Anything Goes II

July/August 2004

 

The Clintons return to the White House


Senator Hillary Clinton watches her husband unveil the portrait of himself. The Senator has her own portrait, which will hang a floor below his, among those of other first ladies.

Well past the days of springy hair and gawkiness - Chelsea, pictured with boyfriend Ian Klaus, is now the epitome of urban chic

Reagan lies in state at Capitol

Former US first lady Nancy Reagan said an emotional goodbye to ex-president Ronald Reagan, at a private family funeral held two days after the statesman's death at the age of 93.


The 82-year-old widow, with tears in her eyes, leaned on her equally affected daughter Patti Davis throughout the moving ceremony, which took place at the Ronald Reagan Library in California, where the former president is currently lying in state. Just 12 friends and family members attended, including Michael Reagan, Ronald's son with his first wife, Jane Wyman, and younger son Ron Reagan, Jr.

After the eulogy, Mrs Reagan laid her cheek against the flag-draped coffin and whispered final words to her husband of 52 years, who passed away on Saturday from pneumonia, a complication of the Alzheimer's disease from which he had suffered for a decade.

Later, thousands queued to pay their respects to the late world leader, including California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and his wife Maria Shriver, of the Kennedy clan.

Jordan queen given military rank

Queen Rania of Jordan has been granted the honorary rank of full colonel in the country's armed forces.

Her husband King Abdullah also made his Palestinian-born wife head of the Queen Rania Society for the Support of the Military and their Families.

The society, which was started by Rania three months ago, supports needy military families, widows and orphans.


In March, Rania launched a media campaign to change women's stereotypes and boost their role in Arab society.

"You were always the nearest to me to share my opinion on the necessity of providing the requirements and descent life standards to all the boys and girls in our one big Jordanian family, especially the members of the armed forces and their families," the king said in a letter addressed to Rania published by the Jordanian news agency Petra. 

Passionate notes from Camilla - Morton


Princess Diana's hopes of ever saving her marriage were crushed forever when she discovered a series of love letters written to her husband by Camilla Parker Bowles, according to author Andrew Morton.

The emotionally charged missives were reportedly discovered by Diana after she searched Charles' briefcase during a holiday in Balmoral.

"I yearn to be with you day and night, to hug, to comfort and love you," Camilla apparently tells Charles, referring to him as "My most precious darling".

In his latest book Diana: In Pursuit Of Love, Morton reveals that Diana, who was labelled "that ridiculous creature" in one piece of correspondence, had shown him the letters after becoming annoyed he had not believed her assertions that Charles was having an affair.

Camilla, then still married to Andrew Parker Bowles, urges the Prince of Wales not to feel guilty over their relationship, and tells him that her "heart and body" ache for him. In one note she apologises for suddenly having started speaking "gibberish" during a telephone conversation, but her husband had just walked into the room. Describing Andrew Parker Bowles as "looking like a furious stoat", she adds – "pity they did not stuff him".

In another she refers to herself as "your devoted old bag", and signs off "Your hopelessly besotted old friend".

The letters also contained lists of places where the two could tryst in secret. Diana was shocked to discover these included the homes of several mutual acquaintances of the Wales'.

According to Morton, the correspondence left Diana in no doubt as to the state of her marriage. She and Charles separated the following year.

The legendary R&B musician Ray Charles has died aged 73, in Los Angeles, his publicist has said.

Charles, who went blind aged six, kept a largely low profile during a recent bout of ill health - but still managed to collaborate with other musicians.

He died of acute liver disease, which was diagnosed after he underwent hip replacement surgery.

Soul diva Aretha Franklin described him as "a fabulous man" who introduced the world to "secular soul singing".

Charles is considered a pioneer of soul music with hits including Georgia on My Mind and I Can't Stop Loving You.

The 12-time Grammy winner played his 10,000th concert on 23 May 2003 in Los Angeles.

More recently, he had been working on a CD of duets with performers such as Elton John, Norah Jones and Johnny Mathis.

Born Ray Charles Robinson in Albany in the south-eastern state of Georgia on 23 September 1930, Charles went on to become one of America's most enduring musicians.

'The Genius'

After the blood disease glaucoma left him blind as a child, Charles was sent to a school for the deaf and blind in Florida, where he developed a lifelong talent and passion for music.

The young pianist later made his way to the north-western city of Seattle where he first performed as a solo act, modelling himself on the late musical legend Nat "King" Cole.

He was a master of many styles, dabbling in country, jazz, big band and blues.

Battling childhood poverty and adult drug addiction, his intense renditions of classic songs earned him the nickname The Genius.

His last public appearance was alongside Clint Eastwood on 30 April in LA.

The city has designated the singer's studios, built 40 years ago in the centre of the town, an historic landmark.

Charles died in his Beverley Hills home of complications of liver disease, according to his publicist, Jerry Digney.

Fellow country music legend, Willie Nelson, said, "I lost one of my friends and I will miss him a lot."

"It's devastating," Mr Digney told the AFP news agency. "He's been ailing for while now and it started out with a hip situation and went from there to other things, primarily the liver."

Family members and his manager were present when he died.

Tributes have been pouring in from those who knew the man and his music.

"People remember the big hits and the visual image of him, but they forget what an innovator he was in the 1950s as a jazz musician," said country music singer Marty Stuart.

Former French film star Brigitte Bardot has drawn fierce criticism for anti-Muslim comments in her latest book.

The book, called A Cry in the Silence, also condemns gays, modern art, politicians and immigrants, saying they have destroyed French culture.

But the 68-year-old actress-turned-animal rights activist - who has three convictions for inciting racial hatred in previous works - reserves special anger for Muslim culture and the ritual of animal sacrifice during the festival of Eid al-Kabir in particular.

"I am against the Islamisation of France. For centuries our forefathers...our fathers gave their lives to chase all successive invaders from France," she writes.

"For 20 years we have submitted to a dangerous and uncontrolled underground infiltration [that] tries to impose its own laws on us."

'Call for racism'

Ms Bardot also praised French far right politician Jean-Marie le Pen for his views, condemned modern gays who "moan about what those ghastly heteros put them through", and said that even French prostitutes were not the same in modern France.

"Our lovely, kind street-walkers have been replaced by girls from the east, Nigerians, travellers, transsexuals, drag-queens, bearers of Aids and other friendly gifts," she writes.

"Having a risk-free go is becoming a real exploit."

In a television interview on Monday, Ms Bardot, who is perhaps best known for the classic 1950s French films And God Created Woman, defended her comments, saying she was not ashamed of her opinions.

But human rights groups the Movement Against Racism And For Friendship Between Peoples (MRAP) and the Human Rights League said they were planning to file a complaint in court.

"This work is unacceptable. It is a real call for racism, discrimination and violence," MRAP President Mouloud Aounit told French news agency AFP.

Ms Bardot was convicted in 1997, 1998 and 2000 for inciting racial hatred in various written articles and comments made in interviews, including a complaint in 1998 over the growing number of mosques in France "while our church-bells fall silent for want of priests".