Top News Stories –

American Pie lyrics sell for $1.2m –
The original manuscript of Don McLean’s American Pie has sold for $1.2m (£806,000) at a New York auction. The 16-page draft had been expected to fetch as much as $1.5m (£1m) at the Christie’s sale. McLean had hinted in February the original manuscript would reveal the song’s lyrical meaning – which had always been kept a mystery. “The writing and the lyrics will divulge everything there is to divulge,” he said. The 69-year-old previously acknowledged the beginning of the song is about the death of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper – Jiles P Richardson – in a plane crash, but has remained elusive about the rest of the track. (See List of the Day) [BBC]

Lindsay Lohan Attempts to “Break the Internet” With Her Clothes On in Racy Jumpsuit –
Step aside, Kim Kardashian, there’s another former Hollywood party girl looking to effectively “break the Internet.” On Saturday, March 7, Lindsay Lohan posted a shot of herself in Paris on Twitter, wearing a revealing black lace jumpsuit and hat. [US Magazine]
Lindsay Lohan Tweet – copyright @LindsayLohan Twitter

US judge strikes out Prince Andrew sex claims –
Claims that a woman was forced to have sex with Prince Andrew when she was 17 are to be struck from the record of a civil case in the US, a judge has said. The Duke of York was named in court papers in Florida by a woman alleging financier Jeffrey Epstein forced her to have sex with the duke three times. But Judge Kenneth Marra said the “lurid” claims were “unnecessary” to decide the civil case. Buckingham Palace has previously “emphatically” denied the allegations. [BBC]

Rand Paul announces 2016 White House bid –
Senator Rand Paul has announced he is launching a 2016 presidential election campaign on the Republican ticket. “Today begins the journey to take America back,” he said in a campaign event in Kentucky. Mr Paul, a Kentucky senator, stands out from the Republican pack because of his comparatively libertarian views. He becomes the second Republican to enter the contest that concludes in November 2016.

Apple wants to stop fans queuing outside stores for its watch –
Internal memo urges staff to tell customers to order Apple Watch online instead of waiting outside stores. Apple wants to stop hundreds of people queuing outside stores when its smartwatch goes on sale later this month. The technology giant has adopted a “significant change in mindset” and urged staff to tell customers to order the Apple Watch online, an internal memo stated. [Daily Telegraph]

Video of the Day –

Dark Horse: An all-electric ’68 Mustang’s quest to shatter records from The Verge on Vimeo.

List of the day –

Don McLean’s studio albums –

Top Twitter Trends –

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Intervention in Yemen
  • The World Health Organisation estimates that 560 people have died, more than 1,700 people have been injured and more than 100,000 people have fled their homes following the intensification of fighting three weeks ago. (AP via Virginia Gazette)

Disasters and accidents

• Following the deployment of 350 police, over 600 firefighters and over 400 soldiers, the fire at the Dragon Aromatics chemical plant in Zhangzhou(southeast China) restarts, forcing the evacuation of residents within a radius of 18km from the plant. (South China Morning Post)
• Widespread power outages are reported in Washington D.C. after an explosion at a Maryland power plant. (CNN), (ABC 6)

Law and crime

• The Parliament of Malaysia passes the Prevention of Terrorism Act which allows the Government to detain terrorism suspects without charge.(AFP via France 24)
• At least 20 people die in a shootout between Indian police and timber smugglers in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh. (AFP via Straits Times)
• American judge Kenneth Marra strikes out claims that Virginia Roberts was forced to have sex with Prince Andrew, Duke of York in her claim against Jeffrey Epstein. (BBC)
• Raiders using specialist cutting equipment break into an underground vault in the Hatton Garden Safe Deposit company in the London diamond district and empty 300 safety deposit boxes. (Daily Mail)
• A South Carolinian policeman is charged with murder after video footage emerges of him shooting 8 times an unarmed man in the back who was attempting to flee on foot following a traffic stop. (Post and Courier)

Politics and elections

• U.S. Senator from Kentucky Rand Paul announces that he will seek the Republican nomination for the U.S. presidency in 2016. (USA Today)
• Chicagoan mayoral election
  • Rahm Emanuel is re-elected to a second term as Mayor of Chicago, defeating opponent Jesús “Chuy” García in the city’s first mayoral runoff election since switching to non-partisan elections 20 years ago. (Chicago Tribune)

Sports

• 2015 NCAA Women’s Division I Basketball Tournament
  • The Connecticut Huskies defeat the Notre Dame Fighting Irish 63-53 to win their third successive NCAA Division I women’s basketball championship. (New York Times)

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