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Biffy Clyro forced to cancel US tour dates due to Simon Neil’s respiratory problems

Biffy Clyro have been forced to cancel their US tour dates as the band’s lead singer, Simon Neil, has been rushed back to the UK after suffering serious respiratory problems while on tour.

The band has released a statement which said doctors had advised Simon Neil “he was endangering his long term health if he chose to continue performing on this run.”

Biffy Clyro also confirmed they will no longer be performing at Coachella or continuing to support Muse across America and Canada.

The Scottish rockers do hope to continue with UK and European dates in the summer.

Biffy Clyro canceled their US tour dates due to Simon Neil’s respiratory problems
Biffy Clyro canceled their US tour dates due to Simon Neil’s respiratory problems

The band’s statement said: “Biffy Clyro have today been forced to cut short their North American tour and return to the UK immediately.

“Simon Neil has been struggling with a serious respiratory problem on the shows, including two nights supporting Muse at Madison Square Garden on Monday and Tuesday of this week, and was advised by doctors that he was endangering his long term health if he chose to continue performing on this run.

“Thus, further dates with Muse across the US and Canada, plus a second weekend performance at the Coachella Festival this coming Saturday, have now been cancelled.”

The statement, which was also posted on Biffy Clyro’s website, continued: “The band wish to express how sorry they are that they aren’t able to carry out the full run of shows, and hope to confirm a new run of North American shows shortly.

“All UK and European dates this summer should, however, remain unaffected.”

Biffy Clyro are due to headline this year’s Reading and Leeds Festivals. They have been touring their number one album Opposites since February.

Fitch downgrades UK rating from AAA to AA+

Fitch Ratings has downgraded the UK’s credit rating from AAA to AA+, owing to a weakened economic outlook.

The move, after Moody’s downgrade in February, came as British Chancellor George Osborne defended the government’s austerity plan.

Fitch said its downgrade primarily reflected a weaker economic and fiscal outlook.

George Osborne has said his was the “right plan” and that the economy was “healing”.

The credit ratings agency said its downgrade “primarily reflects a weaker economic and fiscal outlook” but returned its outlook to “stable”, removing the threat of further rate action in the near term.

In its twice-yearly World Economic Outlook published on Wednesday, the IMF slashed its forecast for growth to 0.7% in 2013 after saying in January that the country’s economy could expect 1% growth.

Moody’s became the first major agency to downgrade the UK’s sovereign debt rating in February, although Standard & Poor’s reaffirmed its AAA rating earlier this month.

Fitch Ratings has downgraded the UK’s credit rating from AAA to AA+, owing to a weakened economic outlook
Fitch Ratings has downgraded the UK’s credit rating from AAA to AA+, owing to a weakened economic outlook

Regarding the latest downgrade from Fitch, the UK Treasury said: “This is a stark reminder that the UK cannot simply run away from its problems, or refuse to deal with a legacy of debt built up over a decade.

“Fitch themselves say the government’s ‘continued policy commitment to reducing the underlying budget deficit’ is one of the main reasons UK debt now has a <<stable>> outlook.

“Though it is taking time, we are fixing this country’s economic problems. The deficit is down by a third (since 2010), a million and a quarter new private sector jobs have been created and the credibility we have earned means households and businesses are benefitting from near record low interest rates.”

IMF delegates visit the UK next month for annual consultations that allow it to monitor member countries and issue recommendations about economic policy.

Some IMF officials have recently raised doubts over George Osborne’s strategy.

IMF’s managing director Christine Lagarde said: “With this medium-term strong anchoring of fiscal consolidation, the pace has to be adjusted depending on the circumstances and given the weak growth that we have observed lately because of reduced demand addressed to the economy, now might be the time to consider.

“But we want to have the dialogue. I don’t think it’s fair on any of our members… to actually pass a final judgement, and the words used matter and the grammar that is applied to words matters so when we say <<may consider>>, we are opening the door.”

“But now is the dialogue,” she said, referring to the IMF’s upcoming visit to the UK.

Christine Lagarde’s comments were in line with those made by IMF chief economist Olivier Blanchard earlier in the week, when he warned that George Osborne was “playing with fire” if he continued his current strategy.

But the chancellor is sticking to his plan, saying he would defend his case when the IMF officials visit.

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Dzhokhar Tsarnaev partied with college friends just two days after Boston Marathon terror attack

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Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the 19-year-old Chechen terror suspect in Boston Marathon bombings, partied with college friends on Wednesday night and was said to “look relaxed” just two days after the horrific attack.

Hours before the deadly shootout which claimed his brother Tamerlan’s life Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev was seen on a night out on campus.

A fellow University of Massachusetts student told the Boston Globe: “He was just relaxed.”

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev partied with college friends just two days after Boston Marathon terror attack
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev partied with college friends just two days after Boston Marathon terror attack

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s nonchalant attitude – a possible attempt to cover his tracks – in the wake of Monday’s Boston Marathon attack was also witnessed on his Twitter page.

At 5 p.m. on Monday – just hours after he and his older brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, were caught on surveillance footage coolly walking away from the bomb site – he tweeted: “Ain’t no love in the heart of the city, stay safe people.”

The next day Dzhokhar replied to a tweet claiming one of the fatalities in the bombings was a woman whose fiancé was proposing to her.

“Fake story” he wrote on the social media website.

The same day the suspect added: “I’m a stress free kind of guy.”

Chechnya: A history of terror

Muslim militants from Chechnya have a long history of unleashing separatist terror attacks on Russia – but the allegations of Chechen origin brothers Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev’s involvement in the Boston Marathon explosions would mark the first time they have targeted the West.

Buried in the heart of Russia’s Northern Caucasus, the Islamic state has fought against Russian rule for centuries.

But it culminated in a bloody and chaotic civil war with the Russian government in 1994 that left tens of thousands dead and the region in ruins.

As a result, the area became a hotbed for extremism, and was soon infiltrated by foreign Islamic militants, including those with ties to al-Qaeda.

Terrorists have since unleashed a string of attacks on Russian soil and, more recently, abroad.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the 19-year-old Chechen terror suspect in Boston Marathon bombings
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the 19-year-old Chechen terror suspect in Boston Marathon bombings

Russian troops withdrew from Chechnya in 1996 after the first Chechen war, leaving it de-facto independent and largely lawless, but then rolled back three years later following apartment building explosions in Moscow and other cities blamed on the rebels.

Chechnya has stabilized under the steely grip of Kremlin-backed local strongman Ramzan Kadyrov, a former rebel whose forces were accused of massive rights abuses.

However, the Islamic insurgency has spread to neighboring provinces, with Dagestan, sandwiched between Chechnya and the Caspian Sea, becoming the epicenter of violence with militants launching daily attacks against police and other authorities.

Militants from Chechnya and neighboring provinces have launched a long series of terror attacks in Russia.

On October 23, 2002, over 40, mostly female, terrorists took more than 700 hostages prisoner at a Moscow theater, demanding an end to the Russian presence in Chechnya. Dressed from head to toe in black hijabs, they became known as The Black Widows.

But when Russian security forces stormed the theater, guns blazing, the hostage takers responded by detonating homemade bombs strapped to their bodies, killing more than 100 innocent theater goers.

Then on September 1, 2004, a group of 32 heavily-armed, masked men seized control of Middle School Number One and more than 1,000 hostages in Beslan, North Ossetia.

Most of the hostages were children aged from 6 to 16 years old.

After a tense two-day standoff, that was beamed around the world, Russian forces raided the building.

A violent, two-hour gunfight followed bringing an end to a siege that ultimately claimed the lives of 331 civilians, 11 commandos and 31 hostage-takers.

The rebels have since claimed responsibility for an array of terrorist attacks, including last year’s double suicide bombing of the Moscow subway system that killed 40 people.

In March 2010, two women suicide bombers killed 40 commuters when they blew themselves up on two packed tube trains during the busy rush hour.

In January 2011, a Chechen suicide bomber unleashed terror on Moscow’s Domodedovo Airport when they blew themselves up killing 36 people.

In recent years, however, militants in Chechnya, Dagestan and other neighboring provinces have largely refrained from attacks outside the Caucasus.

The allegations of Chechen brothers Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev’s role in the Boston’s explosions would reinforce long-held claims by Russian officials that insurgents in the Caucasus have been linked to al-Qaeda.

Mariah Carey and daughter Monroe step out in complementary pink dresses

Mariah Carey shared a series of intimate snaps of herself joined by her daughter Monroe for a stroll down a stone walkway in complementary pink dresses.

Monroe, 23-month-old, joined Mariah Carey as the singer left for a taping of American Idol on Thursday afternoon.

Mariah Carey, 43, showed off a set of toned legs in a salmon mini dress with a fluttered hem, a khaki trench coat and metallic heeled sandals.

Monroe, 23-month-old, joined Mariah Carey as the singer left for a taping of American Idol
Monroe, 23-month-old, joined Mariah Carey as the singer left for a taping of American Idol

Monroe matched mum in a pink floral frock worn over a pair of blue jeans and accessorized with trainers, a hair bow and glasses in the same shade of pale bubblegum.

Mariah Carey wrote of her photogenic daughter: “Ms. Monroe walking me out #divaintraining.”

The singer added: “Hate leaving dembabies, be back soon!!!”

Earlier this year, Mariah Carey told Barbara Walters of her daughter: “I call her Miss Monroe, and that kind of dictated her personality. She’s a total diva. She’s into jewelry. She’s fascinated by jewelry.”

Later, the singer posted a photograph of herself reclining against a shelf, captioning it: “Off to mix my new single. #music=life (that’s not the song title ha ha).”

Though reportedly in the studio, Mariah Carey has not released an album since 2010.

Mariah Carey told Billboard of her latest effort: “It’s about making sure I have tons of good music, because at the end of the day, that’s the most important thing.

“Wherever we go with this project, I’ve tried to keep the soul and heart in it, with me obviously as the through-line.”

Snooki weight loss: Jersey Shore star shows off her slim new look after losing 40 lbs since giving birth

Snooki shows off her sleek new look and posts a triple image of herself on Twitter after she managed to lose 40 lbs since giving birth last August.

Jersey Shore star spent some time stitching the striking photographs together, featuring herself in a lumberjack shirt, black vest, leggings and boots.

Snooki, 25, looks back to her best after giving birth to her first child Lorenzo with fiancé Jionni LaValle.

Snooki shows off her sleek new look and posts a triple image of herself on Twitter after she managed to lose 40 lbs since giving birth last August
Snooki shows off her sleek new look and posts a triple image of herself on Twitter after she managed to lose 40 lbs since giving birth last August

She said the latter had teased her about her look, saying: “Jionni called me a cowgirl.”

Snooki later posted an image of herself with a frozen dinner on her leg, saying: “Icing battle wounds from the gym.”

But Snooki, real name Nicole Polizzi, has not only been boasting about herself on the social networking website. She also gave her fans a thrilling update on her boy’s progress yesterday.

The reality star said: “My son’s officially crawling! Yay.”

Last weekend Snooki showed off her fabulous new figure in a metallic dress split to the thigh at the MTV Movie Awards.

David Henneberry from Watertown finds Dzhokhar Tsarnaev hiding out in his boat parked in backyard

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Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the student wanted in the Boston Marathon bombing, was captured wounded but alive after hiding out in a boat parked in David Henneberry’s backyard in Watertown on Friday evening.

The arrest of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev signaled the end of five days of terror set-off by the double bombing at the Boston Marathon finish line.

His older brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, lay dead in a furious 24-hour drama that transfixed the nation and paralyzed the Boston area with fear.

Relieved law enforcement officers began cheering and clapping after Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 19, was arrested and is now in a serious condition at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and is reported to have lost a great deal of blood.

David Henneberry, an avid boater who is a member of the Watertown Yacht Club, found Dzhokhar Tsarnaev inside his boat covered in blood
David Henneberry, an avid boater who is a member of the Watertown Yacht Club, found Dzhokhar Tsarnaev inside his boat covered in blood

Police cornered Dzhokhar Tsarnaev around 7 p.m., less than an hour after police lifted a stay-indoors order for the city and its suburbs.

A resident in his 60s, believed to be called David Henneberry, reportedly went outside to smoke and saw the tarpaulin cover of his 22-foot pleasure boat was disturbed off the top.

Checking to see what was wrong, David Henneberry, an avid boater who is a member of the Watertown Yacht Club, investigated and saw Dzhokhar Tsarnaev curled-up inside covered in blood.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was captured wounded but alive after hiding out in a boat parked in David Henneberry’s backyard in Watertown
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was captured wounded but alive after hiding out in a boat parked in David Henneberry’s backyard in Watertown

David Hanneberry then “freaked out” and ran inside to call police – who dispatched a helicopter which used thermal imaging to confirm there was a person inside the boat.

“He looked and noticed something was off about his boat, so he got his ladder, and he put his ladder up on the side of the boat and climbed up, and then he saw blood on it, and he thought he saw what was a body laying in the boat,” David Henneberry’s neighbor, George Pizzuto said to ABC News.

“So he got out of the boat fast and called police.”

“That boat’s his baby. He takes care of it like you wouldn’t believe. And they told him it’s all shot up,” George Pizzuto said.

“He’s going to be heartbroken.”

Within minutes police, ATF, SWAT and K-9 units had descended upon 67 Franklin Street and engaged Dzhokhar Tsarnaev in a vicious gun battle – over 40 shots rang out in the quiet suburban neighborhood.

“There was an exchange of gunfire,” confirmed Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis at a news conference.

Authorities, using a bullhorn, had called on the suspect to surrender: “Come out with your hands up.”

“We used a robot to pull the tarp off the boat,” David Procopio of the Massachusetts State Police said to CNN.

“We were also watching him with a thermal imaging camera in our helicopter. He was weakened by blood loss – injured last night most likely.”

Unconfirmed reports suggest that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was shot twice by law enforcement in the terrific gun battle which raged until his capture at approximately 8.45 p.m.

Law enforcement sources have suggested that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev gave himself up voluntarily after realizing continuing resistance was fruitless.

The standoff and subsequent arrest came only minutes after authorities said during a news conference that the manhunt for the suspect appeared to come up empty.

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Sichuan earthquake kills at least 46 people and injures other 400 in China

A powerful earthquake hit China’s south-western province of Sichuan killing at least 46 people and injuring at least 400, state TV reports.

The US Geological Survey (USGS) said the quake, which had a 6.6 magnitude, was centred 31 miles west of the town of Linqiong.

The tremor occurred at a depth of 7.4 miles.

There are fears the death toll could rise further.

An 8.0 magnitude quake in Sichuan in May 2008 killed nearly 90,000 people.

An 8.0 magnitude earthquake in Sichuan in May 2008 killed nearly 90,000 people
An 8.0 magnitude earthquake in Sichuan in May 2008 killed nearly 90,000 people

The latest quake – initially reported as a 7.0 magnitude, and then at 6.9 – struck at 08:02 local time, the USGS said.

The earthquake was felt 71 miles away in the provincial capital, Chengdu, according to China’s state news agency Xinhua.

People ran into the streets wrapped in blankets, according to photos posted online. Other pictures showed buildings that had collapsed.

A resident in Chengdu told Xinhua he had been on the 13th floor of a building when he felt the quake. The building shook for about 20 seconds and he saw tiles fall from nearby buildings.

Electrical and water supplies have reportedly been cut to the affected area.

Telephone lines are also believed to be down.

Xinhua said 2,000 soldiers had been dispatched to the area to help with rescue efforts.

The city of Ya’an, close to the epicentre, has a population of 1.5 million.

The USGS noted that “significant” casualties were likely and that “extensive damage is probable and disaster is likely widespread”.

“Past events with this alert level have required a national or international level response,” it added.

The 2008 disaster in Sichuan left 5 million people homeless.

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Dzhokhar Tsarnaev in serious condition at Boston hospital

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Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the student wanted in the Boston Marathon bombing, was captured wounded but alive after hiding out in a boat parked in a backyard in Watertown on Friday evening.

The arrest of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev signaled the end of five days of terror set-off by the double bombing at the Boston Marathon finish line.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the student wanted in the Boston Marathon bombing, was captured wounded but alive after hiding out in a boat parked in a backyard in Watertown
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the student wanted in the Boston Marathon bombing, was captured wounded but alive after hiding out in a boat parked in a backyard in Watertown

The bloody endgame came four days after the bombing and just a day after the FBI released surveillance-camera images of two young men suspected of planting the pressure-cooker explosives that ripped through the crowd at the marathon finish line, killing three people and wounding more than 180.

His older brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, lay dead in a furious 24-hour drama that transfixed the nation and paralyzed the Boston area with fear.

Relieved law enforcement officers began cheering and clapping after Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 19, was arrested and is now in a serious condition at
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and is reported to have lost a great deal of blood.

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Dzhokhar Tsarnaev captured alive after hiding in a boat in David Henneberry’s backyard in Watertown

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, Suspect 2 in the Boston Marathon bombings, has been captured alive in Watertown and taken into custody, police have said.

Gunfire was heard as Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was reportedly found hiding in a boat in a backyard in Watertown.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 19, had escaped on foot early on Friday after a police shootout that claimed the life of his elder brother, 26-year-old Tamerlan Tsarnaev.

Three people died and more than 180 were hurt in Monday’s Boston Marathon bombings.

Boston Police Department tweeted: “CAPTURED!!! The hunt is over. The search is done. The terror is over. And justice has won. Suspect in custody.”

A law enforcement official told the Associated Press news agency that suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was covered in blood.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, Suspect 2 in the Boston Marathon bombings, has been captured alive in Watertown and taken into custody
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, Suspect 2 in the Boston Marathon bombings, has been captured alive in Watertown and taken into custody

Police helicopters buzzed overhead, and bomb squad vans and ambulances were in position around the house in Franklin Street in Watertown on Friday night.

CNN reported that a family of ten were removed from the scene and officers were seen carrying children.

The home reportedly belongs to Mr. Henneberry and Elizabeth Henneberry, a couple in their mid-sixties.

At one stage a series of about 15 explosions erupted, which local television channels speculated could have been flash-bang grenades used by the authorities.

A local resident, Anna Bedirian, told Reuters news agency: “There’s about 50 guys there with machine guns and they all got bulletproof vests on, some of them are holding shields.

“There are a couple of armored cars and they’re all standing around.”

Friday night’s breakthrough came less than an hour after authorities lifted a city-wide order for residents to stay indoors, and reopened the transport system, as the trail appeared to have gone cold.

Thousands of SWAT team officers scoured the streets all day in a manhunt that virtually shut down the city.

Officials had shut down all mass transit and warned close to one million people in Boston and some of its suburbs not to leave their homes.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, a college student, had fled on foot following a gun battle that left 200 spent rounds and a car chase in which he and his brother hurled explosives at police, authorities said.

Brothers Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev also shot and killed an MIT policeman and severely wounded another officer late on Thursday, authorities said, hours after the FBI released images of marathon-bombing suspects.

Law enforcement officials and family members have identified Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev as ethnic Chechens who had been living in America for about a decade.

The FBI interviewed Tamerlan Tsarnaev in 2011 after a request from a foreign government, US law enforcements officials have confirmed. But agents closed the case after finding no reason for concern.

Boston Marathon attack killed Martin Richard, 8, Krystle Campbell, 29, and Lu Lingzi, 23, a postgraduate student from China.

Authorities have taken three people into custody in connection with the Boston bombings in New Bedford, Massachusetts, 65 miles south of the city, the Boston Globe reports. It is unknown how they were connected to the case.

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2013 Vanity Fair Top 10 Best-Dressed Pregnant Ladies: Kate Middleton voted world’s best-dressed pregnant star

Kate Middleton has been voted the world’s best-dressed pregnant star in Vanity Fair‘s annual Top 10 Best-Dressed Pregnant Ladies.

Ranking the world’s most stylish expectant mothers, Vanity Fair placed Alec Hilaria Baldwin, second, and Peaches Geldof third.

Halle Berry, Penelope Cruz and Lara Stone, with their closets full of figure-hugging dresses and numerous expertly-layered red carpet outfits, were not far behind.

While many pregnant women avoid belly-hugging clothing, bright colors, and luxurious fabrics – instead opting for elastic waists, and materials synonymous with comfort, like Lycra, jersey, and cotton – these stars have no lack of style inspiration.

The Duchess of Cambridge, for example, has set the maternity-fashion bar high.

Kate Middleton’s classic pieces have inspired and influenced the wardrobes of countless mothers-to-be, concealing her relatively small bump with three-quarter-length coats and knee-grazing skirts that draw attention to her toned legs.

Meanwhile Hilaria Baldwin, 28, has become famous for her simple, low-maintenance pregnancy style.

Kate Middleton has been voted the world's best-dressed pregnant star in Vanity Fair's annual Top 10 Best-Dressed Pregnant Ladies
Kate Middleton has been voted the world’s best-dressed pregnant star in Vanity Fair’s annual Top 10 Best-Dressed Pregnant Ladies

She favors body-hugging, sleeveless dresses that highlight her strong limbs.

Peaches Geldof, 24, has taken a cue from old-world Hollywood glamour, showing off her baby bump in sophisticated gowns – “considerably more maternal than her (occasionally barely clothed) wild-child days of yore,” wrote Vanity Fair.

Penelope Cruz, who is expecting her second child, has style with signature styles she favored pre-pregnancy – like a belted waist.

Favoring tight, floor-skimming black-tie outfits in eye-popping colors in Lara Stone, who plays down her seductive style with off-duty hair and lips.

Ranked ninth is Margherita Missoni, pregnant with her first child, while model Eva Herzigová follows for tenth place thanks to her downtown and “decidedly un-dowdy” maternity wear.

Vanity Fair’s Top 10 Best-Dressed Pregnant Ladies 2013:

1. Kate Middleton

2. Hilaria Baldwin

3. Peaches Geldof

4. Halle Berry

5. Penelope Cruz

6. Elaine Irwin

7. Romalo Garai

8. Lara Stone

9. Margherita Missoni

10. Eva Herzigova

Amazon and LoveFilm to pilot 14 TV shows online

Amazon and its UK-based subsidiary LoveFilm are to put to the public vote on their websites 14 pilot shows, including Alpha House and Zombieland.

Viewers can submit feedback influencing which shows get made into full series.

The 14 shows are made by independent production companies and produced by Amazon Studios, the film and series production arm of Amazon.

“This is the first time Amazon Studios has done this,” said Simon Morris, LoveFilm’s chief marketing officer.

Eight adult comedies and six children’s animation series will be put to the public vote.

The shows will be aired on Amazon’s pay subscription services – Amazon Prime in the US, and LoveFilm in the UK.

Amazon and LoveFilm are to put to the public vote on their websites 14 pilot shows, including Alpha House and Zombieland
Amazon and LoveFilm are to put to the public vote on their websites 14 pilot shows, including Alpha House and Zombieland

Simon Morris said shows would be available to everyone and not just subscribers.

The adult pilot shows include Alpha House, about four senators who live together in a rented house in Washington DC and stars John Goodman, who was recently in Oscar-winning film Argo.

“Bill Murray has got a cameo in Alpha House, looking a bit older, a little bit more bedraggled, but definitely Bill Murray,” Simon Morris added.

Onion News Empire is set behind the scenes of the Onion News Network, a satirical daily news service, and “shows just how far journalists will go to stay at the top of their game”, according to Amazon Studios.

It stars Arrested Development‘s Jeffrey Tambor as the “egomaniacal lead anchor”.

Musical comedy Browsers stars Cheers and Frasier actress Bebe Neuwirth as the “terrifying” boss of a news website in Manhattan.

Other pilot shows include Zombieland – based on the film of the same name – featuring four survivors attempting to outwit zombies, while animated comedy Dark Minions, written by Big Bang Theory’s Kevin Sussman and John Ross Bowie, is about two “slackers” working on an intergalactic warship.

The children’s shows include animations Sara Solves It, where Sara and Sam solve maths-based mysteries, and Creative Galaxy, an interactive art adventure series.

Ruslan Tsarni: Uncle of Boston suspects Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev called them “losers”

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Ruslan Tsarni, uncle of two Boston Marathon bombing suspects Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev, has said he wishes his nephews “never existed” and called them both “losers”.

Ruslan Tsarni held a press conference outside of his home in Montgomery Village, Maryland, where he said that they had brought “shame” on both their family and their country.

He described the older brother, Tamerlan, as a “loser” and said the pair were “barbarians”.

“I’ve been watching it and reading it. The people who did this, they don’t deserve to even exist on this Earth, that is what I think,” Ruslan Tsarni said.

“I just wish they never existed. I’m wordless. I’m shocked.”

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 19, went on the run after his 26-year-old brother Tamerlan was killed in a shoot-out with police in Massachusetts.

Ruslan Tsarni held a press conference outside of his home in Montgomery Village, Maryland
Ruslan Tsarni held a press conference outside of his home in Montgomery Village, Maryland

Ruslan Tsarni is a US citizen and worked in oil and gas legislation for more than a decade.

In 2005 he was hired as the vice president of business development and corporate secretary of Big Sky Energy Corporation in Canada but now he lives in Maryland.

Ruslan Tsarni said that the brothers had lived in America for nearly decade since traveling from Chechnya in Russia.

He had not spoken to the boys since 2009 and said that he did not recognize them when he saw the photos released by the FBI on Thursday evening.

Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev lived together near Boston, having moved to the US around a decade ago after growing up in an area of Russia near Chechnya.

When he was told that Tamerlan Tsarnaev had died, Ruslan Tsarni replied: “He deserved it. He absolutely deserved his it.”

Ruslan Tsarni tried to make it clear that he was ashamed of his nephews actions and urged viewers not to build a connection between their Muslim faith or their ethnicity.

“Anything else to do with religion with Islam is a fraud, is a fake. We’re Muslims, we’re Chechens, we’re ethnic Chechens,” he said.

Because it has been some time since he spoke to either of the boys, Ruslan Tsarni did not know what prompted their terrorist attack, saying that perhaps “somebody radicalized them but it’s not my brother”.

“[It’s] a shame on the entire Chechen ethnicity.”

Ruslan Tsarni said that the only possible reason for the bombings was because Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev were “being losers and not being able to settle themselves and hating everyone else who did”.

Though Ruslan Tsarni had not spoken to either of the suspected bombers in years, his brother- their father- said that he had been in touch with them just yesterday.

The suspects’ uncle added: “I’m wordless… shocked.

“They do not deserve to exist on this earth.”

Ruslan Tsarni called Tamerlan Tsarnaev a “loser” and described his younger nephew, Dzhokhar, as a quiet kid.

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Anzor Tsarnaev: Boston bombers’ father defends Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev

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Anzor Tsarnaev, the father of suspected marathon bombers Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, was screaming and yelling while talking about how he could not believe the charges against his sons.

“They never could have done this. Never, ever, ever!” said the father, who lives in an area of Russia called Makhachkala.

Anzor Tsarnaev also said that he believes that his sons were set up, and without going into specifics, he said that if his younger son was killed once he is found, then he would see it as proof that there was a conspiracy afoot.

“If they killed him, then all hell would break loose,” Anzor Tsarnaev told ABC News.

“If they kill my second child, I will know that it is an inside job, a hit job. The police are to blame.”

In a surprising twist, Anzor Tsarnaev said that he spoke to both of his sons just Thursday, days after the two bombs killed three and injured more than 180 people at the Boston marathon on Monday.

The boys told him: “Everything is good, Daddy. Everything is very good.”

When asked what he would say to his living son, Dzhokhar, he said: “Give up. Give up. You have a bright future ahead of you. Come home to Russia.”

The ABC reporter said that Anzor Tsarnaev was rather calm during their conversation, but that wasn’t the case when he spoke to People magazine earlier, as he was described as screaming and yelling.

“I feel terrible! Why they kill my son? Something wrong! My sons never do bombing. They hated guns – how they do bombs?” the father told People.

“I talked to my sons yesterday, both of them. We talked about the bombing. I was worried about them, they said they were okay.”

The first suspect- identified by officials as 26-year-old Tamerlan Tsarnaev- was shot and killed during a firefight with police but his younger brother Dzhokhar was able to escape and remains on the run.

He went on to say that they were good kids with “big dreams”.

Anzor Tsarnaev believes that his sons were set up and if his younger son was killed once he is found, then he would see it as proof that there was a conspiracy afoot
Anzor Tsarnaev believes that his sons were set up and if his younger son was killed once he is found, then he would see it as proof that there was a conspiracy afoot

“I am very depressed. How am I going to live? Never I think in my mind this happen. My sons hate people who do bombs, they hate terrorists. Why they kill my son? And where is my other son? They have time to catch my other son, not kill,” Anzor Tsarnaev said.

Earlier on Friday, Anzor Tsarnaev talked to the Associated Press, calling Dzhokhar “a true angel”.

“Dzhokhar is a second-year medical student in the U.S. He is such an intelligent boy. We expected him to come on holidays here.”

The siblings’ mother, Zubeidat Tsarnaeva, gave an interview to the English-language Russian news channel RT America, insisting that her sons are “100 per cent innocent”, and that they have been framed.

“This is a set up, my son would never ever carry out such terror attack,” Zubeidat Tsarnaeva said Friday.

The mother went on to say: “FBI knew everything what my son was doing, told me he was serious leader, that they were afraid of him.”

Zubeidat Tsarnaeva went on to say that Dzhokhar was raised in the US and insisted that “no one ever talked about terror” in their house.

That favorable picture of Dzhokhar, 19, and Tamerlan, 26, comes in stark contrast to what one of their uncles recalled.

Ruslan Tsarni, an uncle of the Boston bombing suspect who died early Friday morning, said that he was a “loser”.

Rather than being upset about his nephew’s death, Ruslan Tsarni, who lives in Maryland, called Tamerlan a “loser” and said that he “deserved” his death this morning.

The boys’ aunt, Maret Tsarnaeva, is a surgeon who lives in Canada. She used to be in Chechnya and her acts as a battlefield surgeon are described in a book.

“This is a huge tragedy for the family. My brother’s two boys, they are growing up so fast,” she told The Toronto Sun.

“My first reaction is, <<Why the hell would they do this?>> But when I go through all the material, it’s not giving anything… the whole world is now making a decision (on them) now by just seeing these pictures and not having anything else.”

Maret Tsarnaeva told how her older brother Anzor had high expectations for his children, especially his older son Tamerlan.

Anzor Tsarnaev was disappointed when he heard that Tamerlan, who was killed in a shoot out early Friday morning, had dropped out of college, but she thought that he had a happy life.

“Within the family, everything was perfect,” she said.

One hint of tension that she did reveal, however, was that Tamerlan Tsarnaev “seemingly did not find himself yet in America, because it’s not easy”.

She said that the 26-year-old became a devout Muslim “but just recently, maybe two years ago, he started praying five times a day’.

“He has a wife in Boston and from a Christian family, so you can’t tie it to religion,” Maret Tsarnaeva told reporters.

The FBI has cordoned off the three-story brick building where the bombers’ sister lives in West New York, near Union city in New Jersey.

The New Jersey Star Ledger spoke to her earlier in the day and she said that she has not been in frequent contact with either of them.

“They were great people. I never would have expected it. They are smart – I don’t know what’s gotten into them,” she said.

When asked if she was okay, she said: “No I’m not okay– no one is okay right now. I’m hurt for everyone who has been hurt. I’m sorry for all the people who are hurt and for all the people who lost their lives.”

Several former classmates described Dzhokhar Tsarnaev as a friendly, smart kid, and they said they were shocked that he was part of the pair who killed three and injured more than 180 in the marathon bombings on Monday.

An unidentified friend told CNN that he “hung out, went to parties, smoked some weed… it’s not like he’s some foreign dude”.

A different uncle, Alvi Tsarni, who lives close by in Boston was visibly upset when he spoke about his nephews.

“I don’t believe any of my nephews are involved in this horrible incident,” Alvi Tsarni told the Boston CBS affiliate WBZ.

“If he did this I’m sorry too. It’s crazy, it’s not possible. I can’t believe it. Who can do this stuff?”

Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries divorce case settled after 536 days

Kris Humphries has finally decided to settle with Kim Kardashian in their divorce case after battling for 536 days, which is over five times as long as the marriage itself lasted.

According to sources, Kris Humphries backed down after no evidence of fraud perpetrated by Kim Kardashian emerged.

Kris Humphries, 27,  was then forced to consider mounting legal costs and the prospect of losing any pay-out from his estranged wife – a pre-nup would be invoked if the trial got to court.

Kris Humphries has finally decided to settle with Kim Kardashian in their divorce case after battling for 536 days
Kris Humphries has finally decided to settle with Kim Kardashian in their divorce case after battling for 536 days

This means that the NBA player has most likely agreed to a divorce – as Kim Kardashian wished – and dropped his pleas for an annulment based on fraud, and sources are saying the judge has signed off divorce papers and dissolved the marriage.

Kris Humphries, who was ordered by the judge to attend Friday’s hearing so he could face fines for last no show, skipped the appointment.

Kim Kardashian acquitted herself well by refusing to revel in getting the verdict she wanted, and looked stunning in a beautiful, suitably black fitted dress.

Nicolas Maduro sworn in as Venezuela’s new president in Caracas ceremony

Nicolas Maduro has been sworn in as Venezuela’s new president, succeeding the late Hugo Chavez who died of cancer last month.

Thousands gathered on the streets of Caracas to show their support for Nicolas Maduro and to celebrate independence.

The inauguration ceremony follows a decision by the electoral body to carry out a full audit on all of the votes cast in Sunday’s disputed presidential poll.

Nicolas Maduro beat opposition leader Henrique Capriles Radonski by 1.5% of the vote.

Henrique Capriles, who believed there were voting irregularities, says he accepts the electoral audit.

Opposition supporters were expected to protest against Nicolas Maduro’s inauguration by banging on pots and pans, and playing salsa music.

Nicolas Maduro has been sworn in as Venezuela’s new president, succeeding the late Hugo Chavez who died of cancer last month
Nicolas Maduro has been sworn in as Venezuela’s new president, succeeding the late Hugo Chavez who died of cancer last month

Dozens of leaders from across the region (including Brazil, Cuba and Colombia), Iran and some Arab countries attended the ceremony.

Henrique Capriles made an appeal for peaceful protests in a bid to avoid further violence after clashes left seven people dead on Monday.

The National Electoral Council’s decision to audit all the paper receipts of electronic votes is seen as a major concession to the opposition.

The council had earlier audited 54% of the vote and said this showed that Nicolas Maduro, the chosen successor of the late President Hugo Chavez, had won a slim majority.

The official count indicates Nicolas Maduro won 50.8% of votes to Henrique Capriles’s 49.0%.

Henrique Capriles said he believed the crucial votes that cost him the presidency are among the unaudited 46% of the vote.

He said there were more than 3,000 incidents from Sunday’s poll that needed to be examined.

Correspondents say the announcement comes as a surprise to many after the electoral body initially said the results, which it announced on Sunday night, were “irreversible”.

The council’s president, Tibisay Lucena, told AFP news agency that the expanded audit was not a recount but would cover all ballot boxes not audited on election day by reviewing a sample two-thirds of them over the next month.

Venezuela uses electronic voting machines which register an elector’s decision and then emit a printed receipt for the voter to deposit into a sealed ballot box. For the audit, the receipts will be compared with the electronic tallies, to check for any irregularities.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Cuban leader Raul Castro were among the first heads of state to congratulate Nicolas Maduro on his win.

The governments of Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Bolivia and Argentina, among others, have also voiced their backing for Nicolas Maduro’s victory.

But the US has so far refused to recognize Nicolas Maduro’s win, calling for an audit of the results.

Secretary of State John Kerry said the US was not yet ready to validate the results of Sunday’s poll.

Several opposition-led protests erupted across the country after the official results were announced on Sunday.

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Texas explosion: 12 confirmed dead from West Fertilizer blast

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Texas officials have announced that 12 bodies have been recovered from the site of Wednesday’s deadly blast at West Fertilizer plant.

About 200 people are now thought to have been injured in the blast.

Earlier, the town’s mayor said he believed four firefighters who attended the original fire were among the dead, though this has not been confirmed.

Dozens of buildings were destroyed by the blast in the town of West, near Waco.

Jason Reyes of the Texas Department of Public Safety said search and rescue efforts were ongoing.

Twelve bodies have been recovered from the site of deadly blast at West Fertilizer plant in Texas
Twelve bodies have been recovered from the site of deadly blast at West Fertilizer plant in Texas

The explosion produced a tremor similar to a small earthquake.

There is no indication that the blast and a fire which preceded it were anything other than industrial accidents, according to police.

However, they have said that the site is being treated as a crime scene.

Texas Governor Rick Perry earlier said he was declaring the area a disaster and would request an emergency declaration for federal aid from President Barack Obama, who has offered any help needed.

Air quality and gas pipelines are being monitored for safety, and gas supplies have also been disconnected until any risk has passed.

Emergency services officials earlier said the explosion may have been caused by the chemical ammonia.

The explosion devastated the West Fertilizer Company, about 20 miles north of Waco, in central Texas.

Dozens of homes were levelled and other buildings – including a school and nursing home a few hundred metres from the plant – were badly damaged.

Boston lockdown in major manhunt for Dzhokhar Tsarnaev

Large parts of the city of Boston remain in virtual lockdown amid a major manhunt for Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, one of two brothers suspected of bombing the city’s marathon on Monday.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 19, remains at large after he escaped a shoot-out in which another suspect, his brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, died.

Police said they had searched 60-70% of a locked-down area of a Boston suburb.

Three people died and more than 180 were hurt when two bombs exploded near the finish line of Monday’s Boston Marathon.

On Friday afternoon, Col. Timothy Alben of the Massachusetts State Police said officers in Watertown were searching “door to door, street to street” for the suspect, but there was as yet no word on his whereabouts.

Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick said there were “continuing developments” in the investigation, and that an order to stay indoors remained in place across the whole of Boston and surrounding suburbs.

Earlier the FBI released images of the two men they were hunting in relation to the bombing.

Police said one suspect – widely named in the US media as Tamerlan Tsarnaev – had been killed early on Friday, and they were looking for another suspect, later named as the dead man’s younger brother Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.

Both are said to be of Chechen origin, and are reported to have moved to the US about 10 years ago.

The manhunt began late on Thursday when university police officer Sean Collier, 26, was killed on the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) campus.

Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev carjacked a driver at gunpoint and drove away with the driver still in the car. They later released the man unharmed.

Police chased the suspects, who threw bombs and exchanged gunfire with police, seriously wounding one officer.

Large parts of the city of Boston remain in virtual lockdown amid a major manhunt for Dzhokhar Tsarnaev
Large parts of the city of Boston remain in virtual lockdown amid a major manhunt for Dzhokhar Tsarnaev

In the Boston suburb of Watertown, officers and the men were involved in a gun battle lasting 10 minutes, according to witnesses.

The authorities in Massachusetts Bay have suspended the transport system and no vehicles are being allowed in or out of the Watertown area.

The warning to stay indoors was later extended to the whole of Boston, in what correspondents said was an unprecedented move.

Meanwhile, President Barack Obama was briefed on developments in the manhunt and investigation for about an hour in the White House Situation Room.

Secretary of State John Kerry, also at the briefing on video link, said the authorities were “part of the way there” in bringing the Boston terror suspects to justice, AP reported.

Overnight, video footage emerged showing a fully-clothed suspect lying on the floor, surrounded by police. More video was shown by US media of a suspect being led into a police car after being stripped of his clothes.

But it is not clear who the men were, or what happened after their apparent arrests.

Dr. Richard Wolfe, of the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, said an individual was brought in with multiple blast and gunshot wounds to his upper body.

He was in cardiac arrest when he arrived at hospital and despite attempts to resuscitate him, he was pronounced dead at 01:35 a.m., Dr Wolfe said.

The authorities were investigating whether the dead man had a home-made bomb strapped to his body when he was killed, reports said.

Boston police Commissioner Ed Davis said he believed the man being hunted in the Watertown area was a “terrorist”.

“We believe this to be a man who came here to kill people,” he said.

A grey Honda CRV vehicle, which reports said had been sought in connection with the suspects, was found on Friday morning in the Boston area, Connecticut police said.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s father, Anzor Tsarnaev, said his son was a second year medical student in the US and was hoping to be a brain surgeon.

He also said that he believed the secret services had framed his sons.

“It was a terrorist attack carefully organized by secret services – I don’t know which ones. My son used to go to a mosque, so they once paid us a visit to ask why he is doing that.

“Yes, there was such an episode. So they put all the blame on him and shot him. That’s it.”

Ruslan Tsarni, an uncle of the suspects who lives in Maryland, said he was “ashamed” of their alleged involvement in the bombings.

“Yes of course we’re ashamed, they’re the children of my brother,” he said.

Asked what the bombers’ motives may have been, Ruslan Tsarni replied: “Being losers, hating everyone around them.”

Monday’s attack on the Boston Marathon killed Martin Richard, 8, Krystle Campbell, 29, and Lu Lingzi, 23, a postgraduate student from China.

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Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber reunited in Oslo?

It seems that Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber are back together as the Disney star was spotted flying into Norway on Thursday – which coincidentally is where Justin is currently performing.

Justin Bieber, 19, was performing in Oslo for his Believe tour to a packed house as Selena Gomez touched down at the local airport.

Sources told TMZ that Selena Gomez, 20, made the long trip for a very specific reason.

The possible rendezvous was publicized by a Norwegian pop star, according to TMZ, who tweeted a sighting of Selena Gomez on a flight from Los Angeles to Oslo.

An insider told TMZ that Selena Gomez arrival in Oslo was no accident and she was in fact there to see Justin Bieber.

Selena Gomez was spotted flying into Norway, where Justin Bieber is currently performing for his Believe tour
Selena Gomez was spotted flying into Norway, where Justin Bieber is currently performing for his Believe tour

It has been previously reported that Justin is Bieber tortured over Selena Gomez, who he alleges has been sending him “mixed signals”.

Although Justin Bieber may have other things to worry about at the moment.

The singer has been mired in more than one scandal of late after allegedly assaulting his neighbor and angrily launching himself at a photographer.

Meanwhile, Selena recently revealed that she still believes in love and has not grown jaded over the collapse of her relationship to Bieber.

Selena Gomez, who is a singer in her own right, told Harper’s Bazaar: “I believe in love – yes, I’m one of those girls.”

“Most of my friends believe in love.”

Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev wanted poster

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Just hours after the FBI released photos and video of the two Boston bombing suspects, the nearby town of Cambridge fell victim to rampage.

On Thursday night, 19-year-old Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev of Chechnya and his 26-year-old brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, were believed to have robbed a 7-Eleven with bombs strapped to their chest, then murdered a police officer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) campus and carjacked a Mercedes SUV with the driver still in the car for 30 minutes.

Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev FBI wanted poster
Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev FBI wanted poster

After dropping off the carjacking victim at a nearby gas station, at 11 p.m. police caught up to the SUV four miles outside of Cambridge where a shootout ensued between the suspects and authorities. Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev escaped the shootout in the SUV, driving over his wounded brother Tamerlan’s body in the process.

Tamerlan Tsarnaev died in the hospital around 4 a.m. Friday morning from blast wounds on his chest; an explosive device was found strapped to his person.

Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev remains at large with the FBI releasing his wanted poster.

Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev: Surviving suspect in Boston bombing was born in Dagestan near Chechnya

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Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev has been identified as the surviving suspect in Monday’s Boston Marathon bombings.

Photographs of 19-year-old Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev, currently the subject of a massive manhunt, appear to match the man who became known as Suspect 2 or “the suspect in the white hat”.

According to his account on the Russian social networking site VKontakte, Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev graduated from Boston’s Cambridge Rindge & Latin School in 2011, and attended School No 1 in Makhachkala, the capital of Dagestan, from 1999 to 2001.

Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev appears to have been a good student, having apparently received a $2,500 scholarship from the city of Cambridge in 2011 to pursue college. He was also named a wrestling all-star at his high school the same year.

On his VKontakte page, Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev says he considers “career and money” most important in life. As his world view, he wrote: “Islam”.

Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev graduated from Boston's Cambridge Rindge & Latin School in 2011, and attended School No 1 in Makhachkala, the capital of Dagestan, from 1999 to 2001
Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev graduated from Boston’s Cambridge Rindge & Latin School in 2011, and attended School No 1 in Makhachkala, the capital of Dagestan, from 1999 to 2001

The page says Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev speaks English, Russian and Chechen, and belongs to a number of groups devoted to Chechnya. Dagestan, a republic neighboring Chechnya, maintains a small Chechen minority.

Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev was born on 22 July 1993, just before a fierce battle for independence broke out in the Republic of Chechnya, which attempted to secede from Russia in the wake of the Soviet Union’s collapse. Over time, the independence movement grew increasingly Islamist in character. Largely quashed by Moscow, a low-level insurgency persists in Chechnya and has leaked into neighboring Dagestan.

On VKontakte, Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev follows several pages devoted to Islam. He also lists one of his favorite songs as Shaggy’s Hey Sexy Lady.

His brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26, has been identified as Suspect 1 and died overnight following a firefight with police.

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Tamerlan Tsarnaev: Black hat Boston bombing suspect killed during manhunt

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Boston police have identified Tamerlan Tsarnaev as the “black hat” bombing suspect, killed during the manhunt that followed.

Tamerlan Tsarnaev became a legal permanent resident, according to NBC, in 2007.

He died overnight in the firefight with police, suffering from “blast and potentially gunshot wounds …probably a blast injury [and] possibly shrapnel” throughout his trunk.

His brother, Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev, aged 19, is surviving Boston bomber, named Suspect 2 by police, who was seen on CCTV wearing a white baseball cap.

Freelance photographer Johannes Hirn made Tamerlan Tsarnaev the subject of a photo essay, titled Will Box for Passport, taken before the boxer competed at National Golden Gloves competition in Salt Lake City. The captions give us a micro-profile of suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev.

Boston police have identified Tamerlan Tsarnaev as the "black hat" bombing suspect, killed during the manhunt that followed (Photo Johannes Hirn)
Boston police have identified Tamerlan Tsarnaev as the “black hat” bombing suspect, killed during the manhunt that followed (Photo Johannes Hirn)

“Tamerlan, who studies at Bunker Hill Community College in Boston and wants to become an engineer, took the semester off from school to train for the competition.

Tamerlan fled Chechnya with his family because of the conflict in the early 90s, and lived for years in Kazakhstan before getting to the United States as a refugee.

Originally from Chechnya, but living in the United States since five years, Tamerlan says: <<I don’t have a single American friend, I don’t understand them.>>

If he wins enough fights… Tamerlan says he could be selected for the US Olympic team and be naturalized American. Unless his native Chechnya becomes independent, Tamerlan says he would rather compete for the United States than for Russia.

Tamerlan says he doesn’t drink or smoke anymore: <<God said no alcohol.>> A Muslim, he says: <<There are no values anymore>>, and worries that <<people can’t control themselves>>.”

Tamerlan Tsarnaev was arrested for domestic assault and battery in 2009 after allegedly assaulting his girlfriend, according to police records. A YouTube account linked with his Google Plus profile is focused on videos about Islam.

Tamerlan Tsarnaev was a competitive boxer for a club named Team Lowell, who won the Rocky Marciano Trophy for being New England Golden Gloves heavyweight champion in 2010. He did this while taking time off from school at Bunker Hill Community College, where he studied in hopes of being an engineer. He’s been boxing in the US since at least 2004, and his uncle told WBZ in Boston that he arrived in the United States in 2000 under refugee status.

The Lowell Sun wrote this about his bout at the Golden Gloves nationals in 2009: “In Team New England’s last bout of the night, Tamerlan Tsarnaev dropped a controversial decision to Lamar Fenner of Chicago in the 201-pound devision.

“After flooring Fenner with a huge punch that required an eight count, it seemed that Tsarnaev was in control of the whole fight.

“Yet somehow the judges saw it differently and awarded Fenner the decision, a decision that drew boos from the crowd.

“Team New England finished the first day of action with two wins and two losses.”

Johannes Hirn photo gallery features Tamerlan Tsarnaev’ss girlfriend at the time, and the caption reads:

“Tamerlan says his girlfriend is half Portuguese, half Italian girlfriend and converted to Islam: <<She’s beautiful, man!>>”

Other photo captions in the gallery:

“Tamerlan demonstrates a way of walking to strengthen the ankle muscles at the Wai Kru Mixed Martial Arts center. A native of Chechnya, Tamerlan says: <<In Russia, we used to train like this. Here nobody does it, I don’t know why!>>.

“Tamerlan says he loves the movie “Borat,” even though some of the jokes are a bit too much.”

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Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev: Chechnya origin brothers identified as Boston bombing suspects

The Boston bombing suspects have been identified as brothers Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev, who are originally from a Russian region near Chechnya and lived in the US for at least one year, sources told the Associated Press.

The surviving Boston bomber, named Suspect 2 by police, who was seen on CCTV wearing a white baseball cap, has been identified as Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev, aged 19.

Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev is said to be from Russia’s south, not far from the Chechen Republic.

The man reportedly lived in Turkey before arriving legally in the US about a year ago.

The Boston bombing suspects have been identified as brothers originally from a Russian region near Chechnya
The Boston bombing suspects have been identified as brothers originally from a Russian region near Chechnya

The name is listed among the recipients of Cambridge scholarships in 2011.

His brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26, has been
identified as Suspect 1 and died overnight following a firefight with police.

His brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26, has been identified as Suspect 1 and died overnight following a firefight with police.

NBC News’ Pete Williams said earlier Friday morning that the two suspects likely had “foreign military training,” and had been in the country for about a year.

Later he said they were brothers, and added: “They were legal permanent residents. They were in this country legally, at least a year. They appear to be from Turkey, possibly Chechens from Turkey. That seems to be the nationality here.”

Dzhokhar A Tsarnaev identified as one of the Boston Marathon bombing suspects
Dzhokhar A Tsarnaev identified as one of the Boston Marathon bombing suspects

Just before 7 a.m. Friday morning, the Associated Press confirmed Pete Williams’ reporting and naming Tsarnaev.

Born July 22, 1993, according to Pete Williams, Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev attended Cambridge Rindge and Latin School, has a Massachusetts drivers’ license and has been in the country for around a decade.

Tamerlan Tsarnaev became a legal permanent resident, according to NBC, in 2007.

He died overnight in the firefight with police, suffering from “blast and potentially gunshot wounds …probably a blast injury [and] possibly shrapnel” throughout his trunk.

A previous NBC report claims the two immigrated at least two years ago.

Both brothers are said to have Massachusetts drivers’licenses.

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CISPA bill passed by the House of Representatives

The controversial CISPA (Cyber Information Sharing and Protection Act) has been passed by the US House of Representatives.

CISPA is designed to help combat cyberthreats by making it easier for law enforcers to get at web data.

This is the second time CISPA has been passed by the House. Senators threw out the first draft, saying it did not do enough to protect privacy.

CISPA could fail again in the Senate after threats from President Obama to veto it over privacy concerns.

A substantial majority of politicians in the House backed the bill.

The controversial CISPA has been passed by the US House of Representatives
The controversial CISPA has been passed by the US House of Representatives

The law is passing through the US legislative system as American federal agencies warn that malicious hackers, motivated by money or acting on behalf of foreign governments, such as China, are one of the biggest threats facing the nation.

“If you want to take a shot across China’s bow, this is the answer,” said Mike Rogers, the Republican politician who co-wrote CISPA and chairs the House Intelligence Committee.

CISPA has also secured the backing of several technology firms, including the CTIA wireless industry group, as well as the TechNet computer industry lobby group, which has Google, Apple and Yahoo as members. By contrast, the social news website Reddit has been vocal in its opposition to the bill. In March, Facebook said it no longer supported CISPA.

The bill could fail again in the Senate after the Obama administration’s threat to use its veto unless changes were made. The White House wants amendments so more is done to ensure the minimum amount of data is handed over in investigations.

The American Civil Liberties Union has also opposed CISPA, saying the bill was “fatally flawed”. The Electronic Frontier Foundation, Reporters Without Borders and the American Library Association have all voiced similar worries.

CISPA’s authors say existing amendments have addressed many of the criticisms and more oversight was being given to data before it was handed over.

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Boston attack: Suspect 1 dead and Suspect 2 on the loose in Watertown

One of the Boston Marathon bombing suspects is dead and the second is on the loose and said to be “armed and dangerous” after a dramatic shootout in the suburb of Watertown.

The terrorist, dubbed “Suspect 1” by the FBI, died in hospital after explosions and machine gun fire rocked the Watertown area hours after a police officer was shot dead at the nearby MIT campus.

Police warned the other, named “Suspect 2”, who was seen on CCTV wearing a white baseball cap was now on the run, adding: “We believe this to be a terrorist.”

Boston Police Chief Ed Davis tweeted: “One suspect dead. One at large. Armed and dangerous. White hat suspect at large.”

Boston descended into chaos on Friday morning as police dramatically held a suspect at gunpoint after multiple shots and explosions were heard in the suburb of Watertown.

One of the Boston Marathon bombing suspects is dead and the second is on the loose and said to be “armed and dangerous” after a dramatic shootout in the suburb of Watertown
One of the Boston Marathon bombing suspects is dead and the second is on the loose and said to be “armed and dangerous” after a dramatic shootout in the suburb of Watertown

The drama unfolded hours after the FBI released images of two men named as suspects in the deadly Boston Marathon attacks and the Boston Globe has said the two men involved in this evenings shoot-out are those same men.

Police screamed at reporters on the scene to turn off phones “if they want to live” as they hunted for the suspects – fearful that improvised explosives could be remotely detonated.

Dozens of police officers, FBI agents, national guard, K-9 units and SWAT teams rushed to Watertown after midnight after a reported car chase involving the two suspects in a black 2013 Mercedes.

According to eyewitness reports, two men believed to be in their early twenties engaged in a furious gun fight with dozens of police on a backstreet of Watertown.

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