Goodbye London, Hello Gaborone: De Beers Sales Head To Africa

Red alert! Penelope Cruz stuns in red suit as she launches new film with husband Javier Bardem in London

View gallery British musicians Damon Albarn (L) and Paul Simonon (R) along with British actor Jude Law (2-R) take part in a protest against the detainment of Greenpeace activists by Russia outside the Russian embassy in central London on October 5, 2013. (AFP Photo/Carl Court) 19 hours ago London (AFP) – British actor Jude Law joined hundreds of people gathered in London Saturday as part of worldwide Greenpeace protests over Russia’s jailing of activists opposed to Arctic oil drilling. “Sherlock Holmes” star Law, joined by Damon Albarn, the frontman of British band Blur, and guitarist Paul Simonon of The Clash, voiced support for his friend Frank Hewetson, one of 30 Greenpeace activists threatened with up to 15 years in prison. British fashion designer Vivienne Westwood also turned out to join demonstrators who held up placards showing the faces and names of those detained. Police said about 800 people had gathered for the protest that lasted about two hours. Organisers put the number at 1,000. “Of course I am worried about Frank because I care about his family and I care about him but I know that he is incredibly durable,” Law told reporters as he took part in the demonstration held outside the Russian embassy. “I think that it is very interesting that the people over there (Greenpeace activists) probably knew there would be an arrest involved and the threat of a conviction is probably part and parcel of the act of drawing attention to the drilling in the Arctic which we all know is an international problem which needs confronting.” Law added: “What is ludicrous is that they have been charged with piracy which has a threat of 15 years in prison.” Greenpeace supporters held vigils across the world Saturday in support of the activists, whose imprisonment has sparked a new row between Moscow and the West. A 950-tonne icebreaker sailed by Greenpeace was impounded by Russian authorities last month after it approached the world’s first oil rig in the pristine Barents Sea — the focus of energy companies from around the world. A court in Russia’s northwestern region of Murmansk has since charged all crew members — who come from 18 different countries — with charges that carry jail terms of up to 15 years. Society & Culture

The five-star venue hosted a press conference for her new project The Counselor in which she stars alongside real-life husband Javier Bardem. Wearing a stunning red suit by Armani, which featured an over-sized bow, the 39 year-old looked elegant and timeless as she posed for photographs with her fellow cast-members. Classic Hollywood style: Penelope looked stunning in her bright red two-piece by Armani Her brunette hair was neatly contained in a loose bun, while she opted for contrasting black shoes with a simple black clutch bag. Meanwhile, her husband complimented the look with a blue jacket and shirt ensemble, worn with jeans. Acclaimed director Ridley Scott opted for a more casual look in a long-sleeved black T-shirt, while Fassbender sported a classic black-and-white combo. Longevity: The Spanish actress and model has been working consistently since she was sixteen Leading Lady: Cruz plays the fiance of Javier Bardem’s character, who is a notorious drug dealer While posing for images, Cruz and Bardem looked intimate with a clearly-visible chemistry. Fortunately, the two play a couple in the film. The Counselor sees Cruz takes on the role of his naive fiance Laura, while Bardem plays tough-talking drug dealer Reiner. Clearly in love: One of Hollywood’s most smouldering couples, the pair look stylish and happy as they appear together Also starring the likes of Brad Pitt and Cameron Diaz, the movie marks the first on-screen reunion between husband-and-wife Penelope and Javier since 2008′s acclaimed Vicky Cristina Barcelona. It also reunites Brad with Ridley for the first time since 1991′s cult classic Thelma & Louise and sees leading ladies Cruz and Diaz come together after their triumph in 2001s Vanilla Sky. The Counselor is scheduled for release in the US on October 25, and in the UK on November 15.

The Walbrook formed a useful water supply, not only for daily life, but also for industry such as tanneries on the edge of the medieval city. However, the many branches of the stream may have been as much of a hindrance as a benefit to the Romans, who expended much effort to force the watercourses within the city of Londinium into channels revetted with timber, and [who dumped] large quantities of earth to reclaim adjacent ground for building. How and when did the River Walbrook come to be “lost”? Most of the stream was constricted into drainage channels during the 15th and 16th centuries, and was then covered over and lost to view, consigned to drains whose successors still run into the Thames by Southwark Bridge. Along with the Roman skulls, you have the 3,000 graves from the old Bedlam cemetery found nearby. What will you hope to learn from them? While much work has been carried out on burial populations from the medieval period and the 19th century, much less is known about health in the 16th to 18th centuries, the period of the post-medieval burials at Liverpool Street. It will help us to understand when and how what we characterize as a medieval community changed following the dissolution, during a period of expansion and great change in London. What has it been like as an archaeologist to get a peek beneath the streets of one of the world’s great old cities? It has been a great privilege being part of the Crossrail project, as it has given us unprecedented access to the capital’s past. We are unlikely to have ever got access to excavate sites like the busy roadway at Liverpool Street, outside one of London’s mainline railway terminuses. In London, history is everywhere you look, and Liverpool Street has certainly not disappointed.

London Dig Uncovers Roman-Era Skulls

A TIGHT GRIP De Beers’ London sights date back to the 1930s, when it set up what became the Diamond Trading Company to control supply, secure demand and tighten its grip on the market in rough diamonds, of which it held some 80 percent at its peak in the 1980s and 90s. Gems from all mines were aggregated and quantities for customers were agreed in advance. Buyers were vetted and could not refuse gems in their allocation without risking future supply. In exchange, they were assured a predictable, consistent quality and supply. Until this month, the London sales meetings were interrupted only by the heavy bombing during the Blitz. But times have changed. De Beers has been battling lower production and challenges to its sales model for years, in part thanks the collapse of the Soviet Union and the emergence of mines in Australia and Canada outside the firm’s influence. Its share of rough diamond sales dropped to under 50 percent in 2006 and to 37 percent in 2012, according to consultancy Bain. In 2009, it was overtaken in carat terms by Russia’s Alrosa. De Beers says the move to Gaborone was partly motivated by wanting to keep alive the sights system, which still sells to buyers like jewellers Tiffany & Co and China’s Chow Tai Fook, and Indian family firms. “The Botswana government did not come to De Beers and say please transfer your business. The Botswana government said we would like you to sell the Botswana diamonds here,” said Varda Shine, who runs De Beers’ Global Sightholder Sales.