People - Here, There and Everywhere
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Ford's grave doubts about sex-mad Bill Clinton
FORMER President Bill Clinton is described as a 'sex addict' in need of 'help' by the late President Gerald Ford in a book of interviews, Write It When I'm Gone, published today.
Ford, who died a year ago at 92, told New York Daily News reporter Thomas DeFrank that he was shocked when Bill and Hillary (below) came to his home in Colorado in 1993.
"He's sick - he's got an addiction. He needs treatment," Ford told DeFrank. "I'll tell you one thing: he didn't miss one good-looking skirt at 
any of the social occasions." And he went on: "He's got a wandering eye, I'll tell you that. Betty had the same impression; he isn't very subtle about his interest."
Ford's wife Betty - who launched a pioneering addiction treatment clinic as she battled her own alcoholism - added: "You know, there's treatment for that kind of addiction. But he won't do it, because he's in denial."
Ford recognised Clinton as the consummate politician, a "helluva salesman". But he also thought that Hillary Clinton was on top. "She's stronger and tougher than he is," he said. "She's very bright. When she gets her dander up, she ain't gonna roll over."
He predicted in 2002 that Hillary would run for the presidency, secure the nomination - and lose. "I don't think the country is ready for a lady President," he said. The Republican he tipped to beat her? Rudy Giuliani.
Credit crunch claims top US black businessman
THE CHAIRMAN and CEO of Merrill Lynch, Stan O'Neal, is corporate America's first major casualty of the recent subprime market collapse. He is expected to stand down today.
O'Neal (below right) progressed from picking cotton on his grandfather's farm in Wedowee, Alabama, to become Wall Street's highest ranking African-American executive, with an annual salary of $46.4m. Problems began when he had to post a $2.3bn quarterly loss last week, the biggest in Merrill's history and six times what had been forecast only three weeks earlier. But matters came to a head when he infuriated senior colleagues by approaching another bank, Wachovia, about a possible $140bn merger without consulting them. It turns out that if O'Neal had managed to secure the merger, his pay-off on leaving Merrill Lynch might have been as high as $250m. As it is, the merger offer was rebuffed and he is expected to leave with 'only' $159m, made up of retirement benefits and stock options, based on Friday's share price.
A formal announcement from Merrill is expected today. Three insiders are seen as contenders for his job: Laurence Fink (above left), chief executive of BlackRock, owned by Merrill; Gregory Fleming, co-president; and Bob McCann, head of retail brokerage.
Shocking email sent by son of Burma's wealthiest tycoon
WHILE BURMA'S WEALTHIEST tycoon, Tay Za, tries to protect his millions from US-led efforts to destroy his business empire, his 19-year-old son Htet Tay Za is living it up in Singapore and has sent an arrogant email to friends - accompanied by photos of him partying with pretty (continued below ad)
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(continued from above ad) girls - saying: "US bans us. We're still fucking cool in Singapore."
The email, which is believed to be genuine, continues: "We're sitting on the whole Burmese GDP. We've got timber, gems and gas to be sold to other countries like Singapore, China, India and Russia.
"My brother is rocking on his red brand-new Lamborghini with hot sexy Western chicks... and I need another Ferrari to rock on."
A former schoolfriend said: "The email seems to be genuine. That's his style. He's an arrogant bastard. The pictures of him partying are certainly genuine and recent."
Htet Tay Za attends one of Singapore's most expensive schools, the United World College of South East Asia, but it's not clear whether his famous father will be able to afford the fees much longer as sanctions on Burma's business leaders begin to bite.
Tay Za's airline, Bagan Air, is reported to be in deep trouble. Local Burmese are boycotting its services because of Tay Za's close links with the hated junta.
See more of the pictures 
US sanctions hit Burmese tycoons
Rich Boys' Stories Two: the brothers who 'won' £9m
TWO FORMER Harrow pupils who claimed they had won millions on the lottery have admitted it was a hoax.
Brothers Seb and Alex Cater set up a group on Facebook, the social networking site, after claiming they had shared a £9m lottery win.
The group, called 'Who wants to marry the Cater brothers now we're millionaires?' had 74 members before being deleted last night, after their hoax had been discovered.
Seb (above left), 18, who left the £25,000-a-year public school this year, is the 'money machine' while brother Alex (above right) calls himself the treasurer.
The mostly female entourage were clearly tantalised by the brothers' call to action: "Who wants to board the money train? Fitties only!"
Not all their Facebook 'friends' were angling for a date, though. One comment read: "Honestly, shame on you... You could have at least become premiership footballers and had a slightly more reputable justification for your money... what next lads, going to get scratchcards????"
Seb includes among his 266 Facebook 'friends' Tassilo von Bismarck, descendant of German Chancellor Otto, who was the victim of a racist Facebook group earlier this year, accusing him of being a 'spearchucker'.
Tits, bad teeth and no hair - but Gambon still auditioned for 007
THE RUMPLED English actor Michael Gambon (right), due to appear on BBC TV next Sunday in a new Stephen Poliakoff drama Joe's Palace, has been recounting how he once auditioned for the part of James Bond.
It was at the end of the 1960s, after Sean Connery had given up the role and after one never-to-be-repeated experiment with George Lazenby as 007. Cubby Broccoli, legendary producer of the Bond movies, was desperate to find the right man.
"[Cubby] said: 'We want an unknown British stage actor.' I said: 'I wouldn't be much good.' He said: 'Why not?' I said: 'Well, I've got tits, bad teeth and no hair.'
"He said: 'Listen we have two leather-covered ice bags on set. We put them on Sean's chest just before a take and it wakes his body up.' Then he said: 'We can do the teeth.'
"I said: 'Oh, all right, I'll do it if you want me to.' They didn't call me back."
TV SPORTS presenter Gabby Logan says she feels 'empty and directionless'
having been voted off the BBC TV show Strictly Come Dancing along with her professional partner James Jordan. Logan's husband Kenny - despite being described by one judge as having 'all the grace of a vacuum cleaner' - remains in contention, dancing with James's wife Ola.
The Queen is said to be 'fully supportive' of the Royal Family member who, it emerged yesterday, has been the subject of a £50,000 blackmail attempt involving a compromising sex and drugs video. Two men are in policy custody.
Neither the royal nor the suspects can be named but there is concern at Buckingham Palace that the name could be leaked on the Continent where reporting restrictions do not apply.
Lewis Hamilton may have narrowly missed out on the F1 driver's championship in his debut season, but he remains a huge star in his home town of Stevenage. The borough council has decided to honour the 22-year-old by naming a street after him in a new town centre development.
Arnold Schwarzenegger - George Bush's new best buddy following the California wildfires - has himself been playing with fire by claiming marijuana is not a drug. Piers Morgan put it to the California governor in a GQ interview that he had admitted smoking pot in the past. Indeed, Arnie was filmed smoking a joint on his classic 1977 bodybuilding film Pumping Iron. Arnie, 60, replied, "That is not a drug, it's a leaf. My drug was pumping iron, trust me."
Cristina triumphant in Argentina poll
Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner has claimed victory in Argentina's presidential election and becomes the country's first elected female president, the infamous Isabel Peron having been nominated by her husband rather voted in by the people in the 1970s.
Partial results, based on two-thirds of ballots being counted, gave Mrs Kirchner more than 43 per cent of the vote - enough to take the presidency without having to go to a second ballot.
"We've won by a wide margin," Cristina told supporters in a speech at her campaign headquarters in Buenos Aires.
Her nearest rival, former beauty queen Elisa Carrio, has conceded defeat with 22.6 per cent of the vote. The third runner in the race, former Economy Minister Roberto Lavagna, won 19 per cent per cent of the vote, partial results showed.
Mrs Kirchner already occupies the Casa Rosada, the official presidential home: the man she is replacing is her husband Nestor.
