The Former Kate Middleton Turns 30 On Monday - But Royal Fans Expecting A Lavish Birthday

The former Kate Middleton turns 30 on Monday - but royal fans expecting a lavish birthday bash to mark the milestone will be disappointed.
Palace officials say the Duchess of Cambridge's birthday celebration will be a "low-key and private" affair, appearing to quash press reports that she will see off her 20s with a fun '80s themed party, complete with karaoke, in a throwback to her more carefree bachelorette days.
The choice of a muted event seems appropriate: After all, the duchess is not just starting the fourth decade of her life - she is also embarking on her career as a future queen, charged with renovating a monarchy that has become somewhat creaky with age.
"She's done very well, playing a very good supporting role to Prince William and complementing him as part of a team," commentator Robert Jobson said of her first few months as a royal.
"We've not seen much of her, but when she's in public she has performed with aplomb," added Jobson, who is the author of "William and Kate: The Love Story."
The past year has seen momentous changes for Kate, with a fairytale wedding to Prince William, travels around the world and glamorous appearances that marked her transition from commoner to the world's most talked-about princess and style icon. She has won rave reviews for her sparkle, her elegant sense of style, and her common touch with the public. The media, yearning for a young and beautiful royal, documented - and largely admired - her every move.
On Sunday, they were out in force with the duchess again the center of attention as she and William took to the red carpet for the premiere of Steven Spielberg's movie "War Horse" in central London.
But now that the excitement around her grand wedding has subsided, she is expected to quietly settle down into her royal duties - and for much of this year, that means helping Queen Elizabeth II celebrate her Diamond Jubilee, without upstaging the monarch in her moment of glory, and also playing a supporting role at the London 2012 Olympic Games.
Until recently, palace officials have been quiet about what exactly her role will be, keen to protect her transition into a fully fledged royal from the glare of the media limelight. The newlyweds, who live in a remote corner of north Wales, were said to favor a "quieter life" after the massive global media coverage of their April wedding. Outside of a tour of Canada and California in the summer, the duchess has only taken a handful of official engagements.
The former Middleton ventured out on her first solo engagement in October - a private charity dinner for about 30 guests - but is yet to make a public speech on her own.
That is set to change. This week, royal officials finally gave the first insight into her new role when they announced which charities she's supporting, including the Scouts and a group that helps drug addicts. More organizations will follow later, officials said.
The royal family considers patronage of charities an important aspect of their social role, and frequently makes visits and attends events to boost the charities' profiles. William is involved in many diverse nonprofits, while his mother, the late Princess Diana, was well known for her active support for numerous charities including organizations that helped AIDS patients.
Even after her separation from Prince Charles, Diana actively campaigned for a ban on land mines, and visited Angola to champion that cause.
The former Middleton is expected to take on a similar role, eventually designating more charities she wants to be involved with as a way for her to carve out her own niche, based on her own priorities and concerns.
She has already taken on an unofficial role as a champion of the British fashion industry, wearing the creations of British designers at home and abroad, showcasing their work in the best possible light.
On top of such duties, the duchess also has a busy year ahead with the queen's jubilee, a major celebration of the monarch's 60 years on the throne that will take see numerous celebrations throughout Britain and the Commonwealth, peaking in a major celebration in London in early June.

Show Luo Crowned 'King Of Bonuses'

With Chinese New Year around the corner, singers, who have other business ventures, are starting to hand out year-end bonuses to their employees.
Taiwanese singer Show Luo, who earned NT$550million (S$23.65million) last year, splurged generously on his employees.
Prior to the New Year, the singer booked three bed-and-breakfast inns in Yilan County, which cost at least NT$1 million (S$43,000). He intends to take 120 staff members, from seven of his fashion outlets, for a two-day-one-night company trip.
The annual staff bonus was also said to range from two to five months, which is approximately NT$10 million (S$430,000) in total.
Show also splurged on employees from his management agency, Universes Entertainment, his record label Gold Typhoon and crew working on his entertainment programme 100% Entertainment. He handed out year-end red packets worth more than NT$4 million (S$172,000).
During Chinese New Year, the singer will also be taking the staff from the management agency he belongs, on a five-day tour to Bali. The trip is estimated to cost NT$1 million (S$43,000).
Coming in second, is singer Jay Chou, who made NT$660 million (S$28.5 million) last year. He reportedly handed out a two-month bonus -- which cost him a total of NT$5 million (S$215,000) -- to his colleagues from record label JVR Music, employees from his four restaurant outlets and fashion outlet.
JVR Music also gave out up to NT$3 million (S$129,000) in year-end red packets. Employees will also be treated to a trip to Italy after the Chinese New Year which will cost the singer NT$2 million ($86,000).
This means Jay will spend an estimated of NT$10 million (S$430,000) before Chinese New Year.
Local singer JJ Lin was equally generous when it came to bonuses, although he does not have as many fashion outlets as Jay or Show.
He gave out year-end bonuses worth a total of NT$3 million (S$129,000) to his staff, and contributed NT$2 million (S$86,000) of red packets at the annual dinners of his fashion outlets and record label Warner Music.

Stephen Colbert Isn't Running For President - At Least Not Yet

Stephen Colbert isn't running for president - at least not yet.
During Thursday night's episode of "The Colbert Report," Colbert legally transferred his super political action committee to his friend and Comedy Central cohort Jon Stewart. Dropping by from "The Daily Show," Stewart happily signed the documents and accepted the post, which was ceremonially observed by the two holding hands and bodily transferring the PAC powers.
The move potentially paves the way for Colbert to enter the Republican presidential primary in South Carolina, his home state. Campaigning politicians are prohibited from simultaneously running super PACs.
But Colbert only hinted at such a decision, which he had grandly hyped ahead of Thursday's show. In flirting candidate style, he announced that he is forming "an exploratory committee to lay the groundwork for my possible candidacy for the president of the United States of South Carolina."
Patriotically colored balloons were released in the studio while a graphic screamed "I'm Doing It!"
Stewart and Colbert hashed out the peculiar legalities of their arrangement. With Colbert's lawyer (and former chairman of the Federal Election Commission) Trevor Potter on hand, they spelled out that while Colbert was legally forbidden from participating in strategy and advertising with the super PAC, he could still talk about his plans on his TV show and even volunteer for the super PAC.
Stewart declared Colbert vice president of youth outreach for the super PAC, which was renamed The Definitely Not Coordinated with Stephen Colbert Super PAC. Along with Potter, the three joined hands like a sports team and - with thick irony - cheered in unison: "Non-coordination!"
In 2007, Colbert attempted to enter the South Carolina primary but was stymied by filing fees. The super PAC could very well eliminate any such financial concerns. Colbert hasn't publically revealed the amount raised from viewer contributions by the PAC, but on Thursday he repeatedly hinted that it was a shockingly large amount.
Colbert has otherwise been very transparent about the PAC's workings, using it to parody the current system's contradictions and potential conflicts of interest. Political action committees stem from a 2010 Supreme Court decision that changed the rules of corporate political donations.

Cosmopolitan Magazine From Stores Gets Over 10,000 Signatures

If one woman has her way, you won’t be seeing headlines like “75 Sex Moves” and “Foreplay Men Crave” in the grocery store checkout line anymore.
Cosmopolitan magazine released its February issue this week featuring 17-year-old Dakota Fanning as the cover girl, surrounded by article captions such as “His Best Sex Ever,” “Too Naughty To Stay Here: But You Have to Try This Sex Trick.”
The cover was the perfect example of what for model Nicole Weider wants banned from grocery stores and newsstands.
“As a former reader of the magazine, I happened to pick up an issue and was reading it and was completely shocked at how pornographic and explicit the content had become. I immediately thought of my young teenage brothers and it horrified me to think that they and their friends could be reading this material, and the damage it would do to them if they did,” Weider told FOX411’s Pop Tarts column. “So I decided to do something about it.”
So, in August 2011, Weider started a Change.org petition to have the magazine sold in a non-transparent wrapper.
Weider wants to make sure nobody under the age of 18 sees the cover of Cosmopolitan magazine on newsstands or at their grocery stores, and that no one under 18 can buy the top-selling title.
“I have contacted the Chairman of the FTC, John Leibowitz and received a letter from his office stating they will look into the issue and start an investigation only when they feel it’s a ‘threat’ to society,” she said. “This means they need more complaints — that is, signers of this petition.”
Weider thinks its particularly troubling when the magazine occasionally uses tween/teen-orientated stars like Fanning and Hayden Panettiere (and reportedly Selena Gomez in an upcoming issue), to cater to a very adult audience. To date, the petition has received almost 11,000 signatures and Weider says that she has also received hundreds of supportive comments and emails through her website www.projectinspired.com from girls as young as 11.
“They write me letters detailing how they’ve tried the sexual tips written about in Cosmo, only to get their hearts broken, or worse — getting pregnant or catching an STD,” she said. “The obvious damage it could be doing is the girls getting STD’s at a young age, pregnancy and bullying. But let’s not forget other behaviors Cosmo displays in a glamorous package to young girls, such as sexting nude pictures of yourself (November 2011) and suggesting that it is ‘normal’ if your boyfriend cheats on you (December 2011).”

Beyonce Gives Birth To A Baby Girl

Through a rap verse, Jay-Z has confirmed the birth of "the most beautiful girl in the world" - his newborn daughter.
The song "Glory" made its debut on his social website Life and Times on Monday - two days after he and Beyonce reportedly gave birth to a daughter, Blue Ivy.
Reps for the superstars repeatedly declined requests for comment from The Associated Press about whether the birth had occurred, as first reported by E! News over the weekend. But Jay-Z's sweet song gives fans the details, and more: "You're my child of a child from Destiny's Child."
In the song, Jay-Z talks about where the child was conceived (in Paris) and even reveals that Beyonce had a miscarriage at one point.
"Last time the miscarriage was so tragic/We was afraid you'd disappear/But nah baby you magic."
The song's refrain is: "The most amazing feeling I feel/Words can't describe what I'm feeling for real/ Maybe I paint the sky blue/My greatest creation was you. You. Glory."
The sound of a baby's cries - perhaps Blue's - ends the song. The song says it features "B.I.C." - which would be the initials of Blue Ivy Carter.
It's the first child for the power couple, who wed in 2008 in a private ceremony after a years-long courtship. Beyonce announced her pregnancy to the world last August at the MTV Video Music Awards with a simple rub of her swollen belly.
Celebs close to the couple have tweeted congrats. Beyonce's sister, Solange Knowles, tweeted Sunday morning: "The most beautiful girl in the world," while Beyonce's close friend Gwyneth Paltrow also tweeted: "Welcome to the world Blue! We love you already."
The couple reportedly gave birth at Lenox Hill Hospital on New York's Upper East Side on Saturday. While there were reports that the couple paid $1.4 million to rent a floor of the hospital for the birth, hospital spokeswoman Barbara Osborne said Monday that "no patient has the ability to reserve an entire floor of the hospital."
While she refused to confirm or deny that Beyonce had given birth there, she said that like other hospitals, suites are available and can be reserved.
One new mother, Rozz Nash-Coulon, said her twins, born Dec. 28, were in the neonatal unit, and starting Friday, intense security measures were implemented and it was a struggle to see her own children as security guards directed hallway traffic. She said a nurse told them Jay-Z and Beyonce were staying at the hospital.
"Once they checked in there was high security everywhere. It looked like the president was on our floor. The hospital's security cameras were taped over. Internal windows from the hallways into the ward were blacked out," said Nash-Coulon, 38.

Cecilia Cheung's Fierce Comeback

SHE'S made the news for being embroiled in a sex scandal, and for a high- profile divorce.
But Hong Kong's Cecilia Cheung is now telling the world, through her new role as a woman who leads others into battle, that she's fierce and powerful.
Subtext: Do not mess with her.
Cheung, 31, who had photos of her in the nude leaked on the Internet in 2008 (yes, in the Edison Chen scandal), split from husband Nicholas Tse earlier this year.
Her new film, Legendary Amazons - a period movie produced by Jackie Chan under his production company, Jackie & JJ Productions, and directed by Frankie Chan - is being heralded as her comeback movie.
The movie, which opens in Singapore on Thursday, sees Cheung in her biggest role since the epic fantasy film, The Promise (2005).
While the actress starred in Chinese New Year film All's Well Ends Well, which was released in February this year, she had to jostle for space with the ensemble cast, which included Carina Lau and Lynn Hung.
Her recent comedy, Treasure Hunt - in which her elder son with Tse, Lucas, four, had a small role - was critically panned when it was released in August.
However, Legendary has the makings of a blockbuster.
Based on a famous Chinese tale set in the Song dynasty, it is a remake of the Shaw Brothers' 1972 classic, The 14 Amazons. It also cost a staggering US$16 million (S$20.5 million) to make.
The 108-minute action thriller focuses on the heroic efforts of the widows and daughters of the Yang family, who fight off invaders after all their male kin are massacred. Talk about girl power.
It stars Richie Ren as General Yang Zongbao, who is (spoiler alert!) killed, leaving his widow, Mu Guiying (Cheung), to lead other women in the family to rise up against their enemies.
At a press conference in Shanghai, Cheung said that she hopes she was able to portray the spirit of female strength accurately, "so that when my son sees it, he knows even women have a brave side", she said.
She was reportedly paid NT$30 million (S$1.28 million), and had signed on on one condition - that she not suffer any pelvic injuries during filming, as she wished to have a third child, according to the production company.
Others praised Cheung for holding her own during the fierce, and violent, battle scenes. One thing's for sure, this movie's one to watch.