~theguardian-world | Bookmarks (13)

Celebrity fashion designer, who recruited couriers to transport bags from her native Colombia to US on commercial flights, receives 18-month sentence A leading fashion designer whose accessories were used by celebrities from Britney Spears to the cast of the Sex and the City TV series has been sentenced to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty in Miami federal court on charges of smuggling...

Woman Begging With Two Children, by an unknown artist, shows what appears to be a denim skirt in 17th-century ItalyThe origin of the world’s most enduringly popular fabric is in ­dispute, as a new exhibition spotlights a claim that firmly links denim with 17th-­century Italy and takes its history back 200 years.Blue denim, that all-American ­symbol of informality and a life lived on the open...

Wife of former PM says her time in No 10 helped shape her Cefinn clothing brand, which is opening a London storeWhile the Tories are in freefall, one former first couple are bucking the trend. Samantha Cameron, the designer and founder of the fashion brand Cefinn and wife of the former prime minister David Cameron, is about to open her first bricks-and-mortar store. The...

Chain says it has experienced operational disruption after hackers gained access to its IT systemsOne of the UK’s largest vet groups has told regulators about a possible breach of personal information after it was hit by a cyber-attack.CVS Group said hackers had gained unauthorised external access to a limited number of its IT systems. The company continued to have problems with slow-running systems on...

Russ Cook from Worthing reaches Ras Angela, Tunisia, after covering more than 9,900 miles in 352 daysAfter more than 9,940 miles (16,000km) over 352 days across 16 countries, Russ Cook, aka the “Hardest Geezer”, has completed the mammoth challenge of running the length of Africa.The 27-year-old endurance athlete from Worthing, West Sussex, crossed the finish line in Tunisia on Sunday afternoon, and planned to...

Experts say the global shortage of the main ingredient of chocolate is linked to poor conditions for farmers supplying large companiesEvery Easter, UK consumers collectively spend more than £1bn on food, drink, gifts, entertainment and about 80m chocolate eggs, racking up an average bill exceeding £50 each. But shoppers this year are paying more than usual: since last Easter, chocolate prices have increased by...

Toy company makes request after altered images – which hide suspects’ identities in line with state law – go viralA southern California police department has been handcuffed by Lego after the toy company asked the agency to stop adding Lego heads to cover the faces of suspects in images it shares on social media.The Murrieta police department has been using Lego heads and emojis...

First 1001 Days Movement says five-year decline in toddler development is a ‘ticking time bomb’ for the UKAn incoming Labour government must revive the 1997 spirit of Sure Start and put babies at the heart of policies if it is to achieve its goals, a coalition of charities has said.The First 1001 Days Movement, a coalition of more than 200 charities and professionals, said...

Fears over the effect of rapid weight loss on physical and mental wellbeing of young people said to be unjustifiedShort-term, very low-calorie diets for obese teenagers are safe as long as they are closely monitored by an experienced dietitian, according to researchers in Australia.The study, by scientists based at Sydney University, also revealed that many adolescents involved in the investigation thought the diets were...

High street retailer unveils padded shorts designed to give wearer a ‘curvy, contoured’ derriere“Does my bum look big in this?” When it comes to M&S’s bottom-shaping shorts, the desired answer is a definite yes.At a preview of its summer collection on Thursday, the high street retailer unveiled a pair of £15 shorts featuring padding designed to enhance the wearer’s buttocks. Continue reading...

Shibuya district is offering tours of its architect-designed public facilities that feature in Perfect DaysJapan’s hi-tech toilets have long fascinated visitors who rave about their heated seats, bidet function, automatic flushing, and even background noises to mask the unwelcome sounds that can accompany the call of nature.Now, international interest in the country’s public conveniences is surging thanks to the German director Wim Wenders, whose...

Online abuse is latest challenge for plant-based eateries along with high costs and changing appetitesWhen Jim Anderson and his wife, Samantha, opened their vegan restaurant, the Oak Tree, in 2013, they boasted proudly of its plant-based menu. Not any more. The “V-word” has become such a target for abuse that they have removed it from their menu and social media.“We block up to 10...

Offer comes as research shows half of families in UK have never holidayed abroad with grandparentsEasyJet’s holiday wing is offering “grans go free” places on trips to Europe, after research found half of families had never holidayed abroad with their grandparents.Under the offer, one grandparent on the trip can travel free of charge to countries including Spain, Greece and Italy. The tour operator said...