May 11, 2015

Top News Stories –

Picasso’s Women of Algiers smashes auction record –
Picasso’s Women of Algiers has become the most expensive painting to sell at auction, going for $179.3m (£115m) at Christie’s in New York. Eleven minutes of prolonged bidding from telephone buyers preceded the final sale – for much more than its pre-sale estimate of $140m. The evening sale also featured Alberto Giacometti’s life-size sculpture Pointing Man, which set a record as the most expensive sculpture, at $141.3m. The buyers chose to remain anonymous. The Picasso oil painting is a vibrant, cubist depiction of nude courtesans, and is part of a 15-work series the Spanish artist created in 1954-55 designated with the letters A to O. [BBC] See Video of the Day
Les_femmes_d’Alger,_Picasso,_version_OPicasso’s Women of Algiers

Ukip rejects Nigel Farage’s resignation as party leader –
Nigel Farage is to stay on as leader of the UK Independence Party after the party’s ruling board rejected his resignation. Mr Farage quit as Ukip leader last Friday, delivering on a pledge to resign if he failed to be elected as leader of South Thanet. The news risks making Ukip into a laughing stock because Mr Farage had raised the stakes about his future by insisting he would resign. Mr Farage’s decision to stay on also raises questions over whether Douglas Carswell, Ukip’s only MP, will quit the party to become an independent MP after he suggested Mr Farage should not lead Ukip again. Mr Carswell later repeatedly refused to endorse Mr Farage’s return to the Ukip leadership after speaking at an event in central London. [Daily Telegraph]
Nigel-Farage Nigel Farage

James Corden can’t believe the Late Late Show is still on the air –
James Corden’s appearance at the Bafta TV awards was just a flying visit. In fact, his time on home soil (19 hours) was less than the time he spent in the sky travelling to and from Los Angeles for it (23 hours). “I’ve genuinely had some of the best nights of my life at this event,” he told us on the red carpet. Since he took over the Late Late Show in March, America’s latest chat show host has been grabbing headlines with his big name guests and viral videos. But he admitted to Newsbeat that it’s “mostly mystifying” as to why the show is still on the air. “No-one could have predicted the show would be received in such a manner. It’s beyond all of our wildest dreams.” [BBC]
James-CordenJames-Corden

David Cameron unveils ‘blue collar’ Cabinet –
David Cameron has unveiled his “blue collar Cabinet” as he promoted the son of a milkman, the daughter of a garage-owner and the Tory Party’s “champion of the people” to senior Government roles. In a bid to put making the Conservatives “the real party for working people” at the centre of the next five years of Government, Mr Cameron promoted Robert Halfon, Sajid Javid, Greg Clark and Priti Patel to senior ministerial roles. It means that 43 per cent of Cabinet ministers were educated in comprehensive schools – a rise from 21 per cent in Mr Cameron’s first Coalition Cabinet in 2010. [Daily Telegraph] See List of the Day for the complete Conservative cabinet.

Video of the Day –

The bidding for the most expensive painting in the world –

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July 13, 2016

Top News Stories –

Theresa May becomes new British Prime Minister –
The former home secretary, 59, becomes the UK’s second female prime minister in the wake of David Cameron’s resignation after the EU referendum. She had previously served in the Home Office for more than six years. In her first cabinet she appointed David Davis to the new cabinet position of secretary of state for exiting the European Union – or “Brexit secretary”. David Davis has been appointed to the new cabinet position of secretary of state for exiting the European Union – or “Brexit secretary”. In the post of Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson succeeds Philip Hammond at the Foreign Office. [BBC] See List of the Day for full cabinet list
Theresa_MayTheresa May

Marvel kills off Hulk alter ego Bruce Banner –
Marvel has killed off The Hulk’s human alter ego Bruce Banner in its latest comic. The character is seen dying as a result of an arrow to the head from Hawkeye, his Avengers teammate, in the third issue of Civil War II. Banner has been the Hulk’s alter ego since the character’s creation in 1962. However, for the last year, readers have seen Banner medicating himself to keep his anger management issues under control. During that time, a Korean-American teenage genius named Amadeus Cho has taken over as the new human alter-ego of The Hulk. [BBC]

Video of the Day –

The Shore’s Second Coming from Scott Secco on Vimeo.

List of the Day –

Theresa May’s first cabinet [Wikipedia]

Cabinet of the United Kingdom 
Portfolio Minister Term
Cabinet ministers
Prime Minister
First Lord of the Treasury
Minister for the Civil Service
The Rt Hon. Theresa May MP 2016–
Chancellor of the Exchequer
Second Lord of the Treasury
The Rt Hon. Philip Hammond MP 2016–
Secretary of State for the Home Department The Rt Hon. Amber Rudd MP 2016–
Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs The Rt Hon. Boris Johnson MP 2016–
Secretary of State for Defence The Rt Hon. Michael Fallon MP 2014–
Lord Chancellor
Secretary of State for Justice
The Rt Hon. Elizabeth Truss MP 2016–
Secretary of State for Education
Minister for Women and Equalities
The Rt Hon. Justine Greening MP 2016–
Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union The Rt Hon. David Davis MP 2016–
Secretary of State for International Trade
President of the Board of Trade
The Rt Hon. Dr Liam Fox MP 2016–
Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy The Rt Hon. Greg Clark MP PhD 2016–
Secretary of State for Health The Rt Hon. Jeremy Hunt MP 2012–
Secretary of State for Work and Pensions The Rt Hon. Damian Green MP 2016–
Leader of the House of Lords
Lord Privy Seal
The Rt Hon. The Baroness Evans of Bowes Park PC 2016–
Secretary of State for Transport The Rt Hon. Chris Grayling MP 2016–
Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government The Rt Hon. Sajid Javid MP 2016–
Leader of the House of Commons
Lord President of the Council
The Rt Hon. David Lidington MP PhD 2016–
Secretary of State for Scotland The Rt Hon. David Mundell MP 2015–
Secretary of State for Wales The Rt Hon. Alun Cairns MP 2016–
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland The Rt Hon. James Brokenshire MP 2016–
Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs The Rt Hon. Andrea Leadsom MP 2016–
Secretary of State for International Development The Rt Hon. Priti Patel MP 2016–
Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport The Rt Hon. Karen Bradley MP 2016–
Also attending cabinet meetings
Chief Secretary to the Treasury The Rt Hon. David Gauke MP 2016–
Minister for the Cabinet Office
Paymaster General
The Rt Hon. Ben Gummer MP 2016–
Attorney General The Rt Hon. Jeremy Wright QC MP 2014–
Chief Whip in the House of Commons
Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury
The Rt Hon. Gavin Williamson MP 2016–
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
Chairman of the Conservative Party (Unpaid)
The Rt Hon. Patrick McLoughlin MP 2016–

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