Media-Whore D'Oevres



(image via dailymail)

"Malawi's government has recommended that its High Court approve American pop star Madonna's adoption of David Banda, the child she met in a Malawian orphanage a year and a half ago. Madonna began adoption proceedings in 2006 and the 2-year-old has been living with the pop star and her film director husband Guy Ritchie in their London home since then. The adoption has been controversial, with critics accusing the government of skirting laws that ban non-residents from adopting children in Malawi, which has been badly hit by an AIDS epidemic leaving more than one million orphans. But in a confidential report dated March 25, 2008, signed by Probation Officer S. Chisale at the Ministry of Women and Child Development, the government said Madonna and Ritchie had proved to be suitable parents for the Malawian boy." (Reuters, Africa)

"Chris Rock made a brief — and fitfully combative — appearance at the Anthony Pellicano wiretapping trial Friday morning. The comedian, testifying about Pellicano's investigation into a pregnancy claim by a model in 1999, was admonished by the judge to speak up when he first got on the stand, and began answering the questions of prosecutor Daniel Saunders in a subdued manner. But he really started to bristle during defense attorney Chad Hummel's cross examination. Rock had testified that he sought Pellicano's services at the advice of his attorney when a one-night stand kept insisting that he was father of her child. When Hummel referred to Rock's 'belief' that he was not the father, the comedian got visibly annoyed. 'That was not a belief of mine,' Rock clarified. 'It was true.'" (Variety)

"Musa Qala in the mountainous north of Afghanistan's Helmand province is an important battleground in the war against Taliban insurgents and the narcotics industry. The town has changed hands several times, most recently in December 2007 when Afghan and international forces retook the town from the Taliban. However, the insurgents continue to operate in the district and locals remain uncertain about their future. Situated along the Musa Qala river valley in northern Helmand, the district is strategically important. From Musa Qala, Taliban fighters can reinforce their comrades in neighbouring Kajaki, where they are trying to disrupt an important dam reconstruction project, and Sangin, another key district where the Musa Qala and Helmand rivers meet." (Janes)

"While 'fabulous' is a word most of the fashion flock toss around with ease and frequency, Paper's Kim Hastreiter has moved past the overused term--particularly when it came to describing her magazine's 11th-annual Beautiful People party, held at the Hiro ballroom Wednesday night. 'It's viral,' she described, laughing, of the gathering, which was presented by H&M. 'When this started we were 70 people at an East Village restaurant. And tonight we had 1,300 rsvps!' According to Paper's other co-editor and co-founder David Hershkovitz, qualifiers go beyond vanity. 'They can't all be cute and related to royalty,' he pointed out. Indeed, what Vanity Fair's coveted Best Dressed List is to the upper crust and royalty, attaining status as an 'BP' in Paper is perhaps more coveted, as Hastreiter pointed out, because 'three years after landing on our list, they explode' ... Björk darted in and out throughout the night." (Fashionweekdaily)

"Susan Magrino hosted a small luncheon for Sir Rocco Forte and his family at Le Cirque. Sir Rocco and family had stopped in New York on their way back to London from Lyford Cay ... Susan Magrino invited several of the boldfaced ones to join the luncheon including Somers Farkas, Frederique van der Wal, Bob Colacello, Euan Rellie (who was celebrating his 40th birthday yesterday), Rufus, Earl of Albemarle, another Brit with a title and a strong natal connection to Italy (he lived there as a child); also Allyn Magrino, and Kelly Bensimon. Also joining us were Alai, Lady Forte and the Fortes’ three children, Charles, Lydia and Irene (pronounced Ih-ren-nay) who were visiting New York for the first time and loving it. After lunch the family went up to the Guggenheim for a look, and head over to London tonight." (NYSocialDiary)

"Wednesday night was a madhouse at New York's most cherished movie palace, the Clearview Ziegfeld Theater in midtown, for the opening night of the 13th annual Gen Art Film Festival, a week which advertises 7 premieres, 7 shorts and 7 parties ... The crowd was at capacity, hoping to get a look at the two stars (alongside Bobby Cannavale and Louis C.K.) before heading to the ritzy post-party at the Park. If the young, affluent, and somewhat yuppie attendees seemed a bit different from New York's typical festival crowd, it's because they are ... Unlike most festivals, the audience here isn't made up of people who call themselves 'cinephiles', says festival director Jeffrey Abramson. 'They tend to be more mainstream- they're Netflix subscribers, people who watch movies at Union Square rather than Film Forum. But they're open to new films, that they might not have heard of- they're curious.'" (Indiewire)

"China says (The Dalai Lama is) a 'wolf in a monk’s robe, a monster with a human face but the heart of a beast.' Beijing even accuses him of orchestrating the recent rioting in Tibet, a charge he vehemently denies; in fact, he has threatened to step down as Dalai Lama if his countrymen continue to resort to violence. Nor is he unconditionally revered in the West. He has been criticized in some quarters for his opposition to gay marriage and for his belief that homosexuality and masturbation are sinful. He also has drawn fire for his cultivation of celebrity acolytes such as Richard Gere and Uma Thurman; critics say they serve to cast an ancient religion as just another New Age craze. But his most important detractors may be among the Tibetans themselves." (TheWeek)

"The young royals descended en masse to their favourite haunt Mahiki on Dover Street organised by MPs son Henry Conway last night - as Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie were seen with their cousin Prince Harry for first time since his return from active duty in Afghanistan." (Thisislondon)