Military Influence

Charlotte Ronson

Frazer Harrison
Runway: Army jackets, sharp-cut military jackets and olive green were all over the runway for Spring 2010.

Reality: Here's a trend that works for so many women, and it's as easy to buy into as adding a pair of soft utility pants or khaki camp shirt into your wardrobe. The key to keeping military looks feminine is to choose fitted shirts and jackets: it gives it more of a boy-meets-girl look than a sloppy army surplus look. Although camo is around, it's really the khakis and olives that look freshest. I happen to be a huge fan of olive, but if it's not a color you can wear keep it on the bottom or just go with khaki.

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New Leggings

ThreeASFOUR

Jeff Gentner/Getty Images
Runway: To shake up the basic black leggings that everyone has co-opted as a no-brainer look, designers took to crazy prints and fresh fabrics.

Reality: No need to go with wild ripped-up leggings or eye-popping prints to get a fresh take on leggings for spring. Contemporary manufacturers in particular have you covered: new acid-wash/tie-dye looks, khaki neutrals, cute zip-ankle details and especially denim leggings (jeggings) will add to your legging wardrobe.

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Spring Fashion: 10 Looks to Love


Runway: Designers rework denim into rompers, dresses and shoes for spring. The edgiest looks feature head-to-toe denim: previously a fashion don't.

Reality: Head-to-toe denim may work on trendy fashionistas as a fad, but in reality the denim-everything trend is one we all love. From denim tunics worn with leggings to great denim shoes (Tory Burch has a pair you'll die for), touches of denim worn in new ways -- as jackets, dresses, rompers and shirts -- instead of just jeans looks fresh for spring. Mix denim with white, brights and neutrals. Denim is a natural for big bold pieces of nature-inspired jewelry like wood or turquoise.

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Spring Fashion: 10 Looks to Love


Runway: Designers rework denim into rompers, dresses and shoes for spring. The edgiest looks feature head-to-toe denim: previously a fashion don't.

Reality: Head-to-toe denim may work on trendy fashionistas as a fad, but in reality the denim-everything trend is one we all love. From denim tunics worn with leggings to great denim shoes (Tory Burch has a pair you'll die for), touches of denim worn in new ways -- as jackets, dresses, rompers and shirts -- instead of just jeans looks fresh for spring. Mix denim with white, brights and neutrals. Denim is a natural for big bold pieces of nature-inspired jewelry like wood or turquoise.

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New York agrees World Trade Center 9/11 dust payout

Fireman at Ground Zero on 11 September 2001
Thousands of rescue and clean-up workers say the dust made them sick

New York City officials have agreed to pay up to $657.5m (£437m) to thousands of rescue and clean-up workers at the Ground Zero site of the 9/11 attacks.

The settlement would compensate more than 10,000 plaintiffs who say they were made sick by dust from the collapsed World Trade Center towers.

At least 95% of the plaintiffs must approve the deal for it to take effect.

The money would come from a federally financed insurance fund of almost $1bn that the city controls.

A claims adjudicator, chosen by the lawyers involved in the case, would decide on the validity of each plaintiff's claim and how much compensation they were entitled to.

Respiratory illnesses

The agreement follows a long battle in the courts, but must still be approved by a judge and agreed to by the claimants.

We are gratified that these heroic men and women will finally receive just compensation for their suffering
Marc Bern
Claimants' lawyer

The announcement was made on Thursday evening by the World Trade Center Captive Insurance Company, which was set up to handle the claims of those injured in the rescue effort.

In a statement, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg called the settlement "a fair and reasonable resolution to a complex set of circumstances".

Some workers are expected to receive payments of only a few thousand dollars, while others could be in line to get more than $1m, depending on their injuries.

'Fund depleted'

The BBC's Adam Brookes, in Washington, says the agreement means that the long-running legal battle spawned by the 9/11 attacks may now be drawing to a close.

The 9/11 attacks
The twin towers' fall covered Lower Manhattan in dust and debris

After the twin towers fell on 11 September 2001, rescuers spent weeks amid the smouldering wreckage and choking dust in Lower Manhattan, but few were adequately insured for such work.

The government set up a special insurance company to handle claims if any of them ended up injured or sick.

The claims came flooding in, many for cancer and respiratory illness caused by dust.

By early 2008, according to government documents, nearly 10,000 law suits had been filed against the insurance company.

But only six claims were paid out.

Lawyers for the city had claimed it did its best to provide respiratory equipment for workers, and challenged some claims as being based on flimsy medical evidence.

Marc Bern, a senior partner with the law firm which negotiated the deal, said: "We are gratified that these heroic men and women who performed their duties without consideration of the health implications will finally receive just compensation for their pain and suffering."

It is thought that the long courts battle has depleted the $1bn fund created by Congress to help insure the city, with the legal bill so far running to more than $200m.

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Thailand braces for massive political protests

A soldier stands guard on Thursday outside Government House in Bangkok.
A soldier stands guard on Thursday outside Government House in Bangkok.

Bangkok, Thailand (CNN) -- Thailand braced for anti-government demonstrations that began Friday and were expected to peak over the weekend with as many as 150,000 protesters on the streets.

In anticipation, the government has mobilized 50,000 security forces, said acting spokesman Panitan Wattanayakorn.

The mass rallies are expected to be peaceful but Army spokesman Col. Sansern Kaewkumnerd said that crowd-control measures will be used if necessary.

"We will exercise the most effort to explain to demonstrators not to resort to violence, but if worse comes to worst, we may have to apply tear gas," he said.

The "red shirt" opposition protesters include supporters of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a bloodless military coup in 2006. Thaksin was the only Thai prime minister to serve a full-term in office and remains hugely popular.

The protesters say that current Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva was not democratically elected and have demanded that he call new elections.

Since Thaksin's ouster, Thailand has endured widespread political unrest that has pitted Thaksin loyalists against Abhisit's supporters. In September, tens of thousands of red shirt demonstrators converged on the Thai capital, Bangkok, to mark the third anniversary of the coup that ousted Thaksin.

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Autopsy shows Haim had enlarged heart, manager says

Corey Haim, 38, died after collapsing in the apartment he shared with his mother, Judy Haim.
Corey Haim, 38, died after collapsing in the apartment he shared with his mother, Judy Haim.


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Los Angeles, California (CNN)
-- The autopsy on Corey Haim revealed the actor's heart was enlarged and his lungs were filled with water when he died, Haim's manager said.

Heaslip said this was evidence that Haim's death was not caused by a drug overdose, but Brian Elias with the coroner's office said they are waiting for toxicology tests before deciding what killed Haim.

The 1980s teen movie actor, who struggled for decades with drug addiction, died early Wednesday after collapsing in the Los Angeles apartment he shared with his mother, authorities said.

Longtime friend and frequent co-star Corey Feldman asked Wednesday that people not "jump the gun" to conclude a drug overdose killed Haim.

Heaslip, manager to both Feldman and Haim, said he seemed to be winning his battle against drug abuse in the weeks before his death.

Haim, 38, was taken to Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, California, early Wednesday, where he was pronounced dead at 2:15 a.m. PT (5:15 a.m. ET), said Ed Winter, Los Angeles County deputy coroner.

Haim was in the apartment he shared with his mother, Judy Haim, when he "became a little dizzy, he kind of went to his knees in the bedroom," Winter said. "His mom assisted him in the bed. He became unresponsive."

His mother called paramedics to the apartment, which is between Hollywood Hills and Burbank, he said.

Haim had suffered from flulike symptoms for two days, the deputy coroner said.

"We found no illicit drugs. However, we did recover four of his prescription meds at the location," Winter said, adding he does not know what those drugs were.

Haim was "weaned down to literally zero medications" in the past two weeks by an addiction specialist, Heaslip said on HLN's "Issues With Jane Velez-Mitchell" on Wednesday.

The doctor "put him on a new line of medications," Feldman said on CNN's "Larry King Live" on Wednesday.

Feldman pleaded with people not to draw conclusions that Haim died from a drug overdose. He said that until the autopsy report is issued, "nobody knows and nobody's going to know."

Watch Corey Feldman talk about his friend's death on "Larry King Live" Video

"I know that there were symptoms that he was showing that expressed it could be a number of things," Feldman said. "This could have been a kidney failure. This could have been a heart failure."

Heaslip that said Haim's mother, Judy, told him "there were no signs of him overdosing."

His death came as his career was picking up, with Haim booking "movie after movie," Heaslip said. His latest film is set for release soon, he said.

Haim "really became a man" in recent months as he helped his mother in her battle with cancer, Feldman said. "He's been there for her, taking care of her, being responsible," he said.

Feldman said he was angry about how Haim has been snubbed in recent years by the entertainment industry. He was broke, without a car and living in a month-to-month rental apartment with his mother, he said.

"We build people up as children, we put them on pedestals and then when we decide that they are not marketable anymore, we walk away from them," he said.

Haim's most famous role was in the 1987 movie "The Lost Boys," in which he appeared with Feldman. Haim played the role of a fresh-In later years, the two friends -- who appeared in eight movies together -- struggled with drug abuse and went their separate ways. They reunited for a reality show, "The Two Coreys," in 2007, but A&E Network canceled the program after slightly more than a year.

In a 2007 interview on CNN's "Larry King Live," Haim and Feldman discussed their battle with drugs. Feldman told King that he had gotten clean, but it took Haim longer.

Haim called himself "a chronic relapser for the rest of my life."

"I think I have an addiction to pretty much everything," he said. "I mean, I have to be very careful with myself as far as that goes, which is why I have a support group around me consistently."

In 2008, Feldman told People magazine that he would no longer speak to Haim until his former co-star got sober. In a clip from "The Two Coreys," Feldman and his wife, along with two other former teen stars, called on Haim in an effort to get him to admit he needed help, the magazine said.

The meeting followed an incident in which Haim, scheduled to film a cameo appearance in a direct-to-DVD sequel to "The Lost Boys," appeared on the set "clearly under the influence," People reported.

Feldman told King on Wednesday that he renewed his contact with Haim in the past year because of the progress he made against hisaddiction.

Haim was born December 23, 1971, in Toronto, Ontario, according to a biography on his Web site. He made his first television appearance in 1982 on the Canadian series "The Edison Twins." His first film role was in the 1984 movie "First Born."

Haim also won rave reviews for his title role in the 1986 film "Lucas." Film critic Roger Ebert said of him at the time, "If he continues to act this well, he will never become a half-forgotten child star, but will continue to grow into an important actor."

Following "The Lost Boys," Haim and Feldman appeared in "License to Drive" and "Dream a Little Dream."

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UN humanitarian chief criticises Israel over Gaza

John Holmes in Gaza - 2 March 2010
Israel's blockade of Gaza has not weakened Hamas, Mr Holmes said

The UN's top humanitarian official, John Holmes, has criticised Israel for linking the 2006 capture of an Israeli soldier to its blockade of Gaza.

Mr Holmes also said Israeli actions in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, including expanding settlements, was counter to the peace process.

He urged a relaxation of the blockade, warning Gaza was "de-developing".

Meanwhile, Israel has ordered the army to seal off the West Bank for 48 hours until midnight on Saturday.

An army spokesman said the move had been made because of heightened tensions in Jerusalem.

It follows a visit to Israel and the West Bank by US Vice-President Joe Biden, during which the US and Palestinians criticised Israel's plans to build more Jewish homes in the Arab east of the city.

'Gangster economy'

The Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, was captured by Palestinian militants nearly four years ago near the border with Gaza.

Mr Holmes, of the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs, was speaking at the UN after visiting Israel and the Palestinian territories earlier this month.

"Obviously we've called for the release of Cpl Shalit, and that he should be treated in accordance to the Geneva conventions," Mr Holmes said.

"But the link between that and the fate of 1.5 million Palestinians in Gaza does not seem to us a reasonable one."

He said the blockade of Gaza had not weakened Hamas, the militant Islamist movement which controls the territory.

Joe Biden at Tel Aviv University (11 March 2010)

Mr Holmes told journalists there had been some progress: the Israelis had allowed into Gaza goods such as glass to fix broken windows.

But, he said, in general Gaza was being pushed backwards, or "de-developing", because it was not possible to repair war damage and revive the economy.

Mr Holmes said the situation in Gaza was so bad that even though smuggling tunnels to Egypt were fostering a "gangster economy", the situation would become unsustainable if they were blocked.

The tunnels are a conduit for badly needed commercial goods, including food and medicine, but are also widely believed to be used for smuggling cash and weapons to Hamas.

Egypt is reinforcing its Gaza border barrier with underground metal plates in an attempt to block the tunnels.

Mr Holmes spoke as Mr Biden was winding down his trip to the Middle East, the highest ranking Obama administration official yet to go to Israel and the West Bank.

'No better friend'

On Tuesday, the Israeli interior ministry said that the Jerusalem authorities had approved the expansion of Jewish homes in East Jerusalem.

Mr Biden said the decision "undermined the trust required for productive negotiations" and warranted his unequivocal condemnation.

But he also said the United States had "no better friend than Israel" and urged peace talks to resume without delay.

Close to 500,000 Jews live in more than 100 settlements built since Israel's 1967 occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

They are illegal under international law, although Israel disputes this.

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