Daily News Roundup

THURSDAY, April 4

Swedish pop group ABBA, which was formed 45 years ago, is set to release two new songs later this year according to group member Bjorn Ulvaeus.

Ulvaeus was quoted in a Danish tabloid magazine as saying the songs could be released in September or October, but could not promise an exact date.

ABBA made the announcement about the songs last April, teasing the release for the end of 2018.

The songs were recorded while the group worked on a digital performance project, using avatars for the band members.

One of the songs is called I Still Have Faith In You, a fitting title for a track marking the reunion of the group after some 35 years.

Ulvaeus told Denmark’s Ekstra Bladet the band would “hopefully and probably” release a new ABBA song along with a music video in September or October.

He said the project dragged out longer than they had originally planned, but did not elaborate on what caused the hold up.

“It has been delayed for a long time,” he said.

Ulvaeus said he could not promise the songs would be out by September, but he was hopeful the group would deliver.

It was revealed the title of the second song is Don’t Shut Me Down.

ABBA won the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest with Waterloo, followed up with a string of hits including Dancing Queen and Take a Chance on Me.

They enjoyed global fame before splitting up in 1982.

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Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s new official Instagram account has become the fastest ever to gain one million followers, Guinness World Records says.

The record was previously held by K-Pop star Kang Daniel, who took it from Pope Francis.

Harry and Meghan’s official account has since topped the three million follower mark.

Kate and William updated their Instagram and Twitter accounts to reflect the separation.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex launched their own Instagram page on Wednesday following news they were to form their own household separate from William and Kate, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

The account quickly gained followers, reaching the one million milestone in five hours and 45 minutes.

Meghan and Harry took the title from K-Pop star Kang Daniel, who reached the one million follower mark in 11 hours and 36 minutes in January.

And before Daniel, the title was held by Pope Francis, who gained one million followers in 12 hours in 2016.

Meghan and Harry’s account has since tripled its follower count, reaching three million — and the Duke and Duchess have only made two posts so far.

In their first post, several photos were uploaded, including an image of their joint monogram as well as a shot of the pair enjoying a sailing trip on Sydney Harbour from their 2018 tour of Australia.

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Former United States vice-president Joe Biden who is reportedly preparing to launch his campaign to win Democratic Party backing for him to challenge Donald Trump for the presidency has told America people that in future he will  be “much more mindful” of respecting personal space.

On a video posted on twitter he acknowledged but did not apologise, saying he acknowledged his tendency towards physical displays of affection made some women uncomfortable.

In a video posted to Twitter, Mr Biden also teased an announcement of his political plans, promising to “be talking to you about a whole lot of issues,” before conceding that his behaviour had offended some.

Biden earlier denied allegations of inappropriate behaviour after he made a female Nevada activist and politician feel “uneasy” in 2014.

“Social norms have begun to change. They’ve shifted,” the 76-year-old said.

“And the boundaries of protecting personal space have been reset. And I get it. I get it. I hear what they are saying. I understand.”

The video was Mr Biden’s first direct comment on what has tripped up his preparations to enter the 2020 Democratic presidential campaign.

He did not directly apologise, but seemed to be seeking to ease some people’s discomfort over the “gestures of support and encouragement” he had made to “women and some men”.

On Friday, former Nevada politician Lucy Flores wrote in New York Magazine that Mr Biden approached her from behind, touched her shoulders and kissed the back of her head in 2014.

Since then, another woman has said Mr Biden grabbed her face when he was thanking congressional staff at a 2009 event.

US President Donald Trump publicly mocked Mr Biden over the allegations, thanking “socialists” within the Democratic Party for trying to take the potential Democratic presidential candidate out of the race.