Secret Service slips up – ex-convict rides in elevator with President Obama

It is a shocking revelation that President Obama, the most powerful man on Earth, had shared an elevator earlier this month with an armed security contractor who has three felony convictions relating to assault and battery foxnews.com. The incident took place in an elevator during Obama's Sept. 16 visit to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.
It seems the individual was working as a security officer at the CDC and Secret Service agents grew suspicious when he refused to stop taking a video of the president on his phone.
The man was taken aside for questioning and it was revealed that the man was carrying a gun – running a criminal check on the man showed that he had a criminal history.
Later, the presidential security had fallen apart when a knife-wielding intruder jumped a White House fence earlier this month and sprinted untouched across the lawn and gained entry into the residence of the first family through an unlocked door. The intruder then made his way into the East Room reception area.
It may be recalled that earlier, in 2012, there had been another embarrassing scandal for the agency – it was a prostitution scandal that erupted during a presidential visit to Colombia.

15-year-old girl from Bristol goes to Syria to join the jihadists

When a 15-year-old girl, a would-be dentist from Bristol, leaves her roots and wants to go to Syria to join the jihadists, it is a matter of concern news.sky.com. It seems, this girl along with another 17-year-old girl had travelled from London to Turkey from where they wanted to cross over into Syria.
The 17-year-old London teenager, from Lambeth, is of Somali descent and was last seen leaving home at 7am on September 24.
According to friends of the 15-year-old was a studious student but, she wanted to join militants in Syria and might have been radicalized online. This is what others have surmised because she had, of late, become tied to her mobile phone and computer probably being influenced after viewing extremist material on chat rooms and forums.
She studied in The City Academy in Bristol but, she was not in school when her father went to pick her up last week and she has not been heard of from that day.
The girl's family are also Somali and, as per officers who are investigating, they are trying to ascertain whether the two girls travelled together from Heathrow Airport to Istanbul, Turkey.
Obviously, the social media is to blame since its reach is growing with every passing day and, in order to access the internet, one need not go to any café but can do it from one’s mobile phone.

Obama came in 2008 riding the wave of anti-war sentiment but wars continue in both Iraq and Afghanistan

The way things are shaping up in Iraq and Afghanistan, it is evident that while Barack Obama, elected president in 2008 on a wave of anti-war sentiment, would be passing off both the Afghanistan war and his new war in Iraq and Syria to his successor theguardian.com.
It may be recalled that in 2010, his vice-president, Joe Biden, had publicly vowed that the US would be “totally out” of Afghanistan “by 2014 but the primary explicit purpose of the latest deal between the US and Afghanistan, known as the Bilateral Security Agreement, would permit the US to continue training Afghanistan’s roughly 350,000 security forces, which the US and NATO have built from scratch.
Under the proposed agreement, the US military would enjoy access to nine major land and airbases, including the massive airfields at Bagram, Jalalabad and Kandahar, staging areas not only for air operations in Afghanistan but the US drone strikes that continue across the border in tribal Pakistan. The additional bases in Kabul, Mazar-i-Sharif, Herat, Helmand, Gardez and Shindand would ensure the reach of the US military throughout the whole of Afghanistan.
Moreover, with the rise of the Islamic State (ISIS) after the 2011 US withdrawal from Iraq, the US finds itself in a peculiar situation of rewriting history by returning to Iraq to tackle the menace of the IS while the 13 years of bloody, expensive war in Afghanistan have failed to vanquish the insurgency of the Taliban.

Fresh violence leaves 12 dead and 32 injured in Ukraine

The calm and relative peace in eastern Ukraine has been subjected to the worst violence in more than a week with fighting between pro-Russian rebels and government troops in the region – the clashes led to the death of at least 12 people and injuries to another 32.
As indicated by Colonel Andriy Lysenko in a briefing to journalists in Kiev, at least nine troops were killed and 27 had been wounded during clashes in Donetsk, Kharkiv, and Luhansk yesterday.
In addition, the city council of Donetsk has gone online to indicate that at least three civilians were killed and five wounded in overnight shelling of a residential area in the northern part of the city. Here, the fighting had centered on the government-held airport.
Incidentally, in spite of assurances by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko that his peace plan is working, violence has continued to rear its head despite a cease-fire declared on September. 5. Nearly 3500 people have died ever since fighting began in April.

Kabul to sign accord to allow 9800 American soldiers to stay on after 2014

The newly inaugurated Afghan President Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai is expected to sign a vital security deal by virtue of which 9800 American soldiers would continue to remain in Afghanistan beyond 2014 foxnews.com.
As understood from the Defense Department, the new president will sign the Bilateral Security Agreement allowing for 9,800 U.S. troops to stay on in Afghanistan after 2014. The president is also expected to sign a NATO Status of Forces Agreement which would allow a small NATO force to stay on as well.
According to the White House, U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan James Cunningham will sign the document on behalf of the U.S. president.
Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai has been sworn in as Afghanistan's new president – he replaces Hamid Karzai who was the country's first democratic transfer of power after the 2001 U.S.-led invasion toppled the Taliban.
Incidentally, Karzai had declined to sign the security agreement with the U.S. before relinquishing office.
While delivering his first speech, Ghani Ahmadzai has called upon the Taliban and other militants to join the country's political process and lay down their weapons. He has said that we are tired of war and our message is peace, (but) this doesn't mean we are weak.

There is crisis in the air as IS militants come to within 2-Km of Baghdad

The situation in the Middle East, especially in Iraq and Syria, keeps changing every minute and latest reports indicate that the IS militants are literally knocking at the doorsteps of Baghdad news.sky.com – within 2-Km as some reports mention.
Local residents are afraid to leave their houses and the roads are deserted in anticipation of imminent attacks and violence.
The revelations have been made by Canon Andrew White – in his words, the IS militants were reportedly only a mile away from the capital amid clashes with Iraqi soldiers. Moreover, there has also been renewed fighting in the central cities of Baquba and Ramadi.
The situation in Syria is no better – in spite of the recent coalition airstrikes, fighters from IS are believed to have come to within three miles of the strategic border town of Kobani.
Canon White is the vicar of St George's Church - the only Anglican Church in Iraq – and he has said that civilians were being killed by coalition air raids in Iraq.
He feels that that his church would be "very high up" on the extremist group's target list and he himself would be at the very top of the list.

Iraqi ground forces backed by air power arrest the advance of Islamic State militants

The advancing Islamic State (IS) militants in Amariya al-Falluja, 40-Km from Baghdad have been checked by Iraqi ground forces who, backed by air strikes, appear to have halted IS militants, who have been making gains towards the capital Baghdad bbc.com.
Amariya al-Falluja is believed to be a key strategic town and the attacks by Iraqi forces appear to have come as a US-led coalition continues to carry out air strikes on IS targets in Syria and Iraq.
The area around Amariya al-Falluja is now reported to be calm, but there is a standoff along the main road to Falluja to the north, which is controlled by IS.
The Pentagon has confirmed that US air strikes overnight had targeted other IS positions in Anbar province, 80-Km from Baghdad.
In Syria US war planes also struck four more oil fields controlled by IS militants near the group's stronghold in Raqqa. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), which monitors the conflict in Syria, has revealed that casualties in US airstrikes were mostly civilians.
The air strikes in Syria appear to be focused on cutting off IS's revenue by targeting oil fields and, US President Barack Obama has indicated that a political solution to the crisis can come only when Sunni and Shia populations come together to defeat the IS jihadists.

Shooting in Miami nightclub leaves at least 15 wounded – many are teenagers

Once again gun related violence has been reported from Miami edition.cnn.com – at least fifteen people, many of them teenagers and some as young as 11, suffered injuries when shooting broke out in the Miami nightclub Spot located at NW 64th Street and Seventh Avenue at around 1am.
As revealed by police spokeswoman Frederica Burden, the victims ranged in age from 11 to 25 and were taken to area hospitals. There is no indication as to whether the nightclub catered to teenagers and why so many youths 16 and younger were inside a nightclub.
It seems a large party was being held when shooting broke out and, according to witnesses, they had heard about 100 gunshots. The club had, apparently, begun to allow teen parties on the weekends.
Incidentally, a Miami-Dade County curfew makes it illegal for children below the age of 17 to be out on their own between midnight and 6 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. For other days, the curfew is 11 p.m. to 6 a.m.

U S boots could return to the ground in Iraq

President Barack Obama has admitted that the US intelligence agencies had not only underestimated the threat from Islamic State militants but had also overestimated the ability and will of Iraq's army to fight nzherald.co.nz.
House Speaker John Boehner has expressed an opinion that the US may have "no choice" but to send in American troops in case the preset strategy of a mix of US-led airstrikes and a ground campaign reliant on Iraqi forces, Kurdish fighters and soon-to-be trained Syrian rebels fails to reap any benefits.
Boehner has agreed that President Obama did have the power to order airstrikes in Iraq and Syria, but he feels that Congress should consider a resolution authorizing the use of force for this specific mission. In order to do this, Boehner has indicated that he would bring lawmakers back to Washington - they are not set to return until after the November 4 election - if Obama did want to seek such a resolution.
Boehner has made the position quite clear - if no one else was able to step up, America would have no choice but to send in Americans because the IS are barbarians. They intend to kill Americans and if they are not destroyed first, the world would have to pay the price.

Volcano erupts in Japan’s Mount Ontake – at least 30 feared dead

Mount Ontake, which straddles Nagano and Gifu prefectures about 130 miles west of Tokyo, erupted shortly before noon on Saturday and sent thick plumes of smoke and rocks into the air. Preliminary reports indicate that at least 30 people have died near the peak of the volcano in central Japan theguardian.com.
It erupted without any warning and scores of amateur climbers got trapped - a wide area was covered with thick ash and rescuers had discovered more than 30 people who were suffering from heart and lung failure.
The official confirmation that the victims are dead will be given only after doctors have examined the bodies. Nearly 250 people were near the 3,067-metre peak when the eruption occurred and most of them succeeded in making their way down the mountain to safety.
The mountain last had a major eruption in 1979 and is popular with weekend hikers, particularly in September and October when the autumn leaves are at their best. Due to this sudden eruption, flights at Tokyo’s Haneda airport were delayed because the planes had to change their routes to avoid the peak.

Al-Nusra front threatens over US airstrikes on ISIS positions

The Syrian militant group al-Nusra Front has denounced US-led air strikes as "a war against Islam" and, in an online statement, the al-Qaeda-linked group has called upon jihadists around the world to target Western and Arab countries involved bbc.com.
The threat comes as the US and other nations have widened air strikes against Islamic State (IS) fighters in Iraq and Syria and a Syrian activist group has indicated that overnight strikes have hit three local oilfields near the Syrian IS stronghold of Raqqa.
Moreover, the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, have added that one civilian was killed in a strike on a plastics factory on the outskirts of Raqqa.
The Pentagon had earlier confirmed that jets had hit Raqqa as well as IS positions near the Turkish border.
The US-led coalition consisting of about 40 countries, including Arab states, has vowed to destroy IS, which controls large parts of north-eastern Syria and northern Iraq. Incidentally, the group's brutal tactics, including mass killings, beheadings, and abductions of members of religious and ethnic minorities, have triggered the international intervention.
Britain has become the latest country to join the coalition - two of six RAF Tornados based in Cyprus have carried out their first combat mission but returned without carrying out any strikes. Later, two RAF planes took part in a further flight and later returned safely. Probably they are testing the waters before embarking on offensive actions.

Dr Death of Australia starts his Suicide Club in London

A ‘suicide club’ set up by Australian doctor Philip Nitschke that provides advice and equipment to help people kill themselves has been set up in Britain dailymail.co.uk. The group believes it is a ‘fundamental right’ for anyone to take their lives when they want to.
Access and membership to the ‘Exit Club’ is restricted to those over 50, who have no history of depression or mental illness. In the case of younger ones, it only lets in younger people if they have a serious pressing reason, such as a terminal illness.
In the opinion of Dr Death, restricting access to suicide method information is ‘censorship’. Exit International is campaigning to legalize euthanasia and has opened a London office to ‘cope with demand’ after its UK membership hit 1,000.
The group reportedly charges a fee from members to access online information and attend workshops to discuss ‘peaceful’ methods of suicide and, has attracted widespread criticism in Australia, where it was originally set up.
Unlike other advocates of assisted dying, Exit does not campaign only on behalf of the terminally ill but it also takes up the cause of older people who are simply ‘tired of life’ and want to kill themselves using drugs or gas, in what it terms ‘rational suicide’.

AQAP fires rocket at US Embassy in Sanaa, Yemen – no casualties

Al Qaeda of the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has claimed responsibility for a rocket attack on US Embassy in Sanaa, Yemen foxnews.com – some guards have been injured and a vehicle has been damaged but there are no casualties.
This attack appears to be a method for the al-Qaeda splinter group to assert its dominance in the region. The rocket was fired from the militants’ vehicle using a M72 light anti-tank weapon before they drove away.
Even though no U.S. personnel or Embassy buildings were hit, a nearby truck with Yemeni special security forces was hit, and guards were injured and, in all probability, a barricade blocking the Embassy had absorbed most of the blast.
The group has indicated that the attack was in retaliation to a drone strike in which two al-Qaeda militants in the northern al Jawf province are believed to have been killed.

Taliban militants storms Ghazni in Afghanistan – behead 15, kill nearly 100

Beheading seems to have become a fashion and, in a fresh round of offensive, hundreds of Taliban militants have launched a violent offensive in Afghanistan news.sky.com – they have beheaded 15 people and killing scores more. As per reports, the Taliban fighters have stormed Ghazni and are believed to be on the brink of capturing the province.
The Taliban fighters far outnumber security forces and local officials are urging the new, power-sharing government to extend help to the embattled security forces in the region so that they can put up a resistance of sorts.
Deputy Governor Ahmadullah Ahmadi has apparently requested for helicopters to evacuate the wounded, but nothing appears to have been done.
In the opinion of the leader of the Hazara minority, Haji Mohammad Mohaqiq, in order to maintain peace with the Taliban, a strong government is required.
Incidentally, the Gazni province has lost contact with police officers in the district of Ajrestan, after a suicide bomber attacked a checkpoint in the region.
This battle is symbolic of the uphill struggle that Ashraf Ghani, the president-elect of Afghanistan, would be faced with as foreign troops prepare to leave the country in the coming months.

Child exorcism practiced at dawn in Croydon – police investigating

Based on reports from locals of Croydon, the police have started to investigate cases of child exorcisms from near the South Norwood Leisure Centre dailymail.co.uk. The exorcisms are believed to have taken place at dawn outside a south London leisure center.
This has been reported by people who live in the vicinity of the South Norwood Leisure Centre in Croydon – it has been going on for nearly one past month and groups of people surround a toddler and chant – ‘Get the demon out!'
The 20-minute ceremonies usually take place between 4am and 6am when the adults shout about 'releasing the spirit'. The child is told to 'stand still' in the center of a circle while the group of eight people chant about demons and spirits. Once finished, they drive off in their cars, with the child in a car seat.
It is not yet clear if the same child is present on each occasion or if they are different children.
The Croydon police have been informed and they are investigating.

Cameron says IS militants are psychopathic killers –RAF Tornado-GR4s to launch airstrikes

British Parliament voted 524 to 43 and granted gave approval for Britain to join the US-led coalition in the Middle East news.sky.com. The vote came after Prime Minister David Cameron said in no uncertain terms that the IS militants nothing but psychopathic terrorists trying to kill the British.
Accordingly, British fighter jets Tornados could begin airstrikes against Islamic State fighters in Iraq in no time since British MPs have overwhelmingly backed such action.
Britain has six Tornado GR4 fighter bombers positioned in Cyprus and are ready to strike northern Iraq – this small number of aircraft would make the UK's military contribution more of less a symbolic gesture.
The planes have been in RAF Akrotiri for the past six weeks and had been carrying out surveillance missions in the Middle East and could begin airstrikes over the weekend.
Defense Minister Michael Fallon has remarked that targets would have to be selected in accordance with the American and international effort that is currently going on in Iraq. Basically, the efforts of the British must fit into the ongoing scheme of things and merge into the day-to-day fighting.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has commented that the US-led airstrikes had already worsened a dire humanitarian crisis in Iraq and Syria.

Bad news for America – beheading enters its backyard in Oklahoma

This is bad news for America because the culture of beheading has now entered its backyard nzherald.co.nz – it appears that a worker who had recently tried to convert colleagues to Islam beheaded one of them in a frenzied knife rampage after being fired from his job.
The suspect, identified as 30-year-old Alton Nolen, attacked another colleague with the knife before being shot by the Oklahoma food distribution firm's boss.
The suspect Nolen survived and was in hospital in a stable condition and he had chosen his victims at random. The police have ruled out any immediate indication of a link with terrorism.
From the sequence of events Nolen went to the parking lot, then drove his vehicle to the front of the business and entered the main entrance where he encountered and killed Colleen Hufford with a knife. During the attack, Nolen severed the victim's head.
In view of the nature of the crime local police have called in the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
A spokesman for the Islamic Council of Oklahoma said Muslims were "shocked, horrified and saddened." It seems Nolen had recently converted to Islam but spokeswoman Sheryl Siddiqui has revealed that he was not known to any of the leadership in Oklahoma mosques. The Washington DC-based Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) also said it was "horrified."

At least 50 dead in Xinjiang violence between Uighur community and the Han Chinese

Chinese state media have confirmed death of fifty people in violence in Xinjiang – as per the police, it was a "serious terrorist attack" bbc.com. The breakup of the dead is - 40 "rioters", six civilians and four police officers.
Violence has been escalating in Xinjiang in recent months in the far western region of China which is home to the Muslim Uighur minority group and tensions exist between the Uighur community and the Han Chinese.
As reported in the regional government's news portal, Tianshan, the blasts occurred at two police stations, an outdoor market and a shop entrance and the "rioters" either blew themselves up or were shot dead by police. At least fifty-four civilians were injured and two "rioters" were captured.
It may be recalled that in July, 96 people died in Xinjiang's Yarkant. This had been described by the state media as a "terror attack" but activists say police opened fire on people who were protesting against a Ramadan crackdown on Muslims.

Argentina uses £6,000 drones to catch the tax-cheats to the tune of £1.2million

Argentina has hit upon a unique and novel method to track tax-cheats dailymail.co.uk – it is the military style drones that are programmed to fly over huge mansions in Buenos Aires and take photographs of swimming pools and other such items within the boundaries.
In case the owners have not declared these assets in their income tax summaries, the Law would move in.
This way, tax evaders in Argentina are being spotted and the drones have identified around 200 mansions and 100 swimming pools in the area around Buenos Aires that have not been declared by their owners.
The unmanned aircraft flew over an exclusive neighborhood near the capital city and snapped photographs of luxury houses on sites that are registered as being empty.
It seems these unregistered mansions and pools were located in an area about 10 miles south of the city and, as per records of the tax agency, they appeared to be large and constructed with 'premium materials' and the owners have been told to get their papers in order and prepare to pay hefty fines.
Incidentally, the tax evaded has been estimated at a total of £1.2million and cost of each drone is around £6,000 - the technology is also often used by Argentine security forces.

Man fatally stabs four school children to death in China

It seems fatal stabbing of school children in China is becoming a habit that the authorities are getting used to. In the latest incident, a man fatally stabbed four elementary school students while they were on their way to school in southern China foxnews.com.
The attack took place in Lingshan County of Guanxi Province. Three of the children were killed instantly and the fourth one died later in hospital. The police are searching for 56-year-old suspect.
China is a country where it is difficult to lay hands on firearms and has witnessed many high-profile slashing attacks that have targeted schools over the past 10 years. Accordingly, security measures have been tightened security but little in the way of lasting policy changes. Of course, some cities including Beijing require ID and registration for the purchase of some kinds of knives.
It may be recalled that an attacker had killed three students in a knife attack at a school in Hubei province earlier this month. And, in May 2010, an attacker hacked seven children and one teacher to death and wounded 20 other people in a rampage at a kindergarten in northwest China.
At the time, it was the fifth in a string of savage assaults at the country's schools in three months. Incidentally, many of the attacks have been carried out by adults with no connection to the schools, and the authorities believe that the assailants suffered from mental illness or were lashing out at society because of some personal grudge.

Iraqi Prime Minister reveals IS militants plots to attack subways in New York and Paris

Haidar al-Abadi, Iraq's prime minister, has revealed that captured Islamic State militants have indicated to Iraqi intelligence agents of plots to attack subways in the United States and Paris, however, the French and American officials apparently do not have any such information nzherald.co.nz.
No one in the US government was aware of such a plot, and it was never brought up in meetings with Iraqi officials this week in New York. French officials contacted by a section of the media were also not aware of such a plot.
Al-Abadi has clarified that the purported plot was the work of foreign fighters who had joined the Islamic State group in Iraqi, including French and US nationals. The plotters were not Iraqis but French and US nationals.
The Iraqi PM is attending the annual General Assembly and, in his words, the threat is very much alive because it is a network. President Barack Obama has met with Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi.
New York is the home to the country's largest subway system and John Miller, the New York Police Department's top counterterror official, has indicated that they were aware of the Iraqi official's statements and FBI and other federal partners are assessing the threat potentials.

FBI reports indicate that mass shootings in the US has increased

FBI has released a report that indicates that the number of shootings where a gunman wounds or kills multiple people has increased dramatically in recent years theguardian.com – the majority of attacks in the last decade have occurred at a business or a school and these add up to 160 “active shooter incidents” between 2000 and 2013.
Such instances are typically defined as cases in which a gunman in an attack shoots or attempts to shoot people in a populated area. The report does not include shootings that are gang and drug related.
The aim of the study, conducted in conjunction with Texas State University, as explained by federal law enforcement officials, was to compile accurate data about the attacks and to help local police prepare for or respond to similar killings in the future.
As per the report, an average of six shooting incidents occurred in the first seven years that were studied and that increased to over 16 per year in the last seven years of the study. The period under review included the 2012 shootings at a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado and at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, apart from last year’s massacre at the Washington Navy Yard in which a gunman killed 12 people before dying in a police shootout.

Two can play at the game – US pounds ISIS oil wells and ISIS sets free 150 prisoners

The strategy of US and allies to pound oil wells that account for the major source of finance of the ISIS seems to have hit the mark and terrorists who are fighting for ISIS in Syria are believed to have freed 150 prisoners in the group's de facto capital Raqqa dailymail.co.uk.
The air forces of Saudi Arabia and UAE have carried out a majority of the coordinated attacks by targeting 12 'modular oil refineries' in eastern Syria that have the ability to extract thousands of barrels of crude oil a day.
Much of this oil is smuggled into neighboring oil-producing regions in Turkey and Iraqi Kurdistan at reduced price and then sold of mainstream markets. In the process, ISIS has become the wealthiest terror group of all time with an estimated $1billion in cash reserves.
The ISIS fighters who set the prisoners free want to prevail upon America and its Arab allies to end the campaign of airstrikes. The desperate militants have reportedly released the captives overnight in the belief that the move could encourage an anti-ISIS coalition of nations to focus their raids away from Raqqa. The 150 prisoners who have been set free by the group are all believed to have been arrested in recent weeks and could be locals accused of committing minor crimes.
Incidentally, Raqqa is the stronghold of ISIS and is widely thought to be a base for the group's senior figures - including leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi - and where British hostages Alan Henning and John Cantlie are being held. The news comes as a fresh wave of airstrikes from the United States and its Arab allies hit ISIS oil refineries overnight, killing at least 14 militants and striking at the heart of the terror group's funding.
ISIS generates up to $2million a day from the sale of oil, employing highly trained engineers to extract thousands of barrels a day from the vast swaths of Syria and Iraq under the terror group's control.

US and allies target sources of oil supply, the backbone of finance for ISIS

Cripple the ISIS by striking at the root of their finances is the strategy that the US and its allies have decided upon foxnews.com. Accordingly, they have unleashed a new round of airstrikes against Islamic State militants in eastern Syria by targeting a dozen small oil refineries.
As explained by U.S. officials, the objective was to target a dozen so-called “modular oil refineries”-- essentially small, ISIS-built refineries that the terror group uses to fuel its vehicles and to fund its operations. It seems as indicated by a Department of Defense official, the ISIS made roughly a $2 million a day profit from the modular oil refineries, which produced 300 to 500 barrels a day.
It seems a total of 13 airstrikes were conducted by both piloted aircraft and drones and, as per initial feedback, the strikes were successful. The intention was to leave the refineries largely intact, so that they eventually could be used again, but cripple the ISIS by destroying the support facilities.
The U.S. Central Command has revealed that, till date, it has carried out a total of 198 airstrikes against ISIS in Iraq and 20 in Syria – with the help of partner nations.

Yacht with cocaine worth £62.6m caught in Ireland – three British crew members arrested

A yacht has been intercepted in Cork off the south-west coast of Ireland – it was loaded with nearly a tonne of cocaine, worth around £62.6m news.sky.com. Three British crew members from West Yorkshire are being held over the seizure, and a fourth man has been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to import cocaine.
Cocaine is a substance that acts as a catalyst to violence and, hence, preventing such material from reaching the streets helps to contain plenty of crimes and violence.
As per information furnished by Defense Forces Ireland, this was one of Ireland's biggest drug hauls of the last 10 years. The consignment was reportedly headed for Wales.
The ship was identified by the National Crime Agency and it asked the Irish Navy to intercept it. Then a joint sea operation was carried out by the Revenue Customs Service, the Naval Service and An Garda Síochána. The men on board the Makayabella put up no resistance and were arrested when they arrived on shore.
The incident took place some 200 to 300 miles south-west of Mizen Head which is Ireland's most southerly point.

US, Britain and now it is France – Islamic militants behead a French hostage

After the merciless beheading of two American journalists and a British aid worker, a Frenchman has now fallen victim to the bloodthirsty Islamist militants and has been beheaded by them in Algeria nzherald.co.nz.
An Algerian splinter group from al-Qaida has beheaded a French hostage 55-year-old Herve Gourdel, a mountaineering guide from Nice. He was seized while he was hiking in the Djura Djura Mountains of northern Algeria. His captors released his Algerian companions.
This barbaric act is believed to be due to France's airstrikes on the Islamic State group and is indicative of the possible widening of the crisis in Iraq and Syria to the rest of the region. French President Francois Hollande has termed the killing as a "cowardly assassination," and has vowed to continue the military operation.
President Barack Obama has said that people around the world had been "horrified by another brutal murder … these terrorists believe our countries will be unable to stop them. The safety of our citizens demands that we do…"
The beheading has reportedly been carried out by a splinter group of the ISIS – this group identifies itself as Jund al-Khilafah, or "Soldiers of the Caliphate". It had split from al-Qaida and pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group two weeks ago and seized Gourdel in response to the call to kill the "spiteful and filthy French." It gave an ultimatum of 24 hours to France to end its air campaign.
Reports indicate that nearly 1,000 French radicals have joined or are trying to join the Islamic State group in Syria and in Iraq – this number is more than the number of fighters from any other Western country and the authorities are worried that they will return home and stage attacks on French soil.

John Kerry says North Korea prison camps are evil and must be closed down

US Secretary of State, John Kerry wants that North Korea should shut down its “evil system” of prison camps in view of findings of a UN commission that has estimated that between 80,000 and 120,000 political prisoners are being held in four large camps theguardian.com.
In these camps, deliberate starvation has been used as a means of control and punishment.
Kerry’s comments to a gathering of foreign officials and activists come against the backdrop of the findings of a UN commission of inquiry that has concluded in February that North Korea’s authoritarian government had committed crimes against humanity.
Kerry has said that the abuses have been detailed in the commission’s 400-page report and “have no place in the 21st century” and has added that the US would work with the European Union, Australia, Japan, South Korea and other nations on a strong UN resolution to carry forward the commission’s recommendations on North Korea.
Of course, North Korea’s main ally China, is likely to block any attempt to refer the case to the international criminal court since it holds veto power as a permanent member of the UN Security Council. But, diplomatic pressure on Pyongyang could mount.

US-Arab Nations joint operation attacks ISIS locations in Syria-Turkey border

Mystery surrounds the aerial bombing near Kobane – it happened at about 01:00 local time (22:00 GMT) but US has not been confirmed that it was responsible, neither was any of its coalition member bbc.com.
Moreover, Turkish military sources have indicated that neither its air force nor the US airbase at Incirlik in southern Turkey had been used.
Anyway, new air strikes of US-coalition have targeted Islamic State (IS) militants in Syria attacking areas close to the border with Turkey. In fact, Syrian activists have reported strikes around the Kurdish town of Kobane, which has been besieged by IS fighters for several days.
Witnesses have revealed that two military aircraft had been seen approaching from Turkey but Turkish officials denied its airspace or bases were used in the attack.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) has confirmed that it had conducted two more strikes in Syria, hitting two IS vehicles in Deir al-Zour in the east of the country and, till now, the US has launched nearly 200 air strikes in Iraq since August.
UK Prime Minister David Cameron had made his position clear saying that an international coalition was needed to "destroy" IS and has added that it was a fight "you cannot opt out of".

New terror group Khorosan planned to use toothpaste bomb to blow up American airliner

A new terror group known as Khorosan was planning to use toothpaste bomb to blow up an airliner and the US airstrikes on ISIS positions in Raqqa have destroyed their plans dailymail.co.uk. It seems the United States bombed a Syrian terror group that was in the final stages of a plot to blow up American airliners with toothpaste tube bombs.
This has been revealed by the Pentagon has. The officials have said that alongside its strikes on the ISIS heartland, US warplanes have hit a previously unknown group of Al-Qaeda militants known as the Khorosan Group.
This group is apparently a new setup and consists of seasoned terrorists – their plan was to attack a US airliner or other target making using of a bomb without any metal parts, toothpaste tubes and clothes dipped in explosives.
Khorasan is believed to be a group of seasoned al-Qaeda veterans – they intercept Westerners travelling to fight for radical groups in Syria, including ISIS. And, since many of these would-be jihadists retain their passports and travelled to Syria without their home nation's knowledge, Khorasan picks them up and imparts training to them not for combat in the Middle East but rather for future terror attacks back home in the West.

US-Arab nations joint operation against ISIS shows that it is not America’s fight alone

The simultaneous airstrikes by US and Arab nations on militant targets in Syria overnight were "only the beginning" of a "credible and sustainable, persistent" coalition effort to degrade and ultimately destroy ISIS militants and other extremist groups nzherald.co.nz.
This joint venture, as indicated by US President Barack Obama, “makes it clear to the world this is not America's fight alone."
The airstrikes employed US Tomahawk missiles, B1 bombers, F16, F18 and F22 strike fighters and drones and was backed by support from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan and the UAE - a coalition of nations – they have all agreed to assist with the destruction of ISIS that has become a global threat.
The airstrikes were launched from land bases in the Middle East, while the F18s were launched from the aircraft carrier USS George HW Bush, which is in the Persian Gulf. The Tomahawks were fired from the USS Arleigh Burke, a guided missile destroyer in the Red Sea.
The first wave of strikes lasted for 90 minutes and blasts occurred across Raqqa - the de facto capital of the Islamic state. Among the targets hit were the house of the governor of Raqqa, the national hospital and the Equestrian Club. British Prime Minister David Cameron has supported the actions taken by the US and Arab allies against ISIS and has released a statement saying he will now discuss what contribution the UK can make.
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Amnesty International reports that 130 Chinese firms are exporting tools of torture

Amnesty International has reported that a growing number of Chinese companies are exporting "tools of torture" like electric shock batons, restraint chairs, and spiked metal batons that was giving rise to abuses in Africa and Asia bbc.com.
Today, over 130 firms were involved in such trade and the figure ten years ago was only 28 – in the opinion of Patrick Wilcken, Amnesty's security trade and human rights researcher, the flawed export system in China has allowed such trade in torture and repression to prosper.
He feels China should "fundamentally reform its trade regulations to end the irresponsible transfer of law enforcement equipment to agencies who will likely use it to violate human rights". Some of the items exported were "intrinsically cruel" and should be banned.
Some of the exports are used in legitimate law enforcement operations, but, China has also exported equipment that has inhumane effects, or poses a substantial risk of fuelling human rights violations by foreign law enforcement agencies. Incidentally, last year the top Court in China has banned torture but, in reality, abusing of detainees remains widespread.
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TV news anchor of Alaska quits the show on-air to pursue the cause of legalizing marijuana

Charlene Ebge AKA Charlo Greene, the Alaska marijuana club owner and KTVA news anchor-turned-activist, quit her job on-air and has released a video detailing her reasoning behind the bold move dailymail.co.uk. In the video, the Anchorage reporter has lashed out at marijuana 'prohibitionists' who seek to restrict access to the drug.
This video is believed to be a part of her campaign toward legalization of marijuana in Alaska and, eventually all across America.
Her cannabis club is called Alaska Cannabis Club and she is moving on to dedicate herself full time to making sure that Alaska's upcoming marijuana ballot measure that would regulate marijuana will pass. She has also begun a fundraising activity to help her in her mission.
The vote would be held on November 4 when Alaska voters will decide on whether to legalize recreational use of marijuana in the state in a move similar to that which has already occurred in Colorado and Washington.
Her target is $5,000, which she intends to put toward re-educating voters on the dangers, or lack thereof, of marijuana use. In her opinion, those who smoke marijuana are responsible, contributing members to society. Incidentally, within a day, Greene has raised over $3,700—or 74 percent of her goal and there are still 15 days to go.
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Intruder caught in the White House was a major security risk for the President

It now appears that the intruder who evaded Secret Service and bolted into the White House on Friday was a danger to the President Barack Obama because he had 800 rounds of ammunition in his car in addition to two hatchets and a machete.
42-year-old Omar J. Gonzalez already had two prior run-ins with the law this year itself foxnews.com – the man is believed to be homeless, and had been arrested in July for evading police. At the time, he was in possession of a sawed-off shotgun, apart from a map of the D.C. area with the White House and Masonic Temple circled.
Details of the July 19 incident mentions that he had two powerful rifles, four handguns and other guns and ammunition in his Ford Bronco when troopers stopped him in southwestern Virginia. He made attempts to flee the troopers by weaving and driving off the road into a highway median.
When the troopers finally caught up with him, the illegal shotgun was found in his car along with the ammunition and a tomahawk.
Incidentally, Gonzalez is an Army veteran from Copperas Cove, Texas – he had been in service from 1997 until his discharge in 2003, and again from 2005 to December 2012, when he retired due to disability.
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Iran tries to exploit the situation created by ISIS

US President Barack Obama wanted to take Iran into the folds for battling the ISIS and Iran wants to exploit the situation created by the ISIS news.sky.com – it wants concessions in its nuclear programs from the US before joining hands in the fight against the ISIS.
However, the Obama administration has rejected the proposal from Iran to cooperate in the fight against Islamic State (IS) militants in exchange for nuclear program concessions. As White House spokesman Josh Earnest has clarified, nuclear talks with Tehran were "entirely separate" from Barack Obama's attempts to build a coalition to destroy IS, also known as ISIS or ISIL. Hence, the United States will not be in the position of trading aspects of Iran's nuclear program to secure its support to take on ISIL.
It seems senior Iranian officials had indicated in a section of the media that Iran was seeking flexibility on its uranium enrichment program in exchange for Tehran's cooperation in fighting IS.
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US and five Arab countries launch massive airstrike against IS bases in Syria

The inevitable has happened and at long last, the US and five Arab countries Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates, have launched airstrikes on Islamic State group targets in Syria nzherald.co.nz.
They used a mix of manned aircraft -- fighter jets and bombers -- plus Tomahawk cruise missiles and these strikes were part of the expanded military campaign that President Barack Obama had authorized nearly two weeks ago in order to disrupt and destroy the Islamic State militants.
The strikes were carried out by manned Air Force and Navy aircraft, and the Tomahawk missiles were launched from US ships in the northern Persian Gulf and the Red Sea – incidentally, the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush is already positioned in the Gulf.
The targets were Islamic State group headquarters in Raqqa in eastern Syria and would include the militants' command and control centers, re-supply facilities, training camps and other key logistical sites.
It may be recalled that the IS militants have slaughtered thousands of people, beheaded Westerners -- including two American journalists -- and captured large swaths of Syria and northern and western Iraq.
As per military leaders, nearly two-thirds of the estimated 31,000 Islamic State militants were in Syria probably because they consider it to be a safe haven due to the ongoing civil war in the country.
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Robbers break-in, stab husband, gang-rape wife and flee with cash and gold in Jaipur

A gang of robbers broke into a house in the posh Vaishali Nagar area of Jaipur, stabbed the husband and took turns to gang-rape the 30-year-old wife timesofindia.indiatimes.com .
It seems the gang gained entry by breaking open the kitchen's window grill in early morning 3.15am. They then tied up the father-in-law, took one of the two children hostage at knife point and then raped the woman while the husband lay unconscious on the floor.
The kept the family terrorized for nearly one-and-a-half hours.
He has been admitted to a hospital and has been operated twice.
The robbers decamped with cash and valuables to the extent of Rs 10,000 cash and about 150 gram gold jewelry and other valuables. The man, incidentally, runs a jewelry business and his father is a retired engineer.
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The constructive side of Adolf Hitler – he wanted to build a giant Nazi City

The whole world knows Adolf Hitler as a dictator who wanted to annihilate Jews but very few know that he had constructive ideas as well. One of his grand plans was to build a 'supercapital' of the Third Reich. He wanted to name it as Germania daliymail.co.uk.
These facts have been revealed in an exhibition in a vast Nazi bunker. The exhibition features 'The Myth of Germania: Vision and Crimes' along with the 'Hall of the People' which was to have been twice the size of St Peter's Basilica in Rome with space to accommodate over 180,000 people.
There would also have been a five-mile-long boulevard designed to be flanked by towering buildings celebrating Nazi prestige.
Hitler’s dream city Germania was to be the biggest in the world with grand buildings, avenues and statues which Hitler proclaimed would last for 1,000 years. However, the war changed all that and all that was realized were huge street lights on an avenue leading up to the Brandenburg Gate.
Hitler’s architect was Albert Speer and he had ordered evictions in the demolition zones so building could be completed quickly once Germany had won the war. Moreover, in order to meet demand for construction materials for 'Germania', Adolf Hitler, Albert Speer and SS military commander Heinrich Himmler had reportedly agreed to use concentration camp inmates as manpower.
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Turkey overburdened with more than 100,000 Syrian refugees

The U.N. refugee agency has indicated that some 70,000 Syrians have crossed into Turkey in the past 24 hours, and that it was preparing for the arrival of hundreds of thousands more foxnews.com .These Syrian refugees are mostly ethnic Kurds and they are desperate to reach Turkey in order to escape the advance of religious extremists that are barreling across Syria.
The number of refugees seeking shelter in Turkey from the Islamic State group's advance across northeastern Syria has reportedly hit 100,000, as clashes broke out on the border between Turkish security guards and Kurds.
As per information furnished by the head of Turkey's AFAD disaster management agency, Fuat Oktay, the figure relates to Syrians who are escaping from the area near the Syrian border town of Kobani, where fighting is currently raging between IS and Kurdish fighters.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has revealed that the Islamic State group has taken control of 64 villages in northeastern Syria since the fighting began there and the fate of 800 Kurds from these villages is unknown. It seems the Islamic State group have executed 11 civilians, including two boys.
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Tony Blair feels airpower is not enough to defeat the IS

Tony Blair, the former Prime Minister of Britain, has remarked that only airpower would not be enough to tackle the IS and Britain should not rule out sending forces into Syria and Iraq to counter the threat posed by Islamic State militants.
It seems he has penned a 6,500-word essay in which Tony Blair has admitted that while there is no desire for ground engagement in the region, it needs to be understood that airpower alone would not be enough to defeat the group.
He did not mince his words when he said that while carrying out combat with adversaries like the ISIS, there can be an abundance of diplomacy, all necessary relief of humanitarian suffering, every conceivable statement of condemnation which we can muster. But, until and unless these are accompanied by physical combat, we will mitigate the problem but not overcome it.
He goes on to add that airpower is certainly a major component, especially in view of new weapons available to us. But the fact remains that airpower alone will not suffice.
His logic is infallible - the enemy is fanatical, because they are prepared both to kill and to die. Hence, strategies also need to be prepared accordingly.
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CIA stops spying on friendly European nations

The US is Big Brother and, he is worried about terrorism activities especially from European extremists who have fought in Syria. Then there is the response of Europe to Russian aggression and European hostility to American technology companies following revelations that the companies turned over data to the NSA.
In view of these ground realities, the US used to maintain a network of communication with agents in foreign countries in Europe who used to provide useful information.
This was in addition to official meetings of CIA officers with their counterparts in the host country's intelligence service in order to conduct joint operations with host country services.
But – contacts that are not official have now been stopped.
This current stand-down is believed to be a result of the fallout from the July 2 arrest of a 31-year-old employee of the German intelligence service. He was suspected to be spying for Russia, and he has admitted to the authorities that he had passed on 218 German intelligence documents to the CIA.
Then in a second case, authorities searched the home and office of a German defense official who was suspected of spying for the U.S., but he denied doing so, and no charges have been filed against him.
Following these revelations, Germany asked the CIA station chief in Berlin to leave the country.
This was an unprecedented demand from a U.S. ally and demonstrated how seriously the Germans were taking the situation, because they had already been stung by revelations made by Edward Snowden, a former NSA systems administrator, that the agency had tapped the mobile phone of German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
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Brussels office of the European Union under threat of terrorists

The EU is under terrorism threat from Islamic terrorists as has been revealed by interrogation of a man and woman who were detained in Turkey on their way back from Syria theguardian.com. The duo was plotting an assault on the Berlaymont building, which houses the European commission and is the main office in Brussels of the European Union.
This is, incidentally, the second time in four months about possibility of attacks and is based on reports of the couple who were detained in Belgium where investigators were said to have proof of a planned attack.
The couple are supposed to be resident in The Hague in the Netherlands and of Turkish origin and they were said to have been arrested at Brussels airport after returning from Syria via a flight from Turkey. They may be charged with belonging to a terrorist organization, of breaking laws on possession of weapons, and of funding terrorism.
It seems nearly four-hundred Belgians have reportedly travelled to Syria to join the extremists – they usually go via Turkey and its long, porous border into the war zone. That figure is much lower than the estimates for Britain, France or Germany, but, Belgium is believed to have the highest number in Europe of would-be jihadists traveling to Syria.
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Kenya remembers the 67 dead of Westgate Mall terror attack in Nairobi

Somali Islamist group al-Shabaab had attacked the Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi last year and left at least 67 dead – the siege lasted four days and it was in retaliation to Kenya's military operations in Somalia bbc.com.
Kenya is marking a year since that attack and a memorial plaque will be unveiled and a candle-lit vigil held on the occasion in which relatives of the victims will lay wreaths at a garden in the forest where 67 trees had been planted after the attack.
Interfaith prayers will also be held at the site.
Kenya has been put on high alert amid fears of possible attacks by militants and Kenyan police chief David Kimaiyo has confirmed that the authorities are prepared in case of any eventualities. Specialized units are on the ground patrols have also been intensified for this period of the anniversary.
The attack last year destroyed large portions of the shopping center due to heavy fighting and a fire and, all four gunmen are believed to have been killed during the assault. Moreover, four Somalis are being held in prison in Kenya on terrorism charges linked to the attack.
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Two dozen illegal African immigrants arrive at Dover in refrigerated lorry

A total of two dozen illegal immigrants from Africa landed up on a refrigerated lorry in Whitfield near Dover in Kent – they had been frantically banging on the sides of the lorry, in order to draw attention and a mechanic who was present forced open the refrigerated yogurt truck to free them dailymail.co.uk.
They were gasping for breath and the mechanic thought they were dying.
All of the immigrants were young male and female Eritrean nationals aged between 18 and 20, and it is presumed that they must have been concealed in the trailer for hours before being released.
The driver was a Hungarian and the lorry had travelled on a cross-Channel ferry from France to Dover. The Kent police have taken the immigrants away.
Such inhuman methods of transportation of illegal immigrants is not new because, just a couple of days earlier, six illegal immigrants were found in the back of a grain lorry in Kent and the week before that, a suspected illegal immigrant was discovered clinging to the bottom of a caravan as it drove from Calais to a suburban road in Kent.
It is believed that the individual in his late teens, had tied himself to the chassis of the vehicle before it entered the Channel Tunnel. He emerged after the two-hour journey.
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Boko Haram kills 30 in attack in Nigerian market

Boko Haram militants opened fire on traders and customers in a busy Nigerian marketplace killing at least 30. The attack has been described as a method to get food and related consumables … the attackers apparently looted food items and money from the traders aol.com.
It is understood that the International Committee of the Red Cross was acting as mediator between the Nigerian government and Boko Haram to negotiate the release of more than 200 schoolgirls who were kidnapped back in April. The Red Cross was making efforts to reach a deal whereby Nigeria would release 30 captured Boko Haram commandos in exchange of the approximately 224 girls who are still being held captive.
This is a surprise because Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan had publicly maintained that the government would never negotiate with the terror group.
An anonymous Red Cross official has said that the two Boko Haram negotiators have assured the ICRC and government negotiators that the girls were never raped, were never used as sex slaves and were never sexually assaulted.
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Russia testing the waters – F-22 jets intercept Russian planes off the US coast

The ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine and the way the European leaders and the US are rallying behind Ukraine has got Russia worried and, apparently, due to that, Russia is sending its aircraft to test the waters and gauge the preparedness of other nations.
In the latest incident, two American F-22 fighter jets were scrambled after six Russian military planes approached the US coastline. The US fighters intercepted the aircraft about 55 miles from the Alaskan coast as revealed by the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) news.sky.com.
The Russian planes have been identified as two IL-78 refueling tankers, two Mig-31 fighter jets and two TU-95 Bear long-range bombers. After scrambling of the F-22s from Alaska, the Russian looped south and returned to their base in Russia. Earlier, two Canadian CF-18 fighter jets intercepted two Russian long-range bombers about 40 miles off the Canadian coastline in the Beaufort Sea.
In both cases, the Russian planes entered the Air Defense Identification Zone, which extends about 200 miles from the coastline but did not enter sovereign airspace of the United States or Canada.
It has been explained that the fighter jets had been scrambled to let those aircraft know that they have been sighted, and in case of a threat, to let them know that US can protect its sovereign airspace.
Moreover, in Britain Typhoon fighter jets had to be scrambled to intercept two Russia planes identified as military Bears that were flying through international airspace but, did not enter UK airspace.
This scrambling was the first time a Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) had been issued from RAF Lossiemouth since the Moray base took on the role of defending the UK's northern airspace.
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Man with a knife breaches security in the White House

The White House is one of the most heavily protected buildings in the world and the Secret Service chief has stepped-up security outside the White House following an incident of a man with a knife breaching the security nzherald.co.nz.
He had jumped the fence and made it into the presidential residence before being apprehended, and the incident against the background of another man being recently arrested outside the White House does raise questions – of course, the two incidents are not believed to be related.
It seems President Barack Obama and his daughters had just left the White House by helicopter when the 42-year-old Omar J. Gonzalez scaled the fence and darted across the lawn and through the unlocked North Portico doors before officers finally tackled him.
Initially Gonzalez was thought to be unarmed but he had a small folding knife with a serrated blade at the time of the arrest and would face charges of unlawfully entering a restricted building or grounds while carrying a deadly or dangerous weapon.
In the second incident, a man was apprehended after he drove up to a White House gate and refused to leave prompting bomb technicians in full gear to search the vehicle while agents shut down nearby streets.
The President has insisted that he still has confidence in the beleaguered agency's ability to protect him and his family.
In view of these breaches, Secret Service Director Julia Pierson has issued orders to enhance officer patrols and surveillance along the North Fence of the compound just after the incident which triggered a rare evacuation of the White House as well as renewed scrutiny of the Secret Service. Julia Pierson had also ordered a comprehensive review of what happened.
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Unrest in Yemen sees at least 40 deaths and forces cancellation of flights

Unrest erupted in Yemen with fighting between Shia rebels and Sunni militias that has resulted in clashes on the edge of the capital bbc.com. It seems armed rebels, known as Houthis, have shelled buildings of the state TV and the main Sunni Islamist party, Islah, in Sanaa.
Reports indicate death of about 40 people. The rebels have staged protests for weeks, demanding political and economic reforms and hundreds of people have fled their homes. International flights to the city have been suspended.
It may be recalled that President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi has dismissed the government and promised to review a decision to cut fuel subsidies. Consequently, the rebels have occupied protest camps on the road to the airport and have staged sit-ins at ministry buildings, apart from clashing with fighters loyal to Islah.
It is understood that Arab and foreign airlines have decided to suspend their flights to Sanaa for 24 hours because of developments in the capital and the measures could be extended depending on the security situation.
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