Author: Sunfire

Mail.com

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — One gunman shot from the right, one from the left, each killing the non-Muslims lying in a line on the ground, growing closer and closer to Douglas Ochwodho, who was in the middle.

And then the shooting stopped. Apparently each gunman thought the other shot Ochwodho. He lay perfectly still until the 20 Islamic extremists left, and he appears to be the only survivor of those who had been selected for death.   Continue reading “Somalia’s al-Shabab kills 28 non-Muslims in Kenya”

RT

A man in Washington state was freed Thursday after serving 19 years behind bars on child molestation charges that turned out to be fake. His accuser came forward two years ago to admit she made up the accusations to receive more of her mother’s attention.

Convicted on child molestation charges back in 1995, Jerry Lee Brock has been in jail ever since. The case against him centered primarily on allegations brought forward by young Regina Rush, who was 11 years old when she said Brock – who was her mother’s friend – molested her as she slept. She originally testified against Brock in court, which led to his conviction.   Continue reading “Washington man spent 19 yrs in jail on fake child molestation charges”

RT

Two men have been arrested by FBI and indicted on weapons charges near St.Louis, Missouri. According to CBS news source the suspects were allegedly plotting to set off pipe bombs amid the ongoing Ferguson protests.

The suspects were arrested by the federal agents as part of an undercover operation in St. Louis after they attempted to buy explosives on Thursday.   Continue reading “FBI arrests 2 New Black Panther members over alleged bombing plot in Ferguson – reports”

Mail.com

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama has quietly approved guidelines in recent weeks to allow the Pentagon to target Taliban fighters in Afghanistan, broadening previous plans that had limited the military to counterterrorism missions against al-Qaida after this year, U.S. officials said late Friday.

The president’s decisions also allow the military to conduct air support for Afghan operations when needed. Obama issued the guidelines in recent weeks, as the American combat mission in Afghanistan draws to a close, thousands of troops return home, and the military prepares for narrower counterterrorism and training mission for the next two years.     Continue reading “Obama broadens mission in Afghanistan”

Mail.com

BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraqi soldiers backed by Sunni fighters launched a major operation Saturday to retake a section of the city of Ramadi seized by Islamic State group militants, an official and residents said.

The fighting focused on Ramadi’s eastern Sijariya neighborhood, which the extremist group said it captured Friday. An official with the Anbar provincial council described intense fighting there Saturday morning that included both sides firing mortars. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief journalists.   Continue reading “Iraqi forces, Islamic State group battle in Ramadi”

Mail.com

DENVER (AP) — A single mother who vanished from western Colorado more than seven years ago led a double life as a paid escort with many unsavory clients, investigators say.

Among them was Lester Ralph Jones, 63, who was one of the last people to call Paige Birgfeld before her 8-year-old daughter reported her missing in June 2007. On Friday, Jones was arrested charges of murder, kidnapping and arson. Authorities allege he killed Birgfeld, dumped her body and torched her car.   Continue reading “Police: Client arrested in escort’s 2007 killing”

RT

The CIA wants to erase tens of thousands of internal emails sent by most covert and counterterror officers after they leave the agency, leading US senators and transparency advocates to fear the plan would mean the loss of vital government records.

The spy agency’s proposal, first submitted to the National Archives in January but only now revealed to the public, would mean only the emails of 22 top CIA officials would be kept on permanent record. Emails sent by all others, including all covert officers except the director of the National Clandestine Service, would be deleted three years after the employees left the agency “or when no longer needed, whichever is sooner,” according to the plan, as reported by Yahoo News.   Continue reading “CIA wants to delete thousands of emails as Obama administration stalls release of torture report”

RT

A homemade sign proclaiming “AIDS, Ebola, Obama – Thanks Africa” caused a commotion in the town of Minden, Nebraska this week after a local man drew the ire of area residents when he erected it on his own property.

The roadside sign was first spotted in the town of barely 3,000 on Monday this week, and it quickly created a stir on the internet as it was shared on the web first by Nebraskans, then soon the rest of the world.   Continue reading “‘AIDS, Ebola, Obama – Thanks Africa’ roadside sign causes a stir in Nebraska”

RT

An explosion off the US coast in the Gulf of Mexico on an oil and gas platform has killed one worker and injured three others.

The blast occurred on the Echo Platform just before 3pm about 12 miles (19km) off the coast of Louisiana, according to the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), as quoted by AP. The platform is owned by Texas-based company Fieldwood Energy, which has not yet released a statement on the reported incident.   Continue reading “Blast on Gulf of Mexico platform leaves 1 dead, 3 injured”

Mail.com

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Michael and Trudi Hardman had always talked about taking their six children to Disney World, and just a week before Thanksgiving, it seemed their “dream trip” was to be a reality.

But just a little more than three hours after they took to the road Wednesday night, their SUV veered off a highway and rolled over in Louisiana, killing them and three of the kids. Police believe the couple’s 16-year-old son apparently fell asleep behind the wheel of the SUV en route from Terrell, Texas, to Orlando, Florida.   Continue reading “5 family members killed on ‘dream trip’ to Disney”

Mail.com

CLEVELAND (AP) — Nearly 40 years after being convicted for a 1975 Cleveland slaying, Ricky Jackson and Wiley Bridgeman left the county jail as free men.

A Cuyahoga County Common Pleas judge dismissed the cases against the two men Friday after the key witness against Jackson, Bridgeman and his brother Ronnie Bridgeman at trial, a 13-year-old boy, recanted last year and said Cleveland police detectives coerced him into testifying that the three killed businessman Harry Franks the afternoon of May 19, 1975.   Continue reading “2 men freed after judge dismisses 1975 Ohio case”

Mail.com

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — The first of several packages mailed by a man who shot three people at a Florida State University library was delivered in Texas and is in the hands of the FBI, the agency said Friday.

Authorities thought the packages could contain videos and journals from Myron May, who was killed by police officers outside the library Thursday, according to a law enforcement official who spoke on condition of anonymity because that person wasn’t authorized to release information about the case.   Continue reading “Package from Florida State shooter found in Texas”

RT

The Canadian lakes are slowly but steadily turning into jelly since the industrial pollution has given jelly-clad organisms an edge over their calcium-protected competitors, researchers say, warning about potential impact on drinking water systems.

A battle between competing planktons in the delicate Ontario Lakes ecosystems is being won by “jelly-clad organism” called Holopedium that’s got an advantage over the planktonic Daphnia – all thanks to industrial pollution and acid rain – says new research by Cambridge University scientists published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B.   Continue reading “Industrial pollution turning Canadian lakes into ‘jelly’”

Mail.com

BALTIMORE (AP) — It seems Tavon “Bulldog” White is still in control, but this time it’s from the witness stand rather than behind bars.

It’s been more than a year since White pleaded guilty to running a criminal enterprise from within the Baltimore City Detention Center, where prosecutors say he used smuggled cellphones to direct crimes on the streets, oversaw the distribution of narcotics, and impregnated four prison guards who helped him and other jailed Black Guerilla Family gang members operate with impunity.   Continue reading “After guilty plea, BGF leader looms over trial”

RT

Making tens of millions of dollars simply playing a game may seem like a dream for most Americans, but former National Football League player Jason Brown gave up fame, the limelight and the cash for a chance to do something humbler: farming.

He’s not just growing vegetables in his backyard, though. After retiring from professional football, Brown purchased a North Carolina farm totaling more than 1,000 acres, dedicated to the idea of growing food and giving it away to charities and those in need.   Continue reading “Who needs $37mn? NFL star gives up sport to farm, feed hungry”

RT

CIA Director John Brennan and top agency officers are considering organizational restructuring that could mesh long-separate spying and analysis divisions into hybrid units tasked with following individual regions and US security threats.

Current and former US intelligence officials told The Washington Post that the proposed reorganization of the spy agency’s current, decades-old structure is only in preliminary stages and could change upon further review. In September, Brennan appointed an internal CIA panel of “senior officers” to evaluate the proposal.   Continue reading “CIA prepares for dramatic changes”

Mail.com

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — A new blast of lake-effect snow roared through western New York with thunder and lightning on Thursday, raising to nearly 6 feet the three-day total in parts of the Buffalo area.

But even as it strained roofs and stalled daily life, the snow wasn’t the only worry. Forecasters warned a rapid weekend warmup and rain could turn all that snow into floods. “It’s a force of nature, a massive force of nature,” Deputy Erie County Commissioner Richard Tobe said during a Thursday morning briefing, where he announced an eight storm-related death. “We’re prepared, but the storm is gigantic and persistent.”   Continue reading “Round 2: Buffalo faces another wintry wallop”

RT

A 29-year-old correctional officer in Ferguson, Missouri, has been accused of raping a pregnant woman while she was in his custody, and then setting her free.

A federal lawsuit has been launched, and the officer Jaris Hayden, has been so far released on $10,000 bail.

In the legal documents obtained by the Huffington Post, it is said that the victim, known as JW, was arrested last October after police stopped her for an expired license plate, and she also gave the officers a false name.   Continue reading “Ferguson officer accused of raping pregnant woman in custody”