Brazilian protests fail to disrupt parades, soccer match

(Reuters) - Police used teargas to contain street protests on Saturday in several Brazilian cities, stopping demonstrators from disrupting Independence Day military parades and an international soccer game between Brazil and Australia.

The protests against corruption were much smaller than the massive demonstrations that shook Brazil in June, when hundreds of thousands took to the streets in a sudden outburst of anger against the country's political class for mismanaging government money and failing to provide adequate public services.
In downtown Rio de Janeiro, some 500 protesters invaded stands in the parade area, sending frightened families with children rushing for safety. Police used teargas and stun guns to disperse the demonstrators, who did not interrupt the parade.
"It was frightening. There was a wave of masked demonstrators dressed in black," said Rosangela Silva, who took a niece to watch the parade.
In Brasilia, police used pepper spray to hold back a peaceful crowd of more than 1,000 demonstrators who marched to Brazil's Congress to demand the ouster of corrupt politicians.
Protesters were only allowed to march along the wide esplanade of Brazil's capital after the annual Independence Day military parade led by President Dilma Rousseff had ended.
Organizers said many people who had intended to join the demonstrations did not turn up due to the heavy police presence and the prospect of violence seen in recent clashes in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro where hooded youths have become protagonists.

Police arrested groups of youths found with hoods, gas masks, stones and slingshots in their backpacks in Curitiba and Fortaleza, cities where parades went ahead without disruption.
A demonstration in downtown Sao Paulo briefly shut down one of the city's main thoroughfares. While the protests started peacefully, some protesters spray-painted walls and threw objects at police, who responded with teargas.
Demonstrators in Brasilia later moved toward the city's brand-new $600 million soccer stadium where the Brazilian national team played against Australia in a practice game for next year's World Cup, which Brazil will host.
Riot police used police dogs and fired barrages of teargas to stop the demonstrators from reaching the stadium, which was half empty. Authorities said at least 26 demonstrators were arrested. At least two photojournalists were injured.
More than 1 million people took to the streets of Brazil's cities in June, initially sparked by outrage at an increase in bus and subway fares. The protests quickly transformed into a nationwide movement against bad public services, the rising cost of living, corruption and a host of other complaints, including anger over the $14 billion Brazil will spend on the World Cup.
While the protest targeted politicians of all parties, Rousseff's popularity plummeted shortly thereafter, clouding her chances for next year's election in which she is widely expected to run.
In response, Rousseff pledged to improve urban transport, health and education in Brazil while proposing reforms to make Brazil's political system more accountable. Her popularity has begun to recover in recent opinion polls.
(Additional reporting by Pedro Fonseca in Rio de Janeiro and Asher Levine in Sao Paulo; Editing by Eric Beech and Eric Walsh)

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Obama appeals for backing to hit Syria, Europeans urge delay

(Reuters) - President Barack Obama urged Americans on Saturday to back him in launching an attack on Syria, as diplomatic pressure grew on the United States to wait for a U.N. report expected in a week's time before beginning military action.
Fresh from a European trip in which he failed to forge a consensus among global leaders, Obama plunged into a campaign on radio and television to try to convince a skeptical U.S. public and Congress of the need for a military strike on Syria.

In Europe, pressure increased for delay. European Union foreign ministers meeting in Lithuania on Saturday blamed the August 21 chemical weapons attack in Syria on President Bashar al-Assad's government. But they did not endorse military action and made clear the bloc wanted the United Nations to have a role in agreeing on an international response.
Pope Francis, who two days ago branded a military solution in Syria "a futile pursuit," led the world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholics in a global day of prayer and fasting for peace in Syria, the Middle East and the world.
Obama, clearly still the reluctant warrior who rose to political prominence on his opposition to the Iraq war, emphasized he favored limited strikes on Syria to deter future chemical weapons attacks - not another costly and protracted conflict.
"This would not be another Iraq or Afghanistan," Obama declared in his weekly radio address, previewing arguments he will make in a nationally televised address on Tuesday.
"I know that the American people are weary after a decade of war, even as the war in Iraq has ended, and the war in Afghanistan is winding down. That's why we're not putting our troops in the middle of somebody else's war," Obama said.
Obama will give interviews on Monday to the three network news anchors, as well as PBS, CNN and Fox News, more evidence of a "full-court press" strategy before pivotal congressional votes on military strikes in Syria.
The interviews will air during each network's Monday evening news broadcast, the White House said.
Lawmakers returning to Washington after a summer break say many of their constituents have told them they do not think the United States should respond militarily to the August chemical weapons attack that Washington blames on Assad's government.
The Obama administration says over 1,400 people were killed by the poison gas, hundreds of them children. A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll said 56 percent of Americans believed the United States should not intervene in Syria; 19 percent backed action.
Obama is seeking congressional approval for a strike, but early vote-count estimates do not look encouraging for the president, with scores of lawmakers still undecided. The Senate is expected to take action next week. The House of Representatives will vote later, but the time is not set.
As the White House cranked up its campaign, CNN showed excerpts on Saturday from the gruesome aftermath of the attack taken from a DVD shown to lawmakers and compiled from publicly available videos on YouTube and other internet sites.
PRESSURE RISES FOR DELAY IN EUROPE
Many EU governments have expressed reservations about using military force to punish Assad, now fighting a 2-1/2-year battle against rebels in which more than 100,000 people have died.
In a carefully worded message, the foreign ministers of 28 EU governments stopped short of endorsing possible U.S. and French military action against Syria ahead of the U.N. report.
French President Francois Hollande said the report could be made public at the end of next week and he suggested that France might then wish to take the matter to the U.N. Security Council, a step that could further delay any action.
"When the (U.S.) Congress will have voted on Thursday or Friday and when we will have the inspectors' report, likely at the end of the week, a decision will have to be made, including after possibly referring the matter to the United Nations (Security Council)," Hollande said, speaking from the southeastern city of Nice after a meeting with his Lebanese counterpart.
An iFop poll published in Le Figaro on Saturday found that 64 percent of the French opposed any kind of international military intervention in Syria, up 19 percentage points in just one week, with even more - 68 percent - opposing a French intervention in the war-torn country.
A senior Obama administration official suggested on Friday that the White House could wait for a U.N. inspectors' report on chemical arms use in Syria before ordering U.S. naval forces gathered in the Mediterranean to hit Syria.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, who was also in Lithuania, said later that Obama had made no decisions about waiting for the U.N. inspectors and was keeping options open.
Apart from anything else, delay in attacking Syria might help the White House gather more support in Congress and among public opinion.
The senior official told reporters that during Obama's discussions with other G20 leaders in Russia on Friday on the timing of any military response to the Syrian crisis, it was apparent that "a number of countries feel it's important that the U.N. inspectors have time to report back their findings first.
"That's entirely consistent with our timetable," the official said. Final votes in Congress could come after the U.N. report is announced.
SCRAMBLING FOR VOTES
Supporters of military action scrambled for votes in Congress. House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi on Saturday sent her fifth letter to Democratic lawmakers urging them to back Obama, noting that Congress had voted overwhelmingly to condemn Syria's acquisition of weapons of mass destruction a decade ago.
The influential pro-Israel group AIPAC said it planned a major lobbying effort next week to try to round up support for military action, with about 250 activists in Washington to meet senators and representatives.
But it was unclear whether the effort was working.
Senator Mark Pryor, a member of the president's Democratic Party, who is running for re-election next year, said on Saturday he would not support action against Syria at this time.
Pryor said that before U.S. military action is taken, the administration must prove a compelling national security interest, define the mission and build a "true" coalition of participating allies - criteria he said had not been met.
Outside the White House, about 200 opponents of U.S. action in Syria gathered on Saturday, chanting, "Hands Off Syria" and waving signs that read: "Tell Congress: no war on Syria."
"The American people are tired of war. The government is not," said retired teacher Andra Sufi, 66, of northern Virginia, who was dressed in white and carried a rainbow "Peace" flag.
In New York, tourists entering St. Patrick's Cathedral said they were frightened and depressed by events.
Beth Alberty, a 72-year-old retired museum curator taking part in a Times Square protest against U.S. military action, said she was disappointed in Obama. "This is completely against what he campaigned on in regard to Iraq. And the arguments are very much the same it seems to me in this case. We are creating a reason to go in," she said.
Democratic congressional aides said Obama's planned speech to the nation on Tuesday and briefings that top members of Obama's national security team will give to the entire House on Monday would prove pivotal in the thinking of many lawmakers.
But Republican Representative Justin Amash, who opposes U.S. intervention in Syria, suggested classified briefings would make no difference. "If Americans could read classified docs, they'd be even more against Syria action," he tweeted.
(Additional reporting by Susan Cornwell, Thomas Ferraro, Patricia Zengerle and Matt Spetalnick in Washington, Arshad Mohammed in Paris, and Philip Pullella in Vatican City, and Noreen O'Donnell in New York; Writing by Susan Cornwell; Editing by Alistair Bell and Peter Cooney)

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She's certainly not a teen queen anymore! Selena Gomez takes to the stage in London wearing racy leather hotpants

She’s performing two special dates in London over the weekend as she continues to promote her new album, but her raunchy outfit demanded as much attention as he music when she took to the stage at the revamped Hammersmith Apollo on Saturday night.
Indeed, Selena Gomez wowed fans at the venue when she opened her set in a pair of tight leather hotpants to perform tracks from current long-player Stars Dance.
The 21-year-old singer and actress teamed her skimpy bottoms with breezy white top and sheer tights, while the chunky gold chains around her neck gave the overall look a distinctly urban flourish.

Raunchy: Selena Gomez performs at the Hammersmith Apollo on Saturday night

Selena completed the look with a pair of mid-length black boots as she worked her way through the opening songs of a lively set that included hit single Come & Get It, Slow Down and Love Will Remember.

The young star recently jetted into the UK from Paris as she continues her Stars Dance world tour, making her announcement public with  tweet to her 17,000,000 Twitter followers on Saturday.
‘Hi London,’ she wrote, just hours before taking to the stage for the first of two sold-out shows in London. 

Growing up fast: Selena, 21, looks good in black hot-pants as she performs at the first of two sold out shows in London on Saturday night

Seeing stars: Selena Gomez is performing tracks from new album Stars Dance at the London shows, amongst them recent hit Come & Get it

All eyes on me: Selena stands out as she performs with her dancers on Saturday night

Away from music Selena has been promoting new film Getaway, in which she stars alongside Hollywood stars Ethan Hawke and Jon Voight.
Despite her best efforts the thriller has failed to make an impact at the box-office, with critics lining up to give it a mauling following its US release on August 30.
Speaking to the New York Daily News, Selena – whose last long-term relationship was with Justin Bieber – admits she finds it hard to ignore the constant rumours and speculation surrounding her private life. 

All grown up: Selena looks stunning as she performs at the Hammersmith Apollo

‘It does get to me,’ she said. ‘I'm a human and I feel those emotions of when people talk about you. It's never a good feeling ‘cause half the time it's just bull, it's not real.’
‘In the real world I'll drive my car to the grocery store and buy myself some food. In the media world it's like, 'Oohhh, I drive my car to go somewhere secretive.' It gets too clouded so I just have good people around me. I'm very picky,’ she admitted.
‘The hardest part (is) just trying to find someone that will just love the core person and not anything else around it.’

Come and get it: The singer performs an array of tracks from her latest album

Hard working girl: Selena has been on the road with her Stars Dance world tour

Here all night: Selena will be performing two shows in London this weekend

High spirits: The 21-year-old singer and actress is full of smiles as she takes to the stage in her leather hotpants

Pleased to be here: Selena Gomez performs on stage with her dancers

New look: The Hammersmith Apollo has been renamed the Eventim Apollo as part of a new multimillion pound investment

Grand: The interior of The Hammersmith Apollo, now known as The Eventim Apollo, which has taken it back to its 1930's Art Deco

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Miley Cyrus's Vogue cover CANCELLED by Anna Wintour following controversial VMA performance

Miley Cyrus’s crude dance at the MTV Video Music Awards has cost her the coveted cover slot on American Vogue.


The 20-year-old, right, was photographed for the December issue as editor-in-chief Anna Wintour had been eager to champion her as a new fashion icon.
But she soon changed her mind after witnessing the singer perform her overtly sexual routine in latex bra and knickers.

Kicked off: Miley Cyrus had already shot the images for the December issue of Vogue, but when editor-in-chief Anna Wintour saw her VMA performance, she was swiftly removed from the future magazine cover

Controversial: Miley Cyrus' raunchy performance at the MTV Video Music Awards send the internet into a frenzy

‘Anna found the whole thing distasteful,’ a source says. ‘She decided, based on Miley’s performance, to take the cover in a different direction.’
 
Downton Abbey star Hugh Bonneville turned down the role of Paul Burrell in the new Diana film – because he detests being mistaken for the former Royal butler in real life.
Hugh, 49, the Earl of Grantham in  the hit ITV series, was offered the part opposite Naomi Watts.
Bonneville has been chased by paparazzi who mistake him for the butler, and once angrily shouted in public: ‘I’m not f***ing Paul Burrell.’
The part went to Vanity Fair star Douglas Hodge.

Who cares? Miley certainly didn't seem bothered on Saturday, tweeting a picture of herself in a skimpy top and declaring '#TomFord #vintagechanel #breakinouttheLoubz #germany'

Indie star Miles finds a new support act

Love for Laura: Laura Whitmore had backing from her new boyfriend at a recent DJ gig

TV presenter Laura Whitmore is dating mop-haired indie musician Miles Kane.
He turned up to support Laura, right, when she DJ’d at the launch of Professor Green’s new nightclub INK last week.
The pair have been keeping their romance quiet but Miles, 27, frontman for band The Last Shadow Puppets, confirmed: ‘Yes, we are close.’
His last relationship with model Suki Waterhouse ended in February.
Irish star Laura, 28, has previously been linked with  David Gandy.
My spy at the Leicester Square event said: ‘Miles told people he was there “to support his friends” but his only friend was Laura.’

Now Mitch causes a hitch to Amy statue

The unveiling of a memorial statue of Amy Winehouse has been delayed – because the late singer’s father Mitch doesn’t like it.
The bronze, by artist Scott Eaton, was due to be presented next week at the Roundhouse in Camden, North London, close to where Amy lived, but the sculptor has been told to redo it. The ceremony has been put off until next year.
‘Mitch wants it to be just right and he doesn’t want anything to go up that he’s not completely satisfied with,’ said Amy’s former boyfriend Reg Traviss, 36.
‘But obviously it’s never going to look exactly like her.’
Amy died aged 27 from alcohol poisoning in July 2011.

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Is that you Nicki? Minaj is transformed in elegant black dress as she bags a front row seat at Herve Leger's Fashion Week show

She has pioneered her own vivacious sense of style.

But on Saturday Nicki Minaj was among the enthusiastic spectators of somebody else's creations at the Herve Leger by Max Azria show at New York Fashion Week show.

The 30-year-old rapper joined an array of stars including Jamie Chung and Giuliana Rancic to see the Spring runway show of the designer responsible for the famous 'bandage' dress.

Dressed to impress: Nicki Minaj made an impression in a silver black and silver number at the Herve Leger by Max Azria show at Fashion Week in New York City on Saturday

Striking: The 30-year-old rapper is becoming quite the spearhead in the fashion world

Nicki was utterly demure in a form-fitting black and silver dress by the designer in question.

The patterned garment featured an imposing black strap down the front and centre, as well as fur shoulders.

The blonde haired star teamed it with a pair of black Giuseppe Zanotti pumps to create a perfectly chic ensemble.

Attitude: Nicki exuded confidence in her strong stance backstage prior to the show

VIP: The Starships singer had an entourage usher her into the New York City venue

A spectator this time: Nicki Minaj sat patiently in he crowd waiting to see the show that would showcase the work of the designer responsible for the famed 'bandage' dress

Just like anyone else: The star captured moments on her smart phone as the models strutted down the runway

Gold bling decorated Nicki's wrists and she carried a gold and black clutch for the occasion.

Making sure to add her own signature splash of colour, her nails were painted in an array of fluorescent colours.

Throughout the show the famed singer snapped away on her smart phone, uploading moments to her various social media pages.

Gentlemen start your engines: Katie Cassidy steamed up the front row in a matching mesh top and pants

More guests: Holland Roden went for a splash of colour whilst Giuliana Rancic opted for one of the designer's famous 'bandage' dresses

The man himself: Designer Herve Leger posed alongside Giuliana Rancic backstage prior to his Spring runway show

Knockouts: Petra Nemcova (L) and Jamie Chung arrived for the runway show looking striking

Nicki sat in an all-star crowd that boasted the likes of Petra Nemcova, Jamie Chung, Holland Roden, Cara Santana and Giuliana Rancic.

Many of them opted to wear bandage-style frocks in honour of the esteemed designer.

Nicki recently shot a music video with Chris Brown for his track Love More, on which she featured.

She will be appearing on his latest album alongside Kelly Rowland, Wiz Khalifa, and - according to Brown's tweet - Rihanna.

Before the house filled up: Lauriana Mae and Cara Santana - who is engaged to Jesse Metcalfe - struck stunning poses before sitting down for the show to take place

Front and centre: Holland Roden, Jamie Chung, Chloe Bridges and Perrey Reeves were stylish and scored the best seats in the house at the runway show

Plenty to see: The Super Bass singer tweeted her appreciation about the show as she sat in the audience

The strut: Leger's designs feature an array of striking straight lines and lines that flatter the female shape

Wearable: The designs are approachable and have made their way into mainstream style

Standard Nicki Minaj: The vivacious singer - pictured here at the 2011 MTV VMA's - is known to step out in numbers like this, creating her own unique sense of style

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Life's a beach when you're the First Family of music! Beyonce and Jay Z continue luxury holiday with Blue Ivy

Ain't no party like a Beyonce party... and the stunning singer is continuing to celebrate her 32nd birthday in style aboard a super yacht off the coast of Italy.
With her husband Jay Z and daughter Blue Ivy by her side, the newly 32-year-old has been marking another year off the calender enjoying French champagne, relaxation and family time in the Nerano sunshine.
While most days the pop star and her rapper beau have enjoyed swimming off their massive vessel's bow, on Friday the family were ready to stretch their sea legs heading to shore.

Birthday break: Beyonce and Jay Z took daughter Blue Ivy on to shore Friday as their birthday celebration continues for the singer aboard a luxury yacht moored off Nerano, Italy

Of course, fashion icon Beyonce looked flawless doing so, turning the gangplank into a catwalk.
Putting her own spin on resort wear, the Girls singer donned a flowing cheesecloth cotton skirt with a cropped white patterned top in matching material, which showed off the performer's toned stomach.
Keeping her look simple the star wore a pair of white gladiator sandals and allowed her newly cropped blonded 'do to fall in small waves around her face.
Beyonce's only accessory was a white headband, instead the star's focus was on making sure to bring a professional looking camera to capture her family's exploration of the local town but also taking more candid shots on her iPhone.
Following her mother's lead, one-year-old Blue Ivy was also dressed head to toe in white.

Mini me: Blue Ivy and Beyonce both donned white outfits with headbands

Cradled in her mother's arms the adorable baby was dressed in a white sun frock with matching sandals and a big bow on her head, that made the little girl look like she was wearing bunny ears.
Jay Z made sure to match his leading ladies, donning a white shirt, rolling the sleeves up, as well asd a pair of black shorts and white high top sneakers.
The family looked like an advertising campaign as they picked their way through sun-bakers and made their way up the white pebbled beach.
After their family day on shore, Beyonce and her beau made sure to get some couple's time in once back on the yacht.

Boat date: After their trip to shore the couple enjoyed some alone time aboard a row boat

The married pair enjoyed some special time together aboard a small row boat - manned, of course, by a strong staff member.
Relaxing on the tiny boat, the singer laid back onto her husband closing her eyes and drifting off to sleep.
For their romantic date, Beyonce changed out of her white ensemble swapping out into a striking muti-coloured and patterned look.
The 32-year-old wore a leopard print bikini under a technicoloured tie-dyed short halter-necked jumpsuit with a matching headscarf.
After her minimal on shore look, Beyonce made sure to accessorise this time around wearing a three stranded necklace and cateye glasses.

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