A set of Marilyn Monroe’s photographs taken in 1952 has been published for the first time some 50 years after her death.
These newly-released shots feature in a new book, Marilyn By Magnum, that has been published to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the film icon’s tragic death.
Shot in her apartment in 1952, the personal frames were taken by renowned photographer Philippe Halsman.
In the pictures Marilyn Monroe’s fragility is clearly evident as she poses in a sheer chiffon pink suit.
The newly-released shots feature in a new book, Marilyn By Magnum, that has been published to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Marilyn Monroe's tragic death
Also prominent is the late actress’ natural beauty and her famous blonde curls and curvy figure.
As she stares into the camera in one of the shots she gives off an air of vulnerability.
While in another she sits on the floor, staring wistfully into the distance.
The photoshoot took place in 1952, the same year she filmed Niagara with Joseph Cotten and picked up the lead role in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes – she was 26 at the time, a full ten years before her death.
The new book collates many of the pictures that were taken by members of the Magnum photographic cooperative, the world famous agency formed by four photographers – Robert Capa, Henri Cartier-Bresson, George Rodger and David “Chim” Seymour in 1947.
Other contributors to the book (which contains 80 photos in total) include Elliott Erwitt, Eve Arnold, Inge Morath, Philippe Halsman, Bruce Davidson, Dennis Stock, Bob Henriques and Erich Hartmann.
Bobby Brown has pleaded not guilty to DUI and other charges stemming from his arrest last month in Los Angeles.
City News Service says an attorney entered pleas Monday on Bobby Brown’s behalf to misdemeanor counts of DUI, driving with an illegal blood-alcohol content and driving on a suspended license. He could face up to six months in jail if convicted.
Bobby Brown has pleaded not guilty to DUI and other charges stemming from his arrest last month in Los Angeles
Bobby Brown, 43, didn’t attend the Superior Court arraignment in Van Nuys.
Whitney Houston’s former husband was arrested by the California Highway Patrol on March 26.
US nominee Jim Yong Kim has been chosen as the new president of the World Bank.
Jim Yong Kim, 52, a Korean-American health expert, is currently the president of Dartmouth University.
He faced a strong challenge for the post, which has traditionally gone to an American, from Nigerian Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
Dr. Jim Yong Kim will succeed Robert Zoellick, serving a five-year term beginning on 1 July, the World Bank said in a statement.
Jim Jong Kim is a doctor lauded for his pioneering role in treating HIV/Aids and reducing the impact of tuberculosis in the developing world.
US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said the new president’s background would be valuable in the role.
“His deep development background coupled with his dedication to forging consensus will help breathe new life into the World Bank’s efforts to secure fast economic growth that is widely shared,” Timothy Geithner said in a statement.
Outgoing president Robert Zoellick added: “Jim has seen poverty and vulnerability first-hand, through his impressive work in developing countries.
“His rigorous, science-based drive for results will be invaluable for the World Bank Group as it modernizes to better serve client countries in overcoming poverty.”
US nominee Jim Yong Kim has been chosen as the new president of the World Bank
Andrew Mitchell, UK international development secretary and a governor of the World Bank Group, said that “as the first development professional to head the World Bank, Jim Yong Kim’s considerable experience will be vital as he leads it through its ambitious reform and modernization programme”.
Meanwhile, the bank hailed the selection process as competitive, saying that the challenge posed by Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, as well as by Colombian candidate Jose Antonio Ocampi, would benefit the institution in the long run.
The three candidacies had “enriched the discussion of the role of the president and of the World Bank Group’s future direction”, the World Bank said.
By convention, the US has always held the top job at the World Bank since it was founded in 1944.
The top job of its sister organization, the International Monetary Fund, has also always gone to a European but there has been much pressure from emerging economies to open the processes of both organizations to competition.
This year’s vote was the first time the World Bank had to choose between candidates since its creation more than 60 years ago.
Dr. Jim Yong Kim will oversee a staff of 9,000 economists and development experts, and a loan portfolio that hit $258 billion last year.
Mark Weisbrot of the Center for Economic and Policy Research in Washington suggested Dr. Jim Yong Kim would make a very different kind of leader.
“There’s just no comparison between him and any of the prior World Bank presidents,” he said.
“The others were political insiders. They spent most of their lives getting rich or becoming politically powerful, or worse. Kim, by contrast, has spent most of his life trying to improve the lives of poor people.”
Model Imane Fadil, a witness at the trial of Silvio Berlusconi, has said strippers dressed as nuns performed for the former Italian prime minister at one of his “bunga bunga” parties.
Imane Fadil said she had been given 2,000 euros ($2,614) by Silvio Berlusconi the first time she attended a “bunga bunga” party.
She was one of several women who arrived at a Milan courthouse on Monday to testify in Silvio Berlusconi’s trial.
The former Italian prime minister is accused of paying for sex with an underage nightclub dancer.
The woman, Moroccan-born Karima el-Mahroug, was 17 when she allegedly had sex with the prime minister.
Model Imane Fadil said strippers dressed as nuns performed for Silvio Berlusconi at one of his “bunga bunga” parties
Silvio Berlusconi is also accused of abusing his powers by getting police to release Karima el- Mahroug – better known by her stage name Ruby The Heart Stealer – from jail when she was arrested for stealing.
Imane Fadil told the court she had attended several parties at Silvio Berlusconi’s villa outside Milan.
She alleges that the first night she went, she saw two young women in nun costumes stripping for the prime minister. One, she said, was Nicole Minetti, now a regional councilor for Berlusconi’s People of Freedom party in Milan.
Imane Fadil claimed that Nicole Minetti and the other woman dressed as a nun stayed the night at the villa, and that women who attended bunga bunga parties were paid more for sex.
Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera reported last week that Silvio Berlusconi had paid a total of 127,000 Euros to three female witnesses, including Nicole Minetti, since the trial began last year.
Silvio Berlusconi’s lawyer, Niccolo Ghedini, denied the payments were an attempt to influence the women’s testimony, saying they were legal and reflected the former prime minister’s “usual generosity”, AFP news agency reports.
This is one of three trials that the businessman and former prime minister is currently a defendant in. The other two relate to tax fraud and violating official secrets, while earlier this year an Italian court threw out a fourth case relating to bribery claims.
Silvio Berlusconi stepped down in November 2011 over concerns about Italy’s economy.
Anders Behring Breivik, the man who carried out bomb and gun attacks in Norway last year which left 77 people dead, has pleaded not guilty at the start of his trial in Oslo.
Anders Breivik, 33 attacked a youth camp organized by the governing Labour party on the island of Utoeya, after setting off a car bomb in the capital.
He told the court he “acknowledged” the acts committed, but said he did not accept criminal responsibility.
The prosecution earlier gave a detailed account of how each person was killed.
If the court decides he is criminally insane, he will be committed to psychiatric care; if he is judged to be mentally stable, he will be jailed.
In the latter case, Anders Breivik faces a sentence of 21 years, which could be extended to keep him behind bars for the rest of his life.
He was found insane in one examination, while a second assessment made public last week found him mentally competent.
Dressed in a dark suit, Anders Breivik smiled as he entered the courtroom and a guard removed his handcuffs. He then gave a closed-fist salute.
He later told the lead judge, Wenche Elisabeth Arntzen: “I do not recognize the Norwegian courts. You have received your mandate from political parties which support multiculturalism.”
He also said he did not recognize the authority of Judge Arntzen, claiming she was friends with the sister of former Prime Minister and Labour party leader Gro Harlem Brundtland.
Anders Behring Breivik has pleaded not guilty at the start of his trial in Oslo
The judge noted the objections, which Anders Breivik’s lawyer said were not official, and said the defense could follow up on them in their opening arguments.
Anders Breivik described his occupation as a “writer”, currently working from prison.
Prosecutor Inga Bejer Engh read out the charges against him and gave an extensively detailed account of how each person was killed or injured in last year’s attacks.
The prosecutor said the attacks “created fear in the Norwegian population”, adding: “The defendant has committed very serious crimes, on a scale which hasn’t been experienced in our country in modern times.”
Anders Breivik showed no emotion, looking down at the table in front of him.
At the end of the indictment, he told the court: “I acknowledge the acts, but not criminal guilt – I claim I was doing it in self-defense.”
Anders Breivik has already confessed to the attacks on 22 July. In the car bombing outside government buildings in Oslo, eight people were killed and 209 wounded.
He killed 67 people and wounded 33 – most of them teenagers – in his shooting spree at the youth camp on Utoeya. A further two people died by falling or drowning.
At a court hearing in February, Anders Breivik said his killing spree was “a preventative attack against state traitors”, who were guilty of “ethnic cleansing” because they supported a multicultural society.
His lawyer has said his only regret is that “he did not go further”.
“It is difficult to understand, but I am telling you this to prepare people for his testimony,” Geir Lippestad told reporters before the trial.
Investigators have found no evidence to support Anders Breivik’s claims that he belonged to a secret “resistance” movement, the “Knights Templar”, named after a military and religious order founded during the Crusades to fight the enemies of Christendom.
“In our opinion such a network does not exist,” prosecutor Svein Holden told the court on Monday.
A 12-minute-long film about the evils of “multiculturalism” and “Islamic demographic warfare”, which Breivik posted online on the day of the attacks, was shown in court before the trial was adjourned for lunch. As it concluded, he could be seen wiping tears from his eyes.
Later, previously unreleased surveillance footage of the Oslo bombing was shown.
Some of the survivors and relatives of those killed reportedly gasped after footage was played of Anders Breivik’s explosives-packed vehicle exploding, followed by scenes of panic as people fled and pieces of metal fell to the ground. But the defendant was impassive, and at times even smirked.
The court later adjourned for the day.
At a news conference following the adjournment, Geir Lippestad said Anders Breivik considered he was at war and therefore felt he should be tried by “a war tribunal”.
Asked about Anders Breivik’s tears during the first day, he said “part of the explanation” might be that his client considered his actions “necessary to prevent a war in Europe”.
Parts of the trial will be shown on television, but the court will not allow Anders Breivik’s testimony or that of his witnesses to be broadcast. Anders Breivik is scheduled to take the stand for about a week, starting on Tuesday.
With Anders Breivik not expected to express any remorse for his actions, his trial promises to be an ordeal for the families of those killed and for those who survived.
Jorid Nordmelan, a survivor of the Utoeya massacre, said she would be in court to hear Anders Breivik testify.
“It’s a historical date for Norwegians,” she said.
“We never had a trial like this, so we don’t know what’s going to happen.
“Prosecutors told me they were going to make the opening statements awful, so that people can just feel what he did right there.”
Police have sealed off streets around the courtroom, which was specially built for the trial to accommodate more than 200 people. Glass partitions have been put up to separate the victims and their families from Anders Breivik.
Argentina has decided to nationalize a controlling interest in country’s biggest oil company YPF owned by Spanish firm Repsol.
President Cristina Fernandez said a bill be presented to the Senate allowing the government to expropriate 51% of YPF shares.
The move, announced on national television, was welcomed by her cabinet and Argentine governors.
Spain and the EU have already expressed concern at such a state takeover of YPF, in which Repsol has a 57.4% stake.
Shares in YPF fell some 18% on Wall Street following the announcement.
YPF has come under sustained criticism from the Argentine government, which accuses it of failing to invest enough in local oil fields.
Argentina has decided to nationalize a controlling interest in country’s biggest oil company YPF owned by Spanish firm Repsol
The Argentina authorities have accused YPF of not investing enough to increase its output and so lessen the need for imports, an accusation it rejects.
The company has been stripped of a number of leases, including in some of the biggest oil fields in the country.
In recent weeks, speculation has grown that the Argentine government was planning to force through a bigger state role in the firm.
Spain has previously warned Buenos Aires that a takeover of YPF could have consequences for Argentina’s international image.
The European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, has made it clear it backs Spain’s position.
In November last year, YPF, which was privatized in 1993, announced a major find of 1 billion barrels of shale oil.
Argentina has some of the world’s largest reserves of shale oil and gas, hydrocarbons trapped deep underground.
Argentina is ranked number three in the world in terms of recoverable resources, behind China and the US, according to the US Energy Information Administration.
Angelina Jolie was spotted wearing the ring on her wedding finger at the Chinese Art collection at the Los Angeles County Museum earlier this month, where she was pictured with Brad Pitt and their son Pax.
Brad Pitt, 48, designed the ring for the mother of his six children in collaboration with jeweller Robert Procop who broke the news of the engagement in a statement last Friday.
Robert Procop’s team said in a statement: “Brad had a specific vision for this ring, which he realized over a year-long collaboration with Robert.”
“He wanted every aspect of it to be perfect.”
Angelina Jolie, 36, and Brad Pitt confirmed their engagement last week in a statement – and their six children were said to be especially happy about the news.
Their spokeswoman said: “It is a promise for the future and their kids are very happy. There’s no date set at this time.”
Brad Pitt designed the ring for Angelina Jolie in collaboration with jeweller Robert Procop who broke the news of their engagement
Robert Procop said: “I was able to locate a diamond of the finest quality and cut it to an exact custom size and shape to suite Angelina’s hand. Brad was always heavily involved, overseeing every aspect of the creative design evolution.
“The side diamonds are specially cut to encircle her finger. Each diamond is of the highest gem quality.”
Experts estimate the ring cost around $250,000.
Angelina Jolie’s father Jon Voight was among the first to publicly congratulate the pair, telling Us Weekly: “I’m very happy for them.”
The actress has been married twice before – to British actor Jonny Lee Miller between 1996 and 1999 and then Billy Bob Thornton, from 2000 to 2003.
Dannii Minogue’s former boss Simon Cowell has come out with an extraordinary account of a fleeting affair between the two.
Simon Cowell, 52, who loves nothing more than to polish his image as a ladykiller, has confirmed rumors of a fling in an “unauthorized” biography.
Sweet Revenge: The Intimate Life Of Simon Cowell has been written by respected author Tom Bower.
Tom Bower has not allowed Simon Cowell to read the final manuscript, but during hours of interviews it seems the two men became friends.
It is clear Simon Cowell is loving the attention of being presented as the pasha at the head of a talent show TV harem. “Yikes!” he tweeted triumphantly after seeing the newspaper headlines proclaiming “Cowell’s Affair With Dannii”. Smug barely covers it.
Simon Cowell has long suffered jibes and speculation about his sexuality. Just recently, the Village Voice in New York ran an article titled: Simon Cowell: Gay Or Just British?
The X Factor judge Louis Walsh has long enjoyed catty observations about Simon Cowell’s camp demeanor.
“He is camp, he is theatrical,” says Louis Walsh.
“He tilts his head just like a woman.”
Simon Cowell told Tom Bower he fell for Dannii Minogue after she joined The X Factor’s judging panel in 2007.
“It was genuine love,” Simon Cowell claims.
However, a long-standing friend of his said: “Whenever Simon uses the phrase genuine, you know it’s not true.”
His account of the romance is as follows: “I had a crush on her. It was her hair, the sexy clothes and the ***s. She was foxy. She was a real man’s girl. Very feminine.”
Simon Cowell says they got together in August 2007. An affair was rumored at the time. They were pictured holding hands in a car leaving BBC TV Centre, and Simon Cowell said repeatedly on the record that he “fancied” Dannii Minogue, though at the time they both denied anything had gone on.
“Every guy in the world fancies Dannii,” he said in an interview at the time. “She’s become a sex symbol since joining the show.”
Why did it end? Apparently, Simon Cowell told a friend: “There were a few bonks and then it petered out while I was in America.”
Not quite the stuff of grand romance, then.
Simon Cowell has never married and none of his many relationships has lasted. There have also been numerous flings and liaisons, which he has been lucky to keep out of the newspapers.
One relative of a Simon Cowell conquest said: “He is very intense and controlling, and then when he cools off he simply couldn’t care less. I don’t really know if he has ever been in love. He will say he is, but it’s not in his make-up, in my opinion.”
Another long-standing colleague says: “Simon is only fully committed to work, making money and to himself. It’s all about him.
“The only person he cares about other than himself – who he has ever cared about – is his mum, Julie.
“He likes pretty girls and being in a relationship, but they end up just being useful arrangements. He will never get married. That’s the way it is – it’s not the wrong girl or the wrong time, it’s just Simon.”
Dannii Minogue’s former boss Simon Cowell has come out with an extraordinary account of a fleeting affair between the two
In the book, Tom Bower says, perhaps more tactfully, that Simon Cowell felt he was not ready for a relationship with Dannii Minogue, having just split with long-term girlfriend Terri Seymour.
It’s all rather odd, though, as Simon Cowell and Terri Seymour split officially only in November 2008 – more than a year after the fling with Dannii Minogue. And, in April 2008, as rumors circulated that the relationship with Terri Seymour was over, Simon Cowell’s spokesman Max Clifford insisted that they were still a couple.
Now Max Clifford has changed his tune and claims they were, in fact, separated.
“Simon was single and Dannii was single and there was an attraction between them, so that’s life,” he said.
A friend adds: “He and Terri had split up a long time before they made the official announcement. They both knew what the situation was then and there was no problem with it on either side.”
Others, though, say that he has been an unfaithful partner.
Eighties pop star Sinitta, who dated him for a number of years and remains a close friend, has called Simon Cowell a “master of denial”. She caught him out several times with other women and described him as a “horny, salty dog”, saying he likes women of every color, culture and size.
Despite his affair with Dannii Minogue, when it later suited him to drop her as a judge from The X Factor, Simon Cowell did so without a backward glance.
Dannii Minogue, now 40, has just split from her partner Kris Smith and issued not a word on the subject yesterday. Her PR Simon Jones said: “I’m sorry, but I’m not making any comment on this story, on the record or off it.”
As she is dealing with her own romantic heartbreak and has been hung out to dry in order to make Simon Cowell look good, she could be forgiven for feeling pretty bitter about it all.
But then, as the many people whom he has picked up and shed along the way can tell you, Simon Cowell is an egomaniac of ocean-going dimensions. If it suits him to drop you, he will – even Louis Walsh was sacked from The X Factor panel and later reinstated.
If he thinks it helps his TV show to humiliate you, he will – witness The X Factor’s cannon fodder auditionees.
If he thinks it is good publicity to cast you alongside someone who hates your guts, he will.
Indeed, the revelation of an affair with Dannii Minogue sheds a fascinating light on the feud between her and fellow former X Factor judge, Sharon Osbourne.
Sharon Osbourne declared war within a few weeks of Dannii Minogue joining the judging panel and developed an almost pathological dislike of the younger woman.
She said only last year that Dannii Minogue was “****ing useless” and described her as “not so much a dim bulb as a power cut”.
Now we know she was jealous of Simon Cowell’s flirtatious preference for Dannii Minogue. He just sat back and watched them snipe at each other, thinking it amusing and good for the TV ratings.
Sharon Osbourne quit her job over it and Dannii Minogue was repeatedly reduced to tears, yet he never rode to her rescue. So much for “genuine love”. And if you thought the topic of his private life could not be any grubbier, then consider his “crush” on singer Natalie Imbruglia, another gorgeous Australian.
In his book, Tom Bower reveals that she was invited on the yacht Simon Cowell hired last New Year.
Allegedly, he hoped they could rekindle a former affair – but he got nothing more than a kiss and cuddle. After four days, the embarrassed singer left the ship.
It is worth remembering that at the time Simon Cowell was still with his fiancée Mezhgan Hussainy, known as Mish.
Mish Hussainy, once his make-up artist, told her family at the time that she and Simon Cowell were together, even as he was allegedly attempting to seduce Natalie Imbruglia.
She also had to put up with Simon Cowell’s pursuit of Cheryl Cole, which he confirmed to Tom Bower.
It was obvious to everyone watching The X Factor that he adored Cheryl Cole.
Simon Cowell used to put his arms around her during the show. Colleagues noticed they shared cigarette breaks and Cheryl Cole would often visit his dressing room.
With a tactlessness which is his trademark, Simon Cowell told an interviewer that it would be “a fantasy come true” to kiss her.
“When I’m sitting next to her, I forget everyone else,” he said.
Cheryl Cole said that he was so charismatic she felt he had put her in a trance. In the book, he admits: “I would have liked an affair with Cheryl, but I felt like a mouse being played with by a beautiful cat.”
In the end, Simon Cowell fired her from The X Factor USA after warning her to raise her game.
Did it ever occur to Simon Cowell that his pursuit of Cheryl Cole must have been uncomfortable for Dannii Minogue – and humiliating for his fiancée?
Perhaps it just didn’t. For Simon Cowell has a rhinoceros hide when it comes to such niceties.
There have long been rumors that he dates women on both sides of the Atlantic at the same time and the book would seem to add credence to them.
Simon Cowell had a romance with model Jasmine Lennard in 2006, during his relationship with Terri Seymour. She was seen arriving at his London house in a fur coat and high heels, and he took her to Ascot. And when it was all over, Jasmine Lennard disappeared – never to discuss the subject in public. Might she be one of the women whom he admits he has paid off?
He was certainly generous to Terri Seymour, buying her a house and paying for it to be refurbished by the celebrity interior designer Kelly Hoppen. There were also reports of a $5 million cash settlement for her – small change for Simon Cowell, who is worth more than $300 million.
His PR spokesman Max Clifford said: “Simon is naturally a very generous person.
“If he has spent a long time with someone and the magic has gone, but they have got used to a certain standard of living, then he feels they should have some money.”
What a curiously stunted emotional life Simon Cowell seems to have. He may be 52, but it’s all crushes and flings, like a teenager.
He says he is in love, but there doesn’t seem to be any room in his life for anything resembling it.
Simon Cowell has decided to cancel his engagement to make-up artist Mezghan Hussainy after quickly realizing she wasn’t the one.
In a new biography of the music mogul, it was revealed that Simon Cowell cancelled plans to marry the stunning Afghan some time ago and plans to give her his $8 million Beverly Hills home as a generous parting gift.
Soon after their February 2010 engagement, Mezghan Hussainy reportedly became upset over Simon Cowell’s busy lifestyle and his relationships with his circle of close female friends.
Simon Cowell has famously remained friendly with ex-girlfriends Jackie St. Clair, Sinitta and Terri Seymour, even buying the latter a $4.6 million house in Los Angeles following their split in 2008.
The pair soon started arguing frequently with the Britain’s Got Talent judge soon realizing he’d made a mistake by asking her to marry him.
Simon Cowell has decided to cancel his engagement to make-up artist Mezghan Hussainy after quickly realizing she wasn't the one
Friends of Simon Cowell speak of his embarrassment at realizing he didn’t want to marry Mezghan Hussainy in a new unauthorized biogaphy, Sweet Revenge: The Intimate Life Of Simon Cowell by Tom Bower.
After Simon Cowell returned home late from an American Idol taping one night in 2010, furious Mezghan Hussainy lashed out at him, in front of his mother Julie, 87.
Julie Cowell is quoted as saying: “The tension was horrendous. The way Mezhgan behaved made my stomach churn.”
After Mezghann Hussainy apparently stormed out, his mother said: “Something’s wrong here Simon. It’s not what we thought. I was very happy and now I’m not.”
Simon Cowell admitted they were having issues: “There’s a problem.”
He soon admitted to his friends he’d made a “big mistake” and decided to move into the Peninsula Hotel in LA, rather than share a roof with her.
Simon Cowell eventually admitted to Mezghan Hussainy there was no future for them, but declined to make a public announcement to that effect.
Simon Cowell was last photographed with Mezghan Hussainy last September leaving a friend’s house in Beverly Hills.
She wasn’t wearing her engagement ring at the time and Simon Cowell’s spokesperson Max Clifford said: “Well I don’t know about planning a wedding – I think you might have to wait 20 years for Simon to plan a wedding but they are as close as they’ve ever been.”
In an interview last September, Simon Cowell said: “I’m not going to lie, everything this year has been about working on The X Factor. It has probably been the busiest year I’ve ever had.
“Making the choice to get married is something you just have to decide when the time is right.”
Simon Cowell and divorcee Mezghan Hussainy met while she was a make-up artist on American Idol.
They got engaged on Valentine’s Day 2010 at Simon Cowell’s West London home, when he proposed with a $400,000 diamond ring from jewellers Graff.
The new book claims Simon Cowell started seeing Mezghann Hussainy in 2006, when he was still living with ex-girlfriend, TV presenter Terri Seymour.
Beyoncé is a perfect mother, but she has also managed to have some free time to enjoy days out with her husband Jay-Z and they decided to cheer on the New York Knicks at a basketball game in New York.
Beyoncé, 30, decided to take a walk on the wild side and donned statement leopard print trousers.
Aware that her vibrant bottoms would be turning heads, the star kept the rest of her outfit black.
The singer wore a long-sleeved jersey top tucked into her trousers as well as a fedora hat and large round sunglasses.
Beyoncé topped off her stylish outfit with a color pop in the form of her two tone pink and beige patent court shoes, also adding a simple gold chain necklace and matching hoop earrings.
Beyonce had some free time out with her husband Jay-Z to cheer on the New York Knicks at a basketball game in New York
Meanwhile Jay-Z kept things casual in a black T-shirt, dark denim jacket, grey trousers and silver, pink and navy high-top trainers.
Jay-Z, 42, kept a protective hand on his wife’s waist as they navigated their way through the crowd and into the venue.
When they had stepped out of their car, Jay-Z sweetly held Beyoncé’s hand as she cautiously stepped over a puddle in her high heeled shoes.
Their three-month-old baby Blue Ivy was presumably at home under the care of a nanny.
The pair has made sure to enjoy time as a couple since the birth of their little girl, and on Thursday they were seen at the Cartier Juste un Clou after-party.
They appeared relaxed and well-rested today as they showed up at the game, which is probably due to a recent tropical holiday in St. Barts, which saw them arrive home earlier this week.
Whitney Houston was “deeply, psychologically and emotionally” affected by her voice’s deterioration shortly before her death, says her vocal coach and friend, Gary Catona.
Gary Catona said Whitney Houston’s whole personality had been changed by the deterioration of her voice through smoking and drug abuse before she was found accidentally drowned at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in February.
He told The Sunday Times newspaper: “She was horrified by it. When someone is a singer at that level, their voice is so much of who the person is. She identified with her voice. It was not possible for Whitney to be affected very deeply, psychologically and emotionally, by the fact she couldn’t sing.”
Gary Catona said Whitney Houston’s whole personality had been changed by the deterioration of her voice through smoking and drug abuse
Gary Catona – one of the world’s leading voice coaches – first met Whitney Houston in 2005, at which point she could barely speak. He says he managed to get her voice to return by around 75 per cent, but she never fully recovered before she would then “take off” and damage it again.
He added: “As her voice started returning, lo and behold, her personality began changing, just as I predicted. She became more confident, she became who she really was – funny, charming, an intelligent person. Her self-esteem began rising.
“But what would happen was that I would work with her, and she’d get her voice back to some extent, and then she’d take off.
“She’d try to sing here, or she’d try to sing there. Rather than getting her voice back completely, which would have secured her legacy, she got caught up in her lifestyle again and she began practicing the habits which were not beneficial to her voice.”
Whitney Houston was found face down in the bathtub of Beverly Hilton with a bloody nose and the remnants of cocaine nearby on February 11. The Beverly Hills Police Department cited cause of death as accidental drowning with drug abuse and heart disease also factors.
Oracle and Google go on trial in a San Francisco court on Monday after Java developer claimed Google’s Android violated several of its patents and copyrights.
It is one of the biggest such tech lawsuits to date. Oracle is claiming about $1 billion in compensation.
Oracle claims Google’s Android system infringes intellectual property rights relating to the programming language.
Software engineers warn the case could set a worrying precedent.
Java was first released in 1995 and allows software to be run across computer platforms, rather than just being limited to one type of operating system.
Oracle – a business hardware and software provider – inherited the intellectual properties when it took over Java’s original developer, Sun Microsystems, in 2009.
The language is used by many business applications as well as other software, such as the video game Minecraft, on PCs.
Oracle claims Google's Android system infringes intellectual property rights relating to the programming language
Oracle argues that by using its intellectual property, and then giving Android away for free, Google undermined the possibility of it licensing Java to mobile phone makers.
It adds: “Because Android exploits Java but is not fully compatible with it, Android represents Sun’s, and now Oracle’s, nightmare: an incompatible forking of the Java platform, which undermines the fundamental ‘write once, run anywhere’ premise of Java that is so critical to its value and appeal.”
Much of the case does not centre on Google’s use of Java itself – which is free for anyone to use without license – but rather the Android-maker’s use of 37 APIs (application programming interfaces) which allow developers to write Java-compatible code.
APIs allow different parts of a programme to communicate together as well as letting one application share content with another.
“APIs are the glue that allows computer programs to talk to each other – in this case Android apps use them to access the phone’s features like its screen and memory,” said Dan Crow, chief technology officer at Songkick and a former Google tech team leader.
“If Oracle wins the case and APIs are held to be copyrighted, then in theory, virtually every application – on Android, Mac OS, Windows, iPhone or any other platform – has to be at least re-released under new license terms,” he said.
“This could result in many applications being withdrawn until their legality is resolved.”
Oracle alleges that 103,400 lines of its API specifications appeared on Android’s developer website.
“The APIs represent years of creative design,” Oracle said in a filed court document.
“Other than a few classes, Google was not required to copy the selection, organization, and structure of the APIs to be compatible with the Java programming language.”
However, Google argues that the technologies involved should not be covered by copyright law.
“Without the APIs, the Java programming language is deaf, dumb and blind,” its lawyers have claimed.
“In addition, witnesses at trial will testify that developers expect the APIs to be available when they program in the Java programming language.”
Oracle also alleges that Google has infringed two of its patents relating to a data processing enhancement and a method to generate executable code.
If Oracle wins the API copyright claims it could force Google to alter Android – a move likely to mean independent software developers would also have to recode apps designed for the platform.
But engineers say they have more fundamental concerns about the precedent that could be set in what is already a lawsuit-prone industry.
“The lives of developers would be much more complex,” Simon Phipps, an ex-Sun employee, blogged for the Infoworld news site.
“Complexity and confusion would return to a world where they have largely been expunged, bringing fear, uncertainty, and doubt back into open source software development.”
Malcolm Barclay, an independent developer of travel apps for iPhones, said: “It would be utterly ridiculous to think that using an API could infringe upon the intellectual property rights of an open platform.
“It would not be practical to go under the hood of each API to see if someone was going to sue you over using it.
“It would be the equivalent of buying a music CD and suddenly finding someone wanted to charge you for listening to track 10.”
Oracle would not comment on the developers’ claims.
Anders Behring Breivik, the man who carried out a bomb and gun attack in Norway last year that left 77 people dead, has gone on trial in Oslo.
Anders Breivik attacked a summer youth camp organized by the governing Labour party on the island of Utoeya, after setting off a car bomb in the capital.
He gave a closed-fist salute, and said he did not recognize the court because it was dependent on political parties who supported multiculturalism.
Anders Breivik has confessed to the killings, but denies criminal responsibility.
If the court decides he is criminally insane, he will be committed to psychiatric care; if he is judged to be mentally stable, he will be jailed.
In the latter case, he faces a sentence of 21 years, which could be extended to keep him behind bars for the rest of his life.
Anders Breivik gave a closed-fist salute, and said he did not recognize the court because it was dependent on political parties who supported multiculturalism
Dressed in a dark suit, Anders Breivik smiled as he entered the courtroom and a guard removed his handcuffs. He then gave a closed-fist salute.
Anders Breivik later told the lead judge: “I do not recognize the Norwegian courts. You have received your mandate from political parties which support multiculturalism. I do not acknowledge the authority of the court.”
The judge noted the objection, which Anders Breivik’s lawyer said was not an official one, and said the lawyer could follow up on the matter in his opening arguments.
The prosecutor then read the names of all the victims of the attacks last July, describing in detail how each person was killed or injured.
Anders Breivik showed no emotion, looking down at a folder on the table in front of him.
During the 10-week trial, prosecutors will paint a detailed picture of how one man planned and then carried out mass murder.
Anders Breivik has already confessed to the attacks – first the car bombing outside government buildings in Oslo which killed eight people, and then the shooting spree at a political youth camp on Utoeya.
He is expected to plead not guilty, arguing that the Labour party was a “legitimate target” because it supports immigration and multiculturalism – policies he says will bring about a Muslim takeover of Europe.
With Anders Breivik not expected to express any remorse for his actions, his trial promises to be an ordeal for the families of those killed and for those who survived the attacks.
Jorid Nordmelan, a survivor of the Utoeya massacre, said she would be in court to hear Anders Breivik testify.
“It’s a historical date for Norwegians,” she said.
“We never had a trial like this, so we don’t know what’s going to happen.
“Prosecutors told me they were going to make the opening statements awful, so that people can just feel what he did right there.”
Robin Gibb’s wife Dwina keeps vigil at his bedside in a private hospital in Chelsea, West London, UK, where the Bee Gee continues to fight for his life.
Robin Gibb, 62, has been in a coma since Friday, and doctors fear he has just days to live.
Bee Gees star is now battling pneumonia, following months of health troubles.
Robin Gibb was diagnosed with colon cancer after surgery for a blocked bowel in 2010, with the disease later spreading to his liver.
His latest setback comes after a series of operations and treatments, and amid reports of a new tumor.
Dwina Gibb, his children and Robin’s brother, Barry, have been praying at his bedside.
Robin Gibb’s wife Dwina arrives at the private hospital in Chelsea, where the Bee Gee continues to fight for his life
Robin Gibb’ son, Robin-John, 29 – known as RJ for short – said he would do “anything” to have his father make a swift and full recovery.
RJ said: “My dad has had a hard recovery from cancer.
“When you get rid of the cancer a lot of periphery problems can occur. This is so sad.”
RJ told The People that everyone from the family was “praying” for a recovery and that he felt honored to be living in his father’s shadow.
He added: “If people say that I’m living in my ¬father’s shadow, all I can say is what a great shadow that is to be living in.”
Robin Gibb made a recovery from liver and colon cancer this year, but doctors believe a second tumor may be present.
He has also developed pneumonia.
Robin Gibb revealed his battle with cancer in October 2010.
He had emergency surgery to treat a blocked bowel, before a further operation to treat a twisted bowel. Colon cancer was then discovered and it spread to his liver.
Robin Gibb’s twin brother Maurice died of complications resulting from a twisted intestine in 2003, aged 53.
Dole Food Co.’s fresh vegetables division has decided to recall 756 cases of bagged salad out of fears that they could be contaminated with salmonella.
The bags of Seven Lettuces salads were distributed in Alabama, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and Wisconsin.
Dole said the bags are being recalled after a random sample tested by the state of New York came back positive for salmonella.
No other Dole salads are included in the recall.
The recalled salads are stamped with a use-by date of April 11, 2012 with the UPC code 71430 01057 and product codes 0577N089112A and 0577N089112B, the company said.
The recalled salads are stamped with a use-by date of April 11, 2012 with the UPC code 71430 01057 and product codes 0577N089112A and 0577N089112B
The product code and use-by date are located in the upper right-hand corner of the package.
The UPC code is on the back of the package below the barcode.
Dole said that it’s coordinating with regulatory officials.
No illnesses have been reported, officials said.
Consumers should throw out the recalled salads.
Dole said it’s also contacting retailers to make sure the bags in question are not available for sale.
The most common symptoms of salmonella infection are diarrhea, abdominal cramps and fever within eight to 72 hours of eating the contaminated food.
The illness can be severe or even life-threatening for infants, older people, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems.
Jennifer Aniston is said to be delighted for Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie after hearing the couple are set to wed.
Jennifer Aniston, 43, is so happy with her own beau Justin Theroux that she is actually pleased with the situation, according to reports.
According to HollywoodLife.com a source said: “Jennifer is happy for Brad and Angelina. She is so in love with Justin, that she is really grateful how things turned out.
“In a strange way if it weren’t for Angelina, Jennifer would not have connected with Justin in a romantic way. Jennifer is in a really wonderful place right now.”
The source added: “I wouldn’t be surprised if she even went to their wedding.”
Jennifer Aniston is said to be delighted for Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie after hearing the couple are set to wed
Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston split in 2005, ending their five year marriage, and the actor was soon linked to Angelina Jolie.
Rumors were sparked that Brangelina got together while filming Mr. & Mrs. Smith, while Brad Pitt was still married to Jennifer Aniston.
Brad Pitt’s former wife isn’t the only one said to be thrilled with the news the couple’s six children have finally got the fairytale they wished for following news their famous parents are set to wed.
A representative for Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie – whose engagement was confirmed yesterday – revealed the Brangelina brood is “very happy”.
While the couple said they would not get married until everyone, including gay couples could, they have reportedly been given blessing from certain LGBT groups.
Angelina Jolie recently revealed in an interview how their kids often asked why there were not married “like Shrek and Fiona”.
Ksenia, a Scottish Fold feline from Russia, is what thousands of internet users are calling the world’s cutest cat.
Ksenia, a charcoal moggy, first appeared on YouTube in December 2011, but she has become an online sensation in the past 48 hours, attracting more than 355,000 views.
The cat is so cute that some fans have even suggested she’s an elaborate and hi-tech animatronic toy – while others have offered to buy her.
Ksenia does nothing out of the ordinary in her YouTube debut, scampering around playfully on the back of a chair.
But thousands have flocked to the site to see her flawless fur, bright orange eyes, panting puppy-like tongue and impossibly perfect face.
Ksenia, a Scottish Fold feline from Russia, is what thousands of internet users are calling the world's cutest cat
There’s been so much interest in this little kitten, her owner logged onto the site today to field questions from fascinated fans.
One user likened Ksenia to a Antonio Banderas’ adorable animated cat in Pixar’s Puss in Boots; while another offered $1,000 to buy her.
Her owner jokingly agreed, before replying: “Jokes. I will never this do it.”
Other fans have even speculated Ksenia is the result of some clever CGI technology – or an animatric doll.
South African President Jacob Zuma is set to marry for the sixth time next weekend, making long-term fiancée Gloria Bongi Ngema his fourth current wife, his spokesman says.
Jacob Zuma is a Zulu traditionalist, and polygamy is legal in South Africa.
His spokesman, Mac Maharaj, said the private ceremony would take place in Nkandla in KwaZulu Natal province.
“I can confirm that President Zuma will formalise his relationship with his fiancee, Ms Bongi Ngema, in a private traditional ceremony at Nkandla this weekend,” Mac Maharaj told AFP.
South Africa’s president, a known polygamist, will be married the sixth time.
“The president currently has three wives. This will be his fourth wife,” Mac Maharaj said.
Jacob Zuma is set to marry for the sixth time next weekend, making long-term fiancée Gloria Bongi Ngema his fourth current wife
Jacob Zuma usually takes one wife with him on official events, on a rotating basis.
Gloria Bongi Ngema, who accompanied Jacob Zuma on a state visit to the G20 summit in South Korea last year, has a three-year-old son with him. She has a business degree among other academic qualifications.
He divorced Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, South Africa’s candidate for the African Union top post, in 1998. Another wife, Kate, committed suicide in 2000.
Jacob Zuma, who became president in 2009, recently celebrated his 70th birthday and has 21 children.
A statement on the president’s website said there would be no cost to the government for next weekend’s ceremony, nor did the state pay for the maintenance of the four spouses’ households.
Jacob Zuma’s adventures with women have often sparked controversy. In 2006 he was acquitted of rape charges after having consensual sex with an HIV-positive activist and family friend. He famously told the court he had taken a shower to protect himself against infection.
In 2009 he fathered a child with the daughter of 2010 World Cup local chief Irvin Khoza on the eve of the global event.
Asked at his birthday party Friday whether he was done with marriage, Jacob Zuma replied: “I think so.”
British businessman Neil Heywood, who is thought to have been murdered in China, was poisoned, according to unconfirmed rumors.
The allegation appears to have come from a report on a Chinese-language website based outside the country.
The Chinese authorities have made no comment on the rumors.
However he died, the death of Neil Heywood has sent shockwaves through China’s political establishment.
Neil Heywood’s death has been linked to the downfall of one of the country’s most prominent politicians, Bo Xilai, and has undermined China’s planning for a leadership reshuffle later this year.
This is a new twist in a story which has precious few facts.
Boxun, a website based in the United States, claims that Neil Heywood was poisoned with potassium cyanide.
That rumor was repeated by people using Chinese micro-blogging sites and has been picked up by some Western newspapers.
Neil Heywood died in the city of Chongqing last November.
Boxun, a website based in the United States, claims that Neil Heywood was poisoned with potassium cyanide
The British embassy and Neil Heywood’s family were told by the Chinese police that “excessive alcohol” was the cause.
They did not think the death was suspicious and Neil Heywood was cremated a few days after he died. A British diplomat was present.
But when several of Neil Heywood’s friends raised their concerns about the death, the British government asked China to re-open the case.
They did, and on Tuesday announced that they now think he was murdered.
So far, the police have not said publicly how they think Neil Heywood died. It is understood that they have not even told the British government about their findings.
But the authorities have revealed the startling news that the wife of one of the country’s most popular politicians is a prime suspect.
Bo Xilai’s wife, Gu Kailai, has been detained on suspicion of murder, together with her personal assistant. Bo Xilai has been stripped of his positions at the top of the ruling communist party.
Neil Heywood’s death has undermined the party’s planning for a once-in-a-decade reshuffle in the Chinese Communist Party later this year.
Bo Xilai had been tipped for promotion before the latest developments.
The Chinese government has tried to downplay the connection between Neil Heywood’s death and the political changes taking place in Beijing.
A commentary piece published by the state-run Xinhua news agency on Sunday said the death is being handled normally and should be treated without “fuss, not to mention excessive interpretation or bias”.
“It has nothing to do with a so-called <<political struggle>>,” it went on.
A pregnant woman from Chicago is searching for her baby’s father on Craigslist’s Missed Connections.
The man she is looking for is a guy at the Megadeth and Motorhead concert with a red mohwak and “viper piercings”.
Obviously a man with a red mohawk at a Megadeth concert does not narrow things down, but the lady with blue hair and black biker boots does recall some intimate details.
In the post, which has been removed from the website, the woman outlines their sexual encounter in the bathroom of the Aragon Ballroom in February.
The pregnant woman from Chicago is searching for her baby’s father on Craigslist’s Missed Connections
Inspired by Motorhead’s Lemmy and his hits such as Ace of Spades, the girl who does not seem to remember the father-to-be’s name has a rather blunt message for the man with the red mohawk.
“Anyway, I’m pregnant. It’s yours. Contact me if you want to be part of your child’s life,” said the post.
There has been no word on whether the star-crossed lovers have reunited.
But to a soundtrack of Megadeth or heavy metal-god-Lemmy, it might be possible to understand how they missed recalling each others names.
Bloggers on the Internet have been discussing whether the post is real, pointing to the deadpan delivery of the pregnancy news.
However, most feel that the blue haired lady has done the right thing and at least given her unborn child the chance to know his viper pierced father.
Controversial website Craigslist has had its fair share of odd, unusual and frightening stories attached to it since it launched in 1996 as a web-based service.
This month alone a personal trainer in Hollywood, Dejon Miller, was accused of using the advertising website to recruit female models and “torture” them.
Calling himself “Danger”, Miller, 35, allegedly beat and verbally abused any aspirant models who responded to his advertisements.
Two people died in Oklahoma after several tornadoes have hit a large swathe of the US Midwest.
Storms were reported in Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska and Oklahoma. The deaths occurred in Oklahoma’s Woodward county, officials said.
The National Weather Service had warned there could be further tornadoes early Sunday morning, with concern they could strike as people slept.
But it said that the chance they would be very strong or long-lived was lower than the previous evening.
Forecasters had warned that the worst of the weather would hit around nightfall.
Two people died in Oklahoma after several tornadoes have hit a large swathe of the US Midwest
Officials feared people would not hear warnings as they slept and said that it was more difficult for weather spotters to track the funnel clouds overnight.
In Woodward in Oklahoma, a block of flats was also damaged by the twister, after residents were caught by surprise as the storm sirens had failed to sound, Reuters news agency quoted the local mayor as saying.
One tornado destroyed large parts of the town of Thurman, in Iowa, on Saturday, but there were no major injuries, the NWS said.
“It lasted three to four minutes probably – what seemed like an eternity,” one man from Thurman told the broadcaster ABC.
“The next thing I know, the house was shaking and I could feel it lifting and it was over that quick,” another man said.
Another tornado caused widespread power outages and other damage in the city of Wichita, Kansas, according to Associated Press.
The roof of a hospital in Creston, southwest of Des Moines, was damaged, but patients and staff were not hurt, AP reported.
Tornado experts had said that storms on Saturday could be a “life-threatening event”.
US tornadoes have already killed at least 39 people in 2012.
An outbreak of deadly twisters hit the states of Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Georgia and Alabama in early March.
At the start of April the Dallas-Fort Worth area was badly hit, with hundreds of flights being disrupted but no-one injured or killed.
Bee Gees star Robin Gibb is still in coma after suffering from pneumonia, his official website confirms.
Robin Gibb, 62, has been recovering from cancer in recent months, but was too ill to attend a performance of his new work a few days ago.
“We are all hoping and praying that he will pull through,” his website said.
In February, Robin Gibb said he had been making a “spectacular” recovery from cancer but he was later readmitted to hospital for intestinal surgery.
Bee Gees star Robin Gibb is still in coma after suffering from pneumonia
The message on his homepage added: “Because of this situation, Robin’s website is temporarily unavailable. Sorry for any inconvenience.”
Robin Gibb’s family have been keeping vigil at his bedside at a hospital in Chelsea, west London, the Press Association reports.
The British-born singer had surgery on his bowel 18 months ago for an unrelated condition, but a tumor was discovered and he was diagnosed with cancer of the colon and later of the liver.
It had been thought his cancer was in remission as early as last month.
On 11 April, Robin Gibb did not attend the London premiere of his first classical work because of the pneumonia, his son said at the time.
Robin Gibb had also been due to perform a new song, called Don’t Cry Alone, at The Titanic Requiem concert.
Eleven US Secret Service agents and five soldiers were recalled to Washington last week after nearly all of them allegedly brought prostitutes back to their rooms at a luxury hotel in Colombia.
The agents were in Cartagena, Colombia, to scout out the security situation ahead of President Barack Obama’s trip there for the Summit of the Americas this weekend.
But the agents – who have now been placed on leave – reportedly capped off a week of heavy drinking at the beachfront Hotel Caribe in Cartagena by cavorting with prostitutes.
The partying was exposed when one of the women caused a commotion after an agent refused to pay her. Local police and hotel security were called.
Five U.S. military personnel, who were working with the Secret Service, could also be involved in misconduct and have been confined to their rooms and ordered not to have contact with others. They face possible disciplinary charges.
Rep Peter King, who was briefed on the incident, said 11 agents, many of them married, were in the team that was recalled to the U.S. – instead of 12 as originally reported – and that “close to” all of them were involved.
Peter King said he was told that anyone visiting the hotel overnight was required to leave identification at the front desk and leave the hotel by 7:00 a.m.
When a woman failed to do so, it raised questions among hotel staff and police, who investigated.
They found the woman with the agent in the hotel room and a dispute arose over whether the agent should have paid her. Peter King said he was told that the agent did eventually pay the woman.
The incident was reported to the U.S. embassy, prompting further investigation.
The Secret Service agents reportedly capped off a week of heavy drinking at the beachfront Hotel Caribe in Cartagena, Colombia, by cavorting with prostitutes
During their week-long stay at the five-star hotel in Cartagena, the agents were seen drinking heavily, according to waiters there.
A number of the White House staff and traveling press corps were also staying at the hotel.
The White House said Barack Obama had been briefed about the incidents but would not comment on his reaction.
“The President does have full confidence in the United States Secret Service,” presidential spokesman Jay Carney said when asked.
Jay Carney insisted the matter was more a distraction for the media than Barack Obama. But Secret Service assistant director Paul Morrissey said in a statement: “We regret any distraction from the Summit of the Americas this situation has caused.”
The Washington Post reported that Jon Adler, president of the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, said the accusations related to at least one agent having involvement with prostitutes.
The association represents federal law enforcement officers, including the Secret Service.
Ronald Kessler, a former Post reporter and the author of a book about the Secret Service, told the newspaper that he had learned that among the agents involved, several are married.
Although prostitution is legal in parts of Colombia, the Secret Service is said to consider solicitation inappropriate behavior for its agents.
Colombia has become known as “the Thailand of Latin America” for its loose laws on prostitution and the easy availability of sex workers.
The incident threatened to overshadow Barack Obama’s economic and trade agenda at the Summit of the Americas and embarrass the U.S.
Secret Service spokesman Ed Donovan would not confirm that prostitution was involved, saying: “The Secret Service takes all allegations of misconduct seriously.”
“These personnel changes will not affect the comprehensive security plan that has been prepared in advance of the President’s trip,” said Ed Donovan of the conference in the Colombian port city attended by Barack Obama and more than 30 world leaders.
He said the allegations of misconduct were related to activity before the president’s arrival on Friday night.
Barack Obama was attending a leaders’ dinner on Friday night at Cartagena’s historic Spanish fortress.
He was due to attend summit meetings with regional leaders on Saturday and Sunday.
Those involved had been sent back to their permanent place of duty and were being replaced by other agency personnel, Ed Donovan said.
The matter was turned over to the agency’s Office of Professional Responsibility, which handles the agency’s internal affairs.
On the steamy streets of Cartagena, a resort city with a teeming prostitution trade, there was condemnation for the Secret Service agents for what residents saw as abusing their station and dishonoring their country.
Edwin Yepes, a souvenir vendor, said: “They are supposed to come here and set an example.
“We are an inferior culture, and so it’s better if they don’t come than if they damage our image of them.”
Several events across the world are marking today the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, including the ship’s birthplace Belfast.
A Titanic Memorial Garden – with the names of 1,512 victims etched on five bronze plaques – is being opened close to where the liner was launched.
A service is being held in Southampton where the voyage to New York began.
And at the North Atlantic site of the sinking, memorial cruise ship Balmoral is marking the time Titanic hit an iceberg.
Balmoral has arrived at the site where the Titanic sank 400 services miles (460 km) off the coast of Newfoundland on 15 April and passengers and crew are holding commemorations to mark the tragedy.
Another cruise ship, Azamara Journey, has sailed from New York to take part in the ceremony.
Descendants of the victims are expected at the services, and will lay wreaths and join in a minute’s silence in memory of all those who died.
The sinking is also being remembered in other parts of the globe.
Titanic exhibitions are being hosted in Las Vegas, San Diego, Houston and Singapore.
The world’s largest visitor centre opened two weeks ago in Belfast on the Harland and Wolff slipway where Titanic was built. The $153 million building has already attracted more than 45,000 visitors.
Several events across the world are marking today the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic
In nearby Belfast city centre, the Titanic Memorial Garden was completed this weekend, just in time for the 100th anniversary.
There is no distinction on the memorial between first class passengers and others on board. The names of the dead are simply listed in alphabetical order.
Intriguingly, two of the names have an asterisk beside them – Mr. Thomas Hart and Mr. John Horgan.
Kelly Frizell from Belfast City Council said: “The asterisk means that somebody was travelling under this passenger’s name, but they weren’t the actual passenger in question.
“Whether it’s their true identity or not, a life is a life, and they lost their life.
“There’s no other way to recognize them.
“We couldn’t have left them off.”
Then real identities of Thomas Hart and John Horgan remain a Titanic mystery.
Kelly Frizell spent almost a year researching the victims.
She said: “This is the first monument with all 1,512 names listed in alphabetical order, so it’s very significant.
“It’s breathtaking looking at such a loss. It’s emotional just looking at it.”
The plinth bearing the names is nine metres long. The flowers in the garden were chosen carefully.
Landscape architect Joy Hutchinson said: “We went for a color scheme built around blue, white, silver and green, reflecting water and ice.
“It’s to try to encourage a sense of peace and contemplation.”
In the past two decades, Titanic has become an internationally recognized brand with movies, memorabilia and commercial ventures springing up in different parts of the world.
However, the 100th anniversary is being marked with a series of solemn events, which recognize the tragic reality of the most famous maritime disaster in history.
Kim Jong-Un has made his first televised speech, as Pyongyang marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of North Korea’s founder, Kim Il-Sung.
In front of cheering crowds, the new leader praised and offered respect to Kim Il-Sung – his grandfather – and his father, the late Kim Jong-Il.
As part of the celebrations, a huge military parade has been staged in the main square of Pyongyang.
Kim Jong-Un’s speech comes just two days after a failed rocket launch.
Kim Jong-Un has made his first televised speech, as Pyongyang marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of North Korea's founder, Kim Il-Sung
The attempted launch was condemned by the international community, amid concern that it was a covert test of long-range missile technology.
On Sunday, television footage showed thousands of soldiers carrying red flags marching into the square to the sound of drumbeats.
It is the first time Kim Jong-Un, believed to be in his late 20s, has been seen speaking publicly since taking power following the death of his father in December.
“I express my greetings to our compatriots in South Korea and across the world who dedicate themselves to reunification and the prosperity of the nations,” Kim Jong-Un said reading from a script, in an address which lasted more than 20 minutes, as the crowds applauded throughout.
“Let us move forward to final victory.”
Kim Jong-Un praised the country’s “military first” policy.
“Superiority in military technology is no longer monopolized by imperialists,” he said.
After the speech, soldiers marched past and saluted the leader. They were followed by tanks and artillery, and then an array of truck-mounted missiles.
