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Two British women injured in Zanzibar acid attack - ITV News Posted: 08 Aug 2013 02:30 PM PDT 10:28pm, Thu 8 Aug 2013Zanzibar acid attack pair in UK - last updated Fri 9 Aug 2013 Two British teenagers have sustained injuries after having acid thrown at them in Zanzibar. Katie Gee and Kirstie Trup, both 18, had a corrosive substance thrown at their heads and chests by men on a moped. ITV News' Africa Correspondent Rohit Kachroo reports: The teenagers had to be treated in hospital after the incident after sustaining injuries to their hands, faces and chests, although their conditions are not believed to be life-threatening. The pair, who both have Jewish roots, were in the final week of their trip to the east African island where they were volunteering as teachers. The British nationals were due to fly back to the UK this evening. The attack occured on the island of Zanzibar which is around 22 miles off the coast of Tanzania. Credit: Google There were reports that the victims may have been targeted after a previous incident during Ramadan. Katie Gee was reportedly attacked two weeks ago for singing during Ramadan, but decided she decided to stay and continue her voluntary work. One of the girls' friends told the Telegraph that the girls were singing during Ramadan when a Muslim lady became violent and hit Miss Gee in the face. Katie Gee was reportedly attacked two weeks ago for singing during in Ramadan. Credit: Facebook The father of Katie Gee said the level of burns sustained by his daughter in the attack were "beyond imagination". Read: Acid victim father: Level of burns 'beyond imagination' In a joint statement, the victim's families said they were "extremely distressed" over the "unprovoked attack": Both families are extremely upset and distressed at this completely unprovoked attack on their lovely daughters who had only gone to Zanzibar with good intention. We understand they will be flying home overnight. We appreciate all the interest and support from the media but we would ask that we are left alone until we have been reunited with our daughters. Kirstie Trup was in Zanzibar volunteering as a teacher. Credit: Facebook The President of Tanzania is reported to have visited the women in hospital and vowed to find the men responsible for the "shameful" attack. Acid attack girls arrive at hospital in London

South Miami man kills wife, posts photo of bloody body, then turns himself in to ... - MiamiHerald.com Posted: 09 Aug 2013 08:25 AM PDT Derek Medina's life was open to the world. On YouTube, the 31-year-old South Miami man posted scores of videos of himself enjoying sports. He authored six online books, with long-winded titles about spirituality, saving the world and hunting ghosts. Medina snapped photos of his arm tattoos, meals, boating trips and drinks poolside with his wife. But on Thursday, Medina shocked South Florida by making one last announcement on Facebook: that he had shot and killed his wife before posting a photo of her twisted, bloodied body lying on a linoleum floor. "I'm going to prison or death sentence for killing my wife. Love you guys. Miss you guys. Take care. Facebook people you'll see me in the news," Medina wrote in a Facebook post that remained public for hours Thursday evening before the site removed his profile page at the request of police. Even in a world accustomed to intimate details of people's lives plastered on social media, Medina's posts — which went viral — were shocking. Medina walked into the South Miami police station around noon Thursday, then spent the evening speaking with homicide detectives about what led up to the shooting death of his wife, Jennifer Alfonso, 26. Investigators, armed with a search warrant, began documenting the crime scene inside the couple's townhouse at 5555 SW 67th Ave., then charged Medina with first-degree murder late Thursday. Alfonso's 10-year-old daughter from a previous relationship was upstairs at the time of the killing, but was unharmed. Officers quickly escorted her out of the home, with a blanket wrapped around her, after finding Alfonso's body. Medina is likely to claim self-defense. His father, Derek Medina Sr., told reporters his son killed Alfonso only after she brandished a knife. In the younger Medina's Facebook post, he did not mention a knife, but wrote: "My wife was punching me and I'm not going to stand anymore with the abuse so I did what I did. Hope u understand me." But according to an arrest report, Medina admitted to investigators he got into an argument with Alfonso. The report said he went upstairs, fished his pistol from a closet and pointed it at Alfonso. Alfonso yelled she was "leaving him," according to the report by Detective Jonathan Grossman. Then, Medina — still brandishing the weapon — followed her downstairs to the kitchen, where she grabbed a knife. Medina said he disarmed Alfonso, put the knife in the drawer, then shot her several times after she began punching and kicking him, the report said. The photo Medina posted on Facebook shows Alfonso, wearing all black and pink socks, on her knees, twisted backward in a bloody heap. Alfonso's former boss at a West Miami-Dade Denny's told the Miami Herald that the husband was extremely jealous and had hit Alfonso in the past. "She would be bruised up," said Amada Cooper, who described Medina as a controlling husband who tried to force her to quit her job as a server because he didn't want her working nights. After several violent episodes, another co-worker implored Alfonso to leave him. "He would always come back, begging her … come back," said Cathy LaBella. "She would say he was going to change. She was in love with him." Medina and Alfonso initially married in early 2010 after dating only a few months. The marriage was stormy and friends said he would often kick her out. The two always got back together, however.

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3 winners in 2 states hit $448M Powerball jackpot - Chicago Tribune Posted: 08 Aug 2013 08:31 AM PDT Three tickets matched all six numbers in Wednesday's Powerball lottery drawing and will split a $448 million jackpot, authorities said on Thursday. The Multi-State Lottery Association said two of the winning tickets were sold in New Jersey, while the third was in Minnesota. The numbers drawn on Wednesday night were 5, 25, 30, 58, 59 and Powerball 32. No one had stepped forward as of early Thursday morning to claim their share of the jackpot. The New Jersey tickets were sold at a Super Stop & Shop supermarket in South Brunswick and an Acme Markets store in Little Egg Harbor, said Judith Drucker, spokeswoman for the New Jersey Lottery. "It's nice. It's good for whoever won," said Stop & Shop store manager Howard Witzgall, noting the winner's identity remained a mystery. The Minnesota ticket was purchased at a store in Anoka County, which includes the northern part of Minneapolis-St.Paul, according to the Minnesota State Lottery. Lottery officials there will not know which retailer sold the ticket until the winning prize is claimed. Powerball officials had said the jackpot stood at about $425 million on Wednesday afternoon but swelled to $448 million by the time of the nationally televised drawing at 11 p.m. EDT. The odds of winning the jackpot were about one in 175 million. The largest jackpot in history stands at $656 million, won in the Mega Millions lottery in March 2012. That prize was split among winners in Maryland, Kansas and Illinois. The biggest single-winner Powerball jackpot, $590.5 million, was claimed in June by an 84-year-old Florida woman who opted for a lump-sum payment of nearly $371 million rather than the 30-year option. Powerball tickets are sold in 43 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Five states - Kansas, Maryland, Delaware, North Dakota and Ohio - allow the winners to remain anonymous, according to the Multi-State Lottery Association.  Reuters

Dallas-area shooting spree leaves 4 dead, another 4 wounded - CBS News Posted: 08 Aug 2013 08:46 AM PDT Updated 11:23 a.m. ET DALLAS Four people were killed and four others were wounded Wednesday night in two separate but related shootings, one of which may have involved an explosive device, not far apart in Dallas and a nearby suburb, police said. The suspect has been identified as Erbie Bowser, who identifies himself on his Facebook page as a former Dallas Mavericks dancer, CBS Dallas station KTVT-TV reports. Bowser was arrested at the second crime scene in DeSoto, Texas, outside Dallas. Charges against the suspect are still pending. Family members said that Bowser was looking for his ex-girlfriend at both of the houses. The first shooting happened around 10:30 p.m. at a Dallas home. Two people there were shot and killed, and two more people were wounded, Dallas police Sgt. Warren Mitchell told media outlets. The gunman then moved about 7 miles to another home in DeSoto, Mitchell said. There, at around 10:45 p.m., he tossed what police believe may be some type of explosive device into the home, police told KTVT-TV, before opening fire again. At a Thursday morning press conference, DeSoto police said they couldn't confirm what the device was pending an investigation by the FBI and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. In the DeSoto house, another two people were killed and two others wounded, DeSoto police Cpl. Melissa Franks said Neighbors of the DeSoto home described the loud boom from the explosive device. "We thought it was coming from upstairs because the kids are always upstairs making noise," said Tommy Johnson. "I went up and asked, 'Did y'all hear anything?' and one of my daughters said it came from outside, so I peeped out the front, and that's when I saw a bunch of officers walking down the sidewalk about 10 houses up." Franks said police took Bowser into custody without incident at the house where the second shooting occurred. She said no charges had been filed yet. Victims that survived the Dallas shooting were taken to Parkland Hospital and Methodist Dallas Medical Center. Their current conditions are not known. The conditions of the two surviving DeSoto victims - an 11-year-old boy and a 13-year-old boy - are also not known. They were transported to Children's Medical Center of Dallas.

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Obama cancels upcoming meeting with Putin - Washington Post Posted: 07 Aug 2013 09:00 AM PDT President Obama will cancel a planned meeting in Moscow with Russian President Vladimir Putin amid mounting anger over Russia's decision to allow National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden into the country, the White House said Wednesday. Obama had intended to visit Russia's capital and meet with Putin in advance of next month's G-20 summit in St. Petersburg. But he has decided he will not meet with Putin one-on-one — a rare diplomatic snub — and will only attend the G-20 summit. "Following a careful review begun in July, we have reached the conclusion that there is not enough recent progress in our bilateral agenda with Russia to hold a U.S.-Russia Summit in early September," White House press secretary Jay Carney said in a statement. Carney cited a "lack of progress" with Russia over the past 12 months on a broad range of issues including missile defense and arms control, trade and commercial relations, global security and human rights and civil society issues. Carney added that Russia's "disappointing decision" to grant Snowden temporary asylum was also a factor. "We have informed the Russian Government that we believe it would be more constructive to postpone the summit until we have more results from our shared agenda," Carney said. On Friday, Secretary of State John F. Kerry and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel will meet with their Russian counterparts in Washington to discuss how to make progress, Carney said. Instead of visiting Moscow ahead of the G-20 summit, Obama will travel to Stockholm on Sept. 4. "Sweden is a close friend and partner to the United States," Carney said in a statement. "Sweden plays a key leadership role on the international stage, including in opening new trade and investment opportunities through the U.S.-EU Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, advancing clean technologies, and promoting environmental sustainability." The cancellation of the Obama-Putin meeting appeared unlikely to provoke an outsize reaction in Russia. Although Putin clearly wanted the prestige of an at-home summit with his U.S. counterpart, he was apparently unwilling to offer much in exchange for it. Russia has shown no signs of changing its stance on Syria, missile defense or other issues important to the United States.. Putin's foreign affairs adviser told reporters that the Kremlin was disappointed with the decision and blamed it on the Snowden affair, which he said was not Russia's fault. "It is clear that this decision is related to a situation with the former employee of the U.S. special services, Snowden, which we did not create," Yuri Ushakov said. He said the invitation to Obama remained open and criticized the United States for lack of interest in developing good relations. "This problem testifies to the remaining unpreparedness of the United States to build an equal relationship," he said, adding, "Russia is ready to continue working with its U.S. partners on all key items on the bilateral and multilateral agendas." While the Snowden affair was a very public irritant for the United States, some observers said broader underlying disagreements provided a more powerful argument against Obama's visit. At a roundtable discussion in Moscow at the beginning of the week, Russian analysts conceded the countries had few areas of agreement, Snowden aside. "Mutual interest is minimal, and it is rather difficult to build relations on this basis," said Andrei Sidorov, assistant to the dean of the Moscow State University World Politics Department On Wednesday, a lawmaker said calling off the summit was of minimal concern to Russia. "Russia will not lose anything because of this," Mikhail Yemelyanov told the Interfax news service. "America needs Russia more than Russia needs America." For weeks, the White House had signaled it was considering canceling the Putin meeting. On Tuesday, Obama told Jay Leno of "The Tonight Show" that he was frustrated by Russia's protection of Snowden, but that the two countries must work together. "I was disappointed," Obama said of Russia's decision. "Even though we don't have an extradition treaty with them, traditionally we have tried to respect if there's a lawbreaker or alleged lawbreaker in their country, we evaluate it, and we try to work with them." He added: "There are times when they slip back into Cold War thinking and Cold War mentality. What I continually say to them and to President Putin — that's the past." Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), who on Sunday urged Obama to cancel his bilateral meeting with Putin and to recommend moving the G-20 summit to a different country, said in a statement Wednesday that Obama "clearly made the right decision." "President Putin is acting like a school-yard bully and doesn't deserve the respect a bilateral summit would have accorded him," Schumer said. A Washington Post-ABC News poll last month found that a majority of Americans, 56 percent, opposed Obama canceling his entire visit if Russia helped Snowden avoid facing charges in the United States, while 37 percent said he should. Americans have become more supportive of a Snowden prosecution since he arrived at the Moscow airport. In mid-June, 43 percent backed charging Snowden with a crime for disclosing U.S. intelligence-gathering efforts, but that grew to 53 percent last month. Kathy Lally in Moscow and Capital Insight polling analyst Scott Clement in Washington contributed to this report.

Ariel Castro's house of horror leveled in Cleveland - USA TODAY Posted: 07 Aug 2013 09:24 AM PDT CLEVELAND — Demolition crews leveled Ariel Castro's former house of horror Wednesday not long after one of three young women held captive there for 11 years brought a bundle of yellow balloons in memory of other missing children. Cheers erupted on Seymour Avenue as the heavy equipment clawed away part of the roof and walls of the rundown house where Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight were rescued after years of living in chains. Crews reduced the two-story house to rubble in a little more than an hour. The demolition was carried live online and also drew crowds of neighbors and onlookers. Castro, 53, pleaded guilty last month to 937 charges including rape, kidnapping and aggravated murder charges in connection with the abduction of the three young women, who were rescued May 6. Michelle Knight, third from the left, holds yellow balloons outside the home of Ariel Castro on Wednesday only minutes before crew began to destroy the structure in which she was held for 11 years.(Photo: Angelo Merendino Getty Images) Knight, who also spoke at Castro's sentencing in a moving condemnation of his crimes, made a brief statement and asked God to grant strength to those still missing and told their families to have hope. She says the yellow balloons represented those still out there waiting to be found. The demolition of the house comes less than a week after Castro was sentenced to life in prison plus 1,000 years. Over the last few days, Castro's family members have taken personal items from the home. Autoplay Show Thumbnails Show Captions Last SlideNext Slide Prosecutors say that Castro, who claimed he was not mean to the women during the captivity, cried when he signed over the house deed and mentioned his "many happy memories" there with the women. DeJesus was 14 when she disappeared, Berry was 16, and Knight was 21. They were rescued after Berry broke free from her room and began shouting from the door, alerting neighbors. Joseph Frolik with the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office said officials decided to tear down the house because "we didn't want some kind of gruesome, macabre shrine, if you will, that would get gawkers and curiosity seekers." Prosecutor Tim McGinty "wanted the property to come down and to come down quickly," Frolik said. The house is being demolished at no cost by two local companies who expect to complete their work by the end of this week. Cuyahoga County Land Bank obtained the deed to the house last week. In addition, the county is working to get the deeds to two homes adjacent to Castro's. Sources say the other two vacant homes will probably come down in a month, opening up space for landscaping or a community betterment project. Jennifer Lindgren reports for WKYC-TV in Cleveland.

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US stocks lose ground Posted: 06 Aug 2013 05:06 PM PDT NEW YORK: US stocks ended lower on Tuesday as more data and comments from Federal Reserve officials pointed to the likely pullback in Fed stimulus in the coming months. At the close the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 93.39 points (0.60 percent) at 15,518.74. The broad-based S&P 500 fell 9.77 (0.57 percent) to 1,697.37, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite lost 27.18 (0.74 percent) at 3,665.77. Stocks lost ground for the second day after last week's new records amid more indications that the Fed will begin winding up its US$85 billion a month quantitative easing program. The Commerce Department's trade data for June showed a narrowing trade deficit, which analysts said points to a likely upward revision to the growth estimate for the quarter, and firm growth in the current quarter. Meanwhile the chiefs of the Federal Reserve's Chicago and Atlanta branches both said that the Fed could begin tapering the QE program in September, but stressed that economic growth needed to hold steady or improve. Among stocks, Dow component IBM lost 2.3 percent after Credit Suisse downgraded the technology company to "underperform" citing headwinds facing its core products and difficulties in the cloud computing business given its technology profile. The Washington Post Company gained 4.3 percent following news that Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is buying its struggling flagship newspaper for US$250 million. Analysts say the company, which will change its name after the sale, could be positioned to gain from its non-newspaper assets, which includes Kaplan education services. Shares of Amazon, which is not a party to the deal, slipped 0.1 percent. Pharmaceutical retailer and benefits manager CVS fell 2.8 percent putting earnings projections for this year at $3.90-$3.96 per share, below the $3.98 expected by analysts. Regeneron Pharmaceuticals fell 6.1 percent after revenues came in at US$458 million, below the US$473 million forecast by analysts. The company said it expects to apply for US marketing approval for its much-watched Eylea eye drug one year ahead of the previously announced timeframe. American Eagle Outfitters plummeted 12.0 percent after it slashed its earnings outlook due to weaker than expected sales. The company has implemented markdowns to try to push sales higher. Shares of entertainment giant Walt Disney gained 1.6 percent ahead of its quarterly earnings release, but then lost all of that after the post-market release showed weakness in its studio division due to losses on the flop of its heavily marketed film "The Lone Ranger". -- AFP

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George W. Bush has heart surgery for blocked artery - USA TODAY Posted: 06 Aug 2013 08:02 AM PDT Former president George W. Bush is in "high spirits" after heart surgery Tuesday morning, his office said. During a physical examination Monday, doctors found a blockage in the artery of the former president's heart, said Bush spokesman Freddy Ford. "At the recommendation of his doctors, President Bush agreed to have a stent placed to open the blockage," Ford said. The procedure at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas went off "without complication" early Tuesday, Ford said. The news caught the political world by surprise. Bush was among the most physically active of presidents, with frequent exercise that ranged from early morning workouts to bike rides. Since leaving office, Bush has hosted an annual 100-kilometer mountain bike ride for wounded troops, the most recent in May near Waco. The president is scheduled to host a golf tournament for wounded warriors later this summer, and aides indicated his plans would not change. Bush, 67, is scheduled to return home Wednesday and "resume his normal schedule on Thursday," Ford said. Tributes poured in across the Web. "Prayers to President George W. Bush for a fast recovery," tweeted Republican Party Chairman Reince Priebus. Aides said Bush is in good shape because of early detection. Bush "is grateful to the skilled medical professionals who have cared for him," Ford said. "He thanks his family, friends and fellow citizens for their prayers and well wishes." Ford added: "And he encourages us all to get our regular check-ups."

For Bezos, Washington Post Deal Dovetails With Passions - Wall Street Journal Posted: 06 Aug 2013 08:56 AM PDT • Invalid email address. • You can't enter more than 20 emails. • Seperate multiple addresses with Commas. • Must enter an email address. • You must enter the verification code below to send. • Invalid entry: Please type the verification code again.

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US stocks end mostly lower Posted: 05 Aug 2013 03:22 PM PDT NEW YORK: US stocks ended mostly lower on Monday on fairly quiet trading during which some investors fretted about the possible pullback of the Federal Reserve's aggressive bond-buying programme. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 46.23 points (0.30 percent) at 15,612.13. The broad-based S&P 500 dropped 2.53 points (0.15 percent) to 1,707.14, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index added 3.36 points (0.09 percent) at 3,692.95. The US growth outlook appeared firmer as the Institute for Supply Management's July purchasing managers index for the services sector showed a healthy jump in activity. That raised some concerns that the Federal Reserve might taper its bond-buying programme "sooner rather than later," said Alan Skrainka, chief investment officer at Cornerstone Wealth Management. Monday's trade was "just a modest pullback," Skrainka added. Some investors also looked at comments from Federal Reserve Bank of Texas President Richard Fisher that advocated a quick tapering. "Anytime there is Fed chatter, there is an impact on the market," said Michael James, managing director of equity trading at Webush Securities, adding that the market could easily reverse itself Tuesday. Apple rose 1.5 percent after the Obama administration overturned an International Trade Commission ban on some of the tech giant's products, stepping into a long-running patent dispute between Samsung and Apple. Meat processor and marketer Tyson Foods rose 4.1 percent after earnings bested analyst estimates by 9 cents at 69 cents a share. The company also signalled that 2013 revenues would be above market expectations. Semiconductor and wireless technology producer Qualcomm slipped 0.8 percent after Piper Jaffray cut its rating on the firm on concerns about softening high-end smartphone demand. Industrial and construction tool supplier Fastenal dropped 1.9 percent after monthly sales showed an increase of 2.9 percent in July compared with last year, below the 5 percent expected, according to a Credit Suisse note. -- AFP

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Terror Threat Extends US Embassy Closings Through Aug. 10 (1) - Businessweek Posted: 05 Aug 2013 08:40 AM PDT At least 19 U.S. embassies and consulates in predominantly Muslim countries will remain closed through the week as the State Department stays on guard for potential terrorist attacks. Yesterday's initial one-day closing of 22 U.S. outposts followed the State Department's issuance of a worldwide travel alert warning of planned attacks in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia by al-Qaeda or its affiliates. The decision to extend the selective shutdown through Aug. 10 "is not an indication of a new threat stream," Jen Psaki, a department spokeswoman, said in an e-mail. "Out of an abundance of caution, we've decided to extend the closure of several embassies and consulates including a small number of additional posts," she said. This is "merely an indication of our commitment to exercise caution." President Barack Obama instructed his national-security team last week to "take all appropriate steps to protect the American people in light of a potential threat occurring in or emanating from the Arabian Peninsula," according to a White House press release. The terrorist threat that prompted the closure is "very credible" and "specific as to how enormous it was going to be," lawmakers from both parties said. Essential Staff Britain's embassy in Yemen, which was also closed yesterday because of heightened security concerns, will remain shut until the end of the Muslim Eid holiday this week, the Foreign Office said on its website. The mission is operating with only essential staff. The U.K. has urged all Britons to leave Yemen. France will keep its embassy in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, closed though Aug. 7, the Foreign Ministry in Paris said. The German mission there remains shut as well, Foreign Ministry spokesman Andreas Peschke told a news conference in Berlin, though he said there's no evidence of specific terror threats. "High-level people from al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula are talking about a major attack," U.S. Representative C.A. "Dutch" Ruppersberger of Maryland, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence committee, said on ABC's "This Week" program that aired yesterday. "The good news is that we've picked up intelligence." The information includes communications among known terrorists intercepted by the National Security Agency in recent days, according to two U.S. officials who asked not to be identified discussing classified intelligence matters. They declined to offer specifics about the exchanges, only saying the content is credible and disturbing. Dates Given "This threat was so specific as to how enormous it was going to be and also certain dates were given," Representative Peter King, a New York Republican who serves on both the House Intelligence and Homeland Security committees, said on "This Week." While an attempted attack is most likely to happen in the Middle East, "It could be in Europe, it could be in the United States." The primary focus is on al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, a terrorist group based in Yemen and a remote part of Saudi Arabia, according to King and the two U.S. officials. "This is the most serious threat that I've seen in the last several years," Senator Saxby Chambliss of Georgia, the top Republican on the chamber's Intelligence Committee, said on NBC's "Meet the Press" program. "There's been an awful lot of chatter out there" among terrorists, Chambliss said, noting it's "reminiscent of what we saw pre-9/11." Twenty-two embassies and other diplomatic posts were closed yesterday, including in Libya, Egypt, Yemen and Jordan. Some of them were removed from the list of closures for the week, while others were added. Possible Targets "Current information suggests that al-Qaeda and affiliated organizations continue to plan terrorist attacks both in the region and beyond, and that they may focus efforts to conduct attacks in the period between now and the end of August," the department said last week. The attacks "may involve public transportation systems and other tourist infrastructure." The warning of a potential attack by al-Qaeda and other terrorist organizations is unusual this time partly because the groups are so "widely dispersed," said Michael Chertoff, who was homeland security secretary under President George W. Bush. "It's actually quite rare to have this broad and yet so alarming and specific a warning be publicly disseminated," Chertoff, who founded a security consulting company in Washington, told "This Week." Benghazi Attack The State Department pledged to increase security at embassies and consulates after the attack on a U.S. mission in Benghazi, Libya, on Sept. 11, 2012, led to the death of U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans. The Central Intelligence Agency said it had warned the State Department repeatedly of terrorist threats in Benghazi before the attack, according to e-mails released later by the White House. The State Department had issued a similar warning of possible attacks before that. The latest alert and embassy closures may be an effort to disrupt al-Qaeda operations, according to Michael Hayden, who served as CIA director under the George W. Bush administration. The announcements may be designed to put al-Qaeda "on the back foot, to let them know that we're alert and we're on to at least a portion of this plot line," Hayden said yesterday on "Fox News Sunday." Too Ambitious The scale of the attacks discussed in the intercepted al-Qaeda communications, coupled with the fact that the messages violated the terrorist group's known rules about avoiding mobile and satellite phones and online conversations in favor of couriers, made some intelligence officials suspicious about the group's intent, the two U.S. officials said. The attacks the terrorists discussed were too ambitious in size and scope to ignore, both officials said, and that may have been deliberate. It's also possible the discussions were intended to put al-Qaeda back in the headlines after years of foiled plots. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because they aren't authorized to speak publicly. At the same time, said both officials, it's not time to exhale because the list of targets and the timing in the intercepted communications may have been deliberately misleading, or the planners may have gone back to the drawing board after they learned that their plans had been discovered. The U.S. warning came days after al-Qaeda's leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri, urged his followers in a speech posted on jihadist websites to attack U.S. sites as a response to American drone strikes in Pakistan and Yemen, according to the SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors terrorist groups. To contact the reporters on this story: Michelle Jamrisko in Washington at mjamrisko@bloomberg.net; Nicole Gaouette in Washington at ngaouette@bloomberg.net To contact the editor responsible for this story: Romaine Bostick at rbostick@bloomberg.net

Whitey Bulger was no Robin Hood, but one of the most vicious, violent criminals ... - Boston.com Posted: 05 Aug 2013 08:17 AM PDT By Shelley Murphy, Milton J. Valencia and John R. Ellement, Globe Staff James "Whitey" Bulger was "one of the most vicious, violent criminals ever to walk the streets of Boston'' and he was no Robin Hood, despite the myth that he kept drugs off the streets of South Boston, a federal prosecutor said during his closing argument today at the notorious gangster's federal trial. Whitey Bulger's booking photo after his 2011 arrest Speaking in US District Court, where the trial began in mid-June, Assistant US Attorney Fred Wyshak summarized the evidence that prosecutors say proves beyond a reasonable doubt that Bulger was a fearsome gang leader who rampaged through Boston's underworld in the 1970s and 1980s and was involved in 19 murders. "We've been here for two months, and we're near the end," Wyshak told the jurors as US District Court Judge Denise J. Casper looked on. "There's no doubt that the evidence you heard in this case is deeply disturbing." Wyshak reminded jurors that key evidence against Bulger came from his former allies, especially confessed hitman John Martorano and Bulger's one-time partner, Stephen "The Rifleman" Flemmi, both of whom implicated Bulger in murder, extortion, and other violent crimes. Flemmi, Wyshak noted, was an informant for the FBI — just as Bulger was. Wyshak also said that because of Bulger's connection to corrupt FBI agent John Connolly Jr., Bulger's FBI handler, at least four people lost their lives. "It does not matter that Mr. Bulger was an FBI informant when he put the gun to Arthur Barrett's head and pulled the trigger,'' Wyshak said. "Whether he was an informant or not, he's guilty of murder." Barrett was murdered in July 1983. Bulger allegedly killed him because he and his gang wanted money Barrett had stolen during a 1980 Medford bank heist. Wyshak also attacked one of the myths that surrounded Bulger during his years as the leader of the Winter Hill Gang and as one of the best-known criminals in his South Boston neighborhood: the notion that Bulger was a criminal, but not a drug dealer. "This is not about a Robin Hood story about a man who keeps angel dust and heroin out of South Boston," Wyshak said. He said the reality instead was that South Boston was flooded with drugs, with Bulger's explicit approval and direct involvement. Wyshak also reminded jurors that Connolly was close to Bulger's brother, William, the former Senate president and president of the University of Massachusetts system. William Bulger, the prosecutor said, was Connolly's advocate when Connolly sought to be picked as Boston police commissioner. William Bulger was not in the courtroom today, although two of his adult children were on hand, sitting next to their uncle, John "Jackie" Bulger, who was convicted of twice lying to federal grand juries and who helped create fake identity cards for Whitey while he was on the run. Connolly tipped Bulger off that he was about to be indicted, and Bulger ran from Boston, eventually spending 16 years on the run before he was tracked down in 2011 to Santa Monica, Calif. where he was living in a rent-controlled apartment with girlfriend, Catherine Greig. Wyshak told jurors that Bulger was long protected by corrupt elements of the FBI, but that federal law enforcement had shifted gears and was ready to prosecute him until he went on the run. The result of that action by Bulger, Wyshack said, was that jurors heard during the trial about crimes that happened 20 or more years go. "We are here in 2013 because that man ran away,'' said Wyshak, pointing directly at Bulger. He urged jurors to accept the testimony of government, even though decades have passed since what they witnessed took place. Those moments were seared into their memories by the intensity of the event, he said, just as a fan would remember for years watching Red Sox player Dustin Pedroia hitting a grand slam in the bottom of the ninth inning. The closings come after Bulger rose to his feet Friday and told Casper that he would not take the stand in his own defense, bringing an anticlimactic end to a trial that had lasted for seven weeks. Bulger, who had repeatedly vowed to testify since his capture in California two years ago, instead complained he was not given a fair trial. "As far as I'm concerned, I didn't get a fair trial, and this is a sham," Bulger told Casper with jurors out of the courtroom. "Do what youse want with me. That's my final word." The suspense had been building as defense lawyers waited until the last of 72 witnesses had testified, on the last day of 35 days of testimony, to announce that Bulger would not testify. While the jury remained outside the courtroom, Casper asked Bulger if he had made his decision "voluntarily and freely." "I'm making the choice involuntarily," Bulger said in a clear, calm voice as he stood before the judge, dressed in a long-sleeved navy shirt and jeans. "I feel that I've been choked off from having an opportunity to give an adequate defense and explain about my conversation and agreement with [former federal prosecutor] Jeremiah O'Sullivan. "For my protection of his life, in return, he promised to give me immunity," Bulger said. Bulger's lawyers contended that O'Sullivan, the former head of the New England Organized Crime Strike Force, offered Bulger immunity decades ago. But Casper barred the immunity defense, ruling that Bulger had offered no documentation to support his assertion and that even if O'Sullivan had made such a promise, he had no authority to do so. O'Sullivan died in 2009. In past interviews with the Globe, Connolly credited Bulger with warning him that local Mafia members were stalking O'Sullivan in the 1980s and knew the route he walked from work to the commuter train. Connolly said he passed that information to O'Sullivan. Bulger faces a sweeping federal racketeering indictment that, in addition to the murders, charges him with extortion, money laundering, and possession of illegal weapons. Prosecutors have portrayed him as a long-time, prized FBI informant who killed several people after being warned by a corrupt FBI agent that they were cooperating against him. Bulger has pleaded not guilty to all charges and is being held without bail. Shelley Murphy can be reached at shmurphy@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @shelleymurph. Milton J. Valencia can be reached at mvalencia@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @miltonvalencia. John R. Ellement can be reached at ellement@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @JREbosglobe.

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