Top News Stories –

New York’s two billion dollar bunny battle –
Brooklyn woman accused of cruelty by keeping more than 170 rabbits in empty lot hits back with law suit against accusers. A New York woman has appeared in court over Easter charged with keeping 176 rabbits in filthy conditions. Dorota Trec, 35, has become known as the Rabbit Woman of Gowanus, after the Brooklyn neighbourhood where she lives with a rapidly proliferating collections of bunnies. She faces up to a year in jail if found guilty of two animal cruelty charges. Prosecutors allege her pets are suffering from diseases such as syphilis and have bite wounds from frequent fights. Trec, who is a piano teacher, is now accusing an animal welfare campaigner, Natalie Reeves, and others of a smear campaign and is seeking $2 billion in damages after the rabbits were taken away. [Daily Telegraph]

Ranulph Fiennes risks his life in 156 mile Sahara race –
Sir Ranulph Fiennes, the explorer, has told how he is “putting his life on the line” by attempting to complete the Marathon des Sables.
Should the 71-year-old succeed, he will become the oldest Briton to complete the six-day ultra-marathon in the Moroccan desert. The explorer will face temperatures of 50C. “People say I must be mad, especially as I don’t like the heat,” he said. “I am putting my life on the line.” The Marathon des Sables covers 251km, including the distance of a marathon a day and a double marathon another day. Runners carry everything they need on their backs. Sir Ranulph will be raising money for Marie Curie. [Daily Telegraph]
Sir Ranulph Fiennes

Video of the Day –

Hockey Sounds from Scott Duffy on Vimeo.

List of the day –

The 11 greatest children’s books (according to the BBC)
1. EB White, Charlotte’s Web (1952)
2. CS Lewis, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1950)
3. Maurice Sendak, Where the Wild Things Are (1963)
4. Lewis Carroll, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865)
5. Louisa May Alcott, Little Women (1868)
6. Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince (1943)
7. AA Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh (1926)
8. Roald Dahl, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (1964)
9. Ursula K Le Guin, A Wizard of Earthsea (1968)
10. Madeleine L’Engle, A Wrinkle In Time (1962)
11. Laura Ingalls Wilder, Little House on the Prairie (1935)

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Other News Stories –

Accidents and disasters

• 6 people die in Malaysian helicopter crash. (ABC) (CBC)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Sinai Insurgency
  • Egypt kills over 100 people around Sheikh Zuweid in retaliation for the 15 Egyptian soldiers that were killed by ISIL-affiliated groups in the past week. (PressTV)
  • ISIL affiliated groups have claimed responsibility for killing the 15 soldiers. (ABC)(CTV)

International Relations

• Russia convenes a UNSC session to discuss Saudi Arabian attacks in Yemen after Royal Saudi Air Force bombed a refugee camp, killing dozens. (RT)(Sputnik)

Law and crime

• The United States Army is probing alleged sexual assaults committed by its soldiers in Colombia between 2003-2007. (USA Today)

Politics and elections

• Indiana Senate Bill 101
  • A crowdfunding effort to support a Christian-owned Indiana pizza shop that closed its doors after receiving death and arson threats in response to the shop’s owner saying it would not cater a same-sex wedding ends with over $840,000 being raised. (NBC News)

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