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Ukraine: Gun battle erupts in Kramatorsk

Roy Siemens
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Ukraine: Gun battle erupts in Kramatorsk

A gun battle has erupted in the eastern Ukrainian town of Kramatorsk, Ukraine’s acting Interior Minister Arsen Avakov says.

Arsen Avakov said it began when unidentified gunmen tried to storm local administration buildings and police fired back.

Several other official buildings were reported to have been seized in eastern Ukraine on Saturday.

The confrontations come amid rising tension between the new government and pro-Russia protesters.

Earlier, gunmen occupied a police station and a security services building in the town of Sloviansk. Official buildings in Druzhkovka were also reported to have been taken over.

Several official buildings were reported to have been seized in eastern Ukraine
Several official buildings were reported to have been seized in eastern Ukraine (photo AFP)

A Donetsk regional police chief also quit after pro-Russia crowds marched on a police station demanding his resignation.

Eastern Ukraine has a large Russian-speaking population and has seen a series of protests since the ousting of pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych in February.

The new government in Kiev accuses Moscow of orchestrating the unrest in eastern Ukraine. But Russia denies responsibility.

Protesters in largely Russian-speaking Donetsk, 80 miles from Sloviansk, have been occupying government buildings for days and demanding a referendum on becoming part of Russia.

Trouble continued in several towns and cities on Saturday despite the Kiev government setting a deadline of Friday for all occupations to end.

“Kramatorsk. An attack is under way. Unknown persons fired shots at the district police department. The police are firing shots in response. A shootout is under way,” Arsen Avakov wrote on his Facebook page late on Saturday.

He also reported that an attack on police buildings in Krasny Liman late in the day had been repelled. The gunmen there had been equipped with Russian-made Kalashnikov assault rifles, he added.

There were no reports of casualties in Kramatorsk or Krasny Liman and Arsen Avakov’s comments could not be independently verified.

Earlier, in the town of Sloviansk, dozens of unidentified armed men in camouflage uniform seized the police station and security service premises.

Heartbleed Bug: NSA denies it knew about or exploited OpenSSL vulnerability

Nancy Clayson
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Heartbleed Bug: NSA denies it knew about or exploited OpenSSL vulnerability

The National Security Agency (NSA) has denied it knew about or exploited the Heartbleed online bug.

The denial came after a Bloomberg News report alleging the NSA used the flaw in OpenSSL to harvest data.

OpenSSL is online-data scrambling software used to protect data such as passwords sent online.

Last year, Edward Snowden claimed the NSA deliberately introduced vulnerabilities to security software.

The Hearbleed bug, which allows hackers to snatch chunks of data from systems protected by OpenSSL, was revealed by researchers working for Google and a small Finnish security firm, Codenomicon, earlier this month.

OpenSSL is used by roughly two-thirds of all websites and the glitch existed for more than two years, making it one of the most serious internet security flaws to be uncovered in years.

“[The] NSA was not aware of the recently identified vulnerability in OpenSSL, the so-called Heartbleed vulnerability, until it was made public in a private-sector cyber security report,” NSA spokeswoman Vanee Vines said in an email, adding that “reports that say otherwise are wrong.”

A White House official also denied the US government was aware of the bug.

The NSA has denied it knew about or exploited the Heartbleed online bug
The NSA has denied it knew about or exploited the Heartbleed online bug

“Reports that NSA or any other part of the government were aware of the so-called Heartbleed vulnerability before April 2014 are wrong,” White House national security spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden said in a statement.

“This administration takes seriously its responsibility to help maintain an open, interoperable, secure and reliable internet,” she insisted.

Caitlin Hayden added: “If the federal government, including the intelligence community, had discovered this vulnerability prior to last week, it would have been disclosed to the community responsible for OpenSSL.”

According to Bloomberg News, the NSA secretly made Heartbleed part of its “arsenal”, to obtain passwords and other data.

The publication claimed the agency has more than 1,000 experts devoted to finding such flaws – who found the Heartbleed glitch shortly after its introduction.

The NSA was already in the spotlight after months of revelations about its huge data-gathering capabilities.

Documents leaked by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden indicated the organization was routinely collecting vast amounts of phone and internet data, together with partner intelligence agencies abroad.

President Barack Obama has ordered reforms that would halt government bulk collection of US telephone records, but critics argue this does not go far enough.

Separate to its denials regarding the NSA, the US government also said it believes hackers are trying to make use of the flaw.

The Department of Homeland Security advised the public to change passwords for sites affected by the flaw, once they had confirmed they were secure, although it added that so far no successful attacks had been reported.

Several makers of internet hardware and software also revealed some of their products were affected, including network routers and switches, video conferencing equipment, phone call software, firewalls and applications that let workers remotely access company data.

The US government also said that it was working with other organizations “to determine the potential vulnerabilities to computer systems that control essential systems – like critical infrastructure, user-facing and financial systems”.

The Heartbleed bug makes it possible for a knowledgeable hacker to impersonate services and users, and potentially eavesdrop on the data communications between them.

It only exposes 64K of data at a time, but a malicious party could theoretically make repeated grabs until they had the information they wanted. Crucially, an attack would not leave a trace, making it impossible to be sure whether hackers had taken advantage of it.

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MH370: Co-pilot Fariq Abdul Hamid tried to make a cellphone call after plane was diverted

Diane A. Wade
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MH370: Co-pilot Fariq Abdul Hamid tried to make a cellphone call after plane was diverted

Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 co-pilot Fariq Abdul Hamid tried to make a call with his cellphone after the plane was diverted from its scheduled route, Malaysia’s New Straits Times reported investigative sources as saying on Saturday.

The newspaper cited unidentified sources as saying the attempted call from Fariq Abdul Hamid’s phone was picked up by a cellphone tower as the plane was about 200 nautical miles northwest of the west coast state of Penang. That was around where military radar made its last sighting of the missing jet at 2:15 a.m. local time on March 8.

“The telco’s [telecommunications company’s] tower established the call that he was trying to make. On why the call was cut off, it was likely because the aircraft was fast moving away from the tower and had not come under the coverage of the next one,” the New Straits Times cited a source as saying.

Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 co-pilot Fariq Abdul Hamid tried to make a call with his cellphone after the plane was diverted from its scheduled route
Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 co-pilot Fariq Abdul Hamid tried to make a call with his cellphone after the plane was diverted from its scheduled route

The publication quoted Malaysia’s acting Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein as saying that the report needed to be verified.

However, Hishammuddin Hussein appeared to cast doubt on the report by saying: “If this did happen, we would have known about it earlier.”

The New Straits Times cited separate investigative sources as saying that a signal had been picked up from Fariq Abdul Hamid’s cellphone, but that it could have resulted from the device being switched on rather than being used to make a call.

Malaysia is focusing its criminal investigation on the cabin crew and the pilots of the plane – 53-year-old captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah and 27-year old co-pilot Fariq Abdul Hamid – after clearing all 227 passengers of any involvement, police have said.

Investigators believe that someone with detailed knowledge of both the Boeing 777-200ER and commercial aviation navigation switched off the plane’s communications systems before diverting it thousands of miles off its scheduled course.

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Breakthrough in hepatitis C treatment! Texas Health Science Center study

Kathryn R. Bown
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Breakthrough in hepatitis C treatment! Texas Health Science Center study

Scientists said a new treatment for hepatitis C “cured” 90% of patients with the infection in 12 weeks.

The new study is a “major breakthrough” and marks a “turning point” in hepatitis C treatment, said experts.

Hepatitis C is a virus that can infect and damage the liver.

The virus is passed on by the blood, or bodily fluids of an infected person, and can be transferred through tattoo needles, or people taking drugs and sharing needles.

Researchers at the University of Texas Health Science Centre tested the new oral drug in 380 patients at 78 centres in Spain, Germany, England and the US in 2013.

Two studies were carried out, one in patients for 12 weeks, and another, for 24 weeks.

Scientists said a new treatment for hepatitis C cured 90 percent of patients with the infection in 12 weeks
Scientists said a new treatment for hepatitis C cured 90 percent of patients with the infection in 12 weeks

The patients had liver cirrhosis, indicating an advanced form of the virus.

After 12 weeks, 191 of 208 patients no longer had hepatitis C, which increased to 165 of 172 patients, or 96%, after 24 weeks.

Lead researcher, Dr. Fred Poordad said: “It is fantastic. I am so excited for the patients. There is finally hope for their future.”

He said the drug worked by targeting the protein that makes hepatitis C and stopping it from replicating.

“Eventually the virus is extinguished,” he said.

The study worked for patients with genotype 1 infections. The other 45% are a genotype 3. Genotype 2 is less common.

The side effects were fatigue, headaches and nausea.

Current treatment for hepatitis C can include a year’s worth of injections and involve side-effects such as depression, tiredness and feeling sick. It also is not safe for many people with cirrhosis, said Dr. Fred Poordad.

Concerns over the high toxicity and low efficiency of current treatment had meant it was not widely been applied.

However, the study did not show if the probability of cancer dropped in the long term, if cirrhosis was reversed or progression to total liver failure slowed.

Spending more time on Facebook connected to poor body image

Kathryn R. Bown
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Spending more time on Facebook connected to poor body image

A new research suggests that spending lots of time on Facebook looking at pictures of friends could make women insecure about their body image.

The more women are exposed to “selfies” and other photos on social media, the more they compare themselves negatively, according to US and UK experts.

Friends’ photos may be more influential than celebrity shots as they are of known contacts, the study says.

The study is the first to link time on social media to poor body image.

The mass media are known to influence how people feel about their appearance.

Young women are particularly high users of social networking sites and post more photographs of themselves on the internet than do men
Young women are particularly high users of social networking sites and post more photographs of themselves on the internet than do men

But little is known about how social media impact on self-image.

Young women are particularly high users of social networking sites and post more photographs of themselves on the internet than do men.

To look at the impact on body image, researchers at the University of Strathclyde, Ohio University and University of Iowa surveyed 881 female college students in the US.

The women answered questions about their Facebook use, eating and exercise regimes, and body image.

The research, presented at a conference in Seattle, found no link with eating disorders.

But it did find a link between time spent on social networks and negative comparisons about body image.

The more time women spent on Facebook, the more they compared their bodies with those of their friends, and the more they felt negative about their appearance.

Hamid Aboutalebi’s US visa refusal sparks anger in Iran

Diane A. Wade
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Hamid Aboutalebi’s US visa refusal sparks anger in Iran

Iran has insisted it will not replace Hamid Aboutalebi as its new envoy to the UN in New York and accused the US of acting illegally by refusing a visa to the diplomat.

According to a senior Iranian official, they would “pursue the matter via legal mechanisms” with the United Nations.

The US accuses Hamid Aboutalebi of links to the group that seized the US embassy in Tehran in 1979, an incident that soured ties between the countries.

Hamid Aboutalebi says that he only acted as a translator for the group.

The US accuses Hamid Aboutalebi of links to the group that seized the US embassy in Tehran in 1979
The US accuses Hamid Aboutalebi of links to the group that seized the US embassy in Tehran in 1979

Congress passed a bill last week that would allow the US to refuse an ambassadorial selection if the candidate posed a security risk.

Earlier this week, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif condemned the move by US Congress.

He characterized those in favor of the bill as “a group of radicals” and said the move would not influence Iran’s policies.

Although the bill still requires the signature of the president before it can become law, Congress appears to have succeeded in getting Hamid Aboutalebi barred.

White House spokesman Jay Carney said President Barack Obama “shared the intent of the bill”, and would not issue a visa.

Under international law, the US as the host nation for the UN is obliged to grant visas to states’ representatives.

In the most high-profile similar case, the US refused a visa to Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat to speak at the UN in 1998. The UN condemned that decision.

The UN has not yet commented on Hamid Aboutalebi’s situation.

Hamid Aboutalebi has previously served as Iran’s ambassador to Belgium, the EU, Italy and Australia. He has said he was not part of the group that took over the US embassy, and was only later asked to translate for the students.

Fifty two Americans were held for 444 days during the 1979’s hostage crisis.

The hostage crisis was part of the revolution that overthrew Iran’s monarchy and installed the Islamic republic.

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Syria: Alleged poison gas attack in Kafr Zita

Roy Siemens
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Syria: Alleged poison gas attack in Kafr Zita

Syria’s government and opposition forces have accused each other of using poison gas in an attack on Kafr Zita village on Friday.

State TV said the jihadist Nusra Front group launched the attack on Kafr Zita in Hama province, killing two people and injuring dozens of others.

Meanwhile opposition groups quoted doctors as saying that an attack by regime planes led to suffocation and poisoning.

There was no independent verification of either of the claims.

Syria’s government and opposition forces have accused each other of using poison gas in an attack on Kafr Zita village on Friday
Syria’s government and opposition forces have accused each other of using poison gas in an attack on Kafr Zita village on Friday

“Regime planes bombed Kafr Zita with explosive barrels that produced thick smoke and odors and led to cases of suffocation and poisoning,” said Rami Abdel Rahman, from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

State-run television blamed the attack on the Nusra Front and said they had information that the jihadist group was planning to attack two more towns.

“There is information that the terrorist Nusra Front released toxic chlorine… leading to the death of two people and causing more than 100 people to suffer from suffocation,” it said.

In a separate incident, the Al-Arabiya TV news network also reported on Friday that there were a number of cases of suffocation in Harasta, a northeastern suburb of Damascus.

An opposition group was quoted by the news channel as saying the incident came “after the regime bombarded it with poisonous gas.”

In August last year, a chemical attack near Damascus killed hundreds of people.

Syria agreed under threat of US military action to turn over its chemical weapons stockpile for destruction.

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China tap water contamination affects 2.4 million people in Lanzhou

James J. Williams
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China tap water contamination affects 2.4 million people in Lanzhou

China National Petroleum Corporation – the country’s biggest oil company – has been blamed for water contamination affecting over 2.4 million people in Lanzhou.

State media said Lanzhou’s environmental protection chief, Yan Zijiang, blamed it on a leak from a pipeline owned by a subsidiary of China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC).

The pipeline is now being repaired.

China National Petroleum Corporation has been blamed for water contamination affecting over 2.4 million people in Lanzhou
China National Petroleum Corporation has been blamed for water contamination affecting over 2.4 million people in Lanzhou

Lanzhou is the capital of north western Gansu province.

Lanzhou Petrochemical Co., is the subsidiary of state-owned CNPC believed to own the affected pipeline.

The leak tainted source water for a plant owned by Veolia Water, a joint Sino-French venture and the sole supplier for urban Lanzhou, reported state news agency Xinhua.

It added that authorities have warned that tap water contained up to 200 micrograms per litre of the toxic chemical benzene – 20 times the national safety limit.

The authorities have since said the contamination has returned to safe levels in most areas.

Exposure to benzene, often used in the petrochemical industry, can increase the risk of cancer and other diseases.

Shops are said to have sold out of bottled water.

The scare has once again raised concerns over China’s environmental safety record.

India elections 2014: Twin Maoist bomb attacks kill 12 people in Chhattisgarh

Roy Siemens
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India elections 2014: Twin Maoist bomb attacks kill 12 people in Chhattisgarh

At least 12 people have been killed in the eastern Indian state of Chhattisgarh by two bombs planted by suspected Maoist rebels as voting continues in the general election.

The first blast hit a bus carrying election officials in Bijapur district, police said, killing seven.

The second attack – half an hour later – killed five police in an ambulance in the Bastar district.

India began five weeks of general election polling last Monday.

Officials said the bus in Bijapur district was blown up by a landmine as it travelled between Gudma and the town of Kutru. Four people were injured.

Polling began in part of in Chhattisgarh on April 10 and continues with two further rounds in the coming weeks
Polling began in part of in Chhattisgarh on April 10 and continues with two further rounds in the coming weeks

Several people were also injured in the separate attack on the ambulance, which took place in the village of Kamanar, election officials said.

Maoist rebels have staged frequent attacks over several decades across a swathe of India in their campaign for the poor to have a greater share of India’s natural resources.

Chhattisgarh has seen some of the worst violence. Polling began in part of the state on April 10 and continues with two further rounds in the coming weeks.

Elsewhere, voting resumed in the fourth stage of the general election on Saturday in four states – Goa, Assam, Tripura and Sikkim.

Sikkim, a tiny Himalayan state, is also holding local elections, including the contest for a seat in the regional assembly which is reserved for a Buddhist monk.

The first key day of polling saw millions of Indians vote on Thursday in 14 states.

The governing Congress party, led by Rahul Gandhi, is pitted against the main opposition BJP, led by the Hindu nationalist, Narendra Modi.

However, the anti-corruption Aam Aadmi (Common Man’s) Party, with its stronghold in the capital, Delhi, is mounting a strong challenge.

More than 814 million Indians are eligible to vote in the polls, which opened on April 7.

MH370: Missing plane signals rapidly fading

Diane A. Wade
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MH370: Missing plane signals rapidly fading

Australia’s PM Tony Abbott said signals in remote seas thought to be from the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 are “rapidly fading” and finding the jet will be a “massive, massive task”.

Tony Abbott said he was confident “pings” detected by search teams were from the aircraft’s black boxes.

But no new signals have been confirmed in the search area since Tuesday.

“No one should underestimate the difficulties of the task still ahead of us,” Tony Abbott warned.

Correspondents say Tony Abbott appeared to be couching his comments from Friday, in which he said he was “very confident” that signals heard by an Australian search ship were from the missing Boeing 777.

Speaking during a visit to China, Tony Abbott said teams were hoping to track further signals in a section of the southern Indian Ocean before shifting the search operation to the seabed.

Australian PM Tony Abbott said he was confident pings detected by search teams were from the missing Malaysia Airlines plane's black boxes
Australian PM Tony Abbott said he was confident pings detected by search teams were from the missing Malaysia Airlines plane’s black boxes

“Trying to locate anything 4,500 metres [15,000 feet] beneath the surface of the ocean, about a 1,000km [620 miles] from land is a massive, massive task,” Tony Abbott said.

“Given that the signal from the black box is rapidly fading, what we are now doing is trying to get as many detections as we can so that we can narrow the search area down to as small an area as possible.”

Tony Abbott said a submersible drone would be sent to conduct a sonar search of the seabed once search teams were confident with the area identified – but he refused to say when that might be.

After analyzing satellite data, officials believe Malaysia Airlines plane with 239 people aboard flew off course for an unknown reason and went down in the southern Indian Ocean off the west coast of Australia.

Those leading the search fear that time is running out because the batteries that power the pings from the black box only last about a month, and that window has already passed.

Two sounds heard a week ago by the Australian ship Ocean Shield, towing the ping locator, were determined to be consistent with the signals emitted from the black boxes. Two more pings were detected in the same general area on Tuesday.

On Thursday, an Australian aircraft picked up an audio signal in the same area as the four previous detections but officials now believe it is unlikely to be related to the black boxes

The underwater search zone is currently a 500 miles patch of the seabed, about the size of Los Angeles.

The submersible drone, Bluefin 21, takes six times longer to cover the same area as the ping locator and it would take about six weeks to two months for it to search the current zone.

Complicating matters is the depth of the seabed in that area. The signals are emanating from 15,000 ft below the surface, which is the deepest the Bluefin can dive. The search coordination centre said it was considering options in case a deeper-diving sub was needed.

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Ukraine: Armed men seize police station in Sloviansk

Roy Siemens
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Ukraine: Armed men seize police station in Sloviansk

According to Ukrainian officials, gunmen dressed in camouflage clothing have seized a police station in Sloviansk, near the Russian border.

Police said the gang fired shots and used stun grenades to seize the offices in Sloviansk.

Ukraine’s Interior Minister Arsen Avakov called the gunmen “terrorists” and said special forces would repel the attack.

Pro-Russian protesters have taken over government buildings throughout eastern Ukraine. Kiev says the unrest is being orchestrated from Moscow.

Protesters in the eastern city of Donetsk, 80 miles from Sloviansk, have been occupying government buildings for days and demanding a referendum on becoming part of Russia.

A similar move prompted a Russian takeover of Ukraine’s Crimea region earlier this year.

Gunmen dressed in camouflage clothing have seized a police station in Sloviansk, near Russian border
Gunmen dressed in camouflage clothing have seized a police station in Sloviansk, near Russian border

The US and EU have put sanctions on Russian and Crimean people they say were connected with the takeover.

Russia has denied responsibility for the protests in eastern Ukraine, but Western nations have expressed concern over a build-up of Russian troops along the border.

Ukraine’s interim PM Arseniy Yatsenyuk visited Donetsk on Friday and attempted to placate anti-government groups by guaranteeing that no restrictions would be put on the use of the Russian language.

The Kiev government had set a deadline of Friday for all occupations to end, but trouble continued in several cities in the east.

Regional police spokesman Ihor Dyomin described how armed men were bused to the police station in Sloviansk.

“Six or seven unknown persons got out. They fired several shots in the air and attempted to storm the police department,” he said.

He added that “people in camouflage uniform” and with weapons” were inside the building.

Interior Minister Arsen Avakov promised to deal with the attackers.

“The response will be very tough because there is a difference between protesters and terrorists,” he said in Ukrainian on his Facebook page.

In Donetsk, pro-Russian groups continued to occupy the local government building.

Nirvana receive a place in Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility

Sonia Pantiss
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Nirvana receive a place in Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility

Nirvana has been inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, alongside the likes of Kiss and Beatles manager Brian Epstein.

REM’s Michael Stipe inducted the group, saying: “Nirvana tapped into a voice that was yearning to be heard.

“Nirvana were kicking against the mainstream. They spoke truth and a lot of people listened.”

Nirvana’s career was cut short by Kurt Cobain’s death in 1994. His widow, Courtney Love, attended the ceremony.

Nirvana received their place in the Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility
Nirvana received their place in the Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility

“You know, I have a big speech, but I’m not going to say it,” Courtney Love said, before hugging Kurt Cobain’s bandmates Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl.

“That’s it,” she concluded.

“I just wish Kurt was here to do this.”

Dave Grohl, Nirvana’s drummer and now frontman of rock group Foo Fighters, paid tribute to the musicians who formed the early line-ups of Nirvana, in particular drummer Chad Channing, who he singled out for his contributions to the band’s breakthrough album Nevermind.

Bass guitarist Kris Novoselic added: “Nirvana fans walk up to me every day and say thank you for the music.

“When I hear that, I think of Kurt Cobain.”

Nirvana received their place in the Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility. Artists can only be considered for the honor 25 years after their first release.

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Kate Middleton visits Rainbow Place children’s hospice in Hamilton

Lisa.Felice
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Kate Middleton visits Rainbow Place children’s hospice in Hamilton

Kate Middleton has visited a children’s hospice on the latest leg of the royal tour of New Zealand.

The Duchess of Cambridge was met by more than 40 children and their families at Rainbow Place in Hamilton, the AFP reported.

“There should be more places like this,” AFP quoted Kate Middleton as saying of the facility, which provides support for dying and bereaved children.

It was Kate Middleton’s first solo engagement on the 19-day tour which will also take in Australia.

She met youngsters and parents and had a briefing with the hospice’s chief executive before going to a Mad Hatter’s theme tea party in the gardens.

Prince William, meanwhile, was shown around Pacific Aerospace, an aviation firm in Hamilton.

Kate Middleton was met by more than 40 children and their families at Rainbow Place in Hamilton
Kate Middleton was met by more than 40 children and their families at Rainbow Place in Hamilton (photo Getty Images)

He was told about the P-750, an innovative light aircraft made at the plant.

“He talked about his friendly brotherly rivalry, with Harry flying Apaches and he’s been flying search and rescue,” the company’s chief executive Damian Camp told reporters.

“He said he still does some flying – all helicopter based – but not as much as he wants to.”

Prince William spent more than seven years in the military and was presented with his RAF wings in 2008.

Damian Camp added: “He said George has settled into a nice routine but was keeping mum and dad on their toes but they’re all enjoying their stay.”

Prince William and Kate Middleton reconvened in the nearby town of Cambridge where thousands of well-wishers lined the streets to greet them.

They opened a new velodrome in the town and met some of New Zealand’s cycling, rowing and canoeing elite.

And they were handed a tiny cycling jersey in the country’s colors for Prince George, who was not with his parents for this leg of the tour.

The tour has seen the royals race yachts, attend a state reception and visit a parent and baby class with Prince George in New Zealand before they head to Australia later this month.

Prince William and Kate Middleton’s trip is due to end on April 25 in Canberra.

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US Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew urges countries to contribute to Ukraine’s economic rescue

Clyde K. Valle
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US Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew urges countries to contribute to Ukraine’s economic rescue

In a statement to the International Monetary Fund, US Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew has urged other countries to contribute more to the economic rescue of Ukraine.

Jacob Lew told the IMF that Ukraine’s “sizeable financing needs” meant other nations must add to its $1 billion (720 million euros) loan guarantee.

The appeal came as Ukraine’s interim PM Arseniy Yatsenyuk offered to devolve more powers to eastern regions.

Pro-Russian separatists there are defying the government.

Meanwhile, Washington on Friday announced a third round of sanctions against individuals it has linked to Russia’s annexation of Crimea.

The US Treasury said it had frozen the US-based assets of one former Ukrainian official, a Crimea-based energy firm and six Crimean leaders, including the chairman of the Crimea electoral commission and the mayor of Sevastopol.

Jacob Lew says the US is “bolstering the IMF program through a complementary aid package, which includes a $1 billion loan guarantee and additional technical assistance,” in a statement to the IMF.

Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew has urged other countries to contribute more to the economic rescue of Ukraine
Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew has urged other countries to contribute more to the economic rescue of Ukraine

“It is critical that the international community – multilateral development banks and bilaterals – take immediate steps to also support the IMF program by providing financing support, given the sizeable financing needs,” he adds.

The IMF announced a rescue package worth as much as $18 billion last month in a bid to aid Ukraine’s economy, and this has been bolstered to $27 billion with contributions from Europe and the US.

In exchange, the IMF has demanded from Ukraine strict government spending cuts and tax increases.

Ukraine is being squeezed by Russia’s decision this month to stop providing Ukraine with subsidized natural gas.

That discount had been agreed between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine’s then President Viktor Yanukovych, in which Russia also said it would buy $15 billion-worth of Ukrainian government bonds.

The IMF is also asking Ukraine to crack down on corruption and end central bank support for the Ukrainian currency.

Ukraine’s new government has said it needs $35 billion to pay its bills over the next two years.

Ukraine has not paid off its debt to Russian gas supplier Gazprom despite the passing earlier this week of a deadline for the nation to start reducing its debt. Gazprom says Ukraine owes it $2.2 billion.

European Energy Commissioner Guenther Oettinger told Austria’s ORF radio he was working on a plan to help Ukraine pay its gas bills to ensure its debts do not rise.

On Friday, President Vladimir Putin moved to assure the EU it would not cut off gas supplies. Brussels said it would stand with the new authorities in Kiev if the Kremlin carries out a threat to turn off the tap to Ukraine.

“I want to say again: We do not intend and do not plan to shut off the gas for Ukraine,” Vladimir Putin said in televised comments at a meeting of his advisory Security Council, the Reuters news agency reported.

Russia has turned off the gas tap to Ukraine before, in 2006 and 2009. As the 2009 row escalated, gas supplies to Europe through Ukraine were suspended for two weeks.

But Russia may be reticent about doing it again as it is dependent on revenue from EU customers.

Talks between Russia, Ukraine, the US and the EU – the first four-way discussions since the crisis began – are scheduled to take place on April 17 in Geneva.

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Muhammad Musa Khan: Pakistani baby murder case withdrawn by Lahore court

Nancy Clayson
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Muhammad Musa Khan: Pakistani baby murder case withdrawn by Lahore court

The case against a 9-month-old Pakistani baby who was accused of attempted murder alongside 12 members of his family has been withdrawn by a Lahore court.

Baby Muhammad Musa Khan appeared in court in Lahore for a second time on charges of planning a murder, threatening police and interfering in state affairs.

But the judge said the case should never have come to court.

Police chiefs earlier said they had ordered action against an investigating officer.

Baby Muhammad Musa Khan was one of more than 30 people charged with attempting to kill police officers during a confrontation over electricity and gas supplies in Lahore
Baby Muhammad Musa Khan was one of more than 30 people charged with attempting to kill police officers during a confrontation over electricity and gas supplies in Lahore (photo Reuters)

Despite his young age, Muhammad Musa Khan was one of more than 30 people charged with attempting to kill police officers during a confrontation over electricity and gas supplies in the city of Lahore.

Pakistan media broadcast images of the infant in his first court appearance, sitting on his grandfather’s lap and clasping a bottle of milk.

His grandfather asked journalists covering the case: “He doesn’t even know how to pick up his milk bottle properly. How can he stone the police?”

Baby Musa Khan has become something of a celebrity well beyond Pakistan’s borders for his appearance in a Lahore court.

The case against the rest of baby Musa Khan’s family is still proceeding.

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US refuses visa to Iran’s UN nomination Hamid Aboutalebi

Diane A. Wade
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US refuses visa to Iran’s UN nomination Hamid Aboutalebi

The US has refused to issue a visa to Hamid Aboutalebi – Iran’s nomination for UN ambassador – who was involved in seizure of the US embassy in 1979.

The decision in effect bars Hamid Aboutalebi from taking up the role at the UN, which is based in New York.

Hamid Aboutalebi was linked to the student group that took dozens of people hostage at the embassy in Tehran.

President Barack Obama has come under intense pressure from the US Congress not to allow him to enter the country.

Earlier this week, the White House told the Iranian government its selection of a one-time student revolutionary to be UN ambassador was “not viable”.

Hamid Aboutalebi, Iran's nomination for UN ambassador, was involved in seizure of the US embassy in 1979
Hamid Aboutalebi, Iran’s nomination for UN ambassador, was involved in seizure of the US embassy in 1979 (Photos International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran)
A spokesman for Iran’s mission to the UN, Hamid Babaei, described the decision as “regrettable” and said it contravened international law.

The US House of Representatives and the Senate have both voted in favor of a bill barring Hamid Aboutalebi from the US. It still requires the signature of the president before it can become law.

Iran says Hamid Aboutalebi is one of its most experienced diplomats and stands by his nomination.

White House spokesman Jay Carney said on Friday the UN and Iran had been told “that we will not issue a visa to Mr. Aboutalebi”.

He did not say whether President Barack Obama would sign the bill but said the president shared the sentiments of Congress.

In an interview with an Iranian news site last month, Hamid Aboutalebi said he was not part of the group that took over the US embassy and was only later asked to translate for the students.

The 52 Americans were held for 444 days during the crisis.

It is believed the US has never before denied a visa for a UN ambassador and correspondents say there is concern among diplomats about the precedent that could be set.

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Passover Recipe: Flourless Chocolate Cake

Kathryn R. Bown
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Passover Recipe: Flourless Chocolate Cake

Flourless Chocolate Cake

Ingredients (10 inch round cake):

1/2 cup water

1/4 teaspoon salt

Flourless Chocolate Cake
Flourless Chocolate Cake

3/4 cup white sugar

18 (1 ounce) squares bittersweet chocolate

1 cup unsalted butter

6 eggs

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 300 F (150 C). Grease one 10 inch round cake pan and set aside.
  2. In a small saucepan over medium heat combine the water, salt and sugar. Stir until completely dissolved and set aside.
  3. Either in the top half of a double boiler or in a microwave oven melt the bittersweet chocolate. Pour the chocolate into the bowl of an electric mixer.
  4. Cut the butter into pieces and beat the butter into the chocolate, 1 piece at a time. Beat in the hot sugar-water. Slowly beat in the eggs, one at a time.
  5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Have a pan larger than the cake pan ready, put the cake pan in the larger pan and fill the pan with boiling water halfway up the sides of the cake pan.
  6. Bake cake in the water bath at 300 F (150 C) for 45 minutes. The center will still look wet. Chill cake overnight in the pan. To unmold, dip the bottom of the cake pan in hot water for 10 seconds and invert onto a serving plate.

Passover dietary restrictions

Kathryn R. Bown
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Passover dietary restrictions

This year’s Passover will be celebrated between April 14 and April 22.

The holiday celebrates the Jews’ liberation from slavery in ancient Egypt and subsequent freedom under the guidance of Moses.

Passover is observed for seven days in Israel and eight days in the Diaspora. Like Hanukkah, the date changes every year.

During Passover, the Jewish kosher laws become a lot more challenging. Leavened and fermented grain products are prohibited to commemorate our freedom from Egyptian slavery

According to Jewish beliefs, after being freed from the Egyptian Pharaoh’s rule, Israelites left their homes in such a hurry that they couldn’t even wait for their bread to rise. Thus, during Passover Jews abstain from chametz, grains that rise such as wheat, oats, rye, spelt and barley. These grains are prohibited if they’ve had contact with water/moisture for longer than 18 minutes, which leads to rising or “leavening.” Leavening agents, like yeast and sourdough, are also considered chametz.

Matzo, which doesn’t rise, is a traditional staple in Passover meals. You might be thinking– but, isn’t matzo made from wheat flour? Yes! Most matzo is made from wheat, but the process used to “cook” the matzo from the time liquid is added to the flour to the time the matzo is baked can last no longer than 18 minutes. The wheat is closely supervised to ensure that no water touches it from the time of harvest to the time it is baked. This is to make sure that no leavening occurs.

Matzo, which doesn't rise, is a traditional staple in Passover meals
Matzo, which doesn’t rise, is a traditional staple in Passover meals (photo Haaretz)

What foods are forbidden during Passover?

Depending on whether you’re Sephardic (originally from Spain or Portugal) or Ashkenazi (from central or eastern Europe), traditions might differ.

For Sephardic Jews, rice, corn, peanuts and beans are permitted during the holiday, while for Ashkenazi Jews, they are not.

During Passover, the basic kosher guidelines apply, and there are also additional restrictions to what can be eaten.

Here is a quick rundown of the basic kosher laws, which apply year-round to Jews who choose to keep kosher:

1. Certain meats may not be eaten. Forbidden meats include (but are not limited to): pork, shellfish, lobster, shrimp, crab, rabbit, and seafood without fins or scales (like swordfish and sturgeon). Also, any products made with ingredients from these meats (example—pig ingredients in non-kosher gelatin) cannot be used.

2. Meat must not be eaten in combination with dairy. So, no cheese, butter, or cream sauce on your beef or chicken dish.

3. Fish and eggs are considered neutral. They can be served with dairy or with meat.

The most important thing you need to remember is that grain-based products… even beer!… are generally not considered kosher for Passover. Matzo, matzo meal, and matzo cake meal are used as substitutes for bread, bread crumbs, and cake flour, respectively.

In addition to these restrictions, many Jews avoid eating lamb during Passover because of the paschal sacrifice and Passover symbolism of the lamb shank bone. Some Jews also avoid garlic, though this is more rare. Neither of these rules are observed universally, however.

Pope Francis condemns child abuse by Catholic clergy and asks for forgiveness

Diane A. Wade
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Pope Francis condemns child abuse by Catholic clergy and asks for forgiveness

Pope Francis has made his strongest condemnation yet of child abuse by Catholic clergy on Friday, asking for forgiveness and pledging to impose penalties on “men of the church”.

The statement, made in a meeting with a child rights group, is being described as his strongest the issue so far.

Last month, Pope Francis strongly defended the Roman Catholic Church’s record on tackling abuse by priests, following UN criticism.

Pope Francis said he felt responsible for the child abuse scandals that have rocked the Catholic Church, and issued an unprecedented apology
Pope Francis said he felt responsible for the child abuse scandals that have rocked the Catholic Church, and issued an unprecedented apology

The Pope set up a committee last year to organize help for victims of clerical abuse but has been accused by some Catholics of dragging his feet in acknowledging the extent of the moral and mental damage caused by paedophile priests.

He said that the number of priests who had committed abuses were “quite a few in number”, although “obviously not compared to the number of all the priests”.

“We will not take one step backward with regards to how we will deal with this problem, and the sanctions that must be imposed,” he said, adding: “We have to be even stronger”.

Alessandra Aula of International Catholic Child Bureau, the children’s non-governmental organization that was at the Vatican for the Pope’s address, welcomed his comments.

The Catholic Church has faced numerous allegations of child abuse by priests around the world and criticism over inadequate responses by bishops.

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The Best and Worst Chat Up Lines

Lisa.Felice
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The Best and Worst Chat Up Lines

We’ve all been there; you’re standing at the bar, minding your own business, when someone attractive walks over to you with the corniest chat up line you’ve ever heard. Not only are you left wincing, you’ve also just turned down someone who could have potentially been ‘the one’, if they’d have just been themselves instead of cranking up the sleaze factor.

The same goes for internet dating; if your initial conversation starts with a terrible chat up line, it’s likely the other person has already logged off. If you’ve met one another via an online dating site like MySingleFriend, it’s likely you can avoid the bad chat up lines, arrange to meet and skip straight to the ‘getting to know each other’ discussion. Having said this, not everybody hates cheese, and there are some chat-up lines that are great for breaking the ice. Below are some of the best and worst lines, guaranteed to either make you swoon or cringe:

The Best


Although it may haunt many women up and down the country, it appears that there are actually some cheesy chat-up lines that work wonders. This is according to a new poll by brewers Greene King, who have revealed that the nation’s most popular way to break the ice is the classic, ‘Did it hurt when you fell from heaven?’

According to the Daily Mail, the second most popular is, ‘Hello, gorgeous’, followed by, ‘Can I buy you a drink?’ and ‘Get your coat, you’ve pulled’. Another line that has proved to be popular with men and women, and is perhaps one of the cheesiest of them all, is ‘You must be tired…because you’ve been running through my mind all night.’ Many women agree that a good opening one-liner shows confidence in a man and also a sense of humour, as long as they keep it light-hearted and don’t take themselves too seriously.

Image source Public Domain Pictures

The Worst


Where to start? The list is endless when it comes to bad chat up lines. It’s been building up for years. Most recently, ‘I like your dress but it would look better on my bedroom floor’, was named the worst of all by women. No doubt many of us have heard the ‘Have a feel of this shirt – do you know what that feels like? Boyfriend material’ line too. If this hasn’t ended with a dirty look or a pint in the face, you’ve been lucky.

Women just don’t want to hear these types of pick-lines. What happened to a good old fashioned compliment? ‘You look lovely tonight’ or at the least, ‘Can I buy you a drink?’, rather than the creepy ‘You look like a parking ticket – because you’ve got fine written all over you.’ Get it wrong, you leave with a red face, get it right and you leave with a partner.

Whilst we can pinpoint much of the blame on men, a study in The Telegraph revealed that 19 % of women also use popular one-liners to attract the opposite gender. It appears that we’re a nation who have long used and will continue to use cheesy chat up lines!

Salvează

Condoleezza Rice’s Dropbox appointment sparks controversy

Nancy Clayson
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Condoleezza Rice’s Dropbox appointment sparks controversy

Former US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s appointment to the board of file-sharing company Dropbox is being criticized by some service users.

Protests on social media say Condoleezza Rice is a controversial figure after revelations of widespread wiretapping on US citizens during her time in office.

A petition has been launched inviting supporters to boycott the company.

However, some analysts claim the bigger concerns for the file-sharing company are competing services.

Condoleezza Rice’s appointment to the board of file-sharing company Dropbox is being criticized by some service users
Condoleezza Rice’s appointment to the board of file-sharing company Dropbox is being criticized by some service users

Following the launch of Mailbox for Android and the wider implementation of Dropbox for Business, the company also announced the addition of Condoleezza Rice as a new board member.

Condoleezza Rice, who served as former President George W. Bush’s Secretary of State from 2005 to 2009 and National Security Adviser from 2001 to 2005, was appointed by Dropbox to expand its global footprint, according to its official blog.

However, this has been condemned by some Dropbox users who have launched a campaign.

Voicing concerns on social media, some have said it is inappropriate for the file-sharing company to hire Condoleezza Rice, accusing her of being involved in widespread wiretapping during her time in office.

Those pressing Dropbox to revoke Condoleezza Rice’s appointment are using the hashtag #DropDropbox in an attempt to boycott the company.

A petition has also been created which amassed approximately 3,000 signatures in its first few hours.

Dropbox has yet to release an official statement addressing the backlash, but a company’s recent blog post said: “We’re honored to be adding someone as brilliant and accomplished as Ms Rice to our team.”

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Heartbleed Bug: Homeland Security advises public to change passwords for sites affected by flaw

Nancy Clayson
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Heartbleed Bug: Homeland Security advises public to change passwords for sites affected by flaw

The US Department of Homeland Security has warned that it believes hackers are trying to make use of the Heartbleed bug.

It advised the public to change passwords for sites affected by the flaw once they had confirmed they were secure.

However, an official added that there had not been any reported attacks or malicious incidents.

The alert comes as several makers of net hardware and software revealed some of their products had been compromised.

Affected equipment includes network routers and switches, video conferencing kit, phone call software, firewalls and apps that let workers remotely access company data.

The encryption flaw can potentially be exploited to steal passwords and secret keys used to protect computer users.

Experts say home kit is less at risk.

The Department of Homeland Security advised the public to change passwords for sites affected by the flaw once they had confirmed they were secure
The Department of Homeland Security advised the public to change passwords for sites affected by the flaw once they had confirmed they were secure

There had been reports that domestic home networking equipment – such as Wi-Fi routers – might also make use of unpatched versions of the OpenSSL cryptographic library used to digitally scramble sensitive data.

However, a security researcher at the University of Cambridge’s Computer Laboratory said he thought this would be a relatively rare occurrence.

News of the Heartbleed bug emerged on Monday when Google Security and Codenomicon – a Finnish security company – revealed that a flaw had existed in OpenSSL for more than two years.

This had made it possible to impersonate services and users, and potentially eavesdrop on data communications.

The flaw only exposed 64K of data at a time, but a malicious party could theoretically make repeated grabs until they had the information they wanted.

The website set up to publicize the danger noted that it was possible to carry out such an attack “without leaving a trace”, making it impossible to know for sure if criminals or cyberspies had taken advantage of it.

Media reports initially focused on the risk of logging into compromised online services such as webmail, cloud storage and banking, with some – but not all – companies suggesting users should reset their passwords.

Warnings from companies including Cisco, Juniper, Fortinet, Red Hat and Watchguard Technologies that some of their internet products are compromised may now place the spotlight on the corporate sector.

The US government has said that it was working with third-party organizations “to determine the potential vulnerabilities to computer systems that control essential systems – like critical infrastructure, user-facing and financial systems”.

Meanwhile, officials suggested members of the public should “closely monitor your email accounts, bank accounts, social media accounts and other online assets for irregular or suspicious activity, such as abnormal purchases or messages”.

Oscar Pistorius: Reeva Steenkamp did not scream or shout

Clyde K. Valle
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Oscar Pistorius: Reeva Steenkamp did not scream or shout

Oscar Pistorius said that Reeva Steenkamp did not scream or shout as he grabbed a gun and fired shots that killed her.

At the athlete’s murder trial in Pretoria, prosecutor Gerrie Nel said it was “improbable” that Reeva Steenkamp would stand in the bathroom saying nothing while Oscar Pistorius was just 10 ft away shouting at her to call the police.

Oscar Pistorius, 27, said he could not explain why she had not shouted out.

The Paralympic champion denies murder saying the killing was a terrible accident.

He admits killing Reeva Steenkamp but says he fired his gun after mistaking her for an intruder.

Oscar Pistorius believed Reeva Steenkamp had been in bed when he grabbed his gun, made his way to the bathroom and fired shots through the door.

The prosecution says he killed her after an argument.

On the third day of his cross-examination, Gerrie Nel pressed Oscar Pistorius to explain the final moments leading up to the shooting.

Gerrie Nel asked why he had not checked whether Reeva Steenkamp had heard his calls for her to phone the police, or why he had not taken her to safety instead of going to confront the supposed intruder.

Oscar Pistorius said that Reeva Steenkamp did not scream or shout as he grabbed a gun and fired shots that killed her
Oscar Pistorius said that Reeva Steenkamp did not scream or shout as he grabbed a gun and fired shots that killed her

Oscar Pistorius said it was his personality to confront what he believed was an intruder.

The trial has been adjourned until Monday morning.

Later, Gerrie Nel questioned Oscar Pistorius’s account that he had not heard Reeva Steenkamp shout or scream during the whole incident.

He said it was the “most improbable” part of the account.

“At that stage when you shouted at Reeva to phone the police, she was 3 m away from you in the toilet, but she didn’t say anything,” he said.

“Why would she not say anything?”

Oscar Pistorius said he did not know.

The prosecutor accused the athlete of lying, and said he had shot Reeva Steenkamp while she was talking to him from the bathroom.

“She wasn’t scared of an intruder,” he said.

“She was scared of you.”

He went on: “Are you sure that Reeva did not scream after the first shot?”

Oscar Pistorius took a long time to answer, and broke down into sobs.

“At no point did Reeva shout out or scream,” he said.

Gerrie Nel then disputed his claim, saying he would not have been able to hear if he had just fired his gun.

Prosecution witnesses have testified to hearing a woman scream, but the defense disputes their testimony.

Gerrie Nel repeated a line of attack he had used on Thursday, testing the defendant’s version of events, and accusing him of lying.

Oscar Pistorius told the court he had heard a window opening and closing, and had immediately got out of bed and grabbed his gun.

“I told Reeva to get down and phone the police,” he said.

Gerrie Nel asked if he had not looked at Reeva Steenkamp, or asked if she had heard the noise.

“On the morning of the 14th I was sure of what I heard,” he said.

“My whole being was fixated on this person that I thought was in the bathroom.”

The double amputee faces life imprisonment if convicted of murdering 29-year-old model Reeva Steenkamp.

If he is acquitted of murder, the court must consider an alternative charge of culpable homicide, for which he could receive up to 15 years in prison.

Oscar Pistorius also faces charges of illegally firing a gun in public and of illegally possessing ammunition, both of which he denies.

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Cyclone Ita hits Queensland with 140 mph winds

Nancy Clayson
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Cyclone Ita hits Queensland with 140 mph winds

Category 3 Cyclone Ita has hit northern Queensland in Australia with “very destructive” winds of more than 140 mph.

The storm is crossing the coast near Cape Flattery and will head south-south-west overnight, Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) said.

Residents in low-lying areas have been warned to prepare for damaging waves, strong currents and flooding.

It is the strongest storm to hit since Cyclone Yasi, which struck in 2011.

Previously classed as a category-five storm, it was downgraded by the BOM at 17:51 local time to category four, then category three when it hit the Cape York Peninsula.

Category 3 Cyclone Ita has hit northern Queensland in Australia with "very destructive" winds of more than 140 mph
Category 3 Cyclone Ita has hit northern Queensland in Australia with “very destructive” winds of more than 140 mph (photo ABC)

However, the BOM warned it was still carrying “very destructive winds” of 140 mph.

In its bulletin at 23:00 local time, BOM said the storm was estimated to be 30 miles north of Cooktown and 135 miles north-north-west of Cairns.

Residents in coastal areas were also warned to expect a “dangerous storm tide overnight” and rising sea levels that could flood low-lying areas.

“People living in areas likely to be affected by this flooding should take measures to protect their property as much as possible and be prepared to follow instructions regarding evacuation of the area,” BOM said in its advisory.

Residents in the cyclone’s path – between Cape Melville and Cooktown – should “stay calm and remain in a secure shelter”, it added.

The Cape York peninsula is sparsely populated, with residents concentrated in a number of towns.

A cyclone warning is in place in coastal areas including Cooktown, Cape Melville, Port Douglas and Cairns, and several inland areas.

Cooktown Mayor Peter Scott said in quotes carried by ABC that around 350 people were in the town’s cyclone shelter.

Cyclone Ita brought torrential rain to the Solomon Islands late last week, causing flash floods that left at least 21 people dead.

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Kylie Minogue confirms she quits The Voice UK

Sonia Pantiss
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Kylie Minogue confirms she quits The Voice UK

Kylie Minogue has confirmed she will quit The Voice UK after one series.

Kylie Monogue, 45, joined the talent show last year, replacing Jessie J, and was credited with boosting viewing figures during the first few episodes.

However, the singer said touring commitments meant she would be unable to return for a second series.

Kylie Minogue tweeted: “Due to timing of my tour I won’t be back next season for The Voice UK.”

Kylie Minogue has confirmed she will quit The Voice UK after one series
Kylie Minogue has confirmed she will quit The Voice UK after one series (photo BBC One)

“Thanks to all who supported!”

“I absolutely loved my time on the show, and I’ll miss all of the incredible people who were a part of my experience,” the singer said.

Jermain Jackman was crowned the winner of this year’s series, marking the first victory for mentor will.i.am.

Kylie Minogue’s candidate in the final, Jamie Johnson, was eliminated in the first round of phone voting.

Although the third series of The Voice enjoyed a ratings spike during the audition stages, peaking with 9.41 million viewers, the live final was the least successful yet.

An average audience of 6.6 million tuned in for the show, down from 7.24 million in 2012, and 7.1 million people the year before.

The BBC has already commissioned another two series of The Voice.

It has not yet been confirmed whether Kylie Minogue’s fellow panelists Tom Jones, Ricky Wilson and will.i.am will return for the fourth series next year.

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