Palestinian door sold for $175
Rabea Darduna, a father of six from northern Gaza, is upset when he finds out that the Greek goddess Niobe painting he sold to Khaled for 700 shekels ($175) is worth much more. He says he was approached by a group of men:
They said they wanted to put it in a museum in Gaza where everyone could see it. One man told me: ‘We’re from the group that did it.’ They made me sign a paper. It said I agreed on 700 shekels. They pressured me and I accepted because I need the money…I had no idea what the value of the painting was or who this Banksy is…Really we feel depressed and very upset. This door is rightfully ours. They cheated us. It’s a matter of fraud. And we’re asking for the door to be returned.
Khaled says he has followed Banksy’s work for years, will not give it back to Darduna, and has no plans to sell it at present:
I bought the door to preserve the painting and protect it from being removed, spoiled or destroyed.
Baton twirl injury needs 14 stitches
Lee Roth has to get 14 stitches to his nose after he injures it during a baton twirling segment on Jimmy Kimmel Live. Kimmel:
He clips his nose and actually moves the nose. The world of baton twirling is very dangerous. He came offstage and our medic was trying to stop the bleeding. There was good deal of blood. David wanted to put duct tape on it…Immediately after the show he went to the hospital and the doctor put 14 stitches in his nose.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=62&v=qUXB7hAYfKU
Hospitalized
After becoming ill at her home, Mitchell is rushed to the hospital by paramedics. On the way to the hospital, Mitchell was alert.
https://twitter.com/JoniMitchellcom/status/583130871013601280
Hires writer
Sony Pictures hires Basu to write the script for Metal Gear Solid. The Arads are producing the movie, and Vogt-Roberts will direct. As of yet, a release date hasn’t been set for this movie.
Developing live-action Mulan
Walt Disney Studios is developing a live-action retelling of the animated film Mulan. Disney has already bought the script, and they have hired Benderspink to produce the movie.
Leukemia returns
Sager has a recurrence of the leukemia he has been fighting for the past year.
We wanted to ensure he was taken care of & that we knew what the next steps were before we shared this #SagerStrong pic.twitter.com/IhUM2nK8yl
— Craig Sager II (@CraigSagerJr) March 29, 2015
Becomes Daily Show host
Comedy Central announces that Noah is the new host of The Daily Show. Comedy Central president:
Trevor Noah is an enormous talent. He has an insightful and unique point of view, and most importantly, is wickedly funny. For the next host of The Daily Show, we set out to find a fresh voice who can speak to our audience with a keen take on the events of the day, and we found that in Trevor. He has a huge international following and is poised to explode here in America, and we are thrilled to have him join Comedy Central.
Noah:
It’s an honor to follow Jon Stewart. He and the team at The Daily Show have created an incredible show whose impact is felt all over the world. In my brief time with the show they’ve made me feel so welcome. I’m excited to get started and work with such a fantastic group of people.
Religious freedom laws ‘dangerous’
In an op-ed for The Washington Post, Cook says recent ‘religious freedom’ laws are pro discrimination:
There’s something very dangerous happening in states across the country. A wave of legislation, introduced in more than two dozen states, would allow people to discriminate against their neighbors. Some, such as the bill enacted in Indiana last week that drew a national outcry and one passed in Arkansas, say individuals can cite their personal religious beliefs to refuse service to a customer or resist a state nondiscrimination law…
Our message, to people around the country and around the world, is this: Apple is open. Open to everyone, regardless of where they come from, what they look like, how they worship or who they love. Regardless of what the law might allow in Indiana or Arkansas, we will never tolerate discrimination…
This isn’t a political issue. It isn’t a religious issue. This is about how we treat each other as human beings. Opposing discrimination takes courage. With the lives and dignity of so many people at stake, it’s time for all of us to be courageous.
Brain tumor treated in India
Rice has CyberKnife robotic radio surgery in Bangalore, India to treat brain tumor which can not be treated using regular surgery methods.
When they tell you they can do nothing about the medical condition in SA and you are going to die, you need to have a plan B in place. That was my plan B. You have to be proactive.
The surgery is successful.
It went very well and I feel good. It went much better than I had expected. You cannot believe how fantastic the technology is (in India). I experienced no pain during the treatment and the fear that the cancer would spread to my left has also dissipated. I received CyberKnife treatment for three hours.
Offers financial assistance
Lufthansa offers to pay the families of the victims up to 55,000 euros per passenger on the crashed Germanwings plane. The families are not required to pay back this financial assistance. Additional compensation from Lufthansa is expected to follow since the fact that Lubitz had been hiding a serious mental illness from management did not activate the exclusion clause in Lufthansa’s insurance policy.
Expecting first child
Cole reveals that she is expecting her first child with boyfriend Ferreira in a post on Instagram and her website Impossible.com.
The first known impossible baby is being born! I met Kwame when I was in the process of developing Impossible and he offered the most profound gift, to help build the platform. After working together for a long time Kwame and I fell in love, and I am very happy to share our news that we are expecting our first child together…
https://instagram.com/p/zp25Wny5NO/?utm_source=partner&utm_medium=embed&utm_campaign=photo
To reprise role in reboot
In Heroes Reborn, Oka reprises the role of Hiro Nakamura, which he played in the original Heroes series.
I’m excited to return to my Heroes roots. Hiro Nakamura was such an inspirational role to play, and I’m hoping the fans will enjoy seeing him back on TV.
Hot Rod Hundley dies at 80
Hundley dies at his Phoenix home at the age of 80. From 1974 to 2009, Hundley broadcast over 3,000 Utah Jazz games.
West Virginia lost a dear friend today as Hot Rod Hundley has passed away. He will be dearly missed. Rod not only…. pic.twitter.com/aH4ooE56Aw
— Bob Huggins (@CoachHuggs) March 28, 2015
Won’t seek re-election
Reid is retiring from the U.S. Senate, bringing a 30 year congressional career to an end. He said he had been contemplating retirement for months and that this decision wasn’t attributable to either the accident he suffered or to his demotion to minority leader. He endorses Senator Schumer as his successor.
I want to be able to go out at the top of my game. I don’t want to be a 42-year-old trying to become a designated hitter.
Dog or Jewish Boyfriend? A Quiz
In a New Yorker article Dunham posts a 35-point quiz:
Do the following statements refer to (a) my dog or (b) my Jewish boyfriend?
1. The first thing I noticed about him was his eyes
2. We love to spend hours in bed together on Sunday mornings.
3. He’s crazy for cream cheese.
4. It hasn’t always been easy, but we currently live together and it’s going O.K.
Will give away fortune
Cook tells Fortune that he will give away all his wealth after he provides for the college education of his nephew. Cook’s net worth is about $120 million. He also holds $665 million in restricted stocks. Cook says he has already begun making donations, but rather than simply writing checks, he wants to develop a systematic approach to philanthropy.
Divorce
Houser and Kellie get divorced. They have been separated since December 23, 2012.
Returns to Warner Bros.
After a fourteen year absence, Spielberg returns to Warner Bros. He is pegged to direct Ready Player One.
We are thrilled to welcome Steven back to Warner Bros. We had an historic series of collaborations in the 1980s and 1990s and have wanted to bring him back for years.
Leaves band
One Direction announce that Malik has left the band:
After five incredible years Zayn Malik has decided to leave One Direction. Niall, Harry, Liam and Louis will continue as a four-piece and look forward to the forthcoming concerts of their world tour and recording their fifth album, due to be released later this year. We’re really sad to see Zayn go, but we totally respect his decision and send him all our love for the future. The past five years have been beyond amazing, we’ve gone through so much together, so we will always be friends. The four of us will now continue. We’re looking forward to recording the new album and seeing all the fans on the next stage of the world tour.
Malik:
My life with One Direction has been more than I could ever have imagined. But, after five years, I feel like it is now the right time for me to leave the band. I’d like to apologise to the fans if I’ve let anyone down, but I have to do what feels right in my heart. I am leaving because I want to be a normal 22-year-old who is able to relax and have some private time out of the spotlight. I know I have four friends for life in Louis, Liam, Harry and Niall. I know they will continue to be the best band in the world.
Cowell:
I would like to say thank you to Zayn for everything he has done for One Direction. Since I first met Zayn in 2010, I have grown very, very fond – and immensely proud – of him. I have seen him grow in confidence and I am truly sorry to see him leave. As for One Direction, fans can rest assured that Niall, Liam, Harry and Louis are hugely excited about the future of the band.
Re-signs with WWE; ends MMA career
Lesnar announces on SportsCenter that he has re-signed with the WWE and that he has retired from the MMA.
I’m officially closing the door on MMA. It was a very hard decision at this stage of my career. The fighter inside me wants to compete. The father and husband — I’m an older caveman now. I make wiser caveman decisions. So, I’m here to say my legacy in the Octagon is over.
It was a hard decision to make. It took me a year. I’ve thought about this for a year. At the end of the day, it’s all about me wanting to have fun. The last two-and-a-half months I’ve been training to get back into the Octagon. I felt physically great, but something lacked mentally — and that’s not good.