LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — British MP Jo Cox has died from her injuries, police said, after being reportedly shot and stabbed in an attack in the street on Thursday. “I am now very sad to have to report that she has died as a result of her injuries,” West Yorkshire Police chief Dee Collins told reporters. Cox was pronounced dead at 1:48pm (1248 GMT), Collins told a press conference in Wakefield, northern England. The […]
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Dozens of U.S. diplomats urge military strikes against Syria’s Assad
(REUTERS) More than 50 State Department diplomats have signed an internal memo sharply critical of U.S. policy in Syria, calling for military strikes against President Bashar al-Assad’s government to stop its persistent violations of a civil war cease-fire. The “dissent channel cable” was signed by 51 mid- to high-level State Department officers involved with advising on Syria policy. It was first reported by The Wall Street Journal. The cable calls for “targeted military strikes” against […]
Desert telescope stakes out supermassive black hole
by Laurence COUSTAL Mariëtte Le Roux PARIS, France (AFP) — First postulated more than 230 years ago, black holes have been extensively researched, frequently depicted, even featured in sci-fi films. We’ve all seen the artists’ impressions and read of their ravenous star-gobbling feasts. But here’s the thing… science is still not 100 percent sure what they look like, how they behave or even that they exist. Telescopes have never seen a black hole, and the […]
Aquino vetoes bills on LWD’s unpaid taxes, comprehensive nursing law
(Eagle News) — President Benigno S. Aquino III has vetoed two congress-approved measures including the bill seeking to remove conditions for the condonation of all unpaid income taxes of Local Water Districts (LWDs). In his message, President Aquino said the enrolled consolidated House Bill No. 3675 and Senate Bill No. 2518 on the condonation unpaid taxes of LWD’s will remove the laudable intent of Republic Act No. 10026 which is to grant tax reprieve only […]
Dead money: Battle for Japanese inheritances heats up
(REUTERS) Elderly Japanese, among the world’s richest retirees, are flocking to inheritance advisers, tackling historical taboos on discussing death and providing a rare avenue of growth for the country’s brokerages and banks. Trillions of dollars parked in savings accounts are set to be released in the coming years as Japan’s death rate climbs and new, more onerous inheritance tax rules kick in. The shift is attracting investment from companies such as Nomura Holdings, Daiwa Securities […]
Family of U.S. student killed in Paris attacks sues social media companies
(Reuters) The family of a California design student killed in November’s attacks in Paris sued Twitter Inc, Google and Facebook Inc, claiming the social media companies provide “material support” to the militant group Islamic State. Nohemi Gonzalez’s family filed the lawsuit on Tuesday in federal court in San Francisco, asking the court to rule that the companies are violating the U.S. Anti-Terrorism Act. It seeks compensatory damages to be determined by the court. “For […]
Motor racing: Jani and Porsche stay on pole in Le Mans rain
LE MANS, France (AFP)–Switzerland’s Neel Jani, behind the wheel of a Porsche 919 Hybrid, stayed on pole position for the Le Mans 24 Hour Race on Thursday when the third qualifying session was red-flagged due to heavy rain. As a result of the conditions, most of the 60 cars taking part were unable to improve on their times set on Wednesday night. The last section of qualifying is due to take place later Thursday but with […]
Black box from crashed EgyptAir plane retrieved
(REUTERS) The cockpit voice recorder from EgyptAir flight MS804 has been retrieved by search teams in a breakthrough for investigators seeking to explain what caused the plane to crash into the sea killing all 66 people on board. The Airbus A320 plunged into the Mediterranean early on May 19 on its way from Paris to Cairo. Since then, search teams have worked against the clock to recover the two black box recorders crucial to explaining […]
British lawmaker shot dead, EU referendum campaigns suspended
(REUTERS) A British member of Parliament was shot dead in the street in northern England on Thursday, causing deep shock across Britain and the suspension of campaigning for next week’s referendum on the country’s EU membership. Jo Cox, 41, a lawmaker for the opposition Labor Party and vocal supporter of Britain remaining in the European Union, was attacked as she prepared to hold a meeting with constituents in Birstall near Leeds. Media reports said she […]
CIA: Tens of thousands of I.S. fighters worldwide
(Reuters) The director of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, John Brennan, said on Thursday there were tens of thousands of Islamic State fighters around the world, more than al Qaeda at its height. He also told a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing that the agency was concerned about the growth of Libya as a base of operations for Islamic State militants, who had 5,000-8,000 fighters there, although the group’s fighters in Iraq and Syria had dropped to […]
Kids, teachers ditch school as crisis engulfs Venezuela
(Reuters) Mariangel Caceres’ teachers, whose salaries do not buy enough food to live on, stopped showing up for classes early this year. The state school in the verdant Andean state of Tachira in Venezuela also had to cut back on providing meals due to nationwide food shortages. So when the leftist government in April decreed Friday school closings to save electricity, it was the last straw. “I left school a week after Easter,” said Caceres, […]
CIA’s Brennan: Islamic State to change tactics in coming months
(Reuters) The director of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, John Brennan, said on Thursday that the United States and its allies have made gains against Islamic State, but he expects the group to change its tactics to make up for lost territory. “To compensate for territorial losses, ISIL (Islamic State) will probably rely more on guerrilla tactics, including high-profile attacks outside territory it holds,” Brennan testified to the Senate Intelligence Committee.
