WATCHMAKERS Omega backtracked yesterday on their threat to boycott the fashion magazine Vogue in protest at its use of extremely thin models.
But senior management said the U turn was in the interest of press freedom only and insisted they still deplored a controversial picture spread.
In a letter to Vogue publisher Stephen Quinn, Omega brand director Giles Rees said his decision to suspend advertising in the magazine had been overridden by chairman Nicolas Hayek.
Rees had caused controversy on Thursday when he said advertising of the prestige watches would be suspended because of pictures of models such as Trish Goff. Editor Alexandra Shulman said the magazine was conscious of the issues surrounding eating disorders, but insisted its models were just "naturally extremely thin".
A French court has sentenced bankrupt French businessman Bernard Tapie to 18 months in prison, 12 of them suspended, on charges of tax evasion concerning his luxury boat Phocea. He was also sentenced to a suspended 30 month sentence and banned for 10 years from management positions for misuse of business assets and irregular bankruptcy. The forerminister, who is still an MEP, said he, would appeal.
Queen Elizabeth's visit to Aberystwyth University was yesterday cut short after demonstrations by Welsh language students. Security advisers halted her engagements only five minutes before she was due to arrive to open a new science centre. Some 200 students had gathered on the campus shouting anti royalist slogans and waving banners protesting against her visit.
In an interview to be broadcast today, actor Jason Donovan will admit that he is still using drugs. The former soap star who shot to fame as a clean cut heartthrob in Neighbours, denied he was a drug user last year when he collapsed at a Los Angeles nightclub and was rushed to hospital.
But in a pre recorded interview with BBC Radio 2's new DJ Steve Wright, Donovan - who celebrates his 28th birthday today admits that he uses drugs and enjoys them.