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New South Pacific island formed after Hunga Tonga underwater volcano eruption

James J. Williams
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New South Pacific island formed after Hunga Tonga underwater volcano eruption

The eruption of underwater volcano Hunga Tonga led to the creation of a new island in the South Pacific.

Images have emerged of the island’s surface, 28 miles north-west of Tonga’s capital, Nuku’alofa.

The island – which is 1,640 feet long – was formed after an eruption at the Hunga Tonga volcano that started in December.

One scientist said the island was likely to be highly unstable, and dangerous to visitors.

The volcano – the full name of which is Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai – erupted for the second time in five years in December.

Video captured on a boat hundreds of meters from the volcano showed fast-rising plumes of gas emerging from the sea.

Satellite images taken within days of the eruption showed new rock formations, and more sediment in the sea.

Photo Gianpiero Orbassano
Photo Gianpiero Orbassano

Next to one of the two islands that previously made up Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai was a large circular crater.

A resident of Tonga’s main island captured striking images of the new island from its surface.

Gianpiero Orbassano, who owns a hotel in Tonga, travelled to the island with two friends and said he was likely to make another trip soon.

“It’s really quite solid once you are on it and it’s quite high,” he said.

“It felt quite safe – the only difficult thing was getting out of the boat on to the island. The surface was hot, you could feel it. And climbing it was hard in the bright sun.”

Gianpiero Orbassano, 63, had previously travelled to another new volcanic island in the Pacific, where friends took golf clubs to play on the new landscape.

“I don’t feel risk,” he said.

“When I am doing this kind of thing, I’m focusing on my photographs. I don’t feel danger.”

Mary Lyn Fonua, editor of the Matangi Tonga news website, travelled by boat to view the eruption in January.

She said: “We got to within 700m of the volcano and when you’re that close in a small boat, it can be quite risky.

“An underwater volcano behaves quite differently – all the gas can shoot out to the side. But it was a fascinating thing to see, just to watch a whole new island being constructed.”

Mary Lou Fonua said she was unlikely to get closer to the new island: “It’s quite fragile really, I don’t really think you should go on it. And we don’t really know if the eruption has finished either.”

Tonga is a made up of over 170 islands and is located in the Pacific Ocean, east of Australia.

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Terry Pratchett dies aged 66

Sonia Pantiss
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Terry Pratchett dies aged 66

British fantasy author Terry Pratchett has died at the age of 66, eight years after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

“The world has lost one of its brightest, sharpest minds,” said Larry Finlay of his publishers Transworld.

The creator of the Discworld comic fantasy book series died at home, surrounded by his family, “with his cat sleeping on his bed”, Larry Finlay has said.

Terry Pratchett wrote more than 70 books during his career and completed his final book last summer.

He “enriched the planet like few before him” and through Discworld satirised the world “with great skill, enormous humor and constant invention,” said Larry Finlay.

Terry Pratchett leaves wife Lyn and daughter Rhianna.Terry Pratchett dead at 66

The announcement of Sir Terry Pratchett’s death was made on his Twitter account on March 12, with Rhianna later writing: “Many thanks for all the kind words about my dad. Those last few tweets were sent with shaking hands and tear-filled eyes.”

Despite campaigning for assisted suicide after his diagnosis, Sir Terry’s publishers said he did not take his own life.

The Discworld series – which started in 1983 – was based in a flat world perched on the backs of four elephants which, in turn, stand on the back of a giant turtle.

By 2013, Terry Pratchett had written more than 40 installments.

At the peak of his writing powers, Terry Pratchett – known for his striking dress sense and large black fedora – was publishing more than three books a year. His quirky and satirical view of the world won him a worldwide following.

At the turn of the century, Terry Pratchett was Britain’s second most-read author, beaten only by J.K. Rowling.

In August 2007, it was reported Terry Pratchett had suffered a stroke, but the following December he announced that he had been diagnosed with a very rare form of early-onset Alzheimer’s disease which, he said, “lay behind this year’s phantom stroke”.

Knighted in 2009, Terry Pratchett said: “It would appear to me that me getting up and saying <<I’ve got Alzheimer’s>>, it did shake people.”

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Jimmy Greenspoon dies from metastatic melanoma at 67

Sonia Pantiss
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Jimmy Greenspoon dies from metastatic melanoma at 67

Three Dog Night keyboardist and vocalist Jimmy Greenspoon died from metastatic melanoma on March 11 at the age of 67.

Jimmy Greenspoon formed the band in 1968 with Danny Hutton, Cory Wells, Chuck Negron, Joe Schermie, Mike Allsup and Floyd Sneed.

He was first diagnosed with the disease on October, 2014 after a tumor was removed from his brain, spots were also found on his right lung and on his liver.

Soon after his sad diagnosis Jimmy Greenspoon set up a GoFundMe page in hopes of donations to help with the high costs of his medical treatments and care revealing that he would be a cancer patient for the rest of his day and the costs would be very high.Three Dog Night Jimmy Greenspoon dead at 67

On March 10, Jimmy Greenspoon’s wife Susie posted to the band’s Facebook page that Jimmy was nearing the end of his battle with cancer revealing that the past few days have been very difficult for Jimmy and the family revealing that they were keeping Jimmy as comfortable as possible.

Three Dog Night made the announcement of his death on Facebook.

“We are very saddened at the passing of our dear friend and longtime band mate, Jimmy Greenspoon. Jimmy died peacefully at home today surrounded by his family. Please keep him and his loved ones in your prayers and your hearts,” the statement read.

Jimmy Greenspoon’s vocals can be heard on Three Dog Night’s biggest hits including Joy to the World, Black and White, Never Been to Spain and Your Song.

He continued to tour with his band until he came down with his illness.

Jimmy Greenspoon also performed alongside legends including Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix and the Beach Boys.

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Vladimir Putin health rumors denied

Diane A. Wade
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Vladimir Putin health rumors denied

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has denied rumors that President Vladimir Putin is unwell.

The rumors started after a trip to Kazakhstan, scheduled for March 12-13, was postponed.

Vladimir Putin’s last public appearance was on March 5 when he met Italian PM Matteo Renzi.

Dmitry Peskov said those making the claims had themselves caught “spring fever”.

“When the sun comes up in the spring, and as soon as spring is in the air, then the fever begins,” he said.

“We are calm on this fever, and respond to the questions with patience.”

Reuters quoted a Kazakh government source on March 11 as saying: “It looks like [Vladimir Putin] has fallen ill.”Vladimir Putin health status 2015

Insisting the president was “fine”, Dmitry Peskov said Vladimir Putin had meetings “all the time” but not all of them were public.

Besides the trip to Kazakhstan, Vladimir Putin was due to sign a treaty of integration between Russia and South Ossetia – a breakaway state formerly part of Georgia – but the ceremony did not take place.

There may be technical reasons for that – it was reported that the document had not been fully agreed.

Vladimir Putin had also been slated to attend a federal security meeting on March 12 but a government source told Russia’s RIA Novosti news agency it was unlikely to go ahead.

RBC Daily, a Moscow business newspaper, reported that the video of Vladimir Putin posted to the Kremlin’s website on March 8, meeting a delegation for International Women’s Day, had been pre-recorded on March 5. One participant at the meeting told the paper the president had looked tired.

Since then, more videos of Vladimir Putin have appeared on the site. Footage of a meeting with the governor of Russia’s republic of Karelia was published on March 11.

The videos have been the subject of scrutiny, with pundits looking closely at Vladimir Putin’s clothes and the digits of a calendar in the background for clues about when the filming took place.

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Alibaba deal boosts Snapchat value at $15 billion

Clyde K. Valle
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Alibaba deal boosts Snapchat value at $15 billion

Alibaba is investing $200 million into a stake in photo messaging application Snapchat.

That values Snapchat at nearly $15 billion and makes it one of the world’s most valuable start-ups after only 4 years.

Snapchat allows users to send text and picture messages which disappear in 10 seconds.Snapchat Alibaba deal

The tech company says its users send 700 million snaps daily, recently started generating revenue from advertising.

The $15 billion valuation puts the business in a league with taxi service Uber and Xiaomi, the Chinese smartphone maker.

Alibaba has invested in a range of start-ups in China, but its portfolio in the US is relatively small.

The Chinese e-commerce giant has stakes in video call app TangoMe and Lyft, a competitor to Uber.

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Blurred Lines verdict to be appealed by Pharrell Williams and Robin Thicke

Sonia Pantiss
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Blurred Lines verdict to be appealed by Pharrell Williams and Robin Thicke

Pharrell Williams and Robin Thicke will appeal the Blurred Lines verdict which ruled that they copied Marvin Gaye’s track Got To Give It Up.

On March 10, an LA jury decided that parts of Marvin Gaye’s 1977 hit Got To Give It Up were lifted for Pharrell Williams and Robin Thicke’s 2013 hit Blurred Lines.

The family of late soul singer Marvin Gaye was awarded $7.3 million in damages.

Pharrell Williams and Robin Thicke’s lawyer said they remained adamant Blurred Lines was original, created solely by them.Blurred Lines verdict

“We owe it to songwriters around the world to make sure this verdict doesn’t stand,” Howard King told Fox Business News.

“My clients know that they wrote the song Blurred Lines from their hearts and souls and no other source.

“We are going to exercise every post-trial remedy we have to make sure this verdict does not stand.”

Howard King added that expert evidence in the case, which may have swayed the jury, should have been inadmissible.

In particular, said Howard King, the testimony from a musicologist that compared Blurred Lines with Got To Give It Up was based on elements of Marvin Gaye’s song that were not on the original sheet music.

At the time of its copyright, only the written music could be registered as protected, not sound recordings.

“Clearly the jury relied on what that expert said in reaching their conclusion,” said Howard King.

Marvin Gaye died in April 1984, leaving his children the copyright to his music. His children – Nona, Frankie and Marvin Gaye III – sued Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams in 2013.

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Mick Thomson: Slipknot guitarist stabbed by his brother

Sonia Pantiss
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Mick Thomson: Slipknot guitarist stabbed by his brother

Slipknot’s lead singer Mick Thomson has been stabbed in the head by his brother during a drunken fight.

Police in his home city of Des Moines in Iowa say they were called to his house early on Wednesday morning, March 11.

Chief of Police Michael G. Venema said his officers were called to reports of two brothers fighting in a front yard.

When they arrived they found guitarist Mick Thomson with a stab wound to the back of his head.Slipknot's Mick Thomson stabbed

Mick Thomson and his brother Andrew were taken to separate hospitals with non life-threatening injuries.

Neither was arrested and the police investigation continues.

According to local reports, Slipknot’s manager says Mick Thomson’s injuries won’t stop the heavy metal band performing.

Ahead of headlining the Friday night of this year’s Download festival, Slipknot starts touring next month when they play the Fort Rock festival in south Florida.

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Richard Glatzer dead: Still Alice director loses battle with ALS at 63

Sonia Pantiss
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Richard Glatzer dead: Still Alice director loses battle with ALS at 63

Still Alice director and co-writer Richard Glatzer has died at the age of 63 after losing battle with ALS.

Richard Glatzer was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in 2011, soon after he and his husband, Wash Westmoreland, began adapting Oscar-winning Still Alice.

He was too unwell to attend last month’s Academy Awards, when Julianne Moore picked up the best actress Oscar for her leading role in Still Alice.

Wash Westmoreland said Richard Glatzer’s courage “inspired me and all who knew him”.

“I am devastated,” Wash Westmoreland said, in a statement.

“Rich was my soulmate, my collaborator, my best friend and my life.”

“In this dark time, I take some consolation in the fact that he got to see Still Alice go out into the world. He put his heart and soul into that film, and the fact that it touched so many people was a constant joy to him.”Richard Glatzer dead at 63

Julianne Moore simply tweeted: “I love you Richard.”

The actress paid tribute to Richard Glatzer in her speech at the Oscars on February 22.

“When Richard was diagnosed with ALS, Wash asked him what he wanted to do. Did he want to travel? Did he want to see the world? And he said that he wanted to make movies, and that’s what he did.”

Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland met in 1995 and married in 2013.

He had previously taught screen-writing in New York and worked as a TV producer on shows including America’s Next Top Model.

It was Still Alice, the tale of a linguistics professor coping with early on-set Alzheimer’s that was to bring the film-makers award glory.

Richard Glatzer told NPR (National Public Radio) that reading Lisa Genova’s novel – on which the film is based – “cut too close to the bone”.

“But once I’d finished it, I felt determined to make Still Alice into a movie. It really resonated with me.”

During the 23-day shoot, Richard Glatzer communicated by typing with one finger on an iPad, but said he “felt very much heard by everyone, every day. And it’s so very important if you’re struggling with a disease like this to feel you still matter”.

“It’s ironic that in my deteriorated state I’d be able to make a film that was creatively everything I’d ever wished for,” he told the Associated Press last year.

Michael Barker and Tom Bernard, of Sony Pictures Classics – which distributed the film, called the death of Richard Glatzer “a profound loss for all of us who worked with him and know him as an exceptional human being”.

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White House car crash: Secret Service agents Mark Connolly and George Ogilvie under investigation

Nancy Clayson
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White House car crash: Secret Service agents Mark Connolly and George Ogilvie under investigation

Two senior Secret Service agents are being under investigation after a car crash at the White House.

The collision happened during the evening on March 4, Secret Service said.

According to the Washington Post, the agents drove the car into a security barricade after a night of drinking and partying.

The crash is the latest in a series of embarrassing incidents involving the agency charged with protecting President Barack Obama.

Photo AFP/Getty Images
Photo AFP/Getty Images

The Washington Post has identified the agents as Mark Connolly, deputy in charge of the president’s security detail, and George Ogilvie, a senior supervisor in the agency’s Washington office.

They had been attending a party at a nearby bar before the incident occurred, the Post reported.

Witnesses reportedly saw the officers in a car with illuminated emergency lights and said they had shown their badges in an attempt to get through a secured section of the White House complex.

The car ran through security tape and hit temporary barricades that had been set up while security services investigated a suspicious package.

Over the past several months, several of the agency’s top officials have been forced to step down following multiple security lapses. A man from Texas was able to scale a fence and run into the White House while brandishing a knife before being detained.

The Secret Service is charged with protecting the president, vice-president, their families and other officials.

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Boris Nemtsov murder: Daughter Zhanna Nemtsova lays blame on Vladimir Putin

Diane A. Wade
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Boris Nemtsov murder: Daughter Zhanna Nemtsova lays blame on Vladimir Putin

Boris Nemtsov’s daughter, Zhanna Nemtsova, says Russian President Vladimir Putin must bear responsibility for the opposition politician murder.

In an interview with BBC, Zhanna Nemtsova said she believed Vladimir putin was “politically” to blame.

Boris Nemtsov, a former deputy prime minister and veteran liberal politician, was shot dead on February 27 while walking with his girlfriend near the Kremlin.

President Vladimir Putin has condemned the murder and vowed to find the killers.

Meanwhile, one of the men charged over the murder, Zaur Dadayev, has said he was forced into a confession.Boris Nemtsov daughter Zhanna

Zaur Dadayev told prison visitors that he was tied up for two days with a bag on his head, and only confessed to the killing so that a friend would be freed.

Zhanna Nemtsova, who is a stock market analyst and TV presenter at a financial channel in Moscow, said she had not been contacted by Russian investigators because they were “not interested in an independent investigation”.

Officials have yet to cite a motive for Boris Nemtsov’s murder.

Last year, Boris Nemtsov contacted the Russian authorities after receiving death threats on his Facebook page, which he linked to his position on the conflict in Ukraine.

He had been drafting a report expected to expose covert Russian military involvement in the conflict.

Police turned down Boris Nemtsov’s request for an investigation in September.

Zhanna Nemtsova, 30, said she had not been able to access her father’s apartment where he kept his files.

The European parliament is expected to adopt a resolution condemning Boris Nemtsov’s killing and the state of democracy in Russia later on Thursday, March 12.

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Cuba and US re-establish direct communications after 15 years

Diane A. Wade
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Cuba and US re-establish direct communications after 15 years

Direct communications between the US and Cuba have been re-established for the first time in 15 years, Cuba’s state telecommunications company says.

The company, Etecsa, said initially the link would only be for phone calls.

Telephone calls have until now passed through a third country, making them very expensive.

It is the first agreement signed by the US and Cuba since the announcement last December that the two states would renew diplomatic ties.

Americans and Cubans will now be able to make direct calls to each other’s countries.

“The re-establishment of direct communications between the United States and Cuba contributes to providing better infrastructure and better communications quality between the people and our two countries,” Etecsa said.

Etecsa’s American counterpart, New Jersey based telecommunication firm IDT Domestic Telecom, said: “Ultimately, the agreement will make it easier and more affordable for our customers to call friends and family in Cuba.”Cuba and US restore direct phone link

According to the Miami Herald newspaper, Etecsa and IDT Domestic Telecom were in talks to restart international long-distance traffic between the two countries before the announcement in December.

A US delegation led by Daniel Sepulveda, the State Department Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs co-ordinator for international communications and information policy, will head to Havana later this month to meet their Cuban counterparts.

Cuban officials have said they are ready to work with US telecommunications companies.

“We confirmed we are ready to receive US telecom companies to explore business opportunities – business that could be of benefit to both sides,” Josefina Vidal, the Cuban foreign ministry official heading the Cuban delegation, said after the first round of US-Cuba talks in January.

Only an estimated 5% to 25% of Cubans have any type of Internet service.

However, since the December announcement, Cuba has temporarily cut the price of state-run Internet cafes from $4.50 an hour to $5 for over two hours.

The government has also said it plans to open more than 100 additional cafes this year.

Last year, Etecsa also launched a mobile email service, Nauta.cu.

In February, Netflix announced that Cubans with high-speed Internet connections and access to international payment methods would be able to subscribe to its popular film and TV show service.

However, few Cubans will be able to afford to access their service at the moment.

Ferguson police officers shot at protest

Nancy Clayson
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Ferguson police officers shot at protest

Two police officers have been shot in Ferguson, Missouri, where unarmed black teenager Michael Brown was killed in August 2014.

One officer was shot in the face and one in the shoulder, St Louis County police chief Jon Belmar said.

Both suffered “very serious gunshot injuries” but were conscious, he said.

The officers were shot following the resignation of Ferguson’s police chief, Thomas Jackson, after a federal report alleged widespread racial bias in his department.

Protesters had gathered outside Ferguson police headquarters on March 11, in what was initially a relatively low-key demonstration.

Photo St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Photo St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Shortly after midnight at least three shots were fired as the crowd of protesters was starting to break up, Jon Belmar said.

He said he was assuming that “these shots were directed exactly at my police officers”, rather than the officers being hit by stray bullets.

One protester, Keith Rose, said he saw an officer “covered in blood”, and that other officers were carrying and dragging him, leaving a trail of blood on the ground.

Police were keeping protesters in the area in order to take witness statements, Jon Belmar said.

Demonstrators were calling for further action to be taken over the federal report, and for more resignations in the police department, Keith Rose said.

Police chief Thomas Jackson was the sixth Ferguson official to be fired or step down. He had initially resisted calls from protesters and some state leaders to resign.

Ferguson’s police department was widely criticized after the shooting of Michael Brown in August and the weeks of demonstrations that followed.

In November, a St Louis County grand jury and the US Justice Department found that Officer Darren Wilson did not break any laws when he shot Brown.

However, Michael Brown’s shooting and the riots that followed spurred a federal investigation, which found overwhelming racial bias in the town’s policing practices.

US Attorney General Eric Holder has said the federal government will “use all power that we have to change the situation”.

That could include dissolving the police force and turning over law enforcement responsibilities to neighboring agencies.

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Aide Nava: Mexican mayoral candidate found dead in Guerrero

Diane A. Wade
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Aide Nava: Mexican mayoral candidate found dead in Guerrero

The body of Mexican politician Aide Nava has been found in one of Mexico’s most violent states, Guerrero, where she had been standing for mayor in June’s elections.

Aide Nava’s body was discovered on a road near the state capital, Chilpancingo. She had been kidnapped on March 10.

A note near her body threatened the same treatment for other politicians.

Violence in Guerrero has cast doubt over polls scheduled there for June.

The note near Aide Nava’s body said if politicians did not “fall into line” they would be executed.Aide Nava killed in Guerrero

It was signed by Los Rojos, one of the main criminal groups in the state.

Last year Aide Nava’s son was kidnapped and has never been found. Her husband, a former mayor, was also murdered.

Guerrero and eight other Mexican states hold local elections in June, but there are doubts elections can take place in Guerrero because of the high levels of violence.

Last year, 43 students in Guerrero disappeared, and remain missing.

According to the Mexican government the students were abducted by corrupt local police and handed over to a criminal gang for execution.

The disappearances sparked an international outcry over criminal violence in Mexico.

President Enrique Pena Nieto promised to restore order to Mexico when he took office in 2012.

Fed Stress Test Results 2015

Diane A. Wade
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Fed Stress Test Results 2015

Twenty eight banks out of 31 have passed the Fed’s annual stress test in the US.

As part of the Comprehensive Capital Analysis and Review (CCAR), the Fed evaluates a bank’s capital adequacy and planned distributions, such as dividend payments and common stock repurchases.Fed Stress Test Results 2015

Deutsche Bank and Banco Santander failed for “qualitative” reasons and Bank of America will need to resubmit their proposal.

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Deutsche Bank and Banco Santander fail Fed’s annual stress test

Clyde K. Valle
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Deutsche Bank and Banco Santander fail Fed’s annual stress test

US units of Deutsche Bank AG and Banco Santander SA have failed a US “stress test” designed to assess whether lenders can withstand another financial crisis.

The review, carried out by the Federal Reserve, gauges whether the biggest banks operating in the US have the “ability to lend to households and businesses even in times of stress”.

Another institution, Bank of America, has been asked to revise its financial plans due to “certain weaknesses”.

A further 28 banks passed the tests.

Officially known as the Comprehensive Capital Analysis and Review (CCAR), the tests were implemented in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, in which some lenders needed bailouts from the Fed.Federal Reserve stress test 2015

All banks with more than $50 billion in assets are subject to the annual examinations, which assess the corporations’ ability to deal with “doomsday” scenarios, such as rising unemployment and plummeting house prices.

In previous years, banks that failed the tests have been forced to suspend dividend payments to shareholders.

In a statement, Deutsche Bank said it had hired 1,800 employees “dedicated to ensuring that its systems and controls are best in class”.

Santander’s US chief executive, Scott Powell, said the bank still had “meaningful work to do to meet our regulator’s expectations and our own standards of excellence”.

However, Santander added that it had not been prevented from paying dividends.

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Ferguson police chief Thomas Jackson resigns after Michael Brown report

Nancy Clayson
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Ferguson police chief Thomas Jackson resigns after Michael Brown report

Ferguson police chief Thomas Jackson has agreed to resign, the city said in a statement.

Thomas Jackson’s resignation follows the departure of several Ferguson officials after a federal report alleged widespread racial bias.

US Attorney General Eric Holder said the Department of Justice would reform the force, possibly dismantling it.

Ferguson, Missouri, came under investigation after a white police officer killed unarmed black teenager Michael Brown in August 2014.

Thomas Jackson had resisted calls from protesters and some state leaders to step down, after the shooting of Michael Brown last summer and the weeks of demonstrations that followed.Ferguson police chief Thomas Jackson resignation

The city said it would be giving Thomas Jackson a severance payment and would pay for his health insurance for one year.

The resignation is effective on March 19 at which time an acting chief will assume the role.

The St Louis Post-Dispatch newspaper has posted what it said was Thomas Jackson’s resignation letter.

“It has been an honor and a privilege to serve this great city and to serve with all of you,” the letter reads.

The city said that it will conduct a “nationwide search” for a permanent replacement.

Last week, the DoJ released a report that accused the city of using the police force and court system to generate profit.

Since the report was released, Ferguson manager, a judge, two police officers, and a court clerk have either resigned or been fired.

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Selfie sticks banned at National Gallery in London

Sonia Pantiss
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Selfie sticks banned at National Gallery in London

The National Gallery in London has joined multiple museums around the world in imposing a ban on selfie sticks.

The gallery says it has placed selfie sticks in the same category as tripods, which are banned “in order to protect paintings, individual privacy and the overall visitor experience”.

The selfie stick is an elongated pole on which a camera or mobile phone can be attached to take a better photo.

Sales of the selfie stick have soared since last year and they are now a common sight at tourist sites.

Other British institutions could also follow the ban.Selfie stick ban at National Gallery in London

The British Museum has confirmed it is reviewing its policy on selfie sticks.

A spokeswoman said: “The safety of objects and visitors is paramount to the British Museum.”

Selfie sticks are currently allowed at the National Portrait Gallery, but a spokesman said “anything that may prove disruptive is reviewed on an ongoing basis”.

“It is important that all our visitors enjoy their experience at the Gallery.”

The Tate does still allow the use of selfie sticks “provided that users respect fellow visitors and adhere to Tate’s photography policy”.

Earlier this month, the Smithsonian museum group announced it had banned selfie sticks from its 19 museums and galleries in Washington DC.

It followed similar restrictions from museums and galleries in the US including New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art and Modern Museum of Art (MOMA), the Getty Center in Los Angeles and the Cleveland Museum of Art.

The palace of Versailles was the first museum in Europe to ban the use of selfie sticks and it is expected that The Louvre and the Pompidou centre are likely to follow suit.

Jeremy Clarkson opens up about Top Gear suspension

Sonia Pantiss
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Jeremy Clarkson opens up about Top Gear suspension

Jeremy Clarkson has opened up about his suspension from BBC’s Top Gear as an online petition for him to be reinstated topped 400,000 signatures.

The Top Gear presenter told reporters he was “just off to the job centre” as he left his home in London on March 11.

Asked if he had any regrets about what had happened, Jeremy Clarkson replied: “Yes.”

Jeremy Clarkson, 54, was suspended on March 10 following what the BBC said was “a fracas” with producer Oisin Tymon.

BBC director-general Tony Hall said an investigation was going on to “gather the facts” about the incident.

“We do not have the facts at the moment,” he said.Jeremy Clarkson Top Gear suspension

“I am a fan of Jeremy Clarkson but this is a serious thing that is alleged to have taken place.”

A lawyer for Oisin Tymon said his client “intends to await the outcome of the BBC investigation and will make no comment until that investigation is complete”.

Sunday’s episode of Top Gear will not be shown, and it is understood the two final episodes in the series will also be dropped.

The online petition in support of Jeremy Clarkson – set up by political blogger Guido Fawkes – was nearing half a million signatures less than 24 hours after it was launched on Tuesday afternoon.

Earlier, Jeremy Clarkson’s co-presenter James May said: “I think he’s been involved in a bit of a dust-up and I don’t think it’s that serious.”

He said he had not been present at the alleged incident.

Top Gear is one of the BBC’s most popular and profitable TV shows, with Jeremy Clarkson appearing on it since 1988. The show has an estimated global audience of 350 million.

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Apple Watch copies on sale on Alibaba’s Taobao

Nancy Clayson
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Apple Watch copies on sale on Alibaba’s Taobao

Cheap Apple Watch copies are being advertised on Alibaba’s Taobao, China’s most popular online shopping service.

Taobao site lists devices branded the AW08 and the iWatch.

They both feature “digital crown” dials on their sides, similar-styled straps and identical user interface graphics to Apple’s forthcoming wearable.

However, their listings reveal they run on Google’s Android platform rather than Apple’s Watch OS.Apple Watch copy Taobao

Taboao acts as a showcase for third-party sellers – much like eBay and Amazon’s Marketplace service – and some vendors have taken pains to make clear that the devices they are selling are not Apple’s own technology.

The copycats first came to light in January, when a reporter from the news site Mashable discovered one being displayed at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

Other giveaways that the watches are not the iPhone’s official “companion” include:

  • They are being offered for about 258 yuan ($40) – a fraction of the 2,588 yuan that Apple will charge for its smartwatch in China when it goes on sale next month
  • They do not feature the same heart-monitoring sensors on their rear – although this is not always made clear
  • They boast longer battery life [youtube p1X8Vc5pfoU 650]

Greece threatens Germany over Nazi occupation debt

Clyde K. Valle
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Greece threatens Germany over Nazi occupation debt

Greece has threatened to seize German property as compensation for a Nazi atrocity in World War II.

Justice Minister Nikos Paraskevopoulos said he was ready to approve a Supreme Court ruling from 2000 backing payment to relatives of the 218 victims.

The debt-ridden government is already calling for Germany to pay billions of euros in wartime reparations.

Germany insists the issue of compensation was settled in 1990, before the country was reunified.

Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokesman Steffen Seibert said on March 11 it was Germany’s firm belief that the question had been resolved legally and politically.

“We should concentrate on current issues and, hopefully what will be a good future,” he said, referring to Greece’s financial crisis and the Athens government’s proposals for a renegotiation of its bailout package from the EU and IMF.Greece threatens Germany over Nazi occupation debt

Greek PM Alexis Tsipras told parliament late on March 10 that he had a duty to pursue reparations dating back to the Nazi occupation of 1940-1944, arguing that Germany had adopted “silence, legal tricks and delays” since reunification in 1990.

However, the justice minister went further, saying he was prepared to enforce the Supreme Court’s ruling in 2000 relating to the massacre of 218 civilians in the central Greek village of Distomo on June 10, 1944.

The court ruled that Germany should pay €28 million to the relatives of those killed, although the decision was not enforced, and the dispute effectively reached stalemate in international courts in the following years.

The ruling allowed for German-owned property to be seized as compensation but it was never acted on by then-Justice Minister Michalis Stathopoulos.

Among possible assets are property belonging to Germany’s archaeological school and the Goethe Institute, a cultural association.

Greek relations with Germany have deteriorated in recent years because of the financial crisis, with Germany one of the big contributors to the eurozone bailout that began in 2010.

German ministers have been among the most vocal advocates for budget and income cuts in Greece, which has led to growing resentment among Greeks.

The new leftist government in Athens argues that austerity measures be relaxed, a demand opposed by Germany and other eurozone creditor nations.

Germany did pay compensation of 115 million Deutsche marks in 1960, as part of an agreement with several European countries for the Nazi occupation.

Greece says the 1960 deal did not cover key demands, including payments for damaged infrastructure, war crimes and the return of a forced loan exacted from occupied Greece.

PM Alexis Tsipras said Greece would honor its bailout creditors, but that he would not “abandon its irrevocable demands'” for World War II reparations.

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Chameleon changes colors by rearranging crystals inside specialized skin cells

James J. Williams
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Chameleon changes colors by rearranging crystals inside specialized skin cells

A Swiss study found that chameleons accomplish their vivid color changes by rearrange the crystals inside specialized skin cells.

It was previously suggested that the reptiles’ famous ability came from gathering or dispersing colored pigments inside different cells.

The new results put it down to a “selective mirror” made of crystals.

Researchers also reveal a second layer of the cells that reflect near-infrared light and might help the animals keep cool.

Reptiles make colors in two ways: they have cells full of pigment for warm or dark colors, but brighter blues and whites come from light bouncing off physical elements like these crystals: so-called “structural colors”.Chameleon changing color 2015

These colors can also be mixed. A vibrant green might arise from a structural blue overlaid by yellow pigment.

Some changes arise from shifting pigments. Tiny packets of the dark dye melanin, for example, can be spread throughout the tendrils of big “melanophore” cells – or gathered into the centre, to lighten the skin again. Many fish and reptiles grow lighter or darker in this way in response to stress, or to match their surroundings.

Panther chameleons, the subjects of the new study, do this as well. But males can also change between entirely different colors, turning a camouflaged green into a more spectacular yellow, for example, when they see a potential mate or a competitor.

Until now, many scientists had thought that these changes arose from a similar dispersion trick with yellow or red pigment. The new research suggests this is not the case.

Published in the journal Nature Communications, the study was a collaboration between quantum physicists and evolutionary biologists at the University of Geneva.

First of all, the team noticed there were no big, spidery cells containing yellow or red pigment that could explain the shifts in hue.

They hit upon the importance of the crystals when they looked inside a type of cell called an “iridophore” using an electron microscope. Whichever angle they looked at them from, the crystals formed an incredibly neat, regular pattern – just the sort of arrangement that creates structural colors.

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Oisin Tymon identified as Top Gear producer hit by Jeremy Clarkson

Sonia Pantiss
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Oisin Tymon identified as Top Gear producer hit by Jeremy Clarkson

According to new reports, Jeremy Clarkson has been suspended form BBC’s Top Gear for allegedly attacking the show’s assistant producer Oisin Tymon in a row over his dinner.

Jeremy Clarkson, 54, allegedly hit Oisin Tymon, 36, because there was no catering at a filming location.

The broadcaster confirmed that Top Gear would not be aired on Sunday, March 15, and the further two remaining episodes of this year’s series may also be axed while Jeremy Clarkson is investigated.

However, there has been a huge backlash to Jeremy Clarkson’s suspension with more than 210,000 signing a petition to have him reinstated and tens of thousands more used the #BringBackClarkson hashtag to show support.Oisin Tymon hit by Jeremy Clarkson

MailOnline reported that ITV may be preparing a £10million ($15 million) bid to lure Jeremy Clarkson away.

Last night Jeremy Clarkson retweeted a message from a fan that said: “How can the BBC not show the remaining episodes of Top Gear, can’t this be resolved without making the fans suffer.”

Jeremy Clarkson’s daughter Emily also tweeted: “Oh God, BBC please take him back… He’s started cooking.”

The father-of-three allegedly threw a punch at Oisin Tymon – who has worked on Top Gear for the last 10 years and helped produce more than 75 episodes – during filming last week.

The incident came to light after being reported to BBC bosses on March 9.

A source told the Daily Mirror: “It was all over a catering issue. They came to the end of filming after a long day and Jeremy discovered that no food had been laid on.”

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Top Gear controversies caused by Jeremy Clarkson

Sonia Pantiss
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Top Gear controversies caused by Jeremy Clarkson

Jeremy Clarkson has been suspended from BBC’s motoring show Top Gear after allegedly punching a producer for not preparing his dinner.

With Jeremy Clarkson at its head, Top Gear has been no stranger to controversy:Jeremy Clarkson Top Gear controversies

  • October 2014 – The show’s stars and crew had to abandon filming in Argentina amid angry protests over a car number plate that appears to refer to the Falklands War.
  • July 2014 – The UK’s communications regulator Ofcom ruled a Burma Special in which Jeremy Clarkson used a racial slur broke broadcasting rules. Jeremy Clarkson had used the word “slope” as an Asian man crossed a newly built bridge over the River Kwai in Thailand.
  • May 2014 – Top Gear drew complaints when video footage leaked to the Daily Mirror appeared to show Jeremy Clarkson using a racist term while reciting the nursery rhyme Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe. The presenter later apologized for the incident – which was never broadcast – in a video statement where he “begged forgiveness”.
  • October 2012 – The BBC Trust ruled comments by Jeremy Clarkson which likened the design of a camper van to people with facial disfigurements breached disability guidelines.
  • January 2012 – Indian diplomats complained about a 90-minute India special in which a car fitted with a toilet in its boot is described by Jeremy Clarkson as “perfect for India because everyone who comes here gets the trots.”
  • February 2011 – The BBC apologized to Mexico after Jeremy Clarkson and his co-hosts characterized Mexicans as “lazy” and “feckless”. [youtube k3FCJN4ORHM 650]

Jeremy Clarkson suspended from Top Gear for punching producer

Sonia Pantiss
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Jeremy Clarkson suspended from Top Gear for punching producer

Jeremy Clarkson has been suspended from BBC’s Top Gear for allegedly punching a producer, new reports claim.

Jeremy Clarkson, 54, allegedly punched the producer after he found out there was no food prepared after a day of filming.

The broadcaster is expected to scrap the remainder of the current Top Gear TV series.

It said Jeremy Clarkson had been suspended after what it called a “fracas” and has confirmed Sunday’s episode of Top Gear will not be shown.

It is understood the two final episodes in the series will also be dropped.

An online petition calling for the BBC to “reinstate” Jeremy Clarkson has been signed by more than 150,000 people.

It was started on March 10 by political blogger Guido Fawkes.

Jeremy Clarkson has not issued a statement, but has been joking on Twitter about movies that could replace Sunday’s show.

The Sun newspaper, in which Jeremy Clarkson writes a regular column, quotes him as saying: “I’m having a nice cold pint and waiting for this to blow over.”

It also quotes a “source close to the star” denying Jeremy Clarkson punched anyone.

The BBC had announced Clarkson’s suspension in a statement which said: “Following a fracas with a BBC producer, Jeremy Clarkson has been suspended pending an investigation.

“No one else has been suspended. Top Gear will not be broadcast this Sunday. The BBC will be making no further comment at this time.”

Jeremy Clarkson has exchanged suggestions on Twitter with Top Gear co-hosts Richard Hammond and James May about movies that could be aired in place of the Sunday’s planned episode.

The Top Gear host, who has presented the motoring show since 2002, was given what he called his “final warning” last May after claims he used a racist word during filming.

Footage leaked to the Daily Mirror appeared to show Jeremy Clarkson using a racist term while reciting the nursery rhyme Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe.

Jeremy Clarkson later apologized for the incident, which was never broadcast.

Top Gear‘s executive producer, Andy Wilman, described last year as an “annus horribilis” for the show.

Boris Nemtsov murder: Suspect Zaur Dadayev confessed under torture

Diane A. Wade
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Boris Nemtsov murder: Suspect Zaur Dadayev confessed under torture

Zaur Dadayev, one of two suspects charged with the murder of Russian opposition politician Boris Nemtsov, confessed under torture, a member of Russia’s Human Rights Council says.

Andrei Babushkin, who visited Zaur Dadayev on March 10, says he saw “numerous wounds” on his body, suggesting he had been tortured.

Zaur Dadayev said he was tied up for two days with a bag over his head.

He says he only confessed so a friend arrested with him would be freed.Zaur Dadayev suspected of Boris Nemtsov murder

“There are reasons to believe Zaur Dadayev confessed under torture,” Andrei Babushkin said after a delegation visited the suspect in prison.

Zaur Dadayev told the visitors he was mistreated in the two days after his capture in Chechnya on March 7.

He also said he confessed to make sure a friend who was arrested with him would be released.

Zaur Dadayev said he planned to tell the truth in court, but was never given a chance to speak.

The second suspect, Shagid Gubashev, says he was beaten by his interrogators and maintains his innocence.

Boris Nemtsov, a former deputy prime minister and veteran liberal politician, was shot in the back as he was walking with his girlfriend within sight of the Kremlin on February 27.

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