For her arrival in sunny Australia, Kate Middleton opted for a yellow and white blocked Ryedale dress from the Roksanda Ilincic spring 2014 collection.
The Duchess of Cambridge accessorized with her trusty nude L.K. Bennett pumps for the occasion.
Kate Middleton opted for a yellow and white blocked Ryedale dress from the Roksanda Ilincic spring 2014 collection (photo Getty Images)
Prince William and Kate Middleton headed over to the iconic Sydney Opera House where more frenzied fans got a closer look at Kate’s new dress.
According to Hello magazine, Prince William wasn’t quite as impressed by Kate’s designer frock.
“William said I look like a banana!” Kate Middleton exclaimed to an onlooker.
Former world’s biggest Bitcoin exchange Mt. Gox has been put in administration by a Japanese court.
Mt. Gox announced in February that hackers had stolen hundreds of thousands of Bitcoins from it, worth about $500 million.
It later said that it had found a substantial number of the Bitcoins and had hoped to find a way to continue as a business and pay back customers.
But the court dismissed this plan and appointed an administrator.
In a statement on Mt. Gox’s website the administrator said that bankruptcy proceedings were likely to follow.
Mt. Gox has been put in administration by a Japanese court
This would involve Mt. Gox customers being asked to make any claims through the court, although the administrator pointed out that there was no time frame for this process at the moment.
Customers can continue to check the balance of any Bitcoins they have with Mt. Gox but are warned that this is not necessarily the amount they would receive as the result of a claim.
Mt. Gox said at the time it went offline that the Bitcoins had been stolen from its system by hackers who exploited a loophole in the software that oversaw the Bitcoin system. The administrator said that it plans to investigate the missing Bitcoins as part of its role.
The founder of Mt. Gox, Mark Karpeles, refused a request by a US court to attend a hearing this week to answer questions about the collapse of the exchange. He has not been charged with any crime.
Bitcoin is currently trading for around $500, down from a high of more than $1,100 last year.
Six Ukrainian armored vehicles have been seized by pro-Russian militants in eastern town of Kramatorsk, the defense ministry in Kiev says.
Reports say the occupants were disarmed after the vehicles were blockaded by locals in the city of Kramatorsk.
The incident comes a day after the military began an operation to remove pro-Russian protesters from public buildings across eastern Ukraine.
Meanwhile, NATO is increasing activity in member states bordering Russia.
After Ukrainian forces recaptured an airfield outside Kramatorsk on Tuesday, armored vehicles appeared in the centre of the town early on Wednesday.
“A column was blocked by a crowd of local people in Kramatorsk with members of a Russian diversionary-terrorist group among them,” the defense ministry said its statement.
The military vehicles were then taken to Sloviansk where they are being held by “people in uniforms who have no relation to Ukraine’s armed forces,” the ministry said.
The Ukrainian troops appear to have been disarmed before being fed by pro-Russian militants at a cafe in Sloviansk and then put on a bus back to their home city of Dnipropetrovsk.
Six Ukrainian armored vehicles have been seized by pro-Russian militants in eastern town of Kramatorsk
In another incident, several hundred residents of Pchyolkino, south of Sloviansk, surrounded another column of 14 Ukrainian military vehicles.
After the crowd was reinforced by pro-Russian gunmen, negotiations ensued and the troops were allowed to drive their vehicles away, but only after agreeing to surrender the magazines from their assault rifles.
The episodes come amid increasing tension across eastern Ukraine, blamed by the Kiev government and the West on covert Russian intervention in the region – an allegation denied by Moscow.
The crisis escalated this month after pro-Russian rebels occupied buildings in about 10 towns and cities, demanding greater autonomy or referendums on secession.
Tens of thousands of Russian soldiers are believed to have massed on Ukraine’s borders since Russia took control of the Ukrainian region of Crimea last month, following a controversial referendum on self-determination.
As tensions rose, Ukraine’s acting Defense Minister Mykhailo Koval headed for the east of the country to monitor the progress of the “anti-terrorist operation” announced by acting President Oleksandr Turchynov on Tuesday.
In the city of Donetsk, where activists have been occupying the regional government building since April 6, pro-Russian gunmen have taken control of the mayor’s office.
They told an AFP correspondent their only demand was for the region to stage a referendum on turning Ukraine into a federation with broader local rights.
Meanwhile NATO announced it was beefing up its eastern members’ defenses.
In Brussels, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen promised “more planes in the air, mores ships on the water, more readiness on the land”.
Anders Fogh Rasmussen called on Russia to make clear it did not “support the violent actions of well-armed militias or pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine”.
Reeva Steenkamp was shot in quick succession as she fell down, a forensics expert has told Oscar Pistorius’ murder trial.
This differs from a police ballistics witness who said there was short break between the first and second shots.
Oscar Pistorius denies intentionally killing Reeva Steenkamp in early hours of Valentine’s Day last year.
He says he fired rapidly in fear through the toilet door after he mistook Reeva Steenkamp for an intruder.
The prosecution says the 29-year-old model and law graduate was deliberately killed after the couple had an argument.
Oscar Pistorius faces 25 years to life in prison if convicted of premeditated murder.
The trial has been adjourned until Thursday, which will be the last day before a break; proceedings will resume on Monday 5 May.
Forensics expert Roger Dixon, a defense witness, says Reeva Steenkamp was standing at an angle to the door and that all four bullets hit her as fell to the ground.
Reeva Steenkamp was shot in quick succession as she fell down
Earlier in the trial, ballistics expert Captain Christiaan Mangena said he believed Reeva Steenkamp was standing up facing the closed door when she was hit in the right hip.
He said she then fell back onto a magazine rack next to the toilet before three more bullets were fired at the door, one of which missed her.
Roger Dixon’s testimony challenges the state’s version that Reeva Steenkamp would have had time to scream after the first bullet and that Oscar Pistorius then changed aim and continued firing.
On Tuesday, Roger Dixon told the court his tests showed that with the light out, Oscar Pistorius’ bedroom would have been almost completely dark on the evening of the shooting, despite a couple of LED lights.
This also supports Oscar Pistorius’ evidence that he did not see whether Reeva Steenkamp was still in bed when he got up.
The court also heard sound recordings Roger Dixon had made – of a cricket bat striking a door similar to the one in Oscar Pistorius’ toilet, and of gunshots fired through the door at a distance of 60m (196ft) and 180m.
Roger Dixon seemed to struggle to tell the sounds apart, which the defense will use to cast doubt on what neighbors say they heard that night.
Prosecution witnesses have testified to hearing a woman scream followed by gun shots, but the defense disputes their testimony, saying the only scream came from Oscar Pistorius – after he had fired.
But prosecutor Gerrie Nel has sought to cast doubt on Roger Dixon’s credibility and qualifications as a forensics witness during his cross examination on Wednesday.
Roger Dixon is a geologist and university lecturer who worked as head of materials analysis at a police forensic laboratory in Pretoria for 18 years until 2012 and repeatedly said he was not a ballistics expert.
Gerrie Nel also sought to prove that he was out of his depth when he was testifying about marks on Reeva Steenkamp’s body.
He had identified one as a bruise which other pathologists had not, Gerrie Nel said.
At one stage Roger Dixon used the phrase “in my layman’s understanding”.
“Now you call yourself a layman. You see how irresponsible it is to make inferences that aren’t in your area of expertise,” Gerrie Nel replied.
Roger Dixon took the stand after seven days of testimony from the sprinter came to an end with him reading a Valentine’s Day card from his girlfriend.
NASA scientists say they witnessed what could be the birth of a new moon in the rings of Saturn.
Named Peggy, the object would become the 63rd moon in Saturn’s orbit if confirmed.
The evidence comes from a black-and-white image of the outermost ring captured by the Cassini spacecraft.
“Witnessing the birth of a tiny moon is an exciting, unexpected event,” said Linda Spilker of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).
Scientists noticed a bump or distortion on the edge of the ring which they believe indicates the presence of some kind of object.
Peggy would become the 63rd moon in Saturn’s orbit if confirmed (photo NASA)
It is estimated that Peggy may be about half a mile in diameter and it is almost certainly made of ice.
The disturbance in the edge of the ring is 20% brighter than its surroundings and about 750 miles long and 6 miles wide.
Details were published in the journal Icarus.
The significance of the discovery is that the image may have captured the moment of the moon’s birth amid the clouds of ice particles making up the rings.
The most obvious theory is that because the rings contain so much ice, and because many of Saturn’s moons are composed primarily of ice, the rings provide the nursery for new moons before they migrate to more distant orbits.
What happens to Peggy now is not clear. If it continues to orbit inside the rings, it runs the risk of collisions with smaller lumps of ice with the likelihood of the tiny moon disintegrating.
However, if Peggy escapes beyond the rings, it will run the gauntlet of drifting through the paths of much larger moons.
In any event, the moon’s small size means that if it does migrate beyond the rings, it will be impossible for the scientists to keep track of it.
Yahoo shares jumped 9% despite a 20% fall in first-quarter earnings.
Yahoo’s profits of $312 million still beat expectations.
Yahoo also said revenue from display advertising increased by 2% to $409 million, the first rise in some time. Overall, first quarter revenue was $1.1 billion, the best since 2010.
“I am really pleased by our first-quarter performance,” said Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer in a statement.
Yahoo also reported that it had 430 million monthly mobile users who accessed Yahoo products, a crucial measure as the firm seeks to catch up with Facebook and Google to attract mobile advertising.
Yahoo shares jumped 9 percent despite a 20 percent fall in first-quarter earnings
It also increased its total workforce by 8% to 12,400 global employees.
In contrast to Yahoo’s earnings fall, Chinese internet giant Alibaba, of which Yahoo owns a 24% share, reported surging revenues.
These increased by 66% in 2013 Q4 to $3.06 billion, compared with $1.84 billion during the same period a year earlier.
Profits increased 110% to $1.4 billion, compared with $642 million a year earlier.
Alibaba’s fourth quarter earnings were released as part of Yahoo’s report.
Alibaba, China’s largest internet company, is expected to complete a public share sale sometime this summer on a US exchange.
The share float could raise as much as $15 billion, making it the biggest technology company debut since Facebook’s stock sale in 2012.
Ukrainian soldiers sent to reclaim locations seized by pro-Russian militia in recent days, have been seen in the centre of Kramatorsk.
Kramatorsk’s airfield was recaptured on Tuesday after Ukraine’s acting President Oleksandr Turchynov announced an “anti-terror operation”.
Armored personnel carriers in the town were blocked by pro-Russian locals who were talking to the soldiers.
Tension is running high, with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin warning Ukraine is “on the verge of civil war”.
Vladimir Putin made the comments in a phone call to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, after President Oleksandr Turchynov announced the start of the operation on Tuesday.
Russian officials said both leaders “emphasized the importance” during the conversation of planned four-way talks on Thursday between senior diplomats from Russia, the EU, the US and Ukraine.
Ukrainian soldiers sent to reclaim locations seized by pro-Russian militia in recent days, have been seen in the centre of Kramatorsk
However, Ukrainian and Western officials have accused Russia of being behind the pro-Russia activism in the region. Moscow strongly denies fomenting the unrest.
Ukrainian counter-terrorism chief General Vasyl Krutov, speaking to reporters at Kramatorsk airfield late on Tuesday, emphasized that armed individuals had crossed the border into Ukraine.
“We have to deal with a very serious, highly skilled and very professional opponent,” he said according to Interfax-Ukraine news agency.
“They display a very high level of preparedness, tactical and practical skill. These people must have been to hot spots across the world and on their own territory.”
Last month’s annexation of Crimea by Moscow was preceded by the presence of uniformed, armed men believed to be Russian troops, although in greater numbers than the similarly dressed and equipped men who have been seen in eastern Ukraine, correspondents say.
The Kremlin has condemned the Ukrainian military operation in eastern Ukraine as an “anti-constitutional course to use force against peaceful protest actions”.
Russia’s foreign ministry has expressed “deep concern” at reports of casualties in eastern Ukraine, but these cannot be confirmed.
Tensions have mounted in recent days after pro-Russian rebels seized buildings in about 10 towns and cities across eastern Ukraine.
They are demanding greater autonomy or referendums on secession from Ukraine.
Alison Michelle Ernst, who is accused of throwing a shoe at Hillary Clinton, has been ordered by a federal judge in Phoenix to remain in custody until she can appear in court in Las Vegas.
Alison Michelle Ernst, 36, made an initial appearance Tuesday in federal court in her hometown of Phoenix after she was arrested Monday.
US Magistrate Judge Steven Logan appointed attorney Maria Weidner to represent Alison Michelle Ernst.
Alison Michelle Ernst is accused of throwing a shoe at Hillary Clinton
Maria Weidner says Alison Michelle Ernst looks forward to resolving the case.
Alison Michelle Ernst had been freed from custody in Nevada with a court summons on a misdemeanor disorderly conduct charge following her arrest Thursday at the Mandalay Bay resort.
US prosecutors filed federal misdemeanor trespassing and violence against a person charges Sunday. Those counts could get Alison Michelle Ernst up to two years in federal prison.
The shoe missed Hillary Clinton, and Alison Michelle Ernst immediately surrendered to authorities.
Bitcoin exchange Mt. Gox has given up plans to rebuild under bankruptcy protection and has asked a Tokyo court to allow it to be liquidated, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the situation.
The source cited the complexity of the procedure and the lack of realistic rehabilitation plans for the Tokyo-based exchange as reasons for the move, the newspaper said.
Bitcoin exchange Mt. Gox has given up plans to rebuild under bankruptcy protection and has asked a Tokyo court to allow it to be liquidated (photo Getty Images)
Mt. Gox, once the world’s biggest Bitcoin exchange, filed for bankruptcy protection in Japan last month, saying it may have lost some 850,000 Bitcoins – worth around $454 million at today’s rates – due to hacking into its computer system. It has since said it found 200,000 of those Bitcoins.
Mt. Gox’s lawyers declined to comment on the matter.
Mt. Gox CEO Mark Karpeles won’t travel to the US to answer questions about the Bitcoin exchange’s US bankruptcy case, the company’s lawyers told a federal judge this week.
Conjoined twins Owen and Emmett Ezell, who were separated at Medical City Children’s Hospital in Dallas in August 2013, are expected to be released from the hospital Wednesday, eight months after their surgery.
Medical City announced Monday that Owen and Emmett Ezell are expected to be released to a local inpatient rehabilitation center this week.
To celebrate the twins’ health and success, a small celebration is being planned on Wednesday prior to their departure. Ahead of that celebration, the hospital and Ezell family released two new photographs of the now 9-month-old boys on Tuesday.
In the past the hospital had said Owen and Emmett Ezell had to pass three major hurdles to go home – eating and breathing on their own and fully healing from their surgical wounds.
Conjoined twins Owen and Emmett Ezell were separated at Medical City Children’s Hospital in Dallas in August 2013 (photo Ezell family)
“This is the next step to getting the boys home with their family,” the news release said.
The hospital said Monday the twins are breathing on their own through a trachea breathing tube and that they are no longer being fed through an IV, but they continue to be fed through tubes in their abdomens.
While at rehab, the boys’ parents will learn to manage those tubes until the boys can eat on their own.
Owen and Emmett Ezell are expected to be released on Wednesday, but the hospital says as with any fragile patient, the release could change.
The hospital plans to celebrate the twins release at the hospital Wednesday, though the boys will not be there because of their fragile state.
The family has been chronicling the boys’ progress, since their separation surgery in August 2013 on The Ezell Twins blog. They are selling T-shirts through their blog that read, “The Works of God Displayed in Them, John 9:1-3.”
The funds donated go into a trust fund set up for Emmett and Owen Ezell and their direct care.
Combine cardio and standing abs moves for an intense, waist-whittling routine that will tighten your tummy fast.
Research shows that high-intensity interval training (HIIT) may be more effective than traditional cardio at getting rid of stubborn abdominal body fat.
Research shows that high-intensity interval training may be more effective than traditional cardio at getting rid of stubborn abdominal body fat
Strengthening your core muscles can help create flatter, more drawn-in abs and improve your posture, contributing to a slimmer waistline.
So get ready to blast off belly fat with this 15-minute circuit that combines fat-scorching cardio intervals with standing core exercises that do double-duty as your active recovery.
Do as many rounds as possible (AMRAP) of each exercise, in order with no rest. The core strength moves double as the warm-up, recovery and cool-down. Repeat the circuit 3 times total.
China’s economy grew by 7.4% in 2014 Q1, better than what many were expecting.
However, it is a slowdown from 7.7% growth in the final quarter of last year.
Other data released with the gross domestic product (GDP) figure showed industrial output rising 8.8% in March from one year ago.
Retail sales for the month of March spiked by 12.2%, underscoring China’s efforts to boost economic growth via domestic consumption.
Last year China set its growth target for 2014 at 7.5%, part of efforts to stabilize the economy after years of fast-paced expansion.
China’s growth data is closely watched around the region. A slowdown could hurt Asian economies especially those which export commodities and industrial components to the world’s second largest economy.
A sluggish start for the year is not uncommon, due to the Lunar New Year holiday when many businesses and factories shut down operations for about two weeks.
China’s economy grew by 7.4 percent in 2014 Q1, better than what many were expecting
But recent data from the manufacturing as well as industrial sectors have been weak, raising fears of a prolonged slowdown.
Amid these concerns, China has recently taken more steps to give a jolt to its economy.
A mini-stimulus measure announced earlier this month will see Beijing extending a tax break for small and medium-sized companies, and ramping up spending on China’s railway infrastructure.
In addition, the mainland also took steps to open up its capital markets by announcing a tie-up with Hong Kong, allowing for cross-border stock investment. The pilot scheme is scheduled to take off in about six months.
And in January, China launched a free-trade zone in Shanghai, seen as a test bed for reforms in key areas of the economy, such as the financial and telecom sectors which previously were tightly controlled by the government.
China also said it will allow foreign firms to make gaming consoles within the free-trade zone and sell them across China – lifting a ban on gaming consoles which had been in place since 2000.
Analysts are hopeful that the Chinese economy has bottomed out, and will perform better later in the year.
China’s trade figures for March had shown a sharp drop in both imports and exports.
Earlier this month the World Bank lowered its growth forecast for the Chinese economy this year to 7.6% for this year from a previous prediction of 7.7%.
Prince William, Kate Middleton and their son Prince George have arrived in Sydney for the next leg of their tour of New Zealand and Australia.
Prince George was in his mother’s arms as the royal couple emerged from a plane at Kingsford Smith Airport.
Kate Middleton carried the 8-month-old down the steps of the aircraft before she and Prince William were met by dignitaries.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will spend 10 days travelling across Australia, visiting its famous sites and honoring its war dead.
Australia’s PM Tony Abbott and Governor-general Peter Cosgrove, their spouses and other figures were among those who met Prince William and Kate Middleton as they descended from the plane.
Kate Middleton, wearing a yellow dress by Roksanda Ilincic, handed Prince George to his father as she accepted flowers from Joscelyn Sweeney, a 22-year-old with Down’s syndrome.
Prince William, Kate Middleton and their son Prince George have arrived in Sydney for the next leg of their tour of New Zealand and Australia (photo Reuters)
A lively Prince George, dressed in a white cotton babygrow with ships on the front, touched hands with the governor-general’s wife Lynne Cosgrove before his parents left for their first engagement at the Sydney Opera House.
Prince William and Kate Middleton completed the first leg of their trip Down Under with a tour of New Zealand.
They arrived in Australia on Wednesday for the second leg as a political scandal erupted, forcing one of the country’s senior figures to pull out of the official greeting party.
Barry O’Farrell resigned as premier of New South Wales just hours before Prince William and Kate Middleton arrived after a document emerged contradicting evidence he gave to an anti-corruption inquiry.
He admitted to a “massive memory fail” after he failed to declare a gift of A$3,000 wine.
The leader of the New South Wales Liberal Party had told an inquiry that he never received the wine and that he could not remember calling businessman Nick Di Girolamo, who sent him the gift in 2011.
Barry O’Farrell resigned after investigators unveiled a hand-written thank you note from him.
He had been due to greet the royal couple on the tarmac, and later at their visit to Sydney Opera House, but did not attend the welcome ceremony at the airport.
Barry O’Farrell was not replaced by another official.
About 300 people remain unaccounted for after a ferry carrying 476 people capsized and sank off South Korea, killing at least two passengers.
The passenger ferry, named Sewol, carrying mainly school students, was travelling from the port of Incheon, in the north-west, to the southern resort island of Jeju.
A major rescue effort is under way, using dozens of ships and helicopters.
Several hours after the disaster, at least 290 people remained missing, local media said.
South Korean officials had earlier said that 368 people had been plucked to safety, but later said there had been a counting error.
They have now revised down the number rescued to about 180, Yonhap news agency reported.
Two people are known to have died and at least 13 others have been injured, reports say.
An official from Sanwon High School in Seoul’s Ansan suburb told Reuters that all 338 students and teachers aboard the ferry had been rescued, although that information was not immediately confirmed by authorities involved in the rescue operation.
The students aboard the Sewol were on their way to the resort island of Jeju on a school trip, according to local reports.
Images showed the ferry listing at a severe angle and then later almost completely submerged, with only a small part of its hull visible.
About 300 people remain unaccounted for after a ferry carrying 476 people capsized and sank off South Korea (photo Reuters)
Pictures showed rescue teams balanced on the sinking hull pulling teenagers from cabin windows. Some of their classmates jumped into the sea as the ship went down.
Reports suggest some of those rescued were picked up by nearby commercial vessels.
Navy divers were now searching the scene for those unaccounted for, officials said.
One body, of a female crew member, had been recovered from the ship, the coastguard said. Another person is reported to have died after being rescued.
One student told local media her friends became trapped.
It is not yet clear what caused the incident, but witnesses described hearing an impact, before the ship listed and quickly sank.
One passenger told the YTN news channel: “We heard a big thumping sound and the boat stopped.
“The boat is tilting and we have to hold on to something to stay seated,” the passenger said.
Another passenger said the ship was “shaking and tilting”, with people tripping and bumping into each other.
Weather conditions were described as fine.
However, Reuters reported that heavy fog had set in overnight off the west coast, leading to the cancellation of many island passenger ferry services.
The Busan Regional Maritime Affairs & Port Administration confirmed that the ferry sent a distress call Wednesday morning local time.
News agencies said the ferry had sent out a distress signal about 12 miles off the island of Byungpoong at about 09:00 local time.
Earlier reports put the number of passengers on the ferry at about 350. The Sewol is reported to have a capacity of up to 900 people. Shipping records show it was built in Japan in 1994.
1 (5 1/2 pound) boneless leg of lamb, tied in netting
Easter Leg of Lamb
20 cloves garlic, or more to taste
garlic powder, or to taste
10 fresh rosemary sprigs
Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 F (165 C).
Cut 20 deep slits evenly spaced around the leg of lamb without cutting the netting. Stuff a garlic clove into each slit. Rub garlic powder over the lamb. Slice rosemary sprigs under netting evenly around the lamb. Place lamb into a roasting pan.
Roast in preheated oven until reddish-pink and juicy in the center for medium-rare, about 2-2 1/2 hours. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 130 F (54 C). Cover in aluminum foil; rest meat until thermometer reads 135 F (57 C) before carving.
Boston is holding a tribute event on the anniversary of the deadly bombing at last year’s marathon.
Vice-President Joe Biden told survivors they were an example of “pure courage”.
Boston’s leaders thanked those who saved lives in the frenzied aftermath.
Three people were killed and some 264 injured when two bombs exploded near the finish line at last year’s Boston Marathon.
“I know that no memorial, no words, no acts can fully provide the solace that your hearts and soul still yearn to acquire,” Joe Biden said at a midday memorial program.
“I hope it eases your grief a little bit.”
Participants in Tuesday’s ceremonies included representatives from families of the victims, members of the city’s fire, police and ambulance services, government agencies and civic organizations.
Boston is holding a tribute event on the anniversary of the deadly bombing at last year’s marathon (photo LA Times)
Dignitaries in attendance included Joe Biden, former Mayor Thomas Menino, current Mayor Martin Walsh, Governor Deval Patrick, Senator Elizabeth Warren, and others.
This year’s Boston Marathon is due to take place on April 21.
Tuesday’s memorial events began with a wreath-laying ceremony at the site of the explosions, attended by the families of the three bombing victims – Martin Richard, Krystle Campbell and Lu Lingzi.
Relatives of university police officer Sean Collier, who was killed during a manhunt for the suspects, also attended the solemn ceremony.
An invitation-only audience of about 2,500 people gathered at the city’s convention centre at midday to remember victims and honor those who responded to the attack.
“This day will always be hard, but this place will always be strong,” Thomas Menino said.
“Even though the memory still brings tears to our eyes and our heart aches for those we have lost, it’s a comfort to be here with family and friends who got us through that tragic day.”
Several survivors spoke at the event, including Patrick Downes and dancer Adrianne Haslet-Davis, both of whom lost their lower left legs in the bombings.
“We should have never met this way, but we are so grateful for each other,” Patrick Downes said, describing the sense of community that has developed among those who were injured.
The program finished with remarks from Joe Biden, who said last year, “the whole world witnessed ordinary people doing extraordinary things”.
The vice-president ended the tribute to loud applause: “We are Boston. We are America. We respond. We endure. We overcome, and we own the finish line.”
As the race approaches, officials have warned residents and visitors to expect a larger than normal police presence in the city streets.
However, Boston Mayor Martin Walsh said it would be “the Boston Marathon as it has always been”.
“Our goal is for everyone to enjoy the race,” he said.
City health officials say they have also made preparations to help those affected by the bombings cope with the anniversary.
Bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 20, is due to stand trial in November. He has pleaded not guilty to 30 charges, of which 17 carry the possibility of capital punishment.
Prosecutors allege that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev set off two pressure cooker bombs with his older brother Tamerlan, 26, who later died in a police shoot-out.
London salon M&M Hair Academy has been visited by North Korean officials to question why it had used their leader Kim Jong-un’s picture in a poster offering haircuts.
The poster in M&M Hair Academy in South Ealing featured the words “Bad Hair Day?” below Kim Jong-un’s picture.
Barber Karim Nabbach said embassy officials were shown the door and the salon’s manager spoke to the police.
The Met Police said: “We have spoken to all parties involved and no offence has been disclosed.”
The salon put up the poster on April 9 and the next day two men claiming to be officials from the North Korean embassy visited the salon and demanded to meet the manager, Mo Nabbach.
M&M Hair Academy has been visited by North Korean officials to question why it had used their leader Kim Jong-un’s picture in a poster offering haircuts (photo M&M Hair Academy)
Karim Nabbach said: “We put up posters for an offer for men’s hair cuts through the month of April. Obviously in the current news there has been this story that North Korean men are only allowed one haircut.
“We didn’t realise but the North Korean embassy is a 10-minute walk from the salon. The next day we had North Korean officials pop into the salon asking to speak to the manager.
“He said <<listen this isn’t North Korea, this is England, we live in a democracy so I’m afraid you’re going to have to get out of my salon>>.”
The manager later informed the police about the visit by the North Koreans and he was told the embassy had also contacted officers.
“We haven’t had any trouble since then, if anything the poster has become a tourist attraction,” Karim Nabbach said.
Last month it was reported by Radio Free Asia that male university students in North Korea were now required to get the same haircut as Kim Jong-un’s.
Flavor Flav has pleaded guilty to attempted battery after pulling a knife on the teenage son of his long-term girlfriend during an argument at their Las Vegas home.
Public Enemy rapper, whose real name is William Jonathan Drayton, had been facing more serious assault charges which carried a prison sentence of up to 12 years.
The boy said the musician had threatened to kill him.
Flavor Flav has since reconciled with his girlfriend and received counseling.
In court, the 55-year-old rapper told the judge: “I love my son and my son loves me, too.”
Flavor Flav has pleaded guilty to attempted battery after pulling a knife on the teenage son of his long-term girlfriend
Flavor Flav admitted wielding a kitchen knife during the fight on October 17, 2012.
The teenager, who is now 18, testified that the musician chased him to a bedroom and stabbed the knife through the door.
He and his mother were not in court when Flavor Flav pleaded guilty to attempted battery that could have caused substantial injury and battery constituting domestic violence.
Outside court, the rapper said: “I’m standing here in front of the camera, not behind bars.”
If he violates the terms of his plea deal, he could face up to a year in jail, the judge said.
Public Enemy, the group that William Jonathan Drayton founded with fellow rapper Chuck D, are considered one of the most influential hip-hop groups of all time and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013.
Flavor Flav has also starred in several reality TV series, including The Surreal Life, Strange Love, and Flavor of Love.
Reeva Steenkamp Valentine’s card has been presented to court during Oscar Pistorius’ murder trial in Pretoria.
Reeva Steenkamp had intended to give the card to Oscar Pistorius before he shot her dead.
The athlete read the poem to the court after five days of gruelling cross-examination.
Earlier, Oscar Pistorius said he was “heartbroken” when he saw her body in the early hours of Valentine’s Day last February.
Oscar Pistorius denies murder, saying he fired through a door in fear, believing there was an intruder behind it.
The prosecution says he deliberately shot dead Reeva Steenkamp, a 29-year-old model and law graduate, after the couple had had an argument.
Oscar Pistorius, 27, faces 25 years to life in prison if convicted of premeditated murder.
His defense lawyer Barry Roux presented to the court the Valentine card which Reeva Steenkamp had got the athlete.
Oscar Pistorius read out Reeva Steenkamp’s Valentine Day card
The double-amputee sprinter read the card out in a trembling voice.
The front of the card reads: “Roses are red, violets are blue…”
Inside, Reeva Steenkamp had written: “I think today is a good day to tell you that, I love you.”
Reeva Steenkamp was shot dead in the early hours of Valentine’s Day – before they had opened each other’s cards and gifts.
Oscar Pistorius has previously told the court he only opened the card on Reeva Steenkamp’s birthday, in August 2013.
On the final day of his cross-examination, Oscar Pistorius said that after shooting and realizing Reeva Steenkamp was not in the bedroom as he believed, he tried to break down the door with his shoulder, before using a cricket bat, all the time screaming in panic.
He said he stopped screaming when he finally opened the door and saw the body.
When prosecutor Gerrie Nel asked why, Oscar Pistorius replied, his voice trembling with emotion: “I was heartbroken… overcome with sadness.”
“I crouched down over her… and I checked to see if she was breathing or if she had a pulse,” he said.
But this was disputed by prosecutor Gerrie Nel.
“You fired four shots through the door whilst knowing that she was standing behind the door,” he said.
“She was locked into the bathroom and you armed yourself with the sole purpose of shooting and killing her.”
Oscar Pistorius replied: “That is not true.”
The athlete has previously said he and Reeva Steenkamp had spent a quiet evening together before he woke up on hearing a noise in the bathroom.
During the cross-examination, Oscar Pistorius broke down in tears on several occasions.
Gerrie Nel suggested that he was doing this on purpose when he was struggling to explain his actions.
Ukraine’s acting President Oleksandr Turchynov has announced the start of an “anti-terrorist operation” against pro-Russian separatists.
Oleksandr Turchynov told parliament it was being conducted “stage by stage, in a responsible… manner”.
Hours later, gunfire was heard at an airbase which officials said had been in the hands of militants.
Oleksandr Turchynov said the airbase at Kramatorsk had been “liberated” from “terrorists”.
Pro-Russian rebels have seized buildings in about 10 towns and cities across Ukraine’s eastern provinces, which form the heartland of Ukraine’s heavy industry.
Thousands of Russian troops are reported to be deployed along the border, kindling fears that any crackdown on the rebels could trigger an invasion.
Ukraine’s acting President Oleksandr Turchynov has announced the start of an “anti-terrorist operation” against pro-Russian separatists
Russia annexed the Ukrainian province of Crimea last month, after it broke away and held a controversial referendum on self-determination.
A crowd of some 200 people remained on Tuesday evening, chanting slogans in favor of a referendum on the region’s future.
A spokesman for the Russian foreign ministry expressed “deep concern” at reports of casualties in eastern Ukraine, but these could not be confirmed.
Oleksandr Turchynov said the aim of the operation in the east was to “protect Ukrainian citizens, to stop the terror, to stop the crime, to stop the attempts to tear our country apart”.
Protesters gathered outside parliament in Kiev to demand action against the separatists.
There were reports overnight of gun attacks on rebel checkpoints near the Donetsk town of Sloviansk, where pro-Russian militants seized a police station and a security services building at the weekend.
A police building in Kramatorsk was also seized but the militants there have reportedly now handed back control to the police.
Boko Haram gunmen abducted around 100 schoolgirls in an attack on a school in north-east Nigeria, officials say.
The attackers reportedly arrived at the school in Chibok, Borno state, late last night, and ordered the hostel’s teenage residents on to lorries.
The attackers are believed to be from the Islamist group, Boko Haram, whose militants frequently target schools.
On Monday, bombings blamed on the group killed more than 70 people in the capital, Abuja.
Boko Haram gunmen abducted around 100 schoolgirls in an attack on a school in north-east Nigeria
Boko Haram, whose name means “Western education is forbidden” in the local Hausa language, has been waging an armed campaign for an Islamic state in northern Nigeria.
The exact number of missing students had yet to be established, as some of the girls had managed to return to their homes.
“Many girls were abducted by the rampaging gunmen who stormed the school in a convoy of vehicles,” AFP news agency quotes Emmanuel Sam, an education official in Chibok, as saying.
Another witness, who requested anonymity, told AFP that gunmen overpowered soldiers who had been deployed to provide extra security ahead of annual exams.
The schoolgirl said the men loaded the food items in the store into a truck and ordered some of the girls to climb in.
The other girls were packed into a bus and two other trucks, one carrying sacks of food and the other petrol.
The girl said the convoy had passed about three villages when the truck she was in developed a fault and was forced to slow down.
This gave her and about 10 to 15 other girls the opportunity to jump off and escape into the bush.
Nigerian media reported that two members of the security forces had been killed, and residents said 170 houses were burnt down during the attack.
Boko Haram emerged as a critic of Western-style education, and its militants frequently target schools and educational institutions.
This year, the group’s fighters have killed more than 1,500 civilians in three states in north-east Nigeria, which are currently under emergency rule.
The Nigerian government recently said that Boko Haram’s activities were confined to that part of the country.
Katherine Jackson has been ordered by a US court to pay AEG Live $800,000 or costs defending the failed negligence case she brought against the concert promoter.
AEG Live was cleared of liability over the 2009 death of Michael Jackson in a five-month trial last October.
The company had sought $1.2 million to cover costs, but Katherine Jackson’s lawyers claimed it was not justified.
Both parties agreed not to challenge the court’s decision, but may appeal.
Katherine Jackson has been ordered by a US court to pay AEG Live $800,000 or costs defending the failed negligence case she brought against the concert promoter
The exact amount to be paid is expected to be finalized after AEG Live submits an amended list of its costs for items such as court filing fees and travel.
AEG Live’s lawyer Marvin Putnam said the court did the right thing “by ordering Katherine Jackson to pay nearly $1 millio spent in having to defend a matter that she should have never brought in the first place”.
Katherine Jackson’s lawyer Kevin Boyle said the costs would be borne by her and the singer’s three children, all of whom are supported by his estate.
Kevin Boyle added a decision on whether to appeal against the order would be made after AEG Live’s costs were finalized.
The Jackson family sued AEG Live in 2010 claiming it negligently hired and supervised cardiologist Conrad Murray, who gave Michael a lethal dose of the anaesthetic propofol as a sleep aid during his planned comeback tour.
However, a jury concluded the doctor was not unfit or incompetent to do his job and so AEG Live had not been negligent in hiring him.
Conrad Murray – who was convicted of involuntary manslaughter for administering the drug – was released from jail last October.
Dutchess Lattimore is starring on the VH1’s reality docu-series Black Ink Crew.
Crystana “Dutchess” Lattimore is the new girl in the shop, a Southern Belle straight from a little town in North Carolina and right into the mayhem of Black Ink. She is from Lincolnton, North Carolina, graduated 11th in her class, and then went on to obtain a degree in Business Management.
Dutchess Lattimore is starring on the VH1’s reality docu-series Black Ink Crew
At an early age Dutchess Lattimore showed exceptional talent in art which she developed over her early years. Always at the head of her class, she graduated cum laude from North Carolina A&T with a Bachelor Degree in Business Management, with a concentration in Visual Art. While studying in graduate school for her M.B.A. she discovered her passion for tattoo artistry and quickly became a respected and sought out tattoo artist in her area. Feeling ready to share her talent with a larger audience Dutchess Lattimore moved to New York City in 2010 where she immediately became a highly esteemed member of the ink community. Unexpectedly Dutchess Lattimore became a member of the Black Ink family and found herself involved with a career changing opportunity with VH1.
Currently Dutchess Lattimore is starring on VH1’s Black Ink Crew. During the second season of Black Ink, Dutchess Lattimore lost a great deal of respect from her fan base due to self centered, bullying behavior. The quality of her work was not even remotely matched the arrogance and over inflated ego that she exhibited.
Last month, the White House held a Women of Soul concert as part of the In Performance at the White House series featuring Patti LaBelle, Aretha Franklin, Jill Scott, Janelle Monae and Ariana Grande.
Aretha Franklin avoided Patti LaBelle at the White House concert
Aretha Franklin entered the concert hall to a standing ovation. On her way to her seat, she passed Patti LaBelle. Patti LaBelle reached out her hand to the Queen of Soul and that hand was left high and dry. As Aretha Franklin hit Patti LaBelle with the side eye, she brushed past LaBelle and headed to her seat while still enjoying the adulation from the audience.
It’s been well known for quite some time that Aretha Franklin doesn’t care for Patti LaBelle – although no one’s really ever been able to figure out exactly why.
It’s safe to assume everyone wants to have a comfortable and secure retirement someday.
This dream is definitely one of the main motivations that we use to work hard and strive to stay healthy for as long as we can. As the global economic situation grows more challenging every day, people are working harder than ever just to get by.
Retirement ages are getting pushed back in some countries – in Australia, this is currently a hot topic of debate, with reports it may rise to 67 – and as a result, workers are left with less time to enjoy their retirement. This is why it is extremely important to be prepared for anything that could happen – especially if you have a family that depends on your hard-earned income. In the event of an untimely death before retirement, the family does not need to suffer from any financial burden if there is an ample life insurance policy protecting them from that. If you don’t have a policy in place, Compare the Market as soon as possible.
Retirement and Insurance Go Hand in Hand
With the plethora of life insurance companies out there, it is prudent to make an Australian life insurance comparison among their terms in order to determine the one that suits your needs the most. The unexpected nature of life in general should make insurance policies a vital aspect of your overall financial plan. We can only do so much to prevent ourselves from falling prey to illness or untoward events, but the reality is that there is no guarantee that we will be able to elude them completely, and successfully. A substantial life insurance benefit payment reduces the chances that your family’s standard of living is not altered dramatically because of a sudden death.
When you decide to get life insurance as a supplementary retirement investment, there are numerous factors to consider. For starters, you have to choose between permanent and term policies – this decision will largely depend on your actual income and financial obligations. Life insurance companies offer policies that contain similar features, but with the help of insurance comparison services, you will be able to identify their subtle differences and choose the most appropriate one for you.
Reputation Is Key
You don’t want to risk your family’s welfare with a life insurance company that has a less-than-stellar reputation. The bigger and more reputable a company is, the higher the chances that it has sufficient funds available to provide your family’s needs. Business owners and high-income professionals are encouraged to purchase permanent life insurance as a means of increasing the size of their retirement package.
On the other hand, workers who receive average-sized incomes prefer to buy term life insurance, as it is the more affordable option. But since a permanent life insurance policy entails equity and builds over time, even regular professionals are being enticed to go for permanent insurance. There is a hybrid type insurance policy product being marketed today to people who have difficulty deciding between permanent and term insurance policies. Named Variable Universal Life Insurance, it enables the policy holder to select from a variety of separate accounts. Whether this is a policy worth buying, has been discussed by experts.
Life insurance can certainly ensure the financial stability of your family in the event of your timely demise. However, if you purchase it for retirement or other purposes, be prudent enough to inspect the policy to make sure that it indeed fills that role.
