By CHARLOTTE GRIFFITHS Best foot forward: Prince Harry arrives at Westminster Abbey... but is said to have hurt his ankle eight hours earlier after leaping from the Goring Hotel veranda As he stood at his brother’s side in Westminster Abbey waiting for the bride to arrive, Prince Harry drew more than a few questioning glances. Despite his smart military uniform, the young Royal appeared a little jaded, with his hair askew and a definite look of someone who had not had enough sleep. Now a possible answer to the question of why Harry seemed a touch under par on Royal Wedding day has emerged. Unusual exit: How Harry is said to have left the Goring Hotel hours before his appearance as best man at his brother's wedding Sources have revealed that the best man was out socialising until 3am – eight hours before the wedding. And he is said to have left the party venue with an athletic leap from a balcony which saw him land awkwardly on one ankle. The scene of the raucous goings-on was The Goring, the hotel which the Middleton family had taken over in the days before the wedding on Friday, April 29. On the Thursday evening, a group of the young Royal circle had congregated in a bar there and were enjoying themselves heartily. The festivities came to an end only at 3am when a young copper-haired reveller casually jumped off a veranda balcony, landing with a clumsy thump on a lawn 6ft below – to roars of laughter from his friends. Proud moment: Prince Harry accompanies his big brother down the aisle for the wedding According to sources, that reveller was the athletic Harry, whose looming day of duty had not stopped him sharing a few drinks with friends. An onlooker said: ‘Harry was with Pippa Middleton and Chelsy Davy among other friends for some pre-wedding drinks. 'He was the life and soul of the party until the early hours. ‘People were surprised to see him there so late before one of the biggest wedding days of the decade, and even more surprised when he jumped off the balcony – and landed with a thump. 'He had struggled to climb up the railings to get into position, so when he jumped over the edge he did so rather unsteadily and landed awkwardly next to a flower bed. ‘He flinched for just a moment before he stood up, rubbing his ankle. Then he looked up, smiled and waved to a roar of cheers before disappearing on to the lawn where there was a secret exit. ‘People were laughing and joking that his fall could have seen him walking through Westminster Abbey the following morning with a broken leg. At one point it was thought he’d twisted his ankle. A spokesman said: ‘Prince Harry had a private dinner with his brother, Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall. What he did after that is a private matter.’ source :dailymail
By DAILY MAIL REPORTER Hurt: Sarah Ferguson told Oprah Winfrey she watched the Royal Wedding on television from Thailand Sarah Ferguson has spoken for the first time about the House of Windor's decision to not invite her to last month's royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. The Duchess of York, 51, instead went to Thailand where she watched the coverage on television. 'So difficult': Fergie was disappointed she couldn't join her daughters Eugenie and Beatirce at the ceremony She was disappointed she wasn't able to accompany her daughters, Princess Beatrice, 22, and Eugenie, 21, who attended the wedding with their father Prince Andrew. 'I was not invited,' Ferguson, 51, who was caught up in a scandal last year after she was taped offering access to Prince Andrew for $724,000, said on The Oprah Winfrey Show. In contact: The 51-year-old said she spoke to her ex-husband Prince Andrew throughout the day 'I went through the phase of feeling so totally worthless and that [it] was quite right they didn't invite me. Why would they - why would they invite me?' 'I chose to go and be in Thailand in a place called Camelia... the jungle embraced me,' she explained. Ferguson revealed she was in contact with her former husband, whom she married at Westminster Abbey in 1986, throughout the day. 'When Andrew went with the girls, we were talking all morning and he was saying, "It's okay. Just remember we had such a good day. Our wedding was so perfect." Because we're such a unit together. He made me feel very part of the day on April the 29th.' Royal affair: Fergie said Diana would be 'so proud of her son' Ferguson is to have a show on Winfrey's new cable station, OWN. Her interview on The Oprah Winfrey Show will air in the U.S. tomorrow. Sarah Ferguson Spills on Royal Snub
Duchess Of York Sarah Ferguson: From Royalty To The Real World
Rachel Anne McAdams (born November 17, 1978 is a Canadian actress. Her breakout role was for portraying the "Queen Bee," Regina George, in the 2004 hit film Mean Girls. She then starred in the film adaptation of The Notebook and the hit comedy Wedding Crashers. Her other film credits include The Family Stone, Red Eye and The Time Traveler's Wife. More recently she starred in Guy Ritchie's 2009 adaptation of Sherlock Holmes as Irene Adler and in 2010's Morning Glory as Becky Fuller. 1 Early life 2 Career 3 Awards and achievements 4 Personal life 5 Filmography 6 References 7 External links Rachel McAdams was born in London, Ontario and grew up in the nearby city of St. Thomas. She has a younger brother, Daniel, and a younger sister, Kayleen. She took up competitive figure skating at the age of four and acting at age 12 at a summer theatre camp in St. Thomas, Ontario named Original Kids. When the company extended to a year-round company (and eventually relocated to London, Ontario), she was invited to continue with them. She attended the Myrtle Street Public Schooland the publicly-funded secondary school Central Elgin Collegiate Institute in St. Thomas from grade nine to OAC and starred in the Award-winning student production I Live in a Little city. She graduated from York University in Toronto with honours and a BFA degree in Theatre in 2001. During her fourth year at York, she played a child in "The Piper." McAdams with Robert Downey, Jr. at San Diego Comic-Con, July 2009. McAdams played a leading role in the film The Hot Chick alongside Rob Schneider, but her breakthrough occurred when she starred as Regina George, the school's popular prom queen, in 2004's Mean Girls. McAdams had previously appeared in the Canadian television series Slings and Arrows, co-starring Paul Gross. She played a main role in the first season, but due to her rising stardom was written out of the second season, and appeared only in the first episode. She followed Mean Girls with the film adaptation of Nicholas Sparks' novel The Notebook, with Ryan Gosling, with whom she would later begin an off-screen romance In 2005, she played Owen Wilson's love interest in Wedding Crashers. Wedding Crashers remains her highest domestic grossing film at over $209 million She next starred in the suspense thriller Red Eye as Lisa Reisert, playing a young woman held captive aboard a red-eye flight by criminal-for-hire and assassin Jackson Rippner (Cillian Murphy). Red Eye was directed by Wes Craven and proved to be a surprise late summer hit, garnering a critics score of 79% on Rotten TomatoesMcAdams also starred in The Family Stone as part of an ensemble cast alongside Diane Keaton, Craig T. Nelson, Sarah Jessica Parker, Dermot Mulroney, Luke Wilson, Brian J. White and Claire Danes. She auditioned for the role of Sue Storm in Fantastic Four, but lost the part to Jessica Alba McAdams' career slowed down in 2006. She originally signed on as the female lead in The Last Kiss but had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts, and the role was given to Jacinda Barrett. She later decided to take the year off from acting and spend time with friends and family. McAdams then agreed to star in the drama Married Life with Pierce Brosnan and Patricia Clarkson. She turned down the role of Bond girl Vesper Lynd in the James Bond film Casino Royale as well as Anne Hathaway's role in The Devil Wears Prada and a significant role in Mission: Impossible III. McAdams opted out of a cover shoot for Vanity Fair—in which she was to appear alongside two other young Hollywood actresses, Scarlett Johansson and Keira Knightley—upon finding out it was to be nude. When McAdams appeared on set and discovered it was nude, she politely declined, according to Knightley In an interview with PARADE Magazine, McAdams stated, "When you're playing a fictional character, it's as normal and mundane as eating breakfast. What bothers me is our culture's obsession with nudity. It shouldn't be a big deal, but it is. I think this overemphasis with nudity makes actors nervous. There's the worry about seeing one's body dissected, misrepresented, played and replayed on the Internet McAdams arrives at The Lucky Ones premiere during the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival. McAdams starred in three major studio releases in 2009. She first starred in the political thriller State of Play alongside Academy Award winners Ben Affleck, Russell Crowe and Helen Mirren. McAdams also played the title role of Clare Abshire in The Time Traveler's Wife opposite Eric Bana, which was released on August 14, 2009. The film was based on Audrey Niffenegger's 2003 novel of the same name. In a film released on Christmas Day of that year, McAdams starred in Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's classic stories. McAdams played the role of Irene Adler alongside Robert Downey, Jr. and Jude Law. McAdams co-starred with Diane Keaton, Harrison Ford and Jeff Goldblum in Morning Glory, released in the US on November 10, 2010 The movie opened in fifth place for its opening weekend, grossing $9.2 million McAdams has been widely praised for her role as Becky Fuller, a breakfast television (A.M. morning TV) producer, in the film Rachel McAdams Rachel McAdams Rachel McAdams Rachel McAdams Rachel McAdams Rachel McAdams Rachel McAdams Rachel McAdams Rachel McAdams Rachel McAdams Rachel McAdams Rachel McAdams Rachel McAdams Rachel McAdams Rachel McAdams Rachel McAdams Rachel McAdams Rachel McAdams Rachel McAdams Rachel McAdams Rachel McAdams Rachel McAdams Rachel McAdams Rachel McAdams
LONDON – Prince William and Kate Middleton, have left for a honeymoonat an undisclosed location, palace officials said Tuesday, declining to elaborate on the key details of where or for how long. They also requested the young couple's privacy be respected during that time. British media widely reported they had jetted off to theSeychelles, an island chain in the Indian Ocean. William has two weeks leave from his job as a search-and-rescue helicopter pilot, but palace officials would not say if they will be away the entire two weeks.
After the media blitz surrounding their April 29 wedding at Westminster Abbey, the couple have made it clear they'd like to be left alone by photographers. A day after the wedding, the newlyweds asked the media not to intrude on their first weekend of married life, which they spent at home before William returned to military duty. Privacy has long been a main concern for the royals while planning their honeymoon. They are thought to have considered private islands in the Caribbean — although photographers on boats could conceivably get pictures of them cavorting on a beach — and hideaways in Africa, where William has traveled extensively in the past. The couple's decision earlier to delay their honeymoon surprised many. While he went back to work, Middleton — now known as the Duchess of Cambridge — was snapped by photographers grocery shopping near the couple's home on the remote Welsh island of Angelsey. The Seychelles is an archipelago of 115 Indian Ocean islands about 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) east of the Kenyan coast. A popular luxury destination, it lies outside the cyclone belt, so severe storms are rare, adding to the destination's appeal.
Srdjana Janosevic, the press secretary for the Seychelles' president, had no confirmation Tuesday that the royal couple had arrived or planned to vacation there, but noted they have visited the Seychelles before. "Anyone who comes back and continues to enjoy the island, it just shows that it's a very desirable tourist destination," Janosevic said. "I think everyone would be happy if they are here." The Seychelles has only about 90,000 people. While the British media feature constant stories on the royals, a top headline Tuesday in the Seychelles Nation newspaper was about an increase in pork and chicken production. The top local topic is the country's May 19-21 presidential election, where President James Michel faces three challengers.
If the couple have chosen the Seychelles, it will be East Africa's second connection to the royal wedding. William proposed to Kate last October in a rustic log cabin on the slopes of Kenya's highest peak, Mount Kenya. Both Kenya and the Seychelles are former British colonies.
By REBECCA ENGLISH And they're orf: Kate and William at Buckingham Palace before flying by helicopter for their 'mini-moon' The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have left for a two-week honeymoon in a secret hideaway in the Indian Ocean. The newlyweds will stay in an exclusive villa that costs £4,000-a-night and is said to be located on one of the most beautiful and romantic islands in the world. The Duke and Duchess are believed to have flown out by private jet yesterday before being taken by helicopter from the mainland to the tropical retreat. Back to work - but not for long. William was spotted returning to the Air and Sea Rescue headquarters at RAF Vally in Anglesey after the wedding William's car was apparently seen leaving Anglesey, north Wales, yesterday accompanied by a police Range Rover piled high with luggage. A spokesman for St James's Palace said he would not confirm their honeymoon destination, although according to reports, the couple may have headed for the Seychelles. The spokesman added William has taken two weeks leave from operational duties. 'The couple have asked that their privacy be respected during their honeymoon.' Stocking up: Kate was seen shopping for provisions at Waitrose shortly after the celebrations If the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have chosen the Seychelles for their honeymoon they could well be heading for an idyllic location they visited four years ago - the island of Desroches A source said: ‘It’s one of the most incredible places you will ever visit and Kate will have the time of her life. It’s everything you could want from a honeymoon destination and more – beautiful beaches, tropical seas and complete privacy. ‘The Prince’s protection officers flew out to check it out and their villa has been booked and confirmed. The couple were seen taking off from Buckingham Palace the day after their wedding Like everyone else he works with, Prince William had to apply to take time off before the wedding The island of Desroches is a paradise just four miles long, about 150 miles south west of the Seychelles' main island, Mahe source:dailymail
Heidi Klumand Seal marked their wedding anniversary with a ceremony attended by their children - Leni, seven, Henry, five, Johan, four, and 19-month-old Lou – and 100 of their closest friends at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida, on Saturday night (07.05.11). The couple had originally planned to celebrate the occasion in Mexico at Seal’s beachfront home where they originally tied the knot on May 10, 2005, but recent unrest in the country due to drug violence led them to change the location with business mogul Donald coming to the rescue at the last minute.
Speaking about their annual vows renewal, supermodel Heidi Klum has said previously: "It's our time - a lovely family time. It's about remembering this moment of love we gave to each other and reinforcing it.
Prince William and his new wifeMiddleton Katehave adopted an endangered baby penguin called Acorn, a British zoo revealed on Friday. But Acorn will not be not be moving in with the royal newlyweds any time soon, Chester Zoo He will instead remain at the zoo in north-west England with 49 other Humbolt penguins. "Hopefully the happy couple will come and see little Acorn playing in his pool very soon," said a spokesman for the zoo, which gave the penguin to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge as a wedding present. "It's a real honour to be able to boastPrince William and Kate Middletonas penguin adopters." The zoo had asked followers on social networking sites to choose which of its 400 different species the couple should sponsor.
The Humbolt penguins, which are thought to be declining in number due to overfishing of their food and habitat loss, received more than 20 percent of the votes. The breed is native to several South American countries including Chile, where both William andCatherine Middletonspent part of their gap years. Prince William is back in his job as a search and rescue pilot in Wales following the couple's wedding last week. The couple have decided to postpone their honeymoon, in a secret foreign location, until a later date. (S)
Kitty and Ben plan on tying the knot. Kitty’s mother, so excited that Kitty has found “a keeper” begins planning a large, ostentatious wedding. Kitty and Ben want something much smaller, so they plan to elope in Las Vegas. Kitty’s producers even arrange a special live televised episode of Kitty’s radio show “The Midnight Hour.” When word gets out that Kitty’s planning on making a trip to Vegas, she is approached by Rick, Denver’s Vampire Master, and is asked to give a message to the Vegas Master, Dom. Kitty obliges, after all, she and Rick do have a special “partnership” as leaders of their respective “species.” When Kitty and Ben arrive in Vegas, they discover their hotel is holding a gun show. They are surrounded by hundreds of gun-toting bounty hunters. Not exactly paradise for a lycanthrope!
Kitty begins searching for guests for her show. In a city like Vegas, it can’t be that difficult. She soon learns about a show at The Hanging Gardens, one run completely by lycanthropes. But there’s something off about the Vegas lycanthropes---no wolves.
While Kitty is off on her search, Ben has discovered that being a wolf has some advantages. He sits in on a round of poker, and soon learns that he can sense how his opponents are doing. He signs up for a poker championship. Kitty is thrilled for him—she’s happy that he’s accepting and taking advantage of his “wolf.” But during the championship game, Ben outs a cheater, and is abducted. On his wedding day, nonetheless. Kitty reports him as missing, but everyone seems to believe that he’s not missing, but simply has a case of cold feet.
As usual, Kitty finds herself in danger. She’s discovered a secret behind The Hanging Gardens show, and an explanation for the lack of werewolves in Las Vegas. How will she protect her life, and save the man she loves?
Vaughn does another amazing job with this installment of the Kitty Norville series. As always, the character development is spot on. It’s amazing to see how Kitty’s character has grown, both as a person and as a wolf. The secondary characters add a great deal of interest to the book as well. So, once again, I’m impressed! Another highly recommended book!
Stephanie Barron's Jane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor
is the first novel of the Jane Austen Mystery series. Jane attends the wedding of her friend, Isobel Payne at the beginning of the novel. The wedding is by no means normal though, as the groom dies directly after it. He is an older, wealthy gentleman and it turns out that Isobel did not actually love him. Instead she was interested in his nephew, Fitzroy Payne. After her husband's death Isobel receives a letter that accuses Fitzroy and herself of adultery and murder, someone has noticed their feelings. Isobel is terrified of these accusations and asks her friend, Jane Austen, to help her. Jane becomes quite the sleuth, sneakily asking people questions and taking items off dead people to answer questions. She runs into several problems with this though, as it seems that everyone who can say anything about the supposed murder is also murdered.
I was little skeptical about this one, the idea of Jane Austen as a detective was interesting to me but I could help but wondering how it could be done. Barron does it, pretty much. I felt satisfied by this book, although there were times that I couldn't help but chuckle a bit. When Jane reaches up the murdered maid's dress to pull out a cryptic letter I couldn't help but imagine blood getting all over her gown. I'm not sure I really felt like the main character was so much Jane Austen as I felt she was a Victorian woman. The language worked well though, it was a great combination of Austen language and detective novel.
If you are a Jane Austen fan I think you will enjoy the novel, which is really the main question we ask when we read these things, right? If you are not a Jane Austen fan, well then I don't really know why you would want to read this and I also want to know what is wrong with you? (Just kidding, I actually wasn't a Jane Austen fan until this year. I actually kind of hated her, shhh).
Pub. Date: May 2008
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Format: Paperback, 304pp
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By MAIL ON SUNDAY REPORTER Athletic in Ibiza: Pippa Middleton performs a flawless backflip in to the warm waters of the Mediterranean as an admiring Kate looks on from the stern of the motor yacht They were carefree days before the world became entranced by their every movement. This is Kate Middleton and her sister Pippa as they've never been seen before, enjoying an exuberant holiday in Ibiza with their family and Prince William. Taken in 2006, these previously unseen pictures capture a fleeting moment in the lives of the couple when they could behave like ordinary twentysomethings, unencumbered by the responsibilities they now carry as the new stars of the Royal Family. Playful: Pippa climbs back aboard as William jokingly grabs Kate; right, the sisters relax on deck, with Kate using her camera Sunshine days: William, in red shorts, with Pippa (left), Carole, in green bikini, and other holiday guests They show the Prince larking around with Kate and Pippa, the girls' mother Carole and their brother James on a boat belonging to Carole's brother Gary Goldsmith during a week-long sunshine holiday to Ibiza. Pippa shows off her athletic prowess -- and her enviably toned physique -- performing a backwards dive into the sea. Kate, who also looks stunning in her white bikini, is content to stand back and watch. Heir in the air: Watched by Carole, Kate, James (in the patterned shorts) and Pippa, William attempts a backflip from the boat... ... but the young royal finishes with an ungainly belly-flop into the water Making waves: The Prince failed to match Pippa's graceful aquatic display Carole, who won admiration at the wedding for her elegant appearance, also reveals a youthfully trim figure in an emerald green bikini. Meanwhile, in his red swimming shorts, William could be any young man eager to impress his girlfriend by performing a backflip -- which somehow turns into a belly-flop by the time he hits the water. Her Royal Hotness: Pippa in her bridesmaid's dress at her sister's wedding The pictures reveal the extent to which the Middletons invited William into the heart of their family. During their week in Ibiza, they stayed at Gary's £5million villa, dubbed 'La Maison de Bang Bang'. source: dailymail
Sara Rueis not a bridal monster, but she's heading down that path. "I'm turning into a bridezilla,"Sara Ruetold recently in Las Vegas. "I'm not there yet, but I'm close. I was pretty cool for the first three or four months of planning, and now that we're getting closer, I'm becoming insane." The Shedding for the Wedding star is set to wed teacher Kevin Price in May. The theme will be hummingbirds and butterflies; she'll wear an Amsale dress; and the reception will feature beer pong, since that's how the couple met. But Rue is still uncertain about a few things, like her bridesmaid dresses. "I have two different bridesmaid dresses. Yes, two for the day. If I don't like one color, then I have the other one. It's that kind of craziness," Sara Rue, 32, said while celebrating her bachelorette party at Tao Beach. "I'm getting very detail oriented in a very O.C.D. kind of way, which is not a good thing when you can't control it." One thing she does have under control: her weight. The Jenny Craig spokeswoman, who recently lost 50 pounds, said she's isn't planning to lose more weight before the wedding, but she's not planning to gain any, either. "I'm just planning on maintaining and working out and being in the best shape I can be," she says. "I feel like it's a nice thing to do for your partner. It's like getting into your fighting weight or game shape or something." (S)
By TAMARA ABRAHAM The Pippa effect: Many women in the U.S. are demanding copies of the maid-of-honour's dress from the Royal Wedding, rather than the bride's Bridesmaids' dresses are typically unattractive creations in saccharine peach or mint green. But Pippa Middleton's slinky white gown for her sister's wedding last week was such a knockout, fashion houses are working overtime to get copies in store. While many had already been planning to replicate the new Duchess of Cambridge's bridal gown, designers admit they didn't anticipate the success of the maid-of-honour's. Now several companies are responding to demand from brides-to-be, keen to channel 27-year-old Pippa's look for their own big day. Meeting demand: Dan Rentillo, design director at David's Bridal, will be ordering as many copies of Pippa's dress as he will of Catherine's Design director Dan Rentillo told the New York Times: 'There was really no anticipation about Pippa’s dress. I can’t think of one where there was such a fuss over the bridesmaid’s dress.' Andrew Hops, vice president for JS Collections, added: 'She wore it so well, so we said, "We’ll do that dress right away."' Unexpected trend: Mr Rentillo said that he couldn't think of a time when so much fuss was made over the bridesmaid's dress Sketch in time: All three companies already have samples made up, and expect to get dresses on sale within six to eight weeks source: dailymail
It’s the day every woman remembers—her wedding day. For Waverly Bryson, it’s a day she’ll never forget. Before she can even walk down the aisle, her fiancée calls off the wedding, claiming that they weren’t meant to be. Waverly’s life goes in a downward spiral. In addition to the breakup, she has a horrible relationship with her father, and her job in sports PR isn’t quite as exciting as it should be. But one thing Waverly is able to retain is her sense of humor. When times are bad, she writes “honey” notes to herself, putting a humorous spin on that particular situation. Example: “Life has its ups and downs, right? Honey, if you’re talking about my weight and my bank account the unfortunate answer is yes, in that order.“ Waverly’s “honey” turn out to be the key that opens to door to her success and happiness.
PERFECT ON PAPER is a hilarious and addictive book. I guarantee you won’t be able to put it down. Waverly’s character leaves you laughing so hard you cry! Waverly, and her close network of friends, are unforgettable and easy to relate to. Each chapter begins with a “honey” note. I jotted several down myself! PERFECT ON PAPER is definitely a book I would recommend!
Check out the author's website: http://mariamurnane.com/
Pump it up Book Promotions: http://www.pumpupyourbookpromotion.com/
United States (U.S.) and Pakistan fight over the right to withholdAmal al-Sadah, the youngest wife of Osama bin Laden. Amal is now detained in Pakistan and the country on Wednesday (04/05/2011), rejected the American request to speak with Amal. The 27-year-old woman, according to initial reports about the storming of the complex U.S. residence of Osama in Pakistan, Sunday, has tried to become a shield for her from the special forces raid Navy SEALs. However, the information the U.S. side later said she had been used as shields by Osama and killed. The report was corrected again by stating that the Amal is not dead, only wounded in the leg. Amal should come along helicopter transported U.S. troops, but because one of two helicopters that crashed while landing troops, Amal was abandoned. She was later arrested Pakistani troops. Who Amal al-Sadah? The story about him began 11 years ago. At that time, she is a teenage girl who was taken from a quiet city in southern Yemen, first to Pakistan, then to Kandahar in southern Afghanistan. A year before the attacks of 11 September 2001, she became the fifth wife of Osama bin Laden. At that time, 18-year-old Amal and Osama 43 years. The marriage was arranged a prominent Al Qaeda Yemen, Sheikh Mohammed Rashed Saeed Ismail. Ismail (his brother languishing in Guantanamo Bay detainees) told the Yemen Post in 2008, “I am a matchmaker (marriage) Osama with his wife, Amal al-hard, which is one of my students.” In July 2000, Ismail accompany the new couple into Afghanistan. Last year, Ismail told a reporter Hala Jaber, “Even at a young age, she (Amal) is very religious and believe in the things that Osama, a man who is very religious and pious-believe.” Marriage is also apparently a-political alliances to strengthen support for bin Laden in the land of their ancestors, Yemen. Osama’s bodyguard at the time, Abu Jandal, was responsible for delivering the dowry. “Sheikh (Osama) it gives me 5000 dollars and told me to send it to certain people in Yemen and the people that in turn brings money to the bride’s family,” said Abu Jandal in the daily Al Quds al Arabi in 2005. In accordance with conservative Sunni tradition, the wedding celebration of all the affairs of men. “The bride is deemed to have approved the marriage with a trip to Afghanistan, so his presence (in marriage) is not compulsory,” he wrote in The Sunday Times Jaba after interviewing Ismail. “People celebrate with meresital poetry and song, slaughter lambs, and eating food.” According to Abu Jandal, “the songs and joy mixed with the (sound) shooting into the air.” A year after the wedding,Amal al-Sadahbirth to a daughter in Kandahar (a few days after the attacks of 11 September 2001). The boy was given the name Safiya. Children that are possible, according to Pakistani officials, has seen his father shot dead on Sunday. Her mother, according to Pakistani sources, has the now recovered from the wound in the leg he sustained in the attack. Yemeni passport of a woman who was found hiding in the complex they seem to belong with Amal, but the name in the passport does not exactly match the name. Yemeni officials said they were unable to identify exactly the passport and Pakistan has not made a request to repatriate anyone in the complex is the former residence of Osama. It is unclear whether bin Laden and Amal have another child. However, the leader of Al Qaeda that has more than 20 children from five wives. One of his sons were also reported killed in the attack on the complex in Pakistan’s Abbottabad. CNN terrorism analyst Peter Bergen, bin Laden has written about marriage in his book, The Osama bin Laden I Know: An Oral History of al Qaeda’s Leader. Osama was first married at age 17 years with someone who was his cousin, Najwa Ghanem, perhaps two years younger than Osama. They had 11 children, but after living with the constant moving, Najwa eventually left Osama (and Afghanistan) a few days before the September 11 attacks. Osama’s second wife was Khadijah Sharif, nine years older than bin Laden, a highly educated woman and a direct descendant of the Prophet Mohammad. They married in 1983 and have three children, but eventually they divorced while living in Sudan in the 1990s. In an interview with Al Quds al Arabi, Abu Jandal said Khadijah was not able to deal with their hard lives and eventually return to Saudi Arabia. Osama’s first wife, Najwa, helping to organize the third marriage with Osama Khairiah Patience. Khairiah also highly educated women and a doctoral degree in sharia or Islamic law. The woman was married to bin Laden in 1985 and they had one child, a son. Bergen writes that it is not known whether she survived the bombing in Afghanistan in October and November 2001. Then, there Siham Patience who married Osama bin Laden in 1987. They have four children, and like Khairiah, she was not caught in his footsteps since the invasion of Afghanistan. Amal al-Sadah is the fifth and youngest wife of Osama. Amal al-Sadah had repatriated to Yemen for his safety, but somehow he came back to where Osama. According to Abu Jandal, bin Laden after the big family arrived in Afghanistan in 1996, they often ride the bus is escorted by a vehicle full of guards. He said the three wives of Osama live harmoniously in the same house. They often go to events-Osama family outing in a separate car followed the family bus. In such event, said Abu Jandal, the leader of Al Qaeda that would teach her how to use firearms. CNN terrorist Observer, Paul Cruickshank, said, not surprisingly, the complex in Abbottabad who attacked U.S. forces on Sunday and although there are several children is not known how many people who is the son of Osama. “He tried to train his children to follow in his footsteps.” Overall, according to Abu Jandal, bin Laden has 11 sons, some of whom ran away from the harsh conditions of life with their father into a more prosperous life together Bin Laden’s family rich. “The girls are not known with certainty the amount,” said Abu Jandal told Al Quds al Arabi. A few weeks after the events of 11 September, bin Laden told the Pakistani journalist, Hamid Mir, that he had plans for his youngest daughter, Safiya. “I became a father of a girl after 11 September,” he said. “I named her Safiya, who killed a Jewish spy at the time of the Prophet. (My daughter) will kill the enemies of Islam like Safiya.” (Original story)
Please welcome me in joining fantasy author Kim Hanks on his first virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book Promotion Public Relations as he travels the blogosphere in March to talk about his latest release, "Save the Best For Last".
About the author:
Kim is a 21 year older author who has hit the literary world with his debut novel, Save the Best for Last. Born in Uganda, mityana district. He grew up in a wonderful small family and studied in almost five different schools from childhood until college. Story telling was a secret in his blood, he also loved reading. “I always read fantasy and a variety of other genres that caught my interest. Though, I always lay my honor on books that were on my literature syllabus by then.” Kim explains.
From a comprehensive junior school, he joined modern ss where he started taking English literature classes. Exposing himself to reading earlier, these were few of his favorite authors; Stephen king, terry brooks, shake spears, Charles Dickens, Edgar Allen Poe, and Charlotte Bronte. However, due to the fascinating magic spells in the world of Harry, Kim added JK Rowling on the list of his best authors, “at school, I loved the English literature teacher, she was not just a teacher, but also a parent to me.” he says now. Towards the end of his college, he wrote and self published a book, which was titled “My Trip”. It was only published in few countable copies for schoolmates and his family. Publication of that book intrigued praise from his teachers and compliments about his work started influencing his desire to write. This was a wonderful experience laying ground work to his literary craft. His fantasy novel Save the Best for Last, is the first book of the series. Now living in Dubai, he’s working on two edgy and engrossing novels coming in the near future. And he spends his free time reading and listening to music.
Book summary:
Zwick Lamps, a secret admirer to Whitney Barnes, got targeted by a genius son of the past eveil family that had lived in Green Oasis Town. However, it was once before that Zwick had finally discovered his supernatural powers that were only known by the isolated old woman Tabitha, a misfortuned lady whose husband died on their wedding day. You can visit his website at http://www.kimhanks.net/.
Check back on Thursday for a guest post by Kim Hanks.
By ANDREW PIERCE VIPs: Princesses Eugenie, left, and Beatrice could lose their police protection after a row over the £500,000 annual cost Prince Andrew’s daughters are to be stripped of their 24-hour police protection after a growing row over the £500,000 annual cost. Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie are the biggest losers of a Scotland Yard review of security for the Royal Family. The princesses, fifth and sixth in line to the throne, will be given protection only when they attend official events on behalf of the Royal Family. Safe: The Princesses are driven away from Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding reception by a protection officer Prince Andrew had fought ferociously for the protection officers to stay. He argued his daughters should be treated differently from other minor royals because they enjoy HRH status. But his argument failed because their cousin Zara Phillips, the daughter of Princess Anne, has no protection – even though she has a higher public profile. Furious: Prince Andrew is said to have fought to keep the protection officers as he feels they are different to other minor Royals because of their HRH status The cost of guarding Eugenie, 21, in her first year at Newcastle University has been estimated at £250,000 a year. It includes salaries, accommodation and living and travel expenses of two full-time bodyguards. Beatrice, 22, studying at the University of London, enjoys the same level of protection. Prince Andrew insisted his daughters have full-time protection despite private police assessments that they were low-risk targets. No protection: The Duchess of Gloucester will no longer have security unless on official business, while Zara Philips has no cover despite her high profile The Home Office is determined to prune the estimated £50million security bill for the Royal Family. Other minor royals such as the Duchess of Gloucester who, unlike princesses Eugenie and Beatrice, performs official engagements, will also have their protection withdrawn when not on official duty. source: dailymail
They are tattered yellowing fragments of bygone civilisations, ancient manuscripts that open a outstanding window on preceding millennia, including the earliest days of Christianity. But papyrus scrolls are also now increasingly hot items in the distinctly 21st Century globe of the on the web auction trade.Papyrus trading is becoming feverish with 15 tattered lines of Homer selling at £16,000 [Credit: Telegraph]
A rectangular scrap measuring about 4.five inches by 1.five inches and featuring 15 partial lines of Homer's epic poem The Iliad in the elegant hand of a 4th Century Egyptian scribe was just [DEC] picked up by an unidentified European purchaser for £16,000 right after a feverish Net auction battle.
That value was way above the posted estimated but is standard of the sums that collectors will now devote to lay their hands on these fingerprints from the previous. Indeed, it is not just modern day art that has been setting jaw-dropping records at auction lately - so have ancient scrolls.
When a fragmentary parchment sheet from the 3rd century AD featuring portions of Paul's epistle to the Romans was bought at Sotheby's for £301,000 auctioneers and antiquity authorities alike have been stunned.
But even though there is no suggestion of any impropriety in these unique sales, scholars are alarmed by the burgeoning online trade as some unscrupulous sellers also cash in. They portray a no cost-ranging trade, particularly on the on line auction giant eBay, exactly where precious documents are carved up for sale, potentially stolen goods are trafficked and forgers can flourish.
Brice Jones, a papyrologist and lecturer in New Testament and Early Christianity at Concordia University in Montreal, has turn into an on the web scrolls sleuth, scouring auction web-sites for manuscripts that are usually incorrectly labeled or their provenance unclear.
A couple of pieces are straightforward forgeries. Most famously, the papyrus fragment called the Gospel of Jesus's Wife created headlines for apparently overturning almost two millennia of theological teaching that Jesus was unmarried, but is now widely viewed as a forgery.
Considerably a lot more distressingly, some sellers are dismembering papyrus books to sell things page-by-page, a financially lucrative endeavor that amounts to small extra than vandalism of ancient works.
A single eBay papyrus seller turned out to be two sisters who ran an online beauty supplies store. They had inherited a Book of Revelation from which they cut person pages to sell on an ad hoc basis to fund the wedding costs for one.
But Mr Jones has also identified a proliferation of scrolls becoming sold of which the origin and ownership is unknown or unclear. A fragment of papyrus with neatly penned Greek script of Homers Iliad, 565-580, 4th Century AD. Ex Hamdy Sakr collection, London, formed in the 1960's. There had been only two serious bidders on the piece and it probably went a lot greater than either of them had anticipated.
Papyrus itself is a tall, fibrous reed plant that grew along the shallow banks of the Nile River in Egypt. 'Papyrus' is the Latin type of the Greek word papuros, from which the English word 'paper' is derived.
The papyri - mostly written in ancient Greek and Coptic - variety from items such as rare biblical texts or the lines of the Iliad to hum-drum but fascinating each day records of book-maintaining accounts or letters amongst loved ones members. All exert an incredible lure for collectors, historians, archaeologists and theologians.
But under American and Egyptian law, only antiquities that can be verified currently to have been in private hands ahead of the early 1970s can be traded. Those guidelines are intended to avoid looting and end the export of papyrus that is generally still identified by Bedouin tribesmen, preserved by the arid desert situations. But critics say that lots of sellers skirt or ignore the guidelines on Internet internet sites that are difficult to monitor and regulate.
The disapproving tone from academia also reflects a deep philosophical objection by many scholars to how manuscripts flow by means of private hands, fearing that priceless scripts will disappear forever amid the frenzy of trading.
"The study of ancient papyri is a fascinating field of historical inquiry, simply because these artefacts are the fingerprints of true men and women from a bygone era," Mr Jones told The Telegraph.
"Each time I study a new papyrus, it is as if I am peeking over the shoulders of the scribe who wrote it, eavesdropping on a conversation that in several cases was meant to be private: an argument in between a husband and wife, a divorce contract, an invitation to dinner, a letter in between a father and son.
"But when private collectors acquire papyri for private enjoyment and restrict scholarly access to them, the instant consequence is that we drop worthwhile historical info that would otherwise advance our understanding about ancient people."
Nonetheless, the owner of a little specialist World-wide-web auction corporation, who asked not to be named due to the fact of the sensitivity of the situation, pushed back against these criticisms.
"We are scrupulous about producing certain of ownership despite the fact that not everybody is so fussy and it's accurate that there are some people today who know practically nothing who are out attempting to make a buck in the wild West of the Web," he mentioned.
"But some of these archaeologists and purists simply hate the reality that that any private person would personal, invest in or sell antiquities.
"They ignore the reality that things like this have always been collected. Indeed, some of these scripts have been commissioned by the private collectors of that time.
"Collectors play a crucial function in preserving these items with their interest. A lot of these items would stay hidden, forgotten, fading away, unknown to the scholars, if there was not a industry for them."
Amongst specialists in the research of early Christianity, there is specific concern about the emergence of eBay as a absolutely free-wheeling marketplace for antiquities, with low opening bids and normally exaggerated language to lure in possible purchasers.
An eBay spokesman, however, stated that its150 million buyers and sellers "must make certain listings comply with our clear policy on artefacts. We operate with regulators, law enforcement and other parties which includes the Egyptian Embassy to apply this policy, and if a listing of concern is identified we will need proof that it was legally exported and take away any listing exactly where this proof is not supplied."
As a specialist who spends his life studying such scrolls, Mr Jones also has concerns for the preservation and conservation of sensitive centuries-old documents when they are handled by traders.
He cited then instance of the well-known papyrus codex of the Gospel of Judas, which published in 2006. It was stored by one particular of its owners in a protected-deposit box on Long Island for sixteen years, and then placed in a freezer by a possible purchaser who thought that was the ideal way to preserve it.
"The benefits of these choices have been horrifying: the codex crumbled into quite a few hundreds of tiny pieces and what was after a practically total codex was now badly deteriorated and tricky to restore," he stated.
The booming trade has clearly revealed to scholars how numerous papyri have survived down the centuries.
"This prompts the question: just how quite a few ancient manuscripts are sitting in the basements, match boxes, drawers, safes, or shelves of private collectors about the globe?" Mr Jones asked lately.
"It is nearly certain that numerous ancient manuscripts or fragments thereof are just sitting in the dark closets of their collectors, decaying and crumbling to pieces. The public demands to be conscious of the importance of the preservation of antiquities, for the reason that when they are gone, they are gone forever."
Author: Philip Sherwell | Source: The Telegraph [December 28, 2014]
Tif Talks Books meme is Book Libs, which is like Mad Libs Except with your books. I totally love this idea because I was addicted to Mad Libs when I was a kid!
Once upon a time in the land of Scargrave Manor, there lived Miss Austen and the Lieutenant happily ever after. Is that not how the story always goes?!? On the night before the wedding, Miss Austen was sleeping peacefully when all of a sudden there was a noise. She jumped out of bed to awaken the Lieutenant.
As both stood there, looking at the snow in their front room, they felt gratitude. How could it be? Was it true? To be face to face with snow was not possible. What were they to do?
With quick thinking, Miss Austen and the Lieutenant exchanged a knowing glance and struggled.
From there, we may never know what happened in this story. It could be penniless. Or, it could be lonely. It truly is a mystery! However what we do know is this . . . . Thanks an awful lot.
By DAILY MAIL REPORTER Tributes: The world of sport is mourning the passing of Spanish Golf Legend Seve Ballesteros, who died today aged 54 Tributes have been pouring in from the world of sport following the news that golfer Seve Ballesteros has died. World No1 golfer Lee Westwood tweeted: ‘It's a sad day. Lost an inspiration, genius, role model, hero and friend. Seve made European golf what it is today. RIP Seve.’ Manchester United’s Rio Ferdinand, meanwhile, said: ‘RIP Ballesteros. One of golf’s greats.’ Ballesteros had suffered a 'severe deterioration' as he battled a brain tumour, his family said. Ballesteros and his wife Carmen in 2004 at Spanish Crown Prince Felipe of Bourbon's wedding The five-time major winning Spaniard was recovering from surgeries performed in 2008 to remove a malignant tumor from his brain. Other sports stars who have been paying tribute include Spanish tennis star Rafa Nadal, who said: 'Seve is one of this country's great sportsmen. I've been lucky enough to meet him and play golf with him.’ In a statement on Ballesteros' website today, the family said the 54-year-old golfer passed away at 2:10 am local time at his home at Pedrena, in northern Spain, where he has mostly been since undergoing four operations in late 2008. Family man: Ballesteros with his former wife Carmen and their son Baldomero after winning the Volvo PGA championship at Wentworth in 1991 In a statement, the Ballesteros family says it 'is very grateful for all the support and gestures of love that have been received since Seve was diagnosed with a brain tumour on 5th October 2008'. Ballesteros had earlier been blessed by a priest in a ceremony reserved for Catholics who are dangerously ill or close to death. The golfing legend received the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick, according to Spanish national newspaper El Mundo. Battle: After a second course of chemotherapy in February 2009, Ballesteros said it was a 'miracle to be alive' at a press conference in Madrid Volvo World Match Play Championship just eight months later During the ceremony a priest uses olive oil to bless a patient on the forehead and hands while reciting prayers. The paper said the sportsman had received Extreme Unction, an older term for the sacrament, but gave no further details. The Anointing of the Sick is one part of the Last Rites ritual in the Catholic Church. Comedy moment: Seve Ballesteros's sense of humour will be sorely missed Vintage: Ballesteros saw off defending champion Tom Watson in memorable fashion, winning the second of his three Open championships, at St Andrews in 1984 Seve was the last of his kind There will never be another golfer quite like Seve Ballesteros. Perhaps no other sportsman quite like him either. Put together the charisma of Arnold Palmer and the shot-making skills of Tiger Woods and you come close. Yet at his peak, hard though it might be to believe, his appeal was greater than the sum of those two giants of the game. In the 1980s Europe became blessed with a ‘Big Five’ of Ballesteros, Nick Faldo, Sandy Lyle, Bernhard Langer and Ian Woosnam. True great: Seve Ballesteros holds the Ryder Cup trophy in the rain in 1997 after Europe beat the United States Legend: Seve Ballesteros reacting as he wins the British Open golf championship at Royal Lytham and St. Anne's in Lancashire Severiano Ballesteros "The Matador"
There were more distractions than I had originally planned on. I decided to take a shower, and then boyfriend said it was dinner time, plus I took a pretty big break when I got back from work. In any case, I'm over halfway done with Jane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor (which is an incredibly long title by the way). Right now I'm in the middle of the trial. For those of you who are wondering, the Jane in the book is actually Jane Austen and she is somewhat of a detective. Her friend's husband dies right after their wedding and Jane is trying to figure out who murdered him, or if someone murdered him. It's a pretty good read, although it is rather difficult for me to imagine Jane Austen reaching up into a dead woman's bloody dress to check if their is a note in her bodice.
In about an hour I'll be hosting a meme here, so be sure to check back!
Here are my stats: Books Read: Jane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor and Are You There God? It's Me Margaret Pages Read: 64 Total Books Finished: 1 Total Pages Read: 307 Total Time Spent Reading: 8 hours Memes Completed: I Heart Monster's Compliments and Reads4Pleasure's Hero/Heroine Vs. Dick Dastard
Best foot forward: Prince Harry arrives at Westminster Abbey... but is said to have hurt his ankle eight hours earlier after leaping from the Goring Hotel veranda
Unusual exit: How Harry is said to have left the Goring Hotel hours before his appearance as best man at his brother's wedding
Proud moment: Prince Harry accompanies his big brother down the aisle for the wedding
