The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) officials have confirmed a second case in the country of MERS, a virus that has killed at least 145 people, mostly in Saudi Arabia.
The CDC identified the patient as a healthcare worker who travelled from Saudi Arabia to Orlando, Florida.
Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) causes fever and kidney failure but is not considered highly contagious.
The patient has been isolated in hospital, health officials said.
MERS belongs to the coronavirus family, which includes the common cold and SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome, which caused some 800 deaths globally in 2003.
MERS belongs to the coronavirus family, which includes the common cold and SARS
Health officials say MERS only appears to spread through close contact, but there is no known cure.
“This is unwelcome but not unexpected news,” CDC director Tom Friden told reporters on Monday of the Florida case.
The Florida patient is not connected to the first confirmed US case, reported two weeks ago in Indiana, although the patients’ circumstances are similar.
A healthcare worker who “works and resides” in Saudi Arabia, the Florida patient took a flight on May 1st from Jeddah to London’s Heathrow Airport, then continued on to Boston, Atlanta and finally Orlando.
Health officials said they were contacting passengers on those flights “out of an abundance of caution” and directing them to look out for symptoms which include high fever, cough and shortness of breath.
The first confirmed MERS patient, also a healthcare worker in Saudi Arabia, has been released from hospital and is “fully recovered”.
CDC officials said they had found no secondary infections from the Indiana case and genome testing suggested the virus was not changing, despite a growing number of cases reported in Saudi Arabia since March.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 538 MERS cases have been reported worldwide since 2012, with 145 deaths. The vast majority of cases have been found in Saudi Arabia, especially among healthcare workers.
On Sunday, Saudi Arabia urged its citizens to wear masks and gloves when dealing with camels so as to avoid spreading MERS.
The Standard Hotel in New York, where it is claimed a fight broke out between Jay-Z and his sister-in-law Solange Knowles, has said it is “disappointed” a video has been leaked.
A statement from The Standard Hotel in New York confirmed it was investigating how footage from its elevator was released.
“We are shocked and disappointed that there was a breach of our security system and confidentiality we count on providing our guests,” it said.
Jay-Z, Beyonce and her sister Solange Knowle had attended the Met Gala Ball last week in New York
Beyonce’s management has declined to comment on the story so far.
The video was released by TMZ. It says that the footage is of Jay-Z, Beyonce and her sister Solange Knowles and claims there is a physical argument going on in an elevator.
It’s thought the incident happened after the three had attended the Met Gala Ball last week in New York.
The hotel added: “We are investigating with the utmost urgency the circumstances surrounding the situation and, as is our customary practice, will discipline the individuals involved to our fullest capacity.”
The Standard, High Line, is an 18-story boutique hotel located in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District.
The chain also has hotels in Los Angeles and Miami Beach, Florida.
Solange Knowles, 27, is Beyonce’s younger sister and is a singer-songwriter in her own right.
In an interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper, LA Clippers owner Donald Sterling finally spoke about his racist comments that were leaked in April.
Donald Sterling, 81, apologized for his comments, slammed Magic Johnson and other wealthy African Americans for not doing enough to help minorities, and even insinuated that Anderson Cooper is more of a racist than he is.
Early on in the interview, Donald Sterling tried to gain viewers’ sympathy by describing what his granddaughter had to go through at school after the tapes were released.
“My little grandchild goes to a Catholic nursery, and they were passing around candy to everybody. When they got to her, they said, <<We don’t give candy to racists>>. So it hurts me,” he said.
Donald Sterling took the stance of being set up by V. Stiviano and being “baited” into the comments. He claimed that jealousy is what fueled his comments and not race.
“One of the things that I said was <<don’t bring blacks to my game>>. Twenty-five percent of the people at my games is black. She would always use the black word. That’s a black girl.
“So when she said I’ll bring four gorgeous black guys to the game, players, I was a little jealous, maybe.”
While on the topic of jealousy, Donald Sterling also asked if Anderson Cooper could relate to him being jealous when it comes to women.
Donald Sterling apologized for his comments, slammed Magic Johnson and even insinuated that Anderson Cooper is more of a racist than he is (photo CNN)
“Did you ever like a girl, were you ever jealous of her a little bit if she was with other guys? It’s not that I didn’t want her to be photographed.
“(You were jealous?)
“I admit, I was jealous,” said Donald Sterling apparently unaware that Anderson Cooper is gay.
Donald Sterling then said that Anderson Cooper is the racist, not him.
“I think you have more of a plantation mentality than I do. And I think you’re more of a racist than I am. Because I’m not a racist, and I’ve never been a racist,” he said.
Donald Sterling then went on to bash Magic Johnson and successful black people. In his opinion, Jews help their people when they make it. Black people do not.
“Here is a man … he acts so holy. He made love to every girl in America in every city and he had those AIDS. When he had those AIDS, I went to my synagogue and I prayed for him,” he said.
“What has Magic Johnson done? He’s got AIDS. Did he do any business? Did he help anybody in south L.A.? I think he should be ashamed of himself. What does he do for the black people? I’m telling you he does nothing. It’s all talk.
“I spent millions on giving away and helping minorities. Does he do that? That’s one problem I have. Jews, when they get successful, they will help their people.
“And some of the African Americans, maybe I’ll get in trouble again. They don’t want to help anybody. What has Magic Johnson really done for Children’s Hospital which kids are lying in the hallways. They are sick. They need a bed. What has he done for any hospital? What has he done for any group?”
Anderson Cooper corrected Donald Sterling and let him know Magic Johnson does not have full-blown AIDS, but instead HIV, and also told him a few things Johnson has done for the community and as a businessman.
The interview came to an end with Donald Sterling explaining how V. Stiviano broke his heart.
“This girl, 100 other men could look at her and they wouldn’t even think she was pretty. But she was something special. And the point I’m making is she was a woman who really never asked for anything.
“It’s like a woman stabbing you in the chest or shooting you. And sometimes women say, <<I love him>> and kill him.”
Former Israeli PM Ehud Olmert has been sentenced to six years in prison for bribery and fined 1 million shekels ($289,000).
Ehud Olmert’s spokesman said he would appeal to the Supreme Court and ask to be freed on bail until it had ruled. He had sought a non-custodial sentence.
He would be the first former head of government in Israel to be jailed.
Ehud Olmert, 68, was convicted in March over a real estate deal that took place while he served as mayor of Jerusalem.
Former Israeli PM Ehud Olmert has been sentenced to six years in prison for bribery
The Tel Aviv District Court found him guilty of two bribery charges and said he had accepted 500,000 shekels ($145,000) from the developers of a controversial apartment complex, known as Holyland, and another 60,000 shekels in a separate real estate project.
On Tuesday, Judge Uri Rozen said bribery offences “contaminate the public sector” and “cause the structure of government to collapse”.
He added: “People who receive bribes give rise to a feeling of disgust and cause the public to despise the state’s institutions. The taker of bribes is like a traitor who betrays the public trust that was given to him – trust without which a proper public service cannot be maintained.”
Ehud Olmert’s spokesman, Amir Dan, insisted he was innocent.
“This is a sad day where a serious and unjust verdict is expected to be delivered against an innocent man,” he said.
Ehud Olmert served as prime minister from 2006 to 2009, until a flurry of corruption allegations led to his resignation.
He was acquitted of most of the major charges eventually brought against him by prosecutors but was also found guilty of breach of trust and given a one-year suspended jail sentence.
Ehud Olmert was found to have made decision when he was minister of trade and industry that benefited clients of a close associate.
Ohio twin sisters Jillian and Jenna Thistlethwaite were born holding hands.
They are now breathing on their own after being removed from a ventilator, their mother has said.
Jillian and Jenna Thistlethwaite were born holding hands (photo Akron Children’s Hospital)
Jillian and Jenna Thistlethwaite shared an amniotic sac and placenta, a rare condition known as monoamniotic birth.
“They’re already best friends,” said their mother, Sarah Thistlethwaite.
They were born on Friday in Ohio, grasping each other’s hands when doctors lifted them up for their parents to see after delivery.
Monoamniotic birth occurs in only one in 10,000 pregnancies.
Sarah Thistlethwaite, 32, was monitored for weeks at Akron General Medical Center in Akron, as monoamniotic twins are at risk from becoming entangled in each other’s umbilical cords.
She told the Akron Beacon Journal newspaper that holding her children was “the best Mother’s Day present ever”.
“I can’t believe they were holding hands,” Sarah Thistlethwaite said.
Isabel Carrasco, head of the provincial government in the northern Spanish city of Leon, was shot several times by a woman as she crossed a footbridge.
Spanish media report that a mother and daughter have been arrested, and that the daughter had recently been fired from the council.
Spain’s PM Mariano Rajoy has cancelled engagements.
Isabel Carrasco was head of the provincial government in the northern Spanish city of Leon
Mariano Rajoy is head of the Popular Party (PP) to which Isabel Carrasco belonged.
Isabel Carrasco, 59, was the head of the PP in Leon as well as head of the local government.
The opposition Socialist Party and other parties also offered condolences and cancelled campaign events.
Isabel Carrasco was attacked on her way to a party meeting near her home at about 17:20 local time.
A police spokeswoman told AFP news agency: “We are investigating the participation of both [women] in the act.”
A spokeswoman for the Spanish interior ministry said: “Everything points to it being a personal act of vengeance unrelated to her public position.”
About 200 people gathered near the scene of her death, including the Mayor of Leon, Emilio Gutierrez, and several councilors and other local dignitaries, reported the ABC news website.
Witnesses told Spanish media that a woman shot at Isabel Carrasco as she crossed a bridge over the River Bernesga.
Two witnesses told Spanish newspaper El Pais they heard five shots.
“We thought they were firecrackers,” one of them said.
In a statement, the PP said campaign events for Monday and Tuesday had been cancelled, and thanked those who had offered condolences.
A NASA study revealed that West Antarctica’s key glaciers are in an irreversible retreat.
The study analyzed 40 years of observations of six big ice streams draining into the Amundsen Bay and concluded that nothing now can stop them melting away.
Although these are abrupt changes, the timescales involved are likely measured in centuries, the researchers add.
If the glaciers really do disappear, they would add roughly 1.2 m to global sea level rise.
The new study has been accepted for publication in Geophysical Research Letters, a journal of the American Geophysical Union, but NASA held a teleconference on Monday to brief reporters on the findings.
Prof. Eric Rignot said warm ocean water was relentlessly eating away at the glaciers’ fronts and that the geometry of the sea bed in the area meant that this erosion had now entered a runaway process.
The NASA study revealed that West Antarctica’s key glaciers are in an irreversible retreat (photo NASA)
“We present observational evidence that a large section of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet has gone into a state of irreversible retreat; it has passed the point of no return,” the NASA glaciologist explained.
“This retreat will have major consequences for sea level rise worldwide. It will raise sea levels by 1.2 m, or 4ft, but its retreat will also influence adjacent sectors of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet which could triple this contribution to sea level.”
The Amundsen Bay sector includes some of the biggest and fastest moving glaciers on Earth.
Pine Island Glacier (PIG), over which there has been intense research interest of late, covers about 160,000 sq km.
Like the Thwaites, Smith, Haynes, Pope, Smith and Kohler Glaciers in this region – the PIG has been thinning rapidly.
And its grounding line – the zone where the glacier enters the sea and lifts up and floats – has also reversed tens of km over recent decades.
What makes the group vulnerable is that their bulk actually sits below current sea level with the rock bed sloping inland towards the continent. This is a geometry, say scientists, that invites further melting and further retreat.
The new study includes radar observations that map the underlying rock in the region, and this finds no ridge or significant elevation in topography that could act as a barrier to the glaciers’ reverse.
“In our new study, we present additional data that the junction of the glaciers with the ocean – the grounding line – has been retreating at record speeds unmatched anywhere in the Antarctic,” said Prof. Eric Rignot.
“We also present new evidence that there is no large hill at the back of these glaciers that could create a barrier and hold the retreat back. This is why we conclude that the disappearance of ice in this sector is unstoppable.”
The researcher, who is also affiliated to the University of California, Irvine, attributed the underlying driver of these changes to global warming.
This, together with atmospheric behaviors influenced by a loss of ozone in the stratosphere, had created stronger winds in the Southern Ocean that were now drawing more warm water towards and under the glaciers.
Dr. Tom Wagner, the cryosphere program scientist with NASA, said it was clear that, in the case of these six glaciers, a threshold had been crossed.
“The results are not based on computer simulations or numerical models; they are based on the interpretation of observations,” he told reporters.
“And I think this is an important point because this sometimes can get lost on the general public when they’re trying to understand climate change and the implications.”
Prof. Eric Rignot and colleagues put no real timescales on events, but a paper released by the journal Science to coincide with the NASA media conference tries to do just this.
It does include computer modeling and was led by Dr. Ian Joughin, a glaciologist at the University of Washington’s Applied Physics Laboratory. The study considers the particular case of Thwaites Glacier.
In the model, Dr. Ian Joughin’s team is able to reproduce very accurately the behavior of the glacier over the past 20 years.
The group then runs the model forwards to try to forecast future trends.
This, likewise, indicates that a collapse of the glacier is inevitable, and suggests it will most likely occur in the next 200 to 500 years.
Duck Dynasty’s Alan Robertson, who only joined the show last year, boasted a scruffy beard and joked that he had had to take a measure to prove he was a Robertson.
Alan and Lisa Robertson only joined Duck Dynasty last year (photo CBN TV)
Alan Robertson also took credit for a spike in Duck Dynasty traffic when he led his parents’ vow renewal ceremony at the start of Season 4.
His wife Lisa said that the couple’s decision to leave pastoral ministry and join their extended family had been a tiring but rewarding decision.
Alan Robertson’s new look also has him eating his words, considering he was previously committed to a clean-shaven alternative.
“We all used to cut them off. But now, since they are such big stars and their beards are in their contracts, they have to keep them a certain length,” he said of Willie, Phil, Si and the other Duck Dynasty men.
Duck Dynasty’s Lisa Robertson revealed she was abused by a family member from ages 7 to 14.
In a recent interview with Closer Weekly, Alan Robertson’s wife said six other family members have come forward to say they were abused as well.
Lisa is married to Alan Robertson, the Duck Dynasty’s beardless brother
“I’ve had six of those cousins send me notes telling me it happened to them too. I don’t know if it was the same person [who abused them],” Lisa Robertson told the publication.
“But he had the same access to them.”
Lisa Robertson, 48, told the magazine she wrote of the abuse in the book The Women of Duck Commander so that others can be helped by her experience.
“My husband was the very first person I told,” she said.
“God took my mess and made a message out of it, and He wants me to get out there and show the healing part.”
Lisa Robertson said her biggest regret is that she didn’t speak out sooner.
Lisa and Alan Robertson, the “beardless brother”, were introduced on Duck Dynasty this year.
The EU is imposing further sanctions over Russia’s actions in Ukraine after self-rule referendums in Donetsk and Luhansk.
Separatists in Donetsk and Luhansk regions say 89% and 96% respectively voted in favor of “self-rule”.
Earlier the head of the rebel Donetsk election commission, Roman Lyagin, said joining Russia “would probably be an appropriate step”.
The EU is imposing further sanctions over Russia’s actions in Ukraine after self-rule referendums in Donetsk and Luhansk
Two Crimean companies and 13 individuals have been added to the sanctions list – the names are likely to be announced officially within the next 24 hours.
The sanctions impose travel bans and asset freezes. EU ministers are also discussing what might trigger a broader package of sanctions against the Russian economy.
In a brief statement, the Kremlin described the referendums as “the will of the people” and noted the “high turnout”.
The Kremlin denounced what it claimed had been “attempts to disrupt the votes, with the use of force, including the use of heavy weapons, against civilians”.
The Russian authorities said they expected the results of the vote to be implemented in a civilized manner, without any repetition of violence and called for dialogue between Kiev, Donetsk and Luhansk.
Later Russia’s Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, said there were no plans to hold fresh international talks on the crisis – he accused the West of an “information blockade” over events in Ukraine and of “shameless lies”.
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier is to travel to Kiev on Tuesday to promote “dialogue” between the different parties.
Ukrainian separatist leader Denis Pushilin is calling on Russia to “absorb” the eastern region of Donetsk after Sunday’s unofficial vote on its status.
The leader of the self-declared Donetsk People’s Republic said Moscow should listen to the “will of the people”.
Ukrainian separatist leader Denis Pushilin has called on Russia to absorb the eastern region of Donetsk
Russia has called for dialogue and “implementing” the result, but Ukraine and the EU declared the poll illegal.
The EU is imposing further sanctions over Russia’s actions in Ukraine.
Separatists in Donetsk and Luhansk regions say 89% and 96% respectively voted in favor of “self-rule”.
Earlier the head of the rebel Donetsk election commission, Roman Lyagin, said joining Russia “would probably be an appropriate step”.
Russia has called for dialogue between the militants and Kiev with the participation of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
Turkey has been ordered to pay 90 million euros ($123 million) in damages over its 1974 invasion of Cyprus, according to a decision by the European Court of Human Rights.
The judgement is one of the largest ever ordered by the court.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkey invaded the north in response to a military coup on the island which was backed by the government of Greece
It said the damages were compensation for losses endured during the invasion and in the subsequent partition.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkey invaded the north in response to a military coup on the island which was backed by the government of Greece.
Since then, the northern third has been mainly inhabited by Turkish Cypriots and the southern two-thirds by Greek Cypriots. Turkey still has around 30,000 troops stationed on the island, and it is the only country that recognizes northern Cyprus as a separate entity.
UN peacekeeping forces estimate that 165,000 Greek Cypriots fled or were expelled from the north, and 45,000 Turkish Cypriots from the south, although the parties to the conflict say the figures are higher.
Deka Arm – a robot arm capable of picking up delicate objects – has been approved for use by US medical authorities.
The Deka Arm has fingers that can move much like real ones making it easier for amputees to feed themselves, zip up clothes and unlock doors.
The robot arm has a much greater range of movement than existing devices many of which are based around metal hooks or designs more than 100 years old.
US Army veterans helped to test and refine the prosthetic limb.
The Deka Arm has fingers that can move much like real ones making it easier for amputees to feed themselves, zip up clothes and unlock doors (photo DARPA)
The Arm was developed with $40 million of research cash provided by the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). That money was part of a larger $100 million Revolutionizing Prosthetics research project run by DARPA that aimed to radically improve the range of robot limbs available to those who have lost upper limbs.
While prosthetics have improved in recent years, much of the development work has been done on legs rather than replacements for lost arms and hands. This is because of the formidable engineering challenges of reproducing the coordinated movement of human hands and fingers.
Currently, officially approved designs for replacement arms are often based around split metal hooks – a design first drawn up in 1912.
By contrast, the Deka Arm has been designed to resemble real limbs as much as possible.
“It was designed to produce near-natural upper extremity control to injured people who have suffered amputations,” DARPA spokesman Justin Sanchez told Reuters.
The device uses electrodes which detect tiny muscle twitches wearers make as they learn to control the 10 different movements the prosthetic arm can carry out.
“This prosthetic limb system can pick up objects as delicate as a grape, as well being able to handle very rugged tools like a hand drill,” said Justin Sanchez.
The US Federal Drug Administration, which oversees the prosthetic approval process, said the Deka Arm is designed for those who lost their arm at the shoulder, mid-upper arm or mid-lower arm.
The Deka Research firm behind the Arm was founded by renowned engineer Dean Kamen who invented the Segway scooter and many other devices.
A psychiatrist has said at Oscar Pistorius’ murder trial that South African Olympic athlete has had an anxiety disorder since childhood and was “anxious” about violent crime.
Meryl Vorster said that Oscar Pistorius’ actions when he shot his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day last year “should be seen in context of his anxiety”.
The prosecution dramatically asked for Oscar Pistorius to undergo mental observation.
Oscar Pistorius, 27, denies intentionally killing Reeva Steenkamp.
The defense opposed the application before the court adjourned on Monday. It will reconvene on Tuesday.
Correspondents say that if the prosecution’s application succeeds, Oscar Pistorius may spend up to 30 days in a state mental health institution for observation and assessment of his mental health.
Oscar Pistorius has had an anxiety disorder since childhood and was anxious about violent crime
It was expected that the defense would conclude its case by the end of this week – after which both sides would have an opportunity to present their closing arguments.
Oscar Pistorius says he accidentally shot Reeva Steenkamp through the toilet door in a state of panic, mistaking the 29-year-old model and law graduate for an intruder.
Giving evidence on Monday, Meryl Vorster said that Oscar Pistorius was more likely to respond to any threat with “fight” rather than “flight”.
The anxiety disorder was the result of surgery at the age of 11 months to remove his lower legs, she said, a “traumatic assault” for an infant at that age.
She said that Oscar Pistorius felt remorse over Reeva Steenkamp’s death.
“He feels guilty and has developed a depressive disorder as a result,” she said.
The psychiatrist said that the reactions of Oscar Pistorius in the early hours of 14 February 2013 would have been different to that of a “normal, able-bodied person without generalised anxiety disorder”.
However, she said that this would not have affected his ability to distinguish between right and wrong and that it was up to the court to decide whether his anxiety disorder – from which he had suffered since childhood – diminished his responsibility.
“I think the generalized anxiety is relevant to the case. But the court will have to decide,” she said.
Meryl Vorster said that generalized anxiety disorders are not uncommon, and were not signs of mental illness.
Safety measures at his home were “out of proportion” to the threat of crime in South Africa, she said.
Meryl Vorster said that Oscar Pistorius’ parents separated when he was six and his father was not a responsible parent.
“[He was] largely absent, and his mother was anxious, sleeping with a firearm under her pillow,” she said.
She said that Oscar Pistorius’ mother’s death in March 2002 meant that he lost an “emotional attachment figure”.
State prosecutor Gerrie Nel asked Meryl Vorster whether someone with anxiety disorder plus guns would be “a danger to society”.
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 has been unseated by Seth Rogen and Zac Efron’s comedy film Neighbors unseated at the top of the US box office.
The film, which is being released as Bad Neighbors in the US, sold $51 million of tickets over the weekend.
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 took $37 million, according to estimates.
Cameron Diaz comedy The Other Woman held onto third place with Heaven Is for Real and Captain America: The Winter Soldier completing the top five.
Seth Rogen and Zac Efron’s comedy film Neighbors has unseated Spider-Man at the top of the US box office
Neighbors sees Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne as new parents who find themselves engaged in a battle of wits when a rowdy fraternity house, led by a frequently shirtless Zac Efron, moves in next door.
The sequel to The Amazing Spider-Man, which sees Andrew Garfield reprise his role as the web-slinging superhero, has made more than $550 million in worldwide ticket sales so far.
Christian drama Heaven Is for Real has been the surprise hit of the year so far. Telling the story of a 4-year-old who says he experienced Heaven during emergency surgery, it has earned more than $75 million on an estimated budget of just $12 million.
US box office Top 5:
Neighbors – $51 million
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 – $37.2 million
The Other Woman – $9.25 million
Heaven Is for Real – $7 million
Captain America: The Winter Soldier – $5.6 million
Islamist militants Boko Haram have released a video claiming to show around 100 girls kidnapped from a school in Nigeria last month.
Boko Haram’s leader, Abubakar Shekau, said they would be held until all imprisoned militants had been freed.
Abubakar Shekau said the girls had converted to Islam. The video, released on Monday, claims to show them praying.
Boko Haram abducted more than 200 girls from northern Nigeria on April 14 and threatened to sell them.
Islamist militants Boko Haram have released a video claiming to show around 100 girls kidnapped from a school in Nigeria last month
Three of the girls are shown speaking in the 17-minute video, obtained by French news agency AFP, wearing the full-length hijab.
Two girls say they were Christian and have converted to Islam, while the other says she is Muslim.
“These girls, these girls you occupy yourselves with… we have indeed liberated them. These girls have become Muslims,” Abubakar Shekau says in the video.
It is thought the majority of the abducted girls are Christians, although there are a number of Muslims among them.
Correspondents said the girls appeared calm and one said that they had not been harmed.
There is no indication of when or where the video was taken.
It is estimated to show about 130 girls – just under half of the 276 pupils abducted from their school in the northern state of Borno.
Boko Haram had previously admitted to kidnapping the girls.
The group, whose name means “Western education is forbidden,” said they should not have been at school and should get married instead.
Boko Haram has been engaged in a violent campaign against the Nigerian government since 2009.
Pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine – Donetsk and Luhansk regions – have announced 89% and 96% respectively voted in favor of “self-rule”.
Ukraine has condemned two unofficial referendums organized in the east of the country as “a farce” with no legal basis.
Russia has called for the results to be implemented without any further outbreaks of violence.
In a brief statement, the Kremlin described the referendums as “the will of the people” and noted the “high turnout”.
Pro-Russian separatists in Donetsk and Luhansk say 89 percent and 96 percent respectively voted in favor of self-rule (photo Getty Images)
The Russian authorities said they expected the results of the vote to be implemented in a civilized manner, without any repetition of violence and called for dialogue between Kiev, Donetsk and Luhansk.
The Kremlin suggested that the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) could help organize such a dialogue.
Later Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said there were no plans to hold fresh international talks on the crisis – he accused the West of an “information blockade” over events in Ukraine and of “shameless lies”.
Earlier, Ukraine’s interim President Oleksandr Turchynov told Ukraine’s parliament that “the farce that terrorist separatists call a referendum is nothing more than propaganda to cover up murders, kidnappings, violence and other serious crimes”.
The EU and US also said the polls were illegal.
A number of towns in the two eastern regions refused to hold the referendums.
They were held despite an earlier call by Russian President Vladimir Putin to delay them in order to create the conditions necessary for dialogue.
After the first round of voting in which voters were asked whether they supported self-rule, a second round of voting is planned in a week’s time, asking whether people support joining Russia.
Organizers also say they will boycott Ukraine’s presidential elections on May 25.
Armed police patrol vehicles have been deployed in Beijing following three attacks at transport hubs around the country.
The 150 vehicles are tasked with “countering street terrorism and fighting severe violence”, state-run Xinhua news agency said.
Petrol purchases would also be tightened, with buyers required to register with police, reports said.
Armed police patrol vehicles have been deployed in Beijing following three attacks at transport hubs around the country
The move follows station attacks in Kunming, Urumqi and Guangzhou, and comes before the Tiananmen anniversary.
Xinhua agency said the armed police patrols would be stationed at major road junctions and manned by at least nine police officers and other assistants.
They would cover an area of 1.8 miles and would be required to respond within three minutes, Xinhua added.
Meanwhile, those buying petrol would have to explain their intentions in a move that aimed to prevent the use of gasoline “to create disturbances”, People’s Daily newspaper said.
The security upgrade comes amid heightened concern over security after the three station attacks.
March’s group knife attack in Kunming left 29 people dead and more than 100 wounded. A similar attack in Urumqi in April left three people dead and almost 80 injured.
Chinese authorities have blamed both attacks on separatists from the Muslim Uighur minority group, which lives in Xinjiang.
It is not yet clear what sparked an attack last week at Guangzhou station in which six people were hurt. One man is reported to be in custody.
In October 2013, meanwhile, five people died and dozens were injured after a car drove into a crowd near Tiananmen Square and burst into flames.
Officials said three of those who died – the occupants of the car – came from the Uighur minority group.
The Uighurs, who are ethnically Turkic Muslims, say that large-scale Han Chinese immigration into Xinjiang has eroded their traditional culture and accuse Beijing of oppressive control.
The boost in security in Beijing also comes three weeks ahead of the 25th anniversary of the crackdown on anti-government protesters at Tiananmen Square.
Several well-known activists, including journalist Gao Yu, have been detained ahead of the anniversary.
India is voting on the final day of the general election, with crowds turning out in the sacred city of Varanasi, a key battleground.
Opposition BJP leader Narendra Modi is being challenged in the seat by anti-corruption campaigner Arvind Kejriwal.
Opposition BJP leader Narendra Modi is being challenged in the seat by anti-corruption campaigner Arvind Kejriwal
Votes are also being cast in 40 other seats in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal states. The first exit polls are expected on Monday evening.
Narendra Modi is ahead in all the opinion polls. Votes will be counted on May 16.
India’s marathon election began on April 7 and has been held in nine phases for security and logistical reasons.
With 814 million eligible voters, it is the world’s biggest exercise in democracy and the governing Congress party is battling the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for power.
Varanasi has been the scene of frenzied political campaigning not seen in the ancient city in decades. The city been turned into a virtual fortress with thousands of police and paramilitaries deployed to ensure peaceful polling.
Narendra Modi is being given a spirited fight by Arvind Kejriwal of the Aam Aadmi Party, whose army of volunteers is engaged in extensive door-to-door campaigning.
There are a total of 42 candidates in the fray in the seat, including the Congress party’s Ajay Rai, a local political leader.
Correspondents say that this appears to be the most prestigious and high profile battle in the elections – top leaders from the BJP, Congress and AAP have all campaigned here for their candidates in the past weeks.
“This is a very politically conscious city. The epic battle between Mr. Modi and Mr. Kejriwal has pulled the city out of political oblivion,” says Dr. Vishwanath Pandey, who teaches at the Benares Hindu University.
The state of Uttar Pradesh, where Varanasi is located, returns more lawmakers than any other and is often described as India’s battleground state.
Varanasi, on the banks of the Ganges River, has long been neglected despite its religious significance and its infrastructure is badly in need of repair.
During a London concert on Friday, Miley Cyrus revealed she wrote her hit Wrecking Ball to seek out revenge on a former partner.
She took to the stage for a top secret show at G-A-Y in London and spoke about how she penned Wrecking Ball after having her heart broken, sparking speculation she was talking about Liam Hemsworth, from whom she split last year.
Miley Cyrus revealed she wrote her hit Wrecking Ball to seek out revenge on a former partner
“I wrote this song after somebody broke my heart, and I just wanted to say <<F*** you>>,” she told the audience.
“I wanted to write a No. 1 hit, something that would be on the radio. I wanted to make sure every time he turned on his radio, he would hear my song and will keep hearing it for the rest of his life.”
Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth had become engaged in 2012 after meeting on the set of The Last Song in 2009.
Pregnant Christina Aguilera showed off her baby bump while performing at the KIIS FM Wango Tango in Carson, California, on Saturday.
Pregnant Christina Aguilera showed off her baby bump while performing at the KIIS FM Wango Tango in Carson (photo Getty Images)
Christina Aguilera is expecting her second child – her first with fiancé Matt Rutler. She got engaged to the production assistant in February, and in addition to preparing to welcome their daughter, Christina Aguilera is also working on a new album.
“So blissful in taking this time for creating all things blossoming new on the horizon…album, baby & beautiful music to come,” Christina Aguilera tweeted in April.
National guardsmen fired on a crowd Sunday in eastern Ukraine, where voters were lining up for a disputed referendum on whether to split from rest of the country.
Eastern Ukraine referendums seek approval to declare sovereign the Donetsk and Luhansk regions (photo CBC)
An insurgent leader was quoted by the Russian news agency ITAR-Tass as saying that there were fatalities.
The Associated Press reported that one of its photographers witnessed the shooting, in the town of Krasnoarmeisk, where dozens of guardsmen had shut down voting earlier in the day.
The photographer saw two people motionless on the ground, the AP reported.
Eastern Ukraine referendums seek approval to declare sovereign the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, where armed pro-Russia insurgents have taken control of government buildings and clashed with Ukrainian troops.
South Sudan’s army and rebels have accused each other of breaching a ceasefire, only hours after it was meant to come into effect.
The army said rebels attacked government positions in the early hours of Sunday in the town of Bentiu in oil-rich Unity State.
The rebels said their positions were targeted by ground attack and artillery in Unity and Upper Nile states.
South Sudan’s army and rebels have accused each other of breaching a ceasefire, only hours after it was meant to come into effect
A deal to end the five-month conflict was signed on Friday in Ethiopia.
At the signing ceremony in Addis Ababa, President Salva Kiir and rebel leader Riek Machar met face-to-face for the first time since hostilities broke out and agreed to halt fighting within 24 hours.
But in a statement issued on Sunday, rebel military spokesman Lul Ruai Koang said the reported violations showed “that Kiir is either insincere or not in control of his forces.”
For the army, spokesman Philip Aguer said the rebel attacks in Bentiu had been repelled.
There has been no independent verification of either side’s claims.
A previous deal, made in January, collapsed in days, with each side accusing the other of breaching terms.
Earlier, the UN called on both sides to facilitate deliveries of emergency aid to a population in danger of mass hunger.
The UN estimates that some 5 million of South Sudan’s citizens are in need. At least 1.5 million have been displaced and thousands of people have been killed.
Toby Lanzer, the UN’s top aid official in the region, said roads and rivers must be opened for emergency relief.
The hope had been that the ceasefire would pave the way for the creation of a transitional government, the drafting of a new constitution and fresh elections.
The UN has accused both the South Sudanese government and the rebels of crimes against humanity, including mass killings and gang-rape.
The violence began when President Kiir accused his sacked deputy Riek Machar of plotting a coup.
Riek Machar denied the allegation, but then marshaled a rebel army to fight the government.
The battle assumed ethnic overtones, with Riek Machar relying heavily on fighters from his Nuer ethnic group and Salva Kiir from his Dinka community.
South Sudan gained independence in 2011, breaking away from Sudan after decades of conflict between rebels and the Khartoum government.
