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Windows XP users still get Microsoft security update after fixing IE flaw

Nancy Clayson
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Windows XP users still get Microsoft security update after fixing IE flaw

Windows XP users can still get a Microsoft security update after it has fixed a flaw in the Internet Explorer browser.

Microsoft issued the update on Thursday to fix a bug that let hackers gain access and user rights to computers.

The tech giant ended support for Windows XP earlier this month, ceasing to issue bug fixes or security updates for it.

Microsoft said it decided to make an exception as the flaw was discovered just days after the support ended.

Microsoft has said users of its Windows XP operating system will also get the security update it has issued to fix a flaw in the Internet Explorer browser
Microsoft has said users of its Windows XP operating system will also get the security update it has issued to fix a flaw in the Internet Explorer browser

“Even though Windows XP is no longer supported by Microsoft and is past the time we normally provide security updates, we’ve decided to provide an update for all versions of Windows XP,” Adrienne Hall, general manager of Trustworthy Computing at Microsoft, said in a blog post.

“We made this exception based on the proximity to the end of support for Windows XP.”

The flaw was reported earlier this week and there had been uncertainty over whether XP users would get the update when it was released.

The flaw affected Internet Explorer (IE) versions 6 to 11 and Microsoft said it was aware of “limited, targeted attacks” to exploit it.

According to NetMarket Share, the IE versions account for more than 50% of the global web browser market.

Microsoft said that hackers could exploit the flaw by hosting a “specially crafted website” designed to exploit the vulnerability.

If users visited the website, hackers could use it to gain access to their computer and get the same rights as the machine’s user.

However, hackers would have needed to convince users to view and interact with the website, and would have had “no way to force users” to view the content otherwise.

On Thursday, Microsoft said its security update fixed the flaw.

“This update is fully tested and ready for release for all affected versions of the browser,” the firm said.

“The majority of customers have automatic updates enabled and will not need to take any action because protections will be downloaded and installed automatically.”

MH370: Search could take up to a year

Diane A. Wade
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MH370: Search could take up to a year

A full search of the suspected crash area of Malaysia airliner MH370 could take up to a year, officials said.

Speaking in Malaysia, Australia’s ACM Angus Houston said he was confident an “effective search” would find the plane.

Officials from Australia, China and Malaysia will meet in Canberra next week to discuss the ongoing search.

On Thursday a report revealed a four-hour gap between MH370’s disappearance and the start of a search operation.

The preliminary report, from Malaysia’s transport ministry, also revealed that air traffic controllers did not realize the plane was missing until 17 minutes after it disappeared off radar.

The plane, carrying 239 people, disappeared over the South China Sea as it flew from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

A full search of the suspected crash area of Malaysia airliner MH370 could take up to a year
A full search of the suspected crash area of Malaysia airliner MH370 could take up to a year (photo Reuters)

Officials believe it ended its journey in seas west of the Australian city of Perth, thousands of kilometers off course, but do not yet know why. An intensive multinational search has so far turned up no sign of the plane.

Earlier this week, Australia announced that the operation was entering a new phase, after an initial search of the area where acoustic signals thought to be from “black box” flight recorders were heard found nothing.

Next week’s meeting in Australia will help determine what happens next.

“That’s a very important meeting because it will formalize the way ahead to ensure that this search continues with urgency and doesn’t stop at any stage,” said Angus Houston.

The aerial search for floating wreckage has been called off. The search of the sea floor will be expanded in the area where officials believe – based on satellite data – that the plane crashed.

“The search will take probably in the order of eight months, maybe eight to 12 months if we have bad weather or other issues,” Angus Huston said.

“But we’re totally committed to find MH370 and I’m confident that with an effective search we will eventually find the aircraft.”

Late on Thursday, Malaysian officials released their preliminary report on the missing airliner.

According to the draft, Vietnamese air traffic controllers contacted their counterparts in Kuala Lumpur at 01:38 to say MH370 was missing, 17 minutes after it disappeared off radar.

The official search-and-rescue operation was launched four hours later, at 05:30.

The report also recommended the introduction of real-time tracking of commercial air transport, saying there had now been two recent occasions when large planes had gone missing with their last position unclear – MH370 and Air France Flight 447 in 2009.

“This uncertainty resulted in significant difficulty in locating the aircraft in a timely manner,” the report noted.

There is no requirement from the International Civil Aviation Authority (ICAO), the UN body that oversees global aviation, for real-time tracking.

Malaysia Airlines, meanwhile, has asked relatives of passengers to leave the hotel accommodation it has been providing and go home.

The airline said it was “deeply sympathetic to the continuing unimaginable anguish, distress and hardship suffered by those with loved ones on board the flight”.

It warned that the continuing search would be a “prolonged process” and said relatives should wait for updates “within the comfort of their own homes”.

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AstraZeneca rejects new takeover offer from Pfizer

Clyde K. Valle
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AstraZeneca rejects new takeover offer from Pfizer

Pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca has rejected the new takeover offer from Pfizer.

Pfizer had earlier raised the price it was offering for AstraZeneca to $80 a share, valuing the firm at $100 billion.

However, the UK company said the new terms offered were, “inadequate, substantially undervalue AstraZeneca and are not a basis on which to engage with Pfizer”.

If the deal were to go through it would be the biggest takeover of AstraZeneca by a foreign firm.

AstraZeneca employs more than 51,000 staff worldwide, with 6,700 in the UK. Pfizer – whose drugs include Viagra – has a global workforce of more than 70,000, with 2,500 in the UK.

AstraZeneca has rejected the new takeover offer from Pfizer
AstraZeneca has rejected the new takeover offer from Pfizer

Announcing Pfizer’s new offer, Pfizer chairman and chief executive Ian Read said the company believed “that there is a highly compelling strategic, business and financial rationale for combining our businesses, with significant benefits for shareholders and stakeholders of both companies”.

“We believe our proposal is responsive to the views of AstraZeneca shareholders and provides a sound basis upon which to arrive at recommendable terms for the combination of our two companies.”

Pfizer also sent a letter to UK’s PM David Cameron to try to address concerns over the bid.

On Wednesday, four scientific bodies raised concerns about possible UK lab closures following a Pfizer deal, and a committee of lawmakers is considering an inquiry into the issue.

Pfizer told PM David Cameron it would go ahead with AstraZeneca’s planned research and development (R&D) base in Cambridge, and retain its Macclesfield manufacturing facilities.

The US company also pledged that if the deal went ahead, 20% of the combined company’s R&D workforce would be based in the UK.

Pfizer said its commitments would be valid for five years, unless circumstances changed significantly.

The latest offer from Pfizer is a mixture of cash and shares equivalent to $80 per AstraZeneca share. If the deal goes through, Pfizer also wants to establish its corporate and tax residence in the UK, as well as its European headquarters.

AstraZeneca’s board said the offer was too low, and that it believed a major driver for Pfizer’s takeover was the move to establish a tax residence in the UK by changing its company structure.

“The large proportion of the consideration payable in Pfizer shares and the tax-driven inversion structure remain unchanged. Accordingly, the board has rejected the proposal,” AstraZeneca said.

Leif Johansson, chairman of AstraZeneca, added that the company’s product “pipeline” of new drugs was “rapidly progressing”.

“Pfizer’s proposal would dramatically dilute AstraZeneca shareholders’ exposure to our unique pipeline and would create risks around its delivery,” Leif Johansson said.

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Syria: Two suicide bombings kill 11 children in Hama

Roy Siemens
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Syria: Two suicide bombings kill 11 children in Hama

Two suicide attacks in the Syrian province of Hama killed at least 18 people, including 11 children, state media has reported.

It said the “terrorist explosions” took place in Jibrin – north-east of Hama city – and al-Humeiri.

The villages are under the control of the government.

The attack comes days after scores of people were killed and injured in explosions in government-controlled parts of the central city of Homs.

There has so far been no claim of responsibility for the bombings, correspondents say, but al-Qaeda affiliated rebels of Al-Nusra Front have carried out several car bombings in recent weeks.

Human rights groups say that both the government of President Bashar al-Assad and rebels fighting to depose him are killing civilians.

Human rights groups say that both the government of President Bashar al-Assad and rebels fighting to depose him are killing civilians
Human rights groups say that both the government of President Bashar al-Assad and rebels fighting to depose him are killing civilians (photo Reuters)

Hama saw some of the largest demonstrations against Bashar al-Assad in the first months of the Syrian uprising after March 2011.

In late summer 2011, security forces stormed the city and have maintained control ever since.

Hama’s main city occupies a significant place in the history of modern Syria.

In 1982, then-President Hafez al-Assad, father of Bashar, sent in troops to quell an uprising by the Sunni opposition Muslim Brotherhood. Tens of thousands were killed and the city flattened.

The violence in Hama province comes as the government subjects rebel-held areas in the northern city of Aleppo to fierce aerial bombardment as its forces try to end a long-standing stalemate in the city.

On Thursday at least 33 people were killed in an air strike on a market in the northern Halak district of the city.

The strike outraged The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) which described it as the “latest wave of indiscriminate attacks perpetrated against schools and other civilian targets” across Syria.

Sloviansk separatists shoot down Ukraine’s army helicopters

Roy Siemens
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Sloviansk separatists shoot down Ukraine’s army helicopters

Sloviansk separatists have shot down two of Ukraine’s army helicopters during an “anti-terror” operation in the eastern city, Kiev says.

Ukraine’s military said a pilot and serviceman were killed and nine rebel checkpoints seized.

Russia says Kiev’s actions “killed the last hope” for a deal agreed last month in Geneva aimed at defusing the crisis.

President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov also described Ukraine’s operation as “punitive”.

Dmitry Peskov said that contact had been lost with Russian envoy Vladimir Lukin sent to the south-eastern Ukraine.

Russia’s foreign ministry earlier warned that any assaults by Ukraine’s troops in the region would have “catastrophic consequences”, triggering fears of an invasion by Moscow.

Separately, reports are coming that several foreign journalists have been detained in Sloviansk.

Sloviansk separatists have shot down two of Ukraine's army helicopters during an anti-terror operation
Sloviansk separatists have shot down two of Ukraine’s army helicopters during an anti-terror operation (photo Reuters)

Sloviansk is a stronghold for pro-Russian separatists who are exerting increasing control in the region.

In a statement on Friday, Ukrainian Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said the “active phase” of the operation began at 04:30 local time.

He said interior troops and the National Guard were involved in the operation in the Sloviansk-Kramatorsk region.

“The terrorists opened fire with heavy weapons against Ukrainian special units.

“A real battle with professional mercenaries is going on,” Arsen Avakov said, adding that the separatists were using the tactics of hiding behind civilians in residential buildings.

Russia’s state-run Rossiya 24 TV channel said the city was being “stormed”.

It quoted Sloviansk’s rebel leader Igor Strelkov as saying that the city was completely sealed off.

The fighting appears to be concentrating on the periphery of the city.

However, there were no reports of Ukrainian government troops entering the city itself.

Local residents were later quoted as saying that the situation in the city calmed down but remained tense.

Earlier, Ukraine’s acting President Oleksandr Turchynov reinstated military conscription.

Eastern Ukraine has a large Russian-speaking population and was a stronghold for President Viktor Yanukovych before he was overthrown by pro-Western protesters in February.

The crisis has plunged East-West relations to their lowest point since the Cold War ended in the early 1990s.

On Thursday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel asked Russia in a phone call to President Vladimir Putin to help free foreign military monitors seized by rebels in Slovianks last week.

For his part, Vladimir Putin reiterated his call for Kiev to withdraw troops from the south-east to open the way for a national dialogue.

Angela Merkel is due to meet President Barack Obama in Washington on Friday to discuss the crisis in Ukraine.

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Seoul subway trains collision injures 170 people at Sangwangsimni Station

Diane A. Wade
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Seoul subway trains collision injures 170 people at Sangwangsimni Station

At least 170 people have been injured after two subway trains collided in the South Korean capital Seoul.

A number of people were taken to hospital for treatment, but no-one suffered serious injuries, officials said.

The accident happened after one train ran into the back of another that had stopped at the Sangwangsimni Station in east Seoul.

The accident happened after one train ran into the back of another that had stopped at the Sangwangsimni Station in east Seoul
The accident happened after one train ran into the back of another that had stopped at the Sangwangsimni Station in east Seoul (photo Yonhap)

It comes as the nation continues to mourn the deaths of about 300 people in last month’s ferry disaster.

The Sewol ferry sank with 476 people aboard – most of them high school students and teachers – off South Korea on 16 April.

Friday’s crash happened at around 15:30 local time at the Sangwangsimni Station on one of Seoul’s major subway lines, the South Korean news agency Yonhap reports.

Yonhap said the stationary train had stopped because of mechanical problems when the second train ran into the back of it.

A witness said many passengers ignored an onboard announcement telling them to stay inside and forced the doors open, escaping on to the tracks.

One official said 170 people had complained of feeling pain after the accident, and 32 were taken to a nearby hospital, but no-one was seriously hurt, the Associated Press reports.

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Donald Sterling racist row: LA NAACP Leon Jenkins resigns over Clippers owner lifetime achievement

Clyde K. Valle
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Donald Sterling racist row: LA NAACP Leon Jenkins resigns over Clippers owner lifetime achievement

President of the Los Angeles chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Leon Jenkins resigned Thursday amid the backlash over its since-rescinded plans to give a lifetime achievement award to Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling.

“The legacy, history and reputation of the NAACP is more important to me than the presidency,” Leon Jenkins said in a brief statement late Thursday.

Leon Jenkins' resignation comes as a committee of NBC owners met to figure out a way to force Donald Sterling to sell the Clippers
Leon Jenkins’ resignation comes as a committee of NBC owners met to figure out a way to force Donald Sterling to sell the Clippers

Leon Jenkins said he made his decision to “separate the Los Angeles NAACP and the NAACP from the negative exposure I have caused the NAACP”.

He and his chapter of the national civil rights organization have been under fierce scrutiny since it emerged that it was to have given its highest honor to Donald Sterling, whom the National Basketball Association (NBA) banned for life after he was taped making racially offensive comments.

The NAACP canceled the honor Monday.

Leon Jenkins’ resignation comes as a committee of NBC owners met Thursday to figure out a way to force Donald Sterling to sell the Clippers.

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Donald Sterling racist row: NBA owners committee agrees on LA Clippers forced sale

Clyde K. Valle
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Donald Sterling racist row: NBA owners committee agrees on LA Clippers forced sale

The committee of NBA owners voted to proceed with efforts to force the sale of the Los Angeles Clippers following Donald Sterling’s racist row.

Clippers owner Donald Sterling was banned from the sport for life this week after he was recorded making racist remarks.

The 10-member NBA advisory committee met on Thursday and unanimously agreed to move forward in the process of terminating Donald Sterling’s ownership.

A number of celebrities have expressed interest in purchasing the sports team.

“The committee unanimously agreed to move forward as expeditiously as possible and will reconvene next week,” said NBA executive vice president Mike Bass.

Clippers owner Donald Sterling was banned from the sport for life this week after he was recorded making racist remarks
Clippers owner Donald Sterling was banned from the sport for life this week after he was recorded making racist remarks (photo Getty Images)

A forced sale of the LA Clippers would require the approval of three-quarters of the 30 team owners in the NBA.

However, Donald Sterling could oppose the sale in the courts, according to sports lawyers.

Oprah Winfrey, media executive David Geffen and boxing legend Floyd Mayweather have been among those touted as prospective buyers.

Another casualty of the row emerged on Thursday evening, when the president of the Los Angeles chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) resigned.

Leon Jenkins had intended to present Donald Sterling with a “lifetime achievement award” later this month, a move he withdrew after the recording emerged in which the Clippers owner made racist comments.

In his resignation letter, Leon Jenkins said: “In order to separate the Los Angeles NAACP and the NAACP from the negative exposure I have caused the NAACP, I respectfully resign my position.”

In the 10-minute audio recording, Donald Sterling can be heard criticizing his girlfriend V. Stiviano for posting online photographs of herself with black friends at Clippers games.

“It bothers me a lot that you want to broadcast that you are associating with black people. Do you have to?” the man says.

On Tuesday, NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Donald Sterling had acknowledged it was his voice on the recording. It was not clear how or when the conversation was recorded.

Adam Silver subsequently announced Donald Sterling’s expulsion from the NBA along with a $2.5 million, the maximum allowed.

Donald Sterling’s remarks caused an immediate uproar in Los Angeles and among basketball fans across the country.

The Clippers are competing in the first round of the NBA playoffs, drawing extra scrutiny to the incident.

Team coach Doc Rivers later said the lifetime ban and fine for Donald Sterling was the “start of a healing process”.

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Ukraine reinstates military conscription to deal with deteriorating security in eastern region

Roy Siemens
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Ukraine reinstates military conscription to deal with deteriorating security in eastern region

Ukraine has reinstated military conscription to deal with deteriorating security in the east of the country, acting President Oleksandr Turchynov.

The move, announced in a decree, came as pro-Russia militants seized the regional prosecutor’s office in the eastern city of Donetsk.

Ukraine blames Russia for organizing the seizures of a number of offices in the east, a claim Moscow denies.

Some 40,000 Russian troops are stationed near the Ukrainian border.

Oleksandr Turchynov admitted on Wednesday that his forces were “helpless” to quell the unrest in some parts of the east, saying the goal was now to prevent it from spreading.

He also said Ukraine was on “full combat alert”, amid fears that Russian troops could invade.

Ukraine has reinstated military conscription to deal with deteriorating security in the east of the country
Ukraine has reinstated military conscription to deal with deteriorating security in the east of the country (photo EPA)

On Thursday, his office said in a statement that conscription was being introduced “given the deteriorating situation in the east and the south… the rising force of armed pro-Russian units and the taking of public administration buildings… which threaten territorial integrity”.

Kiev’s decision is, in the short-term at least, a symbolic step as the Ukrainian military has been starved of cash for years and is no match for what Russia has on its borders.

The real battle for control of Ukrainian territory is already under way and Kiev is losing ground.

Analysts say Ukraine has 130,000 personnel in its armed forces that could be boosted to about one million with reservists.

Kiev scrapped compulsory military service for young men in late 2013 under a law introduced by then President Viktor Yanukovych.

At the time, Viktor Yanukovych said Ukraine would introduce military reforms to create “a professional army”.

In Donetsk on Thursday, pro-Russian militants attacked the prosecutor’s office, accusing those inside of siding with the government in Kiev.

The crowd later forced its way into the building, stripping weapons and shields from police officers and raising the flag of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic.

Donetsk, an industrial hub of more than one million people, has seen a number of government offices seized in recent weeks.

Eastern Ukraine has a large Russian-speaking population and was a stronghold for Viktor Yanukovych before he was overthrown by protesters in February.

Russia then annexed the Crimean peninsula – part of Ukraine but with a Russian-speaking majority – in a move that provoked international outrage.

The crisis has plunged East-West relations to their lowest point since the Cold War.

On Thursday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel asked Russia in a phone call to President Vladimir Putin to help free foreign monitors held in eastern Ukraine.

The military observers were seized by pro-Russia separatists at a checkpoint in the flashpoint town of Sloviansk last Friday.

For his part, Vladimir Putin reiterated his call for Kiev to withdraw troops from the south-east to open the way for a national dialogue.

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Stephanie Wilson found desperate plea from China factory prisoner in Saks bag

Nancy Clayson
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Stephanie Wilson found desperate plea from China factory prisoner in Saks bag

Stephanie Wilson has revealed to US media how she found a plea for help from a man imprisoned in China in a bag from the Saks Fifth Avenue store in New York.

In the note, the man said he was forced to work 13-hour days at a Chinese prison factory to make the bags.

The discovery by Stephanie Wilson in September 2012 prompted a search for the man’s whereabouts, reports say.

News website DNAinfo says it managed to track down the man – a Cameroonian who had already been released.

Saks Fifth Avenue said it had launched an investigation into the discovery but could not determine the specific origins of the bag, the report adds.

Stephanie Wilson found a plea for help from Tohnain Emmanuel Njong imprisoned in China in a Saks shopping bag
Stephanie Wilson found a plea for help from Tohnain Emmanuel Njong imprisoned in China in a Saks shopping bag

Stephanie Wilson, 28, made the discovery after pulling out a receipt from a paper shopping bag from the Fifth Avenue store.

The note, signed by Tohnain Emmanuel Njong, said: “We are ill-treated and work like slaves for 13 hours every day producing these bags in bulk in the prison factory.”

He ended his letter by saying “thanks and sorry to bother you” and left an email address, which was discovered at the time to be defunct.

A passport-sized photo of a man in an orange jacket was also enclosed.

“I read the letter and I just shook,” Stephanie Wilson told DNAinfo.

Stephanie Wilson, an Australian currently working in New York, passed the note on to the human rights Laogai Research Foundation.

The organization was unable to track Tohnain Emmanuel Njong down but raised awareness of the letter with the Department of Homeland Security and the Saks Fifth Avenue store.

With the help of social media accounts, DNAinfo said it recently made contact with someone who identified himself as the man behind the letter.

“Unprompted, Njong described obscure details in the letter, like its mention of Samuel Eto’o, a professional soccer player on English Premier league team Chelsea, who like Njong is from Cameroon in West Africa,” the website said.

According to DNAinfo, Tohnain Emmanuel Njong was detained in the eastern Chinese city of Qingdao after being arrested for fraud in May 2011 – charges he denies.

Tohnain Emmanuel Njong, 34, told the news website that he had worked long hours in the factory to produce paper bags, electronic goods and garments, from 06:00 until 22:00.

He said he wrote a total of five letters in both French and English calling for help.

“Maybe this bag could go somewhere and they find this letter and they can let my family know or anybody [know] that I am in prison,” he added.

Tohnain Emmanuel Njong said he was released on a reduced sentence for good behavior in December 2013 and was later reunited with his family in Cameroon, the website added.

Boston Marathon bombings TV series to be developed by Fox

Sonia Pantiss
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Boston Marathon bombings TV series to be developed by Fox

According to new reports, Fox is developing a TV series about the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing.

The as-yet-untitled show will be based on the book Long Mile Home by Boston Globe reporters Scott Helman and Jenna Russell, Deadline reported.

The TV project follows the true stories of five people whose lives were changed forever in the tragedy and the week that followed.

Fox is developing a TV series about the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing
Fox is developing a TV series about the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing

The series will be written and directed by The Contender director Rod Lurie.

Visiting Boston ahead of this year’s marathon, Rod Lurie said it was “a big beautiful city… with a bounce-back population that takes care, not just of its own, but others as well”.

Rod Lurie told Deadline he had already begun writing the script.

“It’s hard to imagine a story in which an entire community caught a couple of criminals like Boston did. In this case, the accurate story is a phenomenal story,” he said.

Bombing suspect Dzokhar Tsarnaev is due to stand trial in November for allegedly setting off two pressure cooker bombs with his older brother Tamerlan, who later died in a police shootout.

Three people were killed and more than 260 injured in last year’s Boston Marathon bombings.

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Ukraine $17 billion bailout approved by IMF board

Clyde K. Valle
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Ukraine $17 billion bailout approved by IMF board

The IMF has approved a $17.1 billion bailout for Ukraine to help the country’s beleaguered economy.

The loan comes amid heightened military and political tension between Ukraine and neighboring Russia.

The loan is dependent on strict economic reforms, including raising taxes and energy prices.

The money will be released over two years, with the first installment of $3.2 billion available immediately.

The head of the International Monetary Fund, Christine Lagarde, said the fund would check regularly to ensure the Ukrainian government followed through on its commitments.

The IMF has approved a $17.1 billion bailout for Ukraine to help the country's beleaguered economy
The IMF has approved a $17.1 billion bailout for Ukraine to help the country’s beleaguered economy

In March Ukraine put up gas prices by 50% in an effort to secure the bailout.

The government has also agreed to freeze the minimum wage.

The bailout had to be approved by the IMF’s 24-member board, which includes a Russian representative.

The IMF loan will also unlock further funds worth $15 billionn from other donors, including the World Bank, EU, Canada and Japan.

In December last year, Ukraine agreed a $15 billion bailout from Russia, but this was cancelled after protests forced out pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych.

On Wednesday, the IMF warned that Russia was “experiencing recession” because of damage caused by the Ukraine crisis.

The fund said $100 billion would leave Russia this year, partly caused by the US and EU sanctions.

The sanctions were imposed after Russia annexed the Crimea region from Ukraine last month.

The IMF bailout will also make available $1 billion in loan guarantees from the US, which was recently approved by Congress.

Earlier on Wednesday, an international conference in London ended with a commitment to help Ukraine recover tens of billions of dollars worth of assets which were allegedly stolen by the ousted President Viktor Yanukovych and his allies.

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Miley Cyrus cancels Amsterdam concert over health setback

Lisa.Felice
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Miley Cyrus cancels Amsterdam concert over health setback

Miley Cyrus has been forced to cancel this weekend’s Amsterdam concert after suffering a “health setback”, E! Online reported.

Miley Cyrus was admitted to a medical center in Kansas City after suffering a bad reaction to medication she had been taking for a sinus infection
Miley Cyrus was admitted to a medical center in Kansas City after suffering a bad reaction to medication she had been taking for a sinus infection

Miley Cyrus, 21, was admitted to a medical center in Kansas City, Missouri on April 15 after suffering a bad reaction to medication she had been taking for a sinus infection. She was discharged last week and planned on getting back on the road after having to postpone the remaining portion of her North American Bangerz tour.

The singer was due to take the stage in Amsterdam on Friday, but the show will now be rescheduled, the report says.

A source told the publication: “(She) had a health setback and her allergic reaction issues have returned. Miley is very bummed about it.”

Miley Cyrus is also expected to postpone her show at the Sportpaleis in Antwerp, Belgium, on Sunday.

Is Selena Gomez feuding with Jenner sisters?

Lisa.Felice
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Is Selena Gomez feuding with Jenner sisters?

Last week, Selena Gomez reportedly stopped following the Jenner sisters on Instagram, a move that came shortly after they all hung out together at the Coachella Music Festival.

Selena Gomez, 21, apparently believed Kendall, 18, and Kylie, 16, were a negative influence. On the other hand, Kendall and Kylie Jenner’s camp sniped that the singer is the toxic one.

It appears Selena Gomez’s dysfunctional on-off romance with Justin Bieber, 20, may have been at the heart of the rift.

Selena Gomez and Jenner sisters hung out together at the Coachella Music Festival
Selena Gomez and Jenner sisters hung out together at the Coachella Music Festival (photo Instagram)

A source told Us Weekly: “Selena felt Kylie was flirting with Justin.”

Another source added: “It got messy. Selena said the Jenner girls were flirting with Justin and his crew. She was pissed and overreacted.”

An insider echoes the flirting factor to E! News, claiming Selena Gomez got “a bit jealous”. Radar Online reported that some “shocking texts” were also involved.

On Monday, Kendall Jenner met up with Justin Bieber at a New York studio, and soon after they hit Nobu for sushi, tagging along Kendall’s pal, Hailey Baldwin, daughter of Stephen.

A day later, Justin Bieber posted on Instagram a sultry photo of model Ashley Moore, whom he was linked to last year.

Probably not coincidentally, these actions came just days after Selena Gomez was snapped with Orlando Bloom at Chelsea Handler’s stand-up show in Los Angeles, sparking talk of an age-mismatched hookup.

However, a source told E! News that Selena Gomez and Orlando Bloom are “not dating” and were at the show with “a bunch of people”.

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Rob Ford to take leave of absence to seek help for substance abuse

Diane A. Wade
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Rob Ford to take leave of absence to seek help for substance abuse

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford will take a leave of absence to seek help for substance abuse, his lawyer Dennis Morris announces.

Dennis Morris said his client acknowledged he had an abuse problem and wanted to do something about it.

Rob Ford, who is seeking re-election in October, has been stripped of many of his powers after admitting using and purchasing illegal drugs while mayor.

He admitted last year to smoking crack cocaine in a “drunken stupor”.

His admission, following months of denials, came after police said they had obtained a video that appeared to show him taking the illegal drug.

The Toronto Sun quotes Rob Ford as saying he is “ready to take a break” from the election campaign to “go get help”.

Rob Ford, who is seeking re-election in October, has been stripped of many of his powers after admitting using and purchasing illegal drugs while mayor
Rob Ford, who is seeking re-election in October, has been stripped of many of his powers after admitting using and purchasing illegal drugs while mayor

He told the newspaper he was being urged to not leave the mayoral race by people around him.

“He acknowledges he has a substance abuse problem and he wants to do something about it,” Dennis Morris told the Associated Press news agency.

The newspaper said it had obtained a new audio recording of him making abusive comments about other politicians.

Videos have emerged in recent months showing Rob Ford ranting in an apparently intoxicated state.

Allegations have also surfaced in police documents that Rob Ford used racially abusive language, threatened staff, propositioned a female colleague, and snorted cocaine in a restaurant. He denies these allegations.

Rob Ford was first elected in 2010 to lead Canada’s largest city on a pledge to tackle wasteful spending at city hall. He draws much of his support from the suburban areas of Toronto.

He soon privatized rubbish collection across much of the city and did away with a vehicle tax, but quickly became bogged down in disputes with the council.

In the fallout from the drugs scandal, the city council stripped Rob Ford of most of his mayoral powers and his budget, rendering him effectively mayor in name only, analysts say.

But Rob Ford has brushed aside pressure to quit, saying voters will decide whether to keep him in office in the October election. He has said his “track record speaks for itself”, and recent polls show him running in contention with his chief challengers.

The Toronto mayor faces serious challenges from centre-right candidate John Tory, a broadcaster and former member of the provincial parliament, and former New Democratic Party (NDP) lawmaker Olivia Chow.

John Tory has released a “Code of Conduct” in which he vows to “respect and defend our laws, not break them”, and to “show up for work each day”, in a clear rebuke to Rob Ford’s recent behavior.

Karen Stintz, a city councilor, and David Soknacki, a former councilor, are also running.

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Universal Studios Orlando roller coaster accident post is a scam

Nancy Clayson
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Universal Studios Orlando roller coaster accident post is a scam

The viral post claiming that “16 people are confirmed dead in a roller coaster accident that occurred at Universal Studios in Florida,” it’s fake and is just a scam that could potentially install a rogue app in your Facebook account.

The post says: “Fox Breaking News – [Shocking Video Footage] – 16 people are confirmed dead in a roller coaster accident that occurred at Universal Studios in Florida. The roller coaster appeared to have suffered a mechanical breakdown causing it to veer off the tracks in mid air plummetting all 24 passangers into the ground.”

Scam postings promote CCTV video footage of a roller coaster accident at Universal Studios in Florida
Scam postings promote CCTV video footage of a roller coaster accident at Universal Studios in Florida

There’s no video, and the message directs users to a website that looks like Facebook but asks users to share it before going further. Some versions of it will ask users to download a rogue Facebook app that will replicate instances of it on your Facebook newsfeed.

The post could also send users to a page that has surveys that deliver no video but try to get personal information. Or even worse, it could spread malicious software.

It is recommended that you remove the app from your Facebook account. It’s also recommended to delete any instances of the post from your Facebook wall and “unlike” it.

Make sure you’re logged into your Facebook account and go to your Facebook application settings. It will list all the applications that you have given access to.

Go below and click the “X” on the right side of the app in order to remove it. Some of the fake scam apps use names like “CNN,” “Fox News,” or “YouTube” to trick users.

You can find detailed instructions on how to delete the Orlando roller coaster accident here.

Master P divorce settlement

Lisa.Felice
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Master P divorce settlement

Master P’s estranged wife Sonya Miller wants a $67 million divorce settlement.

The rapper’s wife claims she deserves a huge chunk of his empire, which includes a small city worth of properties, a fleet of expensive cars, and more.

Sonya Miller filed legal documents in the couple’s bitter divorce, estimating the total value of community assets from the marriage at $178,743,300, including 31 properties, 13 cars, 45 companies, and other stuff. Master P’s wife wants nearly 40% of everything.

Master P's estranged wife Sonya Miller wants a $67 million divorce settlement
Master P’s estranged wife Sonya Miller wants a $67 million divorce settlement

According to legal documents, the real estate properties are spread across California, Louisiana, Texas, Tennessee, and Georgia. Sony Miller she wants eight of them. She also wants one of their three large chandeliers, valued around $300,000 a pop.

Sonya Miller estimates the value of Master P’s businesses, including No Limit Records, at $136,101,000 and wants $54 million of that. She also wants $10 million of Master P’s Make ‘Em Say Ughh! energy drink company.

From other stuff, Sonya Miller wants her $28,000 wedding dress and one of Master P’s 13 cars (the Escalade).

Master P also owns a black Rolls, a green Bentley, a Porsche, a Jag, another Escalade, and several other ridiculous vehicles.

In total, Sonya Miller is demanding $67,647,800, leaving Master P with a measly $111,095,500.

Bob Hoskins dies at 71

Sonia Pantiss
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Bob Hoskins dies at 71

Bob Hoskins, who was best known for roles in The Long Good Friday and Who Framed Roger Rabbit, has died of pneumonia at the age of 71.

Bob Hoskins’ agent said the actor died on Tuesday in hospital, surrounded by family.

Bob Hoskins was best known for roles in The Long Good Friday and Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Bob Hoskins was best known for roles in The Long Good Friday and Who Framed Roger Rabbit (photo PA)

The actor won a BAFTA and was Oscar-nominated in 1987 for crime drama Mona Lisa, in which he starred opposite Michael Caine and Robbie Coltrane.

Bob Hoskins announced he was retiring from acting in 2012 after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.

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Sewol ferry owner ignored warnings about ship’s stability

Diane A. Wade
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Sewol ferry owner ignored warnings about ship’s stability

Chonghaejin Marine, the owner of the sunken South Korean ferry, ignored an off-duty captain’s warnings about the ship’s stability, prosecutors have said.

They say the captain warned that the Sewol ferry should not carry too much cargo after it was refurbished. Two company officials have been detained.

The vessel was carrying three times its recommended maximum cargo weight.

The Sewol ferry had 476 passengers on board when it sank on April 16 – 174 were rescued. More than 200 bodies have been found.

Most of those on board were high school students. About 90 people are still missing and divers are searching for them off South Korea’s southern coast near Jindo.

The refurbishment carried out by owners Chonghaejin Marine took place between October 2012 and February last year, shortly after the company purchased the Sewol ferry.

Sewol ferry’s owner Chonghaejin Marine ignored an off-duty captain's warnings about the ship's stability
Sewol ferry’s owner Chonghaejin Marine ignored an off-duty captain’s warnings about the ship’s stability

They built extra passenger cabins on the third, fourth and fifth decks.

The off-duty captain, named by prosecutors as Shin, had warned the company that this move had altered the 6,825-tonne ship’s balance and undermined its ability to stabilize itself.

Prosecutors said these warnings were brushed aside, according to news agencies.

On top of that, the ferry was carrying more than three times its recommended maximum cargo. It had left the port of Incheon with 3,606 tonnes of freight and cargo.

Investigators are now looking into whether the ship sank from overloading and changes in the structure of the ship, and whether it had enough ballast water to accommodate the extra load.

The ferry’s refurbishment had been approved and met safety standards, but Chonghaejin may have made additional changes afterward, said investigators.

Two Chonghaejin officials have been detained on suspicion of accidental homicide, stemming from professional negligence in connection with the sinking, Yonhap news agency reported on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, the company’s chief executive officer Kim Han-sik was summoned to the prosecutor’s office in Incheon for questioning.

It has also emerged that the captain who was piloting the Sewol on the day of the accident, Lee Joon-seok, was a substitute for Shin, who was on holiday.

Lee Joon-seok has since been detained with 14 other crew members.

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Clayton Lockett’s botched execution sparks Oklahoma procedures reviews

Nancy Clayson
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Clayton Lockett’s botched execution sparks Oklahoma procedures reviews

Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin has ordered a “full review” of the state’s procedures following Clayton Lockett’s botched execution.

Clayton Lockett’s execution was stopped after 20 minutes on Tuesday evening

Officials say one of his veins ruptured, preventing the drugs from taking full effect. He died of a heart attack less than an hour later.

The execution of a fellow inmate, scheduled to die hours after Clayton Lockett, has been postponed amid the review.

Clayton Lockett was sentenced to death for shooting 19-year-old Stephanie Neiman and watching as two accomplices buried her alive in 1999.

Stephanie Neiman and a friend had interrupted the men as they robbed a home.

Clayton Lockett’s lawyer, David Autry, said the failed execution was a “horrible thing to witness”.

Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin has ordered a "full review" of the state's procedures following Clayton Lockett’s botched execution
Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin has ordered a “full review” of the state’s procedures following Clayton Lockett’s botched execution

“Obviously the whole thing was gummed up and botched from beginning to end,” David Autry said.

“Halting the execution obviously did Lockett no good.”

The problems surrounding Clayton Lockett’s execution come amid a wider debate over the legality of the three-drug method and whether its use violates guarantees in the US constitution “against cruel and unusual punishment”.

Both men scheduled to die on Tuesday had unsuccessfully challenged a state law that shields the identities of companies supplying the drugs.

The execution began at 18:23 local time, when officials administered a sedative.

Clayton Lockett was declared unconscious 10 minutes later, allowing officials to begin injecting the two drugs that would kill him.

But three minutes later, he began breathing heavily and writhing.

Prison officials pulled a curtain across the view of witnesses when it became apparent that something had gone wrong.

Oklahoma’s top prison official ordered a halt to the execution shortly after.

“We believe that a vein was blown and the drugs weren’t working as they were designed to.” Oklahoma Department of Corrections spokesman Jerry Massie said.

But David Autry questioned the remarks, insisting his client “had large arms and very prominent veins,” according to the Associated Press.

Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin said in a statement that she had issued a 14-day stay of execution for fellow inmate Charles Warner, 46, while the state completed a review of its execution procedures.

Charles Warner had been scheduled to be put to death in the same room two hours later in a rare double execution.‏

He was convicted of the 1997 murder and rape of an 11-month-old girl.

Charles Warner’s lawyer, Madeline Cohen, who witnessed Clayton Lockett’s execution, said he had been “tortured to death” and called for an independent investigation, including an outside medical examination.

The US has encountered increasing problems in obtaining the drugs for lethal injections, amid an embargo by European pharmaceutical firms.

Some states have turned to untried combinations of drugs or have sought to obtain the drugs custom-made from compounding pharmacies. Several states that still have the death penalty have since switched to a single-drug method.

Charles Warner and Clayton Lockett had unsuccessfully challenged an Oklahoma state law that blocks officials from revealing – even in court – the identities of the companies supplying the drugs.

The state maintains the law is necessary to protect the suppliers from legal action and harassment.

Clayton Lockett and Charles Warner argued they needed to know the names of the suppliers in order to ensure the quality of the drugs that would be used to kill them and to be certain that they had been obtained legally.

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US economic growth slows to 0.1% in 2014 Q1

Clyde K. Valle
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US economic growth slows to 0.1% in 2014 Q1

US economic growth slowed sharply in 2014 Q1, growing at an annual rate of 0.1%.

The rate is the slowest for a year and a large fall on the 2.6% increase in gross domestic product (GDP) in the final quarter of last year.

An unusually cold and disruptive winter, coupled with tumbling exports, contributed to the decline, the US Commerce Department said.

But it said economic activity already appeared to be bouncing back.

Business investment fell by 2.1%, with spending on equipment plunging by 5.5% at an annual rate compared with a year earlier.

Residential construction, which was inevitably hit by the unusually cold winter fell by 5.7% although it was also hit by higher house prices and a shortage of available homes for sale.

US economic growth slowed sharply in 2014 Q1
US economic growth slowed sharply in 2014 Q1

The US trade deficit widened, thanks to a sharp fall in exports which shaved growth by 0.8 percentage points in the first quarter. Businesses also slowed their restocking, with a slowdown in inventory rebuilding reducing growth by nearly 0.6 percentage points.

But consumer spending – which drives 70% of growth in the US economy – grew by 3%, although the increase was dominated by a 4.4% rise in spending on services, reflecting higher utility bills during the bitterly cold winter.

A cutback in spending by state and local governments also helped offset a rebound in federal activity after the 16-day partial government shutdown last year.

But most economists expect a strong rebound in growth in the April-June quarter. The consensus view is the economy will expand by 3% in the second quarter.

Analysts said stronger growth will endure through the rest of the year as the economy derives help from improved job growth, rising consumer spending and a rebound in business investment.

In fact, many analysts believe 2014 will be the year the recovery from recession finally achieves the robust growth needed to accelerate hiring and reduce still-high unemployment.

If the economy rebounds as strongly as they suggest, it will have experienced the fastest annual expansion in the economy in nine years.

The last time growth was as strong was in 2005, when GDP grew 3.4%, two years before the nation fell into the worst recession since the 1930s.

Unemployment is expected to fall to 6.2% by the end of this year from 6.7% in March.

The growth figures come a few hours before a policy statement from the US Federal Reserve, the country’s central bank.

But few expect the disappointing news to have any impact on the scaling back of the Fed’s economic stimulus, which has seen it cut bond purchases by $10 billion per month.

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India elections 2014: Narendra Modi accused of election code violation

Diane A. Wade
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India elections 2014: Narendra Modi accused of election code violation

Narendra Modi has been accused by India’s Election Commission of violating the election code.

India’s main opposition BJP’s prime ministerial candidate violated poll laws by flashing his party’s symbol and making a political speech while voting was going on in the seventh phase of the election, it said.

Narendra Modi addressed journalists and supporters after casting his vote in his home state of Gujarat.

He later posted a “selfie” of his inked finger on Twitter.

India’s general election, with 814 million eligible voters, is the world’s biggest exercise in democracy and the governing Congress party is battling the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for power. Narendra Modi is ahead in all the opinion polls.

He was greeted by cheering crowds lining the streets and on rooftops as he arrived at the polling station in Ahmedabad, Gujarat’s biggest city. Voting was held in all 26 seats in the state.

Andhra Pradesh also voted on Wednesday for the last time as a united state before it is divided on June 2.

Narendra Modi has been accused by India's Election Commission of violating the election code
Narendra Modi has been accused by India’s Election Commission of violating the election code

Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh were among seven states and two union territories where 139 million eligible voters had to make their choice between some 1,300 candidates contesting 89 seats on Wednesday.

“The BJP will form a stable government in Delhi soon,” Narendra Modi said after casting his vote.

“The Congress party has already conceded defeat… It is the end of the mother-son government,” he added, in a reference to the Congress party chief Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul.

But photographs of an upbeat Narendra Modi holding a small white lotus flower, shown on television screens across India, have landed him in trouble with the Election Commission.

The commission said it had seen the video recordings of Narendra Modi’s speech and that it was evident that it was “a political speech intended and calculated to influence and affect the result of elections in the constituencies voting today”. It has now ordered the authorities to register a case against him.

A spokesperson for the BJP said Narendra Modi had done nothing wrong and that the party would respond to the Election Commission notice.

If found guilty, Narendra Modi could be sent to jail for up to two years or asked to pay a fine, or both, but correspondents say it is unlikely to happen.

Narendra Modi is standing for election in two seats – in the Hindu holy city of Varanasi as well as Vadodara in Gujarat. If he wins both seats, he will have to relinquish one.

In Andhra Pradesh – where voting for state assemblies is also taking place – brisk polling was reported through the day.

In Hyderabad city, scores of people complained that their names were missing from the voters’ list and in some polling centers electronic voting machines did not work.

The 17 parliamentary constituencies in Andhra Pradesh going to the polls on Wednesday are to be part of the newly-created state of Telangana.

Voting for the remaining 25 parliamentary seats which will constitute Andhra Pradesh after the state is split in two will be held on May 7.

The marathon general election, which began on April 7, will conclude on May 12. Votes will be counted on May 16.

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Urumqi railway station explosion injures at least 50 people in Xinjiang

Roy Siemens
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Urumqi railway station explosion injures at least 50 people in Xinjiang

China’s Urumqi railway station in western Xinjiang region has been hit by an explosion, injuring a number of people, state media report.

The blast hit Urumqi’s south railway station on Wednesday evening, state media said. The cause is not clear, but one report said at least 50 were hurt.

Xinjiang has experienced several violent clashes over the past months.

China’s Urumqi railway station in western Xinjiang region has been hit by an explosion, injuring a number of people
China’s Urumqi railway station in western Xinjiang region has been hit by an explosion, injuring a number of people

President Xi Jinping visited the region this week, and has promised to step up anti-terrorism efforts.

Verifying reports from the region is difficult because the information flow out of Xinjiang is tightly controlled.

“A blast occurred at Xinjiang’s Urumqi train station at around 19.00 tonight, and there are injured personnel,” state-run newspaper People’s Daily said on its verified microblog feed.

Meanwhile, The Beijing News said at least 50 people had been injured, citing police officers.

Photos on social media, which could not be independently verified, appeared to show suitcases and debris strewn across a street after the blast.

However, several microblog posts and photos related to the explosion appeared to have been quickly deleted from Sina Weibo, China’s largest microblog platform.

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Cressida Bonas and Prince Harry split up after less than two years

Lisa.Felice
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Cressida Bonas and Prince Harry split up after less than two years

Prince Harry and Cressida Bonas have split up after less than two years of relationship.

According to reports, the break-up was “said to be <<amicable>> and they remain <<the best of friends>>”.

Prince Harry and Cressida Bonas’ attendance at their first official engagement together in March had prompted engagement speculation.

They sat together and embraced in the stands at Wembley Arena at a We Day UK charity event.

Speculation had since mounted that Prince Harry would pop the question with his 30th birthday looming.

News of the split came as Clarence House announced Prince Harry would embark on a three-day official visit to Estonia and Italy next month.

Prince Harry and Cressida Bonas have split up after less than two years of relationship
Prince Harry and Cressida Bonas have split up after less than two years of relationship (photo Mirror.co.uk)

The trip, from 16 to 19 May, will see Prince Harry meet a range of servicemen from World War Two veterans to serving military personnel.

Prince Harry, 29, and Cressida Bonas, 25, were reportedly introduced by Princess Eugenie in the summer of 2012.

It was not long after their meeting that photographs of Prince Harry partying with a group of girls in a Las Vegas hotel room were front-page news across the world.

The couple then endured a five-month separation when the prince was deployed to fly Apache helicopters with the British army in Afghanistan.

Prince Harry and Cressida Bonas’ relationship resumed when he returned and the pair were often photographed together attending various events, like the Glastonbury music festival and a society wedding.

According to the Daily Telegraph, it was unwanted media attention and engagement speculation that led to the pair’s split, while the Press Association reported the couple decided to go their separate ways to allow Cressida Bonas to focus on her career.

Cressida Bonas completed a year-long contemporary dance course at the Trinity Laban Conservatoire in Greenwich, south London, last year, before securing a marketing job in the city’s West End.

She is the daughter of Old Harrovian businessman Jeffrey Bonas and Sixties “It girl” Lady Mary-Gaye Curzon.

News of the split coincided with Prince William and Kate Middleton’s third wedding anniversary.

Prince William and Kate Middleton famously broke up for several months four years before they married in 2011.

On Tuesday, Prince Harry visited Tedworth House in Tidworth, Wiltshire, where he met 25 athletes hoping to take part in the Paralympics-style Invictus Games.

Prince Harry’s most serious previous girlfriend was Zimbabwe-born Chelsy Davy. They had an on-off relationship while Prince Harry was training in the Army and overseas, and while Chelsy Davy was at university in her home country.

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MH370: JACC downplays GeoResonance’s wreckage claim

Diane A. Wade
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MH370: JACC downplays GeoResonance’s wreckage claim

The Australian team co-ordinating the search for the missing Malaysian plane have played down marine survey company GeoResonance’s claim it has identified possible debris.

The Australia-based company said on Tuesday it might have located the wreckage of a plane.

But the agency leading the search said the area was not consistent with satellite data showing MH370’s likely flight path.

MH370 went missing on March 8 as it flew from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

Carrying 239 people, it disappeared off radar over the South China Sea. Based on satellite data, investigators believe it ended its journey in the sea far off the Australian city of Perth.

It is still not known why the plane went so far off course. Finding the “black box” flight recorders is seen as key to explaining what happened.

Australia-based marine survey company GeoResonance said on Tuesday it might have located the wreckage of a plane
Australia-based marine survey company GeoResonance said on Tuesday it might have located the wreckage of a plane

Search efforts so far have focused on a “southern corridor” that the plane could have flown, based on calculations derived from “pings” the aircraft emitted after it disappeared off radar.

A robotic submersible has been scouring the sea floor in an area north-west of Perth after acoustic signals consistent with flight recorders were heard.

The possible wreckage identified by GeoResonance, however, was in the Bay of Bengal to the south of Bangladesh.

The company said it had used proven technology to search for a seafloor location where all the elements that comprise a Boeing 777 – such as titanium, copper, jet fuel residue – were present.

“The company is not declaring this is MH370, however it should be investigated,” it said.

It said it had passed the information on to relevant authorities in late March and early April.

In a statement, Australia’s Joint Agency Co-ordination Centre (JACC) said the Bay of Bengal location was not within the data-indicated search area.

“The joint international team is satisfied that the final resting place of the missing aircraft is in the southerly portion of the search arc,” it said.

Malaysian Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said his country was “working with its international partners to assess the credibility of this information”.

Meanwhile, the search for Malaysia Airlines plane off Perth is continuing. The Bluefin-21, the robotic submersible, was due to embark on another underwater search mission when weather conditions eased, JACC said.

The air search for surface debris has ended, however. Australian PM Tony Abbott said on Monday that wreckage would most likely have sunk by now.

A “new phase” of the operation involving a more intensive underwater search was the planned strategy for the weeks ahead, Tony Abbott said.

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