Yang slips under the radar on eve of title defence - Fashion

KOHLER Wisconsin (Reuters) - Twelve months after he produced one of the biggest upsets in golf to win the U.S. PGA Championship, the life of South Korea's Yang Yong-eun has finally turned full circle.
Yang was virtually unknown when he arrived at Hazeltine National last year but when he left a week later, he had the PGA trophy in his arms and the golfing world at his feet.
Not only did he become the first Asian man to win one of golf's four majors, he did it in the most dramatic fashion, achieving the once unimaginable feat of coming from behind to beat Tiger Woods in a head to head duel on the last day.
The reaction in his homeland was swift and he became an instant superstar and needed six bodyguards to protect him from the swarms of autograph hunters every time he walked around the streets near his home on Jeju Island.
But a year later, the attention, at least in the U.S., has died down somewhat and only a handful of reporters turned up to his news conference on the eve of his title defence.
"It's been a year since my PGA win, so maybe I'm kind of out of the spotlight a little bit," he said through a translator.
"For the past year, I haven't been doing that great and maybe people think that I may not win this one again. So in that respect maybe that's why I kind of am flying under the radar."
Despite his low key arrival at Whistling Straits, Yang will be back in the focus for the next two days at least when he reunites with Woods and Vijay Singh after they were grouped together.

� Continued...
The relations between First Quantum and the Democratic Republic of Congo have gone from bad to worse in recent months, after the country expropriated the miner’s $765 million Kolwezi copper tailings project in September. � Blog�
When some of the most influential figures in emerging markets finance spoke to a group of Reuters editors, they were asked about top picks for growth beyond the so-called BRIC countries of Brazil, Russia, India and China.� Blog�
The giggles started when the seventh journalist in a row said that his question was for Egypt’s water and irrigation minister, Mohamed Nasreddin Allam.� Blog�
It has debt levels to die for and huge amounts of oil, but economically it’s lagging and political concerns remain. Speakers at a Libyan trade and investment forum this week saw the North African country as a mixed bag.� Blog�
If Guinea can pull off free and fair elections this weekend, it will lay the foundations for what could be one of Africa’s most unexpected and significant good news stories.� Blog�
Africa is providing a lot of fine material for the London theatre these days.� Blog�
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Toy Story makes record debut at box office - Sci Fi

LONDON (Reuters) - Woody and Buzz Lightyear shot to the top of the British box office over the weekend, making "Toy Story 3" the highest-grossing opener of the year so far.
The third instalment of Pixar's animated series took 21.2 million pounds in the first three days of its release, knocking cerebral sci-fi thriller "Inception" from top spot to second, according to Screen International on Tuesday.
"The Twilight Saga: Eclipse" held on to third place, whilst "Shrek Forever After" dropped from second to fourth.
Romantic comedy "The Rebound," starring Catherine Zeta-Jones as a divorcee who seduces a man 15 years her junior, made its debut at five.
Sixth, down two, was sci-fi film "Predators."
New at seven was "Khatta Meetha," a Bollywood satire on corruption.
At eight was Russell Brand in "Get Him to the Greek," down three places from last week.
"Splice," in which Adrien Brody and co-star Sarah Polley splice together human and animal DNA to create a monstrous hybrid came in at nine, just above "Leaving," down one at ten.
Watch Sci Fi Online

Basel proposals bring no comfort to trade finance - Documentary

* Basel rules eased for derivatives, not trade finance
* Default database presents results of pilot
By Jonathan Lynn
GENEVA, Aug 13 (Reuters) - Recent amendments from the Basel
Committee on banking regulation do not appear to meet the
concern of practitioners of trade finance that proposed new
rules could make the vital loans scarcer and more expensive.
Bankers and lawyers are still deciphering the revisions. But
several say they still have their work cut out to convince
regulators that the $10 trillion market, the lifeblood of global
trade, is much less risky than other forms of lending.
"From what we can tell so far, on the specific trade issue,
I don't see that they've made any change at all," Dan Taylor,
President of BAFT-IFSA, an international association
representing bankers in trade finance, told Reuters.
Banks fear the proposed new rules, known as Basel III, will
hit trade finance particularly hard, hurting the 80-90 percent
of the $12-13 trillion in world trade that depends on the loans.
Published in December, the rules would impose a leverage
ratio on banks requiring them to set aside capital equivalent to
the value of off-balance-sheet items.
Many banks hid toxic assets off their balance sheets, a
cause of the financial crisis when those assets fell in value as
markets weakened. The new rules aim to discourage a repeat.
But documentary letters of credit -- the short-term loans
collateralised on cargoes that have formed the bulk of trade
finance for centuries -- are also held off balance sheets.
A requirement to fully capitalise such loans instead of
providing capital at 10 or 20 percent of their value as at
present would make them much less profitable for the banks.
Major players in trade finance include Deutsche Bank
(DBKGn.DE), Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS.L) and Citibank (C.N).

CAUGHT IN THE NET
Revisions to the proposals issued at the end of July after
consultations did seem to soften the treatment of derivatives,
but not of trade finance, bankers and lawyers said.
Practitioners do not believe the Basel committee of central
bankers and bank supervisors is targeting trade as such.
"It's more that letters of credit are caught in the net of
trying to sweep up everything that is off balance sheet with the
leverage ratio rather than something specifically against us,"
said one trade finance expert.
Many people interviewed did not want to be quoted by name
for fear of appearing to lobby the regulators too aggressively.
November's summit of the G20 in Seoul will be largely
devoted to the Basel proposals on re-regulation, and there is
little appetite now for carve-outs and exceptions.
Trade finance is a low-risk, low-remuneration business, and
if profitability falls, the bankers who provide it will have a
harder time arguing for funds in their banks' credit committees.
After slumping in late 2008/early 2009, flows of trade
finance have largely returned to pre-crisis levels, helped by a
$250 billion package from international institutions agreed at
the G20 summit in London in April last year.
But exporters in some countries in Africa, Eastern Europe
and Central Asia, and some small businesses even in rich
countries, are still finding it hard to access funds.
They could be locked out altogether if the market contracts
again -- unless better capitalised banks in emerging economies
spot an opportunity for business as trade rebounds generally.
"Any increase in the cost of financing will eventually be
passed on to exporters, which means developing countries," said
one trade finance lawyer.
The World Trade Organization, which does not want to be seen
as a lobbyist for banks, is not commenting on the latest drafts.
But WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy, fearing renewed
disruption to trade finance could derail this year's recovery in
trade, brought regulators and trade finance bankers together in
May.
The International Chamber of Commerce, which sets trade
finance standards, met regulators in Frankfurt in early June.
The chamber is now managing a project to pool data from
trade finance banks from 2005 to 2009 to demonstrate just how
safe trade finance is. It has just sent results from a pilot
with a small number of banks to regulators.
The data look at the rates of default in particular trade
finance products, and recovery rates for banks in defaults. It
will also examine specific factors in trade products that may
reduce the likelihood of a transaction resulting in a default.
Watch Documentary Online

Azarenka thrashes Sharapova to win in Stanford - Game Shows

STANFORD California (Reuters) - A charged-up Victoria Azarenka of Belarus won her first tournament of the year on Sunday by blowing away Maria Sharapova 6-4 6-1 in the final of the Stanford Classic.
In a breath-taking display of power tennis, Azarenka broke her three-time grand slam champion opponent six times, controlling the match with laser-sharp groundstrokes.
"This shows that I really believe in myself," Azarenka told reporters. "It gives me a lot of confidence, especially going into the US open."
The win capped an impressive week for wild card Azarenka, who earlier upended French champion Marion Bartoli in the quarter-finals and Australian world number five Samantha Stosur in the last four.
The two tall blondes went toe-to-toe early in the match, but the wheels came off for Sharapova when the Belarusian broke to lead 5-4 after ripping a backhand return winner. She then took the set after forcing a backhand error.
"I played a really sloppy game at 4-3, had some unforced errors off my return and she really stepped it up and took advantage of it," said Sharapova, who amassed 27 unforced errors to Azarenka's 13.
"I was always on defense after that. When I tried to get the ball rolling, I was a little too late."
'HAD TO FIGHT'

� Continued...
Watch Game Shows Online

UK delays changes to sports TV coverage - Board Games

LONDON July 21 (Reuters) - The London Olympics and Euro
2012 soccer tournament will be shown on free-to-air television
in Britain after the government deferred until 2013 any changes
to the rules on broadcasting sports events.
Sports Minister Hugh Robertson said that changes to the
broadcasting landscape, including the completion of a switchover
to digital transmission in 2012, meant it was not the right time
to review the list of protected events.
"The current economic climate also points to us not making a
decision at this time which could adversely impact on sport at
the grassroots. I have therefore decided to defer any review
until 2013, when we will look at this again," Robertson said in
a statement.
England's home cricket test matches are not protected and
migrated to Sky (BSY.L) following the hugely popular 2005
England victory over Australia in the Ashes.
A review by former Football Association Executive Director
David Davies in 2008 proposed adding home Ashes test matches to
the list, as well as the home countries' soccer qualifiers for
major tournaments.
In a separate statement, Robertson said he wanted sports
governing bodies to pass as much as 30 percent of their revenues
from broadcasting deals to the grassroots of their games.
Watch Board Games Online

John Landis' son near deal for super-power script - Documentary

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Twentieth Century Fox is in negotiations to pick up "Chronicle," a super-power project from a pair of Hollywood progeny.
Josh Trank, son of Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker Richard Trank, is attached to make his feature directing debut from a script by Max Landis, son of director John Landis.
According to the studio, the story focuses on three Portland teens who develop incredible powers after being exposed to a mysterious substance in the woods. They work together to hone their skills for fun, until personal and family problems begin to turn them against one another.
"Chronicle" is being eyed to be told in hand-held, documentary-style that has been gaining popularity with movies such as "Cloverfield" and "Paranormal Activity."
Trank could be well suited for the documentary task. While he directed a web series titled "Killpoint" in 2007 and was the editor on "Big Fan," Robert Siegel's indie starring Patton Oswalt, Trank may have that style of filmmaking in his genes; his father won an Oscar as a producer on the 1997 documentary "The Long Way Home."
Watch Documentary Online

UPDATE 1-Lions Gate posts 1st quarter loss - Tv Series

* Q1 share loss 54 cents vs year-ago profit of 31 cents
* Q1 revenue $326.6 million vs $379.2 million
SAN FRANCISCO Aug 9 (Reuters) - Independent movie studio
Lions Gate Entertainment Corp (LGF.N), the maker of the "Saw"
films and "Mad Men" TV series, swung on Monday to a quarterly
loss, reflecting the underperformance of its summer movie
"Killers."
The entertainment company, which has been embroiled in a
takeover battle with billionaire financier Carl Icahn, said its
TV business remained strong, but the company recorded losses in
the quarter due to the dud comedy film starring Ashton Kutcher
and Katherine Heigl.
Lions Gate reported a net loss of $64.1 million, or 54
cents per share, for its fiscal first quarter, compared with a
a net profit of $36.3 million, or 31 cents per share, a year
earlier. Revenue for the quarter was $326.6 million compared
with $379.2 million last year.
Earlier this month, the board of Lions Gate unanimously
rejected the latest hostile takeover bid by Icahn, valued at
$6.50 per share.
Watch Tv Series Online

Young Frankenstein revived on L.A. stage - Magic

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - In a classic case of life imitating fiction, Mel Brooks' out-of-control updating of his iconic film comedy "Young Frankenstein" at the Pantages Theater embraces whole new generations of theatergoers with nonstop energy and unrestrained effort.
Appropriately, the method Brooks and co-writer Thomas Meehan have used in creating this justly celebrated new musical is remarkably similar to the method Dr. Frankenstein used in creating the monster: Take bleeding chunks of bodies and shtick from wherever they can be dragged in.
Using a repertoire of shtick and smirk that ranges from historical character actors like Fritz Feld to ones entirely of his own creation, Roger Bart's Dr. Frankenstein does the heavy lifting at first in a succession of routines that gets the audience going. But eventually, Bart fades away as his energy subsides and even his "frohnkensteen" obsession gets lost in the shuffle.
Cory English's Igor leaves the audience begging for more with his galumphing antics and movable hump, and Joanna Glushak nearly steals the show with her inane antics and eerily Cher-like look as the gruesome, violin-playing Frau Blucher. Shuler Hensley does the Monster perfectly, from soup to nuts. Although Beth Curry does her manic best to bring back at least some of the magic of the film's Madeline Kahn, Anne Horak's Inga, despite her heroic yodeling and fetching wholesomeness, is no substitute for Teri Garr. In the secondary roles, Kevin Ligon as grandfather Victor Frankenstein and Brad Oscar as the blind hermit create instant classics.
Director Susan Stroman has managed to capture everything Brooks and Meehan poured into their book with a production that scampers relentlessly and breathlessly for the whole night. Her choreography for a well-trained dance troupe, featuring a gaggle of tall leggy blondes, gives the kind of high-art legitimacy to the evening that Brooks so often longs for.
Musically, Brooks' serviceable score is nothing to write home about aside from Irving Berlin's "Putting on the Ritz," which triggers a sequence of showstopping numbers that includes a shadow dance that Fred Astaire only could have dreamed about. And though it's a treat to see Igor handling the French horn as if it were a cheerleader's baton, cutting out the glorious call that ends the movie is profound loss.
Watch Magic Online

Sons of Anarchy star bashes Emmys - Tv Series

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - FX's "Sons of Anarchy" star Charlie Hunnam unloaded on the TV Academy for this year's Emmys snub.
"I think it's all a crock of s---," the English actor said at Television Critics Association press tour on Tuesday.
"It's corrupting ... we weren't on the receiving end of a force that can change what we're doing ... all of that crap is secondary and completely unimportant but does have the potential to ruin a good thing. So f--- em."
Though he's previously bashed the Academy's choices online, series creator Kurt Sutter was more subdued.
"Half the stories are about the nominations and the other half are about the absurdity of the nominations and the snubs," he said. "The system is somewhat flawed."
Watch Tv Series Online

Azarenka thrashes Sharapova to win in Stanford - Game Shows

STANFORD California (Reuters) - A charged-up Victoria Azarenka of Belarus won her first tournament of the year on Sunday by blowing away Maria Sharapova 6-4 6-1 in the final of the Stanford Classic.
In a breath-taking display of power tennis, Azarenka broke her three-time grand slam champion opponent six times, controlling the match with laser-sharp groundstrokes.
"This shows that I really believe in myself," Azarenka told reporters. "It gives me a lot of confidence, especially going into the US open."
The win capped an impressive week for wild card Azarenka, who earlier upended French champion Marion Bartoli in the quarter-finals and Australian world number five Samantha Stosur in the last four.
The two tall blondes went toe-to-toe early in the match, but the wheels came off for Sharapova when the Belarusian broke to lead 5-4 after ripping a backhand return winner. She then took the set after forcing a backhand error.
"I played a really sloppy game at 4-3, had some unforced errors off my return and she really stepped it up and took advantage of it," said Sharapova, who amassed 27 unforced errors to Azarenka's 13.
"I was always on defense after that. When I tried to get the ball rolling, I was a little too late."
'HAD TO FIGHT'

� Continued...
Watch Game Shows Online

NBA - Loved or loathed, cash-register ringing for Heat - Celebrities

By Simon Evans
MIAMI (Reuters) - Love them or loathe them, the Miami Heat have become the most talked about team in the NBA since signing up LeBron James and Chris Bosh to play alongside Dwyane Wade but with revenue rising, the franchise are not worrying too much about becoming the bad guys.
"I think it is just part of the game, the interesting thing is that while some of that is true, the fact that we are getting orders from all around the world for our jerseys dispels that notion a little bit," Michael McCullough, the Heat's chief marketing officer, told Reuters.
The Heat were described as the "Evil Empire" in a column in the newspaper The Plain Dealer in Cleveland, where feelings still run high about James's decision to quit Ohio for South Florida.
Even closer to home in the Florida media, there have been critical words about the way the Heat celebrated the signings with a giant, glitzy party and premature talk of multiple titles from James.
Across the NBA there is a feeling of waiting to see if the Heat can live up to their own billing -- if they can deliver the success that the trio are presumed to be bringing. The waiting ends in a season-opening trip to the Boston Celtics on Oct. 26.
But while radio talk shows, internet forums and newspaper columns may be full of jibes at the Heat, the cash registers are busy with season tickets and sold out premium seating packages.
At Miami International Airport, visitors are now greeted by Heat tee-shirts featuring James, Bosh and Wade, on sale at news stands.
McCullough says that Heat are now number one in NBA retail sales, with James's number six vest the top-selling jersey in the league and it is clearly not only fans in Florida that are snaffling up the red, white and black gear.
"The media has done a pretty good job of playing up 'so-and-so is saying this about the Heat' but when you look at where the requests are coming from -- we aren't number one in jersey sales because people in Miami are buying it -- people all over the U.S. and the world are buying our jerseys and that shows the interest in our team," says McCullough.

THROWING ACCOLADES
He added: "There will be a lot of people who choose to make us the villain. I think that is just part of the territory if you are a really, really good team or you have something extraordinary such as what has happened with us and people are throwing accolades that we probably haven't earned yet because we haven't played yet.
"But I also think there are a number of people around the world who will gravitate towards this team and we have seen that by people putting their money where their mouth is."
The Heat and the NBA will look to take advantage of international support for the team but it could well be the players who stand to profit from global interest.
Much of that worldwide fan base now interacts online and James has over three millions "fans" of his facebook page. The team has just 178,000.
The players' presence in social media offers huge potential according to digital sports marketing consultant, Pat Coyle.
"LeBron announced a lot of what he was doing in free agency on Twitter -- his own following is growing. That is a whole new situation, the individual player having his own brand and digital channel to market through," said Coyle.
The old business -- of selling seats -- is pretty much exhausted for the Heat though -- even the highest-priced premium seats, usually reserved for celebrities have all been snaffled up.
McCullough said: "Everybody has been in touch, anybody who is anybody has called and we've talked to them.
"We looked to fill as many orders as we could and at some point we just ran out of inventory."
Watch Celebrities Online

Nickelodeon to celebrate Dora's 10th year - Tv Series

NEW YORK (The Hollywood Reporter) - U.S. cable television network Nickelodeon will celebrate Dora The Explorer's 10th anniversary next month with an hour-long prime-time TV movie and a Dora documentary.
The TV movie, "Dora's Big Birthday Adventure," will air on August 15 featuring guest stars Rosie Perez, John Leguizamo and Hector Elizondo.
Following the film, the network will premiere a specially commissioned anniversary documentary, described as a 12-minute tribute to the preschool icon.
The animated series airs in over 100 countries and has been translated in to 30 languages. It follows the educational and interactive adventures of a 7-year-old Latina girl named Dora.
The documentary will feature Anderson Cooper, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, Rosie Perez, Salma Hayek Pinault, Shakira, Soledad O'Brien, Sherri Shepherd, the series creators, media experts and real-life children.
Watch Tv Series Online

WRAPUP 2-Zumiez July same-store sales beat, Hot Topic misses - Fashion

* Zumiez July comps beat Street view
* Hot Topic July comps fall short of estimates
* Zumiez raises Q2 outlook
* Hot Topic sees Q2 loss of $0.14
* Hot Topic shares down 4 pct, Zumiez down 1 pct
(Adds details, analyst comment, updates share movement)
By Shradhha Sharma
BANGALORE, Aug 4 (Reuters) - Teen apparel retailer Zumiez
Inc's (ZUMZ.O) July same-store sales topped estimates, while
that of Hot Topic Inc (HOTT.O) fell short of analysts'
expectations as it sold fewer higher-ticket items and increased
promotional spending.
Zumiez, which sells clothing and equipment for skaters,
snowboarders and the like, saw robust sales for its
accessories, footwear and at its men's and boy's categories,
the company said on a pre-recorded call.
Warmer weather also helped drive more traffic to Zumiez
stores, but a boost from the crucial back-to-school shopping
season will only be seen in August, Wedbush Securities analyst
Betty Chen said.
U.S. consumers are expected to delay back-to-school
shopping into August this year as well in the hopes of finding
good bargains, which could hurt July numbers for a lot of other
teen apparel retailers that are slated to report comparable
sales on Thursday.
"(The hot weather) drove a little bit more of mall traffic
and compelled people to buy some wear-now clothes -- like
T-shirts and shorts, especially since a lot of these items were
on sale," Chen added.
Same-store sales rose 9.4 percent in July, compared with
analysts' estimate of an increase of 8.5 percent, according to
Thomson Reuters Data.
Total July sales at Zumiez jumped 15 percent, prompting the
company to raise its second-quarter outlook.
Zumiez now sees a quarterly loss in the range of 2 cents a
share to 3 cents a share, up from its previous expectation of a
loss of between 7 cents a share and 10 cents a share.
Bundling promotions -- where consumers get a discount for
purchasing a specific number of units from a designated
category -- also lifted July same-store sales at Zumiez, MKM
Partners analyst Linda Tsai said.
But Zumiez's bundling promotions, a major business driver till
now, could be pressured with other retailers raising the bar on
their promotional offers, Wedbush analyst Chen said.
The Thomson Reuters Same-Store Sales Index is expected to
post a 3.1 percent rise in July 2010 comparable sales,
reversing last year's fall of 5.1 percent, and making July the
11th straight month of improving sales.
However, Hot Topic failed to live up to expectations,
posting a 9 percent drop in same-store sales, much wider than
analysts' estimate of a 2.6 percent fall.
Citing lower-than-expected sales, the retailer also
forecast a loss of 14 cents a share for the second quarter.
On a pre-recorded call, the company said sales for
accessories and fashion apparel slumped 9 percent and 24
percent respectively in July.
Comparable sales at its Torrid stores fell 7.2 percent.
Hot Topic continues to expect consolidated inventory to be
down in the low single digit percentage range at the end of
this quarter, the company said on the call.
The company, which sells rock 'n' roll-inspired apparel and
accessories, was a great success last year when it began
selling "Twilight" related merchandise.
However, as the movie gained popularity, other retailers
have done the same, eating into Hot Topic's exclusivity, and
with time, the unique-quotient has died down.
Watch Fashion Online

Azarenka thrashes Sharapova to win in Stanford - Game Shows

STANFORD California (Reuters) - A charged-up Victoria Azarenka of Belarus won her first tournament of the year on Sunday by blowing away Maria Sharapova 6-4 6-1 in the final of the Stanford Classic.
In a breath-taking display of power tennis, Azarenka broke her three-time grand slam champion opponent six times, controlling the match with laser-sharp groundstrokes.
"This shows that I really believe in myself," Azarenka told reporters. "It gives me a lot of confidence, especially going into the US open."
The win capped an impressive week for wild card Azarenka, who earlier upended French champion Marion Bartoli in the quarter-finals and Australian world number five Samantha Stosur in the last four.
The two tall blondes went toe-to-toe early in the match, but the wheels came off for Sharapova when the Belarusian broke to lead 5-4 after ripping a backhand return winner. She then took the set after forcing a backhand error.
"I played a really sloppy game at 4-3, had some unforced errors off my return and she really stepped it up and took advantage of it," said Sharapova, who amassed 27 unforced errors to Azarenka's 13.
"I was always on defense after that. When I tried to get the ball rolling, I was a little too late."
'HAD TO FIGHT'

� Continued...
Watch Game Shows Online

Girl Guides target airbrush images of perfection - Celebrities

By Paul Casciato
LONDON (Reuters Life!) - British Girl Guides have demanded Prime Minister David Cameron introduce labelling to distinguish between airbrushed and natural images of women in glossy magazines and advertisements.
Girlguiding UK, the country's largest organisation for girls and young women, said on Wednesday it had launched a petition demanding Cameron take action to help "shape a generation of self-confident girls and young women".
The petition comes after research last year by Girlguiding UK, the Girls' Attitudes Survey, showed 50 percent of 16-21 year-old girls would consider having surgery to change the way they look and 42 percent of 11 to 16 year-olds admitted watching what they ate or had cut down on certain foods.
Chief Guide Liz Burnley said the survey and everyday experiences working with girls and young women gave the Guides an understanding of how profoundly girls and young women feel the pressure to conform to a particular body image and how badly they can be affected by unobtainable ideals.
"We are proud to support the calls of our members who believe that it is time the Prime Minister addressed their concerns and acted in the interests of girls and young women across the country," Burnley said.
Girlguiding member Natalie Fontaine said in a statement that that airbrushed images of models, celebrities and even "ordinary" women in magazines and adverts can really affect the self confidence of girls and young women.
"Most of us have no idea how significantly these pictures are altered and are shocked when they realise that the images they have of celebrities and models are not a reality," she said.
The chief executive of eating disorder charity Beat, Susan Ringwood, said that young people with eating disorders tell the charity that being surrounded by pictures of unnaturally "perfect" bodies made their own recovery so much more difficult to achieve.
Watch Celebrities Online

WRAPUP 2-Zumiez July same-store sales beat, Hot Topic misses - Fashion

* Zumiez July comps beat Street view
* Hot Topic July comps fall short of estimates
* Zumiez raises Q2 outlook
* Hot Topic sees Q2 loss of $0.14
* Hot Topic shares down 4 pct, Zumiez down 1 pct
(Adds details, analyst comment, updates share movement)
By Shradhha Sharma
BANGALORE, Aug 4 (Reuters) - Teen apparel retailer Zumiez
Inc's (ZUMZ.O) July same-store sales topped estimates, while
that of Hot Topic Inc (HOTT.O) fell short of analysts'
expectations as it sold fewer higher-ticket items and increased
promotional spending.
Zumiez, which sells clothing and equipment for skaters,
snowboarders and the like, saw robust sales for its
accessories, footwear and at its men's and boy's categories,
the company said on a pre-recorded call.
Warmer weather also helped drive more traffic to Zumiez
stores, but a boost from the crucial back-to-school shopping
season will only be seen in August, Wedbush Securities analyst
Betty Chen said.
U.S. consumers are expected to delay back-to-school
shopping into August this year as well in the hopes of finding
good bargains, which could hurt July numbers for a lot of other
teen apparel retailers that are slated to report comparable
sales on Thursday.
"(The hot weather) drove a little bit more of mall traffic
and compelled people to buy some wear-now clothes -- like
T-shirts and shorts, especially since a lot of these items were
on sale," Chen added.
Same-store sales rose 9.4 percent in July, compared with
analysts' estimate of an increase of 8.5 percent, according to
Thomson Reuters Data.
Total July sales at Zumiez jumped 15 percent, prompting the
company to raise its second-quarter outlook.
Zumiez now sees a quarterly loss in the range of 2 cents a
share to 3 cents a share, up from its previous expectation of a
loss of between 7 cents a share and 10 cents a share.
Bundling promotions -- where consumers get a discount for
purchasing a specific number of units from a designated
category -- also lifted July same-store sales at Zumiez, MKM
Partners analyst Linda Tsai said.
But Zumiez's bundling promotions, a major business driver till
now, could be pressured with other retailers raising the bar on
their promotional offers, Wedbush analyst Chen said.
The Thomson Reuters Same-Store Sales Index is expected to
post a 3.1 percent rise in July 2010 comparable sales,
reversing last year's fall of 5.1 percent, and making July the
11th straight month of improving sales.
However, Hot Topic failed to live up to expectations,
posting a 9 percent drop in same-store sales, much wider than
analysts' estimate of a 2.6 percent fall.
Citing lower-than-expected sales, the retailer also
forecast a loss of 14 cents a share for the second quarter.
On a pre-recorded call, the company said sales for
accessories and fashion apparel slumped 9 percent and 24
percent respectively in July.
Comparable sales at its Torrid stores fell 7.2 percent.
Hot Topic continues to expect consolidated inventory to be
down in the low single digit percentage range at the end of
this quarter, the company said on the call.
The company, which sells rock 'n' roll-inspired apparel and
accessories, was a great success last year when it began
selling "Twilight" related merchandise.
However, as the movie gained popularity, other retailers
have done the same, eating into Hot Topic's exclusivity, and
with time, the unique-quotient has died down.
Watch Fashion Online

Azarenka thrashes Sharapova to win in Stanford - Game Shows

STANFORD California (Reuters) - A charged-up Victoria Azarenka of Belarus won her first tournament of the year on Sunday by blowing away Maria Sharapova 6-4 6-1 in the final of the Stanford Classic.
In a breath-taking display of power tennis, Azarenka broke her three-time grand slam champion opponent six times, controlling the match with laser-sharp groundstrokes.
"This shows that I really believe in myself," Azarenka told reporters. "It gives me a lot of confidence, especially going into the US open."
The win capped an impressive week for wild card Azarenka, who earlier upended French champion Marion Bartoli in the quarter-finals and Australian world number five Samantha Stosur in the last four.
The two tall blondes went toe-to-toe early in the match, but the wheels came off for Sharapova when the Belarusian broke to lead 5-4 after ripping a backhand return winner. She then took the set after forcing a backhand error.
"I played a really sloppy game at 4-3, had some unforced errors off my return and she really stepped it up and took advantage of it," said Sharapova, who amassed 27 unforced errors to Azarenka's 13.
"I was always on defense after that. When I tried to get the ball rolling, I was a little too late."
'HAD TO FIGHT'

� Continued...
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WRAPUP 2-Zumiez July same-store sales beat, Hot Topic misses - Fashion

* Zumiez July comps beat Street view
* Hot Topic July comps fall short of estimates
* Zumiez raises Q2 outlook
* Hot Topic sees Q2 loss of $0.14
* Hot Topic shares down 4 pct, Zumiez down 1 pct
(Adds details, analyst comment, updates share movement)
By Shradhha Sharma
BANGALORE, Aug 4 (Reuters) - Teen apparel retailer Zumiez
Inc's (ZUMZ.O) July same-store sales topped estimates, while
that of Hot Topic Inc (HOTT.O) fell short of analysts'
expectations as it sold fewer higher-ticket items and increased
promotional spending.
Zumiez, which sells clothing and equipment for skaters,
snowboarders and the like, saw robust sales for its
accessories, footwear and at its men's and boy's categories,
the company said on a pre-recorded call.
Warmer weather also helped drive more traffic to Zumiez
stores, but a boost from the crucial back-to-school shopping
season will only be seen in August, Wedbush Securities analyst
Betty Chen said.
U.S. consumers are expected to delay back-to-school
shopping into August this year as well in the hopes of finding
good bargains, which could hurt July numbers for a lot of other
teen apparel retailers that are slated to report comparable
sales on Thursday.
"(The hot weather) drove a little bit more of mall traffic
and compelled people to buy some wear-now clothes -- like
T-shirts and shorts, especially since a lot of these items were
on sale," Chen added.
Same-store sales rose 9.4 percent in July, compared with
analysts' estimate of an increase of 8.5 percent, according to
Thomson Reuters Data.
Total July sales at Zumiez jumped 15 percent, prompting the
company to raise its second-quarter outlook.
Zumiez now sees a quarterly loss in the range of 2 cents a
share to 3 cents a share, up from its previous expectation of a
loss of between 7 cents a share and 10 cents a share.
Bundling promotions -- where consumers get a discount for
purchasing a specific number of units from a designated
category -- also lifted July same-store sales at Zumiez, MKM
Partners analyst Linda Tsai said.
But Zumiez's bundling promotions, a major business driver till
now, could be pressured with other retailers raising the bar on
their promotional offers, Wedbush analyst Chen said.
The Thomson Reuters Same-Store Sales Index is expected to
post a 3.1 percent rise in July 2010 comparable sales,
reversing last year's fall of 5.1 percent, and making July the
11th straight month of improving sales.
However, Hot Topic failed to live up to expectations,
posting a 9 percent drop in same-store sales, much wider than
analysts' estimate of a 2.6 percent fall.
Citing lower-than-expected sales, the retailer also
forecast a loss of 14 cents a share for the second quarter.
On a pre-recorded call, the company said sales for
accessories and fashion apparel slumped 9 percent and 24
percent respectively in July.
Comparable sales at its Torrid stores fell 7.2 percent.
Hot Topic continues to expect consolidated inventory to be
down in the low single digit percentage range at the end of
this quarter, the company said on the call.
The company, which sells rock 'n' roll-inspired apparel and
accessories, was a great success last year when it began
selling "Twilight" related merchandise.
However, as the movie gained popularity, other retailers
have done the same, eating into Hot Topic's exclusivity, and
with time, the unique-quotient has died down.
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Lady Gaga wins record 13 MTV video music nominations - Music

Rapper Eminem was the most nominated male artist with eight nods after the success of his latest album "Recovery", while Canadian teen idol Justin Bieber scored his first nomination in the best new artist category for the music video of hit single "Baby".
Newcomer Ke$ha joined veterans Jay-Z, Alicia Keys, Katy Perry, Usher and indie band Florence and the Machine among the other nominees.
Lady Gaga has two entries in the coveted video of the year category -- "Bad Romance" and "Telephone" featuring Beyonce -- where her competition includes Eminem for "Not Afraid" and rapper B.o.B for "Airplanes".
The glam pop singer also won nods in the best pop, best dance and best female music video categories.
"I'm so honored for all the little monsters and self-professed freaks of the universe, to have more VMA nominations in a single year than any artist in MTV history. Ironically, I'm even more proud it's an unlucky number; 13," Lady Gaga said in a statement.
"A long time ago the world told me and my little monsters we would never be heard, together we changed the rules. God put me on Earth for 3 reasons: To make loud music, gay videos, and cause a damn raucous. Thank You MTV!," she added.
The awards will be presented in a live telecast from Los Angeles on September 12.
Eminem noted sarcastically that the award show fell in the middle of his U.S. tour. "Apparently MTV doesn't care that I have two massive stadium shows on the other side of the country the day after the VMAs," he said. "I mean, I'll be there but don't expect me to be nice about it."
Viewers can vote for the general categories on website vma.mtv.com starting on Tuesday, and voting by text message for the best new artist will continue throughout showtime on September12.
(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)
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Is Bavaria without seals how strong?

Last season was new acquisition Arjen seals (26, at the end of of August 2009 came for 24 millions euros of Real Madrid) the projecting man, shot its Munich with important hits to Meister-Titel, cup victory and in the championsleague final. Completely by right its federal league colleagues with giant projection/lead selected it to the player of the season. But with the season prelude against Wolfsburg (20 August) it will be missing Bavaria. And thus the seal-free time begins only: For at least eight weeks the record master without its superstar must get along. Now the VTOL aircraft of the last yearly is to plug the giant hole. Probably a Thomas's Mueller (20) seal representative in the right centre zone becomes after his superyear for Bavaria (13 league gates) and a mega+ WM (gate king with 5 hits, best young player). The center would be then free for tonuses Kroos, which returned after one and a half years to Leverkusen again to Munich. Around the place compete completely in front Olic, Klose and Gomez. The Croat has the best maps, because he could complete the entire preparation. A three-fight in the attack, which should actually be a four-fight. Because coach Louis van Gaal wanted to actually test the learned Stürmer Mueller in the preparation as genuine point. Now the WM-hero on the position must substitute, on which he ballerte himself in South Africa to world fame. For world star seals surely good, but probably (still) no equivalent replacement. And the speed Dribbler is not possibly the only painful loss. With Daniel van Buyten (volume pulling in the left leap joint) is missing a further service provider in the final spurt of the preparation. If the defense boss does not become in time fit, Martin Demichelis must against Wolfsburg ran. Concerns over providing for coach van Gaal - and a giant responsibility for Mueller: Recently still surprise players, now the large hope. Much pressure for a 20-year old…