News, y'all

Y’all,

I start a new job on Monday, so this will be my last post for the foreseeable future. As of typing this, News, Y’all has 696 followers and had been growing steadily for a while now. It’s a small number in the grand scheme of things, but it’s one I’m nevertheless proud of. Thanks for following.

Reuters

“Yemen talks end without ceasefire, air strikes hit Republican Guards”

“U.N.-sponsored talks in Geneva on a ceasefire between Yemen's civil war parties ended on Friday without a deal as Saudi-led warplanes staged further strikes on the dominant Houthi armed faction and allies including elite Republican Guards.”

New York Times

“In Charleston, raw emotion at hearing for suspect in church shooting”

“In an emotional confrontation, relatives of people killed in a shooting at a storied black church here directly addressed the suspect in court on Friday, one after another, tearfully offering forgiveness, and hope that he would confess and repent.”

Associated Press

“Comcast founder Ralph Roberts dies at 95”

“Ralph Roberts, a cable pioneer who built Comcast from a small cable TV system in Mississippi into an entertainment and communications behemoth, has died. He was 95.”

Associated Press

“EPA proposes tougher mileage standards for trucks”

“The Obama administration on Friday proposed tougher mileage standards for medium and heavy-duty trucks, the latest move by President Barack Obama in his second-term drive to reduce pollution blamed for global warming.”

AFP

“Ukraine to make Russian debt payment despite default threat”

“Ukraine's finance minister said on Friday that Kiev would make the next interest payment on a disputed Russian loan it had threatened to stop servicing. ‘Two days ago, we paid $39 million (34 million euros) for (Western-held) Eurobonds, and we will also pay $75 million to cover the so-called Russian bonds,’ Natalie Jaresko told reporters.”

Reuters

“U.S. employee data breach tied to China intelligence”

Washington Post

“Arsonists attack church in Israel; hate crime suspected”

“Vandals set fire Thursday to a church marking the site where worshipers believe Jesus performed his bread-and-fish miracle, in an attack that police are investigating as a possible hate crime.”

Associated Press

“House votes to kill health care law’s medical device tax”

“The House defied a White House veto threat and voted Thursday to abolish a tax on medical device makers as a group of Democrats uncharacteristically joined Republicans in moving to kill part of President Barack Obama's health care law.”

Washington Post

“Government arrests 243 in largest crackdown on health-care fraud”

“In the single largest crackdown in an eight-year campaign against health-care fraud, the Justice Department charged 243 people Thursday with $712 million in false billings to Medicare — the medical insurance program for the elderly — and Medicaid, which serves the poor.”

AFP

“Nasdaq powers to new all-time high”

“The Nasdaq powered to a fresh record Thursday, easily topping the prior all-time high in a broad rally that withstood signs that a Greek debt default could be moving closer.”

Reuters

“Wall Street Journal to cut jobs, close bureaus”

“News Corp, owner of the Wall Street Journal, is carrying out a major reorganization at its Dow Jones news publishing unit that will involve job cuts and shifting resources to digital media.”

Associated Press

“Lawyers file documents laying out Hinckley release conditions”

“Lawyers for the government and Ronald Reagan's would-be assassin John Hinckley Jr. have come to an agreement on certain conditions he would abide by if he is allowed to live full-time outside a mental hospital, but they still disagree about how far officials should be allowed to go in monitoring him.”

Reuters

“U.S. to face differences with China head on at talks next week”

“The United States said on Thursday it would not ‘paper over’ differences between the United States and China when top officials of the world's two largest economies meet to discuss financial and political strategy in Washington next week.”

Washington Post

“Amnesty International: All 50 states fail to meet international standards on police use of force”

“All 50 states as well as the District fall short of the international standards for the use of lethal force by law enforcement, according to a report released Thursday by Amnesty International.”

Washington Post

“The FCC wants to help America’s poorest pay for Internet”

“The Federal Communications Commission voted Thursday to consider how to allow eligible Americans to purchase Internet access using government funds, in a move that recognizes high-speed Internet as a key to pulling the poor out of poverty.”

New York Times

“Deal is near on far-reaching reforms at Rikers, including a federal monitor”

“New York City officials have tentatively agreed to sweeping reforms that would remake Rikers Island, including the appointment of a federal monitor to oversee the jail complex, explicit prohibitions against guards’ striking prisoners in the head and even the introduction of body cameras worn by guards.”

AFP

“Danish Prime Minister Thorning-Schmidt concedes election defeat”

“Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt conceded defeat in Thursday's general election and resigned as Social Democratic party leader after a record score for an anti-immigration party lifted the opposition right-wing bloc to victory.”

Washington Post

“Officials: Chinese had access to U.S. security clearance data for one year”

“The recently disclosed breach of the Office of Personnel Management’s security-clearance computer system took place a year ago, giving Chinese government intruders access to sensitive data for a year, according to new information.”

Washington Post

“Sprint bows to net neutrality, saying it won’t throttle your data anymore”

“Sprint's policy, which it said lasted for less than a year, was to slow down mobile data temporarily for data hogs in a congested area. The throttling affected the heaviest 5 percent of data users covered by a given cell site, and when the congestion eased, the restrictions were lifted.”

Washington Post

“Lyft agrees to pay $300,000 settlement for violating New York insurance laws”

“Lyft on Thursday agreed to a $300,000 settlement with New York State's attorney general and top insurance regulator for allegedly violating laws that require drivers to carry state-authorized insurance. The firm also agreed to give at least three weeks notice to cities before launching the car-sharing service.”

New York Times

“Cuba offers its citizens better access to Internet”

“Cuba, one of the Western Hemisphere’s least-wired countries, is poised to expand access to the Internet by introducing about three dozen Wi-Fi hot spots around the island and reducing the steep fees that Cubans pay to spend time online.”

New York Times

“Al Qaeda denies U.S. strike killed key jihadist in Libya”

“Al Qaeda’s branch in North Africa, in a stinging statement issued Thursday, denied that the jihadist leader Mokhtar Belmokhtar had been killed in an American airstrike in Libya this week.”

New York Times

“South Korean official says MERS outbreak seems to be easing”

“South Korea’s outbreak of Middle East respiratory syndrome, the largest outside Saudi Arabia, appears to be easing, a senior government health official said on Friday.”

AFP

“Greece and Russia sign memorandum on gas pipe to Greece: Moscow”

“Russia and Greece on Friday signed a preliminary agreement to set up a joint venture to build a pipeline through Greece, a spokeswoman for the Russian energy ministry said.”

AFP

“Tunisia shuts Libya consulate after abducted workers freed: minister”

“Tunisia is shutting its consulate in the Libyan capital following the abduction of 10 staffers, the foreign minister said Friday, after announcing all of the workers had been freed.”

New York Times

“ECB agrees to extend lifeline to Athens, Greek official says”

“Extending its lifeline to Greek banks, the European Central Bank on Friday increased its emergency funding of the country’s financial system after efforts failed on Thursday to broker a deal on Greece’s flailing bailout, according to a Greek banking official with knowledge of the decision.”

Associated Press

“Flash audit: ‘Serious concerns’ about personnel computer fix”

‘In a ‘flash audit,’ circulated to Congress Wednesday, the Inspector General Patrick McFarland raised "serious concerns" about a proposed $91 million computer overhaul of OPM networks, saying it had not followed management guidelines and relied on a no-bid contract to a single vendor.”

Washington Post

“South Carolina governor urges death penalty charges in church slayings”

“South Carolina’s governor urged prosecutors Friday to seek the death penalty for the suspected gunman whose massacre inside the South’s oldest African American church appeared to be driven by runaway racial hatred.”

Associated Press

“U.S.: 35 percent spike in global terror attacks in 2014”

“Extremists in Iraq, Afghanistan and Nigeria unleashed a savage rise in violence between 2013 and 2014, according to new statistics released by the State Department. Attacks largely at the hands of the Islamic State and Boko Haram raised the number of terror acts by more than a third, nearly doubled the number of deaths and nearly tripled the number of kidnappings.”

Al Jazeera America

“U.N. needs $1.6 billion for Yemen aid, warns of ‘looming catastrophe’”

Washington Post

“Pope Francis’s views on climate change put Catholic GOP candidates in a bind”

“Pope Francis's views on climate change shouldn't be a surprise to anyone, notes Jeet Heer at The New Republic, who cites ‘longstanding traditions in Catholic social thought criticizing unfettered capitalism.’ Those traditions raise difficult questions for conservative Catholic politicians, including Jeb Bush, the former Florida governor.”

AFP

“Gazprom inks plan for new gas pipeline to Germany”

“Russian gas giant Gazprom on Thursday agreed a plan with Shell, E.ON and OMV aimed at building a new gas pipeline to Germany, the companies said in a statement.”

AFP

“IMF rules out Greek payment delay”

“International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde warned Greece Thursday it would get no leeway on a huge debt payment as EU ministers warned they were looking at a ‘plan B’ for a possible default.”

Washington Post

“Supreme Court: Texas doesn’t have to allow Confederate flag license plates”

“The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that messages displayed on specialized license plates are a form of government speech, and Texas is free to reject a proposed design that features the Confederate flag.”

Reuters

“Friend of Boston bombers to be sentenced lying to investigators”

“A citizen of Kyrgyzstan who was friends with the Boston Marathon bombers is due to be sentenced to two-and-a-half years in federal prison on Thursday for lying to investigators probing the deadly 2013 attack.”

Reuters

“House win revises Obama’s Pacific trade pact”

“U.S. lawmakers narrowly approved legislation key to securing a hallmark Pacific trade deal on Thursday, partly reversing a defeat less than a week before, in a boost to President Barack Obama's goal of strengthening U.S. economic ties with Asia.”

New York Times

“Charleston church shooting suspect, Dylann Storm Roof, captured”    

“The man suspected of killing nine people at a prayer meeting at a historic black church in this city’s downtown area was caught on Thursday some 200 miles away in North Carolina, local and federal officials said.”

Reuters

“U.S. top court rules for church in free speech case over signs”

“The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that an Arizona town violated a local church's free speech rights by preventing it from posting signs notifying the public of its worship services.”

Al Jazeera America

“Australian police issue arrest warrant for ISIL doctor Tareq Kamleh”

“The Australian Federal Police issued an arrest warrant Thursday for Tareq Kamleh, the Australian doctor who left for Syria to join the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), the Sydney Morning Herald reported.”

AFP

“Obama: U.S. needs to address gun violence after shooting”

“A clearly frustrated President Barack Obama said Thursday the United States should look again at how killers get their hands on guns, after what he called ‘senseless murders’ at a historic black church.”

Associated Press

“Senate passes $612 billion defense policy bill”

“Over White House objections, the Senate on Thursday passed a $612 billion defense policy bill that calls for arming Ukraine forces, prevents another round of base closures and makes it harder for President Barack Obama to close the prison for terror suspects at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.”

AFP

“Danish election too close to call: exit polls”

Washington Post

“OPM chief berated at hearing; chairman calls for her head”

“The harshest blow came just after Tuesday’s hearing when Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) called for her and Donna Seymour, OPM’s chief information officer, to resign. During the hearing, Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) also complained about a ‘failure of leadership’ and suggested OPM officials ‘step forward, accept responsibility, and resign for the good of the nation.’”

Reuters

“Arabs, Muslims can sue U.S. officials over post-9/11 jail treatment”

“A divided U.S. appeals court said the federal government's top law enforcers can be sued by former inmates who claim their civil rights were violated while jailed after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks because they were Arab, Muslim or stereotyped that way.”

Washington Post

“Consumer watchdog says goodbye to student loan pointman”

“Rohit Chopra, the student loan watchdog at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and a key player in the agency's effort to expose abuses in the student loan market, is stepping down.”

Washington Post

“The start of Ramadan is bringing new fears of an Islamic State attack”

“For those watching the Islamic State, however, the month of Ramadan gives them reason to worry. The month has become a time of action for the extremist group, who see the month's religious importance as an added imperative for jihad, and its traditions as an opportunity to go on the offensive.”

AFP

“Hungary to build border barrier as EU migrant crisis rages”

“Hungary said Wednesday it was building a four-meter (13-foot) high fence on its border with Serbia to keep out migrants, as the EU struggles to deal with a massive influx of people trying to reach Europe.”

Associated Press

“Marine guilty of murder in retrial for 2006 civilian killing”        

“A Marine sergeant was convicted Wednesday of murdering an Iraqi civilian in 2006, the second time a military jury has returned a guilty verdict in what has become one of the most complicated and long-running criminal cases from the Iraq War.”

Washington Post

“CIA didn’t know strike would his al-Qaeda leader”

“The CIA did not know in advance that al-Qaeda’s leader in Yemen was among the suspected militants targeted in a lethal drone strike last week, according to U.S. officials who said that the operation went forward under counter­terrorism guidelines that were eased by the Obama administration after the collapse of the U.S.-backed government in Yemen this year.”

New York Times

“Brian Williams to stay at NBC, but not as news anchor”

“NBC is planning to announce on Thursday that Brian Williams will not return to his position as the anchor of its ‘Nightly News’ show, four months after the network suspended him for exaggerating his experiences during a helicopter attack in Iraq, according to two people briefed on the decision.”

Washington Post

“The birth rate went up in the U.S. last year for the first time since 2007”

“For nearly a decade, the number of babies born in the United States has been on the decline. But last year, for the first time since 2007, the country saw more women give birth, an increase that was pronounced across racial groups and older women.”

Associated Press

“South Korea’s MERS deaths reach 23”

“South Korea said Thursday that 23 people have died and more than 6,700 are isolated at homes and medical facilities as officials continue their efforts to put the MERS outbreak under control.”

Associated Press

“Treasury says woman will be picked for $10 bill”

“Alexander Hamilton, who has been featured on the $10 bill since 1929, is making way for a woman. Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew is to officially announce Thursday that a redesign of the $10 will feature the first woman on the nation's paper money in more than a century. The plan is to decide which woman sometime this summer.”

Associated Press

“Pastor, 8 others fatally shot at church in Charleston, SC”

“Authorities were searching Thursday for a white man who opened fire during a prayer meeting inside a historic black church in downtown Charleston, killing nine people, including the pastor, in an assault authorities described as a hate crime.”

Washington Post

“How a keyboard glitch left 600 million Samsung smartphones at risk of being hacked”

“More than 600 million Samsung mobile devices including the Galaxy S6 are vulnerable to a security breach that could allow hackers to take control of the devices, according to a report by mobile security firm NowSecure.”

Washington Post

“New U.N. report says world’s refugee crisis is worse than anyone expected”

“The number of people uprooted from their homes by war and persecution in 2014 was larger than in any year since detailed record-keeping began, according to a comprehensive report released early Thursday by the U.N. refugee agency that will add to the evidence of a global exodus unlike any in modern times.”

New York Times

“Hong Kong legislature rejects Beijing-backed election plan”

“Lawmakers on Thursday rejected a proposal to change how Hong Kong chooses its top official, voting down a Beijing-backed plan that set off huge street protests last year and throwing the territory’s political future into limbo.”

AFP

“China graft probe nets about 20 state-owned firm execs: media”

“About 20 senior executives from Chinese state-owned enterprises (SOEs) have been detained by investigators for alleged corruption after investigations this year, state media reported Thursday.”

Associated Press

“U.S., EU ready tough Russia sanctions, in case they’re needed”

“Determined to prevent another Moscow-led rebel advance, the United States and European governments have prepared a new round of penalties targeting Russia's energy and financial sectors as part of a sanctions-in-waiting strategy that officials hope will help the West respond immediately if insurgents push deeper into Ukraine.”

AFP

“Chad carries out airstrikes on Boko Haram positions in Nigeria: army”

“Chad said Thursday its warplanes bombed Boko Haram positions in neighboring Nigeria to avenge twin suicide bombings in the capital this week blamed on the jihadists.”

New York Times

“Pope Francis, in sweeping Encyclical, calls for swift action on climate change”

“Pope Francis on Thursday called for a radical transformation of politics, economics and individual lifestyles to confront environmental degradation and climate change, as his much-awaited papal encyclical blended a biting critique of consumerism and irresponsible development with a plea for swift and unified global action.”

Associated Press

“FBI: Surveillance flights by the book, rarely track phones”

“The FBI assured Congress in an unusual, confidential briefing that its plane surveillance program is a by-the-books operation short on high-definition cameras — with some planes equipped with binoculars — and said only five times in five years has it tracked cellphones from the sky.”

Associated Press

“U.S. to pay millions for Agent Orange claims”

Reuters

“Hong Kong debates election reform plan with veto likely”

“Hong Kong's pro-democracy lawmakers appeared to be standing firm on Wednesday in their pledge to veto Beijing-backed electoral reforms, as the Asian financial center's legislature debated the package that will define its democratic future.”

Reuters

“Al Qaeda kills two Saudis accused of spying for America: residents”

“Al Qaeda militants in Yemen killed two alleged Saudi spies on Wednesday, residents said, accusing them of planting tracking devices which enabled the assassination of the group's leader in a suspected U.S. drone strike last week.”

Associated Press

“Carter: Iraqi training goal to fall short by 17,000 recruits”

“The effort to train Iraqi forces to fight Islamic State militants has been slowed by a lack of recruits, and the U.S. will not meet its goal to train 24,000 by this fall, Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Wednesday.”

Reuters

“California pokes big hole in Uber’s business model”

“A San Francisco-based driver for smartphone-based ride-hailing service Uber is an employee, not a contractor, according to a ruling by the California Labor Commission. The ruling, filed on Tuesday in state court in San Francisco, was the latest in a host of legal and regulatory challenges facing Uber and other highly valued start-ups in the United States and other countries.”

Washington Post

“Top Mexican official blasts Donald Trump’s ‘absurd’ comments on  migrants”

“Trump, after all, had devoted considerable time during his rambling announcement to casting aspersions on Mexican migrants to the United States, suggesting that they were rapists, narco-criminals and general malefactors. He also trumpeted a plan to build a ‘great, great wall’ on the border — with Mexican money. The ludicrousness of this prompted official comment in Mexico City. ‘The remarks by Donald Trump seem prejudicial and absurd,’ Miguel Ángel Osorio Chong, Mexico's interior minister, told reporters on the sidelines of an anti-discrimination event on Tuesday.”

Reuters

“China rebuffs Trump comments on stealing U.S. jobs”

“China on Wednesday rebuffed comments by U.S. real estate mogul and presidential contender Donald Trump that China is stealing U.S. jobs through crafty business practices, saying trade between the two countries was win-win.”

Associated Press

“Fed sees stronger economy but leaves key rate at record low”

“The U.S. economy has strengthened since a slump early this year, the Federal Reserve said Wednesday, but it wants to see further gains in the job market and higher inflation before raising interest rates from record lows.”

Associated Press

“Obama, leading Republicans mounting rescue effort on trade”

“President Barack Obama and top Republicans in Congress mounted a quick, bipartisan rescue operation Wednesday for the administration's trade agenda, left for dead in the House last week in a revolt carried out by Democrats and backed by organized labor.”

Associated Press

“AT&T hit with $100 million fine, company vows to fight”

“AT&T Mobility LLC has been slapped with a record $100 million fine for offering consumers ‘unlimited’ data, but then slowing their Internet speeds after they reached a certain amount. The company says it will fight the charges.”

Reuters

“Special Report – Military knew about bizarre methods of doctor hired to train troops”

“The agreements may have helped ensure that his most extreme training methods —including allegedly inducing shock among students - would remain confidential. But some of the same unorthodox procedures that led the Virginia Board of Medicine to suspend Hagmann's medical license earlier this year had raised concerns within military circles nearly a decade ago.”

Al Jazeera America

“Senate rejects bill to reform sexual assault prosecution in the military”

Reuters

“Head of hacked U.S. agency says problems ‘decades in the making”

“The head of a U.S. agency that fell victim to cyber attacks defended its performance on Tuesday against withering criticism from lawmakers furious about a breach that compromised the personnel files of millions of federal workers.”

Reuters

“New York appeals court hears argument over grand jury records in chokehold death”

“A New York state appeals court heard arguments on Tuesday over unsealing minutes of a grand jury that declined to indict a white New York police officer in the chokehold death of an unarmed black man.”

AFP

“Rupert Murdoch hands Fox CEO job to son James”

“Rupert Murdoch's 21st Century Fox said Tuesday its board approved a shakeup that puts the 84-year-old tycoon's son James in the chief executive job effective July 1.”

Reuters

“Sony fails to dismiss lawsuit over ‘Interview’ data hacking”

“A U.S. judge rejected Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc's bid to dismiss a lawsuit by nine former employees who claimed their personal data was stolen in a 2014 hacking tied to the studio's release of a comedy set in North Korea, ‘The Interview.’”

Washington Post

“Taliban in Afghanistan tells Islamic State to stay out of country”

“The Taliban has warned the Islamic State to stay out of the conflict in Afghanistan, declaring that the fight against the country’s Western-backed government and the push for strict Islamic rule should be undertaken ‘under one flag and one leadership.’”

Al Jazeera America

“Robotics revolution rocks Chinese textile workers”

“Last year, the Chinese Communist Party, with the expectation to save billions of dollars in efficiency and labor costs, launched new subsidy schemes on a national scale for technology upgrades. Hundreds of thousands of unskilled workers toiling in factories in the southeast of the country will likely be adversely affected.”

Al Jazeera America

“U.N. panel calls for major overhaul of peacekeeping operations”

“United Nations peacekeeping forces are slow to respond to crises, have inadequate resources to make a significant difference, and have too often been tasked with being the front line for solving intractable political conflict, a U.N. panel said on Tuesday, in the first such review of peacekeeping operations in more than a decade.”

Al Jazeera America

“NASA data shows global groundwater depletion”

“In over half of the world’s largest aquifers, water is being drawn faster than it is being replenished, while some of those wellsprings may be much smaller than previously assumed, according to two studies released on Tuesday.”

AFP

“Japan posts sharp drop in May trade deficit, exports weak”

“Japan posted a $1.75 billion trade deficit in May, a dramatic fall from a year earlier due to a drop in energy imports, but still not enough to offset lackluster shipments overseas, official data showed Wednesday.”

New York Times

“Suleyman Demirel, former prime minister of Turkey, dies at 90”

“Suleyman Demirel, who served seven times as Turkey’s prime minister, dominating the nation’s politics when the country struggled with violence, economic stagnation and military rule, died early Wednesday in Ankara, Turkey. He was 90.”

Associated Press

“Ex-AIG CEO still wants damages in bailout case, will appeal”

“The former chairman and CEO of insurer AIG says he still believes he's entitled to damages as a result of the government's 2008 bailout of the company, and will appeal a court's ruling against him.”

AFP

“Australia and China sign bumper free trade deal”

“Australia and China signed a landmark trade deal Wednesday after a decade of talks, providing a boon for growth and jobs by abolishing tariffs across a raft of sectors.”

Al Jazeera America

“Senate passes amendment to ban torture as U.S. policy”

“The Senate passed a measure Tuesday aimed at ensuring that the United States never tortures detainees again. The Senate voted 78 to 21 to approve a defense bill amendment that bans torture. It was introduced by Republican Sen. John McCain and Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein.”

AFP

“Palestinian split widens with government set to quit”

“The Palestinian unity government was said to be on the brink of resigning Wednesday in a deepening rift with Gaza as its de facto rulers Hamas hold separate, indirect talks with Israel.”

Associated Press

“Swiss AG: 53 possible money-laundering cases in FIFA probe”

“Banks in Switzerland have reported 53 possible acts of money-laundering in the investigation of FIFA's 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding contests, the country's attorney-general said Wednesday.”

Associated Press

“U.N.: Spread of MERS in South Korea isn’t global emergency”

“The World Health Organization says the spread of a mysterious virus from the Middle East to South Korea doesn't merit being declared a global emergency despite infecting more than 160 people in the biggest outbreak outside the Arabian peninsula.”

AFP

“China deports British investigator, wife in GSK case”

“A British corporate sleuth and his American wife and business partner, both linked to a bribery scandal in China involving drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline PLC, were deported on Wednesday after their jail terms were reduced this month.”

Reuters

“Apple loses Taiwan anti-competitive practices court case”

“The island's Fair Trade Commission had previously levied the fine against the Silicon Valley firm for requiring its major Taiwan telecom partners to receive approval for pricing plans for its wildly popular iPhone series in advance of public release, in violation of Taiwanese law.”

Associated Press

“North Korea says it has been hit by worst drought in 100 years”

“North Korea says it has been hit by its worst drought in a century, resulting in extensive damage to agriculture. The official Korean Central News Agency said the drought has caused about 30 percent of its rice paddies to dry up. Rice plants normally need to be partially submerged in water during the early summer.”

AFP

“Greece will likely exit euro, EU without bailout deal: central bank”

“The Greek central bank warned Wednesday that if Athens fails to reach a bailout deal with its international creditors it would lead to a default and the country's likely exit from the eurozone and the EU.”

Reuters

“Pope criticizes nations that close doors to migrants”

“Pope Francis on Wednesday called for respect for migrants and suggested that ‘people and institutions’ who close doors to them should seek forgiveness from God.”

AFP

“Haitians scramble to avoid deportation from Dominican Republic”

Reuters

“Rampant fraud at medical schools leaves Indian healthcare in crisis”

“In a four-month investigation, Reuters has documented the full extent of the fraud in India’s medical-education system. It found, among other things, that more than one out of every six of the country’s 398 medical schools has been accused of cheating, according to Indian government records and court filings.”

Associated Press

“Indictment: Man helped plan Texas cartoon-contest shooting”

“An indictment filed in federal court in Phoenix last week says that 43-year-old Abdul Malik Abdul Kareem hosted the gunmen in his home beginning in January and provided the guns they used in the May 3 shooting in Garland, Texas. The indictment also says others were involved, but no other arrests or indictments have been made.”

Washington Post

“FDA moves to ban trans fat from U.S. food supply”

“The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday finalized a plan to essentially rid the nation’s food supply of artery-clogging artificial trans fat, a move the agency estimates could reduce coronary heart disease and prevent thousands of heart attack deaths a year.”

New York Times

“Cardinals face FBI inquiry in hacking of Astros’ network”

“The FBI and Justice Department prosecutors are investigating whether front-office officials for the St. Louis Cardinals, one of the most successful teams in baseball over the past two decades, hacked into internal networks of a rival team to steal closely guarded information about player personnel.”

Washington Post

“Donald Trump announces presidential bid”

“Donald J. Trump, the real estate mogul and reality television celebrity, announced Tuesday that he would seek the Republican presidential nomination.”

Reuters

“U.N. releases report on sex abuse by peacekeepers”

“The U.N. has officially released an internal report looking at sexual abuse and exploitation by U.N. peacekeepers. The report, leaked to media last week, found that troops commonly paid for sex with cash, dresses, jewelry, perfume, and mobile phones.”

AFP

“Abbas says Palestinian government to resign within 24 hours: Fatah”

New York Times

“Jeb Bush announce White House bid, saying ‘America deserves better’”

“Jeb Bush, a son and brother of presidents, formally declared a White House candidacy of his own on Monday, portraying himself as the most accomplished leader in the 2016 field, vowing to wage war on Washington’s political culture and insisting that his family name gave him no unique claim to the Oval Office.”

Al Jazeera America

“U.N. chief opens Yemen talks”

“U.N. Chief Ban Ki-moon launched Yemen peace talks in Geneva on Monday with a call for a humanitarian truce as warplanes from a Saudi-led Arab coalition pounded the Houthi-controlled capital Sanaa overnight.”

Washington Post

“Islamic State routed from stronghold”

“The Islamic State was routed Monday from one of its key strongholds on Syria’s border with Turkey after its defenses crumbled and its fighters either defected or fled, raising new questions about the group’s vaunted military capabilities.”

Washington Post

“Al-Qaeda says No. 2 leader killed by U.S. drone strike in Yemen”

“Al-Qaeda’s branch in Yemen confirmed early Tuesday that a CIA drone strike killed its leader last week in a blow to the terror group as its militants appear to be benefiting from the widening unrest in the Arabian Peninsula country.”

New York Times

“CVS to buy 1,600 drugstores from Target for $1.9 billion”

“The voracious CVS Health is already a dominant player in nearly every corner of the health care world — it is the nation’s largest dispenser of prescription drugs, the biggest operator of health care clinics and the second-largest pharmacy-benefits manager.”

Reuters

“U.S. makes public ex-FIFA official Blazer’s 2013 plea agreement”

“U.S. prosecutors on Monday made public their 2013 plea agreement with Chuck Blazer, revealing that the former FIFA executive committee member had been secretly providing authorities information for nearly two years before he admitted guilt.”

Reuters

“South Korea reports four new MERS cases, three more deaths”

“South Korea's health ministry reported four new cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) on Tuesday, bringing the total to 154 in an outbreak that is the largest outside Saudi Arabia.”

Reuters

“Hong Kong on high alert as new democracy showdown looms”

“Hong Kong's leader warned on Tuesday that violence will not be tolerated, a day after authorities arrested 10 people and seized suspected explosives ahead of a crucial vote on a China-backed electoral reform package this week.”

Associated Press

“China says South China Sea island building to finish soon”

“China will complete land reclamation projects on its disputed South China Sea territorial claims as planned within days, the Foreign Ministry said Tuesday, in an apparent bid to reassure its neighbors over moves seen as sharpening tensions in the strategically vital region.”

Al Jazeera America

“Fast-food workers bring fight to New York state wage board”

“Low-wage restaurant workers and activists rallied and testified before a New York wage board in Manhattan on Monday, demanding that the state raise the minimum wage for fast-food workers.”

Reuters

“Obama invites Netanyahu for post-Iran deal talks: report”

“U.S. President Barack Obama has invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for talks in Washington next month after a deadline for reaching a nuclear agreement with Iran, an Israeli newspaper reported on Tuesday, quoting State Department sources.”

AFP

“Libya jihadist group denies death of Qaeda-linked Belmokhtar”

“A Libyan jihadist group denied Tuesday that al-Qaeda-linked militant Mokhtar Belmokhtar — the man behind multiple deadly attacks with a history of coming back from the dead — was killed in a U.S. air strike.”

Washington Post

“Iconic gun maker Colt filing for bankruptcy as sales slide”

“Facing declining sales and more competition for defense contracts, iconic gun maker Colt said late Sunday that it would have to file for bankruptcy protection to stay afloat.”

Associated Press

“After lead scare, Nestle India to destroy $50 million of noodles”

“Nestle India said it will destroy instant noodles worth 3.2 billion rupees ($50 million) following a sales ban imposed by Indian food safety authorities for unsafe levels of lead.”

AFP

“Bahrain jails opposition chief despite outcry”

“A court in Bahrain on Tuesday jailed prominent Shiite opposition leader Ali Salman, whose arrest drew U.S. and Iranian condemnation and sparked protests across the tiny but strategic Gulf kingdom.”

Associated Press

“Far-right, anti-immigrant parties form EU Parliament group”

“A coalition of far-right, anti-immigrant parties in the European Parliament announced Tuesday they are uniting to form a political group under the leadership of France's National Front chief Marine Le Pen.”

Associated Press

“India, China need cleaner air just to keep death rate steady”

“Never mind lowering the rate of death from air pollution in India and China. Just keeping those rates steady will demand urgent action to clear the skies, according to a new report published Tuesday.”

Associated Press

“Walker’s record as governor is taking some hits this year”

“In Wisconsin, however, lawmakers voted to restore money the governor wanted to cut for K-12 schools. They rejected his proposed changes to a popular prescription drug program for Medicaid recipients, scrapped a merger of state agencies he wanted and voted against the governor's plan to make the University of Wisconsin system independent of state laws and oversight.”

Associated Press

“Egypt court confirms death sentence for ousted president”

“An Egyptian court on Tuesday confirmed a death sentence handed to ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsi over a mass prison break during the 2011 uprising that eventually brought him to power.”

Washington Post

“White House fence jumper faces 9 to 21 months in prison at sentencing”

“A federal judge Tuesday will sentence the Iraq war veteran whose leap over the White House fence last September helped trigger a shake-up of the Secret Service after he was able to enter the executive mansion.”

Reuters

“Putin says Russia is beefing up its nuclear arsenal”

“President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday Russia would add more than 40 new intercontinental ballistic missiles to its nuclear arsenal this year and a defense official accused NATO of provoking a new arms race.”

New York Times

“Sidney Blumenthal, Hillary Clinton’s confidant, turns over memos on Libya”

Associated Press

“Minister: Suicide bombers ill 23 in attacks on Chad capital”

“Suicide bombers on motorcycles simultaneously attacked two buildings including the national police academy in Chad's capital on Monday, killing at least 23 people and wounding more than 100 others, witnesses said. It was the first assault of its kind since Islamic militants threatened the country earlier this year.”

New York Times

“Britons, some raising a pint, celebrate Magna Carta’s 800th anniversary”        

“The 800th anniversary on Monday of Magna Carta, a medieval political truce that inspired protections for some of the world’s most cherished liberties, prompted a range of celebrations in Britain that included a ceremony involving Queen Elizabeth II and a national beer day.”

New York Times

“Supreme Court rejects North Carolina’s appeals on pre-abortion ultrasounds”

“The Supreme Court on Monday refused to hear an appeal from North Carolina officials seeking to revive a state law that had required doctors to perform ultrasounds, display the resulting sonograms and describe the fetuses to women seeking abortions.”

AFP

“Carbon pledges not enough to halt warming: Energy Agency”

“Countries need to improve pledges on reducing emissions to reach the goal of keeping the increase in average global temperature below 2C by the end of the century, the International Energy Agency said Monday.”

New York Times

“China ends recovery efforts on ship that capsized on Yangtze”

“China has concluded rescue and recovery efforts surrounding a cruise ship that capsized this month on the Yangtze River and has revised its count of the number of people who were on board and the number of survivors, according to official news media.”

Reuters

“North Korean soldier walks across DMZ in bid to defect to South”

“While there are more than a thousand defections from North Korea to South Korea every year, most defectors come via China and it is rare for a North Korean to crossing the heavily mined Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). The last such crossing was in 2012.”

AFP

“Kurds cut road to I.S. ‘capital’ in battle for Syria border town”

“Syrian Kurdish fighters on Monday cut a key supply line to the Islamic State group's de facto capital Raqa as they battled to seize the jihadist-held border town of Tal Abyad.”

Associated Press

“Blogger gets 2.5 years over senator’s wife photo conspiracy”

“A blogger who pleaded guilty in a conspiracy to breaking into a nursing home and shooting unauthorized video of the ailing wife of a U.S. senator was sentenced Monday to serve more than two years in prison.”

New York Times

“Ex-AIG chief wins bailout suit, but gets no damages”

“Judge Thomas C. Wheeler of the United States Court of Federal Claims sided with Mr. Greenberg, who is still a large A.I.G. shareholder through his company Starr International. But at the same time, the judge ruled that Mr. Greenberg could not show that the shareholders were damaged by the seizure of the equity and therefore awarded no monetary judgment. Mr. Greenberg had been seeking nearly $40 billion in compensation.”

Reuters

“U.S. industrial output hurt by weakness in manufacturing, mining”

“U.S. industrial production unexpectedly fell in May as manufacturing and mining activity remained weak, a sign that a strong dollar and spending cuts in the energy sector continued to constrain economic growth.”

Washington Post

“Donald Trump will declare $9 billion in assets as he reveals 2016 plans”

“Donald J. Trump, the billionaire real-estate mogul, on Tuesday will release a summary of assets that total about $9 billion as part of his likely entry into the race for the Republican presidential nomination, according to people familiar with his plans.”

Washington Post

“Draft of the pope’s encyclical blames climate change on human activity”

New York Times

“Dallas gunman killed after attack on police headquarters”

“A gunman attacked Police Headquarters at the edge of downtown here from inside an armored van early Saturday, shooting at officers and leaving bags filled with pipe bombs around the building in a brazen assault that led to an hours-long standoff. Hours after negotiators who had tried to persuade him to surrender lost contact, the suspect was found dead in the van after being shot by a police sniper, the police said.”

Reuters

“Aid-dependent Nepal says needs $6.6 billion for post-quake rebuilding”

“Earthquake-battered Nepal will ask international donors to support a reconstruction plans that is expected to cost $6.6 billion over five years, the government said on Saturday. Two quakes on April 25 and May 12 killed 8,787 people and destroyed more than 500,000 homes, affecting 2.8 million of the Himalayan nation's 28 million people.”

Al Jazeera America

“Hillary Clinton touts herself as populist champion in announcement speech”

“Hillary Rodham Clinton called for a new era of shared prosperity in America and told thousands at a presidential campaign rally Saturday that workers can trust her to fight for them.”

Reuters

“Hillary Clinton pledges to rewrite tax code if elected U.S. president”

“Appealing to working families in her first major campaign speech, U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton said on Saturday she would rewrite the U.S. tax code if she is elected so that it rewards hard work, and not quick equities trades or money stashed away overseas.”

New York Times

“U.S. is poised to put heavy weaponry in Eastern Europe”

“In a significant move to deter possible Russian aggression in Europe, the Pentagon is poised to store battle tanks, infantry fighting vehicles and other heavy weapons for as many as 5,000 American troops in several Baltic and Eastern European countries, American and allied officials say.”

AFP

“U.S. moves six Yemeni Guantanamo detainees to Oman”

“The United States transferred six Yemeni inmates from its Guantanamo Bay prison to Oman, the Pentagon said Saturday, part of a drive by President Barack Obama to close the controversial jail.”

Associated Press

“Syrian Kurds nearing I.S. border stronghold, thousands flee”

“Hundreds of Syrian refugees poured into a Turkish-Syrian border crossing Saturday, fleeing intense fighting as Syrian Kurds closed in on an Islamic State-held town — the only passageway linking Turkey with the extremist group's stronghold of Raqqa.”

Washington Post

“In White House’s Iraq debate, military brass pushed for doing less”

“As President Obama was weighing how to halt Islamic State advances in Iraq, some of the strongest resistance to boosting U.S. involvement came from a surprising place: a war-weary military that has grown increasingly skeptical that force can prevail in a conflict fueled by political and religious grievances.”

Associated Press

“Greek Premier: Elections or referendum out of the question”

“A government official says Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has told senior aides to ‘forget about elections or a referendum,’ whatever the outcome of the country's talks with creditors.”

Reuters

“Hospital at center of South Korea’s MERS suspends services; seven new cases”

“A South Korean hospital suspended most services on Sunday after being identified as the epicenter of the spread of a deadly respiratory disease that has killed 15 people since being diagnosed in the country nearly four weeks ago.”

Associated Press

“Republican senator sees U.S. embassy in Havana coming soon”

“The opening of a U.S. embassy in Cuba for the first in 54 years is ‘imminent,’ a U.S. senator said Saturday as he and two other Republicans finished a short visit to Cuba said.”

Associated Press

“Los Angeles raises minimum wage to $15 per hour”

“Mayor Eric Garcetti signed into law on Saturday an ordinance that makes Los Angeles the biggest city in the nation to gradually raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour.”

Reuters

“China to drop entry permit requirement for Taiwan residents”

“China plans to drop the entry permit requirement for Taiwan residents visiting the mainland, the official Xinhua news agency cited a senior Chinese politician as saying on Sunday.”

Reuters

“Doubts over EU’s proposals for saving U.S. trade deal”

“The European Union has more work to do, experts say, if it hopes to seal a transatlantic trade deal that has been criticized for leaving governments open to international legal action from companies affected by changes to tax and regulation.”

AFP

“South Africa bans Sudan president from leaving after arrest call”

“A South African judge on Sunday barred Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir from leaving the country after the International Criminal Court called for him to be arrested at a summit in Johannesburg.”

Washington Post

“Rise in new cases shows Ebola has not released its deadly grip”

“Liberia has long since celebrated a momentous milestone, being declared Ebola-free, with no new cases in months. But for the second week in a row, the number of new cases is up in both Sierra Leone and Guinea.”

Reuters

“Houthi forces in Yemen seize provincial capital near Saudi border: residents”

“Houthi forces and their army allies in Yemen seized the capital of a large desert province on the border with Saudi Arabia on Sunday, residents said, an important victory for the group ahead of peace talks in Geneva on Monday.

Associated Press

“Spacecraft that landed on comet finally wakes up”

“To scientists' relief and delight, the Philae spacecraft that landed on a comet last fall has woken up and communicated with Earth after seven long months of silence, the European Space Agency announced Sunday.”

AFP

“Israeli probe defends ‘lawful’ Gaza war actions”

“Israel on Sunday defended its conduct in the 2014 Gaza war as both ‘lawful’ and ‘legitimate’ in a detailed inter-ministerial report which was roundly rejected by the Palestinians.”

AFP

“Default dangerously closer after Greece debt talks collapse”

“Default by debt-wracked Greece loomed dangerously closer after last-ditch talks between Athens and its EU-IMF creditors collapsed on Sunday, bringing the threat of a Greek exit from the euro closer than ever.”

New York Times

“With little fanfare, Mexican Supreme Court legalizes same-sex marriage”

“In ruling after ruling, the court has said that state laws restricting marriage to heterosexuals are discriminatory. Though the decisions have been made to little public fanfare, they have had the effect of legalizing gay marriage in Mexico without enshrining it in law.”

Associated Press

“U.S. airstrike targets al-Qaeda-linked militant in Libya”          

“The U.S military launched weekend airstrikes targeting and likely killing an al-Qaeda-linked militant leader in eastern Libya who has been charged with leading the attack on a gas plant in Algeria in 2013 that killed at least 35 hostages, including three Americans.”

Reuters

“Hong Kong arrests nine suspected of bomb-making plot ahead of poll reform vote”

“Hong Kong police arrested nine people and seized suspected explosives, authorities said on Monday, as the city goes on high alert ahead of a crucial vote on a China-backed electoral reform package that sparked widespread protests last year.”

Reuters

“Jeb Bush takes long view as he launches White House run”

“Jeb Bush will formally launch his 2016 White House bid on Monday searching for momentum to break out of a crowded field for the Republican presidential nomination, but expecting a long battle ahead.”

New York Times

“U.N. leader calls Yemen a ‘ticking bomb,’ amid delay in ceasefire talks”

“The United Nation secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, warned that Yemen was a ‘ticking bomb,’ as efforts to start talks aimed at achieving at least a cease-fire in the country were further delayed on Monday.”

Associated Press

“U.S. archbishop quits after archdiocese charge with cover-up”

“The embattled archbishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis and a deputy bishop resigned Monday after prosecutors there charged the archdiocese with having failed to protect children from unspeakable harm from a pedophile priest.”

Reuters

“Russia says it will retaliate if U.S. weapons stations on its borders”

“A plan by Washington to station tanks and heavy weapons in NATO states on Russia's border would be the most aggressive U.S. act since the Cold War, and Moscow would retaliate by beefing up its own forces, a Russian defense official said on Monday.”

AFP

“Failure to arrest Bashir violated South Africa constitution: judge”

“A South African judge on Monday criticized the government for allowing Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC), to leave the country in defiance of a court order.”

AFP

“Saudi Arabia beheads 100th person this year”

Reuters

“French watchdog pressures Google on right ‘to be forgotten’”

“Google must scrub search results worldwide when it agrees to requests from users to be ‘forgotten,’ rather than just from European versions of its website, France's data protection regulator said on Friday.”

Reuters

“Bullish Uber plans to invest $1 billion in China in 2015”

“Ride-hailing service Uber Technologies Inc plans to invest more than $1 billion in China this year as the controversial ride-hailing app looks to rev up growth in the world's second largest economy, an executive at the firm said on Friday.”

Reuters

“China’s lone aircraft carrier conducts drills as seas disputes fester”

“China's sole aircraft carrier conducted exercises on Friday, the navy said without specifying its location, amid escalating disputes over maritime territory with some of China's Asian neighbors.”

Reuters

“Two U.S. men charged with beheading plot to help Islamic State”

“Prosecutors charged two U.S. men on Friday for plotting to help the Islamic State militant group by beheading Americans, after an investigation that led law enforcement officers to shoot a suspect dead last week in Boston.”

Reuters

“North Korea accuses U.S. of targeting it with anthrax”

“North Korea accused the United States of targeting it with anthrax and asked the United Nations Security Council to investigate Washington's ‘biological warfare schemes’ after a live anthrax sample was sent to a U.S. base in South Korea.”

Associated Press

“Iowa Republicans ending straw poll, a tradition born in 1979”

“The Iowa Republican straw poll, once a staple campaign event for GOP presidential candidates, is vanishing because of waning interest from 2016 hopefuls.”

Associated Press

“Attackers seize 10 employees at Tunisian consulate in Libya”

“Tunisia's foreign ministry says an armed militia has attacked the Tunisian general consulate in Libya's capital and taken 10 employees there hostage.”

Washington Post

“Poll: One in 5 women say they have been sexually assaulted in college”

“A Washington Post-Kaiser Family Foundation survey of current and recent college students living on or near campus examines their experiences and opinions about sexual assault.”

New York Times

“House rejects trade bill, rebuffing Obama’s dramatic appeal”

“House Democrats rebuffed a dramatic personal appeal from President Obama on Friday, torpedoing his ambitious push to expand his trade negotiating power — and, quite likely, his chance to secure a legacy-defining trade accord spanning the Pacific Ocean.”

Reuters

“White House: cannot confirm reports 14 million affected by hack”

Associated Press

“Union: Hackers have personnel data on every federal employee”

“Hackers stole personnel data and Social Security numbers for every federal employee, a government worker union said Thursday, asserting that the cyber theft of U.S. employee information was more damaging than the Obama administration has acknowledged.”

New York Times

“Twitter’s CEO, Dick Costolo, is set to exit, feeling heat of criticism”

“After replacing much of Twitter’s top management team last year, Dick Costolo told members of the company’s board that he wanted them to replace him as chief executive, too. On Thursday, they did just that, announcing that Mr. Costolo will step down July 1 and appointing Jack Dorsey, Twitter’s co-founder and former chief, as interim chief executive while they look for a permanent successor.”

New York Times

“Senate rejects measure to strengthen cybersecurity”

“On the heels of a vast breach of the personal information of federal employees, the Senate failed Thursday to advance a cybersecurity measure, the third time in three years that a bipartisan effort to tackle the problem has fallen victim to procedural actions.”

Reuters

“U.S. fracking rules to face early legal test”

“Energy industry groups and states that oppose new U.S. rules for hydraulic fracturing on public lands are headed to court this month to try to block the regulations a day before they are to take effect.”

Washington Post

“Cleveland judge finds probable cause for murder charge in Tamir Rice shooting”

“A judge in Cleveland on Thursday said that he believes there is probable cause to charge a police officer with murder for the death of Tamir Rice, the 12-year-old boy fatally shot while playing with a toy gun last year — a victory for local activists that does not, however, amount to formal charges being filed against the officers involved.”

New York Times

“Obama looks to adding bases and troops in Iraq, to fight ISIS”

“President Obama is open to expanding the American military footprint in Iraq with a network of bases and possibly hundreds of additional troops to support Iraqi security forces in their fight against the Islamic State, White House officials said on Thursday.”

Associated Press

“Charges dropped against U-Va. student bloodied during arrest”

“Charges have been dropped against a University of Virginia student whose bloody arrest sparked a public uproar and a state police investigation, a prosecutor said Thursday.”

Reuters

“Court declines to suspend U.S. net neutrality rules”

“New U.S. Internet traffic regulations, known as net neutrality rules, will go into effect on Friday after a federal appeals court rejected the telecommunications industry's request to partly suspend their implementation while they are being litigated.”

New York Times

“Report says census undercounts mixed race”

“The Pew Research Center survey found that 6.9 percent of adults in the United States were multiracial, based on how they identify themselves or on having parents or grandparents of different races. By comparison, the 2010 census reported 2.1 percent of adults, and 2.9 percent of people any age, as multiracial, based on people’s descriptions of themselves or others in their households. (Hispanics are considered an ethnic group, not a race.)”

Associated Press

“Paraguay’s Senate votes to end soccer confederation immunity”

“Paraguay's Senate voted Thursday to repeal a law giving immunity to the headquarters of South America's soccer confederation, the latest fallout from a sweeping U.S. investigation into an alleged bribery scheme in FIFA.”

AFP

“Spanish king strips graft-accused sister of duchess title”

“Spain's King Felipe VI has issued a decree stripping his sister Princess Cristina of her title as Duchess of Palma, the palace announced Thursday, as the royal sibling faces tax evasion charges in a scandal that has embarrassed the monarchy.”

Associated Press

“Federal regulators go after crowdfunding scam”

“In its first case involving crowdfunding, the Federal Trade Commission announced Thursday that it has settled charges against a man who raised $122,000 through Kickstarter to produce a board game that never materialized. According to the FTC, Erik Chevalier canceled the project and said he would refund the donations but instead used the money to pay his rent and move.”

Associated Press

“Man arrested in connection with Boston terror investigation”

“A Rhode Island man was arrested Thursday in connection with the probe into a Massachusetts man who was fatally shot by terrorism investigators as they sought to question him about a possible plot to kill police officers.”

AFP

“Germany drops probe into alleged U.S. tapping of Merkel cellphone”

“Germany's chief prosecutor has dropped a probe into the alleged tapping of Chancellor Angela Merkel's mobile phone by US intelligence agencies, his office said Friday.”

New York Times

“IRS adds new safeguards to thwart identity theft and fraud”

“Reeling from an online attack that allowed criminals to steal personal information and divert tax refunds from tens of thousands of taxpayers, the Internal Revenue Service announced on Thursday a sweeping effort to step up protections against identity theft and fraud. The actions are expected to be completed by early next year, well before the April 15 filing deadline.”

Associated Press

“Former IMF chief Strauss-Kahn acquitted in pimping trial”

“Former International Monetary Fund chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn was cleared of pimping charges on Friday in France, putting an end to four years of legal drama that began with a sexual assault charge in a New York hotel room.”

Associated Press

“Obama makes 11th-hour bid to save trade bill in House”

Associated Press

“Three space station astronauts safety return to Earth”

“A three-person crew from the International Space Station landed safely in the steppes of Kazakhstan on Thursday after a longer-than-expected orbital stint.”

Reuters

“Rupert Murdoch to hand over Fox reins to son James – source”

“Rupert Murdoch, the 84-year old media baron, will hand over the chief executive reins at entertainment conglomerate Twenty-First Century Fox Inc to his 42-year-old son James, a source familiar with the situation said on Thursday.”

AFP

“U.S. says Russia ‘arming, bankrolling, and fighting’ alongside Ukraine rebels”

“Washington's U.N. envoy accused Russia on Thursday of ‘training, arming, bankrolling, and fighting alongside’ pro-Moscow insurgents fighting government forces in eastern Ukraine.”

Al Jazeera America

“USDA says egg prices to hit record high due to bird flu”

“The average price of a dozen eggs in the United States will climb to a record high this year due to the nation's worst-ever outbreak of bird flu in poultry, U.S. Department of Agriculture data issued this week showed.”

Reuters

“Jeb Bush says U.S. needs to expand military presence in central Europe”

“The United States needs to increase its military presence in central Europe, likely U.S. presidential candidate Jeb Bush said on Thursday on a visit to Poland, staking out a tough position on the need to contain Russia.”

Reuters

“IMF quits Greek talks; EU tells Tsipras: stop gambling”

“The International Monetary Fund dramatically raised the stakes in Greece's stalled debt talks on Thursday, announcing that its delegation had left negotiations in Brussels and flown home because of major differences with Athens.”

New York Times

“France opens Germanwings crash criminal inquiry”

“A French prosecutor on Thursday formally opened a criminal inquiry into the crash of a Germanwings jetliner, appointing a panel of judges to investigate whether the airline or any individuals should bear responsibility for failing to adequately monitor the psychological health of the plane’s co-pilot, who is believed to have deliberately crashed the plane.”

AFP

“FIFA to decide election date on July 20”

“FIFA will meet on July 20 to decide the date on which Sepp Blatter's successor as president will be selected, the embattled body said Thursday.”

Reuters

“American teenager pleads guilty to charges of helping Islamic State”

“A 17-year-old from Virginia pleaded guilty in court on Thursday to charges of conspiring to help Islamic State militants, the first time the United States has prosecuted a minor as an adult in such a case.”

Associated Press

“Judge who donated to Hastert to stay on hush-money case”

“The federal judge assigned to the case against Dennis Hastert will continue to preside over it after disclosing connections to the former U.S. House Speaker and several attorneys, including contributions he made to the Illinois Republican's campaign.”

AFP

“No charges as Israel closes probe into deadly Gaza beach bombing”

New York Times

“New York City to end contract with Rikers health care provider”

“The latest reminder came on Wednesday, when the city’s Department of Investigation reported that the company had hired doctors and mental health workers with disciplinary problems and criminal convictions, including for murder and kidnapping. It also found that missteps by Corizon employees may have contributed to at least two recent inmate deaths. At the same time the Investigation Department was detailing these failings in a news conference, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that he would not renew Corizon’s contract when it expires at the end of the year.”

Associated Press

“California oil spill cleanup costs reaches $62 million”

“The cost of cleaning up the oil spill that fouled beaches last month on the California coast has reached $62 million so far, the pipeline company said Wednesday. Costs are running at $3 million a day, and there is no timetable for when the cleanup will be complete, Plains All American Pipeline's on-scene coordinator, Patrick Hodgins, told The Associated Press.”

Associated Press

“American fighting with Kurds killed in Islamic State battle”

“An American fighting with Kurdish forces against the Islamic State group in Syria has been killed in battle, authorities said Wednesday, making him likely the first U.S. citizen to die fighting alongside them against the extremists.”

Washington Post

“Secret Service officers at White House lacked security clearances, officials say”

“A rush to recruit additional Secret Service officers in the wake of numerous White House security lapses has led to a new problem: Several dozen of the fresh arrivals have been posted in sensitive positions without completing the required national security clearance process, according to two government officials familiar with the situation.”

Al Jazeera America

“Reported anti-LGBT homicides rose in 2014”

“While reported incidents of non-deadly violence perpetrated against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people significantly dropped in 2014, reported homicides against the community increased by 11 percent, with transgender women and people of color disproportionately affected, according to a new report.”

Reuters

“U.S., House plans Friday vote on bill key to Pacific trade pact”

“Republicans aimed for a vote on Friday to hand President Barack Obama the coveted ‘fast-track’ trade negotiating authority he needs to complete his signature Pacific trade pact after concessions to Democrats appeared to smooth the way forward.”

Reuters

“China urges end to ‘microphone diplomacy’ over U.S. differences”

“Differences between the United States and China over the South China Sea and cyber security should not be addressed by ‘microphone diplomacy’ but in ‘a proper way’ to allow for a successful U.S. visit by President Xi Jinping this year, a senior Chinese diplomat said on Wednesday.”

Reuters

“Bill Clinton says he will stop giving paid speeches if Hillary wins”

“Bill Clinton said on Wednesday he would no longer give paid speeches if his wife, Hillary Clinton, is elected U.S. president. Republicans and media commentators have criticized both Clintons for earning millions of dollars from paid speeches, saying the practice raises the possibility of conflicts of interest.”

Associated Press

“South Korea cuts key rate as MERS emerges as threat to recovery”

“South Korea's central bank lowered its key interest rate to a historic low on Thursday, responding to a slump in exports and the prospect the economy will be hurt by the outbreak of the deadly MERS virus. Officials insist that the disease, which has killed 10 people, has peaked.”

Associated Press

“Federal judge: Wal-Mart violated state minimum wage laws”

“Wal-Mart could be on the hook for more than $100 million in back pay after a federal judge ruled the company failed to pay California minimum wage to truck drivers for activities that included inspecting and washing their trucks, an attorney said Wednesday.”

Associated Press

“Pew: White-Native American adults largest multiracial group”

“Non-Hispanic whites with American Indian ancestry make up a full half of the current population of mixed-race Americans but are among the least likely to say that they are multiracial, according to a study released Thursday.”

Associated Press

“Professors flee, higher education suffers in Venezuela”

“Hundreds of professors have given up their posts in recent years, and the pace is accelerating, according to the teachers' union. More than 700 of the 4,000 professors who once taught at the highly respected Central University of Venezuela in Caracas have quit during the last four years, some taking better-paying jobs in other fields inside the country while others have been lured to academic posts at universities abroad.”

Reuters

“China May investment up 11.4 percent year-on-year”

“China's fixed-asset investment grew at its slowest rate in nearly 15 years in May, missing expectations even as growth in retail sales and factory output steadied, arguing for Beijing to increase policy support to avert a deeper downturn.”

AFP

“Nestle challenges noodles ban in Indian court”

“Nestle said Thursday it is challenging a ban imposed by India on its hugely popular Maggi instant noodles brand after tests showed they contained excessive levels of lead.”

AFP

“China’s Xi Jinping meets Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi”

“Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Thursday, state media said, during her closely watched first visit that China hopes will establish a line of communication with the influential opposition leader.”

New York Times

“Russian groups crowdfund the war in Ukraine”

“These organizations are part of an online campaign that is brazenly raising money for the war in eastern Ukraine, using common tactics that have at least tacit support from the government of President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia. Although they often portray their mission as humanitarian, most of the groups explicitly endorse the armed insurgency and vow to help equip forces in the two regions at the center of the fighting, Donetsk and Luhansk.”

AFP

“FIFA officials have handed over computer data to Swiss police amid corruption investigation”

“FIFA have handed over computer data to Swiss police investigating the 2018 and 2022 World Cup votes and suspended bidding for the 2026 tournament as it remained at the center of a football corruption storm.”

AFP

“EU opens anti-trust probe into Amazon e-book business”

“The EU's anti-trust regulator opened a formal investigation on Thursday into Amazon's e-book distribution, in the latest Brussels inquiry to target the U.S.-based Internet retailer.”

New York Times

“Zhou Yongkang, former security chief in China, gets life sentence for corruption”

“Zhou Yongkang, China’s former domestic security chief, was sentenced to life in prison Thursday for accepting bribes, abuse of power and revealing state secrets, according to Xinhua, China’s state-run news agency. He is the most senior official to be convicted of corruption in the history of Communist rule in China.”

AFP

“Draft text for global climate deal due by end-October: official”

“Negotiators for a global climate pact will produce a draft text by the end of October, one month before the start of a U.N. conference scheduled to adopt the deal, the co-chairman of the talks said Thursday.”

Reuters

“Russia says U.S. coerces Kiev and violates arms treaties”

“Russia accused the United States on Thursday of coercing Kiev into pressing on with the conflict in east Ukraine and urged Washington to fully implement a treaty on eliminating intermediate-range and shorter-range missiles.”

Associated Press

“Prolific British actor Christopher Lee dies at age 93”

“Christopher Lee, an actor who brought dramatic gravitas and aristocratic bearing to screen villains from Dracula to James Bond enemy Scaramanga, has died at age 93.”

Associated Press

“Applications for U.S. jobless aid remain low at 279,000”

“The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits rose slightly last week, yet remained at a historically low level that points to a healthy job market. The Labor Department said Thursday that weekly applications for jobless aid increased 2,000 to a seasonally adjusted 279,000. The four-week average, a less volatile measure, rose 3,750 to 278,750.”

Reuters

“Crunch time coming for Saudi campaign as options narrow in Yemen”

“After 11 weeks of air strikes that have failed to change the balance of power in Yemen, Saudi Arabia is running out of options to restore President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi's exiled government to Sanaa.”

Reuters

“Exclusive: Saudi Arabia ready to raise oil output further to meet demand”

AFP

“Pope approves tribunal to judge bishops who cover up sex abuse”

“Pope Francis has approved a recommendation from his newly-created panel on clerical sex abuse to create a tribunal with powers to judge bishops who cover up such crimes.”

New York Times

“South Korean leader postpones U.S. trip amid MERS outbreak”

“Park Geun-hye, the embattled South Korean president, has decided to postpone a summit meeting with President Obama in Washington that had been planned for next week, her office said on Wednesday.”

Reuters

“Obama orders deployment of up to 450 more U.S. troops to Iraq”

“President Barack Obama on Wednesday ordered the deployment of up to 450 more U.S. troops and the establishment of a new training base in Iraq’s Anbar province to help rebuild fragile Iraqi forces in preparation for a battle to retake territory lost to Islamic State.”

Washington Post

“AFL-CIO head sends angry letter to Obama on trade deal”

“AFL-CIO President Richard L. Trumka has sent a sharply worded letter to President Obama chiding him for having ‘repeatedly isolated and marginalized labor and unions’ in the debate over the president's Pacific Rim trade accord.”

New York Times

“EPA says it will set rules for airplane emissions”

“The Obama administration on Wednesday said it would regulate greenhouse gas emissions from airplanes, a move that could significantly strengthen President Obama’s environmental legacy but that also presents major new challenges for the airline industry.”

AFP

“Greece considering bailout extension to March 2016: Greek source”

“Greece is considering accepting a bailout extension to March 2016 in order win more time to come up with a comprehensive reform plan after five months of fruitless talks, an official Greek source said on Wednesday.”

Reuters

“American killed in Syria, State Department says”

New York Times

“Court gives Obama a climate change win”

“A federal court on Tuesday dismissed a lawsuit by the nation’s largest coal companies and 14 coal-producing states that sought to block one of President Obama’s signature climate change policies.”

Associated Press

“Court temporarily blocks release of ‘Angola 3’ inmate”

“Prison activist Albert Woodfox, the last member of the "Angola Three" inmates held for decades in solitary confinement, will have to wait a bit longer to see if he'll experience the ‘immediate’ and ‘unconditional’ freedom ordered by a federal judge.”

AFP

“Argentinian FIFA suspect hands himself in”

“Argentinian sports marketing executive Alejandro Burzaco, who has been indicted by U.S. authorities in the FIFA corruption scandal, turned himself into police in Italy on Tuesday.”

Reuters

“Merkel urges Germans to put aside fear of big data”

“Germans need to overcome their traditional fear of the large-scale collection of personal data by companies and instead embrace its opportunities or risk being marginalized in the global economy, Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Tuesday.”

Washington Post

“White House launches $34 million plan to help developing countries prepare for climate change”

“Bangladesh is one of three countries targeted for climate readiness assistance in the first phase of a new $34 million White House initiative, to be announced Tuesday at the U.S. Institute of Peace. The administration, including its key international aid agencies like USAID, but also scientific ones NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey, will be collaborating with partners ranging from Google and the American Red Cross to the U.K. Government to help developing countries get ready for a warmer world.”

AFP

“Snowden revelations costly for U.S. tech firms: study”

“U.S. technology companies are getting hit harder than anticipated by revelations about surveillance programs led by the National Security Agency, a study showed Tuesday.”

Associated Press

“TSA seeking to close security gap over workers at airports”

“The Transportation Security Administration is still working to close what it described as a security gap that allowed 73 people to obtain federal approval to work in secure areas at airports despite having unspecified connections to terrorism, the Homeland Security Department's inspector general assured Congress on Tuesday.”

New York Times

“McKinney, Tex., police officer resigns over incident caught on video”

“A police officer in McKinney, Tex., who was seen on video pulling his gun on teenagers in swimsuits and shoving a young black girl’s face in the ground at a pool party has resigned, the police said Tuesday. Cpl. David Eric Casebolt, who had been placed on administrative leave after the episode on Friday, remains under investigation, Chief Greg Conley said at a news conference. The corporal will keep his pension and benefits, the police chief said.”

Associated Press

“Los Angeles police panel: 1 officer unjustified in death”

“The Los Angeles Police Commission found that an officer wrongly approached and stopped a 25-year-old black man last year ultimately leading to the fatal close-range shooting and therefore violated department policy, according to a report released late Tuesday.”

New York Times

“U.S. embracing a new approach on battling ISIS in Iraq”

“In a major shift of focus in the battle against the Islamic State, the Obama administration is planning to establish a new military base in Anbar Province, Iraq, and to send up to 450 more American military trainers to help Iraqi forces retake the city of Ramadi.”

Associated Press

“U.N.: Sex exploitation by peacekeepers strongly underreported”

“Members of a U.N. peacekeeping mission engaged in ‘transactional sex’ with more than 225 Haitian women who said they needed to do so to obtain things like food and medication, a sign that sexual exploitation remains significantly underreported in such missions, according to a new report obtained by The Associated Press.”

Associated Press

“European businesses: China must better protect trade secrets”

“China needs to better protect trade secrets and fairly enforce business rules to ensure European investment and hiring at a time when Chinese leaders are trying to foster a more innovative economy, the biggest European business group in China said Wednesday.”

Associated Press

“Top leaders to host Suu Kyi on her first visit to China”

“Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi will meet with Chinese leaders in Beijing this week to build ties with her country's giant neighbor, while China hopes to shore up its declining influence in the Southeast Asian nation following recent democratic reforms there.”

Associated Press

“House GOP measure would cut Amtrak by $242 million”

“The GOP-controlled House passed legislation Tuesday to cut Amtrak's budget by $242 million, though lawmakers added new funding for video cameras inside locomotive cabs to record engineers and help investigators get to the bottom of crashes such as last month's deadly derailment in Philadelphia.”

Associated Press

“Two ex-leaders urge Abe to keep Japan’s WWII apologies”

“Two former political leaders who apologized over Japan's World War II atrocities said Prime Minister Shinzo Abe should not water down their words when he marks the 70th anniversary of the war's end.”

New York Times

“Juan Felipe Herrera, from farm field to poet laureate”

“The Library of Congress is to announce on Wednesday that Juan Felipe Herrera, a son of migrant farmworkers whose writing fuses wide-ranging experimentalism with reflections on Mexican-American identity, will be the next poet laureate.”

Reuters

“FIFA shelves bidding for 2026 World Cup, seeks Blatter replacement”

“Scandal-plagued FIFA postponed the bidding for the right to host the 2026 World Cup on Wednesday and embarked on the search to find a replacement for outgoing President Sepp Blatter.”

AFP

“Japanese insurer Tokio Marine to buy U.S.-based HCC for $7.5 billion”        

“Insurer Tokio Marine Holdings has agreed to buy U.S.-based HCC Insurance Holdings for $7.5 billion, the firms said Wednesday, the latest overseas acquisition by a Japanese firm to counter a shrinking market at home.”

Reuters

“Putin is a ‘bully,’ U.S. needs to respond resolutely: Jeb Bush”

“Likely Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush said on Wednesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin was a ‘bully’ and the United States and its allies in Europe should be resolute in responding to Russian aggression.”

New York Times

“U.S. shifts stance on drug pricing in Pacific trade pact talks, document reveals”

“Facing resistance from its Pacific trading partners, the Obama administration is no longer demanding protection for pharmaceutical prices under the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership, according to a newly leaked ‘transparency’ annex of the proposed trade accord.”

AFP

“Africa leaders sign ‘Cape to Cairo’ free trade bloc deal”

“African leaders signed Wednesday a potentially historic 26-nation free trade pact to create a common market spanning half the continent from Cairo to Cape Town. The deal on the Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA) caps five years of negotiations to set up a framework for preferential tariffs easing the movement of goods in an area home to 625 million people.”

Associated Press

“NTSB says Amtrak engineer didn’t use cellphone before crash”