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. 

Russian Missile Crisis

Some European countries bordering Russia's territory of Kaliningrad are worried about possible nuclear capable missiles that are stationed there. Lithuania and Poland have issued their concerns, though Russia hasn't claimed confirmation. Russia also adds that they have every right to station missiles in its western-most location. Moscow has threatened to move Iskander short-range systems to Kaliningrad to respond to the US's own European shield. The Russians also see this a nuclear deterrent making a possible threat of violence even more tense. Obama has tried to "reset" Russian relations, but has not moved on either front. The "shield" is a missile shield, that can blow up any missile that is a threat to the surrounding nations. Russia believes that this system might be used against them, causing unrest for Russian officials.

US and UK Suspend Syrian Rebel Aid

The diceision was made to suspend all "non-lethal assistance" for the opposition in northern Syria on the basis that Islamist rebels seized bases belonging to the Western-backed Free Syrian Army. Rebels from the Islamic Front assumed control over  bases at Bab al-Hawa border crossing with Turkey last week. The humanitarian assistance will not be affected because of this though. The group of rebels have been gathering up there numbers from different "clans" in which they have been gathering for a while. It has been the larges group of rebels in the conflict yet with over 45,000 fighters. This group said that their aim was at "independent political, military and social formation". This is mostly because of Bashar al-Assad's government and the lack of the Islamic statehood.

Radioactive... But not in Iran

Dangerous radioactive medical material that was stolen from a truck in Mexico has been found, the local officials say. The material in question was cobalt-60, which was removed from a casing and then abandoned nearby. The thieves' lives may be in danger from the exposure from it. The residents in the surrounding area aren't at risk from it though. The stolen substance and truck were found near to where they were stolen in the first place, barely 2 km (1.4 mi). The radioactive substance is now with the authorities, and the military has sealed off the area of truck and substance. Some speculations among officials say that it might have been made to use as a "dirty bomb". But another speculation among these officials is that the thieves didn't know what they were stealing in the first place.

US neo-Nazi Serial Killer Executed

A US white supremacist who targeted black and Jewish people in a nationwide killing spree has been sentenced and executed in Missouri. Joseph Franklin was charged for shooting dead a man and wounding two others outside a synagogue in 1977. This 63 year old was also convicted of seven other racially motivated murders. In total, he has admitted to 20 in total. The execution came after the US Supreme Court upheld an appeal on the decision to lift a stay of execution. Franklin had declined to make a final statement and was pronounced dead 12:17 GMT on Wednesday. A new agency journalist witnessed that Franklin swallowed hard as five grams of phenobarbital were administered. It took him 10 minutes to be pronounced dead.

Iran backed out of Nuclear Deal

US secretary of State John Kerry said that Iran has now backed out of a deal on its nuclear program during talks with the world powers in Geneva. Reports that France's reservations had come up with an agreement, Kerry told Reporters that "The French signed off on it; we signed off on it." He also said that Iran had been unable to accept the deal at the particular moment. Within the next few months, Kerry said, the US and Iran should be able to find some agreement that would meet everyone's standards. Another meeting will be held on the 20th of November. Iran is stressing that the nuclear program is strictly peaceful purposes. But the world powers suspect that the true motive is nuclear weapons. The world powers are willing to help resolve issues with Iran in order to gain a nuclear power.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-24895911

Yasser Arafat 'may have been poisoned with polonuim'

The late Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat may have been poisoned with the radioactive form of Polonuim according to a Swiss forensic report. Arafat's official medical record says that he died in 2004 from a stroke that had been the result of a blood disorder. His body was exhumed for further investigation of whether or not that he was murdered. The new report says that there was an unexpected high activity of polonuim which "moderately" provided evidence to the poison theory. Many Palestinians believed that Israel was the culprit of these poisons, but has consistently denied any such thing. Others believe that it might have been cancer or Aids. An Israeli spokesman said that this report was "more soap opera than science". The scientists of the investigation have stressed that they were unable to reach a more definitive conclusion based on the lapsed time since his death; providing limited samples, and a confused "chain of custody" on some of the specimens.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-24838061

Starving Syrians Flee Damascus

Thousands of Syrian civilians are now allowed to go back to their homes from the besieged Damascus suburb, Moadamiya. The besiege of some parts in Syria have been due to the civil that the country is going through at the current time. Supplies in Moadamiya had been running low and the residents pleaded from starvation. An apparent relaxation in the military forces on the blockade brought the freedom of thousands of people. The besiege was also on the surrounding suburbs of Yarmouk and Eastern Ghouta and has been an ongoing conflict for several months. The situation became desperate enough tthat the Muslim clerics allowed people to eat cats, dogs, and donkeys in order to survive. (These animals are usually seen as unfit for human consumption in the Islamic beleif)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-24730536

US Spying on German Phones?

The German chancellor, Angela Merkel, called president Obama in regards that the US may have spied on her mobile phone. A German spokesperson said that it was completely unacceptable. The call to US officials also extended to any US surveillance in Germany. The White House said that the US did not snoop on her communications, nor will it in the future. The US has had other allies show this same aggression on spying. Most of this was traced to leaker Edward Snowden. Snowden was a computer specialist for the CIA and a contractor for the NSA and disclosed many files. His current whereabouts are in Russia, exiled from the US. Either way, many countries now days are looking into Washington and searching if there would be anything that would suggest a serious breach of trust.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-24647268