World's Tallest Building to Open in Dubai

Dubai is set to open the world's tallest skyscraper Monday amid the Gulf emirate’s financial woes.

The Burj Dubai tower contains 57 lifts, 1,044 apartments, 49 floors of office space and a hotel.

It can be seen from as far as 59 miles away and is estimated to have cost one billion dollars.

While the exact height of the building is under wraps, Emaar, the firm that developed the property, says it exceeds 2,640 feet, putting it far higher than Taiwan's Taipei 101 tower.

"We thought that it would be slightly taller than the existing tallest tower of Taipei 101. (Emaar) kept on asking us to go higher but we didn't know how high we could go," Bill Baker, a partner in Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (SOM), which designed the tower, told the AFP. "We were able to tune the building like we tune a music instrument. As we went higher and higher and higher, we discovered that by doing that process... we were able to reach heights much higher than we ever thought we could.”

Property prices in Dubai have dived over 50 percent over the past year and some believe the skyscrpaer will be the last of the giant projects that have brought global fame to Dubai.


source: foxnews

Brittany Murphy's husband to be quizzed over her death as he says: My world's destroyed

By Sara Nathan, Chris Johnson, Dan Newling and Kate Loveys

Brittany Murphy's British husband is to be questioned over her death at the age of 32.

Simon Monjack is one of several people who will be interviewed by the authorities about Murphy's final hours.

Last night screenwriter Monjack, 39, said his world had been destroyed by the death of his wife.

Speaking for the first time since the actress died on Sunday, he told Access Hollywood – a celebrity TV show and website – that the day she collapsed in her bathroom had been just a ‘regular day’.

Sharon (her mother) went into the bathroom because she had been in there a long time. Her mom screamed for me and I ran. Then called 911,' he said.

‘My world was destroyed yesterday.'

Miss Murphy had been ill in the days leading up to her death and had seen a doctor, confirmed Mr Monjack.

‘She had laryngitis. She had been tired at the end of the year. She had made a couple movies,’ he said. He hit out at suggestions that his presence in her life had had a negative impact.

'I don’t know why anyone would think that,' he said.

‘She found love. We found love. Brittany didn’t get to where Brittany was with anyone controlling her. Brittany was Brittany.’

Mr Monjack, who is from North London, said he had been touched by the messages of support he had received since his wife’s death.

Adding that he was particularly moved by her ex boyfriend Ashton Kutcher’s tribute posted on Twitter, which read: ‘2day the world lost a little piece of sunshine. My deepest condolences go out 2 Brittany’s family, her husband, & her amazing mother Sharon. see you on the other side kid.’

Mr Monjack said: ‘I loved what Ashton wrote on Twitter. It was comforting to me. I couldn’t have said it better.’

Speculation is mounting that anorexia may have played a role in Miss Murphy's death.

The U.S. star, who is thought to have suffered a heart attack, was pictured looking

painfully thin just two-and-a-half weeks ago at a fashion event in Los Angeles.

She even admitted at the time that she was a little concerned about her weight.

She reportedly told FOX News: 'I am a bit thinner now than I would like to be'.

Some guests at the Tt Collection Pop-Up Party claimed she also appeared 'unsteady on her feet'.


source: dailymail

Brittany Murphy dies 'from a heart attack' aged 32

By Georgina Littlejohn

Brittany Murphy, pictured at a film premiere in Los Angeles just three weeks ago, has died from a suspected heart attack at the age of 32


US actress Brittany Murphy died yesterday from a reported heart attack at the age of 32.

Multiple sources told celebrity news website TMZ.com that she went into full cardiac arrest and despite multiple attempts, could not be revived.

Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Devon Gale said emergency services were called to the house she shares with her British screenwriter husband Simon Monjack in Los Angeles at 8am local time.

According to reports, her mother Sharon Murphy discovered her daughter unconscious in the shower.

Paramedics determined that Brittany was in full cardiac arrest and immediately administered CPR.

They continued mouth-to-mouth as they sped to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, several miles away from her home, but Brittany was pronounced dead on arrival at 10.04am on Sunday.

Monjack, 39, was not thought to have been at home at the time.

Officer Norma Eisenman from the Los Angeles police said they have opened an investigation into her death and have dispatched investigators to Murphy's home in the hills of West Hollywood.

It was suggested today that an autopsy to determine exactly how she died could be conducted as early as tomorrow.

An investigator from the Los Angeles County Coroner’s office was reportedly scheduled to arrive at the hospital today to interview attending physicians.

A coroner’s spokesperson said Brittany’s mother and husband will also be interviewed.

Her rep, Nicole Perna, said in a statement last night: 'In this time of sadness, the family thanks you for your love and support. It is their wish that you respect their privacy.'

Her Clueless co-star Alicia Silverstone led the tributes: 'I always felt connected to her as we shared a very special experience in our lives together.

'I feel love in my heart for her - and hope she is at peace. This is truly sad. I loved working with Brittany. She was so talented, so warm, and so sweet.'

Celebrities immediately began paying tribute to her as soon as the news broke including actress Lindsay Lohan who wrote on her Twitter page: 'My deepest condolences go out to all of Brittany Murphy's loved ones& may she rest in peace.

She was a great talent with a beautiful soul. xo'


Grieving: Brittany's devastated husband Simon Monjack arrived home on Sunday upon hearing the news of her death


Police officers arrive at Brittney Murphy's Los Angeles home this morning after the actress was rushed to hospital after suffering a suspected fatal heart atta


So in love: Brittany cuddles up to her screenwriter husband Simon Monjack at Los Angeles airport in November this year


Breakthrough: Brittany in Clueless, her first big film role, and her co-stars Alicia Silverstone (L) and Stacey Dash


On and off-screen love: Brittany with her Just Married co-star Ashton Kutcher, who she dated, on the film's set (L) and at the movie's premiere in Hollywood, January 2003


Old love: Brittany and her former fiance Joe MacAluso at the Cannes Film Festival 2005.


Brittany Murphy and Eminem in the critically-acclaimed 8 Mile


She had five films in production at the time of her death, including Something Wicked, Shrinking Charlotte and Sylvester Stallone's upcoming film, The Expendables, due for release next year.

Her last big movie was Sin City in 2005.

In June 2006, she sang on Paul Oakenfold's hit single 'Faster Kill Pussycat' which got ot number seven on the UK singles charts.

She dabbled in music again that same year when she covered Queen's Somebody To Love and Earth, Wind & Fire's Boogie Wonderland for the animated film Happy Feet, for which she also provided the voice for the character Gloria the penguin.



source: dailymail

Christmas getaway chaos as heavy snow closes roads and forces airports to cancel flights

Delays: An airport worker de-ices an outbound American Airlines flight, after Manchester International Airport reopened after an hour's closure


Air passengers are facing delays and cancellations as freezing temperatures and heavy snow sweep across Britain and much of Northern Europe.

Many flights in and out of Manchester airport were cancelled today as staff cleared the runway of snow and ice. Some flights have now resumed.

And many flights to the US east coast have been cancelled due to Arctic conditions across the Atlantic.

Budget airline easyJet has warned people whose flights were cancelled to avoid going to already busy airports in the hope of making alternative arrangements.

'French Aviation Authorities have imposed further flight restrictions upon us today, therefore we are experiencing more cancellations from Paris Charles De Gaulle than we would have hoped for,' a spokesman said.

Many homes have been without power since Thursday night as a result of snow, an energy supplier said today.

Almost ready for take-off: A snowplough clears a runway at Schiphol Amsterdam airport, where many flights were delayed


About 330 homes in the east of England were still without power supplies this morning, an EDF Energy spokesman said.

He said staff had worked tirelessly to restore the power for thousands of homes affected by the severe weather.

'With snow and ice still across the region, travel between faults remains difficult,' he added.

All ferry services from Dover to Dunkirk, Boulogne and Calais are running and operators will continue to offer intensive shuttle services throughout the day

People enjoy the snow on a hill at Lyme Park in Disley, Stockport, as the snow continues to fall across the North West of England


Michael Dukes, forecast manager for MeteoGroup UK, said the cold snap was set to continue for the next few days, although it was not yet known if milder weather would move in before or after Christmas.

North-west England, the Pennines, Scotland and Northern Ireland saw the worst of the snow today.

'This is very cold Arctic weather from the North Sea,' he said.

'Snow showers are going to continue to threaten north-west England and much of Scotland.


A snowman in Chapel Break, Norwich this afternoon


brrrrr: A young family plays in the snow at Saddleworth, West Yorkshire as the driving snow turns the countryside white


'There will be a few snow showers across Wales.

'Generally speaking, the northern part of the country will see temperatures of between -1C and -4C, with -3C to -8C in the southern half.

'The cold spell is going to continue into tomorrow and Tuesday but there will probably be rather less in the way of snow.

'There is a chance of rain, sleet and snow in central and southern England.'

The AA reported 'another very busy day', although a spokesman said it was 'not quite as bad as it was yesterday'.

'As at 12.40pm, the AA had attended around 7,000 breakdowns - almost as many as it would do for the whole of a normal Sunday,' he said.

Sussex, Kent and northern England, which have all been hit by snow, were especially busy.

Kent Police said queues on the M20 had eased by 4am today after freight traffic on the A20 at Dover was turned around as part of Operation Stack, allowing tourist traffic to pass to the ports.

As a result the backlog was cleared back to the Aycliffe roundabout, a spokeswoman said.


Snow at Birch services on the M62. Roads have been closed all across the north of England after a series of accidents

Eurotunnel and Port of Dover are operating normally now, she said, but tourists are being prioritised above freight.

The French authorities have indicated that freight will not be allowed to enter the country until late today, she added.

Kent Police Assistant Chief Constable Andy Adams said: 'There is now some snow on the M20 and we are working with Highways to grit the road so that we can continue with the progress already made to clear the backlog of vehicles.

'We expect further delays to motorists this morning using the M20 and would therefore reiterate the need to travel only if necessary and, if so, to drive prepared with warm clothing and food.

'Due to further snow moving across the county, several roads are being closed at this time until they are gritted and safe to pass.'

The A229 and A249 are closed in both directions.

Police said the M2 is 'passable with care' in lane one but lanes two and three are closed.

The A21 is said to be 'passable with care' at Sevenoaks.

Police said there is a lorry stuck on Quarry Hill in Tonbridge.

The weather warnings came as Eurostar announced it was cancelling all its services to avoid a repeat of the chaos that saw thousands of passengers trapped in the Channel Tunnel for hours.

There was also disruption to flights following heavy snowfalls in parts of Britain and Europe.

Meteorologists said the cold spell would continue through the early part of this week.

'It will stay cold early next week, with further wintry showers with sleet and snow,' said Met Office forecaster Andy Bodenham.


A road sign reminds drivers to take care on an ice-covered road in Stock village in Essex after heavy snowfalls across the county


The forecast prompted easyJet to warn that it anticipated further disruption and advised passengers to check its website for possible cancellations before setting off for the airport.

As the cold snap continued unabated, bookmakers cut their odds on a white Christmas.

William Hill was offering 2/1 on London seeing a snowfall on 25 December but meteorologists were only prepared to predict snow from the Peak District northwards, as well as North Wales and Scotland.

William Hill has made Aberdeen 5/4 favourite for a seasonal fall.

It is ten years since London and the South-East last saw snow on Christmas Day, but elsewhere - from Northern Ireland to the North-East and the South-West - many areas saw a white Christmas in 2004.


source: dailymail

Two boys, aged 10, charged with raping eight-year-old girl in park

Two 10-year-old boys have been charged with the rape of an eight-year-old girl in west London.

The alleged sex attack relates to an incident in a park off College Way, Hayes, west London, in October.

Scotland Yard said the pair would appear before magistrates in Uxbridge today.
The schoolgirl was said to have been playing with the boys when the alleged attack happened during half-term school holidays.

She went with the boys to College Park in Hayes to play on the climbing frame and swings close to Hayes Community Campus, which is part of Uxbridge College.

The children were not being supervised by any adults, detectives said at the time.
The young girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said she was taken to bushes at the edge of the park where she was sexually assaulted in broad daylight.

The two boys are alleged to have taken turns raping her.

Afterwards, the young girl ran home to tell her parents. Horrified, they alerted police and two boys were arrested hours later.

A Met police spokesman said the charges were made following advice from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

The alleged attack was investigated by officers from the Met's specialist Sapphire Unit.

The recently re-organised unit is part of the Specialist Crime Directorate.
It is run by detectives specially trained in child sex offences who have recently interviewed the young girl.

source: dailymail

Copenhagen climate change summit: Up to 1,000 arrested and two Britons deported as rioters clash with police

Almost 1,000 climate change activists were arrested at a massive protest in Copenhagen yesterday after rioters clashed with police and smashed shop windows.

At least two Britons have been deported for allegedly spitting on an officer and carrying out acts of vandalism.

An estimated 100,000 protesters took to the streets of the Danish capital where a UN climate change summit is taking place as part of worldwide 'Day of Action' to fight global warming.
The demonstration, attended by stars including British actress Helen Baxendale and Danish model Helena Christensen, was largely peaceful for most of the day.

Police officers take cover guarding the Foreign Ministry as protesters shoot fireworks at them during the march in Copenhagen


Clash: Police make arrests amid a scuffle as the protest became more heated during the late afternoon

But the mood changed late in the afternoon when hundreds of youths dressed in black threw bricks and smashed windows of buildings in the centre of the city.

Tensions rose and there were also clashes with police during the protest while others staged street sit-ins in their bid to demand a fair and binding new global deal to tackle climate change.

It marked the halfway point of crunch UN talks.

Last night protesters said officers used an unnecessarily heavy-handed approach in dealing with the protesters.

The World Development Movement's director Deborah Doane said: 'It's absolutely outrageous that the police responded in this extreme manner on an incredibly family-friendly march.

'It's a complete violation of the right to protest and a step towards the breakdown of democracy.

'This is the most crucial issue of our time and the people must be heard, not criminalised.'

Arrests: Police detain a group of demonstrators


down protest: Demonstrators sit on the ground as police surround them near the conference hall

Campaign group Climate Justice Action claimed protesters had been indiscriminately arrested by Danish police.

Helga Matthiassen, who was campaigning with the group said she was detained for an hour before being released due to an injury she had recently sustained.

She said: 'Not only have we been denied the right to protest, but our basic human rights have also been ignored in this ludicrous, staged police exercise.'

The protest included a mass rally outside the country’s parliament and a march to the conference centre where negotiations on a new global warming deal are taking place.

A Copenhagen police spokeswoman confirmed two Britons were deported for vandalism and spitting on a police officer during the protests.

About 1.000 people had been arrested during the demonstrations, she said.

Crowds: Police said 25,000 people attended - but organisers believe 100,000 marched (above and below)

Many of the protesters were held over Denmark's strict laws against carrying pocket knives or wearing masks during demonstrations.

Official police estimates put the number of protesters at 25,000, but organisers said as many as 100,000 had joined the march from central Copenhagen, waving banners that read ‘Nature doesn’t compromise’ and ‘Climate Justice Now’.

Demonstrators were forced to the ground and then bundled into vans, according to reports.

To mark The Global Day of Action on climate change, campaigners also staged events around the world, including a four-minute ‘flashdance’ with lights performed outside the Houses of Parliament, with volunteers across London collecting messages from citizens to deliver to MPs.

Miss Baxendale said thousands of people from all over the world were trying to encourage their leaders to take ‘firm and fair action’.
She told Sky News it was 'inspiring' and said: 'It's fantastic to join with so many other people from all over the world.'

Confrontation: Violent protesters holding flares face police while wearing masks - illegal in Denmark

Danish model Helena Christensen addressing demonstrators in the centre of Copenhagen
‘I think it’s also important that people come and make their voices heard as well.
‘I think, in the end, that’s what will make real, positive change.’

Miss Christensen said: ‘They will be very bad politicians if they do not hear us by now.’

Environment ministers started arriving in the Danish capital today for informal talks before world leaders join the summit late next week.
Initial reaction to the negotiating text submitted yesterday underscored the split between the US-led wealthy countries and countries still struggling to overcome poverty and catch up with the modern world.
The tightly-focused document was meant to lay out the main themes for environment ministers to wrestle with as they prepare for a summit of about 110 heads of state and government at the end of next week. (Read more... )


source: dailymail.co.uk

Tiger Woods admits 'infidelity' and announces temporary break from golf in public apology

Tiger Woods has publicly apologised for his 'infidelity' and announced he will be taking a break from his professional golf career.

The 33-year-old posted a message on his official website confirming his affairs and admitted he is 'profoundly sorry' for the hurt he has caused wife Elin Nordegren.

Tiger, who previously had only referred to 'transgressions', wrote: 'I am deeply aware of the disappointment and hurt that my infidelity has caused to so many people, most of all my wife and children.

'I want to say again to everyone that I am profoundly sorry and that I ask forgiveness. It may not be possible to repair the damage I've done, but I want to do my best to try.'

'I would like to ask everyone, including my fans, the good people at my foundation, business partners, the PGA Tour, and my fellow competitors, for their understanding.

'What's most important now is that my family has the time, privacy, and safe haven we will need for personal healing.

'After much soul searching, I have decided to take an indefinite break from professional golf. I need to focus my attention on being a better husband, father, and person.

'Again, I ask for privacy for my family and I am especially grateful for all those who have offered compassion and concern during this difficult period.'

Tiger, who has two young children with former Swedish model Elin, has been at the centre of a media storm after 11 women came forward claiming to have had affairs with him.

The message as it appears on Tiger Woods' official website


Speculation over Tiger's private life began after a bizarre car crash outside his house a fortnight ago.
The golfer was left unconscious and bleeding following the crash in which he hit a fire hydrant and a neighbour's tree following a reported 2am argument with Elin.
It was later claimed Tiger was admitted to hospital with a suspected drugs overdose after the crash.

Elin is said to have given paramedics two bottles of drugs Ambien and Vicodin as they travelled to the hospital.

Yesterday, Hollywood madam Michelle Braun claimed Tiger spent over £37,000 on call girls.
She says she sent four of her escorts on pay-for-sex dates with the sportsman, who 'liked girl-on-girl. He had sex with them together'.
She added: 'He was rarely with just one girl. He usually wanted more. He liked three-ways. He could go for days.
'He would pay a flat rate for an evening, but an evening would usually be extended. The girls would always talk about his stamina.'

Indiscretions: Tiger is alleged to have slept with, clockwise from top left, Jaimee Grubbs, Holly Sampson, Jamie Jungers, Mindy Lawton, Loredana Jolie, Rachel Uchitel, Kalika Moquin and Cori Rist


There has been no shortage of drama at the Woods house.

Tiger's mother-in-law Barbro Holmberg was rushed to hospital last week after a reported anxiety attack following an argument with the sportsman over his alleged affairs.

Tiger and Elin, who were introduced by Swedish golfer Jesper Parnevik at the Open Championship in 2001, married in Barbados in October 2004.
Last week Jesper opened up: 'I really feel sorry for Elin – since me and my wife were at fault for hooking her up with him.
'We probably thought he was a better guy than he is. I would probably need to apologise to her.'
Earlier this week it was claimed Elin had given Tiger an ultimatum, and told him to choose either her or golf.
She was said to be prepared to give their relationship another go if he gave up his beloved game.




It was also reported that Tiger was keen to try and get things back on track with Erin by taking her away on a trip on their $22million yacht, ironically called Privacy.
However, photographs of a moving truck leaving the marital home packed with five or six large boxes has fuelled rumours that the couple are taking a break from each other.
Elin has been living at the £1.7million mansion in Windermere, Florida, with the couple's children for the past two weeks, but Tiger has not been seen at the property. It is believed he is staying somewhere nearby.

Meanwhile, Tiger's recent problems have started to affect some of his professional relationships.
While Gatorade said their decision to discontinue their soft drink Tiger Focus recently had nothing to do with the revelations, another of his sponsors Accenture have made the decision to remove a picture of Tiger with caption 'It's what you do next that counts' from their website homepage.
Other sponsors, including Pepsi, Gillette and Proctor and Gamble, were said to be meeting to discuss whether they should continue working with Tiger.


source: dailymail.co.uk

Obama's Nobel Lecture: Making a Case to the World

A Noble Lecture
Posted by Joe Klein

Oslo

How does a rookie President, having been granted the Nobel Peace Prize, go about earning it? Well, he can start by giving the sort of Nobel lecture that Barack Obama just did, an intellectually rigorous and morally lucid speech that balanced the rationale for going to war against the need to build a more peaceful and equitable world. The first half of the speech, in which the President made the case for Just Wars, will be the part that makes news. It was especially notable because it was delivered to an elite European audience, denizens of a continent where the most vicious warfare conducted in the history of humankind has been replaced by a facile moral superiority (made possible by the U.S. force of arms during the Cold War). But Obama's clarity would also have been useful last week when he gave a more grudging, less straightforward, speech at West Point, announcing his decision to send more troops to Afghanistan.

Here are the crucial paragraphs, which bear close reading:

We must begin by acknowledging the hard truth: We will not eradicate violent conflict in our lifetimes. There will be times when nations -- acting individually or in concert -- will find the use of force not only necessary but morally justified.

I make this statement mindful of what Martin Luther King Jr. said in this same ceremony years ago: "Violence never brings permanent peace. It solves no social problem: it merely creates new and more complicated ones." As someone who stands here as a direct consequence of Dr. King's life work, I am living testimony to the moral force of non-violence. I know there's nothing weak -- nothing passive -- nothing naïve -- in the creed and lives of Gandhi and King.

But as a head of state sworn to protect and defend my nation, I cannot be guided by their examples alone. I face the world as it is, and cannot stand idle in the face of threats to the American people. For make no mistake: Evil does exist in the world. A non-violent movement could not have halted Hitler's armies. Negotiations cannot convince al Qaeda's leaders to lay down their arms. To say that force may sometimes be necessary is not a call to cynicism -- it is a recognition of history; the imperfections of man and the limits of reason.

I raise this point, I begin with this point because in many countries there is a deep ambivalence about military action today, no matter what the cause. And at times, this is joined by a reflexive suspicion of America, the world's sole military superpower.

There is something remarkably gutsy about using Martin Luther King Jr. as a foil before the Nobel Committee, which elevated King, and his movement, into an international moral crusade. But Obama brought it off. The audience didn't applaud until the end, when it exploded; it was one of those audiences that was concentrating too hard on the words to interrupt the speaker.

The second half of the speech, about peace-making, was well-written and delivered, but it was more the sort of thing a Nobel audience is used to hearing: a call for stronger international institutions, a defense of basic human rights and greater economic equity.

Obama closed with an assault on the religious fanatics responsible for much of the bloodshed in the world and offered an aphorism that will undoubtedly make its way into compilations of deathless quotations: "No holy war can ever be a just war."

(Read more...)


source: swampland.blogs.time.com

Climate Change Conference on December 7, 2009 in Copenhagen, Denmark

COPENHAGEN, DENMARK - DECEMBER 07: A participant stands in front of the UN Climate Wall during the first day of United Nations Climate Change Conference on December 7, 2009 in Copenhagen, Denmark. Politicians and environmentalists meet for the United Nations Climate Change Conference 2009 that runs until December 18.





COPENHAGEN, DENMARK - DECEMBER 07: Sculptures stand in a stretch of water next to the Bella Centre during the first day of the United Nations Climate Change Conference 2009 on December 7, 2009 in Copenhagen, Denmark. Politicians and environmentalists meet for the United Nations Climate Change Conference 2009 that runs until December 18.



COPENHAGEN, DENMARK - DECEMBER 07: Sculptures stand in a stretch of water next to the Bella Centre during the first day of the United Nations Climate Change Conference 2009 on December 7, 2009 in Copenhagen, Denmark. Politicians and environmentalists meet for the United Nations Climate Change Conference 2009 that runs until December 18



A video projected on a floating cubicle in the city center shows the United States as the second largest CO2 emitting country after China, on the opening day of the Climate Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, Monday Dec. 7, 2009. The CO2 cube installation represents 1 metric ton of carbondioxide, the amount an average person in an industrialized country emits each month. The largest and most important U.N. climate change conference in history opened Monday, with organizers warning diplomats from 192 nations that this could be the best, last chance for a deal to protect the world from calamitous global warming.




A video projected on a floating cube illustrates projected levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, on the opening day of the Climate Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, Monday Dec. 7, 2009. The CO2 cube installation represents 1 metric ton of carbon dioxide, the amount an average person in an industrialized country emits each month. The largest and most important U.N. climate change conference in history opened Monday, with organizers warning diplomats from 192 nations that this could be the best, last chance for a deal to protect the world from calamitous global warming.




A globe is projected as people are seen in Town Hall Square on the opening day of the Climate Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, Monday Dec. 7, 2009. The largest and most important U.N. climate change conference in history opened Monday, with organizers warning diplomats from 192 nations that this could be the best, last chance for a deal to protect the world from calamitous global warming.


photo: Gettyimages

Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej waves to the crowd

Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej waves to the crowd as he leaves from Siriraj Hospital to the Grand Palace in Bangkok December 5, 2009. Thailand's aging monarch, King Bhumibol, appeared in public for the first time in more than a month on Saturday ahead of a royal ceremony to mark his 82nd birthday.





Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej waves to the crowd as he leaves from Siriraj Hospital to the Grand Palace in Bangkok December 5, 2009. King Bhumibol celebrates his 82nd birthday on Saturday.




Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej waves to the crowd as he leaves from Siriraj Hospital to the Grand Palace in Bangkok December 5, 2009. King Bhumibol celebrates his 82nd birthday on Saturday.




Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej leaves from Siriraj Hospital to the Grand Palace in Bangkok December 5, 2009. Thailand's aging monarch, King Bhumibol, appeared in public for the first time in more than a month on Saturday ahead of a royal ceremony to mark his 82nd birthday




Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej leaves from Siriraj Hospital to the Grand Palace in Bangkok December 5, 2009. Thailand's aging monarch, King Bhumibol, appeared in public for the first time in more than a month on Saturday ahead of a royal ceremony to mark his 82nd birthday.
Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej leaves from Siriraj Hospital to the Grand Palace in Bangkok December 5, 2009. Thailand's aging monarch, King Bhumibol, appeared in public for the first time in more than a month on Saturday ahead of a royal ceremony to mark his 82nd birthday.




A well-wisher holds a portrait of Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej at Siriraj Hospital in Bangkok December 5, 2009. King Bhumibol, who turns 82 on December 5, remains in the hospital since his admission in mid-September.



Thais hold the portrait of King Bhumibol Adulyadej and pray outside the building at Siriraj hospitall where the king is being treated Saturday, Dec. 5, 2009 in Bangkok,Thailand. Thai people throughout the country on Saturday celebrate King Bhumibol, the world's longest reigning monarch, his 82nd birthday.




Well-wishers hold portraits of Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej at Siriraj Hospital in Bangkok December 5, 2009. King Bhumibol, who turns 82 on December 5, remains in the hospital since his admission in mid-September.




Thais gather outside the building at Sririraj hospital where King Bhumibol Adulyadej is being treated from an illness Saturday, Dec. 5, 2009 in Bangkok,Thailand. Thai people throughout the country on Saturday celebrate King Bhumibol, the world's longest reigning monarch, his 82nd birthday.




Well-wishers hold portraits of Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej at Siriraj Hospital in Bangkok December 5, 2009. King Bhumibol, who turns 82 on December 5, remains in the hospital since his admission in mid-September.




A well-wisher holds a portrait of Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej at Siriraj Hospital in Bangkok December 5, 2009. King Bhumibol, who turns 82 on December 5, remains in the hospital since his admission in mid-September.




Well-wishers hold portraits of Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej at Siriraj Hospital in Bangkok December 5, 2009. King Bhumibol, who be turning 82 on December 5, remains in the hospital since his admission in mid-September.





Thai people wave national and the king's flags as they celebrate King Bhumibol Adulyadej's 82nd birthday and hail the end of the 76-day Thai United campaign at Supachalasai stadium in Bangkok, Thailand Friday, Dec. 4, 2009. Several thousands of the people took part in the ceremonies.



Thailand's Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva (C) waves the national flag and sings the national anthem in front of a portrait of King Bhumibol Adulyadej in Bangkok December 4, 2009. The King will turn 82 on December 5.



Thais gather and sing the songs around the portrait King Bhumibol Adulyadej on the eve of his 82nd birthday and celebrating the end of the 76-day Thai United campaign at Supachalasai stadium in Bangkok, Thailand Friday, Dec. 4, 2009. Several thousands of the people took part in the ceremonies


***** Long Live The King *****


photo: Reuters