Actress Brittany Murphy has died at the age of 32.

The ‘Clueless’ star died in the early hours of Sunday 20 December after going in to cardiac arrest; Showbiz website TMZ reports that Murphy’s mother found the actress unconscious in the shower. Paramedics arrived at her L.A home and immediatelyadministered CPR.  

Murphy was taken to Cedar’s- Sinai Medical Centre, were she was pronounced dead on arrival.

Unconfirmed reports suggested she had become addicted to pain killers following a cosmetic surgery procedure; this followed on from a TMZ report which claimed large amounts of prescription drugs were found in the house during a police search.

The Actress was best known for her roles in films such as ‘Don’t Say a Word’, ‘Just Married’, ‘Uptown Girls’ and’8 Mile’ to name a few. According to TMZ Murphy was allegedly fired from her last film, ‘The Caller’ after reports she was problematic on set.

The Family has released a statement saying: “The sudden loss of our beloved Brittany is a terrible tragedy. She was our daughter, our wife, our love and a shining star. We ask you to respect our privacy at this time.”

Well isn’t this high street chain doing well for itself; first they had Karl Largerfeld design a collection, then Madonna and now Jimmy Choo. According to H&M’s official website this will be the first time the store will be ‘collaborating with an accessorise brand, and in celebration of this the brand will also design a collection of women’s outfits to compliment the accessorise- what more could you ask for!

Obviously the first thing to go will be the shoes, theres no doubt the Carrie Bradshaws of this town will be fighting for piece of the collection. But don’t go pushing your mates to the floor in a rush to get a pair- the collection is said to be a around over the festive season.

A look at what will be included in the collection

Margareta van den Bosch, creative advisor, H&M said: “We adore Jimmy Choo’s shoes and bags. They are glamorous and sexy, and they add instant style to the simplest of outfits. I like the way we have worked with clothes to accessorize the shoes and bags rather than the other way around. It’s a joy to be able to offer top end designer shoes and bags of excellent quality to our customers.” you said it Margareta.

So if any of you have yet to decide what to get your friend/sister/daughter/mother (basically any women you know) nothing says I care like a pair of Jimmy Choos. Londoner’s better watch out as i’m sure there are going to be tonnes of women stomping the pavement in these red-carpet favourites.

King of Pop

We all know that Kanye West is known for having a bit of an ego, but never in a million years did we think he would try and replace former King of Pop Michael Jackson so soon after his death.

Well neither did he, according to recent reports Kanye West fell victim to a internet hoax as rumours began to spread that the singer was ready to replace the former King of Pop.

The confusion arose after Kanye made the comments on a spoof interview on Scrapetv.com.

He said: “You know everyone loves and respects Michael but times change – it’s so sad to see Michael gone but it makes a path for a new King of Pop and I’m willing to take that on.”

Fans of the former legend were both shocked and outraged by the singer’s comments.  It was later reported that the quotes were made up and false.

This bizzare story is just one of the many reports that can be added to the ever growing Jackson files; over recent weeks the public has been witness to child custody battles, paternity tests, questions over his will and legal battles over the singers assets- the King of Pop surely knows how to keep making headlines.

And it doesn’t stop there, It seems the singer has also been conducting interviews from the  hereafter as well; website www.michaeljacksonfromthegrave.com has claimed to have made contact with the singer and have even produced an entire transcript of the interview. The interview discusses the cause of the singer’s untimely death and includes personal messages to family, friends and fans.

As for his children grandmother Katherine Jackson has won the legal rights to take care of the children-biological mother Debbie Rowe has been given visitation rights but will not receive any financial support.

After discovering dangerous amounts of Propofol, search warrants were issued to Dr. Conrad Murray’s Las Vegas offices and home as officers  began looking into any record of communication between Jackson’s personal physician and a number of other doctors including rheumatologist Allan Metzger and anesthesiologist Randy Rosen.

It is still unclear when or if a final autopsy report will be released.

Baitmag will keep you posted on further Michael Jackson updates.

Following a surprise election defeat Tehran has been the scene of violent outburst and disturbances as demonstrators show their outrage at the election of Mr Ahamadinjad.

Mr Ahmedinjad’s opponent Mir Hossein Mousavi claims he was a victim of ‘fraud and manipulation’ after receiving only 33.7 per cent of the public vote in comparison to Mr Ahmedinejaad’s 62.6 per cent.

At this point there is no evidence to suggest that the election was rigged in anyway, but many Iranians are still in disbelief about the wide margin of defeat.

In the run up to the election many polls had placed both candidates on par with one another, with many predicting a shock defeat for Mr Ahmedinejad- due to his negative attitude towards the west and poor economic record.

Washington was in hopes that Mr Hossein Mousavi would win the presidency, as US President Barack Obama had begun organising plans on how to bring Iran back from 30 years of diplomatic isolation from the West. Mr Mousavi’s presidency would have also opened up negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programme, which is currently seen as a major threat to the regional peace of the Middle East.

In a recent report released by the Telegraph, the re-election of Mr Ahmadinejad (a son of a blacksmith, who has collected a populist gathering from his approach to strict Islamic codes of conduct) has been welcomed back in to power by many of his political allies abroad.

One of his allies, Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez, was the first to congratulate the president. In a statement he said the Victory:  ”represents the feeling and commitment of the Iranian people to building a new world,”

Israeli Officials on the other hand, have described the result as very worrying, as it could lead Iran into a confrontation with the West- in particular over its nuclear weapons programme.

Israel’s deputy foreign ministry spokesman, Danny Ayalon, said: “With the results of the election in Iran, the international community must stop a nuclear Iran and Iranian terror immediately. If there was a shadow of a hope for change in Iran, the renewed choice of Ahmadinejad expresses more than anything the growing Iranian threat.”

Following the results a great darkness has fallen over the capital, Tehran. Sources have said they have not seen such uprising since Iran’s student protest in 1999.

Whilst police do their best to calm the crowds, Iran’s spiritual leader Ayatollah Ali Khan has urged the nation to follow the elected leader saying the results were caused by : “divine assessment.”

This week the news has been dominated by the recent reports surrounding the Airbus A330. The plane was travelling from Brazil to Paris when it encountered harsh weather- and disappeared from radar screens.

Today Military aircrafts and warships from Brazil and France are continuing to search large areas of the Atlantic for any signs of the Air France jet- which disappeared with 228 passengers on board.

The French environment minister, Jean-Louis Borloo, told France Info radio that it was “a race against time” to find the wreckage of the flight.

Borloo said the plane’s black box would emit information for only 30 days and needed to be found as soon as possible.

He did however, express concern that the search operation would be extremely difficult because the current is strong and the water is very deep. Further complications have also arisen because of uncertainty surrounding the time the jet went down.

French minister for transport, Dominique Bussereau, warned that the investigation could be lengthy, he said: “It could be a few days, a few weeks or a few months.”

Representatives from the airline have said the 12-member crew (including a 58-year-old pilot who had worked for it since 1988) were all highly experienced.

The families of passengers stayed the night in hotels at Charles de Gaulle airport, paid for by Air France.

Borloo said that relatives could eventually go to the crash zone if they wanted to.

Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president, has released a statement in which he said he will invite the families of the passengers to the Elysée palace on Monday.

François Brousse, of Air France, claimed that several of the plane’s mechanisms malfunctioned, which in turn made it difficult for the plane to make contact with air traffic control. Some have gone on further to speculate the jet was struck by lightening.

 If the tragic conclusion turns out that there are no survivors, it will be documented as the world’s worst aviation disaster since 2001, and the deadliest in Air France’s 75-year history.

A minute’s silence will be observed at France’s friendly football match against Nigeria today, when the French players will wear black armbands.

Passengers on the aircraft included 61 French citizens and 58 Brazilians, as well as 26 Germans and at least a dozen other nationalities.

The 12 crew members were French, while seven children and a baby were aboard.

Patricia Coakley from Whityby (North Yorkshire) conducted an interview with Sky News; she believed her husband, Arthur was on the flight after completing a four-week program on a Brazilian oil rig.

“He was very excited about seeing his children and going on holiday to Corfu on Friday,” she told Sky News.

“My only hope is I keep phoning his mobile … it rings, so it can’t be at the bottom of the sea.

“I have three distraught children … we hope daddy will be coming home soon.”

From Samba and African dance to hip-hop and break dancing Balé de Rua is a thrilling dance and music spectacular that has come to Barbican as part of an international tour. Following sell-out performances at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival last year, the troop has collected an ever growing following of fans. The Brazillian dance group has produced shows inspired by 300 years of Brazilian history; from slavery to favelas, the dance moves its way through time and ends with a look at contemporary Brazil.  With capoeira, hip hop, break dancing, samba and Afro-Brazilian percussion Balé de Rua is an exhilarating take on the diversity and richness of Brazilian culture.

Cia de Dança Balé de Rua was created in 1992 by Fernando Narduchi, Marco Antônio Garcia and José Marciel Silva. They had already been collaborating in the working class districts of central Brazil’s Uberlândia for four years. They became an overnight sensation after they first played Europe at the Biennale de la Dance in Lyon in 2002; performances at the Barbican will be the company’s first visit to London.

Having toured worldwide, the dance company is still committed to its community dance programme back home in Uberlândia and has recently opened its own cultural centre, backed by the Brazilian Ministry of Culture.

So if you are interested in a great night out- book your tickets now at:  www.barbican.org.uk  

But hurry they are only at the Barbican Theatre from Thursday 21 – Sunday 31 May 2009 and tickets are selling out fast.

With summer just around the corner many of us are delving into our new wardrobes, so why not accompany it with one of the latest trend setting hairstyles . If you’re stuck on where to start, check out some of the reinvented looks fashioned by today’s A-list stars.

The Ponytail: Catwalks this year have been home to the up-dos- which range from slick ponytails to careless buns. To re-create this look hair has to be clean, straight and smooth, so use a good conditioner to keep hair at its best. Be sure to invest in a smoothing serum or cream to produce the most polished ponytail you’ve ever seen.

The Heavy Fringe: If you do decide to adopt this look make sure you go all the way; the biggest mistake you can make is getting a short fringe. The maximum fringe length should be just above your eyes. The problem with this look is that fringes tend to get separate and oily during the day so make sure to use clarifying shampoo; and to keep it in place try using an intensive firm-hold hairspray.

The Bed-Head: This is a care free tousled look that makes hair look both effortless and casual- but takes a lot of effort to make it just right. For this look heated rollers will not go a miss- it will help create a wavy relaxed look- use curl booster sprays in keep them in place and lightly brush in some wax or cream to add some final texture.

The Alice Band: This is a quick an easy way to accessorize and complete any outfit . Make sure your hair is straight and smooth, keeping the hair in super sleek condition. Whether you decide to keep it up or down, use serum to smooth out any kinks and bumps and go for a wide Alice band for a smart and fashion-forward look.

The Tousled Twist: Who would have though a bun could be so chic and hip? There are no exact rules for this style, just pull your hair up and pin it into a bun in whatever style suits you. Use creams and texturising lotion to give your hair hold and shape, finish it off with a shine spray to make sure your hair looks cute not dry.

The Boy-cut: On the other end of the spectrum, you can move away from soft, feminine hairdos and try a masculine hairstyle which is also becoming a summer favourite. Agyness Deyn’s trademark boyish crop is a perfect template for anyone who wants to copy the look. To create this short and sleek hairstyle, start by applying mousse or gel through your hair.  Next, blow-dry your hair using a large round brush (pulling all the layers under and down). Then to add an extra smooth finish, run parts of your fringe through a flat iron and then top off the look with hair spray.

So here are the looks- but before you go at your hair with the closets pairs of  scissors make sure you have the right face cut for these looks- otherwise you’ll end up with the longest bad hair day ever!

personal favourites from the collection

If you collect watches like squirrels collect nuts, you do not want to miss out on the new collection by Swatch, who have teamed up with Indian fashion designer Manish Arora to produce some very unique pieces that will be a great accompaniment to your summer wardrobe.

Manish’s celebrity following includes the likes of Katy Perry- who recently modelled his unique carousel dress to present the MTV Europe Music Awards this year. Now you can get a hold of some of the designer’s crafty work from just £65.

The collection includes a shimmering gold watch adorned with an explosion of pink hearts- much of the collection reflects the designers bold and dramatic catwalk collection. Using four of the classic Swatch watch styles, the collection is a mixture of colour meshed together with Bollywood glamour (so expect bold designs and flamboyant excess)

The range is composed of six beautiful watches- but you better keep an eye out for them as they are selling out fast.

For most of us, at some point of the day we decide to take a little time out and do what any well versed computer genius would do…cruise YouTube for stupid videos.

So during one of my recent searches, I managed to stumble across a video entitled: I AM A GEEK! by The Society for Geek Advancement.

Geek or not a Geek that is the real question?

 Forever curious to expand my understanding of different social subcultures (and distance myself from as much revision as  possible) I decided to take a look at what the experts defined as ‘Geeks.’

The video basically promotes the idea that a ’geek’  is person ’ who passionately pursues skill and imagination, not mainstream social acceptance.’ This is a contradiction considering throughout the entire clip each person is vigorously trying to convince the world that geeks are part of a conscious social subculture group, hence breaking the very definition of ‘geek’.

Throughout the entire clip, each person is brandishing either a mac computer or an iphone; basically convincing the audience that if you own a computer or if you can work an iphone you can classify yourself as a ‘geek’.

But by representing and formalising ‘geek culture’ you are effectively doing the very opposite of what sets a geek apart. A true geek does not call themselves a geek. People who do label themselves as geeks do it to belong to a social group or subculture, when in fact true geeks transcend all social labeling and stereotypes.

When the term ‘geek’ was formulated, it automatically became synonymous with social awkwardness. A traditional mould of a geek would be someone who would obsess about technology and gadgets until every other aspect of their life would seem less important, like appearance and social standing.

However, over the past few years geek chic has come to dominate the Hollywood scene, to the point that even the signature thick rimmed glasses are now fashioned by the likes of Madonna’s daughter Lourdes, Scarlett Johanson, Josh Hartnett, Kanye West, Johhny Depp, Mark Ronson and the list goes on.

all A- list Celebrities are rocking the geek chic look

So however much you protest to the contrary geeks are no longer the social outcasts who once had to scream to be heard, they have a voice, they have a following- an ever expanding and popular following at that- now even real geeks are too cool to be called geeks.

Check out the video yourself and tell me if i’m wrong.

I AM A GEEK! by The Society for Geek Advancement