Sarawak Miss Fair and Lovely World Harvest Festival 2007

FAIREST OF ALL: Hazel (centre) flanked by Hani (right) and Eileen.

Hazel Desmond, 24 -years-old five-foot-two-inch tall Bidayuh-Iban lass trade product specialist from Sibu took home the Miss Fair and Lovely World Harvest Festival (WHF) 2007 title on Saturday night beating 14 other finalists.

Hazel also took home subsidiary titles like Miss Hotlink Beautiful Voice WHF 2007 and Miss Hollywood Personality WHF 2007.

The first runner-up title went to Hani Iryani Bonny Leong an 18-year-old from Kuching.
She too took home two subsidiary titles - Miss SMS Voters’ favourite WHF 2007 and Miss Fair and Lovely Talent Anggun.

Second runner-up was Eileen Lawrence a 20-year-old Kenyah-Kelabit lass from Miri. She holds a Diploma in Business Studies and is currently working as a freelance dancer.

Indonesia's Suharto dead at 86

Indonesia's former president Suharto, whose iron-fisted rule became a byword for corruption and bloody repression but also brought economic growth, died Sunday after a long fight for life.
His demise at 86 marks the passing of yet another of the authoritarian and mostly pro-Western strongmen who dominated this part of Asia for much of the late 20th century.

Doctors treating him since he was hospitalised three weeks ago with heart, lung and kidney problems said he had died at 1:10pm (0610 GMT) after multiple organ failure overnight.
"Father has returned to God," his eldest daughter, Siti Hariyanti "Tutut" Rukmana told reporters outside the hospital, breaking down in tears.

"We ask that if he had any faults, please forgive them... may he be absolved of all his mistakes."
A doctor who treated Suharto, Munawar, said: "We worked our best... God has decided otherwise."

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono expressed his sorrow and asked people to pray for the late president.

"I also would like to call on the people of Indonesia to show the highest respect to one of the nation's best sons, a great leader of the nation who has contributed so much service and dedication to the nation and the state."

The flag at the presidential palace was lowered to half mast, and Cabinet Secretary Sudi Silalahi announced a seven-day mourning period.

A presidential spokesman said Yudhoyono would lead Monday's funeral at the family grave near Solo, Central Java, where Suharto will be buried next to his wife of 48 years, Siti Suhartinah, who died in 1996.

Suharto was a ruthless dictator whose success presiding over huge economic progress was overshadowed by his legacy of bloodshed, human rights abuses and corruption on a colossal scale.

His tenure was marked by repression, from the killings of at least half a million communists and their sympathisers after the abortive coup that saw him seize power in 1966, to invading East Timor and quelling separatist movements in Aceh and Papua.

At the same time, Suharto steered the sprawling archipelago nation through an economic boom, making it notably self-sufficient in rice. For many people here, he became known as the father of development.

However, billions of dollars ended up in the hands of friends and relatives as cronyism and corruption ran riot, and he eventually stepped down in 1998, rocked by deadly riots and mass pro-democracy protests triggered by the Asian economic crisis.

International reaction to his death recognised his mixed legacy.

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd hailed Suharto's role in modernising Indonesia and establishing the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), calling him "an influential figure in Australia's region and beyond."

But Rudd acknowledged that Suharto "was also a controversial figure in respect of human rights and East Timor."

The US ambassador to Jakarta praised Suharto's economic achievements.

"President Suharto led Indonesia for over 30 years, a period during which Indonesia achieved remarkable economic and social development," ambassador Cameron Hume said.

"Though there may be some controversy over his legacy, President Suharto was a historic figure who left a lasting imprint on Indonesia and the region of Southeast Asia."

The United States was a steadfast ally of Suharto for much of his rule, seeing him as an effective bulwark against communism.

Malaysia's former premier Mahathir Mohamad described Suharto as a "great leader and an international statesman".

Mahathir, a contemporary of Suharto's during their long terms in power, told the Malaysian state Bernama news agency that accounts the former Indonesian leader presided over hundreds of thousands of violent deaths of communists were "absolute nonsense".

"I know this for a fact. I knew what happened. Indonesia was in a state of anarchy then and he has no authority. At the time of the killings, he was not even the president. He did not order the killing," Mahathir said.

"We looked up to him as a great leader and as an international statesman. For me, it's quite personal. I know him and I have worked with him for a very long time," he said.

"Even though Indonesia was not an ideal democracy during Suharto's time, the fact remained that he brought stability to Indonesia," he added.

Political opponents however, many of whom were jailed under his rule, saw Suharto's demise as a missed opportunity to put him on trial.

"His death is a tragedy for all the victims of his crimes, they will never get justice," said Budiman Sudjatmiko, who was jailed as a student activist.

"Count in his corruption then he is a perfect criminal -- he can be put up there with Pol Pot and Hitler."

After leaving office he dropped out of public view while avoiding criminal trial for massive corruption allegations by citing poor health. Doctors said two strokes left him with some permanent brain damage.

Efforts to bring him to justice for alleged human rights atrocities in East Timor, which he invaded in 1975, as well as Aceh and Papua, were stymied by a lack of evidence.

Iran slams US sanctions drive, China backs dialogue

Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili on Friday criticised a US drive to impose sanctions over its atomic programme, and claimed support from Beijing ahead of crunch high-level talks next week.

Addressing reporters after talks with Chinese officials, Jalili said Iran and China, which has growing energy ties with the Islamic republic, were both against sanctions.
"Concerning the Iranian nuclear issue, we have a lot of areas where we are in agreement. We have a common view on sanctions, proliferation and the right for every nation to peacefully use nuclear energy," he said.

"These are the three basic common positions that we agree on and we have had a good exchange of views on how to realise these goals."

He refused to say what position China would take in talks on a proposed new UN resolution on Iran when the five permanent members of the Security Council -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States -- and Germany meet in Berlin next week.

China routinely calls for further talks rather than aggressive UN action, and following talks with Jalili, China's foreign policy chief Tang Jiaxuan, a member of the State Council, or cabinet, suggested there was no change in that position.

"The international community should beef up diplomatic efforts to facilitate the resumption of negotiations and achieve a comprehensive settlement of the issue," he said, according to China's official Xinhua news agency.

Jalili accused the United States of using the sanctions threat as a domestic election ploy, in remarks through a Chinese translation.

"These proposals, plans and dramas are all for the US domestic elections and some nations are viewing these mistaken US unilateral actions with a cold eye," he said.

Jalili, regarded as more hardline than his predecessor whom he replaced in October, is a close ally of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

He arrived Thursday in Beijing in an apparent effort to get China's support to reject any proposed resolution.

The European Union troika of Britain, France and Germany have been leading efforts to persuade Iran to suspend uranium enrichment to prove that it is not trying to acquire nuclear weapons.

Tehran denies Western charges that it is seeking nuclear arms, insisting its programme is peaceful and aimed at providing civilian energy.

"The Iranian nuclear issue is now at a crucial moment," Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi told Jalili in a meeting earlier Thursday, according to remarks posted by the foreign ministry.
"China hopes all concerned parties, including Iran, make joint efforts to resume negotiations as soon as possible in a bid to promote the comprehensive and proper settlement of this issue."
Yang met Jalili one day after separate talks with visiting US Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte, who is seeking Chinese support for a new resolution that would contain binding sanctions.

Negroponte said he would continue that push during twice-yearly high-level bilateral talks being held Friday in southwestern China's Guizhou city.
Last week, after the head of the UN nuclear watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) visited Tehran, Iran agreed to clear up all outstanding issues about its programme within four weeks.

Despite a four-year probe, the IAEA has so far been unable to determine if the programme is peaceful.

Negroponte told reporters Thursday that UN-backed sanctions were necessary as Iran had refused to suspend uranium enrichment, in line with an existing UN resolution.
China has urged Tehran to comply with the existing resolution but has not revealed whether it will support a new one.

Williams sisters back at the top in tennis Open fashion stakes

After stunning the tennis world with their dramatic on-court comebacks last year, the Williams sisters are now dominating the fashion stakes at this year's Australian Open.

Venus has set tongues wagging with her hip-hugging "short shorts", while sister Serena's pre-tournament appearance in a bikini bearing the slogan "It's all about me!" succinctly summarised the defending champion's attitude.

The pair have also broken out the bling for their matches at Melbourne Park, playing in huge diamond-encrusted earrings that have local television commentators wondering how their lobes can bear the weight.

"They don't annoy me, the only thing that annoys me is when I miss," Wimbledon champion Venus said when asked if they were a distraction.
Venus earned an associate degree in fashion design last month and is sporting her own fashion line "eleVen" at the tournament.

Her ultra-tight shorts prompted an appreciative assessment of her behind from Australian television commentator Roger Rasheed, sparking a flood of complaints from viewers.
Venus was unfazed by the attention, saying she was happy it was her rear-end receiving the attention rather than her sister's.

"I think Serena is the Williams sister that is famous for her derriere ... she's renowned. So I guess I'm getting one up on her," she joked.

Russian Maria Sharapova set the tournament alight in 2006 with her blue baby-doll nightie but is wearing a simple white dress this year, reflecting her no-nonsense attitude as she sets out to make amends for last year's humiliating loss to Serena in the final.
But her father Yuri made a fashion faux pas watching the fifth seed beat Lindsay Davenport on Wednesday night, scowling from beneath a hooded camouflage anorak as he barked court-side encouragement to his daughter.

"I told him 'you look like an assassin with that jacket on," Sharapova said.
"He (said) he has a cold so he had to put the hood on tonight," she added, describing the jacket as "unfortunate".

Some of the contenders wear their best outfits off the court, including third seed Jalena Jankovic who plays in a demure pink shift but draped herself over a Lambourghini in a black micro-mini at the players' pre-tournament party.

Serb Ana Ivanovic is Sharapova's heir apparent as the tour's glamour queen but may have miscalculated when she kitted herself out in a blue number that matched the colour of the new Plexicushion courts used this year.

Even the normally conservative world number one and top seed Justine Henin has allowed herself a stylish flourish this year, wearing a white top with lines of figure-enhancing beading on the torso.

France's Aravane Rezai made a splash out of proportion to her world number 69 ranking, appearing in a gold and maroon striped top with floral detail that wouldn't have looked out of place decorating a table at a Turkish restaurant.

The sartorial statements at this year's Open have not just come from the women.
Men's world number one Roger Federer has adopted an all-black outfit for his night matches, making him resemble a cross between a cat burglar and the original "man in black", country singer Johnny Cash.

But the last word on tennis fashion must go to Australia's Casey Dellacqua, who had no sponsor before the event and had to buy her own sportswear, only to find herself inundated with outfits from a major multi-national after two wins.
The 22-year-old had some handy tips for bargain-hunting tennis aficionados that the likes of Sharapova could do well to follow.

"My favourite shop has always been Target," she said.
"I like their tank tops and they're comfy to practice in.

Australia may intervene in Japanese whaling row: minister

Australia could send a customs ship to end a high-seas standoff in Antarctic waters by picking up two anti-whaling activists held on board a Japanese whaler, Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said Thursday.

Plans to intervene are being drawn up after the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society refused to meet Japanese conditions for the return of the men to their ship, the Steve Irwin.
The confrontation has forced the Japanese fleet to suspend whaling for the time being and drawn attention to efforts by activists to halt the annual hunt in Antarctic waters for good.
"The good news is that they haven't killed any whales for a week, and all the whaling activity is shut down, so we've effectivly ended whaling for now," Sea Shepherd president Paul Watson told AFP.

The two activists -- Australian Benjamin Potts, 28, and Briton Giles Lane, 35 --were detained Tuesday after boarding the harpoon ship Yushin Maru No 2 to protest Japan's whaling programme.

Australia, which is one of the strongest critics of Japanese whaling, last week sent the Oceanic Viking customs ship to the area to monitor the operation and gather evidence for a possible international legal challenge.

"Obviously one option in rendering assistance is the use of the Oceanic Viking, and that is one of the options we are currently considering," Smith told reporters in Perth.
"I can advise the Oceanic Viking is currently within sighting distance of the Japanese whaling vessel."

Sea Shepherd's Watson has been accused of refusing to agree to their return in order to drag out the drama for publicity purposes, a charge he denies.
"If Sea Shepherd don't comply (with the Japanese conditions) it would be acceptable if the Australian government used the Oceanic Viking to act as an intermediary," a spokesman for the Japanese whalers told AFP.

"You must understand the reluctance of the Japanese to lash their vessel up to the Steve Irwin -- it's just not going to happen like that," said Glenn Inwood. "There are very serious security and safety concerns here."

He suggested that if the men were not picked up, they would have to remain on board for the duration of the hunt and return with the ship to Japan, where they could face charges.
Watson angrily told Sky News he would not rule out a commando style raid to rescue them.
"That would be an act of desperation but I'm not going to let them take them back to Japan and put them on trial for piracy," he said.

He said Japan's whaling authorities had refused to release the men until he agreed to stop disrupting the hunt, and vowed he would not bow to "terrorist" tactics.
Another condition was that the Steve Irwin must remain at least 10 nautical miles away from the Japanese vessel and send a small boat to pick the men up -- something Watson rejects as too dangerous.

But he told Australia's Macquarie Radio he welcomed the possibility of the Australian government picking them up. "That is fine. We just want to get them off that boat."
Japan, which says whaling is a part of its culture, uses a loophole in an international moratorium on the practice which allows "lethal research". It is on a mission to kill 1,000 whales in Antarctic waters this season.

Australian Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard said the release of the two activists should be unconditional.

"We clearly say that that safe return must happen without any conditions," Gillard told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Former environment minister Ian Campbell, appointed to the Sea Shepherd international advisory board last week, said Japan was being "humiliated" by the "hostage" drama.
Direct action by Sea Shepherd and Greenpeace were an important part of the anti-whaling message, he told commercial radio.

"This ensures that on television screens around the world and particularly in Japan night after night after night the Japanese are being humiliated by this stupidity and this pig-headedness.
"It will come to an end."

Everest conqueror Hillary dies aged 88

Edmund Hillary, the unassuming New Zealander who won world fame as the first man to climb Mount Everest, died Friday at the age of 88.

Hillary, who with Sherpa Tenzing Norgay reached the summit of the world's highest mountain on May 29, 1953, died of a heart attack in Auckland Hospital following a period of bad health, the hospital said in a statement.

Tributes poured in after the passing of one of the world's great adventurers and New Zealand's most famous citizen, who was knighted soon after his historic feat.

"Sir Ed described himself as an average New Zealander with modest abilities. In reality, he was a colossus," Prime Minister Helen Clark said in a statement.

"He was an heroic figure who not only 'knocked off' Everest but lived a life of determination, humility, and generosity," she said.

News of the success of the British-led expedition to the top of the 8,848-metre (29,028-foot) mountain was announced on the day of Queen Elizabeth's coronation on June 2, 1953, magnifying the patriotic fervour in both Britain and former colony New Zealand.

Returning to base camp after the climb, the lanky adventurer greeted friend and expedition colleague George Lowe with his most famous words.

"George said 'Well how did it go?' and I said, 'Well George, we knocked the bastard off,'" Hillary recalled in a later autobiography.

After Everest, Hillary embarked on another great adventure in 1957, establishing New Zealand's Scott Base in Antarctica and leading the first vehicles overland to the South Pole.
The former beekeeper was the only living New Zealander ever to appear on the country's currency, a national and worldwide hero who used his fame to help the people of Nepal rather than enrich himself.

In the 1960s he set up the Himalaya Trust to support development for the Sherpa people of the Himalayas, building schools and hospitals.

His fame in the sub-continent led to his being named as New Zealand high commissioner (ambassador) to India in 1984.

Characteristically, Hillary described himself as a man of modest abilities, but with a strong streak of determination.

Alexa Johnston, who wrote "Sir Edmund Hillary -- An Extraordinary Life," said Hillary was complex but his defining characteristics were incredible persistence and generosity to others.
"He's hard on himself and he can demand a lot from people but he is also not vindictive and he is able to forgive people if they don't measure up," Johnston said.

Clark said the passing of Hillary was a profound loss for New Zealand.

"The legacy of Sir Edmund Hillary will live on. His exploits continue to inspire new generations of New Zealanders, as they have for more than half a century already," Clark said.

"The legendary mountaineer, adventurer, and philanthropist is the best-known New Zealander ever to have lived.

"But most of all he was a quintessential Kiwi. He was ours -- from his craggy appearance and laconic style to his directness and honesty."

Australia's acting Prime Minister Julia Gillard said Australians would also mourn Hillary's passing.

"People always looked at him as a man of achievement and I think people today will mark his passing with regret," she told Sky News.

"Sir Edmund's name is synonymous with adventure, with achievement, with dreaming and then making those dreams come true," Gillard said.

Agence France-Presse - 1/11/2008

Stem cell treatment could work in decade: scienti

Stem cell technologies could be used to cure diseases and heal injuries within 10 years, a Japanese scientist who recently broke new ground in the field said Wednesday.

Shinya Yamanaka of Kyoto University, whose team reported in November they reprogrammed human skin cells to be indistinguishable from stem cells taken from human embryos, said the new technology is so simple that many laboratories are competing to make further breakthroughs.

Yamanaka, meeting reporters in Tokyo, said it was a matter of time before such stem cell technology was used in hospitals.

"I can tell for some patients and for some diseases it may be not, like, 10 years, but for some diseases I can imagine it can take longer than 10 years," Yamanaka said.

"That depends on diseases and injuries. There's no single answer," he said.
Stem cells are primitive cells that eventually turn into any of the 220 different types of cells in the human body.

Stem cells offer enormous potential for curing and treating disease because it is hoped they can replace damaged or diseased cells, tissues and organs.
But stem cell research has been highly controversial because -- until now -- viable embryos had to be destroyed to extract the stem cells.

The research by Yamanaka's team, who worked alongside US researchers led by James Thomson of the University of Wisconsin at Madison, was praised by the Roman Catholic Church and other critics of embryo research.

The research has since accelerated. Yamanaka said that up to five laboratories in the United States and several in Japan have since also produced stem cells from human skin, known as pluripotent stem cells, or iPS cells.

"This is because technology is very simple," he said. "All you need is a basic technology, cell biology" and "you don't need special technology or equipments."
Yamanaka said having lots of rivals in his research area has caused him a lot of stress but that he believes "it speeds up everything, the process, because of the competition."
"So I think it's very good for patients who are waiting" for treatment, he said.

Online support grows for 'hot' Bhutto son

Bilawal Bhutto, thrust into the political spotlight by the assassination of his mother in Pakistan, can count on support from at least one source -- female Facebook fans who describe him as "hot".

"Oh My God he's cute," said one contributor to "Let's not assassinate Bilawal Bhutto because he's hot, ok?," a new group on the social networking site after the 19-year-old was named last week to succeed his mother as leader of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP).
"Oh God, I totally agree. He's so sexy," added another member of the group, which so far had 48 members.

The Oxford undergraduate, who attended his mother Benazir Bhutto's funeral last Friday, reveals a few things about himself on his own Facebook site, describing his political views as "liberal".

"What's Islamic extremism? It's strict adherence to a particular interpretation of seventh century Islamic law as practiced by the prophet Mohammed, and when I say 'strict adherence', I'm not kidding around.

"Men are forced to pray, wear their beards a certain length. Among my favorites is there's only one acceptable cheer at a football match: Allah-hu-Akbar. God is great.
"If your guys are getting creamed, then you're on your own," he wrote on his Facebook site, which says he has 315 friends.

Bilawal, who is due to return to his studies in Oxford this month, lists his hobbies as cricket, swimming, squash and shooting, his favourite TV shows include "The Simpsons" and top filmmakers Michael Moore and Quentin Tarantino.

Other details are revealed by online friends: the Guardian daily printed a picture of him in fancy dress as the devil at a Halloween Party with red horns and a trident.
"We're ready to bring hell on earth ... mwaaahahahahahah," he reportedly added in a comment appended to the photo, posted by a friend.

Other Facebook groups focused on the teenager, whose nomination raised some eyebrows among critics of the dynastic system, include "Support Bilawal Bhutto Zardari," and another named: "Bilawal Bhutto Zardari? Where'd he come from?"

Agence France-Presse - 1/2/2008

Playmakers 2007

TOP 10
AC Milan and Brazil football star Kaka was voted the best player in the world by other players and managers. Kaka beat Argentinean striker Lionel Messi and Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo to win the award, which is run by world football bosses Fifa.
The Iraqi soccer captain Younis Mahmoud brought a rare moment of joy and unity to his war-ravaged people when he headed home the winning goal to beat Saudi Arabia and give rank-outsiders Iraq a fairytale victory in the Asian Cup. Even Pope Benedict hailed the victory and said the win would help to bring peace in Iraq.
Sri Lanka off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan took 709 wickets to reclaim the world record for the most Test wickets in December. Murali surpassed Australian Shane Warne's record at his home town of Kandy on the third day of the first Test against England.
Lewis Hamilton was the rookie sensation of 2007 Formula One season. But he lost the driver's title by a whisker as he could not finish among the top four in the season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix in October. Hamilton clinched six pole positions, four wins and 109 point in the 17 gruelling races of the 2007 season, indeed a record by a beginne
Double world champion Fernando Alonso will return to Renault in 2008 in an all-new line-up with Brazilian Nelson Piquet junior. Alonso, 26, won both his titles with the French manufacturer in 2005 and 2006 before an ill-fated move to McLaren. He has won 19 Grand Prix, with his first at the wheel of a Renault in 2003. Alonso had split with the Mercedes-powered team after falling out with senior management over their refusal to give him preferential treatment over Hamilton

It was another remarkable year for the Swiss tennis master. The 26-year-old reached all four major finals for the second successive year, winning the Australian Open, Wimbledon and US Open. He also became the first player to earn over $10 million in annual prize money. To cap a fine 2007, Federer won the ITF World champion award for the fourth successive year
The ousted Thai Prime Minister had purchased Manchester City for a whopping $163.8 million. Observers believe the takeover will help the premiership side regain its pas glory. The former Bangkok policeman has already put his cash to good use by paying off the club's debt and hiring a high-profile manager in former England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson
The pin-up girl of world athletics suffered a body blow when the International Olympic Committee officially stripped of her five Sydney 2000 Olympics medals, including three golds, after she admitted in October to using performance-enhancing drugs. Jones had admitted her triple-gold, five-medal spree at the 2000 Sydney Olympics was powered by performance-enhancing drugs. She promptly returned her five medals and had all her results dating back to September 2000 erased
Asafa Powell emerged the fastest man on the world, when he clocked 9.74 seconds during heat at Rieti IAAF Grand Prix in September. However, the Jamaican could not improve the timing in the final race, as he clocked 9.78 seconds to win gold
The death of Bob Woolmer in a hotel room in Jamaica during 2007 World Cup was a sad loss to cricket. But when the police claimed it was murder, Woolmer's death became a worldwide sensation. Speculation was rife that organised crime surrounding betting rings may have been involved. Fingers were even pointed at members of the Pakistan team that Woolmer coached. In the end, though, the Jamaican police had to admit that new evidence ruled out foul play

Showstoppers 2007

MUSICAL TOP 10
Led Zeppelin rounded off a year of landmark reformations in early December with a triumphant return to the stage in London 27 years after the band split in 1980, following the death of drummer John Bonham. Most fans had assumed they would never take the stage together again - but in September they announced the reunion for a tribute to Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun, who signed the band four decades ago and died last year.
The Police surprised the fans by announcing their reunion after more than 20 years apart, though most fans believed personal resentments at the heart of the group would prevent a comeback. Singer Sting and drummer Stewart Copeland once came to blows during a tour of the United States and had reportedly refused to be in the same studio together while recording a "best of" album in 1986. Mellowed by age and doubtless aware of the immensely lucrative nature of making-up, the band launched a world tour in May, set to continue into 2008.

Phil Collins joined up with his Genesis band mates again (minus Peter Gabriel) for a giant tour, Lou Reed was back performing, and Van Halen announced concerts for the first time in 22 years with original singer David Lee Roth.

The Police surprised the fans by announcing their reunion after more than 20 years apart, though most fans believed personal resentments at the heart of the group would prevent a comeback. Singer Sting and drummer Stewart Copeland once came to blows during a tour of the United States and had reportedly refused to be in the same studio together while recording a "best of" album in 1986. Mellowed by age and doubtless aware of the immensely lucrative nature of making-up, the band launched a world tour in May, set to continue into 2008.
Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty was virtually unknown in the world until Jade Goody, Danielle Lloyd and Jo O'Meara subjected her to racist bullying on the reality TV show - Celebrity Big Brother. They mocked her accent and manners, and Goody once referred to her as Shilpa Poppadum. A record number of viewers complained, and Channel 4 was found guilty of "serious editorial misjudgements".
With his January single, Grace Kelly, flamboyant singer Mika reached the number one in the singles chart by download alone. His popularity increased with the album Life in Cartoon Motion, which has sold more than four million copies worldwide. The 23-year-old, real name Michael Holbrook Penniman, was born in Beirut but moved to London when he was nine. He went to Westminster School and turned to pop music after dropping out of the Royal College of Music.
It was an eventful year for the Pop diva. First she shaved her head bald, went to rehab, got divorced from K-Fed, prepared for a comeback performance on the MTV Video Music Awards and bombed in epic fashion. Finally, she lost physical custody of her kids. Despite all this, she did manage to put out an album that actually got critical acclaim.
Ang Lee's steamy 'Lust, Caution' trotted off as the big winner at the 2007 Golden Horse awards, the most coveted Chinese-language film prizes, picking up seven honours including best director and best film. The film also helped Lee win the award for outstanding Taiwanese filmmaker of the year.
Nearly a decade after their last British concert, the Spice Girls made a triumphant return home with a sell-out performance that critics hailed as the return of "girl power". Most reviewers agreed that the group managed to recreate the excitement of their 1990s heyday at the first date of the UK leg of their reunion world tour in December.
The music and tribulations of British soul singer Amy Winehouse were a source of fascination for the public and a talking point in the industry. The 24-year-old Londoner won awards for her scintillating soul music, reminiscent of the best Motown classics, but her drug abuse and problems with the police meant her private life cast a pall over her achievements.With his January single, Grace Kelly, flamboyant singer Mika reached the number one in the singles chart by download alone. His popularity increased with the album Life in Cartoon Motion, which has sold more than four million copies worldwide. The 23-year-old, real name Michael Holbrook Penniman, was born in Beirut but moved to London when he was nine. He went to Westminster School and turned to pop music after dropping out of the Royal College of Music.

THE TOP TEN WORLD'S FOCUS
Two months after returning to her homeland following an eight-year self-imposed exile, former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated in a suicide attack on December 27 at a political rally in Rawalpindi - the northern town where she had once gone to school. It was the second suicide attack targeting her, the first being in Karachi on her homecoming. The killing had once again exposed the chaotic political life of Pakistan.
The national airline of Singapore added one more feather in its cap recently with the addition of Airbus A380, world's biggest passenger jet, to its fleet. The 'Super Jumbo' is enormous - each wing could hold about 72 cars, and each plane contains more than 500 kilometres (300 miles) of wiring. It could carry 853 passengers in an all-economy configuration. But the Singapore Airlines has installed just 471 seats to offer more space, particularly in business and first class.
Aung San Suu Kyi has become an international symbol of heroic and peaceful resistance in the face of oppression by the Myanmar junta. She hogged headlines again in 2007 after Buddhist monks had begun protests against the military regime. The Junta, for the first time after putting her under house arrest, was forced to hold talks with the democratic leader in October. For the people of Myanmar, Aung San Suu Kyi represents their best and, perhaps sole hope, that there will be an end to the country's military repression.
Centre-left leader Kevin Rudd stormed to victory in Australia's election in November, ending Prime Minister John Howard's 11-year rule. Mandarin-speaking Rudd's Labour party scored its biggest victory since World War II, achieving an estimated six percent swing in the vote which gave it a commanding 24 seat majority in the parliament.
James Gordon Brown became the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in June. But his premiership was plunged into a series of crises over party funding scandals, his dithering over whether to call a general election, his government's alleged timidity over Northern Rock's financial plight and a succession of disappearances of discs containing confidential personal information on millions of Britons. Restoring his and his party's reputation will be top of his 2008 agenda.
Yasuo Fukuda became the 91st Prime Minister of Japan in September, following Shinzo Abe's abrupt resignation. The 71-year-old is a member of the political elite - his father was Prime Minister Takeo Fukuda. A party elder with broad support, Mr Fukuda served as chief cabinet secretary - the top government spokesman - under Mr Abe's predecessor Junichiro Koizumi.
Joseph Ejército Estrada, the 13th Philippines President, once again hogged limelight after he was found guilty of plundering national wealth. But Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's Presidential pardon in October had saved him from another imbroglio.
China got its first Miss World in Zi Lin Zhang. The 23-year-old beauty queen, a Beijing secretary who was born in the gritty northern industrial city of Shijiazhuang, scooped the title outclassing contestants from all over the world.
The writer of the Harry Potter fantasy series has been named as 13th richest woman in Britain by the 2007 Sunday Times Rich List. Forbes has named Rowling the second-richest female entertainer in the world and ranked her as the 48th most powerful celebrity of 2007. Time magazine named Rowling as a runner up for their 2007
Person of the Year.

BBC correspondent Alan Johnston, who was kidnapped by The Army of Islam, became the focus of worldwide attention in 2007. A world-wide campaign for his release was launched. He was held hostage for nearly four months during which time he was threatened with execution but not tortured. After his release, he spoke movingly about pacing in his room for mile after mile and how his ordeal provided him with a "dark education".