Lahore (Monitoring Desk):

British actor Bernard Hill, best known for his supporting roles in Titanic and The Lord Of The Rings trilogy, died on Sunday aged 79, his agent announced.

He played Captain Edward Smith in the Oscar-winning 1997 epic romance Titanic, and earned worldwide recognition playing Theoden, King of Rohan, in two of the three The Lord Of The Rings films directed by Peter Jackson.

His agent Lou Coulson confirmed his death in the early hours of Sunday to British media outlets.

Early in his career, Hill featured in the BBC’s 1982 acclaimed drama Boys from the Blackstuff, which won numerous awards and is still lauded as one of the finest examples of its genre from the era.

He is set to return to television screens in series two of a contemporary BBC drama, The Responder, starring Martin Freeman, which begins airing in the UK later on Sunday.

Brasília: The 65-year-old performed for over two hours as she wound up the greatest hits tour that started late last year.

More than a million people thronged Brazil’s Copacabana beach for a free Madonna concert on Saturday, braving the heat to see the end of her “Celebration” world tour.

The sand and oceanfront boulevard around Rio de Janeiro’s famed beach were filled for several blocks by a crowd the city estimated at 1.6 million.

Many had been there for hours or even days to get a good spot, while richer fans anchored in dozens of boats near the beach and onlookers crowded beachfront apartments.

Firefighters sprayed water before the concert, when temperatures exceeded 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit), to cool fans gathered near the pop queen’s stage, and drinking water was distributed for free.

Temperatures were around 27 C (81 F) during the late night show.

Madonna, 65, performed songs such as ‘Like a Prayer’, ‘Vogue’ and ‘Express Yourself’ for over two hours from 10:45pm (0145 GMT on Sunday) as she wound up the greatest hits tour that started late last year.

“Rio, here we are, in the most beautiful place in the world, with the ocean, the mountains, Jesus,” Madonna told the crowd, referring to the city’s huge mountaintop Christ the Redeemer statue. “Magic.”

Brazilian pop artists Anitta and Pabllo Vittar, as well as younger musicians from samba schools, participated in the show.

More than 3,000 police officers were deployed around the concert area, where the Rolling Stones and Rod Stewart have also drawn million-strong crowds.

Brazilian authorities have stepped up their vigilance over heat-related health problems after a young Brazilian fan died at a concert by Taylor Swift last year due to heat exhaustion.

Rio’s state and city governments said they spent 20 million reais ($3.9 million) on the concert, while the rest was financed by private sponsors. The authorities estimate the concert could bring about 300 million reais to Rio’s economy.

SOURCE: REUTERS

Karachi: The price of gold Monday increased by Rs2,500 per tola in Pakistan.

According to the All Pakistan Gems and Jewelers Association (APGJA), per tola gold in the country has increased by Rs2,500 to settle at Rs240,500.

The price of 10 grams of gold has also swelled by Rs2,143 to Rs206,190.

While, the price of gold in the world market has also risen by 21 dollars to 2302 dollars per ounce.

It is pertinent to note that earlier on May 4, gold prices plunged by Rs1,600 to Rs238,000 per tola in the country's bullion markets.