FBI says no charges against Hillary Clinton after new email review

<p dir="ltr"><b><i>USA Hillary Clinton US Presidential Election 2016,FBI says no charges against Hillary Clinton after new email review.</i></b></p><p dir="ltr">The FBI on Sunday lifted the threat that Hillary Clinton might face charges over her private email server --another campaign bombshell just 36 hours before her White House showdown with Donald Trump.</p><p dir="ltr">The Democrat's camp welcomed the news that FBI Director James Comey had decided not to change his July recommendation that she not be prosecuted for putting US secrets at risk while serving as secretary of state.</p><p dir="ltr">But, as both candidates criss-crossed swing states in a last desperate scramble for votes,the 11th hour decision by the Federal Bureau of Investigation refocused attention on an issue that has damaged her campaign.</p><p dir="ltr">"We're glad that this matter is resolved," Clinton's campaign director Jennifer Palmieri told reporters aboard the 69-year-old's campaign plane.</p><p dir="ltr">Late last month, with Clinton seemingly on a glide path to victory,Comey sent shockwaves through both campaigns by announcing a renewed FBI investigation in Clinton's email use.</p><p dir="ltr">In July, the Justice Department,acting on the FBI's recommendation, had decided not to prosecute Clinton over her decision to use a private server for official emails while she was Washington's top diplomat.</p><p dir="ltr">But, after a previously undiscovered batch of mails was found on a laptop belonging to the husband of one of Clinton's key aides,Comey warned lawmakers he was revisiting the case.</p><p dir="ltr">Trump, the 70-year-old property tycoon and Republican flag-bearer, seized on the opening, condemning Clinton's "criminal scheme" and arguing that she was unfit to be president.</p><p dir="ltr">Opinion polls tightened as Trump began to recover ground he lost after several women accused him of sexual assault, and the race looked headed for a photo finish.</p><p dir="ltr">But on Sunday, Comey wrote another letter to Congress to say that FBI agents had been working around the clock to review the "large volume of emails" found on the laptop.</p><p dir="ltr">"During that process,we reviewed all of the communications that were to or from Hillary Clinton while she was secretary of state,"Comey wrote.</p><p dir="ltr">"Based on our review, we have not changed our conclusions that we expressed in July with respect to Hillary Clinton,"he concluded.</p><p dir="ltr">'She's protected'</p><p dir="ltr">It was not immediately clear how the news would affect what has been one of the most bruising campaigns in modern US history,one that has the world on tenterhooks.</p><p dir="ltr">But there was relief among Clinton aides as they planned a huge rally in Philadelphia on Monday,the night before Election Day,starring President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle --and Bruce Springsteen.</p><p dir="ltr">"We are glad to see, as we were confident we would, that (Comey) has confirmed the conclusions that he really reached in July,"Palmieri said.</p><p dir="ltr">Trump, who has hammered away at the email issue in stump speeches three to four times a day for the last few weeks of the campaign,had no immediate reaction to Comey's decision.</p><p dir="ltr">But at a rally in Minnesota, a state won comfortably by Obama in 2012, he returned to his familiar theme of the corruption of the Washington elite.</p><p dir="ltr">"Hillary Clinton will be under investigation for a long,long time, for her many crimes against our nation,our people,our democracy,"he declared.</p><p dir="ltr">It was not clear as he spoke if he was aware of Comey's letter as he predicted that these investigations would likely conclude in a criminal trial.</p><p dir="ltr">But he warned voters:"You have to understand, it's a rigged system and she's protected."</p><p dir="ltr">Campaign sprint</p><p dir="ltr">Last-minute campaign events -- including a midnight rally Monday night by Clinton -- have already been planned in the most contested states that will ultimately determine victory.</p><p dir="ltr">If Clinton wins, America's first female president will seek to build on Obama's cautious but progressive legacy, including his controversial health insurance reforms.</p><p dir="ltr">Trump, an unapologetic populist, has vowed to tear up the reform along with America's free trade agreements, to "rebuild" what he says is a depleted US military and review its alliances.</p><p dir="ltr">On Sunday, Clinton attended services at a majority-black church in Philadelphia, a traditionally liberal city where getting out the vote is crucial for Clinton to win Pennsylvania.</p><p dir="ltr">"Every hour and every minute counts," Clinton told congregants at the Mount Airy Church of God in Christ.</p><p dir="ltr">"We cannot get this wrong.The stakes are too high," she said, warning that electing Trump could signal "a return of some of our worst moments."</p><p dir="ltr">With an army of volunteers knocking on millions of doors and making phone calls in key states, Clinton is banking on star power to lock in her narrow poll lead.</p><p dir="ltr">She hosted back-to-back weekend pop concerts, with Beyonce and Jay Z in Cleveland and Katy Perry in Philadelphia.</p><p dir="ltr">She has also recruited Springsteen to join her rally with Obama in Philadelphia Monday night, hours after the president campaigns in the small but pivotal state of New Hampshire, where Trump has edged ahead in polling.</p><p dir="ltr">Trump has embarked on a cross-country odyssey through key battlegrounds Florida, North Carolina, Ohio and Pennsylvania.</p><p dir="ltr">He is also planning stops to poach once-reliably Democratic states as he treads a narrow path toward winning a majority of the 538 votes in the Electoral College.</p><p dir="ltr">'Last chance, folks'</p><p dir="ltr">Polls give Clinton a narrow national lead.</p><p dir="ltr">NBC/Wall Street Journal's final election poll showed Clinton with a four-point lead over Trump, 44 percent to 40 percent.</p><p dir="ltr">An ABC/Washington Post tracker Sunday put Clinton five points ahead. Polling averages are closer.</p><p dir="ltr">Respected FiveThirtyEight.com election forecaster Nate Silver has Clinton as a two-to-one favorite against Trump, but said her lead appears "less solid" than Obama's did in 2012.</p><p dir="ltr">"Rather be in her shoes than Donald Trump, but it's not a terribly safe position," Silver told ABC.</p><p dir="ltr">Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook dismissed suggestions that Clinton is trying to shore up her crumbling northern firewall.</p><p dir="ltr">"Donald Trump has to win all of these battleground races," he said. "If we win Pennsylvania and Florida, he just has no path."</p><p dir="ltr">Mook pointed to signs of strong early voting in Florida, Nevada and North Carolina among Hispanic Americans, who overwhelmingly favor Clinton.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifp_yuXC4q6EBbn90Sy9NnGPGepDHYJ4PsetfWiEj6Gx2CX8lm3RU97OeG4ugAe5d-ieL1bWzszBZvg2LYDjax4XU5Qxwu6oGhHnQb_76LkdRK7AXZRuOzE2xR4_BygsXXrp3SgmVivmw/s1600/IMG31902.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifp_yuXC4q6EBbn90Sy9NnGPGepDHYJ4PsetfWiEj6Gx2CX8lm3RU97OeG4ugAe5d-ieL1bWzszBZvg2LYDjax4XU5Qxwu6oGhHnQb_76LkdRK7AXZRuOzE2xR4_BygsXXrp3SgmVivmw/s640/IMG31902.jpg"> </a> </div>

FBI says no charges against Hillary Clinton after new email review

USA Hillary Clinton US Presidential Election 2016,FBI says no charges against Hillary Clinton after new email review. The FBI on Sunday lift...

Man who chained up woman likely killed 7 more

<p dir="ltr">A US sheriff says the man charged after a woman was found chained on his property in rural South Carolina has killed at least seven people.</p><p dir="ltr">Spartanburg County Sheriff Chuck Wright says Todd Kohlhepp confessed on Saturday that he was the shooter who killed four people at a motorcycle shop in 2003.</p><p dir="ltr">Wright says Kohlhepp also showed officers on Saturday the graves of two of his other victims buried on his 38 hectare property.</p><p dir="ltr">That's in addition to the body found on Friday at the site. Wright and Coroner Rusty Clevenger identified that victim as 32-year-old Charles Carver, the boyfriend of the woman found in a locked metal container Thursday.</p><p dir="ltr">Coroner Rusty Clevenger says Carver died of multiple gunshot wounds in the upper part of his body. He says he's working with an anthropologist to estimate how long he'd been buried.</p><p dir="ltr">Carver and his girlfriend went missing around August 31. Kohlhepp is charged with kidnapping her and keeping her chained in a locked storage container.</p><p dir="ltr">Prosecutor Barry Barnette said on Friday she told investigators she saw her captor shoot her boyfriend.</p><p dir="ltr">Kohlhepp is charged with kidnapping. The 45-year-old registered sex offender has a previous kidnapping conviction in Arizona.</p><p dir="ltr">Barnette said that in the Arizona case, Kohlhepp kidnapped a 14-year-old girl, bound her and raped her in 1986. Online prison records show he served about 14 years for the felony. He was released in 2001.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirvmtt_pgHY4B2nQnK9v2ki3q1fXXe-pCVLlWmIHMGE0CSG1-1ox1B0E4vanWYYLpWtOoiTkRT6l0MB0Pe9lnxPza8KQI7NNEDkopUk_dq2VbTb8cmS_BA-b0d18jcxrMyNAxY6qYraAg/s1600/IMG062533.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirvmtt_pgHY4B2nQnK9v2ki3q1fXXe-pCVLlWmIHMGE0CSG1-1ox1B0E4vanWYYLpWtOoiTkRT6l0MB0Pe9lnxPza8KQI7NNEDkopUk_dq2VbTb8cmS_BA-b0d18jcxrMyNAxY6qYraAg/s640/IMG062533.jpg"> </a> </div>

Man who chained up woman likely killed 7 more

A US sheriff says the man charged after a woman was found chained on his property in rural South Carolina has killed at least seven people. ...

Donald Trump rushed off stage after someone yells 'gun'.

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkT2X0iLkGYLAz6kXJc5Z3194O8aLAmlakVnkWYMnYYDzII-kyojjmZrrHb83NL-B_6lZIwIeqe6YjMgENRjoYsYYEOU-KRPSk_i3O5KU1BmamZbGEGQI-ZNUg1rEf9Vo95r1hlpMAvVw/s1600/e00243.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkT2X0iLkGYLAz6kXJc5Z3194O8aLAmlakVnkWYMnYYDzII-kyojjmZrrHb83NL-B_6lZIwIeqe6YjMgENRjoYsYYEOU-KRPSk_i3O5KU1BmamZbGEGQI-ZNUg1rEf9Vo95r1hlpMAvVw/s640/e00243.gif"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Donald Trump rushed off stage after someone yells 'gun'. </div><br>Donald Trump was dramatically bustled off stage by Secret Service agents over fears a protester in the crowd had a gun.<br><br>Footage from his rally in Reno, Nevada shows the moment that the divisive presidential candidate was rushed to safety by two agents.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy5rP2wDqum7hAuaHNM6AtYQ2w4paZFYDMTRu0RS1eLHTy-UsDG_oB8bLTZASS9YUL-uXoGK5TNgw_GEcUxfY4xL4hELSyfj9lZ9TtBQ7T-FSS2hT9rTM7r1fR182jFu8H5N_pRiyiZGM/s1600/a5131480.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy5rP2wDqum7hAuaHNM6AtYQ2w4paZFYDMTRu0RS1eLHTy-UsDG_oB8bLTZASS9YUL-uXoGK5TNgw_GEcUxfY4xL4hELSyfj9lZ9TtBQ7T-FSS2hT9rTM7r1fR182jFu8H5N_pRiyiZGM/s640/a5131480.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">In the clip,Trump stops talking and peers into the crowd, moments before he is grabbed by the two agents, who forced his head down and hustled him behind a curtain. </div><br>The Secret Service said the men were forced to intervene after someone near the stage shouted ‘gun’.<br><br>A man was apprehended at the rally, but a search revealed no weapon –and Trump emerged a few minutes later, vowing: ‘We will never be stopped.’<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaK92HAQsYUvm9ohafV9-6fe2iKWTwE2pDDYvcp2gqveX_z3tT5C1m_3ZPSPPCpktqva2AUDKDRm1XRaoDaManKUIU8NP8uKFYjgtH_KQyoBILmHqAsE4f2IrL3RjnwywhX0dh0nV_0zU/s1600/a1087.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaK92HAQsYUvm9ohafV9-6fe2iKWTwE2pDDYvcp2gqveX_z3tT5C1m_3ZPSPPCpktqva2AUDKDRm1XRaoDaManKUIU8NP8uKFYjgtH_KQyoBILmHqAsE4f2IrL3RjnwywhX0dh0nV_0zU/s640/a1087.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Austyn Crites,with the blue hood,said he was attacked for his anti-Trump stance.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Austyn Crites,the man who sparked the security alert,was holding up a ‘Republicans against Trump’sign.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br>He told KTVN-2 that he was a Republican supporter who attended the rally to express his opposition to the controversial presidential candidate.<br><br>He said:‘I agree with them on many, many different issues but I just believe that,you know,he’s very dangerous for the country.<br><br>‘And so I just came with a sign,I literally just had one sign that said ‘Republicans against Trump’.<br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf89BCwbI9T-rd2UAG53K3TuZnaOUOgGOMuMhVsNSLenuzFFLN1kS2l3yZyyDPF8L1KyRawTbK7msI-y2HZtkuyHKxqTqK8Ib-_RQ3x5qfurKxPEDLRXF7lwo6KTKRbyrD4TFJkZf6wTs/s1600/ezgif-4288169161.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf89BCwbI9T-rd2UAG53K3TuZnaOUOgGOMuMhVsNSLenuzFFLN1kS2l3yZyyDPF8L1KyRawTbK7msI-y2HZtkuyHKxqTqK8Ib-_RQ3x5qfurKxPEDLRXF7lwo6KTKRbyrD4TFJkZf6wTs/s640/ezgif-4288169161.gif"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">‘I came here with this sign expecting boos. But it was just a sign.’ </div><br>He added that people in the crowd attacked him before he was pinned down by police officers, escorted from the venue and subsequently held for questioning.<br><br>Mr Crites compared Barack Obama’s reaction to a protestor during a rally a few days ago,in which he urged the crowd to respect the protester,with Trump’s,saying he wanted ‘people to understand’ the difference.<br><br>In a statement, the Secret Service said: ‘Secret Service agents and Reno Police Officers immediately apprehended the subject.Upon a thorough search of the subject and the surrounding area,no weapon was found.’<br><br>Meanwhile,Trump thanked the Secret Service,Reno and Nevada law enforcement for their ‘fast and professional response’.

Donald Trump rushed off stage after someone yells 'gun'.

Donald Trump rushed off stage after someone yells 'gun'. Donald Trump was dramatically bustled off stage by Secret Service agents ...

International meeting on future of Mosul set for Thursday in Paris: France - AFP

<p dir="ltr">International meeting on future of Mosul set for Thursday in Paris: France</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijvq7b8MXPU_1bffFaLmxa9GUp9KMINEZZdXCLUJGlH2KlbWVFCjgLaH3-7lzMgkR5lhmlYK2YJX9-EivQks4H5XCeb__zOad2e2-5-hPx9s2zbp4YFsSsdOkgSRDkQZ1lInFTWPlxNxo/s1600/IMG145552.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijvq7b8MXPU_1bffFaLmxa9GUp9KMINEZZdXCLUJGlH2KlbWVFCjgLaH3-7lzMgkR5lhmlYK2YJX9-EivQks4H5XCeb__zOad2e2-5-hPx9s2zbp4YFsSsdOkgSRDkQZ1lInFTWPlxNxo/s640/IMG145552.gif"> </a> </div>

International meeting on future of Mosul set for Thursday in Paris: France - AFP

International meeting on future of Mosul set for Thursday in Paris: France

At least 25 inmates killed in a prison clash in Brazil

<p dir="ltr">At least 25 inmates killed in a prison clash in Brazil.</p><p dir="ltr">Brazil prison clash between two rival factions leaves 25 inmates dead – some beheaded,others burned to death.</p><p dir="ltr">At least 25 inmates died in clashes between two rival factions in a prison in far northern Brazil, local media reported citing police.</p><p dir="ltr">Seven of the dead were beheaded and six burned to death in fighting at a prison in Boa Vista, the capital of Roraima state, the news site G1 reported, citing local police.</p><p dir="ltr">The bloodshed began when inmates of one wing of the Agricola de Monte Cristo prison broke into another wing.</p><p dir="ltr">Inmates were armed with knives and wooden clubs, an inmate's wife who was in the prison when the riot broke out told G1.</p><p dir="ltr">Roraima state Secretary of Justice Uziel Castro said that the fight erupted during visiting hours, and some 100 relatives of inmates were briefly held hostage.</p><p dir="ltr">The rioters demanded that a judge come to hear their demands. Instead Special Operations Police stormed the prison, released the hostages and regained control of the site by sundown.</p><p dir="ltr">"All the hostages were released," Castro said, adding that most of them were women.</p><p dir="ltr">The prison, some 3,400 kilometers northwest of Rio de Janeiro, is in a state that borders Venezuela.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgucvyKuEqiyRzSOHu9iF-XSYxIplrD2FyRFchq97yWtm7HSJjB1YRVtnAjrSDNJ1o1TfYWUrVmIn9I9LRqXwrc9rUzlfljswL34tdL0Qg1AXaSJFdicVI-F7f9zdx9qBniTua_V_YN2SM/s1600/9f2971a.webp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgucvyKuEqiyRzSOHu9iF-XSYxIplrD2FyRFchq97yWtm7HSJjB1YRVtnAjrSDNJ1o1TfYWUrVmIn9I9LRqXwrc9rUzlfljswL34tdL0Qg1AXaSJFdicVI-F7f9zdx9qBniTua_V_YN2SM/s640/9f2971a.webp.jpg"> </a> </div>

At least 25 inmates killed in a prison clash in Brazil

At least 25 inmates killed in a prison clash in Brazil. Brazil prison clash between two rival factions leaves 25 inmates dead – some beheade...

14 dead,scores missing in Myanmar ferry sinking: rescue official

<p dir="ltr">Number of confirmed deaths climbs to 14 after a ferry in  Myanmar's Chindwin River sank on Saturday,reports.</p><p dir="ltr">Many people still missing.</p><p dir="ltr">Rescuers have discovered 14 bodies and expect to find scores more after a ferry packed with teachers, students and workers capsized in central Myanmar, local authorities said on Monday.</p><p dir="ltr">A total of 154 people have been rescued since the boat sank early Saturday morning about 72 kilometres (45 miles) north of the city of Monywa.</p><p dir="ltr">Search teams scouring the Chindwin River have located the sunken vessel, but fear the death toll could reach as high as 100.</p><p dir="ltr">"So far we have found 14 dead bodies from the river, but we still need to identify them," director of the local relief and resettlement department, Sa Willy Frient, told AFP.</p><p dir="ltr">"It was mainly university students and school teachers on the ferry that day," he said, adding: "I think around 70 or 80 university students and about 30 school teachers, and also doctors."</p><p dir="ltr">He estimated the boat was carrying 240-250 people, around 100 more than it is meant to carry.</p><p dir="ltr">Monywa is about 100 kilometres from Mandalay, Myanmar's second-largest city.</p><p dir="ltr">Boat accidents are common in Myanmar, where people living along the nation's long coastline and flood-prone river systems rely heavily on poorly maintained and often overcrowded ferries for transport.</p><p dir="ltr">Four of the ferry's staff have been arrested and will face legal action, said Sa Willy Frient. Authorities are still hunting for one crew member and the ferry's owner.</p><p dir="ltr">Survivor Hnin Lei Yee, a 27-year-old school teacher, was travelling with her husband and one-year-old daughter to celebrate the Buddhist Thadingyut festival with her family.</p><p dir="ltr">Her baby was killed in the disaster. She does not know her husband's fate.</p><p dir="ltr">"It happened very fast," she told AFP. "The window was open so I had a chance to get out of the boat."</p><p dir="ltr">"I cannot swim, so I had to hold on to a plastic float and finally the rescue boat came to save my life."</p><p dir="ltr">"In the morning, I heard there was a dead child in the hospital and I went there. I saw my daughter dead," she said, crying.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIDYNzL3lGHntvS7JDY3Ry2XQ7mx2RoxQEqA_K_h1LroLmJOkVOsMDHGLIKLzu6-pvAQpBW8-jUGQtlf5fXEFhHihLaIOKrNybmFI10hK3JK2M5Cy9887VTjHRvqthIeJG5Bep9UTdrjM/s1600/2016-17qka.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIDYNzL3lGHntvS7JDY3Ry2XQ7mx2RoxQEqA_K_h1LroLmJOkVOsMDHGLIKLzu6-pvAQpBW8-jUGQtlf5fXEFhHihLaIOKrNybmFI10hK3JK2M5Cy9887VTjHRvqthIeJG5Bep9UTdrjM/s640/2016-17qka.png"> </a> </div>

14 dead,scores missing in Myanmar ferry sinking: rescue official

Number of confirmed deaths climbs to 14 after a ferry in  Myanmar's Chindwin River sank on Saturday,reports. Many people still missing. ...

Japan may accelerate missile defense upgrades in wake of North Korean tests: sources

<p dir="ltr">Japan may accelerate around $1 billion of planned spending to upgrade its ballistic missile defenses in the wake of rocket tests suggesting North Korea is close to fielding a more potent medium-range missile, three government sources told Reuters.</p><p dir="ltr">The outlays, currently in a budget request for the year starting April, includes money to assess a new missile defense layer - either Lockheed Martin Corp's (LMT.N) Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) system or Aegis Ashore, a land-based version of the ballistic missile defense system used by vessels in the Sea of Japan.</p><p dir="ltr">It also covers money to improve the range and accuracy of PAC-3 Patriot batteries, said the sources familiar with the proposal, who asked not to be identified because they are not authorized to talk to the media.</p><p dir="ltr">Any rollout of THAAD or Aegis Ashore could, however, still take years, the sources noted. Accelerated spending on Patriot missile batteries is also unlikely to deliver upgrades much quicker because of the limited capacity of the companies involved - Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (7011.T) and Raytheon Co (RTN.N) - to speed up already tight production schedules.</p><p dir="ltr">"It nonetheless has symbolic value," said one of the sources.</p><p dir="ltr">As much as 300 billion yen ($2.9 billion) of defense funding will be included in a third supplementary budget, the Sankei newspaper reported earlier. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's government has yet to say whether it will ask lawmakers to approve additional outlays before deliberations begin on next year's budget.</p><p dir="ltr">Officials at Japan's Ministry of Defence were not immediately available to comment.</p><p dir="ltr">ARMS RACE</p><p dir="ltr">Pyongyang's apparent technological progress on missiles has been faster than anticipated, exposing Japan to a heightened threat, a senior Japanese military commander told Reuters earlier this month.</p><p dir="ltr">Tokyo and Pyongyang have been locked in an arms race for two decades after North Korea fired a missile over Japan in 1998.</p><p dir="ltr">North Korea has test fired at least 21 ballistic missiles and conducted two nuclear tests so far this year. On June 22, a medium range Musudan rocket reached an altitude of 1,000 km (620 miles) on a lofted trajectory, potentially beyond the range of Aegis destroyers the Sea of Japan that are armed with SM-3 missiles designed to hit warheads at the edge of space.</p><p dir="ltr">That leaves older PAC-3 Patriot missiles protecting major cities including Tokyo as a last line of defense. Their upgrade program will not deliver the first improved batteries until the 2020, in time for the Tokyo Olympics.</p><p dir="ltr">Warheads from missiles such as Pyongyang's Rodong, with an estimated range of 1,300 km (810 miles), travel at speeds of up to 3 km (2 miles) a second. Payloads on rockets like the Musudan, that can fly as far as 3,000 km (1,860 miles), plunge from space at least twice as fast.</p><p dir="ltr">Japan next year plans to acquire a more powerful version of the SM-3 it is jointly developing with the United States, dubbed the Block IIA. It has not, however, said when the first will be deployed.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG-ILb8M2pUKu1n_SQWGCa4-Q_sW12aNURZ5lBukR_Z8g9bCLh5r7KvTHeBTuATh2Z84e38GBL5zK-SB5USCkt5ZwGo6QNVT-QdZuvdtGbLCp38GrC9dlT0nUg4jISn1E2jrVNgHsuaMk/s1600/Qmak16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG-ILb8M2pUKu1n_SQWGCa4-Q_sW12aNURZ5lBukR_Z8g9bCLh5r7KvTHeBTuATh2Z84e38GBL5zK-SB5USCkt5ZwGo6QNVT-QdZuvdtGbLCp38GrC9dlT0nUg4jISn1E2jrVNgHsuaMk/s640/Qmak16.jpg"> </a> </div>

Japan may accelerate missile defense upgrades in wake of North Korean tests: sources

Japan may accelerate around $1 billion of planned spending to upgrade its ballistic missile defenses in the wake of rocket tests suggesting ...

U.S. ready to support Iraq in 'difficult fight ahead' for Mosul

<p dir="ltr">The United States and the rest of the U.S.-led international coalition stand ready to support Iraq "in the difficult fight ahead," U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said on Sunday as Baghdad announced its offensive to retake Mosul from Islamic State.</p><p dir="ltr">"This is a decisive moment in the campaign to deliver ISIL a lasting defeat," Carter said in a statement, using an acronym for Islamic State.</p><p dir="ltr">"We are confident our Iraqi partners will prevail against our common enemy and free Mosul and the rest of Iraq from ISIL's hatred and brutality."‎</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8HGMOAHFdeBbATxMYZuzGyPcdqMaLWNFumjE7h1D8o94rIKV0Aepkcg204_7dRx0uPbejA_ceXS1OvYx61FS8zLA_Nzuf3A_FlVKAewnDWEL5hzC4uIRiusykP_x7dcbKdHc-ylAyrfQ/s1600/IMGusas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8HGMOAHFdeBbATxMYZuzGyPcdqMaLWNFumjE7h1D8o94rIKV0Aepkcg204_7dRx0uPbejA_ceXS1OvYx61FS8zLA_Nzuf3A_FlVKAewnDWEL5hzC4uIRiusykP_x7dcbKdHc-ylAyrfQ/s640/IMGusas.jpg"> </a> </div>

U.S. ready to support Iraq in 'difficult fight ahead' for Mosul

The United States and the rest of the U.S.-led international coalition stand ready to support Iraq "in the difficult fight ahead,"...

Paris Mayor on Kim Kardashian Armed Robbery

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtMr-KSJzBG_-cTTQjrfbnOIj3H3-EZ9O5YCysV5CwEcX_yc05amX1vuCLwx6EqH27GtLJx3iwfaI6xkpK_wdZCsOkUWmqKlGxzPKOt9ZGnFuQzE5vkRTn45CRHWalosyt739kH-_Zbq0/s1600/IMG071638.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtMr-KSJzBG_-cTTQjrfbnOIj3H3-EZ9O5YCysV5CwEcX_yc05amX1vuCLwx6EqH27GtLJx3iwfaI6xkpK_wdZCsOkUWmqKlGxzPKOt9ZGnFuQzE5vkRTn45CRHWalosyt739kH-_Zbq0/s640/IMG071638.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Paris Mayor on Kim Kardashian Armed Robbery: "The Streets Are Protected". </div><br>"I have every confidence in the police to quickly identify and apprehend the perpetrators," adds Anne Hidalgo after criticism from a political opponent.<br><br>Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo on Monday spoke out about security in Paris amid global coverage of news that Kim Kardashian's had been held at gunpoint and robbed in the French capital.<br><br>Hidalgo noted that the incident "occurred in a private space" and was not a reflection on safety in the city during Fashion Week.<br><br>"It in no way affects the safety of Parisian public spaces … the streets are protected," she said in a statement, citing the successful "Nuit Blanche" party that took place citywide Saturday night without incident.<br><br>"I have every confidence in the police to quickly identify and apprehend the perpetrators," Hidalgo added.<br><br>Her comments followed an interview from her former opponent Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet and member of Nicolas Sarkozy's Les Republicains party, which has taken a hard line on security. In an interview,  she had said that the robbery showed a "the municipality's lack or reaction to deal with new threats."<br><br>NKM, as she's known in French political circles, also expressed concern for Kardashian and the impact on Paris tourism. "My thoughts are with Kim because what happened to her is violent and traumatic," Kosciusko-Morizet said. "And I'm also concerned about the image of Paris."<br><br>She said the city has invested hundreds of thousands of euros on a tourism campaign that won't be able to make up for all the negative headlines following the Kardashian robbery. "All these advertisements are canceled by what happened to Kim Kardashian," she concluded.<br><br>Tourism to Paris has been down about 6.4 percent over the summer, according to the regional tourism board, following the terrorist attacks in January and November of last year.

Paris Mayor on Kim Kardashian Armed Robbery

Paris Mayor on Kim Kardashian Armed Robbery: "The Streets Are Protected". "I have every confidence in the police to quickly...

'Millions of dollars worth of jewellery' stolen from Kim Kardashian at gunpoint in Paris

<p dir="ltr">Kim Kardashian robbed 'of millions of dollars in jewellery' at gunpoint by two armed men dressed as cops in her Paris hotel room ... as Kanye West rushes to be with his wife after abruptly ending New York concert.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiapqYzhIwCLu8BkLAZgMfn7tZAukeF_8EhAWTC1QAP1b5gYQ6VLWyvYik74mNdspatUGmAa9Zzd2xO6GAnWTFQrrIkZTorsVi3i8k_N6UHvlDBOYdq-rs43zqjBVq99Ug6yN7CpaMpfz4/s1600/234143.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiapqYzhIwCLu8BkLAZgMfn7tZAukeF_8EhAWTC1QAP1b5gYQ6VLWyvYik74mNdspatUGmAa9Zzd2xO6GAnWTFQrrIkZTorsVi3i8k_N6UHvlDBOYdq-rs43zqjBVq99Ug6yN7CpaMpfz4/s640/234143.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><ul class="mol-bullets-with-font" style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-user-select: auto; -webkit-user-drag: none; margin: -12px -8px 12px; padding: 8px 18px 0px; background-color: rgb(245, 245, 245); border-bottom: 1px solid silver; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><li style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-user-select: auto; -webkit-user-drag: none; margin: 0px 0px 12px 12px; padding: 0px; list-style: disc; font-weight: 700;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-user-select: auto; -webkit-user-drag: none;">Kim Kardashian was robbed at gunpoint in Paris hotel room in early hours of Monday morning </strong></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-user-select: auto; -webkit-user-drag: none; margin: 0px 0px 12px 12px; padding: 0px; list-style: disc; font-weight: 700;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-user-select: auto; -webkit-user-drag: none;">Her spokesperson told press that 'two armed masked men dressed as police officers' were involved </strong></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-user-select: auto; -webkit-user-drag: none; margin: 0px 0px 12px 12px; padding: 0px; list-style: disc; font-weight: 700;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-user-select: auto; -webkit-user-drag: none;">Kim is described as 'badly shaken but physically unharmed' </strong></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-user-select: auto; -webkit-user-drag: none; margin: 0px 0px 12px 12px; padding: 0px; list-style: disc; font-weight: 700;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-user-select: auto; -webkit-user-drag: none;">She was reportedly robbed 'of millions of dollars in jewellery'</strong></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-user-select: auto; -webkit-user-drag: none; margin: 0px 0px 12px 12px; padding: 0px; list-style: disc; font-weight: 700;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-user-select: auto; -webkit-user-drag: none;">Her two children were not involved </strong></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-user-select: auto; -webkit-user-drag: none; margin: 0px 0px 12px 12px; padding: 0px; list-style: disc; font-weight: 700;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-user-select: auto; -webkit-user-drag: none;">Sisters Kourtney and Kendall along with mom </strong><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-user-select: auto; -webkit-user-drag: none;">Kris Jenner are also in Paris </strong></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-user-select: auto; -webkit-user-drag: none; margin: 0px 0px 12px 12px; padding: 0px; list-style: disc; font-weight: 700;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-user-select: auto; -webkit-user-drag: none;">Kanye West was informed during a headlining gig at the Meadows Festival and ended the concert mid-song </strong></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-user-select: auto; -webkit-user-drag: none; margin: 0px 0px 12px 12px; padding: 0px; list-style: disc; font-weight: 700;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-user-select: auto; -webkit-user-drag: none;">He said: 'I’m sorry. I have a family emergency. I have to stop the show.'</strong></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-user-select: auto; -webkit-user-drag: none; margin: 0px 0px 12px 12px; padding: 0px; list-style: disc; font-weight: 700;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-user-select: auto; -webkit-user-drag: none;">Earlier this week prankster Vitalii Sediuk tried to tackle her, but he was quickly pinned to the ground by security guard Pascal Duvier </strong></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-user-select: auto; -webkit-user-drag: none; margin: 0px 0px 12px 12px; padding: 0px; list-style: disc; font-weight: 700;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-user-select: auto; -webkit-user-drag: none;">Kim and Kanye were last spotted together in Paris on Wednesday </strong></li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAwXijPpXukBz_RlXYQz4Qk0MXb2QFXdP255FMQLufF9dFGfijB858GiwsnVLKt2VXClc2CRdiuivVTFEd5m8FPxaZtIxzU1Xa2RfZBLseYgX0c4Y5B9vWRy3CkR-Lv6t1M208vGyiZig/s1600/233103.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAwXijPpXukBz_RlXYQz4Qk0MXb2QFXdP255FMQLufF9dFGfijB858GiwsnVLKt2VXClc2CRdiuivVTFEd5m8FPxaZtIxzU1Xa2RfZBLseYgX0c4Y5B9vWRy3CkR-Lv6t1M208vGyiZig/s640/233103.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Kim Kardashian West is badly shaken but physically unharmed after being held at gunpoint in Paris. </div><br>Kim Kardashian was robbed at gunpoint at her Paris hotel room early Monday morning.<br><br>The 35-year-old reality star's spokesperson Ina Treciokas told press:  'Kim Kardashian West was held up at gunpoint inside her Paris hotel room this evening by two armed masked men dressed as police officers. <br><br>'She is badly shaken but physically unharmed.' <br><br>The event appeared to have happened between the hours of 3 to 4 am (CET).<br><br>Millions of dollars in jewellery is believed to have been stolen as she was staying at The Ritz Hotel according to a Monday morning report from Good Morning Britain. <br><br>Several details remain unclear about the incident including if anything was taken from her in the attack and how (or even if) it was stopped by security. <br><br>A Paris police official confirmed to the Associated Press that there was a robbery involving Kardashian but she was unharmed, and an investigation was underway.<br><br>The official was not authorized to be publicly named speaking about ongoing investigations.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjZ77kfZpFxdnVN0ermRdTzn0Q1yLM10nfcNgUsdAPk638JLmxWFHHho84xDUkGbev7QIjYaJJxHvjIedKcXTBP-LDU1nI-7Ao4p5UgUd_mL_OOzGOqKD9lTo9LM3c9LdxRBII_v_hBfk/s1600/0496901.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjZ77kfZpFxdnVN0ermRdTzn0Q1yLM10nfcNgUsdAPk638JLmxWFHHho84xDUkGbev7QIjYaJJxHvjIedKcXTBP-LDU1nI-7Ao4p5UgUd_mL_OOzGOqKD9lTo9LM3c9LdxRBII_v_hBfk/s640/0496901.gif"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Kanye the moment he heard Kim Kardashian was being held at gunpoint by armed men inside her hotel room in Paris. </div>

'Millions of dollars worth of jewellery' stolen from Kim Kardashian at gunpoint in Paris

Kim Kardashian robbed 'of millions of dollars in jewellery' at gunpoint by two armed men dressed as cops in her Paris hotel room ......

Female teacher also shot at South Carolina elementary school

<p dir="ltr">2 students,teacher injured in shooting at Townville Elementary School.</p><p dir="ltr">Two students were injured and airlifted to Greenville Memorial Hospital and a female teacher was taken by ambulance to AnMed after a shooting at Townville Elementary School, according to Taylor Jones with Anderson County Emergency Management.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2XjC7DMYp_1xZesey6xxUwPaJtWvvOqLCEH8MCEQGu8xHFP6sY4xHK9LBYA34CadWlKDDcRlLgRBQib05w3rI9KRNZiMqqtGRIgmFa4yeP26CYCTmw9um7YkKt8JYDJNH2Dnvp9JEbok/s1600/Qka1476.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2XjC7DMYp_1xZesey6xxUwPaJtWvvOqLCEH8MCEQGu8xHFP6sY4xHK9LBYA34CadWlKDDcRlLgRBQib05w3rI9KRNZiMqqtGRIgmFa4yeP26CYCTmw9um7YkKt8JYDJNH2Dnvp9JEbok/s640/Qka1476.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><ul class="mol-bullets-with-font" style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-user-select: auto; -webkit-user-drag: none; margin: -12px -8px 12px; padding: 8px 18px 0px; background-color: rgb(245, 245, 245); border-bottom: 1px solid silver; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><li style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-user-select: auto; -webkit-user-drag: none; margin: 0px 0px 12px 12px; padding: 0px; list-style: disc; font-weight: 700;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-user-select: auto; -webkit-user-drag: none;">A teen gunman has been arrested after opening fire at Townville Elementary School in South Carolina on Wednesday</strong></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-user-select: auto; -webkit-user-drag: none; margin: 0px 0px 12px 12px; padding: 0px; list-style: disc; font-weight: 700;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-user-select: auto; -webkit-user-drag: none;">Officials say the gunman - whose name and gender have not been revealed - shot two students and a female teacher around 1:45pm </strong></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-user-select: auto; -webkit-user-drag: none; margin: 0px 0px 12px 12px; padding: 0px; list-style: disc; font-weight: 700;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-user-select: auto; -webkit-user-drag: none;">The two students were life-flighted to the hospital, while the teacher was taken by ambulance</strong></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-user-select: auto; -webkit-user-drag: none; margin: 0px 0px 12px 12px; padding: 0px; list-style: disc; font-weight: 700;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-user-select: auto; -webkit-user-drag: none;">All three are expected to survive </span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-user-select: auto; -webkit-user-drag: none; margin: 0px 0px 12px 12px; padding: 0px; list-style: disc; font-weight: 700;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-user-select: auto; -webkit-user-drag: none;">A death was reported at a residence three miles away, but police will not say whether they are connected</strong></li></ul><div><font face="Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b><br></b></font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzx_yIg4rb2KVc5YV5c9PY57118OBINzWByP60r1LMRbi45OEh6C9PfuIKAXDbnE2ihk3MWJFOgnGGM-bhSV8PrPFj8gn8K68hF9Mu0kmNBIzoTuocvE77lTP5s0n-BNIDqwe6_a49RBs/s1600/88636363.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzx_yIg4rb2KVc5YV5c9PY57118OBINzWByP60r1LMRbi45OEh6C9PfuIKAXDbnE2ihk3MWJFOgnGGM-bhSV8PrPFj8gn8K68hF9Mu0kmNBIzoTuocvE77lTP5s0n-BNIDqwe6_a49RBs/s640/88636363.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Teen gunman is in custody after shooting two students and a female teacher at a South Carolina elementary school. </div><br>A teen gunman has been arrested after opening fire at a South Carolina elementary school on Wednesday. <br><br>Police say the gunman - whose name and sex have not been revealed - shot two other students and a female teacher at Townville Elementary school around 1:45pm on Wednesday.<br><br>The two students were taken by helicopter to the Greenville Health System pediatric trauma center, while the teacher was taken by ambulance to AnMed Health Medical Center. Fox Carolina reports that the teacher was grazed by a bullet while the two students were shot, and that all three are expected to survive  

Female teacher also shot at South Carolina elementary school

2 students,teacher injured in shooting at Townville Elementary School. Two students were injured and airlifted to Greenville Memorial Hospit...

Shimon Peres dies:doctor

<p dir="ltr">Shimon Peres dies:doctor</p><p dir="ltr">Shimon Peres dead: Former Israeli president dies after suffering stroke at at 93</p><p dir="ltr">The former president died two weeks after suffering a major stroke, Israeli officials said.<br></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoKil9sRSOHF4sg7hSbISPzKPW1emVVNHZu4pswGUQuH8gE9lPTrMcmW5pgOQGcaKMasardnjNmL6-XucHuUWMThWUyrWBb1kqb9yEVBgD-rV8ipdVfAG8N8ulhYvjN6udw00iAm7GRwk/s1600/shimonperes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoKil9sRSOHF4sg7hSbISPzKPW1emVVNHZu4pswGUQuH8gE9lPTrMcmW5pgOQGcaKMasardnjNmL6-XucHuUWMThWUyrWBb1kqb9yEVBgD-rV8ipdVfAG8N8ulhYvjN6udw00iAm7GRwk/s640/shimonperes.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Former Israeli president Shimon Peres has died. He was 93. </div><br>The Sheba Medical Centre in Tel Aviv announced Peres' death at 3.40 am Wednesday morning, according to the official government Israel New Agency.<br><br>A statement from family is forthcoming.<br><br>Peres had been involved in Israeli politics for more than half a century.<br><br>He served seven terms as Israel's president until his 2014 retirement,and had served in the majority of Cabinet positions throughout his career – including three terms as prime minister.<br><br>Serving as foreign minister under Yitzhak Rabin, Peres helped conclude the Israeli-Palestinian Oslo Peace Accords,for which he won the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize alongside Rabin and then-Palestinian president Yasser Arafat.<br><br>After Rabin's 1995 assasination, Peres became Prime Minister of Israel.<br>

Shimon Peres dies:doctor

Shimon Peres dies:doctor Shimon Peres dead: Former Israeli president dies after suffering stroke at at 93 The former president died two week...

Wells Fargo CEO to forfeit $41M in incentives,fargo pay amid fake-accounts probe; another exec leaves

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpB0L5x00pOILzWBK3lgkhQRybXNbeRPA1qz0mvVWINWNAvJIwxeFT8NrlAXasLZpRV60Jo-vn9YVyznFXyat_8UxM6VlfQBjHpNKwxfbxmn7xXpfW01rYxZ8l67ZY-T74qxBT_Omgl3I/s1600/2016qkaqka.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpB0L5x00pOILzWBK3lgkhQRybXNbeRPA1qz0mvVWINWNAvJIwxeFT8NrlAXasLZpRV60Jo-vn9YVyznFXyat_8UxM6VlfQBjHpNKwxfbxmn7xXpfW01rYxZ8l67ZY-T74qxBT_Omgl3I/s640/2016qkaqka.JPG"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Wells Fargo claws back $41M from CEO. </div><br>Wells Fargo (WFC) CEO John Stumpf agreed to give up $41 million in stock awards following the board of directors' investigation into the bank's sales practices, the company said Tuesday.<br><br>Additionally, Carrie Tolstedt, Wells Fargo's former head of community banking, will give up all her unvested equity awards valued at $19 million and will not receive retirement benefits worth millions. Tolstedt was responsible during the time employees allegedly created sham accounts to meet sales targets until retiring this year. Neither Tolstedt nor Stumpf will receive 2016 bonuses.<br><br>The penalties are the result of an investigation by the bank into retail banking matters, which is wrapping up just before Stumpf Thursday is expected to testify before the House Financial Services Committee. Stumpf will not receive a salary during Wells Fargo's investigation.<br><br>Both Stumpf and Tolstedt were responsible at a time when allegedly hundreds of thousands of accounts were secretly opened for customers. Thousands of employees were fired for opening the accounts, allegedly done to meet sales targets set by management. The U.S. Department of Labor plans to investigate the bank's workplace practices, Labor Secretary Tom Perez said in a letter Monday to Sen. Elizabeth Warren,D-Mass.<br><br>Media reports.

Wells Fargo CEO to forfeit $41M in incentives,fargo pay amid fake-accounts probe; another exec leaves

Wells Fargo claws back $41M from CEO. Wells Fargo (WFC) CEO John Stumpf agreed to give up $41 million in stock awards following the board ...

Authorities: Suspect in deadly Washington state mall shooting in custody

<p dir="ltr">Authorities: Suspect in deadly Washington state mall shooting in custody.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd15Yd6246F1Mkfyz39s7PcToDheQshACr3XnziAJd2DKF2UCxjFGfk4fKtql8DhaWGIQNRTYZBjEHEzz34z7onz2F3fT1V2KFxbH-BRqER8U-wK-g2mYjn1KbATEYUDzu84Z4VzUvVes/s1600/IMG_20160924_113744.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd15Yd6246F1Mkfyz39s7PcToDheQshACr3XnziAJd2DKF2UCxjFGfk4fKtql8DhaWGIQNRTYZBjEHEzz34z7onz2F3fT1V2KFxbH-BRqER8U-wK-g2mYjn1KbATEYUDzu84Z4VzUvVes/s640/IMG_20160924_113744.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Washington State gun attack suspect in custody. </div><br>A suspect sought over a fatal gun attack at a shopping centre in Washington State on Friday has been captured, police say.<br><br>Details of the arrest have not been revealed although media reports say it took place in Oak Harbor, west of Burlington where the shooting happened.<br><br>Five people were killed when a gunman opened fire inside Macy's department store at Cascade Mall.<br><br>The FBI said there is no evidence that the shooting was linked to terrorism.<br><br>The Skagit County Department of Emergency Management confirmed the arrest on Twitter. The suspect's name has not been released,<br><br>It said a news conference would be held later.<br><br>Police launched a huge manhunt after the shooting, releasing a photo of the suspect, who was described as a male in his late teens or early 20s wearing a black shirt and shorts.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8JV63koczz61-Xc_ur2Muqvf5FFcS1lCxPC8wEUMhLrtDKwGdx1AEklAJoGPf0f0PpsuYcHRWlT_N3eYtrvbkUn51fde0na_kE91w12KjjXonakRXnTl9RtoMmvmPuIm9HIppibmWlSs/s1600/Qka3314.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8JV63koczz61-Xc_ur2Muqvf5FFcS1lCxPC8wEUMhLrtDKwGdx1AEklAJoGPf0f0PpsuYcHRWlT_N3eYtrvbkUn51fde0na_kE91w12KjjXonakRXnTl9RtoMmvmPuIm9HIppibmWlSs/s640/Qka3314.gif"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Mall shooting suspect is Arcan Cetin, 20-year-old resident of Oak Harbor, Washington,authorities say. </div>

Authorities: Suspect in deadly Washington state mall shooting in custody

Authorities: Suspect in deadly Washington state mall shooting in custody. Washington State gun attack suspect in custody. A suspect sought...

How Cruz got from 'vote your conscience' to 'vote for Trump'

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiseLF5MNQ2rEDK6v67eOk4r6aDUjdXQdtdOBfxNhIjVUTHq5h3nR7rBJSpIPnVXCr4DkhZZWIOuBbo8cxbDyxHMx4UQbtCzv1OOoHJEy5nAwGn_9tQGEu5cbFmYI6sYXn9emJCnaJMwc/s1600/80615.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiseLF5MNQ2rEDK6v67eOk4r6aDUjdXQdtdOBfxNhIjVUTHq5h3nR7rBJSpIPnVXCr4DkhZZWIOuBbo8cxbDyxHMx4UQbtCzv1OOoHJEy5nAwGn_9tQGEu5cbFmYI6sYXn9emJCnaJMwc/s640/80615.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">How Cruz got from 'vote your conscience' to 'vote for Trump' </div><br>The Texas senator,his standing slipping back home and eyeing another White House run,faced an excruciating choice.<br><br>Minutes before Ted Cruz took the stage at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick cornered the senator, huddling with him in a last-ditch effort to coax an endorsement of Donald Trump. It didn’t work.<br><br>“A missed opportunity,” Patrick fumed after Cruz's notorious snub. "He makes his own decisions.”<br><br>Cruz was caught between two whirling forces in the GOP: The conservative movement he led just five months ago and a Republican Party now finding itself actually unifying after a bizarre and divisive primary election seemed to threaten the party’s very existence.<br><br>Former Cruz aides wanted their onetime boss to stand strong. Rick Tyler, a former Cruz spokesman, said on Thursday that “there is enormous pressure to get on board [with Trump] but if he does, he's done.”<div><br></div><div>“If he announces he endorses, it destroys his political brand,” said someone who had worked for Cruz's campaign.<br><br>Cruz’s political calculation was exceedingly complicated. He’s now at risk of facing a real primary challenge in 2018 from Rep. Mike McCaul (R-Texas), a deep-pocketed Republican who could draw backing from the GOP establishment in Texas. And Cruz’s standing in Texas has taken a significant hit since his refusal to endorse Trump, with some polls showing him vulnerable in his Senate primary.<br><br>But Cruz, at least publicly, has come to see the election as the binary choice Republicans have been citing all along as they fall in line behind Trump: The business mogul isn’t their first choice, but he’s better than Clinton.<br><br>“If you don’t want to see a Hillary Clinton presidency, I encourage you to vote for” Trump, Cruz wrote Friday.<br><br>For some in the GOP, Cruz will be known as a good party soldier. But others were plainly dejected. Glenn Beck called it a “profoundly sad day for me,” former Cruz speechwriter Amanda Carpenter could only muster that the turn of events was “very disappointing.” Top political aide Jason Johnson’s only comment was a photo of himself, covering his eyes.<br><br>Other Republicans said that the bizarre arc of Cruz and Trump’s relationship was less about winning the election — and more about egos.<br><br>“The people who are disposed to vote for Donald Trump are going to vote for Donald Trump regardless of who is or is not endorsing him,” said a Republican senator. “I don’t know that all of a sudden you’ll see this groundswell of people” supporting Trump.<br><br>Steve Deace, a conservative radio host who was instrumental in Cruz’s Iowa Caucus win, summed up the feeling that many Cruz loyalists were grappling with as the decision came down on Friday: "This is gonna be a political disaster," he said. "Sad. Unavoidable. Entirely self-inflicted."<br></div>

How Cruz got from 'vote your conscience' to 'vote for Trump'

How Cruz got from 'vote your conscience' to 'vote for Trump' The Texas senator,his standing slipping back home and eyeing ...

A 5th person has died in the mall shooting in Burlington, WA, officials say.The suspect is still on the loose

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgev2toSJvEyH9cfyKnN-eQXWoleBZQNJ9plQRyO3IlaTiH0sC4aK4w0YGMYfL4C94PRAkqqdqOqBhRoysmiIoSYTR7mdpnMDXeM3v08LbwXPbdbOyMIN5c0E6puZz6LmtWU2PJBAsHd9A/s1600/3041.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgev2toSJvEyH9cfyKnN-eQXWoleBZQNJ9plQRyO3IlaTiH0sC4aK4w0YGMYfL4C94PRAkqqdqOqBhRoysmiIoSYTR7mdpnMDXeM3v08LbwXPbdbOyMIN5c0E6puZz6LmtWU2PJBAsHd9A/s640/3041.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A 5th person has died in the mall shooting in Burlington, WA,officials say. </div><br>The suspect is still on the loose.<br><br>Washington mall shooting:Gunman kills 5 people,disappears.<br><br>Police are searching for at least one shooter.<br>It happened at a mall in Burlington, north of Seattle.<br><br>A man carrying a rifle entered a Macy's store at a mall in Washington state, shot dead four women and a man and vanished into the night, authorities said.<br><br>Authorities believe only one person fired the shots at Cascade Mall in Burlington, and are searching for a man who headed toward Interstate 5 after the attack, said Sgt. Mark Francis, a spokesman for the state patrol.<br><br>They released a blurry surveillance video picture of an armed man they described as the suspect. His motive or relationship to the victims, if any, are unclear,PD said.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzxDnbW0t8G7pq-ydOR1qVnzfD3B-aDtFzi1DHoCCGOGl14EIPvyF3caAtArASf2s9K3qciDluCFwVkBefHdE0HnOr0-m0AYiAP-wWnEPVhz94TbgEFkbbd5nEG_8fQNXziaWTBVse114/s1600/Qkaprb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzxDnbW0t8G7pq-ydOR1qVnzfD3B-aDtFzi1DHoCCGOGl14EIPvyF3caAtArASf2s9K3qciDluCFwVkBefHdE0HnOr0-m0AYiAP-wWnEPVhz94TbgEFkbbd5nEG_8fQNXziaWTBVse114/s640/Qkaprb.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Mall shooting suspect is Arcan Cetin, 20-year-old resident of Oak Harbor, Washington. </div><br>He was born in Turkey and is a legal US permanent resident, officials say.

A 5th person has died in the mall shooting in Burlington, WA, officials say.The suspect is still on the loose

A 5th person has died in the mall shooting in Burlington, WA,officials say. The suspect is still on the loose. Washington mall shooting:Gu...

8 Russian firefighters die in massive warehouse blaze

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSztifXuqAqOb6APGoXnv1fuJZr21jMiFHoWweR2iSMTR-c5ccSXAP8XS2YnjdwZH9dx3rjZrUJUgSxP7deV-sQPqB5UdwMFvB9WRg1biMUcOtazShfbqN5AKjs4htmFJ54WBKxdJB7EI/s1600/Qka45807.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSztifXuqAqOb6APGoXnv1fuJZr21jMiFHoWweR2iSMTR-c5ccSXAP8XS2YnjdwZH9dx3rjZrUJUgSxP7deV-sQPqB5UdwMFvB9WRg1biMUcOtazShfbqN5AKjs4htmFJ54WBKxdJB7EI/s640/Qka45807.gif"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Emergencies Ministry said eight firemen died while tackling the blaze which started Thursday.</div><br>Eight Russian firefighters died when the roof of a plastics warehouse in Moscow collapsed while they were trying to extinguish a massive blaze, the Emergencies Minister said.<br><br>Emergencies Minister Vladimir Puchkov said in Friday's statement the firefighters were on the roof, working to contain the fire in the warehouse, when the collapse happened.<br>About 300 emergencies workers took part in combating the fire, which erupted Thursday and engulfed an area of up to 4,000 square meters (40,000 square feet). It took firefighters more than 14 hours to put it out.<br><br>The warehouse in eastern Moscow stored a wide range of plastic goods, including kitchenware and artificial flowers, and the blaze engulfed the area in acid fumes. Investigators were looking into possible causes of the fire.

8 Russian firefighters die in massive warehouse blaze

Emergencies Ministry said eight firemen died while tackling the blaze which started Thursday. Eight Russian firefighters died when the roo...

Guatemala:prominent human rights prosecutor arrested

<p dir="ltr">Orlando López has investigated some of the worst crimes committed during Guatemala’s bloody civil war and arrested powerful former military commanders for torture, genocide and forced disappearances.</p><p dir="ltr">But the efforts of the senior human rights prosecutor have not gone unnoticed by rightwing groups who claim he is spearheading a leftist conspiracy against the armed forces.</p><p dir="ltr">Now, López, 41, has been detained on homicide charges linked to an alleged hit-and-run accident, which his supporters say is part of a wave of malicious litigation against advocates seeking justice over civil war crimes.</p><p dir="ltr">The alleged traffic incident was reported by the Foundation against Terrorism, a rightwing group linked to retired military generals, which in recent years has accused dozens of senior judges, prosecutors and human rights activists of crimes including corruption, intimidation and links to organised crime.</p><p dir="ltr">“I know that I am here because of the work I have done, it has nothing to do with the traffic incident, this is just an excuse to target me,” López told the Guardian, while waiting handcuffed in Guatemala City criminal court.</p><p dir="ltr">López was lead prosecutor in the 2013 genocide trial against former military dictator Efrain Rios Montt, and in the arrest earlier this year of 18 former army generals for multiple forced disappearances.</p><p dir="ltr">Since 2014, the Foundation has lodged five sets of criminal accusations against López, which include at least 35 alleged crimes.</p><p dir="ltr">The most recent incident occurred when López was driving back to Guatemala City in July with his security detail. The car hit something or someone around 10.30pm in the state of Zacapa, a region well known for drug trafficking and organised crime.</p><p dir="ltr">He was advised not to stop by his head of security.</p><p dir="ltr">“My job is to protect his [López’s] physical safety. Based on where we were, the time of night and the threats he has received since I started working with him three years and seven months ago, it was my decision that we should not stop,” said Ever Fuentes, 29, who was also arrested on Thursday along with the other two bodyguards.</p><p dir="ltr">A man in his 40s died that night, but it is not clear how or when. In an official testimony, the victim’s brother said the pair had been drinking heavily that evening, and that his brother had previously been knocked down while drunk. Witnesses reported the involvement of another vehicle.</p><p dir="ltr">López reported the incident to his seniors in the Public Ministry.</p><p dir="ltr">The information was leaked to the Foundation against Terrorism. Its director, Ricardo Méndez Ruiz, said he reported the incident as a crime to the Public Ministry as a civic duty.</p><p dir="ltr">Méndez Ruiz has also filed allegations against Miguel Gálvez – the judge overseeing the investigation of a multimillion dollar customs fraud allegedly masterminded by former president Otto Pérez Molina and his deputy Roxana Baldetti – and Yassmin Barrios, the lead judge in several genocide and sexual slavery trials.</p><p dir="ltr">“We’re bringing a small wave of lawsuits to counteract an enormous wave of lawsuits being brought by the extreme left against our soldiers who fought in the internal armed conflict against a Marxist invasion, and against the private sector which obstructs economic development in our country,” Méndez Ruiz told the Press.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHHCnoSt3WcCX57OeeXxnMh4WBFQnw2WrzHY7TkdIFwADhj3eBmlll2Dl7TGGKvF_ypUifdRoRSEB-pPrVcMB2IkXLfJpH7tPJMyJLFv50K490dtPCwpxUpfMnrlMOAwF7BJd0TmUdH84/s1600/4179.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHHCnoSt3WcCX57OeeXxnMh4WBFQnw2WrzHY7TkdIFwADhj3eBmlll2Dl7TGGKvF_ypUifdRoRSEB-pPrVcMB2IkXLfJpH7tPJMyJLFv50K490dtPCwpxUpfMnrlMOAwF7BJd0TmUdH84/s640/4179.jpg"> </a> </div>

Guatemala:prominent human rights prosecutor arrested

Orlando López has investigated some of the worst crimes committed during Guatemala’s bloody civil war and arrested powerful former military ...

North Carolina congressman apologizes for saying Charlotte protesters "hate white people"

<p dir="ltr">A congressman who represents North Carolina apologized Thursday for saying there are riots in Charlotte because the protesters "hate white people."</p><p dir="ltr">"The grievance in their mind is that the animus, the anger -- they hate white people, because white people are successful and they're not," Rep. Robert Pittenger, a Republican, said on the BBC's "Newsnight." "I mean, yes, it is, it is a welfare state. We have spent trillions of dollars on welfare, where we put people in bondage so that they cannot be all that they're capable of being."</p><p dir="ltr">Pittenger, who has represented North Carolina's ninth congressional district since 2013, emphasized that people come to the United States for opportunities, not government handouts.</p><p dir="ltr">"America is a country of opportunity and freedom and liberty," he said. "It didn't become that way because of a great government who provided everything for everyone, no."</p><p dir="ltr">Pittenger told CNN's Don Lemon on "CNN Tonight" Thursday that he was repeating comments he'd heard from protesters.</p><p dir="ltr">"Frankly, I was quoting what they were saying last night on what I observed on your network. And their hatred for white people," Pittenger said. "And that saddens me greatly."</p><p dir="ltr">"You believe the protesters hate white people?" Lemon asked.</p><p dir="ltr">"No, no, sir. It's the comment that they made. I think you can go back and look at the tapes. The comments that they made on air," Pittenger responded.</p><p dir="ltr">"You mean the protesters made on air?" Lemon asked.</p><p dir="ltr">"Yes sir. I was only trying to convey what they were saying and yet, it didn't come out right, and I apologize. I have many, many good friends in the African-American community," he said.</p><p dir="ltr">Pittenger's office also released a statement apologizing for comments, saying he didn't mean to offend anyone.</p><p dir="ltr">"What is taking place in my hometown right now breaks my heart. My anguish led me to respond to a reporter's question in a way that I regret," he said in the statement. "The answer doesn't reflect who I am. I was quoting statements made by angry protesters last night on national TV. My intent was to discuss the lack of economic mobility for African-Americans because of failed policies. I apologize to those I offended and hope we can bring peace and calm to Charlotte."</p><p dir="ltr">On Tuesday in Charlotte, Keith Lamont Scott, an African-American, was shot by a police officer after refusing repeated demands to put down what authorities said was a gun.</p><p dir="ltr">Riots and protests in the city began that night and continued on Wednesday and Thursday nights.</p><p dir="ltr">President Barack Obama weighed in on the unrest Thursday, saying that the anger should be directed toward pushing needed reforms.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIdAFSqKVnIhS4naILpWjfBz87BjZv8Bp251TlB1NQNqmi2QHkkNe0a8HXbsksomogl6wCguFYzFd7dq6ZmyQzpBVfk5aAO72_OwsaVYfv6xPwz1UsLQvt1QPoec6XOOwslyNZ7yRFtcY/s1600/Ncqka1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIdAFSqKVnIhS4naILpWjfBz87BjZv8Bp251TlB1NQNqmi2QHkkNe0a8HXbsksomogl6wCguFYzFd7dq6ZmyQzpBVfk5aAO72_OwsaVYfv6xPwz1UsLQvt1QPoec6XOOwslyNZ7yRFtcY/s640/Ncqka1.png"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Story highlights. </div><br>"They hate white people, because white people are successful and they're not," <br><br>Pittenger saidHe later issued an apology over the remarks.

North Carolina congressman apologizes for saying Charlotte protesters "hate white people"

A congressman who represents North Carolina apologized Thursday for saying there are riots in Charlotte because the protesters "hate wh...

Michelle Obama's passport scan posted online in apparent hack

<p dir="ltr">The White House said on Thursday it was looking into a cyber breach after what appeared to be a scan of first lady Michelle Obama's passport was posted online.</p><p dir="ltr">The fresh disclosures, which included emails to and from White House staffers, raised further concerns about thesecurity of sensitive systems following a string of breaches affecting government agencies, private companies and theDemocratic National Committee. Though officials declined to say whether the disclosures were authentic, there were no immediate reasons to suspect they were not.</p><p dir="ltr">Attorney General Loretta Lynch said it was "something that we are looking into". The US Secret Service, responsible for the first lady's safety, also expressed concern.</p><p dir="ltr">Mrs Obama's information was part of a batch of emails spanning from February 2015 through July 2016 and purportedly hacked from the Gmail account of a White House "advance" staffer, responsible for logistics for official trips. The breach included the photo-and-information page of her passport, including passport number, birthdate and place of birth - most of which is public information.</p><p dir="ltr">Josh Earnest, spokesman for the White House, said officials were taking a "close look" at what happened. While emphasising the need for government workers to be cautious with cyber security, he sought to downplay concerns by pointing out that the advance staffer whose email was apparently hacked was a contract worker rather than a permanent member of the president's staff.</p><p dir="ltr">"At this point I cannot announce any sort of conclusion that's been reached about the individual or individuals that may have been responsible for the cyber breach that resulted in this information being leaked," Mr Earnest said.</p><p dir="ltr">The Secret Service didn't say whether it had opened a formal investigation, but confirmed it was aware of the "alleged email hacking".</p><p dir="ltr">"The Secret Service is concerned any time unauthorised information that might pertain to one of the individuals we protect, or our operations, is allegedly disclosed," Cathy Milhoan, Secret Service communications director, said.</p><p dir="ltr">The first lady's office declined to comment.</p><p dir="ltr">The information was posted on DCLeaks.com, the same website whereformer Secretary of State Colin Powell's private emails were recently disclosed. The site says its goal is to expose the misuse of political power, and has been alleged to be an outlet for hackers tied to Russian intelligence groups.</p><p dir="ltr">In another reminder of how pervasive the hacking problem has become, Yahoo said on Thursday that hackers stole personal information from 500 million accounts, including birth dates, hashed passwords and security answers used to verify an accountholder's identity. The internet company attributed the breach to a "state sponsored actor."</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlJjZXv3t_qk6fxs6uM-L5-WQYWNLsqaqCa-LuEjInV9MNK5OVSRohSus4BFjw9rmH5oZtHDc4f02naHCGHba1qQrFDcXXapm0zWY1wkPPEvBUH4Wbf3ghcq7LX5RIZmItJze_TAPLaNM/s1600/gif_20160507205309.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlJjZXv3t_qk6fxs6uM-L5-WQYWNLsqaqCa-LuEjInV9MNK5OVSRohSus4BFjw9rmH5oZtHDc4f02naHCGHba1qQrFDcXXapm0zWY1wkPPEvBUH4Wbf3ghcq7LX5RIZmItJze_TAPLaNM/s640/gif_20160507205309.gif"> </a> </div>

Michelle Obama's passport scan posted online in apparent hack

The White House said on Thursday it was looking into a cyber breach after what appeared to be a scan of first lady Michelle Obama's pass...