Margaret Thatcher’s twins, Mark and Carol, met at the former prime minister’s home to make final arrangements today just hours after a stirring full military rehearsal for her funeral had taken place before dawn.
Major Andrew Chatburn, the man in charge of choreographing the parade, said the rehearsal “went very well” and claimed it was “vitally important” to stage a trial of Wednesday’s event.
More than 700 serving Armed Forces personnel gathered in central London before dawn as a Union flag-draped coffin was carried on a horse-drawn gun carriage from St Clement Danes, the church of the Royal Air Force, down the Strand to St Paul’s Cathedral.
Margaret Thatcher’s twins, Mark and Carol, met at her home to make final arrangements for the funeral
Mark and Carol Thatcher spent time at her grand house in Belgravia today, and were later joined by Mark’s wife Sarah and their children Michael and Amanda.
Major Andrew Chatburn, ceremonial staff officer for the Household Division, who was also behind the royal wedding procession two years ago and last year’s Diamond Jubilee parade, said: “Timings are most important. We will learn something quite significant this morning about the timings, and to familiarize the troops of their duties.
“Bearing in mind these are sailors, soldiers and airmen who have come in to do this specific task from their routine duties, so it’s new to them.
“They need to see the ground as well so they can get a feel for how it’s going to go and they can perform their duties with confidence on the day.
Gold price has fallen to its lowest level in two years, on weak Chinese economic data, and receding fears about the chance of higher inflation in the US.
The price of the precious metal was down 9.2% to $1,395 an ounce.
The weaker than expected growth in China’s economy also sparked a wider fall in commodity prices.
Oil prices fell to four-month lows, with Brent crude down $2.29 to $100.75 a barrel. The price of copper and aluminium were also sharply lower.
Copper price fell to its lowest level in a year and a half at $7,085 a tonne, and aluminium sank to a three-and-a-half year low.
Gold price has fallen to its lowest level in two years, on weak Chinese economic data, and receding fears about the chance of higher inflation in the US
The declines followed after China said overnight that its economy expanded by 7.7% in the first quarter of 2013, lower than forecasts and below the pace of growth of recent years.
Analysts said a key factor in gold’s fall was the expectation that the US central bank, the Federal Reserve, will tighten monetary policy by stopping its quantitative easing (QE) programme.
This means that the rate of US inflation is likely to fall, meaning investors have less reason to hold gold to avoid a corresponding decline in the value of cash investments.
Cyprus’s announcement last week that it was planning to sell most of its gold reserves has also had an impact on the fall in the price of gold.
Some analysts fear that other weak eurozone economies, such as Italy and Spain, will follow Cyprus’s lead and sell some of their gold stocks, adding further supply to weakening demand.
Dominic Schnider, an analyst at UBS Wealth Management, said it might not have been the eurozone that triggered the mass flight out of gold: “What we now see is panic selling, perhaps triggered by the Fed’s stimulus view. The Fed has given the signal that there’s a possibility to reduce QE and that took a lot of trust out of gold.
“And people recognize that an environment where you have no inflation is a powerful driver to get out of the metal.”
The price of gold has had a remarkable run in recent years, hitting a record high of $1,800.
Another drag on prices has come from India, the world’s biggest buyer of gold bullion, which introduced a 50% import tax that has triggered a 24% fall in the amount of gold brought into the country in the first quarter of this year.
Mohit Kamboj, president of the Bombay Bullion Association, suggested prices may have further to fall: “With more and more countries reducing stocks, the future of gold seems bleak.”
The fall means Cyprus is likely to raise less than the 400 million euros ($525 million) it hoped for when it announced it was selling the bulk of its gold reserve.
Gold mining company shares fell sharply as a result, with Fresnillo ending down 15%, and Randgold dropping 8.3%.
Henrique Capriles Radonski, the defeated Venezuelan presidential candidate, has demanded a recount of votes, rejecting the election of Hugo Chavez’s successor as “illegitimate”.
Henrique Capriles, 40, said there were more than 300,000 incidents from Sunday’s poll that needed to be examined.
However, the electoral authorities said Socialist Nicolas Maduro would be confirmed as the winner.
Nicolas Maduro has called for the results to be respected.
The National Electoral Council is due to formally proclaim Nicolas Maduro’s victory at a ceremony and rally in Caracas later on Monday.
Henrique Capriles Radonski, the defeated Venezuelan presidential candidate, has demanded a recount of votes, rejecting the election of Nicolas Maduro
The election was called after Hugo Chavez’s death from cancer last month.
Nicolas Maduro, a former bus driver whom Hugo Chavez had named as his preferred heir, won 50.7% of the vote against 49.1% for Henrique Capriles.
The National Electoral Council said the results, which it announced on Sunday night, were “irreversible”.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Cuban leader Raul Castro were among the first heads of state to congratulate Nicolas Maduro on his win.
Meanwhile the US has called for an audit of the results.
“This appears an important, prudent and necessary step to ensure that all Venezuelans have confidence in these results,” a White House spokesman said.
As the news of Nicolas Maduro’s victory emerged, celebrations erupted in the capital, Caracas.
Thousands of jubilant supporters took to the streets, dancing, singing and blasting car horns, while fireworks lit up the night sky. Opposition voters banged pots and pans in protest.
Speaking outside the presidential palace, Nicolas Maduro told crowds that the result was “just, legal and constitutional”.
He said his election showed Hugo Chavez “continues to be invincible, that he continues to win battles”.
Nicolas Maduro, who was wearing a tracksuit top in the colors of the Venezuelan flag, said he had spoken to Henrique Capriles on the phone, and that he would allow an audit of the election result.
He called for those who had not voted for him to “work together” for the country.
Nicolas Maduro’s margin of victory was far narrower than that achieved by Chavez at elections last October, when he beat Henrique Capriles by more than 10 percentage points.
Almost immediately, one member of the National Electoral Council who does not have government sympathies called on the authorities to carry out a recount by hand, a call later echoed by Henrique Capriles himself.
At least two people have been killed and 22 injured after two explosions at the finish line of this year Boston Marathon, police say.
The blasts shattered the carnival atmosphere of one of the biggest sporting events in the US, causing panic and confusion.
Bloodied victims were initially rushed to a medical tent set up to care for fatigued runners.
Emergency services descended on the scene, which was quickly locked down.
The cause of the explosions has yet to be confirmed.
“There are a lot of people down,” one runner was quoted as saying by AP news agency.
At least two people have been killed and 22 injured after two explosions at the finish line of this year Boston Marathon
The incident reportedly came about three hours after the winners crossed the line.
The Associated Press news agency said there was a loud explosion on the north side of Boylston Street, just before the bridge that marks the finish line. Another loud explosion could be heard a few seconds later, and smoke could be seen rising from the scene of the blasts.
TV helicopter footage showed blood staining the pavement in the shopping and tourist area known as Back Bay.
Mike Mitchell of Vancouver, Canada, a runner who had finished the race, said he was looking back at the finish line when he saw a “massive explosion.”
Smoke rose 50 ft (15 m) in the air, he told Reuters news agency, and people began running away and screaming after hearing the noise.
“Everybody freaked out,” he said.
Stragglers heading for the finish line were rerouted away from the smoking site of the blasts as the scene was locked down.
The annual Boston Marathon attracting a large field of runners and tens of thousands of spectators.
Meanwhile, police in New York have told the Reuters news agency they have deployed anti-terrorism units at key sites.
Sanjay Dutt has asked more time from India’s Supreme Court before he returns to prison for his conviction over the 1993 Mumbai blasts.
Last month the judges ordered the Bollywood star to surrender by April 18 after reducing his sentence to five years from six.
Sanjay Dutt has asked the court for a month’s extension to hand himself in, citing work commitments.
The actor was convicted in 2006 of buying weapons from bombers who attacked Mumbai.
Sanjay Dutt spent 20 months in jail.
Sanjay Dutt has asked more time from India’s Supreme Court before he returns to prison for his conviction over the 1993 Mumbai blasts
The serial bombings killed 257 people and wounded 713 others.
Reports say the actor is trying to finish work on a number of films before returning to prison.
Sanjay Dutt, one of Bollywood’s most bankable stars, is hugely popular for his role of a loveable gangster in the Munnabhai movies. He has also dabbled in politics.
In 2006, a special anti-terror court convicted 100 people for the blasts. Twelve were given the death penalty and 20 others sentenced to life imprisonment.
Sanjay Dutt, the most high-profile among the convicts, was originally charged with five offences, including criminal conspiracy and possession of illegal weapons.
The trial court found the star guilty of illegally possessing a rifle and a pistol but cleared him of conspiracy.
The son of a Hindu father and a Muslim mother, Sanjay Dutt said the weapons were necessary in order to defend his family during the Hindu-Muslim rioting of 1993 which followed the destruction by Hindu zealots of the Babri mosque in the northern town of Ayodhya.
Big Ben will be silent for the duration of Margaret Thatcher’s funeral, House of Commons Speaker John Bercow has announced.
John Bercow told MPs this would be “an appropriate means of indicating our sentiments” during the occasion.
There was a “profound dignity through silence,” he added.
The silence will last throughout events on Wednesday, covering the procession from Westminster and the ceremony at St Paul’s Cathedral.
Big Ben will be silent for the duration of Margaret Thatcher’s funeral
The chiming of Big Ben, the name often used to describe the Great Bell, the Great Clock and the Elizabeth Tower – clock tower – in the Palace of Westminster, is one of London’s most famous sounds.
Big Ben has not been silent as a mark of respect since the funeral of former PM Sir Winston Churchill in 1965, although it was out of action for repairs for a period during the 1970s.
In a statement to the Commons, John Bercow said he had received “direct and indirect representations” over the best way for Parliament to mark the funeral of Margaret Thatcher, who died last week aged 87.
John Bercow added: “I’ve considered all of these, but I concluded that the most appropriate means of indicating our sentiments would be for the chimes of Big Ben and the chimes of the Great Clock to be silenced for the duration of the funeral proceedings.”
He also said: “I believe there can be a profound dignity and deep respect expressed through silence.”
Responding for the government, Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude said it was a “very dignified and respectful gesture on behalf of Parliament”.
“As you know, Lady Thatcher held Parliament in very great reverence in her time both in this House and in the Lords,” he said.
“I am confident that Lady Thatcher’s family will take it very much in that spirit and be very appreciative of what you have decided.”
Margaret Thatcher has been accorded a ceremonial funeral with military honors, one step down from a state funeral.
A military rehearsal of the procession took place in central London during the early hours of Monday morning.
On Wednesday, Margaret Thatcher’s coffin will initially travel by hearse from the Palace of Westminster to the Church of St Clement Danes – the Central Church of the RAF – on the Strand.
The coffin will then be transferred to the gun carriage and taken in procession to St Paul’s Cathedral.
Big Ben Facts:
The Great Bell, better known as Big Ben, is 2.2 m tall, has a diameter of 2.7 m and weighs 13.7 tonnes
The hammer which strikes the bell weighs 200 kg
When struck it chimes the musical note E
It was cast in the Whitechapel Bell Foundry, and installed on 10 April, 1858. It took 18 hours to lift it into the clock tower’s belfry
The chimes of Big Ben were first recorded and broadcast by BBC engineer AG Dryland on New Year’s Eve 1923
It was out of action from 09:45 GMT until midnight on the day of Sir Winston Churchill’s funeral
Sharon Osbourne has been spotted moving into a new mansion after reports emerged that she and husband Ozzy have been living separately for weeks.
Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne appear to be going their separate ways as Sharon was seen moving into her new Beverly Hills home earlier this month.
Sharon Osbourne, 60, watched on as removal men carried furniture into her new home just days before she was seen out without her wedding ring on.
She was seen standing barefoot and wearing black trousers with a white T-shirt emblazoned with a gold pattern.
Sharon Osbourne spotted moving into a new mansion after reports emerged that she and Ozzy have been living separately for weeks
The former X Factor judge walked down the driveway of her mansion and looked rather sullen as she cut a lonely figure.
A team of five removal men, who arrived in two trucks, were seen unloading chairs, tables and other pieces of furniture and carrying them into the property.
Keen to keep unwanted visitors at bay, Sharon Osbourne had other workers setting up the intercom system at the gate to her home.
Just a few days after her belongings were moved into the mansion Sharon Osbourne was seen without her wedding ring on while she met daughter Kelly at The Ivy in West Hollywood, California.
Ozzy Osbourne, 64, followed suit when he was seen on the CSI set in Los Angeles, also without his wedding band on.
He is due to jet out to Australia this week for a tour with his band Black Sabbath, and it looks like he will be flying there alone without his wife, who is also his manager.
A source close to the couple claimed that the fall out between them is down to financial problems and unpaid tax bill.
The source told the Daily Mirror: “The financial situation has been a real burden for them both and has put huge strain on them.
“These were big bills, and it has been very difficult for both of them.”
In 2012 Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne were hit with a $1.7 million bill after Sharon said she had lost track of the finances.
The source added: “What makes things even harder for them is that they’ve both got huge work commitments for the rest of the year which stand in the way of them spending much time together.”
With busy work schedules, neither of them have the time to sit down and discuss their issues as their hectic schedules are clashing.
Sharon met Ozzy Osbourne when she was just 18-years-old and became his manager soon after, tying the knot with him in 1982.
Beyoncé shows off her incredible figure in the new H&M Summer campaign, wearing a variety of tiny two-pieces.
Beyoncé, 31, displays her washboard abs and hourglass figure as she smoulders for the camera in the new shots.
From a yellow halterneck bikini to a black fringed number and a tie-dye two-piece, the singer looks picture perfect in every image, shot by Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin.
Beyoncé shows off her incredible bikini body in the new H&M Summer campaign
Beyoncé said of the campaign: “I’ve always liked H&M’s focus on fun and affordable fashion. I really loved the concept we collaborated on to explore the different emotions of women represented by the four elements – fire, water, earth and wind.
“It was a beautiful shoot on a tropical island. It felt more like making a video than a commercial.”
Donald Schneider, Creative Director of H&M, said: “H&M’s summer campaign starring Beyoncé is an epic fantasy, with glamour, drama and also a sense of paradise.
“It was amazing to watch her on the shoot make it all look effortless – a quality that makes her such an icon for women around the world. The campaign is the essence of Beyoncé, and also the essence of H&M this summer.”
Ann-Sofie Johansson, Head of Design for H&M, added: “In the campaign Beyoncé is wearing the key pieces from H&M you need for life in the sun this summer.
“There’s the perfect bodycon dress, as well as a flowing sun dress that makes a real statement. And of course there are the bikinis, especially the fringed bikini.
“What makes these pieces even more special is that Beyoncé herself had input into the design, and they are full of her own personal style.”
The images of Beyoncé, which will be featured on billboards and editorial adverts worldwide, see her billed as Mrs. Carter in H&M – referring to the star’s upcoming Mrs. Carter world tour.
The new H&M campaign will hit stores and online from May, and features swimwear and beachwear pieces as well as a tie-dye bikini from the H&M for Water collection.
Jenna Bush, daughter of former US President George W. Bush, has shared the first pictures of her baby girl, Margaret Laura “Mila” Hager.
Jenna Bush Hager gave birth to a baby girl in New York City at 8.43p.m. on Saturday, making George and Laura Bush grandparents for the first time.
The family photos show the former president cradling the tiny bundle alongside his beaming wife, while another shows Jenna Bush Hager and her mother cooing over the little girl.
Jenna Bush, daughter of former President George W. Bush, has shared the first pictures of her baby girl, Margaret Laura “Mila” Hager
There’s also some early family bonding as George Bush and his son-in-law Henry Hager are seen holding Mila up to watch the Masters tournament on the hospital television.
One family portrait shows Jenna Bush Hager holding her tiny daughter surrounded by her parents and husband Henry, with a drawing of a heart containing the word “Mila” hanging behind them.
In a statement, President George W. Bush said: “Laura and I are thrilled to announce the birth of our grandchild. We met our beautiful granddaughter today. Jenna and Mila are healthy. And our family is elated.”
Mila was named after her grandmothers, like Jenna Bush herself and her twin sister Barbara.
The Bush family has frequently named babies after their predecessors. Other examples include George, Prescott, Walker, Ellis, Pierce and Dorothy.
Egypt’s ex-President Hosni Mubarak should no longer be held over the killings of protesters during the revolution that toppled him, a Cairo court has ruled today.
However, Hosni Mubarak will remain in custody as he faces separate corruption charges.
Hosni Mubarak, 84, is awaiting a retrial for conspiring to kill protesters in early 2011.
The former leader’s lawyer successfully argued that he had spent the maximum time in prison under temporary detention.
In June 2012, Hosni Mubarak was sentenced to life in prison for killings committed during the 2011 uprising that ended his decades-long rule, but in January a retrial was ordered because of procedural failings.
Cairo court ruled that Hosni Mubarak should no longer be held over the killings of protesters during the revolution that toppled him
There were chaotic scenes on Saturday as the judge presiding over the retrial, Mustafa Hassan Abdullah, withdrew from the case citing his “unease” in overseeing the proceedings.
The case has been referred to a different court, which is expected to appoint a new panel to hear the retrial.
About 850 people were killed in the 2011 crackdown during the 2011 uprising that ended Hosni Mubarak’s rule.
Hosni Mubarak and former interior minister Habib al-Adly were sentenced to life in prison for conspiring to kill protesters.
But both will be re-tried after they successfully appealed against their convictions, with Egypt’s Court of Cassation citing procedural failings.
Habib al-Adly will also be re-tried for corruption charges.
Hosni Mubarak and his two sons, Gamal and Alaa, will also be re-tried for corruption charges, of which they were found not guilty the first time round.
Egypt’s former president has been in poor health since his arrest and appeared on a stretcher during his first trial and at Saturday’s hearing.
Deaths during the uprising were largely blamed on the police at the time, but last week a report was leaked which implicated the army in serious human rights abuses, including the killing and torture of protesters.
The leaked chapter, reportedly presented to President Mohamed Morsi late last year, contains testimony relating to civilians detained at military checkpoints who were never seen again and reports that the army delivered unidentified bodies to coroners.
Egypt’s Defence Minister Abdel Fatah al-Sissi denied the accusations, calling them a betrayal.
Former British PM Margaret Thatcher will be given a funeral ceremony with full military honors before a private cremation on Wednesday, April 17.
Officials and politicians from around the world will be in London to pay their last respects to Britain’s first female prime minister.
Margaret Thatcher died at Ritz Hotel in London on Monday, April 8, after suffering a massive stroke at the age of 87.
The former prime minister will be honored with a ceremonial service with full military honors, with politicians, former world leaders and cultural figures in the congregation.
Although not officially a state funeral, in accordance with Margaret Thatcher’s wishes when making her funeral plans, the announcement of the lavish state-funded ceremony has brought a fierce backlash.
When:
The ceremony will take place on Wednesday April 17, with the service due to start at 11 a.m.
Where:
The service is being held at London’s St Paul’s Cathedral, at Margaret Thatcher’s request. Attendance is by invitation only. It will be followed by a private cremation in Mortlake, south west London.
A funeral procession will travel through the streets of London, first in a hearse and then on a gun carriage, from the Chapel of St Mary Undercroft in the Palace of Westminster to the cathedral just under two miles away, with members of the armed services lining the route.
Margaret Thatcher’s coffin will be taken by a hearse from the Palace of Westminster to the RAF Chapel, the church of St Clement Danes, in the Strand.
From there the coffin will be transferred to a gun carriage drawn by the King’s Troop Royal Artillery.
The impressive cortege will then proceed down the Strand, through Aldwych, then along the entire length of Fleet Street before rising up Ludgate Hill to the majestic St Paul’s Cathedral.
Margaret Thatcher will be given a funeral ceremony with full military honors before a private cremation on April 17
Will Margaret Thatcher’s funeral be broadcasted?
BBC1 will be showing live coverage from 9.15 a.m. to 12.15 p.m.
Who will be at St Paul’s Cathedral?
According to Downing Street, 2,000 invitations are being sent out, with guests including former prime ministers, former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Lord Archer and Jeremy Clarkson.
Margaret Thatcher’s children, Carol and Mark, will lead the mourners.
Queen Elizabeth II will attend, accompanied by Prince Philip. It is the first time the Queen has attended the funeral of one of her former Prime Ministers since Sir Winston Churchill’s state funeral in 1965.
Hundreds of foreign dignitaries and top British politicians will be invited. Former PMs Tony Blair and Gordon Brown and their wives Cherie and Sarah have confirmed they will be attending, as has Margaret Thatcher’s successor in No. 10 Sir John Major.
Singers Dame Shirley Bassey and Katherine Jenkins, actor Michael Crawford, composer Lord Lloyd-Webber and lyricist Tim Rice are also due to attend the service.
Others on the guest list include Joan Collins, broadcasters Sir Terry Wogan, Sir Trevor McDonald and Sir David Frost, fashion designer Anya Hindmarch and sitcom queen June Whitfield.
Frederik Willem de Klerk, the last president of apartheid South Africa, will also be there as a guest of the family.
However, Neil Kinnock, the Labour leader defeated by Lady Thatcher at the 1987 election, has said he will not be attending.
Ten members of staff from the Ritz Hotel, where Margaret Thatcher died on Monday, have also been invited to her funeral as thanks for the care she received. She had been staying at the five-star hotel since Christmas.
Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev has announced he will not attend the ceremony due to health problems. Former US First Lady Nancy Reagan, whose husband Ronald worked closely with Margaret Thatcher as the Cold War drew to an end, said she was “heartbroken” over Lady Thatcher’ death but could not attend due to her age.
How much is Margaret Thatcher’s funeral going to cost and who is going to pay?
The funeral is expected to cost up to £10 million (about $16 million) with the taxpayer bearing the brunt of the costs. It has been confirmed a “contribution” to the cost of the funeral will be made from Margaret Thatcher’s estate. The official cost to the public purse will be released after the service has taken place.
The security operation alone is set to cost £5 million ($8 million). Police across London have been ordered to cancel any leave they had planned for Operation True Blue on Wednesday.
There could be more than 4,000 officers and 2,000 troops lining the route. Hundreds of specialist police will be working on counter-terrorism measures, with others carefully monitoring CCTV cameras for trouble spots.
Every corner of the route will be checked by sniffer dogs, with sewers and drains closed.
Military personnel from the RAF, Navy and Army will line the route from Westminster to St Paul’s. Margaret Thatcher’s coffin will travel part of the way by hearse before being transferred to a gun carriage at the Church of St Clement Danes, the RAF Chapel, on the Strand. The gun carriage will be drawn by the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery. Six horses will draw the carriage, three of them mounted, with a sergeant riding alongside, an officer riding in front and three dismounted troops on foot.
Margaret Thatcher’s funeral ceremony will have a Falklands theme.
A Bearer Party made up of all three services will walk alongside the coffin, and will include those from ships, units and stations notable for their service during the Falklands Campaign. Members will be taken from the Royal Navy/Royal Marines; the Scots Guards; the Welsh Guards; the Royal Artillery; the Royal Engineers; the Parachute Regiment; the Royal Gurkha Rifles; and the RAF.
Three military bands will play – their drums draped in black as a mark of respect.
A guard of Chelsea Pensioners, dressed in their traditional red tunics, will line the steps of St Paul’s as her coffin is carried in by bearers from units particularly associated with the Falklands War.
More than 700 Armed Forces personnel drawn from all three services will take part. Members of the Welsh Guards, the regiment that suffered some of the heaviest losses during the Falklands conflict, will be among the units involved, taking on roles including the coffin bearer party, lining the route the procession will take, and forming a Guard of Honour outside St Paul’s.
Guns will be fired from the Tower of London but there will be no fly-past – as Margaret Thatcher herself requested.
How will Margaret Thatcher’s funeral affect travel in London?
Motorists are being advised to avoid Westminster and the City of London on the day of Margaret Thatcher’s funeral on Wednesday, April 17.
On the same day a number of roads will be closed and some bus services will be diverted, Transport for London (TfL) said.
Blackfriars and Westminster bridges will be closed and some Barclays Cycle Hire docking stations will be suspended. But all Tube, London Overground and Docklands Light Railway services will run normally.
The bus diversions will begin from 6 a.m. and the road closures from around 7 a.m. Among roads that will be closed will be The Strand, Fleet Street, Ludgate Hill, Whitehall, Kingsway and The Mall.
What’s the dress code at Margaret Thatcher’s funeral?
Guests at the funeral will be asked to wear full day ceremonial dress without swords, morning dress with a black waistcoat and black tie or dark suit, day dress with hat. Medals and decorations may be worn.
What are the invitations like?
Invitations have been sent out on Friday, April 12. The white VIP invitations will see guests seated under the Cathedral’s famous dome. A red or green stripe will show whether they are to sit on the port or starboard side. Other invitations are color-coded relating to where guests are to be seated in the cathedral.
Margaret Thatcher’s funeral – more details
Flags will be flown at half mast on UK government buildings and British embassies from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on the day of the funeral.
The working title for the funeral’s operation plan is True Blue – which has drawn criticism from Labour’s Andy Burnham for politicising the event.
Margaret Thatcher requested there should not be a fly-past as she considered it a waste of money.
Baroness Thatcher’s family has asked that if people wish to pay their respects, they consider making a donation to the Royal Hospital Chelsea, rather than laying flowers.
Margaret Thatcher’s love of Edward Elgar’s classical music – especially Pomp and Circumstance – is expected to be reflected in the service.
Downing Street website will have a condolence page on which people will be able to write private messages for the Thatcher family.
The public will be unable to attend Margaret Thatcher’s funeral service itself but can line the route of the funeral procession from the RAF Church in the Strand to St Paul’s Cathedral.
A military rehearsal of former British PM Margaret Thatcher’s funeral procession has taken place in central London.
More than 700 members of the armed forces drawn from all three services took part in the practice before dawn.
They will line the route of the funeral procession from Westminster to St Paul’s Cathedral on Wednesday.
Margaret Thatcher’s coffin is to be carried in a gun carriage drawn by the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery, which was involved in the rehearsal.
Major Andrew Chatburn, the man in charge of choreographing the parade, said the rehearsal “went very well” and it was “vitally important” to stage a trial of Wednesday’s event.
“Timings are most important,” he said.
Military rehearsal of former PM Margaret Thatcher’s funeral procession in central London
Maj. Andrew Chatburn, ceremonial staff officer for the Household Division, who was also behind the royal wedding procession two years ago and last year’s Diamond Jubilee parade, added: “Bearing in mind these are sailors, soldiers and airmen who have come in to do this specific task from their routine duties, so it’s new to them.
“They need to see the ground as well so they can get a feel for how it’s going to go and they can perform their duties with confidence on the day.”
The procession band played the funeral marches of Chopin, Beethoven and Mendelssohn as it made its way along the deserted streets for the rehearsal.
The Chelsea Pensioners from Royal Hospital Chelsea did not take part due to the early start, but they will line the west steps of St Paul’s for the real event.
It has emerged that the last portrait of Margaret Thatcher shows her relaxing on a deckchair in the garden of London’s Royal Hospital Chelsea, a retirement and nursing home for ex-British soldiers. Lady Thatcher was a strong supporter of the Chelsea Pensioners.
Scotland Yard’s preparations are ongoing and the force says the security operation on the day will be in line with the perceived threat level.
Margaret Thatcher, who died at the age of 87 on April 8, has been awarded a ceremonial funeral with military honors, one step down from a state funeral.
On Wednesday, Margaret Thatcher’s coffin will initially travel by hearse from the Palace of Westminster to the Church of St Clement Danes – the Central Church of the RAF – on the Strand.
The coffin will then be transferred to the gun carriage and taken in procession to St Paul’s Cathedral.
St Paul’s Cathedral has published a full funeral order of service.
Respect MP George Galloway has said he will try to block plans designed to allow MPs to attend Margaret Thatcher’s funeral.
Ministers want to cancel Prime Minister’s Questions and delay the start of parliamentary business – an approach backed by Labour.
US scientists say a kidney “grown” in the laboratory has been transplanted into animals where it started to produce urine.
Similar techniques to make simple body parts have already been used in patients, but the kidney is one of the most complicated organs made so far.
A study, in the journal Nature Medicine, showed the engineered kidneys were less effective than natural ones.
But regenerative medicine researchers said the field had huge promise.
Kidneys filter the blood to remove waste and excess water. They are also the most in-demand organ for transplant, with long waiting lists.
The researchers’ vision is to take an old kidney and strip it of all its old cells to leave a honeycomb-like scaffold. The kidney would then be rebuilt with cells taken from the patient.
This would have two major advantages over current organ transplants.
The tissue would match the patient, so they would not need a lifetime of drugs to suppress the immune system to prevent rejection.
Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital have taken the first steps towards creating usable engineered kidneys
It would also vastly increase the number of organs available for transplant. Most organs which are offered are rejected, but they could be used as templates for new ones.
Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital have taken the first steps towards creating usable engineered kidneys.
They took a rat kidney and used a detergent to wash away the old cells.
The remaining web of proteins, or scaffold, looks just like a kidney, including an intricate network of blood vessels and drainage pipes.
This protein plumbing was used to pump the right cells to the right part of the kidney, where they joined with the scaffold to rebuild the organ.
It was kept in a special oven to mimic the conditions in a rat’s body for the next 12 days.
When the kidneys were tested in the laboratory, urine production reached 23% of natural ones.
The team then tried transplanting an organ into a rat. Once inside the body, the kidney’s effectiveness fell to 5%.
Lead researcher Dr. Harald Ott said that restoring a small fraction of normal function could be enough: “If you’re on haemodialysis then kidney function of 10% to 15% would already make you independent of haemodialysis. It’s not that we have to go all the way.”
Dr. Harald Ott said the potential was huge: “If you think about the United States alone, there’s 100,000 patients currently waiting for kidney transplants and there’s only around 18,000 transplants done a year.
“I think the potential clinical impact of a successful treatment would be enormous.”
There is a huge amount of further research that would be needed before this is even considered in people.
The technique needs to be more efficient so a greater level of kidney function is restored. Researchers also need to prove that the kidney will continue to function for a long time.
There will also be challenges with the sheer size of a human kidney. It is harder to get the cells in the right place in a larger organ.
Rebel Wilson paid reverence to her Australian roots as she thrashed out a bizarre musical number to kick-off the 2013 MTV Movie Awards in Culver City, California, on Sunday.
In her first gig hosting the event, Rebel Wilson began her star performance dressed in an Aussie-themed electric pink tracksuit, with koalas imprinted over her breasts.
Rebel Wilson paid reverence to her Australian roots as she thrashed out a bizarre musical number to kick-off the 2013 MTV Movie Awards
The actress belted out some hit songs, including Eminem’s Lose Yourself and Alicia Keys’ Girl on Fire, before stripping down to a black leather cat suit and shaking her booty.
As Rebel Wilson closed out the performance with Macklemore’s hit-song Thrift Shop, an Australian flag fell down across the stage’s back video screen.
She then stopped to take a break and wiped herself down with a towel, while a topless man sporting a six-pack brought her a bottle of water.
Rebel Wilson thanked “hunky”, before a larger shirtless man appeared on stage to bring her chocolate.
After taking a bite, Rebel Wilson took time to thank “chunky”, before introducing herself to the star-studded audience – who looked visibly stunned by what they had just witnessed.
Kim Kardashian flattered her pregnant figure in a sexy black dress as she walked the red carpet at the 2013 MTV Movie Awards in Culver City, California on Sunday night.
The Saint Laurent dress elongated her frame with daring batwing sleeves.
Kim Kardashian flattered her pregnant figure in a sexy black dress on the red carpet at the 2013 MTV Movie Awards
Kim Kardashian, 32, also opted for a simple gold necklace and natural make-up that enhanced her pregnancy glow.
The reality star graciously stopped along the red carpet for a chat with Selena Gomez, who also sought out a top spot on the best dressed list in a gold lace Julian McDonald dress dripping with fringe.
Selena Gomez, 20, led the charge among younger stars to step up their fashion game.
Kim Kardashian’s youngest sibling Kylie Jenner showed that she’s got what it takes to make it in the modelling world in a classic bone white pencil skirt and matching crop top.
Adam Scott has won his maiden major title and became the first Australian winner of the Masters with victory against former champion Angel Cabrera in a sudden death play-off at Augusta.
Adam Scott, 32, holed a 15ft birdie putt in deteriorating light across the 10th green on the second extra hole to deprive Angel Cabrera after both players birdied the 18th in regulation to reach nine under on a dank, drizzly day.
Australian Jason Day, runner up with Adam Scott in 2011, was third at seven under with Tiger Woods (70) and another Australian Marc Leishman (72) tied for fourth at five under.
“It fell my way today, there was some luck there but it’s incredible to be in this position. I’m honoured,” said Adam Scott, who squandered a four-shot lead with four to play to lose the Open to Ernie Els last year.
“This is the one thing in golf we hadn’t been able to achieve,” he added.
“It’s amazing that it’s my destiny to be the first Australian to win.”
Adam Scott has won his maiden major title and became the first Australian winner of the Masters with victory against former champion Angel Cabrera
Adam Scott rolled in a stunning long birdie putt on the 18th for a 69 to snatch a one-shot lead over Angel Cabrera, who was waiting back down the fairway in the final group. The Argentina’s 2009 winner kept his focus despite the roars from the green and hit his approach to a few feet before making his birdie for a 70 to join Adam Scott.
Both came up slightly short of the 18th green on the first extra hole and Angel Cabrera, playing first, almost holed his chip and tapped in from a foot for a four.
Adam Scott left his chip three feet shy but holed it and they went back down the 10th. They both hit good approaches to the heart of the green but Angel Cabrera, who won a play-off against Chad Campbell and Kenny Perry three years ago, missed his putt before Adam Scott made his.
“That’s how golf is. I came back and I had that chip on 18, I could have won it,” said Angel Cabrera.
“But Adam’s a good winner. I would have been happier if I had won but he’s a great player, I get along with him, we’ve played together in the President’s Cup and I’m happy for him.”
Angel Cabrera, the joint overnight leader with Brandt Snedeker, held a two-shot lead at nine under during the first nine but on the way home he shared the lead with Adam Scott and Jason Day, who was two in front with three to play before bogeys at 16 and 17.
Tiger Woods was four behind at the start of the day after being penalised two shots for an illegal drop on Friday, but struggled to ignite his round and carded a two-under 70 for a seventh top four in his last eight Masters following his last win in 2005.
Tiger Woods, a 14-time major champion, chasing his fifth Green Jacket and first major title since 2008, said his putting cost him.
“I played well, unfortunately I just didn’t make enough putts and also missed a few shots here and there,” said Tiger Woods, the world number one.
“I certainly had an opportunity. If I shot 65 I thought I could win it outright, and it looked like that might be the number. I just couldn’t quite get the peed right the first eight holes I left them short.”
Chinese 14-year-old amateur Guan Tianlang finished with a 75 for 12 over on his remarkable debut that saw him become the youngest Masters competitor and youngest player to make the cut at a major, and winner of the low amateur prize.
North Korea is marking today the 101st anniversary of the birth of country’s founding father Kim Il-sung as tensions continue in the Korean peninsula.
Kim Jong-un, Kim Il-sung’s grandson, visited the mausoleum of his grandfather and his father Kim Jong-il in Pyongyang, the official KCNA news agency reports.
In recent weeks North Korea has threatened to attack South Korea, Japan and US bases in the region.
The US has ruled out holding any more “artificial talks” with North Korea.
US Secretary of State John Kerry said North Korea’s main diplomatic ally, China, had made a very strong statement criticizing Pyongyang for its recent behavior. He said he hoped Beijing was now recognizing the regional instability created by the actions of Kim Jong-un.
North Korea is marking the 101st anniversary of the birth of founding father Kim Il-sung as tensions continue in the Korean peninsula
Early on Monday Kim Jong-un was at the Kumsusan mausoleum to pay “high tribute and humblest reverence” to the country’s former leaders, KCNA reports.
The streets of Pyongyang are adorned with flags and banners for the holiday, a red-letter day for one of the world’s most powerful cults of personality.
Tensions have been high on the Korean peninsula after North Korea conducted its third underground nuclear test on February 12 that resulted in sanctions from the UN.
There is speculation that North Korea will use Kim Il-sung’s birthday for a missile launch.
At this time last year, North Korea launched a rocket with the stated aim of putting a satellite into orbit to mark the 100th anniversary of Kim Il-sung’s birth. The rocket broke up shortly after take-off.
The UN Security Council condemned the launch, which many outside the country saw as an illegal test of long-range missile technology.
On Sunday US Secretary of State John Kerry called on North Korea’s leaders to “come to the table in a responsible way” to end regional tensions, warning it risked further isolation if its threats continued.
He also reaffirmed the US commitment to defend its allies, including Japan.
Speculation has been building that North Korea is preparing a missile launch, following reports that it has moved at least two Musudan ballistic missiles to its east coast.
Socialist Nicolas Maduro has won a narrow victory in Venezuela’s presidential being officially elected as the successor of the late leader Hugo Chavez.
Nicolas Maduro won 50.7% of the vote against 49.1% for opposition candidate Henrique Capriles Radonski.
Henrique Capriles has demanded a recount, saying Nicolas Maduro was now “even more loaded with illegitimacy”.
The opposition candidate said there were more than 300,000 incidents from Sunday’s poll that would need to be examined.
The electoral commission said the results were “irreversible”.
Socialist Nicolas Maduro has won a narrow victory in Venezuela’s presidential being officially elected as the successor of the late leader Hugo Chavez
When the results were announced at 23:15 local time, celebrations erupted in the capital, Caracas, where Nicolas Maduro’s jubilant supporters set off fireworks and blasted car horns. Opposition voters banged pots and pans in protest.
In a victory speech outside the presidential palace, Nicolas Maduro, wearing the colors of the Venezuelan flag, told crowds that the result was “just, legal and constitutional”.
He said his election showed Hugo Chavez “continues to be invincible, that he continues to win battles”.
Nicolas Maduro said he had spoken to Henrique Capriles on the phone, and that he would allow an audit of the election result.
The former Venezuela’s vice president, who was hand-picked by Hugo Chavez as his successor, called for those who had not voted for him to “work together” for the country.
However, Nicolas Maduro’s margin of victory was far narrower than that achieved by Hugo Chavez at elections last October, when he beat Henrique Capriles by more than 10%.
At Henrique Capriles’ campaign headquarters the mood was sombre, as his supporters watched the results on television. Some cried, while others hung their heads in dismay.
Shortly afterwards, Henrique Capriles emerged, angry and defiant.
“It is the government that has been defeated,” he said.
Then, addressing Nicolas Maduro directly, Henrique Capriles said: “The biggest loser today is you. The people don’t love you.”
Nicolas Maduro had been serving as acting president since Hugo Chavez died of an unknown type of cancer on March 5.
He is due to be sworn in on April 19 and serve until January 2019 to complete the six-year term that Hugo Chavez would have begun in January.
Hugo Chavez was a divisive leader. To his supporters he was the reforming president whose idiosyncratic brand of socialism defeated the political elite and gave hope to the poorest Venezuelans.
He effectively used his country’s vast oil reserves to boost Venezuela’s international clout, and his strident criticism of the US won him many political allies in Latin America.
However, Hugo Chavez’s political opponents accused him of being an autocrat, intent on building a one-party state.
Hugo Chavez bequeaths a nation beset by crumbling infrastructure, unsustainable public spending and under-performing industry.
The Chinese economy, world’s second-largest, has slowed and performed worse than many analysts expected in the first quarter of 2013.
Annual growth was 7.7% in Q1 2013, compared with 7.9% in Q4 2012. Analysts had forecast a figure closer to 8%.
China wants to spur growth after it hit a 13-year low in 2012.
Other key data on Monday also came in lower than market expectations, raising questions over the outlook for growth.
Industrial output rose 8.9% in March from a year earlier, much lower than analysts’ targets of 10%.
Meanwhile, fixed asset investment, a key driver of China’s growth, rose at an annual rate 20.9% in the first three months of year. Analysts had expected growth of more than 21%.
The Chinese economy, world’s second-largest, has slowed and performed worse than many analysts expected in the first quarter of 2013
“The Chinese economy is showing soft growth momentum in the first quarter,” said Wei Yao of Societe Generale.
“All these figures showed that the economy is in a weak recovery.”
Over the past few years, China has relied heavily on its exports and investment spending to maintain a strong pace of growth.
However, as economic growth in its key markets such as the US and Europe has slowed, and its exports have weakened, there have been calls for China to rebalance its economy.
Beijing has acknowledged this and has indicated that it wants to increase domestic demand to reduce its dependence on exports and achieve more sustainable growth.
At the same time, China has had to deal with a widening wealth gap, which has prompted fears of social unrest in the country.
There have been calls for the new leadership, which took charge in March, to work towards a more inclusive growth model.
Analysts said a slower rate of growth may actually help China, as it tries to achieve those goals.
“Given Beijing’s goal of restructuring the economy, a relatively moderate economic growth is not a bad thing in the longer term,” said Wei Yao of Societe Generale.
She added that this “could help policymakers focus more on the quality rather than speed of the economy”.
China has taken various steps over the past few months to spur growth.
China’s central bank has cut interest rates twice since June to reduce borrowing costs for businesses and consumers and increase lending.
Beijing has also approved infrastructure projects worth more than $150 billion.
Analysts said China was likely to continue to use easy monetary policies as a tool to sustain growth, and would not raise rates or look to limit access to capital.
“Certainly with this number, policy certainly would not tighten and would continue to be quite accommodative,” said Tao Wang, an economist with UBS.
However, some analysts warned against any further aggressive easing measures, adding that such measures may promote asset bubbles and overheat the economy.
“Another year of propped-up growth via state spending and a credit deluge would, we fear, push China dangerously close to proving Wen Jiabao correct – that the current economic model is <<unsustainable>>,” said Alistair Thronton, senior China economist at IHS Global Insight.
“If something is unsustainable, at some point, it won’t be sustained.”
Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead, which has been at the centre of an online campaign by opponents of former British PM Margaret Thatcher, has failed to reach No 1 spot in the music charts.
The Wizard of Oz song reached No 2 after selling 52,605 copies.
Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead was still more than 5,700 copies behind Duke Dumont feat. A*M*E with Need U (100%), which remained at the top for a second week.
Rival campaign song I’m In Love With Margaret Thatcher, which was featured in 2011 film TheIron Lady starring Meryl Streep, entered at 35.
Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead, which has been at the centre of an online campaign by opponents of Margaret Thatcher, has failed to reach No 1 spot in the music charts
The 1979 song by punk band Notsensibles sold 8,768 copies after a late push from Margaret Thatcher’s fans.
The Notsensibles track was played in full on the programme, although Jamil did not introduce the song. The band was later mentioned as a new entry in the chart recap for songs 40 to 31, however the title was not named.
The Official Charts Company said Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead was “one of the most controversial chart contenders of all time” following Margaret Thatcher’s death last week.
Cabinet Office Minister Francis Maude, who is overseeing Margaret Thatcher’s funeral arrangements, described the campaign to get Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead to the top of the charts as “extremely trivial”.
Aside from the controversy, Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead has become the first sub-60 second single to ever make the top 10.
The song charted at No 9 on the Big Top 40 chart, broadcast on commercial radio stations.
Jenna Bush Hager, daughter of former President George W. Bush, has given birth to baby girl Margaret Laura “Mila” Hager, it was announced on Sunday.
Margaret Laura “Mila” Hager was born in New York City at 8.43 p.m. on Saturday to Jenna Bush Hager and Henry Hager.
George and Laura Bush are grandparents for the first time. Former President George W. Bush said in a statement: “Laura and I are thrilled to announce the birth of our grandchild. We met our beautiful granddaughter today. Jenna and Mila are healthy. And our family is elated.”
Baby girl Mila was named after her grandmothers, like Jenna herself and her twin sister Barbara.
Jenna Bush Hager has given birth to baby girl Margaret Laura “Mila” Hager in New York on Saturday night
The Bush family has frequently named babies after their predecessors. Other examples include George, Prescott, Walker, Ellis, Pierce and Dorothy.
The previous week Today show correspondent Jenna Bush, who announced her pregnancy with husband Henry Hager, 34, in December last year, held a baby shower with her NBC co-workers Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie.
According to People magazine, the gift table was piled with dozens of her co-worker’s favorite childhood books – each inscribed with a piece of parenting advice.
Jenna Bush Hager and her husband, who got married in 2008 on former President George W. Bush’s Texas ranch, will be celebrating their 5th wedding anniversary in June.
Jenna Bush is an editor-at-large for Southern Living magazine as well as a contributing correspondent on the Today show.
Cyprus is to ease its citizenship rules for foreign investors who lost at least 3 million euros under the European Union bailout deal.
Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades said new measures, mostly affecting the Russian business community, would be approved at a cabinet meeting on Monday.
Russians have billions of euros in Cyprus’ bank deposits.
Investors were angered when it emerged they would lose up to 60% of their savings under the terms of the bailout.
In order to secure the 10 billion euros bailout, agreed by the EU and IMF, Cyprus was forced to wind up one major bank and write-off of a large portion of secured debt and uninsured deposits in the largest bank, Bank of Cyprus.
Cyprus is to ease its citizenship rules for foreign investors who lost at least 3 million euros under the EU bailout deal
Speaking at a Russian business conference in the coastal resort of Limassol, Nicos Anastasiades said the new measures would “mitigate to some extent the damage” Russian investors had endured.
Cyprus has been a member of the EU since 2004. The country sealed the EU bailout last month to save it from bankruptcy.
Nicos Anastasiades said foreign investors who held deposits prior to March 15, and who lost at least 3 million euros would be eligible to apply for Cypriot citizenship.
Cyprus’s existing “citizenship by investment” programme will also be revised to reduce the amount of investment required to be eligible from 10 million euros to 3 million.
Nicos Anastasiades said he would also drop requirements for citizenship applicants to keep 15 million euros in Cypriot banks for five years, saying they would be allowed immediate access to their money.
“These decisions will be deployed in a fast-track manner,” he said.
The Cypriot economy is worth about 18 billion euros, which accounts for less than 0.2% of the eurozone total.
Venezuela is voting in new presidential election, called after the death of Hugo Chavez last month.
Venezuela’s Acting President Nicolas Maduro, chosen by Hugo Chavez as his successor, is running against Henrique Capriles Radonski, currently governor of Miranda state.
Henrique Capriles narrowly lost to Hugo Chavez in elections last October.
On the eve of polls opening, he accused Nicolas Maduro of breaking election laws by continuing its campaign on state television.
Electoral authorities say voting has been going smoothly. Security had been stepped up for the vote.
Nicolas Maduro, 50, whose campaign has focused on his close relationship to Hugo Chavez, was shown visiting the tomb of the late leader, a move Henrique Capriles, 40, said was “violating all the electoral norms”.
Both candidates have to some extent broken the media silence they are supposed to have maintained since campaigning officially ended on Thursday.
Almost 19 million Venezuelans have the right to vote in the poll.
Venezuela’s Acting President Nicolas Maduro, chosen by Hugo Chavez as his successor, is running against Henrique Capriles Radonski, currently governor of Miranda state
Nicolas Maduro cast his vote in the Catia area of the capital Caracas, accompanied by Hugo Chavez’s two daughters. Henrique Capriles voted in the Las Mercedes district of the capital.
Hundreds of election monitors are present from different countries and international organizations to ensure the poll is free and fair.
The vote is electronic – one machine will identify voters’ fingerprints, and a second will recognize identity card numbers and register the vote anonymously.
Polls will stay open until all those queuing at closing time have voted.
Official results are expected about three hours after the polls close.
Both presidential candidates wrote on Twitter early in the morning.
Nicolas Maduro invited Venezuelans to vote to guarantee the future and the perpetual peace of their country.
Meanwhile opposition candidate Henrique Capriles said: “The big day is here!” and used a hashtag urging people to “vote without fear”.
Former President Hugo Chavez died on March 5, after a two-year battle against an undisclosed type of cancer, prompting a short electoral campaign period before Sunday’s elections.
The winner is due to be sworn in on April 19 and serve until January 2019, to complete the six-year term that Hugo Chavez was supposed to have begun in January.
Hugo Chavez was a divisive leader. To his supporters he was the reforming president whose idiosyncratic brand of socialism defeated the political elite and gave hope to the poorest Venezuelans.
He effectively used his country’s vast oil reserves to boost Venezuela’s international clout, and his strident criticism of the US won him many political allies in Latin America.
However, Hugo Chavez’s political opponents accuse him of being an autocrat, intent on building a one-party state.
Hugo Chavez bequeaths a nation beset by crumbling infrastructure, unsustainable public spending and under-performing industry.
His handpicked candidate Nicolas Maduro is seen as the front-runner, but recent polls suggested the gap between him and his rival was narrowing.
Nicolas Maduro:
Named by Hugo Chavez as preferred successor; currently Venezuela’s acting president
Served as vice-president and foreign minister under Hugo Chavez
Former bus driver, lifelong socialist and trade unionist
Henrique Capriles Radonski:
Trained as a lawyer, currently governor of state of Miranda
Gained 44% of vote against Hugo Chavez in 2012 elections
Describes policies as “centrist” and cites former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva as inspiration
Pregnant Kim Kardashian is due in July and she could give birth to her first child in Paris, France.
As Kim Kardashian, 32, enters her third trimester, her baby bump is really showing and according to a report she has been checking out locations to deliver her child.
The reality star was apparently in Paris last week with boyfriend Kanye West where she visited a hospital specifically to look at the maternity ward, according to TMZ.
Pregnant Kim Kardashian is due in July and she could give birth to her first child in Paris, France.
TMZ reports that Kim Kardashian is “seriously considering” welcoming her baby in Paris because it has strict anti-paparazzi laws.
Halle Berry – who is engaged to French actor Olivier Martinez – cited it as a reason for her proposed move to France with her daughter Nahla.
However, after a battle with her 5-year-old daughter’s father, Canadian model Gabriel Aubry, the actress was denied by American courts.
Kanye West has a property in Paris and is often there on business trips so citizenship there for the child would be ideal.
