The entire state is still in risk. People do not need what they guard down. We have several more hours of this before this thing pass.

 

Tornado has flattened homes and business, swept over vehicles on highways. In some ways, strongest hit Arkansas, tornado cut 80 miles long path of destruction through state.

 

Russian officials are dismissing the latest sanction imposed by the US and the west over the Ukraine crisis. NPR’s Corey Flintoff has more.

 

The United States imposed sanctions on seven top Russian officials in 17 companies linked to President Vladimir Putin in their circle. Among the official’s name is president of giant state oil company Rosneft, the company is included the Volga group which belongs to Kremlin insider Gennay Timchenko who is already on the sanction’s list. The spokesman for the company denounced the sanction as politically motivated. Some Russian analysts say the sanctions are likely to be inconvenient for those on the list but would not cost immediate harm to Russia’s economy. Corey Flintoff, NPR News, Moscow.

 

Pharmaceutical maker Pfizer says it wants to acquire its British rival AstraZeneca for nearly 100 billion dollars. NPR’s James Roly reports AstraZeneca is rejecting that offer as it is too low.

 

Pfizer said it made its first offer in January and then try to reinitiate talks few days ago but AstraZeneca has refused to negotiate and says the deal undervalues the company very significantly. A merge will greatly increase Pfizer’s pipeline of diabetes and cancer drugs and also mean tax and cost savings. Pfizer based in New York but will reincorporate the combined company in Britain to save money on taxes. Under British law Pfizer now has until May 26 to persuade its offer or back out. The offer comes at the time when profits are rebounding in pharmaceutical industry and more and more drug companies are merging or doing deals. James Roly, NPR News, New York.

 

More people were signing contract to buy home in March. The number of signed contracts up the first time since last June as the housing market continues to pick up after fairly sluggish start to the year. National Association of Realtors says its Pending Homes Sales Indexes designed to measure whether the house market is head down the road was up 3.4% last month.

 

On Wall Street, the volatile session but the blue chip ended higher. The DOW was up 87 points, close at 16,448. The NASDAQ fell a point. The S&P 500 rose six points today.

 

You are listening to NPR News in Washington.

 

Microsoft said it is aware of security gap on its Internet explorer browser that could allow somebody to take control of computer by getting user to click on malicious website. According to the software company, the vulnerability affects version six to eleven of its explorer web browser and the company says it is aware what it cause some limited target attacks. The company says it is working on the fix that provides upcoming software update.

 

US and the Philippines formalized the deal today that will see more American troops stopping there. From Manila Simone Orendain reports it will have strong support which is in the heated territorial row with China.

 

The ten-year pack will give the US places to store hardware and access that will be ready for deployment. The Philippine constitution does not allow permanent foreign bases but American troops will have temporary facilities at selected Philippines outpost. US ambassador to the Philippines Philip S. Goldberg says the deal contains the numerous benefits to both countries.

 

And the understanding that the United States does not intend to establish a permanent military presence in the Philippines.

 

The Philippines is trying to update its military and it sees the agreement as a boost that will help form its minimum creditable defense posture. The US is shifting its foreign policy toward Asia where China continues to expand its military. For NPR News, I am Simone Orendain in Manila.

 

First solar eclipse of the year, it set for tomorrow though you apparently have to be pretty south of the equator to see it. According to officials, the solar eclipse will be visible in Antarctic, Australia and in the southern Indian Ocean about 2 A.M. Eastern Time Tuesday. In October, a partial solar eclipse will be visible from North America. And two solar eclipses will occur this year when the moon lines up between the earth and the sun.