Top News Stories –

Jeremy Clarkson dropped from Top Gear, BBC confirms –
Jeremy Clarkson’s contract will not be renewed after an “unprovoked physical attack” on a Top Gear producer, the BBC’s director general has confirmed. Tony Hall said he had “not taken this decision lightly” and recognised it would “divide opinion”. However, he added “a line has been crossed” and he “cannot condone what has happened on this occasion”. Clarkson was suspended on 10 March, following what was called a “fracas” with Top Gear producer Oisin Tymon. The row, which took place in a Yorkshire hotel, was said to have occurred because no hot food was provided following a day’s filming. An internal investigation found that Mr Tymon took himself to hospital after he was subject to an “unprovoked physical and verbal attack”. [BBC]
Jeremy Clarkson changed his Twitter profile from “Presenter on the BBC2 motoring show,Top Gear” to “I used to be a presenter on the BBC2 motoring show,Top Gear”

Zayn Malik is leaving One Direction and group continues as four-piece –
Zayn Malik has left One Direction, the band said in a statement today. They will continue as a four-piece for their world tour and to record their fifth album later this year. Malik said: “My life with One Direction has been more than I could ever have imagined. But, after five years, I feel like it is now the right time for me to leave the band. “I’d like to apologise to the fans if I’ve let anyone down, but I have to do what feels right.” Malik quit the band’s world tour last week after being signed off with stress. [BBC]
Zayn Malik

Video of the Day –

The Bucket Board

THE BUCKET BOARD from mac premo on Vimeo.

List of the day –

One Direction’s workload (from the BBC)

The X Factor tour – 19 February to 9 April 2011 (33 dates)

Up All Night album recording – April to October 2011

What Makes You Beautiful is released – 11 September 2011

Up All Night is released – 18 November 2011

Up All Night tour – 18 Dec 2011 to 1 July 2012 (53 dates)

Take Me Home album recording – May to August 2012

Live While You’re Young is released – 28 September 2012

Take Me Home is released – 9 November 2012

This is Us film is shot – January 2013

Take Me Home tour (when they start recording Midnight Memories as well) – 23 February to 3 November 2013 (123 dates)

Best Song Ever is released – 22 July 2013

This is Us world premiere – 20 August 2013

Midnight Memories is released – 25 November 2013

Where We Are tour – 25 April 2014 to 5 October 2014 (71 shows)

Steal My Girl is released – 29 September 2014

Four is released – 17 November 2014

On The Road Again tour – 7 February 2015 to now (19 dates so far)

Top Twitter Trends –

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

• War in Afghanistan (2015–present)
  • The Afghan National Army kills twenty-nine insurgents and injures twenty-one others in a series of operations inDaikundi, Ghazni, and Parwan provinces during the past 24 hours. (Tolonews)
• Aftermath of the 2014–15 Yemeni coup d’état
  • Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi flees Yemen in a boat after Houthi rebels besiege the government’s temporary capital of Aden in the southern part of the country. (AP)
  • Southern Yemen offensive (2015)
    • The Gulf Cooperation Council announces its intervention in Yemen and Saudi Arabia begins launching airstrikes against Houthi forces and installations. (CBS News)

Arts and culture

• The BBC sacks the presenter for Top Gear, Jeremy Clarkson. (BBC)

Business and economy

• American companies Kraft Foods and H.J. Heinz announce merger plans to create a combined company, The Kraft Heinz Company, which will be led by the present CEO of Heinz, Bernardo Hees. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

• Germanwings Flight 9525
  • A search and recovery operation resumes for the remains of the Germanwings flight that crashed into the French Alps on March 24. (BBC)
  • An audio recording indicates that a pilot was locked out of the cockpit at the time of the crash and was unable to reenter. (The New York Times)
• North American tornado outbreaks
  • Tornadoes hit the American city of Tulsa and the surrounding region of eastern Oklahoma leaving one person dead and several others injured. (News on 6), (BBC)

Law and crime

• The US Army charges US Army soldier Bowe Bergdahl, who was held captive by the Taliban-aligned Haqqani networkin Afghanistan from June 2009 until his release in May 2014, with desertion and misbehavior before the enemy. (CNN)(FOX News)

Sports

• Major League Soccer, the top league of association football in the United States and Canada, announces that Twin Cities-based North American Soccer League franchise Minnesota United FC will become the league’s 23rd franchise, with the team’s MLS debut scheduled for 2018. (ESPN)

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