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Holiday Inn hotel made of key cards is world’s first

September 19, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Melbourne, Sep 18 (ANI): A Holiday Inn hotel made entirely of key cards has been unveiled in New York.

The 37-square-metre hotel, built by world record-holding Cardstacker Bryan Berg, is made from more than 200,000 key cards and weighs 1814 kilograms.

It includes a guest bedroom, bathroom and lobby, with life-sized furniture.

The design was created by Holiday Inn, the world’s largest hotel group, to mark the relaunch of 1200 of its hotels around the world.

“The Key Card Hotel is a fun and interactive way to showcase the changes happening at our hotels and is the only structure of its kind to ever be created by a hotel brand,” News.com.au quoted Kevin Kowalski, Senior Vice President, Global Brand Management, Holiday Inn, as saying.

Berg, who will also build a freestanding three-metre replica of New York’s Empire State Building in the lobby of the Key Card Hotel using Holiday Inn playing cards, said constructing the hotel has been a great challenge.

“This is my largest cardstacking challenge to date and the only card creation I have ever made at full human scale,” Berg added about the hotel.

The first 250 guests who attended the Key Card Hotel grand opening received a free night stay at any Holiday Inn.

The company’s 1 billion dollar relaunch is one of the largest in the history of the hospitality industry. (ANI)

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Emma Watson used gap year to design teen summer wear for People Tree

September 19, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, Sep 18 (ANI): Harry Potter star Emma Watson has revealed that she spent her gap year designing a ‘complete teenage summer wardrobe’ for the fair trade fashion brand People Tree.

Watson, 19, who has just enrolled at Brown University in the US, acted as a creative advisor for the ethical fashion collection, which will reach shops in February.

“I wanted to help People Tree produce a younger range because I was excited by the idea of using fashion as a tool to help alleviate poverty and knew it was something I could help make a difference with,” Sky News quoted her as saying.

“I think young people like me are becoming increasingly aware of the humanitarian and environmental issues surrounding fast fashion and want to make good choices but there aren’t many options out there.

“It has been the most incredible gap year project,” she added.

Among items that the teen actress has had a hand in designing were knitwear, cotton t-shirts, jersey dresses, and poplin shorts.

Her range also includes some more bizarre items, including “bohemian hand embroidered bed throws, recycled sweetie wrapper jewellery, banana fibre slouchy beanies and head scarves.”

They will be sold by People Tree, a company which aims at supporting developing countries and promoting environmental projects. (ANI)

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Kate Winslet, Michelle Obama among People’s 2009 Best-Dressed Women

September 17, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

New Delhi, Sept 17 (ANI): British actress Kate Winslet has been named the best dresser on red carpet in People magazine’s 10 best-dressed women of 2009, while America’s first lady Michelle Obama has bagged the spot for “best accessible glamour.”

Winslet, 33, has been named as the woman with the finest dress on the red carpet, “with her unique brand of sexy sophistication, modern Hollywood glamour and those enviable curves,” reports China Daily.

Walk the Line star Reese Witherspoon has also made it to the list for wearing the “best short dresses,” and actress Vanessa Hudgens has been named as the “best hippie chic.”

People listed former American Idol judge Paula Abdul and actress Renee Zellweger among the fashion flops.

People’s choice of the Top 10 Best-Dressed Women of 2009 are:

Kate Winslet – Best Red Carpet

Vanessa Hudgens – Best Hippie Chic

Reese Witherspoon – Best Short Dresses

Cameron Diaz – Best Jeans

Michelle Obama – Best Accessible Glamour

Freida Pinto – Best Use of Color

Taylor Swift – Best Sparkle

Nicole Richie – Best Maternity

Beyonce – Best Street Chic

Kim Kardashian – Best Bikinis. (ANI)

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Asda to sell salwar kameez under new Asian clothing range

September 14, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, Sep 14 (ANI): Supermarket giant Asda is set to launch an Asian clothing range, which will include the traditional Indian garments.

The store chain would sell garments such as salwar kameez suits and khurta tunics under the George range.

And the prices of the clothes would be starting at 7 pounds.

The George range is thought to be the first of its kind on the High Street.

“We are extremely proud,” The Daily Star quoted Fiona Lambert, brand director at George, as saying. (ANI)

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Now, LiLo to play fashion adviser

September 10, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, Sept 10 (ANI): Lindsay Lohan has been appointed as the style consultant for French fashion house Emanuel Ungaro.

It is reported that bosses even fired the brand’s top designer, Esteban Cortazar, for opposing Lohan as the choice for the top job.

The Daily Express quoted Lohan as telling WWD.com: “To be in a position where I’m working with a fashion house in Paris sets it apart from every other celebrity brand.”

The Ungaro staff is also delighted to have the Mean Girls star with them.

CEO Mounir Moufarrige said: “Everything we’re going to get is going to be a plus. I think the noise level around Lindsay will be very, very big.”

The 23-year-old Lohan is no newcomer to fashion as she launched her leggings line 6126 in the U.S. last year. (ANI)

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Katie Price’s hellraiser lifestyle could make her lose kids and £5m

September 6, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, September 6 (ANI): Hottie Katie Price could lose custody of her kids as well as 5 million pounds to her estranged husband/singer Peter Andre due to her hellraiser lifestyle, according to a top showbiz lawyer.

Ambi Sitham has said that the reality star’s boozy jaunts to Ibiza may do her harm during the divorce procedures at court.

“Price’s behaviour over the last four months is probably going to contribute to the custody arrangements, especially her well-publicised trips to Ibiza,” the Daily Star quoted her as saying.

Price’s explicit relationship with boyfriend Alex Reid, who has acted in an X-rated movie, may become a problem too.

She added: “She was obviously getting very drunk. In addition she has exposed her children at a very young age to a new relationship with Alex Reid.

“They will look into his background and at his suitability as a potential stepfather to Price’s children.

“The courts will not look favourably on anyone they deem a bad role model.

“I should think the least the judge would decide is to grant joint custody of the children to Price and Andre. He might even get sole custody.

“Andre, coming from a strong Greek-Cypriot family background, has conducted himself as the model father.”

The lawyer believes that Price could lose out on at least a quarter of the 20million pounds she has made since her wedding to the ‘Mysterious Girl’ singer during the settlement.

Ambi said: “The courts will look at what role was played in emotional support as well as financial.

“Andre will be able to show he contributed to the Katie Price brand. Before they met she was purely known as Jordan the glamour model.

“As a result of marrying Andre she was able to create an alter ego. I think she is in line for a bit of a shock.

“She will not be walking away from this without making a substantial payout.” (ANI)

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Bihar CM uses a two-decade old helicopter

September 5, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Patna, Sep 5 (ANI): Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is using a two-decade old helicopter amid fears over its airworthiness.

M K Singh, pilot of Bihar government’s Pawanhans helicopter has said that that Kumar’s chopper, bought in the year 1989-1990, was fit to fly.

“This helicopter was bought in the year 1989-1990 and had came in the same lot as Pawanhans helicopter. We are not facing any major problem. Small problems will be there even if you buy a brand new Boeing or an airbus. These technical problems will exist till the time one keeps on flying,” he added.

Singh also said that age of a chopper was not intrinsic to its airworthiness.

“If a plane is old, it does not mean that its condition is bad. All its components are to be changed on a regular basis. There is a periodic servicing, a major servicing and when the plane crosses certain age, then crack detection takes place, an ultrasound is being conducted. These days new systems are coming like CT scan, which can detect minor cracks,” he added.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy’s chopper crash on Wednesday have raised questions over the worthiness of Reddy’s helicopter. (ANI)

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Sehwag will be missed by Team India, says Gautam Gambhir

September 4, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Chennai, Sep 4 (ANI): Cricketer Gautam Gambhir on Friday said that swashbuckling opener Virender Sehwag, who is sidelined due to injury, will be desperately missed by the team during the tour of Sri Lanka as well as the Champions Trophy.

“Any team will miss Sehwag (Virender Sehwag) because he was in such a form, that would have been a great advantage for any team,” Gambhir said.

Gambhir said this on the sidelines of ceremony held in Chennai, where he was appointed the brand ambassador of MRF.

India has announced the squad for the Sri Lanka tri-series followed by the Champions Trophy, in which they have recalled Rahul Dravid and left out Sehwag due to his shoulder surgery.

Gambhir further sad that international cricket was all about handling pressure, and you have to continuously deliver for the team.

“When you are playing international cricket it’s all about the pressure. You should know how to handle it and you should be able take that responsibility, which is very important and the responsibility only comes when the team starts expecting that you can deliver,” he said.

The series in Sri Lanka, which also involves New Zealand, will be held from September 8 to 14. (ANI)

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Chavs top the list of Brits’ 100 most annoying things

September 4, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, Sep 4 (ANI): A survey has revealed that chavs, who are typically portrayed as uncultured, anti-social, baseball cap wearing youths, have topped the list of the 100 most annoying things Brits find.

The survey revealed that more than 60 percent people found chavs to be “very annoying”.

The Brits were also annoyed by people driving too close behind them and people who smell, with 55 per cent and 52 per cent of the 3,000 people polled saying this was one of their biggest peeves.

Of the top 10 annoyances were people who eat with their mouth open (50 per cent), rude shop assistants (50 per cent), foreign call centres (49 per cent), stepping in dog dirt (49 per cent).

The list also included people who cough without covering their mouths (49 per cent), slow Internet connections (49 per cent) and poor customer service (47 per cent).

Lactofree’s Annual Intolerance Survey also found 79 percent of people were wound up easily by the little things in life, with 65 per cent driven to distraction.

On average, people find themselves getting annoyed more than three times a day and half of all respondents said they were likely to turn into a grumpy old man or woman.

The survey also found 39 per cent of Brits were cheesed off with the nation’s obsession with Z-list celebrities, while 38 per cent were fed up with the preoccupation with Katie Price and Peter Andre’s split saga.

Low on the list was the recession, with 31 per cent of people finding it annoying, and bankers, with 13 per cent finding them irritating.

Outside the top 100 were mice, mothers-in-law and karaoke, with 9 per cent of people finding these very annoying.

“‘This survey shows how intolerant we are as a nation, and how even the smallest of things annoy us – especially when, for many, their annoyances are driving them to distraction,” the Telegraph quoted Samantha Glassford, brand manager for Lactofree, as saying.

“‘This year the poll has shown how especially irritated we are by other people and their bad habits and how surprisingly low a nationwide burden such as the recession came in the annoyance list.

“For many of us, there really isn’t a cure for these everyday intolerances, yet when it comes to those food intolerances, there can be a solution.

“Lactofree, for example, will help those with lactose intolerance enjoy dairy again without any of the symptoms such as bloating, flatulence and feeling sluggish, so that’s one intolerance that can be dealt with,” she added. (ANI)

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When Kerr was sprayed in face with perfume on red carpet

September 1, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, Sept 1 (ANI): Aussie model Miranda Kerr was momentarily blinded after she was accidentally sprayed in the face with perfume on the red carpet.

The Victoria’s Secret beauty, 26, was at the launch of the lingerie brand’s Heavenly Enchanted fragrance at The Grove in LA.

As she walked the red carpet, Kerr got a face full of the scent.

“Miranda was momentarily blinded,” the Daily Star quoted one of the guests as saying.

Meanwhile, Kerr, who is currently dating actor Orlando Bloom, has confessed that it is no easy job to be a model and catwalk on the ramp.

“Every catwalk is different. Sometimes they are really slippery. Some have glitter that’s a couple of inches thick. It gets all up in your toes. It’s a little bit messy – glitter flying everywhere,” she said.

She added that modelling is a demanding job, as it is extremely difficult to look good at all times. (ANI)

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Mickey Mouse in $4 billion embrace with Spider-Man

September 1, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, Sept 1 (ANI): The world of animation entertainment is all set to become much bigger as Walt Disney buys Marvel Entertainment in a 4-billion dollar deal.

After the deal is sealed, Disney will be the owner of 5,000 Marvel characters, including superheroes like Spider-Man and the X-Men.

Shareholders of Marvel will receive 30 dollars per share in cash along with 0.745 Disney shares for every Marvel share they own.

The board of directors of both the entertainment companies have approved the deal, which will be inked after the support of Marvel’s shareholders and competition authorities.

The BBC quoted Robert Iger, Disney president and chief executive as saying: “We believe that adding Marvel to Disney’s unique portfolio of brands provides significant opportunities for long-term growth and value creation.”

“We are pleased to bring this talent and these great assets to Disney.”

He added: “Disney is the perfect home for Marvel’s fantastic library of characters given its proven ability to expand content creation and licensing businesses,” said Marvel chief executive Ike Perlmutter.

“This is an unparalleled opportunity for Marvel to build upon its vibrant brand and character properties by accessing Disney’s tremendous global organization and infrastructure around the world.”

Business analysts say the deal is “win-win situation for both companies”. (ANI)

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‘Street fighter’ Katich must replace ‘soft’ Ponting to revive Aussies: Ex-players

August 30, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Melbourne, Aug 30 (ANI): Australia needs a street fighter like Simon Katich to trigger a revival, after calls for sacking of Ricky Ponting in the wake of the Ashes loss under the Tasmanian’s captaincy for the second time in four years

Australian cricket has lost the ruthless cutting edge cultivated by Steve Waugh that made them one of the most feared teams, according to former players.

Former Test wicketkeeper Steve Rixon said Ponting is a magnificent batsman, but he will never be regarded as a great captain, and added that Australia have lost their killer instinct under him.

Ponting became the first Australian captain in 119 years to lose consecutive series on English soil, The Daily Telegraph reported.

Rixon says the take-no-prisoners psyche cultivated by Waugh has been eroded.

“I don’t relate to the brand of cricket we are playing under Ricky. We aren’t playing the sort of cricket that has made us ruthless and a team that no one really likes to play,” Rixon said.

“Teams aren’t capitulating under pressure like they used to. We seem to have a more timid nature . . . and that could certainly have a bearing on a tight series like the one in England.

“We’re struggling against sides we should be beating. England is renowned for capitulating under pressure, but we never got ruthless or flexed our muscle,” he said.

“If we’re going to look at change, I’d be looking at Simon Katich. Simon is a tenacious leader. I worked with him at NSW and I know what he can offer as a captain. He’s tough, he won’t take a backward step, he plays aggressive cricket – and that is synonymous with the Australian style,” Rixon said.

Former Test all-rounder Greg Matthews also likes the way Katich leads from the front.

“Before the Ashes series, I felt the strongest man in Australian cricket was Simon Katich. His character, his intent, he bats like his life depends on every ball. It’s just obvious for me. If I was in the trenches, he’d be the first guy I’d pick,” Matthews said. (ANI)

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Surreal, sex-obsessed world of not so “big” Russell Brand revealed

August 29, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, Aug 29 (ANI): A model has revealed that British comedian Russell Brand lures women by posting Tweets and has a pretty adventurous sex life.

The television presenter apparently loves threesome and offered Brooke Adams free tickets for MTV Music awards to sleep with her via Twitter.

Some of his posts inviting her to townhouse in Hampstead, north London read: “Where do you live? Near London? And can you bring a friend?”

While another went: “Confirm your friend, darling, as I am in the mood for adventure,” reports the Sun.

Brooke narrated the events leading to the sex act with the comedian.

She said: “I got a cab to his house and the security guard opened the gates and let me in.

“Russell poked his head round the door – and when he opened it I realised he was totally naked.

“He took me through to the kitchen and offered me a drink – although he has no alcohol in the house.

“Then he asked me to perform a sex act on him – I’d had a few to drink and had always fancied him, so I did it.

“He was very complimentary, even though he was eating a plum at the time!”

However, Brand had another girl in his house at the same time and wanted to have threesome.

She added: “He took me up to his room and there was another girl – a blonde girl – already there sitting on the bed.

“I had no idea another girl would be there – I was quite surprised.

“But I think she was more shocked than me – she didn’t seem happy about it at all. He asked us if we would have a threesome and although I was up for it, she refused.

“He declared we were not allowed to leave until he had had been satisfied at least three times, so he just took it in turns with us. While he was with her, I just sat on the end of the bed, waiting.

“He was very good in bed – not as “big” as I was expecting but he still knew exactly what to do and had a lot of stamina.

“Afterwards I just got a cab home and he said he would be in touch.”

Brooke says that she spent a similar night with Russell one more time. (ANI)

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Elle Macpherson’s labradoodle lands five-figure fashion deal!

August 28, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Melbourne, Aug 28 (ANI): Australian actress Elle Macpherson’s pet dog Bella has landed a five-figure deal with a high fashion dog brand.

The labradoodle will be the face of ‘dogside.com’ showing off its leads, coats, scarves and bowls, for “today’s stylish urban dog”.

The Beautiful Life star was apparently keen to let her dog earn fame when her dog was approached.

Now, Bella is being promoted as ‘The Dog’s Body’ after its owner who was called ‘The Body’ during her modelling days.

Elle will be receiving the remuneration during the dog’s life time, reports the Daily Telegraph.

However, there are some people who see the trend of promoting pets as a matter of concern.

Beverley Cuddy, editor of Dogs Today magazine told the Daily Mail: “When Paris Hilton took her chihuahua everywhere, there was a rush in sales of handbag dogs.

“Adopting a celebrity’s hairstyle as they chop and change is fine but acquiring a dog for fashion to mirror a celebrity idol is disastrous. Lots of people chuck these dogs out after a few months.” (ANI)

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Global Standard for testing capabilities gains momentum

August 26, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, Aug 26 (ANI/Business Wire India): Experimentus (www.experimentus.com), the software quality management consulting firm, announced that they have partnered with Edista Testing Institute (www.edistatesting.com), a 100 per cent subsidiary of QAI Global (www.qaiglobal.com) to implement TMMi (Test Maturity Model integrated) all across the Asia Pacific region.

TMMi is the de facto standard that organisations can use to measure and enable them to improve Testing and Quality related activities.

The partnership between ETI and Experimentus, offers access to accredited TMMi training and Assessments to QAI and ETI clients.

As a part of the alliance, Experimentus, using their team of accredited TMMi Foundation appraisers will offer a 1 day Overview Program on TMMi, a 3 day Program on TMMi, Assessment Services for TMMi. ETI will provide follow on consulting activities.

Experimentus, with it’s accredited in house assessment method and consultants, has obtained global recognition for the work it has been doing with the Test Maturity Model integrated and has helped many organisations clearly understand their level of risk across the development lifecycle, reducing cost and improving software quality.

ETI is fully focused on Operational Excellence and Workforce Development with specific focus on Testing Organizations.

ETI Currently works with over 54+ and has trained over 3000+ professionals across India, China, Singapore, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, UAE, UK and USA.

Julian Clarke, Director of Sales and Marketing at Experimentus, said, “We are delighted to be working with ETI and QAI to promote TMMi across the Asia-Pacific region.

Delivering IT projects to market on time and of an acceptable level of quality is even more paramount to the business in the current climate. Testing is all about Risk Mitigation, validating the level of quality achieved in development before a software application goes live.

The cost of rework, loss of benefit to a business as well as the potential damage to an organisation’s brand can have significant commercial ramifications. This is even more so in today’s “dog eat dog” environment. Therefore, ensuring that Testing is effective and efficient is a must for corporate survival.”

Commenting on the partnership, Pradeep Chennavajhula, CEO of ETI said, “Testing is a critical function, and a growing business area for many IT service providesr in India.

Many of the Asian IT service providers, and Independent Testing service providers are in need of a structured framework for improving efficiency, and continuously improve their testing process. TMMi will play a crucial role in filling this gap. Just like CMMI for Software Engineering, TMMi will act as a key differentiator for winning large scale contracts with customers from UK and USA.” (ANI)

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Kylie Minogue named Australia’s Most Powerful Personal Brand

August 26, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Melbourne, Aug 26 (ANI): Singer Kylie Minogue has been named Australia’s most powerful personal brand in a recent survey conducted by Talent Inc!.

The singing sensation is chosen over eminent sports personalities, media moguls and even the Prime Minister.

The survey saw around 400 people in the marketing/entertainment industry rate popular Australians according to how well developed their brand and brand awareness is.

“I think what makes Kylie number one is overall she appeals to a broad stream of people,” the Couriermail quoted Mark Richardson from Talent Inc! as telling.

He added: “Although she’s had ups and downs in terms of her albums, and especially in her … love life and her health, she’s always managed those things with grace and integrity.

“Over a period of time it’s given her brand a real strength and value.”

Elle Macpherson, who has her own lingerie label and skincare products, was voted second.

Cricketer Shane Warne came third, while Steve Irwin, Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman were ranked in the top 10. (ANI)

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How consumers find authenticity in brands

August 25, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, August 25 (ANI): A new study has shed some light on how consumers find authenticity in various brands.

“Consumer identity goals (or their idealized images of themselves) underpin assessments of whether a brand is authentic (genuine, real, and true) or not,” write authors Michael B. Beverland, of RMIT University in Melbourne, and Francis J. arrelly, of Monash University.

Published in the Journal of Consumer Research, their study has identified three primary identity goals: a desire for control, connection, or virtue.

“These goals reflect three respective societal norms: the need to be practical, to participate in community, and to be moral,” the authors write.

“When seeking to achieve these different goals, consumers choose different brands. When consumers desire to be in control, they may view McDonalds as an inauthentic brand partner because fast food leads to increases in weight. Alternately, McDonald’s may be viewed as a genuine partner when the same consumer is seeking to connect with others,” they add.

They have found that consumers tend to project or infer certain motives onto brands or reduce brand claims to a few basic features.

As an example, they point out in their study report that several consumers viewed driving the original VW Beetle as a highly virtuous act, because the original motive behind producing the car was to provide cheap transport for everyone, despite the fact that it was the Nazi Government that originally commissioned the car.

The authors say that they were intrigued by how consumers were able to judge seemingly mundane objects or mass-market brands as authentic.

“Consumers found authenticity in The Simpsons, McDonald’s, cigarette manufacturers, and Nike. Another surprise was the way committed environmentalists found authenticity in work-related objects such as SUVs,” the authors write.

“Authenticity is not necessarily an objective feature of an object, or conferred to things by authorities or based on the passing of time. Nor is it applicable only to small or anti-establishment brands, such as Ben and Jerry’s or Snapple.

Instead, authenticity is generated by the consumer, often in highly creative and unexpected ways,” the authors write. (ANI)

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Beijing has largest number of rich people in China: Hurun Report

August 25, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

New Delhi, Aug 24 (ANI): A new report has revealed that Beijing has the maximum number of rich people in China.

The latest Hurun Report on China’s wealthiest people said that there are 143,000 multimillionaires and 8,800 billionaires in Beijing.

In Shanghai, there are 116,000 multimillionaires and 7,000 billionaires, reports the China Daily.

The report also sheds light on how the super-rich in Beijing want to live their lives.

In Beijing, wealthy people need to spend at least 87 million yuan on property, cars and other luxury goods in order to be regarded as one of the city’s ‘new aristocrats’, or upper class, the report said.

They have at least three dwellings of their own, including a villa, like the 400-sq-m Ziyu Shanzhuang villa costing 24 million yuan, a luxury apartment in the downtown area for work purposes, and a Siheyuan courtyard house probably in Houhai.

The report said that most of them prefer investing in arts and they are willing to spend as much as 50,000 yuan for a year on piano classes.

In their luxury homes, they also have rare porcelain and jade ware collections interspersed with works of ancient or contemporary painters.

The rich in Beijing consider Cartier as the favourite luxury brand. They keep themselves updated on the world of finance with China Business News rather than the 21st Century Business Herald.

The bulk of their expenditures are on property, furnishings and fabrics, according to the report.

“During the past several years, the complexion of the rich in China has changed in many aspects. Many of them say they want to be a sort of upper class, rather than only being rich,” said Rupert Hoogewerf, founder and publisher of the Hurun Report.

The report described the capital’s richest as people who wear haute couture and who carefully choose gifts for parents, spouses and children on special days.

They probably drive a 1 million yuan Mercedes Benz R500 limousine and are also members of Yongfoo Lite, the most popular club for Beijing’s wealthiest.

Their wives usually frequent the Lan Club with friends, wear Bulgari platinum and diamond watches and drive BMW sports cars.

Japan’s Osaka and Tokyo are the top travel destinations for spouses, and they attend musicals and the opera several times a year.

The report said that annual spending of the rich in Beijing is estimated at about 5.7 million yuan, mainly for new cars, collections and about 1 million yuan for donations.

The report also defined the upper class in five other cities including Shanghai, Hangzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu and Shenyang. (ANI)

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Ronaldo may soon crush Becks in battle of brands

August 21, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, August 21 (ANI): Football ace Cristiano Ronaldo, 24, may soon outstrip ageing England hero David Beckham, 34, for the number of commercial deals to his name, says a report.

The suggestion came after LA Galaxy fans heckled Beckham and his wife Victoria at the weekend.

“Beckham, because of his age and the stage of his career, has lost it. And Ronaldo is ideally placed to ass-ume the mantle of ‘brand Beckham’, especially among young kids and teenagers,” the Daily Star quoted sports branding expert Prof Simon Chadwick, from Coventry University, as saying.

Ronaldo has already bared his chest in ads for Pepe Jeans. He has also campaigned for Nike, Coca-Cola, video game FIFA Street 2, and energy drink Extra Joss.

The news report further reveals that Ronaldo raked in 12million pounds a year at Manchester United from product endorsements, compared with Becks’ 25.5million pounds in his heyday.

He has also been snapped up as a “global ambassador” for engine oil firm Castrol.

However, how much money goes into his banks will eventually depend on his performance on the pitch, says the report.

Veteran football agent Jon Holms said: “Ronaldo is probably a better player than Beckham. Beckham is a workhorse of a player, while Ronaldo seems to be more natural.” (ANI)

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Jessica Taylor eager to spend time with cricketer hubby Kevin Pietersen

July 14, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, July 13 (ANI): Cricket star Kevin Pietersen’s wife Jessica Taylor is looking forward to spending the summer with her husband, after having spent 11 weeks apart.

The couple have vowed never spend time apart again, after they were separated for nearly three months as Jessica competed in ‘Dancing On Ice’ earlier this year, while Kevin was playing a Test series in the West Indies.

While thousands of miles apart, the duo kept in touch via Skype.

“In an ideal world, that would never have happened. We’d always be together if we could but we decided to go with it because that’s how things worked out. But we don’t want to do it again,” the Mirror quoted Jessica, the former ‘Liberty X’ singer, as saying.

She is now set to spend a long, hot summer with her man, while he plays the Ashes series against England.

“I’m so excited about this summer. I’m going to be at the Ashes pretty much all the time – there are five Tests all over the country right through the summer,” she said.

She added: “But I really love it, especially because I want to spend some proper time with Kevin.”

Before the Ashes, Jessica managed to squeeze in a super-sexy modelling assignment for Tesco’s lingerie brand Diamond Boutique.

“It’s another string to my bow, I guess, and I really enjoyed it. The pictures look fantastic.”n fact, she’s now waiting for Kevin’s reaction, saying: “I’m excited that Kevin and all my friends and family will get to see them.” (ANI)

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