With endless supplies of Pol Roger champagne, the Spectator's annual parliamentary awards ceremony at Claridge's tends to be a lively event for Britain's political elite.

Last November's lunch proved no exception. As immaculately dressed waiters served up roast lamb in the hotel's chandeliered ballroom, one of the prime movers in London politics gave vent to months of frustration. "Boris, you've got to pull your finger out," the Evening Standard editor, Veronica Wadley, told the Tory candidate for London mayor.

An Eton scholar who does not take kindly to being rebuked, Johnson mumbled incoherently as other guests took the opportunity to air their own concerns about his lacklustre campaign. But the blunt assessment hit home. By the turn of the year, his campaign had sharpened up and now Johnson could be close to the biggest political breakthrough by the Conservatives since John Major's surprise general election victory in 1992.

"Boris looked very sheepish as Veronica told him he had to pull his finger out," one of the guests said. "A lightbulb came on - by January he was really energised and now he may be on the verge of an extraordinary upset."

David Cameron, who faced criticism last year for throwing his weight behind such a maverick, now believes he may soon be vindicated. One senior Tory explained Cameron's thinking. "Ken Livingstone is one of the most skilled campaigners in British politics. And yet Boris is now slugging it out with Ken and setting the policy agenda of the campaign by focusing everyone on crime and transport. Even if Ken pulls it off - and Boris is within striking distance - that would still be a pretty stunning result for us."

A strong Johnson showing would provide the first electoral evidence that the modernised Tory party is reaching far beyond its usual comfort zones. "London is totemic and will grab the headlines on May 1," said one member of the shadow frontbench.

"This is the most multiracial and multicultural city in the country. If we can do well there that will really capture people's imagination."

If Johnson wins, the debt he will owe to Associated Newspapers, and Wadley in particular, will be huge. For the first time, the capital will have a mayor in tune with the Standard's concerns on crime, the congestion charge and the costs of the Olympics.

There is another factor: in two years' time, Associated's multimillion-pound contract to supply tube stations with the free Metro newspaper will expire. The renewal of the contract is a decision for Transport for London, whose chairman the mayor appoints.

A nod of thanks will also be due to Rupert Murdoch, whose Sun came out for Johnson this week, hailing him "a new and fresh champion for London".

But he was by no means an automatic choice for the Tories. And he needed to be persuaded to stand. Wadley played an important role in championing him last summer, and it is her newspaper that has provided him with unswerving support ever since.

"Veronica told anyone who would listen in senior positions in the party that there was only one guy who could win this: Boris," one senior Tory said. "That had a profound effect on David Cameron and George Osborne."

Johnson had flirted with the idea of standing for London mayor for some time, but it took a light-hearted intervention from a former boss - and a pillar of the Tory establishment - to make up his mind. A friend sent an email last year to Charles Moore, the former editor of Daily Telegraph, where Johnson first made his name as a journalist. It read simply: "Boris for mayor?"

The mischievous Moore fired back a reply: "Boris for mayor of Henley" - the affluent Oxfordshire constituency he represents in parliament. "Boris was so outraged by what Charles wrote that he was spurred into action," said a friend.

The sight of a rejuvenated Johnson at the end of the year came as a relief to the Tory leadership. Last autumn, they were seriously worried at the faltering start to his campaign after he was overwhelmingly selected as the Tory candidate on September 27.

Osborne, the shadow chancellor, passed on his concerns to Johnson at about the same time as the Wadley ticking off at the Spectator lunch. Johnson listened carefully to the man who will coordinate the Tories' next general election campaign; he has learnt to respect Osborne, who was made the Spectator's politician of the year at the Claridge's lunch.

The Osborne intervention - and the pressing need to get their candidate back in the race - led the Tory high command to seek out someone who could both discipline Johnson and identify and exploit the issues that concerned Londoners.

Their search led them to Lynton Crosby, the Australian strategist who delivered a string of election victories for the former Australian prime minister John Howard.

Despite Crosby's failure to secure a win for the former Conservative leader Michael Howard in the 2005 general election, Osborne, Cameron and the chair of the Tory party, Caroline Spelman, decided he was the one to break in their candidate.

Since Crosby took charge in January, Johnson has learned to talk seriously about issues such as crime, public transport and housing - and toned down the buffoonery. Crosby's decision to focus on outer London boroughs such as Enfield and Bexley, normally neglected by mayoral candidates, and to pinpoint wards where the Tories should concentrate their efforts, have also won him praise.

One senior figure said: "Lynton has worked out the outer London strategy. He has got armies of people out to tube stations. A lot of themes that he used for our 2005 campaign are now being used. But this time we have the right messenger in Boris and David Cameron has made it possible for the party to talk about these things."

The Crosby campaign has appointed an outside press team - iNHouse PR - run by the former Tory press officer Katie Perrior. Ed Staite, a popular Conservative press officer who is expected to move to City Hall with Johnson if he wins, is also on hand. In a sign of the Australian-style approach to the campaign, Perrior is on a commission - the better Johnson performs the more her company will be paid.

Whenever Johnson takes to the streets, be it Soho for the Chinese new year or Edmonton for his campaign launch with David Cameron, his PR minders are never more than an arm's length away, appearing to act as much as bodyguards as gaffe-guards. They often round on journalists who fail to portray Johnson in a flattering light - even those who work for "friendly" publications such as the Evening Standard.

Crosby himself also favours the hands-on approach. At both the unveiling of Johnson's crime manifesto at Millbank in February and the Edmonton launch, he looked on mutely from the sidelines as if trying to transmit telepathic messages to his protege. And while he will exchange a few words with journalists, his gaze never seems to leave his potentially unruly charge.

Some believe that Crosby has not so much banished Johnson's outer clown as coaxed out the old Etonian's inner self.

Lloyd Evans, the Spectator's theatre critic, who has known Johnson since they were at Oxford, said his friend - now "a bit plumper" than at university - was finally coming across as "the fully rounded Boris".

Johnson still enjoys the support of a number of Oxonians - including a few members of the Bullingdon club, the dandyish dining society to which both he and Cameron belonged. A handful of former Bullingdon members attended a fundraising dinner hosted by Johnson at the beginning of this month.

But despite the overhaul, support and some intensive cramming - he has asked more than 100 parliamentary questions about London in the past few months - Johnson is often still visibly struggling to master his brief.

At a KPMG business hustings at the end of March, he dithered over whether or not to shut down the mayor of London's overseas offices, saying he needed to consult the business community. When it was pointed out to him that he was addressing the business community, and that most of its members favoured the "embassies" and their trade benefits, he dithered a little more. Last week he went back on his original pledge to close them. Similar indecision over the cost of his plans to replace the bendy buses he loathes with a new generation of eco-friendly Routemasters has been one of the most salient and embarrassing features of his campaign.

After initially admitting that he did not know how much the buses would cost, he alighted on a figure of £8m.

The low figure was immediately questioned by independent transport experts, who suggested he was out by around £100m. Nonetheless, Johnson stuck to the £8m figure until last week, when he was caught on a mobile phone camera telling a Labour supporter that he believed the scheme would cost around £100m.

To muddy the waters still further, he appeared on a BBC debate a day later claiming that the new buses would cost no more than £8m. He now estimates the cost to be around the £100m mark.

His ability to weather this series of policy fumbles is proof of the goodwill his personality seems to evoke from the public and certain sections of the press: had Livingstone shown such a hazy knowledge of his key policies, he would have been torn to shreds - particularly by the Evening Standard.

The success of the past three months has left the Tory high command pondering what Mayor Johnson could mean for the party nationally. Would he rally young non-committed voters with his Woosterish japes, or would he allow Labour to paint the Cameron Conservatives as unreliable and unsuited to office?

Opinions are divided among Tories, though most believe the Johnson gamble was worth taking. One senior figure spelled out the thinking of those who have yet to be convinced.

"One of the reasons why Boris was encouraged to go for it is that he is a semi-detached member of the Conservative party. He is of the Conservative party but not with the Conservative party. His relationship with the Conservative party is a bit like London's relationship with the rest of the country. That is why he is such a good call.

"But I do not think we have got our heads round what a Boris win will mean. Boris has this manner that makes it like entertainment rather than serious campaigning. Conservatives will be as unprepared as London if Boris wins.

"There will be a feeling, this could be interesting, it seemed a good idea, but are we ready for this? Boris will be his own man. How will he relate to the Labour government? ... This is a double-edged sword. A victory would say the Conservatives are coming back. But there is also the element that you can't control Boris. If he screws it up that will rub off on us."

Johnson's screw-ups - or gaffes as they are more charitably known - are legendary. In the course of his career, he has referred to black children as "piccaninnies" in an attempt to mock Tony Blair's globe-trotting, and the people of Papua New Guinea as cannibals. He even sympathised with parents who did not like Jamie Oliver's campaign to make school meals healthier.

He eventually apologised to the black community and acknowledged that some of the things he had written had been offensive, but many black people remain wary of Johnson. Among them is Doreen Lawrence, the mother of the murdered teenager Stephen Lawrence, who told the Guardian last year that Johnson was "not an appropriate person to run a multicultural city like London". He was initially booed at a debate earlier this month organised by London Citizens, an umbrella group for scores of religious and ethnic minority groups. Although he went on to charm most of the crowd, when a black woman approached him after the event to berate him for some of the things he had written, he was swiftly surrounded by aides and whisked away.

Johnson thinks the charges of insensitivity about race are unfair. He likes to point out that his great-grandfather was Turkish and his wife, Marina, is half Indian.

While old articles have come back to haunt Johnson, his way with words, when properly focused, has served him well, propelling him on to the leader writers' desk of the Telegraph at the age of 23, and into the editor's chair of the Spectator 12 years later. He has also written a handful of books, including a novel, and presented a TV series about one of his passions, the Roman empire.

Another senior Tory was enthusiastic about Johnson's chances, pointing to his intellectual rigour and determination.

"We are all surprised to find ourselves in the position where Boris is the frontrunner. Ken Livingstone has held the London franchise for a generation. We all thought it was a long shot to win it. I always thought that to win it we needed a candidate who was a big personality. I have always thought that Boris is a serious figure. He is very hungry and he is driven."

The prospect of a Johnson victory has led senior figures in the party to make military-style preparations for a new high-flying City Hall team. Nick Boles, the founding director of the modernising Policy Exchange thinktank, is vetting candidates for up to 12 posts such as chief of staff to a Mayor Johnson. Boles, whose main job is to prepare members of the shadow cabinet for life as government ministers, would have been the Tory candidate for mayor had he not fallen ill a few years ago. He is now fully recovered.

One frontbencher said: "Nick is working out what responsibilities each person would have at City Hall. He is working out whether you need to re-engineer the posts held under Livingstone by [former race adviser] Lee Jasper and [chief of staff] Simon Fletcher. The mayor has a lot of personal appointments." Johnson used a mayoral debate last week to announce that Bob Diamond, president of Barclays Capital, would advise him on encouraging City firms to invest in community projects. Diamond is the highest paid FTSE 100 boss, earning £36m last year. On Monday, Johnson revealed that other advisers to the Mayor's Fund for London would include the former Labour donor Sir Trevor Chinn and his mayoral campaign fundraiser, Lord Marland. Steve Norris, the Tories' previous candidate, expressed an interest in running the London Development Agency but added that nothing had been agreed.

The leadership and Johnson are determined to keep a lid on the people they have lined up for City Hall because they have other jobs which they may need to hold on to if the Tories lose. But if Livingstone overtakes Johnson in the closing days of the campaign, the Tories may release more names to show he is capable of attracting talent to his team.

Johnson's critics are keen to point out that the Conservative challenger has never represented anywhere bigger than the safe Tory seat of Henley, which has little in common with London but the Thames. His constituents, though, seem pleased with his performance and he enjoys a majority of almost 13,000.

As he stood on the steps of Henley town hall three weeks ago, waiting to begin his constituency surgery, a stream of locals stopped for a chat or honked their horns as they drove past. He shook hands with one enthusiastic constituent who wanted to wish him luck in London.

"Thank you very much," he said. "But it's going to be very close."

Looking out over his parliamentary fiefdom, he seemed relaxed and more like the Johnson of old. He shrugged his shoulders over the news of Livingstone's "secret" children, insisting it would be irrelevant to Londoners, but complained grumpily that the mayor seemed set on stealing his policies.

Asked how he felt about the BNP advising its supporters to give him their second-preference votes, he reached for Virgil: "Non tali auxilio nec defensoribus istis tempus eget" (Not such aid nor such defenders does the time require).

And, before mooching off to Oxfam to browse the secondhand books, he had a confession to make about his highly motivated PR people: "They scare me, too."

Some stories from the Evening Standard this year. The newspaper is edited by Veronica Wadley.

January 24'Drunk on power' Ken admits he has a private fiefdom

February 24A green revolution - or is Ken just power mad?

April 1RATTLED KEN: I WILL STEAL BORIS'S IDEAS

April 9KEN'S SECRET DONATION BY PROPERTY BOSS

April 16SUICIDE BOMB BACKER RUNS KEN CAMPAIGN

April 18Charmer Boris, a one-man messiah

April 21Ken's adviser is linked to terror group

April 22Ken talks to front for banned Tamil Tigers

Summary: Even if he does not win, a strong showing would prove the modernised Tory party is reaching beyond its comfort zone


Katy Perry Is Launching a Shoe Collection [WWD] Like fellow pop stars Jennifer Lopez, Rihanna, Jessica Simpson and Zendaya before her, Katy Perry is getting into the shoe biz. The "Rise" singer has partnered with Global Brands Group to launch Katy Perry Footwear, which will include sneakers, sandals, stilettos and pumps in her signature flashy style, complete with a mix of Lucite, vinyl and floral patterns. The collection, $59 to $299, will launch at select retailers and online in spring 2017.

See Katy Perry through the years:

Katy Perry through the years

IMAGE DISTRIBUTED FOR STARKEY HEARING FOUNDATION - Katy Perry performs at the Starkey Hearing Foundation So The World May Hear Awards Gala in St. Paul, on Sunday, July, 26, 2015. (Andy King/AP Images for Starkey Hearing Foundation)

FLORENCE, ITALY - JUNE 18: Katy Perry poses backstage prior to the Moschino show during the 88 Pitti Uomo on June 18, 2015 in Florence, Italy. (Photo by Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images)

TANGERANG, INDONESIA - MAY 9: Katy Perry performs on the stage during her 'Prismatic' world tour concert at Indonesia Convention Extibition, Tangerang, Indonesia on May 9, 2015. This is the second concert Katy Perry in Indonesia. (Photo by Kharisma Aris/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

Katy Perry arrives at The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute benefit gala celebrating "China: Through the Looking Glass" on Monday, May 4, 2015, in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)

INDIO, CA - APRIL 12: Mia Moretti (2ndL) and Katy Perry (C) with guests in the VIP arena during the 2015 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival - Weekend 1 at The Empire Polo Club on April 12, 2015 in Indio, California. (Photo by Rachel Murray/Getty Images for Coachella)

LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 26: Singer Katy Perry takes a selfie with fans at the screening of EPIX's 'Katy Perry: The Prismatic World Tour' at The Theatre at Ace Hotel Downtown LA on March 26, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)

US singer Katy Perry performs at the Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam, on March 09, 2015 as part of her Prismatic World Tour. AFP PHOTO/ANP/FERDY DAMMAN - netherlands out - (Photo credit should read Ferdy Damman/AFP/Getty Images)

PARIS, FRANCE - MARCH 08: (L-R) Kanye West, Kim Kardashian and Katy Perry attend the Givenchy show as part of the Paris Fashion Week Womenswear Fall/Winter 2015/2016 on March 8, 2015 in Paris, France. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 08: Singer Katy Perry attends The 57th Annual GRAMMY Awards at the STAPLES Center on February 8, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)

Katy Perry arrives at the World Premiere Of "Katy Perry: The Prismatic World Tour" held at The Theatre at Ace Hotel on Thursday, March 26, 2015, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)

GLENDALE, AZ - FEBRUARY 01: Singer Katy Perry performs during the Pepsi Super Bowl XLIX Halftime Show at University of Phoenix Stadium on February 1, 2015 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

GLENDALE, AZ - FEBRUARY 01: Recording artist Katy Perry performs onstage during the Pepsi Super Bowl XLIX Halftime Show at University of Phoenix Stadium on February 1, 2015 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christopher Polk/Getty Images)

PHOENIX, AZ - JANUARY 29: Singer Katy Perry speaks during the Pepsi Super Bowl XLIV Halftime Show Press Conference at the Phoenix Convention Center on January 29, 2015 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Mike Lawrie/Getty Images)

FILE - In this Sept. 16, 2014 file photo, Katy Perry performs on stage at "The Prismatic World Tour" at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. (Photo by John Shearer/Invision/AP, File)

Katy Perry arrives at the MTV Video Music Awards at The Forum on Sunday, Aug. 24, 2014, in Inglewood, Calif. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - NOVEMBER 26: Katy Perry takes a selfie with fans at the 28th Annual ARIA Awards 2014 at the Star on November 26, 2014 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 31: (AFP OUT) Singer Katy Perry performs during a concert commemorating the Special Olympics with U.S. President Barack Obama, not pictured, in the State Dining Room of the White House on July 31, 2014 in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the Special Olympics movement has grown to more than 4.4 million athletes in 170 countries. (Photo by Andrew Harrer-Pool/Getty Images)

Pop star Katy Perry arrives on June 12, 2014 in Los Angeles, California, for an announcement where she is teaming up Staples to 'Make Roar Happen', celebrating and supporting teachers for a philanthropic effort during the back-to-school season. Besides donating $1 million to DonorsChoose.org, Staples will sponsor the North American leg of Katy Perrys Prismatic World Tour, which starts in Raleigh, North Carolina on June 22. AFP PHOTO/Frederic J. BROWN (Photo credit should read FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/Getty Images)

LAKE BUENA VISTA, FL - JULY 04: In this handout photo provided by Disney Parks, singer Katy Perry poses with Minnie Mouse and Mickey Mouse at Disney's Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World Resort on July 4, 2014 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. Katy Perry, who sang the hit song 'Firework,' visited Walt Disney World Resort on U.S. Independence Day during a break in her global 'Prismatic' concert tour. (Photo by Chloe Rice/Disney Parks via Getty Images)

In this photo provided by Invision, Katy Perry poses for a photo at the Staples âMake Roar Happenâ news conference Thursday, June 12, 2014, at Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles. (Photo by Matt Sayles/Invision for Staples/AP Images)

Katy Perry arrives at MOCA's 35th Anniversary Gala presented by Louis Vuitton at The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA on Saturday, March 29, 2014 in Los Angeles. (Photo by Annie I. Bang /Invision/AP)

LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 18: Katy Perry attends the Elle Style Awards 2014 at one Embankment on February 18, 2014 in London, England. (Photo by Anthony Harvey/Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 27: Recording artist Katy Perry performs onstage during 'The Night That Changed America: A GRAMMY Salute To The Beatles' at the Los Angeles Convention Center on January 27, 2014 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for NARAS)

NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 04: Singer Katy Perry attends the Betsey Johnson 2008 fashion show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Fall 2008 at The Tent at Bryant Park on February 4, 2008 in New York City. (Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images for IMG)

CULVER CITY, CA - MAY 30: Singer Katy Perry performs onstage during the taping of Spike TV's 2nd Annual 'Guys Choice' Awards held at Sony Studios on May 30, 2008 in Culver City, California. The show airs on June 22, 2008 at 10PM ET/PT on Spike TV. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 17: Musician Katy Perry attends the Katy Perry record release party for 'One of the Boys' at Capitol Records on June 17, 2008 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for EMI Music)

NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 05: Katy Perry arrives in Bryant Park during the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Spring 2008 on September 5, 2007 in New York City. (Photo by Katy Winn/Getty Images for IMG)

LOS ANGELES - MAY 5: Singer Katy Perry arrives at the H.D. Buttercup Grand Opening Celebrity Treasure Hunt at the H.D. Buttercup at the Helms Bakery Building May 5, 2005 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Phil McCarten/Getty Images)

WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA - FEBRUARY 27: Singer Katy Perry arrives at The Abbey / Esquire Magazine 'The Envelope Please' Oscar Viewing Party on February 27, 2005 at The Abbey in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by Amanda Edwards/Getty Images)

BEVERLY HILLS, CA - FEBRUARY 23: Singer Katy Perry during the Jimmy Choo annual Oscar Collection Preview and Tea at the Peninsula Hotel on February 23, 2004 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Amanda Edwards/Getty Images)

SAO PAULO, BRAZIL - SEPTEMBER 24: Singer Katy Perry performs live at Arena Allianz Parque on September 25, 2015 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. (Photo by Daniel Vorley/Getty Images)

Victoria Beckham Announces Launch Date for Cosmetics Collection [Vogue] In a new makeup tutorial for Vogue, Victoria Beckham not only outlined how she achieves her #flawless "five-minute" face on a day-to-day basis, but also revealed that her eponymous beauty collection in collaboration with Estee Lauder will drop in September. The designer used products from her collection to demonstrate the "London look": a smoky eye, pale lip and a healthy dose of highlighter.

See Victoria Beckham share her best makeup tips:

Fashion Blogger Kristina Bazan Debuts Pop Single "Out" [Vevo] Fashion blogger Kristina Bazan apparently has had a talent hidden up her designer sleeves. The 22-year-old debuted the music video for her new single "Out" on Vevo on Monday afternoon. The Swiss beauty, who last year became a brand ambassador for L'Oreal in a deal reportedly worth seven figures, wore a very on-trend choker and white La Perla negligee in the video, as well as a slinky Elie Saab dress. Bazan told WWD that blogging (now her full-time gig) started as a side project, and that music had always been her true passion.

Amber Rose and Donald Robertson Tapped for Estee Lauder's Flirt Cosmetics [WWD] Illustrator Donald Robertson, better known by his Instagram handle, "Drawbertson," is the creative director of Estee Lauder Cosmetics Inc.'s new brand, Flirt Cosmetics (unaffiliated with the Estee Lauder brand). Socialite/activist Amber Rose has been cast as the face of the e-commerce-only brand. Flirt's first product, an applicator forlashes called Flash, is available on Sept. 15.

More from The Hollywood Reporter: Watch Madonna Dance on a Table in Havana for Her Birthday Robert Downey Jr. Teaming With 'True Detective' Creator for HBO Drama 'Awards Chatter' Podcast — Taraji P. Henson

Summary: Like fellow pop stars Jennifer Lopez, Rihanna and Jessica Simpson, the 'Rise' singer is branching out into the fashion business.


09/04/2016 AT 01:10 PM EDT

It's been a decade since the "Crocodile Hunter"

continues to see him as her "hero."

champion paid tribute to her father on the anniversary of his passing with a throwback photo where Steve is holding his baby girl in one hand with a big smile on his face.

"You'll be my hero for my entire existence," Bindi captioned the snap. "I love you more than words can describe."

Steve's wife Terri also took to social media to honor her late husband and send a simple reminder to others.

"Happy Father's Day Australia. Hug your dad," she tweeted along with a photo of Steve holding a young reptile with his two children, Bindi and Robert, who were 8 and 2 years old when their father passed.

Happy Father's Day Australia. Hug your dad. pic.twitter.com/8IASLcKruS

(Sunday marked Father's Day in Australia.)

Earlier this week, Steve's parents shared a

he wrote to his parents, thanking them for their support and friendship.

The conservationist and TV star wrote the note in 1998, telling his parents: "Probably one of the most unfortunate things in a 'Bloke's Life' is that it takes over 30 years to realize how essential you have been to build my character, my ethics and, most importantly, my HAPPINESS."

He continued, "At 32, I am finally starting to figure it out. In good times and in bad, you were there. Your strength and endurance to raise me will not go unrewarded. My love for you is my strength!"

Bob Irwin released the letter for the first time in

Bindi, who turned 18 last month, revealed to

that celebrating the monumental year was "bitttersweet" without her father.

"I can feel that he's not here anymore on most of the days that are really big for our family," Bindi said. "On days like birthdays, Christmases, it's really a tough time because he's not here. It's sad because you want him to be right next to you and experiencing all these milestones, but I truly believe that, in some way, he is still with us."

Summary: The wife of the "Crocodile Hunter" reminded Twitter followers to "hug your dad"


One critic, after viewing her pelvic thrust-and-parry stage moves, accused her of “the most uninhibited display of aggressive female sexuality since Tina Turner.” It is a charge to which Vanity happily pleads guilty—with an explanation. Says the former Denise Matthews: “I’m a real romantic. I’ve never been to bed with a man I wasn’t in love with.” And what of the look that surely attracts a lot of men she doesn’t love? “I’ve had a mailman call me on the pay phone in a restaurant and tell me he wants me,” the singer explains. “What’s the big deal?”

For Vanity, 25, the only big deals that count these days are the kind you sign on the dotted line. Now amiably estranged from her ex-lover and former Svengali, the protean Prince, she has recently emerged with her first solo LP, Wild Animal, and its predictably suggestive single, Pretty Mess. The album comes from Motown, which also produced Vanity’s first big-budget film, The Last Dragon, a martial arts fantasy-romance due to be released next March.

The movie seems as much a consolation prize as a career maker, however. Back in Minneapolis Vanity had helped Prince script Purple Rain and had been slated to play the female lead, a role based in part on her own life story. But before the cameras rolled, so too had Vanity—off to California and a solo career. “I needed one person to love me, and he needed more,” she says of Prince, conceding that she hasn’t even seen Purple Rain, because “it would bring back old memories, and I don’t want to cry.”

The illegitimate child of a black father and a white mother, Vanity had at first hoped that modeling would loft her out of her native Niagara Falls, Ontario. On her own at 16, she scratched for modeling assignments, made several low-budget movies (including Terror Train with then queen-of-the-Bs Jamie Lee Curtis) and finally turned up alone and despondent at the 1980 American Music Awards show in L.A. There she met Prince, who called her at 3 a.m. The couple dated for several months, and Prince, learning that she could sing, eventually invited her to Minneapolis to front a racy all-girl group he was forming.

“He wanted me to call myself Vagina. He said people would know me nationwide,” she discloses with a smile. “I said, ‘No kidding.’ ” They settled on Vanity, and Vanity 6, clad in scanty camisoles and singing tunes like Drive Me Wild and Nasty Girls, soon cracked the black Top 10.

Last year, when the Purple Rain crowd threw Vanity a farewell party at the now-famous First Avenue Club in Minneapolis, Prince did not attend. Still, “everything has worked out great,” insists Vanity, who now sports a new Jaguar XJS, a new boyfriend (recent college grad Robbie Bruce) and a pile of new scripts to consider. With her old mentor now readying a tour to hype his Purple Rain LP, Vanity is concentrating on a reign of her own! “I never thought, ‘Oh God, I’m in Prince’s shadow,’ ” she says firmly. “He’d been performing for years and he was my teacher. I miss his humor. I always felt we’d be like Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor over the years. I can honestly say I love the kid.”

Summary: One critic, after viewing her pelvic thrust-and-parry stage moves, accused her of “the most uninhibited display of aggressive female sexuality since Tina Turner.” It is a charge to whic…


Convicted Australian sex offenders made 900 attempts to travel overseas last year but were turned back at their destinations.

Australian Federal Police acting deputy commissioner Justine Saunders told a Senate estimates hearing on Monday 41 per cent were trying to reach southeast Asian countries.

Indonesia was previously the most popular destination for Australians sex offenders with 21 attempts a month in 2014 but this dropped to 10 since co-operation was ramped up with Indonesian immigration officials.

Summary: There were 900 attempts by Australian sex offenders to travel overseas last year with 41 per cent trying to reach southeast Asia.


A large site in the Swan Valley near Perth has been chosen to realise Premier Colin Barnett's vision of an African-themed open range zoo featuring lions, elephants and other animals.

The 700-hectare site at Chittering on the Avon River is in a region traditionally used for farming and winemaking but will be turned into an African savanna grasslands with wild animals.

"When I came to this site two years ago, I thought 'we don't have to look any further', it is truly a unique location," Mr Barnett told reporters.

"It is remarkable, undulating land, spectacular views down the valley, rock outcrops and the Avon Valley river flowing alongside.

"I think increasingly we like to observe and see animals in their natural environments, it's a worldwide trend, that becomes increasingly difficult with large animals in zoos located in central city areas."

The zoo is intended to be a major tourist venue, similar to the African-themed Werribee Open Range Zoo near Melbourne and would also provide international wildlife conservation breeding programs.

The zoo would cost up to $100 million and be five to 10 years away, Mr Barnett said.

Mr Barnett could be voted out in next year's state election before much work is done on the new zoo.

Labor leader Mark McGowan has not criticised the idea but said on Wednesday it was the premier's `thought bubble' just before an election when he should be focused on creating jobs in a slowing economy.

Summary: Perth will get an open range zoo featuring wild African animals at Chittering under plans to be announced by Premier Colin Barnett.


More than half of the special intake of 12,000 Syrian refugees has been resettled in Australia.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull gave an update on resettlement statistics on Friday and defended the slow progress, the result of thorough security checks being carried out.

"Australians understand this is not something you want to short cut ," he told reporters in Hobart.

Canada has resettled 33,239 Syrians since last year.

Mr Turnbull praised Tasmania's generosity in resettling 10 families so far.

The 40 people have found a new home in Hobart and 200 refugees in total will move to the city.

Summary: Australia has passed the halfway mark in resettling a special intake of 12,000 Syrian refugees.


The epic building boom that has added thousands of luxury housing units in the Boston area may have peaked, as a report to be released Tuesday by an influential foundation suggests the region has run out of customers willing to shell out huge sums in monthly rents.

The Boston Foundation says the number of permits for new housing units issued in Eastern Massachusetts is expected to fall by nearly 20 percent this year, the first decline since the most recent surge of construction began in 2011.

Housing specialists attribute the drop-off to the higher end of the housing market, where units can rent for $3,000 a month or more in and around Boston. What’s not clear, they say, is if the slowdown is a blip or a longer-term shift at a time when the addition of new units was just starting to dampen rents across the market.

The city of Boston itself, for example, is predicting a strong year for new housing — much of it for middle-income residents.

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“We’ve satisfied very-high-end demand, and so the number of luxury buildings is slowing down,” said Barry Bluestone, a housing economist at Northeastern University and author of the Boston Foundation report. “We haven’t seen much [building for] the middle and lower ends of the market.”

The buyer of the most expensive condominium in Boston is a South Shore boy turned billionaire.

Bluestone and others blame high development costs, including the prices for buildable land, and tight zoning rules as reasons for the limited construction of modestly priced housing in outer Boston neighborhoods and in many suburbs.

Yet in a region with a growing population of young renters, there’s still huge demand for moderately priced housing, said Rebecca Koepnick, director of neighborhoods and housing at the Boston Foundation.

“A slowdown would not be good for the region,” Koepnick said. “This is where the rubber hits the road. Are people willing to accept extremely high housing prices, as opposed to making some of the changes that need to be made in terms of how and where we build?”

The drop in permits comes as rent increases have eased. The average monthly rent for an apartment in Greater Boston was $2,335 in October, according to the data firm Axiometrics. That was up 1 percent from a year earlier, the slowest rate of growth in 2½ years.

Many real estate specialists believe the thousands of new units that have come onto the market recently have kept rent increases in check, and that without more new supply the prices will start to rise again.

The foundation estimates that Eastern Massachusetts municipalities will issue 11,386 housing permits in 2016. That would be down 18 percent from 2015, which was the busiest year for Boston-area builders in a decade.

Still, this year is on track to roughly match the strong construction numbers in 2014. And, in some places, officials see a backlog of buildings that are planned but not yet permitted.

In Boston, where Mayor Martin J. Walsh has made adding housing a top priority, building permits so far this year are down 42 percent from last year, with 2,683 through mid-November, compared to 4,608 in all of 2015.

But there are more than 5,000 units approved by the city that don’t yet have permits, said Boston’s housing chief, Sheila Dillon, including several large projects in outer neighborhoods that would be aimed at middle-income customers. If those projects go forward, as she expects many will, 2016 would wind up being another banner year.

“Large investments have already been made in those developments,” Dillon said. “I’m not worried at this point.”

Still, Dillon acknowledged the fine line that city officials must walk. They want to keep rents in check and produce new housing that more people can afford. But too much new construction could depress rents to the point that developers stop building.

“We’re hoping to see rents and prices moderate,” she said. “But we’re also hoping that rents and prices remain high enough to make development work.”

And any broader solution to high housing costs has to stretch far beyond Boston, said Clark Ziegler, executive director of the Massachusetts Housing Partnership.

The state needs to add 17,000 units a year over the next two decades just to keep up with estimated population growth, he said, mostly in Greater Boston. Yet in many suburban towns, new multi-family housing — at any price — is nearly nonexistent.

“You see a relatively small number of cities accounting for most new housing production in the state,” he said. “It’s just not sustainable.”

That pushes builders into a relatively small handful of places, said Jay Doherty, the chief executive of Cabot, Cabot & Forbes, which has recently built middle-income apartments in Quincy and the Alewife section of Cambridge. Or it pushes them to build for the downtown Boston luxury market. But in many suburbs and city neighborhoods, demand far outstrips supply.

“Sites get tougher. Permits get tougher. And the cost equation gets harder,” Doherty said.

“It all gets tougher, so it’s not surprising to see some shrinkage in [housing] production.”

Summary: But housing affordability remains a challenge in Greater Boston.


As Jakarta braces itself for yet another protest by hardline Muslim groups against its Christian governor, thousands of people have gathered in the capital to call for peace and unity.

"Let's show the world we can live side by side in harmony, despite differences," Jakarta's acting governor Soni Sumarsono told the crowd around the National Monument on Wednesday morning.

The "Unified Archipelago" rally comes as police and military personnel prepare for another protest on Friday against the capital's current governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, commonly referred to as Ahok.

The last protest - held on November 4 - brought more than 150,000 people to Jakarta demanding Ahok's immediate jailing over comments he made referring to the Koran.

It started peacefully but ended in police vehicles being burnt, hundreds injured and one person dying from asthma after authorities fired tear gas.

The violence prompted President Joko Widodo to cancel his Australian visit.

Ahok has since been named a suspect for blasphemy and is set to face court as soon as possible.

However, he has not been detained - inflaming hardline groups.

After initially attempting to ban the Friday rally, police are now trying to contain it within the open space surrounding the National Monument in Jakarta.

"Please follow this religious activity in orderly fashion. We will secure it as much as possible. We will even join that 'dzikir' (chanting)," police chief Tito Karnavian said this week.

Twelve people have been arrested over the November 4 rally, with ties to a terrorist group.

Meanwhile, at Ahok's campaign centre in Central Jakarta, hundreds are flocking there each day - donning his trademark navy and red checked shirts and cheering a governor they believe has improved the capital.

Roberto Christian, 27, told AAP: "I want to come so that he can see that I'm supporting him."

Under Ahok, he added, Jakarta's streets have been cleaner and infrastructure and transport has improved.

Ahok, meanwhile, is confident he has the support to win the hotly contested gubernatorial elections in February.

"On average there are about 1300 people (here at the campaign office). They give us donations. Yesterday they gave 100 million (rupiah) (about A$10,000)," he said on Tuesday.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi is still in discussions with her Australian counterpart Julie Bishop about a time frame for President Widodo to visit Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in Australia.

"They are trying to make this happen as soon as possible for the two leaders," Indonesia's Foreign Affairs spokesman Arrmanatha Nasir told AAP.

Summary: Thousands have gathered in Jakarta calling for unity as the capital braces itself for more protests on Friday against its Christian governor.


A desire to tap into Australia's love for online shopping has motivated Asian mobile marketplace Carousell to move Down Under.

The Singapore-based company, founded four years ago by friends Siu Rui Quek, Marcus Tan and Lucas Ngoo, has more than 40 million listings across five southeast Asian countries and has now moved to set up a Melbourne office.

Carousell's mobile phone-specific approach to buying and selling was born from Mr Quek and Mr Tan's own frustrations trying to sell items online through desktop websites.

"When we started we had no plans of creating a business, it was just to make our own experience easier and it went from there," Sui Rui Quek told AAP..

"We really gave it a mobile-first perspective, so you can quickly take a photo on your phone, and upload the item within a matter of minutes."

Nearly eight million Australians bought or sold something online in June this year, the Australian Communication and Media Authority's 2015/16 report says.

The country's e-commerce market is expected to be worth more than $24 billion by 2018, according to a 2015 e-commerce summary by PFS Web.

Carousell has already recorded one million Australian listings - a drop in the ocean compared to Gumtree and Ebay, which boasts more than 100 million active users worldwide - but Mr Quek believes a unique sense of online community sets it apart..

"We see this phenomenon where people follow each other and become friends, and then that transaction become quite pleasant, it's more about sharing," Mr Quek said.

"Our users on average spend about 17 minutes a day on the app and that's equivalent to (time spent) on Instagram.

"It's a classifieds marketplace but (people are) exhibiting social networking-like behaviour because it's photo-centric."

Groups selling and trading retro video games and sneakers are among the most popular in Australia.

Carousell opened in Singapore in 2012 before expanding to Malaysia, Indonesia and Taiwan. It spread earlier this year to Hong Kong and the Philippines on the back of US$35 million in funding led by Japanese venture capital investor Rakuten Ventures.

The founders are yet to monetise their service but Mr Quek says they are planning to offer paid premium listings.

Carousell bought Singaporean car classified company Caarly in October, a move to build a revenue stream.

Mr Quek would not divulge the company's overall value but flagged plans to expand after consolidating its Asia-Pacific markets.

"Ultimately we'd love to be in the rest of the world ... but for us it pays to do step-by-step and serving each community we go to," Mr Quek said.

The two-staff Melbourne office will moderate Australia's Carousell listings and give feedback back to the company's main office in Singapore.

Summary: Singapore's Carousell has officially launched its mobile app marketplace in Australia, as it looks to grow its 40 million online listings.


WASHINGTON -- Housing starts and permits fell in August, but upward revisions to the prior month's data suggested the housing market continued to gradually improve.

Groundbreaking declined 14.4 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual 956,000-unit pace, the Commerce Department said on Thursday. July's starts were revised to show a 1.12-million unit rate, the highest level since November 2007, instead of the previously reported 1.09-million unit rate.

Economists polled by Reuters had forecast starts slipping to a 1.04-million unit rate last month.

Housing is clawing back after suffering a setback following a spike in mortgage rates last year. It, however, remains constrained by a relatively high unemployment rate and stringent lending practices by financial institutions.

A survey Wednesday showed homebuilder sentiment hit its highest level in nearly nine years in September and builders reported a sharp pick-up in buyer traffic since early summer.

Groundbreaking for single-family homes, the largest part of the market, fell 2.4 percent in August to a 643,000-unit pace. That followed a hefty 11.1 percent increase in July.

Starts for the volatile multifamily homes segment tumbled 31.7 percent to a 313,000-unit rate in August.

Last month, permits fell 5.6 percent to a 998,000-unit pace. July's permits were revised slightly up to a 1.06-million unit rate. Economists had expected them to slip to a 1.05-million unit pace in August.

Permits for single-family homes fell 0.8 percent to a 626,000-unit pace in August. Permits in the U.S. South, where more than half of single-family construction occurs, hit their highest level since April 2008.

Permits for multifamily housing declined 12.7 percent to a 372,000-unit pace.

Does Your Home Live Up to the American Average?

Housing Starts Fall; Prior Month's Data Revised Higher

In 2013, the median lot size of a new sold single-family house was 8,596 square feet, or just under 0.2 acres. While that might not seem like a lot for you suburban homeowners, a regional breakdown shows that the small average size isn't due to urban inhabitants alone. The Northeast enjoys the largest average lot, at 13,052 square feet, while the less densely populated South and West lay claim to just 8,649 square feet and 6,796 square feet, respectively.

From a footprint of 1,650 square feet in 1978, the average American home has grown 50 percent, to 2,478 square feet. Yet tough times seem to be squeezing our expansionary attitude. Although new single-family homes sold in 2013 clocked in at a median 2,478 square feet, single-family homes completed in 2013 amounted to just 2,384 square feet. Homebuilder confidence has

in the last few months, hinting that the housing market's road to recovery might be rougher than expected.

While birth rates have held relatively steady for the past 40 years, everyone apparently needs more elbow room. The share of homes with four or more bedrooms has jumped from 27 percent in 1978 to 51 percent in 2013. And where would a bedroom be without a bathroom? While just 8 percent of 1978 homes had three or more baths, 37 percent of homes now fall in that category.

From 2008 to 2013, both the share of homes with four or more bedrooms and the share of homes with three or more bathrooms have jumped 10 percentage points, while median square footage is up 10.9 percent for the same period.

If there's one strong sign of new housing demand, it's home prices. After nose-diving during the Great Recession to a median sales price of just $216,700, home prices have been roaring back up. In 2013, the median sales price for a new single-family home was $268,900. But for those on the housing hunt, don't be discouraged. Home prices today still don't hold a candle to costs in 2006, according to the well-regarded Case-Shiller Home Price Index. In 2006, the index topped 200 before plummeting to less than 140, and current rates put the index just above 170.

It is America, after all. Our industrialized nation was built on the back of Henry Ford, and America is in no danger of breaking its automobile addiction. In 2013, a whopping 300,000 of the 429,000 new single-family homes sold included a two-car garage. And 98,000 new homes included a three-car garage -- the highest amount since 2007. Of all new homes built, only 10,000 failed to include a garage or carport.

American homebuyers are building bigger homes than ever before. But if there's one thing the recent recession has shown us, bigger isn't always better. Although 30 percent of Americans

, homeownership isn't for everyone. There are plenty of reasons to spend less or invest elsewhere -- and leave keeping up with the Joneses to Mr. and Mrs. Smith.

Summary: Daniel Acker/Bloomberg via Getty Images  By Lucia Mutikani  WASHINGTON -- Housing starts and permits fell in August, but upward revisions to the prior month's data suggested the housing market


BY ALISON GENDAR and JOANNE WASSERMAN Daily News Staff Writers

Sunday, January 10th 1999, 2:05AM

SIXTEEN of America's outstanding high schools are right here in New York City, according to U.S. News and World Report.

The magazine which will hit the stands tomorrow chose 96 public, private and parochial schools that not only had high academic success, but often took in students from poor families and helped them achieve their goals.

Rather than simply look at Scholastic Assessment Test scores and create an obvious list of well-to-do and prestigious schools, the magazine sought schools that "do a better job of educating their students than would be expected, given their students' backgrounds," the magazine stated.

To find the most outstanding schools, U.S. News, working with the highly regarded National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago, surveyed 1,300 principals in six metropolitan areas: New York, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth and Detroit.

About 82% of the principals responded to a 16-page questionnaire that asked everything from teachers' backgrounds to the socioeconomic status of students.

Additionally, the magazine asked about curriculum, length of the school day, the number of computers and how much autonomy the principal has in hiring and firing teachers.

The four measures of educational excellence that U.S. News used as it set about finding the most outstanding schools were:

Percentage of students taking the SAT or American College Test.

Advanced-placement tests: whether schools encourage all students, not just the best, to take challenging courses.

Persistence rate: the percentage of students in grades nine through 12 who complete the school year.

In addition to picking the 96 schools from this data, the magazine identified seven characteristics of outstanding high schools, including a challenging core curriculum, high standards, highly qualified teachers, parental involvement and mentors to help motivate students.

2581 Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd., Harlem

Public school; Enrollment: 1,030, coed; Principal: Gregory Hodge

As students walk into Frederick Douglass Academy each day, many stop and inspect themselves in one of the "dress for success" mirrors on the lobby wall.

Far from the usual teenage primping and preening, these students are making sure their uniforms are on right, that their hair is combed, that their ties are straight.

The lesson everywhere at Douglass is that appearances matter as much as grades. Students learn a code of behavior that administrators hope will take them far.

"This young man," said Principal Gregory Hodge, wrapping his arm around a tall teenage boy who has just straightened his tie, "is going to apply to Harvard."

Spend a few hours at Frederick Douglass Academy, and there's little doubt the young man will succeed.

At Douglass, which combines middle school and high school, 94% of the students go on to college, many with scholarships and more than a handful to Ivy League schools. More than 75% of the students are from poor families.

Beginning when they first arrive at the school, students take a college preparation course.

To help them do well on the SAT, students must study Latin to learn the origin of words. "If I know Latin, I am guaranteed to know English," said Latin teacher Maeve Nobile.

To gain entrance to the academy, students and their parents must agree to attend college meetings that often are held on Saturdays; do homework every night and take on holiday assignments.

With the backing of The Gap, the school has opened the Little Shop of Scholars, an in-school store that sells Douglass T-shirts and other must-have teenage attire.

With the money raised at the shop, students' expenses are paid for college admissions tests and application fees.

2900 Amboy Road, Staten Island; Parochial school; Enrollment: 1,160, all boys; Principal: The Rev. Emmet Nevin

There's no 2:30 club at Monsignor Farrell, said 16-year-old junior Stephen Marchi. By that, he means students at Farrell don't bolt for the door as soon as classes end at 2:30 p.m.

Afternoons are for the school's powerhouse sports teams, volunteer work teaching religious education to children in the public schools or community service, like raising more than $100,000 a year for the Muscular Dystrophy Association making the school the top fund-raiser for MDA in the nation eight years running.

"It's a busy place, but it's close-knit. Everybody knows each other," junior Michael Federico said.

Admission is based on a standardized exam and junior high record. Tuition is $3,345 a year. Nearly 100% of graduates go to a four-year college, Principal Emmet Nevin said.

83-53 Manton St., Briarwood, Queens; Parochial school; Enrollment: 1,320, all boys; Principal: Brother Richard Van Houten

Even before freshmen arrive, Archbishop Molloy High School works to bring the newcomers into the school community. Before school starts, ninth-graders spend six days at the school's camp 90 miles north of New York City.

"It's a chance for the students to get to know each other and the faculty before they even start class," said Principal Richard Van Houten.

With 98% of its graduates going on to four-year colleges, Molloy is secure about its academic record. But teachers want more for their students than a fast climb up a career ladder.

"School should not be just about `me' " Van Houten said, "me doing well, me becoming a lawyer, doctor or Indian chief but about `How can I make this community and world better place?' "

Admission is based on a standardized exam and school record. Tuition is $4,240 a year.

BRONX HIGH SCHOOL OF SCIENCE

75 W. 205th St., the Bronx; Public school; Enrollment: 2,650, coed; Principal: Stan Blumenstein

One of the city's best-known specialized high schools, Bronx Science attracts some of the brightest and most motivated students in the school system. Everybody goes to college, many to the Ivy League.

"You have inquisitive, motivated kids who come to school to learn," said Principal Stan Blumenstein. "When kids come to learn, that's motivating for teachers, and they are really in top form."

Heavy on the sciences and math, the school requires all students to take biology, chemistry, physics, sequential math and a host of other courses.

"We don't focus on a lecture style," said Blumenstein. "Rather, it's an inquiry approach."

MIDWOOD HIGH SCHOOL AT BROOKLYN COLLEGE

2839 Bedford Ave., Flatbush, Brooklyn; Public school; Enrollment: 4,050, coed; Principal: Lewis Frohlich

Midwood's 1998 graduates gathered more than $21 million in scholarships, its students won 91 prestigious Westinghouse science awards in the past eight years and, for the second time an unheard-of achievement the school was chosen as a national Blue Ribbon School of Excellence. To Principal Lewis Frohlich, it's only the beginning. "We have a school culture that says every student can be a success, a staff that buys into that culture and support from parents the three things you need for a successful school," Frohlich said.

Half the incoming 1,000 freshmen come from the neighborhood; the rest apply for the 500 seats in specialty programs in medical science or humanities. Some 8,000 apply for those 500 seats.

A. PHILIP RANDOLPH CAMPUS HIGH SCHOOL

135th St. and Convent Ave., Harlem; Public school

Enrollment: 1,500; Principal: Nathalie McFarlane

Randolph prepares its students for college, but not just any college. Said 11th-grader Rachel Ali, 16: "The top colleges in the country."

More than 5,000 apply each year for the 400 seats in Randolph's freshman class, drawn by a track record of more than 90% of its graduates attending college.

Many students arrive at Randolph already boasting high school credits: more than 100 of this year's entering freshmen had already taken and passed the first-level Regents math exam in eighth grade.

"Students arrive wanting to succeed, and we help them do it," said Principal Nathalie McFarlane.

Randolph uses grade-point average, standardized test scores and such measures as attendance to pick students for its pre-medical and pre-engineering programs. The humanities and college prep programs are filled by drawing on students from high, middle and low-achievement levels, as measured by reading test scores.

104 St. Marks Place, East Village, Manhattan; Parochial school; Enrollment: 210, all girls; Principal: John Joven

In an old three-story brick building, young women receive special care as they make their way through high school. Classes are small, about 26 in each. Students must take three years of foreign language, math and science. Everyone goes to college, said Principal John Joven.

While Notre Dame is cozy, it is far from luxurious. Its teachers and administrators do remarkable things with little: A cafeteria doubles as an auditorium where plays are performed, said Sister Mary Dolan, the school's president. One lab is used for all the science classes and is sometimes used for computer courses.

Staff, too, perform double duty. Joven functions not only as principal, but also as marine science teacher and supervisor of the science department.

"Everybody wears a lot of hats," he said. "If I didn't, I'd be holed up in the office, and kids would pass through and I would never know them."

Students come from all over the city, and some even commute from New Jersey and Westchester. Notre Dame tends to serve a predominantly poor student body, many of whom could not come to the school without scholarships.

"We offer services to a very bright group of kids who wouldn't otherwise be able to afford a private parochial school," Joven said.

Tuition is $4,600 a year.

4300 Murdock Ave., Wakefield, the Bronx; Parochial school, grades 6-12; Enrollment: 1,080, all boys; Principal: Brother Michael Mullin

Mount Saint Michael opened in 1926 with the hope of training young men "to reach for the stars through hard work," Principal Michael Mullin said.

The school, which sits on the border of Westchester County, makes demands on its charges, but the hard work pays off: 95% of its graduates go on to college.

"The kids are just delightful," Mullin said. "I think they find the school a safe haven, a place where they are known and challenged.

Admission to the school is based on a standardized exam and junior high records. Mount Saint Michael has nearly 1,000 applicants for next year's freshman class of 240. Tuition is $3,950. The student population is roughly one-third African-American, one-third Hispanic, one-third white.

MURRY BERGTRAUM HIGH SCHOOL FOR BUSINESS CAREERS

411 Pearl St., Manhattan; Public school; Principal: Grace Julian

Opened in 1975, Bergtraum majors in business-related courses such as secretarial studies, accounting, marketing, law, information services, securities and finance, and computer science. The school provided no information.

63-25 Main St., Flushing, Queens; Public school; Enrollment: 3,400, coed; Principal: June Orchanian

The largest chapter of the FFA, once known as Future Farmers of America, is based in of all places Main St. Flushing.

John Bowne High School boasts a 120-member FFA chapter as part of its agricultural program. But just as Future Farmers updated its name, Bowne's agriculture program includes more than its 3.8-acre farm and chicken ranch.

The nearly 600 students enrolled in its aggie program can study plant and animal science, horticulture and small and large-animal care. They raise and care for exotic animals, supply and run a school store and farm stand and train and show horses.

"I've known that I wanted to work with animals since I was a little kid. Here, we not only learn about animals, we work with them, raise them, care for them when they are sick. It is a special place," said 17-year-old senior Ivy Almonte.

Last year, 75% of the 579 aggie graduates went on to four-year colleges.

Admission to the school is open, but the school is required to draw top, middle and low-performing students, as measured by their scores on a standardized reading exam.

The student population is 45% Hispanic, 25% Asian, 20% African-American and 10% white.

"It really is the American Dream," said Principal June Orchanian. "Our parents want their children to do better than they did, and the way to do it is education."

It isn't easy. The school is overcrowded: classes run in shifts from 7:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m., with lunch for some at 10 a.m.

Easily a third of the students were born in another country, and the majority of all of the students don't speak English at home. But it all works even for those students whose ambitions don't lie in the sciences.

Roughly 350 students are enrolled in the Center for Writing program. By the time these students graduate, they will have read the range of genres, from biographies to playwriting, and written reams of their own work in each writing style.

"I never thought I'd like English, let alone doing all the writing we do here. But this school brings out surprise talents in people," said Janet Salas, 15.

6100 Francis Lewis Blvd., Fresh Meadows, Queens; Parochial school; Enrollment: 2,750, coed; Principal: Brother Leonard Conway

It is barely 7 a.m., and students already are streaming into St. Francis Prep to get a jump on the day.

Classes in advanced psychology or the architecture and logic of computer chips are full, and not a seat is vacant on stage as the concert band rehearses for an upcoming show.

"We all want to push ourselves," said senior Shweta Antani. "But people work hard because they want to feel good about themselves and their accomplishments."

The school is tough. Three thousand apply for the 650 freshman seats open each year. Admission to the 140-year-old school is based on a standardized exam and junior high performance. A passing grade is 75, not the usual 65. Tuition is $4,380 a year. And 97% of St. Francis students go on to college.

100 W. Mosholu Parkway South, the Bronx; Public school;

Enrollment: 3,500, coed; Principal: Norman Wechsler

It's difficult to believe when a visitor walks through the doors of this stately and vibrant building that DeWitt Clinton was once considered such an academic failure that it was in danger of being closed.

Today, the high school, which recently celebrated its 100th birthday, has made a dramatic comeback: The dropout rate, once the worst in the school system, is down to 2.9%; almost all students 95% go to college.

The school's reputation and success have made it a much-sought-after option in the Bronx. More than 10,000 students apply each year for 1,000 slots. Most come from poor, minority families.

"We went from the cellar to the attic in about eight years," says proud Principal Norman Wechsler, considered largely responsible for the changes at DeWitt Clinton.

To walk its halls today is to see rigorous academics and hands-on learning, combined with true concern for students.

An entire classroom filled with animals fish, birds, hamsters, snapping turtles and snakes provides students the option of a major in animal care. Each year, 2,000 students apply for this program; 100 are accepted.

In teacher John DiLorenzo's advanced-placement American history class, the lesson one recent day was about John D. Rockefeller and the fortune he made in oil.

To make his point, DiLorenzo acted the part of Rockefeller, chastising a teacher-colleague dressed as a worker who begs to take off Christmas Eve.

The door of the classroom flies open and yet another colleague, this one carrying golf clubs, tells DiLorenzo he has "a 2:15 at the club. The limo is waiting in front of the school, sir."

Perhaps the biggest and most telling testament to DeWitt Clinton comes from students such as Yscaira Jiminez, 18. A bright senior from a "very bad home" Jiminez said she learned "I can survive" from her teachers at the school. She is awaiting responses on her applications to some of the top colleges in the country.

29 Fort Greene Place, Fort Greene, Brooklyn; Public school;

Enrollment: 4,500, coed; Principal: Lee McCaskill

When the administrators at Brooklyn Tech send a letter home to the school's parents, they write it in five languages: English, Spanish, French, Mandarin and Cantonese.

More than half the students at the prestigious downtown Brooklyn school are first-generation Americans or immigrants, said Principal Lee McCaskill. Nearly half the students are also poor.

But these are also among the city's smartest kids; to get into Tech, more than 20,000 students take a highly competitive exam. Between 1,100 and 1,200 are chosen for the freshman class. "Self-motivation takes care of a lot," said McCaskill. "I think kids who need more and want more are hungrier."

It's a good thing, too: Tech students take "a lot of math and a lot of science," said McCaskill. "We have 15 calculus classes." While science and math are the main event at Tech, students get a well-rounded academic background.

To get the work done, the school offers a great deal of support from caring staff and McCaskill, who exhibits an easygoing but firm relationship with students as he walks the halls.

Hats are not permitted at Tech, and boys who see McCaskill quickly take off their backward baseball caps. Yet he's just as quick to invite a student to study in his office.

"From a distance, our kids look like any other kid, but you'll always know who the Tech kid is," said McCaskill. "Look at the backpack; it's bulging with books."

To further illustrate his point about Tech students being different, McCaskill recalls being at a girls' soccer game recently.

The Tech team was losing, and the captain called them into a huddle. "I heard her say, `We don't have enough entropy. We have to spread out all over the field.' "

McCaskill smiled broadly: "She had turned the game into a chemistry lesson."

588 Sixth St., Park Slope, Brooklyn; Parochial school

Enrollment: 265, all girls; Principal: Sister Valeria Belanger

For a small school, Saint Saviour has a big spirit, Principal Valeria Belanger said. It was the spirit of caring that persuaded Belanger to sign on as school principal four years ago. Last year, the school's graduating class of 60 pulled in more than $1.4 million in academic scholarships.

"Not bad for our little school," Belanger said.

Founded in 1917, Saint Saviour looks for students who can flourish in a small, all girls' school. "We want our young women to be prepared to go out into the world and make a difference," Belanger said.

Admission is based on a standardized exam and junior high track record. Tuition is $4,100. The student population is 56% white, 20% Hispanic, 19% African-American, 5% Asian.

685 E. 182nd St., East Tremont,

the Bronx; Parochial school; Enrollment: 812, all girls;

Community service is at the heart of this intimate all girls' parochial school in the Bronx. Students help feed the hungry and the homeless, and assist single mothers by baby-sitting to fulfill a requirement of 20 hours of community service.

At the same time, students must meet the school's tough academic standards. Tutoring and counseling are readily available.

In such a small setting, Principal Margaret Ryan and her staff know practically every student by name and many details of their personal lives. Virtually every student goes to college, with 84% heading for four-year institutions and 12% going to two-year schools.

MANHATTAN CENTER FOR SCIENCE & MATHEMATICS

E. 116th St. at the FDR Drive, East Harlem, Manhattan; Public school; Enrollment: 1,535; Principal: Steve Askinazi

Manhattan Center demands a lot of math and science from its students. "They kill you with it," joked Gerardo Espinal, 17.

Manhattan Center opened in East Harlem in 1982 with the goal of being a college prep school for students with an interest in math and science, but who lacked the scores to go to specialty high schools.

"The idea worked, and still does," said Principal Steve Askinazi. "This is a school for kids with potential, smart kids who need some support to reach their goals."

More than 90% of Manhattan Center's graduates go on to college.

Parents and students buy into the program: Every year the school receives between 2,000 and 3,000 applications for 400 freshmen seats. The school draws between 20% and 30% of its students from neighborhood schools; the rest come from across the city.

The regular school day runs from 8:40 a.m. to 3 p.m. But students can take credit courses in electives such as creative writing or Web page design between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. This "p.m. school" is a joint effort of the Board of Education and the Children's Aid Society.


A portrait as revolutionary as the Mona Lisa. Almost certainly, it represents Cecilia Gallerani, who was about 17 when this was painted. She was, according to a contemporary witness, "beautiful as a flower". In addition, she was well educated and intelligent; later in life she was a patroness of writers and a poet herself. Leonardo's portrait was described in a poem, the author noting that "by his art he makes her look as if she's listening, and not talking". The picture is a superb example of Leonardo's ambition to transmit the transitory emotions of the human soul. Both she and the animal in her arms are seen in an instant of graceful movement, their attention focused on something beyond the picture. This conception of the portrait as an animated moment of life was radically new.

Summary: Painted around 1489-90


SHANGHAI - Foxconn Technology, the world’s largest contract electronics manufacturer, has resolved a pay dispute with workers at a Central China plant, following a protest in which some workers threatened to commit suicide by leaping from a factory building.

Foxconn, a major supplier to Apple, Hewlett-Packard, and Microsoft, said the dispute was resolved peacefully but 45 workers had resigned.

Foxconn said most protesters had agreed to return to work following negotiations. Details of the agreement were not released. One worker said additional compensation had been promised.

Foxconn said the protest involved about 150 of its 32,000 employees in Wuhan.

In 2010, Foxconn was hit by a wave of suicides by distraught workers in China. The company, controlled by Hon Hai Hai Precision Industry of Taiwan, has been accused of forcing workers to endure long hours and harsh working conditions for little pay.

Under pressure from Apple and other major brands, Foxconn has pledged to improve conditions in China. The company has hired psychiatrists to counsel workers and embarked on a program to invest in robots and to move some production to central and western China, where labor is less costly and more abundant. The company said its new campuses also allow migrant workers to live closer to their hometowns.

There has been a rash of strikes and labor protests throughout China in recent months, partly in response to inflation and a greater awareness of labor laws. The strikes, which sometimes involve thousands of workers, often include demands for higher pay, insurance, and better working conditions.

“The welfare of our employees is our top priority,’’ Foxconn said.

Summary: Foxconn Technology, the largest contract electronics maker in the world, said yesterday that it had resolved a pay dispute with scores of workers at one of its factories in central China, following a large protest that involved threats by some workers to commit suicide by leaping from the top of a factory building. The company, a major supplier of products to Apple, Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft and other electronics giants, said the dispute last week had been resolved successfully and peacefully but that 45 workers had resigned.


New state-of-the-art stadiums and sports arenas have popped up all over the country in the past few years; along with updated standards in guest amenities, these venues have gone above and beyond to provide gastronomic pleasures that exceed the expected burgers and fries by a long shot. In many stadiums, regional foods are proudly featured and fresh ingredients are emphasized. And luxury suite fare is more varied than ever, with menu packages from sushi bars to Mediterranean food for the true gourmet. Even stadium classics are often given a fresh twist -- like Safeco Field's Ivar Dog, which is actually fried cod.

SoIn sporting cities around the country, from Los Angeles to Philadelphia, restaurant-quality food lives up to the impressive view of the game — NBA suites in LA feature local artisan cheeses, you can eat sliced mushroom strudel with feta and red pepper coulis while watching Major League Baseball in Seattle, and in Dallas, home of all-American fare, comfort food gets an upgrade when items like truffled mac and cheese make the menu.

The United Club Suite experience here is about as good as it gets, according to many guests. It's not only the excellent service that makes visitors feel like A-listers, but fans will be blown away with seats so close to the players that you can hear them talking to each other. The indoor all-you-can-eat buffet includes endless prime rib and grilled portabellos. If you haven't stuffed yourself enough, back in your seat you can load up on Dodger Dogs, peanuts, and popcorn from the waitstaff. Top Tier Luxury Suite Price: Renting out a United Club Suite for a Premium game day will cost $5,000 for you and 18 guests, including an all-you-can-eat buffet.

Watching the Seattle Mariners play baseball from a luxury suite feels even farther from the madding crowds when your meal package includes items like a portabello mushroom stack with Boursin cheese and red pepper coulis. Still, die-hard fans will tell you it's a must to get the park's classic Ivar Dog — fried cod layered with coleslaw and tartar sauce on a fresh roll. Top Tier Luxury Suite Price: The Press Box Suite will run you $500 a head during a Premium game and can hold 18-25 people, plus it includes access to Wells Fargo Terrace Club Lounges.

In a brilliant display of entrepreneurship, a Cubs-endorsed building developer decided to open luxury suites in the Rooftop Club, right outside of storied Wrigley Field in Chicago. Fans are treated to an unobstructed diamond view and ballpark classics with a twist: skirt steak sandwiches, Wisconsin-style brats, and Kobe beef burgers served on brioche buns. Fat Tire is on tap! Top Tier Luxury Suite Price: Renting out The Grand Slam Suite for a Marquee game will run you and 55 of your closest friends $16,200 with the Premier catering package.

The Yankees are known for representing wealth, fortune, and superiority in the world of Major League Baseball, which is why it comes as no surprise that their stadium would rank among the most expensive luxury boxes in professional sports. The food options include sushi, brick-oven pizza, and celebrity chefs such as Masaharu Morimoto and April Bloomfield have been known to be seen working the open cooking stations in the suites. Top Tier Luxury Box Price: $23,000 for an Opening Day game including 22 tickets.

But these arenas haven't forgotten the favorites that the fans have come to love over the years. Still available are the classic foods that people associate with their live sports experiences; from suites to the bleachers, fans clamor for Gilroy Garlic Fries at AT&T Park and for Dodger Dogs in Los Angeles.

The bottom line is that it's all about choices now -- to go with your peanuts and Cracker Jacks, naturally.

-- Click here for the complete list on The Daily Meal.

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Summary:
By Rani Long
TheDailyMeal.com
New state-of-the-art stadiums and sports arenas have popped up all over the country in the past few years; along with up...


Nicholas Kole just lost his job. Luckily, he is in the video game industry.

Dozens of game companies are lining up to hire castoffs like Kole from 38 Studios LLC, Curt Schilling’s failing video game maker. “They are pulling us out of the fire,’’ Kole said, “and we really appreciate what they are doing.’’

Even as 38 Studios laid off its entire staff of nearly 400 people last week, rival video game makers were holding job fairs just blocks from the company’s offices in Providence. Other game companies reached out to 38 Studios staffers on social networks like Twitter and Facebook, inviting them to apply for jobs. In fact, Kole, a 24-year-old character artist, said he already has some promising leads.

Unlike employees from other industries who have endured difficult layoffs and downsizing, 38 Studios staffers are expected to quickly land elsewhere in the highly competitive video game business.

“Generally, the demand for talent in the game industry outstrips the supply, especially when you get to a certain level of experience,’’ said Michael Cavaretta, an attorney who represents video game companies.

It helps that when he started 38 Studios, former Red Sox pitcher Schilling recruited some of the industry’s top talent from across the country and abroad, including the staff of Maryland game maker Big Huge Games, which 38 Studios acquired in 2009. Competitors have been racing to snatch up computer animators, developers, and engineers from 38 Studios.

“We are taking advantage of the situation,’’ said Adam Mersky, spokesman for Needham’s Turbine Inc., one of Massachusetts’ biggest game makers, which attracted 300 candidates - including many from Schilling’s company - to a job fair Tuesday held down the street from the 38 Studios offices. “You’ve got to be aggressive if you want to find good people.’’

Two other game makers, Quincy’s Irrational Games and Sweden’s Avalanche Studios, hosted similar events in Providence last week, and Demiurge Studios, a Cambridge company, said it is actively recruiting from 38 Studios.

Although Mersky would not say whether Turbine has hired any laid-off 38 Studios employees yet, the company is bringing some candidates from the job fair in for interviews. Turbine is growing fast; it employs 420 people, including 60 hired since the beginning of the year, and is looking to add about 50 more.

Soon after news broke on Thursday that 38 Studios was laying off all employees in Providence and Maryland, Twitter was full of job offers. The Cambridge office of social gaming giant Zynga Inc. posted that it was seeking “engineers, artists, animators, and anyone else who is super talented.’’ Even nongaming companies joined in, including Chegg Inc., a company that rents textbooks to college students and wants to hire more engineers.

Alex Rubens, a freelance video game journalist from Seattle, set up an online Google document to collect industry job openings after he saw numerous video game companies posting positions on Twitter. On Friday, the document listed 160 companies looking to fill more than 2,000 jobs. “That’s probably what means the most to me,’’ he said. “There is a really strong bond throughout the industry, so they want to help everyone out.’’

Since 2006, when it was established in Maynard as Green Monster Games, 38 Studios had grown to about 400 employees. Last year, Schilling moved its headquarters to Providence, after Rhode Island offered the company $75 million in loan guarantees. At the time, officials hoped the deal would jump-start a new video game sector and bring highly paid jobs to the state.

And 38 Studios did pay well: an average of $67,500 for jobs created in Rhode Island, a requirement of the deal with the state. But a number of 38 Studios employees were making well into six figures, said Marc Mencher, chief executive of GameRecruiter.com, a Florida staffing agency that has worked with 38 Studios.

“They were really picky, careful with who they hired,’’ said Mencher, who is now working to help some 38 Studios employees find new jobs. “I am not anticipating that these people are going to have much trouble at all.’’

From the beginning, Schilling was able to attract some big names to his company, despite its lack of a track record. (38 Studios has released only one game, called Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning.) He recruited Todd McFarlane, a famed comic book artist, and fantasy author R.A. Salvatore, a Leominster native, as consultants. And he hired video game developer Ken Rolston, a well-known industry veteran.

Earlier this year, John Blakely, previously general manager at Zynga’s Austin, Texas, offices and a Sony Online Entertainment executive, joined 38 Studios. But by last week, Blakely and chief executive Jen MacLean had changed their profiles on the professional networking website LinkedIn.com to indicate they had left the company. Neither Schilling, Blakely, nor MacLean responded to requests for comment.

Brett Close, a veteran of the industry giant Electronic Arts who served as chief executive of 38 Studios from 2007 to 2009, said Schilling’s company used industry contacts to find its first staffers.

“We built the core team with veteran talent,’’ Close said. “I knew most of them from my career network, and many of them had already worked together previously, at companies like Electronic Arts, Sony Online, or Blizzard. After we established the core foundation, we shifted to more local hiring to fill out the team.’’

Close is confident 38 Studios employees will find new work. “I think that great talent creates opportunities,’’ he said. “From what I hear, the recruiting frenzy has already begun. They won’t be jobless for long.’’

The Boston area, with one of the largest game development communities in the country, offers plenty of opportunities for former 38 Studios workers, said Terrence Masson, director of creative industries at Northeastern University. “There’s hardly a better place in the world for a young person to get a job, and keep a job, in games,’’ he said.

About 70 local companies are either in the video game industry or support it, Masson said. “It’s such a hyperactive networking city that if you’re good, and you get out there and network, you can go out there and get a job.’’

Summary: When Curt Schilling was building his video game company 38 Studios, he recruited some of the industry’s top talent from across the country and abroad. Even before Rhode Island company laid off its nearly 400 employees on Thursday, rivals have been racing to snatch up its best computer animators, developers, and engineers as the video game maker’s financial troubles became public in recent weeks. “We are taking advantage of the situation,’’ said Adam Mersky, spokesman for game maker Turbine Inc.


Jonathan Diotalevi wasn’t sure what to expect when he walked into Panera Cares near Government Center on Wednesday, the restaurant’s first day of business. The recent UMass Dartmouth graduate said he doesn’t have a lot of cash and was just looking for a cheap lunch.

A smiling employee greeted Diotalevi at the door, he waited in line, ordered a tomato- mozzarella panini, and then asked the clerk, “So, can I, like, just give you two bucks?”

Yes, he could. And he did, dropping the money into a nearby donation bin.

The restaurant at 3 Center Plaza may have been as busy at lunch time as any of the chains’s other cafes nationwide — more than 1,600 of them — but there’s a reason cochief executive Ron Shaich calls this one “a test of human nature.”

The nonprofit outpost of Panera Bread Co. doesn’t have any cash registers, or set prices. Instead, it depends on donations from customers who pay whatever they can afford. The Government Center shop is the fifth of its kind for the St. Louis-based company — the first in this region.

“I think it’s awesome because it’s obviously beneficial for people who are a little less fortunate,” said customer Yanick Belzile of Lowell. “We can afford to, so we put in a little bit extra. If we can help someone else who can’t pay for a meal, why not?”

Belzile said he donated about $3 more than the suggested donation, or regular retail price, for half a chipotle chicken sandwich and a cup of broccoli-cheddar soup.

That kind of payment is typical, especially when a cafe first opens, according to Boston Panera Cares project manager Kate Antonacci .

“For the first week or so, we get total donations above retail value, between 105 and 106 percent,” she said. “That number goes down after the first two weeks and levels out to about 65 to 70 percent of retail value, with 20 percent of customers giving more than the suggested donation.”

As Antonacci predicted, most patrons on Wednesday were like Belzile — they happily paid a slight premium for lunch.

Wayne Gilchrist, who says he is homeless, made a modest donation for his coffee and French bread with butter.

Wayne Gilchrist, who said he lives under a bridge in Cambridge, said he made a modest donation for a coffee and French bread with butter.

“I’m homeless,” Gilchrist said. “I got nothing and still gave because I want others to have.”

Though Antonacci said the restaurant was strategically located around the corner from the New England Center for Homeless Veterans, Gilchrist appeared to be the only homeless customer during lunch time Wednesday, which made him a minor media spectacle. Antonacci said people in need of nourishment can easily go unnoticed.

“People think food insecurity, or hunger, means homeless people, but the fact is only 10 percent of people experiencing food insecurity are actually homeless,” she said.

About one out of every six Americans, or about 50 million, are “food insecure” or have trouble coming up with enough money to buy food, according to the US Department of Agriculture.

“Many of those people work — some of them work two jobs,” said Antonacci. “Hunger affects people of all types, so it’s not only the destitute we serve. “

Shaich, the Panera cochief executive who lives in Brookline, paid a visit to the Boston Panera Cares to gauge the reaction on opening day.

Shaich said the idea behind the shops is to treat people with dignity, no matter what they can afford for a meal.

“Many of the places that give out food can be very negative,” he said, “but we had the potential to create a place with positive energy — a place that feels like every Panera in America.”

He said the Panera Cares experiment is helping counter some of the cynicism he sees in a lot of people.

“The truth is, when given the chance, most people will do the right thing,” he said

Correction: An earlier version of this story misspelled Panera Bread Co. cochief executive Ron Shaich’s last name.

Summary: Panera Cares. at 3 Center Plaza, may have been as bustling at lunch time as any one of the company’s other 1,600-plus cafes across the country on it’sits opening day Wednesday, but there’s a reason co-chief executive and founder Ron Saich calls this one “a test of human nature.” With no set prices or cash registers, the nonprofit outpost of the national Panera Bread chainCompany runs on donations from customers who give whatever they can afford.This is pretty typical, says Panera Cares project manager Kate Antonacci.


WASHINGTON (AP) — The federal government is challenging the proposed merger of American Airlines and US Airways, saying it would cause ‘‘substantial harm’’ to consumers by leading to higher fares and fees.

The U.S. Justice Department, joined by the attorneys general of six states, filed a lawsuit to block the merger Tuesday in federal court in Washington, D.C.

The government’s challenge threatens to quash a deal that would create the world’s largest airline by passenger miles. The airlines could challenge the government in court, or possibly agree to concessions that would convince regulators to approve the merger.

The lawsuit caught many observers by surprise. In the last five years, antitrust regulators had allowed three other major airline mergers to go ahead, leaving five airlines in control of about 80 percent of domestic market. But the government argued that this merger would hurt consumers around the country by eliminating a competitor on more than 1,000 routes.

If the merger leads to even small increases in ticket prices or airline fees, it would cost American consumers hundreds of millions of dollars each year, the department said.

As examples, the government cited round-trip fares for travel this month between Miami and Cincinnati and between Houston and New York in which US Airways’ fares are far lower than American and other competitors.

Shares of both airlines plunged on news of the lawsuit. US Airways Group Inc. shares fell $1.66, or 8.8 percent, to $17.16 in midday trading. AMR shares were taken off the New York Stock Exchange shortly after the company filed for bankruptcy protection in late 2011 but still trade over the counter; they were down $2.43, or 41.8 percent, to $3.38.

Neither US Airways Group Inc. nor American Airlines parent AMR Corp. commented immediately on the lawsuit.

Last year, business and leisure travelers spent more than $70 billion on airfare in the United States. Consumer advocates cheered the lawsuit.

‘‘This is the best news that consumers could have possible gotten,’’ said Charlie Leocha, director of the Consumer Travel Alliance and member of a panel that advises the government on travel-consumer issues. He said that recent mergers had led to higher fares and fewer flight choices and this one would have the same result.

The lawsuit will not necessarily stop the deal. The airlines could fight back in court, but it might not even get that far.

Analysts said that the Justice Department, which has been talking to the companies for months, could be seeking more time and leverage to squeeze out some concessions. Many experts had expected regulators to pressure American and US Airways into giving up some takeoff and landing slots at Reagan National Airport, allowing for new competitors at the busy airport, which is just across the Potomac River from downtown Washington.

Even outside the two companies, many in the airline industry had expected that the deal would easily win regulatory approval like Delta’s purchase of Northwest, United’s combination with Continental, and Southwest’ acquisition of AirTran.

Justice Department officials ‘‘didn’t have any problem with the Northwest-Delta merger; didn’t have any problem with United-Continental. Where did they think it was going to go?’’ said Robert Mann, an airline consultant who once worked at American.

At the least, the lawsuit could delay AMR’s exit from bankruptcy and make a merger slightly less likely, said Daniel McKenzie, an analyst for Buckingham Research Group.

AMR and US Airways announced in February that they planned to merge into a carrier with 6,700 daily flights and annual revenue of roughly $40 billion. By passenger traffic, it would slightly eclipse United Airlines and Delta Air Lines. Along with Southwest Airlines, the deal would leave four airlines dominating the U.S. market.

Mergers have helped the industry limit seats, push fares higher and return to profitability. AMR and US Airways officials had said their merger would help consumers by creating a tougher competitor for United and Delta.

AMR has cut labor costs and debt since it filed for bankruptcy protection. Pilots from both airlines have agreed on steps that should make it easier to combine their groups under a single labor contract, a big hurdle in many airline mergers.

A federal bankruptcy judge in New York was scheduled to hold a hearing Thursday to consider approving AMR’s reorganization plan — one of the last steps before the merger would be completed. The hearing was expected to go ahead. The merger has been approved overwhelmingly by AMR creditors and shareholders and by US Airways shareholders.

In its lawsuit, the Justice Department was joined by the attorneys general from American’s home state of Texas, US Airways’ home state of Arizona, plus Florida, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and the District of Columbia.

Summary: WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department and a number of state attorneys general are challenging the proposed $11 billion merger between US Airways Group Inc. and American Airlines’ parent company, AMR Corp. The Justice Department says the merger would result in the creation of the world’s largest airline. The government says a combination of the two companies would reduce competition for commercial air travel in local markets and would result in passengers paying higher airfares and receive less service.


Londonâs iconic black cabs are rolling again â off the production line, that is.

After sitting idle since an October 2012 bankruptcy filing, the London Taxi Company’s factory in Coventry, England, reopened on 11 September, and production of its sole product, the neo-classical TX4 hackney carriage, picked up where it had left off nearly a year earlier.

The company’s unlikely saviour? China’s Geely Holding Group. The Hangzhou-based automaker, which acquired Volvo Cars from Ford in 2010, had been a stakeholder in London Taxi since 2006 before buying the company outright in February 2013 for £11.4m.

So far, the reopening has created 66 new jobs at the London Taxi factory – many of them among the 99 workers (of 176) who were let go when production stopped. When the line is back to full speed, it will produce 50 taxis each week. The Coventry factory has produced some 160,000 black cabs over the last 60 years.

Although Geely has big plans for the TX4 in such markets as Russia and the Middle East, the company will continue to face pressure at home. Nissan is making a play on the taxicab market with its recently unveiled NV200 London Taxi, and Mercedes-Benz is already selling its Spanish-built Vito Taxi here, which currently accounts for about 7% of London’s 20,000 taxis.

But for those who cannot abide the prospect of a London without the venerable hackney carriage, this day – and this photograph – is for you.

Taxi Trivia: Since 1906, London law has required that black cabs have a turning circle of no more than 28 feet – allowing them to navigate the tight roundabout at the entrance to the Savoy Hotel in Westminster. The London Taxi TX4 and the coming Nissan NV200 accomplish this feat with wide-set front wheels and specially designed front suspensions; the larger Mercedes-Benz Vito makes use of a low-speed rear-wheel steering system, engaged by the driver via a switch on the dashboard.

(London Taxi Company / Getty Images)

Summary: Out of bankruptcy and under new ownership, the venerable London Taxi Company is building cabs again.