The pound climbed to $2.10 for the first time since 1981 today, boosted by speculation that China was preparing to shift its foreign reserves out of dollars. By Graeme Wearden.
Market report: London shares resumed their downward trek today, knocked by volatile oil prices, a tumbling dollar, jitters around banks and more anxieties on Wall Street. By Katie Allen.
Virgin Media signals that era of upheaval marked by public rows with BSkyB is behind it as the cable TV company posts strongest customer growth in more than a year. By Katie Allen and Chris Tryhorn.
Henkel, the maker of Schwarzkopf hair products, plans to cut thousands of jobs when it completes its 2.7bn acquisition of ICI's National Starch adhesives business early next year. By David Gow.
Record label Universal Music Classics & Jazz is making its entire catalogue available online without copy protection as part of an experiment to gauge fans' demand for MP3 tracks. By Katie Allen.
News Corporation has overridden the wishes of Dow Jones shareholders the Bancroft family by appointing a 27-year-old opera singer with little experience of the media to represent the family on its board, according to reports.
The head of the American internet company delivered a personal apology today to the tearful mother of a Chinese journalist who was jailed using email information provided by the firm to secret police in Beijing. By Andrew Clark.
Landslide win for ex-PM Sheikh Hasina in Bangladesh poll (AFP)
AFP - Bangladesh's former premier Sheikh Hasina Wajed won the country's first election since 2001 in a landslide Tuesday, crushing her bitter rival to retake power in the impoverished south Asian nation.
ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan and India should reduce tension inflamed by last month's militant attacks in Mumbai and resume a peace dialogue, Pakistani military chiefs told a visiting Chinese official on Monday.
BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva finally made his maiden policy speech on Tuesday, but the venue was switched to the Foreign Ministry as anti-government demonstrators blockaded parliament for a second day.
Grey’s Anatomy’s Chyler Leigh is expecting her third child with husband Nathan West!
“They are absolutely thrilled and looking forward to the new addition to their young family,” her rep told People.
But don’t expect Chyler’s character Dr Lexie Grey to find herself in the family way. Her rep confirmed that the pregnancy will not be written into the program.
The new arrival will be a little brother or sister to five-year-old Noah and two-year-old Taelyn.
Oh, you made us nervous in your game against Green Bay. But when the going got tough, you laid down and quit by allowing 17 points in the game’s final 15 minutes.
Christ! That’s more than a point a minute. I’m not sure you can do that on Tecmo Bowl. There are basketball teams that don’t average a point a minute. Congratulations, Detroit Lions. You are the worst football team of all time. Don’t listen to any of the talk about the 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers who went 0-14. Those guys could totally kick your asses. I don’t mean in their prime, either. I’m pretty sure if we could get those guys out of the NFL Witness protection program and line them up against you now, they’d still win despite being 70 years old.
When it comes to getting beat like a drum on Sunday afternoons, nobody does it better than the Detroit Lions. The Lions got beat every week like they stole something. And considering a team composed of me, Becky and nine of our readers could have finished with the same record, I guess the Lions did steal something: their paychecks.
As expected, Detroit fired its coach Rod Marinelli on Monday. After an 0-16 campaign, you kind of know to get your resume ready. Then I imagine you light it on fire because who hires this guy?
Marinelli’s press conferences, in which he tried to find a ray of sunshine amidst the pile of lion dung his team laid out there, are the stuff of legend. He marched out there in front of the firing squad one last time to show how clueless he truly is.
This wasn’t the worst team ever, he said. Because this team never quit, Marinelli said. If that’s the case, it would be frightening to think how bad they’d be if they quit. Is there some way to lose 18 games in 16 tries?
The beard, the career, the girlfriend. Those three things are the most talked about issues surrounding Prince William as 2008 ends.
Prince William at the Christmas morning service at Sandringham church, December 25, 2008. image credit: newscom
The prince’s full set of facial hair, which he grew during a Special Boat Service exercise last month, was still very much around on Christmas Day. He might be trying to keep it as long as he can, knowing that it will have to go once he starts his stint with the Royal Air Force next month.
Prince William does have his share of hairy admirers, as evidenced by the Beard Liberation Front awarding him the runner-up spot for the annual Beard of the Year Award. He was beaten to the top award by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, and the Welsh singer Sir Tom Jones.
In January, Prince William will start an 18-month training course with the Royal Air Force Search and Rescue Unit. After the course, Prince William is expected to remain with the unit for at least 30 months beginning in 2010. He will get a chance to learn how to fly Sea King helicopters. Prince William has already learned to pilot Chinook helicopters during a 4-month stint with the RAF early this year. His return to the RAF means a transfer from the Army’s Blues and Royals regiment.
The changes in Prince William’s military career plans have fueled speculation (once again) of whether or not he will (ever) propose to his long-time girlfriend Kate Middleton. Bookies are now taking bets on whether there will be an engagement announcement on New Years Day and whether the couple will get married in 2009.
So at the end of 2008, these are the three questions we have about Prince William:
Will he shave his beard off before the New Year?
Will he continue with the RAF after his training is over?
Will he get engaged to Kate Middleton?
The death toll from the Israeli airstrike campaign in Gaza, now in its fourth day, has surpassed 375, according to Palestinian medical sources. In the latest development, an Israeli patrol boat collided with a boat carrying medical volunteers and supplies to Gaza early Tuesday, witnesses and Israeli officials said.
DHAKA (Reuters) - An alliance under Bangladesh's former prime minister Sheikh Hasina won a massive parliamentary majority in the country's first polls in seven years, officials said on Tuesday, but a rival party complained of irregularities.
Oh Indiana, we begged you to stay retired. Now the fourth installment of your famed film adventures has coined a whole new “jump the shark” style phrase: nuking the fridge.
This turn of phrase comes from the Indiana Jones’ sequel’s most implausible moment (which is saying something in a movie about alien crystal skulls with superpowers) namely, when Indy survives a nuclear blast by locking himself in a lead-lined refrigerator. Yahoo Movies’ Jonathan Chow chronicles the fridge incident and some other really silly movie moments in a feature today.
Image: Paramount Pictures 2008
It’s not surprising that some sci-fi blockbusters,and those that aspired to be, hit this list. George Lucas is a multiple time offender. Not only did he give us the scene that inspired the phrase, but he decided it would be funny to make Jabba The Hutt’s uncle look and sound like Truman Capote. In an animated Star Wars film. Because obviously there’s no better place to perpetuate gay stereotypes.
Shia LaBeouf appears in two of the films on this list, the Indy sequel and Eagle Eye. In this one, Shia’s on the run from a rogue defense computer that can make power lines come apart and kill people. Boy, Transformers 2 can not possibly get here fast enough to save his career, can it?
The Happening made the list for the entire film’s implausibility. In case you hadn’t heard (and by the looks of the box office receipts you hadn’t) The Happening is about pollen causing people to commit suicide in gruesome fashion. See, we’re killing the planet so it’s killing us back, get it? Sigh.
I’m not sure why Mark Wahlberg is so upset about that Saturday Night Live sketch in which he talks to animals. Between The Happening and Max Payne, the SNL sketch Wahlberg wasn’t really in was the best thing he was in all year.
Here’s a great photo of Dancing With the Stars pro dancers Edyta Sliwinska and Alec Mazo walking away with a haul of swag. They were leaving Sunstyle Tanning where they picked up swag for the 2008 Primetime Emmy Awards. I think a lot of the rest of us wish we could just go pick up all that great stuff for some of those events…
Prince Edward is the subject of accusations of cruelty to animals after he was photographed seemingly about to hit one of his gun dogs.
The incident occurred in the British royal family’s Sandringham estate in Norfolk, during a pheasant shoot. According to a spokesperson from Buckingham Palace, the Earl of Wessex was trying to separate two Labradors who were fighting over a bird. “Both dogs are fine – no harm was done to them."
While it wasn’t clear whether Prince Edward actually hit one of the dogs with his 4-foot long stick, the appearance of the photographs was enough to induce outrage from animal welfare organizations.
Doctors could get Internet post reviews: minister (AFP)
AFP - Patients could soon rate their doctors by posting reviews on an official health service website, Health Minister Ben Bradshaw said in comments published Tuesday.
Thousands of red-shirted supporters of Thailand's former prime minister gathered outside the Parliament for a third day on Tuesday, vowing to prevent the country's new leader from delivering his first policy speech.
Katie Holmes was all smiles as she left an office building in Manhattan today (December 29). It looks like she was being greeted by a fan as she walked out. It’s good to see her smiling so big today. She was smiling and having fun with Suri Cruise also. She’s looking revitalized and rested.
I hope you enjoy this roundup of the recent press mentions of the royals from all over the world. There’s lots going on!
The British Royals
* The Royal Family: Preview of the year 2009 - “Andrew Pierce predicts a Royal engagement, holiday cost-cutting, an audience with Barack Obama and a higher public profile for the Duchess of Cornwall.” (Telegraph)
* Person of the year? I nominate the Queen - “The Queen’s instinct for grabbing a hammer, spotting a nail and then proceeding to hit it on the head remains strong.” (Telegraph)
* Queen’s credit crunch crackdown on New Year honours for city figures - “The Queen has endorsed a crackdown on honours for bankers and leading City figures because of their role in causing the economic crisis.” (Daily Mail)
* Prince Charles to the rescue of Britain’s heritage – “Frustrated by what he sees as the Government’s neglect of Britain’s heritage, the Prince of Wales is dramatically to expand the activities of his charity, The Prince’s Regeneration Trust.” (Telegraph)
* Princes take extra leave for a bond of brothers - “Princes William and Harry are extending their Christmas holiday to enjoy each other’s company – and fit in a brotherly bonding break – before their military careers send them on different paths for the next six months.” (Daily Mail)
* Prince Charles beats sons… at arm wrestling - “Prince Charles has put his sons to shame - beating both at arm wrestling.” (People)
* Taming of the Royal Wild Child Zara - “She was at her eye-catching best at the Royal Family’s Christmas church service this week but Zara Phillips today is a far cry from the tongue stud-wearing rebel of old - thanks to the rugby star she may merry next year…” (Daily Express)
* Just what one always wanted: Ice hockey pucks, pencils, canoe paddles… the Queen’s list of baffling presents - “If you are wondering what to do with all those unwanted socks or ill-fitting jumpers you were given for Christmas, spare a thought for the Queen.” (Daily Mail)
* Prince slashes his B&B prices - “Charles and Camilla have slashed prices at their £3million estate in Carmarthenshire, Wales.” (The Sun)
* Prince Charles writes letter to every injured soldier in Afghanistan and Iraq - “Each of the personal notes thanks troops for their roles in the war zone and spells out the debt of gratitude that Britain owes them.” (Mirror)
Queen Elizabeth arrives at Sandringham church with Sofie, the Countess of Wessex, on Christmas Day 2008. image: Newscom
* Crowds throng church to see Royals - “More than 2,000 people braved the cold to see 10 members of the Royal Family attend church.” (Press Association)
* Queen gags royal household staff - “The Queen has banned staff from revealing details of their work in a bid to prevent further embarrassing leaks of the goings on in the royal household…” (Sydney Morning Herald)
Other European Royals
* Prince in bid to be Italy’s new Strictly dance king - “The heir to Italy’s former royal family has agreed to take part in a local version of Strictly Come Dancing, leaving monarchists aghast.” (Times Online)
* Belgium king asks parliament president to take over government - “King Albert asked the parliament president Sunday to take the reins of the government that quit last week after a scandal over the botched bailout of the Fortis bank.” (Star-Telegram)
Asia and the Middle East
* Ailing emperor mirrors Japan’s sharp decline - “With an ailing emperor and a nationalist prime minister whose approval ratings are down to about 20% as the country faces a deep recession, it is a bleak winter for Japanese conservatives.” (Times Online)
* Bush, Saudi King talk amid Israel-Gaza bloodshed - “Saudi King Abdullah told US President George W. Bush by telephone on Saturday that major countries must take action to halt Israel’s attacks on Gaza…” (Yahoo! News)
* Jordan king urges Israel to end Gaza offensive - “Jordan’s King Abdullah condemned Israeli raids on Gaza that killed at least 225 people on Saturday, saying they would only inflame regional tensions.” (Reuters Africa)
* Abbas meets Jordan’s King over Israeli offensive - “Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has held emergency talks with Jordan’s King Abdullah II in Amman.” (EuroNews)
Police: 7 bodies recovered in Canada avalanches (AP)
AP - Search teams recovered the bodies of seven snowmobilers Monday, a day after they were swept away by avalanches in western Canada's backcountry, police said. An eighth man was missing and believed dead.
Katie Holmes and Suri Cruise spent some time together out and about in NYC today (December 29). Suri brought along her doll and what looks like a white poodle Webkinz. I wonder is Suri is Webkinz crazy like my kids are?
Katie was dressed in a gray sweater, black slacks and black flats and she added her gray marc Jacobs scarf.
Tom Cruise recently said that he wants to give Suri more brothers and sisters. He told the press, “I want ten children. I love kids. I feel really fortunate to have the teenagers and a two and a half-year-old. It’s a great dynamic. I’m a great parent. I want to be with my kids, and they get to do all the stuff that I wanted to do when I was growing up. My own father wasn’t there much for me and I want to be a different dad to my kids. My family is the most important thing in my life.”
Whew! Ten kids. He may get his own TV special like the Duggar’s. lol
BEIJING (Reuters) - More than 1,500 boxes of Chinese biscuits exported to Hong Kong and Singapore have tested positive for melamine as suspects in the protracted tainted-food scandal go on trial in China, local media reported on Tuesday.
Because of the holidays, Katie Holmes and the rest of the “All My Sons” cast, had a special Monday performance. Mondays are usually lights out on Broadway.
Katie and Suri Cruise were seen heading into the theater after being chased by paparazzi. Suri had her little blond doll with her.
Miranda Cosgrove Shares Holiday Wish List & College Plans
Miranda Cosgrove shares her holiday wish list with TWIST! Miranda says that she wants the new Guitar Hero and a puppy. “Daisy’s a cute name for a dog!”
The iCarly cutie recently told Go! magazine that she loves her character but they definitely have their differences.
“Carly is great, so much fun to play. She’s the kind of girl you would definitely want to hang out with.”
But the one big difference is that Carly always has a plan for everything. “With me, if something has to be done, I usually go crazy over it and then I have to turn to my friends and have them make up a plan for me.”
Miranda also announced her desire to attend college someday and possibly study marine biology! “I’ve always wanted to be a marine biologist, because I love being in the ocean … that would be something I’d like to study someday.”
Tom and Katie Increase Security After Death Threats
(Pictured above: Katie Holmes seen entering her NY apartment on December 29th.)
Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes have supposedly received death threats and have had to increase their security. They have received threats against their lives, as well as their daughter’s Suri Cruise. The threats come from those who are opposed to Scientology, as well as threats from those who angered by his portrayal of Claus von Staffenberg in the new film ‘Valkyrie’.
This rumor continues to get even more strange sounding. The couple has allegedly built a $10 million bunker at their Colorado home. This advice was given to them by good friends David and Victoria Beckham, who have received threats also.
An insider said, “Tom is terrified. He doesn’t feel safe anywhere. He and Katie know the Beckhams have had to live in the shadow of similar threats and have asked them for advice on how to cope. They have had to take the threats seriously. Unfortunately there are plenty of cranks out there – particularly in LA.”
This sounds like a scene from the big screen rather than the real lives of Tom and Katie, but who knows. There are some crazies in this world and if my family’s life was being threatened, I would take some serious action.
I hope this story is just a big fat rumor and that no one is actually threatning little Suri. So sad if it’s true.
GAZA (Reuters) - Israeli warplanes killed 10 Palestinians on Tuesday in attacks that targeted Hamas government buildings and other symbols of the Islamist group on the fourth day of the fiercest air offensive in Gaza in decades.
Blake Lively has been added to the list of presenters for next month’s 66th Annual Golden Globe Awards!
The Gossip Girl starlet is joining Laurence Fishburne, Drew Barrymore, Jake Jake Gyllenhaal, Salma Hayek, Jennifer Lopez, and tons of other celebs to hand out awards during the event.
Tune in on Jan. 11 at 8 p.m. on NBC to watch the ceremony.
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Grey’s Anatomy’s Chyler Leigh is expecting her third child with husband Nathan West!
[Photo: Bauer-Griffin]
I hope you enjoy this roundup of the recent press mentions of the royals from all over the world. There’s lots going on!
