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Robert Hackwill

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Ultra-orthodox Jews mourn passing of spiritual leader in Jerusalem

Rabbi Shmuel Auerbach held controversial positions on, amongst other things, military service.

India

Bollywood mourns death of pioneering heroine Sridevi

A veteran of 300 movies, the iconic actress was only 54 when she suffered a heart attack in Dubai.

Cinema

Romanian debut film stuns Berlin by winning Golden Bear

The Berlinale heaps honours on "Touch me not", the film festival's most controversial entry, an exploration of sexuality and taboos.

France

Farmers give Macron rough ride at trade fair

Annual agricultural salon often a point of political protest for visiting presidents

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Estonia

Estonia celebrates 100th birthday

Baltic State was once part of Russian empire, but is now in NATO and the EU.

Cinema

Ed Sheeran documentary opens at the Berlin Film Festival

Movie made by star's cousin seeks to capture the glory years of the star's ascent to pop fame.

USA

Vehicle attempts forced entry at White House

Incident sparks momentary panic as security service arrests female driver.

USA

Parkland's teachers return to work with heavy hearts

Back to school and back to business for the school's staff, but life will never be the same for this Floridan community after 17 of its young people lost their lives.

USA

America's most-loved evangelist Billy Graham dies

Friend to 12 presidents and the first revivalist preacher to make a national impact via television and the media, he established a model for building a proseletysing church that kept the loyalty of its congregation, a model some later tele-evangelists copied to get fabulously rich.

Syria

Ghouta's ghastly fate as bombs fall like rain

Civilian casualties are mounting in the region abutting the Syrian capital Damascus as airstrikes and mortar bombardments intensify, and the Syrian army prepares for a ground offensive in a built-up area of 400,000 people.

Sport

Norway holds advantage in medals table, records tumble in Pyeongchang

World and personal records are set for the Netherlands, France and Italy in the latest Winter olympic competitions, but South Korea's women speed skaters send the crowd into seventh heaven,

World News

Syrian pro-government fighters enter Afrin region -state TV

Syrian state TV shows a convoy of what it says are pro-government fighters entering the Kurdish-held Afrin region.

Syria

Seige of Afrin imminent as Turks make slow progress in northern Syria

Determination to stamp out perceived Kurdish threat on border may lead to clash with NATO ally America.

Germany

SPD youth vote may be key as campaigners push "no" to grand coalition

Germany's government remains on hold as the centre-left SPD polls members on sharing power with Angela Merkel.

Austria

Popular backlash forces government rethink as Austrians mobilise again

Plans to scrap a smoking ban due to come into force in May has created uproar in the medical community, and spawned a successful petition of nearly half a million signatures, forcing a parliamentary debate.

Sport

Football for friendship sets stage for 2018 World Cup

Young persons' sporting and cultural programme opens in Moscow.

United Kingdom

Expert says culture & legal loopholes behind America's gun carnage

Criminologist also blames American myth of "armed lawbringer" and patchwork approach nationally, with data on mental health or previous convictions often unavailable for background checks.

USA

Tambor says no transparency in his sacking by Amazon from hit TV show

Star denies allegations of sexual harrassment, claims was kept in dark by Amazon's own inquiry into the alleged offences.

USA

Parkland mass shooting divides America's politicians...again

While young people in Florida are praised for their response, with many calling for sensible gun controls, the Republicans refuse to consider firearms themselves as the problem, while the Democrats try to hold them and the NRA to task.

Cinema

68th Berlin Film festival opens with new Wes Anderson movie

"The Isle of Dogs" is the festival's first-ever animated opener, and features some of the biggest names in world cinema doing the voices.

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