Rare pictures of The Beatles’ 1965 Shea Stadium concert, taken by amateur photographer Marc Weinstein, who bluffed his way backstage, have sold for £30,000 ($47,000).
Marc Weinstein used a fake press pass to get next to the stage for the historic New York show.
The only other photographer present ran out of film during the gig.
Marc Weinstein’s 61 black and white images with copyright fetched £30,680, compared with a pre-sale estimate of £15,000-£20,000, Omega Auctions said.
Rare pictures of The Beatles’ 1965 Shea Stadium concert, taken by amateur photographer Marc Weinstein, who bluffed his way backstage, have sold for £30,000
Shea Stadium was The Beatles’ biggest concert – and the biggest ever pop concert by any group up to that date.
It came at the height of Beatlemania and the band’s music was famously drowned out by the screams of the 55,000-strong crowd.
Marc Weinstein later recalled how he used a home-made press pass to con a policeman into escorting him to the stage area.
“I just blended with everybody there,” he said.
“I had a method of operation; I just acted like I belonged. Anybody in authority, I would look the other way.”
Auctioneer Paul Fairweather said the successful bidder was “a South American gentleman currently living in Washington [who] is a huge collector of Beatles memorabilia”.
A further collection of 65 unpublished color slides of The Beatles taken by physicist Dr. Robert “Bob” Beck in 1964 sold for £27,140 ($42,000). They had an estimate of £10,000-£15,000.
A key meeting of Eurogroup (eurozone finance ministers) to finalize a crucial bailout for Cyprus has been delayed as talks to hammer out an agreement overran.
Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades is locked in bailout talks with EU, European Central Bank and IMF leaders in Brussels.
The finance ministers must decide on Sunday whether or not to approve the bailout.
Cyprus needs to raise 5.8 billion euros to qualify for a 10 billion euro EU bailout and avoid bankruptcy.
A eurozone official said the Eurogroup meeting had been rescheduled for about 20:00 local time from 18:00 because talks with Cypriot officials ahead of those discussions had overrun.
In another development on Sunday, Bank of Cyprus – the island’s biggest lender – further limited cash machine withdrawals to 120 euros a day.
With queues growing outside cash machines across the island, the second biggest lender, Laiki (Popular) Bank, also lowered its daily limit to 100 euros, Cyprus News Agency reported. The bank’s previous limit had been 260 euros per day.
Banks have been closed since Monday and many businesses are only taking payment in cash.
Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades is locked in bailout talks with EU, European Central Bank and IMF leaders in Brussels
In the run-up to the crunch talks in Brussels, the EU’s commissioner for economic affairs Olli Rehn said Cyprus had only “hard choices left” and must agree terms on Sunday.
According to a source close to the negotiations, the rescue plans – as they stand – involve splitting Laiki Bank into “good” and “bad” banks.
Good assets would be merged with Bank of Cyprus and the toxic assets will stay in Laiki. Administrators will then be appointed to liquidate those assets. The bank will not be closed but will be hugely reduced in size.
The source said a 20% levy would be imposed on deposits over 100,000 euros in Bank of Cyprus in exchange for shares in the bank.
A 4% levy would then be imposed on deposits of more than 100,000 euros in other banks. This would need to be approved by parliament but enough MPs have already given their backing to ensure it would pass.
The changes would cut Cyprus’s banking sector by between a third and a half.
Cyprus’ parliament rejected a bank levy on small and large deposits earlier this week, but a levy limited to large deposits is said to be back in consideration following pressure from Brussels and Berlin.
The levy that was rejected would have taken 6.75% from small savers and 9.9% from larger investors. It caused widespread anger among ordinary savers in Cyprus.
Cyprus needs the approval of the “troika” – the IMF, ECB and European Commission – in order to present a rescue plan to eurozone ministers.
If a deal on an alternative agreement fails, the ECB says it will cut off funds to the banks, meaning they would collapse, possibly pushing the country out of the eurozone.
“The negotiations are at a very delicate stage,” said Cypriot government spokesman Christos Stylianides.
“The situation is very difficult and the time limits are very tight.”
Olli Rehn said: “It is essential that an agreement is reached by the Eurogroup on Sunday evening. This agreement then needs to be swiftly implemented by Cyprus and its eurozone partners.”
“Unfortunately the events of recent days have led to a situation where there are no longer any optimal solutions available,” he added.
He said it was clear that the near future for Cyprus would be “very difficult” but that the EU stood ready to help.
There is concern on the island that a levy on large-scale foreign investors, many of whom are Russian, would damage its financial sector.
But leading Cypriot bankers have urged parliament to accept a levy, with small savers exempted.
Correspondents say Germany has pushed hard for a levy on investors who have benefited from high interest rates in recent years, rejecting a Cypriot plan to use money from pension funds.
Cypriot Finance Minister Michael Sarris recently travelled to Moscow in an unsuccessful attempt to get Russian help.
Banks in Cyprus have been closed since Monday and many businesses are only taking payment in cash.
On Saturday afternoon more than 1,000 bank employees marched to the Cypriot finance ministry, stopping briefly at the presidential palace.
Heidi Agan, a former waitress from Corby, Northamptonshire, UK, who swapped her £6-per-hour job to become a £650-per-appearance Kate Middleton lookalike, has “become pregnant” to maintain accuracy.
Heidi Agan, a 32 year-old single mother-of-two, now has a “bump made in various sizes”.
She quit her job at a Kettering restaurant last May after customers repeatedly said she looked like Kate Middleton.
Heidi Agan now travels across the UK and around the world to make appearances as a royal doppelganger.
“To have done 12 years of something you know and then to leap into an industry that gives with one hand and takes with another is difficult, but I’m just really happy and feel blessed that I did,” Heidi Agan said.
Since the Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William announced their forthcoming baby, lookalike Heidi Agan has now prepared to appear with child.
“As Kate grows I will too – to be authentic I thought it was important,” she said.
“It’s difficult at the moment as she’s not big enough yet to change her entire wardrobe so it’s difficult to see how she’s’ going to dress it.”
Kate Middleton lookalike Heidi Agan has “become pregnant” to maintain accuracy
Since taking the showbiz plunge Heidi Agan has made regular television, radio, corporate and newspaper appearances as the duchess.
“I did the Alan Titchmarsh Show and everywhere you turned there was another celebrity,” Heidi said.
“You just have to pinch yourself as I can’t believe it’s happened.
“It was the same in New York. I went to Times Square with Good Morning America and was ferried around with security.
“It’s just something I never thought would happen to me, but has turned out to be the most wonderful thing ever.”
Heidi Agan follows social media news about Kate Middleton to ensure her own wardrobe matches the duchess’, and practices “her look” daily.
“The most expensive shoes I’ve bought as Kate were about £200, the dress was about £300 – which I don’t think is that bad considering her original evening wedding dress by Alexander McQueen would have cost tens of thousands of pounds.
“I have to get the clothes, the mannerisms, the way she stands and interacts with William right. Things like that are all very important if I want to be the best.”
Heidi Agan said her children, aged 11 and 4, are “proud” of what she’s doing.
“It’s just been incredible and I feel so blessed with it and without the support of my family I just couldn’t do it,” she said.
“Appearing as Kate has given me the opportunity to spend more time with my own children than if I was doing my waitressing job and that’s priceless.”
Heidi Agan refused to be drawn on who she found most attractive between the royal brothers.
“I don’t think either William or Harry are my type, they are too tall… is that diplomatic enough?” she said.
People in Corby were treated to a “royal appearance” on Saturday when Heidi Agan appeared for an event in the town’s Corporation Street.
Pope Francis has announced in his Palm Sunday homily he will visit Brazil in July for the World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro.
The Pope will attend the Catholic youth gathering in Rio de Janeiro, saying Mass on Copacabana beach and praying at the Christ the Redeemer statue.
Pope Francis spoke in St Peter’s Square as Holy Week, the most important period in the Christian calendar, began.
Thousands of people waved olive branches and palm fronds in the crowd.
The gesture commemorates palm branches which, according to the Bible, were laid in the path of Jesus Christ when he made his entry on a donkey into Jerusalem before his crucifixion.
Pope Francis has announced in his Palm Sunday homily he will visit Brazil in July for the World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro
Pope Francis departed frequently from the prepared text of his homily.
His style is informal, direct and, in contrast to his predecessors, he tells stories off the cuff to illustrate the points he wants to make, our correspondent says.
The Catholic youth festival is expected to attract hundreds of thousands of young pilgrims from around the world.
Towards the end of his homily, Pope Francis said: “I look forward joyfully to next July in Rio de Janeiro.
“I will see you in that great city in Brazil.”
The gathering in Rio would, Pope Francis said, be a “sign of faith for the whole world”.
Pope Benedict XVI attended the last such festival, in Madrid, in August 2011.
Rebels in the Central African Republic have taken the capital, Bangui, after President Francois Bozize fled.
Witnesses reported gunfire as the Seleka rebel coalition took the presidential palace, followed by chaos and looting in the city centre.
Francois Bozize arrived with his family in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a Congolese official said.
The rebels, involved in an on-off rebellion since December, say President Francois Bozize failed to honor a peace deal.
On Sunday, witnesses and government officials confirmed that they had taken control of Bangui.
South African peacekeepers in CAR to support government troops suffered casualties but failed to stop the rebel advance.
Justin Kombo Moustapha, secretary-general of Seleka, appealed for calm and called on citizens to “welcome the revolutionary forces of Seleka”.
“Central African Republic has just opened a new page in its history,” he said in a statement.
Nelson Ndjadder of Seleka’s CPSK faction said the country should now move into a transition towards democratic elections.
“With the taking of Bangui and the departure of Bozize, the main objective of our struggle has been realized,” he said.
“Central Africans must meet around a table to decide the path for their common future.”
Rebels in the Central African Republic have taken the capital, Bangui, after President Francois Bozize fled
A Paris-based rebel spokesman Eric Massi told AFP news agency that the rebels had secured Bangui and military camps and were deploying across the capital “to launch security operations and prevent looting”.
However, Amy Martin of the UN’s humanitarian agency, OCHA, said looting was happening.
“The situation in town is chaotic in the sense than communities are looting properties, private properties, even a paediatric hospital we understand has been looted,” she said.
“Our main concern right now is at the community level, with the looting and the possible tensions between various ethnic groups.”
South African troops retreated to their barracks and were seeking safe passage to the airport, Amy Martin said.
She added that Bangui been without power since Saturday, and that this meant water had also been cut.
Amy Martin also said the situation in the interior thought to be worse than in the capital, more than 170,000 estimated to have been displaced within the country and others fleeing to Chad and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
DR Congo government spokesman Lambert Mende said Francois Bozize’s wife, children and other relatives had fled to the Congolese town of Zongo.
Francois Bozize also travelled to Zongo, from where he was expected to be moved with his family to the district capital of Gemena, said a Congolese official.
UN officials said 26,000 people had arrived in Zongo from CAR, and the numbers were rapidly increasing.
Former colonial power France has called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council.
It has sent 350 soldiers to ensure the security of its citizens, a senior official told AFP, bringing the total number of French troops in CAR to nearly 600.
“I call upon all sides to show the greatest restraint,” said French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, urging French nationals to stay at home.
The UN Security Council voiced concern about the rebel advance on Friday, amid reports of killings, rapes and torture.
The rebels joined a power-sharing government in January after talks brokered by regional leaders to end a rebellion they launched last year.
But the deal quickly collapsed, with the rebels saying their demands, including the release of political prisoners, had not been met.
Observers say Francois Bozize kept the army weak because he was afraid of a military coup.
He came to power himself in a coup in 2003.
CAR, which has a population of about 4.5 million, has been hit by a series of rebellions since independence from France in 1960.
CAR is one of the poorest countries in Africa, despite its considerable mineral resources.
Tilda Swinton is sleeping in a fitted glass box at New York’s Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) this month.
Museum goers are able to peer in on Tilda Swinton while standing just feet from her padded glass chamber as she appears to lightly turn in slumber.
The Oscar-winning actress’ month-long performance art of public napping titled, The Maybe, is said to run the museum’s entire day – last seen totaling seven hours – but on days randomly chosen and said to be unknown even to the museum’s staff.
“Museum staff doesn’t know she’s coming until the day of, but she’s here today. She’ll be there the whole day,” a MoMA employee told Gothamist.
Tilda Swinton’s raised glass box will also move around the museum, rarely if ever appearing in the same location according to the source.
Tilda Swinton is sleeping in a fitted glass box at New York’s MoMA this month
On her first day Tilda Swinton was seen lying fully clothed while wearing jeans, sneakers and a buttoned up shirt.
Various photographs of her display showed her in just a few changing positions, leaving open questions on her full state of consciousness.
“I feel bad for her. It’s physically demanding. Is she just nocturnal for a month?” 17-year-old Than Fuirst of Manhattan told the New York Post.
A white card adorning a wall near Tilda Swinton’s aquarium labels her like any other piece of artwork in the building, showing the work’s title, artist, dates, and materials used.
In her case it reads: “Living artist, glass, steel, mattress, pillow, linen, water, and spectacles.”
This isn’t the first time the world has been offered a very public eye to Tilda Swinton’s sleeping, however.
Her art installation, The Maybe, first débuted in 1995 at London’s Serpentine Gallery.
Tilda Swinton later took her one-act to Rome’s Museuo Barraco the following year.
Paul Bearer died of a heart attack caused by an untreated rapid heart rate, according to his son, Michael Moody.
Michael Moody told TMZ on Saturday that his father’s death certificate lists the cause of the heart attack as supraventricular tachycardia, or SVT.
SVT is an extremely rapid heart rhythm that occurs at the part of the heart’s control system which keeps the top of the organ properly functioning.
Wrestling legend Paul Bearer, real name William Alvin Moody, the pasty-faced, urn-carrying manager for performers The Undertaker and Kane, died on Tuesday, March 5. He was 58.
SVT is typically not life threatening, though it can decrease one’s heart functionality if prolonged without treatment, according to medical sources.
Paul Bearer died of a heart attack caused by an untreated rapid heart rate
SVT’s symptoms are similar to anxiety and heartburn, so it is not uncommon for people to wait out the discomfort instead of seeing a doctor.
Those who get treated for the fairly common heart condition without waiting too long more often than not survive, one cardiologist told TMZ.
Michael Moody said doctors believe Paul Bearer had been struggling with SVT for several weeks.
Three days before Paul Bearer died, he had reportedly complained to friends and family that he was suffering a blood clot.
The WWE released a statement at the time of his death saying: “WWE is saddened to learn of the passing of William Moody, aka Paul Bearer.
“Moody made his WWE debut in 1991 as the manager of The Undertaker and went on to become a memorable part of WWE over the course of the next 20 years. Our deepest condolences go out to Moody’s family, friends and fans.”
A New Jersey winner has got the winning ticket to the $338 million Powerball fortune that was up for grabs last night.
The numbers are: 17, 29, 31, 52, 53 and Powerball 31.
No ticket matched all the numbers in Wednesday’s Powerball drawing.
The jackpot had been estimated at $320 million but a late ticket sales surge pushed it to $388 million.
A New Jersey winner has got the winning ticket to the $338 million Powerball fortune that was up for grabs last night
The lump-sum cash option is $211 million.
Lottery officials say the current jackpot is the sixth highest in history. No one has won the Powerball jackpot since early February.
The largest Powerball jackpot in history was in November 2012, and the holders of two winning tickets – one purchased in Arizona and the other in Missouri – shared $587.5 million.
Pitbull and Christina Aguilera kicked off the 26th annual Kids’ Choice Awards at the USC Galen Center in Los Angeles and slime fest with their duet Feel This Moment.
And at the end of the performance, Christina Aguilera pushed a button, covering Pitbull and the dancers in the show’s signature green gunge.
Selena Gomez returned to her roots to be crowned Favourite TV Actress at this year’s Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards.
And she was in good company, as winning big beside her were two modern day celebrity heroines, Kristen Stewart and Katy Perry.
Kristen Stewart looked happy and full of fun on Saturday when she accepted the award for Favourite Movie Actress, vindication indeed that she’s still a fan favourite.
“Twilight fans have been the best ever. So thanks guys for honoring me in this way,” said Kristen Stewart.
Kristen Stewart – who is often accused of being pofaced and miserable – even jumped into a sliming with Sandra Bullock and Neil Patrick Harris – when she wasn’t required to face in the indignity, her cute short suit never quite recovered.
Kristen Stewart looked happy and full of fun on Saturday when she accepted the award for Favourite Movie Actress
“I love the kids,” Katy Perry told the audience after accepting her gong for Favourite Female singer.
“I think it’s the coolest award. I love you kids. Stay in school and stay safe.”
Ke$ha was also among the performers, changing out of her blue suit and hat into a fur coat, tiny black shorts and yellow top as she sang her song C’Mon.
Other winners at the viewer-voted ceremony honoring kids’ favorites in film, music, sports and TV included Adam Sandler as Favourite Voice from an Animated Movie for Hotel Transylvania, race car driver Danica Patrick as Favourite Female Athlete and The Hunger Games as Favourite Movie and Book.
Johnny Depp made a surprise performance after scooping the Favourite Movie actor gong for his role in Dark Shadows.
“I’m truly honored and humbled to get this award,” he told the audience.
“You’re the future.”
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson also got the chance to push the slime button, managing to cover Nick Cannon and Josh Duhumel in goop after accepting his award for Best Male Buttkicker.
Despite Miami Heat star LeBron James accepting the Favourite Male Athlete award via video link, fan favorite Justin Bieber did not appear to even record a filmed “thank you” for the Favourite Male Singer award.
Presenters on the show included Pretty Little Liars star Lucy Hale, Jessica Alba, Kevin Hart.
Josh Duhamel said a record-breaking 350 million votes had been cast for the show.
Former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has decided to end his self-imposed exile in Dubai and defying death threats he heads back to Karachi.
Pervez Musharraf said the Taliban had tried and failed to kill him, adding that he was taking precautions because his safety could not always be guaranteed.
General Pervez Musharraf plans to lead his party in the May general election.
Meanwhile, 17 soldiers were killed by a suicide bomber in north-west Pakistan overnight.
They were attacked at a security checkpoint in the tribal region of North Waziristan, close to the Afghan border and a known stronghold of the Taliban and al-Qaeda-linked militants.
A recent Taliban video threatened Pervez Musharraf with snipers and suicide bombers.
Pervez Musharraf has left Dubai on a plane to Karachi, ending his self-imposed exile and defying death threats
The former president faces a string of charges including conspiracy to murder, but on Friday the Pakistani authorities granted him protective bail in several outstanding cases, freeing him from immediate arrest once he steps foot in Pakistan.
Pervez Musharraf tweeted a photo of himself aboard the plane, writing: “Settled in my seat on the plane to begin my journey home. Pakistan First!”
A group of about 200 supporters and journalists are travelling with the former military ruler – including party members from the UK, Canada, Switzerland and the US.
Before take-off chants of “Long live Pervez Musharraf” broke out on board.
Some of the general’s supporters wore white armbands saying they were ready to give their lives for him.
But aides confirmed a planned mass rally had been called off because authorities withdrew permission. Instead, they said, a rally would be held at the airport in Karachi upon arrival.
Pervez Musharraf has lived in London and Dubai since stepping down five years ago.
He has vowed to return several times in the past, but those previous attempts have been abandoned.
Honey Boo Boo and her mother June Shannon bumped into celebrity fan La Toya Jackson recently, who couldn’t help but rave about her love of the child.
While working in Chicago, La Toya Jackson posted a picture online of her pleasant meeting with Honey Boo Boo.
La Toya Jackson tweeted a snap of them, joined by June Shannon, with the message: “Me and #Honeybooboo at the #upfronts! She is Simply Adorable!!! And her mother June, loving them!”
In the picture La Toya Jackson gazes adoringly into the youngster’s face while Honey Boo Boo is unsurprisingly focused on looking her best for the camera.
June Shannon, who opted to wear a floral print like her daughter, stands in the background waving but keeping a watchful eye over her little one as she hobnobbed with the star.
Honey Boo Boo and her mother June Shannon bumped into celebrity fan La Toya Jackson recently, who couldn’t help but rave about her love of the child
British police with expertise in environments contaminated with chemical, biological and nuclear material are searching the house of the late exiled Russian tycoon Boris Berezovsky.
Boris Berezovsky, 67, was found dead on Saturday, and a Thames Valley police cordon remains in place as police investigate his unexplained death.
His body remains at the Berkshire house while the search – described as a precaution – takes place, police said.
They say local people are not at risk.
The ambulance service was called to the Ascot house of Boris Berezovsky at 15:18 GMT on Saturday. His body was reportedly found in a bath.
A Thames Valley police update said: “Specially trained officers are currently at the scene, including CBRN [chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear] trained officers, who are conducting a number of searches as a precaution.
“This is to enable officers to carry out an investigation into the man’s death.”
British police with expertise in environments contaminated with chemical, biological and nuclear material are searching the house of the late exiled Russian tycoon Boris Berezovsky
Supt Stuart Greenfield said: “We are aware the cordon is causing disruption to local residents and we apologize for any inconvenience, but it is important we take all necessary measures to ensure a full and thorough investigation can be carried out.
“I would like to reassure residents that we are confident there is no risk to the wider community.”
He said the property was part of a large estate, so a number of roads were closed “and will remain so for the time being”.
Boris Berezovsky was a wanted man in Russia, an opponent of President Vladimir Putin, and had survived numerous assassination attempts, including a bomb that decapitated his chauffeur. He emigrated to the UK in 2000.
The Russian tycoon was a close friend of murdered Russian émigré and former KGB officer Alexander Litvinenko, who died in 2006 after he was poisoned with the radioactive material polonium-210 while drinking tea at a London meeting.
Without naming Boris Berezovsky, the Kremlin has accused its foreign-based opponents of organizing the assassination – a claim Boris Berezovsky denied. He accused Vladimir Putin of being behind the death.
In the interview with a journalist from Forbes magazine on Friday, Boris Berezovsky said that he had changed his mind on many things, his life no longer made sense and he wished he could return to Russia.
Last night a Kremlin spokesman said that Boris Berezovsky had recently written to Vladimir Putin, saying he wanted to go home.
Boris Berezovsky’s wealth is thought to have considerably diminished in recent years, leaving him struggling to pay debts in the wake of costly court cases.
Last year, Boris Berezovsky lost a £3 billion ($4.7 billion) damages claim against Chelsea Football Club owner Roman Abramovich.
Joe Weider, the man who launched Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Hollywood career, has died in Los Angeles at the age of 93.
Joe Weider, who was known for creating the Mr. Olympia bodybuilding contest, built a magazine empire that included publications like Muscle and Fitness, Shape and Men’s Fitness.
The bodybuilding guru died of heart failure, his publicist announced.
Arnold Schwarzenegger paid tribute to the man he called “the godfather of fitness.”
“He taught us that through hard work and training we could all be champions,” he said in a statement on his website.
“When I was a young boy in Austria, his muscle magazines provided me with the inspiration and the blueprint to push myself beyond my limits and imagine a much bigger future.”
Joe Weider, the man who launched Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Hollywood career, has died in Los Angeles at the age of 93
Arnold Schwarzenegger, a former Mr. Universe and Mr. Olympia said Joe Weider had encouraged him to come to the US and helped launch his acting career, securing his first role in a TV film called Hercules Goes Bananas.
Producers had asked Joe Weider if he knew of “a muscleman who could act a little”, said Arnold Schwarzenegger, adding that Weider had told them: “I got the perfect guy, he’s done Shakespearean plays in Germany, he’s a great actor, but his English isn’t too good.”
In his statement, Arnold Schwarzenegger said Joe Weider had supported him throughout his career – with illustrious film credits including Hercules in New York, Kindergarten Cop and Dr. Dolittle II – and even when he made the move into politics.
“He was there for me constantly throughout my life… and I will miss him dearly.”
New Jersey rock group My Chemical Romance have announced they are splitting up.
My Chemical Romance formed in 2001 and have released four albums together.
The band posted a message on their website which said: “Being in this band for the past 12 years has been a true blessing.
“We’ve gotten to go places we never knew we would.
“We’ve been able to see and experience things we never imagined possible.”
My Chemical Romance formed in 2001 and have released four albums together
Their message continued: “We’ve shared the stage with people we admire, people we look up to, and best of all, our friends.
“And now, like all great things, it has come time for it to end.
“Thanks for all of your support, and for being part of the adventure.”
My Chemical Romance frontman Gerard Way also tweeted: “Beyond any sadness, what I feel the most is pride.”
The band’s 2005 record The Black Parade reached number two in the UK album chart and the accompanying track Welcome to the Black Parade made it to number one in the singles chart.
In 2011 My Chemical Romance played Radio 1’s Big Weekend in Carlisle, and headlined Reading and Leeds festivals where they were joined on stage by Queen guitarist Brian May.
Later in the year, My Chemical Romance sacked their drummer Michael Pedicone, after accusing him of stealing from them.
Michael Pedicone later admitted to making a “tremendous mistake”.
A truck advertising “Fire & Smoke Restoration” has arrived at Ashley Greene’s Hollywood apartment a day after it was destroyed by a fire.
The truck was seen parked in front of the burnt building as cleaning experts talked with firefighters before heading inside the historic Hollywood landmark, on Saturday.
It is reported that the condo will have to be completely gutted and renovated due to extensive damage from the blaze.
According to TMZ, the apartment’s walls will need to be torn down and the floor will need to be removed as well.
Moisture damage from the fire – initially caused by an unattended candle – has affected four other units in Ashley Greene’s building and will also need renovation.
It has recently been revealed that during the blaze the unit directly above Ashley Greene’s was the only one that needed to be evacuated.
Ashley Greene, her unnamed boyfriend and her brother fled from the condo after being awoken by the fire, which killed one of her pet dogs and saw three unidentified residents suffer minor injuries.
Ashley Greene’s condo will have to be completely gutted and renovated due to extensive damage from the blaze
A preliminary investigation determined the living room couch was set alight by a candle, according to law enforcement sources who spoke to TMZ.
Pictures from inside show the devastation caused after the fire tore through the entire apartment.
It is unclear if Ashley Greene’s unnamed boyfriend is Reese Witherspoon’s ex-husband Ryan Phillippe, 38. The pair became the subject of romance rumors this week after being photographed leaving Hollywood’s Vignette Lounge this week.
One of Ashley Greene’s two fox terrier dogs perished in the blaze and was found dead under the bed, according to a resident who spoke to TMZ.
A second dog was taken by Animal Control to be checked out.
Ashley Greene, 26, who plays vampire Alice Cullen in the Twilight franchise, fled the apartment with her brother and boyfriend after being woken by the fire. The two men apparently tried to go back to save the dogs after realizing they were still inside but were unable to re-enter.
The actress was later spotted at the scene covered in soot and cradling her dead pet, wrapped in a blanket.
Several residents tried to tackle the blaze with fire extinguishers before at least 10 fire trucks screeched to the scene of the historic A-list complex, which was once lived in by Marilyn Monroe.
The fire was quickly brought under control and extinguished just after 10am following a 9.50 a.m. emergency call.
Ashley Greene’s apartment is located in the Granville Towers complex on Crescent Heights Boulevard in the West Hollywood, which has been home to many celebrities including Monroe, Mickey Rourke and Portia de Rossi.
Nestle has decide to recall some of its varieties of Chunky Kit Kat after seven people in UK found pieces of plastic in bars.
Peanut butter, hazelnut, choc fudge and caramel 48 g bars are being recalled, along with Kit Kat Chunky collection giant eggs.
Nestle said the products should be returned, unopened, for a full refund.
The company said the products were being recalled as a precautionary measure and that no other Kit Kat products were affected.
“The safety and quality of our products are non-negotiable priorities for the company. We sincerely apologize to our consumers for any inconvenience caused by this voluntary recall,” Nestle said in a statement.
Nestle has decide to recall some of its varieties of Chunky Kit Kat after seven people in UK found pieces of plastic in bars
The products recalled are:
Kit Kat chunky peanut butter 48g bars with a best before date range from September 2013 to February 2014
Kit Kat chunky hazelnut 48g bars with a best before date range from September 2013 to October 2013
Kit Kat chunky choc fudge 48g bars with a best before date range from September 2013 to October 2013
Kit Kat chunky caramel (48g) with a best before date range from June 2013 to July 2013
Kit Kat chunky hazelnut multipack with a best before date range from September 2013 to December 2013
Kit Kat chunky collection giant egg with a best before date of July 2013.
The affected products are predominantly sold in the UK, with small amounts also sold in Germany, Switzerland, Malta, Austria, Singapore, the Philippines and Canada.
Kit Kat is one of Nestle’s top-selling brands, with 150 bars consumed worldwide every second.
Crystal Hefner tweeted a picture of herself to show her followers what she would be wearing to Playboy‘s annual Masquerade party over the weekend.
The photo shows Crystal Hefner wearing oversized standout bejewelled earphones on her head and a very tight shiny jumpsuit, which barely covered her cleavage as she seductively unzipped it.
Crystal Hefner, 26, who is married to Playboy magnate Hugh Hefner, 86, also accessorized with an oversized cocktail ring that matched her earphones.
“Sneak peek of my playboy Masquerade party outfit!” she wrote on her Twitter page along with the snap.
Crystal Hefner showed her followers what she would be wearing to Playboy’s annual Masquerade party
David Beckham was left embarrassed as he slipped over and landed on his backside in front of a group of young Chinese footballers while demonstrating his free kick technique.
David Beckham, 37, dropped to the ground during his Far East tour as part of his five-day ambassadorial visit to China.
The football superstar was dressed in a luxury grey suit and black shoes as he lined up to swing in a free-kick in front of starstruck players from Wuhan Zall club in the Hubei province.
But it all went horribly wrong when the Paris St Germain midfielder lost his balance and ended up flat on his back – although he appeared to take the fall in good spirits.
As David Beckham ran up to curve a ball into the top corner of the goal he took a terrible fall and slipped up into the air before crashing into the ground.
David Beckham slipped over and landed on his backside in front of a group of young Chinese footballers while demonstrating his free kick technique
Meanwhile, the former England captain has vowed to promote football in China over a long period of time, and make it one of the most popular leagues in the world.
“Thank you for having me in your wonderful city,” wrote David Beckham on Friday after being mobbed upon his arrival in Qingdao.
David Beckham, who has played four games for new side Paris Saint-Germain and completed his first 90 minutes last week before the international break, said: “I want people to realize this is not a short-term project.
“It is something that we are very passionate about changing the mentality of the league and bringing youngsters through and making this league as popular as some of the big leagues in the world.”
David Beckham continued: “I’ve always been a fan of Chinese football because I think the players are very talented and they are very passionate.
“When you see the excitement throughout this country when the team has done well you see how important it is to people. I am excited to make a difference.”
Exiled Russian tycoon Boris Berezovsky has been found dead at his home outside London on March 23.
Boris Berezovsky, who died at the age of 67, was a Russian dissident and a former Kremlin power broker whose fortunes went into dramatic decline as Vladimir Putin established himself as the country’s president.
He played a role in Vladimir Putin’s rise in the late 1990s, but went into opposition and then self-imposed exile as the new president consolidated his power.
Boris Berezovsky remained a wanted man in Russia until his death, and was for a long time dedicated to the anti-Putin cause.
In recent years, Boris Berezovsky’s wealth is thought to have considerably diminished and recent court cases have left him struggling to pay legal fees and other debts.
In 2012 a court battle in London with fellow “oligarch” Roman Abramovich, his former associate with whom he fell out as Vladimir Putin came to power, ended in defeat, with his allegations that he was intimidated by Abramovich into selling shares in Russian oil giant Sibneft for a “fraction of their true worth” entirely rejected by the judge.
And earlier this year, his ex-partner Yelena Gorbunova alleged in the High Court that he owed her millions of pounds from the sale of a £25 million ($39 million) property in Surrey, UK.
On March 18, The Times newspaper reported that Boris Berezovsky had been forced to try to sell a painting by Andy Warhol of the former Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin.
The role of political plotter, and financier of Russian opposition parties, was the latest in a series of reincarnations that Boris Berezovsky went through in his 67 years.
His first career was as a mathematician, his second as a car salesman, his third as a political kingmaker, nicknamed Rasputin, under Russia’s first president Boris Yeltsin.
Boris Berezovsky made his fortune importing Mercedes cars into Russia in the 1990s, and setting himself up as a middleman distributing cars made by Russia’s Avtovaz.
While Avtovaz struggled to survive, Boris Berezovsky nevertheless made millions.
By the mid-1990s, he was one of Russia’s leading oligarchs, a word used for those who made their fortunes during the wholesale privatization of state assets.
Exiled Russian tycoon Boris Berezovsky has been found dead at his home outside London on March 23
As well as taking ownership of the Sibneft oil company, Boris Berezovsky became the main shareholder in the country’s main television channel, ORT, which he turned into a propaganda vehicle for Boris Yeltsin in the run-up to the 1996 presidential election.
Boris Berezovsky has survived numerous assassination attempts, including a bomb that decapitated his chauffeur.
He took Forbes magazine to court for describing him as the “godfather of the Kremlin” and linking him to the murder of a popular television journalist.
Forbes settled out of court, accepting that the allegations were false.
Boris Berezovsky was at the height of his power in the later Yeltsin years, when he was deputy secretary of Russia’s security council, a friend of Boris Yeltsin’s daughter Tatyana, and a member of the Yeltsin inner circle, or “family”.
Although he helped Vladimir Putin enter the family, and funded the party that formed Putin’s parliamentary base, the new president moved to regain control of the ORT television station, and to curb the political ambitions of Russia’s oligarchs.
Boris Berezovsky left Russia for self-imposed exile in the UK at the end of 2000.
An early attempt to promote opposition to Vladimir Putin, by funding the Liberal Russia party, ended in disaster when its two most prominent members were assassinated.
“I understood [then] that this way of open opposition doesn’t work, at least for me. And that’s the reason why I decided to choose the other way,” he later said.
Without naming Boris Berezovsky, the Kremlin accused its foreign-based opponents of organizing the 2006 assassinations of former KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko and the campaigning journalist Anna Politkovskaya, in order to discredit Vladimir Putin.
Boris Berezovsky denied the allegation, and accused Vladimir Putin of himself being behind Alexander Litvinenko’s death.
Boris Berezovsky bought the ex-spy – himself in exile in London – a house in Muswell Hill and helped him to publicize claims that Vladimir Putin organized the bombings of apartment blocks in Russia, in 1999, which paved the way for Russia’s second military intervention in Chechnya.
He said Vladimir Putin was prepared to kill anyone that he defined as an enemy of Russia, and that he himself was a target.
That is why the mansion Boris Berezovsky bought for £10 million ($15 million) from former disc jockey Chris Evans was equipped with bullet-proof windows, laser monitors, spy cameras and reinforced steel doors.
Cyprus’ Finance Minister Michael Sarris has announced the country has made “significant progress” in talks with the EU and IMF aimed at securing a bailout.
Michael Sarris was also quoted as saying Cyprus was considering a 25% levy on deposits of more than 100,000 euros in its biggest bank.
Cyprus has to raise 5.8 billion euros ($7.5 billion) before Monday to secure a 10 billion-euro loan.
Parliament has approved restructuring the island’s banks, among other moves.
But it rejected a levy earlier this week, before EU pressure brought the proposal back to the table. The rejected proposal included a levy on smaller deposits.
On Saturday afternoon more than 1,000 bank employees marched to the Cypriot finance ministry, stopping briefly at the presidential palace on the way.
Marchers held placards with slogans such as “No to the bankruptcy of Cyprus” and chanted “United we cannot be defeated”.
Michael Sarris was speaking after talks with the “troika” of the EU, the European Central Bank (ECB) and the IMF.
“Significant progress has been made toward an agreement at least with the troika which will report to the Eurogroup,” he said.
“Two or three issues need further work.”
Cyprus has made significant progress in talks with the EU and IMF aimed at securing a bailout
Michael Sarris said experts were now discussing these issues, and the talks would resume later on Saturday afternoon with the aim of finalizing the package.
Cyprus’ President Nicos Anastasiades and party leaders were considering a trip to Brussels depending on the outcome of the meeting.
The Eurogroup, of 17 eurozone finance ministers, will meet to discuss the Cyprus bailout at 18:00 local time on Sunday, its president Jeroen Dijsselbloem tweeted.
The ECB has given Cyprus until Monday to raise the bailout money.
If Cyprus fails, the ECB said it would cut off funds to the banks, meaning they would collapse, possibly pushing the country out of the eurozone.
Cyprus now needs to find out what money-raising measures the EU will accept before putting them to a vote.
Germany is essentially writing the rules for the eurozone, and the message coming from Brussels and Berlin is that the money has to come from the banking sector and investors who have benefited from high interest rates over recent years.
Germany has voiced opposition to another measure approved by the Cypriot parliament on Friday – nationalizing some pensions to pay into a solidarity fund along with other assets.
Germany has also made it clear that it will no longer accept an economy within the eurozone that is dominated by its status as an economic tax haven, our correspondent adds.
Leading Cypriot bankers have urged parliament to accept a levy, with small savers exempted.
On Tuesday, parliament overwhelmingly rejected a levy that would have made small savers pay 6.75%, while larger investors would have paid 9.9%.
The proposal had provoked widespread anger among both ordinary savers and large-scale foreign investors, many of them Russian.
The government fears a levy would prompt foreign investors to withdraw their money, destroying one of the island’s biggest industries.
Michael Sarris travelled to Moscow this week to seek Russian support for alternative funding methods, but Russia said it would only act after the EU reached a deal with Cyprus.
Among nine bills approved on Friday, Cyprus MPs voted to restructure the banking sector, starting with the second-largest and most troubled lender, Laiki (Popular) Bank.
Under the restructuring, troubled lenders will be split into so-called good and bad banks, protecting smaller deposits but allowing levies on bigger ones.
There is now speculation that the biggest lender, the Bank of Cyprus, will also be restructured.
Parliament also voted for capital controls to prevent large withdrawals from Cyprus.
Banks in Cyprus have been closed since Monday and many businesses are only taking payment in cash.
Anthanasios Orphanides, former governor of the Cyprus Central Bank, said Cyprus was a victim of German domestic political pressures ahead of a general election there later this year.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and her party needed to avoid being accused of using “German taxpayers’ money to pay off Russian oligarchs”.
Amanda Knox and her former boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito are waiting to find out if their acquittal for the murder of Meredith Kercher will be overturned by Italy’s highest court.
Italy’s Supreme Court judges will rule on Monday on whether there should be a retrial regarding the death of Meredith Kercher or if the case against them should be closed completely.
In 2011 Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito were cleared of the 2007 murder on appeal after they had initially been found guilty and sentenced to 26 and 25 years respectively.
British student Meredith Kercher, 21, was found semi naked and with her throat cut in her bedroom in the house she shared with American Amanda Knox in the picturesque Italian hill top town of Perugia.
The case made headlines around the world amid allegations of sex games, drugs and jealousy during their first trial in 2009.
Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito were found guilty but were cleared two years later after a fresh hearing uncovered a bungled police investigation.
Defence lawyers and experts revealed how evidence had been contaminated or poorly handled by forensic teams and that the conviction should be considered unsafe.
They were immediately freed with Amanda Knox returning to her home in Seattle while Raffaele Sollecito went back to Bisceglie on the southern Italian coast near Bari.
Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito are waiting to find out if their acquittal for the murder of Meredith Kercher will be overturned by Italy’s highest court
Prosecutors in Perugia appealed the decision on behalf of Meredith Kercher’s family and will find out on Monday if they have been successful.
They want the acquittal to be quashed and for a new trial to be held in neighboring Tuscany.
Neither are expected to attend the hearing which will be held behind closed doors in Rome.
The case will decided purely on paperwork and legal documents with no new witnesses giving evidence.
Luciano Ghirga, Amanda Knox’s lawyer, said: “She is very anxious about the hearing but she is waiting for it knowing full well that the outcome is very important.”
Since returning to Seattle in the US, Amanda Knox has kept a low profile although she is due to given an interview to ABC television on April 30 to coincide with the release of a book about her four years in an Italian jail.
Raffaele Sollecito has also written a book and has already given an interview on Italian TV about the case where he said he and Amanda Knox were no longer lovers but they were still in touch – he visited her earlier this year and they speak on Skype regularly.
He is now studying in Verona and they have always insisted they are innocent of Leeds University student Meredith Kercher’s murder – she had only been in Italy for two months before she was killed having arrived from Coulsdon for a year long course as part of her degree.
During the investigation and trial much was made of Amanda Knox’s character with prosecutors saying she was highly sexual and had manipulated Raffaele Sollecito but her lawyers dismissed the theory.
Boris Berezovsky, an exiled Russian tycoon, has been found dead at his home in Surrey, UK.
The circumstances of the death of Boris Berezovsky – a wanted man in Russia, and an opponent of President Vladimir Putin – at the age of 67, are not yet known.
Thames Valley Police said the death, at a property in Ascot, Berkshire, was being treated as unexplained.
The area around the property has been cordoned off to allow the investigation to take place, the force said.
The inquiry was at a very early stage and more details will be released when available, it added.
A South Central Ambulance Service spokeswoman said it had been called to the property at 15:18 GMT.
“We sent a number of ambulance officers and an ambulance to the address. The 67-year-old male was confirmed deceased at the scene,” she said.
A former Kremlin power-broker whose fortunes declined under Vladimir Putin, Boris Berezovsky emigrated to the UK in 2000.
Last year, he lost a £3 billion ($4.7 billion) damages claim against Chelsea Football Club owner Roman Abramovich.
Boris Berezovsky, an exiled Russian tycoon, has been found dead at his home in Surrey
Boris Berezovsky claimed he had been intimidated by Roman Abramovich into selling shares in Russian oil giant Sibneft for a “fraction of their true worth”.
The allegations were completely rejected by the London Commercial Court judge, who called Boris Berozovsky an “inherently unreliable” witness.
France has confirmed today that Islamist commander Abdelhamid Abou Zeid has been killed in fighting in Mali.
Abdelhamid Abou Zeid was a senior figure in al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).
Earlier, the French newspaper Le Monde said DNA samples had made it possible to formally identify Abdelhamid Abou Zeid.
The Chadian army fighting alongside French forces claimed earlier this month it had killed Abou Zeid and fellow militant Mokhtar Belmokhtar in fighting in February.
“The president of the French Republic confirms with certainty the death of Abdelhamid Abou Zeid after an offensive by the French army in the Adrar des Ifoghas (mountains) in the North of Mali, at the end of February,” the Elysee presidential palace said.
The statement said the death of “one of the main leaders of AQIM marks an important stage in the fight against terrorism in the Sahel (region)”.
The fate of Mokhtar Belmokhtar has yet to be confirmed.
France has confirmed today that Islamist commander Abdelhamid Abou Zeid has been killed in fighting in Mali
Islamist rebels seized the vast north of Mali a year ago after a military coup in the capital Bamako. They imposed strict Sharia law on the people they controlled.
France intervened militarily in January amid fears that the militants were preparing to advance on Bamako.
France currently has about 4,000 troops in Mali.
Mali’s army and troops from several African countries, including 2,000 from Chad, have also been involved in the fighting.
Since the intervention began, major cities including Gao, Kidal and Timbuktu have been recaptured but fighting is still continuing in desert mountains.
France plans to withdraw its troops from Mali next month, with West African countries expected to take over in the run-up to elections due in July.
Abdelhamid Abou Zeid was believed to be behind several kidnappings of Westerners.
On Wednesday, AQIM said it had killed French hostage Philippe Verdon who was taken prisoner in Mali in 2011.
It said his death – which France has not yet confirmed – was in retaliation for France’s intervention in Mali.
As well as Philippe Verdon, a total of 14 French nationals are still being held by Islamist groups in Africa.
