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Sunday 25 August 2013

Former model barely recognisable as she pulls shopping trolley 50 years after the 'Profumo' political scandal

  • Former showgirl was once one of the world's most photographed beauties
  • Her sexual liaisons with Tory Minister John Profumo and a Russian attache led to one of the biggest political scandals of modern times
  • She now lives in a sheltered accommodation block in South London estranged from her 2 sons


Dressed in a shapeless top and sandals and pulling a plastic shopping trolley, it is difficult to imagine that this woman was once one of the world’s most photographed – and infamous – beauties.

But the pensioner pictured here is Christine Keeler. Her sexual liaisons 50 years ago with Tory Minister John Profumo and a Russian military attache based in London led to one of the biggest political scandals of modern times.

This is the first time Keeler has been photographed in public for seven years, and the 71-year-old is unrecognisable from the fresh-faced model and showgirl who found herself embroiled in Profumo affair in 1963.



Humble lifestyle: The former model Christine Keeler pictured out shopping near her home


Although she revelled in her notoriety at the time and sold her story to newspapers all over the world, Ms Keeler now lives in a sheltered accommodation block in South London, and is estranged from her two sons.




Beauty: Keeler in her prime back in 1964


In an interview last year to publicise her latest book about the affair that rocked the British Establishment, she said: ‘My children don’t want to be associated with that bloody whore Christine Keeler. It’s awful but that’s the way it is.’

The scandal happened at the height of the Cold War when it was discovered that Keeler had been sleeping with both Profumo, the then Conservative Minister for War, and Yevgeny Ivanov, a naval attache based at the Russian Embassy in London.

Keeler and Profumo began their affair after being introduced at a party at the Cliveden estate in 1961 by their mutual friend Stephen Ward, a high-society osteopath and portrait-painter.

Profumo, who was married to actress Valerie Hobson, had no idea that Keeler was also sleeping with Ivanov. In March 1963 he told the House of Commons that rumours of his affair were untrue, but he was forced to resign three months later after admitting he had lied.

Ward, who was prosecuted for living off immoral earnings, took an overdose the day before his trail ended and died on August 3, 1963. Keeler was found guilty of unrelated perjury charges and was sentenced to nine months in prison.

The passage of time has done little to diminish the public’s fascination with the scandal. Andrew Lloyd Webber has written a musical, Stephen Ward, due to open in December. It is understood Keeler declined to co-operate with the project.



How Christine Keeler looked in the 1963 film The Keeler Affair :







Historic: A fresh-faced Keeler at the height of the scandal, following her affair with Secretary of State for War.
  


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Saturday 24 August 2013

Woman Shows Up Alive 13 Days After Her Funeral


Sharolyn

According to CBSPhilly KYW, the bizarre saga began earlier this year when Jackson was reported missing from her West Philadelphia home. Authorities found a body that matched her description, and two people, including her son, identified the woman as Jackson.

Jackson "died" on July 20, according to her obituary in The Times of Trenton, and the family held a burial Aug. 3. On Legacy, an online guestbook, one friend comforted the family, saying "Only God has the final call."

Well, if that's true, God's quite a prankster: Last Friday, Jackson was found alive at a mental health facility.

The mix-up came as a surprise since Jackson's son identified the body.

"The gold standard here [for identifying a body] is visual identification by a family member," so the son's identification was taken as fact, Philadelphia Health Department spokesman James Garrow told The Huffington Post.

While the family's trial-run grieving process is over, the over-arching mystery remains: Who is the woman actually buried under Jackson's tombstone?

"Right now we're working internally with the city law department to see about exhuming the body, and we're working with the police department to see if we can identify who this woman is," Garrow said.

This isn't the first time a supposedly dead person has shocked and delighted loved ones. Gilberto Araújo, a Brazilian man, was mistakenly declared dead last year. (The body actually belonged to his co-worker.) He brought an unexpected plot twist to his own wake when he walked in exclaiming, "Guys, I'm alive -- pinch me!"


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PHOTOS: Simon Cowell is all smiles as he holds hands with pregnant lover Lauren Silverman during romantic beach stroll


He's spoken out about how happy he is that his lover Lauren Silverman is pregnant.

And now Simon Cowell is fully showing just how ecstatic he is about it - by putting on a public display of affection with her during a romantic getaway in the South of France.

In fact the music mogul couldn't get the smile off his face as he held hands with Lauren while they walked along a beach on Saturday morning.



Reunited and VERY happy about it: Simon Cowell and his pregnant lover Lauren Silverman hold hands as they walk along a beach in the South of France on Saturday morning




Showing they're an item: Fans were aware they were having a baby together but they've now made sure onlookers realise they're also in a romantic relationship as well

And Silverman looked equally as gleeful as she also grinned from ear to ear to show they're not just having a baby together but are also officially an item.

It is the first time the pair have been seen together since news of the pregnancy shocked the world.

And it also marks the first time they've been reunited since her husband Andrew Silverman found out about their affair and they subsequently got a divorce.



Ecstatic: They have only just been reunited for the first time since news of her pregnancy broke - and they certainly seemed happy about it





Close: Simon branded Lauren a 'very special person' last week and seemed to be enjoying people spotting them together on Saturday morning


The pair certainly seemed to want to show off their love as they walked through the public beach holding hands and joking around with each other.

They even seemed to co-ordinate their outfits like many couples do once they've been together a while.

Top match Simon's smile he wore a white T-shirt with some pale swimming shorts, looking far more relaxed than his usual smart style.



Loved up: It was only a day earlier that Lauren was spotted arriving in France armed with suitcases ready to be reunited with the music mogul





Happy couple: She was married to his best pal Andrew Silverman but they have since had a quickie divorce since it was revealed Lauren's pregnant with Simon's baby





Smiles: They looked like any other couple as they went for a stroll along the beach in the sunshine holding hands


Lauren, meanwhile, covered her bump with a white see-through beach dress.

She accessorised with a straw trilby hat and giggled at the attention as she held her flip flops in her hand and shyly covered her smile.

The 36-year-old showed signs of her growing baby bump in a tight black vest as she landed a day earlier smiling broadly while a gentleman pushed a number of suitcases for her – suggesting it won’t be a flying visit.

She was also rather pointedly wearing the $16,000 5 carat diamond eternity bracelet the X Factor mogul bought for her.




Going strong: Up until now Lauren has been holed up in her rented home in New York but made the special trip to Europe to visit Simon this week





In jokes: The pair couldn't stop giggling as they tried to act like any other holidaymakers enjoying a day on the St Tropez beach


Her arrival comes after the music mogul opened up about her for the first time at the One Direction premiere on Tuesday evening, describing her as ‘a very special girl’.

The New York socialite, who is believed to be around 12 weeks pregnant, appeared relaxed as she touched down ready for what is no doubt set to be a very emotional reunion for the pair – after not seeing each other for weeks.

Dressed in a pair of tight white jeans and a black tank top the early stages of her pregnancy could be seen – perhaps a deliberate move from Lauren who knew the whole world would be watching.



Matching smiles: It was very clear to see how happy both Lauren and Simon are with their baby news and seeing each other again





Romantic stroll: They put on a public display of affection by linking hands on the public beach


The MailOnline exclusively revealed on Tuesday that Lauren would be arriving in Europe on Wednesday.

A source who is close friends with Lauren and part of her social circle on the Upper East Side of Manhattan said: ‘Lauren is so excited. It will be the first time she has actually seen Simon in weeks, she really loves him and they can't wait to be together.'

The couple have been in constant contact, however, and speaking on Tuesday at the One Direction movie premiere in London tonight, Cowell, 53, broke his silence as he told Magic FM's Jo Parkerson that he's 'ready, excited and very happy’ about the baby, calling Lauren ‘a lovely girl'.



Baby bump: Lauren covered up her small pregnancy belly in a summer dress but affectionately cradled her stomach on the walk





Something funny, Simon? The music mogul was in incredibly high spirits as he spent quality time catching up with his pregnant lover

He then told the BBC that he was 'proud', adding: 'Things are changing in my life right now, for the better.

'I'm proud to be a dad...It's something I hadn't thought of before, but now I know I feel good about it.'

The X Factor boss added: 'She (Lauren)'s a very special girl.'

Lauren has spent the past few weeks holed up at her $4million rental home in the Hamptons alongside her seven-year-old son Adam and her soon-to-be ex-husband as they agreed a deal that includes joint custody.

However, the socialite has been supported by close friends including New York fashion designer Rachel Roy, who has given her romance with Cowell her blessing – and in fact, took the now infamous picture of the couple canoodling on board the Slipstream yacht while on vacation in St Barths in January, which Lauren captioned ‘me and my little Simey monster.’




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Borno: Boko Haram militants turn human eaters after being stranded for days without food or water - Suspect

Dozens of suspected Boko Haram militants in Magumeri forest, Borno, have turned to human eaters after being stranded for days without food or water.

Magumeri forest is about 150 kilometres from Maiduguri, the state capital.

Mallam Momodu Bukar, a suspected militant, told newsmen on Saturday in Maiduguri that he fled the camp at the forest on Thursday when it became obvious that he was going to be eaten.

“I thank God that I escaped because I would have been slaughtered by now to provide meal for my colleagues at the camp,” Bukar said.

The suspected militant was captured by a Youth Vigilante Group, popularly known as the civilian JTF at Baga Road motor park, Maiduguri, on Friday.
He said the militants had been in the forest since May, when they were dislodged from Marte, Marte Local Government Area, by the Joint Task Force (JTF) on Operation Restore Order (ORO) after the declaration of the State of Emergency.

“Our group, consisting of about 300 well armed combatants, headed for Magumeri on the orders of the sect leader, Abubakar Shekau, shortly before the military took over Marte Camp.“We have been wandering in the forest. We have exhausted our food and water supply, and so, everybody became hungry,” Bukar said.

He also said that they lost contact with Shekau due to the closure of GSM services by the Defence Headquarters.

“It all started last Monday when three of the combatants in camp died of acute hunger, and it became obvious that all of us will die if action was not taken.“The leader of the group, Abu Omar, directed that a non combatant member be slaughtered to provide meal for the rest.“The meat provided meal for the combatant for just two days and another person was killed in the same manner on Wednesday.“So, it became certain that I might be the next person since I am also a non combatant member.”

Bukar said he escaped after volunteering to help search for drinking water for the group in a nearby village.

“I left the camp on Thursday evening after agreeing to fetch water from the village.“After leaving the camp, I started running until I arrived at Magumeri town, so, I slept in the motor park before boarding a vehicle to Maiduguri with the little money on me.” he said.

Bukar said that he was apprehended immediately he arrived at the motor park in Maiduguri by the youth vigilante group.Commenting, an official of the vigilante group, Mallam Ajid Asheik, said the suspect would be handed to the Joint Task Force (JTF) on Operation Restore Order (ORO) for investigation.

(NAN)

Friday 23 August 2013

PHOTOS: Meet baby North West!.......After two months of anticipation


After two months of anticipation, Kim Kardashian's rapper boyfriend Kanye West has revealed the first picture of their baby daughter.

A cherubic photo of baby North West, who was born on June 15, was unveiled on matriarch Kris Jenner's chat show on Friday during the rapper's highly publicized appearance.

During an interview with the excited grandmother, the proud new father, 36, shared the photo with the audience and millions of viewers across America.





First picture: After weeks of anticipation, Kanye West shared a snap of his daughter North on Kris Jenner's chat show on Friday


Baby North pic unveiled for the first time on Kris



A snap of baby North flashed up on the screen after Kanye and Kris sat down to discuss the new addition to the family.

And it is clear from the image that the tiny baby possesses features from both her mother and father.

'How cute is that gorgeous baby!! Who do you think she looks like?' Kris gushed over the snap, to which Kanye responded with a laugh: 'I pray that she looks like her mother when she's older.'

Kris told the singer that she thought that her granddaughter was an 'amazing combination' of both Kim and Kanye.




Ratings boost: Kanye sat down and chatted to Kris Jenner in an exclusive interview on Friday on her chat show

'I think she is an amazing combination of the two of you. She is so adorable. She has Kim's eyes, I think she has your cheeks and both of your lips. Some days she has your lips and some days she has Kim's lips,' she said.

'They dissect her,' Kris explained to the audience.

'Kim would go "Look at her ears mom, look at her ears!" It is so cute how obsessed you guys are.'

Before showing the snap, Kanye categorically denied that he and Kim had tried to shop first images of their daughter to the media.









Flashback: Kanye and Kim as youngsters


E

Doting dad: The rapper said he hoped his daughter would grow up to look like Kim

'She's my joy': Kanye West on Kim Kardashian



'It's all this talk about baby pictures and "can you get paid for the baby picture or do you want to put it on a magazine,"' he explained.

'And for me and your daughter we have not attempted to get paid for anything, we have not attempted to put it on a magazine.'

He said he decided to share the snap on Kris's show because he wanted to please little North's grandmother.

'You just stop all of the noise and I thought it would be really cool on her grandmother's season finale to bring a picture of North,' he said.

It was then when he shared the snap, much to the delight of a cheering audience.

During the interview, Kris asked Kanye whether he hopes baby North will follow in her father's footsteps and become a 'rapper'.




We get along! Kanye and Kris, who are rumoured to have tense relationship, swore that they get along in the interview, with the Kardashian/Jenner matriarch telling the rapper she often misses him when he goes away

Kanye told her that he and Kim would be encouraging their daughter to make her own decisions.

'I am going to give her the opportunity to develop her different skill sets and then decide what she is the best at,' he explained.

'...and we will give her the support and let her follow what she loves the most.'

Kanye had previously hinted that he didn't want his child to be in the spotlight, declaring: 'This isn't America's baby.'

But it seems he had a change of heart and decided to share the image of North in a bid to boost Jenner's TV ratings. (Kim, 32, didn't make an appearance on the show but he shared several romantic pictures from their private album).



Opening up: In the emotional and no holds bar interview, Kanye showed a very different and much softer side

Before he showed off the new addition, Kanye opened up about his precious daughter.

He told Kris that she had brought a lot of stability in his life.

'To me it is such a blessing. I feel it is going to give me the stability that I need to really create and do god's work,' he explained.

'She (North) is someone to be accountable for and responsible for.'

It had been widely reported that Stronger star had struggled with the loss of his mother Donda when she died of complications from cosmetic surgery in 2007.

Kanye West reveals Kim Kardashian and his baby North 'saved him'



And Kanye revealed to Kris the depths of despair he went through, telling her that he 'felt like he had nothing to live for'.

But he said his saving grace came in the form of Kris's daughter Kim and the couple's new baby girl.

The media shy 36-year-old explained that before Kim came along he was constantly 'putting his life at risk' .




She's made me a better person: Kanye told Kris that her daughter had made him a calmer person and taught him how to communicate better with others








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