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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Universal Studios Orlando roller coaster accident post is a scam

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Master P divorce settlement

Lisa.Felice
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Master P divorce settlement

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bob Hoskins dies at 71

Sonia Pantiss
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Bob Hoskins dies at 71

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

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

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

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

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

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Sewol ferry owner ignored warnings about ship’s stability

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Clayton Lockett’s botched execution sparks Oklahoma procedures reviews

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Halting the execution obviously did Lockett no good.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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US economic growth slows to 0.1% in 2014 Q1

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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India elections 2014: Narendra Modi accused of election code violation

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Urumqi railway station explosion injures at least 50 people in Xinjiang

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

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

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

Xinjiang has experienced several violent clashes over the past months.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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MH370: JACC downplays GeoResonance’s wreckage claim

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Star Wars: Episode VII cast revealed

Sonia Pantiss
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Star Wars: Episode VII cast revealed

Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill will feature in Star Wars: Episode VII, the latest film in the franchise.

Other actors confirmed are Andy Serkis and Max von Sydow, alongside relative newcomers John Boyega and Daisy Ridley.

Star Wars: Episode VII will start shooting at Pinewood Studios, near London, in May.

Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew and Kenny Baker will also return as C-3PO, Chewbacca and R2-D2 respectively.

Director JJ Abrams said: “We are so excited to finally share the cast of Star Wars: Episode VII. It is both thrilling and surreal to watch the beloved original cast and these brilliant new performers come together to bring this world to life, once again.

“We start shooting in a couple of weeks, and everyone is doing their best to make the fans proud.”

A picture of the new cast, with R2-D2 in a wooden crate, was posted on the official Star Wars site on Tuesday.

Star Wars Episode VII cast revealed
Star Wars Episode VII cast revealed

The new recruits include:

  • Domhnall Gleeson
  • Daisy Ridley
  • John Boyega
  • Max von Sydow
  • Oscar Isaac.
  • Adam Driver – he has been widely reported to be playing Star Wars‘ main antagonist.
  • Andy Serkis

Open auditions for two roles in the new films were held in the UK and Ireland last November.

They were for a “street smart and strong” orphaned girl in her late teens and a “smart capable” man in his late teens or early 20s.

It has not been confirmed whether the new cast came from the auditions, but none of them are complete unknowns and all have previous experience on screen.

No announcement has been made about the specific parts each of the cast members will play.

Episode VII will be the fifth Star Wars movie to be shot in the UK.

Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher and mark Hamill became household names thanks to their roles in the originals – with Ford as smuggler and rogue Han Solo, Fisher as Princess Leia and Hamill as farmhand-turned-Jedi Luke Skywalker.

Star Wars: Episode VII is due in cinemas on December 18, 2015.

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Severe storms threaten eastern US

Nancy Clayson
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Severe storms threaten eastern US

Severe weather is threatening the eastern states, after two days of powerful storms killed up to 34 people.

Alabama had flash flooding and tornadoes were reported in North Carolina on Tuesday.

Thunderstorms and severe weather are expected along the east coast on Wednesday as the storm shifts.

Tornadoes cut a broad track of death and destruction through the southern states on Sunday and Monday.

The storms flattened buildings, overturned cars, and left thousands of residents without power.

Severe weather is threatening the eastern states, after two days of powerful storms killed up to 34 people
Severe weather is threatening the eastern states, after two days of powerful storms killed up to 34 people

“Widespread thunderstorms are forecast across the central Gulf Coast region, with several severe [or] supercell storms possible,” the National Weather Service wrote in a morning forecast.

More than two million people are said to be at risk of tornadoes and high winds in parts of Alabama and Mississippi on Tuesday.

As the storm moves further east, parts of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina are expected to be under threat of severe weather, forecasters say.

Meanwhile, the search for survivors continues in the southern US states that were smashed by huge tornadoes on Monday and Tuesday.

In Mississippi, officials reported 12 dead, including nine near Louisville and three in separate traffic accidents.

Early on Tuesday, residents of Louisville crept from their shelters to find their homes demolished by a tornado that punched holes in the roof of a local hospital.

Giles Ward huddled in a bathroom with his wife and four other relatives as a tornado destroyed his brick house and overturned his son-in-law’s four-wheel-drive parked outside his home in Louisville.

“For about 30 seconds, it was unbelievable,” said Giles Ward, a Republican state senator.

“It’s about as awful as anything we’ve gone through.”

Three people were reported dead in Alabama, including a University of Alabama student who perished when he took shelter in a basement and a retaining wall collapsed on him.

As many as 16 people were killed on Sunday, including 14 in the towns surrounding Little Rock, Arkansas, with Mayflower and Vilonia bearing the brunt of the damage.

Many homes and businesses, including a new secondary school worth $14 million, were left in ruins in Vilonia after the storm.

President Barack Obama promised assistance to those affected by the storms, saying federal emergency officials would be on the ground to help.

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Clayton Lockett: Oklahoma death row inmate dies of heart attack after botched execution

Nancy Clayson
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Clayton Lockett: Oklahoma death row inmate dies of heart attack after botched execution

Oklahoma death row inmate Clayton Lockett died of a heart attack after his execution was halted because the lethal injection of three drugs failed to work properly.

Clayton Lockett, 38, experienced a vein failure which prevented the drug cocktail from being fully effective.

The execution was halted after 20 minutes, during which he writhed and shook uncontrollably, US media report.

The execution of fellow inmate Charles Warner, due to take place just two hours later, was postponed for 14 days.

A spokesman for the Oklahoma Department of Corrections told US media that Clayton Lockett had died of a heart attack following injection of three lethal drugs.

“We believe that a vein was blown and the drugs weren’t working as they were designed to. The director ordered a halt to the execution,” corrections department spokesman Jerry Massie said.

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

Clayton Lockett died of a heart attack after his execution was halted because the lethal injection of three drugs failed to work properly
Clayton Lockett died of a heart attack after his execution was halted because the lethal injection of three drugs failed to work properly

“He was conscious and blinking, licking his lips even after the process began. He then began to seize,” Associated Press news agency reporter Bailey Elise McBride tweeted from the scene.

“This was botched, and it was difficult to watch,” said David Autry, one of Clayton Lockett’s lawyers.

Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin said in a statement that she had ordered a full review of the state’s execution procedures.‏

Charles Warner, 46, had been scheduled to be put to death in the same room two hours later in a rare double execution.

Clayton Lockett was sentenced to death for the 1999 shooting of a 19-year-old woman. Charles Warner was convicted for the 1997 murder and rape of an 11-month-old girl.

The two men had unsuccessfully challenged an Oklahoma state law that blocks officials from revealing – even in court – the identities of the companies supplying the drugs used to sedate inmates, paralyze their respiratory systems and stop their hearts.

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

Clayton Lockett and Charles Warner argued it was necessary for the men to learn the name of the suppliers in order to ensure the quality of the drugs that would be used to kill them and to be certain that they had been obtained legally.

In March a trial court ruled in their favor, but the state’s highest court reversed that decision last week, ruling that “the plaintiffs have no more right to the information they requested than if they were being executed in the electric chair”.

In recent years US states have had increasing problems in trying to obtain drugs used in executions, amid an embargo by European pharmaceutical companies.

Some have turned to untried combinations of drugs or have sought to obtain the drugs custom-made from compounding pharmacies.

Clayton Lockett’s last moments:

  • 18:23 – Sedative administered
  • 18:33 – Doctor declares Clayton Lockett unconscious
  • 18:36 – Clayton Lockett is restless and a doctor discovers a ruptured vein
  • Curtain drawn
  • Execution halted
  • 19:06 – Clayton Lockett dies from a heart attack

All times local – Central Time

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Donald Sterling lifetime ban over racist remarks receives widespread praise

Clyde K. Valle
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0
Donald Sterling lifetime ban over racist remarks receives widespread praise

The NBA ban imposed on LA Clippers owner Donald Sterling over his racist remarks has received widespread praise.

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

Several civil rights organizations and stars of the game, past and present, have applauded the National Basketball Association for taking swift action.

Donald Sterling, 80, was recorded asking a woman – believed to be his presumed girlfriend V. Stiviano – not to associate in public with black people or bring them to Clippers games.

His remarks have earned him a lifetime ban from the NBA, whose commissioner Adam Silver urged the Board of Governors – the other team owners – to force Donald Sterling into selling.

Adam Silver told reporters that Donald Sterling’s “hateful opinions… simply have no place in the NBA”.

The ban imposed on LA Clippers owner Donald Sterling over racist remarks has received widespread praise
The ban imposed on LA Clippers owner Donald Sterling over racist remarks has received widespread praise

The NBA has also fined Donald Sterling $2.5 million, the maximum allowed, in a package of measures that have been described as the harshest punishment in the history of the NBA.

Doc Rivers said: “I thought Adam Silver today was fantastic.

“He made a decision that really was the right one, that had to be made. I don’t think this is something that we rejoice in or anything like that.”

The players were happy that there was a resolution, he said, adding: “I think we’re all in a better place because of this.”

In a joint statement, the National Urban League, the National Action Network, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation supported Adam Silver’s announcement.

That decision, the statement said, was “a bold, courageous and resolute message”.

Some sponsors had dumped Clippers as the race row deepened but following the ban, electronics company Samsung said it would resume advertising, starting with Tuesday evening’s play-off game against the Golden State Warriors.

Former players also commended the swift action.

“I believe that today stands as one of those great moments where sports, once again, transcends, where sports provides a place for fundamental change on how our country should think and act,” said Kevin Johnson, former NBA star and mayor of Sacramento, who has acted as an adviser to the NBA players’ union.

But others said they believed the punishment was too harsh, given the fact it was a private conversation.

The ban means Donald Sterling will be unable to participate in all team business or attend any NBA practices or games.

Boxing superstar Floyd Mayweather has expressed an interest in buying the team, according to ESPN.

The row erupted on April 25, when celebrity news website TMZ published a 10-minute audio recording in which Donald Sterling criticized V. Stiviano for posting photographs of herself with black friends at Clippers games.

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

The remarks caused an immediate uproar among basketball fans across the country, and drew condemnation from President Barack Obama.

The players staged a silent protest, going through a pre-match warm-up with shirts on inside-out to hide the team’s logo.

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Amanda Knox delivered the only mortal blow to Meredith Kercher, Italian court rules

Nancy Clayson
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0
Amanda Knox delivered the only mortal blow to Meredith Kercher, Italian court rules

Amanda Knox delivered the fatal knife blow to British student Meredith Kercher, the Italian judges who reinstated the guilty verdict against the American have ruled.

Explaining their ruling, the judges said Amanda Knox and her Italian ex-boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, killed Meredith Kercher after a violent argument.

Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito were originally convicted of the murder in 2007.

They were acquitted on appeal in 2011, but that ruling was overturned in January.

Amanda Knox, who is currently in the US, was sentenced to 28 years and six months. Her former boyfriend received 25 years.

Italian judges said Amanda Knox and her Italian ex-boyfriend killed Meredith Kercher after a violent argument
Italian judges said Amanda Knox and her Italian ex-boyfriend killed Meredith Kercher after a violent argument

Both had pleaded not guilty.

Explaining its reasoning on Tuesday, the appeals court in Florence said Meredith Kercher’s wounds indicated multiple aggressors.

The judges said they believe both Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito wielded knives, as another man, Rudy Guede, held the victim down and committed a s**ual assault.

But it was Amanda Knox who “delivered the only mortal blow”, striking Meredith Kercher with a kitchen knife, presiding judge Alessandro Nencini concluded.

The prosecution had originally argued that Meredith Kercher was killed in a s** game that spiraled out of control.

But in its explanation, the appeals court agreed with a later theory that she was killed after a violent quarrel.

It said Amanda Knox and Meredith Kercher had fought over money on the night of the killing.

In a statement on Tuesday, Amanda Knox said the court’s reasoning was “not supported by any credible evidence or logic”.

Both Amanda Knox and Rafafele Sollecito are expected to appeal against the latest decision.

The trial will now go back to Italy’s highest court, the Court of Cassation, which could uphold or overturn the verdict.

If it upholds it, officials are expected to begin the lengthy process to extradite Amanda Knox from the US, where she returned on her release from prison in 2011.

Meanwhile, Rudy Guede is already serving a 16-year prison sentence after being convicted of Meredith Kercher’s murder at an earlier trial.

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Iraq elections 2014: Heavy security at first poll since US troops withdrawal

Diane A. Wade
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Iraq elections 2014: Heavy security at first poll since US troops withdrawal

Iraq is voting in the first parliamentary elections since the withdrawal of US troops three years ago.

Polling began at 07:00 local time and closes at 18:00.

PM Nouri al-Maliki is hoping to win a third term in office amid a growing insurgency in the west of the country.

Iraq is experiencing its worst unrest since 2008, with 160 people killed in the past week alone.

Some 22 million Iraqis are registered to vote, with almost 50,000 polling stations open across the country.

Iraq is voting in the first parliamentary elections since the withdrawal of US troops three years ago
Iraq is voting in the first parliamentary elections since the withdrawal of US troops three years ago (photo Ali al-Saadi/AFP/Getty Images)

There is a heavy security presence in the capital, with military helicopters on patrol.

The government has temporarily closed the airport and the main roads in and out of the city in an attempt to reassure voters.

Some voters face multiple searches before being allowed into polling stations.

While it is difficult to predict the outcome of the poll, Nouri al-Maliki is still expected to be a pivotal figure in the coalition-building process which will follow the election.

After casting his vote in Baghdad’s heavily-fortified Green Zone, Nouri al-Maliki said: “Our victory is certain, but we are waiting to see the size of our victory.”

His State of Law alliance, a Shia coalition, has largely avoided the fragmentation seen by other political blocs since the last election.

The campaign has so far been a violent one, with 50 people killed on Monday when soldiers, police and overseas citizens cast their votes.

One bomb struck a Kurdish political rally in the town Khanaqin, killing 30 people and wounding at least 50 others.

On Friday, at least 31 people were killed as a series of blasts targeted a Shia election rally in Baghdad. The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant – an al-Qaeda offshoot – said it had carried out the attacks.

More than 9,000 candidates are competing for 328 parliamentary seats. There will be no voting in parts of Sunni-dominated Anbar province, where security forces still battle Islamist and tribal militants for control of the provincial capital Ramadi and nearby Falluja.

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Donald Sterling banned for life over racist remarks

Clyde K. Valle
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0
Donald Sterling banned for life over racist remarks

Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling has been banned from the National Basketball Association for life after a recording emerged of him making racist remarks.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Donald Sterling would be forced to sell his interest in the basketball team.

The NBA will also fine Donald Sterling $2.5 million, the maximum allowed.

Donald Sterling, 80, was recorded asking a woman, believed to be his girlfriend V. Stiviano, not to associate in public with black people nor bring them to games.

He later said the recording “does not reflect his views”.

In a news conference on Tuesday, Adam Silver told reporters that Donald Sterling’s “hateful opinions… simply have no place in the NBA”.

“That they came from an NBA owner only heightens the damage,” he said.

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

“I am personally distraught that the views expressed by Mr. Sterling came from within an institution that has historically taken a leadership role in matters of race relations.”

Adam Silver said Donald Sterling would be banned from participating in all team business, as well as attending any NBA practices or games.

The fine will be donated to organizations focused on combating racism, he said.

Adam Silver said he would urge the NBA’s board of governors to force Donald Sterling to sell his stake in the team, which he purchased in 1981.

“Commissioner Silver showed great leadership in banning” Sterling, Earvin Magic Johnson tweeted following the announcement.

The row erupted on Friday when celebrity news website TMZ published a 10-minute audio recording in which a man can be heard criticizing a woman, believed to be V. Stiviano, for posting online photographs of herself with black friends at Clippers games.

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

The remarks caused an immediate uproar in Los Angeles and among basketball fans across the country.

The Clippers are competing in the first round of the NBA playoffs, drawing extra scrutiny to Donald Sterling’s remarks.

On Sunday, before a game against the Golden State Warriors, the Clippers staged a silent protest, going through a pre-match warm-up with shirts on inside-out to hide the team’s logo.

The players also wore black wristbands or armbands and all wore black socks with their normal jerseys.

Donald Sterling did not attend the game.

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Gerhard Schroeder hugs Vladimir Putin at his birthday party in St. Petersburg

Diane A. Wade
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0
Gerhard Schroeder hugs Vladimir Putin at his birthday party in St. Petersburg

Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder has been photographed hugging Russian President Vladimir Putin while celebrating his birthday in St. Petersburg, despite the imposition of more Western sanctions on Russia.

Gerhard Schroeder has long had close ties to Vladimir Putin and runs a pipeline venture bringing Russian gas to Germany.

Their embrace was photographed as Gerhard Schroeder celebrated his 70th birthday.

Gerhard Schroeder held his Russian party as NATO states accused Russia of helping pro-Putin militias in eastern Ukraine.

Gerhard Schroeder has long had close ties to Vladimir Putin and runs a pipeline venture bringing Russian gas to Germany
Gerhard Schroeder has long had close ties to Vladimir Putin and runs a pipeline venture bringing Russian gas to Germany

Russia’s state monopoly Gazprom pumps gas to Germany via the Nordstream pipeline under the Baltic Sea, and Gazprom chief executive Alexei Miller was reportedly among Gerhard Schroeder’s guests at the Yusupov Palace in St Petersburg.

Three German officers are among seven military observers from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) currently held captive by pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine. The German government has demanded their release.

The OSCE sent in unarmed observers after the rebels seized Ukrainian official buildings.

German media commentators criticized Gerhard Schroeder on Tuesday for his closeness to Vladimir Putin.

Vladimir Putin speaks fluent German, having served as a KGB secret service officer in communist East Germany during the Cold War.

Gerhard Schroeder was chancellor from 1998 to 2005. He used to lead the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD), who are now in coalition with Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats (CDU).

Roland Nelles of Spiegel Online said the former chancellor “apparently forgets that one must still act responsibly for one’s country as a former government leader”.

“It would help if the ex-chancellor could use his influence to bring some sense to his friend Putin. Perhaps he is doing that too, but unfortunately you don’t get any sense of that whatsoever. Pity,” he wrote.

In Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung another commentator, Thomas Holl, said “the pictures of a laughing Schroeder, being hugged and cuddled by his friend Vladimir in the former tsarist palace, while German army soldiers are held hostage by fanatical Putin admirers, look macabre”.

A senior German government official quoted by Reuters news agency said Gerhard Schroeder “does not represent the German government” and he “left active politics some time ago”.

Libya’s parliament stormed by gunmen amid voting on new prime minister

Roy Siemens
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Libya’s parliament stormed by gunmen amid voting on new prime minister

Libya’s parliament has been stormed by gunmen, forcing lawmakers to abandon a vote on a new prime minister, officials say.

Correspondents say lawmakers left the building after hearing gunshots.

The attempted vote followed the resignation of Abdullah al-Thinni, who stepped down as prime minister earlier this month after he and his family were targeted by militiamen.

Libya's national congress has been stormed on dozens of occasions by gunmen over the past year and a half
Libya’s national congress has been stormed on dozens of occasions by gunmen over the past year and a half (photo EPA)

Libya has been plagued by instability since armed groups toppled Muammar Gaddafi’s regime in 2011.

Earlier reports that several people had been wounded in the attack on Tuesday are unconfirmed.

It is unclear who was behind the disturbance.

Libya’s national congress has been stormed on dozens of occasions by gunmen over the past year and a half.

Congress members were deadlocked over the latest appointment of a new prime minister when the latest attack broke out.

They had already held one round of voting and selected two out of seven candidates.

The second round of voting has been postponed. Local media say it is now scheduled to take place on May 4.

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Kenya legalizes polygamy

Diane A. Wade
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Kenya legalizes polygamy

President Uhuru Kenyatta has signed into law a bill legalizing polygamy in Kenya.

The new bill brings civil law, where a man was only allowed one wife, into line with customary law, where some cultures allow multiple partners.

Controversy surrounded an amendment to the bill, supported by many male lawmakers, allowing men to take more wives without consulting existing spouses.

Traditionally, first wives are supposed to give prior approval.

Last month, female lawmakers walked out of parliament in disgust after their male counterparts voted through the amendment.

President Uhuru Kenyatta has signed into law a bill legalizing polygamy in Kenya
President Uhuru Kenyatta has signed into law a bill legalizing polygamy in Kenya

They argued that a decision to take on another wife would affect the whole family, including the financial position of other spouses.

The bill was also opposed by Christian leaders who urged the president not to sign it into law, saying it undermined Christian principles of marriage and family.

“The tone of that bill, if it becomes law, would be demeaning to women since it does not respect the principle of equality of spouses in the institution of marriage,” Archbishop Timothy Ndambuki, from the National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK), was quoted by Kenya’s Standard newspaper as saying.

The marriage legislation has been under discussion for several years and some initial proposals were scrapped at committee stages.

It has abolished the practice of unofficial traditional marriages which were never registered and could be ended without any legal divorce proceedings.

But plans to ban the payment of bride prices were dropped – although a person must be 18 to marry and this now applies to all cultures.

Lawmakers did reject the committee amendment which said a woman should only be entitled to 30% of matrimonial property after death or divorce.

The law now allows for equal property and inheritance rights – previously a woman had to prove her contribution to the couple’s wealth.

It also stipulates that a wife is entitled to an equal share of whatever the couple acquired during their marriage but in the case of multiple partners it is going to be difficult to determine what each spouse is entitled to if one of them divorces or their husband dies.

There had also been a proposal to recognize co-habiting couples, known in Kenya as “come-we-stay” relationships, after six months, but this too was dropped.

It would have allowed a woman to seek maintenance for herself and any children of the union, had the man left.

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Recep Tayyip Erdogan: Turkey seeks Fethullah Gulen’s deportation from US

Diane A. Wade
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0
Recep Tayyip Erdogan: Turkey seeks Fethullah Gulen’s deportation from US

Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced that Turkey will start extradition proceedings against US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen.

Fethullah Gulen – a former ally of the Turkish prime minister – has been accused by Recep Tayyip Erdogan of using his supporters to try to topple him.

The cleric denies mounting a campaign against him.

Turkey’s government has faced a string of corruption scandals and rights groups accuse it of authoritarianism.

Speaking at parliament after meeting with deputies from his Justice and Development Party (AKP) party on Tuesday, Recep Tayyip Erdogan confirmed the extradition process “will begin”, reports say.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced that Turkey will start extradition proceedings against US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen
Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced that Turkey will start extradition proceedings against US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen

PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan was speaking hours after an interview with PBS, in which he said he hoped the US would deport Fethullah Gulen and send him back to Turkey.

It was his first interview with foreign media since his party claimed victory in local elections last month.

In the interview, Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he hoped Washington, as a “model partner”, would deliver on the issue.

“At least they should deport him,” he added.

Fethullah Gulen, 74, has lived in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania since 1997.

He has many supporters in the police and judiciary, and has denounced moves to shut down an investigation into corruption allegations leveled against several of the prime minister’s allies.

Fethullah Gulen’s teachings have inspired the Hizmet (“Service”) movement, which is believed to have millions of followers spread across over 150 countries.

Hizmet promotes a tolerant form of Islam, emphasizing education, altruism and hard work.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused the movement of being behind a series of wiretaps and social media leaks allegedly exposing major corruption of figures with ties to the government.

Thousands of alleged Hizmet sympathizers in the police and judiciary have since been demoted or reassigned to other jobs.

Over the past year, Turkey has been convulsed by mass protests against Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ten-year rule and the corruption allegations.

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Ukraine: Pro-Russian activists seize Luhansk government building

Roy Siemens
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0
Ukraine: Pro-Russian activists seize Luhansk government building

Pro-Russian separatists have stormed the regional administration’s headquarters in the eastern Ukrainian city of Luhansk.

A few dozen men, some reportedly armed with metal bars, smashed windows and doors to break into the building.

Activists shouting “Referendum Russia” later flew a Russian flag over it.

Earlier, Russia criticized sanctions imposed by the US and EU on individuals and companies over their alleged actions aimed at destabilizing Ukraine.

Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said the US had “essentially lowered an <<Iron Curtain>>” by targeting Russia’s high-tech sector.

The EU, he added, had proved that it was “under Washington’s thumb”.

Pro-Russian separatists have stormed the regional administration's headquarters in the eastern Ukrainian city of Luhansk
Pro-Russian separatists have stormed the regional administration’s headquarters in the eastern Ukrainian city of Luhansk (photo AFP)

Russia’s Deputy PM Dmitry Rogozin meanwhile warned that if the sanctions affected its rocket-building sector, US astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) might be “exposed”.

Sergei Ryabkov also stressed that Russia had no intention of invading eastern Ukraine, where pro-Russia activists have seized government buildings in more than a dozen towns and cities.

Until now, only the local office of the State Security Service (SBU) in Luhansk, a city of 465,000 people less than 20 miles from the Russian border, had been targeted.

But on Tuesday afternoon, hundreds of people gathered outside the headquarters of the regional government to demand a referendum on granting greater autonomy to the east.

A group of men armed with sticks and metal bars broke into the building, whose entrances were not protected by police. They then pulled down the Ukrainian flag flying from the roof and replaced it with a Russian one, and opened the main entrance to the crowd.

Inside the building’s courtyard, they found security personnel in riot gear massed in a defensive position. There was a stand-off, but no violence.

“The regional leadership does not control its police force,” Stanislav Rechynsky, an aide to the interior minister in Kiev, told Reuters news agency.

“The local police did nothing.”

Stanislav Rechynsky added that the government had information to suggest that the separatists would now seize the local television centre.

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

The interim government has rejected the pro-Russian activists’ demands for greater autonomy, fearing they could lead to the break-up of the country or more regions being annexed by Russia, as happened with Crimea last month.

Pro-Russian activists continue to detain some 40 people, including seven military observers linked to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) seized last week.

The self-styled “mayor” of the town of Sloviansk, where the observers are being held, has said he will discuss their release only if the EU drops sanctions against separatist leaders.

On Tuesday, the EU published a fresh list of 15 individuals facing travel banks and asset freezes.

It included General Valery Gerasimov, chief of the Russian General Staff, and Lt. Gen. Igor Sergun, identified as the head of the Russian military intelligence agency, the GRU.

Russian Deputy PM Dmitry Kozak and pro-Russian separatist leaders in Crimea and in Luhansk and Donetsk were also named.

On Monday, the US announced sanctions against seven individuals and 17 companies it said were linked to President Vladimir Putin’s “inner circle”.

The US and EU first imposed visa bans and asset freezes on a number of senior Russian officials and companies after Crimea was annexed.

US Treasury Secretary Jack Lew said the sanctions had so far caused “a quite substantial deterioration in Russia’s already weak economy”.

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Heartbleed bug turned cyber criminals from attackers into victims

Nancy Clayson
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Heartbleed bug turned cyber criminals from attackers into victims

The Heartbleed bug has turned cyber criminals from attackers into victims as researchers use it to grab material from chatrooms where they trade data.

Discovered in early April, Heartbleed lets attackers steal data from computers using vulnerable versions of some widely used security programs.

Now it has given anti-malware researchers access to forums that would otherwise be very hard to penetrate.

The news comes as others warn that the bug will be a threat for many years.

The Heartbleed vulnerability was found in software, called Open SSL, which is supposed to make it much harder to steal data. Instead, exploiting the bug makes a server hand over small chunks of the data it has just handled – in many cases login details or other sensitive information.

The Heartbleed bug has turned cyber criminals from attackers into victims as researchers use it to grab material from chatrooms where they trade data
The Heartbleed bug has turned cyber criminals from attackers into victims as researchers use it to grab material from chatrooms where they trade data

French anti-malware researcher Steven K said: “The potential of this vulnerability affecting black-hat services (where hackers use their skills for criminal ends) is just enormous.”

Heartbleed had put many such forums in a “critical” position, he said, leaving them vulnerable to attack using tools that exploit the bug.

Steven K said he was using specially written tools to target some closed forums called Darkode and Damagelab.

“Darkode was vulnerable, and this forum is a really hard target,” he said.

“Not many people have the ability to monitor this forum, but Heartbleed exposed everything.”

Charlie Svensson, a computer security researcher at Sentor, which tests company’s security systems, said: “This work just goes to show how serious Heartbleed is. You can get the keys to the kingdom, all thanks to a nice little heartbeat query.”

Individuals who repeat the work of security researchers such as Steven K could leave themselves open to criminal charges for malicious hacking.

The widespread publicity about Heartbleed had led operators of many websites to update vulnerable software and urge users to change passwords.

Many so-called smart devices, such as home routers, CCTV cameras, baby monitors and home-management gadgets that control heating and power, were now known to be vulnerable to Heartbleed-based attacks.

A survey by tech news site Wired found that smart thermostats, cloud-based data services, printers, firewalls and video-conferencing systems were all vulnerable.

Other reports suggest the makers of some industrial control systems are also now producing patches for their software to limit the potential for attack.

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Yahoo unveils its first two original TV series

Nancy Clayson
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0
Yahoo unveils its first two original TV series

Yahoo will show two original TV series on its website and mobile app.

The move makes Yahoo the latest technology company to join the fast-growing market for digital video content.

Companies such as Netflix, Hulu, Amazon and Microsoft have been looking to compete with traditional TV programming to attract viewers to their platforms.

Some have even been signing deals with internet service providers to stream videos faster and more smoothly.

On Monday, Netflix announced a deal with Verizon – one of the biggest internet service providers in the US – which will see Netflix servers connected directly to Verizon’s network, resulting in faster speeds.

“We have reached an interconnect arrangement with Verizon that we hope will improve performance for our joint customers over the coming months,” Joris Evers, spokesman for Netflix, said in a statement.

Yahoo will show two original TV series on its website and mobile app
Yahoo will show two original TV series on its website and mobile app

Yahoo had agreed a similar deal with Comcast earlier this year.

The company said its first two original series will be comedies titled: Other Space and Sin City Saints.

It said it has got 500 million streams on Yahoo Screen in the US since it launched its comedy lineup on the website seven months ago.

“We are continuing to build our library with universally loved comedy such as Saturday Night Live and Comedy Central,” Kathy Savitt, chief marketing officer on Yahoo, said in a statement.

Yahoo said its two original series will also be available to viewers on Apple TV and Roku.

However, the company is likely to face growing competition.

Earlier this month, Amazon agreed a deal with HBO that will allow US customers of its streaming service, Amazon Prime, to watch HBO’s TV shows, including The Sopranos.

It is the first time HBO programming has been licensed to an online-only subscription streaming service.

Amazon Instant Video has also announced a series called The After – a post-apocalyptic drama by X-files creator Chris Carter – among other commissions.

Meanwhile, Microsoft is expected to launch two sci-fi series – Halo and Humans – on its Xbox Live service over the coming months.

Sony is developing Powers, a series about detectives investigating people with superhuman abilities, for the PlayStation Network.

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