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Yoko Ono is the rightful copyright holder of rare movie footage capturing intimate moments of singer John Lennon and his family in London in 1970, a U.S. federal judge has ruled.

U.S. District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel last week ruled that Lennon’s widow was the rightful copyright holder, according to her lawyer Jonathan Albano.

“Our client is very happy,” said Ono’s lawyer, Jonathan M. Albano of Boston, who declined to comment on whether the videotapes would ever be released publicly in their entirety.

World Wide Video LLC, a consortium of collectors of Beatles memorabilia based in Massachusetts, sued Ono in March 2008, accusing her of copyright infringement and of wrongfully interfering with its personal property. Ono countersued, saying she is the rightful owner and that World Wide Video has no rights to the material.

World Wide Video claimed it owns the raw footage. The company produced a two-hour documentary, “3 Days in the Life,” using the footage, and planned to show it at a private school in Maine in 2007. The screening was scrapped after the company received a stop order from Ono’s lawyers.

According to those who have seen the footage, the footage captures Lennon at age 29 and in one of the most creative periods of his life. Lennon had recently written “Instant Karma” and is seen practicing the song “Remember.” He is also seen smoking marijuana, talking about how he kicked a heroin habit, and joking about spiking Richard Nixon’s tea with LSD.

World Wide Video claimed it had bought the rights to the footage from Ono’s previous husband, Anthony Cox, in 1970.

“Our film allows a new generation to share with those who lived through those times, a deep and penetrating look at the many sides of the man who set new standards in art, music, fashion and politics,” World Wide Video executive producer Ray Thomas said in filing the lawsuit.

The Group of Eight (G8) finance ministers said on Saturday that they remain focused on addressing the ongoing global economic and financial crisis and try to unwind new measures to boost economic recovery.

At the second day meeting in Lecce, Italy, the finance ministers said in the final statement that the developed nations “must remain vigilant to ensure that consumer and investor confidence is fully restored and that growth is underpinned by stable financial markets and strong fundamentals.”

“We reaffirm our commitment to take all necessary actions to ensure the soundness of systemically important institutions,” they said.

“There are increased signs of stabilization in our economies, including a recovery of stock markets, a decline in interest rate spreads, improved business and consumer confidence, but the situation remains uncertain and significant risks remain to economic and financial stability,” the minister agreed in the statement.

The ministers at their two-day meeting in southern Italy discussed the need to prepare appropriate strategies for unwinding extraordinary policy measures taken to respond to the crisis once the recovery is assured. These “exit strategies,” which may vary from country to country, are essential to promote a sustainable recovery over the long term.

“We asked the IMF to undertake the necessary analytical work to assist us with this process,” they said.

The ministers also agreed that the crisis has revealed the importance of strengthening joint commitment to standards of propriety, integrity and transparency.

“To address these issues in a comprehensive fashion, we agreed on the need to develop the Lecce Framework–a set of common principles and standards regarding the conduct of international business and finance – which builds on existing initiatives and lays the foundation for a stable growth path over the long term,” they said.

“We are committed to working with our international partners to make progress with this initiative, with a view to reaching out to broader, including the G20 and beyond.”

The G8 groups Germany, Japan, Britain, France, Italy, Canada, the United States and Russia.

Campaigners fighting the expansion of London’s Heathrow airport opened a new front on Tuesday when they announced they had bought land earmarked for the construction of a third runway.

Oscar-winning actress Emma Thompson is among those involved in the purchase, which environmental group Greenpeace said threw a “massive spanner” into the nine-billion-pound expansion plan.

They said they would fight any attempts to buy the land by compulsory purchase, and Thompson added: “We’ll stop this from happening even if we have to move in and plant vegetables.”

The government’s decision on whether to expand Heathrow, the world’s biggest international passenger air hub, is expected within weeks.

It has been delayed as ministers thrash out the pros and cons of the project, which has pitted business groups and airlines against environmental groups and local residents.

More than 40 MPs from the ruling Labour party and London mayor Boris Johnson, a member of the main opposition Conservatives, are opposed, arguing there is no economic need for a third runway and it will increase pollution.

But business and trades union leaders believe the project is vital to the economy, and would create at least 50,000 new jobs.

“Only modernisation at Heathrow will keep Britain on the global transport map and stop our cities and industries losing out to our competitors in Europe,” said Derek Simpson, joint leader of trades union Unite.

About 250 anti-expansion protesters gathered at Heathrow on Monday, police said, dressed in clothes in the style of the early 1900s.

Some dressed as suffragettes, the activists who campaigned to get women the vote and whose peaceful tactics they sought to emulate.

With a string quartet playing in the background, the activists chatted, sang and sipped from champagne glasses.

“We are trying to emulate what our ancestors did for us to make a positive change, in a civilised fashion, for future generations,” said campaigner Dan Glass, who was dressed as a chimney sweep.

“We have got to do something now because if we don’t, the situation will get so much worse.”

A simultaneous protest attended by about 50 people took place at Manchester airport.

Citigroup Inc. and Morgan Stanley agreed Tuesday to combine their brokerages in a deal that shows how much Citigroup wants to slim down and build up cash.

Morgan Stanley is paying Citigroup $2.7 billion for a 51 percent stake in the joint venture. Citigroup will have a 49 percent stake.

Citigroup’s retail brokerage, Smith Barney, was once the crown jewel in its wealth management business.

The new unit, to be called Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, will have more than 20,000 advisors, $1.7 trillion in client assets; and serve 6.8 million households around the world, the companies said.

Citigroup will recognize a pretax gain of about $9.5 billion because of the deal, or about $5.8 billion after taxes, the companies said. The joint venture is expected to achieve total cost savings for the two companies of around $1.1 billion.

The deal was announced after the market closed. Shares of Citigroup rose 30 cents, or 5.4 percent, to $5.90 on Tuesday, and Morgan Stanley shares rose 7 cents to $18.86.

CEO Vikram Pandit has been saying for months that he plans to sell assets to raise cash, but the executive, according to media reports, is getting ready to announce that Citigroup is abandoning the financial “supermarket” model. That term described the aim of Citigroup — created over the last couple decades by former CEO Sandy Weill — to service all of individuals’ and businesses’ financial needs, from saving to borrowing to investing to deal-making.

Citigroup has fared worse than other banks in recent years, particularly during the recent credit crisis. The New York-based company is expected to post a fifth straight quarterly loss next week. The government has already lent it $45 billion — more than other large banks received — and agreed to absorb losses on a huge pool of Citigroup’s mortgages and other soured assets.

Some investors believe Citigroup is headed for a larger-scale breakup now that the government is involved and that President-elect Barack Obama is rethinking how to dole out the remaining $350 billion of bailout money.

The new administration could “come to the realization that the whole economy does not hinge on the banks,” said Octavio Marenzi, head of financial consultancy Celent. “Banking is important. The banks themselves are not.”

William Smith of Smith Asset Management, who still owns shares of Citigroup, has been calling for a breakup of Citigroup for years and believes the government will force that fate, in piecemeal fashion, over the coming year.

“I think within 12 months, Citigroup no longer exists,” Smith said. “The new CEO of this company is the government.”

The original construction plans believed used for a major expansion of the Nazi death camp at Auschwitz in 1941 have been found in a Berlin flat, Germany’s Bild newspaper reported on Saturday.

The daily printed three architect’s drawings on yellowing paper from the batch of 28 pages of blueprints it obtained. One has an 11.66 meter by 11.20 meter room marked “Gaskammer” (gas chamber) that was part of a “delousing facility.”

No one from the federal government’s archives was immediately available for comment on the authenticity or importance of the documents.

The plans, published ahead of the 70th anniversary of the “Kristallnacht” or the Nazi pogrom that was a harbinger of the Holocaust, also include a crematorium and a “L. Keller” — an abbreviation for “Leichenkeller” or corpse cellar.

A drawing of the building for Auschwitz’s main gate was also found in the documents that Bild said were believed to have been discovered when a Berlin flat was cleaned out.

The mass-circulation newspaper quoted Hans-Dieter Kreikamp, head of the federal archives office in Berlin, as saying the blueprints offered “authentic evidence of the systematically planned genocide of European Jews.”

There were mass killings of about one million Jews before the Nazi’s “Final Solution” was formulated in late 1941. The decision to kill Europe’s 11 million Jews was made at the Wannsee Conference in January 1942.

A copy of the minutes, known as the “Wannsee Protocol,” is one of the most important documents from the war.

The newly found Auschwitz blueprints are dated October 23 1941 and could offer historians earlier evidence of Nazi plans to kill Jews on a mass scale, Bild said.

“These documents reveal that everyone who had even anything remotely to do with the planning and construction of the concentration camp must have know that people were to be gassed to death in assembly-line fashion,” Bild wrote.

“The documents refute once and for all claims by those who deny the Holocaust even took place,” it added.

The concentration camp at Auschwitz-Birkenau in Poland was the largest — at least 1.1 million Jews were killed there.

Auschwitz I was set up in May 1940 in an old Polish army barracks. The first victims were gassed in September 1941. Auschwitz II, or Birkenau, opened in October 1941. Four large gas chambers were added to the camp in January 1942.

MARC by Marc Jacobs and Agnes b’s collections featured large at Grand Gateway Plaza’s recent fashion show where patent, wide belts proved the clear winners.

If Plaza 66 is for the rich and Maison Mode is for the stylish, Grand Gateway Plaza is definitely for the chic and young.

The Xujiahui shopping complex in Shanghai houses a cluster of popular international brands such as Agnes b, DKNY, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Diesel, M Missoni and Liu Jo, all of which are not top ranked but more affordable for young people.

A joint spring-summer fashion show was held recently at the mall’s atrium, featuring fashion labels such as Agnes b, Marc by Marc Jacobs, G-Star and Jessica and accessories brands such as Longchamp and Nine West.

Marc by Marc Jacobs continues its sweet sexy style this season by presenting a retro chic collection inspired by stewardesses.

The use of contrasting bright colors and large floral prints brings an intense visual feast. The brand’s signature shirtdresses come in a variety of hues and lengths, decorated with shiny gold buttons and hardware, big bowknots and belts.

Flowing satin and silk have been generously used to create glimmering shirts, tops and skirts which are worn with bloomers or flared skirts upon the knee.

Vintage-feel polka dots and checks were also seen from time to time at the show.

Color-blocked trench coats and jackets are perfect items for late spring.

As is always the case, the designer has again presented piles of funky, bold accessories including mouse-shaped flat shoes, square clutches and patent bags and belts in bright hues.

Apparels in sharp colors and eye-catching prints can also be found at French brand Agnes b’s latest collections.

Spotlight goes to the radiant orange halter neck tee matched with bloomers - do notice the clever use of the floral tie as the belt.

The wide belt is the designer’s favorite accessory this season. For example, a multicolored floral print dress is fastened with a stunning wide patent belt.

To add variety, belt buckles are also free to rotate - to the side, or even to the back.

Agnes b is known for its “balanced” style which is never too much: never too girly and never too sexy.

A collection of simple, elegant outfits with a masculine silhouette was also showcased.

A white shirt is worn with an oversized cardigan and a pair of gray culottes to present a preppy look.

Metropolitan charisma is achieved by matching a gray-and-white striped sleeveless shirt, a black jacket with a pair of ankle cuff pants, or putting together a black and white asymmetric shirt and a pair of cropped pants.

Known for her fondness for travel and art, Agnes b has been inspired by the leisure and sunshine of popular northwest French tourist haunt Saint Malo, creating a more relaxed collection featuring the sailor uniform look.

Besides, her discoveries are infused in the women’s collection with exclusive prints of French Fauvist artist Raoul Dufy (1877-1955), who is known for his colorful and decorative styles.

Hokkaido has decided to show its appreciation to Feng Xiaogang, director of Chinese movie “If You Are the One” (Fei Cheng Wu Rao), which helped the northmost Japanese prefecture attract a huge influx of Chinese tourists, local media reported Thursday.

A certificate of appreciation will be presented to Feng by Yoji Takahara, deputy governor of Hokkaido prefecture, and the mayors of Kushiro and Abashiri, when they visit Beijing and Shanghai in April 20-24.

“If You Are the One”, Feng’s New Year Celebration Film of 2009,relates a love story involving two young Chinese and their romance that was spawned while they were sightseeing in Hokkaido. It became a blockbuster in China and has turned the Japanese island of Hokkaido into a new tourism spot for Chinese travelers.

Vietnam has finished vaccinating fowls nationwide against bird flu, while the disease is cooling down, according to a local animal health agency Thursday.

Over 242 million poultry turns (each dose for a fowl being considered one turn, two doses for the same fowl regarded as two turns) have been vaccinated so far, said the Department of Animal Health under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Initial assessment showed that all flocks of vaccinated chickens and ducks have not fallen ill, Hoang Van Nam, the department’s deputy director, said. His department has yet to review the efficiency of the nationwide vaccination campaign conducted since August 2005.

He said 18 localities have detected no new bird flu outbreaks in their territory for at least three weeks, meeting the criteria for declaring free of the disease, reducing the number of affected provinces nationwide to three, namely the two northern provinces of Cao Bang and Ha Giang and the central province of Quang Tri.

Since Oct. 1, 2005, a total of 21 cities and provinces of Vietnam have been stricken by bird flu, which has killed and led to the forced killing of roughly 4 million fowls, the department said. The number of dead and slaughtered poultry in the country in2004 was 43 million.

The Vietnamese government has instructed the agriculture and healthcare sectors to make greater efforts so that the country will see no bird flu reoccurrence in 2006.

Recently, the government instructed the agriculture ministry toremove a ban on the import of processed poultry products, which was in place in late October 2005. The government is considering the possibility of abolishing a ban on the import of live fowls and eggs from unaffected countries.

In late October 2005, the ministry decided to cease import of all kinds of poultry, including ornamental birds, and related products between November 2005 and March 2006.

The Chinese custom of babies and young children wearing gold jewelry is supposed to bring good fortune.

But police are warning gold necklaces, bracelets and ankle bangles also may attract thieves, who sometimes befriend the children and their caretakers just long enough to cut the jewelry and run. And that has resulted in losses worth thousands of yuan for a single piece of jewelry.

Police of Chongming County, Shanghai said they arrested a woman identified by her pseudonym Shan Jufang recently, accusing her of committing five child jewelry thefts from November to May in her village.

Police allege she stole five golden necklaces, each worth about 3,000 yuan (US$375), from five children younger than 4 years old, from families she knew.

In some cases, the suspect would approach the children by walking into their home when the door was unlocked, and no one else was home. Or she would find the children playing outside near their home. And then she stole the jewelry, said police officer Zhao Jinyi.

Early this month a man was caught stealing a gold bracelet from an 8-month-old infant, who was held in his grandma’s arms, according to Jinshan District police.

The grandma did not suspect anything untoward when the man started a conversation and seemed to be so fond of the baby. It was not until the grandma heard the sound of jewelry falling to the ground that she realized his trick.

Minhang District police also announced two similar arrests recently.

Police allege Liu Yunlian, 42, used scissors to steal a golden ankle bangle worth 1,833 yuan from an 8-month-old baby at a supermarket on May 10.

Police accuse another suspect, 27-year-old Hu Zhanqing, of stealing a gold bracelet worth 1,718 yuan from a boy aged 2 at a wet market on June 13.

Usually the jewelry is a gold ornamental pendant in the shape of peanut, lock or wooden clapper — a percussion instrument used by Buddhist priests.

Police said such crimes usually increase in hot weather when children’s jewelry is more conspicuous.

Hokkaido has decided to show its appreciation to Feng Xiaogang, director of Chinese movie “If You Are the One” (Fei Cheng Wu Rao), which helped the northmost Japanese prefecture attract a huge influx of Chinese tourists, local media reported Thursday.

A certificate of appreciation will be presented to Feng by Yoji Takahara, deputy governor of Hokkaido prefecture, and the mayors of Kushiro and Abashiri, when they visit Beijing and Shanghai in April 20-24.

“If You Are the One”, Feng’s New Year Celebration Film of 2009, relates a love story involving two young Chinese and their romance that was spawned while they were sightseeing in Hokkaido. It became a blockbuster in China and has turned the Japanese island of Hokkaido into a new tourism spot for Chinese travelers.