Sunday, January 31, 2010

52nd Grammys: Lady GaGa and Adam Lambert Steal the Red Carpet

GaGa collaborates with high fashion designer Georgio Armani to create a dress that turns head while Lambert wears a suit that refuses to go plain on the surface.

The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards is officially kicked off Sunday, January 31 with the arrival of celebrities especially people in music industry to the red carpet. As usual, stealing the runway is Lady GaGa who appears with yellower hair and a complicated solar system-themed gown.

Turns out the gown that shows off her leg is one design by Georgio Armani. "I am honoured to be wearing Armani this evening. The series of pieces Mr. Armani created for me are truly iconic; they represent not only beautiful fashion, but my spirit and essence as an artist," she says in a statement to the press. GaGa, who is scheduled to perform later that night, adds there will be a lot more costume changing later.

From the guy's side, Adam Lambert is very Adam Lambert. He sparkles with his suit which has glittery details and heavy eye make up which becomes his glam signature. Adam is ET's correspondent of fashion, stopping several celebrities to scrutinize them on the outfits.

Another spotted celebrity is Stacy Ferguson aka Fergie who comes in a blue strapless dress with a gold one-shoulder. She arrives with her Black Eyed Peas entourage, who prefer to wear suits in different tone. The group is nominated for five nods including for Best Album.

Justin Bieber, a presenter at the awards later, sports a tie and vest. He comes almost the same time to LL Cool J who gives him a high-five. Meanwhile, Katy Perry tags along boyfriend Russell Brand and shows off her engagement ring. She prefers to go a little covered up in front and shows off her back in a skin-colored long dress.

Beyonce Knowles who is the biggest nominee this year puts on a cream-colored dress that highlights her cleavage but she tones it down by wearing no jewelry. Taylor Swift, the second biggest nominee this year, dresses up in a steel blue dress that follows her body shape.

Ryan Seacrest hints at the red carpet that Britney Spears attends the event but she skips the red carpet to enter through the back door. Ne-Yo and Rihanna are among the celebrities who arrive quite late in the evening, him wearing black suit with white tie and fedora, and her in a white gown with a tail and feathery neckline.


source: allkpop

He's played away one time too many: John Terry's wife walks out with the kids

By Emily Andrews, Christian Gysin and Tom Kelly

Breaking point: John Terry's wife Toni says she wants a divorce

John Terry is fighting for both his marriage and the England captaincy after a turbulent weekend of revelations about his affair with a team-mate's ex-partner.

The footballer's wife has fled their £4million home telling friends she would divorce him over his affair with lingerie model Vanessa Perroncel - her former close friend and neighbour.

And Terry, 29, was revealed to have arranged for his mistress to undergo an abortion after she became pregnant during their relationship.

There was a lack of public support for the Chelsea defender from the Football Association and senior figures in the footballing world, while Sports Minister Gerry Sutcliffe said the affair 'called into question' his position as captain.

Terry's latest in a long list of infidelities was exposed on Friday when a High Court judge overturned an injunction forbidding publication of details of his philandering.

Football insiders said his behaviour had divided the England squad, with some arguing that he should be stripped of both the captaincy and his place in the national side.

There is a strong belief among fans that he has caused irreparable damage to England's chances of success at the World Cup in South Africa this summer.

As his 28-year-old wife Toni departed the family home in Surrey with their twin children, she told friends: 'He's humiliated me for ten years. But no more. This time I'm going to divorce him.'

Sources close to Terry said that he was continuing to deny to his wife that he had been unfaithful with Miss Perroncel.

He started the affair after Bridge, who had lived on the same estate as the Terrys, signed for Manchester City and moved to a house in Cheshire leaving his partner and mother of their three-year-old son behind.

Miss Perroncel reportedly became pregnant within weeks and friends said the termination was arranged by Terry and took place at a private clinic under clandestine circumstances in October.

She arrived and left the clinic via a back door, while the operation was reportedly delayed so Terry could attend after a training session.

When Terry finally told his wife, she immediately rang her former best friend to confront her.

A friend said: 'It was a real shouting match between the two of them. They were both ranting and swearing down the phone. But Vanessa just denied there was an affair.'

Another source said that Toni told Vanessa: 'Call yourself a friend? What sort of friend sleeps with their mate's husband?'

The £170,000-a-week Chelsea star is worth an estimated £25million with lucrative marketing and media contracts.

With Toni entitled to half of his fortune, both now and in the future, it could be the biggest-ever divorce settlement in UK sport.


Revelations: John Terry (left) on the pitch on Saturday while his lover Vanessa Perroncel (right) talks on a phone outside her house yesterday

As further details of Terry's relationship with Miss Perroncel emerged, she spent two hours with publicist Max Clifford last night discussing how she might break her silence on the affair.

But the impact the scandal is having on the England squad was immediately apparent with reports that Bridge is understood to have told friends and family that he will not play for his country while Terry remains the captain.

Others of his team-mates have reacted with fury at Terry's behaviour, calling him 'scum' and describing his actions as 'immoral and unforgivable'.

Another said he would find it impossible to share a dressing room with Terry, while yesterday several Manchester City players showed their support for their team-mate by revealing that they were wearing T-shirts bearing the words 'Team Bridge' under their shirts.

England's vice-captain Rio Ferdinand and former Chelsea colleague Frank Lampard also phoned Bridge to offer their support.

As England manager Fabio Capello was reported to want to 'draw a line' under the affair before the Euro 2012 qualifying draw in Warsaw next Sunday, a FA insider suggested he might completely jettison Terry.

'The feeling is that Terry needs to be removed completely from the England set-up - and that means as a captain and a player,' he said. 'He may now have said goodbye to any chance of playing in the World Cup in the summer.'

The Daily Mail has learned that one of Capello's backroom staff - fellow Italian Franco Baldini - has been asked to discuss the matter with both Terry and Bridge.

Sports Minister Sutcliffe said: 'On the field John Terry is a fantastic player, but to be the captain of England you've got to have wider responsibilities for the country and clearly if these allegations are proven then it does call into question his role as England captain.'


TWO MORE STARS BEHIND THE LAW

A frenzied guessing game began yesterday after it emerged that two more Premier League footballers have used privacy laws to bar reporting of their womanising.

Lawyers for one of the sportsmen have twice persuaded judges to issue gagging orders stopping sordid details of his one-night stands with groupies being made public

A second player has threatened a newspaper with privacy laws after it uncovered details of his tawdry 'liaisons' with three women in one week.

John Terry used a so-called super injunction to prevent details of his affair with a former team-mate's girlfriend being made public before it was spectacularly overturned by Mr Justice Tugendhat last week.

News of the World legal manager Tom Crone revealed that two more footballers were using similar legal threats and injunctions to stop reporting of their behaviour.

This led to widespread speculation on internet sites including Twitter.

One message asked: 'Who are the two other philandering Premiership stars who can't be named?' It went on to list several suggestions.

Last month the internet was awash with speculation about the identity of a married Premier League manager who succeeded in keeping his name out of the papers despite being spotted visiting a brothel.

Parliament has never passed a law on privacy. However, judges have built one on the back of Labour's 1998 Human Rights Act, which made the European Convention on Human Rights part of British law.

SUCCESSORS? WHAT A CHOICE!

Who are the other fine, upstanding candidates for the England captaincy should Terry be sacked?
STEVEN GERRARD: The 29-year-old Liverpool star last year admitted hitting Marcus McGee in a Southport nightclub - but in 'self defence' --and was found not guilty.

Previously he gave a character reference for gangster John Kinsella, telling a court he had 'total respect' for him.


RIO FERDINAND: The 31-year-old Manchester United defender has a conviction for drink driving and a number of bans for speeding. In June 2000 he was videoed in a booze-fuelled orgy, also involving Frank Lampard, in the Cypriot resort of Ayia Napa.

In 2003 he failed to attend a mandatory drug test and was banned for eight months.

WAYNE ROONEY: In 2004 the Manchester United star, now 24, admitted to being 'young and foolish' after visiting prostitutes.

FRANK LAMPARD: Apart from the Ayia Napa incident, the Chelsea star, 31, was twice accused of cheating on his exfiancee Elen Rives.

After 9/11, he and team-mates including Terry were accused of drunkenly mocking American tourists at Heathrow.


source: dailymail

Italian fashion house Gattinoni during a Rome fashion week show

A model displays a creation by Italian fashion house Gattinoni during a Rome fashion week show January 31, 2010.






Designer Guillermo Mariotto of Italian fashion house Gattinoni acknowledges the applause at the end of his Rome fashion week show January 31, 2010.


A model displays a creation by Italian fashion house Gattinoni during a Rome fashion week show January 31, 2010.



Models display creations by Italian fashion house Gattinoni during a Rome fashion week show January 31, 2010.


A model displays a creation by Italian fashion house Gattinoni during a Rome fashion week show January 31, 2010.


Models display creations by Italian fashion house Gattinoni during a Rome fashion week show January 31, 2010.


photo: Reuters

Citroën and Peugeot recall 100,000 cars as Toyota 'sticky accelerator' crisis spreads

A Citroen C1 is seen on the joint assembly line of the new TPCA (Toyata Peugeot Citroen Automobile) factory near the town of Kolin


French carmaker PSA Peugeot Citroen is recalling 100,000 cars across Europe to change accelerator pedals on two models.

The company says the recall of the Citroen C1 and Peugeot 107 models produced in the Czech town of Kolin comes after Japan's Toyota - which uses the same pedals on some Aygo models - found a defect.

A PSA spokesman said that owners of the two models will be notified by mail of the recall, which involves cars built between mid-2005 and mid-2009


Sorry: Toyota president Akio Toyoda speaks during a press conference. He aplogised for the recall during a visit to the World Economic Forum


Toyota recalled some 4.2 million cars and trucks on three continents because of a sticky accelerator pedal problem caused by condensation that builds up in the assembly.

The president of Toyota yesterday apologised for the recall of millions of vehicles around the world.

Akio Toyoda said: 'We're extremely sorry to have made customers uneasy.

'We plan to establish the facts and give an explanation that will remove customers' concerns as soon as possible.'

The firm's president had been conspicuously silent since it was revealed the accelerator pedal in eight models might stick.

The global recalls of Toyota cars and trucks has swollen to about 7.5 million vehicles, almost as many as it sold worldwide in 2009.

Toyota has said the defective pedal was not used in any of its cars in Japan, Australia and Asia excluding China.

The total includes repairs for an issue involving floor mats becoming stuck under accelerator pedals.

Toyota has not recalled any cars in Japan, where it uses different suppliers.

With calls mounting for Toyoda to address the media on the escalating ordeal, the world's top carmaker had said it was studying some form of comment or action from headquarters.

A company source said a news conference may be held early next week, prior to Toyota's announcement of third-quarter financial results on February 4, but that the company was still working on a final plan.


A newly assembled Toyota Aygo being washed at the joint assembly line of the new TPCA factory


The source did not say whether Toyoda, or another executive, would hold the briefing.
Toyoda, a family scion who took up his post last June, last commented publicly on the matter in October, when he expressed regret for the deaths of four people in a California crash linked to the defects last year.

He has vowed to revamp Toyota's sprawling organisation to make problems at every level of operation more visible, as a rapid expansion over the last decade left it with too much production capacity when the economic crisis hammered car demand globally.

In an editorial, Japan's Asahi Shimbun said on Saturday that Toyota was skirting the responsibility to allay Japanese customers' anxiety over the safety issue, and that its brand image, crafted over years of effort, would be damaged.

'Toyota's response may indicate a growing complacency as the company has surpassed General Motors as the world's No.1 automaker,' it said


A newly manufactured Peugeot 107 at the joint assembly line of the new TPCA (Toyata Peugeot Citroen Automobile) factory


Toyoda's tenure as head of the company founded by his grandfather is widely expected to last at least a decade given his relatively young age of 53.

As part of the recalls, Toyota has been forced to suspend sales of eight models in the United States, including its Camry model, the best-selling car in the world's second-biggest car market.

Sources briefed on Toyota's U.S. sales plans said the sales shutdown would continue until at least mid-February. A resumption assumes a smooth and swift rollout of a remedy to fix faulty accelerators in vehicles already sold or at dealerships, the sources said.

Competitors moved to profit from rising consumer frustration, readying plans to poach sales with incentives targeting Toyota customers.

Ford Motor Co, Hyundai Motor Co, and Chrysler Group LLC said they were rolling out incentives, following General Motors' lead.

Volkswagen, jockeying with Toyota for the title as global sales leader, is considering a similar move.

source: dailymail

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Emma Watson weaves fashion magic as she unveils her new fair-trade clothing range

By Amy Williams

Designs on our wardrobes: Emma Watson's latest venture supports some of the poorest people in the world


'Rather than give cash to charities you can help people in poorer countries by buying the clothes they make,' says Harry Potter star Emma Watson, who's lending her considerable fashion savvy - and the modelling talents of family and friends - to a covetable new fair-trade clothing range

Glance at a recent copy of Vogue, any of 2009’s best-dressed lists or front row at the shows, and one fact is unmistakable: the fashion world just can’t get enough of Harry Potter star Emma Watson. She may have grown up in a Hogwarts uniform, but she’s blossomed into everyone’s favourite British starlet and looks set to spend her 20s dressed top-to-toe in Burberry and Chanel (she has contracts with both brands).

Frankly we wouldn’t blame Miss Watson if she chose to spend her Harry Potter afterlife as a full-time clotheshorse, but instead she has chosen to flex her considerable fashion flair creating a range for the ethical clothing brand People Tree. This is in between studying English literature at America’s Brown University and filming the final Harry Potter movie.

It’s a savvy move by Emma – People Tree has some serious fashion cred, having teamed up with designers Richard Nicoll and Thakoon (a favourite of both Michelle Obama and Anna Wintour), and never before has clothing with a conscience felt quite so on trend.

But before you roll your eyes at the thought of yet another pretty celebrity face putting her name and a few hours’ work to an of-the-moment brand, believe us, this really is a collaboration of creativity rather than convenience. The People Tree team tell us that they were wowed by Emma’s commitment to the project: ‘I was amazed at how many hours Emma put into this collection,’ explains founder of the brand Safia Minney.

‘We’d often go to her home in the evening after she finished filming to go through ideas, or she’d come to the studio laden with her own artwork – it was extremely impressive.’


STRAWBERRIES AND CREAM FOR EVER: Emma with brother Alex (left) and friends Sophie and Tafari, who all took part in the English country garden shoot for People Tree


Emma and her friends fly the fair-trade flag

The aim was to create a range for teenagers that appealed to their consciences as well as their sense of cool. ‘We’re not asking for the sympathy vote,’ says Safia. ‘Our designs need to hold up against the high street but also have that level of quality and integrity that you just don’t get from fast fashion.

Emma may not be your average teenager – I’ve not come across many 19-year-olds who have a work ethic like hers – but her eye for what teenagers want has been invaluable and it shows in the range. She got all her friends involved in the ideas process and was serious about getting everything right.’

We visited the brochure shoot for Emma’s spring/summer People Tree collection to chat to her and give you an exclusive preview of the range and a glimpse behind the scenes. You can almost smell the summer…

You’ve done acting, modelling, and now you’re designing. Is this the future for Emma Watson?

Oh, I don’t have any plans to be a designer. I’m doing this range because I really care about fair-trade and ethical fashion. I’m so pleased that I got involved, but I don’t want to take all the credit for being the designer because I haven’t trained as a designer or even gone to art college – in fact, I had no idea about the amount of work involved at the outset!

So this is not an Emma Watson clothing line?
I didn’t want this collection to be all about me. This is not a celebrity endorsement, it is about creating something that is genuinely a great idea and about making a difference through fashion.

How did the collaboration come about?
It was all because my friend, Alex Nicholls, was wearing this great People Tree T-shirt one day, which I liked. He then told me all about the company – he knows Safia and said that I should meet her. He set up an introduction and Safia and I just clicked. A couple of weeks later she got in touch with the idea of a teen range – they were doing older ranges and baby clothes but nothing in between – and asked if I’d like to help put it together. I said yes straight away.


Emma and her model brother Alex


A gaggle of bright young things hang out behind the scenes

Wise move, People Tree – every teen wants to dress like you!

I am very interested in fashion and I’ve been working a lot in the fashion world recently – it’s such an influential industry, so I knew that trying to help people, trying to alleviate poverty through a fashion line, could work. Fashion is a great way to empower people and give them skills; rather than give cash to charity you can help people by buying the clothes they make and supporting things they take pride in. It’s that simple.

Where did you get your design inspiration for the range?

I went through my summer wardrobe and thought, ‘If I filtered this
so that it was just the very basics, what would I want to keep?’ The answer was cotton vests, easy T-shirt dresses, nice scarves to accessorise with and some lovely linen pieces. For the boys’ range I’ve done hoodies, which I know they’ll love. The clothes are very British, which is why we shot them in an English country garden – it’s all very strawberries and cream and tennis.

We particularly like the T-shirts printed with slogans such as ‘I’m not toxic’ and ‘Please don’t panic, I’m organic’.

I was keen not to preach – you don’t want to be too serious or heavy. I also came up with a daisy print which I’m really proud of – it’s fun and messy. I just wanted to make clothes that are wearable, cool and easy.


What is your favourite part of the collection?

I would wear all the clothes, which are made in Bangladesh, India and Nepal, and there is also some amazing jewellery – especially a necklace made from recycled sweet wrappers, which is made in Bangladesh. It comes in a box also made of sweet wrappers. Brilliant!

It must have been a fast learning curve for you, being on the design side of things for the first time…

It was such fun going through all the Pantone colour books with Safia, but yes, I had to learn quickly – the colours on the page don’t always look the same on the fabrics, so you have to be patient. It’s a case of learning as you go along, and it’s all massively time consuming! When we did the first set of samples some of them looked great but others needed altering a lot.

If the reaction on the shoot is anything to go by, these clothes are going to be out of stock long before spring is here!

I really enjoyed the shoot. All the models are friends of mine: my housemate Sophie, my brother Alex. I basically called in favours – a lot of the crew are friends too.

They are all super-talented, so I am very lucky that they were prepared to help out.

I asked Andrea Carter-Bowman to do the photos as I just love her work, and she’s young. So this really is a collection for young people put together by young people.

And I’m so proud of it – it’s exactly how I intended it to look.

You are something of a fashionista, but were you completely new to fair-trade fashion?

The first time I heard about fair trade was during a geography coursework project, and I remember thinking, ‘Why isn’t everything fair trade?’ Everyone knows about fair-trade bananas and coffee, but of course anything can be fair trade. Fair-trade fashion costs a bit more but allows those who make it to earn a decent living; to be able to take care of their families and live with dignity.

But do you think it is possible to enjoy high-street fashion and also support fair trade?

It’s important to differentiate between fast fashion, which is made very quickly for a very small price, and fair-trade fashion. So if you buy a T-shirt for £2, you just have to do the maths and work our how much the person who made it is being paid.

How realistic is it that the Primark generation will buy into this range and concept?
It sounds like a cliché, but we are the future. The earth is ours and will be our children’s, and I think that more than any other generation we are aware of environmental and humanitarian issues. That’s why it’s so great that People Tree is doing something aimed at people of my age – because we do care and we will buy with a conscience. I hope that more companies will follow People Tree’s example.

All the clothing featured on the previous pages and opposite is available from peopletree.co.uk. To request a catalogue, call 020 7739 9659


Photographer Andrea Carter-Bowman captures a playful moment


source: dailymail

England captain John Terry made team-mate's girlfriend pregnant - and then arranged for abortion

By Amanda Perthen, Ian Gallagher, Andy Chapman and James Millbank

Vanessa Perroncel: had an affair with England captain John Terry

England captain John Terry’s career was thrown into further doubt last night after it was revealed he got his team-mate’s girlfriend pregnant.

The Mail on Sunday has learned that French model Vanessa Perroncel, former partner of fellow England defender Wayne Bridge, had an abortion within months of the affair starting.

The pregnancy and termination are thought to have been the ‘consequences’ referred to by the High Court judge who threw out the £170,000-a-week footballer’s bid to seek a draconian gagging order to keep his affair secret.

Last night, the far-reaching implications of Terry’s extraordinary legal action were becoming clear.

There is now a strong belief among fans that Terry may have caused irreparable damage to England’s chances of success at the World Cup in South Africa in June.

Although he is seen as a vital member of the squad, his behaviour has turned him into a pariah and has deeply unsettled his team-mates.

There is anger, too, that his decision to use a super-injunction to try to prevent scrutiny of his actions has only served to exacerbate an already painful situation.

Rejecting Terry’s claim for the right to have a ‘private and family life’, the judge said he believed it was more likely Terry was trying to protect his reputation and business interests.

In his written judgment, Mr Justice Tugendhat referred to ‘details of such affair and/or relationship, including the consequences thereof’.

Although he as not explicit by what was meant by the ‘consequences’, the internet was yesterday buzzing with reports that it referred to Miss Perroncel’s abortion. When asked about it, Miss Perroncel’s publicity agent Max Clifford said: ‘No comment‘.

Friends said last night the termination was arranged by Terry and took place at a private clinic under clandestine circumstances. Miss Perroncel arrived and left the clinic via a back entrance.


In crisis: John Terry with his wife Toni (left) and Wayne Bridge with Vanessa Perroncel in 2006


Terry is now facing a showdown with England manager Fabio Capello, expected to take place today, which may well decide the course of his career.

But yesterday he appeared to put his private troubles behind him when he captained Chelsea in their Premiership clash against Burnley, scoring the winning goal in the 2-1 victory in the 82nd minute.

He was booed by the opposing home fans whenever he touched the ball, and endured their chants of: ‘Same old Terry, always cheating’ and the song: ‘Chelsea wherever you may be, don’t leave your wife with John Terry.’

Friends said Terry’s affair began soon after Miss Perroncel, a lingerie model, split from Bridge last summer. At first it was platonic, but became sexual in September. It is understood she became pregnant in October and had the termination weeks later.

John has known her for years and there was always something between them, a kind of flirtatious thing,’ a friend told The Mail on Sunday. ‘It used to upset John’s wife Toni.

‘After Vanessa and Wayne separated, John would go around to her house, initially at least, to offer support. Then it got a lot heavier very quickly.’

On Friday, after the gagging order was overturned in the High Court, Mrs Terry rang Miss Perroncel, who lives close to the couple’s £3million home in the footballers’ enclave of Oxshott, Surrey.

The two women had been close friends before the news of Terry’s infidelity broke and sources described their conversation as ‘extremely tense’.

Earlier that day, Miss Perroncel spoke for the first time about the affair to a Mail on Sunday reporter.

Describing how Terry’s secrecy bid backfired so spectacularly, she said that Bridge, the father of her three-year-old son, only learned about the liaison because of the court action.

‘Wayne rang me last weekend and started shouting at me and accusing me of having an affair,’ said Miss Perroncel. ‘It was terrible. He was saying horrible things.’
She said she told Bridge, 29, that she wasn’t having an affair ‘but he wouldn’t believe me’.

Earlier, she said: ‘Wayne was convinced I had been cheating on him because the court action had been taken. It was an agonising call and he was furious.

‘I am a close friend of his [John Terry’s]. We don’t talk everyday, but we are in touch a lot. I have known him for eight years, I even knew him before Wayne.

'He has been to my house. I am also a close friend of his wife and I phoned her last weekend to arrange for us to go out together.


Wag friends: Toni and Vanessa at a Chelsea match

‘I am friends with Frank Lampard’s ex-fiancee Elen as well. I don’t know what they are all going to think. It is a very close community of footballers and their wives here. I’m a single mother with a little boy to think about.’

Miss Perroncel’s £3 million mansion on an exclusive estate in Oxshott is a short drive from where Terry lives with 28-year-old Toni, his childhood sweetheart, and their three-year-old twins.

His mother and mother-in-law both live on the same road, while other neighbours include West Ham midfielder Scott Parker, Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole and England star Ashley Cole and his wife Cheryl.

Terry, 29, is believed to have spent yesterday explaining himself to his wife. Friends said that although Terry has been caught cheating before, his previous encounters had been much less serious and short-lived. ‘Toni will find this devastatingly painful,’ said one friend.

Meanwhile Terry also faces a backlash from players and fans. Bridge, once a close friend, is said to have made it clear in football circles that he will not travel with Terry to the World Cup if, as expected, he is selected for the squad.

News of the affair broke as Bridge and Miss Perroncel, who were together for three years, were struggling to sort out a settlement following their split six months ago. He moved to a £2million Edwardian mansion in Alderley Edge, Cheshire, while she remained in the marital home, after his transfer to Manchester City.

Speaking about the negotiations, Miss Perroncel said: ‘Wayne and I are trying to sort out a settlement and I have been told by lawyers not to say certain things because it could affect it. The house I am living in is the one that Wayne and I had. It is very sad.’

Yesterday, Bridge declined to comment on the affair.


It is understood Terry was seen visiting his lover’s home in his green Bentley two weeks ago. A witness said he appeared to use an electronic ‘beeper’ to get through the security gates.


Toni and Vanessa became close friends in 2006 after the model started dating Bridge and last summer the two women went on a ‘girls’ break’ together.

In 2005, two years before his marriage to Toni, Terry said: ‘I’ve mis-behaved and slept with girls behind her back. I’m not going to cheat on her ever again and I want to marry her more than anything.’

But the day he was quoted, it emerged he had a fling with a blonde – and even borrowed Bridge’s house as a love nest.

The girl concerned, 25-year-old Shalimar Wimble, said at the time: ‘John never mentioned his fiancee Toni to me – I guess that’s why he took me to Wayne’s place.’

On Friday, Mr Justice Tugendhat said it was crucial that newspapers should not be prevented from reporting details of his philandering ways just because they were ‘socially harmful’.


The triangle: Terry sitting beside Perroncel and Bridge during a Carling Cup match in 2007


It was also revealed in court that Terry tried to silence his former lover by getting her to sign a ‘confidentiality’ agreement. In documents disclosed by Terry’s lawyers, it was claimed that she was offered just £1 in return for signing the agreement.

But Judge Tugendhat said that it could have been a nominal sum and she might have been given more.

The deal was done at a hotel after Terry became concerned about rumours circulating in the football world a week ago.

He believed a newspaper was about to expose his secret, so on Friday January 22, two of Terry’s business partners met Vanessa at a London hotel and she signed two documents, the court heard.

The first was a short letter which said: ‘I agree to keep such information private and confidential’ and promising to pass any media inquiries on to one of Terry’s business partners.

The second document said she agreed to keep quiet, ‘in order to assist you in keeping such information confidential and in consideration of £1, receipt of which is hereby acknowledged’.

The judge said he was ‘troubled’ by the arrangement and in a scathing remark said: ‘Their business interest is to protect Terry’s reputation. I am left in serious doubt as to whether the information sourced through the business partners is full and frank.’


Legitimately playing away: A tired and sheepish-looking John Terry warming up with his Chelsea teammates

HOW ADVISERS' ATTEMPT TO GAG LOVER BACKFIRED

An attempt by two of Terry’s business partners to silence Miss Perroncel was partly responsible for the judge’s decision to allow damaging details to be reported.

Court documents revealed she was given £1 for signing a confidentiality agreement.

But Mr Justice Tugendhat ‘did not feel confident’ the papers she signed expressed her wishes.

He also suggested she may have been given more money.

She met the men at a London hotel on January 22. But the judge was concerned that the ‘business partners’ had not been frank with the court about events leading to her signing of the contract.

The identity of the two men was not revealed but the judge said they promoted the player for sponsorship deals and protected his image.

Terry is represented by Elite management, run by Essex businessmen Paul Nicholls and Keith Cousins. Both men describe themselves as ‘long term friends’ of Terry. Nicholls played alongside Terry as a Chelsea youth player.

Mr Cousins and Mr Nicholls took over Terry’s management before the start of the season after he parted company from agent Aaron Lincoln.

Lincoln had been credited with cultivating a more wholesome image for Terry.
In November, Terry was severely embarrassed when an email was circulated among the sports business community.

It had been sent by a small firm called Riviera Entertainment, based in Enfield, North London, hired by Elite management to fix lucrative commercial deals for the star leading up to the World Cup.

The email was widely criticised as a bid to use Terry’s position as England’s captain as another cash cow.


source: dailymail

Cartoons of the Week, January 30, 2010 - February 5, 2010












source: Time

Friday, January 29, 2010

the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne

Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic kisses the champion's trophy after winning against Britain's Laura Robson in the girls' final at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne January 30, 2010.


Andy Murray (L) of Britain trains with his coach Miles Maclagan at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne January 30, 2010. Murray will meet Switzerland's Roger Federer in Sunday's men's singles final.


Andy Murray of Britain speaks during a press conference at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 30, 2010. Murray will play Roger Federer of Switzerland in the Men's singles final match Sunday.


MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 30: Peter Norfolk of Great Britain poses with the championship trophy after winning his Quad Wheelchair singles final match against David Wagner of the USA during day thirteen of the 2010 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 30, 2010 in Melbourne, Australia


photo: Reuters

Why is a mother obsessed with making her daughter, 13, the world's No 1 teen beauty queen?

By Rachel Porter

Walk of fame: At just 13 Sophie Watson is a beauty pageant veteran, and is hoping to take out the title of Miss Teen Galaxy Pageant later this year

Her dark and artfully curled locks tumble to her tanned shoulders and down her back, which is naked but for three lilac satin, crystal-encrusted straps.

As the music starts, she turns elegantly on her sparkling heels. A choker made from £300 worth of faux diamonds dazzles under the lights on the expanse of flesh that leads from her neck to her navel.

Then she bats her lashes and gives a knowing smile that makes you feel like you're the only person in the room. . . and, as it happens, I am.

Hundreds of little girls across the country would, I'm assured, fight bleached tooth and acrylic nail to be sitting where I am now: on Sophie Watson's sofa beside the glass cabinet filled with sparkling prize tiaras, getting a sneak peek of the song-and-dance routine she hopes will win over the judges at the Miss Teen Galaxy Pageant later this year.

Aged only 13, but looking several years older, Sophie has a growing reputation as 'the one to beat' on Britain's burgeoning teen pageant circuit.

If there was a crown for representing the growing numbers of teenage girls obsessed with their looks and a life in the spotlight, it would be hers.

In short, Sophie is a walking icon for the X Factor generation, for whom the height of aspiration is to get rich quick by exploiting any talent you might possess. Some might feel she and her mother condemn themselves with their own words.

Of course her mother doesn't see it that way.

'I wouldn't say we were competitive - that's not a nice word,' says Joy, who beams with pride at the sight of her only child in a dress that could have been stolen from Jordan's walk-in wardrobe.

'But we want to win, and the stakes are higher every time we compete. People expect more of her now. We spend more and we expect more.'

Sophie, by her mother's account, has always been a high achiever. 'A gifted musician', 'a talented dancer', 'effortlessly top of the class'.

At 11, she won a music scholarship to a top private girls' school near their home in County Durham, and Joy, a hardworking single mum who has had no contact with Sophie's father for ten years, was relieved that Sophie, her only child, would receive an education that would make anything possible.

But none of her daughter's long list of achievements has made her more proud than watching Sophie amass her collection of glittering crowns and sashes on the controversial child beauty pageant circuit.

And as Sophie has amassed hundreds of 'fans' on a Facebook page promoting herself as a singer, a model and a dancer, her once high academic ambitions have faded into the background.


Joy Watson, pictured with Sophie, described her daughter as a'high achiever' and believes she can take out the Miss Teen Galaxy Pageant


With stars in their eyes, the pair, who now devote all of their spare time and money to pageant preparation, have their sights set on one thing: Sophie's superstardom. For the outgoing Mini Miss UK, hard work on the pageant circuit is simply the first step on the road to world domination.

Sophie has already been a finalist in Miss Teen World 2009. Her other titles are a mind-boggling insight into just what an industry junior beauty pageants have become.

But then when so many little girls just want to be Jordan or Cheryl Cole, perhaps we should not be so surprised.

The roll call includes competitions like Miss Teen Cinderella, Miss Teen Great Britain International Tourism, Miss Teen County Durham Galaxy, Miss Royal Star Photogenic Queen, Universal Royalty Ambassador, Miss Model Beauty of England International, Miss Teen Cover Model, Miss July Starshine Princess. And on and on it goes.
'Pageants are Sophie's hobby - albeit a hobby she's very good at - but what she really wants is to be a singer. Whether that will be sell-out stadium tours or something on a smaller scale, I don't know,' says Joy matter-of-factly.

'But she's focused, driven and determined. She knows exactly what she wants and she's going to do whatever it takes.

'Getting publicity and getting a name for herself can only help, and that's where the pageants come in. They might kick that door open for her.'

Sophie chips in excitedly: 'Justin Timberlake did pageants, you know. I could be the girl version of him. Or another Miley Cyrus. She's only 17 and she already has £26million in the bank.'

Joy tells me that, in preparation for the next big event on the pageant calendar, they have enlisted the help of a dress designer whose other clients include former Miss England and Miss Great Britain Danielle Lloyd, Anthea Turner and Jodie Marsh. In the rhinestone-studded world of pageants, credentials don't get much better than this.

They also recruited a coach prior to their recent trip to Texas, where Sophie (followed by a BBC documentary crew) became the first British entrant in the Universal Royalty pageant. That's a big one.

'We're working on a few walks at the moment,' says Sophie, who jumps up to demonstrate the difference between the perfect 'formal' walk - slow, stately,
elegant - and the perfect 'swimsuit' walk, which involves a lot more wiggling and 'a really crazy grin'.


Model ambition: Sophie has amassed a number of prizes during her career, and was a finalist in Miss Teen World 2009


Her coach is a former beauty queen, who lives almost 300 miles away from the Watsons' home and is willing to impart her tricks of the trade for a mere £70 an hour, in person, online or over the phone.

It's money well spent, according to Joy, who believes these tutorials focusing on Sophie's confidence, presentation, walking and interview skills could not only make the difference of a crucial point in a closely fought beauty battle, but they will give Sophie 'the edge' in real life, too.

The way Joy sees it, these costs add up to no more than another parent might choose to spend on riding lessons and all the kit. 'No one would bat an eyelid if I'd spent as much on a riding helmet as I did on her hairpiece,' she says defensively.
Although pageants for women have a long and established history in Britain, the version for children is a recent import from America.

Over there, more than 100,000 girls (sporting fake tans, fake nails, fake eyelashes, fake hairpieces, and masses of make-up) compete every year within an industry worth an estimated $5billion.

Whereas most parents dread the day that their little girl wants to cover her rosy cheeks with Pan Stick, and treasure the years of innocence before they feel they are judged on their looks and their figures, pageant mums are a different breed.

Without naming names, Joy delights in telling me that the mother of one of Sophie's closest rivals was so jealous of their success that she had recently posted abusive online messages to Sophie under her own daughter's name.

She also points out that when Sophie picked up her first crown a year ago at the inaugural Mini Miss UK Pageant, in a row of baby Barbies, it was her 'natural' look that made her stand out from the competition.

Sadly, though, Sophie's look is not naturally her own. Her hair is dyed almost black and there's a heavy layer of foundation on her cheeks because she feels her own 'ugly' red curls and freckles would hamper her chances of taking the crown.

'I would never do a pageant as a redhead. I had red hair at my first one and I didn't win anything. I wouldn't want to risk it again,' she says.

Her brows and lashes are tinted to match, and this would be another considerable expense were it not for the fact that Joy, who trains beauty therapists for a living, is able to preen Sophie to a professional standard at home.

'It saves us a fortune because I can do her spray tan, her nails, her brow waxing and tinting, her hair colour, and her hair extensions,' says Joy.

'In America we had to up the ante on the make-up because they go for more of a high-glitz look over there. We had bigger hair and bigger eyelashes. On a girl of her age, I think it's fine. There are girls Sophie's age walking down the street wearing twice as much make-up as she wears in a pageant. I can see why it might be a different matter if she was seven or eight.'

In the past year, Sophie has gained quite a following - to an extent that would worry many parents of a young girl. But not Joy. As well as her Facebook fanpage, she has her own website - set up, Joy says, to ensure that 'fans can get to know the real Sophie' by looking through her portfolio of pictures, reading about her latest victories and sending her messages.

Among those fans, I notice a number of middle-aged men whose only other listed interests are other, very young, very pretty girls. But Sophie and Joy scoff at the common belief that beauty pageants sexualise underage girls, or that posting pictures of Sophie online in skimpy costumes might attract 'the wrong sort of attention'.

'There aren't any perverts at pageants!' laughs Sophie. 'My fans are just people, mostly other girls, who've seen me on telly or in magazines, and they like me. It's cool.'

'Where could she be more safe than up on stage where everyone can see her?' argues Joy. 'It's the kids who hang around drinking in the park until all hours that'd I'd be worried about.'

Just before Christmas, when a BBC documentary focusing on last year's Mini Miss UK pageant was syndicated around the world, Sophie received


Role model: Sophie names Katie Price as one of her idols

'It was crazy. I was sending photos to Hong Kong, Singapore, China, France, Belgium, you name it,' says Joy, who gave little thought to who was asking for them. 'Sophie knows how to be safe online and wouldn't accept someone random chatting to her, so I don't worry she's in any danger.

'To be honest, I'm fully aware that maybe some people who email asking for a signed photo may not be a 12-year-old girl who is a fan of hers; they might be a middle-aged bloke. But you know what? It's just a photo at the end of the day. What's the harm?'

True, sending photographs of your 13-year-old daughter in full makeup and eveningwear to anyone who asks is not the same as delivering her to their doorstep.

But it's still not something that most parents would feel quite so relaxed about.

'Yes, there's a part of me that wishes this was happening when she was a little bit older, but this is her moment. Do I say "Sorry, Sophie, don't do anything until you're 16"? I'd be an idiot.

And she'd never forgive me if she missed her chance.'

Of course, in an entertainment world warped by the 'Cowell-isation' of television, all this is just a precursor to Sophie's next big step.

She will be recording a demo tape and dispatching it to record company bosses in the next few weeks, to capitalise on the interest that the forthcoming documentary on her tour of American pageants is likely to bring.

'I'm trying to act as any manager would,' says Joy. 'They'd say: "Now is the time to really go for it." Look at Billie Piper, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera - they all started young.'

It's perhaps no surprise that Sophie counts Katie Price among her idols.

'I don't like her when she's Jordan, doing photoshoots almost naked and getting drunk all the time,' she says. 'But I like Katie Price. She works hard, she's got a family that she looks after, she's earned her own money, and if she wants something, she can just buy it.'

As well as the wardrobe full of designer clothes and bags that Sophie feels are essential to living the life of a star-in-waiting, a manager or agent is next on her wish list.

She says: 'How cool would it be, to say "Talk to my agent", instead of: "Here's my mum's number."' She drifts off for a moment into her favourite daydream.

Almost two years ago, Sophie was a very different child - 'a shy, music nerd' by her own reckoning, and not a very happy one.

When Joy made the horrifying discovery that Sophie, then 12, was struggling to cope with the pressures of her new school and had started to self-harm, she made the somewhat questionable decision to enter her into her first beauty pageant in the hope that it would cheer her up.

'I just thought it would be something nice for us to do together: a girls' day out,' she says. 'But looking back, Sophie had got it into her head that she would win and everything would be wonderful.'

'She did enjoy it. She made a lot of new friends - many that she's still in touch with now. But when it came to the prize-giving, she was one of the only girls to walk away with nothing.'

Aside from the winner's crown, girls compete for minor titles such as Little Miss Photogenic or Little Miss Confidence. That day, little Sophie was none of these. 'We drove her home in tears. She cried herself to sleep. She was very upset for days,' says Joy who, a little belatedly, was starting to doubt the wisdom of putting her depressed and unstable 12-year-old daughter in a situation where she would be judged against others and found wanting.

'I felt horrendous. I know people will criticise me for putting her in that position, but I was naive. I thought it would be fun,' says Joy.

Now, they know that pageanting is, in fact, a very serious business. Sophie's first costume cost £125, but now Joy would be delighted to spend that little on a pair of giant Swarovski crystal earrings. And, from their current position at the top of the pageant pile, Sophie's first attempt is a distant memory.

A year later, after switching schools and much analysis of her previous year's performance, she insisted on making a return to the circuit - brunette and brimming with determination - and snatched the title of Mini Miss UK right from under the powdered noses of the competition.

As she and Joy drove home that night, there were no tears in the car - just flowers, a crown and much excited talk of how worldwide fame, adulation and multi-millions were only a few well-planned footsteps away.

As I leave Sophie to practise her pageant walks, I'm certain that beneath the make-up and dyed hair there is a very sweet and talented girl with a better chance than most of making it big.

But isn't it a tragedy for her (and a generation of teenage girls just like her) that her greatest aspiration is to be famous - and the sooner the better.


source: dailymail

Mirror, signal, whoops... Driver reverses car over 21ft drop after stepping on the accelerator

By Wil Longbottom

Wrong pedal: The white automatic lies on its rear bumper after plunging 21 feet into this alleyway from a car park above

Jokes about reverse parking are usually reserved for female motorists.
But this lucky driver in China had a miraculous escape after plunging his car 21 feet tail-first into an alleyway.

The man, from Xiamen in China's southern Fujian province, was reversing his car into a parking space when he mistakenly stepped on the accelerator instead of the brake.

His automatic white car shot backwards through wire fencing and toppled over the edge of the car park before dropping to the alleyway below.

Luckily, the embarrassed motorist and his five-year-old son, who was sat in the passenger seat, were unhurt in the accident. There was no-one in the alleyway at the time.

But his car was not so fortunate after the boot was crushed flat by the impact and the bonnet was badly damaged as the car toppled into a nearby building.

The vehicle, which was written off by the crash, had to be removed from the alleyway by a crane


Lucky escape: The driver and his five-year-old son miraculously emerged unscathed from the accident in Xiamen, China


source: dailymail

Pictured: The amazing moment a diver swims alongside one of nature's most lethal killing machines ... an 11ft crocodile

Nerves of steel: Diver Israel Gonzalez got close enough to be tolerated for over two hours by an American crocodile off the coast of Cuba

Just off the coast of Cuba, a diver displays nerves of steel as he swims alongside an 11ft, 1,000lb crocodile.

Risking his life for the potentially deadly experience, diver Israel Gonzalez, 31, got close enough to be tolerated for over two hours by one of nature's most lethal killing machines.

Swimming in an area known as The Queen's Gardens, the lone female crocodile was returning to her nest on one of the 50 or so tiny islands that make up the offshore paradise

Around 60miles from the south coast of Cuba, Mr Gonzalez and underwater photographer David Doubilet matched the enormous crocodile for pace during their encounter.

'This crocodile exhibited very benign behaviour for such a notorious predator,' said Mr Doubilet.

'As a wildlife photography opportunity this was extremely exciting to capture not only the rare and overlooked American crocodile, but also to run the gauntlet with the animal.

'Honestly after the initial rush when we encountered the crocodile, our levels of fear dropped down quite considerably.'


Best friends: Mr Gonzalez had trawled the area searching for the rare reptile, who proved remarkably 'benign'


Photographer: David Doubilet


Travelling to The Queen's Gardens with a diving team, which also included local Cuban fishermen familiar with the area, the pair trawled the island chain for the elusive American crocodile.

'Most people don't know that there are crocodiles which live in the Americas,' explained Mr Doubilet.

'They assume that they live only in Egypt, in sub-Saharan Africa and Australia.

'However, there are around 1,500 American crocodiles living in Florida and the same number across Central America and South America.

'They are classed as a threatened species.'

Gliding alongside the croc, Mr Doubilet and Mr Gonzalez were aware that at any minute the situation could turn life threatening.

'Unfortunately we had no protection on us. No sticks, no harpoons, nothing that would have saved our lives had the crocodiles turned nasty,' said David.

'But we were not unduly worried. We were careful to know our limits and not to stress the creature.

'We were there to observe this rare occurrence


source: dailymail