Top News Stories –
One Direction release surprise single, Drag Me Down –
It’s a good day to be a Directioner. The four boys have surprised fans with their first single since Zayn Malik left the band. The song, Drag Me Down, premiered on iTunes and Spotify at 6.30am UK time. There’s no suggestion of *who* might have been dragging them down. Twitter, the home of any self-respecting One Direction fan, erupted. The hashtag #DragMeDown has been tweeted two million times in the seven hours since its release. [BBC Newsbeat]
Duchess of Cambridge qualifies as advanced diver –
Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, has taken an advanced diving course that means she can keep up with her husband when he goes shark-diving in Mustique. The Duke of Cambridge has been diving for much of his life, encouraged by his father the Prince of Wales, whom he succeeded last year as president of the British Sub-Aqua Club. The Duchess’s pursuit of advanced diving qualifications, to enable her to dive to the same depth as the Duke, has until now remained a secret. Kensington Palace confirmed to The Telegraph that the Duchess has passed a Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) Advanced Open Water Diver qualification, meaning she can dive to a depth of 30 metres (98ft). [Daily Telegraph]
Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge
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Other News Stories –
- Armed conflicts and attacks
- Operation Martyr Yalçın
- Turkey has killed around 260 members of the Kurdistan Workers Party in recent bombing campaigns in Turkey and northern Iraq. Officially the operation was started to attack ISIL but over 90% of attacks were against the PKK. (AFP via Yahoo! News)
- Arab–Israeli conflict
- Two 17-year-old Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces in separate incidents in violent riots protesting an arson attack that burned an infant to death. (Reuters) (RT (TV network))
- Internal conflict in Peru
- The Peruvian Army rescues 15 people from Shining Path guerillas. (AFP via France 24)
- Arts and culture
- The speech by Japanese Emperor Hirohito announcing the unconditional surrender of Japan is released in digital form. (AP)
- The President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, places the ancient historic site of Chersonesus under the control of the Russian federal government after a local government made a controversial appointment as site manager. (AP via The Republic)
- Business and economy
- Puerto Rico fails to make a $58 million bond repayment due today. Gubernatorial Chief of Staff Víctor Suárez said the government still hopes to reach an agreement with creditors on renegotiating its debts. (AP via MyWay) (Analyst Rating Reports)
- Disasters and accidents
- Malaysia Airlines Flight 370
- The President of Myanmar Thein Sein declares a state of emergency in four regions: Chin State, Magwe Region, Sagaing Region and Rakhine State after floods kill at least 27 people. (BBC)
- A landslide in India‘s Manipur state near the border with Myanmar buries a village and kills at least twenty people. (The Times of India)
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