Counter Intelligence: Michelle Obama Rocks $5,950 Clutch

First Lady breaks out designer accessories in Moscow

By XANA O'NEILL

Updated 1:45 PM EDT, Thu, Jul 9, 2009

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See the first lady's pricey accessory and take a look at our list of must-reads that will have you chatting at the lunch counter, over IM or wherever it is that people actually talk these days.

Michelle Obama sported a $5,950 VBH black alligator manila clutch in Moscow this week. The First Lady strayed from affordable brands Gap and J. Crew and instead carried the flashy, hand-made Italian purse during a walk through the woods with Russian president Dmitry Medvedev and his wife, Svetlana.
Knut the polar bear will stay at the Berlin Zoo after all. The cuddly bear who rose to celebrity status after being rejected by his mother in 2006 is a Berliner. The Neumunster Zoo threatened to separate Knut from his adoptive parent because it owns his biological father. Berlin paid off the rival zoo $500,000 to keep the bear.
French tourists were ranked as the world's worst by a survey of 4,500 hotel owners across the globe. The French don't learn local languages, appear rude and spend less than other tourists, the worldwide Expedia-commissioned survey said. The Japanese were ranked the best tourists.
Scientists believe they've found the "elixir of youth" that could add an additional 10 or more years to the human lifespan. The pill was created from a chemical found in the soil at the remote Easter Island. Animals tests reveal that the chemical increased longevity by up to 38%.
Frenemies, staycation and shawarma have been added to the latest edition of the Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary. There are roughly 100 new words that have been added. Locavore, waterboarding and webisode are among the others.