Stars come out for Christmas in Washington as Obama family join Justin Bieber, Jennifer Hudson and Conan O'Brien to sing carols

By Associated Press


Singing with the stars: (l-r) Conan O'Brien, Michelle Obama, Sasha, Malia, Barack, Jennifer Hudson, Victoria Justice and Justin Bieber attend the Christmas In Washington concert tonight


The Obamas got in the festive spirit by singing with musical stars Justin Bieber, Cee Lo Green, Jennifer Hudson, Victoria Justice and The Band Perry at the 30th annual Christmas In Washington concert tonight.

The President, wife Michelle, daughters Malia and Sasha and mother-in-law Marian Robinson attended the concert to benefit the Children's National Medical Center in the capital.

The concert of Christmas carols took place at the National Building Museum and was hosted by comedian Conan O'Brien.


High five: Barack Obama greets a child dresses as an elf (left) as First Lady Michelle also said hello

Santa's little helpers: Barack Obama and wife Michelle along with daughters Sasha (left) and Malia greet patients from the Children's Medical Center dressed as elves at the annual Christmas In Washington concert


In honour of the 'season to celebrate miracles', Obama spoke about the story of Jesus' birth during a short speech to the crowd.

He said the story of Jesus Christ has changed the world by teaching basic values such as loving one another, serving the less fortunate and keeping faith.

Obama said: 'Those are values that are shared by all faiths. Let us all rededicate ourselves to each other in that spirit.'

Before the concert, the Obamas greeted patients of the children's medical center dressed as elves and presented them with a basket of books.


Looking festive: The Obama family gather under the Christmas tree as they attend the 30th fundraising carol concert in the capital


Stars: Justin Bieber (left) and Victoria Justice (right) performed

Festive: The National Building Museum in Washington DC was packed out for the show


Obama playfully struggled to lift the basket and asked the elves to help him place it under the Christmas tree.

Justin Bieber, Cee Lo Green, Jennifer Hudson, The Band Perry and Nickelodeon star Victoria Justice took turns singing holiday classics. Bieber, 17, sang his Christmas hit Mistletoe.

Jennifer Hudson sang Do You Hear What I Hear with the help of the American Family Choir.


Christmas greetings: Barack Obama, wife Michelle and daughters Sasha (left) and Malia (right) say hello th a group of children dressed as elves


Star studded: Comedian Conan O'Brien (left) hosted the event, and Cee Lo Green (right) performed

Group shot: Malia and Barack Obama stand with Jennifer Hudson, Victoria Justice, and Justin Bieber before singing Hark! The Herald Angels Sing


She told the crowd: 'I don't know how many times I've sang for the president, but every time feels like the first time.'

Other entertainers included the United States Naval Academy Glee Club, Washington Youth Choir, United States Army Band Herald Trumpets, Ian Fraser and the Christmas In Washington Orchestra.

To end the evening, the First family gathered with the performers to sing Hark The Herald Angels Sing.

The concert will air Friday on TNT.


The most wonderful time of the year: President high-fives a young patient as they excitedly crowd round the Obamas at the carol concert in the National Building Museum


Enchanting: Hundreds attended the Christmas event


Family affair: U.S. President Barack Obama (left), First Lady Michelle Obama (centre), their daughters, Sasha (second right) and Malia (second left), along with Michelle Obama's mother, Marian Robinson (right)



source:dailymail

It doesn't do much for his image ... Anthony Weiner sports questionable moustache for Movember

By Daily Mail Reporter


Good choice? Anthony Weiner, who left office in June after it was revealed he sent explicit photos of himself to women, shows off his new moustache as he shops on Black Friday in New York City yesterday


Considering his recent troubles, it was perhaps not the best choice of grooming.

Anthony Weiner stepped out yesterday sporting a questionable moustache reminiscent of actors in 1970s adult films.

The former U.S. representative could be growing the skinny moustache for charity event Movember, where men grow facial hair to raise awareness of male health issues throughout November.


But for Weiner, the seedy-looking moustache was perhaps ill-advised following the scandal that surfaced earlier this year.

He was forced out of office in June after it was revealed he had sent explicit pictures of himself to numerous women.

At first he denied the claim he had sent an inappropriate picture to a 21-year-old woman via Twitter.

But as further pictures began to surface, he admitted at a press conference he had 'exchanged messages and photos of an explicit nature with about six women over the last three years'.

Standing by her man: The former U.S. Congressman was joined by his heavily-pregnant wife Huma Abedin


It emerged he had met all six women on Twitter or Facebook.

During the scandal, it was announced that Weiner and his wife of a year, Huma Abedin, were expecting their first child.

Despite the revelations, his wife has stuck by him.

She joined the former Democratic Congressman for a stroll through SoHo in New York City yesterday, showing her baby bump beneath a colourful scarf and close fitting black top.

Alike: Weiner's moustache (right) is similar to that of 1970s adult-film star John 'Johnny Wadd' Holmes (left)


Abedin, who works for Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, expects to give birth around New Year’s Day.

She looked a little glum as they walked the streets of Manhattan to pick up some Thanksgiving bargains - perhaps put off by her husband's new choice of style.

And it appeared Weiner was not particularly proud of the new facial hair either, as he tried to hide behind sunglasses and an old New York Mets baseball cap.

Movember raises awareness of men’s health issues including testicular cancer and depression.

Before: At a press conference in June, Weiner admitted to sending a lewd photo of himself to a 21-year-old female college student via Twitter. He admitted he had been sending similar pictures to women for three years


The movement was originally conceived in Australia more than ten years ago, and joined the American calendar five years ago.

It is an international event, with men from Europe, Canada, South Africa and Israel, among others, taking part.

Men must start November with a clean shaven face and then groom the moustache for the entire month, the movement's rules state.

Other high-profile participants include 127 Hours actor James Franco, English actor and writer Stephen Fry and Hollywood actor Brad Pitt.



source:dailymail

John Edwards' daughter Cate banned father's mistress Reille Hunter from wedding (and love child notably absent, despite being invited)

-Partied with 300 guests
-father walked her down the aisle to Trumpet Voluntary but tried to escape through back entrance later
-Altar lit in memory of her mother Elizabeth


By Rachel Quigley


Bridal party: The wedding was a welcome celebration after a very difficult year for the family


Cate Edwards made sure everything at her wedding was just as her late mother would have wanted - and that included banning her father John Edwards' mistress from being a part of the ceremony.

The disgraced presidential candidate's daughter made it clear that Rielle Hunter was not welcome at her October 22 nuptials to college sweetheart Trevor Upham.

She did however say her father's love child Frances Quinn could share in the celebration, but the three-year-old was notably absent.

A source close to the family told the Enquirer: 'John had hoped that his two families could come together for this happy event.


'But the last thing Cate wanted on her wedding day was to see her father's mistress there - and she made it very clear to him that Rielle was not welcome.

'Cate had no objections to Frances Quinn being there as she believes she is just an innocent child caught up in this tragedy, but she still hasn't forgiven Rielle for wrecking her family and destroying her mother.'

Miss Edwards married her surgical oncologist fiancé at a local Methodist church in Chapel Hill, North Carolina - the ceremony taking place beside an altar which had been lit in her mother Elizabeth's memory after she died following a brave battle with breast cancer last December, aged 61.

According to the Enquirer, Elizabeth' favourite flowers, foods and poems were a part of the big day as a way for her mother's spirit to be there as much as possible.

John Edwards walked his daughter down the aisle to the tune of Trumpet Voluntary.

When the minister asked, 'Who gives this woman to be wed?', he answered: 'Her mother and I do.'

Cate - who wore a Monique Lhuillier dress - danced with Trevor to Wagon Wheel, the same song they danced to when they started dating, according to People magazine.

She then danced with her father to The Temptations' My Girl.

The source also told the magazine that Cate wants to have a baby as a tribute to her late mother and also to take the focus off her father's love child.

John Edwards, whose long-running affair hit the headlines while Elizabeth was in the final stages of her battle with cancer, would be forgiven for having felt a tiny bit uncomfortable during the ceremony.

The initial plans were that he would at least walk her down the aisle, but it is not known if he gave his daughter away.

He avoided all the photographers - or attempted to at least - and was seen trying to make a low-key exit via a back door of the venue.

Cate has been a vocal supporter of her father, who faces felony charges of more than $1million in undisclosed payments allegedly paid to to cover up an affair, but it was clear that his scandal was not going to overshadow the wedding celebration.
His case will go to trial in January.

Here comes the bride: Cate looked gorgeous as she walked down the aisle

Gorgeous: Cate's bridesmaids and page boys looked lovely. Her brother and sister were among them

He faces a a 30-year jail sentence after he was indicted by a grand jury on six counts, including conspiracy, four counts of illegal campaign contributions and one count of false statements.

In a public address in June, with Cate by his side, he said he had 'done wrong' but has not broken the law.

The newlyweds looked delighted as they left the church arm in arm, and the wedding party then moved on to the nearby family home, where they hosted a reception on the lawn for 300 guests. they will honeymoon in Tahiti.

Before the wedding Cate, 29, had spoken about her plans for the day, which she discussed at length with her mother before she passed away earlier this year.

'We want this to be really happy and joyous; that's what my mother would want,' she said. 'There are a lot of sort of small ways that she's infused into the day.

Wedding: Cate was married on Saturday - less than a year after her mother died

Back door: While Cate left out of the front of the chapel, John tried to sneak out the back to avoid being seen


The attorney, who has left her job in May to start the Elizabeth Edwards Foundation, is the second-eldest of her parents' four children.

She said that she sees traces of her mother every day in younger sister Emma, 13, and brother Jack, 11.

Her older brother, Wade, tragically died at the age of 16 in a car accident in 1996.

Emma was her maid of honour on Saturday, while Jack was a groomsman.

'They had a tough year, but they're doing well,' Cate added.




source:dailymail

Isn't life sweet? Amanda Knox enjoys the sun on her face - and a bar of chocolate in her hand - while out and about in Seattle

By Tom Leonard In New York


A trip to the shops was a simple pleasure she had dreamed of for so long.

And as Amanda Knox pops out to pick up toothpaste and a Hershey’s chocolate bar near her home, she appears to be relishing every moment of her new-found freedom.

Yesterday the first pictures emerged of Miss Knox out and about since she flew home to Seattle nine days ago, freed after four years in an Italian prison when a jury overturned her conviction for the murder of British student Meredith Kercher.

Amanda Knox enjoys her newfound freedom with a walk to her local grocery store near her Seattle home

The 24-year-old was last seen being hustled away from the airport by her protective family.

‘I’m really overwhelmed right now,’ she had sobbed. ‘I was looking down from the airplane and it seemed like everything wasn’t real. My family is the most important thing to me right now and I just want to go and be with them.’

She has since been in hiding, her parents saying she needs time to reconnect with friends and family and begin to come to terms with her four years in a Perugia jail.

Taking it easy: Amanda and her friend seem in no rush as they head to their local shop

Free: Amanda Knox takes a walk with an unidentified friend while carrying a chocolate snack and toothpaste

Sunshine stroll: The friends appeared deep in conversation as they walked together in Seattle

Her father had suggested she had left the U.S. city entirely, but it now appears she has been staying in a house not far from the homes of her divorced parents.

And despite her notoriety, witnesses said she was not recognised during her rare sorties out of her bolt-hole. She was able to walk to her local shop joking with a friend on Saturday.

The following day, wrapped up against the autumn chill in a hat and scarf, she joined her mother, aunt and friends on a car ferry trip to a nearby island in Puget Sound for the day.

‘Nobody approached her or even seemed to recognise her,’ said an observer. ‘And she wasn’t hiding away. She just looked happy and relaxed.’

Although she may appear relaxed, Miss Knox is currently being shadowed by a bodyguard and her father, Curt, revealed the family has been inundated with hate mail and threatening phone calls.

The family are keen not to be perceived as celebrating wildly while the Kercher family face renewed uncertainty over the identity of their daughter’s killers.

On business? Amanda Knox visits an office building in Seattle having kept a low profile since returning

With that in mind, Miss Knox spent her first night home with a dozen relatives and close friends, dining on takeaway pizza, home-made chocolate cake and a few bottles of wine. ‘It wasn’t a party,’ said her father.

As she sits indoors pondering her next move – and surely the multi-million dollar approaches for interviews, book and film deals – Miss Knox has had time to rekindle old friendships.

She wrote in prison of how she longed to see her former boyfriend, David Johnsrud, and he was one of the first to pay her a visit on her return, although her father stressed their relationship was now one simply of ‘friendship’.

On the highway: Amanda Knox and a friend stroll in the autumn sunshine near her home in Seattle

The friends look completely relaxed and deep in conversation as they walk

They did not seem to mind the gust of wind as it blew in their direction

The pair experienced a slight breeze and Amanda's friend had to hold onto his hat while they walked together

Wrapped up: Knox later put on woolly hat, coat and brightly coloured scarf and was seen buying more snacks as she took a ferry trip with her family

Knox appears to be counting out change as she prepares to pay for her chocolate treats

Before the end of the year, she can also look forward to being reunited with another ex, the Italian Raffaele Sollecito who, according to his solicitor, is expected to take up an invitation to stay with her.

Along with drifter Rudy Guede, the pair were convicted of Miss Kercher’s murder in 2009 after her body was discovered in a pool of blood at the flat she shared with Miss Knox in Perugia.

Big grin: Amanda Knox looks to be enjoying life on the outside as she is spotted at a Seattle petrol station with her stepfather Chris Mellas (also pictured) and bodyguard yesterday

At liberty: Knox has been keeping out of the public eye as she comes to terms with her freedom and celebrity since she was acquitted of murdering British student Meredith Kercher

Low profile: Knox remained in the car as her bodyguard steps out to fill it up with petrol

Like brothers: Former lover Raffaele Sollecito and Amanda's American ex David Johnsrud outside her home


Overwhelmed: Knox, pictured with her mother Edda Mellas, acknowledges the cheers of supporters after arriving in Seattle last week


Asked how his daughter had changed since she was jailed, Mr Knox said she was little different, other than occasionally slipping into speaking Italian and being less trusting of authority after her experience with Italian police. ‘It’s almost like she hasn’t lost a step with the family, which is nice to see,’ he said.

He said his daughter had to remain largely indoors for the moment, describing it as ‘a different version of jail’ but said she had at least been able to lie down in the grass – something she had longed for while in prison.

Last weekend, Miss Kercher’s father John said Miss Knox should ‘keep a low profile’ as it was ‘wrong to capitalise on any murder’.


source:dailymail

Bhutan Royal Wedding: Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck And Jetsun Pema To Wed

After the royal wedding of William and Kate, it is now the turn of the tiny Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan to celebrate the wedding of their fifth "Dragon King."

The 31-year-old monarch, Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck, is all set to marry his lady-love, Jetsun Pema, in a three-day celebration starting Thursday.

Khesar was officially crowned the king of Bhutan on Nov. 1, 2008. However, it was only on May 20, 2011 that he announced his engagement to 21-year-old Pema during a parliament session.

The couple will be married in one of the most sacred monastery fortresses in the country's old capital of Punakha Thursday morning. Unlike Khesar's father, who had four wives, the current king announced that he will have only one wife.


Bhutan’s “Dragon King,” its charming, American- and British-educated and immensely popular monarch, married his longtime girlfriend Thursday, kicking off three days of celebration in this tiny Himalayan country.


Bhutan’s “Dragon King,” its charming, American- and British-educated and immensely popular monarch, married his longtime girlfriend Thursday, kicking off three days of celebration in this tiny Himalayan country.



Bhutanese children perform during a full dress rehearsal, for the royal wedding of King of Bhutan Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and his fiancee Jetsun Pema, in Thimphu on October 11, 2011. (Getty)



Bhutanese artists wait their turn to perform a traditional dance during a full dress rehearsal, for the royal wedding of King of Bhutan Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and his fiancee Jetsun Pema, in Thimphu on October 11, 2011. (Getty)


Bhutanese greet Bhutan's Prime Minister Jigme Y. Thinley (R) during a full dress rehearsal, for the royal wedding of King of Bhutan Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and his fiancee Jetsun Pema, in Thimphu on October 11, 2011. Bhutan's king, 'prince charming of the Himalayas,' is set to marry on October 15 at what promises to be an emotional moment for the 700,000 adoring subjects of his isolated nation. The main wedding ceremony takes place in a stunning 17th-century fortress surrounded by mountains and built at the confluence of two fast-running rivers in the ancient capital Punakha. (Getty)


A Bhutanese worker hangs lights on the portrait of the future King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, and Queen of Bhutan Ashi Jetsun Pema Wangchuck as Bhutan prepares for the royal wedding October 11, 2011, in Thimphu, Bhutan. (Getty)


Souvenir badges of future King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, and Queen of Bhutan Ashi Jetsun Pema Wangchuck on sale at a crafts fair as Bhutan prepares for the royal wedding on October 12, 2011, in Thimphu, Bhutan. His majesty King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, 31, will wed Jetsun Pema, 21, on October 13 in the historical Punakha Dzong, the same venue that hosted the King's historical coronation ceremony in 2008. The Oxford-educated king is popular in the country and the ceremony will be followed by celebrations in the capital and nationwide. (Getty)



In this May 7, 2011, photo provided by Bhutan's Royal Office for Media, 20-year-old Jetsun Pema, fiancee of Bhutan's 31-year-old monarch, Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck, poses for photographs in Thimphu, Bhutan. (AP)


In this May 7, 2011, photo provided by Bhutan's Royal Office for Media, Bhutan's 31-year-old Oxford-educated monarch, Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck, left, poses with his fiance, 20-year-old Jetsun Pema, a student at London's Regent College, in Thimphu, Bhutan. "As king, it is now time to marry," Wangchuck said Friday, May 20, 2011 at the end of an address to Bhutan's parliament in the capital, Thimphu, that was also attended by members of the royal family and elected representatives. (AP)



THIMPHU, Bhutan — The royal wedding of the king of the tiny Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan to his commoner bride has begun with a procession of red-robed monks, the chants of welcome, the clanging of drums and the drone of long trumpets.

King Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck, 31, arrived at 8:20 a.m. Thursday at Bhutan's most sacred monastery fortress in the old capital of Punakha wearing the bright yellow sash of royalty. His bride, 21-year-old Jetsun Pema, followed a few minutes later, crossing a wooden footbridge over a wide, blue river beside the fort.

Once inside, the couple took part in a purification ceremony led by the nation's chief Buddhist cleric before moving to the temple for the main portion of the ceremony.










source: Huffingtonpost, Washingtonpost