British Museum Collection Online

The British Museum has started to put its collection, and over the next few months there will be more than seven million items to view.

As anyone who’s ever visited it can tell you, the British Museum is one of the world’s great treasures, with literally millions of items spanning over two million years of history.

The very nature of the space means only a part of it can be on physical display at any one time. But as the museum relaunches its website, it’s going to make its entire collection available online, according to Vnunet.

To date images of around 275,000 objects have been uploaded, but over the course of the next few months that figure will rise to more than seven million with extra images added over the next two years.

Mary Pitt, project manager of the internet services department at the British Museum, said,

"The website is not merely a source of information about the museum, but a real insight into the collection and a natural extension of our core purpose."

The new version of the site will have an expanded education section, a virtual tour and an integrated shop. It might even be the next best thing to being there.

Bank deputy warns of 'huge liquidity crisis'

Deputy Bank of England Governor Rachel Lomax today warned of slowing growth and sharply rising inflation.

Painting a bleak picture of the global economy, Lomax said the outlook has 'changed dramatically' in recent months because of the credit crunch and the soaring cost of energy and food.
'There have been financial and banking crises before, but not on the present global scale,' she told the Institute of Economic Affairs in Westminster. 'This must surely be the largest-ever peacetime liquidity crisis.'

Lomax said the 'accident waiting to happen' in US subprime mortgages and the wider credit markets 'lends itself to a wide range of predictions about the possible course of events from now on, from the relatively benign to the frankly apocalyptic'.

She said that UK inflation will 'rise sharply in the near term' while the economy will grow 'at below-trend rates over the next two years' even if the Bank cuts interest rates dramatically. This highlights the MPC's dilemma as it tries to balance the risk of runaway inflation with the need to boost economic growth.

Lomax, in charge of monetary policy at Threadneedle Street, said: 'A temporary pick-up in inflation, by itself, does not mean the committee needs to tolerate a significant weakening in demand.

'But if inflation expectations appear to be persistently elevated, the committee will need to tolerate more slack to keep inflation on target. And that means it will have less scope to respond to slowing demand - the risk posed by the current turmoil in financial markets.'

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Share tips: Top stock picks for 2008
An equity sell-off in March, the collapse of the US subprime market and the ensuing credit crunch were hardly factors to inspire investors in 2007.
The past 12 months have not been easy for stock markets and the problems are not over. Experts expect the market woes to continue well into 2008 - concerns regarding the full extent of credit writedowns are likely to weigh heavily on shares, particularly for the first six months of the year.


'Global markets will be hoping that the US can avoid falling into recession, whilst in the UK the economic outlook remains balanced on a knife edge,' says Richard Hunter, head of UK equities at Hargreaves Lansdown Stockbrokers.


But this shouldn't mean there will not be opportunities for investors - they will however have to be extra vigilant. Morgan Stanley, one of the world's largest investment banks believes in a worst case scenario, the FTSE 100 could plummet to 5350 by the end of next year. Hunter, on the other hand, thinks it could hit 6900.


Companies with good growth prospects and strong balance sheets should continue to outperform in 2008 as should large-caps according to Morgan Stanley. Elsewhere, experts believe that given continued market volatility, there will most likely be a retreat to defensive shares.


So in light of these factors what stocks are the experts tipping for 2008?


BP:


Despite its recent difficulties in the production and refining areas which ultimately had a negative impact on its profits for the latest quarter of the year, Richard Hunter at Hargreaves Lansdown rates BP.


He says: 'The recent oil price highs should underpin performance, along with the resumption of projects such as the Gulf of Mexico, Thunder Horse and, in the foreseeable future, the Texas refinery, which should return to full capacity.


'The challenges may not be over, but at least the rot seems to have been stopped. The shares appear to have weathered the worst of the storm, and now stand up 10% over the last six months. While the market is well aware that there is still much work to be done, the current consensus is positive.'


Tesco


The retailer is a hotly tipped stock for next year. Hunter rates it, as does Morgan Stanley and Justin Urquhart Stewart of Seven Investment Management. He says: 'Tesco is one to watch. It is greatly improving its overseas business in the Far East, Eastern Europe and in the US. 2008 could in fact witness up to 50% of its profits coming from abroad.'


Hunter adds: 'Without taking its eyes off the core UK market, where all the key performance indicators continue their inexorable growth, the success of its international division continues apace, with a flagship Chinese store and the US roll-out yet to make their own notable contributions.


'The recent doubling of the share buyback programme to £3bn will add further support to the shares, while on past performance the Christmas period could give yet another boost to prospects. And, despite a 24% hike in the share price over the past year, the market view towards the shares remains resolutely positive.'

Style Icon David Beckham

You might wonder why David Beckham is standing next to Jennifer Lopez and Beyonce Knowles when he has a perfectly good wife. Well, these three were in a Pepsi commercial together back in 2005 so we'll let him off the hook. But the important thing here is how David so confidently wears a silk scarf and tuxedo blazer with his jeans and crisp white shirt. Simple and cool.

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If the term style icon applied to anybody, it would most certainly be David Beckham. His sense of style such an inspiration to men around the world. It is no secret that he loves to experiment with fashion and hairstyles yet it doesn't diminish his masculinity one bit. In fact, it has made him all the more sexy and the subject of countless articles and magazine covers. He is living proof that it's not only okay for guys to care about the way they look, but it's cool to do so

Spring Into Fashion

Catherines Plus Sizes, one of the leading plus-size retailers with over 450 stores nationwide, introduces its colorful spring 2008 collection of stylish looks designed specifically for women sizes 16-34.

"Catherine's spring collection was designed to remind our customers why she is so incredible," said Juanita Fields, Catherines Trend Director. "Whether she is at home, work or on vacation, she can look good and feel good in the great outfits she can find only at Catherines."

Catherines offers a wide selection of apparel from career and casual to eveningwear for all her lifestyle needs. For an effortless day look, match a textured print top with a pair of the ever-so-popular jeans with Right Fit sizing technology. And for an effortless night look, swap the jeans for career pants with Right Fit.

The Right Fit sizing system was developed after years of research using the latest technology. It is a simple formula for finding the perfect fit no matter her shape or size. Catherines understands that no two plus-size bodies are alike which makes it challenging when shopping for pants that fit. Sales associates at Catherines are trained to help customers find their Right Fit size.

"After visiting several Catherines stores, I was pleased to find both, figure-flattering options for work and special occasions," said plus-size celebrity stylist, Nicole Brewer. "I received personal attention and exceptional customer service from the sales associates which was helpful when I was putting together outfits for my clients' various body shapes!"

For the complete spring collection as well as a wide selection of accessories including comfortable sleepwear, sexy lingerie, jewelry, hats, and handbags, customers can visit Catherines stores nationwide or log on to www.catherines.com.

With over 450 stores, Catherines Plus-Sizes, a subsidiary of The Charming Shoppes, Inc., provides stylish, high-quality fashion for plus-size women in sizes 16W-34W. Catherines offers a wide selection of apparel from career and casual to eveningwear -- as well as a collection of accessories, lingerie and hosiery.

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Young designer aims to make Ungaro 'cool'
Esteban Cortazar, the 23-year-old Colombian designer with the task of breathing life into the established house of Emanuel Ungaro, has only one aim this Paris Fashion Week: to make the label "more cool".

Cortazar's first collection for Ungaro, a red carpet favourite of Kylie Minogue and Penelope Cruz, is among the most anticipated events of the fall and winter 2008 collections.

"I have a new vision, a fresher attitude. It's what the house needs," Cortazar said in an interview ahead of his Wednesday show at an atelier surrounded by mannequins.

The Bogota-born, Miami-raised son of an artist and a jazz singer made his unofficial debut in fashion when he was just 15 years old, designing for Miami International Fashion Week.

Already acclaimed by the industry, Cortazar's own collection of glamorous gowns with a Latin influence was snapped up early by powerful US department store Bloomingdale's.

But is he stressed by the pressure to perform in Paris, the world's premier fashion event?

"The younger you are, the less pressure there is," he said. "And nervousness is a good thing, it makes you more creative."

New faces at old houses have been a feature of this fashion season, reaching its end in Paris after New York, London and Milan. But it has not always been easy for unknowns to take over from the greats.

Gianfranco Ferre, whose eponymous designer died suddenly last year, showed an uneven collection in Milan last week after the designer assigned to take over, Lars Nilsson, quit a month before the shows because of "creative differences".

Another closely watched show this week is Valentino, where Alessandra Fachinetti will parade her first designs since replacing the Valentino Garavani. She was abruptly ejected from Gucci after just two seasons when she failed to fill the shoes of Tom Ford.

Seasoned fashion executives say an ability to spot a brand's heritage and reproduce it with an eye to what the consumer wants can be even more important than ego and talent when it comes to taking the place of an illustrious predecessor.

Cortazar was chosen last year by Mounir Mouffarige, group president of Emanuel Ungaro, who was "seduced by his youth and his level of maturity".

"His mission is to make the label more exciting, more cool," Mouffarige said. "He must be daring."

Mouffarige has a history of success in introducing untried young talents into the best known design houses.

In 1997, he shocked the fashion world by putting the untested Stella McCartney in at Chloe, replacing Karl Lagerfeld, who went on to great acclaim.

But at Ungaro it has been a more difficult task. Since the eponymous designer retired in 2004, the house has been through four stylists as it struggled to find one able to channel its traditional look of long draped dresses and curvaceous lines.

Technorati : Fashion, Spring, Spring Into Fashion, Style, life.lifestyle

The Oscars 2008

It was nearly a complete washout as torrential rain threatened to turn last night's glitzy Oscars bash into a damp squib. Special vacuums were brought in to suck the water out of the red carpet before Hollywood's glitterati arrived at the do.

The sodden scene mirrored the 2002 awards when rain caused shampoo on the carpet to turn to foam and ruined the dress of stars such as Kate Winslet and Nicole Kidman.

Still, organisers needn't have feared. The crowds defied the weather and were out in all their splendour for the 80th Academy Awards.

See who was there and what they were wearing, here.

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The Best Oscars Dresses

Heidi Klum positively stole the show at this year's Oscars. Wearing a stunning Galliano gown in this year's colour of choice, red, the supermodel looked radiant.

We take a look back over the years at some of our favourite outfits.

Technorati : The Oscars 2008, life, style