"President Vladimir V. Putin endorsed as his successor today Dmitri A. Medvedev, a young protégé with no background in the state security services and virtually no power base in the Kremlin. Mr. Putin’s selection of Mr. Medvedev, 42, a first deputy prime minister, makes him the overwhelming favorite to win the presidency in March and suggests how Mr. Putin plans to retain influence after his term ends. Little is known about how Mr. Medvedev, a former law professor, might govern — other than what can be inferred from a relationship with Mr. Putin, 55, that is sometimes compared here to father-and-son." (NYTimes/ image via Mikhail Metzel/Associated Press)
"POOR old Hugh Grant. All he wanted was a quiet night out on a golfing holiday... but he ended up making a Hugh-GE mistake. The unwitting A-lister, single for months, clearly thought the Habana Club in Puerto Banus was a divine spot to meet young ladies, soak up the local booze—sorry, culture—and enjoy polite conversation. So he'll be mortified to discover that the establishment is well-known to locals as a pick up joint and his attractive drinking companions were PROSTITUTES... all of them." (Newsoftheworld)
"The Republican Party has launched its first use of unflattering images of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) to motivate voters in two congressional special elections this week, marking the beginning of what could be a year-long barrage of ads that invoke Clinton in an effort to torpedo other Democrats running for office." (Politico)
"Lenny Kravitz designed 'The Florida Room' at the Delano, and the new hot bar and club was the site of the Visionaire party. Dancing in the crowd were visions themselves--Fabiola Beracasa, Genevieve Jones, Ingrid Casares, Cecilia Dean, The MisShapes' Geordan Nicol and Leigh Lezark, Pharrell Williams ... In one of the few non-art-world moments of the weekend, New York royalty Alex Rodriguez held court with his wife Cynthia, celebrating his record-setting $275 million bounty." (Fashionweekdaily)
"Gillian Anderson, best known to American audiences as Agent Dana Scully of the F.B.I., from the Fox television show 'The X-Files,' will be one of the new hosts of 'Masterpiece Theater' on PBS when it begins its new season on Jan. 13, the program’s producers plan to announce today." (NYTimes)
"Meanwhile, tonight between 5 and 7:30 Elke Gazzara is having a book signing for her 'Madison Avenue Maxi' at Le Cirque. Then at 6:30 over at the Park Avenue Armory, the Municipal Art Society of New York is holding its annual black tie gala benefit honoring Elihu Root and Wade F. B. Thompson. Sixteen blocks down the avenue at the Waldorf, Renee Fleming will make a special guest appearance at the Food Allergy Initiative’s annual gala. While down at Gotham Hall on Broadway and 38th Street, the National Academy Foundation is having its annual benefit gala with Sandy Weill, Chairman Emeritus of Citigroup as Honorary Chair, Chaired by Ken Chenault, CEO of American Express; co-chairs George David of United Technologies, Jay Fishman, Chairman of Travelers, Ann Mulcahy Chairman of Xerox; and Robert Kelly, CEO of Bank of New York Mellon. They are honoring Andre Agassi of the Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation, Ursula Burns, the President of Xerox, Harold McGraw of McGraw-Hill." (NYSD)
"Oprah Winfrey called Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) 'the candidate who can change America' in a New Hampshire speech Sunday night that concluded a three-state tour intended to put her star power behind the Obama campaign. Citing his 'ear for eloquence and a tongue for the unvarnished truth,' she said, 'He’s not afraid to talk about what race means to this country.'" (TheHill)
"Howard (Stern) had Janice Dickinson come in after that. He heard from Gary that she was shot out of a cannon this morning ... Howard read that Janice tried to get a date with Paul McCartney. Janice wasn't sure how he found out about that. Howard said that he called him and told him about it. She was very upset about that but Howard was just joking around." (Marksfriggin)
"Four countries highlighted by SIPRI at the forefront of the worldwide defence spending growth trend were China, India, Russia and the USA ... China's increased defence commitment is a reflection of the country's (so far) rapidly growing global economic heft and its bid to establish itself once and for all as a bona fide 'superpower'. Much the same could be said of India. The Moscow government, on the back of the growing influence deriving from its considerable energy and mineral resources, is trying to reclaim the superpower status that has progressively diminished from the late 1980s onwards. Russia also harbours growing suspicions about the intentions of the USA and NATO in Middle and Eastern Europe, and of the USA and its allies in Central Asia and the Middle East. For its part the current US administration, post 11 September 2001, perceives itself to be under threat from a variety of terrorist groups and consortia in various parts of the world, and is engaged in active hostilities in Afghanistan and Iraq." (Janes)
"One day before the New York Film Critics Circle weighs in with its picks for the best movies of 2007, the Los Angeles Film Critics Association (LAFCA) has announced Paul Thomas Anderson's 'There Will Be Blood' was their big winner. 'Blood' nabbed the awards for best picture, best director, best actor (Daniel Day Lewis), and best production design (Jack Fisk)." (Indiewire)
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