Kate Moss launches latest Topshop range
Kate Moss launches latest Topshop range
m Inspired by a vintage dress Kate Moss picked up in LA
Poppy print strapless dress, inspired by the Liberty achive.
Black rose print dress
Described as a winning collection by her boss Philip Green, Kate Moss launches her latest Topshop range tomorrow. But it's not just the UK market that can grab a piece of her famed style, as the retailer opens its flagship store in New York.
Before it hits the shops, on both sides of the Atlantic, we've got a sneak peek at the supermodel's spring/summer 2009 collection.
Designers get their inspiration from all sorts of places but for Kate Moss it usually stems from some old thing she picked up in a charity shop - and her latest offering is no exception.
Mostly made up of Kate's signature of summer dresses, the latest collection takes inspiration from vintage items picked up in thrift stores, seventies hippy chic and rock chick looks Debbie Harry would be proud of.
A favourite of the model-turned-designer is a cute floral full-skirted dress, £60, right, that takes its inspiration from an old vintage item Kate picked up in a thrift store in LA that did not fit.
Cindy Crawford looks flawless at 43
Cindy Crawford looks flawless at 43
In tiny red shorts and a black top, Cindy Crawford looked fit and toned during a walk with friends on the beach in Malibu
She looked much younger than her 43 years
The supermodel tears up a loaf of white bread in a photo shoot for an anti-ageing issue of the American magazine Allure
As a supermodel, Cindy Crawford can rest assured that a professional photo shoot will leave her looking her very best.
But even away from the airbrushes, stylists and make-up artists, she still manages to look flawless.
The 43-year-old revealed her long, toned limbs during a walk with friends on the beach in Malibu.
In tiny red shorts and a sporty top, she showed no signs of losing the athletic figure that helped make her famous.
She looked ready to burst into a spot of exercise.
Last week Cindy appeared in a photo shoot for Allure magazine's anti-ageing issue.
In one picture she is seen tearing up a loaf of white bread to imply that it is best avoided if you want to stay looking young.
In an accompanying interview, she said she still likes her body, 20 years after it catapulted her to fame.
'I think I look pretty good for 43, but I don't look the way I did when I was 23,' she said.
She also admitted she has cellulite.
'I do, and I never said I didn't. I've had two kids and I'm 43, so leave me alone!' she said.
Cindy told the magazine that the body parts she took the most care of were her hands and decolletage.
She explained: 'In LA, there are 65-year-old women walking around in Juicy sweatpants, and from the back, you'd think they were 20.
'But when you see their hands or their neck, you know.'
The model was married to actor Richard Gere between 1991 and 1995.
She has been married to Rande Gerber since May 29, 1998.
The couple have two children, Presley Walker and Kaia Jordan. Mail Online reported.
Beyonce flies through air in new tour
Beyonce flies through air in new tour
Beyonce has expressed her desire to play super heroine Wonder Woman
The singer wore her signature embellished showgirl look onstage, designed by French couturierThierry Mugler
The singer wore her signature embellished showgirl look onstage, designed by French couturierThierry Mugler
Beyonce flies Superheroine style through the air but doesn't look completely at ease at the Vancouver leg of her I Am Sasha Fierce tour
Beyonce arrived via private jet from to Vancouver ahead of the tour opener
Beyonce made certain to pull out all the stops as her I Am... Sasha Fierce tour opened in Vancouver, Canada last night. Mail Online reported.
The pop diva took to the air after strapping herself into a harness to fly above the crowd during the first night of her new tour.
But for once the super-confident all-round entertainer looked a little bit ill at ease.
Beyonce, 27, slipped into a harness and was hoisted high into the air, but she appeared a little wobbly as she revealed a whole lot of leg in a short gold costume teamed with high heeled black patent shoes.
The singer, who is married to rapper Jay Z, has expressed a wish to be the first black Wonder Woman.
And likened landing the role to the election of Barack Obama, whose campaign she backed. She recently revealed she has met executives at DC Comics and Warner Brothers, who own the rights to the iconic figure.
Luckily for her Wonder Woman doesn't actually have the power to fly, instead she has an invisible plane.
Ronnie Wood basks with 20-year-old lover Ivanova
Ronnie Wood basks with 20-year-old lover Ivanova
Rolling Stone guitarist Ronnie Wood took his girlfriend Ekaterina Ivanova for a romantic getaway in Hawaii last week
Ronnie showed off a painting of his girlfriend as they attended an opening at Gallery 319 in Santa Monica yesterday
The 20-year-old shows her affection for the rocker, who is 41 years
Rolling Stone guitarist Ronnie Wood has whisked his young lover Ekaterina Ivanova off for a romantic getaway in Hawaii. Mail Online reported.
The 61-year-old was spotted topping up his tan as he relaxed with the former cocktail waitress, who is just 20, while visiting a quiet beach on the sun-drenched island last week.
He revealed his incredibly wiry physique in a pair of blue board-shorts while Ekaterina showed off her curves in a string bikini and baby pink hotpants
The luxury holiday was just one of a number of treats for the Russian brunette, who is still discovering the many benefits of dating a wealthy rocker.
After the holiday, Ronnie and his girlfriend flew in to Los Angeles for an exclusive Prince gig on Saturday night.
They jetted to the city especially for the concert, where they were spotted cosying up together backstage.
Then yesterday, in another sign of his adoration, Ronnie opened an art show which included his portraits of Ekaterina at Gallery 319 in Santa Monica.
Ronnie struck up an affair with the young Russian in Ireland last July, behind the back of his distraught 53-year-old wife, Jo.
He was married to Jo for 23 years and they have two children, 30-year-old Leah and 25-year-old Tyrone, together.
While his new May-December romance appears to be going strong, Ekaterina recently laughed off rumours they will wed.
‘That would be mad,’ she told Grazia magazine last month. ‘I don’t even know him properly yet.’
Britney Spears calls in airbrush experts
Britney Spears calls in airbrush experts
Britney Spears looks impossibly thin in a new ad campaign for American label Candie's
Britney Spears looks impossibly thin in a new ad campaign for American label Candie's
Britney on stage in Newark, New Jersey, last month
A display of her flabby belly on tour made headlines last month, but it seems Britney Spears was taking no chances with her latest ad campaign.
The singer apparently called in the airbrush experts after posing for a new shoot for American label Candie's. Mail Online reported.
Her usually muscular thighs look impossibly lean and every bump and blemish seems to have been glossed right over.
The 27-year-old stars in a series of skimpy outfits in the candy themed shoot, including a pink cut-out bathing suit, black string bikini and a white frilly skirt.
She has described the brand's spring collection as 'very hot' and 'very sexy'.
Her incredibly thin and flawless physique is a rather stark contrast to the fuller figure she put on show during her Circus tour in Newark, New Jersey, in March.
As she made an entrance on a swing, she seemed unconcerned about the danger of being seen from an unflattering angle.
And her slouched pose didn't do her once famously toned stomach any favours.
Now, however, it seems Britney has other matters on her mind on tour, including a rumoured new romance.
She recently enjoyed a wild fling with a young back-up dancer, according to U.S. reports.
Her behaviour has been decidedly tame ever since her father Jamie Spears was named as her conservator, but it seems she took advantage of his absence while he was on a recent business trip in Los Angeles.
'Literally as soon as her dad left, she started getting cozy with a dancer named Gio,' a source told New York's Gatecrasher column.
'It wasn't serious. They had a few romantic interludes, and she bought him a few things - a pair of shoes and some clothes - even though she's on an allowance.'
'They've slowed down since Jamie got back in the picture,' said the insider.
'It's basically over now.'
Mayor: Madonna promises $500,000 for quake relief
Mayor: Madonna promises $500,000 for quake relief
U.S. singer Madonna visits a development project in Gumulira, Malawi, Friday, April 3, 2009. In a surprise move, a judge on Friday rejected Madonna's request to adopt a second child from Malawi and said it would set a dangerous precedent to bend rules requiring that prospective parents live here for some period. (AP Photo/Riccardo Gangale)
The mayor of an Italian town shaken by Monday's earthquake says Madonna has promised $500,000 to help people in need.
Fernando Caparso, the mayor of Pacentro, the mountainside village where two of the pop star's grandparents were born, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that that he had spoken to the pop star's manager. He said he was deeply moved by Madonna's effort to assist the town as well as surrounding areas.
Pacentro, 100 kilometers (60 miles) from hard-hit L'Aquila, felt Monday's earthquake but didn't suffer major damage. Caparso said most of the donation would go to areas harder hit.
Liz Rosenberg, the pop singer's spokeswoman, said Madonna had pledged a "substantial amount," but didn't disclose the exact figure.
Kate Moss launches first US Topshop
Kate Moss launches first US Topshop
J-Lo greets Kate Moss at the launch of Topshop's flagship store in New York last night
Jennifer brought husband Marc Anthony, who gave a nod to British fashion with his tartan blazer
Sir Phillip Green and Lady Green, Kate Moss, Marc Anthony and Jennifer Lopez
The New York store has 200 workers, 32 changing rooms, a DJ booth, and a shoe lounge.
Posters in the window of the new Broadway store advertise today's grand opening, at which Kate will be special guest
If Kate Moss can make it here, she can make it anywhere.
But just in case, superstar Jennifer Lopez was on hand to give the launch of Sir Philip Green's first US Topshop store a helping hand.
J-Lo gave the event, a star-studded dinner on the eve of the public opening, the A-list seal of approval. Mail Online reported.
Wearing a white strapless sheath which clung to her every curve, she certainly upstaged Kate who wore a tiered minidress with her favourite tuxedo jacket, black tights and heels.
The pair, who are not known to be friends kissed and greeted one another like old pals on the red carpet, and later posed up for photographs with Topshop owner Sir Philip Green.
Also in attendance was the grande dame of fashion Anna Wintour, Blondie star Debbie Harry and actress Rosario Dawson.
Miley Cyrus: "I'm smarter than you think"
Miley Cyrus: "I'm smarter than you think"
Singer Miley Cyrus performs on ABC's 'Good Morning America', Wednesday, April 8, 2009, in New York. (AP Photo/Evan Agostini)
BEIJING, April 9 (Xinhuanet) -- Facing a series of doubts, Miley Cyrus said that she was smarter than what people thought Thursday.
After a year of publicity, the 16-year-old Disney star Miley Cyrus left fans and parents wondering if she might be growing up too fast.
First, there was the "Vanity Fair" cover shot last June in which Cyrus was draped only in a bed sheet. Parents complained that it was an inappropriate move.
Then there were personal pictures of her leaked on the Internet showing a strip of her green bra.
More recently, a snapshot of her making "slant eyes" prompted an Asian group to say it was "mocking and denigrating" to people of Asian descent.
She has apologized, said pictures were taken out of context and complained that the media were trying to turn her into Hollywood's latest "bad girl."
"I almost feel like people think of me as dumb," said Cyrus, who recently created her own personal "Rumor Patrol" blog on MileyCyrus.com.
"I'm like, I'm smarter than you think. You know, I understand what you're trying to do. It's all a mind game and what not," she said.
Miley Cyrus, the daughter of country music singer Billy Ray Cyrus, spent her first 13 years in Tennessee.
In 2006 she landed a role on the Disney Channel's (DIS.N) "Hannah Montana," a sitcom about a teenage girl named Miley Stewart who has a secret identity as rock star Hannah Montana.
Since then, Cyrus has sold more than 7 million albums, raked in 65 million U.S. dollars at the box office with her concert film "Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour 3-D," and started her own fashion line.
Celtics survive scare, beat Nets 106-104
Celtics survive scare, beat Nets 106-104
Boston Celtics' Stephon Marbury goes to the basket past New Jersey Nets' Devin Harris during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Boston Wednesday, April 8, 2009. (Agencies)
BOSTON – Rajon Rondo had 31 points, nine rebounds and five assists, and the Boston Celtics overcame an early 10-point deficit and a last-minute scare to beat the New Jersey Nets 106-104 on Wednesday night.
The Celtics, coming off four days of rest, assured themselves of a lead over the Orlando Magic in the race for the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. The win also kept Cleveland from clinching the best record in the East — at least for another game.
Vince Carter had 33 points and 12 rebounds for the Nets, who were eliminated from the playoff race when Detroit beat New York earlier Wednesday night.
Boston played its fifth straight game and 18th of 22 without forward Kevin Garnett, who is recovering from a strained right knee. Coach Doc Rivers said Garnett would travel with the team to Cleveland for Sunday's game but would not play.
Boston led 106-99 with 1:11 left, seemingly coasting to the victory, before New Jersey scored the next five points — the last five of the game, it turned out. Carter hit a 3-pointer, then picked off a pass from Rondo and went the rest of the way before hanging in the air for a one-handed layup with 50 seconds left that made it 106-104.
Paul Pierce missed a 3-point attempt — he was 0-for-3 from beyond the arc and scored just 10 points — and the Nets brought it down with a chance to tie or win.
But Carter missed a step-back 3-pointer with 8 seconds left, and after the Nets tipped out the rebound Devin Harris tried a long 3. Ray Allen corralled the rebound and dribbled out the last few seconds.
New Jersey led 20-10 with 5 minutes left in the first quarter and 31-21 at the start of the second when the Boston scored 11 of the next 14 points. The Nets held a 45-44 lead late in the second quarter before Boston scored seven straight, including Ray Allen's 3-pointer, and went on to take a 56-47 lead.
New Jersey tied it in the third quarter and again in the fourth but never led.
Notes:@ Rivers is eyeing a possible Monday return at practice for Garnett. ... Boston F Brian Scalabrine was activated for the game, but did not play. ... Boston is 12-1 when Rondo scored at least 20 points. ... Ray Allen hit Tony Allen with an alley-oop for a reverse dunk with 1:57 left in the third to give Boston a 79-75 lead.
Team trained for Paragliding World Cup
Chinese National Paragliding Team trained for Paragliding World Cup
The picture taken on April 2, 2009 shows a member of the Chinese National Paragliding Team carries her parachute after a training session at a base near Fuyang city, east China's Zhejiang province. The Chinese team has finished their first stage of training early April after having recruited new members and will fly to Croatia in June for the Paragliding World Cup. (Xinhua/Wu Linhong)
The picture taken on April 1, 2009 shows members of the Chinese National Paragliding Team participate in a training session at a base near Fuyang city, east China's Zhejiang province. The Chinese team has finished their first stage of training early April after having recruited new members and will fly to Croatia in June for the Paragliding World Cup. (Xinhua/Wu Linhong)
The file picture taken on April 2, 2009 shows a member of the Chinese National Paragliding Team participates in training sessions at a base near Fuyang city, east China's Zhejiang province. The Chinese team has finished their first stage of training early April after having recruited new members and will fly to Croatia in June for the Paragliding World Cup. (Xinhua/Wu Linhong)
The file picture taken on April 1, 2009 shows a member of the Chinese National Paragliding Team participates in a training session in the sky near a base in Fuyang city, east China's Zhejiang province. The Chinese team has finished their first stage of training early April afterhaving recruited new members and will fly to Croatia in June for the Paragliding World Cup. (Xinhua/Wu Linhong)
Members of the Chinese National Paragliding Team during a training session at a base near Fuyang city, east China's Zhejiang province.
The Chinese team has finished their first stage of training early April after having recruited new members and will fly to Croatia in June for the Paragliding World Cup.
Ivanovic double helps Chelsea stun Liverpool
Ivanovic double helps Chelsea stun Liverpool
Chelsea's Michael Essien (R) vies with Liverpool's Lucas
Liverpool's goalkeeper Jose Reina (2nd L) reacts after Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic (2nd R) scores
Liverpool's Fernando Torres (R) wins a header from Chelsea's Michael Essien
Liverpool's Xabi Alonso (L) vies with Chelsea's Michael Ballack
Chelsea's Frank Lampard (R) celebrates at the final whistle with goalkeeper Petr Cech
Chelsea moved within touching distance of the Champions League semi-finals thanks to a stunning 3-1 victory over Liverpool in Wednesday's quarter-final first leg at Anfield.
Guus Hiddink's side produced a breathtaking response after falling behind to an early Fernando Torres strike as Branislav Ivanovic buried two headers before Didier Drogba added a third goal.
Liverpool had beaten Chelsea twice in the league this season, but that was during Luiz Felipe Scolari's underwhelming reign.
The Blues have been back to their imposing best since Hiddink replaced Scolari and they swept Liverpool aside to leave next Tuesday's return at Stamford Bridge looking a formality, with a last four clash against Barcelona, big winners over Bayern Munich on Wednesday, now on the cards.
Rafa Benitez's team had only themselves to blame. Steven Gerrard was completely out of touch and woeful marking gifted Ivanovic his goals. Now the Reds, for so long Chelsea's bogey team in Europe, look odds on to crash out against the Londoners for the second successive season.
Hiddink said: "If you score in an away Champions League tie it is a tremendous blow to the opposition and that is what we aimed for. We wanted to neutralise Gerrard and make them sweat in defence.
"But it is only half-time in the tie. If we go to the second game thinking it will be easy that would be wrong. We have seen in the past what Liverpool are capable of."
Benitez added: "We scored the first goal and were doing well. But they had some chances and we conceded from a corner when we could have done better.
"After that we were not in control. The second game will be very difficult now because we have to score three goals."
Benitez's pre-match barbs towards Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson suggested he was more concerned about the Premier League title race than success in Europe.
But Anfield on a big European occasion stirs the soul like no other venue and, with Liverpool seeking revenge for last season's semi-final exit against Chelsea, it was no surprise to see Benitez's side make a ferocious start.
From Liverpool's first attack, Ivanovic almost deflected Dirk Kuyt's powerful strike into his own goal.
If that was a fortunate escape for Chelsea, they had no such luck in the sixth minute as Liverpool sliced through their defence in clinical fashion.
Kuyt's back-heel picked out Alvaro Arbeloa on the right and his cross caught the Blues flat-footed. Torres took full advantage to steer a perfectly placed shot past Petr Cech.
Anfield went wild but, with the celebrations still in full swing, Drogba had a golden opportunity to silence the Kop. Fabio Aurelio's error allowed Salomon Kalou to pick out Drogba, but with just Jose Reina to beat his shot was too close to the Liverpool keeper.
These English powerhouses were meeting for the fifth successive season in Europe and, while previous ties have often been stifled by both sides' caution, this was an open encounter.
Torres was terrifying the visitors' defence with his pace and movement. He pulled clear of Frank Lampard before curling a long-range strike just over.
Drogba's first miss had been bad enough but the Ivory Coast star was guilty of an even worse effort in the 30th minute. When Michael Ballack whipped in a low cross, Drogba had Reina's goal at his mercy, yet he lashed over from no more than 10 yards.
After such a frenetic opening, Liverpool were beginning to falter and Chelsea, sensing blood, equalised in the 39th minute when Ivanovic met Florent Malouda's corner with an emphatic header that flashed past Reina for his first Chelsea goal.
Drogba threatened again when he overpowered Martin Skrtel to reach Lampard's pass and slid his shot past Reina, only for Jamie Carragher to make a superb goal-line clearance.
Then John Terry, one booking away from a suspension, rashly challenged Reina for a ball the keeper was clearly going to win. Both players fell to the turf but when Terry got up Danish referee Claus Bo Larsen was waiting with a yellow card that rules him out of the return leg.
Just as the momentum appeared to have swung in Liverpool's favour, Chelsea took the lead in the 62nd minute from another set-piece.
When Lampard curled over a corner, Liverpool, marking zonally rather than man-to-man, allowed Ivanovic a clear run at the ball. Once again he made them pay with a bullet header past Reina.
Liverpool were stunned and there was worse to come. Five minutes later Ballack played in Malouda, whose low cross was turned in by Drogba from close-range.
Aigrettes settle in S China's Nanchang
Aigrettes settle in S China's Nanchang
Two aigrettes play in Xiangshan Forest Park in Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province on April 6, 2009.(Xinhua/Zhang Jun)
A pair of aigrettes play in their nest in Xiangshan Forest Park in Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province on Arpil 6, 2009.(Xinhua/Zhang Jun)
Two aigrettes play in Xiangshan Forest Park in Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province on April 6, 2009.
Bosnia Fashion Week in Sarajevo
Bosnia Fashion Week in Sarajevo
A model wears a creation by Pakistani designer Rizwan Beyg during a fashion show on the first day of Bosnia Fashion Week in Sarajevo, Wednesday, April 8, 2009. (AP Photo/Hidajet Delic)
A model wears a creation by Pakistani designer Rizwan Beyg during a fashion show on the first day of Bosnia Fashion Week in Sarajevo, Wednesday, April 8, 2009. (AP Photo/Hidajet Delic)
A model wears a creation by Pakistani designer Rizwan Beyg during a fashion show on the first day of Bosnia Fashion Week in Sarajevo, Wednesday, April 8, 2009. (AP Photo/Hidajet Delic)
Models wear creations by Pakistani designer Rizwan Beyg during a fashion show on the first day of Bosnia Fashion Week in Sarajevo, Wednesday, April 8, 2009. (AP Photo/Hidajet Delic)
Models wear creations by Pakistani designer Rizwan Beyg during a fashion show on the first day of Bosnia Fashion Week in Sarajevo, Wednesday, April 8, 2009.
Ancient life copied to attract tourists
Ancient life copied to attract tourists
Chinese people in traditional costumes walk along a bridge to showcase the life of China's Northern Song Dynasty (960-1126 A.D.) at a tourism promotional initiative during the Qingming festival, or the Tomb-sweeping Day, in Kaifeng city, central China's Henan Province, April 4, 2009. (Xinhua/Li Junsheng)
Chinese people in trational costumes walk along a bridge to showcase the life of China's Northern Song Dynasty (960-1126 A.D.) at a tourism promotional initiative during the Qingming festival, or the Tomb-sweeping Day, in Kaifeng city, central China's Henan Province, April 4, 2009.(Xinhua/Li Junsheng)
Chinese people in traditional costumes walk along a bridge to showcase the life of China's Northern Song Dynasty (960-1126 A.D.) at a tourism promotional initiative during the Qingming festival, or the Tomb-sweeping Day, in Kaifeng city, central China's Henan Province, April 4, 2009. (Xinhua/Li Junsheng)
Chinese people in traditional costumes walk along a bridge to showcase the life of China's Northern Song Dynasty (960-1126 A.D.) at a tourism promotional initiative during the Qingming festival, or the Tomb-sweeping Day, in Kaifeng city, central China's Henan Province, April 4, 2009. (Xinhua/Li Junsheng)
Chinese tourists visit a ceremony to showcase the life of China's Northern Song Dynasty (960-1126 A.D.) at a tourism promotional initiative during the Qingming festival, or the Tomb-sweeping Day, in Kaifeng city, central China's Henan Province, April 4, 2009.(Xinhua/Li Junsheng)
Chinese people dressed in traditional costumes to showcase the life of China's Northern Song Dynasty (960-1126 A.D.) at a tourism promotional initiative during the Qingming festival, or the Tomb-sweeping Day, in Kaifeng city, central China's Henan Province, April 4, 2009.
Local organizers and working staff copied the thriving life of the ancient city of Kaifeng, then capital of the Northern Song Dynasty, aiming to attract more tourists
British students learn Kunqu Opera in E China
British students learn Kunqu Opera in E China
A British middle school student learns how to play the "Jingubang", a stage property, from an actor of Kunqu Opera in Suzhou city of east China's Jiangsu Province, April 8, 2009.(Xinhua/Xu Zhiqiang)
Some British middle school students learn to perform Kunqu Opera from a Chinese Kunqu actress (L 1st) in Suzhou city of east China's Jiangsu Province, April 8, 2009.(Xinhua/Xu Zhiqiang)
Some British middle school students learn to perform Kunqu Opera from a Chinese Kunqu actor in Suzhou city of east China's Jiangsu Province, April 8, 2009.(Xinhua/Xu Zhiqiang)
Some British middle school students view an ancient Kunqu Opera Stage in China Kunqu Opera Museum in Suzhou city of east China's Jiangsu Province, April 8, 2009.(Xinhua/Xu Zhiqiang)
Over thirty British middle school students visited China Kunqu Opera Museum in Suzhou on Wednesday and learned impromptu some skills of Kunqu performance, when they were on cultural exchange visits to Suzhou Foreign Languages School.
Clinton pressing UN on North Korean launch
Clinton pressing UN on North Korean launch
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton extends sympathy to victims of the Italian earthquake as she and the foreign minister of Norway, Jonas Gahr Stoere, hold a news conference following their meetings, Monday, April 6, 2009, at the State Department in Washington. (AP)
WASHINGTON – Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says she is lobbying key members of the U.N. Security Council to respond to North Korea's missile launch. Clinton said Monday that she spoke with the foreign ministers from the four other countries that have been involved in negotiations with North Korea to end its nuclear activities. They include Russia and China, which hold veto power in the Security Council.
Clinton called the launch "a provocative act that has grave implications."
But the United States appears to be struggling to achieve U.N. condemnation of Sunday's launch by Pyongyang.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
NKorea vows strong steps if UN censures launch
NKorea vows strong steps if UN censures launch
A TV grab from North Korea Television shows the launch of a rocket, bearing the word "Chosun" (Korea), on April 5 from an undisclosed location. (AFP Photo)
North Korea warned of "strong steps" if the United Nations censures its rocket launch, hours after releasing triumphal footage of what Pyongyang says is part of a peaceful space programme.
The United States and its allies are pushing for a strong Security Council response to what they see as a provocative long-range missile test in defiance of past resolutions, but face opposition from China, Russia and other members.
Pak Tok-Hun, North Korea's deputy UN ambassador, said that if the 15-member council "takes any kind of steps whatever, we will consider this infringes upon the sovereignty of our country. The next option will be ours."
He told reporters the communist state would take "necessary and strong steps" following any censure motion.
The North has warned previously that it will walk out of long-running six-nation nuclear disarmament talks in response to any UN action.
"Every country has the inalienable right to use outer space peacefully," Pak insisted, pointing out that many countries had already launched satellites into space several hundred times.
He said that if it was all right for them to launch satellites, "but we are not allowed to do that, that's not fair."
Pak insisted that the three-stage Taepodong-2 rocket launched Sunday carried a satellite and not a missile. "This is a satellite. Everyone can distinguish (between) a satellite and a missile," he added.
China, the North's sole major ally, earlier in the day said Pyongyang had the right to the peaceful use of space.
A foreign ministry spokeswoman urged other nations to respond calmly "so as to jointly safeguard the peace and stability of the region and promote the six-party talks."
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said world powers should "avoid any hasty conclusions" over the launch.
With the world body split the United States has hinted it may not insist on a binding resolution.
As the diplomatic wrangling continued in New York, the impoverished North released film footage of what it terms an "historic" achievement -- despite a price tag of 500 million dollars put by one Seoul analyst on the satellite programme.
Analysts say North Korea timed the launch for maximum propaganda value ahead of Thursday's meeting of the new parliament, which will re-elect leader Kim Jong-Il to his most important post.
Kim was "choked with sobs" that the money spent on the launch could not be used for the people's basic needs but said they would understand, the North's communist party newspaper Rodong Sinmun reported Tuesday.
Widespread reports that Kim, now 67, suffered a stroke last August have created lingering uncertainties about the eventual succession.
State television Tuesday broadcast the first video footage of Kim since last summer, which it said was taken in November and December. He was not shown walking briskly, according to Yonhap news agency which monitors the North's media.
While the North insists its satellite was placed in orbit and is beaming patriotic songs, South Kore, Japan and the US military say there is no sign of a satellite.
Foreign experts say the rocket's second and third stage failed to separate and it fell in the Pacific short of the designated landing zone.
US Vice President Joe Biden said prospective buyers of the North's missiles would now be put off.
"The North Koreans launching their missile, the third stage failed. So they're not going to be a very reliable seller to anybody who would want to buy their missiles," Biden told CNN, calling on China and Russia to get tough with the North.
South Korean media and analysts say that despite the partial failure, the Taepodong-2 missile still travelled some ,200 kilometres (2,000 miles) -- twice the range North Korea achieved with a Taepodong-1 in 1998.
Woman lives with cheetahs, lion, wolves
Woman lives with cheetahs, lion, wolves
South African cat keeper Riana Van Nieuwenhuizen sits with Bibi. Riana lives with four cheetahs, a lion cub and two wolves. Riana van Nieuwenhuizen bought her first cheetah, Fiela, in 2006, after realizing the problems cheetahs face and that they're heading towards extinction. In November 2007 she launched the Fiela Funds Cheetah Breeding Project with a hectare of land provided by Emoya Estate located in Bloemfontein, South Africa. Visitors on game drives at Emoya have the opportunity to meet Fi
Cheetah Fiela waits for her supper of raw chicken pieces. [CFP]
Cat keeper Riana lies in bed with her cheetahs and dogs. [CFP]
Cloey the dog plays with her friend Mafusa the cheetah. [CFP]
Cat keeper Riana's nephew Riaan Viljoen, 19, sits with feila the cheetah. [CFP]
South African cat keeper Riana Van Nieuwenhuizen lives with four cheetahs, a lion cub and two wolves.
Riana van Nieuwenhuizen bought her first cheetah, Fiela, in 2006, after realizing the problems cheetahs face and that they're heading towards extinction.
In November 2007 she launched the Fiela Funds Cheetah Breeding Project with a hectare of land provided by Emoya Estate located in Bloemfontein, South Africa.
Visitors on game drives at Emoya have the opportunity to meet Fiela and learn more about this endangered species.
NKorea launches long-range rocket
South Korean soldier watches a TV news program on the North Korean rocket launch at a train station in Seoul, Sunday, April 5, 2009. (Agencies)
SEOUL, April 5, 2009 - North Korea launched a long-range rocket on Sunday, defying months of pressure from the US and its allies over what they said was an illegal missile test and jangling nerves across the region.
US President Barack Obama swiftly condemned Pyongyang's "provocative" act, South Korea denounced it as a "reckless" threat to world security, and the UN Security Council set an emergency meeting for later Sunday.
For several tense minutes, the rocket flew through the airspace of Japan, which had given its military authority to shoot down any threat to its soil -- something the North Koreans had warned would be seen as an act of war.
But the Japanese government said the booster stages fell harmlessly into the waters off its coasts and that it did not move to intercept the rocket, which then kept soaring east out over the Pacific Ocean.
Hours after several other nations confirmed the launch, the DPRK's official KCNA news agency said it had succeeded in putting a satellite into orbit that was broadcasting "immortal revolutionary songs."
"The launch vehicle and satellite, developed by our own technology, is a proud fruit of our struggle to bring the nation's space technology to a higher level," it said.
"The success of the satellite launch gives great encouragement to the people."
What concerned the US and its allies was not so much the payload as the rocket carrying it, which Obama said was in fact a Taepodong-2 -- the North's longest-range missile which could in theory reach US soil in Alaska or Hawaii.
"With this provocative act, North Korea has ignored its international obligations, rejected unequivocal calls for restraint, and further isolated itself from the community of nations," Obama said.
South Korean Foreign Minister Yu Myung-Hwan said the North "appeared to have attempted a satellite launch, but whether it was successful or not is a matter requiring additional judgement."
The North tested the Taepodong-2, which has an estimated range of 4,100 miles (6,700 kilometres), and an atomic bomb in 2006, while in the midst of six-nation disarmament talks.
The Security Council then passed Resolution 1718, which imposed sanctions on the North and warned against further nuclear or missile tests.
The Council was to meet later Sunday (1900 GMT) on the matter -- something the North has previously warned would all but the spell the end of the long-running disarmament negotiations.
The United States and North Korea have decades of hostility between them, dating back to the 1950-1953 Korean war which ended without a peace treaty, and Pyongyang's regime has often worried its neighbours.
"This is provocative activity which threatens stability and peace on the Korean peninsula and in Northeast Asia," South Korea's Yu said. "North Korea's launch is a clear violation of (Resolution) 1718."
The other five nations in the disarmament talks had all called on North Korea to refrain from the launch, including China.
"We hope relevant parties will remain calm and restrained, handle the situation properly, and together maintain peace and stability in the region," Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said.
One of the poorest nations in the world, North Korea had given a window for the launch beginning on Saturday, and the actual launch came not long after official radio announced favourable weather conditions in the morning.
World leaders denounced the launch, which the North had been saying it would carry out since February.
"Such a launch is not conducive to efforts to promote dialogue, regional peace and stability," UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said.
The European Union, holding a summit in Prague on Sunday where Obama was giving a speech on weapons proliferation, called on North Korea to immediately suspend all missile activities.
China unveils health-care reform guidelines
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (L, front) talks to a child at Beijing Children's Hospital in Beijing on September 21, 2008. [Xinhua]
BEIJING -- China Monday unveiled a blueprint for health-care over the next decade, kicking off the much-anticipated reform to fix the ailing medical system and to ensure fair and affordable health services for all 1.3 billion citizens.
The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council, or China's Cabinet, jointly endorsed and issued the Guidelines on Deepening the Reform of Health-care System after more than two years of intense debate and repeated revision.
By 2020, China will have a basic health-care system that can provide "safe, effective, convenient and affordable" health services to urban and rural residents, according to the tone-setting document.
This will be supplemented by a more detailed implementation plan for the three years until 2011. The plan has yet been published, but the State Council announced earlier this year an investment plan of 850 billion yuan (US$124 billion) for the reform.
The core principle of the reform is to provide basic health care as a "public service" to the people, which requires much more government funding and supervision.
The document said the government role in "formulating policies and plans, raising funds, providing service, and supervising" must be strengthened in order to ensure the fairness and equity of the service.
The reform is aimed at "solving pressing problems that have caused strong complaints from the public," it said, referring to long-standing criticism that medical services are difficult to access and increasingly unaffordable.
The government will improve the public health network for disease prevention and control, health education, mother and infant health care, mental health and first aid service, according to the blueprint.
Public hospitals will continue to be dominant providers of medical services, while more priority will be given to the development of grassroots-level hospitals and clinics in cities and rural areas.
The government also plans to set up diversified medical insurance systems in order to have urban employees, urban residents who do not work and rural residents covered by some sort of insurance plan.
The reform is also aimed at improving the medicine supply system so that public hospitals and clinics are supplied with essential medicines with prices are regulated by the government, according to the blueprint.
Powerful earthquake in central Italy kills 50
Firefighters remove debris in the city of L'Aquila, after a strong earthquake rocked central Italy, early Monday, April 6, 2009. A powerful earthquake struck central Italy early Monday, killing at least 16 people, collapsing buildings and leaving thousands of people homeless, officials and news reports said. Officials said the death toll was likely to rise as rescue crews made their way through the debris. (AP Photo/Pier Paolo Cito)
L'AQUILA, Italy – A powerful earthquake in mountainous central Italy knocked down whole blocks of buildings early Monday as residents slept, killing at least 50 people and trapping many more, officials said. Thousands were homeless.
The earthquake's epicenter was about 70 miles (110 kilometers) northeast of Rome near the medieval city of L'Aquila. It struck at 3:32 a.m. local time (0132 GMT) in a quake-prone region that has had at least nine smaller jolts since the beginning of April. The U.S. Geological Survey said Monday's quake was magnitude 6.3, but Italy's National Institute of Geophysics put it at 5.8.
Interior Minister Roberto Moroni, arriving in L'Aquila hours after the quake, said 50 people had been killed.
Officials said the death toll was likely to rise as rescue crews clawed through the debris of fallen homes.
L'Aquila Mayor Massimo Cialente said some 100,000 people had left their homes and that many buildings in the city's historic center were damaged. Slabs of walls, twisted steel supports, furniture and wire fences were strewn about the streets and a gray dust carpeted sidewalks, cars and residents.
As ambulances screamed through the city, firefighters aided by dogs worked feverishly to reach people trapped in fallen buildings, including a student dormitory where half a dozen university students were believed still inside.
Outside the half-collapsed dorm, tearful young people huddled together, wrapped in blankets, some still in their slippers after being roused from sleep by the quake.
"We managed to come down with other students but we had to sneak through a hole in the stairs as the whole floor came down," said student Luigi Alfonsi, 22. "I was in bed — it was like it would never end as I heard pieces of the building collapse around me."
The town of Castelnuovo also appeared hard hit, with five confirmed dead there.
Premier Silvio Berlusconi declared a state of emergency, freeing up federal funds to deal with the disaster. He canceled a visit to Russia and planned to go to L'Aquila to deal with the crisis.
Residents and rescue workers hauled away debris from collapsed buildings by hand.
Firefighters pulled a woman covered in dust from the debris of her four-story home. Rescue crews demanded quiet as they listened for signs of life from other people believed still trapped inside.
Parts of L'Aquila's main hospital were evacuated because they were at risk of collapse, forcing the wounded to be treated in the open air or taken elsewhere.
Bloodied victims waited to be tended to in hospital hallways or outside in the hospital courtyard. Only two operating rooms were working. Civil protection crews were erecting a field hospital to deal with the influx of wounded.
On the city's dusty streets, as aftershocks continued to rumble through, residents hugged one another, prayed quietly or frantically tried to call relatives. Residents covered in dust pushed carts full of clothes and blankets that they had hastily packed before fleeing their homes.
"We left as soon as we felt the first tremors," said Antonio D'Ostilio, 22, as he stood on a street in L'Aquila with a huge suitcase piled with clothes he had thrown together. "We woke up all of a sudden and we immediately ran downstairs in our pajamas."
Agostino Miozzo, an official with the Civil Protection Department, said between 10,000 and 15,000 buildings were damaged. He said stadiums and sporting fields were being readied to house the homeless.
"This means that the we'll have several thousand people to assist over the next few weeks and months," Miozzo told Sky Italia. "Our goal is to give shelter to all by tonight."
ANSA said the dome of a church in L'Aquila collapsed, while the city's cathedral also suffered damage.
The Israeli Embassy in Rome said that officials were trying to make contact with a few Israeli citizens believed to be in the region who had not been in touch with their families. Embassy spokeswoman Rachel Feinmesser did not give an exact number.
L'Aquila lies in a valley surrounded by the Apennine mountains. It is the regional capital of the Abruzzo region, with about 70,000 inhabitants.
The last major quake to hit central Italy was a 5.4-magnitude temblor that struck the south-central Molise region on Oct. 31, 2002, killing 28 people, including 27 children who died when their school collapsed.
