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Nigeria elections 2015: Goodluck Jonathan faces strong challenge from Muhammadu Buhari

Diane A. Wade
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0
Nigeria elections 2015: Goodluck Jonathan faces strong challenge from Muhammadu Buhari

Nigeria has begun voting for a new president, with incumbent Goodluck Jonathan facing a strong challenge from Muhammadu Buhari.

It is said to be the most closely fought election since independence.

The election was delayed by six weeks to allow the army to recapture territory from militant Islamist group Boko Haram.

The two main presidential candidates have pledged to prevent violence during the election and its aftermath.

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has dominated Nigerian politics since 1999, but the All Progressives Congress (APC) is viewed as a serious challenge.

Some 800 people were killed after the 2011 contest between Goodluck Jonathan and Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, a former military ruler.

The polls opened at 08:00 AM local time.Nigeria elections 2015

Voters in 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory of Abuja – the capital – will also elect members of the House of Representatives and the Senate.

On March 27, the Nigerian army said it had retaken the town of Gwoza, believed to be the headquarters of Boko Haram, one of the last places still under its control.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said on Friday: “The international community has high expectations that Nigeria will provide leadership in setting a high standard for this election.”

He called on Nigerians – in Africa’s most populous nation – to vote in large numbers.

Ban Ki-moon added that he hoped the presidential and parliamentary elections would be “transparent, inclusive and peaceful”.

Campaign group Human Rights Watch says Boko Haram has killed some 1,000 people this year alone.

On March 25, army chief Kenneth Minimah said adequate security arrangements had been made for the polls.

On March 26, the government closed its land and sea borders for the election.

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Scott Kelly and Mikhail Kornienko begin one year tour of duty on ISS

James J. Williams
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0
Scott Kelly and Mikhail Kornienko begin one year tour of duty on ISS

Scott Kelly and Mikhail Kornienko have docked for the start of a one year mission on the International Space Station (ISS).

It will be the longest continuous stay anyone has had aboard the 250 mile-high orbiting platform.

The spacecraft docked successfully at 01:33 GMT on March 28, NASA annunced.

Scientists hope to get a keener idea of the effects on the human body of living in microgravity for extended periods.

The space agencies say the data will be invaluable as they plan towards eventually mounting a mission to Mars.

Scott Kelly and Mikhail Kornienko launched from Baikonur in Kazakhstan in a Soyuz vehicle at 01:42 local time on March 28.

They were joined on the flight up by cosmonaut Gennady Padalka, but his tour will only last the normal six months.Scott Kelly and Mikhail Kornienko begin one year tour of duty on ISS

Although Scott Kelly and Mikhail Kornienko will set an endurance record for this space station, some of the stays aboard the old Russian Mir platform were much longer.

Four cosmonauts lived on Mir at various times for more than a year, with Valeri Polyakov spending a mammoth 437.7 days in orbit between 1994 and 1995.

“The last time we had such a long duration flight was almost 20 years and of course all… scientific techniques are more advanced than 20 years ago,” Mikhail Kornienko was quoted as saying by the AP wire service in the pre-launch press conference.

“And right now we need to test the capability of a human being to perform such long-duration flights. So this is the main objective of our flight – to test ourselves.”

Scott Kelly added: “One of the differences here is that we’re doing it as an international partnership, and if we’re going to go beyond low-Earth orbit again, perhaps to Mars, because of the cost and the complexity it will most likely be an international mission, so we see this as a stepping stone to that.”

Knowledge on how to mitigate some of the deleterious effects of living in zero-g has improved markedly since the Mir era, and the expectation is that Scott Kelly and Mikhail Kornienko will come back in a better shape than those early pioneers.

Programmed nutrition and exercise routines now prevent much of the bone density loss and muscle weakness that earlier astronauts used to experience.

However, there are other problems that doctors still need to study and understand. They have poor data on the effects on immune function, for example, and there is considerable concern about the damage spaceflight causes to the eyes. This is a newly recognized phenomenon, and appears to be related to the way fluid is redistributed in a weightless body.

Pressure is seen to build in the skull and on the optic nerve, and a large number of astronauts return to Earth complaining that their vision is not as good as when they went up.

By having Scott Kelly and Mikhail Kornienko onboard for a year, the agencies will be able to monitor how such complications progress beyond the normal six-month tour of duty.

Scott Kelly’s situation is made more interesting by the fact that he has an identical twin brother, Mark Kelly, who was himself an astronaut before retiring from NASA in 2011.

Scott and Mark Kelly will be used in a comparative study: one in space, one on the ground.

Relativity theories predict that Scott Kelly should age less quickly than his brother while speeding above the Earth – but only by a few milliseconds over the year.

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Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito verdict: Italy’s top court overturns convictions

Diane A. Wade
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0
Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito verdict: Italy’s top court overturns convictions

Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito have been cleared in Meredith Kercher murder case, Italy’s top appeals court has ruled.

The decision is the final ruling in the case relating to the 2007 murder.

Meredith Kercher, 21, was found dead in a Perugia flat she shared with Amanda Knox.

Amanda Knox and her Italian ex-boyfriend were found guilty in 2009, then freed in 2011 after the convictions were overturned. They were reinstated by another court in 2014.

Raffaele Sollecito and Amanda Knox had always maintained their innocence and the decision by the Court of Cassation puts an end to their long legal battle.

The reasoning behind the decision will be made public in 90 days.

Amanda Knox, 27, said she was “full of joy” after hearing the verdict.

“I’m still absorbing the present moment,” she said, speaking outside her mother’s house in Seattle, expressing thanks “for the justice I’ve received and for the support I’ve had from everyone”.

Amanda Knox added: “Meredith was my friend, she deserved so much in this life.”Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito cleared of Meredith Kercher murder

The lawyer for Ms Kercher’s family, Francesco Maresca, has expressed his disappointment with the verdict.

“I think that it’s a defeat for the Italian justice system,” he told the Associated Press news agency.

Meredith Kercher’s mother has been quoted by the Press Association as saying that she is “surprised and very shocked” by the acquittals.

Days after the killing, Amanda Knox and her boyfriend at the time, Raffaele Sollecito, 31, were arrested.

They were convicted of murder in 2009 by a court in Perugia.

In 2011, a jury cleared both defendants of the charge, after doubts were raised over the handling of DNA evidence.

A retrial was ordered after prosecutors argued that important evidence had been disregarded. In 2014, the guilty verdict was reinstated.

Another man, Rudy Hermann Guede, born in Ivory Coast, was also convicted in a separate trial and is serving a 16-year sentence for his role in the murder.

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Kim Kardashian goes back to brunette again

Lisa.Felice
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0
Kim Kardashian goes back to brunette again

Kim Kardashian has left her platinum blonde locks she unveiled during Paris Fashion Week and is back to brunette again.

She was spotted around Beverly Hills on Thursday looking like her dark-haired pre-March self.Kim Kardashian blonde and brunette

“She just did blonde for a moment and wanted to be back dark before she goes to Armenia next week,” a source told PEOPLE magazine of the hair switch.

On Wednesday, Kim Kardashian posted a selfie on herself with blond hair, so the transformation happened rather quickly.

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Scott Kelly and Mikhail Kornienko set for one year mission on ISS

James J. Williams
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0
Scott Kelly and Mikhail Kornienko set for one year mission on ISS

American astronaut Scott Kelly and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko are about to undertake a 12-month tour of duty on the International Space Station (ISS).

It will be the longest continuous stay anyone has had aboard the orbiting platform.

Scientists hope to get a keener idea of the effects on the human body of living in microgravity for extended periods.

The space agencies say the data will be invaluable as they plan towards eventually mounting a mission to Mars.

Scott Kelly and Mikhail Kornienko will launch from Baikonur in Kazakhstan in a Soyuz vehicle at 01:42 local time, Saturday, March 28.

They will be joined on the flight up by cosmonaut Gennady Padalka, but his tour will only last the normal six months.

Arrival at the ISS should occur about six hours after lift-off.

Although Scott Kelly and Mikhail Kornienko will set an endurance record for this space station, some of the stays aboard the old Russian Mir platform were much longer.

Four cosmonauts lived on Mir at various times for more than a year, with Valeri Polyakov spending a mammoth 437.7 days in orbit between 1994 and 1995.

“The last time we had such a long duration flight was almost 20 years and of course all… scientific techniques are more advanced than 20 years ago,” Mikhail Kornienko was quoted as saying by the AP wire service in the pre-launch press conference.

“And right now we need to test the capability of a human being to perform such long-duration flights. So this is the main objective of our flight – to test ourselves.”

Scott Kelly added: “One of the differences here is that we’re doing it as an international partnership, and if we’re going to go beyond low-Earth orbit again, perhaps to Mars, because of the cost and the complexity it will most likely be an international mission, so we see this as a stepping stone to that.”Scott Kelly and Mikhail Kornienko set for one year mission on ISS

Knowledge on how to mitigate some of the deleterious effects of living in zero-g has improved markedly since the Mir era, and the expectation is that Scott Kelly and Mikhail Kornienko will come back in a better shape than those early pioneers.

Programmed nutrition and exercise routines now prevent much of the bone density loss and muscle weakness that earlier astronauts used to experience.

However, there are other problems that doctors still need to study and understand. They have poor data on the effects on immune function, for example, and there is considerable concern about the damage spaceflight causes to the eyes. This is a newly recognized phenomenon, and appears to be related to the way fluid is redistributed in a weightless body.

Pressure is seen to build in the skull and on the optic nerve, and a large number of astronauts return to Earth complaining that their vision is not as good as when they went up.

By having Scott Kelly and Mikhail Kornienko onboard for a year, the agencies will be able to monitor how such complications progress beyond the normal six-month tour of duty.

Scott Kelly’s situation is made more interesting by the fact that he has an identical twin brother, Mark Kelly, who was himself an astronaut before retiring from NASA in 2011.

The pair will be used in a comparative study: one in space, one on the ground.

Relativity theories predict that Scott Kelly should age less quickly than his brother while speeding above the Earth – but only by a few milliseconds over the year.

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Amsterdam outage causes Schipol flight disruptions

Nancy Clayson
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0
Amsterdam outage causes Schipol flight disruptions

All flights to and from Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport are temporarily canceled after a major blackout hit the city and surrounding towns.

Dutch electricity network administrator TenneT said a significant part of North Holland province, home to some 2.7 million people, was affected.

The operator later said power had been restored.

Incoming flights were still being diverted from Schiphol airport – one of Europe’s busiest terminals.Amsterdam power outage

The hub was forced to run on emergency power, as the outage caused widespread disruption.

The power outage was triggered by a “technical fault” at a substation in the Amsterdam suburb of Diemen, TenneT said on Twitter.

TenneT said its engineers were working hard to fix the problem.

Public transport across the Netherlands was affected, with trains cancelled and passengers stuck in lifts, trams and subways, according to reports.

Hospitals were operating on backup power, NOS public television said.

Oisin Tymon won’t press charges against Jeremy Clarkson

Clyde K. Valle
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0
Oisin Tymon won’t press charges against Jeremy Clarkson

Top Gear producer Oisin Tymon has told police he does not want to press charges against Jeremy Clarkson.

Oisin Tymon, 36, suffered swelling and bleeding to his lip after being physically and verbally attacked by Jeremy Clarkson, 54, in a hotel in North Yorkshire.

He was also subjected to a prolonged verbal tirade and drove himself to hospital believing he had lost his job.

The incident saw Jeremy Clarkson dropped by the BBC after an internal inquiry.

In a statement Oisin Tymon’s lawyer, Paul Daniels, said: “Mr. Tymon has informed the police that he doesn’t want to press charges.

“The events of the last few weeks have been extremely unpleasant for everyone involved. The matter has taken a great toll on Oisin, his family and his friends.Oisin Tymon won't press charges against Jeremy Clarkson

“Quite simply, Mr. Tymon just wishes to return now to the job at the BBC he loves, as soon as possible.

“Further, the BBC have, in his view, taken action with a view to addressing the issues at hand.

“Mr. Tymon agrees with the BBC’s stated view that all parties should now be allowed to move on, so far as possible.”

Oisin Tymon, who previously described Jeremy Clarkson as a “unique talent”, has come under sustained abuse on social media for his involvement in the dispute.

Speaking outside his home on March 26, Jeremy Clarkson asked fans to show restraint.

“I wish people would leave Ois alone because none of this was his fault,” the presenter told reporters.

Oisin Tymon never lodged a formal complaint with the BBC following the altercation with Jeremy Clarkson, which took place on March 4.

The internal investigation was prompted after the presenter reported himself to Danny Cohen, the corporation’s director of television.

The investigation found that Oisin Tymon was subject to an “unprovoked physical and verbal attack”.

The physical altercation lasted “around 30 seconds and was halted by the intervention of a witness,” said the report’s author, Ken MacQuarrie.

As a result, the BBC’s director general, Tony Hall, said he would not renew Jeremy Clarkson’s contract.

“For me a line has been crossed,” Tony Hall said on March 25.

“There cannot be one rule for one and one rule for another dictated by either rank, or public relations and commercial considerations.”

Tony Hall said he “not taken this decision lightly” and recognized it would “divide opinion”.

Following Oisin Tymon’s decision not to press charges, North Yorkshire Police said the force was still investigating the incident.

“We are grateful to Mr. Tymon for clarifying his position, as we can now take this fully into account,” said a spokesman.

“We have some final interviews to complete with guests who witnessed the incident as their perspectives also need to be considered.

“When these conversations are complete, we will issue a statement on our website as appropriate.”

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Ebola outbreak 2015: Sierra Leone imposes three-day lockdown

Kathryn R. Bown
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0
Ebola outbreak 2015: Sierra Leone imposes three-day lockdown

Sierra Leone authorities have imposed a three-day lockdown to curb the spread of Ebola, with the entire population ordered to stay at home.

There is a two-hour exemption on Friday to allow Muslim prayers and a 5-hour window for Christians on Sunday.

Volunteers are going door-to-door, looking for people with signs of the disease and reminding others how to stay safe.

Dozens of new cases are still being reported in Sierra Leone every week.

However, the three West African countries worst affected by Ebola – Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea – have seen a steep reduction in infections in recent weeks.Ebola outbreak Sierra Leone

This lockdown comes amidst some rare good news. According to official figures from the World Health Organization, there were just 33 new confirmed cases last week – the lowest number since June 2014.

With these falling figures there is danger of growing complacency, the government says.

This is one of the main reasons behind the lockdown – volunteers will remind people how to protect themselves against a virus that is still a real threat.

They will focus their efforts on northern and western areas where some infections still come as a surprise to officials – 16% of cases last week were not known Ebola contacts.

Experts have criticized previous stay-at-homes as too heavy-handed and top-down in their approach. Concerns were raised that some people did not have access to food.

The hope is, a year after the outbreak was declared, such logistical problems have been ironed out and that this measure will bring the country closer to its goal of zero Ebola infections by April 2015 – an ambitious target that is just two weeks away.

Andreas Lubitz hid existing illness from Germanwings

Nancy Clayson
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0
Andreas Lubitz hid existing illness from Germanwings

Germanwings flight 4U 9525 co-pilot Andreas Lubitz hid the details of an existing illness from his employers, German prosecutors say.

They said they found torn-up sick notes in his homes, including one covering the day of the crash.

In their report, Duesseldorf prosecutors did not say what illness Andreas Lubitz had.

German media have said internal aviation authority documents suggested Andreas Lubitz suffered depression and required ongoing assessment.

Prosecutors said there was no evidence of a political or religious motive to his actions, and no suicide note was found.

Andreas Lubitz, 28, and 149 passengers and crew died when Germanwings flight 4U 9525 crashed in the French Alps on March 24.

Data from the plane’s voice recorder suggest Andreas Lubitz purposely started an eight-minute descent into mountains as the pilot was locked out of the cockpit.

In their statement, prosecutors said they seized medical documents from Andreas Lubitz’s two residences – his Duesseldorf flat and his parents’ home north of Frankfurt – which indicated “an existing illness and appropriate medical treatment”.

Photo Facebook
Photo Facebook

But “the fact that, among the documents found, there were sick notes – torn-up, current and for the day of the crash – leads to the provisional assessment that the deceased was hiding his illness from his employer”, the report states.

Germanwings, a subsidiary of Lufthansa, refused to comment on the new information, the Associated Press reported.

Earlier on Friday, German media reported that Andreas Lubitz’s notes say he suffered a serious depressive episode when he finished training in 2009.

He went on to receive treatment for a year and a half, the German newspaper Bild reports.

Internal documents quoted by Bild and German broadcaster ARD say a note on Andreas Lubitz’s aviation authority file recommended regular psychological assessment.

Andreas Lubitz’s employers have confirmed that his training was interrupted for several months six years ago, without explaining why.

Lufthansa chief Carsten Spohr has insisted that Andreas Lubitz was only able to resume training after his suitability was “re-established”.

“He passed all the subsequent tests and checks with flying colors,” Carsten Spohr was quoted as saying.

Recovery efforts are continuing at the crash site on the third day following the crash.

Investigators continue to comb the crash site for body parts, debris and the second “black box”, which records flight data and still has not been found.

Family members of some of the passengers and crew who died have visited Seyne-les-Alpes, near the crash site.

They were accompanied by psychologists, paramedics and Red Cross workers, and a youth centre in the town was set up to receive them.

Families are providing DNA samples to allow for identification of victims’ remains.

Many have now left the crash site in the French Alps but more relatives are expected over coming days, including loved ones of a Colombian victim.

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Celine Dion to resume Las Vegas residency

Sonia Pantiss
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0
Celine Dion to resume Las Vegas residency

Celine Dion is set for Las Vegas return, a year after she put her career on hold “indefinitely” for health and family reasons.

The Canadian singer cancelled all performances from August last year after her husband, Rene Angelil, was diagnosed with throat cancer for the second time.

“It was Rene’s wish that I come back,” Celine Dion wrote in a statement.

“While my family will always be my priority, my fans are just as important to me.”

Celine Dion, 46, will be back on stage at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace on August 27. She last performed there on July 29, 2014.Celine Dion returns to Las Vegas

She has been married to Rene Angelil, who is also her manager, since 1994. They have three children together.

“I look forward to performing again for all of you… and more importantly having Rene there with me,” Celine Dion’s statement continued.

“Thank you for giving me this time I needed to spend with my family.”

In an interview with Good Morning America, Celine Dion revealed she had been feeding Rene Angelil, 73, through a tube since his surgery to have a cancerous tumor removed in December 2013.

“Rene could not talk and he could not swallow; the surgery was major,” she said.

“I feed him three times a day, I do it myself.”

Celine Dion previously took a two-year hiatus from 2000 to 2002 to help care for her husband, when he was initially diagnosed with throat cancer.

The singer has become a regular fixture in Las Vegas, having performed a near five-year residency there from 2003 to 2007.

Her current residency began in 2011. Although it was originally billed as a three-year event, it was extended through to 2019 last year.

It has been confirmed Celine Dion will resume her residency with 40 performances, to take place between August 2015 and January 2016.

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Yemen President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi gets Saudi refuge

Roy Siemens
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Yemen President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi gets Saudi refuge

Yemeni President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi has left his refuge in Aden under Saudi protection and arrived in Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh, officials say, as a Saudi-led coalition continues to launch air strikes against Shia Houthi rebels.

It is the first confirmation of Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi’s whereabouts since March 25, when he fled rebel forces in the city of Aden.

The officials say he will go to Egypt for an Arab league summit on March 28.

The Saudi authorities began air strikes in Yemen on Wednesday night, a step Iran called “dangerous”.

During the second night of raids warplanes again targeted rebel positions in Yemen’s capital Sanaa and an air base near the southern port city of Aden.

Reports say there were civilian casualties.

Clashes were also reported in Aden between troops loyal to President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi and Houthi rebels.

Saudi Arabia says it is “defending the legitimate government” of Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi.Yemen President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi gets Saudi refuge

Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi took refuge in Aden last month after fleeing Sanaa, where he had been under house arrest since the Houthis took full control of the capital in January.

On March 27, a Saudi official said he had travelled to Riyadh, but would attend the two-day Arab summit in Egypt as the “legitimate” Yemeni president.

The Saudi ambassador to the US, Adel al-Jubair, said the first wave of airstrikes over targets in Yemen “went extremely well and with no collateral damage”.

He said this was “just the beginning of the campaign” which would carry on until “wisdom prevails” among the Houthi rebels.

Sources say the kingdom would consider sending troops to protect the government if it were to re-assemble in Aden in the future.

Reports said Saudi Arabia was using 100 warplanes in the operation, and its allies would contribute dozens more.

Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya TV reported that the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan, Morocco and Sudan were sending aircraft, while Egypt, Jordan, Sudan and Pakistan were ready to take part in any ground offensive targeting the Houthis.

The US said it was providing “logistical and intelligence support”.

However, a Houthi official warned the coalition that it risked provoking a wider war.

Shia power Iran, which Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia accuses of backing the rebels, also demanded an immediate halt to the strikes, which it said violated Yemen’s sovereignty.

Turkey has accused Iran of trying to dominate the region.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he supported the operation against the Houthis, adding Iran’s stance had begun “annoying us, Saudi Arabia and the Gulf countries”.

“This is really not tolerable and Iran has to see this,” he said.

A conflict that pulls in regional powers could disrupt global oil supplies, and the price of Brent crude rose almost 6% after the strikes began.

Media reports said at least 13 civilians were killed in Sanaa during the first day of the air strikes, and 18 people were killed in clashes between rebel fighters and soldiers and militiamen loyal to Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi in southern Yemen.

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Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner case dismissed by Argentina appeals court

Diane A. Wade
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0
Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner case dismissed by Argentina appeals court

The controversial case against Argentina’s President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner has been again dismissed by an appeals court.

Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner was accused of shielding Iran from prosecution over the 1994 bomb attack against a Jewish centre in Buenos Aires.

Two out of three judges voted to reject an appeal by prosecutors, saying that no crime had been committed.

Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner has always denied the allegations.

The original decision to throw out the case against Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner was made by Federal Judge Daniel Rafecas in late February.

He made his conclusions after examining a 350-page report that had been prepared by special prosecutor Alberto Nisman before his unexplained death in January.Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner Amia attack case

On March 26, the justice ministry said in a statement: “The federal appeals chamber ratifies the decision by Judge Daniel Rafecas to reject prosecutor Nisman’s accusation.”

The court of appeals agreed with Judge Daniel Rafecas’ conclusion that there was no evidence pointing to President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner.

The sudden death of Alberto Nisman and the case against Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner has dominated Argentine headlines for much of this year.

The prosecutor was found dead in his apartment on January 18 with a bullet wound to the head and a pistol lying by his side.

Alberto Nisman had been only hours away from testifying in Congress against Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner and Foreign Minister Hector Timerman.

The circumstances of the prosecutor’s death are still unclear.

Earlier in March, Alberto Nisman’s family claimed independent tests showed that he was murdered.

The government has rejected any role in his death.

Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner said Alberto Nisman had been fed misleading information by a rogue intelligence agent who was trying to discredit her government.

Eighty-five people died in the car bomb attack on July 18, 1994 which completely destroyed the seven-storey Argentine Israelite Mutual Association (Amia) cultural centre in Buenos Aires.

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Manhattan buildings collapse: At least 19 people injured in Est Village explosion

Nancy Clayson
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0
Manhattan buildings collapse: At least 19 people injured in Est Village explosion

At least 19 people have been injured after an explosion caused two buildings to collapse in Manhattan’s East Village.

More than 200 firefighters converged to battle the resulting blaze that affected four buildings.

NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio said there were no reports of missing persons, but noted that the situation was fluid.

Officials said they believe work was being done to the building’s gas utilities before the blast.Manhattan East Village explosion

The explosion triggered a fire in a building that housed a sushi restaurant. The blaze then quickly spread to adjacent buildings, officials said.

Emergency dispatchers started received calls reporting the incident around 15:17 local time on March 26 and emergency services were on the scene in about three minutes, city officials said.

The buildings on Second Avenue at East Seventh Street are near New York University and the Washington Square Park area.

Manhattan’s East Village is a neighborhood of small businesses, restaurants and apartments.

Officials remain concerned about the area’s air quality, and told residents to keep their windows closed.

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Why More Hotels Are Losing Out On Corporate Clients This Year

Dana R
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Why More Hotels Are Losing Out On Corporate Clients This Year

Everyone that runs a business expects that 2015 will be a better year for them than 2014. The sad truth is; some companies seem to be doing worse in terms of revenue than last year! The hospitality industry is one such type of business that isn’t doing too well.

Don’t get me wrong; people that use hotels for personal reasons are still taking rooms. It’s the corporate customers that seem to have deserted many of today’s hotels. It turns that there are many different reasons for such an unusual trend:

hotel

Source: Pixabay

Companies want to spend less on hospitality

It’s no secret that many companies are still reeling from the effects of last decade’s global economic crisis. They are spending less and looking for ways to further cut back on their spending.

Many businesses have workers that travel to different parts of the country, and even to countries abroad. The conventional thing to do was to stay at a hotel for the duration of their visit.

But, savvy business owners are requesting that employees use alternative forms of accommodation instead. One popular alternative to staying at a hotel is to book some days at self-catering apartments.

Corporate apartments are not a new accommodation option for business travelers. In today’s modern world, they provide the perfect alternative to expensive hotels. Especially when employees need to stay for several weeks. Hotels are seldom likely to offer significant discounts to their corporate clients these days.

hotel

Source: Pixabay

Another advantage of corporate apartments is that lease terms are flexible. That means employees can stay for one day or 100 days. Hotel bookings aren’t as flexible, especially during peak vacation times of the year.

More than just accommodation

When a worker has to spend a lot of time away from home, they will welcome the ability to make use of other facilities. Examples include gyms, swimming pools, and other fitness center amenities.

Some hotels offer those facilities, but not all of them. And the ones that do charge a hefty premium for the privilege! Employees are seldom likely to pay extra for those facilities. And their employers won’t sanction putting those costs through as business expenses!

Extra space

When you spend a long time based out of a hotel room, things can feel rather bleak and depressing. Typical hotel rooms offer little extra space, and employers won’t pay for workers to upgrade to bigger suites.

Staying at a self-catering location offers more scope for space. It means that it can feel like their home away from home. Not just a small box with a window and bathroom inside of it!

Better Internet access

Corporate properties offer high-speed Internet access. As you know, that’s a must for business travelers. Hotels offer mediocre Internet speeds and charge obscene amounts of money for access!

As you can see, those are just some of the reasons corporate travelers and their employers prefer using alternatives to hotels. If the hospitality industry wants to reverse this decline in business usage, they must change the way they offer their services.

Andreas Lubitz: Germanwings co-pilot’s possessions seized by police

Nancy Clayson
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0
Andreas Lubitz: Germanwings co-pilot’s possessions seized by police

German police have seized possessions belonging to Germanwings co-pilot Andreas Lubitz who apparently crashed his plane in the French Alps killing all 150 people on board, as they investigate his possible motives.

They said they had found a significant clue, according to media reports.

Data from the plane’s voice recorder suggest Andreas Lubitz had deliberately started a descent while the pilot was locked out of the cockpit.

Germanwings flight 9525 from Barcelona to Duesseldorf crashed on March 24.

Several airlines have now pledged to change their rules to ensure at least two crew members are present in the cockpit at all times.

The revelations by the German police come after officers searched Andreas Lubitz’s flat in Duesseldorf and the house the 27-year-old shared with his parents in Montabaur, north of Frankfurt, late on Thursday.

A number of items were removed – including boxes and a computer – from the two properties.

“We have found something which will now be taken for tests. We cannot say what it is at the moment but it may be a very significant clue to what has happened,” the Daily Mail quoted police spokesman Markus Niesczery as saying.Andreas Lubitz Germanwings copilot

However, police said the discovery was not a suicide note.

There were also unconfirmed reports in the German media that Andreas Lubitz had suffered from depression.

Meanwhile, German government officials said Andreas Lubitz was not known to the country’s security services.

Earlier, Carsten Spohr, the head of Lufthansa, the German carrier that owns Germanwings, said the co-pilot had undergone intensive training and “was 100% fit to fly without any caveats”.

Carsten Spohr said Andreas Lubitz’s training had been interrupted for several months six years ago, but did not say why.

The training was resumed after “the suitability of the candidate was re-established”, he said.

On March 26, Marseille prosecutor Brice Robin said the co-pilot appeared to want to “destroy the plane”.

Citing information from the recovered “black box” voice recorder, Brice Robin said Andreas Lubitz was alone in the cockpit just before the crash.

Brice Robin said there was “absolute silence in the cockpit” as the pilot fought to re-enter it.

Air traffic controllers made repeated attempts to contact the aircraft, the prosecutor added, but to no avail.

Passengers were not aware of the impending crash “until the very last moment” when screams could be heard, Brice Robin said, adding that they died instantly.

“We hear the pilot ask the co-pilot to take control of the plane and we hear at the same time the sound of a seat moving backwards and the sound of a door closing,” the prosecutor said.

Brice Robin said the pilot, named in the German media as Patrick Sonderheimer, had probably gone to the restroom.

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Manhattan building collapses after explosion

Nancy Clayson
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Manhattan building collapses after explosion

A New York City building has collapsed and another is on fire after an apparent explosion in Manhattan’s East Village.

Emergency services are on the scene and say four people are critically injured, and 12 others were injured.

Flames and smoke pouring out of a five-floor building, and firefighters are spraying the building.

Officials are investigating whether a gas leak is to blame. There were reports of an explosion before the fire.

About 250 fire-fighters are on hand to battle the blaze.

Photo Getty Images
Photo Getty Images

Emergency services started received calls reporting the fire around 15:15 local time.

According to the New York Times, an explosion triggered the fire in one building, which quickly spread to another.

The area in Manhattan’s East Village – close to New York University – is being evacuated.

Firefighters began spraying the flames, but had to retreat after the flames became too intense, the local station reported, local news station WABC reported.

The station said that there are fears that the other building could collapse as well, and it’s not clear if anyone has been trapped in the building or rubble.

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Downton Abbey to end after Season 6

Sonia Pantiss
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Downton Abbey to end after Season 6

Downton Abbey will end after Season 6, the show’s makers have announced.

“Inevitably there comes a time when all shows should end and Downton is no exception,” said the show’s executive producer Gareth Neame.

Created by Julian Fellowes, Downton Abbey follows an aristocratic family’s fortunes from 1912 to the mid-1920s.

Hugh Bonneville and Elizabeth McGovern have played the Earl and Countess of Grantham since the show began in 2010.

Downton Abbey has won a string of awards since its inception, including two BAFTAs, three Golden Globes and 11 Primetime Emmys.Downton Abbey Season 6

The ITV show’s success both at home and abroad was recently demonstrated when Kate Middleton went to see it being filmed at Ealing Studios in west London.

Michelle Dockery, Jim Carter and Maggie Smith are among other regulars on the show, which has seen both the masters and the servants at the titular stately home – actually Highclere Castle in Hampshire – deal with numerous tribulations.

The show has also had a glitzy array of guest stars, among them Shirley MacLaine, Paul Giamatti, Richard E. Grant and Nigel Havers.

“We wanted to close the doors of Downton Abbey when it felt right and natural for the storylines to come together and when the show was still being enjoyed so much by its fans,” said Gareth Neame.

“We can promise a final season full of all the usual drama and intrigue, but with the added excitement of discovering how and where they all end up.”

Peter Fincham, ITV’s director of television, said the nine-episode sixth series would come to an end with a “concluding special” on Christmas Day.

Speaking to journalists on March 26, however, Gareth Neame did not dismiss talk of a potential film spin-off, saying it was “definitely something we’re contemplating”.

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Cissy Houston Breaks Her Silence on Bobbi Kristina Brown’s Condition

Lisa.Felice
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In a recent interview, Cissy Houston broke her silence on granddaughter Bobbi Kristina Brown’s condition.

“She’s the same,” Whitney Houston’s mother told New York radio station WBLS 107.5 on March 25.

Cissy Houston, 81, said: “We’ve moved her to a place for rehabilitation. And you know, still not a great deal of hope. [We’re] still praying.”

She also thanked everyone for their endless support, saying she feels “every bit of it”, and revealed that she has already made peace with the devastating situation.

“I don’t pray like that,” she said.

“I give it to God one time, because He’s able. And I cannot change a thing. I’m asking everybody, just pray to the Lord who we know CAN do something about it.”

Cissy Houston continued: “If He works a miracle, thank God. If it happens the other way, I’m alright.”

Bobbi Kristina Brown was recently moved from Emory University Hospital to a rehabilitation center in Atlanta, but still remains in a coma and on life support.

Fifty Shades of Grey: Sam Taylor-Johnson walks away from sequels

Sonia Pantiss
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Fifty Shades of Grey: Sam Taylor-Johnson walks away from sequels

Fifty Shades of Grey director Sam Taylor-Johnson will not direct the movie’s planned two sequels.

Sam Taylor-Johnson said she was “hugely grateful” to have been chosen to adapt E.L. James’s 2011 best-seller.

She then wished “nothing but success to whosoever takes on the exciting challenges of films two and three”.

Fifty Shades or Grey, about a businessman who begins an affair with a young student, has made almost $560 million at the worldwide box office.

Photo Getty Images
Photo Getty Images

E.L. James’s trilogy of Fifty Shades books have reportedly sold more than 100 million copies worldwide and been translated into more than 50 languages.

Relations between Sam Taylor-Johnson and the author were said to be strained during its production, prompting speculation the artist-turned-director would not return to continue or complete the film trilogy.

“We battled all the way through,” Sam Taylor-Johnson told Vanity Fair magazine.

“She’d say the same. There were tough times and revelatory times. There were sparring contests. It was definitely not an easy process.”

Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson are expected to return as Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele in the next film, scheduled for release in 2017.

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Andreas Lubitz: Who was Germanwings 9525 co-pilot?

Nancy Clayson
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Andreas Lubitz: Who was Germanwings 9525 co-pilot?

Andreas Lubitz was the Germanwings co-pilot who officials say locked out Captain Patrick Sonderheimer from the cockpit and deliberately crashed Flight 9525 into the French Alps, killing all 150 people onboard.

French prosecutor Brice Robin said Andreas Lubitz, 28, locked the doors of the cockpit after the captain went to the restroom and sent the plane into descent with 150 people on board on march 24.

Investigators will now pore over Andreas Lubitz’s background to try and ascertain his exact mental state in the days leading up to the plane crash.

Andreas Lubitz lived with his parents at their home in the western town of Montabaur, which has now become a scene of deep media intrigue.

Police officers have been patrolling the quiet town to keep reporters and photographers away from the front door.

Andreas Lubitz first took to the skies as a teenager, at the LSC Westerwald e.V. glider club in Montabaur.

Photo Twitter
Photo Twitter

He learned to fly in a sleek white ASK-21 two-seat glider when he was around 14 or 15-years-old, according to the club’s chairman Klaus Radke.

In 2008, Andreas Lubitz was accepted as a Lufthansa trainee, after obtaining his glider pilot’s license, and enrolled at the company’s training school in Bremen.

In 2014, he joined subsidiary airline Germanwings and began working as a co-pilot. He had flown a total of 630 hours before Tuesday’s fatal crash.

“He was 100% fit to fly without any restrictions or conditions,” Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr told reporters in Cologne.

Those who knew Andreas Lubitz have described him as a quiet but affable character who gave no indications he was harboring any harmful intent.

Klaus Radke told the Associated Press that he saw Andreas Lubitz last autumn, when he returned to the club to renew his glider license.

“He seemed very enthusiastic about his career. I can’t remember anything where something wasn’t right,” he said.

Klaus Radke rejected the prosecutor’s claims that the plane was brought down intentionally. He said: “I don’t see how anyone can draw such conclusions before the investigation is completed.”

Peter Ruecker, a long-time member of club, also insisted Andreas Lubitz seemed “very happy” during their last meeting.

“I’m just speechless. I don’t have any explanation for this. Knowing Andreas, this is just inconceivable for me,” he said.

Prosecutor Brice Robin said there were no grounds to suspect that Andres Lubitz had carried out a terrorist attack. He refused to discuss his religious background.

“Suicide” was also the wrong word to describe actions which killed so many other people, Brice Robin said.

“I don’t necessarily call it suicide when you have responsibility for 100 or so lives.”

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Andreas Lubitz: Germanwings flight 9525 co-pilot deliberately destroys plane

Diane A. Wade
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Andreas Lubitz: Germanwings flight 9525 co-pilot deliberately destroys plane

Andreas Lubitz, the co-pilot of Germanwings flight 4U 9525 that crashed in the French Alps on March 24, appeared to want to “destroy the plane”, officials said.

Marseille prosecutor Brice Robin, citing information from the “black box” voice recorder, said co-pilot Andreas Lubitz was alone in the cockpit.

He intentionally started a descent while the pilot was locked out.

Brice Robin said there was “absolute silence in the cockpit” as the pilot fought to re-enter it.

He said air traffic controllers made repeated attempts to contact the aircraft, but to no avail. Passengers could be heard screaming just before the crash, he added.

Details are emerging of Andreas Lubitz’s past – although his apparent motives for causing the crash remain a mystery.

Photo Twitter
Photo Twitter

Andreas Lubitz, 28, had undergone intensive training and “was 100% fit to fly without any caveats”, according to Carsten Spohr, the head of Lufthansa, the German carrier that owns Germanwings.

Carsten Spohr said Andreas Lubitz’s training had been interrupted briefly six years ago but was resumed after “the suitability of the candidate was re-established”.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel told reporters that Andreas Lubitz’s apparent actions had given the tragedy a “new, simply incomprehensible dimension”.

The Airbus 320 from Barcelona to Duesseldorf hit a mountain, killing all 144 passengers and six crew, after an eight-minute descent.

“We hear the pilot ask the co-pilot to take control of the plane and we hear at the same time the sound of a seat moving backwards and the sound of a door closing,” Brice Robin told reporters.

He said the pilot, named in the German media as Patrick S, had probably gone to the toilet.

“At that moment, the co-pilot is controlling the plane by himself. While he is alone, the co-pilot presses the buttons of the flight monitoring system to put into action the descent of the aeroplane.

“He operated this button for a reason we don’t know yet, but it appears that the reason was to destroy this plane.”

Andreas Lubitz was alive until the final impact, the prosecutor said.

Brice Robin said “the most plausible interpretation” was that the co-pilot had deliberately barred the pilot from re-entering the cockpit.

He added that Andreas Lubitz was “not known by us” to have any links to extremism or terrorism.

Lufthansa has arranged two special flights for families and friends on March 26 – one from Barcelona and one from Duesseldorf – to Marseille, and both groups will travel on by road. Separately, some relatives who did not want to fly are travelling by bus from Barcelona.

The second “black box” – that records flight data – has still not been found.

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Oil prices surge after Saudi Arabia and allies launch air strikes on Houthi fighters in Yemen

Clyde K. Valle
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Oil prices surge after Saudi Arabia and allies launch air strikes on Houthi fighters in Yemen

Oil prices rose by almost 6% after Saudi Arabia and its allies launched air strikes on Houthi rebel targets in Yemen.

Saudi Arabia is the world’s biggest crude exporter.

The move has raised concerns that the conflict could spread in the oil-rich Middle East and possibly disrupt supplies from the region.

West Texas Intermediate crude futures, the US benchmark, rallied to about $51 a barrel before falling back.

Brent crude climbed to $59.71 a barrel, but has since dipped to $56.50.

Pressure on the oil price eased slightly as it became clear there was no immediate threat to Middle East oil shipments. However, fears remain that Iran could be drawn into the conflict.Oil prices surge after Saudi Arabia and allies launch air strikes on Houthi fighters in Yemen

Yemen is located along an important international shipping route for global energy producers. But the country is sliding towards civil war.

Houthi rebels receiving support from Iran have marched on the southern Yemeni port city of Aden, where Yemen’s President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi took refuge after he was forced him to flee the capital, Sanaa.

Saudi Arabia, supported by regional allies the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait, launched airstrikes on Thursday aimed at halting the rebel advance.

Iran and Saudi Arabia are both members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), the group that produces about 40% of the world’s oil. Oil exports to Europe pass through the narrow Red Sea strait between the port of Aden and Djibouti.

However, the current glut in global oil stocks, built up in part thanks to US shale production and plentiful output from Russia and other producers, means there is unlikely to be an acute crisis in supply.

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Oklahoma tornado kills at least one person in Tulsa

Nancy Clayson
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Oklahoma tornado kills at least one person in Tulsa

Several people were injured and at least one person killed after a tornado roared through Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Tulsa police said the death occurred inside a mobile home park near suburban Sand Springs on March 25. The park was nearly destroyed in the storm.

“It could have been much worse,” Sheriff’s Capt Billy McKinley said.

Photo Reuters
Photo Reuters

It was unclear whether the damage was caused by the tornado or just high winds. Billy McKinley said the exact number of people hurt was not known.

Tornadoes were seen elsewhere in Oklahoma, as well as in Arkansas, but no injuries were reported from those.

Until March 24, when a waterspout formed over an Arkansas lake, the US had not had a tornado in more than a month, marking a slow start to the season.

Typically more than 100 tornadoes are recorded in the US by this time each year, but as of last week only two dozen had been reported.

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Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito Italian court ruling postponed

Nancy Clayson
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Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito Italian court ruling postponed

Italy’s Court of Cassation has delayed a decision on whether to uphold the convictions of Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito for the 2007 murder of British student Meredith Kercher.

The top court will hear from Raffaele Sollecito’s defense team on March 27 before the judges give their verdict.

Former lovers Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito were convicted for the second time in 2014.

They have maintained their innocence throughout and have already served four years in prison.

The Court of Cassation in Rome is due to confirm the guilty verdict or overturn it – either ordering another trial or effectively bringing about an acquittal.

A definitive conviction would trigger complicated attempts to extradite American Knox, who lives in Seattle in the US.

Raffaele Sollecito, from Bari, southern Italy, has remained in the country, and attended the court with his new girlfriend on March 25.Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito Italian court ruling postponed

Speaking before the hearing, the Kercher family’s lawyer, Francesco Maresca, said they hoped the court’s decision would bring an end to the judicial process.

“It’s a case that has gone on for so many years now,” he said.

“They hope that this will be the final stage of this judicial process and they will at last… be able to remember Meredith outside of the court room [process].”

Leeds University student Meredith Kercher, 21, from Coulsdon, south London, was found dead in the flat she shared with Amanda Knox, now 27, in Perugia, central Italy, where both women were studying.

Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito, 30, were convicted of the murder by a trial court in Perugia in 2009.

They were freed in 2011 after an appellate court overturned the convictions.

The Court of Cassation rebuked the appellate judge’s reasoning and last year an appeals court in Florence sentenced Amanda Knox to 28 years and Raffaele Sollecito to 25 years.

The latest ruling could confirm that conviction or overturn it – and either order yet another trial or effectively acquit the pair, although legal experts say the last option is unlikely.

Rudy Hermann Guede, born in the Ivory Coast, who opted for a fast-track trial, is serving a 16-year sentence for his role in the murder of Meredith Kercher.

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Elephants save 18 wheeler truck from overturning in Louisiana

Nancy Clayson
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Elephants save 18 wheeler truck from overturning in Louisiana

Two elephants have helped prevent a truck from overturning in Louisiana.

When authorities responded to an emergency call about an 18-wheel vehicle stuck in a muddy lay-by, they found the elephants hard at work.

The Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Office said the truck had been hauling three elephants from New Orleans to Dallas when it got into trouble.

Officials were “astounded” by what they saw, a spokesman said.

The truck became stuck when it pulled off the highway and onto a lay-by near Powhatan, Louisiana, shortly after 07:00 local time on March 24.Two elephants support a stranded eighteen-wheel truck in danger of tipping over in Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana in this handout photo

“When deputies arrived on scene, they were astounded to find two elephants keeping the eighteen wheeler from overturning,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.

As the truck began to lean towards a ditch, the owner led two of the elephants out of the trailer and corralled them into preventing the truck from falling further.

Recent rains have caused the ground surrounding the highway to become soft, the sheriff’s office said.

Eventually a tow-truck pulled the vehicle to safety, and the elephants were able to rest.

It is not clear who owns the elephants or the truck.

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