LONDON (Reuters) - King Edward VIII may be best known for giving up the throne to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson, but it wasn't the first time his love affairs posed a threat to the British monarchy.

A new book by British barrister and former judge Andrew Rose unearths a little-known affair with a French courtesan 20 years before Edward's abdication, which ended in a rigged trial at the behest of the British establishment trying to protect a future king's reputation.

"The Prince, The Princess, and The Perfect Murder" details how the then-Prince of Wales's first great love, French courtesan Maggie Meller, blackmailed him to avoid the gallows after murdering her playboy Egyptian prince husband.

Meller was acquitted in a high profile trial at London's Old Bailey in 1923 despite the evidence stacked against her.

Rose said the acquittal was a shock but his research has now revealed an extraordinary story involving the murder trial, a secret cache of vanished letters and a cover-up to save the reputation of the future king.

Six years before her trial, Meller had an affair with the British prince. She used evidence from that relationship to force the royal household to lean on the establishment in an effort to get her off the hook and cover up the scandal, Rose told Reuters.

"This affair had been carefully airbrushed from history so the connection between the murder and the Prince of Wales was never drawn," Rose told Reuters.

"The royal household took steps to make sure that the prince's name did not come out in the trial to protect the reputation of the future king. It is amazing that she got away with it."

Rose's book, published by Coronet this week forms the basis of a TV documentary, "Edward VIII's Murderous Mistress", on Britain's Channel 4 later this month.

The latest book was a follow-on work from Rose's book about the trial, "Scandal at the Savoy", published in 1991.

He was intrigued by Marguerite Alibert, better known as Meller, who, dressed in a Chanel gown, shot her second husband, Egyptian Prince Fahmy Bey, at London's Savoy Hotel in 1923.

COVER UP FOR THE PRINCE

At the time her past reputation as a gold digger was brushed off and the focus was on her claim that she acted in self-defense to protect herself from her abusive husband.

But after his book was released, Meller's grandson contacted Rose, informing him of her affair with the prince, love letters between the two, and a memoir she wrote in 1934.

Rose said it took several years to trace the relationship, accessing unpublished documents in royal archives and private collections but also finding a trail of destroyed documents.

Rose said the prince's involvement came as a surprise but was in character as Edward, who abdicated in 1936 after less than a year on the throne, was a well-known womanizer.

"He was emotionally immature and feckless in his private life ... although he had enormous charm," said Rose.

"But you can be approachable and amusing and also neurotic, self-centered and unreliable. He spent his time chasing woman, had a string of love affairs and was always susceptible particularly to powerful women."

Rose said the prince's protectors were quick to move once Meller was arrested, negotiating with her to return the prince's letters that she had stored in Cairo.

The crucial part of the deal, however, was that she would not mention the prince in court and she stuck to that.

Her promiscuous past was never mentioned in court and the trial instead focused on the violent nature and perverted sexual tastes of her husband.

"Really this was a show trial," said Rose, "The authorities wanted Marguerite to be acquitted. A murder conviction would have been catastrophic for the Crown."

Meller was released and moved back to France where she lived the rest of her life in Paris, dying wealthy in 1971.

"This story really does show another side to Edward and how unsuitable he always was to be king," said Rose.

(Reporting by Belinda Goldsmith, editing by Paul Casciato)

LONDON (Reuters) - Human cases of a deadly new strain of bird flu that has killed 27 people in China are likely to crop up in Europe and around the world but that should not cause undue alarm, Europe's leading flu expert said on Thursday.

In his first media interview since returning from an international scientific mission to China last week, Professor Angus Nicoll said the H7N9 flu outbreak in humans was one that should be taken extremely seriously and watched closely.

"We are at the start of a very long haul with H7N9," Nicoll told Reuters in a telephone interview from the Stockholm-based European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), where he is head of the influenza and respiratory viruses program.

He said there were many scientific questions to be answered about the new flu strain, which was first detected in patients in China in March having been previously unknown in humans.

The flu has so far infected at least 127 people in China and killed 27 of them, according to latest data from Chinese health authorities and the World Health Organization.

Scientific studies of the virus have established it is being transmitted from birds - probably mostly chickens - to people, making it a so-called zoonotic disease that humans catch from animals rather than from other humans.

Nicoll, who visited Beijing and Shanghai last week with a team of international scientific experts, confirmed what the WHO has repeatedly said - that there is no evidence yet of the virus efficiently passing from person to person - a factor that would make H7N9 a serious pandemic flu threat if it were to evolve.

Nicoll said the "most pressing public health question" for now was to identify the source of the circulating virus - the so-called "reservoir" - that is leading to chickens contracting it and sporadically passing it on to humans. This is likely to take time, with any results unlikely for several months.

"IMPORTED CASES"

In the meantime, Nicoll said the ECDC, which monitors disease in the European Union, and health authorities around the world should expect that "imported cases" of H7N9 flu may well begin to crop up elsewhere.

Just as Taiwan reported its first case on April 24, other countries should expect that business travelers and tourists may occasionally return from China having picked up the infection, he said.

"I'm not sure when that will happen. But the case in Taiwan shows that it can. If that person had got on a different flight and ended up in Paris, then we would have had a scenario that we would expect people to be alarmed at," he said.

"But again we should stress that this thing doesn't seem to be transmissible from human to human, so if we get some sporadic cases appearing in Europe, that doesn't change anything."

Nicoll noted that genetic analysis studies of H7N9 samples taken from patients in China showed the virus had already acquired two genetic mutations that made it more likely to be able to become transmissible between people.

Flu experts speaking at a briefing in London on Wednesday said those mutations, together with evidence that H7N9 is still mutating rapidly and probably spreading almost invisibly among birds because it does not make them obviously sick, meant this new flu was a "serious threat" to world health.

"You can never predict anything about flu, but it is concerning to see those mutations there, Nicoll said. "That's why it's important Europe should take this very seriously."

Nicoll added that he thought the Chinese were doing an "impressive job" handling, reporting, investigating and seeking to contain the outbreak.

(Editing by Alison Williams)

The Taliban quickly claimed responsibility for downing the Boeing 747-400, but NATO said in a statement to The Associated Press that the Taliban "claims are false." The coalition says the cause of the crash was being investigated by emergency crews that rushed to the site, but there was no sign of insurgent activity in the area at the time.

Capt. Luca Carniel, a coalition spokesman, said the aircraft crashed from a low altitude right after takeoff.

The plane owned by National Airlines, an Orlando, Florida-based subsidiary of National Air Cargo was carrying vehicles and other cargo, according to National Air Cargo Vice President Shirley Kaufman. She said those killed were four pilots, two mechanics and a load master, who was responsible for making sure that the weight and balance of the cargo is appropriate.

Five of the seven fatalities were from Michigan, said Kaufman.

"We are not yet releasing the identities of the colleagues we lost out of respect for their families who need a little more time to reach other loved ones," she said in an email to the AP.

The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board and the Afghanistan Civil Aviation Authority are investigating the crash, she said.

National Airlines was based until recently at Michigan's Willow Run Airport, west of Detroit in Wayne County's Van Buren Township. It carries cargo both commercially and for the military, Kaufman said. She said it employs about 225 people.

In another development, Afghan President Hamid Karzai accused U.S. forces of killing four civilians and wounding one in the eastern province of Nangarhar on Sunday after an American convoy was attacked by insurgents.

In a statement issued by his office, Karzai "strongly condemned the killing of innocent civilians."

The U.S.-led military coalition said it was still investigating the weekend clash, which left four soldiers with minor injuries and damaged a patrol vehicle. In a statement issued on Monday, the coalition said the Taliban attacked the coalition patrol with small arms fire and roadside bombs as it moved through a local bazaar in the province where there were civilians.

"Coalition forces engaged the enemy, pushed through the hostile area, and traveled to a nearby Afghan National Army checkpoint," the coalition said in a statement. "An investigation is currently underway to assess whether there are any civilian casualties as a result of insurgent fire."

___

Associated Press writers Amir Shah and Thomas Wagner in Kabul contributed to this report.

There's no high-profile quarterback destined to go No. 1 and instantly become the face of a downtrodden franchise. There's not even a running back or wide receiver worthy of the top overall pick, someone with the kind of swagger that wins over fans weary of losing.

Nope, there's just beef. And lots of it.

There's 6-foot-6, 306-pound Luke Joeckel, the offensive tackle from Texas A&M whom the Kansas City Chiefs are expected to select first overall. There's also Eric Fisher of Central Michigan and Lane Johnson of Oklahoma, two more 300-pounders who could be snapped up in the first 10 picks.

Even the defensive side of the ball is big on bigness: Florida's Sharrif Floyd, Utah's Star Lotulelei and Sylvester Williams of North Carolina are considered premium space eaters.

Utilitarian? Sure. Flashy? Not so much.

"There are a lot of good football players there," Broncos President John Elway insisted. "It's kind of a matter of what kind of flavor you like, but there are plenty of defensive linemen not only defensive ends but defensive linemen in this draft, and it's deeper than most."

Only twice since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970 has an offensive tackle been chosen first overall, but the Chiefs figure to make it three when NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell reads off the name of the league's newest millionaire shortly after 8 p.m. EDT at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.

Joeckel is considered the surest thing in a draft full of uncertainty.

He protected the blind side of Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel last season, won the Outland Trophy as college football's top interior lineman, and wowed just about everyone at the NFL's annual scouting combine with his speed, agility and, yes, his size.

"I think this year, the offensive line position has some true prospects in it," Chiefs general manager John Dorsey said. "Every draft has its own unique set of characteristics. Last year's draft had its own unique set of characteristics. This year's draft has its unique characteristics."

Last year's draft made for must-see TV.

One of the deepest quarterback crops in recent years stoked the passions of fan bases in several NFL cities, including Indianapolis, which took Andrew Luck with the first overall pick.

It was the fourth straight year that a quarterback went No. 1.

The run of signal-callers didn't stop there, either. The Redskins traded up to select Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III at No. 2, and two more quarterbacks went in the first round.

West Virginia's Geno Smith is expected to go in the first round this year, perhaps as early as No. 2 to Jacksonville. But outside the strong-armed but erratic quarterback, the market at the NFL's most critical position is weak. That means a handful of teams in need Oakland, Buffalo, Cleveland, Philadelphia and Arizona among them might wait until later in the draft to make their move.

That's all assuming that no trades are made on the opening night.

Quarterbacks who could still be on the board when the draft resumes with the second round Friday night include USC's Matt Barkley, Florida State's E.J. Manuel and Ryan Nassib of Syracuse.

"This is really a meat-and-potatoes draft, certainly early in the first couple of rounds with linemen, which is exciting," said Eagles general manager Howie Roseman, who will pick fourth.

"It may not be the flashiest thing, but it's exciting," he said. "It's hard to find big guys who can move, play with power, and there are lot of guys in this draft."

Guys who can protect those expensive quarterbacks.

Joeckel may be the top offensive tackle available, but Fisher and Johnson are both expected to go early in the draft. And they'll probably spend their careers lining up against a slew of players on the defensive side of the ball who could be picked early in the first round, too.

The Oakland Raiders, who pick third, have had their eye on Floyd and Lotulelei, among others, and defensive ends Dion Jordan of Oregon, Ziggy Ansah of BYU and Barkevious Mingo of LSU should have their names called in the first couple hours Thursday night.

Defensive back Dee Milliner is a trendy choice to go in the top 10, and offensive linemen D.J. Fluker and Chance Warmack Milliner's teammates from national champion Alabama also are expected to go early in a draft that is more wide open than any in recent history.

"You can go and ask every scout in the room and you'd probably get a favorite player that differs from the other," Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie said. "But that's the fun part of this job is trying to get all those opinions and come to a common goal to choose one."

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The popular U.S. tax deduction for mortgage interest is wasteful and does little to spur home ownership, economists from across the political spectrum said at a congressional hearing on Thursday, but many lawmakers mulling a tax code overhaul were having none of it.

Congress is scrutinizing many tax breaks, including the one enjoyed by about 40 million Americans - mainly middle-class voters - for the home mortgage interest they pay.

The value of the deduction collectively is about $100 billion a year, according to the congressional Joint Committee on Taxation.

Experts from a free-market think tank, a liberal-to-centrist group and other organizations mostly agreed that the mortgage deduction is inefficient because it encourages debt and disproportionately helps those in the highest income brackets.

At the hearing, many lawmakers from both parties were skeptical of the economists' arguments, however, and warned against scrapping the tax break as a way to lower tax rates.

"Would it be just for us to say to working families, to middle-class families, that we are going to snatch the rug from under you?" said Representative John Lewis, a Democrat from Georgia.

As Congress inches toward possibly revamping the tax code for the first time since 1986, a wide range of tax breaks is being examined. In the House of Representatives, efforts are being led by Michigan Republican Dave Camp, chairman of the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee, which convened the hearing.

Eric Toder, an economist from the liberal-leaning Urban Institute and centrist Tax Policy Center, and Mark Calabria, an economist from the free-market think tank Cato Institute, both said the deduction is bad policy.

"Both theory and available evidence suggests it does little to encourage home ownership, but instead mostly encourages upper-middle households to buy larger and more expensive homes," said Toder.

Calabria, who backs scrapping the tax break altogether, said that a decline in housing prices would soften the blow.

"I'd rather pay less for the house quite frankly," Calabria said. "It is a subsidy for debt, not home ownership."

Representative Pat Tiberi, an Ohio Republican, cited his experience as a real estate agent to challenge some of the economists who spoke at the Ways and Means hearing.

"Never once did I have a client say to me, 'I want to buy this house because I can get a higher mortgage interest deduction,' " Tiberi said.

SECOND HOMES A COMPLEX ISSUE

The maximum amount of eligible mortgage debt for the deduction is currently $1 million for either a first or second home, or even a boat, and up to $100,000 on home equity loans.

Rob Dietz, an economist with the National Association of Home Builders, said the second-home issue is more complicated than it appears because many of the wealthiest owners of second homes own them outright without a mortgage.

"When most Americans think of second homes, thoughts typically go to expensive beach homes," Dietz told the panel.

The average household income of those who have a mortgage on a second home was about $71,000, according to the analysis by the National Association of Home Builders.

A December 2010 deficit-reduction study known as the Simpson-Bowles report proposed lowering the limit on eligible mortgage debt to $500,000, as well as killing the deduction for home equity loans and second homes. The report was commissioned by Obama, but he did not embrace it.

(Editing by Kevin Drawbaugh and Jan Paschal)

(Reuters) - Canadian business software maker Open Text Corpreported a 25 percent rise in third-quarter adjusted profit as its cloud-based services business expanded, and the company initiated a quarterly dividend of 30 cents per share.

Revenue rose 16 percent to $337 million, with $44.4 million coming from cloud services.

Revenue from the license business, which is also a measure of future demand, rose 13 percent to $69 million, its first rise in five quarters.

Open Text Chief Executive Mark Barrenechea told Reuters that he expected license revenue in the second half to grow from a year earlier.

Open Text, whose software helps large companies, government agencies and professional service firms manage compliance and other information, bought EasyLink Services last year to tap the growing cloud and mobile business.

Adjusted net income rose to $74.2 million, or $1.26 per share, in the third quarter from $59.2 million, or $1.01 per share, a year earlier.

Net income fell 26 percent to $25.8 million, or 44 cents per share as it set aside more for income taxes.

The company's partners include technology infrastructure vendors SAP AG , Microsoft Corpand Oracle Corp .

Shares of Open Text, which has a market value of $3.32 billion, closed at C$57.74 on the Toronto Stock Exchange on Wednesday. It's Nasdaq-listed shares, which closed at $56.26, were up 2 percent in aftermarket trading.

(Reporting by Ankur Banerjee in Bangalore; Editing by Don Sebastian)

Sony spokesman Steve Elzer said Friday that the film's producers are heeding official requests to remain indoors as a massive manhunt Friday virtually shut down the city and some suburbs.

Authorities suspended mass transit and asked businesses not to open as thousands of officers swarmed the streets.

The Boston Symphony Orchestra also said it was postponing its Friday night concert for a week.

"American Hustle," about an FBI sting operation in the late '70s, features Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper both stars of Russell's "Silver Linings Playbook" along with Jeremy Renner, Christian Bale and Amy Adams.