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Actor Burgess Meredith, who in seven decades played roles as varied as the Penguin in the Batman TV series, the grizzled trainer…

Actor Burgess Meredith, who in seven decades played roles as varied as the Penguin in the Batman TV series, the grizzled trainer in the Rocky films and the tragic hobo George in Of Mice and Men, has died aged 88, CNN reported. CNN said he died at his home in Malibu.

The son of a Cleveland doctor, Meredith began his career as a doormouse in a Broadway production of Alice in Wonderland in the 1930s, then became a star with his stage performance in 1936 as the son of an executed anarchist in Winterset, a powerful Maxwell Anderson play written for Meredith and based on the Sacco and Vanzetti case that divided the country.

Showbusiness in Britain has paid tribute to Cheerful Char- lie Chester, who over a 78year career was a comedian, songwriter, radio personality and painter and sculptor. Stars packed St Martin's-in-the-Fields church, London, to hear reminiscences from fellow artists, including singer Frankie Vaughan, Roy Hudd, and magician Paul Daniels.

Imelda Marcos, facing 24 years in jail for corruption, is to stand trial for maintaining dollar accounts abroad and not reporting earnings, the Philippines Supreme Court ruled yesterday.

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Russian musicians and fans paid tribute to the late Russian pianist Sviatoslav Richter, who died last month, at a concert in Moscow.

Artist Damien Hirst (33) has turned down the chance to join the Royal Academy accusing it of being a "big, fat, stuffy, old, pompous institution".