5/31/2012
Michelle Obama's Retro School Pickup
Out making her First Lady rounds, Michelle Obama was spotted heading off to her daughter’s school, Sidwell Friends School, in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday afternoon (May 30).
Sporting a fashion-forward retro style, President Barack Obama's lady rocked bright blue high waist pants, a fun pattern tank top and teal cardigan while giving a wave and a smile to the awaiting shutterbugs.
Recently the 48-year-old sat down with funnyman Jon Stewart to talk about everything from her Presidential hubby to Vice President Joe Biden.
When talking about a serious turn in her husband's the First Lady said, “I think when he lost his father that was one of those click-in moments,” she said, “I think he transferred schools, went to Columbia and that's when he got really serious about thinking about how would he use his life to the fullest.”
Justin Bieber's Free Oslo, Norway Performance
After expressing security concerns earlier this afternoon, Justin Bieber hit the stage in Oslo, Norway for his free concert at the Opera House.
The 18-year-old pop sensation performed several songs including his biggest hit “Baby” along with two new songs “All Around The World” and “As Long As You Love Me” from his upcoming “Believe” album.
Earlier this afternoon, Bieber wrote to his Twitter fans saying, “I dont want anyone getting hurt. I want everything to go to plan but your safety must come first,” when he announced the free concert.
The show will be part of the “All Around the World” TV special, which will air on NBC on June 21 and feature behind-the-scenes footage, as well as his performances in seven countries over the next two weeks.
After the show he tweeted, “been almost a year since ive done that. missed the stage. that was fun.”
Watch the performance below!
Drew Barrymore's LA Wedding Shopping Spree
Finishing up some late minute planning, Drew Barrymore was spotted running some wedding errands in Los Angeles, CA this afternoon (May 30).
The 37-year-old star showed off her growing baby bump in a striped blazer with a pair of brown booties as she texted away while holding a magazine.
In personal news, Miss Barrymore’s closest friend Cameron Diaz recently revealed in an interview with InStyle magazine that Will Kopleman asked her permission to propose.
“I knew Drew was getting married before she did!” the 39-year-old actress said.
Ashton Kutcher Targets Kim Kardashian On 'Punk'd'
Stepping out to grab his afternoon caffeine fix, Ashton Kutcher was spotted picking up some Starbucks coffee for himself and a friend in Santa Monica, CA on Wednesday (May 30).
The scruffy faced actor kept it casual on the midday run in a plaid button up, jeans and comfy sandals as he paid no attention to the paparazzi.
Switching to career news, the former “That 70’s Show” star is getting back to his funny guy roots when he returns to MTV’s “Punk’d” to pull pranks on a couple of Hollywood’s biggest names.
So who are the lucky prankees? None other than rapper Drake and reality TV starlet Kim Kardashian.
In a preview of the upcoming episode, Kim K’s black Range Rover is seen pulling away from the gas station just before something explodes. Wondering what exactly just happened, the 31-year-old is seen saying, “something weird is really going on.”
Malika Haydon: Cosmopolitan India Bikini Beauty
She's becoming a hot commodity overseas, and it's easy to see why as Malika Haydon showed off her stuff on the cover of the June 2012 issue ofCosmopolitan India magazine.
The brunette beauty heated things up while clad on the front page in a Puma bikini with a SEVO cuff while as she posed for photographer Atul Kasbekar at the InterContinental Mumbai.
Meanwhile, highlights from Miss Haydon's interview are as follows. For more, be sure to pay a visit to Cosmopolitan India!
On being a late bloomer:
Growing up, I was always a skinny, gangly teenager and with puberty, I filled out almost overnight. I had all these curves suddenly, and I didn't know what to do with them. It took a while to relax into this new body.
Growing up, I was always a skinny, gangly teenager and with puberty, I filled out almost overnight. I had all these curves suddenly, and I didn't know what to do with them. It took a while to relax into this new body.
On being a curvy model:
I began modeling at 18. My body was not like my sister's [supermodel and actor Lisa Haydon is her younger sister], which is straight and slim and looks great in just about anything. I had hips!
I began modeling at 18. My body was not like my sister's [supermodel and actor Lisa Haydon is her younger sister], which is straight and slim and looks great in just about anything. I had hips!
On dealing with personal image issues:
I became obsessed with my weight, I was working out two hours a day and trying my best to diet. Finally, I decided it had to stop. I had to accept my curves, and I've been in a good space since.
I became obsessed with my weight, I was working out two hours a day and trying my best to diet. Finally, I decided it had to stop. I had to accept my curves, and I've been in a good space since.
On being sexy:
Sexy takes place in the mind first. You'll have phases when you put on a few kilos and that's fine, you can always work it off. Fitness is what's important.
Sexy takes place in the mind first. You'll have phases when you put on a few kilos and that's fine, you can always work it off. Fitness is what's important.
We create these absurd demands of ourselves – to look a certain way, to be skinny at any cost. I don't think men feel that way about us. In fact, I've noticed men seem to like curves on a woman.
Mark Wahlberg's 'Pain And Gain' Workday
Shooting scenes for his latest film, Mark Wahlberg was spotted on the set of "Pain and Gain" along with co-star Dwayne Johnson in Miami, Florida on Wednesday (May 30).
Keeping his hands on his hips, the "Contraband" actor peered across the set through a dark pair of aviators while talking to Anthony Mackie, and looked even more buff under his black tee-shirt after getting a spray tan on his hotel balcony on Tuesday.
Mark joins Dwayne and Anthony for the crime filled movie, "Pain and Gain" which follows a pair of bodybuilders in Florida who get caught up in an extortion ring and a kidnapping scheme that goes terribly wrong.
Although the soon-to-be 41-year-old had to bulk up considerably to play the role as a bodybuilder, he supposedly was able to pack on the muscle the natural way as sources tell Us, "Even though the film is about steroid abusing gym rats, he took it as a personal challenge to get to the size he is at now and has been training non-stop," adding, "And The Rock just inspires him to work harder."
Drew Barrymore & Cameron Diaz: Wedding Prep Pals
Getting together final wedding preparations, Drew Barrymore and Cameron Diaz were spotted leaving the Chanel store in Beverly Hills, CA on Wednesday (May 30).
Pregnant Drew was the first to arrive sporting a concealing black shirt and cuffed jeans while Cameron showed up afterwards for her bridesmaid dress fitting in figure-hugging aqua jeans and a white t shirt.
Also accompanying the excited bride-to-be was her fiance Will Kopelman who also hit up the luxury designer store for his wedding day duds.
Speaking of the highly anticipated nuptials, the "What Happen In Vegas" actress recently told InStyle UK that her BFF's then boyfriend came to her before the the expectant mommy with the exciting news saying, “My girlfriends are like my soul sisters,” adding, "I knew Drew was getting married before she did.”
NICOLE SCHERZINGER On Bended Knee
Ousted "X Factor" judge Nicole Scherzinger refused to take a stand on Britney Spears this weekend in Italy -- dropping to her knees while sunning herself on vacation with her Formula One driver boyfriend Lewis Hamilton.
Who are we to judge?
Who are we to judge?
“Cheryl is hot. I would like to watch her cleaning things on the floor, bending over” – Rihanna is one filthy minx
We all know Rihanna is in touch with her sexuality – it’s not hard to see. She talks about it, sings about it, wears clothes that resemble bondage outfits everywhere, sucks her fingers in a provocative manner and Tweets about it all the time.
But these latest quotes have to be our favourite yet because they involve one of our other top totties Chezza.
“Cheryl Cole is...hot. I would just like to watch her work. Preferably cleaning things on the floor. Picking up stuff on the floor. Bending over. She’s hot! I mean, literally...she’s so beautiful.”
Jeez! We’re very fond of Cheryl and perfect little face that sometimes we may have considered kissing, but that’s pure passion oozing out of Rihanna’s every orifice there.
She was talking to Esquire magazine in her first interview with a British magazine this year, so of course she did a suitably sexy shoot to go with it involving naked boobs, bum cleavage and strappy outfits that shouldn’t really be classed as clothes at all.
Rihanna also talked about recording music recently with ex boyfriend Chris Brown, who was a bit nifty with his fists in her direction (we’re growling under our breath).
“I thought people were gonna be surprised that we finally did a record together, but I didn’t see how people could think it was a bad thing, you know? In my mind, it was just music,” she told the mag. We’re choosing to ignore this and moving straight onto her love for two other British treasures Adele and um, Susan Boyle.
On loving Adele: “I think some artists can’t help but say exactly how they feel. I love Adele. She’s another woman who knows her truth and lives that. She’s not in it for anyone else but herself.” That’s nice isn’t it – a bit of female appreciation that’s not based on nakedness for once.
And on being a shock fan of the BGT winner: “Susan Boyle I love. But I would have to do some more homework about Cliff Richard.”
Phew, she pulled it back there. The full interview is in the July issue of Esquire magazine on sale June 4.
Diamond Days out for the Jubilee weekend
Our guide to Jubilee celebrations across the nation
Our pick of the best days out for the Diamond Jubilee.
ENGLAND
EASTBOURNE FIESTA JUNE 2-4
Eastbourne’s pristine Western Lawns take on a distinctly exotic feel over the Jubilee Weekend, with a free fiesta that includes al fresco Zumba classes, live music, dancing displays, African drumming and a swing band. There will also be a mini beer festival and the fiesta kicks off with the Eastbourne Sunshine Carnival on 2 June.
THE JUBILEE CONCERT JUNE 4
The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Concert will be relayed live to big screens at city centres countrywide. The concert begins at 7pm.
M SHED’S BIG JUBILEE PARTY JUNE 2
M Shed , Bristol’s flagship museum which tells the story of the city and is free to enter, will throw a party, with a fancy dress competition, singing workshops, entertainment from the Bristol Chamber Choir and lots of family-friendly activities.
FIFTIES WEEKEND AT LEEDS CASTLE JUNE 2-3
Step back into the Fifties at Leeds Castle in Maidstone , Kent, with vintage cars and steam engines, footage of the Coronation and the film Grease on a big screen on the evening of June 3. There will be craft workshops for children while adults can sit back and indulge in home-made cream teas.Entry on June 3: adults £20, under-16s £15.
A RIGHT ROYAL WEEKEND JUNE 3-5
Step back in time at Brodsworth Hall near Doncaster , South Yorks, where the year is 1912 and the household is preparing for a visit from King George V. There will be performers in costumes, falconry displays and live music. Adults £9.30, children 5-15 years £5.60, concessions £8.40 (includes entry to the hall).
TUDOR CELEBRATIONS, JUNE 2-5
History comes alive at Hever Castle near Edenbridge in Kent, with “Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn” celebrating her Coronation as Queen with a weekend of festivities. Children are encouraged to turn up in costume and join in the themed parade, try archery and watch demonstrations by period craftsmen. Admission: adults £14.50, seniors £12.50, children £8.30, family ticket £37.30. Book on 01732 865224.
PROMS BY THE SEA JUNE 3
Combine sea air with rousing music at Aldeburgh , Suffolk, with a free three-and-a-half hour live concert of classical music, finishing with a spectacular fireworks display. A 20-piece orchestra will play classical favourites.
A GRAND DAY OUT JUNE 3-4
Family favourites Wallace and Gromit have teamed up with the National Trust for celebratory tea parties at its properties countrywide. Houses such as Wallington in Northumberland, Basildon Park in Berks, Belton House in Lincs will be showing Wallace and Gromit films on big screens. There will also be model-making workshops, face-painting and brass bands.
SPITFIRE FLYPAST AND CHILDREN’S ACTIVITIES JUNE 2-10
The Royal Air Force Museum Cosford in Shifnal, Shrops, will mark the Jubilee with a Spitfire flypast at 11.35am on June 2 (weather permitting). There will also be royal-themed children’s craft activities throughout the week (11am-12.30pm and 2pm-3.30pm) in the visitor centre. Crown-making costs £1.50 per child, making a desk tidy costs £2. Museum entry free. See or call 01902 376200.
SCOTLAND
PARADE OF 1,000 PIPERS, PERTH JUNE 2
The streets of Perth will be filled with the sound of 1,000 pipers when 400 pipe bands from around the world come together to celebrate the Jubilee. There will also be an attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the most people running in kilts in the Perth Kilt Run , with 1,090 people needed to follow the scenic 8km route.
WALES
MUMBLES JUBILEE FESTIVAL JUNE 4
Enjoy a traditional village festival in the grounds of Oystermouth Castle in Swansea , with live music, games, street entertainers and stilt walkers as well as live music. The party kicks off at 3pm, with live bands from 7pm and a spectacular firework display at 10pm.
We finally get to see Jessica Simpson's massive baby! (Which is actually tiny)
Jessica Simpson was the most pregnant woman in the world for about four years while carrying baby Maxwell. We thought octuplets were camping out in there. With a pet dog each at least.
She was so big we worried about her falling over and rolling around like a turtle on her belly.
Anyway, she gave birth a month ago to her first daughter with fiance Eric Johnson, Maxwell Drew Johnson. (Yes, we know it's a boy's name, but it's cute so we got over it. At least it's an actual name and not a fruit or vegetable. Yes, Gwyneth we're looking at you and Apple.)
Jessica has kept resolutely schtum about the whole giving birth thing and hadn't been pictured with Maxwell, which led us to suspect that there was a whopping magazine deal afoot. And here it is! Jessica and Maxwell grace the front cover of this week's People magazine, with both of them looking really rather lovely.
She told the magazine, "My life has completely changed. From how I sleep to what I think about, Maxwell has definitely taken over everything!
"We stare at her all the time. We can't get enough!"
Maxwell weighed 9lbs 13oz when she was born on May 1 (so yeah, she actually was a pretty big baby) and Jessica had her via Caesarean section.
She told the mag that she's breastfeeding and that feeding Maxwell has "become a full on job."
"It's the worst if I have to pump and give Eric a bottle to give her. I miss holding her and having that closeness."
Is this the sickest video game ever? Hitman trailer sparks outrage over graphic violence and sexualisation of women
WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT - The new Hitman: Absolution trailer has been branded "grotesque" and "misogynistic" for showing gun-toting, PVC-clad nuns being killed in a bloody hail of bullets
A controversial new video game featuring gun-toting, PVC-clad nuns being killed in a hail of bullets has sparked outrage on Twitter.
The eagerly anticipated Hitman: Absolution – Attack of the Saints has been slammed for its graphic violence and sexualisation of women.
The trailer shows hitman Agent 47 stripping off his bloodstained clothing in a motel bathroom while a group of nuns march off a school bus parked outside.
The nuns strip off their robes to reveal skin-tight PVC suits, complete with suspenders, high heels and fishnet tights while they carry an arsenal of weapons.
A violent fight breaks out where each nun is graphically killed in a hail of gun fire and bloody combat.
Agent 47 is shown breaking one woman’s nose as her bloodied face cracks in slow motion before he uses her as a human shield to absorb machine gun fire.
Another assailant tries to choke him with rosary beads before he kills the final nun, a close up shot showing him closing her dead eyes.
The explicitly violent trailer has been attacked on social networks and blogs, with angry users branding the video game “misogynistic” and “disturbing”.
One blog on the International Gaming Network website condemned the trailer as “grotesque and tacky and actually quite dangerous”.
Keza MacDonald wrote: “The latest Hitman Absolution trailer pairs gratuitous violence with sexualised imagery to create the most troubling piece of marketing material I think I’ve ever seen.
“It’s obviously designed to shock, but the effect isn’t thought-provoking or emotional – it leaves you feeling uncomfortable, mildly disgusted, and wondering what kind of warped conception Hitman’s marketing team has of what gamers want to see.”
Other gamers and angry viewers took to Twitter to slam the gruesome trailer.
Alistair Rolleston wrote: “That Hitman trailer is everything wrong with the games industry. Utterly disgusting.”
Matthew Hanson posted: “The Hitman trailer is shocking. Not only misogynistic but reinforces every negative stereotype for gamers.”
Jamie Stanton added that the “S&M nuns” were more “juvenile than misogynistic”.
Hitman: Absolution is set to be one of maker Square Enix’s big attractions at next week’s E3 games expo in Los Angeles.
The final game is scheduled for release on November 20 this year on Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and PC.
Afghanistan Civilian Deaths Drop 36 Percent in 2012, Says U.N.
KABUL, Afghanistan — The number of Afghan civilians killed has dropped 36 percent so far this year compared with last, the U.N. said Wednesday, the first time the death toll has declined over multiple months since the United Nations started keeping track.
The senior U.N. envoy for the country, Jan Kubis, called the trend promising but cautioned that too many civilians were still being caught up in the violence as insurgents fight Afghan and foreign forces.
Kubis' office said 579 civilians were killed in the first four months of this year, down from 898 killed in the same period of 2011. The number of wounded dropped from 1,373 to 1,216 in the January to April period.
James Rodehaver, a U.N. human rights officer in Afghanistan, noted the death toll has sometimes declined from month to month since the U.N. started tracking attacks in 2007, but never over such a sustained period.
The Taliban and their allies are responsible for most civilian casualties, according to U.N. figures. In the first four months of 2012, anti-government forces caused 79 percent of civilian casualties and Afghan and foreign forces 9 percent, Kubis said in remarks in Kabul. It was not clear who was responsible for the remaining 12 percent of the casualties, he said.
In a reminder of the dangers facing Afghans, a roadside bomb killed three district government employees on their way to work Wednesday in eastern Nangarhar province's Deh Bala district, said district chief Asrarullah.
Two NATO coalition service members also were killed Wednesday in southern Afghanistan – one by a homemade bomb and the other by an insurgent attack, the coalition said, without providing further details.
The deaths raised the number of coalition troops who have died in Afghanistan this year to 174.
Kubis also urged the country's allies Wednesday not to neglect social and economic aid to Afghanistan as they commit to funding government security forces.
Afghanistan needs billions of dollars in international support to survive economically and avoid descending into further chaos as the U.S. and other countries in the NATO coalition seek to withdraw most of its combat forces by the end of 2014, both the Afghan government and its allies have said.
Kubis said he believes the $4.1 billion needed each year to support and continue training Afghan security forces starting in 2015 "will be reached and is achievable." The Afghan government is slated to provide just $500 million of that.
Last year, Afghanistan received $15.7 billion in aid, representing more than 90 percent of its public spending, according to the World Bank.
In the north, meanwhile, Taliban attacked a hilltop police post in Badakhshan's Warduj district late Tuesday, triggering heavy fighting that killed eight policemen and six militants, according to the provincial governor's spokesman, Abdul Maruf Rasikh. Two policemen and 11 militants were also wounded, he said Wednesday.
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement sent to reporters by the group's spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid.
Badakhshan province is relatively peaceful but has experienced periodic attacks. Two foreign doctors and their three Afghan colleagues were kidnapped last week in Badakhshan.
Pope Breaks Silence Over Vatileaks Scandal Calling Rumors 'Exaggerated' and 'Gratuitous'
VATICAN CITY — Pope Benedict XVI broke his silence Wednesday over the leaked documents scandal that has convulsed the Vatican, saying he was saddened by the betrayal but grateful to those aides who work faithfully and in silence to help him do his job.
Benedict made his first direct comments on the scandal in off-the-cuff remarks at the end of his weekly general audience. He lashed out at some of the media reports about the scandal, saying the "exaggerated" and "gratuitous" rumors had offered a false image of the Holy See.
The Italian media have been in a frenzy ever since the pope's butler, Paolo Gabriele, was arrested last week after Vatican investigators discovered papal documents in his Vatican City apartment. He remains in detention and has pledged to cooperate fully with the investigation.
Rumors have been flying in the press about possible cardinals implicated in the probe, pending resignations and details of the investigation that even Gabriele's lawyers say they haven't heard. The Vatican spokesman has spent much of his daily briefings in recent days shooting down the various reports.
The scandal represents one of the greatest breaches of trust and security for the Holy See in recent memory given that a significant number of documents from the pope's own desk were leaked to an investigative journalist. The Vatican has denounced the leaks as criminal and immoral and has opened a three-pronged investigation to get to the bottom of who was responsible.
"The events of recent days about the Curia and my collaborators have brought sadness in my heart," Benedict said at the end of his audience. But he added: "I want to renew my trust in and encouragement of my closest collaborators and all those who every day, with loyalty and a spirit of sacrifice and in silence, help me fulfill my ministry."
Few people think Gabriele worked alone, and his promise to cooperate with the investigation has fueled speculation that other might be arrested soon.
The motivations for the leaks remain unclear: Some commentators say they appear designed to discredit Benedict's No. 2, the Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone. Others say they're aimed at undermining the Vatican's efforts to become more financially transparent. Still others say they aim to show the 85-year-old Benedict's weakness in running the church.
The scandal is playing out in a remarkable way, due in great part to the uniqueness of the institution in which it's occurring and the players involved.
Gabriele is an employee of the Holy See, a citizen and resident of the Vatican city state. He is being held by Vatican police who have accused him of stealing the pope's personal papers in a terrible breach of trust. His lawyers are Italian legal professionals, but they are communicating to the media via the Vatican spokesman – a conflict of interest that the Rev. Federico Lombardi has acknowledged but tried to downplay by saying he was merely offering a service to release information to the media.
Lombardi refers to Gabriele as "Paolo" and has repeatedly expressed sadness for what has happened. At the same time, though, the Vatican undersecretary of state, Archbishop Angelo Becciu, lashed out at what he called an unprecedented, "brutal" attack on the pope that the leaks represent.
In an interview Tuesday with the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano, Becciu said the stolen papers didn't just concern matters of internal church governance but represented the thoughts of people who in writing to the pope believed they were essentially speaking before God.
"It's not just that the pope's papers were stolen, but that people who turned to him as the vicar of Christ have had their consciences violated," Becciu was quoted as saying.
The scandal broke in January when Italian journalist Gianluigi Nuzzi revealed letters from a former top Vatican administrator who begged the pope not to transfer him for having exposed alleged corruption that cost the Holy See millions of euros (dollars) in higher contract prices. The prelate, Monsignor Carlo Maria Vigano, is now the Vatican's U.S. ambassador.
The scandal widened over the following months with documents leaked to Italian journalists that laid bare power struggles inside the Vatican over its efforts to show greater financial transparency and comply with international norms to fight money laundering. There was even a leak of a memo claiming that Benedict would die this year.
The crisis reached a peak last weekend, when Nuzzi published an entire book based on a trove of new documentation, including personal correspondence to and from the pope and his private secretary, much of which paints Bertone in a negative light.
The Vatican has warned of legal action for those who stole, received and disseminated the documents. Nuzzi, who in 2009 published a book on leaked documents from the Vatican bank, has justified the publication as an act of transparency and says there's not a word against the pope or the church in the book.
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