Figures from all walks of life have paid tribute to rock ‘n’ roll pioneer Chuck Berry after the announcement that he had died at a home in Missouri. Berry’s hits were covered by the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, the Beach Boys and many more, and members of all those bands posted messages on Twitter expressing their sadness.

Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger wrote: “I am so sad to hear of Chuck Berry’s passing. I want to thank him for all the inspirational music he gave to us. He lit up our teenage years, and blew life into our dreams of being musicians and performers. His lyrics shone above others & threw a strange light on the American dream. Chuck you were amazing & your music is engraved inside us forever.”

Ronnie Wood, the Stones’ guitarist, said: “With the passing of Chuck Berry comes the end of an era. He was one of the best and my inspiration, a true character indeed.

“One of my big lights has gone out!” said Keith Richards.(the guardian)…[+]

An Afghan soldier opened fire on Sunday inside a base in the southern Helmand province, wounding three US soldiers before being shot dead, an Afghan official said.

Colonel Mohammad Rasoul Zazai, an army spokesman, said the soldier had made a “mistake” and had not fired deliberately. A coalition-run Twitter account said an Afghan soldier shot and wounded three American soldiers, without providing further details.Several US troops have been killed in Afghanistan in recent years in so-called insider attacks carried out by Afghan police or soldiers. In October, an Afghan man in a military uniform shot dead a US soldier and an American civilian contractor inside a military base in Kabul before being killed.(The guardian)…[+]

A US diplomat has been forced to leave New Zealand over allegations he was involved in a serious criminal incident in which he had his nose broken and sustained a black eye.New Zealand police said they were called in the early hours of last Sunday in the community of Lower Hutt, just outside Wellington, where the US embassy is based. Police said the US diplomat left the scene before officers arrived, and no arrests were made, nor “any person held in police custody”. The man was protected by diplomatic immunity, which the New Zealand police asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) to waive on 13 March so they could proceed with an investigation. (The guardian)…[+]

PARAMARIBO – Een Braziliaanse is in Paramaribo beroofd en verwond. Twee mannen die in een auto zaten, overrompelden haar. Ze droegen haar op kostbare spullen af te staan. De criminelen wisten SRD 200, USD 100, een mobiele telefoon en persoonlijke spullen van de vrouw buit te maken. De daders hadden het slachtoffer steekverwondingen toegebracht waardoor zij met de ambulance moest worden vervoerd voor medische behandeling. Bij de politie is melding gemaakt van de beroving. De daders zijn nog voortvluchtig. Na de daad reden ze weg in de auto…[+]