stricken Thursday afternoon and a 911 call was placed. "His personal physician, who was with him at the time, attempted to resuscitate Jackson, as did paramedics who transferred him," according to a statement from the hospital.
Frantic, Futile EffortsWith an oxygen mask over his face, Jackson was carted to a red ambulance and rushed to the hospital, arriving at 1:14 p.m. "A team of doctors including emergency physicians and cardiologists attempted to resuscitate for a period of more than one hour but were unsuccessful," the statement says. Jackson had been busy rehearsing for a high-stakes comeback tour, set to start within weeks in England, with dozens of dates scheduled and tickets selling out quickly. To prepare for the rigors of performing, he was training with Lou Ferrigno, the star of the TV show The Incredible Hulk.
Questions About His TourThere were some doubts among Jackson's circle about his ability to perform his upcoming concert schedule. "Michael is physically just not ready [for the concerts]," a source close to Jackson said last month. "He weighs even less than he did during his trial, which was almost nothing. He's 50 years old." Famly members, including his mother Catherine, brothers Randy and Jermaine, and sisters Janet and LaToya, arrived separately at the hospital for a tense and tearful vigil. "First, it was chaotic [in the ER] and then absolute silence," says family lawyer Brian Oxman. "Everyone is just heartbroken. I'm heartbroken." During the ordeal, Jackson's three children were left with a nanny, and plans were made for them to stay with Jackson's mother for the time being. "Mrs. Jackson loves the kids and she will care for them now," says Oxman. By the evening, the family left the hospital in five-vehicle caravan for his mother's house in Encino. A teary-eyed LaToya was behind the wheel of a black Mercedes; she was followed by a grim-faced Janet in a droopy suede cowboy hat driving a tan Maserati. Jackson's father, Joseph, was en route to Los Angeles from his home in Las Vegas. Jackson's body was flown by helicopter to the Los Angeles County Cornoner's Office, where the autopsy will be performed.

Will Susan Boyle Make Her Mark On 'America's Got Talent'?

2009-06-21T09:00:00.000-07:00

Maybe Susan Boyle will have an easier time in America. After coming in second on "Britain's Got Talent," landing in a mental hospital for exhaustion and getting off to a rocky start on the "BGT" tour of the U.K., the 48-year old instant celebrity get to grace the stage (and TV screens) on this side of the pond.
According to People, "America's Got Talent" judge Piers Morgan — who was one of Boyle's biggest supporters on "Britain's Got Talent" — said on Tuesday that Boyle has been invite to perform on the upcoming U.S. edition of the show.
"If she's up for it and she is well enough," Morgan told the magazine, "our feeling is she probably will [appear on 'AGT']. Absolutely!"
Boyle, who is Scottish, has been viewed more than 200 million times on YouTube and amassed a large following in the U.S. Having Boyle perform in the U.S. would make perfect sense, according to her brother, John, who said that 95 percent of his sister's fan mail comes from the America.
Morgan said fellow judge Simon Cowell, who produces both the American and British versions of the show, already has plans to bring Boyle to the U.S. for some live shows, and having her on the show could only boost her fame. Or, at the very least, it would boost viewership of "AGT," which premiers on NBC on June 23 with new host Nick Cannon.
"Susan singing live to 25 million Americans? That would be great!" Morgan said. "She still gets a bit tired sometimes, but she is 48."
Entertainment Weekly reported that Morgan said the "Boyle effect" resulted in thousands more people auditioning for the American show, and when the show debuts, "there will be two or three acts who could have the same impact. After one group performs, there won't be a dry eye in the house." Morgan said that, as on the UK show, he and fellow judges David Hasselhoff and Sharon Osbourne won't know the identity of the contestants before they take the stage.

Paris Hilton brings her reality show to Dubai

2009-06-19T04:40:00.001-07:00

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Paris Hilton said she studied the culture of Dubai and promised the Middle East version of her reality show will steer clear of the drinking and the swearing it had in Los Angeles and London.
The remarks came as Hilton, 28, launched the Mideast edition of her "Paris Hilton's My New BFF" series in Dubai, a glitzy sheikdom in the United Arab Emirates. BFF stands for best friends forever.
"I wanted to know everything about this place first because I wanted to make sure everything was OK," the hotel heiress was quoted as saying by The National newspaper Thursday. "I just want to respect everyone here."
The fame-loving Hilton promised to dress conservatively and said her Dubai-based MTV series will be open to women only. There will be no finger pointing and laughing at anybody, the show's producers said.
"I expect to learn a lot here. It's a completely different world," Hilton also said.
Twenty-two contestants will try their best to become Hilton's new BFF in the 20 days she will spend in the Emirates. No air date has yet been set for the Mideast show.
When not filming her reality show, intended for broadcast throughout the Arab region, Hilton will explore the desert, go camel riding, get a henna tattoo and go skiing on Dubai's famed artificial ski slope inside a shopping mall.
The show's producer Michael Hirschorn said that the filming will last some three weeks, while the finale will be filmed in Los Angeles. The plan is to build "My New BFF" into a global franchise, with Hilton searching for BFFs around the world.
Hilton previously filmed two seasons in Los Angeles for MTV and one in London for British television.
Contestants were competing fiercely for the title in the U.K. and the U.S. versions of the show. They drank alcohol and used foul language and tactics to earn it — something producers said will not be allowed in Dubai.

Obama kills fly during TV interview

2009-06-17T04:54:00.001-07:00

President Barack Obama, annoyed by a fly during a television interview at the White House, took matters into his own hands by killing it.Mr Obama told the persistent fly: “Get out of here.”It did not. So Mr Obama waited for the fly to settle and then smacked the fly dead at the first attempt.Without missing a beat, the president said to CNBC correspondent John Harwood: “Now, where were we. That was pretty impressive, wasn’t it? I got the sucker.”The camera crew was still rolling in the East Room. Mr Obama pointed to the vanquished insect on the floor and said: “You want to film that?”

Jodhaa Akbar shines at IIFA Awards

2009-06-15T07:54:00.000-07:00

Macau (ANI): The Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan starrer 'Jodhaa Akbar won maximum awards at the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) on Saturday in Macau. Double Oscar award winnerA R Rahman won the Best Music Director award for 'Jodhaa Akbar', Javed Akhtar grabbed the trophy for Best Lyrics category for 'Jodhaa Akbar'.
Former Miss World Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan got the prestigious Special Award for Global Impact. Abhishekh Bachchan won the Best Comedian award for Dostana, Shreya Ghoshal got the Best Female Playback singer for 'Singh is Kinng
Yesteryear superstar Rajesh Khanna was honoured with the Life Time Achievement Award at the function. In the technical awards category, 'Jodhaa Akbar' swept through the award function with Ballu Saluja bagging Best Editing award, Nitin Chandrakant Desai got the Best Art Direction award, Neeta Lulla for Best Costume Design.
Resul Pokkutty, who made history by winning an Oscar for his work in Slumdog Millionaire, bagged the Best Sound Recording Award for Aamir Khan starrer Ghajini with Amrit. Jason West for 'Rock On!' grabbed best Cinematographer award, while Best Choreography award went to Farah Khan for her song Desi girl from 'Dostana'.Around 500 Bollywood personalities and an 8,000-strong audience reportedly flown in from all over the world to attend the ceremony at Macau. All the winners, except Farah and Jason, were present at the event.

Madonna's million dollar baby: Singer wins court appeal to adopt Mercy after donating £12m to Malawi

2009-06-13T05:11:00.000-07:00

So in the end she got her way, as she always does.
But it seems the adoption of Malawian orphan Mercy James did not come cheap.
Madonna is reported to have donated £12million to the African state to fund orphan aid projects
One international welfare agency worker told the Daily Mirror: 'It smacks of bribery. How can they refuse her requests when she gives Malawi so much?'
The money has been spent to fund six orphanages as well as paying for shoes, clothes, books and mosquito nets.
It has taken nearly three years, but yesterday Madonna was finally free to take Mercy for a new life in America.
The supreme court in Blantyre overturned a previous ruling that had rejected the singer's petition to adopt the four-year-old girl.
'I am ecstatic,' Madonna said on hearing the news at her home in New York. 'My family and I look forward to sharing our lives with her.'
She expressed thanks to the supreme court's three judges, headed by Chief Justice Lovemore Munlo.
Earlier he had told the packed courthouse: 'Madonna has shown that she is bold and compassionate enough to come forward to adopt Chifundo Mercy James.'
He said there were two options for Mercy: 'To stay at the orphanage without the love of family and live with the possibility of destitution, or be with Madonna where she is assured of love. Every child has the right to love and be loved.'
He said Madonna was 'an intelligent, articulate and outgoing individual of strong character. She is also a determined, independent and hardworking person of compassion from a God-fearing family.
'Since the early age of six when her mother died, she took on the maternal role to her younger siblings, assuming responsibility of house cleaning, cooking and babysitting.'
Malawi's high court had turned down the singer's application in April because she was not resident in Malawi.
But Mr Munlo said this was a 'narrow interpretation based on old laws', adding: 'The matter of residence should be determined at the time of application of the adoption. In this case, Madonna was in Malawi not by chance but by design. She specifically came here for the purpose of this application for adoption.
'And on that day she had already adopted another infant known as David Banda from Malawi. She has plans to travel to Malawi frequently with her adopted children in order to instill in them a cultural pride and knowledge of their country of origin.'
He added that Madonna would easily be able to care for the youngster, concluding that the singer - who is worth some £250million - was 'financially stable'.
Despite Madonna's avowed love for the child, she was unable to make it to Malawi for the hearing and was represented by her lawyer, Alan Chinula.
After the hearing, he said he would arrange for a passport for Mercy, which could take several days, and was awaiting word from Madonna on travel plans for the little girl.
She will join three-year-old David Banda, who Madonna adopted two years ago, at their main home in New York.
Like David, Mercy will exchange the orphanage for opulence. It has been reported that Madonna has just splashed out £25million on a Georgian-style townhouse in the Upper East Side. The 26-room property is said to have 13 bedrooms and 14 bathrooms. Instead of being raised in the Christian faith practised by her Malawian family, Mercy will be instructed in Kabbalah, the mystical faith followed by Madonna.
While she was delighted with yesterday's news, it will not have been welcomed by Mercy's grandmother, Lucy Chekechiwa, who has been unwavering in her resistance to the adoption.
Madonna came across Mercy at an orphanage during her first visit to Malawi in 2006 with her then husband, Guy Ritchie.
She decided Mercy was 'the one', but her grandmother refused to let her go.
So the singer instead returned home with David Banda, whom it proved easier to extricate from his father Yohane.
Lucy's daughter, Mwandida, was Mercy's mother. She became pregnant aged 14 - the father was an older student at their school - and died from complications of childbirth days after Mercy was born.
Mercy's father, James Kambewa, claims he was told that Mercy too had died and only learned the truth after being tracked down by journalists in April. He now says he wants his daughter back.
In an emotional appeal, he told the Mail: 'She is my daughter, she is my blood, she needs parental love.
'She is not an orphan. She lost one parent, yes, but I am still alive and so she is not an orphan. Madonna has millions of dollars but that doesn't make her a good mum. Parental love is more than money.'
Vowing to fight to get his daughter back, he said: 'I will win somehow.'
Last night, adoption charities reacted angrily to the news of the adoption ruling, saying international laws had been breached.
EveryChild, the international children's charity, said it was 'extremely concerned' that the Malawian courts ruled in favour of Madonna.
A spokesman said: 'Malawi has still not ratified the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption which raises grave concerns about the adoption process and appeal.'
Anna Feuchtwang, chief executive of EveryChild, said: 'The court's decision to allow Madonna to adopt Mercy is disappointing and worrying on a number of levels.
'High-profile adoptions such as this send out the wrong message. It is a shame that so much emphasis has been placed on a celebrity, rather than the real issue of the work being done in Malawi to support vulnerable families to stay together.'

Ahmadinejad Heads for Win in Iran Presidential Vote

2009-06-13T03:06:00.000-07:00

June 13 (Bloomberg) -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who heightened tensions with the West during his first four years in power, was set for a second term after he took an insurmountable lead in election vote counting.
Ahmadinejad, 52, took 64 percent of the vote in yesterday’s presidential poll, compared with 32.6 percent for his main rival, former Prime Minister Mir Hossein Mousavi, with 78 percent of the votes counted, state television cited the Interior Ministry as saying. Shortly after polling closed Mousavi, 67, claimed he was the winner and warned that he would “follow up” to investigate any fraudulent voting.
An Ahmadinejad victory over rivals who favored warmer relations with the U.S. will hinder efforts by President Barack Obama to resolve the West’s dispute with the Persian Gulf nation over its nuclear program. The U.S. and several major allies including Israel say the program is a cover for the development of a weapon. The government in Tehran denies the charge, insisting the program is peaceful and designed to generate electricity.
Ahmadinejad’s re-election is “a major obstacle to U.S.- Iran confidence building,” said Karim Sadjadpour, an Iran expert at the Washington-based Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
“He pushes the worst possible buttons; his diatribes toward Israel and his Holocaust denial make it far more difficult for any U.S. administration to acquiesce on enrichment of uranium” in Iran, Sadjadpour said.
Tehran Clashes
Police clashed today with Mousavi supporters in Tehran, Agence France-Presse reported. “They have ruined the country and they want to ruin it more over the next four years,” shouted the crowd as policemen beat protesters with batons outside Mousavi’s campaign office, the news wire reported.
Mohammad Sahadatfar, a spokesman for Ahmadinejad’s campaign office in Tehran, said in a telephone interview he was not surprised by the vote.
“We had expected these results,” Sahadatfar said. Ahmadinejad’s last address on state television on June 10 “was instrumental in securing the votes. He stated all the facts clearly and countered accusations of lies that opponents had made against him.”
‘Certainly Victorious’
The other two candidates in the race made little impression, according to the official results. Former Parliamentary Speaker Mehdi Karrubi, 71, got 0.9 percent of the vote, while 2.5 percent voted for Mohsen Rezai, 54, a former Revolutionary Guards commander who appealed to many of the same voters Ahmadinejad was courting.
About 35 million of the 46.2 million eligible voters cast their ballots yesterday, the Interior Ministry said. The incumbent needed more than 50 percent of the vote to avoid a second round run-off. There were no international monitors.
In a news conference held in Tehran after polls closed and before results were known, Mousavi’s campaign aides said he expected to capture 25 million votes.
“Based on reports from provinces, Mousavi will certainly be victorious with a large lead in this very first round,” Abolfazl Fateh, Mousavi’s campaign manager, said.
Iran is under three sets of United Nations sanctions over its refusal to halt uranium enrichment, a process that can generate fuel for a nuclear power reactor or a weapon. The country increased uranium production during the last three months and continued to stonewall inspectors investigating whether it is concealing a weapons program, the UN’s nuclear agency said on June 5.
Israel Tensions
Ahmadinejad has further worsened Iran’s relations with the West by questioning Israel’s right to exist and the extent of the Holocaust. His speech attacking Israel at an April 20 United Nations conference in Geneva prompted European delegates to walk out.
The government in Tehran has supported militant Islamist movements such as the Gaza Strip-based Hamas and Lebanon’s Hezbollah. The U.S. also accused Iran of arming militant groups in neighboring Iraq that have killed American soldiers.
During the campaign, Karrubi and Mousavi accused Ahmadinejad of squandering years of rising crude oil prices through mismanagement that fueled an inflation rate that reached 24 percent in January and unemployment of 10.5 percent.
All three of Ahmadinejad’s challengers said that his flaunting of the country’s nuclear program and his confrontational rhetoric with the West backfired, with Iran starved of investment to boost crude oil production by U.S. and UN sanctions imposed because of its refusal to halt its nuclear work.
‘Nuclear Peaks’
Ahmadinejad made his defense of the nuclear program against international pressure one of the cornerstones of his campaign.
“The Iranian nation has reached the nuclear peaks,” Ahmadinejad said in a campaign rally in Tehran on May 22. “It has broken the chains of sanctions. In these four years, despite international pressure, the Iranian nation proved that it can progress. The path of the future is this very one.”
Ahmadinejad focused his campaign on buttressing support in the more religiously inclined rural areas where about a third of Iran’s 70 million people live. It was a constituency that helped secure his surprise victory four years ago on a promise to redistribute oil wealth. Since taking office in 2005, he has visited each of Iran’s 30 provinces twice.
The former Tehran mayor had expanded handouts to Iranians as the price of oil jumped from $60 a barrel to a high of $147 last July. Spending on subsidized products such as sugar, wheat and cooking oils rose more than 50 percent from 2005 to 2007.
Young People, Women
With oil now down to $72 a barrel, Iran -- holder of the second-largest oil reserves in the world after Saudi Arabia -- faces widening budget deficits, the International Monetary Fund has warned.
Mousavi, who is respected by many Iranians for steering the economy through the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war as prime minister, appealed mainly to the urban middle-class, young people and women. He was endorsed during the campaign by former President Ali Khatami, who dropped out of the contest to avoid taking votes away from Mousavi.
The former prime minister said he was open to talks with the U.S. that would ease three decades of hostility between the countries. He promised unspecified confidence-building measures to allay international concerns about the atomic program, though the nuclear effort would be continued.
‘New Possibilities’
President Obama had underlined yesterday his ambition to secure better relations with Iran.
“You’re seeing people looking at new possibilities,” Obama said in response to a question at the White House. “Whoever ends up winning the election in Iran, the fact that there’s been a robust debate hopefully will help advance our ability to engage them in new ways.”
Ahmadinejad had the implicit backing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 69. On May 18 Khamenei, who has the final say on all affairs of state, urged voters to shun candidates who might yield to “bullying Western powers.” Ahmadinejad supporters cited Khamenei’s call for a president who “understands the people’s woes.”
State institutions were deployed to silence critics. Several anti-Ahmadinejad newspapers were closed and bloggers arrested. On May 23, Iran temporarily blocked social networking. On May 23, Iran temporarily blocked social networking Web sites Facebook and Twitter, used in their campaigns by Mousavi and Karrubi.
A Mousavi presidency would have made “it easier from a public relations side for Obama,” said Alex Vatanka, a U.S- based expert on global security at Jane’s Information Group. “From the U.S. point of view, it is hard to stomach someone such as Ahmadinejad with his baggage and rhetoric on the Holocaust.”

Man Utd accepts record €94 million for Ronaldo

2009-06-11T05:40:00.000-07:00

AFP - Manchester United have agreed to sell Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid for a world record 80 million pounds (130 million dollars, 94 million euros), the club said Thursday. "Manchester United have received a world-record, unconditional offer of 80 million pounds for Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid," said a statement on its website, under the headline "Reds accept £80m Ronaldo bid." The statement continued: "At Cristiano's request - who has again expressed his desire to leave - and after discussion with the player's representatives, United have agreed to give Real Madrid permission to talk to the player. "Matters are expected to be concluded by 30 June. The club will not comment until further notice." Ronaldo has long been a target for the Spanish giants, whose returning president Florentino Perez vowed earlier this week to do "everything possible" to take the 24-year-old to the Bernabeu. The news comes just days after Real clinched the 56 million pounds transfer of Brazilian playmaker Kaka from Italian side AC Milan as they look to compete with arch-rivals Barcelona on the domestic front and such as Manchester United and Chelsea in the Champions League. United fans have repeatedly been told no deal had been agreed for the sale of FIFA's world player of the year in the face of regular statements from Spain the former Sporting Lisbon star was bound for the Bernabeu. There was no immediate statement from Real Madrid

DiCaprio breaks up with model girlfriend

2009-06-10T12:10:00.000-07:00

Leonardo DiCaprio and his Israeli-model girlfriend Bar Refaeli have broken up.Leonardo DiCaprio and his Israeli-model girlfriend Bar Refaeli are still an item.Both descriptions are true, depending on whom you believe.
"They're taking time off for the time being, they've split," a source told People magazine. "It could just end up as a break but for now they're doing their own thing."People says that over the weekend the Sports Illustrated swimsuit model, 23, walked the red carpet at Hollywood Life's Young Hollywood Awards solo, refusing to speak about DiCaprio. Meanwhile, the "Titanic" star, 34, hit the hot Manhattan club Avenue, where he was seen chatting with another woman.However, Usmagazine.com asserts that they're still an item, noting that they had been photographed Monday shopping together in Hollywood.http://today-world.blogspot.com/search/label/Entertainment

Maldini: Milan won't win Champs Lge without Kaka

2009-06-10T07:58:00.000-07:00

MILAN (AP) — Former AC Milan captain Paolo Maldini said Wednesday the club has no chance of winning the Champions League next season after selling Kaka to Real Madrid.
The Brazilian confirmed his move to Madrid for a reported euro65.5 million (US$92 million) on Monday, saying he hoped his sale would help ease Milan's financial woes.
Maldini said that while the move may have made financial sense, it had undoubtedly weakened the side's chances of adding to it's seven European Cups.
"Milan winning the Champions League without Kaka is a dream," Maldini said on Milan's Web site on Wednesday. "Looking at the bank account is logical, but at the start of the season you need to set obtainable objectives and without Kaka the Champions League is a dream.
"He is one of the five best players in the world along with (Lionel) Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. The other four aren't moving and Milan can't buy them. Selling Kaka was a big blow to his teammates and the fans."
FIND MORE STORIES IN: Real Madrid Cristiano Ronaldo Lionel Messi Ronaldinho A.C. Milan Paolo Maldini Kaká
In his 24-year career with Milan, the former Italy captain was in the vanguard of Italian dominance in Europe. He won the Champions League five times and helped the club to a further three finals.
However, he now feels that Italy has slipped behind other leagues in Europe.
"Kaka is the first player of that level to be sold. In the past such an idea would never have been taken into consideration," Maldini said.
Maldini does feel that new coach Leonardo will not have to look too far to find a replacement for the 2007 World Player of the Year.
"Ronaldinho will have a lot of responsibility next season. Last year he didn't surpass himself, but I think this responsibility will do him good."

AskMen Names Eva Mendes Most Desirable

2009-06-10T07:27:00.000-07:00

AskMen.com, the largest online men's magazine, today announced its 9th annual list of the “Top 99 Most Desirable Women.” AskMen readers cast more than ten million votes to rank the women who best represent the qualities of the ideal girlfriend or wife. And guess who came out on top? Miss Eva Mendes! Speaking about the honor, she told AskMen.com: "Of all the qualities I find attractive in a man, paying me such a compliment tops my list. Thanks, guys!” Check out the top ten Most Desirable ladies below: 1. Eva Mendes, actress and model2. Megan Fox, actress 3. Marisa Miller, Victoria’s Secret model 4. Keeley Hazell, British model 5. Anne Hathaway, Golden Globe® Awards nominee actress 6. Alessandra Ambrosio, Brazilian model7. Scarlett Johansson, newlywed and actress8. Rihanna, GRAMMY® winning singer actress9. Kristen Bell, screen actress10. Kate Beckinsale, screen actress

Haifa Wehbe outraged by Al Azhar scholars

2009-06-10T06:06:00.000-07:00

Haifa Wehbe may take a legal action against Al Azhar Scholars Board ASB, who called her a whore.

An unprecedentedly strongly worded statement issued by ASB, which was circulated shortly, attacked Khaled Youssef’s new movie Dokkan Shehata, Producer Kamel Abu Ali convened swiftly with Youssef to discuss the move carefully.

ASB is a hardliner dissident front within the Islamic institution, seen as an opposition to its prostate official leaders.

The newlywed Lebanese singer, Wehbe, who was singled out in the statement as a debauchee whore, called the filmmaker and producer from her home country, furious and exceptionally alarmed, asking them to act urgently and strictly, saying the offence is not also aimed at her husband, the steel magnate, Ahmed Abu Hashima.

A tension between the filmmaker and censors has hardly been settled as the new inflammatory statement came.

Thomas Beatie : US ‘pregnant man’ gives birth to second child

2009-06-10T03:32:00.000-07:00

New York, June 10 (ANI): Thomas Beatie, the transgendered man who created history last year by being the first “pregnant man”, has given birth to a healthy baby boy during natural childbirth, it has been reported.
20/20 reports that Beatie’s wife, Nancy, is reportedly planning to breastfeed the couple’s newborn, as she did with their 1-year-old daughter, Susan Juliette.
Beatie, 35, who was originally born a woman named Tracy, became a media sensation last year when photos of him with a beard and a pregnant belly were made public, reports The New York Daily News.
When questions regarding the medical mystery emerged, Beatie told Barbara Walters that he had sex-reassignment surgery, while still keeping his female reproductive organs, a decision that later benefited the couple as Nancy, 46, was not able to bear children.
During this conversation with Walters, Beatie revealed that he was expecting the couple’s second child.
During this conversation with Walters, Beatie revealed that he was expecting the couple’s second child.
“I feel good. I had my checkups with my hormone level, as far as the HCG. And everything is right on track,” he said.
In a bid to have another baby, Beatie did not go back on the male hormone testosterone after his daughter’s birth, who was also delivered naturally. (ANI)

Kaka poised to sign for Real Madrid

2009-06-08T11:59:00.000-07:00

AC Milan star Kaka is expected to sign for Real Madrid after undergoing a medical exam in Brazil on Monday, Spanish newspapers reported
Real Madrid's new president Florentino Perez hopes to make the signing official between Monday afternoon and Tuesday, after sending representatives to Brazil to close the deal, said the sports newspaper AS.
The midfielder is to undergo a medical exam by a Real Madrid doctor in Brazil, after which he will hold his first press conference as a Real Madrid player," said another sports newspaper, Marca.
AS said he will be presented as a Real player on June 30.
The Brazilian 2007 world and European player of the year would be the first major signing by Perez since he returned as president on June 1 vowing to make Real "the best club of the 21st century."
The Spanish press had earlier said Real will pay around 65 million euros for Kaka.
That would make the second most expensive signing by Perez, who approved the transfer of Zinedine Zidane from Juventus for a world record 75 million euros in 2001.
Perez led Real from 2000 to 2006, when it earned the nickname "Los Galacticos", winning the Primera Liga twice and European Champions League with such stars as Zidane, Ronaldo, Luis Figo, David Beckham and Michael Owen.

Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie planning to wed?

2009-06-08T05:34:00.000-07:00

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are reportedly planning to quash split rumours with a wedding by the end of the summer.
Hollywood's hottest couple has been dogged with break-up rumours for some time, with reports suggesting that their four-year-old relationship is over. Jolie is said to be so furious with the rumours that she has decided to end them once for all with the marriage.
They are planning the wedding by the end of the summer once their current filming commitments are out of the way, Mirror reported online.
"Usually it's Brad who wants to talk marriage. But this time it was Angie. An aide sent them all the Press clippings about their 'relationship problems' and Angelina said it was probably best if they married to put an end to the stories. Brad's face lit up, he was thrilled," a friend of the couple told the newspaper.

Obama relative 'to stand as MP'

2009-06-08T02:51:00.000-07:00

Barack Obama's ex-brother-in-law says he wants to challenge for the Conservative seat left vacant by MP Andrew MacKay in Bracknell.
Ian Manners, who was married to the US president's half sister, is responding to David Cameron's call for candidates from non-political backgrounds.
The 56-year-old businessman says he is "lifelong Conservative" who was angered by the MPs' expenses scandal.
Mr MacKay is standing down following revelations about his allowances.
Mr Manners, who lives in the constituency, said he had sent a letter to Bracknell Conservative association expressing an interest in the vacancy, after friends had persuaded him he would be a "good candidate".
'Morally wrong'
He said he thought Mr MacKay had done a "good job" as the Berkshire town's MP but he had been shocked by the expenses revelations.
He is probably on the other side of the fence politically, but some of our values are similar
Ian Manners
"I think it is pretty disgraceful. They say it is within the rules, but MPs have been setting their own rules," he told the BBC News website.
He said he would only consider standing as an MP if the expenses system was changed as he thought it was "morally wrong".
He said he would step back from the day-to-day running of his luxury marquee hire company, which employs nine people.
He said he agreed with Conservative policies, such as "strong family values", and has also said he shares Mr Obama's commitment to fairness and racial equality.
He is a former accountant and restaurant owner, who also worked for a time as Castrol Oil racing competitions manager, alongside champion motorcycle racer Barry Sheene.
Mr Manners was married to Auma Obama Manners, Mr Obama's half-sister, whose mother Kezia Obama was the first wife of the president's Kenyan-born father.
'Public service'
The couple divorced in 2000. Mr Manners said he used to play golf with Mr Obama, and the future US president attended his stag night in Bracknell and his wedding in 1996 and his daughter attended the inauguration.
He said: "There is a family connection. I haven't spoken to him for a long time but there is no bad feeling.
"He is probably on the other side of the fence politically, but some of our values are similar. I am sure he would wish me well."
Andrew MacKay has one of the Conservative Party's safest seats, with a majority of more than 12,000 at the 2005 general election.
But he was forced to stand down after it was revealed he and his wife, Julie Kirkbride, Tory MP for Bromsgrove, both claimed second home allowances.
Ms Kirkbride has announced she too will be standing down at the next election.
Conservative leader David Cameron announced at the weekend that he was re-opening the Conservative candidates list in the wake of the expenses scandal.
He said anyone could apply to stand even if they have not had anything to do with the Conservative Party before.
The Tory leader told the BBC he wanted people who "believe in public service".

New England economy could see gay-marriage boost

2009-06-07T07:14:00.000-07:00

BOSTON (Reuters) - The expansion of legal gay marriage across New England could deliver an economic windfall by attracting a youthful "creative class" of workers to a region with an aging population.
In the past year, Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine have joined Massachusetts, which in 2004 became the first U.S. state to allow same-sex weddings, in blessing gay and lesbian weddings.
That makes the region the first in the United States where same-sex couples can move from one state to another while retaining marriage benefits.
New arrivals include John Visser and Nick Keffer, who recently moved to Hartford, Connecticut, from Raleigh, North Carolina. They plan to wed later this month.
"The sole, only reason why we moved was because it was now legal for us to get married here," said Visser, 42. "No other reason whatsoever other than marriage equality. We were perfectly happy in North Carolina."
New England has long burnished an image of tolerance. Early European settlers in the 17th-century escaped religious persecution, although they imposed their own stern doctrines and sometimes expelled dissenters. Later, the region led the right for the abolition of black slavery.
Five out of the region's six states now endorse gay weddings after New Hampshire legalized same-sex marriage on Wednesday, leaving Rhode Island as the sole holdout.
The spread of gay marriage could serve as a recruiting tool for universities, health care companies and financial services firms that dominate the region's economy, experts said.
"It will be a selling point when it comes to trying to lure people with same-sex partners who are being wooed for a job," said M.V. Lee Badgett, a University of Massachusetts economist who studies gay and lesbian issues.
Same-sex couples in the so-called "creative class" were 2.5 times more likely to move to Massachusetts in the three years following the approval of same-sex marriage than they had been in the three prior years, according to a study released in May by the Williams Institute of the University of California.
That study also found that migrants relocating to the state were more likely to be younger and female than before same-sex marriage was approved.
Research shows that heterosexual members of the "creative class" -- a group that includes financial whizzes, software programmers and educators -- tend to regard states that allow gay marriages as more appealing places to live.
"It broadly suggests you have an environment in which people who are seen as different are accepted," said Gary Gates, the UCLA demographer who was the study's lead author.
Outside New England, the only other U.S. state to allow gay marriage is Iowa. California for six months last year allowed same-sex weddings before voters put an end to the practice.
REASON TO STAY
The first economic effect Massachusetts felt from gay marriage was a boost in business related to actual wedding ceremonies performed over the past five years.
The 12,167 same-sex couples that have wed and their guests have spent about $111 million on weddings, from flowers and cakes to hotel rooms and meals for out-of-state guests, another Williams Institute study found.
Over the longer term, there could be a greater economic effect if gay couples decide they are unwilling to leave the region to move to states where their marriages would not be recognized. Forty-two of the 50 U.S. states have laws on their books prohibiting same-sex marriages.
"Once these states offer marriage to these families, they will not quickly, willingly or easily accept new assignments, transfers and promotions to states that don't offer them," said Bob Witeck, chief executive of Witeck-Combs Communications, a Washington-based marketing firm that focuses on gay and lesbian issues. "They're creating an economic wall in the region that is going to impact the ability of all national employers to move talent around."
Some married gay people said they would not consider moving to a state where their marriage would not be recognized.
"I just wouldn't do it. It's pretty straightforward," said Mike Swartz, 41, a vice president at a software company who lives with his husband in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Some couples said another key factor influencing where they would move is how states recognize their role as parents.
Marie Longo, 45, moved to Massachusetts before the state allowed gay marriage because its laws allowed her now-wife Allison to adopt Longo's twin daughters.
"Portability is a big issue for those of us now who have lived in a state where we have been legally married and respected and treated just like any other couple," said Longo, who works as a fund-raiser for Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders, a group that lobbies for gay marriage.
Knowing they could move from state to state and still have their marriage recognized made it easier for Visser, an interior designer, and Keffer, a real estate agent, to start a new life in the north, Visser said.
"Connecticut is a very small state," Visser said. "Hartford is the center and it only takes an hour to get to the state border in any direction, so for us to be able to establish ourselves in the surrounding states, it broadens our opportunities. We feel less restriction."
New England has a graying population, particularly in Maine where 14.7 percent of the population is 65 or older, compared to 12.5 percent for the nation as a whole, according to U.S. Census data. Economists and academics say this will take a toll on the region's economy, both by limiting innovation and growing the demand for government services.
(Editing by Alan Elsner and Jason Szep)

Susan Boyle Released From Hospital; Will Sing For Demi Moore

2009-06-07T06:48:00.000-07:00

Susan Boyle, who's set to perform for President Barack Obama, has been released from Priory Clinic in London, where she was treated for emotional exhaustion, and has been offered $30,000 to sing at Demi Moore's wedding anniversary event in Los Angeles (hey, I thought hubby Ashton Kutcher was supposed to plan this?).
At any rate the American offers are starting to pop up for Boyle. Meanwhile, Britain's Got Talent judge Amanda Holden said on Larry King Live on Tuesday of this week, that the show was not at fault for Boyle's problems stating that the contestants are all "extraordinarily well looked after."
Are you kidding me? Really, Amanda? So why did this happen if that's so? Moreover, I don't think Holden would have come on King's show were it not to do damage control regarding Boyle's horrible treatment. I still think she should have quit early and I said so here:

But maybe, as someone observed on Twitter, (where she's still a hot topic as of this post time) Boyle's coming in second place on BGT was the best thing to happen for her. Perhaps all of this will work out in a sideways fashion. But the big new issue is how people are treated on television. There should be a government review of what happens to new celebrities and what responsibilities TV producers should take, including explaining the risks that come with being on television to those who want to appear on a show, and protecting the persons from harm.Oh, and no, there's more news out there. Stick around!
src:sfgate.com

Angelina Jolie bumps Oprah Winfrey on Forbes Celebrity 100

2009-06-06T06:01:00.000-07:00

It's time for Oprah Winfrey to call in the spin shock troops, because she's officially been kicked out of the No. 1 spot as the most powerful celebrity in the world on the Forbes Celebrity 100 list. Who is the new top dog in Famousville? None other than Angelina Jolie.
The list, an aggregate of entertainment-related earnings and (more importantly) media exposure, says Jolie's $27 million in the last year and three flicks -- Kung Fu Panda, Wanted and the upcoming Salt -- are waaaay better than Oprah's $275 million from her multimedia empire. We're guessing our numerous items on Angie in the last year are what did the trick.
Rounding out the top five are Madonna ($110 million), Beyonce ($87 million) and Tiger Woods ($110 million). Angie's boyfriend and baby daddy Brad Pitt clocked in at No. 9.
And while the roster includes actors, models, chefs, athletes and musicians, it also includes authors. that earns President Barack Obama a debut spot at No. 49, with $2.5 million in book sales. That gives us hope, indeed.

Thai coroner seeks cause of "Kung Fu" actor's death

2009-06-05T05:13:00.000-07:00

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thai coroners completed an autopsy on Friday on the body of actor David Carradine, a day after the star of the U.S. television show "Kung Fu" was found naked and hanging dead in his luxury Bangkok hotel room.
Coroners at Bangkok's Chulalongkorn hospital said they had not yet determined the cause of the 72-year-old's death and were waiting for the results of a toxicology screen.
"We are now running tests and then we will decide the cause of death," the hospital's chief coroner, Nantana Sirisap, told Reuters.
"This certainly was not a natural cause of death," she said.
A maid found Carradine hanging naked by a rope in the closet of his hotel suite at the plush Swissotel Nai Lert Park hotel on Thursday, police said.
They said there was no indication other people had been in the room, where Carradine had stayed during the shooting of a film called "Stretch."
A U.S. embassy official in Bangkok said he had no details of the police investigation.
Carradine, from a family of performers and the eldest son of character actor John Carradine, enjoyed a long career on Broadway, television and in movies such as director Quentin Tarantino's "Kill Bill: Vol. 1" and "Kill Bill: Vol. 2."
While some media reports speculated his death may have been a suicide, a spokeswoman said neither they nor his family believed Carradine was capable of killing himself.
FAMILY SHOCKED
"His family is in shock," said Tiffany Smith of Carradine's management firm, Binder & Associates. "They have the same belief we have. There was no way David did this to himself."
Carradine wrote in his 1995 autobiography "Endless Highway" that he had tried to kill himself when he was 5 years old. The book also documented his alcoholism and extensive use of drugs, from LSD to cocaine.
He worked on Broadway in "The Deputy" and "The Royal Hunt of the Sun" and made his mark on Hollywood in the 1960s in TV westerns such as "Wagon Train," "The Virginian" and a TV version of the hit western movie "Shane."
He was made most famous by his role in the U.S. series "Kung Fu" where he played Kwai Chang Caine, a half-Asian martial arts specialist, which earned him an Emmy nomination.
The role of Caine led to parts in more than 200 productions and his turn as the villainous Bill in Tarantino's "Kill Bill: Vol. 2" led to his fourth Golden Globe nomination.
Carradine was married five times and had two daughters from previous marriages.
src:reuters

Mystery deepens as trash mistaken for jet debris

2009-06-05T05:03:00.000-07:00

Debris recovered from the Atlantic by Brazilian search teams is "sea trash" and not from a lost Air France jet, a Brazilian air force official has said.
Brig Ramon Borges Cardoso contradicted earlier reports, saying "no material from the plane has been recovered".
Teams found buoys and a wooden pallet and spotted a fuel slick, and are now searching for an airline seat and a chunk of metal seen earlier this week.
Relatives have been told that there is no hope of survivors being found.
In Paris, Air France Chief Executive Pierre-Henri Gourgeon and Chairman Jean-Cyril Spinetta briefed passengers' relatives in a hotel near Charles de Gaulle airport where they have been waiting for news.
Mr Gourgeon said the Airbus A330 jet, which was carrying 228 people from Rio de Janeiro to Paris, broke apart either in the air or when it hit the sea.

"What is clear is that there was no landing," said a support group representative who was at the meeting.
"There's no chance the escape slides came out," Guillaume Denoix de Saint-Marc said.
In Rio de Janeiro, hundreds of people gathered at a memorial service attended by the French and Brazilian foreign ministers.
"Those who are missing are here in our hearts and in our memories," French minister Bernard Kouchner told mourners.
A memorial service was held in Paris on Wednesday.
Oil slick
Speaking in Recife, the north-eastern Brazilian city from where search operations are being co-ordinated, Brig Cardoso sought to clarify earlier declarations that the wooden pallet and fuel slick had come from the Air France jet.

The Airbus A330 was not carrying wooden pallets, it was reported, while a large slick spotted in the area most likely spilled from a ship rather than from a downed plane.
Other fuel found in the sea probably did come from the Airbus, he said.
"It has been verified that the material did not belong to the plane, they were wood pallets that were used by ships and sometimes planes, but in this flight to Paris, there were no wood pallets," Brig Cardoso said.
Navy ships are now reported to be scouring the surface of the ocean, about 1,100km (690 miles) north-east of Brazil's coast, in an effort to locate other debris spotted from the air during the first sweeps of the area on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Rescuers hold out more hope that what was reported to be a seat and a large chunk of metal could have come from the plane, reports say.

Three more Brazilian boats and a French ship equipped with small submarines are expected to arrive in the area in the next few days.
He said the search effort would continue, with the main focus on finding bodies, but bad weather is forecast for the region on Friday.
'Clock ticking'
French military spokesman Christophe Prazuck said the priority was looking for wreckage from the plane, before turning the search to flight data recorders.
"The clock is ticking on finding debris before they spread out and before they sink or disappear," he said.
French officials have said the recorders, which could be deep under water, may never be found.
Officials have warned that they are far from working out the cause of the crash.
Investigators are reported to be relying on a stream of automated messages sent out just before the crash, which suggested the plane's systems shut down as it flew through high thunderstorms.
France's air safety investigation agency said on Friday that the messages revealed an "inconsistency in the different speeds measured".
It has been suggested that speed sensors failed or iced over, causing erroneous data to be fed to onboard computers. This might have caused the plane to fly too fast or too slowly through the storm, leading it either to break apart or stall and fall out of the sky.
A Spanish pilot flying in the area at the time of the crash was quoted by his airline, Air Comet, as saying he had seen an "intense flash of white light, which followed a descending and vertical trajectory and which broke up in six seconds".
The paper said Airbus, the maker of the plane, would issue A330 jets with new advice on flying in storms.
Airbus declined to comment on the report, though an unnamed official told AFP news agency that it was normal to update airlines following an accident.

Obama calls for new beginning between U.S., Muslims

2009-06-04T05:13:00.000-07:00

CAIRO (Reuters) - President Barack Obama sought a "new beginning" between the United States and the Muslim world on Thursday but offered no new initiative to end the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, an omission likely to disappoint many.
"We meet at a time of tension between the United States and Muslims around the world -- tension rooted in historical forces that go beyond any current policy debate," the U.S. president said in a major speech at Cairo University.
"I have come here to seek a new beginning between the United States and Muslims around the world, one based upon mutual interest and mutual respect," he said. "America and Islam are not exclusive, and need not be in competition."
Obama's speech was an effort to restore the tarnished U.S. image among many of the more than 1 billion Muslims around the world, damaged by former President George W. Bush's wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and the treatment of U.S. military detainees.
It coincided with the release of new remarks by al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden aimed at trying to undermine his message.
Bin Laden told Muslims alliances with Christians and Jews would annul their faith and urged them to fight Western allies in Muslim countries.
The choice of Cairo for the speech underscored Obama's focus on the Middle East, where he faces huge foreign policy challenges, from trying to restart the Israeli-Palestinian peace process to curbing Iran's nuclear program.
Obama, who is hoping to build a coalition of Muslim government to back his diplomatic moves, offered no new proposals to advance the Middle East peace process, saying Palestinians "must abandon violence" and urging them acknowledge Israel's right to exist.
"The United States does not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlements," he said. "This construction violates previous agreements and undermines efforts to achieve peace. It is time for these settlements to stop."
Before the speech, the U.S. president met Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.
"We discussed how to move forward in a constructive way to bring peace and prosperity to people in the region," Obama told reporters after the talks with Mubarak, who has ruled Egypt since 1981 and kept a tight lid on opposition.
(Additional reporting by Cynthia Johnston in Cairo and Zahra Hosseinian in Tehran; Writing by Edmund Blair; editing by Philippa Fletcher)

Angelina Jolie to shift base to Portugal?

2009-06-03T08:21:00.000-07:00

London The hectic pace of US seems to have tired Hollywood superstar Angelina Jolie, who is reportedly house hunting in Portugal.
The 'Changeling' actress who raises six children with partner Brad Pitt, is keen to embark on a more sedate lifestyle which has reportedly prompted her to find a place in the country, Femalefirst reported.
"She loves Portugal and wants to raise her kids there. She wants to move there as soon as possible," a source close to Jolie said.
The 33-year-old actress is said to be considering buying a property looking onto the beach in the village of Lagos, in the southern Algarve area of the country. It is not known whether Jolie will use her new home as her main residence or whether Pitt will move with her.
"Let's put it this way, they have an open relationship. Every day is a new day with them. I love them both dearly but I must confess things have been hard for them the past few month," the source said.

Radcliffe: Sex scenes boring

2009-06-03T06:53:00.000-07:00

LONDON - STAR of the Harry Potter film franchise, Daniel Radcliffe, thinks sex scenes are boring, reported British media on Tuesday.
The actor, who had his first love scene in December Boys with Teresa Palmer in 2007, expected the encounter to be 'amazing' and was stunned to discover how tedious the process was.
'You wonder how those actors manage to control themselves but when you're doing it and there's people watching you, there's nothing sexy about it at all.
'It is not in the least bit exciting, no matter how beautiful the girl is,' he reportedly said. -- Reuters

Aniston's pooch sits on director’s chair

2009-06-02T07:34:00.000-07:00

The ‘Friends’ star is so fond of her pooch that she brings him to set when she is shooting ''The Baster'', reports the China Daily. "Norman is important in Jennifer's life, but the crew is fed up with having to dote on him. Jennifer needs him around all the time and she won't stand for him being chained up. So the dog has his own chair near the director, and Jennifer also has a doggy masseuse tend to Norman every day," a source told the National Enquirer magazine. The 40-year-old actress ensures that Norman is walked three times a day, and is given meals from the actors'' catering van. The source added: "She even insists that Norman eat with the crew and that he's fed organic, human-grade food. So Jennifer's assistant has special plates made up by the caterer with free-range white meat chicken and organic rice. Norman eats healthier and better than most humans." Jennifer's love for the 13-year-old corgi-terrier has always hit headlines, be it for the dog’s 250 dollars a week massages or acupuncture treatments to combat his aching joints.

This Is A Dream Fulfilled - New Real Madrid Coach Manuel Pellegrini

2009-06-02T04:02:00.000-07:00

Manuel Pellegrini has revealed that his ambition in coaching was to take charge at Real Madrid - and he believes his appointment is a dream that has now been fulfilled.The Chilean trainer was chosen by the club's new president, Florentino Perez, after a stunning spell in charge of Villarreal that saw him help transform the modest Valencian outfit.

Now Pellegrini has been given the task of transforming one of the world's biggest clubs and he is relishing the prospect of the challenge that lies ahead.After Perez was named as the new president on Monday, the new coach was confirmed later the same day; on Tuesday he was presented to the media at the Santiago Bernabeu."It is difficult to explain the emotion and the pride that I feel about being chosen by the most important club in the world," he stated.

"When I started, 23 years ago, I said that I would end up coaching Real Madrid."I believe that I have come at the right time and I believe I am the right person to guide a team that will play like the fans deserve."Pellegrini replaces Juande Ramos at the helm after the former Sevilla and Tottenham Hotspur boss was told that his six-month contract was not going to be renewed by the new administration.Lucas Brown, Goal.com

Quality movies will survive short summers, say insiders

2009-06-01T07:14:00.001-07:00

New releases every week, glamorous Hollywood-like premieres and intense advertising have characterized the fiercely competitive summer season for Egypt’s cinema industry. For the past decade or so, summer has been the most lucrative season for Egyptian films, with more than one-third of annual productions released in June, July and August.
But last year’s summer season was cut short with the holy month of Ramadan starting on Sept. 1, and this year the season will get even shorter with Ramadan starting on Aug. 22.
Since this won’t be changing anytime soon — with the holy month beginning earlier every year — the cinema industry has had to re-strategize. One insider even said that summer’s no longer the “hot” season and that distributors are trying to cash in all year round.
Two major distribution companies in Egypt, Oscar/El Nasr/Massa and Misr Al-Arabeya have created an earlier schedule for their releases, kicking-off the season in May with “Youm Ma Et’abelna” (The Day We Met) and “Dokan Shehata” (Shehata’s Store) as well as four other movies lined up for the summer.
“Every year we say the season is getting shorter, but when you look at it, it’s only getting shorter by one week so it doesn’t have such a big effect,” Abdel Gileel Hassan, spokesperson of Misr Al-Arabeya Production and Distribution Company, said.
“Summer is no longer the top season of the cinema industry, nowadays the season is all year with new releases coming out without considering the date. This is all to the benefit of the viewers,” Hassan added.
The current average grosses of what can be branded a blockbuster are LE 15 million and summer has traditionally been the safest season to reach that multi-million-pound mark. With a lot of time on their hands during the summer months, viewers sometimes watch the same movie more than once, which means robust revenues for the industry.
But that way of doing business is quickly changing. Big names no longer keep their movies locked up until the summer and revenues are high at other times of the year. For example, Ahmed El-Sakka released his movie “The Island” during the 2008 winter vacation and it was quite a hit. Mohamed Heneidy’s “Ramadan Mabrouk Aboul Alamein Hammouda,” released earlier this year, also broke all records.
“With Ramadan eating up the summer — and it will be coming even earlier in the coming years — this opened up the season more and it is no longer confined to June, July and August,” Sayed Fathi, director of the Federation of the Egyptian Cinema Industry, said.
Prominent film critic Rafiq El-Sabban said that this change is of great benefit to the audience. The short season has forced producers to release exceptional films, distinctive enough to face the fierce competition.
In the past couple of years, Egyptian audiences have had a wide variety of movies to choose from — no longer a few comedies led by longstanding box-office champs such as Adel Imam.
The competition has intensified as production and marketing costs escalated, propelled by a flood of aspiring young actors appearing on screen every year.
“Since last summer we have been seeing many surprises,” El-Sabban said, noting that last year producer Ahmed Sobky, notorious for making some of the worst reviewed films in the past decade, surprised critics and audiences with the highly-acclaimed “Cabaret.”
“This year we are also expecting a lot of great movies. Already there is ‘Dokan Shehata’ and ‘Ibrahim El-Abyad’ — two major productions,” he added.
There are only two conglomerates controlling movie distribution in Egypt, the Misr Al-Arabeya and Oscar/Al-Nasr/Al-Massa, and rumors of their rivalry always abound.
But Hassan refutes this claim. “Just because we are two companies in the market doesn’t mean we are rivals,” he said, “each company shows its movies in the theaters it owns and both companies are satisfied with this current state.
“There aren’t any losses — if no one is losing and no producer is hurt by our competition, then at the end of the day it is in the benefit of the film industry and our culture.”
Fathi concurs, saying that “there aren’t any problems between the distribution companies as each of them have their movies lined up to be released in the company’s own theaters,” he said.
Because of the relatively short length of last year’s season, no new films were released during Eid El-Fitr and the summer movies continued playing in theaters. This year will be different with new movies lined up for the holiday and some summer movies staying on.
Experts, critics and players in the market all believe that a good movie will survive and succeed no matter when it is released.
“A good movie, even if it doesn’t have any big name [actors] or is released at a peak season, will attract the audience and will succeed no matter what,” said Hassan.
At the same time, “fans will make time to go watch their favorite star’s movie at any time of the year,” Fathi said.

Amitabh Turns Down Australian Doctorate

2009-06-01T06:18:00.000-07:00

Saddened by the continuing racist attacks against Indians in Australia, Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan has refused to accept an honorary doctorate from the Queensland University of Technology (QUT).
The University’s highest honorary award was to be conferred on Big B at a major public event on July 30, at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, to recognise his outstanding contribution to creative industries over several decades. Expressing his distress on the issue, Amitabh, in his latest blog post, said, "I have been witnessing with great dismay and shock, the recent violent attacks on Indian students in Australia, on the electronic media the entire day." "I mean no disrespect to the Institution that honours me, but under the present circumstances, where citizens of my own country are subjected to such acts of inhuman horror, my conscience does not permit me to accept this decoration from a country that perpetrates such indignity to my fellow countrymen," he added. Amitabh is only the second person from India, after IT leader Narayan Murthy, to be chosen for such an honour from QUT. Australia has recently seen a series of attacks on Indian students, the most serious being the assault of Shravan Kumar, a 25-year-old student from Andhra Pradesh who is battling for life in a hospital here after being stabbed by a screwdriver by a group of teens in a weekend attack that also left three of his friends injured.

During His Trip to Egypt, Obama Should Visit Gaza

2009-05-31T08:29:00.001-07:00

Obama will give a major policy talk at Cairo University on June 4, intended to start mending the rift between the United States and the Arab world. During the Bush years, many Arabs turned against the United States because of the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as the abuses at Guantanamo and Abu Graib. But the issue that is really at the crux of the tensions with the United States is the intractable conflict between Israel and Palestine, and what many perceive as a one-sided U.S. policy in support of Israel.

The Obama administration has taken a positive stand on the Israeli settlements, calling for a complete freeze. “[Obama] wants to see a stop to settlements — not some settlements, not outposts, not ‘natural growth’ exceptions,” Secretary of State Hillary Clinton recently told reporters.

But the administration has said almost nothing about the devastating Israeli invasion of Gaza that left over 1,300 dead, including some 400 children. To many in the Middle East, this is an unfortunate continuation of past policies that condemn the loss of innocent Israeli lives, but refuse to speak out against the disproportionately greater loss of Palestinian lives at the hands of the Israeli military.

The Israeli invasion of Gaza began on December 27, 2008, when Obama had just won the election but had not yet taken office. While he spoke out against the November 26 Mumbai terrorism attack, he refused to even call for a ceasefire in Gaza, saying coldly, “When it comes to foreign affairs it is particularly important to adhere to the principle of one president at a time."

Once inaugurated, Obama appointed George Mitchell as a special peace envoy and immediately sent him on a “listening tour” to key places in the Middle East—except Gaza. Mitchell returned for a second trip to the region in late February, visiting Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Israel and the West Bank but once again bypassing Gaza. The same thing happened on his third trip in April.

Hillary Clinton has never visited war-torn Gaza. She promised $300 million for rebuilding, but the aid won’t get to Gaza as long as the administration insists on dealing only with Mahmoud Abbas and his Palestinian Authority in the West Bank while shunning Hamas, which controls Gaza and was democratically elected.

Obama won great support from the American people during the presidential campaign when he said that America must talk to its adversaries, without preconditions. But his administration now puts ridiculous conditions on talking to Hamas: It must recognize Israel, renounce violence and accept previous international agreements. Israel, on the other hand, does not have to recognize Palestine, renounce violence or abide by past agreements. Putting preconditions on just one side of the conflict makes it impossible to move a peace process forward.

While Obama prepares for his trip to the Middle East, more than 150 people—mostly Americans—are trying to enter war-torn Gaza through both the Egyptian and Israeli borders. Organized under the umbrella of the peace group CODEPINK, this is the largest group of Americans to travel to Gaza since the siege began.

The delegations, invited by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), are bringing medicines, toys, school supplies and playground building materials. An estimated 1,346 Gazan children were left without one or more of their parents as a result of the Israeli assault and the majority were left traumatized and depressed.

That’s why the peace group CODEPINK has launched an international petition (see www.codepinkalert.org) calling on Obama to visit Gaza and see for himself the devastation and deprivation that continues to plague the region’s 1.5 million people almost 6 months after the invasion. Just this week, Obama just tacked a new stop to his upcoming Middle Eastern visit: Saudi Arabia. If he can make room for a private dinner with the King, then surely he can find the time to go to Gaza. Isn't it more important for Obama to visit a region where 1,300 people have recently been killed and thousands of homes, schools and mosques destroyed? Isn't it more important for him to see how the Israelis are using the yearly $3 billion in military aid from U.S taxpayers?

Obama should take the opportunity, during this visit to Egypt next week, to visit Gaza. He should express his condolences for the loss of so many innocent lives, call for a lifting of the inhumane siege that continues to imprison an entire population, and support an investigation of how U.S. military funds to Israel are being spent.

Those actions, more than any fine words he may speak during his talk at Cairo University, will do wonders to repairs our relations with the Arab world that were so tattered during the Bush years.

Susan Boyle looks to the future despite defeat

2009-05-31T06:27:00.000-07:00

LONDON - Unlikely Scottish singing sensation Susan Boyle was plotting her future Sunday after her shock defeat in the "Britain's Got Talent" television show which made her a worldwide star thanks to the Internet.
Boyle, a frumpy, 48-year-old church volunteer, will reportedly earn up to eight million pounds (nine million euros, 13 million dollars) in the next year from a record deal, book about her life and even a film.
She is set to start rehearsing for an album of showtunes this week and will fly to Prague next month for recording sessions with the Czech National Symphony Orchestra, British media said.
Boyle's career looks likely to reach new heights even though she lost to the multi-ethnic street dancers Diversity in a public vote of one million viewers after the talent show final late Saturday.
Despite winning praise from the audience and the judges in her last performance on live television, Boyle was forced into second place, saying the "best people won" and wishing the dance troupe winners "all the best".
Boyle enjoyed a meteoric rise to fame over the past two months after video footage of her audition piece for the show, "I Dreamed A Dream" from the musical "Les Miserables", was posted on YouTube.
It has had at least 100 million hits and brought her celebrity fans including actress Demi Moore and rock star Jon Bon Jovi, who embraced the dowdy spinster from small-town Scotland with a voice worthy of Broadway.
Bookmakers made her the favourite to win, but after an unconvincing semi-final performance, there were fears that Boyle, who was starved of oxygen at birth and has mild learning difficulties, was suffering under the pressure.
She was spoken to by police after an outburst at the London hotel where she was staying, while "Britain's Got Talent" judge Piers Morgan described her as "a frightened rabbit in headlights" and said she considered quitting.
In a live performance in the "Britain's Got Talent" final Saturday, though, Boyle proved the critics wrong and repeated her audition piece with gusto.
Judge Amanda Holden said after the performance: "I have never heard such powerful, confident vocals."
Following her performance, Boyle -- wearing a grey-blue, long sequined dress -- gushed appreciation for her worldwide fan base.
"I want to thank people for all the support they've given me," she said.
Asked if it was worth all the media pressure, she replied: "Well worth it!... I really feel at home on stage, I'm among friends."
As for her future plans, Boyle added: "I hope to get an album out -- I'll just play it by ear. What a journey -- unbelievable, and very humbling. Thank you for everything."
Simon Cowell, one of the show's judges and its mastermind, said he had high hopes for Boyle.
"It's the biggest phenomenon I've ever seen out of any of my shows," Cowell, who is also a judge on "American Idol", told the News of the World newspaper.
Boyle's performance was watched by hundreds of fans in her home town of Blackburn, outside Edinburgh, where she lives in social housing with only her cat Pebbles for company.
"She told me that after the final, she wants to come back and resume her previous life," one of Boyle's neighbours, 24-year-old housewife Vicky McLean told the Mail on Sunday newspaper.
"She doesn't want to make millions and go to America, she just wants to sing. I think all she really hopes to have out of it is enough money to buy her house."
src=abs-cbnnews.com

Alwaleed bin Talal buys Carla Bruni's family palace in Italy

2009-05-31T06:18:00.001-07:00

Italian paper La Stampa confirmed Saturday rumors that Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, one of the richest men in the world, was the mystery "Arab sheikh" who purchased Carla Bruni's family castle in February.Saudi's royal businessman Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, bought the historic castle dating back to 1019 from Carla Bruni, French president's Nicholas Sarkozy's wife, for a whooping €17.5 million ($25 million), Arab media reported Sunday. Last week the prince, who ranks as the 22nd richest man in Forbes's list of the World's Billionaires, sealed the deal on the "Castagneto Po" palace, which is located at the outskirts of Turin in Northern Italy

Prince al Waleed bin Talal is the 22nd richest man according to Forbes.com
The forty-room chamber palace boasts an 18th century interior without parallel in Italy. The palace, whose furniture was sold in a London auction for 10 million ($14 million), takes up 1,500 square meters (16,000 sq feet) and is surrounded by a garden with an ancient forest, according to La Stampa.Supermodel Carla Bruni, 39, and her mother and sister, actress and director Valeria Bruni, owned half the shares of the company that owned palace. According to Italy’s La Stampa newspaper, Carla's mother said their palace has fallen out of use.

"We are done with Castagneto Po and we no longer frequent that palace," Marisa Bruni Tedeschi said.Alberto Bruni Tedeschi, Carla's Italian father and the heir of a rich industrial family purchased the chateau in 1952.Prince bin Talal also purchased two hotels, the Movenpik and Alfoarcisonz Mauritius hotel and resort in the Republic of Mauritius

Egyptian cuts off penis to torpedo marriage

2009-05-31T06:12:00.000-07:00

An Egyptian cut off his own penis on Sunday in protest at his parents' choice of bride, a police official said.The 25-year-old laborer from the village of Sheikh Eissa in southern Egypt was taken to hospital in stable condition, the official said, adding that the man had also mutilated his testicles."He was in love with a woman but his parents rejected her and told him to marry another woman he didn't want. He took a knife and cut off his penis in his room."Doctors were unable to reattach the severed member, the official said.

Brooke Shields' Virgin Regret

2009-05-28T10:28:00.000-07:00

Brooke Shields is a beautiful, successful actress and devoted mom. But even this former model had some issues with her body, which led to her hanging on to her virtue longer than she would've liked.
She admits in the new issue of Health that one regret she had is "not learning to love the way I looked earlier."
"And I think I would have had sex a lot earlier!," she laughs. "I think I would have lost my virginity earlier than I did at 22. I had the public and all this pressure, and I wish I had just gotten it over with in the beginning when it was sort of OK.
I think I would have been much more in touch with myself," she reveals. "I think I wouldn’t have had issues with weight—I carried this protective 20 pounds [in college]. It was all connected. And to me, that’s a health regret."
All's well that ends well, it seems, as Brooke is now happily married to Chris Henchy and is a proud mother to two girls.
src:http://www.okmagazine.com/posts/view/14458/

'Argentine Fritzl' fathered daughter's seven children, DNA test confirms

2009-05-28T03:58:00.000-07:00

Armando Lucero, who was placed in a maximum security prison on May 11 for "aggravated and repeated sexual abuse", is said to have raped the three girls from early childhood.
The tragic drama unfolded in the city of Mendoza, about 620 miles west of Buenos Aires
Officials are now waiting for the results of psychological exams of Lucero, who has come to be known as the "Monster of Mendoza" in a case chillingly similar to the Austrian incest scandal that shocked the world last year.
In that case, Josef Fritzl, 73, was sentenced in March to life in prison for imprisoning his daughter in a secret dungeon for 24 years, and for the death of one of the seven children he had with her.
Lucero faces a maximum penalty of 50 years in prison. The woman at the center of the drama, now 35, fled her family home to obtain protection from the local authorities.
She told investigators that she had been sexually abused repeatedly over a period of 20 years, during which time she bore her father seven children.
The woman decided to break her silence, she said, because her father threatened to sexually abuse one of her daughters.
Lucero, who is unemployed, lived in his home with his daughter and their children, as well as his second wife and his stepmother.
His civil record shows he had seven children by his wife and eight more children from a previous marriage. Counting his liaison with his daughter, he would have fathered 22 children.
The seven children he has fathered with his daughter are now between the ages of two and 19.
Another one of Lucero's daughters, aged 40, has said she was raped by her father from the age of eight.

FC Barcelona 2-0 Manchester United Champions League 2009

2009-05-27T09:21:00.000-07:00

FC Barcelona have won the UEFA Champions League for the third time in history. Goals from Samuel Eto'o and Lionel Messi led Josep Guardiola's side to a rather easy 2-0 victory over Manchester United.
Manchester United took the initiative in the opening phase and had a good chance to open the score in the second minute. A free kick from Cristiano Ronaldo almost surprised Victor Valdes but the keeper reacted in time to parry the shot, for defenders to clear the danger.
After ten minutes of play at Rome's Stadio Olimpico, it was FC Barcelona's first real attack that earned the Catalans the opening goal. Samuel Eto'o cut past Nemanja Vidic and then struck on goal. Keeper Edwin van der Sar touched it but the shot was too powerful to block completely.
Barcelona controlled the game in the rest of the first half without particular difficulties, as United seemed to be suffering from the deficit and failed to get anywhere near the opposing goal.
The start of the second half saw an even stronger Barcelona who created one chance after the other. Eight minutes after the break, the Spaniards had a free kick just outside the penalty area and Xavi's powerful effort bounced off the right post.
But Barcelona got their deserved second goal on 70 minutes. Xavi's cross from the right side found Lionel Messi, and the Argentinian striker headed past Van der Sar for 2-0.
With a comfortable lead in the pocket, Barcelona continued to attack and create chances, and would have scored several more goals if it wasn't for Van der Sar, who made a number of saves to avoid a larger defeat.
Apart from winning the trophy for the third time, after 1992 and 2006, Barcelona also become the first Spanish side to win the 'treble', as they had already secured the Primera Division and Copa del Rey titles

Demi Moore Missing a Tooth!

2009-05-25T05:58:00.001-07:00

Demi Moore has been an active Twitterer just like her amazingly active Twitterer husband, Ashton Kutcher.One of her much talked about Tweets is a photo of her self missing a tooth!
You better believe it!Demi Moore, in sunglasses, on a dentists chair, missing a front tooth! and she's smiling!She shared this with the world and it started spreading like fire in dry hey!
She continued to tweet about it and replied to other Twitteres about the issue.She told one "happy to share and always appreciate the opportunity to find humilty!!! Or at least be able to laugh at myself!"She told another, who apparently is a dentist, "No implant but thank god for modern dentistry!"
What do you think?Seeing Demi Moore like we've never before.So natural ... just like me and you.

Common Ancestor Of Humans, Modern Primates? 'Extraordinary' Fossil Is 47 Million Years Old

2009-05-23T03:59:00.000-07:00

ScienceDaily (May 19, 2009) — Scientists have found a 47-million-year-old human ancestor. Discovered in Messel Pit, Germany, the fossil, described as Darwinius masillae, is 20 times older than most fossils that explain human evolution.
Known as “Ida,” the fossil is a transitional species – it shows characteristics from the very primitive non-human evolutionary line (prosimians, such as lemurs), but is more related to the human evolutionary line (anthropoids, such as monkeys, apes and humans). At 95% complete, the fossil provides the most complete understanding of the paleobiology of any Eocene primate so far discovered.
The scientists’ findings are published in PLoS One, the open-access, peer-reviewed journal from the Public Library of Science.
For the past two years, an international team of scientists, led by world-renowned Norwegian fossil scientist Dr Jørn Hurum, University of Oslo Natural History Museum, has secretly conducted a detailed forensic analysis of the extraordinary fossil, studying the data to decode humankind’s ancient origins. At 95% complete, Ida is set to revolutionize our understanding of primate evolution.
"This is the first link to all humans ... truly a fossil that links world heritage," said Dr. Hurum.
"It’s really a kind of Rosetta Stone," commented study co-author Professor Philip Gingerich, of the Museum of Paleontology at the University of Michigan.
The fossil was apparently discovered in 1983 by private collectors who split and eventually sold two parts of the skeleton on separate plates: the lesser part was restored and, in the process, partly fabricated to make it look more complete. This part was eventually purchased for a private museum in Wyoming, and then described by one of the authors (Jens L. Franzen) who recognized the fabrication. The more complete part has just come to light, and it now belongs to the Natural History Museum of the University of Oslo (Norway). The PLoS ONE paper describes the study that resulted from finally having access to the complete fossil specimen.
Unlike Lucy and other famous primate fossils found in Africa’s Cradle of Mankind, Ida is a European fossil, preserved in Germany’s Messel Pit, the mile-wide crater and oil-rich shale is a significant site for fossils of the Eocene Epoch. Fossil analysis reveals that the prehistoric primate was a young female. Opposable big toes and nail bearing tips on the fingers and toes confirm the fossil is a primate, and a foot bone called the talus bone links Ida directly to humans.
The fossil also features the complete soft body outline as well as the gut contents: a herbivore, Ida feasted on fruits, seeds and leaves before she died. X-rays reveal both baby and adult teeth, and the lack of a ‘toothcomb’ or a ‘grooming claw’ which is an attribute of lemurs. The scientists estimate Ida’s age when she died to be approximately nine months, and she measured approximately three feet in length.
Ida lived 47 million years ago at a critical period in Earth’s history–the Eocene Epoch, a time when the blueprints for modern mammals were being established. Following the extinction of dinosaurs, the early horses, bats, whales and many other creatures including the first primates thrived on a subtropical planet. The Earth was just beginning to take the shape that we know and recognize today – the Himalayas were being formed and modern flora and fauna evolved. Land mammals, including primates, lived amid vast jungle.
Ida was found to be lacking two of the key anatomical features found in lemurs: a grooming claw on the second digit of the foot, and a fused row of teeth in the middle of her lower jaw known as a toothcomb. She has nails rather than the claw typical of non-anthropoid primates such as lemurs, and her teeth are similar to those of monkeys. Her forward facing eyes are like ours – which would have enabled her fields of vision to overlap, allowing 3D vision and an ability to judge distance.
The fossil’s hands show a humanlike opposable thumb. Like all primates, Ida has five fingers on each hand. Her opposable thumb would have provided a ‘precision grip’. In Ida’s case, this is useful for climbing and gathering fruit; in our case, it allows important human functions such as making tools, and writing. Ida would have also had flexible arms, which would have allowed her to use both hands for any task that cannot be done with one – like grabbing a piece of fruit. Like us, Ida also has quite short arms and legs.
Evidence in the talus bone links Ida to us. The bone has the same shape as in humans today. Only the human talus is obviously bigger. X-rays and CT scanning reveal Ida to be about nine months old when she died, and provide clues to her diet – which included berries and plants. Furthermore the lack of a bacculum (penis bone) means that the fossil was definitely female.
X-rays reveal that a broken wrist may have contributed to Ida’s death – her left wrist was healing from a bad fracture. The scientists believe she was overcome by carbon dioxide gas whilst from drinking from the Messel lake: the still waters of the lake were often covered by a low lying blanket of the gas as a result of the volcanic forces that formed the lake and which were still active. Hampered by her broken wrist, Ida slipped into unconsciousness, was washed into the lake, and sunk to the bottom, where the unique conditions preserved her for 47 million years.
The findings of the two-year study will be revealed exclusively by Atlantic Productions in a documentary film, "The Link," to be screened by History on Monday May 25th, 2009 at 9pm ET/PT and BBC One in the UK Tuesday May 26th, 2009 at 9pm BST. It will also be broadcast on ZDF, NRK and around the world. A book, "The Link," will be published by Little Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group, on Wednesday May 20th. An interactive, content-rich website about Ida has been launched at http://www.revealingthelink.com.
"This little creature is going to show us our connection with all the rest of the mammals," said renowned broadcaster and naturalist Sir David Attenborough. "The link they would have said until now is missing ... it is no longer missing."

Egypt tycoon to hang for Lebanese diva's murder

2009-05-21T11:32:00.000-07:00

A Cairo court on Thursday sentenced an Egyptian tycoon and a former policeman to death for the murder of Lebanese pop diva Suzanne Tamim in Dubai last year.
The judge ordered Hisham Talaat Mustafa and retired policeman Mohsen al-Sukkari hanged for respectively ordering and carrying out the brutal slaying of the singer in a luxury Dubai apartment in July.
“Untill now I still believe that Talaat Mustafa is innocent. The evidence we have is strong and the ruling of the court is severe,” lawyer Samir al-Shishtawi, claimant of civil rigths, told Al Arabiya. “We are going to take the case to the appeals court and we are confident the ruling will be overturned.”
Mustafa, former chairman of the Talaat Moustafa Group and a prominent politician, had been accused of paying security man Sukkari $2 million to stab Tamim to death at her luxury Dubai house in the United Arab Emirates on July 28. Samir al-ShishtawiThe indictment had accused Sukkari of killing Tamim after tricking her into opening the door of her apartment by posing as a representative of the building owners. He then attacked her with a knife.
It accused Mustafa of participating in the crime through "incitement, agreement and assistance" in the killing of his former lover.
The evidence included tape recordings of telephone calls between Mustafa and Sukkari, security video footage from the apartment and DNA from the bloodied clothes that Sukkari was accused of leaving close to the scene of the crime.
But defense lawyer Atef Manaawi raised questions during the trial about the clothes the prosecutor said the accused was wearing when he committed the crime. He also cast doubt on the weapon used to commit the murder as well as the autopsy of the victim’s body.
The lawyer of the victim said: “We accept the court’s ruling and we respect the law.”
Sukkari’s files were referred to Egyptian religious authorities for review, as normal in capital cases in Egypt.
The arrest of Mustafa in September, after weeks of speculation about the case, hit Talaat Mustafa shares. They closed on Wednesday at 5 Egyptian pounds ($0.89) per share, off a year low of 2.52 pounds hit in March.
Mustafa, who was born in 1959, gave up the chairmanship of the Talaat Mustafa Group to his brother Tarek. Tamim, who died at the age of 30, rose to fame after winning the top prize in a television show in 1996.

With 'Angels & Demons' Tom Hanks is still making a splash

2009-05-18T09:00:00.000-07:00

Tom Hanks must have done something heinous in his life, right? Something awful? Nasty? Unspeakable? Unprintable? Something he wouldn’t tell his mother?
No? Cheated on his taxes? Stole a parking space? Didn’t recycle? Forgot to wear a flag pin?
Perhaps not. Long one of America’s leadingest leading men, Hanks, 52, is a real disappointment to connoisseurs of celebrity misbehavior — even if he did make his name as a transvestite (in the gender-bending ’80s sitcom “Bosom Buddies”).
Married to the same woman (actress-producer Rita Wilson) for more than 20 years, he’s been irritatingly on target about doing the right thing. He received the U.S. Navy’s highest civilian honor in 1999 for “Saving Private Ryan.” He was instrumental in pushing through the World War II memorial in Washington, D.C. He helped make AIDS part of the national conversation via the dying Andrew Beckett in Jonathan Demme’s “Philadelphia” (1993). When it comes to salacious scandal, he generates as much juice as a turnip. Frankly, it makes you wonder why we’re writing about him at all.
There is, of course, a reason: “Angels & Demons,” the Ron Howard-directed follow-up to “The Da Vinci Code,” which opens Friday and returns Hanks to the role of Robert Langdon, Harvard professor, expert in religious iconography/symbology and theology’s version of Indiana Jones.
The story involves dead popes, a secret society, a good-looking woman, a fanatical, unstoppable assassin — it could be the “The Da Vinci Code,” except for all the Einsteinian hoo-hah about antimatter and Galilean astrophysics.
But amid a project in which so much is being repeated, the most surprising thing, in the endless summer of Tom Hanks’ career, is that the actor is repeating himself. Unlike most long-lasting stars in Hollywood, that’s something he hasn’t done. At least not since he became a star.
This wouldn’t have been surprising two decades ago. Back then it was all boyishness all the time. And quite a few mediocre movies — “Bachelor Party” (1984), “Volunteers” (1985), “The Money Pit” (1986) “Dragnet” (1987), “The ’burbs” (1989), “Turner and Hooch” (1989) — it’ a wonder Hanks survived the ’80s. How about “The Man With One Red Shoe” (1985)? OK, we’ll stop.
The point is that Hanks was being boyish, and boyishly unwise about what the heck he was doing.
That is, except for “Splash” (1984). And “Big” (1988). Movies that remain iconic in their way, and were the real steppingstones to Hanks becoming the star of such movies as “A League of their Own“ (1992), “Sleepless in Seattle” (1993), “Philadelphia” (1993), “Forrest Gump” (1994) and “Apollo 13” (1995), the films upon which the brand was built. (“Toy Story” and its sequels seem to exist in another Pixar-ian universe entirely.)
It’s a frequent enough phenomenon that popular artists — authors, composers, actors — have a single period in their lives of furious productivity and creativity, which can’t be maintained forever but permanently identifies the careers in question.
This may be true of Hanks, although it seems equally true that his most interesting work as an actor (he also has credits as a producer) has been done post-Oscars (following back-to-back wins for “Philadelphia” and “Gump”).By JOHN ANDERSON
Newsday

Nancy Adram gave birth to a baby girl and named her Mila

2009-05-18T06:53:00.000-07:00

Nancy Ajram Lebanese singer gave birth to the first. The chosen name, "Mela", which enjoys good health. Date of birth had coincided with the birthday of Nancy Ajram Nancy preferred to stay in the hospital to assure the health of the baby before returning to the house.

Barcelona claimed their 19th Spanish league

2009-05-16T20:09:00.000-07:00

Barcelona claimed their 19th Spanish league title without kicking a ball after title-rivals Real Madrid lost 3-2 at Villarreal on Saturday.
It left Pep Guardiola's side with an unassailable lead ahead of their match at Mallorca on Sunday.
On Wednesday Barcelona won the Copa del Rey when beating Athletic Bilbao 4-1.
Barca could become the first Spanish side in history to win the treble if they beat Manchester United in the Champions League final on 27 May.
The Catalan club's title triumph was their first in three years and is their first domestic double for 11 seasons.
Their Copa del Rey victory was the first time they had won the cup since 1998 and was their first piece of silverware in two seasons.
Barcelona currently have 86 points and a goal difference of plus 72 with three games left, while Madrid have 78 points with two to play.
Their triumph came on the same day that their Champions League rivals United claimed their third successive English Premier League title with a 0-0 draw against Arsenal.
The pair meet in Rome with United looking to defend their European title.
Barcelona's success this year has vindicated their decision to part company with long-standing coach Frank Rijkaard at the end of last season and appoint former player Guardiola as manager.
For 38-year-old Guardiola, a Catalonian by birth, this week's triumphs are his first as manager of the club he spent 11 years playing for.

Only Mandy Moore’s Husband Can See Her Naked!

2009-05-16T11:17:00.000-07:00

Newlywed Mandy Moore insists husband Ryan Adams will be the only guy who will see her naked - because she can't stand the thought of random movie fans ogling her online and at the cinema.The actress/singer admits she has fought directors over their plans to get her to peel off for movie roles - and she'll never bare all unless it's absolutely necessary.She tells WENN, "Right now, that's something that is off limits. I'd never say never because some things are absolutely necessary."I feel oftentimes I've been attached to a film and then, at the last second, someone has said, like, 'OK, well this is an absolute necessity - this scene requires nudity and there's no two ways around it.'"I'm like, 'I really believe there's so much of that which could be implied and it's just gratuitous.' I'm not comfortable within my own skin. That side of myself is reserved for my personal life and I wouldn't feel comfortable walking down the street knowing, like... it's perfectly logical to believe that any random person walking down the street has the ability to see me with my clothes off."But Moore is keen to challenge her goody-goody image on and off the big screen - she recently posed for a provocative Details magazine lingerie spread and stuns fans in a supershort slip in her new video I Could Break Your Heart.She adds, "I'm getting to a point and an age - I'm a married woman now - where I would like to find things that challenge me, particularly in the film side of work."I've had a lot of fun on movies, but I'd like something a little more dramatic, something with a little more flavour. I wanna try something that scares me a little bit."

Megan Fox takes a swipe at Scarlett Johansson

2009-05-16T11:02:00.001-07:00

Taking a swipe at Scarlett Johannson, model-actress Megan Fox has said she doesn't need to prove she's intelligent.
The Transformers star resents the assumption that sexy stars are unintelligent, but insists that unlike Johansson she wouldn't go on talk shows to prove how smart she really is, reported contactmusic.com.
"I don't want to have to be like a Scarlett Johansson who I have nothing against. But I don't want to have to go on talk shows and pull out every single word I've ever learned, to prove, like, 'Take me seriously, I am intelligent, I can speak.' I don't want to have to do that. I resent having to prove that I'm not a retard," said Fox.

FIRST LOOK: Swine Flu Virus Revealed

2009-05-15T05:57:00.001-07:00

Scientists have snapped the first ever portrait of H1N1, the new swine flu virus that has swept the globe in recent weeks.
A virus cell (such as the H1N1 swine flu cells above) is made up of a core that contains genetic material, which is surrounded by a protein-filled coat that allows the virus to catch onto and invade target cells. Each cell measures about one-ten-thousandth of a millimeter wide.
The samples, obtained from an infected patient in California, were photographed on April 27, 2009, at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia.
(See more swine flu pictures.)
As of May 4, 2009, 286 people have swine flu in the United States, according to the CDC. Twenty countries have seen nearly a thousand instances of swine flu, the World Health Organization reported. (See a map of swine flu's spread.)
The new virus is similar to flu viruses that normally occur in pigs in North America. But H1N1 has genes from European and Asian pigs, as well as from birds and humans, which makes the virus a very different organism, experts say.
No one knows how severe this virus will become, but so far in the U.S. most cases have been mild.
"It's a situation where we should be cautious but not panicky," Susan Rehm, medical director for the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, said on April 29.
"From what we understand so far, the severity doesn't seem to be much different than what it is in regular seasonal influenza."
—Christine Dell'Amore
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Photograph courtesy CDC Influenza Laboratory

Shanghai Woman Forces Man Into Buying Car

2009-05-15T04:56:00.000-07:00

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - A popular Chinese online video showing a woman going hysterical after her male companion refuses to buy her a car is stirring debate about Shanghai's females, who are renowned for their demanding ways.
In the video, apparently shot on a mobile phone or handheld camera and carried on the widely read www.youku.com (http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XNjQ0NTc0Njg=.html), the woman is seen screaming at the man in a Shanghai car showroom.
It's already attracted over 1.7 million hits since it was posted some four months ago and is still drawing heated comments.
"The car doesn't suit you," the man tells the woman, to which she answers screaming: "It does suit me!"

"It's like this each time we go shopping. I'm not buying this car for you!" he counters.
The woman is then seen jumping into and driving the burgundy sedan up and down the showroom, ignoring her frantically gesturing companion and the salesman.
Finally the man gives in, waving his credit card and shouting: "Stop! Stop! I'll buy it! I'll buy it!"
So far, the video has attracted over 1,000 comments, some supporting, others criticizing the woman's behavior.
But not everyone is buying the video, entitled "What Shanghainese women are like," with some bloggers questioning its veracity and the stereotypical image it portrays of women from mainland China's richest and most cosmopolitan city.
"I didn't even hear one word of Shanghainese!" wrote one poster, asking why the whole exchange was in Mandarin rather than the local Shanghai dialect.
"Listening to the accent you know they are not Shanghainese. You people who say Shanghainese are bad -- how many do you actually know?" wrote another.
Others wondered whether the whole thing was a stunt by the car brand. "It's all been whipped up," one person wrote. "What great publicity."
Still, not everyone thought the woman was at fault.
"I admire this lady. In the end she won -- that's the moral of this tale!"
(Writing by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Nick Macfie and Miral Fahmy)

13/05/2009: Barcelona-Athletic Bilbao 4-1 (Final - Copa del Rey)

2009-05-13T15:21:00.000-07:00

Barcelona came back from a goal down to rack up a fully deserved 4-1 Copa del Rey victory over hapless Athletic Bilbao at the Mestalla on Wednesday evening.An early strike from Toquero gave the Lions the lead, but Yaya Toure soon restored parity before a Lionel Messi brace and a Xavi free-kick made for a thrilling victory for Barca.It is the Catalan side's 25th Copa del Rey victory and their first piece of silverware since their 2006 Supercopa, League and Champions League wins.Athletic, meanwhile, could not capitalise on their early lead, and thus missed the chance to make it 25 Copas for themselves, and to pick up their first silverware since their Liga and Copa double of 1984.

Haifaa Wahby Refuses to Comment on Khaled Youssef’s Neglect

2009-05-13T10:56:00.001-07:00

The Lebanese singer Haifaa Wahby refused to comment on the design of the posters of the movie “Dokkan Shehata” (Shehata’s Shop) in which she starred alongside Ghada Abdel Razek and Amr Saad.

The posters show boldly that it’s only a Khaled Youssef’s movie without referring to any of the film’s stars –especially- Haifaa Wahby, although having her on the poster was expected as the focus should’ve been on her since it’s her first experience as an actress.
The Lebanese diva decided to react very wisely, and not to fall in that trap, as she felt these were mere attempts to start a feud between her and the director Khaled Youssef, thus endangering the success of the movie after its public release; accordingly Wahby chose to stay quiet about it at least for the time being, specially that it’s been said that other posters with her on them are due out soon.

Lilly's Life: Madonna found Jesus

2009-05-11T08:30:00.000-07:00

And I found out that my mind opens and closes with the same degree of difficulty that an old rusty piano accordion might. Do you ever get shocked about what comes out of your mouth and how narrow minded you seem? Even to yourself? I said something about Madonna today which made me want to slap myself. My mind's arteries are narrowing. I have bypassed sounding like my mother and now sound dangerously like my grandmother. If you hear me sprouting yellow peril sentiments soon, such as you'll need to hide under your bed because China is going to attack us soon, you'll know that my mind is closed for good (you think I'm joking about her saying that don't you). I just saw a picture of 50 year old Madonna with her 22 year old boyfriend Jesus (the whole name combo is a little too contrived for my liking but whatever...).

I looked at their picture and the first words out of my mouth were "She looks like his mother. It's just plain embarrassing. Someone has to tell her she looks ridiculous. She is way too old for him." I know, I should have been saying, 'way to go Madonna', but I just cannot bring myself to do so. Five minutes earlier I was cooing over the wedding pictures of 29 year old millionaire Australian model Kristy Hinze who has just married 65 year old Netscape founder and billionaire Jim Moneybags (oh, I forget his name but surnames aren't necessary when you are that rich). Why is this any more acceptable to me. Hardly fair is it?
OK so they are just people I do not even know. I guess the real litmus test is this - how would you react if your son bought home a girlfriend 30 years older than him or your daughter bought home a boyfriend 35 years older than her? I would call the police ....I am joking....sort of. Let's just say it would take me a long time to get used to the idea even though I know its not my decision to make.
What do you think, is age really just a number? Does it really matter? PS. I may need to have a more open mind about these things. I am guessing that it's more than likely that one day soon you will be oohing and ahhing over pictures of me with a 20 year old toy boy (I will be the one pushing him in his stroller. In another few years he will be the one pushing me in mine, haaaaaa-aaaardly).
Before I go, I have a story to tell you about a 'mistake' I made recently with an older man/younger woman. I ran into an old boss of mine. He was happily bouncing along (that should have given me a clue) hand in hand with 'what I thought' was a teenage school girl. He stopped to chat and I looked at the girl and asked her how school was going. I thought she was his daughter. He introduced me to his wife. I walked away with a rosy glow on my cheeks that no doubt equalled his. Oops!

src:Lilly's Life

Pregnant supermodel Heidi Klum expecting a girl

2009-05-11T08:08:00.000-07:00

It's a girl.Seal, 46, said his wife, Heidi Klum, is expecting a baby girl this fall, their third child. The Grammy-winning singer spilled the beans on the baby's sex Friday during an appearance on "The Oprah Winfrey" show. He said Klum "can't keep a secret" and gave him the go-ahead to go public with baby's sex. The couple announced last month at his Radio City Musical Hall concert that the German-born supermodel and host of TV's "Project Runway" was pregnant. Klum, 35, and Seal, who married in 2005, have two sons - Henry Günther, 3, and Johan Riley, 2 - and also raise a 5-year-old daughter, Leni, from her previous relationship with Flavio Briatore.Read more: src:nydailynews.com

Miley Cyrus: 'I'll be a virgin till marriage'

2009-05-07T11:41:00.000-07:00

Like many teen pop celebs before her, "Hannah Montana" star Miley Cyrus has declared she intends to remain a virgin until married, in a new interview with London's Daily Mail newspaper.
Cyrus has been dating underwear model Justin Gaston since last year, and she insists the couple has not had sex.
"I want to keep my virginity until I marry. I was brought up in a Christian family," Cyrus says.
Cyrus chalks up controversies — like last year's Lolita-like photos by Annie Leibovitz in Vanity Fair — to simple growing pains.
"It’s hard growing up in the spotlight, and I’m changing. I can’t be the 12-year-old who just moved to LA for ever," she says. “I’m having a great time doing what I do but I’m also going to stumble and fall. Having my parents close helps."
In addition to her parents, Cyrus says her religious faith keeps her grounded. "You don't know what's real and what's fake in this city [Los Angeles] because almost everyone has a motive and everyone wants to get something," she says. "So many [kids] tell me they are here for new show castings and they'll have their hair and make-up done, ready to be cast — but they're just 9 or 10 years old. My sister Noah is 9 and she's one of those girls. She'll come home and say: 'Oh, I don't think the casting director thought I was pretty,' which is heartbreaking."
Cyrus says she's also getting advice from former child stars: "People mention child performers who have gone off the rails, but there are also stable people like Jodie Foster. She was a child star and look where she is now. She called to give me advice, which was great."
Cyrus formerly dated Nick Jonas. His band of siblings, the Jonas Brothers, has publicly vowed to remain virgins until marriage. Nick Jonas also previously dated another young Disney star Selena Gomez, who's also vowed chastity till marriage.
Britney Spears and Jessica Simpson also made such public declarations early in their careers.
src:suntimes.com

Chelsea v Barcelona: Referee Tom Henning Ovrebo receives threats

2009-05-07T08:00:00.001-07:00

There was uncertainty over the whereabouts of Tom Henning Ovrebo, the referee of Chelsea's contentious Champions League semi-final against Barcelona, after reports that he had to be smuggled out of Britain under police guard last night
Ovrebo has reportedly become the target of furious Chelsea supporters, after the Norwegian denied Guus Hiddink's men a series of penalties that would have secured them victory and a place in the Rome final with Manchester United.
At the end of yesterday's Stamford Bridge clash, which finished 1-1 thanks to Andres Iniesta's last-gasp equaliser, Ovrebo was targeted by Chelsea players - most notably Didier Drogba and Michael Ballack - who confronted the referee, with Drogba caught on camera hurling a tirade of abuse in the 42-year-old's direction, calling him "a f*****g disgrace".
The animosity was such that police reportedly grew concerned about Ovrebo's safety and, according to former referee Graham Poll, were forced to change his hotel before organising a secret exit from the country.
Poll told Radio Four: “This morning he's being smuggled out of our country under police escort - this is a referee of a football match. That is a disgrace.
“When he booked in a hotel they had to change the hotel he was staying at because of the fear that maybe fans would find him.

“When you see players acting like that, fans are called fans because they are fanatics - they may feel it's time to take action themselves.”
The Metropolitan Police, however, said they were not aware of any specific death threats against the referee, and insisted that they had not provided an escort to the airport. And reports in Norway suggest that Ovrebo is yet to leave the country.
A police spokesman confirmed that a police car did escort the referee to his hotel from Stamford Bridge last night, but officers did not advise him to change his accommodation plans. The decision to change hotels was taken by the Uefa referees team.
According to the London Evening Standard, officers in Ovrebo's home city of Oslo are investigating threats made on the internet towards the referee, with message boards displaying his home address, including warnings that fans will “hunt him” and “kill him”.
An Oslo police spokesman said: “We are watching closely what is being posted on the internet. Anything we believe would threaten his personal safety will be taken seriously.”
If the reports are verified, it would not be the first time Chelsea fans have turned on an official in such a manner. Anders Frisk, a Swedish referee who officiated Barcelona's 2-1 win over Chelsea at the Nou Camp back in Feb 2005, when Jose Mourinho was in charge, had a campaign of intimidation directed at him and eventually quit as a referee.
At the time Frisk said: "I have been subjected to things that I couldn't even imagine.
"I love to referee and I have done it since 1978, but what has happened to me means it is not worth continuing. I won't ever go out on a football pitch again. I am too scared. It is not worth it. Unfortunately that is the way football looks in 2005. I've had enough. I don't know if I even dare let my kids go to the post office."
Uefa have been criticised for putting Ovrebo in charge of such an important match, especially as he has previously made mistakes in a big game.
At Euro 2008 he refereed Italy's 1-1 draw with Romania, awarding the Romanians a dubious penalty and incorrectly ruling out an Italian goal. After the match, he apologised for his mistakes and did not take charge of another game during the competition.
John Terry and Guus Hiddink were both infuriated that Ovrebo had been allowed to officiate last night's encounter, with Terry saying "Why did we get a referee who has officiated in 10 games in the Champions League in his career? To be given the Champions League semi-final, that's not good enough."
Hiddink was equally scathing, adding: "If you've seen the three or four (penalty) situations waved away, this is the worst refereeing performance I've ever seen."
The Norwegian football federation, meanwhile, have defended Ovrebo and say both he and his linesmen need not worry about their careers, despite Chelsea's outrage.
Rune Pedersen said: "Naturally we must have respect for the fact that there can be decisions that are debatable, but the way they carried out the game right to the end I believe was a show of strength.
"I don't think that some questionable situations would mean that they don't get any more assignments."
src:telegraph.co.uk

Chelsea 1-1 Barcelona goals highlights

2009-05-06T13:51:00.000-07:00

Chelsea (Essien 9′) 1-1 Barcelona (Iniesta 90′ + 3) (Barcelona win 1-1 on Aggregate on Away Goals Rule)Stadium: Stamford Bridge, EnglandCompetition: UEFA Champions League, Semifinals, Leg #2Date: 6 May 2009Kickoff: 18:45 GMT, 14:45 EST
Barcelona pulled off a great escape and eliminated Chelsea to advance to the Champions League Final! Soccerlens brought you the action live! Click below for the live-blog and feel free to leave comments below!

Match Preview:The old adage goes “offense sells tickets, but defense wins championships.” If that’s the case, then Chelsea’s performance in the first leg against Barcelona was Treble caliber. Guus Hiddink’s men rarely ventured forward and seemed content to eke out a scoreless draw. Their hope was to take a 0-0 scoreline into the second leg at Stamford Bridge, where they’ll take on a more offensive posture against a club that hasn’t played nearly as well on the road in Europe as they have at home.
Indeed, heading into this past weekend, you could argue that Barcelona haven’t been in the best of form. They drew with Valencia which opened the door for Real Madrid to close the gap in La Liga. They haven’t won on the road in Europe since November, when they defeated Sporting Lisbon. However, then came Saturday’s 6-2 demolition of Real Madrid in El Clasico. Barcelona confirmed their credentials as the most dangerous and dynamic offensive team in Europe and dismantled one of the hottest teams in recent history in Real Madrid. Their big guns, especially Lionel Messi, Samuel Eto’o, Thierry Henry, Xavi, and Andres Iniesta, were quiet in the first leg, but were in excellent form over the weekend and will be looking to prove that the first leg was a fluke. Most importantly, they know that they don’t have to win at Stamford Bridge in order to advance. Any goal that they score will give them an advantage over Chelsea, and any scored draw will send them through to the Finals.
Chelsea, however, have reason to feel confident going into this match. They’ll be getting Ashley Cole back from suspension, and he’ll be able to mark Messi, allowing Jose Bosingwa (who did a respectable job) to move back to his natural position at right-back. They should also have Alex and Michael Ballack available, despite both players leaving last weekend’s match with Fulham with slight knocks. Moreover, Chelsea can take heart knowing that Barcelona have been suspect on defense all year, and they were burned for two goals on set-plays by an otherwise impotent Real Madrid side. Chelsea have scored numerous goals on set-pieces this year, and we need look no further than the first leg of the Liverpool tie to see that. They’ll need all hands on deck, especially if Barcelona bring their scoring boots that they used to humble Real Madrid.
Hopefully, we should see a more wide-open and entertaining game than the first leg. Will Barcelona continue their offensive rampage and overwhelm Chelsea at Stamford Bridge? Or will Chelsea prevail and make it to their second consecutive Finals? Tune in and find out!
Lineups:Chelsea: Cech, Bosingwa, Alex, Terry (c), A. Cole, Essien, Ballack, Malouda, Lampard, Anelka, Drogba.Subs: Hilario, Ivanovic, Di Santo, Mikel, Kalou, Belletti, Mancienne.
Chelsea will make only one change from the side that defeated Fulham over the weekend, bringing back Ballack in favor of the defensive-minded Mikel. That, along with Anelka’s place in the starting lineup, could indicate that Chelsea will have their attacking boots on. Otherwise, they would have gone with their lineup in Barcelona last week and simply played for penalty kicks. Ashley Cole is back in the lineup after his suspension, and will be tasked with stopping Lionel Messi.
Barcelona: Valdes, Alves, Pique, Toure, Abidal, Busquets, Xavi (c), Keita, Messi, Iniesta, Eto’o.Subs: Pinto, Caceres, Gudjohnsen, Bojan, Sylvinho, Hleb, Pedro.
As expected, Barca will be without Thierry Henry, who sustained an injury during the weekend’s victory over Real Madrid. Barca will start with Toure at center-half in place of the suspended Puyol. Busquets will come into the lineup to sit in front of the defense, and Keita will start alongside Xavi in midfield. As with the first leg, former Chelsea man, Gudjohnsen, will be available off the bench, as will former Arsenal players Hleb and Sylvinho.
Minute-by-Minute:90′ + 7 Eto’o comes off and Sylvinho will replace him. Chelsea win a free kick and Cech comes up for it. They can’t do much with it, though, as there’s the whistle and we’re done! Chelsea players are bum-rushing the ref and are really giving him a earful. They feel jobbed, and it’s hard to argue. However, Barcelona have pulled off a great escape and will meet Manchester United in the Final! Thanks to everyone who followed along! I’ll see you next time!
90′ + 6 Cech comes up for the corner and Lampard plays it into the box for him. It’s knocked out to Ballack and he tries a hard shot that looks like it might have hit Eto’o’s shoulder! No call from the ref and Ballack is incensed. In fact, he looks like he’s trying to grab the ref and beat him up. Needless to say, he’s booked and he’ll miss the next match.
90′ + 5 Chelsea look shell-shocked, but they win a corner. Barcelona make a change as Iniesta will come off for Gudjohnsen.
90′ + 3 GOAL!! Wow! What a heartbreaker! Alves lifts a cross from the right and Terry heads it away, but Messi corrals it on the edge of the box. He sends it to Iniesta, and he fires a shot from the center edge of the box and he beats Cech!
90′ + 1 Four minutes will be added on. Essien gives it away poorly, and Messi’s pass to Pique on the center edge of the box is taken away by Lampard. Eto’o is booked for mouthing off to the ref and he’s clearly had a frustrating night. Belletti gets through, but his shot is wide of the post.
90′ Alves with a long cross from the top-right edge of the penalty area to the far post. Eto’o tries valiantly to keep it from going out, but the linesman rules that it crossed the line.
89′ Lampard wins a corner and, for some reason, Guardiola hugs Hiddink. What’s that about? Is he conceding defeat already? Nothing doing on the corner as Chelsea are called for a foul.
88′ Iniesta and Messi play a one-two on the center edge of the penalty area and Messi takes a tumble. No call, though.
87′ Lampard gets free down the left edge of the box, and he sends it back to a trailing Essien. His shot is easily blocked by Pique, though.
86′ Lampard’s pass to Anelka is poor and Pique cuts it out. Malouda wins it back, but he loses it before he can do anything with it.
85′ Busquets is off for Krkic. Will that make a difference?
84′ Messi with a terrible cross and he’s been mediocre tonight. Let’s say that the score, right now, is Ronaldo 1, Messi 0.
83′ Lampard wins a corner off Pique. Chelsea take their time setting this up, and you can’t blame them. Malouda’s corner is easily cleared away from danger.
82′ Long pass into the box for Anelka, and it looks like Pique hands it inside the box. No call from the ref, and on the replay, it looked like a clear penalty. Pique got away with one there.
80′ Alves whips a cross from the right but Alex heads it away. It’s into some space and Pique gets it. He tries a shot, but it’s just wide of the post.
79′ Toure makes a mistake as he misjudges the long pass to Anelka. The French forward is away from him and he goes down under the contact from Toure. No penalty call, though, and it would have been a soft penalty had it been given.
78′ Alves takes the free kick from about 30 yards out, but it’s just over the crossbar.
77′ Alex muffs his clearance as he slips on the pitch as he tries to kick it away. Messi pounces on it, and Alex catches him in the midsection with a nicely placed kick. That’s a yellow for Alex, and he’ll miss the Final.
76′ Essien plays it through to Anelka and he’s got a great chance in the box. Too bad he’s flagged offside. So much for that.
75′ Messi gets away from Terry and he sends it to Alves. He crosses it into the box, but Ballack is back there and he heads it away.
74′ Essien is booked for a late tackle on Iniesta.
72′ Drogba will come off and he gets a deserved ovation from the Chelsea fans. Belletti, the former Barca man, will replace him.
71′ Drogba is still limping around, and he’s probably going to come off. Lampard takes a good shot from the edge of the box. It takes a bit of a deflection, but Valdes makes the diving save.
70′ So, if Barca make it to the Final, they’ll be missing their starting left-back and their starting right-back. I bet Sir Alex is rooting hard for Barca right now.
69′ Drogba limps off the pitch so it’ll be 10-on-10 for now. Lampard takes the free kick from about 25 yards out, but his low effort flashes wide of the far post.
66′ RED CARD! Pique and Drogba go for the 50-50 ball in the air, and they both miss. It bounces to Anelka, and Abidal brings down him outside the box and he’s off for committing the professional foul! But wait! On the replay, it looks like Abidal barely touched him. It looks like Fletcher isn’t the only one with a complaint about the officiating. Anyway, it’s no matter as he’s off and Barca are in a huge hole.
65′ Messi gets away from Cole and cuts across the edge of the penalty area. He tries a speculative shot, but it’s over the crossbar.
64′ Drogba is giving them all kinds of problems today, and he gets it inside the box yet again. This time, he gets held up and Barca are able to knock it away.
63′ Iniesta makes a nice run into the box and he tries to thread it through to Eto’o. It’s out of his reach, though, and Eto’o has some choice words for his teammate.
62′ Drogba takes a dive inside the box as Abidal barely touches him and he’s clearly trying to win a penalty to make up for that no-call earlier. Like a great actor, Drogba commits to it and Chelsea even bring out their medical staff to tend to him. Not even Daniel Day-Lewis is that devoted of an actor.
61′ Keita with a nice bit of skill to take it on a half-volley, but it’s not even close to bothering Cech.
60′ Terrible corner from Xavi as he plays it low and it’s right to Drogba on the near edge of the box. Pique then plays it through to Alves, but he unleashes a terrible cross from the right wing.
59′ Messi nearly threads it through to Eto’o, and Alex stumbles and falls. Luckily for him, Bosingwa is there to cover for him, and he kicks it away. Malouda then gives away a corner.
56′ Malouda with an optimistic effort from long range, but it’s not even close. Drogba gets it inside the box and Toure is grabbing his arm and shirt. How that’s not a foul, I don’t know. He eventually slides in and knocks it away, and Drogba wants a penalty. No call and I don’t disagree with the tackle, but Drogba was clearly fouled outside the box. Oh well.
55′ Terrible long-range shot from Alves and he’s not winning any admirers tonight.
54′ Great ball by Toure and Alves gets it deep down the right. He sends a cross into the center of the box, but it’s between two players.
52′ Anelka with a nice run into the box and he finds an unmarked Drogba in the box. He eludes a sliding Pique and looks to have Valdes at his mercy. He fires a low shot and Valdes saves it with his feet. Malouda tries to follow up, but he hits the side netting. Wow. Valdes came up huge there.
51′ Iniesta with a clever ball into the box from the left wing, but it bounces awkwardly for Keita, who can’t handle it.
50′ Xavi sends it to the near post again, but this time, Essien clears it away.
49′ Busquets with a nice run into the box, and he flicks it over-the-top to Keita. It’s off Ballack for a corner. Xavi’s corner strikes Toure at the near post and it’s out, but Barca gets another corner.
47′ They’re only about 30 yards out or so, and the free kick will come in from left side of the field. Xavi touches it to Iniesta at the center edge of the box, and he touches it back to Alves. He shanks it wide and Guardiola is incensed. Not their best effort there. They were trying to be a little too cute there.
46′ Chelsea will kick off and we’re underway! No changes for either side at the half. Iniesta gets fouled close to the edge of the box, and they’ll have a great chance here.
46′ I would have thought that Manchester United would want to face Chelsea, especially with the way they’ve handled them this season. But after that first half, I think they’d take Barcelona in a heartbeat.
Well, as Yogi Berra once said, it’s like deja-vu all over again. Much like last season’s semifinal, Barca were held scoreless at home and then fell victim to a long-range strike early in the second leg to their English opponents. Said English opponents then defended the one-goal lead and held on to eliminate Barca from the competition. Could history repeat itself here tonight? So far, it looks like it will. Barca have yet to solve Chelsea’s defense, and now that Chelsea have a lead to protect, you can expect more of the same tactics that they employed in the first leg. We will see what Barca are made out of as they try to get that all-important away-goal.
45′ + 3 Messi takes on the entire Chelsea defense and he lays it off to Alves down the right. His cross is defected out for a corner. Barca play it short and Xavi eventually gets the shot opportunity on the edge of the box. It’s out and Xavi claims he’s won a corner. No matter, though, as there’s the whistle and we’re at halftime!
45′ + 2 Bosingwa gets it and actually moves back towards his own penalty area. He’s under a lot of pressure from Iniesta, but he gets it away.
45′ + 1 There will be three added minutes.
45′ Drogba gets it to Anelka, and he makes the run down the right. He can’t get away from his defender, though, and he gives it away to Valdes.
43′ Lampard tries to send the corner to Ballack, but he can’t control his header. It’s out for a Chelsea throw.
42′ Toure gives away a free kick, and Lampard will take it from about 35 yards out. He tries to set up his teammates, since Barca are so vulnerable on set pieces. Toure eventually nods Lampard’s freebie out for a corner.
41′ Alves wins a corner as his cross is knocked out by Bosingwa. They take it quickly and Messi eventually sends a long cross from the right to the far post for Eto’o, but gets flat-footed and it’s out for a goal-kick.
40′ Tommy Smyth actually makes a good point (!). He mentions that Barcelona look like they’re getting rid of the ball more quickly than usual and that it’s wrecking havoc with their usual offensive rhythm. It’s like they’re afraid of getting hit by the Chelsea players and are more worried about that than anything else. In other words, he’s calling them soft.
39′ Messi sends it into the box for Xavi, but it’s long and out for a goal-kick.
38′ Messi turns on the wheels and burns Cole down the right. He has Eto’o in the box, but Messi decides to go for goal, instead. His shot is then easily handled by Cech.
37′ Iniesta is fouled by Bosingwa near the centerline. Eto’o threads it through to Messi down the right. He curls a shot on goal that gives Cech some problems. He’s able to handle it, though, and that’s really the first thing Messi has done today.
35′ Cech kicks it away and Drogba gets it on the edge of the penalty area. He heads it forward to Malouda, but Valdes is out to take it.
31′ Lampard is on the ground after he catches an elbow from Keita. He looks like he might be bleeding from the mouth. He’ll come off to receive treatment, but he should be okay. He’s been excellent, thus far.
30′ Alves gets booked for a flying elbow on Cole. Stupid play and he’s suspended for the Final if Barca make it. Well, it was coming.
29′ Xavi with a nice pass to Iniesta and he tries a shot that’s well off the mark.
28′ Xavi chips a great pass from the edge of the box to the right post where Alves tries to head it in. He’s called for a foul, though, and Cech will kick it away.
27′ Great pass into the box by Lampard for Drogba and Abidal grabs him by the shirt. Drogba goes down and Valdes is there to take it away. No penalty call, and I have to disagree with the ref here. Abidal looked like he fouled him.
26′ Chelsea are really taking it to them right now, aren’t they? So much for anti-football.
25′ Drogba fires it to the far post, but Valdes just gets a touch on it and concedes the corner. On the corner, Terry gets his head on it, but it’s just wide of the post.
24′ Malouda makes a run down the left and Alves fouls him on the edge of the box. It looked like the foul might have occurred in the box, but the ref won’t award the penalty. Now, Chelsea will have a free kick from the lower left corner of the penalty box.
23′ Lampard flicks it forward and Drogba gets behind Toure and Pique! Drogba has a chance, but Valdes is alert and kicks it away. Great play by the keeper, because Drogba could have chipped it past him and had an open net to shoot at.
21′ Iniesta is fouled from about 35 yards out by Anelka. They’ll have a good chance here, especially with Alves kicking it. He kicks it and gets it over the wall. However, it travels well wide of the post and Cech had it well covered anyway.
20′ Messi tries to play it into the path of Eto’o down the left, but Cech comes out to collect it. He almost collided with Alex there, but Cech was able to get to it first.
18′ Alves runs over Malouda and he’s called for a foul. No booking, though.
17′ Malouda gets it and he’s got a ton of space along the left. He lays it back to Lampard, and he tries a shot from inside the box that is just wide. He was unmarked and probably should have done a little bit better with that shot, but Valdes closed off the near post well.
16′ Messi and Xavi try to play a one-two on the edge of the box, but Xavi loses it. He takes a tumble, but no call from the ref.
15′ Iniesta passes it long into the path of a hard-charging Xavi, but it’s just beyond his grasp and it’s out for a goal-kick.
14′ Eto’o tries to make a move inside the box, but he loses it. Anelka takes it, but he’s run over by Busquets. Yeah, both Anelka and Drogba are back defending, so I guess we know what they’re going to do here.
13′ Bosingwa gives away a free kick from about 40 yards out on the left flank near the end-line. Xavi’s free kick is easily cleared from danger, and he’ll have to do better than that if he wants to make Chelsea’s defense sweat.
12′ Xavi tries to pass it to Eto’o at the left edge of the box, but the pass is behind him and out for a Chelsea throw.
11′ Barca win a corner but Drogba clears it away. Will Chelsea go into their shell now?
9′ GOAL!! Xavi tries a long pass to Keita, who gets in front of Alex. However, the pass is long and Cech will kick it away. Chelsea come back as Cole slides in a pass into the box for Lampard. He tries to turn and fire, but his shot is blocked. It’s deflected out off Toure’s back to the Essien, who volleys it from outside the penalty area, and he clips the shot under the crossbar and it bounces over the line! Wow! What a shot form Essien!
7′ Messi plays it through to Alves, who makes the run down the right. He tries to whip a cross to the far post for Iniesta, but it’s out for a Chelsea throw.
5′ Alves is inside the box and he chips it to Messi deep down the right edge of the box. Messi tries a cross, and it looks like it may have gone off Ballack’s hand. No handball, though, and Bosingwa eventually clears it away.
3′ Messi makes a run into the box from the left, but Terry closes him down and makes the great defensive play to take it away.
2′ Terry plays Drogba through the middle, Drogba’s touch is poor and he gives it away. He would have been through on goal if he hadn’t done that. Eto’o then comes back and tries a long-range shot, but it’s well wide and doesn’t trouble Cech.
1′ Barca kick off and we’re underway! Tom Henning Ovrebo is our referee. Messi tries to get around Cole, but he has him well played. Ballack is also back to help out and they take it away.
0′ The Chammmmm-pionnnnns!
0′ Let’s hope that the presence of Anelka means that Chelsea are going to actually play some offense today. I don’t have a problem with what they did in the first leg, at least not compared to some people who have labeled their tactics as “cowardly,” “negative,” or “anti-football.” I mean, you have to put your team in the best position to advance, and they certainly did that. If they had gone with an open-approach and lost like Real Madrid did over the weekend, then that would have been foolhardy, right?
0′ From the “Let’s Not Get Ahead of Ourselves” Dept. A lot of Barcelona fans think that, just because they thrashed Real Madrid on Saturday, that they’ll be in great form for this match. Not so fast. Real Madrid’s defense is hardly anything to write home about. Plus, Barca have not faced stiff competition in Europe, thus far. They took out an overmatched Lyon side in the Round of 16 (and couldn’t win on Lyon’s home pitch), and outclassed a Bayern Munich side that recently fired their manager and may not qualify for Champions League play next season.
0′ One last note about yesterday’s Arsenal/Manchester United match. We knew that the Gunners were caught with their pants down, but Nicklas Bendtner seems to have taken that literally. Apparently, he wears briefs, which is more than I ever wanted to know about him.
0′ One word about Darren Fletcher, because I didn’t think of it until after the game was long over. You have to feel for him as a human being. Burglars broke into his house when he was out of town, getting ready to play at Inter Milan. They held his family at knifepoint and threatened to cut his fiance’s throat. Fletcher could have gone home and left his team, but he was professional about it. Not only did Fletcher play against Inter Milan, but he did a decent job. I remember thinking that he looked like he was about to break down and cry during the playing of the UEFA Anthem before the match. You had to feel for him then, and you certainly have to feel for him now. For him to miss the Final, on a disputed foul no less, seems incredibly unfair after everything he’s gone through.
0′ Who will join Darren Fletcher on the sidelines if they pick up another yellow today? For Chelsea, Michael Ballack, Alex, and Nicholas Anelka had better be on their best behavior. For Barcelona, Sergio Busquets and Dani Alves better watch themselves.
0′ Welcome to Soccerlens’ live coverage of the UEFA Champions League Semifinals between Chelsea and Barcelona! The winner will face Manchester United in the Finals from Rome on May 27, 2009! I’m Victor and I’ll be your liveblogger! I’m watching this match on ESPN. However, this match is available, on-line, at ESPN360. For information on how to access that fine service, feel free to consult this article. Click here for other, free, options.

You Look Lovely in Blue, J-Lo

2009-05-06T10:48:00.000-07:00

Prior to giving birth to twins, Max and Emme, Jennifer Lopez already had a superb figure; but you know what? The body she has now seems to be better than before! Her new slimmed down figure was even more pronounced in the sexy blue mini-dress which she wore when she made an appearance on the TV Show Good Morning America. The mid-thigh dress belted at the waist looked perfect on her with its slightly capped sleeves. She matched the blue dress with black high heels. It’s too bad I can’t find who her dress is.

J-Lo also accessorized with a long silver necklace with huge black pendants hanging from it. She also had a big black watch on her right wrist.

At the show J-Lo talked about whooping cough vaccinations. She’s raising awareness that any adult who takes care of babies should get vaccinated to avoid passing on the infection to the baby. Whooping cough can be fatal to infants.

What do you think of her dress?

Connie Culp, nation's first face transplant patient, reveals herself

2009-05-06T07:25:00.000-07:00

Five years ago, a shotgun blast left a ghastly hole where the middle of her face had been. Five months ago, she received a new face from a dead woman.

Connie Culp stepped forward Tuesday to show off the results of the nation's first face transplant, and her new look was a far cry from the puckered, noseless sight that made children run away in horror.

Culp's expressions are still a bit wooden, but she can talk, smile, smell and taste her food again. Her speech is at times a little tough to understand. Her face is bloated and squarish, and her skin droops in big folds that doctors plan to pare away as her circulation improves and her nerves grow, animating her new muscles.
But Culp had nothing but praise for those who made her new face possible.
"I guess I'm the one you came to see today," the 46-year-old Ohio woman said at a news conference at the Cleveland Clinic, where the groundbreaking operation was performed. But "I think it's more important that you focus on the donor family that made it so I could have this person's face."
Up until Tuesday, Culp's identity and how she came to be disfigured were a secret.
Culp's husband, Thomas, shot her in 2004, then turned the gun on himself. He went to prison for seven years. His wife was left clinging to life. The blast shattered her nose, cheeks, the roof of her mouth and an eye. Hundreds of fragments of shotgun pellet and bone splinters were embedded in her face. She needed a tube into her windpipe to breathe. Only her upper eyelids, forehead, lower lip and chin were left.
A plastic surgeon at the Cleveland Clinic, Dr. Risal Djohan, got a look at her injuries two months later. "He told me he didn't think, he wasn't sure, if he could fix me, but he'd try," Culp recalled.
She endured 30 operations to try to fix her face. Doctors took parts of her ribs to make cheekbones and fashioned an upper jaw from one of her leg bones. She had countless skin grafts from her thighs. Still, she was left unable to eat solid food, breathe on her own, or smell.
Then, on Dec. 10, in a 22-hour operation, Dr. Maria Siemionow led a team of doctors who replaced 80 percent of Culp's face with bone, muscles, nerves, skin and blood vessels from another woman who had just died. It was the fourth face transplant in the world, though the others were not as extensive.
"Here I am, five years later. He did what he said — I got me my nose," Culp said of Djohan, laughing.
In January, she was able to eat pizza, chicken and hamburgers for the first time in years. She loves to have cookies with a cup of coffee, Siemionow said.

src:nydailynews.com

Christina Aguilera to make movie debut in 'Burlesque,' big screen musical written especially for her

2009-05-06T06:38:00.000-07:00

The silver screen is about to get a little "Dirrty."
Christina Aguilera has signed on to make her feature film debut in "Burlesque," a star-vehicle written especially for the pop siren, Variety.com reported on its Web site.
Described as a sultry musical after Broadway legend Bob Fosse's heart, Aguilera will portray a small town girl with a big voice who moves to Los Angeles and finds romance and stardom at a new-fangled striptease club.
Though her voice was featured in the animated film "Shark Tale," the new film will give the Grammy-winning songstress' a big screen debut in the flesh.
The film is scheduled to begin shooting late this year.
Let's just hope the studio behind the project, Screen Gems, has better luck with this movie than their current film driven by a big name pop goddess.
That movie, the thriller "Obsessed," starring Beyonce Knowles, managed to eke out surprise box office success in spite of being universally panned

Chelsea vs Barcelona Preview 06/05/2009 Champions League UEFA

2009-05-06T06:13:00.000-07:00

Facing the strength of English soccer in the Champions League and chasing scoring records in Spain, Barcelona could be only a few games away from proving itself the best team in the world.Saturday's spectacular 6-2 victory at Real Madrid underlined its supremacy over its traditional rival in the Spanish league and opened up a seven-point lead in La Liga. It also took Barca to 100 league goals for the season and now the Catalan soccer giant has four games to overtake the record of 107 set by Real in 1989-90.Although England's Premier League appears to be dominating European club soccer with three Champions League semifinalists for the second season in a row and a finalist for the fifth year in succession, Barcelona looks strong enough to beat any of the top English sides.Now it has the chance to prove it."We will go to win, to attack and to qualify for the final in Rome," coach Pep Guardiola said ahead of Wednesday's Champions League semifinal second leg against Chelsea. "Chelsea know that. This result will help us."Unless it is to rely on a penalty shootout, however, it has to score at least once at Chelsea to reach the final of the Champions League and face another English team-either Manchester United or Arsenal-in the May 27 final in Rome.Barca was held 0-0 at home by Chelsea last Tuesday and hopes that Saturday's scoring spree carries over to another big performance at Stamford Bridge. Guardiola, who only took charge at the start of the season, is confident that his players won't have left their best form and fitness behind on Saturday and will be up for another showpiece display in west London."When a player is so close to Rome, there is no such thing as tiredness," he said.But it will be a huge letdown for Barcelona fans and soccer in general if Guardiola's team can't repeat some of the performance it produced against Madrid.Last week Chelsea stifled Barca's impressive strikeforce of Lionel Messi, Thierry Henry and Samuel Eto'o, who have scored a combined 69 league goals this season, and the flow of passes provided by Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta.Now wily coach Guus Hiddink hopes to do the same at Stamford Bridge.The Dutchman is expected to send out a lineup that will try to make sure Barcelona's talented stars do not get a chance to show off their skills in front of 40,000 Chelsea fans. That task would be made easier if Henry fails to recover from a knee injury picked up against Real.Hiddink saw defensive problems in Saturday's 3-1 victory over Fulham that he does not want to see again against Barca.That makes it imperative for Guardiola to get the best out of his stars, partly to make sure it doesn't fall at the semifinal hurdle for the second season in a row and partly to show that attractive, positive soccer is also the way to win titles.It happened at national team level last year when Spain impressively won the European Championship and is now the best in the world. But that was after Barcelona got knocked out of the Champions League semifinal and two English clubs, Manchester United and Chelsea, made it to Moscow for the final where United triumphed after a penalty shootout and a 1-1 draw.That final could be repeated in Rome and Barcelona is out to prevent it happening again.Chelsea's players didn't win many friends by shackling the Barcelona players at Camp Nou but they were only doing their job. Hiddink's team has talented forwards such as Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka but he is likely to tell his stars not to take any risks on Wednesday.Now it's up to Barca to show the millions watching worldwide on TV that it has the ability to overcome a solid Chelsea lineup and reach the final.Hiddink won't fall into the same trap as Madrid's Juande Ramos who pushed his defensive midfielders high up and repeatedly got caught out on the break.It means Barca will have to pull Chelsea's midfielders out of position and give Messi and Henry chances to run at the defenders from the flanks, opening up space inside the area.Guardiola, who was a talented midfielder for the club as a player, has proved himself as a top quality coach too and appears to be guiding Barcelona back to greatness.It is amazing that one of soccer's greatest clubs has only won Europe's top prize twice, in 1992 and 2006, while Madrid has the record of nine titles.Victories over two English teams will bring the title back to Camp Nou and that could be just the start of a spell of dominance for Guardiola and his stars.English teams may be filling most of the Champions League spots, but there's a good chance that best of all will be Spanish.

Zack Efron and Barack Obama among world's most influential people

2009-05-03T18:10:00.000-07:00

HIGH School Musical hunk Zac Efron has been named one of the world's most influential people - alongside Barack Obama.
The 21-year-old actor appears on Time magazine's list, which alsot features Bono, George Clooney and Oprah Winfrey Claire Danes - Efron's co-star in new film Me And Orson Welles - said he deserved his slot.
She said: "He is going to make us swoon for many years to come." British rapper M.I.A., whose song Paper Planes featured in Slumdog Millionaire, also made the list..

British pop star 'down with swine flu'

2009-05-03T04:50:00.000-07:00

London (PTI) The lead singer of British band 'N-Dubz', Tulisa Contostavlos has been diagnosed with suspected swine flu, reported Sun online.
The 20-year-old singer who is currently on top of the UK charts with her single 'Number One' has been admitted to a hospital in Greece after coming down with an affliction which has all the symptoms of the deadly viral disease, reported the newspaper.
The singer had flown to Athens for a holiday with family and friends but she fainted mid flight. She was then admitted to an isolation ward in a hospital in Pendeli, Greece.
"Tulisa is very poorly indeed. She has gone from a huge high of chart success and the tour to panicking about her health. Her family have been forced to wear masks and have only been allowed minimal contact. It is a terrifying time," a source close to the singer told the newspaper.
The report was also confirmed by the band's spokesperson who said, "We are hopeful Tulisa will be given the all-clear and will be well enough to leave hospital in the next couple of days."
Meanwhile Contostavlos is undergoing tests to affirm whether it is swine flu or a similar disease which has been contracted by her.

Real Madrid 2-6 Barcelona goals highlights

2009-05-02T13:22:00.000-07:00

All goals and highlights from the Real Madrid v Barcelona El Classico Spanish La Liga game on May 2, 2009 ( Saturday). Takes place at the Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid.
Final score and result:-
Real Madrid 2-6 Barcelona
Goal scorers :- Gonzalo Higuain 14′, Sergio Ramos 56′ / Thierry Henry 18′. Carles Puyol 20′, Lionel Messi 35′, Thierry Henry 58′, Lionel Messi 75′, Gerard Pique 83′
Never have Barcelona scored six in the league away from home against Madrid. Great performance from the Catalans, but there were defensive errors that Chelsea will hope to exploit at the Bridge this Wednesday.
Real Madrid 1-0 Barcelona ( Gonzalo Higuain 14′ goal)
A dream start for Real Madrid. Arjen Robben finds Sergio Ramos with some space down the right, and the defender crosses it into the area for an unmarked Higuain to head home. 1-0 to Real Madrid.
Real Madrid 1-1 Barcelona ( Thierry Henry 18′ goal)
Stung by Higuain’s opener, Barcelona respond in the best possible way. Thierry Henry scores his 18th league goal of the season in the 18th minute of the game. 1-1. Assisted by Lionel Messi.
Real Madrid 1-2 Barcelona ( Carles Puyol 20′ goal)
Anything Barcelona can do, Real Madrid can do better. Like Gonzalo Higuain, Carles Puyol is given all the space in the box, and the defender is not one to look a gift horse in the mouth. Xavi flights the ball in, and Puyol heads home to give Barcelona the lead.
Real Madrid 1-3 Barcelona ( Lionel Messi 35′ goal)
Horrible defending from Lassana Diarra. The former Portsmouth man gives away possession in his own half to Xavi, who finds an unmarked Messi, who in turn pokes past Casillas. 3-1 to Barcelona.
Real Madrid 2-3 Barcelona ( Sergio Ramos 56′ goal)
Iniesta gives away a free kick, and Robben whips the ball in. Nobody bothers to mark Sergio Ramos, and he heads home to make 2-3.
Real Madrid 2-4 Barcelona ( Thierry Henry 58′ goal)
Delightful finish from Henry, and Barcelona’s two goal lead is restored. Henry latches on to Xavi’s pass, and Real’s offside trap does not work. Iker Casillas comes out to confront Henry, but the French striker produces a wonderful finish to make it 2-4.
Real Madrid 2-5 Barcelona ( Lionel Messi 75′ goal)
Ramos had sacrificed Ramos for Van der Vaart a few minutes earlier, and there was always a chance that Real’s three man defence would be exposed. Here a wonderful Barcelona move is completed by Lionel Messi. Great finish from the little Argentine.
Real Madrid 2-6 Barcelona ( Gerard Pique 83′ goal)
Gerard Pique’s first ever league goal for Real Madrid, and Los Merengues are being humiliated in their own backyard. Et’oo crosses for Pique, whose first effort is blocked by Casillas. However Pique tucks in the rebound, and Barcelona have hit Real for a six.
La Liga title over. Barcelona now lead by seven points with four games to go. Should they win, and Real lose next week, the Catalan giants will be crowned champions.
( All videos hosted at sapo.pt, uploaded by unknown third parties. All rights of the video with sapo and those third parties)

Intimate images of Carla Bruni stolen from ex-lover

2009-05-01T09:34:00.000-07:00

Burglars stole a laptop containing photos of Mrs Bruni-Sarkozy, a digital camera and video material from the home of Julien Enthoven, the brother of the first lady's former lover, Raphael.
The photos reportedly show her and Raphael with their nine-year-old son, Aurélien, while others show the pair at family occasions
The intruders broke into the flat in rue Dauphine, in Paris' chic 6th arrondissement, via a window.
This is the third time this year that those linked to President Nicolas Sarkozy have been burgled in Paris.
In February the home of the Mr Sarkozy's brother, François was raided, and a week earlier half-a-million pounds worth of designer jewellery was taken from the apartment of Cecilia Attias, the President's second wife.
But police said that they did not believe the robbers had any idea about the contents of their booty.
"It was a banal burglary. Everything that was digital was stolen as is often the case," said a spokesman.
The then Miss Bruni met Raphael, a philosopher who was married at the time, while going out with his father, Jean-Paul Enthoven in 2001.
But they separated six years later, with Raphael complaining that she was not sufficiently committed. His ex-wife, Justine Levy – the daughter of Bernard-Henri Levy, the media philosopher – later wrote a revenge novel about a former supermodel who seduces another women's husband. The character is described as a "praying mantis" and a "leech of a woman with a Terminator smile".
Mrs Bruni-Sarkozy's ex-lovers include British rock stars Mick Jagger and Eric Clapton, as well as Donald Trump, the US tycoon, and a number of other public figures.
A nude picture taken during her supermodel days, was released on the eve of a state visit to Britain last year. Since then, she has sought to portray a more demure image. It is not thought any of the stolen photos were compromising.
Their theft occurred on the night before the presidential couple arrived in Spain, where Mrs Bruni-Sarkozy has hit the headlines as a fashion rival to Princess Letizia.
src:telegraph.co.uk

Wife's poll rage hits Berlusconi

2009-04-30T20:38:00.000-07:00

Italy's prime minister and his wife have clashed publicly after reports his party planned to field attractive young women as European election candidates.
Veronica Lario said the plan amounted to "shameless rubbish" being put on "for the entertainment of the emperor".
Silvio Berlusconi said she had been misled by left-wing media reports that TV stars, actresses and an ex-beauty queen were among potential candidates.
But only one of the so-called "show girl" candidates made the party list.
Ms Lario vented her feelings in an email to the Italian news agency Ansa, which was then picked up by the national newspapers.
She said it was "to entertain the emperor" that beautiful young women were fielded to stand as candidates for Mr Berlusconi's People of Freedom (PdL) party in June's European Parliament election
"But behind the facade of curvaceous feminine beauty, what is even more serious is (Mr Berlusconi's) impudence and lack of reserve" she continued, it offends "the credibility of all women".
Mr Berlusconi later told reporters that he was sorry his wife had apparently believed "what she read in the papers".
He said his party was aiming to select female candidates because "we want to renew our political class with people who are cultivated and well prepared".
Candidates standing for the PdL would be unlike the "malodorous and badly dressed people who represent certain parties in parliament", Mr Berlusconi added.
Ms Lario, who is Mr Berlusconi's second wife and herself a former actress, said she wanted to make clear that "my children and I are victims and not accomplices in this situation".
"We must endure it and it causes us to suffer," she added.
It was later announced that Barbara Matera - an actress, TV announcer and former Miss Italy contestant - was the only one of the "showgirl candidates" as the Italian media dubbed them to have made the final list.
src:bbc news

SARAH Jessica Parker and husband Matthew Broderick are expecting twin girls through a surrogate

2009-04-29T06:53:00.000-07:00

SARAH Jessica Parker and husband Matthew Broderick are expecting twin girls through a surrogate, the pair have confirmed.
People magazine quoted a representative as saying the couple were "happily anticipating the birth of their twin daughters later this summer with the generous help of a surrogate".
Parker, 44, and Broderick, 47, have a six-year-old son together. It has been reported the couple have tried to have more children but not had any luck.
Last year the couple refused to comment on reports Broderick had an affair with another woman. - AFP

Haifa Wehbe Wedding Photos

2009-04-26T07:04:00.001-07:00

Haifa Wehbe tied the knot on Friday and has entered The Golden Cage with Ahmad Abu Hashimeh.The wedding was a star-studded one with attendees from around the Arab music & movie world.Famous people were there to share the happiness with Haifa like Ahlam, Ragheb Alamah, Nawal Al Zoghbi, Shireen Abdel Wahab & Najwa Karam.Assalah couldn't be there, because she had previous engagements and Amr Diab was MIA for an unknown reason!
It was reported that the wedding ceremony, which was held at the prestigious BIEL Center in Beirut, will be broadcast LIVE, but that turned out to be just one of those rumors!Unfortunately, there were no press access was given to any media outlet to take photos of the wedding and the bride and groom, but Haifa will be considering selling the photos to one magazine exclusively.The race for publishing rights is on and the price will surely be high!Which lucky magazine will win the right of publishing the photos? We still don't know!So, the only photo of Haifa and her hubby Ahmad is the one above and we'll be on our toes awaiting the actual wedding photos.

Back to the wedding details, Haifa entered and exited the wedding hall through a secret way, in order to dodge the hoards of paparazzi who were drooling over a glimpse of the bride!Haifa and Ahmad entered the wedding hall accompanied by the famous music of 'Mission Impossible' ! Strange choice!The it was a traditional 'Zaffeh' accompanied by the song 'Ya Salat Ezzine'.Haifa strutted her curvy figure in two wedding dresses, one from Dolce & Gabbana and the other from Lebanese designer, Fouad Sarkis.
After the bash, which lasted until the wee hours of the morning, Haifa and her groom jetted off to the Italian island of Capri for their honeymoon.
Congratulation Haifa and Ahmad!

Angelina Jolie is to take on the role of Dr Kay Scarpetta

2009-04-24T21:07:00.000-07:00

The medical examiner Kay Scarpetta will soon be operating on the big screen with the beautiful Angelina Jolie wielding the scalpel.
The division Fox 2000, of the studios at Twentieth Century Fox, has in fact acquired the screen rights, or more precisely the new version, of the best seller by author Patricia Cornwell "Untitled Kay Scarpetta Project".
Despite efforts by Columbia to acquire the rights, Fox 2000 have finally obtained the agreement of the writer.
It proved necessary for the actress and the film's producer Geyer Kosinski to meet the author in order to seal the deal.
In anticipation, we will be able to see Angelina Jolie in the thriller "Salt", adding her voice to the animation movie "Kung Fu Panda 2" and maybe once again appearing alongside James McAvoy in the sequel to "Wanted".

Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt to adopt kid from India

2009-04-24T19:42:00.000-07:00

Hollywood star Angeline Jolie, currently in India shooting with Brad Pitt, has reportedly started the proceedings to adopt a baby from India. And whether it is a boy or a girl, the name is most likely to be India.Angelina has two adopted children – Cambodian Maddox and Zahara from Ethiopia. Jolie gave birth to Brad Pitts daughter Shiloh Novel Jolie Pitt this year.Shiloh Novel Jolie Pitt has already found a place in Madame Tussauds, the famous wax replica museum.Brad Pitt reportedly wants to adopt a boy, but Angelina has not made up her mind on that.Brangelina hope to celebrate this Christmas with the new baby.Jolie and Pitt have reportedly visited Priya Darshini orphanage near Pune and filed for an application for adoption.The Hollywood celebrity couple is currently shooting for A Mighty Heart, based on slain Wall Street Journal correspondent Daniel Pearl’s life. The movie is being produced by Brad Pitt.Jolie reportedly wants to create a multi-cultural family with kids from all over the world.But there are also reports that there are some disagreements between Bad Pitt and Angelina Jolie over pursuing more adoptions as Brad prefers concentrating on the kids they have, while Jolie is all set to usher in what she calls Rainbow family. Meanwhile, the world waits for India.

OBAMA HALF-NAKED ON WASHINGTONIAN COVER

2009-04-24T04:49:00.000-07:00

The President of the United States and his bare chest grace the May cover of Washingtonian magazine in an issue featuring a list of "Reasons We Love Washington."
The Commander-in-Briefs ranks No. 2 on the tally. His position is explained with the accompanying phrase, "Our neighbor is hot."
The cover photo was shot by paparazzi while the then-President-elect was on vacation in his native Hawaii in late December. Washingtonian made a few edits to the original photo -- changing Barack Obama's bathing suit from black to red and editing out the background.
Some critics are calling the cover disrespectful, asking if the magazine would put similar shirtless photos of Presidents Clinton, Bush or Reagan on a cover. But Washingtonian editor at large defends his latest decision.
"You have a buff president and the paparazzi like taking shirtless photos of him," Garret Graff told ABC News. Obama in D.C. is "really hot," she added. The magazine tried to "capture the energy and excitement" over the Obamas and "have a little fun."

Cheryl Tweedy Wife of Ashley Cole On FHM

2009-04-23T06:13:00.001-07:00

Here's the new cover girl in FHM - Cheryl Tweedy. She's the breakout star from Girls Aloud and Britain’s hottest female group since the Spice Girls. No doubt why FHM had chosen her.Are we forget about the Spice Girls?....Yes?! Lets feel the sensation from the youngster after the jump
Cheryl Tweedy is the breakout star from Girls Aloud, Britain’s hottest female group since the Spice Girls. "We would love to have the same success as the Spice Girls, they really made it,” she says. “They paved the way for girl groups and we’d love to think this is our time now."
Cheryl Tweedy TriviaWon a Sun Online poll in January 2006 to find the celebrity people would most like to see topless on Page 3. Was involved in an altercation with a nightclub toilet attendant, Sophie Amogbokpa, in the Drink nightclub in Guildford, UK. Tweedy was subsequently charged with racially aggravated assault and assault occasioning actual bodily harm. (January 11, 2003) Member of the group Girls Aloud. Nickname: Chez Ranked #2 in FHM 100 Sexiest Women 2005 Was working as a waitress when she entered the UK talent-search show Popstars The Rivals. In Popstars The Rivals she received the most votes in the poll to choose the girls for the all-female group Girls Aloud, and was thus the first to be picked for the group. Won the following competitions as a child: Boots bonniest baby, Mothercare Happy Faces Portrait competition, Best looking girl of Newcastle, The Evening Chronicle 'little miss & mister' and Most attractive girl at the Metro Centre. Appeared in two British Gas adverts, an SCS advert, and an Eldon Square Christmas advert with younger brother Garry. Favorite Film: GHOST Favorite Actor: George Clooney Favorite Actress: Jennifer Lopez Favorite Place: In front of the fire Favorite Destination: Caribbean Favorite Book: The Twits Favorite Food: Chinese Worst Food: Peanut butter or olives Likes: Clothes and make-up Dislikes: Nasty people Hobbies: Dancing Bad habit: Leaving the bath water in Most embarrassing moment: When a train door shut on my head Most impressive person you've ever met: Tom Jones First record bought: Rick Astley (Never Gonna Give You Up) First concert: Steps Describe yourself in 3 words: Funny, caring and emotional Rule of life: Never have regrets, just learn from your mistakes

Angelina Jolie, Kate Winslet, Anne Hathaway: 2009 Oscars Best Dressed

2009-04-22T11:29:00.000-07:00

Hollywood’s Leading Ladies Give The Red Carpet The Bare Shoulder Treatment

The parade of beautiful people on this season’s plush scarlet carpets were just a warm up for The Most Important Red Carpet Ever–the Oscars.

But for all of the style anticipation and ABC’s CIA-like ploy to keep the presenters a secret to sucker us into watching the telecast instead of just watching clips on YouTube, the mood and the looks were muted compared to year’s past.

No instantly iconic gowns like Julia Robert’s, Halle Berry’s or Charlize Theron’s. But no Bjork swan dresses or Lara Flynn Boyle Ballerina Barbie get ups, either. Even Tilda Swinton, who can usually be counted on to bring the WTF, managed to wear something that didn’t resemble a Princess Avant Garde of the Glargflong Galaxy ensemble. And she wore lipstick! We were so stunned we missed about five minutes of the celeb arrivals.

The night’s style memo: elegant but not ostentatious, which translated into lots of safe, one-shoulder gowns in white and pale hues. And instead of thousands of dollars of borrowed bling, celebs kept it simple with a key piece of statement jewelry.

We literally gasped out loud when cameras first snapped Angelina Jolie’s arrival on the red carpet. She looked AMAZING. Yes, Angelina wore yet another black frock, this one by Elie Saab, but the insanely good looking Changeling star went total Hollywood glam with big hair, a tasteful amount of cleavage, and green Lorraine Schwartz earrings with a matching ring for some pizzaz. Now that is a movie star. Jennifer Aniston didn’t stand a chance.

Oscar winner Kate Winslet capped off her fabulous red carpet streak in a flawless nod to Old Hollywood in a one-shoulder, gun metal gray Yves Saint Laurent gown with a lace embroidered sleeve and a retro coif. If you’re going to win, this is the dress to do it in.

Rachel Getting Married star Anne Hathaway looked the part of a Hollywood ingenue in an intricate white Armani Prive beaded dress covered in pailettes that just screams “I’d like to thank the Academy for this award.”

Sex and the City’s Sarah Jessica Parker didn’t need statement jewelry to accessorize her dramatic light green Christian Dior Haute Couture gown. Her décolletage was speaking loud and clear. Wow. Are those new or just a really good Victoria’s Secret push-up bra? God bless her, the dress was the night’s one true moment of fantasy.

Penelope Cruz did not wear black or Oscar de la Renta as was heavily predicted. What was expected, though, was her win for best supporting actress in Vicky Cristina Barcelona. She claimed Oscar gold in a vintage Pierre Balmain Haute Couture gown (it’s more than 60 years old!) that is a little bit David’s Bridal, but all big screen glamorous. Although this strapless dress is a familiar silhouette for her, the print gives it added interest and detail. The style is a bit reminiscent of Gwyneth Paltrow’s pink Ralph Lauren Oscar dress, no?

One of the few stars to go for a bright color, Slumdog Millionaire star Frieda Pinto stood out like a jewel in a brilliant blue John Galliano gown with a single sheer sleeve that hinted at sari chic. We love that she wears looks inspired by her Indian heritage.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button best-supporting actress nominee Taraji Henson went from singing “It’s Hard Out Here For a Pimp” at last year’s ceremony to posing on the red carpet in a gorgeous white Roberto Cavalli dress and a STUNNING Fred Leighton statement necklace. The total look says “I have arrived.”

In keeping with the toned down aesthetic, Stuart Weitzman did not send his signature $1 million dollar shoes down the red carpet. But you can get that million dollar look in these ‘Warner’ heels by Caparros without spending a fortune.

By ShoeMinx Red Carpet Watcher Paige Muller
src:shoeminx.com

G20 woman protester shocked by policeman's 'slap'

2009-04-18T07:00:00.000-07:00

A woman left covered in bruises after apparently being slapped in the face by a police sergeant at the vigil of Ian Tomlinson says she is shocked by the incident.
The Metropolitan police last night suspended the sergeant involved, a member of the Territorial Support Group. He had concealed his badge number before lashing out at the woman with his baton at the memorial protest on 2 April, the day after newspaper seller Tomlinson collapsed and died after apparently being assaulted by police.
The woman, Nicky, who is from Brighton, said: "I'm shocked at the way the police treated me."
She also expressed thanks to Tristan Woodwards, the 25-year-old IT assistant who filmed the incident and passed his evidence to the Guardian after uploading it onto Youtube. "I just want to thank the guy who took that video," she said.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission announced it would investigate the alleged attack, although the woman has said she has yet to make a formal complaint.
However, after returning from the vigil at the Bank of England, her family took photographs of her injuries and she is believed to have a medical report.
The footage and series of photographs appear to show the sergeant hitting Nicky across the face with the back of his hand, and saying: "Go away."
Nicky, clutching a carton of orange juice and digital camera, remonstrates with the officer and can be heard swearing. The sergeant is then seen drawing a baton from his pocket and striking her on her legs.
The footage is not clear, but Nicky appears to fall to the ground. The crowd erupts angrily with chants of "shame on you".
Her sister, Natalie Thomson, said: "We've been watching the news and it has turned into such a big story now. I was shocked when all the bruising came up. She was struck at least twice with his baton. She went there as a peaceful protester. She has no criminal record and she has been assaulted."

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