Champagne sabering World Record Set at Nermans Restaurant

32 bottles were opened with a sword at the Marbella establishment


Julio Chang, member of Team NR Sabrage Professionnelle, set a new World Record with 32 champagne bottles cracked open with a traditional sabre in one minute at Nermans Restaurant, Nueva Andalucia. The attempt, which has yet to be ratified by Guiness World Records, smashed the sabering record of 27 bottles of champagne opened with sword in one minute. set by Andrew Duminy, at the Bull Run Restaurant in South Africa, on February 14 2010.

A delighted Julio said “I’m so happy to have done it. I wasn’t sure how many bottles that I had opened. I didn’t have time to think about it. It didn’t feel like a minute – it felt like ten seconds”

Joakim Nerman commented “I’m delighted for Julio and the whole team. This attempt has taken two months of planning and I’d like to thank everyone who supported us”

Also present at the attempt where Sandi Davidson, Officer Maitre Sabruer, Confrere du Sabre d’Or and Rosibel Vindel Barrera, actress and fencing master, who also got the ceremony underway. After the record was set Sandi Davidson surprised Julio when she hounoured him by knighting him as a Sabruer.

The act of opening a champagne bottle with a sabre (Sabrage) is an old tradition dating back to Napoleonic days, when French officers would sabre their champagne bottles to celebrate victory.

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Three Spanish restaurants in the Top Ten of the World

There are three Spanish restaurants in the San Pellegrino Top Ten list which has just been published in the British ‘Restaurant’ magazine, and which is headed again by the Danish establishment ‘Noma’ run by chef, René Redzepi.

Last year he took over the number one slot from El Bulli, from Ferrán Adrià who was second, but this year El Bulli is no longer listed as it is closed until 2014.

The Spanish restaurants are :-
El Celler de Can Roca, in Girona, run by the Roca brothers, who are second on the list,
Mugaritz, in Renteria, from Andoni Luis Aduriz, who comes in third,
and Arzak, from Juan Mari Arzak which is eighth.

The top ten:-
1. 'Noma' - René Redzepi, Copenhague (Dinamarca)
2. 'El Celler de Can Roca' - Hermanos Roca, Girona (España)
3. 'Mugaritz' - Andoni Luis Adúriz, Rentería (España)
4. 'Osteria Francescana' - Francesco Bottura, Módena (Italia)
5. 'The fat duck' -Heston Blumenthal, Bray (Gran Bretaña)
6. 'Alinea' - Grant Achatz, Chicago (EE UU)
7. 'D.O.M.' - Alex Attala, Sao Paulo (Brasil)
8. 'Arzak' - Juan Mari Arzak, San Sebastián (España)
9. 'Le chateaubriand' - Iñaki Azpitarte, París (Francia)
10. 'Per se' - Thomas Keller, Nueva York (EE UU)

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Irish celebrity DJ Maurice Boland is returning to the airwaves for the first time following his inappropriate relationship with a 16-year-old teenager in Marbella.

Known as 'Mr Marbella', the former Irish nightclub boss, who has been married for 40 years, has been absent from public life for the past nine months since his close relationship with the teenager came to light.

But speaking this weekend, Mr Boland said he is looking forward to re-launching himself on the airwaves and will not shy away from his outspoken views on "issues that need to be addressed".

"Somebody asked me the other day, will I be more humble after everything that's happened, quieter, less controversial. And my answer was 'absolutely not'.

"I'll be as outspoken as ever about serious issues that need to be addressed. And if people want me to answer their questions, or take a pot shot at me, then they can ring my chat show. I've an open line with no delay so they can ask whatever they want."

He added: "If people want to address the issue, then we'll address it."

The flamboyant presenter will return to Radio Leinster for a two-part special documentary entitled My Story, which will cover his colourful life to date -- from his time in Dublin right up to the aftermath of the scandal surrounding his relationship with a teenage girl.

However, he will not be returning to his long-standing show with Talk Radio Europe on the Costa del Sol, which suddenly terminated his contract when his relationship with the teenager came to light.

"I will be starting a chat show on a different radio station, details of which will be announced in the coming weeks," explained Mr Boland.

Speaking of his dismay at the way in which his former employers handled the controversy, he drew comparisons with the way in which shamed DJ Neil Prendeville was given a second chance by his bosses at Cork 96FM.

"I have to say that the way in which they handled the Neil Prendeville situation was very good," he said. "I know the two situations are very different, but they never commented on the matter and they re-instated him to his old job. I certainly didn't get the same from my side. I'm disappointed with the way it was handled."

Mr Boland was helping the young entertainer prepare to sing in his Marbella talent competition, The Wow Factor, which he set up in aid of a cancer charity, when the inappropriate relationship took place.

Speaking exclusively to the Sunday Independent at the time the scandal broke, Mr Boland admitted he had made a "terrible" mistake.

"I made an error of judgment," he said. "I got involved with someone. I have been married for 40 years next year. I have been in the media and nightclub business for many, many years and I've never had an affair.

"This is the first time it's happened. I made a very bad misjudgment, which is terrible and hurt a lot of people, including my own wife and her family and my children. And all I can say to those people who are hurt -- I am sincerely sorry."

After spending the past nine months rebuilding his relationship with his wife Wendy, Maurice has described this weekend how the controversy had affected his wife of 40 years.

"She's put up with me. It's been very difficult but we've gotten through it because we love each other very much."

He went on: "It's different now. Things happened that shouldn't have happened and just because I'm back on radio soon, I'm not saying that I'm walking around with a smile on my face, thinking 'ha, ha, ha'. Things have been very difficult."

At the time, the news sent shockwaves around those who knew Maurice Boland from his days as a high-profile nightclub owner when he launched the late-night club culture on Dublin's Leeson Street. Later he joined forces with La Stampa owner Louis Murray to launch Barbarella's nightclub.

He later went on to manage Mandy Smith, the 13-year-old 'Lolita' girlfriend of Rolling Stone Bill Wyman. The convent-school girl met Wyman in 1984 and when the romance cooled two years later, she hooked up with Boland, who got her modelling jobs and a record deal for a song titled I Can't Wait. She later dropped Boland and ended up marrying Bill Wyman in 1986.

Mr Boland and his wife Wendy were a glamour couple of Dublin's social set and moved to Marbella, Spain, in the Eighties, where they became part of the ex-pat Irish social scene. Wendy is very well-known among the ladies who lunch and has her own business as a party organiser, mainly for Irish people.

Mr Boland himself is well-connected with the ex-pat Irish community and frequently has guests over from Ireland as well as interviewing a string of famous people, including British Prime Minister David Cameron.

Speaking about the liaison with the young girl, he explained at the time the scandal broke how he had set out to help her build on her musical talents, but their relationship eventually turned into something more.

He said their relationship started off as a working relationship while he helped her with her music career, saying, "It was a very short involvement and it was never planned. Some of these things just happen.

"It came about through circumstance. The wrong time at the wrong place. There's nothing planned about it."

Asked how his working relationship crossed the line, he replied: "I can't answer it. I can't answer because there was no plan. How do these things happen? I don't know.

"It came to light, people found out and that was it," he said.

"There is no rape involved, no illegality involved, so there's nowhere else to go with that."

Drawing on the young girl's age, he said, "The reason that anyone is showing any interest is because of the girl's age, but I've done nothing illegal. She is of legal age. I have done nothing illegal."

"She's 100 per cent over 16. Not that I feel any better. I'm feeling awful about everything. I didn't set out to have a relationship with anyone, or to have it with someone so young. It was just a misjudgment on my behalf."

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Victims of phone-hacking by the News of the World have rejected an apology from News International, amid reports further arrests over the scandal are likely.

The newspaper published a prominent public apology on page two of its print edition today, but the move – which came two days after the parent company issued a similar statement – showed no sign of calming the fury of those affected.

Lawyers for Sienna Miller, one of the most prominent admitted victims – said she had not accepted any offer of a settlement over the "outrageous violation of her privacy".

The Former MP George Galloway, who says he has seen proof that his phone was hacked, dismissed the apology as "a cynical attempt to protect the company's chief executive", Rebekah Brooks.

In its statement the News of the World said the hacking "should should not have happened. It was and remains unacceptable." Speaking of the victims, it said: "Here today, we publicly and unreservedly apologise to all such individuals."

The cabinet minister Danny Alexander described the hacking as "a very serious scandal", adding that the court cases and police investigation "must go forward".

"It's outrageous that people have had their voicemails hacked into, seemingly a large number of people," the chief secretary to the Treasury said on BBC1's Andrew Marr Show.

Alexander repeated previous government statements that the affair would have no bearing on News Corp's attempt to take over BSkyB, an issue he said was "completely separate".

The shadow Welsh secretary, Peter Hain, called for a "full and proper public investigation" and said the police investigation had been "tardy".

The Observer revealed that Rupert Murdoch tried to persuade Gordon Brown as prime minister to get Labour to back off on the affair.

A former minister in Brown's cabinet said there was evidence that Murdoch relayed messages to Brown via a third party, urging him to help take the political heat out of the row, which he felt was in danger of damaging his company.

News International's apology confined direct blame to "a News of the World journalist and a private investigator working for the paper" – the former royal editor Clive Goodman and private investigator Glenn Mulcaire, both of whom were jailed in 2007.

No mention was made of the arrests last week of its chief reporter, Neville Thurlbeck, and assistant editor Ian Edmondson, who has been sacked.

John Whittingdale, chair of the culture, media and sport select committee, told the Sunday Telegraph that more arrests were like. "I think there'll be more arrests because as I understand it there's more evidence that points at other people being involved," he said.

The News International statement said an unreserved apology, admission of liability, and compensation was being offered "in certain civil cases that meet specific criteria", but that the company would "continue to contest cases what we believe are without merit or where we are not responsible".

The News of the World apology said: "Evidence has recently come to light which supports some of these claims. We have written to relevant individuals to accept liability in these civil cases and to apologise unreservedly, and will do the same to any other individual where evidence shows their claims to be justifiable."

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HOLIDAYMAKERS flying on British Airways will be stung by higher prices after the airline put up its fuel surcharge yesterday.

Long-haul passengers will have to pay £10 more per flight in economy seats while those in business or first class will pay an extra £20.
It means the surcharge will go up from £75 to £85 per economy passenger on a flight which lasts less than nine hours. For a longer flight, the tax will rise from £88 to £98.
Domestic and short-haul flights will not be affected.
The news comes as BA passengers await the dates of a strike by the airline’s cabin crew. The walk-out must take place between April 4 and April 25, with Easter being the most likely time.
BA chief financial officer Nick Swift said: “It’s with real regret that we are having to increase our long-haul fuel surcharge. As customers will know from the price at the petrol pumps, the cost of fuel has continued to rise significantly over the past three months.
Long-haul passengers will have to pay £10 more per flight in economy
“For us, fuel now represents over one third of our costs and particularly affects our long-haul flights.
“We are very aware of the wider economic pressures on our customers at the moment and we will bear the vast majority of the recent fuel price rise ourselves to keep this increase in surcharge to a minimum.”
BA is blaming the increased charge, which will come into effect on Friday, on rising oil prices.
Yesterday the price of oil reached its all-time high against sterling. The highest recorded price was $147 a barrel in 2008. Yesterday the price per barrel stood at $121 but because of the weaker pound it meant that in sterling terms it was at a record high of £74.60. The increased cost of oil has already been passed down to British motorists.

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new hotel, the Villa Venecia, with five stars above its door. It is a boutique spa hotel, to boot, with spectacular views out to sea and to the wedge-shaped island that punctuates the Benidorm horizon – La Isla de los Periodistas.

A new hotel, the Villa Venecia, with five stars above its door. It is a boutique spa hotel, to boot, with spectacular views out to sea and to the wedge-shaped island that punctuates the Benidorm horizon – La Isla de los Periodistas.



"We opened a year and a half ago," said employee Tito as he took me to the chill-out terrace, gym, massage room and Jacuzzi. "We get a lot of couples wanting to recharge their batteries." The head chef, Victor Conus Cervantes, from Barcelona, is aiming to get a Michelin star within the next couple of years. "That's the way Benidorm is going," said Tito.

As if by way of confirmation, later that day I had lunch with an old friend, Jorge, at Taita (Calle Primavera 8, +34 965 852 148), one of a new generation of high-class restaurants in the town. Others include El Mesón (Calle Gerona 5, +34 965 858 521), and Rias Baixas (Plaza del Torreó 3, +34 965 855 022), known for its excellent seafood.

As we sat on the terrace eating crispy grilled duck breast with dauphinoise potatoes, Jorge told me Benidorm really was changing. "Take this place," he said. "Was there anything like this restaurant when you were last here?"

There wasn't. Nor were there Balinese chill-out lounges, designer boutiques or swanky gin bars like the one I'd seen as I crossed town.

Perhaps even more surprising than the town attempting to clamber upmarket is the assertion that it could become a model for sustainable, mass-market tourism.

"Ah, yes, the Benidorm model – everyone's talking about it," Jorge said. "By building vertically rather than horizontally you get more people in, but you cause less damage to the landscape. Imagine if you had to fit all the millions who come here into low-rise accommodation. It would be a disaster."

I had my doubts. Many would say that Benidorm is already a disaster. But a number of respected architects, including Luis Fernández-Galiano of Madrid's Universidad Politécnica, are claiming that the resort is an example of sustainable urban development. Alfonso Vegara, the former president of the International Society of City and Regional Planners, says Benidorm and Manhattan are both sustainable "intelligent terrains".

Perceptions of Benidorm are changing, and much of the impulse behind this appears to be coming from the town authorities themselves. While the resort still caters principally for families and the elderly, the new administration is keen to attract sophisticated and independent travellers. To this end they're targeting students and the gay market, as well as people interested in adventure and sport (the scuba diving is among the best along the coastline).

As part of this programme, last July saw the first Low Cost Festival (21-23 July 2011, festivallowcost.com), a three-day music event with more than 40 acts, including bands such as Placebo and Editors. A sister techno festival, Electrobeach (24-27 August 2011, electrobeachfestival.com), is held in August.

"Benidorm is adapting to survive," a Town Hall spokesman assured me. "In five years' time we will still be the Med's number-one resort."

• Hotel Villa Venecia (+34 902 165 454, hotelvillavenecia.com) charges from €192 for a room half-board or €155 B&B. Budget airlines fly to Alicante from several UK airports.

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Oscar-winning actress Penelope Cruz received a coveted star on Hollywood Boulevard's Walk of Fame on Friday, becoming the first Spanish actress to earn the honor.

Oscar-winning actress Penelope Cruz received a coveted star on Hollywood Boulevard's Walk of Fame on Friday, becoming the first Spanish actress to earn the honor.

Cruz, who won her Oscar for supporting actress playing a fiery artist in Woody Allen's movie "Vicky Cristina Barcelona," called the unveiling of her pink granite star "a very special day that I will always remember.

"Every time I look at that star, I will see the names of all the people that have helped me make many of my dreams a reality," she said at the unveiling attended by a large crowd, including her husband Javier Bardem and friend, Johnny Depp.

Cruz, 36, thanked her parents, siblings, Bardem and their newborn son, "for making me happy every day."

The Spanish beauty made her acting debut on television when she was just a teenager and began her feature film career under the direction of Pedro Almodovar in his 1992 movie "Jamon Jamon," in which she starred opposite Bardem.

She was featured in several Almodovar films before making the move to Hollywood where she has worked movies such as "Blow," "Vanilla Sky" and "Nine." Next up, she stars opposite Depp in "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides."

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Gaddafi Construction Projects in Marbella Costa del Sol Stopped

The Spanish Government has the first March stopped the construction of the Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi construction projects in Marbell on the Costa del Sol.
It emerged at the end of February that the Libyan Bank, the Libyan Foreign Bank, which belongs to the Libyan state, owns 6.500 acres of land in Benahavis and that Marbella Town Hall commune had received an application for a permit to build an 18-hole golf course and 1.915 properties, in the form of luxury apartments, townhouses and villas on the land.
.

The first March adopted the Spanish government – in line with sanctions from the UN and the EU – to stop all work in connection with the plans for the construction. The sanctions also mean that the current Libyan Board will not be able to sell or otherwise exploit the properties and land.
According to Ministry of Foreign Affairs owns Gadaffi and his family, perhaps several properties and investments in southern Spain, prepared by the Spanish authorities will now examine. It is also suspected that the family has other forms of investment in Spain, they are also been freeze

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FORMER UN secretary general Kofi Annan is coming to Marbella to talk about wine.

FORMER UN secretary general Kofi Annan is coming to Marbella to talk about wine.
The Nobel Prize winner will be the key note speaker at the Third World Conference on Climate Change and Wine, which is being held in Marbella next month for the first time.The main focus of his speech – which will be introduced by Pancho Campo MW, the first Spaniard to hold the title Master of Wine – will be on the responsibility of the corporate world in the fight against climate change.
And after the conference guests will have the chance to quiz the Ghanaian diplomat in a 30 minute question and answer session.
Organized by The Wine Academy of Spain, in conjunction with one of the foremost authorities on climate change research, the two-day event aims to raise awareness of the impact climate change is having on the global wine industry.
In particular, the conference will focus on ways to ease the problem, adjusting to the new climate and publicizing a business model for the wine industry that is more compatible with the environment.
While here, Annan and his wife will also be joined by the mayor of Marbella, Ángeles Muñoz, to preside over an Official Dinner in aid of the Vicente Ferrer Foundation.

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Cabin crew at British Airways have voted overwhelmingly in favour of new strike action.

Cabin crew at British Airways have voted overwhelmingly in favour of new strike action.

The vote opens the possibility of strikes over Easter, although union sources have previously played down the prospect of any April walk-out.

The ballot was a re-run of an invalid vote held before Christmas.

The row began about cost-cutting but now centres on travel concessions taken from striking staff and disciplinary action against Unite union members.

The latest ballot - the fourth in less than two years - saw 5,811 Unite members vote in favour of strike action, while 1,170 voted against. The turnout was 72%.

The union now has 28 days to announce any strike dates.

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first of three Moroccan projects commissioned by BMCE (Banque Marocaine du Commerce Exterieur) may be an exception.

We haven’t always loved Foster & Partners developments in the Middle East. Although they are visually spectacular, we often wonder at the true sustainability of buildings that cost millions of dollars to construct. But the first of three Moroccan projects commissioned by BMCE (Banque Marocaine du Commerce Exterieur) may be an exception.

Albeit no quaint mom-and-pop straw bale building, the bank is nonetheless slightly less flamboyant than other F&P projects. By incorporating several energy-saving and passive design elements, the firm has kept the building’s carbon footprint to a minimum, while relying extensively on local materials, craftsmanship, and design.
The outer screen is made from a low-iron stainless steel that doesn’t heat up as quickly as conventional steel. Evoking traditional Arabic architecture, the screens help to keep the building’s interior nice and cool without sacrificing natural daylighting. Black granite and grey limestone are among the materials sourced locally.
A familiar scene in the Arab world, the dome was plastered on the inside with a technique called tadelakt, while exterior was sculpted with traditional ceramic tiles called zellige.The building is cooled without electricity with a system F&P call “earth tube.” Water circulated around the circumference of the building in underground pipes maintains a comfortable interior temperature. The first two BMCE banks are in Rabat and Casablanca, while a third in Fez is still being completed.

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Eversheds is adding Morocco to its expanding international network through a cooperation agreement that is expected to develop into a Casablanca office in the future.

Eversheds is adding Morocco to its expanding international network through a cooperation agreement that is expected to develop into a Casablanca office in the future.


Former Eversheds associate Mohamed Oulkhouir is establishing his own ­practice in Morocco to work in cooperation with the UK firm. Oulkhouir left Eversheds’ Paris office in 2008 to become Tangiers managing partner for Moroccan firm Balms & Cruz.

Eversheds Africa co-chair Boris Martor told The Lawyer that the firm was seeing “growing opportunities in North Africa, ­especially in Morocco”. He described Morocco as the most “significant hub” for the region.

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British Airways started new flights to Marrakech from London Gatwick on March 27,

British Airways started new flights to Marrakech from London Gatwick on March 27, 2011 in direct competition with low cost carriers.
The airline announced its new flights to Marrakech last November at the World Travel Market at ExCel in London.
Richard Tams, head of UK and Ireland sales and marketing, said at the time: "British Airways offers a real alternative to discerning travellers to Morocco. Unlike the low cost carriers, we offer fantastic all-inclusive fares with no stealth extras. The benefits you get on BA at no extra charge include a generous baggage allowance, drinks and snacks and much more.
"Marrakech adds another fabulous destination to our leisure network at Gatwick and I am confident it will be a huge success. It's a great starting point to explore Morocco; from trekking in the Atlas Mountains to exploring its amazing deserts and beaches and soaking up the atmosphere of the many medinas."
The chief executive officer of the Moroccan National Tourist Office, Mr. Hamid Addou, welcomed the announcement and said: "We're delighted that British Airways is returning to Morocco and Marrakech, where we know that there is a strong demand from the UK tourist market for flagship carriers.
"Marrakech is one of the key tourism destinations in the southern Europe and Africa regions.  Its brand image is very strong and we will reinforce it in our joint marketing programme."
A mix of Boeing 737s and Airbus A319s will operate the thrice-weekly service, which departs Gatwick on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, returning the same evening.
British Airways offers a wide range of hotels suitable for all types of holidays in Marrakech. Right in the centre of the authentic Medina, minutes walk from the Souks and the famous Place Djemma el Fnaa is the four-star Riad Karmela. For those seeking paradise during their luxury holidays coupled with a 27-hole golf course, designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr., the award-winning five-star Palmeraie Golf Palace is the place to visit.
British Airways last flew to Marrakech as GB Airways. The service operated from October 2002 until March 2008, when the route was discontinued following GB's takeover by easyJet.

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new Cafe Nikki, part of the forthcoming Nikki Beach, which is set in a lush garden overlooking waterfalls with a sprawling outdoor deck

Already open is the new Cafe Nikki, part of the forthcoming Nikki Beach, which is set in a lush garden overlooking waterfalls with a sprawling outdoor deck.  A European-style cafe, it offers 24/7 dining in the trademark Nikki Beach atmosphere, with a menu offering an exquisite blend of American cuisine and flavors inspired by international dishes.  Cafe Nikki features the Amazing Buffet for breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as the famous Sunday Amazing Brunch.  Cafe Nikki Happy Hour at the Tropicana Hotel & Resort offers an ambiance that's unique to the Las Vegas Strip, with open patio seating, live music/DJ, $5 specialty drinks, specialty ceviche and sushi bar every Monday-Friday from 4-7 p.m.
Biscayne Steak, Sea & Wine, which opened last August, offers sizzling prime cuts and Safe Harbor-certified fresh seafood in a South Beach-infused atmosphere of casual elegance.  Complementing the menu is a 200-bottle wine list that features wines from around the world, including rare vintages, and specialty drinks with a twist of Latin flavor, as well as Tropicana Las Vegas' signature Leblon classic caipirinhas and Ambhar key lime margaritas.  Biscayne offers regular specials, currently a Four-Course Tasting Menu & Wine Pairing for $39.99 per person with your Trop Plus Players Club Membership.
Coming soon is South Beach Marketplace, which will provide an array of casual food and drink shops, including Starbucks and Pellegrino Pizza, as well as Asian noodles and self-serve frozen yogurt/gelato.  These and other shops in development will all be open late (Starbucks will be 24 hours), with common seating that can accommodate up to 90 people.  South Beach Marketplace will be located right off the casino floor, adjacent to the entrance to the Tropicana hotel pool and Cafe Nikki.

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Actress Gwyneth Paltrow says she took help from Robert Downey Jr. to understand her role as an alcoholic

Actress Gwyneth Paltrow says she took help from Robert Downey Jr. to understand her role as an alcoholic singer in new movie 'Country Strong'.

'I actually emailed Robert Downey Jr., who has been sober for a long time, and asked him to explain addiction to me. And he wrote me the most amazing email. And it really helped me understand it,' contactmusic.com quoted her as saying.

The 38-year-old actress will play alcoholic singer Kelly Canter in the new movie 'Country Strong' for which she sought the advice of Downey Jr., who battled addictions to drink and drugs for many years, to get into the mindset of her character.

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O'Brien house in Marbella

The Lowry house at Carysfort Avenue, Blackrock, and the O'Brien house in Marbella
What the tribunal heard:

Michael Lowry received a loan for £147,000 from the late David Austin, paid into an Isle of Man account. Lawyers for Denis O'Brien said that a short time previously he paid Mr Austin £150,000 for a house in Marbella. That money went into a Jersey account and was then used by Mr Austin to lend Mr Lowry the €147,000. Mr Lowry returned the money to Mr Austin on the day the tribunal was established. Mr Lowry said the "loan" was to help him refurbish a house on Carysfort Avenue in Blackrock, Co Dublin, which he had bought as a second home in July 1996. Mr Lowry said that, following his resignation as a minister, he no longer needed a house in Dublin. He said he sold it back to the builder in January 1997 and repaid the "loan" to Mr Austin the following month.

What the judge concluded:

This was a carefully-planned and covert payment of £147,000 by Denis O'Brien to Michael Lowry and that the money was "hastily repaid (to Mr Austin in February 1997) out of fear of possible disclosure at the time that the McCracken Tribunal was established". The series of transactions was a "belated attempt retrospectively to clothe those transactions with some commercial reality, in circumstances prompted by a realisation that at some point they might be uncovered".

What Denis O'Brien says:

"At no time did I make or attempt to make any payment to Michael Lowry. The purchase of a property in Spain by me and a loan which Michael Lowry took out in relation to a house in Dublin are two completely separate and unrelated transactions. Michael Lowry was not a beneficiary of what are two separate transactions."

The Mansfield property purchase
What the tribunal heard:

A property agent, Kevin Phelan, contacted Michael Lowry in 1997 to gauge his interest in investing in property in the UK. In 1998, Mr Phelan contacted Mr Lowry again to advise him of an investment opportunity in Mansfield. At a meeting in September 1998, Mr Phelan introduced Mr Lowry to solicitor Christopher Vaughan. At the same meeting, Mr Lowry advised Mr Phelan that he did not have the money to purchase the Mansfield property outright. Mr Phelan told him that he was skilled at putting com- binations of investors together.

In December 1998, Mr Lowry put down a 10 per cent deposit of Stg£25,000 on the Mansfield property through Mr Vaughan, having being convinced by Kevin Phelan that he would secure investors to cover the remainder of its Stg£250,000 purchase price.

Mr Lowry told the tribunal that Aidan Phelan was, unknown to him, introduced to the project by Kevin Phelan. Upon the completion of the Mansfield purchase, Michael Lowry and Aidan Phelan met and a 90:10 partnership arrangement was agreed in the latter's favour. By this time, Aidan Phelan had a close business relationship and financial association with Denis O'Brien as an adviser and associate. Apart from his involvement with Esat Digifone, Mr Phelan had been involved in Mr O'Brien's purchase of the Quinta Da Lago resort in the Portuguese Algarve and of a shareholding in Versatel Telecom NV. In or around December 1998, it was agreed that Aidan Phelan should receive a percentage fee of 3 per cent up to a maximum of $1.5m in payment for his work on Versatel.

On March 29, 1999, Aidan Phelan proceeded with Denis O'Brien's agreement to draw Stg£300,000 from O'Brien's Credit Suisse First Boston account in London. This money was transmitted directly to the client account of Christopher Vaughan, where it was credited to Michael Lowry. Mr Vaughan applied the bulk of that amount to discharge the balance on the Mansfield property.

What the judge concluded:

Mr Justice Moriarty says that the form in which the Stg£300,000 payment was made -- through Aidan Phelan -- "was motivated by a desire to conceal the fact that Mr O'Brien was the true source of the payment to Mr Lowry".

Falsification of documents relating to Mr Lowry's involvement in the Mansfield and Cheadle transactions, by solicitor Christopher Vaughan, had been "motivated by a desire to obscure from the tribunal a clear financial connection between Denis O'Brien and Michael Lowry and the payments by the former to the latter".

What Denis O'Brien says:

"The tribunal has yet again tried to connect totally unrelated transactions ... I had nothing to do with either the Mansfield (a derelict farm site in the UK Midlands) or Cheadle (a church hall in the UK Midlands) deals and knew nothing about them until they were brought to my attention by the tribunal in 2001. This is because I had no direct or indirect interest in either of them."

The Doncaster Rovers Football Club lands
What the tribunal heard:

Kevin Phelan had had dealings with Aidan Phelan and Denis O'Brien in connection with a number of substantial UK property ventures, one in Luton and the other at Doncaster Rovers Football Club (where Denis O'Brien was stated to be the sole investor with the assistance of Aidan Phelan as his adviser).

In meetings on September 23 and 24, 1998, with Mr Lowry and Kevin Phelan in September 1998, solicitor Christopher Vaughan formed the impression that Mr Lowry had a "total involvement" in the Doncaster Rovers transaction. He wrote to him in those terms in on September 25, 1998. Mr Vaughan later said that this letter was wrong and Mr Lowry had no involvement in the deal. Mr O'Brien told the tribunal that the lease had been bought by him for Stg£4.3m through an Isle of Man registered company called Westferry and that he (Mr O'Brien) had been introduced to the property by Kevin Phelan. Michael Lowry said he had no involvement in the Doncaster Rovers deal and never received the letter dated September 25, 1998, from Christopher Vaughan.

What the judge concluded:

Mr Lowry did have an involvement in the Doncaster Rovers deal, which "would entail a payment to, or a conferral of pecuniary advantage on him ( Mr Lowry), the source of which was the ultimate beneficial owner of Doncaster, that is, Mr Denis O'Brien". Mr Lowry did not acquire any legal title to Doncaster Rovers after the share transfer in August 1998.

What Denis O'Brien says:

"The Doncaster Rovers Football Club deal was exclusively mine. Michael Lowry had no hand, act or part in this deal. Indeed, the tribunal report makes no finding that Michael Lowry benefited from this transaction."

Sunday Independent

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nearly five years since James Hewitt left England, The Polo House, which has been open for two years, is a classic colonial-style redoubt. Airy and sumptuous, the restaurant is filled with imported dark wood from the Far East, with polo trophies and pony pictures dotted around .

, following a string of TV programmes and a slew of newspaper stories about his gallivanting.
His downfall had all begun after he reportedly solicited £10million for his collection of around 60 perfume-laden missives, which he had received during his affair with the former wife of Prince Charles.
The former cavalry officer quickly became one of the UK’s biggest hate figures, not helped when he went on to collaborate with Anna Pastanak on a book about the princess’s life.
Now well ensconced on the Costa del Sol and fronting a business that has proven highly popular, it is a time he is now hoping to forget.
Wearing his trademark grey cashmere cardigan, check shirt and shiny leather loafers, Hewitt is surprisingly engaging about his reasons for fleeing England for Spain.
“For 10 years I was stalked by the press,” he explains, sipping gingerly on his double expresso. “I eventually realised I was never going to be left alone in England and my life had become a huge pantomime in order to sell newspapers.
“I do take the blame in part, of course, but I was being used and things got out of control.
“I decided I was going to do something about it. I didn’t want to become a bigoted twisted fool and I couldn’t let them win, which is why I left England.”
It began the next chapter of his life, one where he has largely been left alone and where he has been able to forge a lucrative collaboration with one of the coast’s premier restaurateurs Ram Nandkishore, whom he describes as his ‘great business mentor’.



Part-financed through his own savings – and very much his idea – Polo House, which has been open for two years, is a classic colonial-style redoubt. Airy and sumptuous, the restaurant is filled with imported dark wood from the Far East, with polo trophies and pony pictures dotted around .
Extremely popular in the evenings – and particularly for Sunday lunch when it is not uncommon to have up to 100 diners – he can count Marbella mayoress Angeles Muñoz as a regular, as well as Mark Thatcher and Status Quo’s Francis Rossi… or at least until he had a blazing row with his girlfriend there a few months ago.
In particular, it is one of the few places on the coast, where people dine without thinking about budgets, believes James.
“I really felt Marbella had the potential for this sort of place when I moved here,” he explains. “I have eaten in so many places around the world and know a bit about wine. Quite frankly, there was not much else I could do,” he quips. “I don’t really work here either. I just hang about, march in and out. To be fair I have not really worked in my life before.”
It is this self-effacing side – and his obvious good humour – that immediately makes one warm to the former soldier, who went on to lead a squadron of 14 tanks and 150 men into battle during the first Gulf War.
“A sense of humour is the most important thing in life. It is vital to bring happiness and joy to people’s lives. I hope I do that,” he says.
A sense of humour is the most important thing in life. It is vital to bring happiness
Born in 1958 in Kent to a Naval officer father, he joined the Brigade of Guards at the age of 20, before heading to Ireland and later Iraq during Desert Storm.
“There were some pretty hairy moments and thank God we got through it with only three injuries during five days of fighting.
“You learn a lot about yourself in situations like that. There was a plethora of emotions. Fear, worry and euphoria and then at the end a steady calmness.”
It is this sort of state that he believes he is finally getting to in his life, down here in southern Spain.
By his own account his routine is a pleasant one. He pops into the restaurant when needed around five evenings a week and spends the rest of the time playing tennis and helping his partner Ram expand his Costa del Sol business empire.
“I have grown to love the area since I arrived here,” he explains. “I like the different pace of life and of course the weather. It takes a long time to become accepted but I am starting to feel part of the community.”
Indeed, he is so taken by the coast that, contrary to rumours, he is actually thinking of settling here more permanently.
“I am in fact selling my place in London and I will finally have some money to buy a bigger place here.
“I could not see myself ever moving back to London. I like the countryside and going to nice pubs or shooting or hunting foxes and anything else for that matter than annoys the politically correct lobby.”
It is a frequent theme of our conversation, which is peppered with attacks on the former prime minister Tony Blair, who he opposes in almost every way. A staunchly dyed–in–the–wool Conservative, there is a clear sense that with a Tory government in power back home, he might actually get on quite well in Blighty now. Indeed, there is even talk of opening a franchise of Polo House in London, in addition to Beijing and India.
“I hope I am no longer hated back home and people can see me for my successes over here,” he says. “Ultimately, I think the whole crisis I’ve been through brought about a lot of good,” he estimates. “I was right out of my comfort zone and there was a lot of soul searching. It was uncomfortable and I have had to work hard to improve myself. I now just want to be myself and I believe that I am a pretty decent chap, after all.”

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Debbie Harry was “absolutely” a drug addict for “a couple of years”.

The Blondie singer has admitted she “tried everything”, including heroin, and at one point in the late 80s was addicted to drugs.

When asked if she was a junkie, Debbie replied: “Absolutely. I guess for a couple of years.”

She described that period of her life as very difficult, saying: “It was depression… our record company dropped us, our manager walked out, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) walked in. Everything fell apart and I fell apart along with it. But ice cream was great.”

The Heart Of Glass hitmaker did, however, turn things around, going to rehab with her then boyfriend, Blondie guitarist Chris Stein.

She added: “Chris did it at the same time, we did it together. I think we both decided that it was overdue.”

Debbie also admitted she has tried drugs since, but has remained largely sober, and doesn’t even drink alcohol.

She said: “I think there was a short period where I did some cocaine, but I’ve never got seriously involved since then.

“I don’t’ have the head for alcohol. I don’t have the capacity. So, if I drink it’s a short evening - very short and very cheap!”

Blondie’s new album Panic Of Girls is released on May 30

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Fine art agent, Stephen Howes, presents his most comprehensive and thought provoking exhibition to date, presenting a group of modern artists with a wide range of styles for any kind of taste.

Fine art agent, Stephen Howes, presents his most comprehensive and thought provoking exhibition to date, presenting a group of modern artists with a wide range of styles for any kind of taste. Howes has spent months preparing this exhibition which includes not only acclaimed and sought after artists such as Don Clarke, Christopher Stone and Rowland Fade, but also relative new-comers including Felix Muyo, Marco Bombagh, Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, Johan Wahlstrom, and the controversial Andy Bonomo. The works on show from this group are worth a million euros. The show will take place at the Casino Marbella from 1 April to May 3rd.

The collection is being arranged in the privileged Marbella casino exhibition venue, the casino's entrance areas and walls have also been allocated to art for maximum and effective visibility. A great deal of thought and consideration was made especially in evaluating the painting or sculpture for the viewer’s personal intent, whether to add to an art collection, use in home decorating, purchase for resale or simply as an investment.

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I am concerned by the ease with which decisions to use force are taken in international affairs. This is becoming a persistent tendency in US policy

The statement from Mr Putin came after Russia abstained from the UN Security Council vote which authorised a no-fly zone over Libya and 'all necessary measures' to protect civilians against Col Gaddafi's forces.
Mr Putin, who was speaking to workers at a Russian missile factory, added, "I am concerned by the ease with which decisions to use force are taken in international affairs. This is becoming a persistent tendency in US policy," he added.
However, in one of the most public clashes between the two men to date, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said it was unacceptable to make such historical comparisons, warning such remarks risked stirring up even more trouble.
Mr Medvedev sharply rebuked Mr Putin, saying, "Under no circumstances is it acceptable to use expressions which essentially lead to a clash of civilisations. Such as [talking of] a 'crusade' and so on."

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