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Ramiro Hernandez-Llanas executed in Texas

Nancy Clayson
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Ramiro Hernandez-Llanas executed in Texas

Mexican immigrant Ramiro Hernandez-Llanas, who escaped from prison while serving a murder sentence in Mexico, has been executed in Texas for a separate 1997 killing.

Ramiro Hernandez-Llanas, 44, was in the US illegally when he killed a former university professor who had hired him to help with renovations on his home.

The execution by lethal injection went ahead after Texas’ parole and pardons board refused to delay his case.

Ramiro Hernandez-Llanas is the sixth Texas prisoner executed this year.

He was the second person this week to be executed in Texas by lethal injection with a new supply of pentobarbital.

Earlier this week, a US appeals court rejected a bid by lawyers for Ramiro Hernandez-Llanas and another death row inmate, Tommy Lynn Sells, to learn who is supplying Texas with the drug.

Ramiro Hernandez-Llanas escaped from prison while serving a murder sentence in Mexico and has been executed in Texas for a separate 1997 killing
Ramiro Hernandez-Llanas escaped from prison while serving a murder sentence in Mexico and has been executed in Texas for a separate 1997 killing

They argue they need to know the source to ensure the executions will not be botched.

But Texas officials have refused to identify the source of the sedative, saying secrecy is needed to protect the provider from threats of violence.

Ramiro Hernandez-Llanas was pronounced dead at 18:28 local time at the Texas state death chamber in Huntsville.

In a final statement, Ramiro Hernandez-Llanas asked forgiveness from the victim’s family and said he was at peace, the Associated Press reports.

In 1997, Glen Lich, 49, hired Ramiro Hernandez-Llanas to work for him to help renovate his ranch near the city of Kerrville.

Unbeknownst to Glen Lich, Hernandez-Llanas had recently escaped from a Mexican prison where he was serving a 25-year sentence for a 1989 murder.

Several days later, Ramiro Hernandez-Llanas lured Glen Lich away from his house by telling him falsely there was a problem with a generator. He beat the man to death with a length of steel rebar, then entered the house and attacked Glen Lich’s wife.

Sentenced in 2000 for Glen Lich’s murder, Ramiro Hernandez-Llanas was among more than four dozen Mexican nationals awaiting execution in the US in 2004 when the International Court of Justice in The Hague, Netherlands, ruled they had not been properly informed of their consular rights when arrested.

Another one of those Mexican nationals, Edgar Tamayo, 46, was executed by Texas in January despite objections of both the Mexican and US governments.

Euclides del Moral, a Mexico foreign ministry official, said on Tuesday “the execution of a Mexican national is of great concern”.

But the issue did not play a large part in Ramiro Hernandez-Llanas’ appeals, which focused primarily on claims that his mental impairment made him ineligible for the death penalty.

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China’s exports and imports decline in March 2014

Clyde K. Valle
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China’s exports and imports decline in March 2014

The Chinese exports and imports fell sharply in March 2014, adding to recent indicators pointing to a slowdown in the world’s second-largest economy.

China’s exports fell by 6.6% in March when compared with the previous year.

Imports dropped by 11.3% in the same month, when compared with the same time last year.

This is the second straight month of falling exports for China. In February, exports dropped by 18.1%.

It is the first time since 2009 that exports have fallen for two months in a row.

The Chinese exports and imports fell sharply in March 2014
The Chinese exports and imports fell sharply in March 2014

China’s export decline in February was mainly attributed to weaker demand due to the Lunar New Year holiday period, which led to closures of many businesses and factories.

Analysts had been expecting to see an increase in both import and exports for the month of March.

The March trade figures will add to recent concern about the state of the Chinese economy, which has shown signs of weakness amid poor data from the manufacturing and retail sectors.

The latest trade figures come days after the World Bank trimmed its growth forecast for China to 7.6% for this year from its earlier forecast of 7.7%.

The latest trade data leaves China with a trade surplus of $7.7 billion in March, a turnaround from a deficit of $23 billion in February.

China last week unveiled a mini-stimulus package to boost growth, which included more spending on rail infrastructure and tax breaks for small businesses.

The Chinese government is aiming for total trade to grow 7.5% this year. Last year trade grew by 7.6%, below the official target of 8%.

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Alex Hribal identified as suspect in Franklin Regional High School mass stabbing

Nancy Clayson
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Alex Hribal identified as suspect in Franklin Regional High School mass stabbing

Alex Hribal was charged Wednesday evening with two dozen felony counts after 20 students and a security guard were stabbed at Franklin Senior Regional High School in Murrysville, Pennsylvania.

Alex Hribal, a 16-year-old sophomore at the same suburban Pittsburgh high school, was held without bail on four counts of attempted homicide, 21 counts of aggravated assault and a misdemeanor count of carrying a prohibited weapon.

At least four people remained in intensive care with life-threatening injuries after the rampage Wednesday morning at Franklin Senior Regional High School.

Alex Hribal was remanded to juvenile detention pending a preliminary hearing April 30 in Westmoreland County Magisterial Court.

Prosecutors told Judge Charles R. Conway that Alex Hribal “randomly and indiscriminately” wielded his knives in a hallway at the school and indicated that “he wanted to die.”

They said it was unclear whether he was competent to stand trial.

Alex Hribal was charged with two dozen felony counts after 20 students and a security guard were stabbed at Franklin Senior Regional High School in Murrysville
Alex Hribal was charged with two dozen felony counts after 20 students and a security guard were stabbed at Franklin Senior Regional High School in Murrysville

Attorneys for Alex Hribal – who sat head-down in court in a hospital gown, bearing numerous bandages and stitches with his hands and feet shackled – asked for a psychiatric evaluation.

Alex Hribal was well-known to many at Franklin High, who called him a good student – certainly not someone you would expect to go off violently.

But for some reason, he left the home he’s lived in since he was 2 years old Wednesday morning and arrived at school with two 8-inch-long long straight knives, according to the criminal complaint.

The boy was able to get the knives into the school because it doesn’t have metal detectors – Murrysville is a peaceful Pittsburgh suburb of about 21,000.

Once he was there, Alex Hribal began stabbing and slashing at random, wounding 20 classmates and John Resetar, a uniformed security guard, according to the complaint.

There were no obvious clues that Alex Hribal was troubled – no inflammatory social media postings or reports to authorities.

He apparently had no cellphone, the FBI said. But he did have a computer, which the FBI seized.

And he may have left clues or other evidence elsewhere. At least 10 FBI agents and a forensics truck flocked to the family’s home, and Scott Smith of the FBI said investigators were out in the field executing multiple search warrants late Wednesday afternoon.

At the Murrysville home, Alex Hribal’s father said he had no comment beyond sending out prayers to everyone concerned.

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India elections 2014: Second phase of Lok Sabha polling under way in North Eastern

Diane A. Wade
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India elections 2014: Second phase of Lok Sabha polling under way in North Eastern

Indians are voting on the first big day of the general election pitting the ruling Congress party against the main opposition BJP.

Polling is being held in 91 seats in 14 states, including in the capital Delhi and the key states of Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Maharashtra and Orissa.

The nine-phase vote began on Monday, April 7, and will conclude on May 12. Votes will be counted on May 16.

More than 814 million Indians are eligible to vote in the polls.

Two soldiers were killed and three others injured in a landmine explosion blamed on Maoist rebels in Jamui, a rebel stronghold in the eastern state of Bihar, police said.

The blast occurred before polling began, but voting has remained unaffected in the area.

Voters have turned out enthusiastically to cast their ballots in the politically crucial northern state of Uttar Pradesh which sends the maximum number of lawmakers to the parliament.

Some 16 million voters are eligible to cast their ballots in 10 constituencies in the state that go the polls today.

They include the restive Muzaffarnagar constituency, where at least 65 people were killed and 51,000 people – mostly Muslims – were displaced after Hindu-Muslim clashes in September.

Voters at a school in the Sarvapriya Vihar district began queuing as polling opened at 07:00.

Soon, several dozen people had queued up to cast their votes and the lines were getting longer by the minute.

Officials checked their names on the list and put the indelible ink on their forefingers.

Indians are voting on the first big day of the general election pitting the ruling Congress party against the main opposition BJP
Indians are voting on the first big day of the general election pitting the ruling Congress party against the main opposition BJP

The anti-corruption Aam Aadmi (Common Man’s) Party, which secured a spectacular result in local polls in Delhi last year, offers a challenge to the main parties.

Several smaller regional parties are also in the fray and if no single party wins a clear majority, they could play a crucial role in the formation of a government.

The marathon vote is being staggered over five weeks for security and logistical reasons.

Thousands of police and paramilitary security personnel have been deployed to ensure polling passes off peacefully.

On the first day of voting on April 7, polling took place in six constituencies in two states in the north-east – five in Assam and one in Tripura.

In the second phase on Wednesday, voting was held in six seats across four states.

The Lok Sabha (lower house of parliament) has 543 elected seats and any party or a coalition needs a minimum of 272 lawmakers to form a government.

The main contest in the elections is between the Congress, led by Rahul Gandhi, the latest member of India’s influential Nehru-Gandhi dynasty, and the BJP, led by the charismatic and controversial Hindu nationalist leader Narendra Modi.

Narendra Modi, who is ahead in all the pre-election opinion polls, is the leader of Gujarat state, which witnessed one of India’s worst anti-Muslim riots in 2002.

The BJP has promised to improve the economy and infrastructure and curb corruption if it wins in the general elections.

The party launched its manifesto hours after polling began for the first phase.

The Congress party has promised “inclusive growth” if it returns to power.

In its election manifesto, the party promised a raft of welfare schemes, including a right to healthcare for all and pensions for the elderly and disabled.

India polling days:

April 7 – 2 states, 6 constituencies

April 9 – 5 states, 7 constituencies

April 10 – 14 states, 91 constituencies

April 12 – 4 states, 7 constituencies

April 17 – 12 states, 121 constituencies

April 24 – 12 states, 117 constituencies

April 30 – 9 states, 89 constituencies

May 7 – 7 states, 64 constituencies

May 12 – 3 states, 41 constituencies

Counting of votes – May 16

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Easter Recipe: Crab-Stuffed Deviled Eggs

Kathryn R. Bown
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Easter Recipe: Crab-Stuffed Deviled Eggs

Crab-Stuffed Deviled Eggs

 

Ingredients (12 deviled egg halves):

6 large eggs

4 ounces fresh crabmeat, divided

3 tablespoons mayonnaise, or to taste

2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce, or to taste

Crab-Stuffed Deviled Eggs
Crab-Stuffed Deviled Eggs

1 pinch seafood seasoning

3 drops Worcestershire sauce

1 pinch salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest

1 teaspoon creme fraiche, or more to taste

1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper

1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives, divided

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, plus more for garnish

 

Directions:

  1. Place cold eggs from refrigerator into a large pot and add enough cold water to cover eggs by 1 inch. Place over high heat, bring to a simmer, and cover pot once eggs start to move around. Remove from heat and let stand for 17 minutes.
  2. Drain hot water from pan, cover with lid, and shake pot to lightly crack eggs. Fill pot with cold water, pour off cold water, and refill with more cold water. Let eggs stand in water until cold. Peel eggs and cut in half lengthwise.
  3. Separate yolks from egg halves; place yolks into a mixing bowl.
  4. Place crab meat onto a plate and separate into 2 equal portions, one containing the small bits and one containing the attractive larger pink chunks. Reserve portion containing larger chunks.
  5. Chop the portion of crab meat with the smaller chunks; add to egg yolks. Mash yolks with a fork. Stir in mayonnaise, tarragon, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, hot pepper sauce, seafood seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and black pepper.
  6. Transfer yolk mixture into a piping bag fitted with a medium tip. Pipe crab filling into cavities of egg halves.
  7. Chop largest crab pieces and place remaining crabmeat into a small bowl. Lightly stir in lemon zest, creme fraiche, Aleppo pepper, and cayenne pepper with a fork. Taste and adjust salt. If mixture seems dry, stir in more creme fraiche. Top each stuffed egg with a generous pinch of crab mixture.
  8. Sprinkle each deviled egg with a pinch of chives and a light dusting of cayenne pepper. Transfer eggs to a serving platter; refrigerate until serving time.

Total lunar eclipse April 15, 2014: Best places to see this year’s first full lunar eclipse

James J. Williams
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Total lunar eclipse April 15, 2014: Best places to see this year’s first full lunar eclipse

The first total lunar eclipse of 2014 will occur early morning on April 15, darkening the full moon and possibly tinting it a reddish hue that causes some to call it a “Blood Moon”.

For nearly an hour and a half, the moon will be dimmed and possibly appearing a copper color because of sunlight bent by the atmosphere.

The total eclipse begins around 3 a.m. and ends around 4:30 a.m., with the moon at its dimmest at 3:46 a.m.

The eclipse will be visible across the Americas as well as throughout the Pacific.

It is the first of three eclipses that will be visible here in 2014.

Another full lunar eclipse will occur October 8, and the beginning of a partial solar eclipse can be seen on October 23.

Whether the moon appears in an orange or reddish hue or if it just appears dimmed depends on particles and clouds in the sky, much like sunrises and sunsets.
Where to see the eclipse

Continents seeing at least some parts of the eclipse:

West in Asia

East in North America

Parts of South America

Total eclipse visible in:

Locations near the shadow’s path:

Tarawa, Kiribati

Christchurch, New Zealand

Majuro, Marshall Islands

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

The first total lunar eclipse of 2014 will occur early morning on April 15
The first total lunar eclipse of 2014 will occur early morning on April 15 (photo NASA)

Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Anadyr, Russia

Palikir, Ponape, Micronesia

Suva, Fiji

Unalaska, Alaska, US

Honiara, Solomon Islands

Midway, Midway Atoll, US

Port Vila, Vanuatu

Wake Island, Wake Island, US

Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia

Hobart, Tasmania, Australia

Yaren, Nauru

Noumea, New Caledonia, France

Funafuti, Tuvalu

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Cairns, Queensland, Australia

Partial eclipse visible in:

Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands

Guam (Hagåtña), Guam

Jayapura, Papua, Indonesia

Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia

Uluru, Northern Territory, Australia

Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia

Manokwari, West Papua, Indonesia

Koror, Palau

Melekeok, Palau

Eucla, Western Australia, Australia

Sendai, Japan

Magadan, Russia

Kawasaki, Japan

Yokohama, Japan

Tokyo, Japan

Utsunomiya, Japan

Sagamihara, Japan

Sapporo, Japan

Shizuoka, Japan

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Russia

When the eclipse happens worldwide:

Lunar eclipses look approximately the same all over the world and happen at the same time.

The times displayed might be a minute or two off actual times.

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Photo of dead Reeva Steenkamp shown to Oscar Pistorius during cross-examination

Clyde K. Valle
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Photo of dead Reeva Steenkamp shown to Oscar Pistorius during cross-examination

South African Paralympic champion Oscar Pistorius became distraught as he was shown a photo of his dead girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp by the prosecution at his murder trial in Pretoria.

“It’s time that you look at it,” chief prosecutor Gerrie Nel said, presenting the photo at the start of the first day of cross-examination.

Oscar Pistorius, who denies murdering Reeva Steenkamp, insisted he had made a “mistake”.

The athlete says he accidentally killed his girlfriend after mistaking her for an intruder.

He told the court on Wednesday: “I made a mistake. My mistake was that I took Reeva’s life.”

Prosecutors say Oscar Pistorius intentionally killed Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day last year by firing a gun through a bathroom door at her after a row at his Pretoria home.

Oscar Pistorius, who is a double amputee, faces life imprisonment if convicted of murdering the 29-year-old model, reality TV celebrity and law graduate.

Following legal arguments on Wednesday morning, Gerrie Nel showed video footage of the athlete at a gun range shooting a watermelon.

Oscar Pistorius became distraught as he was shown a photo of his dead girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp by the prosecution at his murder trial in Pretoria
Oscar Pistorius became distraught as he was shown a photo of his dead girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp by the prosecution at his murder trial in Pretoria

Gerrie Nel then said the watermelon had exploded in the same way as Reeva Steenkamp’s head – and showed the photo. He asked Oscar Pistorius to look at it and take responsibility for his actions.

An emotional Oscar Pistorius, 27, turned away from the image on a monitor screen and said: “I’ve taken responsibility… but I will not look at a picture where I am tormented by what I saw and felt that night… I remember. I don’t have to look at a picture, I was there.”

After an adjournment to allow Oscar Pistorius to compose himself, Gerrie Nel sought to highlight what he said were inconsistencies in the athlete’s statements, questioning his claims that police had tampered with items in his home after the shooting.

“I am not pleading not guilty because the scene was contaminated,” Oscar Pistorius countered.

“I am pleading not guilty because what I’m accused of didn’t happen.”

In the opening moments of cross examination, Gerrie Nel showed the highly combative style Oscar Pistorius can now expect from him in the coming days.

Earlier, while being questioned by his lawyer Barry Roux, Oscar Pistorius told the court he had tried to revive Reeva Steenkamp, who was hit by three of four pistol rounds he fired through the door.

He said he had managed to carry Reeva Steenkamp downstairs, where neighbors had tried to administer first aid before paramedics arrived.

Before Barry Roux ended his questioning, he asked Oscar Pistorius if he had intentionally killed Reeva Steenkamp.

“I did not intend to kill Reeva or anybody else for that matter,” he replied.

If Oscar Pistorius is acquitted of murder, South African law stipulates that the court must consider the separate, lesser charge of culpable homicide, or manslaughter, for which he could receive between six and 15 years in prison.

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Top tips for renting out your home

Nancy Clayson
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Top tips for renting out your home

As property prices increase, the number of people looking to rent is on the rise. This is great news for anyone wanting to let out their home as there are plenty of families, students and professionals searching for somewhere to live. Of course, this means the rental market is highly competitive, but there are things you can do to make your property more appealing.

Here are four tips for renting out your home:

 crystal lagoons room452 1 two bedroom apartment san alfonso del mar

Focus on the exterior of your home

The front of your house is the first thing that tenants will see, so it’s essential that everything’s up to scratch – after all, you need to make a good impression as soon as they see your abode. A lick of paint here and a touch of gloss there will not only make your home more appealing but it could allow you to increase your rental price, earning you more money. Many estate agents will come and inspect your property before putting it on their books, so it’s well-worth mowing the lawn, getting the windows thoroughly cleaned and keeping all rubbish out of sight! Which leads neatly on to…

 

Make the most of storage units

There are three main types of property: furnished, unfurnished or part-furnished. If you decide to rent your home without furniture, you’ll need to find a new home for it and that’s where self storage units from companies like Ready Steady Store can come in handy. They provide a safe and secure environment for all your belongings and are the perfect way to keep your goods in tip-top condition without selling them, giving you the option of re-furnishing your home in the future. Boxing and packing materials will even be delivered to your door making the whole process quick, simple and hassle-free.

Don’t neglect the interior of your home

Once the exterior is looking fantastic, it’s time to focus on the interior of your property. Tenants have the right to live in a well-maintained property, so it’s a good idea to carry out a thorough clean before anyone moves in. Dusting, hoovering, mopping and other household chores can go a long way but you might also consider having carpets, curtains, sofas and other soft furnishings professionally cleaned. What’s more, people tend to notice odours as soon as they walk through the door, so try not to smoke before a viewing and get rid of pet smells with air fresheners. Bad whiffs can put people off.

 

Decide who will manage the property

Do you want to manage the property yourself or would you prefer to find a good estate agent that will do most of the work for you? This article from the Telegraph includes some useful pointers. Sure, you could save money by organizing the letting details single handedly, however, specialized letting companies will ensure you don’t miss anything out and stay within the law. They usually take up to ten percent of the monthly rent for their services, but could save you a lot of time and hassle. One thing to note, however, is that agents aren’t regulated, but the better ones tend to belong to the National Approved Lettings Scheme (NALS) or the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA).

 

Renting can be a great way to earn money, but it’s important to do things properly by following these handy tips.

Cornelius Gurlitt’s art collection to be released by German prosecutors

Sonia Pantiss
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Cornelius Gurlitt’s art collection to be released by German prosecutors

German authorities are to release 1,280 works of art confiscated two years ago from the Munich apartment of collector Cornelius Gurlitt.

Cornelius Gurlitt’s father bought and sold art under the Nazis, including works looted from Jewish homes and works bought from Jewish owners under duress.

The collector’s lawyers accept a small portion of the works may be disputed.

But the great bulk of the trove, they say, is the collector’s for him to do with as he wishes.

Cornelius Gurlitt has been recovering from heart surgery and it is not known how he has reacted to the decision.

The immediate likelihood is that the paintings, some by Matisse, Picasso and other masters, will remain in a secure warehouse in Bavaria while legal disputes continue but the prosecutors’ decision implies he has a right to them.

A smaller number of works found at a property of Cornelius Gurlitt’s in Austria are not affected by the German decision.

German authorities are to release 1,280 works of art confiscated two years ago from the Munich apartment of collector Cornelius Gurlitt
German authorities are to release 1,280 works of art confiscated two years ago from the Munich apartment of collector Cornelius Gurlitt

Wednesday’s decision came shortly after the collector agreed to co-operate with the authorities to determine which of the paintings had been stolen by the Nazis and to enable their return.

Augsburg prosecutor Matthias Nickolai said in a statement that the works had been formally released after prosecutors re-evaluated the legal situation. Prosecutors, he said, had been “absolutely convinced” at the time of the seizure that it was legally correct.

Cornelius Gurlitt’s lawyer, Tido Park, said his “rehabilitation [would] be further strengthened” by Wednesday’s decision.

“So this is a good day for Cornelius Gurlitt,” he added.

The collector’s lawyers have agreed with the German authorities to return any works proven to be looted to their rightful owners but they believe that to be only 3% of the trove, and it will not be easy for claimants to get them back. There is a one-year deadline on proving ownership.

The lawyers say that just over 300 of the works are without doubt Cornelius Gurlitt’s because his father acquired them before the Nazis were in power.

Only six paintings are so far being claimed by other people. In the case of one of those paintings – a Matisse – the lawyers say there are now two competing claims.

Negotiations between Cornelius Gurlitt’s lawyers and claimants have been tough.

According to the Sud-Deutsche Zeitung, one claimant replied to an offer to sell back a looted painting in blunt, Anglo-Saxon words of one syllable.

There has been outrage among Jewish groups, who say that the authorities in Germany have made it very difficult for people to get their rightful property back.

The prosecutors were heavily criticized for not publicizing the fact that they had found the trove of pictures. It only emerged in the press a year later.

At the end of it all, it seems likely that Cornelius Gurlitt will keep all but a small part of the collection built up by his father.

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Gabriel Garcia Marquez released from Mexico City hospital

Sonia Pantiss
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Gabriel Garcia Marquez released from Mexico City hospital

Gabriel Garcia Marquez has left a Mexico City hospital after being treated for a lung and urinary tract infection.

The winner of the 1982 Nobel Prize for Literature, who is 87, was admitted to hospital on March 31.

A spokeswoman there said Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s health remained fragile because of his age.

Gabriel Garcia Marquez is considered one of the greatest Spanish-language authors of all time, best known for his masterpiece of magic realism, A Hundred Years of Solitude.

The 1967 novel has sold more than 30 million copies around the world.

Gabriel Garcia Marquez is considered one of the greatest Spanish-language authors of all time
Gabriel Garcia Marquez is considered one of the greatest Spanish-language authors of all time

“His condition is delicate due to his age. He will recover at home,” said Jaqueline Pineda, spokeswoman of the National Medical Sciences and Nutrition Institute where the author was being treated.

The Colombian writer, who has lived in Mexico for more than 30 years, made few public appearances in recent years.

Two years ago, Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s younger brother admitted publicly for the first time that the author was suffering from dementia and had stopped writing.

Jaime Garcia Marquez said that Gabo, as his brother is affectionately known, often phoned to ask basic questions.

Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s other novels include Love in the Time of Cholera, Chronicle of a Death Foretold and the The General in His Labyrinth.

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Daniel Craig quits thriller The Whole Truth

Sonia Pantiss
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Daniel Craig quits thriller The Whole Truth

Daniel Craig has pulled of thriller The Whole Truth, days before he was due to begin shooting in Boston with co-star Renee Zellweger.

Daniel Craig, 46, was set to play a district attorney and had been spotted preparing for the role at Boston’s Suffolk County Superior Court last month.

Producers have halted production on the film, according to the Boston Globe.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, the start date has been moved back by three weeks.

Daniel Craig has pulled of thriller The Whole Truth, days before he was due to begin shooting in Boston with co-star Renee Zellweger
Daniel Craig has pulled of thriller The Whole Truth, days before he was due to begin shooting in Boston with co-star Renee Zellweger

Directed by Frozen River‘s Courtney Hunt, the film was scheduled to being filming on April 14. It is thought Daniel Craig left the project on Sunday.

The film would have seen Daniel Craig appear alongside Renee Zellweger and 19-year-old Gabriel Basso.

The independent project was announced during the Berlin Film Festival in February.

Daniel Craig will soon reprise his role as 007 in the 24th James Bond film, due out next year.

The actor and his wife Rachel Weisz – who recently co-starred on stage in a Broadway revival of Harold Pinter’s play Betrayal – were seen together on Monday at a charity gala in New York.

The event was organized by the Opportunity Network, a charity supported by Daniel Craig and Rachel Weisz, which helps high-achieving, low-income students gain entry to top colleges.

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Game of Thrones renewed for Seasons 5 and 6

Sonia Pantiss
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Game of Thrones renewed for Seasons 5 and 6

Game of Thrones will have two new series – Seasons 5 and 6 – producers have confirmed.

“Raise a glass of Dornish wine. Game of Thrones is renewed for seasons five and six,” the show posted on its official Facebook page.

The statement added: “Send a raven and spread the word across the realm.”

Game of Thrones Season 4 premiere gave HBO its top ratings since The Sopranos finale in 2007, it was announced earlier this week.

An average of 6.6 million watched HBO for the hit fantasy drama.

Game of Thrones is renewed for seasons five and six
Game of Thrones is renewed for seasons five and six

The Sopranos drew 11.9 million viewers for its final episode, according to the cable channel.

George RR Martin, the author of the A Song of Ice and Fire novels on which the program is based, is also an executive producer on the show.

He has previously hinted at the possibility of a feature film to round-off the adaptation of his book.

Game of Thrones also holds the record for the most illegally downloaded TV program.

In 2012, one episode of Game of Thrones racked up 4,280,000 illegal global downloads, according to Torrentfreak. That was slightly more than its estimated US TV audience.

Earlier this week the digital service for television channel HBO was forced to apologize to customers, after the site crashed following high demand for the series four premiere.

HBO GO asked fans to wait for a later replay of the episode on the cable channel.

Last month, the service also crashed after demand to watch the finale of True Detective.

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Peaches Geldof autopsy inconclusive. Toxicology tests to be conducted.

Lisa.Felice
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Peaches Geldof autopsy inconclusive. Toxicology tests to be conducted.

Peaches Geldof autopsy has proved inconclusive, and toxicology tests will be conducted in an attempt to determine cause of death, police say.

Peaches Geldof, 25, daughter of musician and campaigner Bob Geldof, was found dead at her home in Kent on Monday.

Police said at the time that her death was being treated as “non-suspicious but unexplained and sudden”.

The toxicology tests could take “several weeks” to come through, police said on Wednesday.

“Officers continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death in order to compile a report for the coroner,” they added in a statement.

Kent County Council has said it will make “a decision on whether there needs to be an inquest” based on the final results of the autopsy.

Peaches Geldof autopsy has proved inconclusive, and toxicology tests will be conducted in an attempt to determine cause of death
Peaches Geldof autopsy has proved inconclusive, and toxicology tests will be conducted in an attempt to determine cause of death

Officers had been called to the home Peaches Geldof shared with her husband, singer Thomas Cohen, and their two young children following “a report of concern for the welfare of a woman”. Peaches Geldof was pronounced dead at the scene.

The news of her death was met by shock and grief from friends and family.

Peaches Geldof was 11 when her own mother died.

TV presenter Paula Yates died of a drug overdose in September 2000. In September 2012 Peaches Geldof said she had not been able to come to terms with her mother’s death for several years.

Her final tweet on Sunday was a picture of her as a child in her mother’s arms, with the message: “Me and my mum.”

Peaches Geldof’s last column for Mother and Baby magazine was published posthumously on Tuesday.

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Heartbleed Bug: People urged to change all passwords

Nancy Clayson
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0
Heartbleed Bug: People urged to change all passwords

Tech giants are urging people to change all their passwords after the discovery of a major security flaw.

The Yahoo blogging platform Tumblr has advised the public to “change your passwords everywhere – especially your high-security services like email, file storage and banking”.

Security advisers have given similar warnings about the Heartbleed Bug.

It follows news that a product used to safeguard data could be compromised to allow eavesdropping.

OpenSSL is a popular cryptographic library used to digitally scramble sensitive data as it passes to and from computer servers so that only the service provider and the intended recipients can make sense of it.

If an organization employs OpenSSL, users see a padlock icon in their web browser – although this can also be triggered by rival products.

Those affected include Canada’s tax collecting agency, which halted online services “to safeguard the integrity of the information we hold”.

Tech giants are urging people to change all their passwords after the discovery of a major security flaw
Tech giants are urging people to change all their passwords after the discovery of a major security flaw

Google Security and Codenomicon – a Finnish security company – revealed on Monday that a flaw had existed in OpenSSL for more than two years that could be used to expose the secret keys that identify service providers employing the code.

They said that if attackers made copies of these keys they could steal the names and passwords of people using the services, as well as take copies of their data and set up spoof sites that would appear legitimate because they used the stolen credentials.

They nicknamed it the Heartbleed Bug because the flaw caused the “leak of memory contents” between servers and their clients.

It is not known whether the exploit had been used before the revelation, since doing so would not leave a trail – unless the hackers published their haul online.

“If people have logged into a service during the window of vulnerability then there is a chance that the password is already harvested,” said Ari Takanen, Codenomicon’s chief technology officer.

“In that sense it’s a good idea to change the passwords on all the updated web portals.”

Other security experts have been shocked by the revelation

“Catastrophic is the right word. On the scale of one to 10, this is an 11,” blogged Bruce Schneier.

Google warned a select number of organizations about the issue before making it public, so they could update their equipment to a new version of OpenSSL released at the start of the week.

However, it appears that Yahoo was not included on this list and tech site Cnet has reported that some people were able to obtain usernames and passwords from the company before it was able to apply the fix.

Several security companies and independent developers have published online tests to help the public discover if the services are still exposed.

However, there is no simple way to find out if they were vulnerable before.

Organizations that used Microsoft’s Internet Information Services (IIS) web server software would not have been affected.

But Codenomicon has noted that more than 66% of the net’s active sites rely on the open source alternatives Apache and Nginx, which do use OpenSSL.

Even so, some of these sites would have also employed a feature called “perfect forward secrecy” that would have limited the number of their communications that could have been hacked.

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Franklin Regional High School mass stabbing: 20 students injured in Murrysville, PA

Nancy Clayson
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Franklin Regional High School mass stabbing: 20 students injured in Murrysville, PA

At least 20 students have been injured in a mass stabbing at Franklin Regional High School in Murrysville, Pennsylvania, authorities have said.

A 16-year-old student was taken into custody at the high school in Murrysville, a suburb of Pittsburgh, police said.

The wounded, many with significant injuries, were as young as 14. Several were in surgery in hospital.

As many as seven students were stabbed in the torso, a doctor told reporters.

Eight patients were transported to nearby Forbes Regional Hospital, three of whom had suffered severe injuries.

At least 20 students have been injured in a mass stabbing at Franklin Regional High School in Murrysville
At least 20 students have been injured in a mass stabbing at Franklin Regional High School in Murrysville

Two of those patients were in critical condition, while up to four were expected to recover from superficial wounds, Dr. Mark Rubino told reporters.

The initial report of the attack came before 08:00 local time on Wednesday morning.

“A critical incident has occurred at the high school,” school officials wrote in a bulletin.

“All elementary schools are cancelled, the middle school and high school students are secure.”

The panicked students poured out of the school building, some suffering injuries in the chaos, as police descended in search of the suspected attacker.

Among the injured was a security guard, Murrysville Police Chief Thomas Seefeld said.

Morris Hundley told CBS television his “frantic” 14-year-old daughter Morriah called him to say a friend of hers had been stabbed at the school in Murrysville.

“I would never expect this to happen,” he said, adding that he had believed the community to be safe.

The suspect, a male student, is said to have used two knives in the attack. He has been taken into custody for questioning.

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Oscar Pistorius describes events after shooting Reeva Steenkamp

Clyde K. Valle
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Oscar Pistorius describes events after shooting Reeva Steenkamp

Oscar Pistorius described events after shooting his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in his home at his murder trial in Pretoria.

During his emotional testimony Oscar Pistorius said Reeva Steenkamp died before the ambulance arrived while he was holding her.

The Paralympic athlete said he tried to help his girlfriend breathe and stem the bleeding from her hip.

Oscar Pistorius denies deliberately shooting dead Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day last year, arguing he mistook her for an intruder.

Prosecutors contend he intentionally killed her in the toilet of his bathroom after a row.

On Tuesday, Oscar Pistorius broke down in tears whilst describing the events leading up to the shooting and the actual event.

If acquitted, South African law stipulates that the court must consider the separate, lesser charge of culpable homicide, or manslaughter, for which he could receive between six and 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.

During his emotional testimony Oscar Pistorius said Reeva Steenkamp died before the ambulance arrived while he was holding her
During his emotional testimony Oscar Pistorius said Reeva Steenkamp died before the ambulance arrived while he was holding her (photo AP)

On his third day on the stand, Oscar Pistorius described the moments after paramedics had arrived at the scene.

“They asked for some space to work so I stood up. Reeva had already died whilst I was holding her before the ambulance arrived. So, I knew there was nothing they could do for her,” he told the court.

He also described his distress as police and other officials arrived at the house.

“I asked a policeman if I could wash my hands because the smell of the blood was making me throw up,” he said.

Oscar Pistorius’ lawyer Barry Roux also asked him to demonstrate how he would swing a cricket bat.

The athlete said he was on his prosthetic legs when he used the cricket bat to break down the toilet door.

He said the three sounds heard by witnesses at 03:17 local time was the cricket bat hitting the door – about five minutes after he shot at the toilet door.

Oscar Pistorius said he was on his stumps, when he shot at the door.

“I can barely stand on my stumps,” he said.

During his questioning, Barry Roux also mentioned statements from close neighbors who were listed by the state but not called by the prosecution.

He said the statement from Kenny Motshoane’s house described hearing “crying” and not “a woman screaming”, as mentioned by other witnesses.

Another woman living nearby also says she heard “loud crying” and not a woman screaming, Barry Roux said.

Before Barry Roux ended his questioning he asked Oscar Pistorius if he had intentionally killed Reeva Steenkamp.

“I did not intend to kill Reeva or anybody else for that matter,” he replied.

On Tuesday, Oscar Pistorius described how the couple had spent a quiet evening together on February 13, Reeva Steenkamp doing some yoga as he spoke to his cousin on the phone.

He had then watched TV in bed with his head resting on her stomach and she would occasionally show him photos of cars she was looking at on her phone, he said.

Oscar Pistorius said that they had bought Valentine’s Day gifts for each other.

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MH370: Ocean Shield reacquires missing jet signal

Diane A. Wade
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MH370: Ocean Shield reacquires missing jet signal

Australian vessel Ocean Shield searching for the missing Malaysia Airlines plane has reacquired signals that could be consistent with “black box” flight recorders.

The Ocean Shield heard the signals again on Tuesday afternoon and evening, the search chief said.

Signals heard earlier had also been further analyzed by experts who concluded they were from “specific electronic equipment”, Angus Houston said.

Flight MH370 disappeared on March 8, carrying 239 people.

It was travelling from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing when it lost contact with air traffic controllers.

Malaysian officials say that based on satellite data, they believe it ended its flight in the southern Indian Ocean, thousands of miles from its intended flight path.

“I believe we are searching in the right area,” said Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, who heads the joint agency co-ordinating the search.

Australian vessel Ocean Shield searching for the missing Malaysia Airlines plane has reacquired signals that could be consistent with "black box" flight recorders
Australian vessel Ocean Shield searching for the missing Malaysia Airlines plane has reacquired signals that could be consistent with “black box” flight recorders

“But we need to visually identify aircraft wreckage before we can confirm with certainty that this is the final resting place of MH370.”

The Ocean Shield has been towing a US Navy pinger locator to listen for signals from the plane’s flight recorders in waters west of the Australian city of Perth.

It twice acquired signals over the weekend.

On Tuesday, it located the signals again, the first time for five minutes and 32 seconds, and the second time for around seven minutes, said ACM Angus Houston.

“Ocean Shield has now detected four transmissions in the same broad area,” he said.

“Yesterday’s signals will assist in better defining a reduced and much more manageable search area on the ocean floor.”

The signals have been heard in sea with a depth of 15,000 feet.

ACM Angus Houston said it was important to refine the search area as much as possible before sending down the Bluefin 21 underwater drone to search for wreckage.

“Now hopefully with lots of transmissions we’ll have a tight, small area and hopefully in a matter of days we will be able to find something on the bottom,” he said.

Experts at the Australian Joint Acoustic Analysis Centre had also analyzed the first two signals heard over the weekend, he added.

Their analysis showed that a “stable, distinct and clear signal” was detected. Experts had therefore assessed that it was not of natural origin and was likely from specific electronic equipment.

“They believe the signals to be consistent with the specification and description of a flight data recorder,” ACM Angus Houston said.

Search teams have been racing against time to locate signals from the flight recorders before their batteries expire after about one month.

Investigators still do not know why MH370 strayed so far off course, after disappearing over the South China Sea between Malaysia and Vietnam.

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Pakistan bombing kills at least 20 people at Islamabad market

Roy Siemens
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0
Pakistan bombing kills at least 20 people at Islamabad market

At least 20 people have been killed by a bomb blast that struck a busy market on the outskirts of Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, police and medics say.

The high intensity blast at the fruit and vegetable market left as many as 100 injured, reports say.

The Pakistani Taliban has denied involvement. No other group has said it carried out the attack.

There is currently a ceasefire between the Pakistani Taliban and the government as part of peace efforts.

Pakistan’s PM Nawaz Sharif condemned Wednesday’s bombing.

At least 20 people have been killed by the bomb blast that struck a busy market on the outskirts of Pakistan's capital
At least 20 people have been killed by the bomb blast that struck a busy market on the outskirts of Pakistan’s capital (photo AFP/Getty Images)

He said it was an effort by Pakistan’s enemies to destabilize the country, but that the government would remain resolute in its efforts for peace, according to his office.

The latest reports from hospitals in the area say as many as 100 people were injured.

An AFP reporter at the scene said the blast caused a 5ft-wide crater in the ground, which was littered with body parts.

The bombing reportedly happened in the Sabzi Mandi area of the capital about 08:00 local time, one of the busiest times of day for the wholesale fruit and vegetable market.

Police said the explosives were hidden in a box of fruit.

In a statement, the Pakistani Taliban (TTP) said it strongly condemned the attack.

“The killing of innocent people in attacks on public places is regrettable and prohibited by Islam,” it said.

Correspondents say the TTP sits at the helm of a loose network of territorially independent militant groups who have different agendas. Not all of them will favor peace talks.

The blast comes a day after 13 people were killed in a bomb attack by separatists in Balochistan province. The long-running insurgency in Balochistan is separate to the Taliban campaign which has raged inside Pakistan since 2008.

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Ultimate Warrior dies in Arizona aged 54

Clyde K. Valle
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0
Ultimate Warrior dies in Arizona aged 54

Professional wrestler The Ultimate Warrior died Tuesday night at the age of 54, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) announced.

James Brian Hellwig, who officially changed his name to The Ultimate Warrior in 1993, “collapsed outside an Arizona hotel at 5:50 PM on April 8th … while walking to his car with his wife”, TMZ reported.

“Warrior was transported to a nearby hospital … where he was pronounced dead,” the website added.

James Brian Hellwig’s death comes only three days after The Ultimate Warrior was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, and just one day after Hellwig made an appearance on WWE’s Raw, his first appearance on the show since 1996.

James Brian Hellwig officially changed his name to The Ultimate Warrior in 1993
James Brian Hellwig officially changed his name to The Ultimate Warrior in 1993

According to WWE, The Ultimate Warrior was “one of the most iconic WWE Superstars ever,” joined the organization in 1987 and three years later was world champion, defeating Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania VI at SkyDome in Toronto. The match, billed as the Ultimate Challenge, lived up to the billing in the eyes of most, a common staple in lists of greatest wrestling matches of all time.

The WWE’s initial statement on James Brian Hellwig’s death said: “WWE is shocked and deeply saddened to learn of the passing of one of the most iconic WWE Superstars ever, The Ultimate Warrior. Warrior began his WWE career in 1987 and quickly went on to become one of the biggest stars in WWE history. Warrior became WWE Champion at WrestleMania VI, defeating Hulk Hogan in an epic encounter. We are grateful that just days ago, Warrior had the opportunity to take his rightful place in the WWE Hall of Fame and was also able to appear at WrestleMania 30 and Monday Night Raw to address his legions of fans. WWE sends its sincere condolences to Warrior’s family, friends and fans. Warrior was 54 and is survived by his wife Dana and his two daughters.”

James Brian Hellwig and WWE had a contentious relationship after he left the company in 1996, battling one another in lawuits over ownership of The Ultimate Warrior copyright.

WWE released a controversial DVD in 2005 titled The Self-Destruction of The Ultimate Warrior, which featured many wrestlers giving disparaging remarks about Warrior. That DVD led to yet another lawsuit.

As his wrestling career was over, the man who began his career as a bodybuilder had a brief turn as a motivational speaker.

Along with his enshrinement into the Hall of Fame and return to the ring in Raw, The Ultimate Warrior character is to be included in the WWE 2K14 video game, another sign of his reconciliation with WWE.

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Zeituni Onyango: Barack Obama’s aunt dies in Boston at 61

Nancy Clayson
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0
Zeituni Onyango: Barack Obama’s aunt dies in Boston at 61

Zeituni Onyango, President Barack Obama’s aunt who stayed in the US illegally for years, died Tuesday at age 61.

Zeituni Onyango had been treated in recent months for cancer and respiratory problems, Cleveland attorney Margaret Wong said.

She died in a Boston rehabilitation center, said Margaret Wong, who represented her in her immigration case.

Zeituni Onyango, a half-sister of Barack Obama’s late father, moved from Kenya to the US in 2000 and was denied asylum by an immigration judge in 2004.

She remained in the country illegally, living in Boston public housing.

Zeituni Onyango was a half-sister of Barack Obama's late father
Zeituni Onyango was a half-sister of Barack Obama’s late father (photo AP)

She finally was granted asylum in 2010 by a judge who said she could be in danger if she returned to Kenya because of her relationship with Barack Obama.

Zeituni Onyango was born in Kenya in May 1952 under a mango tree and was delivered by a midwife, Margaret Wong said.

She raised a family in Kenya and worked in the computer department of Kenya Breweries, she said.

“She was an awesome, funny, shrewd, smart lady born at the wrong place at the wrong time,” Margaret Wong said.

“If she was only born in America or born in more Western open society instead of being bogged down by tribes, lineage and being a woman in Kenya, she could have been anything she wanted to be.”

Margaret Wong said Zeituni Onyango had become ill in January and died early Tuesday morning in her sleep.

The White House, which had no immediate reaction to Zeituni Onyango’s death on Tuesday, had said previously that Barack Obama did not intervene in her immigration case.

Barack Obama, in his memoir Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance, affectionately referred to Zeituni Onyango as Auntie Zeituni and described meeting her during his 1988 trip to Kenya.

Zeituni Onyanogo helped care for his half-brothers and sister while living with his father, Barack Obama Sr., in Kenya.

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Toyota recalls 6.4 million cars globally due to five separate issues

Clyde K. Valle
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Toyota recalls 6.4 million cars globally due to five separate issues

Toyota is now recalling a total of 6.4 million cars globally due to five separate issues.

Some 3.5 million cars are being recalled to replace a spiral cable attached to the driver’s side airbag.

It may be damaged when the steering wheel is turned and result in the airbag not being deployed in a crash.

Other issues include problems with seat rails, steering columns, windscreen wipers and a glitch with the engine starters that poses a fire risk.

Toyota is now recalling a total of 6.4 million cars globally due to five separate issues
Toyota is now recalling a total of 6.4 million cars globally due to five separate issues

Toyota said it was not aware of any vehicle crashes, injuries or fatalities caused by these conditions.

However, it said it had received two reports of fires due to the engine starter problem.

The carmaker said that “due to inefficiencies in the design of the starter motor relays, metallic particles might accumulate on the contacts within the relay”.

It said that if the relays continue to be used the particles could come off and enter the relay’s circuitry and in the “worst case, this could lead to the starter relays catching fire”.

Approximately 20,000 cars involving six Toyota models and the Subaru Trezia are being recalled to replace both engine starter relays and the engine starter motor.

Other recalls include:

  • Approximately 2.32 million cars over problems with the seat rails
  • Some 760,000 cars due to a potential defect with the steering column bracket
  • Nearly 160,000 cars to replace the windshield wiper motors

Overall, the five issues affect 27 models.

Prince George appears at Plunket play group in New Zealand

Lisa.Felice
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Prince George appears at Plunket play group in New Zealand

Prince William and Kate Middleton took 8-month-old Prince George on the first official public engagement of their 19-day tour of New Zealand and Australia.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge met fellow new mothers and fathers at Government House in Wellington along with not-for-profit childcare organization Plunket.

The parents were selected to reflect the diversity of New Zealand society.

Prince George appeared to remain calm even though there were tears from some of a similar age.

Prince George at the Plunket play group in Wellington
Prince George at the Plunket play group in Wellington (photo AFP)

Prince George went on a crawl-about with other children in the Blandor Room which had a large portrait of his great-grandmother, the Queen.

Prince William and Kate Middleton chatted informally with the parents of 10 babies, including a pair of gay fathers and a single mother.

Prince George was dressed in a blue dungaree shorts by British luxury brand Rachel Riley, a white blouse and soft blue pre walking shoes.

Prince William joked: “It’s madness, there are babies everywhere.”

The idea was to give the royal couple the chance to introduce the young prince to the world in a less formal way than usual. They also had the chance to swap experiences with other first-time parents.

Tristine Clark, New Zealand president of Plunket, said: “The parents are a spread of all the communities in New Zealand, including Maoris, Samoans, people of Chinese descent and gay couples.

“This is a very multi-cultural country and we wanted the duke and duchess to meet people from all backgrounds.”

The Royal New Zealand Plunket Society, widely known as Plunket, was founded in 1907 by paediatrician Sir Frederic Truby King.

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MH370: Did Chinese ship detect its noise?

Clyde K. Valle
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0
MH370: Did Chinese ship detect its noise?

According to experts, the Chinese ship that detected a sound in the southern Indian Ocean consistent with a black box “ping” while searching for missing Malaysia Airlines plane may have simply been listening to itself.

That possibility illustrates just how complicated the task is to locate the transmitters from the lost MH370 flight.

Australian Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston warned Tuesday – 32 days since Flight 370 vanished after takeoff from Kuala Lumpur – that other ships are being kept away from the search area to prevent any further confusion about signal noise.

“We can’t have too many ships in the area, because when you are dealing with these transmissions, you need utter silence,” he said.

“It becomes a very noisy environment if you suddenly have several ships around there or ships dropping things in the water.”

Chinese ship Haixun 01 detected a sound in the southern Indian Ocean consistent with a black box ping while searching for missing Malaysia Airlines plane
Chinese ship Haixun 01 detected a sound in the southern Indian Ocean consistent with a black box ping while searching for missing Malaysia Airlines plane

The crew of Chinese ship Haixun 01 announced Saturday they had recorded fleeting pings off Australia’s west coast, but their discovery occurred more than 350 miles from where the Australians say sustained and repeated pings were found Sunday.

Video of the Chinese ship appeared to show an extra pinger on board. That pinger would just need to get wet for it to start transmitting – noise that could then get picked up by the ship’s search crews, said Anish Patel, president of pinger maker Dukane Seacom. The company supplies black-box beacons for Malaysia Airlines.

“It takes the slightest bit of moisture for that water-activated switch to automatically fire up,” Anish Patel said.

He added that it’s “not best practice” during a search to keep another pinging device where you’re listening.

Video on China’s CCTV shows the crew of the Haixun 01 boarding a small dinghy and using a handheld hydrophone, which was lowered into the water on a pole, to listen for the pings from the missing jet’s two black boxes.

Experts have said that while it’s possible that such a device could pick up pings from the ocean, it’s highly unlikely in this case. The maker of the hydrophone technology used by the Chinese said it’s intended for shallower waters and requires the user to be much closer to the transmitter. The depth of the ocean in the search area is as much as 3 miles.

The Chinese said they recorded the fleeting pings on Friday and Saturday off Australia’s west coast. The signal’s frequency was recorded at 37.5 kHz per second – the same that would be emitted by flight recorders and a noise that does not occur naturally in the ocean.

Australia also is dragging a ping locator in the search area, and officials said signals it picked up late Saturday and early Sunday were stronger and lasted longer than the ones detected by the Chinese.

Those noises haven’t been heard since. The signals would become fainter over time as the beacons’ battery life slowly dies out. That typically takes about a month.

Lindsay Lohan admits she relapsed since leaving rehab

Lisa.Felice
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0
Lindsay Lohan admits she relapsed since leaving rehab

Lindsay Lohan confessed she relapsed by indulging in some wine since leaving rehab.

The 27-year-old troubled actress vowed to stay away from alcohol and drugs since she finished her court-ordered treatment in July last year.

Lindsay Lohan made the admission during the latest episode of her documentary series Lindsay, which aired on Sunday.

Lindsay Lohan confessed she relapsed by indulging in some wine since leaving rehab
Lindsay Lohan confessed she relapsed by indulging in some wine since leaving rehab (photo OWN)

The actress was enraged when caught off-guard by her life coach A.J. Johnson who asked if she had been drinking, claiming that her mother Dina had seen her with alcohol, but Lohan denied the allegations and stormed off.

However, Lindsay Lohan later admits she did relapse, confessing she drank to ease the stress from a troubled relationship with an unnamed boyfriend.

She says: “I rushed into a relationship … and I jumped right into a relationship where we weren’t on the same page. I wasn’t considering the fact that the person I was seeing does drink and yeah … I had some wine… Yeah, f— it, I screwed up and that’s OK.”

Lindsay Lohan also vowed to never let a setback happen again, claiming she felt “so much guilt” for slipping.

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Easter Recipe: Honey Glazed Ham

Kathryn R. Bown
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Easter Recipe: Honey Glazed Ham

Honey Glazed Ham

Ingredients (15 servings):

1 (5 pound) ready-to-eat ham

1/4 cup whole cloves

Honey Glazed Ham
Honey Glazed Ham

1/4 cup dark corn syrup

2 cups honey

2/3 cup butter

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 325 F (165 C).
  2. Score ham, and stud with the whole cloves. Place ham in foil lined pan.
  3. In the top half of a double boiler, heat the corn syrup, honey and butter. Keep glaze warm while baking ham.
  4. Brush glaze over ham, and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Baste ham every 10 to 15 minutes with the honey glaze. During the last 4 to 5 minutes of baking, turn on broiler to caramelize the glaze. Remove from oven, and let sit a few minutes before serving.
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