Faces of the year 2010 - the men

Some of the men who have made the headlines in 2010, left to right: Kiki, Wayne Bridge, Carlos Slim Helu, Tony Hayward (top), Danny Alexander, Nicholas Mahut, Julian Assange, Gareth Williams (middle), Walter Kasper, Luis Urzua, Edward Woollard, Eddie Afekafe (bottom). The women who were in the news were featured on Thursday.

JANUARY

An eight-year-old boy name Kiki provided one of those heart-rending moments that so often give relief from the misery of natural disasters.

He was pulled from the ruins of a two-storey building that had been flattened in the earthquake that struck Haiti.

In testimony to the strength of the human body and spirit, he emerged some seven-and-a-half days after being buried in the rubble with a broad grin and his arms outstretched towards his mother.

FEBRUARY

Manchester City footballer Wayne Bridge suffered a rift with former Chelsea colleague and friend John Terry with the revelation that the Chelsea captain had allegedly had an affair with Bridge's former partner, and mother of his son, Vanessa Perroncel.

Bridge announced his retirement from England duty, thereby ruling himself out of the World Cup. It was suggested in the media he couldn't face being holed up with Terry for the duration of the competition.

John Terry lost the England captaincy as a result of the episode. Perroncel has denied anything untoward happened.

MARCH

Mexican businessman Carlos Slim Helu, 67, was finally "crowned" the world's richest person.

According to the Forbes List, this son of a Lebanese immigrant has accumulated a fortune worth $50bn (£32.4bn), partly as a result of buying a majority stake in the Mexican state phone company prior to its privatisation.

His Telmex Company has a virtual monopoly of landlines and represents 7% of Mexico's entire economic output.

APRIL

When an explosion on an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico threatened an environmental disaster, it was left to Tony Hayward, the much-criticised British chief executive of BP, to face the music.

His company faced scathing criticism from all quarters including the US Congress.

Hayward didn't help himself when he made a remark about wanting his "life" back. The explosion killed 11 men.

MAY

Following the sudden resignation of David Laws, Liberal Democrat MP Danny Alexander found himself appointed as chief secretary to the treasury, a key role in managing the budget cuts.

As Nick Clegg's chief of staff during the election campaign, he had branded the Conservatives untrustworthy and "economically illiterate".

He rose to prominence as part of the Lib Dem negotiating team that brokered the agreement to enter into a coalition with the Tories.

JUNE

Spare a thought for Nicholas Mahut, the 28-year-old Frenchman who was the loser in the world's longest ever tennis match.

After a titanic battle on Wimbledon's Court 18 that lasted more than 11 hours and which ended 70-68 in the final set, Mahut was a picture of total dejection.

An extraordinary 103 aces were not enough to defeat the US's John Isner.

However, both players were given special trophies to mark their extraordinary achievement.

JULY

When thousands of secret US military documents were first leaked to the Wikileaks website, its founder, Australian Julian Assange, was little known.

By the end of the year, after more and more revelations had appeared causing fury in governments, Assange had become a household name.

The issue of press freedom raised by the Wikileaks affair was complicated by Assange's subsequent legal battle against extradition to Sweden to answer sex crime charges that he claims are part of a conspiracy to silence him.

AUGUST

Conspiracy theories abounded after the mysterious discovery of the naked body of a 30-year-old MI6 worker, Gareth Williams, inside a padlocked sports bag in his flat in London.

He was last seen alive eight days earlier. Williams was a GCHQ code-breaker believed to have helped thwart a terror campaign in Britain by intercepting phone calls involving British jihadists at a training camp.

Toxicologists found no evidence of drugs, alcohol or poisons in his body.

SEPTEMBER

Cardinal Walter Kasper caused something of a stir when he commented to a German magazine: "When you arrive at Heathrow you think at times that you've landed in a Third World country."

The comment came ahead of the Pope's visit to Britain. He felt no need to apologise for the seeming slight and his personal secretary explained that he was merely remarking on the prevalence of so many cultures, religions and races in the country.

It was just as well the cardinal hadn't landed during December's cold snap.

OCTOBER

The last of the 33 Chilean miners to be winched to safety after 69 days trapped underground was the shift foreman Luis Urzua who was credited with keeping them safe.

After the mine's collapse, Urzua instituted a set of rigid rules and regulations crucial for the men's survival such as rationing the mine's emergency food consignment into minimal portions and organising the miners' work, sleep and sanitary areas.

He kept each man on a 12-hour shift schedule.

NOVEMBER

A sixth-form classics student, Edward Woollard from Dibden Purlieu near Southampton admitted throwing a fire extinguisher from the roof of the Conservative party HQ in Millbank during student protests in London against the raising of tuition fees.

The extinguisher landed near a group of police officers, one of whom said he was "six inches from death".

Woollard, who was released on bail, could face up to five years in jail when he is sentenced next year.

DECEMBER

A community project manager from Moss Side in Manchester, Eddie Afekafe, gave an inspirational speech during England's presentation as part of its unsuccessful bid to host the 2018 World Cup.

Afekafe told how he escaped a world of gang crime when given the backing by the Prince's Trust for an FA coaching scheme.

"Football changed my life," he told delegates, as he explained how he qualified for his level two coaching badge and became a key member of Manchester City's community programme.

Compiled by Bob Chaundy

Faces of the year 2010 - the women

Some of the women who have made the headlines in 2010, left to right: Iris Robinson, Amy Williams, Kathryn Bigelow, Peppa Pig (top), Sarah Ferguson, Anna Chapman, Sue Sim, Mary Bale (middle), Justine Thornton, Gamu Nhengu, Rachel Chandler, Lady Justice Hallett (bottom).

JANUARY

Democratic Unionist MP Iris Robinson, 59, tried to take her own life, according to her husband, Northern Ireland's First Minister Peter Robinson, after he discovered she had had an affair with a teenage man.

Mrs Robinson had broken parliamentary codes of conduct for failing to report a £50,000 donation from two property developers for her lover Kirk McCambley to buy a cafe.

Before the revelations emerged, Iris Robinson announced her retirement from politics and public life on mental health grounds.

FEBRUARY

Amy Williams slid her way to becoming only the ninth British Winter Olympic gold medallist in 86 years and the first solo gold medallist for 30 years.

Her victory came in the Games at Whistler in Canada in the women's skeleton event on a trusty sled she calls Arthur.

Nicknamed "Curly Wurly" because of her frizzy hair, Williams' performance was all the remarkable since Britain doesn't possess a full skeleton track apart from a dry concrete push track in Bath.

MARCH

They called it the Battle of the Exes. In the red corner for the Oscars' best director award was James Cameron for his sc-fi blockbuster Avatar.

In the blue corner was his former wife Kathryn Bigelow for her low-budget, independent movie The Hurt Locker.

Bigelow triumphed with her film about an American bomb-disposal team in Iraq.

She became the first woman to win the best director award and described her triumph as "the moment of a lifetime".

APRIL

It was a case of a piggy in the middle of a controversy when a Channel Five children's cartoon character named Peppa Pig pulled out of a Labour Party election campaign stunt.

Peppa was due to attend the unveiling of Labour's mini-manifesto for families.

But E1 Entertainment, the company that licenses Peppa, said, "In the interests of avoiding controversy, we have agreed she should not attend."

Lord Mandelson accused the BBC of "stirring up trouble" by blocking Peppa's appearance by leaning on E1. The BBC denied the claim.

MAY

Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, became the latest victim of the News of the World's "fake sheikh" sting operations.

The veteran investigations editor Mazher Mahmood caught her on camera apparently agreeing to provide access to her former husband, the British trade envoy Prince Andrew, in return for £500,000.

"That opens up everything you would ever wish for," she told the reporter.

Later the Duchess apologised for a "serious lapse of judgement" and admitted that her financial position was "under stress".

JUNE

The glamorous form of 28-year-old Anna Chapman found itself on the front pages of newspapers around the world when she was unmasked as a Russian agent by the FBI in the US.

Chapman was part of a ring of so-called "deep sleeper" agents from American suburbs paid to penetrate US policy-making circles.

She was previously married to an Englishman in London before moving to the US after divorcing him.

Prosecutors described her as a "highly trained agent" and a "practised deceiver".

JULY

Chief Constable Sue Sim became the public face of the police hunt for the Northumberland killer Raoul Moat.

Each day Chief Con Sim, who was in temporary charge of Northumbria Police, faced the media and read out statements in a slow, enunciated style.

She drew praise for the human way she dealt with members of the public, especially those living in areas affected by the manhunt.

But she also made headlines for a minor gaffe, when she mistakenly uttered that every stone would be left unturned in the search for Mr Moat, although some commentators detected sexism in what they thought was an unnecessary focus on her appearance.

AUGUST

Forty-five-year-old bank worker Mary Bale became the subject of a worldwide hate campaign when CCTV footage of her throwing a cat into a wheelie bin was posted on YouTube by the cat's owners anxious to find the culprit.

After she'd been identified, Bale apologised for her action: "It was a split second of misjudgement that has got completely out of control."

The RSPCA pressed charges and she was fined £250.

SEPTEMBER

From geek to chic went Justine Thornton's public image after her partner Ed Miliband's election as Labour leader thrust her into the media spotlight.

The heavily pregnant Ms Thornton sported a maternity dress patterned with blue and red hearts accompanied by a blue bolero jacket and a cropped haircut to match, in contrast to her previously less glamorous style.

The 39-year-old environmental lawyer, who began her career as a child actress, gave birth to Samuel, the couple's second son, in November.

OCTOBER

After suffering the disappointment of being voted out of The X Factor, teenage singer Gamu Nhengu faced the prospect of being deported to her native Zimbabwe.

Her widowed mother breached visa conditions by wrongly claiming £16,000 in tax credits.

A member of the House of Lords, the Earl of Clancarty, asked the UK Border Agency to reconsider Gamu's case.

At first they insisted the decision was correct but later agreed to reconsider her case. Their decision is still pending.

NOVEMBER

After being held hostage by Somali pirates, Rachel Chandler and her husband Paul tasted freedom once more after 13 months in captivity.

The couple from Tunbridge Wells in Kent were handed over to local officials after the payment of a ransom thought to be in the region of $1m (£649,326).

Though they both received a beating for showing defiance to being separated, they were released in good health.

The couple held out, according to Mrs Chandler, because "we are survivors".

DECEMBER

Having refused a legal challenge to hold some closed sessions of the 7 July bombings inquest, the coroner and appeal court judge Lady Justice Hallett earned much praise for her handling of the hearings.

Giving short shrift to testimony by authorities she found unsatisfactory, she displayed a contrasting humanity and sympathy for victims who related their experiences.

"You are amazing, you sound amazing, you look amazing," she told one survivor.

"You've reduced us to silence," she told another.

Compiled by Bob Chaundy

20 ways to personalise your wedding

1
Get a monogram or rubber stamp designed with both your initials, and use it to stamp the invites and envelopes for a sweet personal touch.

2
Take the time out for guests who make a difference to your lives. To make relatives and close friends in attendance feel welcome, send handwritten personal notes along with the invite, telling them exactly how much their presence would mean to you!

3
At a sit-down reception dinner, instead of having random tables, give each table a name based on what matters most to both of you. It could be the name of your favourite restaurant, the place he proposed, or your favourite movie. Leave a little note at every table explaining the importance of the name so every guest understands why you have it.

4
Have a guestbook at the entrance for each person to sign. Let them fill it in with messages congratulating you. It's great to keep as a memento for when you're looking back at your wedding.

5
Have two champagne glasses custom made for your first toast as Mr and Mrs. Have your names and the date engraved on the glasses to make it about just the two of you. Save these glasses as memorabalia.

6
Borrow a tradition from other cultures. Raise toasts at your reception. Have your close friends and family give speeches recounting incidents from when you were courting. Word of caution: make sure it's only a chosen few, too many long speeches will take away from the intimacy of the idea.

7 If you're taking the sit-down dinner route, leave an easy-to-use camera at every table for the guests to take their own pictures. They may not be as professional as what a photographer produces, but will add some great memories to your big day.

8
Have the wine labels custom-made with a picture of both of you along with the date and venue. They are budget-friendly when produced in bulk and a cute touch.

9
Emerald Energy event planner, Nayika Sayal, advises being in constant touch with your wedding planner at every step of the planning process. "Always try and incorporate your ideas and keep giving feedback so the end product reflects your style and choices.

10
Take the time out to try and incorporate vows or just a public declaration of your love and commitment to each other. They have a different meaning when they are said out loud in the presence of everyone important to both of you and really help solidify your bond.

11
Hand-write some of your wedding cards. The ones going out to close family and friends can be hand-written by you so it shows you took the time out and really care.

12
Do a first dance as a newly married couple and choose a song you first danced to or something that is significant to the both of you.

13
Personalise your wedding card. Try and do it differently, write a poem or add a picture in the card: something that reflects your bond.

14
Wedding planner Gita Samuel advices to plan your wedding based on a favourite dream theme. Recreate your favourite city. "We created Venice for people who wanted to get married there but couldn't for many reasons. The choice of theme really reflects your union, says Samuel.

15
Event co-ordinator Jay Mehta advises personalising your vehicle. "Most brides leave the wedding in a fancy car and that's not leaving much to the imagination. Try and rent a mode of transport that has significant meaning for you as a couple.

16 Ratika Bhatnagar of Mudramax Events Management Company advices delivering cards personally. "For a chosen few close family and friends, try and deliver the card yourself. It shows you've taken the time out to acknowledge the relationship you share with them.

17
Personalise your menu by including food items you both love or you both ate on your first date. The less fancy the better, it'll seem more real.

18
Have a little gig at home. "Family performances that reflect the quirks and idiosyncracies of friends and family on stage go a long way in adding a personal touch to a wedding and adds some humour to the evening, says Samuel.

19
At the venue, screen a video montage of pictures of the two of you over the years with close friends and family.

20
According to Samuel, it's best to stay clear of imitating. Apeing what someone else did at their wedding makes it less personal. Instead, if you have seen a wedding that inspired you or was planned well, borrow an idea from them and tweak it to suit your own needs and requirements.

10 Commandments for good wives

1. Be careful when your husband is angry. At this point, do not be no fun, no grumpy - smiled and said softly.

2. Do not make your husband wait for food. Hunger - the father of anger.

3. Do not wake him when he sleeps.

4. Be careful with his money. Do not hide from him his financial affairs.

5. Keep it secret. If he brags, and keep it a secret.

6. I do not approve of his enemies and not hate his friends.

7. I do not mind him and do not claim that your advice is better than him.

8. Do not expect the impossible.

9. If you will be attentive to his request, he will be your slave.

10. Do not say anything that would hurt him. If you're going to treat him like a king, he will treat you like a queen.

Sex Moves Every Woman Should Try Once

Slip into something unexpectedly sexy.

Sure, sexy lingerie is, well, sexy. But another surprisingly sexy sight to guys is you—freshly showered, no makeup, says relationship expert Lainie Speiser, author of Hot Games. Who can resist a woman who's just soaped, shaved and shampooed herself to perfection? If you live with your guy, take your time and make a ritual out of your shower. Leave the bathroom door cracked so he can catch a glimpse of you slathering lotion on your body. If you're dating, greet him at the door just out of the shower, with your hair loosely tied back, and wear something feminine like a clingy spaghetti-strap slip.

Give him goose bumps.

Vixenish back scratching is best left to romance novels and porn; a better way to stimulate your guy is with a light touch. The next time you've having sex, wrap your arms around him and gently drag your nails across his back, butt or thighs from top to bottom, applying as little pressure as possible. The slight touch will send shivers down his spine…and enhance the feeling of everything else.

Sneak in double entendres.

Want to get your guy's attention? Try using suggestive words—the kind with dual meanings—mixed into normal conversation, says relationship expert Steve Santagati, of badboysfinishfirst.com. Whether it's your first or your 90th date, it's a great way to get your guy thinking about sex. Ask him for a back rub because your neck is stiff. Or have him help you fill in a crossword puzzle that's too hard. We know—it sounds like a ridiculous plan, but if you can get over the giggle factor, it could really pay off. "You may not understand why men like this kind of talk, but trust me, it will wake us up and get the juices flowing for foreplay," Santagati says.

Add an element of mystery to your date.

Next time you're out to dinner or at a bar with your man, pretend to be someone else. Act like a would-be secretary at a job interview and say, "Thank you so much for taking the time to meet with me. I feel I would get a lot of benefits from working under you," suggests Speiser. He may laugh first, but he'll eventually play along…and get turned on. Another option: When you return from the bathroom, purposely bump into him and pretend you've never met. Flirt with him as if it's the first time you've laid eyes on each other. "It will arouse the both of you and breathe a new kind of excitement into a regular Saturday night," she adds.

Create unconventional handcuffs.

Straddle your guy during your next bedroom session and begin to pull off his shirt. As it reaches his wrists, stop pulling. Grab the shirt with one hand (grasp the part in the middle between his arms) and use it to pin his wrists back to the bed like makeshift handcuffs. The more confident you are about doing it, the better. You'll be in control, and he won't have a clue what hit him. But he'll like it.

Talk but don't touch.

Straddle your guy during your next bedroom session and begin to pull off his shirt. As it reaches his wrists, stop pulling. Grab the shirt with one hand (grasp the part in the middle between his arms) and use it to pin his wrists back to the bed like makeshift handcuffs. The more confident you are about doing it, the better. You'll be in control, and he won't have a clue what hit him. But he'll like it.

Try a champagne kiss.

Remember that bottle of champagne you've had chilling in the fridge since New Year's Eve? Now's the time to use it—pour two glasses and sip casually. Then turn up the heat by straddling him, taking a gulp of bubbly and leaning over and kissing your man. As you do, "let a tiny amount of champagne trickle into his mouth," says Tracey Cox, author of Supersex. The fizzy texture and cool temperature will take your kiss to a new level of sexy.

Practice delayed gratification.

Next time you feel like snapping a naughty photo of yourself, don't e-mail or text it to your man right way. Wait until you're in the same room, restaurant or building and then go ahead and hit Send—it's so unexpected that way! "It's more effective than you would think because he'll know he can't do anything about it," says Santagati. "The act of sex is best when anticipated and held off for a bit."