White House denies Mrs. Obama's 'hell' comment

WASHINGTON -- The White House is denying that first lady Michelle Obama ever described her White House life as "hell." Mrs. Obama's spokeswoman, Katie McCormick Lelyveld, responded Thursday to a purported comment attributed to Mrs. Obama in a forthcoming book, "Carla and the Ambitious," about French first lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy. The book says Bruni-Sarkozy recalled that during a recent White House visit with her husband, the French president, she asked Mrs. Obama about her new role. According to the book, Mrs. Obama replied: "It's hell. I can't stand it."

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Left in Paris, Mrs Sarko puts on a frosty front

Arms crossed defensively and her face fixed in a frown, Carla Bruni cut a sombre figure in Paris yesterday. France's first lady had plenty to think about amid growing talk that both she and her husband Nicolas Sarkozy are having affairs. The 43-year-old had been left behind in the capital while the French president made an official visit to London. He appeared delighted to be away from the rumour mill and seemed almost ecstatic on meeting Gordon Brown in Downing Street. The 55-year-old is said to be romancing his ecology minister Chantal Jouanno, a karate champion who is his junior...

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Carla Bruni Leaves Sarkozy for Obama!

The lovely Carla Bruni Sarkozy has left her husband to become Obama's mistress. The delightful Carla says: "I always wanted to sleep with a Nobel Prize Winner!"

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It's Carla Antoinette: France's First Lady tours recession-hit Paris in disguise

She is one of the most famous faces in the world, renowned for her Gallic charm, elegant style and classical beauty. But it seems that the First Lady of France is never happier than when she is strolling through the streets of Paris – incognito, that is. In fact, Carla Bruni even admits donning a special disguise and affecting a ‘funny voice’ to avoid being spotted, much like Marie Antoinette was said to have done during the French Revolution. Ms Bruni, 41, said her life as the third wife of President Nicolas Sarkozy sometimes made ‘normal’ behaviour quite impossible, leading...

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Bruni backs off from Obama kiss (Sarkozy wife Carla backs off from Obama kiss)

FRANCE'S first lady broke with protocol today as she held out a frosty hand to welcome Barack Obama. Stunning Carla Bruni was business-like in her greeting — while her hubby treated the US President's wife to a hug and Continental double kiss. The former model gave customary pecks on both cheeks to Michelle Obama and other dignitaries when the couple arrived in France. But when it came to the dashing US President the beauty kept a noticeable distance.

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Michelle and Carla bring star power to NATO summit

US First Lady Michelle Obama joins France's Carla Bruni-Sarkozy for a paparazzi-pulling visit to Strasbourg Cathedral on Saturday, diplomats said. As Western leaders converge on the eastern French city for a NATO summit, celebrity watchers will set their sights on the high-profile pair, whose style and personalities have grabbed world headlines. Obama and Bruni-Sarkozy will join other NATO leaders' partners for a midday visit of the Gothic jewel and a nearby art restoration centre, after touring a cancer research institute. Built from the 12th to 15th centuries, Strasbourg Cathedral was for centuries the tallest building in Christendom, with a north...

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Demure Diplomacy : Carla Bruni- Sarkozy

OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso CARLA BRUNI-SARKOZY, the first lady of France, looked out the window of her 13-seat military jet as it touched down here, spotted the red carpet and receiving party awaiting her, and suddenly realized what she was wearing. “Oh, I’m in jeans!” she said. “Well, at least they don’t look like jeans.” The 20-hour visit of the Italian-born singer, heiress and ex-model to one of the poorest countries in the world last week marked Ms. Bruni-Sarkozy’s debut as a good-will ambassador, a personal experiment in burnishing her image and projecting the soft power of France. A year after...

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