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Top news: Texas explosion, Measles epidemic, and Sir Chris Hoy retires

By River Reporter Apr 19, 2013

The River’s Jack Hammond rounds up the top five stories from the past week’s news.

Boston bombing suspect dead after shoot out

One of the Boston bombing suspects has been pronounced dead while the second is at large and said to be ‘armed and dangerous’ after a dramatic shootout in the suburbs of the city.

The terrorist dubbed ‘Suspect 1’ by the FBI died in hospital with multiple gunshot wounds and possible blast injuries after a fierce gun battle.

The other, named ‘Suspect 2’, was seen on CCTV wearing a white baseball cap and police name him a ‘terrorist’.

Three people were killed and more than 170 wounded on Monday when the twin blasts exploded about 30 seconds apart near the finish line of one of the world’s most prestigious sporting events, the Boston marathon.

Texas fertiliser plant explosion

Between five and 15 people are thought to have been killed by a huge explosion at a US fertiliser plant that witnesses said was “like a tornado”.

More than 160 people were injured as dozens of homes and buildings were destroyed in the evening blast near Waco in the state of Texas.

Emergency services are still going from home to home trying to find survivors. Three or four firefighters who had been tackling an earlier blaze at the site are still missing, police say.

Measles epidemic

The number of measles cases in the Swansea-centred outbreak has passed 800, with an extra 43 cases being reported to Public Health Wales in two days.

Vaccinations in secondary schools in the area started on Wednesday, as health officials targeted 10- to 18-year-olds who did not get jabs when they were infants.

Friday morning it was announced that a death is being investigated as part of the measles epidemic in Swansea. Public Health Wales is looking into the death of the 25-year-old man, who is thought to have been killed by measles.

Baroness Thatcher’s funeral

The Queen has led mourners in St Paul’s Cathedral at the funeral of Baroness Thatcher, Britain’s longest serving prime minister of modern times.

It was the first time the monarch had attended the funeral service of a former prime minister since Sir Winston Churchill’s state ceremony in 1965.

Inside the famous church, more than 2,300 guests paid tribute, led by the former politician’s children Mark and Carol and her two grandchildren Michael and Amanda.

Sitting a few rows behind them among today’s parliamentarians was Chancellor George Osborne, who had tears running down his face.

Sir Chris Hoy retires

Six-time Olympic gold medallist Sir Chris Hoy announced his retirement from cycling on Thursday.

Hoy, who won two gold medals in London, also claimed 11 world titles and was expected to compete at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

Speaking at a news conference in Edinburgh, Hoy said: “Nothing would give me more pleasure than going to Glasgow. Now it’s time for younger riders to experience what it is like to compete in front of a home crowd.”

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