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LOS ANGELES (AP) — A longstanding national debate about police transparency and privacy has been reignited in California with legislation that would require law enforcement agencies to release body camera video and recordings of fatal police shootings and other significant incidents.

The proposal, which comes amid a push across the U.S. for body camera recordings to be released more quickly after fatal police shootings, seeks to establish a statewide policy on when body camera footage and other audio and video recordings should be released.  Continue reading “California bill would require cops to release body cam video”

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HONOLULU (AP) — An active duty U.S. soldier was arrested on terrorism charges after authorities say he pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group and said he wanted to “kill a bunch of people.” The FBI arrested Sgt. 1st Class Ikaika Kang, 34, in a suburb of Honolulu over the weekend after a yearlong investigation involving multiple undercover officers and confidential informants. He made an initial appearance in federal court on Monday.

Kang’s court-appointed defense attorney, Birney Bervar, said it appears his client may suffer from service-related mental health issues of which the government was aware but neglected to treat. Bervar declined to elaborate.   Continue reading “US soldier arrested after pledging loyalty to Islamic State”

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ITTA BENA, Miss. (AP) — A U.S. military plane used for refueling crashed into a soybean field in rural Mississippi, killing at least 16 people aboard in a fiery wreckage and spreading debris for miles, officials said.

Leflore County Emergency Management Agency Director Frank Randle told reporters at a briefing late Monday that 16 bodies had been recovered after the KC-130 spiraled into the ground about 85 miles (135 kilometers) north of Jackson in the Mississippi Delta. A witness said some bodies were found more than a mile from the crash site.  Continue reading “At least 16 die in military plane crash in rural Mississippi”

RT

Inmates at a maximum security prison in Guyana set fire to the premises, destroying most of the building and prompting a gunfight with authorities. Four “very serious criminals” managed to escape.

The chaos broke out at Camp Street Prison in the capital, Georgetown, on Sunday, after inmates managed to obtain firearms and take control of the facility, AFP reported.    Continue reading “Inmates set fire to Guyana prison, 4 escape, 1 officer killed”

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MOSUL, Iraq (AP) — Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared victory Monday evening over the Islamic State in Mosul after nearly nine months of grueling combat to drive the militants out of Iraq’s second-largest city.

“We announce the total victory for Iraq and all Iraqis,” al-Abadi said, speaking from a small base in western Mosul on the edge of the Old City, where the last pockets of resistance had been holding out.   Continue reading “Iraqi prime minister declares ‘total victory’ in Mosul”

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WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of U.S. adults without health insurance has grown by some 2 million this year, according to a major new survey that finds recent coverage gains beginning to erode. The new numbers highlight what’s at stake as Congress returns to an unresolved debate over Republican proposals to roll back much of former President Barack Obama’s health care law.

The Gallup-Sharecare Well-Being Index, published Monday, found that the uninsured rate among U.S. adults was 11.7 percent in the second three months of this year, compared with a record low of 10.9 percent at the end of last year. Though small, the change was statistically significant, survey analysts noted.   Continue reading “Survey: US uninsured up by 2M this year as gains erode”

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THERESA, N.Y. (AP) — An Army soldier killed his wife and a state police trooper who had responded to reports of shots fired at the couple’s rural upstate property, authorities said Monday. Staff Sgt. Justin Walters surrendered after the Sunday night slayings and was charged with two counts of murder, authorities said. A second woman living on the couple’s property was also shot, but her injuries weren’t considered life-threatening, police said.

Trooper Joel Davis, 36, was shot as he approached the home while responding to the report of gunfire at about 8 p.m. in the town of Theresa, near the Canadian border, said George P. Beach II, superintendent of the New York state police.   Continue reading “Soldier charged with slayings of wife, New York trooper”

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MARIETTA, Ga. (AP) — An hourslong standoff inside a suburban Atlanta bank ended when an officer shot and killed a man who had claimed to have a bomb that could “take out the room.” Cobb County police Sgt. Dana Pierce confirmed the man died in an “officer involved shooting.” Pierce said a police bomb squad had rendered safe a backpack in which the suspect claimed to have a bomb. Police were still analyzing the contents to determine if he actually had explosives, he said.

Two people were freed shortly after a military-type vehicle smashed its way through the wall, raining bricks onto its hood. However, it’s not clear if they escaped through the wall opening. Heavily armed police officers had converged on the bank earlier in the day.  Continue reading “Man who claimed to have bomb at bank is killed by police”

RT

France has announced it will end the sale of petrol and diesel vehicles in less than 25 years. The country plans to meet its targets under the Paris climate accord, new Ecology Minister Nicolas Hulot announced Thursday.

“We are announcing the end of the sale of gasoline and diesel cars by 2040,” he said.

Hulot did not specify if this would mean a ban on the sale of petrol and diesel cars. Neither did he explain how the ban would be introduced or whether it would include hybrid vehicles.   Continue reading “France to end sales of petrol and diesel cars by 2040”

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JERUSALEM (AP) — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi capped a historic three-day visit to Israel on Thursday with a barefoot stroll along the Mediterranean shore with Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu.

The two leaders’ exuberance for warming bilateral ties has taken the form of bear hugs, greetings on social media and pledges for increased trade and cooperation. Modi and Netanyahu on Thursday paid their respects to Indian soldiers killed fighting with the British Army during World War I before taking a spin on the beach in an Israeli-designed mobile desalination buggy.   Continue reading “Modi caps Netanyahu bromance with barefoot beach stroll”

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MOSCOW (AP) — For Russian President Vladimir Putin, a meeting with U.S. counterpart Donald Trump on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in Germany offers a long-sought opportunity to negotiate a rapprochement with Washington. But controversy over the Trump campaign’s ties with Russia will loom over the talks, making any agreements unlikely.

Rarely in recent history has a meeting of two heads of state generated so much excitement, anxiety and hope. The Kremlin views Friday’s encounter as a watershed moment that could ease Russia-West tensions. Some in the U.S., meanwhile, worry that Trump could make unjustified concessions to Russia.   Continue reading “Putin, Trump to meet in Germany amid a sea of disputes”

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BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — The Federation of Hungarian Jewish Communities has asked Prime Minister Viktor Orban to immediately end a political ad campaign targeting Hungarian-American investor and philanthropist George Soros.

In a letter to Orban released Thursday, federation president Andras Heisler said the government’s “poisonous” messages were harming the whole country. “This campaign is not openly anti-Semitic but it is still very capable of arousing uncontrolled passions like, among others, anti-Semitism,” Heisler said in the letter. “It is the historical responsibility of you, our elected leaders, to prevent hate from spreading in our nation, to not turn the Hungarian people against each other.”   Continue reading “Hungary: Jewish group asks Orban to halt anti-Soros campaign”

RT

Russian strategic bombers have conducted strikes on ISIS targets in Syria, using modern Kh-101 strategic cruise missiles. Several weapon stockpiles and a terrorist command center were destroyed in the strike.

Russian Air Force Tu-95MS strategic bombers have conducted strikes on Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) positions near the border of Syrian Hama and Homs provinces on Wednesday, the Russian military said in a statement.   Continue reading “Russian strategic bombers hit ISIS targets with newest airborne cruise missiles in Syria”

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MADRID (AP) — Police in Italy, Spain and Germany have arrested 32 people suspected of trafficking drugs and laundering money in a European operation against the Camorra crime syndicate. A drug seizure two years ago prompted the investigation by the Anti-Mafia Prosecution Office in Naples that led to Wednesday’s arrest in three countries, said Eurojust, a The Hague-based agency that coordinates the fight against organized crime across European borders.

Naples has been the traditional base for the Mafia-type Camorra syndicate, an umbrella for many different clans. Spain’s State prosecutor office said that 14 people were arrested Wednesday in the northeastern city of Barcelona, including 10 Italians, a Chilean, a Colombian, a Spaniard and a Venezuelan.   Continue reading “32 arrested in Italy, Spain, Germany for links with Camorra”

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HELSINKI (AP) — Volvo plans to build only electric and hybrid vehicles starting in 2019, making it the first major automaker to abandon cars and SUVs powered solely by the internal combustion engine. CEO Hakan Samuelsson said the move was dictated by customer demand. It means that in two years, all new Volvo vehicles will have some form of electric propulsion.

The rest of the auto industry is likely to make similar moves in a few years, said Sam Abuelsamid, senior analyst for Navigant Research, with luxury automakers leading the way. “I think we’ll probably see most of the premium brands do the same thing in roughly the same time frame,” he said. “More high-volume mainstream brands will be a little slower.”   Continue reading “Volvo goes electric, ditches cars powered solely by gas”

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HAMBURG, Germany (AP) — President Donald Trump was met with thousands of protesters when he arrived at meetings in Brussels in May. But with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan joining him at the Group of 20 meetings in Germany this week, Trump is unlikely to be the only target for demonstrators.

Add India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping and other leaders whose policies have sparked unrest to the cauldron that is Hamburg — the summit venue is a short walk from a notorious hotbed of left-wing protest — and the brew could prove explosive.   Continue reading “Burned police cars, wide no-protest zone presage G-20 summit”

RT

The price of crude has edged up on Monday due to the first fall in US drilling activity since January.

Brent crude futures were trading at $48.97 per barrel, a rise of 0.4 percent, at 9:20 GMT following last week’s jump of 5.2 percent in their first weekly gain in six weeks.

US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were up 0.52 percent to $46.21 per barrel, adding to last week’s seven percent gain.   Continue reading “Oil price up on first US production decline in months”

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MOSUL, Iraq (AP) — With the fight for Mosul in its final stage Monday, Islamic State militants sent female suicide bombers hidden among fleeing civilians, while Iraqi forces and the U.S.-led coalition unleashed punishing airstrikes and artillery fire that set dozens of buildings ablaze.

At least one Iraqi soldier was killed and five were wounded in the two separate suicide attacks, the military said. On Sunday, a bomber in women’s clothing killed 14 people at a camp for displaced residents in Anbar province, a provincial official said. No group claimed responsibility for the attack.   Continue reading “With fight for Mosul in final stage, militants strike back”

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PARIS (AP) — The Latest on Europe’s migration crisis (all times local): 8:10 p.m. Italy’s interior ministry says the number of migrant arrivals so far this year is nearly 20 percent higher than at the same time in 2016.

The interior ministry released figures showing that by Monday morning, 85,183 migrants had reached Italian shores after rescue in the central Mediterranean, compared with 71,279 at this time last year.   Continue reading “The Latest: Italy says migrant arrivals up 20 pct this year”

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ROME (AP) — Doctors and nurses at the Vatican’s showcase pediatric hospital were angry: Corners were being cut. Safety protocols were being ignored. And sick children were suffering. The Vatican’s response was swift. A secret three-month Vatican-authorized investigation in early 2014 gathered testimony and documentation from dozens of current and former staff members and confirmed that the mission of “the pope’s hospital” had been lost and was “today more aimed at profit than on caring for children.”

What happened next surprised many involved: The report was never made public. While some of the recommendations were carried out, others were not. And the Vatican commissioned a second inquiry in 2015 that — after a three-day hospital visit — concluded nothing was amiss after all.   Continue reading “‘Pope’s hospital’ put children at risk as it chased profits”