Yahoo! news reports that the Filipino truck driver, being held hostage in Iraq, said he was coming home soon and thanked his government for agreeing to withdraw peacekeepers from the country, according to a video shown Thursday on Al-Jazeera. In the video, Angelo dela Cruz was no longer wearing the bright orange garment he had worn previously. Other hostages killed by insurgents had been wearing a similar garment in videos showing their deaths.Dela Cruz told his family not to worry about him, pointing out that he had changed clothing, an apparent sign that he was no longer under threat of execution. "Wait for me, I'm coming back to you," he reportedly said. His voice was not audible on the Arab television station; the newsreader narrated the video.
Dela Cruz thanked President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo for her decision and asked her to uphold it, according to the television station. The fate of dela Cruz, a 46-year-old father of eight, has gripped the Philippines since his kidnapping was first revealed last week. The Iraqi Islamic Army-Khaled bin Al-Waleed Corps demanded the Philippines withdraw its 51-member peacekeeping contingent by July 20 or it would kill him. The government at first refused, but said Wednesday it was coordinating a withdrawal and already had reduced its forces to 43 members.
Emmmmm...
FRANCE'S COUTURE CULTURE DWINDLING? 09-July-2004 What was once a thriving industry, is now a failing one. The fashion industry in France displayed its haute couture lines, drawing upon a melting pool of talent. For fashionistas, it was pretty obvious that the industry showings have dwindled from a bevy of big and smaller name designers.
Obviously missing was the haute designs of Givenchy. The fashion house skipped-out on the autumn-winter collections because it has yet to find a replacement for Welsh designer Julien Macdonald, who left the label in March. Other houses, such as Emanuel Ungaro and Versace, have since closed down their couture divisions due to cost constraints.
According a Reuters report, Hanae Mori staged an emotional farewell show on Wednesday evening after 50 years in the business. A standing ovation greeted the 78-year-old Japanese designer as she took a bow flanked by her team of seamstresses in their traditional white coats.
Doomsayers predict that at the current rate of closures, haute couture will be extinct in a few years. Yet this week's vibrant displays show there is plenty of life left in the industry, which employs hundreds of embroiderers, featherers, milliners and other specialists.
British designer John Galliano let loose with a riot of ermine, silk and fur in his regal show for Dior, which was inspired by the Austrian Empress Sissi and Zsa Zsa Gabor. One dress reportedly weighed 45 kg (100 pounds) -- as one television commentator wryly remarked, roughly the same as the model wearing it.
Lacroix and Chanel pared down their designs but nonetheless showcased a wealth of luxurious detail, from the glittering sequins coating a floor-length cardigan to the painstaking embroidery on a black lace cocktail dress. Valentino proved why he remains the designer of choice on Oscar night with a flawless collection that oozed wealth. Gaultier sent out swashbuckling heroines in swirling capes in a wealth of precious materials.
French actress Catherine Deneuve, who has switched her allegiance to Gaultier since the retirement of legendary designer Yves Saint Laurent, said the survival of couture was crucial to France's cultural heritage. "It is still something marvelous, useless, transient and at the same time eternal. It provides jobs for a lot of people in a very artistic, very intense and very dynamic manner," she told reporters after Gaultier's show on Thursday.
Dior and Chanel have both pledged to keep couture alive. In the case of Dior, the extravagant displays have proved a formidable advertising tool allowing it to win over new customers in emerging markets like China. As proof of its commitment, Chanel has snapped up five specialty suppliers, including famed embroiderer Lesage, effectively buying the endangered sector a stay of execution.
AGGRESSIVE 'ROOS & DROUGHT = NOT A GOOD MIX 08-July-2004
The Eastern Gray kangaroos, which have the growth ability to reach more than 5.5 feet and over 150 pounds, have began moving out of the Australian bush in search of water and/or grass. By moving into the suburbs of Canberra, the animals have increased their contact with humans.
Murray Evans, a senior wildlife ecologist with Environment ACT, noted that the animals could definitely pose a threat to people and dogs. Last week, a woman was ravaged by a larger kangaroo as she was walking her small, pet dog. Evans said that most of the behavioral changes in the usually placid animals are probably due to the effects of the drought that has hit Canberra in the past years. The drought has left a scarcity in food and resources for the marsupials.
At the French shows, you could basically number the participating houses by number: 1) Christian Dior, 2) Valentino, 3) Chanel, 4) Christian Lacroix, and 5) Jean-Paul Gaultier.
According to a Reuter's report, citizens of Canberra, the Australian capital, were warned to keep their distance from aggressive kangaroos. The warning came after the Aussie native animals attacked a woman and killed a pet dog.