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 –

List of the day –

The United Kingdom Cabinet in full (as of 11 May 2015) – [List from Wikipedia]

Cabinet of the United Kingdom[9] [edit]
Portfolio Minister
Cabinet ministers
Prime Minister
First Lord of the Treasury
Minister for the Civil Service
The Rt Hon. David Cameron MP
First Secretary of State
Chancellor of the Exchequer
The Rt Hon. George Osborne MP
Secretary of State for the Home Department The Rt Hon. Theresa May MP
Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs The Rt Hon. Philip Hammond MP
Lord Chancellor
Secretary of State for Justice
The Rt Hon. Michael Gove MP
Secretary of State for Defence The Rt Hon. Michael Fallon MP
Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills
President of the Board of Trade
The Rt Hon. Sajid Javid MP
Secretary of State for Work and Pensions The Rt Hon. Iain Duncan Smith MP
Secretary of State for Health The Rt Hon. Jeremy Hunt MP
Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government The Rt Hon. Greg Clark MP
Secretary of State for Education
Minister for Women and Equalities
The Rt Hon. Nicky Morgan MP
Secretary of State for International Development The Rt Hon. Justine Greening MP
Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Amber Rudd MP
Secretary of State for Transport The Rt Hon. Patrick McLoughlin MP
Secretary of State for Scotland The Rt Hon. David Mundell MP
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland The Rt Hon. Theresa Villiers MP
Secretary of State for Wales The Rt Hon. Stephen Crabb MP
Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport John Whittingdale OBE MP
Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs The Rt Hon. Liz Truss MP
Leader of the House of Commons
Lord President of the Council
The Rt Hon. Chris Grayling MP
Leader of the House of Lords
Lord Privy Seal
The Rt Hon. The Baroness Stowell of Beeston MBE PC
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster The Rt Hon. Oliver Letwin MP
Also attending Cabinet meetings
Chief Secretary to the Treasury Greg Hands MP
Chief Whip in the House of Commons
Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury
Mark Harper MP
Minister for the Cabinet Office
Paymaster General
Matthew Hancock MP
Attorney General The Rt Hon. Jeremy Wright QC MP
Minister of State for Employment Priti Patel MP
Minister of State for Small Business Anna Soubry MP
Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs The Rt Hon. The Baroness Anelay of St John’s DBE PC
Minister without Portfolio Robert Halfon MP

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