Former US first lady Laura Bush has led tributes to Oscar de la Renta, the worldly gentlemandesigner who shaped the wardrobe of socialites and Hollywood stars for more than 40 years.

Fashion designer Oscar de la Renta, a favourite of socialites and Hollywood stars, has died.

Former newspaper tycoon Conrad Black’s lawyers are asking a judge to bar from his trial testimony that he used money belonging to the Hollinger International media empire to buy dinner for former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, refurbish a Rolls Royce and pay for his wife’s jogging suit.

GRAND Central Station Terminal in New York used to be so grotty, with paint peeling from the ceiling, a few dingy shops, and a few basic services.