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Taylor Swift Is MTV News’ #3 Woman Of The Year

Swift fell in and out of love through song, but we never stopped loving the superstar in 2010. By Jocelyn Vena Taylor Swift Photo: AP/Matt Sayles After a year as impressive as 2009, Taylor Swift followed suit in 2010. She toured the world, released a chart-topping album and even starred in her first feature film. Swift kicked off the year winning awards and ended it dominating the charts, and in between, she never looked back. (They’re more than just pretty faces, but you can still check out photos of our Men and Women of 2010!) Swift proved that she was more than just a crossover coincidence thanks to catchy songs and girl-next-door charm that appeals to the masses. She managed to scoop up awards and be surprised by each win. The other shoe isn’t going to drop anytime soon, and 2010 proved that. 2010 Highlights : In January, Taylor took home her first People’s Choice Award and covered Better Than Ezra’s “Breathless” at the “Hope for Haiti Now” telethon. She also broke Britney Spears’ record for first-week download sales by a female artist thanks to her tune “Today Was a Fairytale.” But it was February that would truly leave her breathless. At the Grammys in February, Swift took home four trophies , including Album of the Year. She also hit the stage with Stevie Nicks at the awards show. Weeks later, she would rule the box office alongside former beau Taylor Lautner in “Valentine’s Day.” Swift spent much of 2010 on tour, but along the way, she racked up nominations at a slew of awards shows, including the Academy of Country Music Awards and CMT Awards . In the spring, she revealed that she was working on her next album and that, unsurprisingly, it would focus on “boys and love.” In July, the singer announced that her next album would be out in October and that she wouldn’t hold back on the aptly titled Speak Now. Weeks later, in August, the album’s first single, “Mine,” leaked online and then soared to the top of the charts. “I was reflecting back on a boy I liked at a certain time,” she said about the song. The video was released at the end of August and showed a more adult side of the singer. Then September rolled around and Swift took the stage at the VMAs . It was a defining moment for the singer, as she publicly let go of the Kanye West incident from a year prior and buried the hatchet with the rapper thanks to her heartfelt performance of “Innocent.” Swift later explained , “I had a lot of options going into the VMAs: You can not go, you can perform your current single, you can pretend that nothing happened or you can say what you need to say at the time you need to say it.” By early October, Swift was pre-releasing Speak Now tracks, prompting speculation about whether the songs were referring to famous exes like Taylor Lautner and Joe Jonas . “I’ve never kept quiet the fact that I write songs about people,” she said. “It’s like, this is album number three. You guys have had fair warning!” For the album’s release, Swift invited fans to her album-release party , and just one week later, she found out that Speak Now had sold 1,047,000 units in its first week, making it the biggest album release in five years . Swift capped 2010 with performances at the CMA Awards and the American Music Awards , announcing a world tour , embarking on a whirlwind romance with Jake Gyllenhaal and turning 21 . Not a bad year, to say the least. We’ll be rolling out our Top Five Men and Women of 2010 all week, until we unveil MTV News’ Man and Woman of the Year on Friday. As always, we want to know what you think, so share your picks in the comments below! Related Videos Men And Women Of The Year 2010 Related Photos The Men & Women Of 2010

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Taylor Swift Is MTV News’ #3 Woman Of The Year

Justin Bieber Is MTV News’ #3 Man Of The Year

In 2010, the pop star cleans up at awards shows, causes worldwide pandemonium — and turns 16. By Jocelyn Vena Justin Bieber Photo: Michael Caulfield/AMA2010/Getty/DCP Justin Bieber seemingly did it all in 2010. He sold out concerts, filmed a movie, released two albums and set girls hearts aflutter — all in the span of 12 months. Not only is he arguably the biggest pop star in the world, he’s also pals with some of hip-hop’s biggest names (just ask Drake, Ludacris and Kanye West if you don’t believe us), and he chills with some of the prettiest girls in the game thanks to friendships with ladies like Kim Kardashian, Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez. (They’re more than just pretty faces, but you can still check out photos of our Men and Women of 2010!) This really is Justin Bieber’s world, and we’re all just living in it. For a kid from a small town in Canada, Bieber’s meteoric rise to fame from Internet sensation to bona fide musical superstar may have seemed fast, but let’s face it: Bieber is the real deal. 2010 Highlights : Justin Bieber kicked off 2010 with his smash single “Baby.” He also showed his charitable side appearing on BET’s “SOS: Help for Haiti” telethon and lending his voice to the “We Are the World” remake . He was also a presenter at the Grammy Awards alongside Ke$ha. Bieber then went bowling with Drake and Ludacris in his “Baby” video and would later date the clip’s leading lady, Jasmine Villegas . In February, Justin caused hysteria in Paris during a trip to Europe, and then in March, he turned sweet 16, collaborated with Sean Kingston on the track “Eeenie Meenie” and had Aziz Ansari mock him in a Funny or Die clip he thought was “hilarious.” He also released his sophomore album, My World 2.0, which he promised would be “a lot of fun.” Bieber became the subject of his own “Diary” special in late March, released his video for “Never Let You Go” and made an appearance at the Teen Choice Awards. He kicked off April by taking over Funny or Die , where he joked, “I’m a star. I do what stars do. I ride on yachts. I autograph lady lumps.” That same month, Bieber once again showed his funny side on “Saturday Night Live,” where he was the night’s musical guest. He sat down with MTV News and thanked his fans for making him a constant Twitter trend . He shook up New Zealand and Australia, causing more fan hysteria, and by May, his fans were threatening the life of Kim Kardashian just for taking a Twitpic with him! In June, he hooked up with Jaden Smith for the “Karate Kid” track “Never Say Never.” He was nominated for the Teen Choice Awards and hung out with his mentor Usher in the “Somebody to Love” video . That same month, Bieber was a big winner at the Much Music Awards and kicked off his first-ever headlining tour . The second half of 2010 was just as busy for the star. In July, he and Lady Gaga battled it out for YouTube supremacy and announced he’d be on “CSI” and releasing a book . (He followed through on all those promises by year’s end.) By the end of August, Kanye West’s remix of “Runaway Love” hit the world, and it was announced that Bieber would be performing at the VMAs. He also filmed the concert portions of his 3-D movie at Madison Square Garden. JB hit the stage at the VMAs in September and even took home his first-ever Moonman . At the show, he shared with MTV News that “girlfriends are trouble.” He made his cameo on “CSI” and premiered his video for “U Smile,” and then in October, he revealed the name of his 3-D flick — “Never Say Never” — as well as the first trailer for the movie . In November, he released his book and his My Worlds Acoustic album and took home a few American Music Awards . And that brings us to December, when he sat down with Barbara Walters , made Google’s Zeitgeist list and went out for pancakes with Selena Gomez . If doing all that in 12 months isn’t reason enough to make Justin Bieber our #3 Man of the Year, then we’re not sure what can. We’ll be rolling out our Top Five Men and Women of 2010 all week, until we unveil MTV News’ Man and Woman of the Year on Friday. As always, we want to know what you think, so share your picks in the comments below! Related Videos Men And Women Of The Year 2010 Related Photos The Men & Women Of 2010

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Justin Bieber Is MTV News’ #3 Man Of The Year

Justin Bieber Is MTV News’ #3 Man Of The Year

In 2010, the pop star cleans up at awards shows, causes worldwide pandemonium — and turns 16. By Jocelyn Vena Justin Bieber Photo: Michael Caulfield/AMA2010/Getty/DCP Justin Bieber seemingly did it all in 2010. He sold out concerts, filmed a movie, released two albums and set girls hearts aflutter — all in the span of 12 months. Not only is he arguably the biggest pop star in the world, he’s also pals with some of hip-hop’s biggest names (just ask Drake, Ludacris and Kanye West if you don’t believe us), and he chills with some of the prettiest girls in the game thanks to friendships with ladies like Kim Kardashian, Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez. (They’re more than just pretty faces, but you can still check out photos of our Men and Women of 2010!) This really is Justin Bieber’s world, and we’re all just living in it. For a kid from a small town in Canada, Bieber’s meteoric rise to fame from Internet sensation to bona fide musical superstar may have seemed fast, but let’s face it: Bieber is the real deal. 2010 Highlights : Justin Bieber kicked off 2010 with his smash single “Baby.” He also showed his charitable side appearing on BET’s “SOS: Help for Haiti” telethon and lending his voice to the “We Are the World” remake . He was also a presenter at the Grammy Awards alongside Ke$ha. Bieber then went bowling with Drake and Ludacris in his “Baby” video and would later date the clip’s leading lady, Jasmine Villegas . In February, Justin caused hysteria in Paris during a trip to Europe, and then in March, he turned sweet 16, collaborated with Sean Kingston on the track “Eeenie Meenie” and had Aziz Ansari mock him in a Funny or Die clip he thought was “hilarious.” He also released his sophomore album, My World 2.0, which he promised would be “a lot of fun.” Bieber became the subject of his own “Diary” special in late March, released his video for “Never Let You Go” and made an appearance at the Teen Choice Awards. He kicked off April by taking over Funny or Die , where he joked, “I’m a star. I do what stars do. I ride on yachts. I autograph lady lumps.” That same month, Bieber once again showed his funny side on “Saturday Night Live,” where he was the night’s musical guest. He sat down with MTV News and thanked his fans for making him a constant Twitter trend . He shook up New Zealand and Australia, causing more fan hysteria, and by May, his fans were threatening the life of Kim Kardashian just for taking a Twitpic with him! In June, he hooked up with Jaden Smith for the “Karate Kid” track “Never Say Never.” He was nominated for the Teen Choice Awards and hung out with his mentor Usher in the “Somebody to Love” video . That same month, Bieber was a big winner at the Much Music Awards and kicked off his first-ever headlining tour . The second half of 2010 was just as busy for the star. In July, he and Lady Gaga battled it out for YouTube supremacy and announced he’d be on “CSI” and releasing a book . (He followed through on all those promises by year’s end.) By the end of August, Kanye West’s remix of “Runaway Love” hit the world, and it was announced that Bieber would be performing at the VMAs. He also filmed the concert portions of his 3-D movie at Madison Square Garden. JB hit the stage at the VMAs in September and even took home his first-ever Moonman . At the show, he shared with MTV News that “girlfriends are trouble.” He made his cameo on “CSI” and premiered his video for “U Smile,” and then in October, he revealed the name of his 3-D flick — “Never Say Never” — as well as the first trailer for the movie . In November, he released his book and his My Worlds Acoustic album and took home a few American Music Awards . And that brings us to December, when he sat down with Barbara Walters , made Google’s Zeitgeist list and went out for pancakes with Selena Gomez . If doing all that in 12 months isn’t reason enough to make Justin Bieber our #3 Man of the Year, then we’re not sure what can. We’ll be rolling out our Top Five Men and Women of 2010 all week, until we unveil MTV News’ Man and Woman of the Year on Friday. As always, we want to know what you think, so share your picks in the comments below! Related Videos Men And Women Of The Year 2010 Related Photos The Men & Women Of 2010

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Justin Bieber Is MTV News’ #3 Man Of The Year

Diddy Talks Fear Of Commitment On ‘The View’

‘As my heart got broken by one, I cried on the shoulder of another,’ Diddy-Dirty Money frontman reveals on talk-fest. By Jayson Rodriguez Diddy (file) Photo: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images/DCP On “Coming Home,” the latest single from Diddy-Dirty Money’s Last Train To Paris, the rap mogul contemplates having a touchy conversation with his kids down the road. “What if my twins ask why I ain’t marry their mom?” he raps on the number. “Damn, how do I respond?” During an appearance on “The View” on Tuesday (December 14), host Barbara Walters pressed Diddy about the line. “What’s your trouble, is what I’m trying to get at,” she asked. Diddy answered, explaining that his fractured upbringing, among other things, has been a factor in his ongoing bachelorhood. “The reason of it, why I’m not married yet, I don’t have the exact reason,” he said. “Some things in life, you don’t have the exact reason why you’re not. I know that I haven’t been ready; I know there’s other reasons in my life. “My father was killed when I was 3 years old, and my mother was a very strong woman and she said, ‘Well I loved your father and I’m not gonna have another man around. There’s not gonna be anyone else around, and that’s how it’s gonna be.’ But then on the flip side, I never got a chance to see the way a family lives.” Diddy, however, insisted he wasn’t making excuses, just giving up some details about his background. He then opened up about the three mothers of his six children: “It’s like a movie,” he said. The Bad Boy Records CEO said he met the women all in the same year, roughly. “At different times in my life, as my heart got broken by one, I cried on the shoulder of another,” he revealed. That explanation led co-host Joy Behar to quip, “like ‘Big Love,’ ” referring to HBO’s polygamy drama, which drew laughs from the audience. “It wasn’t at the same time,” Diddy responded. “Life isn’t something you can predict. Every woman that I was with, that I had a child with, they did deserve for me to marry them. But there’s things going on in my life … I’m not gonna say it’s all the way me, but I’ll take responsibility as a man.” After making those revelations, Diddy was ready to hit the stage. He was joined by his Diddy-Dirty Money ladies, Dawn Richard and Kaleena, for a performance of “Coming Home.” What do you think of Diddy’s remarks about marriage? Tell us in the comments! Related Artists Diddy

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Diddy Talks Fear Of Commitment On ‘The View’

Drake Is MTV News’ #4 Man Of The Year

Lauded debut album and nonstop touring schedule keep Drizzy in the public eye in 2010. By Jayson Rodriguez Drake Photo: Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images Drake delivered on his promise from the year before to earn a second consecutive slot on our Man of the Year countdown . The Toronto lyricist followed up his star-making So Far Gone mixtape with an album that was equally celebrated, the platinum-selling Thank Me Later. In addition to his recorded triumph, Drake scored onstage as well, piling up loads of buzzworthy moments in the past 12 months, from joining Jay-Z at Yankee Stadium to inviting Eminem to rock alongside him during his OVO Festival. Not to mention the former “Degrassi” actor helped steer the Cash Money ship while Lil Wayne was behind bars. For all that and more, we’re thanking Drizzy now. (They’re more than just pretty faces, but you can still check out photos of our Men and Women of 2010!) 2010 Highlights : Drake started the year with a bang when it was announced that he, Weezy, Eminem and Kanye West would perform at the Grammys . He quickly followed that news with word that he would go on an eco-friendly tour , his second in a matter of months, this time with Francis and the Lights and hometown ally K-Os. In March, Drake made the transition from mixtape phenom to legit solo artist with the debut of his first official single, the rollicking “Over,” which premiered on his personal blog. With Weezy’s prison sentence set to begin, Drake proclaimed , “You won’t even notice [Lil Wayne is] gone. Promise.” The Anthony Mandler-directed “Over” video arrives, further helping Drake move from underground act to full-fledged star. Toronto titans Justin Bieber and Drake then joined forces at Canada’s Juno Awards. The blockbuster “Find Your Love” served Drake up as a ladies’ man over the Kanye West-produced track. Drizzy wasn’t afraid to show off his adolescent side during his appearance on “When I Was 17,” which was the highest-rated episode of the first season. In May, just a month before his debut was scheduled to arrive, a series of songs from Thank Me Later leaked online , including “Unforgettable” and “Fireworks,” featuring Alicia Keys. Just days before his debut hit stores, Drake held court during a star-studded listening session where media outlets virtually coronate the upstart with a slew of slobbering reviews. The “Best I Ever Had” star’s expected attendance at an outdoor concert in Manhattan causes a riot as fans brawl before the show was eventually canceled ; the scene was captured in the MTV documentary “Drake: Better Than Good Enough.” In July, Drake took flight after scoring a lucrative endorsement deal with Virgin , which added to his deals with Sprite, BlackBerry and Kodak. The Toronto star closed the summer with a homecoming concert for the ages, as he brought Jay-Z and Eminem to town for his inaugural OVO Fest . As soon as he closed out one tour, however, Drake jumped right back on the road with Tyga for his Light Dreams & Nightmares jaunt, where along the way he would bring out J. Cole and Jay-Z and conclude things with a newly freed Lil Wayne in Las Vegas . Add to that a rousing VMA performance , a Twitter marriage and divorce with Nicki Minaj and his first #1 record — his “What’s My Name?” duet with Rihanna — not to mention a placement on our Hottest MCs in the Game list and a highly anticipated R&B mixtape and sophomore album, and it’s easy to see why Drake was one of the year’s biggest acts. We’ll be rolling out our Top Five Men and Women of 2010 all week, until we unveil MTV News’ Man and Woman of the Year on Friday. As always, we want to know what you think, so share your picks in the comments below! Related Videos Men And Women Of The Year 2010 Related Photos The Men & Women Of 2010

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Drake Is MTV News’ #4 Man Of The Year

Snooki Is MTV News’ #4 Woman Of The Year

The ‘Jersey Shore’ star with the towering pouf invaded the pop-culture landscape in 2010, and not even a U.S. senator could resist. By Eric Ditzian Snooki Photo: Chaunce Hayden/Getty Images It’s hard to believe that just a year ago the world was unaware of a pint-size, pouf-haired firecracker named Snooki. What a sad life we all led, in those pre- “Jersey Shore” days, before we learned that beats need beating and tanning is less beauty regimen than a way of life. At the center of it all has been Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi. She’s the loud, kind-hearted and insanely quotable engine driving the reality series toward its status as the most-watched show in MTV’s 27-year history. And in 2010, she was everywhere, from “The Tonight Show” to magazine spreads to “Saturday Night Live” and “South Park” spoofs. Even President Obama dropped her name on TV. But ubiquitous appearances across the entertainment spectrum don’t tell the full story of how thoroughly Snooki has invaded the pop-culture landscape. (They’re more than just pretty faces, but you can still check out photos of our Men and Women of 2010!) But invade it she has, and for that, we are truly thankful. That’s why we’ve named Snooki MTV News’ #4 Woman of the Year. 2010 Highlights : We’d say the year began on a high note for Snickers, but the ensuing months were no letdown. The show became January’s #1 original cable series among 12- to 34-year-olds and the season-one finale ranked #1 for the day across all television competition in the demo. Before the month was over, MTV had renewed the show for a second season . A day after the renewal news, Snooki landed a spot as the network’s guest correspondent for the Grammy Awards, where she rubbed elbows with industry A-listers and showed that her social skills most definitely extend from the nightclub to the red carpet. “Do you get a lot of, like, girls?” she asked Justin Bieber . Snooki had arrived. Her next stop was Miami Beach. She and her castmates escaped the cold Jersey beaches for the sun-drenched nightlife of Miami, where they began filming the show’s second season . As we discovered when new episodes began airing in July, fame had not changed Miss Polizzi: She was the same tell-it-like-it-is-but-like-no-one-else diva we first met. She loved pickles and dancing, tanning and occasionally fighting. And beneath that artificial tan, she was just an incredibly sweet girl who was snookin’ for love. She also caused something of a political dustup when she spoke out hilariously against Obama’s heath care bill, saying, “[Senator John] McCain would never put a 10 percent tax on tanning, because he’s pale and he would probably want to be tan. Obama doesn’t have that problem, obviously.” In one of the year’s more bizarre moments, McCain took to Twitter … and came to Snooki’s defense. “U r right, I would never tax your tanning bed!” he wrote. “Pres Obama’s tax/spend policy is quite The Situation. But I do rec wearing sunscreen!” Ah, political discourse in 2010! But Snooki isn’t heading to Capitol Hill anytime soon. She’s having too much success doing her “Shore” thing. The season-two debut notched MTV’s best premiere numbers since 2002, building up to a finale watched by 6.1 million viewers. Yet Snooki, it seems, is just getting started. She’s already taped the third season of “Jersey Shore,” which is set to premiere in January. She’s penning her first novel, called “A Shore Thing,” which Simon & Schuster is publishing that same month. And she’ll be ringing in 2011 as part of MTV’s “New Year’s Bash,” during which she’ll actually be stuffed inside a ball that will be lowered in Times Square. As she told her nearly 1 million Twitter followers, “I haven’t rocked the poof in months, it feels. So I’ve decided to bring in 2011 with the biggest poof ever. Who’s with me?” The world, Snooki, the world. We’ll be rolling out our Top Five Men and Women of 2010 all week, until we unveil MTV News’ Man and Woman of the Year on Friday. As always, we want to know what you think, so share your picks in the comments below! Related Videos Men And Women Of The Year 2010 Related Photos The Men & Women Of 2010

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Snooki Is MTV News’ #4 Woman Of The Year

Angelina Jolie’s Bosnian War Film Producer Brushes Off Controversy

Producing partner Graham King also tells MTV News that when he visited the set, first-time director Jolie had ‘total command of that crew.’ By Eric Ditzian, with reporting by Josh Horowitz Angelina Jolie Photo: Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images Last week, Angelina Jolie hit back against criticism of her still-untitled Bosnian War drama, which has been the focus of complaints by a women’s group, by simply saying, “There’s one person who has a gripe.” Jolie’s producing partner on the film, Graham King, echoed that sentiment when he told MTV News recently that the criticism has received too much attention. “Yeah, a little bit,” he said, laughing. At issue has been a rumored plot line said to involve a rape victim falling in love with her captor. A rep for Jolie has already said there is no such story line, though the full plot remains shrouded in mystery. “There are many twists in the plot that address the sensitive nature of the relationship between the main characters, and that will be revealed once the film is released,” Jolie said . Nonetheless, the controversy has persisted, with Bakira Hasecic, the president of the Association of Women Victims of War, filing a complaint about the movie with the United Nations refugee agency. When we sat down with King in Paris, where he was promoting “The Tourist” (another project of his in which Jolie stars), the producer was not only quick to dismiss the criticism but also to speak highly of Jolie’s work on her directorial debut. “I went to that set two weeks ago, and she had total command of that crew,” he said. “It was just a real joy to see her behind that monitor, and I think it’s going to be a really good piece of material.” Whether Brad Pitt will play a part remains to be seen. Recent reports have suggested Jolie’s husband will pop up in a cameo. All Jolie would tell us in Paris was “Possibly,” and King was similarly cagey: “We’ll see,” he said. For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . Related Videos ‘The Tourist’ Clips MTV Rough Cut: ‘The Tourist’

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Angelina Jolie’s Bosnian War Film Producer Brushes Off Controversy

Celine Dion Baby Pictures: Meet Nelson and Eddy!

Celine Dion has introduced her twin boys to the world. Nelson and Eddy, who are now six weeks old, have already taken on the respective personas of Celine and her husband: “Nelson is Ang

Alex Rodriguez: Macking On Kelly Bensimon?

Despite rumors that he’s back with Cameron Diaz , Alex Rodriguez was spotted flirting with Real Housewives of NYC star Kelly Bensimon in Miami the other night. At the Art Basel party at Wall, hosted by Vito Schnabel, Stavros Niarchos and Alex Dellal, “He had his arm ’round Kelly and they were flirting,” a witness said . The next day the two were seen browsing art at the Convention Center. HOME RUN : What’s not to like about this if you’re A-Rod? A source said, “While Alex was recently seen with Cameron Diaz again, they’re not together. He is single.” Reps for A-Rod and Bensimon have not commented. What’s not to love about this couple? They’re both New York nightlife regulars, and the Rod likes his women a bit masculine (Madonna, Joslyn Noel Morse, etc). These Kelly Bensimon bikini pictures , though? Kinda whack.

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Alex Rodriguez: Macking On Kelly Bensimon?

Special Report: STD fears sparked case against WikiLeaks boss | Reuters

The two Swedish women who accuse WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange of sexual misconduct were at first not seeking to bring charges against him. They just wanted to track him down and persuade him to be tested for sexually transmitted diseases, according to several people in contact with his entourage at the time. The women went to the police together after they failed to persuade Assange to go to a doctor after separate sexual encounters with him in August, according to these people, who include former close associates of Assange who have since fallen out with him. The women had trouble finding Assange because he had turned off his cellphone out of concern his enemies might trace him, these sources said. Assange, who was arrested and held in custody by a British court Tuesday, has both admirers and detractors. His WikiLeaks group publishes secret documents from governments and companies, most recently making public a vast trove of U.S. State Department cables between Washington and embassies abroad that have cast a revealing and sometimes embarrassing eye on the inner workings of U.S. diplomacy. Assange's elusiveness may have worked against him in the Swedish investigation, which might well have gone nowhere had he taken the women's calls and not left Sweden when police started looking into the allegations. The Swedish investigation has undergone head-spinning twists and turns. After initially issuing a warrant for Assange's arrest on rape and molestation charges in mid-August, a Swedish prosecutor dropped the rape charge the next day. After this U-turn, it appeared likely that the whole investigation of the 39-year-old Australian computer hacker would be abandoned. Assange's accusers then hired a lawyer who declared he would press prosecutors not only to keep the investigation going but to reinstate rape charges. The case was soon transferred to one of Sweden's three Directors of Public Prosecutions, Marianne Ny, who indeed decided to reinstate the rape investigation and continue the molestation probe. She ordered that Assange should be subject to official interrogation about the allegations. After Assange left the country, Swedish authorities issued a European arrest warrant under which Assange could be detained and returned to Sweden. A spokeswoman for Swedish prosecutors affirmed, however, that at the moment Assange is not formally charged in Sweden with any criminal offense, but is only wanted for questioning. SWEDISH ENCOUNTERS The most serious accusation Swedish prosecutors made against him in a statement on their website is that he committed “rape, less serious crime” — the least serious of three levels of rape charges that are on the statute books in Sweden. Conviction carries a maximum four year jail sentence and a minimum of less than two years, depending upon the circumstances. As described by several people who were in contact with Assange and his inner circle at the time the allegations against him surfaced, both of his accusers are young Swedish women who came into contact with him during a visit to Sweden on behalf of WikiLeaks. One of the women, identified in the British court hearing on Sweden's extradition request as Miss A, was listed on publicity for Assange's Swedish visit as a spokesperson for a group hosting the WikiLeaks leader. People who were in contact with both Assange and other members of his entourage at the time say that the woman at some point invited him to stay at her residence. Assange's financial resources are opaque, but by most accounts he maintains an austere lifestyle, supporting himself on the donations of wealthy and not-so-rich supporters and overnighting in a succession of friends' spare rooms. According to the accounts of Assange's associates, his overnight stays at his erstwhile spokeswoman's residence soon evolved into a sexual relationship between the two. During one of their encounters, the woman later said, a condom Assange was wearing broke or split. (more pages at link) ____________________________________ Since when is a broken or split condom a rape??? added by: Vierotchka