Ryan Lewis has revealed his mother, Julie Lewis, has been HIV positive since 1984.
Ryan Lewis, who collaborates with Macklemore, says his mother contracted HIV from a blood transfusion 30 years ago.
The 26-year-old singer made the revelation as he and Macklemore launched their 30/30 Project, which raises money for affordable healthcare around the world.
“In 1984, my mom gave birth to my older sister, Teresa,” Ryan Lewis said in a statement on the project’s website.
“Due to a complicated delivery, she needed a blood transfusion and at that moment, my mom had HIV+ blood put into her body.
“When she was finally diagnosed, she was given only a few years to live.”
Ryan Lewis has revealed his mother, Julie Lewis, has been HIV positive since 1984 (photo CBS)
Ryan Lewis also revealed that his mother did not know she had HIV when she was pregnant with him or his sister and they were fortunate to be born healthy despite a 25% risk of contracting it.
They are aiming to raise at least $100,000.
Explaining the name of the project Ryan Lewis added: “To honor the 30 years my mom has been a survivor, our family is raising funds to build health centers worldwide that will stand strong for at least 30 years.”
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis won best new artist and best rap performance for their UK number one single Thrift Shop at this year’s Grammy Awards.
The duo’s debut album, The Heist, went to number 19 and spent 48 weeks in the Official Album Chart.
Ryan Lewis closed the statement by saying: “With this amazing past year I’ve had, I am honored to be the first donor for the 30/30 Project, jumpstarting the construction of the first health centre in Malawi.
“I am asking you to join my family and see how far we can take this.”
Brenna Gray, the widow of Slipknot’s bassist Paul Gray, has testified in a US court about the death of her husband in May 2010.
Brenna Gray says she raised concerns about his drug use with his doctor and also questioned why he was still being prescribed addictive medication.
Daniel Baldi is on trial for nine counts of involuntary manslaughter, including the death of Paul Gray.
Brenna Gray said she was worried that Dr. Daniel Baldi continued to prescribe her husband the anti-anxiety drug Xanax.
According to the Des Moines Register, Brenna Gray testified: “I just knew it was his drug of choice, that he’d struggled with, so I just wasn’t really sure why he was on it, why he needed it along with the medication he was taking for addiction.”
Paul Gray died of a drug overdose at a motel in 2010.
Brenna Gray has testified in court about the death of Paul Gray in May 2010 (photo Des Moines Register)
Prosecutors say that Dr. Daniel Baldi’s careless prescription habits caused the deaths of Paul Gray and eight of his other patients.
The doctor denies the claims.
Brenna Gray said her husband had had a period when he was sober but had started taking drugs again before his death and that she had found needles in the house.
She told the court she tried to make Dr. Daniel Baldi take Paul Gray’s relapse seriously and says he did not keep proper medical records.
According to the Des Moines Register, Brenna Gray said shortly before her husband’s death that she and family members had staged an intervention.
He left home and went to the hotel, she said.
Brenna Gray says she was pregnant at the time of Paul’s death and testified that she did not call the emergency services because she was worried she would be arrested and her unborn child could later be taken by authorities.
She said she called her husband’s bandmates but none of them offered to help her.
Slipknot have released one album since Paul Gray’s death.
Antennas To Hell included singles from four studio albums and live tracks.
GM has seen its 2014 Q1 profits hit by a $1.3 billion charge to cover the cost of a huge recall of cars over defective ignition switches.
The faulty switches could turn off the engine, disabling the airbags and have been linked to at least a dozen deaths.
General Motors says it also incurred $300 million in restructuring costs, mostly in Europe.
As a result net income was $125 million, compared with $865 million in the same period last year. Sales came in at $37.4 billion, up from $36.9 billion in 2013.
GM said that of the $1.3 billion recall charges, some $300 million was to cover the cost of courtesy cars.
GM has seen its 2014 Q1 profits hit by a $1.3 billion charge to cover the cost of a huge recall of cars over defective ignition switches (photo Reuters)
“Obviously, the recall campaign charges in the first quarter overshadows the headline results, but if you look underneath that, we had strong performance across the board,” chief financial officer Chuck Stevens said.
It was GM’s worst quarterly performance since it posted a net loss after leaving bankruptcy protection in 2009.
The company had raised vehicle costs during the quarter, which helped boost operating profits by $1.8 billion.
In North America, GM experienced higher sales of its more lucrative versions of its redesigned Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra full-size pickup trucks.
“The performance of our core operations was very strong this quarter, reflecting the positive response of customers to the new vehicles we are bringing to market,” said GM CEO Mary Barra.
“Our focus remains on creating the world’s best vehicles with the highest levels of safety, quality and customer service, while aggressively addressing our business opportunities and challenges globally.”
During 2014 Q1 the company was also hit by another charge of $419 million, “related to changing the exchange rate GM uses for re-measuring the net assets of its Venezuelan subsidiaries”.
A US judge has dismissed director Quentin Tarantino’s case against gossip website Gawker, who he claimed helped leak his screenplay The Hateful Eight.
Quentin Tarantino filed legal papers seeking $1 million in compensation from the site, after scrapping plans to film the movie.
District judge John F. Walter said Quentin Tarantino had failed to demonstrate “direct infringement” of his copyright.
Gawker posted a link to the leaked 146-page script in January.
Quentin Tarantino accused Gawker Media of “predatory journalism”, but the publisher argued it had only provided a link to Anonfiles.com, an anonymous online location where the screenplay could be viewed.
Quentin Tarantino filed legal papers seeking $1 million in compensation from Gawker, after scrapping plans to film the movie
Gawker said it was not a “scoop” as the document was already available and did not violate Quentin Tarantino’s “right to first publication” as the script was already online.
The website added: “Tarantino himself set in motion the circumstances by which the script circulated” by giving it to several people.
The judge ruled Quentin Tarantino’s lawyers had failed to demonstrate whether anyone had actually seen the script as a direct result of the link on Gawker.
In January, Quentin Tarantino revealed to Deadline Hollywood he had only given the script to six people – including actors Michael Madsen, Bruce Dern and Tim Roth – and was “very, very depressed” about the leak.
Quentin Tarantino said he found out about the leak when his office began getting calls from agents pitching their clients for acting roles.
At a reading of the script held by Quentin Tarantino in Los Angeles last week, the director told the audience he was in fact still working on the film.
“I’m working on a second draft and I will do a third draft but we’re reading from the first draft,” he said.
Michael Madsen, Bruce Dern and Tim Roth all took part in the reading of the story about bounty hunters in 19th Century Wyoming who get trapped by a blizzard.
The judge has given Quentin Tarantino’s legal team a second chance to prove their case, according to Forbes magazine, which reported they will be allowed to re-file their case with more evidence by the end of this month.
Bernie Ecclestone has appeared in court at the start of a trial on bribery charges in Munich, Germany.
The Formula 1 boss is accused of giving a $45 million (33 million euros) bribe to a German banker to secure the sale of a stake in the F1 business to a company he favored.
Bernie Ecclestone admits paying Gerhard Gribkowsky, who is serving a jail sentence for receiving the payment, but has denied any wrongdoing.
He continues to run the F1 business on a day-to-day basis despite the charges.
To alleviate his workload, however, Bernie Ecclestone has stood down from a number of F1-related positions until the case concludes.
Bernie Ecclestone is accused of giving a $45 million bribe to a German banker to secure the sale of a stake in the F1 business to a company he favored
Correspondents say that he appeared relaxed as he consulted with his lawyers on Thursday ahead of the proceedings.
Asked by a journalist outside the court whether he was confident of victory, he replied: “I’m confident the sun is shining.”
German prosecutors allege that he bribed Gerhard Gribkowsky, who was on the board of Bayern Landesbank, to ensure that F1 was sold to a private equity group of Bernie Ecclestone’s choice.
The allegation is that by securing the sale of the stake to a company Bernie Ecclestone favored, he would remain in charge of Formula 1 and its commercial rights, broadcast payments and sponsorship deals.
The payments were made between July 2006 and December 2007.
Bernie Ecclestone, 83, admits paying Gerhard Gribkowsky, but says he was effectively the victim of blackmail. He has said the banker had been threatening to reveal false details of his tax affairs.
If convicted, Bernie Ecclestone – one of Britain’s richest men who transformed Formula 1 into a lucrative sport watched by 450 million TV viewers globally – could face up to 10 years in jail.
Gerhard Gribkowsky has been found guilty of corruption, tax evasion and breach of trust and is serving an eight and a half year prison sentence.
Bernie Ecclestone testified during Gerhard Gribkowsky’s trial in 2011, and the former German banker is expected to be the main witness during the F1 chief’s trial, which is scheduled to last until September.
In February, Bernie Ecclestone won a civil case in London’s High Court brought by a German media company, which claimed it lost out financially when the share of F1 belonging to German bank Bayern Landesbank was sold in 2006 to private equity group CVC.
While the judge rejected a damages claim from Constantin Medien against the F1 boss, Bernie Ecclestone was ordered to pay $4 million in legal fees.
After talks with PM Shinzo Abe, President Barack Obama has reaffirmed his support for Japan in its row over islands with China.
Barack Obama, who is on a four-nation Asia tour, warned against escalation in the dispute and said he wanted to see the row resolved peacefully.
He confirmed that the islands fell under a security treaty that commits the US to act if Japan is attacked.
Barack Obama and Shinzo Abe also discussed a major trade deal as well as North Korea.
The US president arrived in Japan late on Wednesday ahead of stops in South Korea, Malaysia and the Philippines.
He is not going to Beijing but relations with China are expected to dominate his meetings with regional leaders.
After talks with PM Shinzo Abe, President Barack Obama has reaffirmed his support for Japan in its row over islands with China
Barack Obama’s trip – which ends on April 29 – comes nearly seven months after he cancelled a visit to the region because of a US government shutdown.
Officials say it is aimed at reassuring America’s Asian allies of its commitment to the region amid concern over China’s growing power.
On Wednesday Barack Obama had an informal dinner with Shinzo Abe. The two leaders then held talks on Thursday morning and gave a joint press conference.
“Article five [of the US-Japan security treaty] covers all territories under Japan’s administration including [the] Senkaku islands,” Barack Obama said, echoing comments published in Wednesday’s Yomiuri newspaper.
“We do not believe that they should be subject to change unilaterally.”
“This is not a new position. This is a consistent one,” he said.
However, Barack Obama also said he told Shinzo Abe that it “would be a profound mistake to continue to see escalation around this issue instead of dialogue”.
The islands are called Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China.
Japan controls the islands but China has been strongly pressing its claim in recent months, flying and sailing vessels in and out of what Japan says are its waters and airspace.
Japan depends on the US for its security, under a decades-old alliance that dates back to the end of World War Two. If Japan is attacked, the US is obliged to come to its aid.
China’s foreign ministry said on Wednesday that it opposed the US stance.
“The so-called US-Japan alliance is a bilateral arrangement from the Cold War and ought not to harm China’s territorial sovereignty and reasonable rights,” spokesman Qin Gang said in Beijing.
Shinzo Abe and Barack Obama also discussed the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a giant trade deal involving 12 nations.
It is currently stalled partly due to a row between the US and Japan over agricultural tariffs.
North Korea was also on the agenda. Barack Obama wants Tokyo and Seoul to work together on the issue, but ties between the two remain badly strained because of war-related historical issues.
Barack Obama flies to Seoul after Tokyo, amid reports of increased activity at Pyongyang’s nuclear test site – potentially suggesting a fourth nuclear test could be imminent.
Three Americans have been shot dead by a rogue cop at a children hospital in the Afghan capital, Kabul, US officials say.
A spokesman for Afghanistan’s interior ministry described those killed as “medical staff”.
It was unclear whether the cop was dead or in custody.
Afghanistan suffered a spate of deadly attacks in the run-up to presidential elections held on April 5, including a restaurant bombing in January and an attack on a hotel in March.
Three Americans have been killed at a children hospital in Kabul run by US charity CURE
Thursday’s attack took place at a hospital in western Kabul run by CURE, a small US Christian charity.
The US embassy in Kabul tweeted that it was “with great sadness we confirm that three Americans were killed in the attack on CURE Hospital”. No other information would be released for the moment, it added.
Police say that the attack happened when a policeman at a nearby checkpoint opened fire on a group of five or six foreigners who were entering the hospital in western Kabul.
A spokesman for the interior ministry said that three had died, including two women. Others were being treated for their injuries, officials said.
Some reports say that the policeman, who was named as Ayunullah, shot himself after the incident. But the Reuters news agency says that he is wounded and in police custody.
The charity CURE took over the hospital seven years ago and restored it to specialize in providing healthcare for women and children. The 100-bed hospital employs 27 doctors and 64 nurses, CURE says.
It is the second attack on a Christian target in the city this year.
In March, the Taliban attacked a guest house used by foreigners working for a faith-based agricultural charity.
South Korea’s Danwon high school devastated by the loss of many of its students in Sewol ferry disaster last week has started to hold classes again.
More than 300 students from Danwon high school, located south of Seoul, were on the Sewol ferry when it capsized.
Most of the students are dead, or missing inside the sunken hull.
The ferry sank last week as it sailed from Incheon to Jeju Island. More than 170 people have been confirmed dead, as search teams work to recover bodies.
South Korea’s Danwon high school devastated by the loss of many of its students in Sewol ferry disaster last week has started to hold classes again (photo EPA)
There were 476 people on board, with many trapped inside as the ferry listed and sank within two hours of distress signals being sent. A total of 174 passengers were rescued.
Almost 250 students and teachers from Danwon have been confirmed dead or are presumed to have died, Reuters news agency says.
Most of the students who survived the disaster remain in hospital and it is not clear when they will return to school.
Final year students returned to Danwon school on Thursday, however. Dozens of counselors have been brought in to help with the trauma that many of the students are expected to face.
Over the past week, Danwon high school has become a memorial site – flowers and messages piling up outside the gates and funeral rites taking place in classrooms.
Messages posted in classrooms reportedly included: “If I see you again, I’ll tell you I love you, because I haven’t said it to you enough.”
Many in South Korea are worried about what this tragedy will mean for the children – the missing faces in Danwon’s classrooms and the knowledge of how fallible their protectors can be, our correspondent adds.
On Wednesday, an emotional memorial service took place near the school, with friends and family members laying flowers in front of photographs of some of those who died.
Ukraine’s government announces it has regained control of the city hall in the eastern port of Mariupol from pro-Russian separatists.
Several people are said to have been hurt during the overnight operation in the city, where three pro-Russian protesters were recently shot dead.
Administrative buildings have been taken over by separatists in at least a dozen towns in eastern Ukraine.
Talks are reportedly taking place in Mariupol between the two sides.
In another development, the funeral is taking place of a pro-Ukrainian politician, Volodymyr Rybak, who was abducted and killed in the Donetsk region.
Meanwhile, President Barack Obama has accused Russia of flouting a deal on Ukraine reached in Geneva last week, under which illegal armed groups, including those who have seized public buildings, would return home.
Barack Obama told a news conference in Japan that Moscow had failed to halt actions by militants in the region and warned that the US had further sanctions against Russia “teed up”.
Ukraine’s government announces it has regained control of the city hall in the eastern port of Mariupol from pro-Russian separatists
A contingent of US troops has begun landing in Poland for military exercises amid concerns among NATO’s eastern members about Russian intentions.
Moscow has said it will respond to any attack on its interests in Ukraine.
Unrest began in Ukraine last November over whether the country should look towards Moscow or the West.
Ukrainian Interior Minister Arsen Avakov announced on Thursday that the city hall in Mariupol, a port on the Sea of Azov in the Donetsk region, had been “liberated” overnight without any casualties.
“Civic activists” played a major part in the operation, he said.
According to the local news website 0629, a group of about 30 unidentified men in their twenties armed with baseball bats stormed the mayor’s office between 03:00 and 04:00 on Thursday.
The protesters called the police who reportedly came out and calmed down the opposing sides.
Negotiations are under way at the scene between the separatists, the local pro-Ukrainian authorities and the police, the site says.
While the interior minister said nobody had been hurt in the operation, 0629 reported that five men were injured, though not seriously.
Arsen Avakov also said that Ukrainian troops in Artemivsk, another town in the Donetsk region, had fended off an attempt by dozens of pro-Russian militants to seize weapons from a military unit. One soldier was wounded, he said.
Unverified footage of military helicopters, said to be flying over Artemivsk, was posted by a blogger on YouTube.
A local journalist, Anna Bokovaya, told Russian TV that about 50 people had taken part in the attack on the military unit, which lasted 45 minutes.
The militants began the attack after the soldiers inside rejected a demand to surrender, she said. The town was calm again on Thursday morning, she added.
Three pro-Russian protesters were killed when Ukrainian security forces fought off a raid on a base in Mariupol on April 17.
Jodie Foster has married her girlfriend Alexandra Hedison, the actress’s representative has confirmed.
Jodie Foster married Alexandra Hedison, a photographer and actress, over the weekend, broadcaster E! first reported.
Jodie Foster married Alexandra Hedison, a photographer and actress, over the weekend
The actress and her former partner Cydney Bernard, with whom she had two sons, ended their 20-year relationship in 2008.
The celebrity news broadcaster reported that Jodie Foster and Alexandra Hedison began dating last year.
Alexandra Hedison previously dated US comedian and chat-show host Ellen DeGeneres.
There are no details about the wedding, but California – where Jodie Foster lives – is among 17 US states, along with the District of Columbia, where gay marriage is legal.
Bharatiya Janata Party’s leader Narendra Modi, the man with the biggest chances of winning India’s elections, is to submit his election nomination papers as Indians vote in the sixth phase of their poll.
Narendra Modi arrived in the holy city of Varanasi as supporters from BJP poured onto the streets.
Varanasi will be the scene of an epic battle between Narendra Modi and anti-corruption campaigner Arvind Kejriwal, who is challenging him there.
There are 117 seats up for grabs on Thursday, but Varanasi votes on May 12.
The ruling Congress party is battling the opposition BJP to win the votes of the 814 million Indians eligible to vote.
About 2,000 candidates are hoping to win over 180 million of those votes as polling takes place in West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Indian-administered Kashmir on Thursday.
The southern state of Tamil Nadu, where voting is being held in all 39 seats on Thursday, is a key battleground to watch.
Narendra Modi arrived in the holy city of Varanasi as supporters from BJP poured onto the streets (photo AFP)
More than 35% of votes had been polled by 11:00 local time.
The main contest is between two powerful regional parties – the ruling AIADMK and the main opposition DMK. The two main national parties are fringe players in the state and have traditionally formed alliances in order to ensure power.
India’s financial capital, Mumbai, is also voting on Thursday in what promises to be a keenly-contested battle between two alliances: the ruling Congress-Nationalist Congress Party alliance against a resurgent BJP-Shiv Sena party.
Mumbai usually doesn’t see very high turnouts – it was just over 41% in the 2009 election – but many here say this time things might be different.
In an area where many Bollywood actors live, superstar Aamir Khan has already cast his vote, while Shahrukh Khan is expected to do so in the afternoon.
The marathon vote is being staggered over five weeks for security and logistical reasons. The nine-phase vote began on April 7 and will conclude on May 12. Votes will be counted on May 16.
The main contest in the election is between the Congress, led by Rahul Gandhi, and the BJP, led by the charismatic and controversial Hindu nationalist leader Narendra Modi.
Narendra Modi, who is ahead in all the pre-election opinion polls, is the leader of Gujarat state, which witnessed one of India’s worst anti-Muslim riots in 2002.
Arvind Kejriwal, contesting against Narendra Modi in Varanasi is at the helm of the anti-corruption Aam Aadmi (Common Man’s) Party, which secured a spectacular result in local polls in Delhi last year and offers a challenge to the main parties.
Several smaller regional parties are also in the fray and if no single party wins a clear majority, they could play a crucial role in the formation of a government.
Any party or a coalition needs a minimum of 272 lawmakers to form a government.
Prince Francisco de Borbón y von Hardenberg is a direct descendent of Spanish and French royalty of the House of Bourbon.
Francisco de Borbón, 35, currently lives in Madrid, Spain. He is the only son of the 5th Duke of Seville, who is a Grandee of Spain and a relative of King Juan Carlos I of Spain.
Francisco’s ancestor, the 1st Duke of Seville, was the grandson of King Charles IV of Spain, who descended from King Louis XIV of France.
Prince Francisco de Borbón y von Hardenberg is a direct descendent of Spanish and French royalty of the House of Bourbon (photo Facebook)
His mother is Countess Beatrice of Hardenberg. She is the daughter of Princess Maria Josepha of Fürstenberg and Count Günther of Hardenberg, whose family tree includes Prince Karl August von Hardenberg, a prime minister of Prussia.
Francisco de Borbón attended The American School of Madrid and then Barry University in Miami Shores, Florida, where he studied business and sports management.
He is an entrepreneur who travels frequently. He is involved with ASAP Group S.L., a company that specializes in sports marketing and media projects, with offices in Madrid and Miami.
Francisco de Borbón is an animal lover and has a dog named Snifferson.
In Secret Princes reality TV series, Francisco used the undercover name “Cisco”. He met a single mother named Camille Alyssa Morone. They went to the zoo and had a romantic picnic before he decided to invite her to the ball and reveal his pedigree.
Camille Alyssa Morone is a hair stylist in Gainesville (photo Twitter)
Hair stylist Camille Morone joined Francisco de Borbón in Spain, where she met his mother. At the end of the show, the couple decided that they wanted to see each other again.
However, it appears they finally stopped to see each other as Camille Morone is currently engaged to Conner Comeaux.
Camille Alyssa Morone has a 5-year-old daughter from a previous relationship.
Secret Princes premiered on TLC on September 21, 2012.
Francisco de Borbón featured Secret Princes Season 1.
Justin Bieber has caused international outrage after posting a picture of Japan’s Yasakuni shrine on Instagram.
Justin Bieber, 20, is thought to have visited the Yasakuni shrine, which honors fallen warriors and also pays tribute to convicted war criminals.
“Thank you for your blessings,” Justin Bieber tweeted as he posted the picture, which he later took down.
In South Korea and China the site is seen as a symbol of Japan not being sorry for the empire’s past.
Justin Bieber has caused international outrage after posting a picture of Japan’s Yasakuni shrine on Instagram
Justin Bieber has now apologized: “While in Japan I asked my driver to pull over for which I saw a beautiful shrine. I was mislead to think the shrines were only a place of prayer. To anyone I have offended I am extremely sorry. I love you China and I love you Japan.”
The post on Instagram has caused much upset on social media sites.
A museum at the shrine suggests Japan was a victim of the war, an idea many historians disagree with.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang, speaking at a regular briefing on Wednesday, said he had not been aware of Justin Bieber’s visit to the shrine.
He added: “I hope that this Canadian singer after visiting the Yasukuni shrine can have a clear understanding of Japan’s history of invasion and militarism and of the source of Japan’s militarism.”
Justin Bieber has 51 million followers on social media.
He previously upset visitors to the Anne Frank Museum in Amsterdam after saying he hoped the Holocaust victim would have been a fan.
Mark Shand, Camilla Parker Bowles’ brother, has died as a result of a serious head injury he sustained during a fall.
Mark Shand, 62, was in New York when the incident happened on Tuesday night.
“The duchess, the Prince of Wales and all her family members are utterly devastated by this sudden and tragic loss,” Clarence House said.
He was described as a man of “extraordinary vitality, a tireless campaigner and conservationist”.
Mark Shand was chairman of the Elephant Family, a movement which exists to save the endangered Asian elephant.
In its statement, Clarence House said it was with “deep sadness” that it had to confirm Mark Shand’s death.
Mark Shand, Camilla Parker Bowles’ brother, has died as a result of a serious head injury he sustained during a fall
It said his “incredible work through the Elephant Family and beyond remained his focus right up until his death”.
The death comes as the Duchess of Cornwall and the Prince Charles, currently understood to be in Scotland, prepare for a high-profile tour of Canada next month.
Mark Shand, the duchess’s only brother, reportedly slipped while lighting a cigarette and hit his head on the pavement outside an after-party for a charity event.
According to the New York Police Department, the emergency services picked him up where he fell outside the Rose Bar and took him to Bellevue Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on Wednesday.
Mark Shand married French actress Clio Goldsmith – the niece of billionaire entrepreneur James Goldsmith and the cousin of Jemima Khan and Zac Goldsmith – in 1990. They have a daughter together called Ayesha, aged 19.
Jemima Khan tweeted her condolences: “RIP Mark Shand: Best man, godfather to my son & my cousin’s ex.”
Her ex-husband, former Pakistan international cricketer and politician Imran Khan also took to the social media site to pay his respects.
Imran Khan tweeted: “Shocked & saddened to learn of the death of one of my closest English friends, Mark Shand, in New York where he was raising funds 4 charity.”
Mark Shand had been in New York for a charity auction at Sotheby’s, which was in aid of unprivileged children and the Elephant Family.
The event was the finale of the month-long Big Egg Hunt NYC by Faberge, where egg sculptures were sold to the highest bidder.
It raised $1.6 million for charity and was reportedly also attended by Princess Eugenie.
In a statement, the Elephant Family described Mark Shand as the head of its family and “a true force for conservation”.
Turkey has offered condolences for the first time for the mass killings of Armenians under Ottoman rule during WWI.
PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s condolences came on the eve of the 99th anniversary of the mass deportation of Armenians in 1915.
Turkey denies Armenian claims that up to 1.5 million people were killed and that it constituted an act of genocide.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the events of 1915 had “inhumane consequences”, and expressed hope that those who died were at peace.
Turkey maintains that many of the dead were killed in clashes during World War I, and that ethnic Turks also suffered in the conflict.
The exact nature of what happened remains highly contentious and has continued to sour relations between Turkey and Armenia.
In his message, Recep Tayyip Erdogan stopped short of using the term “genocide” to describe the mass killings.
Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan has offered condolences for the first time for the mass killings of Armenians under Ottoman rule during WWI
The prime minister struck a conciliatory tone in his statement on Wednesday, in which he offered Turkey’s condolences to the grandchildren of Armenians who lost their lives in 1915.
In the statement, which was translated into nine languages including Armenian, Recep Tayyip Erdogan described the events of World War I as “our shared pain”.
“Having experienced events which had inhumane consequences – such as relocation – during the First World War, (it) should not prevent Turks and Armenians from establishing compassion and mutually humane attitudes among towards one another,” he said.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan said “millions of people of all religions and ethnicities lost their lives in the First World War”.
But he said it was “inadmissible” for Armenia to use the 1915 events “as an excuse for hostility against Turkey” and to turn the issue “into a matter of political conflict”.
It is the first time a Turkish leader has formally offered condolences for the mass killings.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan also repeated calls to set up a joint historical commission into the events surrounding the killings – a request that has so far been denied by the Armenian authorities.
There has been a slight thaw in relations between Turkey and Armenia in recent years.
The governments of Turkey and Armenia agreed to normalize relations in October 2009, but peace efforts have since stalled and the border remains shut.
Last year, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu called the 1915-16 events a “mistake” during Turkey’s first high-level visit to Armenia in almost five years.
Armenia says up to 1.5 million people died in 1915-1916 as the Ottoman empire split. Turkey has said the number of deaths was much smaller.
The killings are regarded as the seminal event of modern Armenian history, uniting one of the world’s most dispersed peoples.
Among the other states which formally recognize them as genocide are Argentina, Belgium, Canada, France, Italy, Russia and Uruguay. The UK, US, Israel and others use different terminology.
Armenians mark the date of April 24, 1915, as the start of what they regard as the genocide.
GM has asked a US court to bar some lawsuits relating to its recall over faulty ignition switches.
The faulty switches could turn off the engine, disabling the airbags and have been linked to at least a dozen deaths.
The recall was issued earlier this year but GM has admitted some employees knew about the problem as early as 2004.
General Motors has asked the court to ban cases “alleging purely economic damages” due to the recall. It does not affect cases relating to accidents or injury.
The company has been hit by various lawsuits since the recalls began this year.
GM has asked a US court to bar some lawsuits relating to its recall over faulty ignition switches
“The lawsuits that are the subject of this motion, most of which purport to be class actions, are brought by or on behalf of individuals who were not injured as the result of any failure of the ignition switch,” the carmaker said.
GM has so far recalled nearly 2.6 million cars over the issue.
However, it has claimed that the problem affects cars that were manufactured in the years preceding its bankruptcy and subsequent bailout by the US government in 2009.
It said the “new GM” – referring to the post bailout firm – had committed to replacing the defective ignition switches as a result of the recall.
“New GM’s recall covenant does not create a basis for the plaintiffs to sue new GM for economic damages relating to a vehicle or part sold by old GM,” the company was quoted as saying in its filing by the Reuters news agency.
However, the company acknowledged in a statement that “it has civic and legal obligations relating to injuries that may relate to recalled vehicles”, and that it was looking at what options may be available to it to deal with those obligations.
Some of those suing the carmaker have alleged the firm hid the information about the problem from the US government while it was being bailed out.
They claim that as result of concealing this information GM was not entitled to protection from liability arising from the issue.
“GM’s argument suggests that the US Government would have agreed to extend $40bn of taxpayer money for GM’s restructuring, and supported shielding it from liability through the sale order, had it known of GM’s intentional misconduct,” Reuters quoted the plaintiffs as saying in their lawsuit.
GM is already facing an inquiry from US authorities over its handling of the issue.
Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas have announced a reconciliation deal.
The rival factions said they will seek to form a unity government in the coming weeks.
The move comes as the peace talks between President Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Israel near collapse.
Hamas and Fatah split violently in 2007. Previous reconciliation agreements have never been implemented.
Israel’s prime minister said Mahmoud Abbas would have to choose between peace with Israel and peace with Hamas.
“You can have one but not the other. I hope he chooses peace; so far he hasn’t done so,” warned Benjamin Netanyahu.
Palestinian officials responded by saying reconciliation is an internal matter and uniting Palestinian people would reinforce peace.
Fatah and Hamas have announced reconciliation deal (photo Reuters)
Mahmoud Abbas sent a delegation from his Fatah party to Gaza for reconciliation talks earlier this week.
Wednesday’s announcement was made at a news conference by representatives of Fatah and Hamas, an Islamist group designated a terrorist organization by Israel, the US and the EU.
The factions said they planned to form an interim unity government – headed by Mahmoud Abbas – within five weeks and hold parliamentary elections within six months.
“This is the good news we tell our people,” Ismail Haniyeh, prime minister of the Hamas-led government in Gaza, told reporters.
“The era of division is over.”
The news brought thousands of Palestinians out on to the streets of Gaza City in celebration.
Ordinary Palestinians have long hoped for an end to the split between their political leaders but previous reconciliation deals in Doha and Cairo were never implemented.
The agreement will strengthen the position of Mahmoud Abbas – whose Fatah movement dominates the Palestinian Authority, which controls parts of the West Bank – and should also make Hamas feel less isolated as it continues to face border restrictions imposed by Israel and Egypt.
The two factions have been at odds since Hamas, which won parliamentary elections in 2006, ousted forces loyal to Mahmoud Abbas and Fatah in Gaza during clashes in 2007 and set up a rival government.
Shortly after Wednesday’s reconciliation deal was announced, five people were injured in an Israeli air strike in northern Gaza, Palestinian medics said.
NYPD’s plan to use Twitter to boost its image seems to have backfired.
In a tweet, the NYPD asked Twitter users to share pictures of them posing with a police officer with the hashtag “myNYPD” as part of a social media campaign.
But instead of a steady stream of friendly photos, the hashtag was quickly adopted by users posting images of possible police aggression.
The NYPD said: “Twitter provides an open forum for uncensored exchange.”
The original tweet was posted on the NYPD’s Twitter feed on Tuesday. Featuring two smiling officers and a member of the public, it encouraged users to send in similar photos.
NYPD’s plan to use Twitter to boost its image seems to have backfired (photo AP)
But while several people did so, the hashtag was also picked up by others who used it to identify tweets containing photos of the NYPD in more hostile situations.
By Wednesday, the hashtag had become one of Twitter’s top trending terms.
One photo showed a man being pushed down on to a car bonnet. It was from March 2013 and followed protests in Brooklyn over the death of 16-year-old Kimani Gray who was shot by police.
The protest group Occupy Wall Street tweeted an image of an NYPD police officer advancing towards a crowd with a baton raised.
Many of the photos appeared to be taken by professional photographers at incidents in New York City rather than users’ own images.
One from the Associated Press showing a man being held down on the floor by two officers appeared in several tweets.
The NYPD issued a statement on Tuesday evening in response to the activity: “The NYPD is creating new ways to communicate effectively with the community. Twitter provides an open forum for an uncensored exchange and this is an open dialogue good for our city.”
Other Twitter interactions that have backfired include McDonald’s using a hashtag to highlight its farmers that quickly got taken over by people sharing their bad experiences of the burger chain.
SABC, South Africa’s public broadcaster, refused to broadcast a campaign ad from the Economic Freedom Front (EFF) as it incited violence.
The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) denied that the advert was banned because it came from the EFF.
EFF’s election ad calls for people to “destroy e-Tolls”, a controversial new road tolling system.
The EFF, set up by ex-ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema, is contesting an election for the first time next month.
Julius Malema likened the SABC’s actions to those used by the apartheid government, which censored messages with anti-government sentiment
“Once you suppress the people contesting elections it means you not ready to give us free and fair elections because unfair coverage leads to unfair elections,” Julius Malema told reporters in Johannesburg.
However, SABC spokesman Kaiser Kganyago said it was to do with regulations, not politics.
SABC refused to broadcast a campaign ad from the Julius Malema’s EFF as it incited violence (photo SABC)
“They submitted it, we looked at it, and we found that we couldn’t put it on air,” the South African Press Association news agency quotes him as saying.
“The EFF, like any other political party, signed the code of conduct with the IEC [Independent Election Commission] that says it will not incite violence…. [the advert] goes against the code.”
The SABC has reportedly written to the EFF telling them to amend the advert, but the party has refused to do so.
Earlier this month, the SABC also rejected an ad from the Democratic Alliance (DA), the country’s main opposition party, saying it used language that promoted violence and amounted to a “personal attack” against President Jacob Zuma.
However, the ad was eventually aired after the Independent Communications Authority of SA’s (ICASA) complaints and compliance committee ruled in the party’s favor.
EFF spokesperson Mbuyiseni Ndlovu said their party had also lodged an ICASA complaint.
The ad, which has been posted on YouTube, starts with a widow of one of the striking miners killed by police in August 2012 in what is called the Marikana massacre.
It is followed by a message from Julius Malema asking South Africans to vote against the “empty promises of the last 20 years”, then several slogans appear across the screen, one of which says: “Destroy e-tolls physically!”
Julius Malema was once a close ally of Jacob Zuma but was expelled from the governing African National Congress (ANC) in 2012 for sowing divisions in the party.
Opposition parties have in the past accused the SABC of a bias towards the ANC and censoring messages, which the broadcaster denied.
However, the refusal by the SABC to air these adverts plays into that perception.
After a hotly contested election campaign, South Africans go to the polls on May 7.
Four more crew members from Sewol ferry that sank last week have been arrested by the South Korean authorities, bringing the total number detained to 11.
Police have also raided offices of companies linked to the ferry’s owners.
Search teams are continuing to recover bodies from the submerged hull of the passenger ferry.
One survivor has described taking the agonizing decision to save himself as the ship capsized and water washed away students he was trying to rescue.
The number of people known to have died in the accident has reached 150, with another 152 still missing, most of them teenage children from a single school in Ansan, outside the capital Seoul.
An emotional memorial service took place near the school on Wednesday, with friends and family members laying flowers in front of photographs of some of those who died.
The government is under strong public pressure to find out why the ferry capsized.
Four more crew members from Sewol ferry have been arrested, bringing the total number detained to 11 (photo EPA)
Twenty-two of the 29 members of the ferry’s crew survived and prosecutors say the 11 arrested were on the bridge when the ship listed and sank within two hours of distress signals being sent.
Companies associated with Incheon-based Chonghaejin Marine Company, which owned the 6,825-tonne Sewol ferry, have also been raided by police as part of the investigation.
Authorities have issued 30-day travel bans to more than 70 executives connected with Chonghaejin and its affiliates while they are investigated on possible charges ranging from criminal negligence to embezzlement.
“We will also make efforts to retrieve profits made out of criminal acts and track down hidden assets to support financial compensations for [potential] lawsuits by families of the victims and the missing,” a prosecutor told AFP.
Survivors have spoken of the struggle to save the hundreds of passengers trapped below the tilting decks as cargo containers toppled into the sea.
Reports suggest that passengers were told to remain in their rooms and cabins as the ship listed, amid confusion on the bridge over whether to order them to abandon ship.
The first distress call from the sinking ferry was made from a mobile phone by a boy with a shaking voice, officials told Reuters.
His plea for help was followed by about 20 other emergency calls from children on board the ship.
A crew member quoted by local media said that attempts to launch lifeboats were unsuccessful because the ship was listing too severely. Only two of the vessel’s 46 lifeboats were reported to have been deployed.
South Korean President Park Geun-hye has condemned the conduct of some of the crew, calling it “akin to murder”.
Australian authorities are examining material washed ashore to determine if it is related to missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.
The debris was found by a member of the public near the town of Augusta, some 190 miles south of Perth.
Images of the debris have been sent to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB), which is now investigating.
“It’s sufficiently interesting for us to take a look,” an ATSB chief Martin Dolan told CNN.
Martin Dolan said the debris looked like sheet metal with rivets in it, but added: “The more we look at it, the less excited we get.”
The ATSB confirmed it was examining the photographs “to determine whether further physical analysis is required and if there is any relevance to the search of missing flight MH370”.
The images have also been sent to authorities in Malaysia and the ATSB is expected to collect the material later on Wednesday.
The material was metallic and about 8ft long, ABC News reported.
The debris was found by a member of the public near the town of Augusta, some 190 miles south of Perth
The Malaysia Airlines aircraft was carrying 239 people from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing when it disappeared in March.
Malaysia is running the investigation into the plane’s disappearance, but search efforts are being led by Australia’s Joint Agency Co-ordination Centre (JACC).
For the past two days, bad weather has prevented planes from taking part in the search about 990 miles north-west of Perth.
The US Navy Bluefin-21 mini-submarine scanning the ocean bed has covered more than 80% of a120 sq mile search area in the southern Indian Ocean, without finding any sign of debris in water.
Up to 10 military aircraft and 12 ships are currently taking part in the hunt. The daily operation, involving some two dozen nations, is already shaping up to be the most expensive in aviation history.
Australia said on Wednesday that it would not abandon the hunt, insisting that the cost of the operation was not a concern.
Australian PM Tony Abbott said if the current underwater search was unsuccessful, a new strategy would begin.
Defense Minister David Johnston has said that sophisticated sonar equipment will probably be used in the next stage.
“The next phase, I think, is that we step up with potentially a more powerful, more capable side-scan sonar to do deeper water,” David Johnston said.
Tony Abbott said the probable impact zone of the airliner was in an area of the sea floor 430 miles long and 50 miles wide.
In a separate development, Malaysian Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said that his country’s cabinet had approved the formation of an international investigation team to find out what happened to the missing plane.
“The main purpose of the team is to evaluate, investigate and determine the actual cause of the accident so similar accidents could be avoided in the future,” he told reporters in Kuala Lumpur.
Australia says that it is now consulting with Malaysia, China and the US on the next phase of the search, which is likely to be announced next week.
Tony Abbott said a new search strategy would be put into action if nothing was found in the current seabed search.
“If at the end of that period we find nothing, we are not going to abandon the search, we may well rethink the search, but we will not rest until we have done everything we can to solve this mystery,” he said.
“We owe it to the families of the 239 people on board, we owe it to the hundreds of millions – indeed billions – of people who travel by air to try to get to the bottom of this.”
“The only way we can get to the bottom of this is to keep searching the probable impact zone until we find something or until we have searched it as thoroughly as human ingenuity allows at this time,” Tony Abbott said.
Lorde has decided to postpone her Australian tour after doctors advised her to rest immediately.
Lorde, 17, said in a statement: “It breaks my heart to have to postpone these shows as the band and I absolutely love playing to Australian crowds, and it was not a decision we made lightly.
“I know I need to focus on getting better in order to perform at my best.
“We’ll be with you as soon as we can, Aussies.”
Lorde has decided to postpone her Australian tour after doctors advised her to rest immediately
The New Zealander singer, whose real name is Ella Yelich-O’Connor, told her 1.5 million followers on Twitter that she had a “nasty chest infection and general ill health”.
Lorde also posted messages on the social network revealing her parents and team had told her to take a break after she worked “non-stop” in 2014.
“I just need time to get back to full gollum girl fitness before i go out playing shows again,” she added.
Lorde has been touring North and South America over the past few months and played at Coachella over the Easter weekend.
She was due to start her seven-date Australian tour in Melbourne on Thursday and said she expected to reschedule the gigs for November.
Lorde’s breakthrough hit Royals was number one on music charts around the world in 2013 and she won Grammys for song of the year and best pop solo performance in January.
Last month Lorde’s debut album Pure Heroine broke the million sales mark.
Chris Brown’s assault trial, which had been set for Monday, is set to resume on Wednesday.
Chris Brown and his bodyguard Christopher Hollosy were arrested in October after a man accused them of punching him outside a Washington hotel.
The trial was delayed on Monday while lawyers work out issues over a testimony from Christopher Hollosy, who was convicted of assault in a separate trial.
The bodyguard told police he punched the man first.
But court documents describe events differently, claiming Chris Brown punched the man first when he tried to get in a picture the singer was having taken with two women.
The papers also say the man was treated for a fractured nose and injuries to his face and head.
Judge Patricia Wynn set Christopher Hollosy’s sentencing for June 25.
Chris Brown and his bodyguard Christopher Hollosy were arrested in October after a man accused them of punching him outside a Washington hotel (photo Getty Images)
Chris Brown’s lawyers now want him to testify at the singer’s trial.
Christopher Hollosy would be expected to say that he, not Chris Brown, punched the man outside the W Hotel.
However, Christopher Hollosy’s lawyer, Bernard Grimm, told a judge he planned to appeal against his client’s conviction.
Unless prosecutors grant Christopher Hollosy immunity, testifying in Chris Brown’s case could affect his appeal.
Prosecutors haven’t said if they will grant Christopher Hollosy immunity and have previously said waiting until his appeal is over could take a year.
Chris Brown’s attorney Mark Geragos said outside court that he wanted to move forward.
“I don’t think that there’s any doubt Chris Brown is not guilty,” he said.
But Mark Geragos also said Christopher Hollosy’s testimony was crucial to Chris Brown’s case.
He said prosecutors have a “duty to fairly treat a defendant and to extend immunity in certain situations”.
“It’s going to be our argument that this is one of those situations,” he added.
Mark Geragos said he expected Chris Brown’s trial, when it does start, to last no longer than two days.
Chris Brown was on probation in California for an attack in 2009 on his then-girlfriend Rihanna when it’s claimed the assault took place.
Soon after his arrest in Washington Chris Brown entered rehab for anger management treatment, but he was jailed in mid-March after violating the treatment facility’s rules.
If convicted in the Washington case, Chris Brown could face jail time under the terms of a court order in the Rihanna case.
