US Charges Chinese For Hacking

The US has charged five Chinese army officers with hacking into private-sector American companies to gain advantage. This is the first cyber-espionage case of this kind. These breaches, according to Attorney General Eric Holder, are "significant" and need some sort of "an aggressive response". The prosecutors say the officers stole trade secrets and internal documents from five companies, and a trade union. The US and China have sparred over these cyber attacks before. The men that were charged are the first known "actors for infiltrating U.S. commercial targets by cyber means". The targeted companies were Westinghouse Electric, US Steel, Alcoa Inc, Allegheny Technologies, Solar World and the US Steelworkers Union. There seems to be no known motive for this hacking other than to advantage over the state-owned companies.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-27475324

Robot Arm Approved

A robot arm that can pick up fragile objects has been approved by US medical authorities. Known as the Deka Arm, it has fingers that can move like real ones which makes it easier for amputees to eat, zip up clothes, and even unlock doors. Current devices are based on metal hooks and other designs which are over 100 years old. The Arm was developed with $40 million of research from the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) along with another $100 million to help the research project and improve the range of robot limbs. Most of the improvements on prosthetic limbs has been focused on the legs rather than arms or hands. This new prosthetic arm has been designed to look more realistic than the split metal hooks designed in 1912.
http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-27373329

Boko Haram to Sell Abducted Girls

A Nigerian Islamist militant group has threatened to sell hundreds of schoolgirls they abducted three weeks ago. The militant leader, Abubakar Shekau sent a video obtained by AFP news, in which was the first time they admitted for taking the girls. 230 are believed to be missing, prompting widespread criticism of the Nigerian government. The Boko Haram have left thousands dead since 2009. The girls were taken from their school in Chibok in the northern state of Borno on April 14th. "Boko Haram", which measn "Western education is forbidden" has staged numerous attacks on educational institutions in northern Nigeria. In the released video, Shekau said that the girls shoud have been married instead of given an education. He also said, "God instructed me to sell them, they are his properties and I will carry out his instructions."
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-27283383

Botched Execution

In Oklahoma, Clayton Lockett was sentenced to death, but instead survived. After 20 minutes, the execution was stopped Tuesday evening. According to an official, one of his veins ruptured, which prevented the drugs from taking a full effect. The man later died from a heart attack less than an hour later. Lockett was sentenced to death for shooting a 19 year old, and watched her buried alive in 1999. According to witnesses present at the execution it was a "horrible thing to witness." Lockett was given a sedative, then 10 minutes later became unconscious. Three minutes after the lethal drugs were injected, the man started to writhe and breathe heavily. A local journalist that was present reported that his arms and legs were moving, his head was straining, and was mumbling "as if trying to talk."
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-27225994

Obama Clears Nation for Hunting Hodags

President Obama recently passed a bill which allows citizens to legally hunt the well known Hodag. The Hodag currently resides in the forests of Peninsula State Park, Rock Island, Straight Lakes, Lake Wissota, Northern Highland, Appalachian, Red Wood, Ottawa, Grand Mesa, Chippewa, Superior, Lewis and Clark, Forbidden, and Chequamegon-Nicolet. The permits will allow hunters to tag up to three Hodags a season. There will be special centers in each state (excluding Alabama and New Mexico respectively) strictly to process each Hodag. Hunting hours will for the Hodag season are unlimited, making all hours open. The hunting season will run between January 2 to January 9. All legal calibers of weapons will be open, but the preferable weapon of choice is a 50 pound bow. Obama said in a statement that, "This country needs to hunt Hodags, cause 'merica needs its meat. 'merica!"

Violence Erupts in Ukraine

Violence between Ukrainian police and protesters kills seven people, including one police officer. On Tuesday, protesters attempted to march on the Kiev parlimentary, only to be met with riot control and police armed with stun grenades, rubber bullets, and full riot gear. The protesters want the current president, Viktor Yanukovych, to resign out of office and for a constitutional reform. What caused the violence was unclear, but had ended with damage to property all over the city. The protesters took up bricks and used them as a weapon against the police, and the offices under President Yanukovych's control. Of the seven people killed, one was allegedly an office employee at one of these buildings. In total, 3 bodies were found inside the building and three more on the streets. Considering the previous weeks of protesting, this was the most violence seen.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-26236860

Algerian Plane Crash Kills Scores

An Algerian military transport plane crashed in the north eastern part of the country, killing 99 passengers,  made up of family and military personnel, and four crew members. The plane, a Hercules C-130, crashed in the mountains of the Oum al-Bouaghi province. It was heading to Constantine when the plane had hit bad weather. According to a security scource, there were no survivors from the crash, and that the probable cause was due to gusty winds and bad weather. The last plane crash in Algeria that was this severe was in 2003 with a Boeing 737. There was only one survivor.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-26138101

Moscow School Shooting

An armed student in Moscow entered School No 263, on northern outskirts of the city, and shot two adults while taking 20 other students as hostages. The school's security guard stated that he couldn't keep Sergei out, who was armed with two rifles, but did manage to sound an alarm. The suspect was arrested only after he shot and killed one police officer and teacher, and injuring another officer, and was coaxed out by his father. Investigators believe the student was Sergei Gordeyev, who is described as an excellent student but seemed to have a mental breakdown. No hostages were injured in this incident, though he had left an impression on the country. Russian President Putin had described the incident as tragic. Moscow's mayor is looking for a way to step up school security. According to BBC's Steve Rosenberg school shootings in Russia are quite rare.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-26014836

Major Discovery in Stem Cells

Scientists in Japan discovered a way to quickly make stem cells simply by dipping blood into an acid. Stem cells are being researched in order to find ways to help heal the eyes, heart and brain. They can be just about any type of cell in the body: i.e. liver cell, nerve cell, muscle cell. This new development can make these stem cells at a faster rate, with a tremendous decrease in costs. Also, scientist believe that with further research that they can regenerate a human body. The term for these cells are STAP (stimulus-triggered acquisition of pluripotency) cells. Dr. Haruko Obokata  from the Riken Centre for Developmental Biology in Japan, said she was "really surprised" that cells could respond to their environment in this way. She also added "It's exciting to think that about the new possibilities these findings offer us, not only in regenerative medicine, but cancer as well." The specific breakthrough had been tested with mice, but the scientists are working on testing a human sample of blood. Chris Mason, professor of regenerative medicine at University College London, said if it also works in humans then "the age of personalised medicine would have finally arrived."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-25917270

Rosetta Comet Chase

The Rosetta Comet Chaser has finally awoken to carry out it's mission: to land on a comet. The signal received from the comet was confirmed at 18:17 GMT in Darmstadt Germany. The spacecraft has spent the past 31 months in hibernation as it made it's way towards the selected comet, Comet 67P. The engineers in charge are now prepping for the landing in which they plan to put a robotic lander, Philae, on the surface of the 4.5 km comet by November. The control room was tense and nervous as their one chance window of opportunity brought back successful results. The signal that Rosetta sent made sure it's systems were operational. A full check will be conducted in the coming days to ensure no troubles will occur.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-25814454

Mexican Police Disarmament

Mexican security forces were sent the western state of Michoacan to disarm vigilante groups. These groups took control of different towns, in order to try and stomp out the drug cartels. The vigilante army had moved into Nueva Italia where a gun fight had presumed against the Knights Templar drug gang. The same violence is seen all around Mexico. These groups have been told to lay down their arms and come out peacefully, but have denied any sort of the actions. Mexico's interior minister had urged that both sides lay down their arms and make peace. The vigilante group was created in response to the violence, from kidnappings to extortion.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-25724986

Rwandan Exile Murdered

The former Rwandan intelligence chief has been murdered in a hotel room in Johannesburg, South Africa. Patrick Karegeya was stripped of rank after a fall out with President Kagame. Physical evidence in the room's safe suggests that he was strangled with a rope and a bloodied towel. Accusations towards the president have been denied. These accusations connect a series of attacks on dissidents. Karegeya, 53, had been living in South Africa for the pas 6 years. He was granted political asylum from the South African government. Fellow exile dissident, army chief Faustin Kayumba Nyamwasa, who has survived two assassination attempts since hi exile in 2010 blames the murder on the Rwandan government. He isn't the only one on this conspiracy either. Many other exiled dissidents hiding in the western countries have also reported similar plots of murder upon them.