Monthly Archives: July 2011

News Of The World Closes, Andy Coulson Arrested

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The News of The World is to close amid more scandal.

The newspaper, which has allegedly hacked phones belonging to Milly Dowler, servicemen killed in action and victims of the 7/7 atrocities, is 168 years old.

Some MPs believe the closure is to protect News International’s Chief Exceutive, Rebekah Wade, who appears to be something of a teflon don. But Andy Coulson, former Communications Chief for David Cameron, was not so lucky. Coulson was arrested at at a south London police station at 10.30 am today for alleged phone hacking and making illegal payments to police during his tenure as New of the World editor. He remains in custody.

His arrest was conducted by officers from Operation Weeting, the inquiry into phone hacking at the tabloid, and Operation Elveden, the investigation into allegations that police officers were illegally paid £100,000 by the newspaper during Coulson’s editorship.

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: “The Metropolitan Police Service has this morning arrested a member of the public in connection with allegations of corruption and phone hacking.

“At 10:30, officers arrested a man on suspicion of conspiring to intercept communications, contrary to Section1(1) Criminal Law Act 1977 and on suspicion of corruption allegations contrary to Section 1 of the Prevention of Corruption Act 1906.

The decision to axe the News of the World was made by James Murdoch. He said: “Actions that were taken by certain individuals in what had been a good newsroom breached the trust of the News of the World’s readers.

“We will cooperate fully with investigations into alleged activities, and will put processes in place to make sure that they won’t happen again.”

He went on to say that certain people “did not live up to the standards that the company believes in.”

Harry Potter Premiere: Early Films Embarrass Emma Watson

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Emma Watson feels like a “different person” to the girl in the early ‘Harry Potter’ films.

The 21-year-old actress – who was just nine years old when she appeared as Hermione Granger in the first movie in the franchise, ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’ – finds it “embarrassing” to look back on her early performances because she has changed so much.

Speaking ahead of the release on the eighth and final film in the series, ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2’ she told the Daily Telegraph newspaper: “I look back at the early films and see that little girl, and I know it’s me, but it seems like a different person.

“It’s somewhat embarrassing to see myself go through all the awkward stages of growing up. So much time has passed and so much has happened that it seems that I don’t know her, but it’s interesting to see how the character has evolved and how much I have changed.”

Since completing filming on the series wrapped last year, Emma, now 21, has moved on, studying at university and signing up to appear in ‘My Week with Marilyn’ and ‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower’, but her cast mate Rupert Grint has admitted he’s found it harder to move on.

He said: “I loved every minute of it, and I’m really going to miss it. I felt empty and a bit lost, and it’s taken me a while to accept it’s over.

“When Harry Potter started, I wanted to be an ice-cream man, but the films showed me that I wanted to be an actor, although for the first three I didn’t take it very seriously. I just stood where I was told and read my lines. Then with the fourth film I started caring more about my performance.”

‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2’ had its world premiere in London last night.

Kate Moss cried at wedding

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Kate Moss was “moved to tears” at her wedding.

The supermodel – who tied the knot with The Kills rocker Jamie Hince at a ceremony held in St Peter’s Church in Southrop, South West England, on Friday – couldn’t control her emotions on the big day and was “absolutely ecstatic” to be surrounded by so many loved ones as she tied the knot, her dad Peter has revealed.

He told the Daily Star newspaper: “It was fantastic, very lovely day. The wedding was not as rock ‘n’ roll as you’d think. It was a very good party, but not a party that went on for three days, exactly.

“Kate was absolutely ecstatic and moved to tears to have all her friends and family around her.

“When you’ve got two or three hundred friends with you then it’s going to be a good day isn’t it?”

Guests at the wedding included Naomi Campbell, Sadie Frost and her ex-husband Jude Law, former Clash rocker Mick Jones and Topshop boss Sir Philip Green.

Kate – who had 15 bridesmaids at the ceremony, including her eight-year-old daughter Lily Grace – attempted to make sure her day went without any disturbances by asking for military planes flying from nearby RAF Brize Norton to be diverted or postponed, but the request was “politely” turned down.

A military source told The Sun newspaper: “Kate should consider herself lucky she just got a polite refusal.

“RAF Brize Norton is a fully operational wartime air base.

“Flights from the base carry troops and vital equipment directly to Afghanistan. These flights are absolutely crucial. The idea that the top military brass would put these flights on hold or change their routes just to give a celeb some peace on their wedding day is absolutely inconceivable.”

Jennifer Aniston got over split with Break-Up

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Jennifer Aniston says shooting ‘The Break-Up’ helped her get over her divorce from Brad Pitt.

The 42-year-old actress – who split from the Hollywood heartthrob in 2005 after almost five years of marriage – appeared in the 2006 comedy about a couple in the middle of a bitter split but instead of bringing back hurtful memories, Jennifer says it helped ease the pain.

The former ‘Friends’ star – who dated co-star Vince Vaughn for over a year – said: “It was just a beautiful story about a couple breaking up. And I was slightly familiar on the topic and the issue. And I sort of honestly felt like, what a great way to sort of exercise some of that.

“I enjoyed it. It really enjoyed it. You would think otherwise, because even the producers were like, ‘I don’t know if we should ask you to do this,’ but I was like, why not? Turn the page, let’s move on.”

Following their separation, Brad began dating Angelina Jolie, with whom he now raises six children with, while Jennifer has dated a string of men including Vince, John Mayer, Paul Sculfor and Bradley Cooper.

She is now romancing actor Justin Theroux and recently admitted she was very happy with him.

Jennifer was speaking in an interview for TV show ‘Inside The Actors’ Studio’ and she also revealed how grateful she is to the sitcom ‘Friends’ – in which she played Rachel Green for 10 series – for catapulting her to superstardom.

She said: “It’s one of the greatest jobs I ever had. It gave me everything. It gave me this ridiculously blessed life and career and taught me so much, and it’s the best time I ever had.”

Recalling on it felt filming wrapped on the last episode, she added: “It was just awful. The last scene, we just wept, cried our eyes out, in front of the whole show. A couple of us stayed really late and we crawled up to the roof of stage 24 and we drank champagne and just watched the sunrise. It was really wonderful.”

Michael Jackson's lawyers battle to save art

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Michael Jackson’s lawyers are battling to save his $900 million secret art collection.

The late ‘Thriller’ star’s “rare intact major collection” has just been discovered, but rather than securing the financial future of his three children – Prince, 13, Paris, 12, and Blanket, eight – lawyers for the star are battling to reverse its $87.7 million sale to an undisclosed international businessman.

Appraiser Eric Finzi told Star magazine the 182-piece collection, which has never publicly been seen, has “an invaluable pedigree for future sales in the international art market”.

He added: “Michael’s mystique in life combined with this exposure of his wonderful fine art creations following his tragic death will escalate the value of these works and the popularity of his artistic vision worldwide. I do not think we have begun to see the true value of this fine art yet.”

The collection is made up of drawings, sketches and sculptures made by the ‘Beat It’ singer over a number of years while being taught by an Australian artist and friend, Brett Livingston Strong.

Among the artworks are sketches of Martin Luther King, President Abraham Lincoln and President George Washington, said to be worth in all, more than $8.1 million, sketches of Jackson’s own feet doing his signature dance move the Moonwalk and recreations of the Statue of David and Dying Slave, the masterpiece of Renaissance sculpture by Michelangelo.

Before Michael died in August 2009 his estate was in financial trouble, yet a letter sent to Brett by Dr. Tohme Tohme – Jackson’s last business manager and spokesperson – paved the way for the sale, transferring over the collection of artwork free of charge “to keep, sell, copy, exhibit and to use in whatever way you wish”.

Brett and his advisors are thought to have orchestrated the deal to sell off the artwork recently.

Lawyers are now questioning the validity of the letter and trying to reverse the sale.

The letter transferring the works to Brett reads: “Michael wants you to know he is truly grateful for the loyalty you have shown him over the years, and he views this as a small token of appreciation for your continued friendship and artistic partnership.”

Daniel Craig is very 'happy' following marriage

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Daniel Craig is “very happy” after getting married.

The actor’s friend Jason Isaacs believes the 43-year-old star – who tied the knot with actress Rachel Weisz in a surprise low-key ceremony last month – is the perfect choice to play James Bond because he “exudes sex”, though his personal life is now much tamer than that of the iconic British spy.

Asked if he would like to be James Bond, Jason said: “No, Dan is Bond – Daniel is one of the sexiest men!

“The thing about Dan is women all obviously want to sleep with him and men all think he’s having more relationships with women than they are – and they’re right! But not anymore, thank God, because he’s married and very happy but he just exudes sex. He’s the perfect Bond.”

Jason portrays Death Eater Lucius Malfoy in the ‘Harry Potter’ movie franchise and admits he is “heartbroken” to see the series come to an end with the release of ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2’.

Speaking on UK TV show ‘Daybreak’, he said: “I haven’t had enough, I would do it forever. I’m completely heartbroken by it being over, I can’t pretend.

“The good thing is they kept the quality of them … but this is one story essentially that we managed to tell over a decade, and there’s not a weak bit in it which is fantastic.”

Gemma Arterton's clothes struggle

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Gemma Arterton says it’s hard to find clothes that suit her curvy figure.

The stunning actress admits she sometimes struggles to find outfits that flatter her hourglass body and can’t just wear anything so often relies on Italian fashion house Gucci.

She said: “My shape means I can’t throw on an outfit. Gucci tends to design best for my hourglass figure.”

Gemma is also a fan of tailored jackets as they go with any outfit.

She told Britain’s Vogue magazine: “I wear my tailored jackets to death – Armani, Givenchy and Margiela.”

As well as wearing certain clothes, Gemma also sticks to the same perfume and make-up.

She said: “I do love a red lip – Nars Jungle Red is my favourite.

“My scents always have hints of Jasmine. Right now, it’s Balenciaga Paris – it’s floral, light and musky.”

Gemma has previously admitted she likes to keep her style simple.

She said: “For me it’s kind of simple really. I don’t really go for anything too embellished or fancy or frilly or girly and it has to be easy because I haven’t got time for anything that’s too difficult!

“I just like putting on a pair jeans and jacket and going, although I do like heels – I’ve got a passion for shoes, but I always end up wearing the one same pair of shoes. But it works with my lifestyle because I’m always running around so it doesn’t work for me to wear tight skirts and corsets, or whatever it is! Jeans are definitely the way forward.”

Tamara Mellon wants energy in Jimmy Choo

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Jimmy Choo’s Tamara Mellon thinks “keeping innovation and energy flowing” have made the brand successful.

The Chief Creative Officer of the iconic shoe and accessory brand said even though the company has grown to become an incredible worldwide success, she is always looking at ways to improve.

She told vogue.co.uk: “Keeping innovation and energy flowing it key. I dreamed of creating the perfect luxury accessory house, one that captures the hearts of women around the world.

“Even now with everything that we have accomplished we are far from resting on our laurels, what excites me most is the thrill of the next project, the next idea.

“While I am enormously proud of our brand’s heritage, I know the best is yet to come.”

Tamara, 44, also looks back to the origins of the brand – which now has over 130 outlets worldwide – in order to make sure it retains the spirit with which it started when she co-founded in 1996 in London.

She added: “We call it The Spirit of Mocomb Street, which is where the very first Jimmy Choo store was, and the company ethos has remained unchanged since the very beginning.”

Tamara was also appointed a UK business ambassador in January by the country’s Prime Minister David Cameron.

She added: “I was so honoured to be appointed by David Cameron, to focus on growing the economy by increasing overseas trade and I will do everything I can to promote British business abroad.”