The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York has received a $1 billion donation of Cubist art from Estee Lauder heir, Leonard Lauder.
Leonard Lauder, 80, has pledged 78 works – considered one of the foremost collections of Cubism in the world.
The collection includes pieces from Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque, Juan Gris and Fernand Leger, amassed over 37 years.
The Met’s director Thomas Campbell said the gift was “truly transformational”.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York has received a $1 billion donation of Cubist art from Estee Lauder heir, Leonard Lauder
In a statement, Leonard Lauder said his gift was for “the people who live and work in New York and those from around the world who come to visit our great arts institutions”.
The museum said it had previously “lacked” early 20th Century art, but with Leonard Lauder’s donation it would be at the forefront of world collections.
“We have long lacked this critical dimension in the story of modernism. Now, Cubism will be represented with some of its greatest masterpieces,” Thomas Campbell said.
The collection “distinguished by its quality, focus, and depth,” includes 33 Picassos, 17 works by Georges Braque and 14 by Juan Gris and Fernand Leger.
Leonard Lauder built it up over nearly four decades, telling the story of a movement that revolutionized modern art and paved the way for abstraction.
“I selected the Met as the way to share this collection because I feel that it’s essential that Cubism – and the art that follows it, for that matter – be seen and studied within the collections of one of the greatest encyclopaedic museums in the world,” he said.
The collection is thought to be worth around 13% of Leonard Lauders’ personal fortune according to Forbes magazine which it said “enshrines him in the pantheon of the most generous philanthropists of all time”.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art was founded in 1870 by a group of American citizens and opened on February 20, 1872. It is the largest art museum in the US, and one of the three largest in the world, with the most significant art collections. The museum’s permanent collection contains more than two million works, divided among seventeen curatorial departments.
Meanwhile, letters written by J. D. Salinger to a spiritual mentor have been donated to The Morgan Library and Museum in Manhattan.
J. D. Salinger wrote 28 letters to Swami Vivekananda, founder of the Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Centre, which donated the correspondence.
The author, who died in 2010 aged 91, was strongly influenced by Eastern religion and philosophy and mentioned Vivekananda in his story Hapworth 16, 1924.
The Morgan Museum now holds 52 letters written by J.D. Salinger in its collection.
South Korea is accusing North Korean spies of masterminding a series of high-profile cyber-attacks on its banks and television broadcasters in March.
Tens of thousands of computers were made to malfunction, disrupting work at banks and televisions in South Korea.
Investigators in Seoul said they had discovered some of the code involved was identical to that used in malware previously linked to Pyongyang.
The allegation adds to growing tension on the Korean peninsula.
South Korea is accusing North Korean spies of masterminding a series of high-profile cyber-attacks on its banks and television broadcasters in March
On Tuesday North Korea told foreigners in the South to “work out measures for evacuation” to avoid becoming involved in a “thermonuclear war”.
Seoul’s foreign minister subsequently said that there was a “considerably high” risk that North Korea might fire a ballistic missile at it over the coming days.
North Korea has not commented on the cyber-attack accusation.
About 48,000 PCs and servers in South Korea were struck on March 20.
The assault shut down computer networks at TV stations KBS, MBC and YTN, and halted operations at three banks – Shinhan, NongHyup and Jeju.
Investigators in Seoul reported their initial findings suggested North Korea’s military-run Reconnaissance General Bureau had been responsible.
A spokesman announced that 30 out of 76 programs recovered from affected computers were the same as those used in previous strikes.
In addition he said that 22 of the 49 internet protocol (IP) addresses involved in the incidents matched those used in attacks blamed on North Korea over the past five years.
The recent assaults shortly followed a South Korea-US joint military exercise, but it was suggested they had been long in the planning.
“The attackers gained control of personal computers or server computers within the target organizations at least eight months ago,” a government statement reported in the Korea Herald said.
“After maintaining monitoring activities [they] sent out the command to delete data stored in the server, and distributed malware to individual computers through the central server.”
South Korea’s Financial Services Commission added that no bank records or personal data had been compromised.
Previous cyber-intrusions blamed on Pyongyang include attempts to block access to the website of South Korea’s presidential office and other government departments, and hacks of computers at Nonghyup bank and the Joonang Ilbo newspaper.
In turn, North Korea has accused both South Korea and the US of preventing users from being able to visit its official media sites – the Rodong Sinmun newspaper and the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) – earlier this year.
It has led some commentators in the South to criticize the state of their cyber-defenses bearing in mind the public there is much more reliant on the internet than citizens in North Korea.
“South Korea cannot cope with unpredictable and sophisticated provocations from North Korea with a bureaucratic, rigid mindset,” wrote Chae In-taek in the Joonang Ilbo.
“National security cannot be assured through an outdated system. We must come up with an innovative security system fast.”
France’s President Francois Hollande has called for “eradication” of the world’s tax havens and told French banks they must declare all of their subsidiaries.
Francois Hollande was speaking after presenting a draft law aimed at “moralizing” French public life – a response to the tax scandal that has shaken his presidency.
France’s ex-Budget Minister Jerome Cahuzac has been charged with fraud over a secret Swiss bank account.
President Francois Hollande said a new central agency would fight fraud and corruption.
France’s President Francois Hollande has called for “eradication” of the world’s tax havens
Earlier the French Socialist government set a deadline of April 15 for ministers to declare their assets, as part of the new transparency drive.
Jerome Cahuzac admitted last week that he had hidden about 600,000 euros ($770,000) in a Swiss bank account, causing shock in France. He has now been expelled from the Socialist Party for lying about his financial affairs.
Addressing a news conference on Wednesday, Francois Hollande said “tax havens must be eradicated in Europe and worldwide”.
“I won’t hesitate to consider as a tax haven any country that refuses to co-operate fully with France.”
The presidentsaid French banks “will have to publish every year the full list of their subsidiaries in the world, country by country”.
They will also have to explain their business, Francois Hollande said.
“In other words it won’t be possible for a bank to hide transactions carried out in a tax haven.”
Beyoncé reveals a platinum blonde hairdo to rival the lightened legends of the past Farrah Fawcett and Brigitte Bardot in a teaser for her new music video Grown Woman.
Beyoncé’s weave is cut into a choppy style with oodles of volume and a chunky fringe to frame her famous face.
Beyoncé reveals a platinum blonde hairdo in a teaser for her new music video Grown Woman
The bright blonde color helped bring out the deep pink of her lips, as did the sixties style, cream polo-neck top, that altogether, recreated a retro image of Brigitte Bardot in her heyday.
The vintage feel was continued, with Beyoncé putting her hair up into a bountiful beehive updo.
Pepsi features throughout the 12 second video as Beyoncé is currently the public face of the drinks brand in a number of TV commercials.
The singer wears the red, blue and white logo of the fizzy drink on custom-made bracelets on her right arm.
The advertisements gave Beyoncé the chance to share with the world her new single that has yet to be given a release date.
But despite being the first track of her new album Mrs. Carter, the title has already been used by another Destiny’s Child member.
Rowland released her own version of Grown Woman three years ago, but the song only peaked at number 51 on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.
With all the hype and build up surrounding Beyoncé’s track release, one can assume it will enjoy more commercial success than her best buddy’s 2010 offering.
The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour will begin on April 15 in Europe.
Amanda Bynes complimented sisters Kim and Khloe Kardashian after they praised her appearance while hosting the E! show Chelsea Lately on Monday night.
During the show, Kim Kardashian, 32, revealed she is a huge fan of Amanda Bynes – who has sparked concern in recent months after dramatically altering her appearance and displaying a bizarre behavior.
Amanda Bynes complimented Kim and Khloe Kardashian after they praised her appearance while hosting the Chelsea Lately
Kim Kardashian said: “Am I the only one that is obsessed with her new makeover? I think she looks amazing. With the blonde hair and those nails?”
Khloe Kardashian also praised Amanda Bynes’ transformation, saying: “With all those extensions and makeup, you would think she looks hot. She does wear fishnets to the gym. I don’t think that’s abnormal. I love it.”
Amanda Bynes, who is a retired actress at 26, was grateful for the Kardashian sisters comments and later tweeted: “I love the beautiful Kardashian sisters!”
However, she admitted she was unhappy with the photos they used on the show.
Amanda Bynes added: “I wish E picked better photographs of me! I feel pregnant when I’m fat! I’m working out constantly!”
The troubled actress recently claimed she is suffering from an eating disorder and wants to weigh 100 pounds.
An emotional Lindsay Lohan who broke down in tears appeared on The Late Show With David Letterman on Tuesday night.
Lindsay Lohan, 26, welled up and had to dab her eyes with a tissue at one point, after being given a surprising compliment by David Letterman.
“We’d never thought we see you again honestly because of the jokes and stuff,” David Letterman told the actress, after several awkward minutes of her laughing along with his gags about her shoplifting charges and multiple court appearances.
“But yet you have enough spine, enough sense of yourself, enough poise to come out here and talk to me.”
Lindsay Lohan couldn’t contain her emotion, with tears welling in her eyes, prompting David Letterman to hand her a tissue.
“Oh thanks, that makes it obvious and all,” Lindsay Lohan said, holding the tissue up to the audience.
An emotional Lindsay Lohan who broke down in tears appeared on The Late Show With David Letterman on Tuesday night
“She’s tearing up a little bit. God bless you,” said David Letterman.
Lindsay Lohan then tries to introduce a clip featuring herself with Charlie Sheen in the forthcoming Scary Movie 5, but ended up being unable to get the words out, while trying to describe the excerpt.
“There’s a lot of things in the scene,” the actress said.
“I’m flustered right now because you made me tear up because you’re very sweet.”
Earlier, Lindsay Lohan confirmed to David Letterman she is heading to rehab on May 2, before being subjected to an uncomfortable grilling about her prospective treatment.
“I think it’s a blessing and not a curse,” she said about her treatment.
“To be honest, I’m the happiest when I’m working and the healthiest. I think this is an opportunity for me to focus on what I love in life.”
Sporting an orange and white floral dress with her hair in a loose updo, Lindsay Lohan tried her best to deflect David Letterman’s questions during the chat.
“Aren’t you supposed to be in rehab now?” David Letterman asked the star who last month struck a plea deal over charges relating to a car crash in June 2012.
“Don’t you watch anything that goes on? What are you a tabloid now?” Lindsay Lohan retorted, imploring the talk show host to concentrate on discussing her acting projects.
But David Letterman didn’t let her off the hook that easily, asking her how long she was going to be in rehab for and how many times she had been treated previously.
“Several,” Lindsay Lohan acknowledged about her forthcoming sixth time in rehab where she will spend three months.
“What are they rehabbing?” asked David Letterman, to audience laughter.
“What is on their list? What are they going to work on when you walk through the door?”
“We didn’t discuss this in the pre-interview,” Lindsay Lohan replied.
“Just saying to everyone.”
“Do you have addiction problems?” the host persisted.
“It is alcohol. Do you drink too much?”
“Now you sound like Dr Phil,” the actress said.
“We’ve discussed this in the past.”
At one point, Lindsay Lohan took David Letterman’s list of questions and read them out herself, ending with the one: “Why are you always in trouble?”
“I don’t know,” she declared.
“I couldn’t answer that. I’m a target. I’ve always been. I put myself in situations in the past where…I take full responsibility for it. And it wasn’t funny. I was being immature. I was going through a phase. And I had a lot of family things going on and things in life.
“You grow up and you mature and I’ve said that a million times, I know that,” she continued.
“But what else am I supposed to say when it’s a process of life and I’m not trying to deny any situation I’m put in.”
“You’re lucky that we have this rehab that you’re looking forward to, before you got hurt and someone else gets hurt,” said David Letterman.
“I’m looking forward to some time for myself. The next time I come on the show, that will be in my past.”
David Letterman then expressed surprise that the actress had actually turned up to be on the show.
“I showed up! Like I wasn’t going to!” she said.
“Who’s taking you to rehab?” the host then asked.
“Oh God. Jimmy Fallon, and you,” Lindsay Lohan responded before correcting herself.
“I don’t want people to think I’m making a joke of that. I’m not. It’s no joking matter.”
However, Lindsay Lohan sportingly laughed her way through several of David Letterman’s jokes about her woes, even cracking a few at her own expense.
Sipping from a mug on his desk, she declared: “Oh I thought this was going to be vodka. Shucks!”
David Letterman began the chat by showing the audience a photograph of Lindsay Lohan’s first appearance at 6-years-old in 1992.
He then proceeded to read out several jokes about her.
“Lindsay Lohan’s in court so often, the cafeteria has named a sandwich over her,” he declared.
The star joined in, revealing she had planned to appear on the show with the shop tags still on her dress.
“That would have been tremendous,” agreed David Letterman.
“What in life can’t we make light of?”
“I’m fine with making light of myself,” Lindsay Lohan agreed.
“That’s why I want to walk out with a tag on.”
Lindsay Lohan was also quizzed about her friendship with Charlie Sheen – she recently filmed a guest appearance on his sitcom Anger Management.
“I met Charlie when I was doing Scary Movie 5 in Atlanta,” she recalled.
“He told me about the show that he was starting to do and it all came together. It’s a really great set. Nice environment. Everyone’s so funny.”
David Letterman also alluded to Charlie Sheen’s claim that he wrote Lindsay Lohan a cheque for $100,000 to help pay her tax bill.
“Is it true that Charlie gave you money or is that not true?” he said.
“That’s something you’d have to ask Charlie,” Lindsay Lohan retorted.
Despite the rather testing interview, Lindsay Lohan looked in good spirits as she left the studios, having changed into a lather mini-shirt, black lace sleeveless top and strappy sandals.
South Korea has decided to raise its alert level to “vital threat” following reports that North Korea is preparing for a missile test.
At least one ballistic missile with an estimated 2,000-mile (3,000 km) range is fuelled and ready for launch, US and South Korean sources say.
Pyongyang has been making bellicose threats against South Korea, Japan and US bases in the region.
The threats follow tough new UN sanctions imposed on North Korea last month following its third nuclear test in February this year.
Separately, an initial investigation by South Korea into a major cyber attack last month that affected a number of banks and broadcasters has said North Korea is to blame.
affected a number of banks and broadcasters has said the North is to blame.
North Korea is believed to have completed preparations for a missile launch after it moved two Musudan missiles to its east coast, Yonhap news agency says.
In anticipation, the South Korea-US Combined Forces have raised their alert level to Watchcon 2 (Vital threat), to increase surveillance monitoring, Yonhap quoted a senior military official as saying.
North Korea unveiled the Musudan missile during a military parade in 2010 but has yet to test it. There are reports, however, that it may have been sold to Iran and tested there.
The launch could happen “anytime from now”, South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se told parliament.
A test launch would be a violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1718, passed in 2006, which states the North “must not conduct any further nuclear test or launch of a ballistic missile”.
North Korea has tested intermediate range missiles before and during periods of crisis and tension.
While another test launch would certainly be seen as provocative, it is unlikely to have any major, short-term military significance unless it goes wrong.
The raising of South Korea’s alert status comes as Japan deployed anti-missile defenses in Tokyo as a precaution.
“We are on high alert,” said Japan’s Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera.
A number of travel agencies in China have reported that tourist trips into North Korea have been suspended.
One travel agent in the north-eastern city of Dandong told Reuters news agency: “All [tourist] travel to North Korea has been stopped from today and I’ve no idea when it will restart.”
The border remains open to commercial traffic.
Meanwhile, an official investigation by South Korea into last month’s cyber attack traced the malicious codes used to six computers in North Korea.
“We’ve collected a lot of evidence to determine the North’s Reconnaissance General Bureau led the attack, which had been prepared for at least eight months,” a spokesman for the Korea Internet and Security Agency said.
The attack on March 20 severely affected the KBS, MBC and YTN broadcasters and operations at the Shinhan, NongHyup and Jeju banks.
Yesterday North Korea has warned foreigners in South Korea to take precautions in case of war and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned the crisis on the Korean peninsula may become “uncontrollable”.
Ban Ki-moon once again urged North Korea to tone down its “provocative rhetoric” and to keep open a joint North-South Korean industrial complex.
North Koreans failed to report for work at the Kaesong complex on Tuesday, suspending one of the few points of co-operation with South Korea.
Belgium has sent a complaint to the European Commission regarding low wages at some German firms, described by Belgium as unfair “social dumping”.
The Belgian government sent the letter alleging that Germany’s “mini-jobs” undermined EU competition rules.
Some workers get just 3 or 4 euro hourly in such jobs, without any social protection, Belgium says.
The Belgian government sent an EU complaint alleging that Germany’s mini-jobs undermined EU competition rules
Many are East Europeans working for meat processing firms in Germany. There has been criticism in Germany too.
The European Commission says some 7.5 million people are working under the “mini-job” regime in Germany.
It means they can earn up to 450 euros per month without paying tax or contributing to any pension system. They are also excluded from the employer’s social security contributions.
In Belgium, however, low-paid workers get a minimum of 12-13 euros per hour and all have to make social security contributions, a Belgian government spokeswoman has said.
“Belgium wants the Commission to stop this disloyal competition between countries,” Els Bruggeman said.
“The Commission can make Europe a more social union.”
She said the issue had also been raised by some firms in France and the Netherlands, especially ones near the German border.
The Belgian move was sparked by complaints from Belgian abattoirs, who said German low-wage competitors were threatening their survival. Some said they might have to relocate to Germany to survive.
The letter to the Commission was sent by Belgian Economy Minister Johan Vande Lanotte and Labour Minister Monica De Coninck.
Olaf Lies, economy minister in the German state of Lower Saxony, has voiced support for the Belgian complaint.
Germany’s economy is a rare success story in Europe at a time when most of its neighbors are struggling with massive debt burdens and record unemployment.
Many Poles, Bulgarians and Romanians have found jobs in Germany – especially in agriculture and food-processing – since their countries joined the EU in 2004 and 2007.
A German left-wing MEP, Thomas Haendel of the Linke party, said that only Germany and Malta had no statutory minimum wage in the 27-nation EU.
He said the Belgian complaint “is entirely justified – the Linke party has long been pointing out that Germany is practicing wage dumping in Europe”.
“It’s very unfair because Germany now has very high productivity, but gains a competitive advantage through these <<mini-jobs>>,” Thomas Haendel said.
In addition to Linke, the German Social Democrats (SPD) and Greens are also pushing for a statutory minimum wage in Germany, he said.
“About 30 per cent of workers in Germany get less than 8.5 euros per hour – that’s below the OECD poverty level,” he said, referring to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.
A Belgian Socialist MEP, Frederic Daerden, said unfair wage competition could be tackled in the EU’s rules on posted workers – that is, workers posted to another EU country temporarily.
Reforms to the posted worker rulesare now being negotiated in the EU.
“Social dumping is bad because it affects the attitude of workers towards the EU,” said Frederic Daerden.
But he said the EU had no power to set a European minimum wage, and it would probably be futile to take Germany to court over the matter.
The European Commission now scrutinizes member states’ economic policies in detail, under the enhanced surveillance brought in because of the eurozone debt crisis. But it cannot dictate wage policy to individual states.
The Commission and Council – the grouping of EU governments – make country-specific recommendations for each member state. They are a way to exert peer pressure, but are not mandatory.
Last year those recommendations urged Germany to “create the conditions for wages to grow in line with productivity”.
“Extensive use of mini-jobs leads to low acquisition of pension rights. Therefore there is a need to improve the transition from mini-jobs to more stable forms of contracts,” Germany was told.
Some of Margaret Thatcher’s comments have been described as “unabashedly racist” by Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr in an interview with a local broadcaster.
In a conversation with Margaret Thatcher “in her retirement”, Bob Carr said the former British prime minister had warned Australia against Asian immigration.
Margaret Thatcher said “if we allowed too much of it we’d see the natives of the land, the European settlers, overtaken by migrants”, Bob Carr recalled.
Some of Margaret Thatcher’s comments have been described as “unabashedly racist” by Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr
Baroness Thatcher, 87, died on Monday after suffering a series of strokes.
Bob Carr made his comments on the Australian broadcaster ABC’s Lateline programme.
He said he had been “astonished” at the comments by Margaret Thatcher, which were made while his Malaysian-born wife Helena was “standing not far away” but was “fortunately out of earshot”.
But he said he retained respect for the “boldness of her political leadership”.
Bob Carr prefaced his comments by saying Margaret Thatcher had been “the most significant” leader since Winston Churchill, forcing social democratic parties to “think more deeply about the function of the state”. Lady Thatcher had been “right in joining [former US President Ronald] Reagan and denouncing the old Soviet Union as an evil dictatorship”, he said.
“On 100 other things I would pick arguments with her and I recall one conversation I had with her in her retirement where she said something that was unabashedly racist, where she warned Australia – talking to me with Helena standing not far away – against Asian immigration, saying that if we allowed too much of it we’d see the natives of the land, the European settlers, overtaken by migrants.
“I couldn’t believe it. It reminded me that despite, yes, her greatness on those big questions, the role of the state, the evil nature of the Communist totalitarianism, there was an old-fashioned quality to her that was entirely out of touch and probably explained why her party removed her in the early 90s.”
Bob Carr went on to recall: “I remember one thing she said as part of that conversation, she said: <<You will end up like Fiji>>. She said: <<I like Sydney but you can’t allow the migrants>> – and in context she meant Asian migration – <<to take over, otherwise you will end up like Fiji where the Indian migrants have taken over>>.
“I was so astonished I don’t think I could think of an appropriate reply.”
Margaret Thatcher will be buried with full military honors at London’s St Paul’s Cathedral on Wednesday April 17.
Student Dylan Quick has been charged with a stabbing rampage that left 14 wounded, many in the face and neck, at Lone Star College in Houston, Texas, police say.
Two people were critically injured in the attack at the campus of Lone Star College in the Houston city area.
Harris County Sheriff’s Office named the suspect in custody as 20-year-old Dylan Quick.
Student Dylan Quick has been charged with a stabbing rampage that left 14 wounded, many in the face and neck, at Lone Star College in Houston
Dylan Quick was wrestled to the ground by a student, then arrested by police, witnesses said.
The sheriff’s office said in a statement that Dylan Quick had been planning the attack at the campus in Cypress for some time.
Police said he had had fantasies of stabbing people to death since he was in primary school.
Dylan Quick, who was allegedly armed with a razor-type knife, has been charged with aggravated assault.
Police first received an emergency call from the college shortly after 11:00 local time on Tuesday.
Harris County spokesman Thomas Gilliland said the suspect went from “building to building” during the attack.
Diante Cotton, 20, said he saw half a dozen people with injuries to their faces and necks being loaded into ambulances and medical helicopters.
Of the 14 that were injured at the college, two refused medical attention and four were airlifted to hospital.
One student, Michael Chalfan, said the suspect was an “eccentric” type who often wore gloves and was known to carry stuffed animals.
“I’m surprised because he didn’t look like he was hateful to the world,” Michael Chalfan told the Associated Press news agency.
A different Lone Star campus was the site of a shooting in January that left two people wounded.
A 22-year-old man was charged with aggravated assault in that case.
Film critic Roger Ebert, who died last week at the age of 70, has been laid to rest in his native Chicago.
“He didn’t just dominate his profession, he defined it,” said Mayor Rahm Emanuel to mourners at Holy Name Cathedral on Monday.
Roger Ebert, who wrote reviews at the Chicago Sun-Times for 40 years, died of cancer on April 4.
“Roger spent a lot of time sitting through bad movies so we didn’t have to,” said Rahm Emanuel.
Roger Ebert’s widow, Chaz
In a 90-minute funeral Mass, speakers took turns talking about Roger Ebert’s career and the health problems that left him unable to speak.
He lost his voice and much of his lower jaw after suffering from thyroid cancer and complications from surgery.
“He realized that connecting to people was the main reason we’re all here and that’s what his life was all about,” said his stepdaughter Sonia Evans.
In his final blog entry, published just days before his death, Roger Ebert had addressed his illness saying: “It really stinks that the cancer has returned and that I have spent too many days in the hospital.
“So, on bad days I may write about the vulnerability that
accompanies illness. On good days, I may wax ecstatic about a movie so good it transports me beyond illness.”
Following his death last week, Hollywood lined up to pay tribute to Roger Ebert. Director Martin Scorsese, who is producing a documentary on the film critic and writer, called his death “an incalculable loss”.
Steven Spielberg added it was “the end of an era”.
Speaking at the funeral, the Rev Jesse Jackson praised Roger Ebert’s early support for the films of Spike Lee and other black filmmakers.
“He respected what we had to say about ourselves. It was not his story but he understood the value of an important film was authenticity and not the fact that it depicted your interests.”
Roger Ebert’s widow, Chaz, who received a standing ovation added: “It didn’t matter to him your race, creed, color – he had a big enough heart to accept and love all.”
He began his career at the Chicago Sun-Times, where he spent the next five decades penning biting, often funny reviews for movies.
It was there, in 1975, that Roger Ebert became the first film critic to win the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism, an award given to newspaper writers.
“Roger was 24-7 before anybody thought of that term,” said John Barron, Roger Ebert’s former boss at the Sun-Times, who said he was among the first reporters to use a computer or send emails.
Towards the end of the 1970s, Roger Ebert teamed up with fellow critic Gene Siskel for their TV review show, where they would give films a thumbs up or thumbs down gesture. They worked together until Gene Siskel’s death in 1999, following surgery for a brain tumor.
Roger Ebert also authored more than 15 books about the movies and co-wrote several movies with cult director Russ Meyer.
In 2007, Roger Ebert was named the most powerful critic in America by Forbes magazine.
Kourtney Kardashian kicked Kim out of their Miami mansion and threw her clothes into the street after it was revealed the pregnant star hired a private detective to spy on Scott Disick.
The drama unfolded on season finale on the Kardashian’s reality TV show Kim & Kourtney Take Miami.
Kim Kardashian hired the private detective to put a tracking device on Scott Disick’s car, check his phone records and take pictures of him partying and she thought he was “acting shady”.
Kourtney Kardashian kicked Kim out of their Miami mansion and threw her clothes into the street after it was revealed the pregnant star hired a private detective to spy on Scott Disick
But Kourtney Kardashian did not take Kim’s meddling well.
“Seriously how dare you get involved in my family and try to rake things up. Hiring a private investigator to follow Scott?” she said.
“It is not okay to come into my life and get involved.”
Scott Disick was left fuming at Kim Kardashian’s actions.
“Would Kim be happy if she broke up a family? That’s what I don’t get,” he said.
“It doesn’t surprise me that Kim hired a private investigator, she has done this before in her past relationships but for somebody that I love and trust have someone follow me? I have never felt more betrayed or upset.
“This is an all-time low.
“I feel like I have always been there for Kim but after this I do not want her around and obviously she does not want me around.”
Kourtney Kardashian had to eventually admit she understood some of Kim’s actions.
“Who knows what you are up to?” she asked Scott Disick.
“I do think it is invasive and wrong, but why can’t you be normal. If you want to get a drink with a friend then come home at a normal hour.”
But Scott Disick answered that if he went for a drink he would be out partying for two days.
“Do you think that is fun for me?” said Kourtney Kardashian.
Kim Kardashian realized she had upset her older sister but defended her actions.
“I did not want Kourtney to find out like this. I know she does not understand it now but I am just trying to protect her and her whole family,” she said.
The finale also saw Kim Kardashian reveal to her sisters that she is pregnant with boyfriend Kanye West’s baby.
At least 14 people have been wounded in a mass stabbing after a lone man dressed in black reportedly ran amok at a Texan community college – running up and down hallways randomly knifing students.
A student is in custody after the stabbing rampage at the Cypress campus of Lone Star College, northwest of Houston, according to police.
Two of the injured are in critical condition after the attack.
At least 14 people have been wounded in a mass stabbing after a man ran amok at Lone Star College in Houston
Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia said police first received an emergency call from the school shortly after 11:00 local time.
Based on video evidence, police said they were not looking for a second suspect.
The campus has been evacuated and will be closed for the rest of the day as police investigate.
Earlier, a county spokesman said there had been a report that the suspect was wrestled to the ground by a student, then arrested by police.
The suspect is approximately 21 years old and a student at Lone Star, Sheriff Garcia said.
Harris County spokesman Thomas Gilliland said the suspect went from “building to building” during the attack.
Thomas Gilliland said the attacker was believed to have been armed with a knife or a pencil.
One student told local broadcaster KHOU another student had been stabbed in a hallway in the school’s health sciences building.
Of the 14 that were injured at the college, two refused medical attention and four were brought by helicopter to hospital.
A different Lone Star campus was the site of a shooting in January which left two people wounded.
A 22-year-old man was charged with aggravated assault in that case.
A statement attributed to North Korea’s Asia-Pacific Peace Committee on Tuesday warned the situation on the Korean peninsula is heading for a nuclear war.
The statement said: “The situation on the Korean peninsula is heading for a thermo-nuclear war.
“In the event of war, we don’t want foreigners living in South Korea to get hurt.”
A statement attributed to North Korea’s Asia-Pacific Peace Committee on Tuesday warned the situation on the Korean peninsula is heading for a nuclear war
North Korea’s statement urged “all foreign organizations, companies and tourists to work out measures for evacuation”.
Last Friday, Pyongyang warned it would not be able to guarantee the safety of embassy staff in the event of a war.
No foreign embassies immediately announced plans to evacuate, and the UK and Russian embassies have said they have no plans to shut their embassies.
The US, which has also been threatened by Pyongyang, has said there were no imminent signs of threats to American citizens.
Tuesday’s warning from Pyongyang to foreigners in South Korea came amid growing concern that North Korea may be about to launch a missile test.
Japan has deployed defensive anti-missile batteries at three locations in Tokyo, to protect the capital’s 30 million residents.
US-made Patriot anti-missile systems have been deployed at the defense ministry and at two other military bases.
The European Commission is investigating MasterCard over fees charged for card transactions made by people visiting Europe.
The Commission said some of MasterCard’s “inter-bank fees and related practices may be anti-competitive”.
Visa is already under investigation in Europe over similar practices.
The European Commission is investigating MasterCard over fees charged for card transactions made by people visiting Europe
MasterCard, which said it would “fully co-operate” with regulators, could be fined up to $740 million, or 10% of its 2012 revenue, if found guilty.
The credit card firm said that it always aimed “to balance the interests of both consumers and retailers”.
The investigation will examine payments made by people from outside the European Economic Authority (EEA) – the EU’s 27-member states as well as Norway, Liechtenstein and Iceland – who use their credit and debit cards when inside the area.
The EU said the main aim of its probe was to ensure consumers were not harmed.
“When a US tourist uses a Mastercard to make a purchase in [the European Economic Area], these fees can be quite high, generally much higher than those paid in Europe,” European Commission spokesman Antoine Colombani said.
In 2007, a similar probe led to the Commission banning MasterCard from charging cross-border fees within the European Economic Area.
The European Commission said payment cards were of “crucial importance” for cross-border and internet payments.
“It is therefore a priority for the European Commission to prevent competition distortions in inter-bank arrangements on fees,” it said.
As well as inter-bank fees paid by cardholders from non-EEA countries, the Commission said the probe would look at rules that obliged merchants to accept all types of MasterCard cards, even if some of them incur higher charges.
The probe will also look at MasterCard’s restrictions on merchants who wish to use banks outside their own country, which could be cheaper.
“Ultimately, such behavior is liable to slow down cross-border business and harm EU consumers,” it said.
The European Commission said it would submit proposed regulation by the middle of the year on inter-bank fees aimed at ensuring a level playing field for all card providers.
Tom Cruise has made his first comments about his divorce from Katie Holmes last year during an interview with a German television.
Tom Cruise, 50, admitted: “I did not expect that.”
The actor added: “Life is a challenge. You are 50 and you think you have everything in order and suddenly it hits you, that’s what life is all about.”
Tom Cruise has made his first comments about his divorce from Katie Holmes last year during an interview with a German television
Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, 34, split last June just five days before the actor’s 50th birthday.
He said it gave him “an incredible amount of time to reflect” as he celebrated the milestone.
Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes entered negotiations almost straight away and last month a settlement was agreed with Katie being given primary custody of their 6-year-old daughter, Suri, and Tom getting extensive visitation rights.
Neither couple have ever given a reason for the split but rumors persist Katie Holmes was unhappy with the control the religion Scientology had over the family.
Tom Cruise said getting stuck into work helped him get over the heartbreaking split.
“Life is like a tragic comedy, you need a sense of humor,” he said.
The actor also spoke about doing his own action stunts in his latest $120 million sci-fi blockbuster Oblivion.
“I have done white water rafting, I dipped, with the snowmobile on the glaciers, drove around and climbed mountains.”
Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes married in a lavish ceremony in Italy in November 2006 after a starting a very public whirlwind romance in April 2005.
Suri Cruise was born in April 2006 and played a star role in their nuptials.
Tom Cruise was previously married to Mimi Rogers and Nicole Kidman, with whom he has two adopted children, Isabella, 19, and 17-year-old Connor.
Tom Cruise’s new movie, Oblivion, which also stars Olga Kurylenko and Morgan Freeman, opens across America on April 19.
Cher fans were confused yesterday after they misread a Twitter hashtag referring to the death of Margaret Thatcher.
Soon after news broke Margaret Thatcher had passed away from a stroke, critics of the conservative politician started spreading the hashtag #nowthatcherisdead on the micro-blogging site.
But Cher fans misinterpreted the hashtag, reading it as “Now that Cher is dead” rather than “Now Thatcher is dead”.
Cher fans were confused yesterday after they misread a Twitter hashtag referring to the death of Margaret Thatcher
The singer’s supporters took to Twitter to expressed their grief at the supposed passing of Cher.
Referring to their idol classic hits, they tweeted things like: “If only she COULD turn back time! #NowThatCherIsDead,” and “RIP Cher. At least now we’ll find out about life after love.”
Other fans expressed confusion and concern, tweeting: “Oh my god, Cher died?!? #nowthatcherisdead” and “So sad to hear that Cher is dead. #nowthatcherisdead.”
Some even thought both Cher and Margaret Thatcher had passed.
Cher, 66, who is usually very active on the micro-blogging site and has been known to go off on aggressive rants, kept quiet, which didn’t help shed light on the situation for her followers.
But it wasn’t long before Twitter users including comedian Ricky Gervais got in on the conversation.
Clearing up the confusion, Ricky Gervais tweeted: “Some people are in a frenzy over the hashtag #nowthatchersdead. It’s <<Now Thatcher’s dead>>. Not, <<Now that Cher’s dead>> JustSayin.”
Margaret Thatcher died Monday aged 87 in a luxury suite at the Ritz in London where she had spent months recuperating after an operation.
Baroness Thatcher was Britain’s first and only female prime minister and had many vehement critics.
Margaret Thatcher’s death news has been broadcasted all over the world but a Taiwanese news station aired footage of Queen Elizabeth II while reporting the death of the former British Prime Minister.
CTi Cable flashed a headline declaring “Margaret Thatcher Dies of Stroke” while running two clips of the Queen shaking hands with members of the public.
The newscaster said: “We’ve learned the breaking news that ex Prime Minister, the Iron Lady, Thatcher, died at home in London due to stroke today, the 8th, this morning, at the age of 88.
CTi Cable flashed a headline declaring “Margaret Thatcher Dies of Stroke” while running two clips of the Queen shaking hands with members of the public
“A spokesperson for Thatcher has publicly confirmed this news. What we know is that Thatcher has been suffering ill health in recent years.
“Since more than 10 years ago, she’s suffered numerous minor strokes. Just last December, she had surgery in London to remove a bladder tumor.”
It is not known why Cti Cable gave her age as 88, but it could either be an error or down to the Chinese custom of counting one’s age as starting with one when you are born.
The station apologized last night after viewers criticized the station for failing to distinguish between Margaret Thatcher and the Queen.
Meanwhile in Thailand, news producers for the country’s army-owned Channel 5 made a similar error, using a photograph of actress Meryl Streep when they reported news of Margaret Thatcher’s death this morning.
For nearly two minutes, the channel displayed Lady Thatcher’s biography alongside a picture of Meryl Streep in character for the film The Iron Lady, which tells the story of Margaret Thatcher’s life.
The production team wrote on Facebook later: “We will improve and develop our work more carefully and are deeply sorry.”
Margaret Thatcher died Monday at the Ritz Hotel in London aged 87 after suffering a massive stroke.
At least 30 people have been killed and other 800 have been injured after a 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck Bushehr province in south-west Iran, officials say.
Rescue teams have been sent to the affected area, but darkness is hampering rescue operations.
The quake struck 90 km (60 miles) south of Iran’s only nuclear power station in Bushehr, the US Geological Survey (USGS) says.
At least 30 people have been killed and other 800 have been injured after a 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck Bushehr province in south-west Iran
However, the nuclear plant has not been affected and is working normally, officials have said.
The quake was felt across the Gulf in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Bahrain.
Some 10,000 people are thought to live in the affected area in more than 50 villages, two of which have reportedly been completely leveled.
The governor’s office has sent generators to the area so rescue operation can continue overnight.
Seismologists said the quake struck at 16:22 local time at a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles) near the town of Kaki, south of Bushehr – a Gulf port city that is home to Iran’s first and only nuclear power plant.
Iran’s seismological centre in Bushehr province, linked to Tehran University, registered the quake at a magnitude of 6.1.
Tens of aftershocks – the strongest measuring a magnitude of 5.4 – struck within an hour, sending many people into the streets for safety.
One resident in Bushehr told Reuters news agency that they could “clearly feel the earthquake” but there was no damage.
State media reported that phone lines had been brought down by the quake and its aftershocks.
The earthquake shook buildings across the Gulf.
The governor of Bushehr, Fereydoun Hassanvand, told Iranian state TV that the nuclear plant was not damaged.
An official with the Russian firm Atomstroyexport told Russian media that the quake “in no way affected the normal situation at the reactor”.
“Personnel continue to work in the normal regime and radiation levels are fully within the norm,” the official was quoted by Russian state news agency Ria as saying.
Iran’s nuclear programme has roused concern among major powers that Tehran wants to build nuclear weapons – a charge Iran strongly denies.
Iran straddles a major geological fault line, making it prone to seismic activity. In 2003, an earthquake in the city of Bam left more than 25,000 people dead.
Lisa Rennison, a mother who shrunk from a size 18 to a size 6 in just six months by dramatically changing her lifestyle, has developed such a passion for keep-fit that she has become a fitness instructor.
Lisa Rennison, 40, from Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, has kept 6 stone (84 lbs) off for 12 years by dedicating herself to a strict diet and gruelling exercise regime.
She now teaches ab-toning, spin, body combat, circuit training and body conditioning classes at three different gyms near her home.
Lisa Rennison cycles to and from work (a total of one hour every day, 70 miles per week) and runs two back-to-back hour-long classes at the gym, five or six days a week.
Lisa Rennison shrunk from a size 18 to a size 6 in just six months by dramatically changing her lifestyle
Her fab ab exercises:
Cycle crunches: Lie on your back with your legs in the air and spin them around while you roll side to side. It works on your obliques and your legs
Sit-up crunches: Lie on your back and lift your legs and your upper body – if you use weights too it’s even better
Full sit-ups: Lie down, bend your legs and keep them on the floor, and lift your whole upper body.
Jack Knife: Lying down and pulling your legs and arms up simultaneously.
V-Sit: Raise your legs straight in front of you and lift your upper body to meet them.
Russian Twists: Sit down, hold a ball, and turn your upper body from side to side with your feet on the ground
The Plank: Hold your body up, flat, in the air, on your elbows
Scissors: Lie on your back with your legs off the floor and scissor them.
Her current diet:
Breakfast: I always eat the same breakfast, a bowl of oats mixed with water and chopped fruit like strawberries, blueberries and bananas, plus two tablespoons of fat-free yoghurt and decaff tea
Snack: I drink lots of water, and if I have to snack I eat fruit, especially bananas which are good for energy, or apples celery and carrots which make you feel full
Lunch: A wholemeal pitta or roll with Quorn – I don’t eat a lot of meat – plus spices like chillies which speed up metabolism. I always eat loads of salad, vegetables and fruit, especially beetroot and chickpeas, plus a tiny bit of extra extra light mayonnaise or yoghurt
Dinner: Quorn meatballs with my own tomato sauce and vegetables. I also have wholewheat pasta – I don’t eat any white food. For dessert I’ll eat fruit.
Special treat: If I’m in the mood for something sweet I mix cocoa powder with yoghurt to make it really chocolatey and delicious.
North Koreans workers have failed to report for work at Kaesong Industrial Complex, suspending one of the few points of co-operation between the two Koreas.
Kaesong Industrial Complex is a joint industrial park and there are more than 120 South Korean companies that operate there, employing 53,000 North Korean workers.
The complex is seen as a crucial source of hard currency for North Korea.
North Koreans workers have failed to report for work at Kaesong Industrial Complex
The move is the latest in a series of provocations that have raised tensions in the Korean peninsula and the region.
“As of now, no North Korean workers have reported to work this morning,” a spokesperson for the South Korean Unification Ministry said.
The ministry added that 77 South Korean workers would leave the zone on Tuesday, but 479 were still inside Kaesong.
Kaesong complex was launched in 2003 and was largely funded by South Korea.
Seoul has said the purpose of the complex was to develop a joint industrial park where South Korean companies could manufacture their products using North Korean labor.
It said that would help North Korea start to reform its economy, which is in a dire state, and ease tensions between the two Koreas.
South Korea has given incentives to companies to try and encourage them to set up operations there. These include political risk insurance to cover losses in their investment.
As a result, if the project is threatened, South Korea also tends to lose.
South Korean President Park Geun-hye said the boycott by North Korea would harm the country’s credibility.
“Investment is all about being able to anticipate results and trust and when you have the North breaking international regulations and promises like this and suspending Kaesong while the world is watching, no country in the world will invest in the North,” she told a cabinet meeting in Seoul.
“I don’t know what to do, honestly. I can’t simply tell my workers to leave or stay,” an executive from a South Korean clothing firm told the Reuters news agency.
“North Korean workers didn’t talk a lot, but they appeared to have complaints about Kaesong being closed,” the agency also quoted South Korean worker Sing Dong-chul as saying.
“They worried whether they would be working or not.”
Seen as a litmus test of relations on the Korean peninsula, Kaesong also provides hard currency for North Korea through taxes and workers’ wages.
South Korean companies pay more than $80 million a year in salaries. As a whole, the Kaesong complex produced $470 million worth of goods in 2012.
It accounts for nearly all inter-Korean trade.
For almost a decade the joint industrial zone has chugged on, through North Korean nuclear tests, rhetoric, and even military clashes with the South.
But now the last symbol of joint inter-Korean co-operation is effectively suspended.
North Korea has blocked access to South Koreans working there since Wednesday.
On Monday it said it would withdraw all its own employees and suspend operations in the zone. A decision would come later on whether it would shut it down for good.
North Korea has expressed anger at South Korean media reports that the North would not shut down Kaesong because its struggling economy is heavily dependent on the complex.
Former British PM Margaret Thatcher divides Britain in death as much as in life; while she was hailed by business leaders and former colleagues, ordinary people who suffered from her brutal policies were celebrating the Iron Lady’s death.
Hundreds took to the streets as macabre “Thatcher death parties” were held late across the country last night, organized by Baroness Thatcher’s critics.
In Bristol, seven police officers were injured – one seriously – as violence erupted at a street party of 200 people and officers were pelted with bottles, cans and rubbish.
Riot police were deployed in Brixton, south London, as the crowds, which had been drinking since 5 p.m., started to become more aggressive, while in Liverpool flares and fireworks were set off outside Lime Street Station.
Messages to organize the parties began flooding the internet minutes after the official announcement.
In Bristol police were called to Chelsea Road in the Easton area of the city during the early hours of today after violence erupted at a street party.
Trouble flared after midnight when a rowdy 200-strong crowd refused police requests to disperse.
People who suffered from Margaret Thatcher’s brutal policies as PM were celebrating the Iron Lady’s death on the street
Dozens of officers donned riot gear and used shields and batons as they were pelted with bottles, cans and rubbish.
Wheelie bins were set on fire by the mob and a police car was damaged by the flying missiles.
Some of the injured police needed hospital treatment and one male officer was still detained today with a neck injury.
One man was arrested for violent disorder and it took police more than two hours to restore calm.
It was not until 3 a.m. that most of the police units sent to the scene were stood down.
The party had started outside the Chelsea Inn in Easton, which is one of Bristol’s poorest and multi-cultural neighborhoods.
The air was thick with cannabis smoke as revelers toasted the death of Margaret Thatcher, chanting: “Maggie Thatcher, Maggie Thatcher, she’s not living anymore. She’s not living anymore.”
Some people drank champagne while others walked around in Margaret Thatcher masks and one man dressed up as the former PM.
Sound systems were set up in the street to fuel the party atmosphere and the trouble broke out when police tried to stop the music.
Unemployed Julian Styles, 58, who was made redundant from his factory job in 1984, said: “I’ve been waiting for that witch to die for 30 years.
“Tonight is party time. I’m drinking one drink for every year I’ve been out of work.”
Speaking to Stephen Nolan on BBC Radio Ulster, former PM Tony Blair said the celebrations of Margaret Thatcher’s death were in poor taste.
When asked if he worried there would be similar celebrations when he dies, Tony Blair said: “When you decide, you divide. I think she would be pretty philisophical about it and I hope I will be too.”
In Brixton, south London, two women were arrested on suspicion of looting a store and riot police were deployed as the crowds which had been drinking since 5 p.m. started to become more aggressive, refusing to let buses through the streets.
More than 300 people, including the young and old partied until late at night on the streets of London, clutching cans of cider and cartons of milk as they danced along to reggae and 1980s music.
Many children also attended the impromptu event with their parents some wearing fancy dress, fairy wings and clutching balloons.
The carnival-like celebrations also drew crowds who had no knowledge or interest in at Margaret Thatcher, but who wanted to join in with the revelry.
Brixton was the scene of intense rioting during her time as Prime Minster – the unrest was blamed on deep social divisions, racial tensions and unemployment.
At 11 p.m. last night, party-goers climbed the Ritzy Cinema to replace the billboard of films to say “Margaret Thatcher’s dead”.
They received cheers and applause from fellow revelers as they did so.
Later they added the words “LOL” (laugh out loud), followed by “Oh Aye”.
The two hooded men who covered their faces as they replaced the words on the Picture House cinema also attached a sign reading “the bitch is dead”.
The Ritzy Cinema said it had nothing to do with masked people and later tweeted its thanks to those who helped clean up broken letters and damage.
Pictures of anti-Thatcher graffiti scrawled on walls in Brixton also appeared on Twitter, with one reading: “You snatched my milk! & our hope.”
Banners were held stating “Rejoice Thatcher is dead” by drunken crowds, many of whom were too young to remember her as prime minister.
Sickening messages also began flooding the internet minutes after the official announcement.
Revelers danced the conga, drank champagne and chanted: “Maggie, Maggie, Maggie – Dead, Dead, Dead.”
Barnados charity shop was a casualty of the celebrations and this morning the store front had been left with a gaping hole in the glass.
Alex Bigham, a councilor in Lambeth representing Stockwell condemned the celebrations and said: “Even if you detested her policies, many of which I did, it is tasteless posturing.”
The Metropolitan Police said: “Police dealt with a group of approximately 100 people in Brixton who caused low level disorder including throwing missiles at officers.”
Police confirmed that two women were arrested on suspicion of burglary after being found inside a shop in Brixton. The shop front had been smashed.
Meanwhile, in Glasgow, more than 300 people gathered in the city centre for street party, organized on Twitter.
Members of organizations including the Anti-Bedroom Tax Federation, the Communist party, the Socialist party, the Socialist Workers party and the International Socialist Group, were joined by members of the public in the city’s George Square.
A chorus of “so long, the witch is dead”, along with chants of “Maggie Maggie Maggie, dead dead dead”, could be heard among the popping of champagne bottles.
In Leeds, people cheered and even handed out “Maggie death cake” at another of several street parties across the UK last night.
In west Belfast, a crowd assembled on the streets outside the Sinn Féin office in the Lower Falls road where music was played as people danced and passing motorists sounded their horns.
People were seen huddling in a crowd as they drank and sang to celebrate Margaret Thatcher’s death.
Petrol bombs were thrown at police near Free Derry corner amid celebrations and missiles were also used against the officers.
Martin McGuinness has called on people not to celebrate the death of Margaret Thatcher.
Martin McGuinness, Sinn Fein’s Deputy First Minister at the Northern Ireland Assembly, tweeted: “Resist celebrating the death of Margaret Thatcher. She was not a peacemaker but it is a mistake to allow her death to poison our minds.”
Unionists like DUP First Minister Peter Robinson have praised Margaret Thatcher’s commitment to the Union but Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams accused her of pursuing “draconian, militaristic” policies which prolonged the conflict.
Margaret Thatcher’s funeral will take place on Wednesday, April 17, Downing Street has announced today.
Former British PM Margaret Thatcher died on Monday, April 8, after suffering a series of strokes.
The funeral ceremony, with full military honors, will take place at London’s St Paul’s Cathedral, following a procession from Westminster.
Queen Elizabeth II, accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, will attend the service, Buckingham Palace said.
Margaret Thatcher’s funeral will take place on Wednesday, April 17
Margaret Thatcher will not have a state funeral but will be accorded the same status as Princess Diana and the Queen Mother.
A ceremonial funeral is one rung down from a state funeral – normally reserved for monarchs – and requires the consent of the Queen.
A Downing Street spokesman said the details had been agreed at a “co-ordination meeting” between the Thatcher family and Buckingham Palace on Tuesday morning.
Baroness Thatcher, a Conservative, was Britain’s first female prime minister. She was in office from 1979 to 1990, winning three successive general elections.
She died “peacefully” after suffering a stroke while staying at the Ritz hotel in central London. Lady Thatcher had been staying at the hotel since being discharged from hospital at the end of last year.
An undertaker’s van carrying a silver casket left the hotel early on Tuesday morning for an undisclosed location.
Parliament will be recalled from its Easter recess this Wednesday to enable MPs and peers to pay tributes.
But Labour MP John Mann said: “I do not know why we are wasting taxpayers’ money on an additional session.
“It is perfectly valid that, when a prime minister dies, MPs can pay tribute, but this could be perfectly properly done on Monday.”
PM David Cameron has described Margaret Thatcher as a “great Briton” and international leaders, including US President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel have praised her.
Lady Thatcher was born Margaret Hilda Roberts, the daughter of a shopkeeper and Conservative councilor in Grantham, Lincolnshire, in 1925. She became an MP in 1959.
Having been education secretary, Margaret Thatcher successfully challenged former PM Edward Heath for her party’s leadership in 1975 and won general elections in 1979, 1983 and 1987.
Margaret Thatcher resigned as prime minister in 1990 and had been in poor health for several years prior to her death.
Halle Berry displayed her prominent baby bump in a stunning one-shouldered gown as she hit the red carpet to promote her new movie The Call at the Hoyts Premium theaters in Buenos Aires on Monday.
Wearing a purple gown Halle Berry highlighted her expanding middle and seemingly fuller cleavage.
Halle Berry displayed her prominent baby bump as she hit the red carpet in Buenos Aires
As she floated down the red carpet, her burgeoning belly was in full view in the gown, which was fitted at the bust and flowed out into a long train.
Halle Berry, who recently confirmed she is expecting a second baby, drew even more attention to her pregnancy figure by cradling her tummy as she posed for pictures.
The actress already appears to be benefitting from that pregnancy glow – her skin looking flawless with minimal make-up.
A pair of stunning diamond drop earrings completed her elegant look.
Halle Berry arrived in Argentina earlier in the day and was greeted by several men in suits as she headed inside her hotel.
Uhuru Kenyatta has been sworn in as Kenya’s president after winning elections against Raila Odinga back in March.
Dignitaries and tens of thousands of people witnessed the inauguration at a stadium in the capital, Nairobi.
Raila Odinga did not attend the ceremony after his attempt to overturn Uhuru Kenyatta’s victory in court failed.
Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy, William Ruto, face charges at the International Criminal Court relating to post-election violence five years ago.
Uhuru Kenyatta has been sworn in as Kenya’s president after winning elections against Raila Odinga back in March
They were on opposite sides at the time and both deny the accusations.
Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who faces an ICC arrest warrant over the conflict in Darfur, was not in Nairobi for the inauguration.
Uhuru Kenyatta, 51, is the son of Kenya’s founding father, Jomo Kenyatta, and is heir to one of the largest fortunes in Kenya.
He served as deputy prime minister, minister for trade, and finance minister under outgoing President Mwai Kibaki
The crowd, waving Kenyan flags, burst into rapturous welcome as Uhuru Kenyatta took the oath of office, becoming Kenya’s youngest president.
In his inaugural address, Uhuru Kenyatta said he would govern for all Kenyans.
“We will leave no community behind… Where there’s disillusionment, we’ll restore hope,” he said.
The new government would abolish maternity fees in its first 100 days and children starting school next year would be given laptops, he added.
In an apparent reference to the ICC case against him, Uhuru Kenyatta said: “I assure you again that under my leadership, Kenya will strive to uphold our international obligations, so long as these are founded on the well-established principles of mutual respect and reciprocity.”
US and European diplomats attended the inauguration, despite warning before the election that they would have limited contact with Uhuru Kenyatta if he is voted into office.
Among the African leaders present for the inauguration were South Africa’s Jacob Zuma, Nigeria’s Goodluck Jonathan and Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni.
Yoweri Museveni told the cheering crowd that he wanted to applaud Kenyans for rejecting the “blackmail” of the ICC.
He supported the ICC when it was formed, but it was now being used by “arrogant actors” who were trying to “install leaders of their choice in Africa and eliminate those they don’t like”, he said.
Raila Odinga – the outgoing prime minister – did not attend the ceremony, choosing to be on holiday in South Africa instead.
Other senior members of his Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) party have also stayed away to signal their opposition to Uhuru Kenyatta’s presidency, correspondents say.
According to official results, Uhuru Kenyatta beat Raila Odinga by 50.07% to 43.28% in March, avoiding a run-off by just 8,100 votes.
Raila Odinga challenged the result, but said he would respect the Kenyan Supreme Court’s ruling in Uhuru Kenyatta’s favor.
The election was Kenya’s first after a disputed poll in 2007, which led to violence that left more than 1,200 people dead.
Uhuru Kenyatta is due to appear at the ICC for his trial in The Hague later this year, accused of crimes against humanity. He denies the charges.
Kenya is a party to the Rome Statute, the treaty which established the ICC in 2002.
But like most African countries, it has refused to enforce the ICC warrant for Omar al-Bashir’s arrest.
After Omar al-Bashir visited Kenya in 2010, a Kenyan court ruled that the government must arrest him if he returned, in line with its international obligations under the Rome Statute.
