US election 2016: We are behind, says Trump campaign

The Donald Trump campaign has admitted the Republican lags behind Hillary Clinton with just over two weeks to go before Americans cast their votes.

"We are behind. She has some advantages," said his campaign manager Kellyanne Conway, who added: "We're not giving up. We know we can win this."

On Friday, Mr Trump made a rare admission that he could lose.

New polls suggest Mrs Clinton remains well ahead nationally and in several battleground states.

Her campaign has predicted this is going to be "the biggest election in American history". 

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Source - BBC News
 

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College Student to Jeb Bush ‘Your Brother Created ISIS’

“Your brother created ISIS,” the young woman told Jeb Bush. And with that, Ivy Ziedrich, a 19-year-old college student, created the kind of confrontational moment here on Wednesday morning that presidential candidates dread.

Mr. Bush, the former governor of Florida, had just concluded a town-hall-style meeting when Ms. Ziedrich demanded to be heard. “Governor Bush,” she shouted as audience members asked him for his autograph. “Would you take a student question?”

Mr. Bush whirled around and looked at Ms. Ziedrich, who identified herself as a political science major and a college Democrat at the University of Nevada.

She had heard Mr. Bush argue, a few moments before, that America’s retreat from the Middle East under President Obama had contributed to the growing power of the Islamic State. She told the former governor that he was wrong, and made the case that blame lay with the decision by the administration of his brother George W. Bush to disband the Iraqi Army.

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Carlo Ancelotti: 'I want to stay at Real Madrid for the rest of my life'

She is the presumed favorite of Latino voters and, today in Las Vegas, Hillary Clinton doubled down on what is seen as a gateway issue for that voting bloc.

She laid out her plan for comprehensive immigration reform at a campaign event—including a pathway to citizenship, willingness to take executive action, and reforming detention programs.

At a campaign event today, her third since announcing she's running for president, Clinton made immigration reform a defining issue, and on Cinco de Mayo, no less.

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Latino leaders consulting her campaign have told ABC News that Clinton is looking for a way to clearly contrast herself with Republican presidential candidates by embracing the full path to citizenship rather than proposing a second class of Americans who can work in the United States but not enjoy the protection of citizenship.

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Two gunmen shot dead by cops after opening fire outside controversial 'Prophet Muhammad' art exhibit in Texas

Two gunmen were shot to death by police in Texas on Sunday after the pair opened fire outside a controversial contest for cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad, officials said.

The gunmen shot and wounded a security officer moments after after driving up to the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland, a Dallas suburb. Garland police officers quickly confronted the duo and killed them both in a brief gunfight.

A bomb squad was then called in to search the suspects’ vehicle. As those searches were being conducted overnight, there were reports of loud booms, but it was not clear if a bomb had been detonated, WFAA reported. The wounded security officer, identified as 58-year-old Bruce Joiner, was shot in the ankle and treated and released from the hospital. He was unarmed.

The gunmen were identified as roommates from Phoenix, Arizona. One, named as Elton Simpson, was "well known" to the FBI, according to ABC News. He was the subject of a previous investigation and convicted of lying to federal agents about the purpose of a planned trip to Africa, according to the outlet. Prosecutors were not able to prove he was trying to join a terror group and he was sentenced to probation, according to ABC.

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The most corrupt countries in the world, ranked in order

Transparency International has released its annual Corruption Perceptions Index, which ranks 175 countries on their levels of public sector corruption.

A statement released with the report indicated that a low score “is likely a sign of widespread bribery, lack of punishment for corruption and public institutions that don’t respond to citizens’ needs”.

It is pointed out that while no countries score 0 (highly corrupt), there are also none scoring a perfect 100 (very clean).

Bribes and backroom deals don’t just steal resources from the most vulnerable – they undermine justice and economic development, and destroy public trust in government and leaders.

Transparency International

Britain scores 78 which takes it up to 14 on the list and overall the country has seen a steady improvement over the past two years (2012: 74, 2013: 76).

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President Bush's 2015 W100K bike ride: Healing the invisible wounds of war

Up ahead the mountain bikes cross the trail in perfect military alignment, their tires lining up as one, until a warrior falls. And then a swarm of hands reaches down to help.

It is the fifth annual W100K Warrior Mountain Bike Ride on President George W. Bush's Prairie Chapel Ranch in Crawford, Texas. The former president and commander in chief still leads by example. He is at the front of the pack, setting the standard for negotiating the turns and climbs.

The theme this year is the invisible wounds of war – post traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury. Out of over 2 million men and women who fought in Afghanistan and Iraq, one in five suffers from PTS. And yet, as retired Army sergeant and medic Leslie Zimmerman said to me, sufferers don't feel they deserve to be called wounded, because their wounds aren't apparent.

Out of over 2 million men and women who fought in Afghanistan and Iraq, one in five suffers from PTS. And yet, as retired Army sergeant and medic Leslie Zimmerman said to me, sufferers don't feel they deserve to be called wounded, because their wounds aren't apparent.

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Freddie Gray Curfew enforced after protesters' celebration over charges

Baltimore (CNN) - After a day of jubilation following charges against six Baltimore police officers in the death of Freddie Gray, protesters cleared the streets early Saturday to observe a curfew.

A few protesters scuffled with police after 10 p.m., when the curfew went into effect.

Police arrested 53 people Friday, including 15 as a result of curfew violations.

Authorities used a megaphone from a helicopter to warn protesters to go home or get arrested.

By midnight, the streets were deserted as a hush washed over the city, a far cry from the boisterous honking, weeping and cheers earlier when the city's top prosecutor announced charges.

Six officers to face charges
Six police officers will face charges in the death of Gray, Baltimore City State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby said Friday, describing what she believes happened April 12, when Gray was arrested.

The 25-year-old died after suffering "a severe and critical neck injury" while being transported "handcuffed, shackled by his feet and unrestrained" inside a police van, she said. It is against police policy to transport a prisoner without proper restraints such as a seat belt.

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9/11: Iranian General accuses US of organising September 11 terror attacks

A top Iranian military commander has accused the United States of carrying out the 9/11 terror attacks in order to justify an invasion of the Middle East "with the goal of ruling it".

Brigadier General Ahmad Reza Pourdastan, the commander of Iran’s ground forces, made the comments in an interview with Iran’s state-owned Al-Alam news channel, which broadcasts in Arabic as opposed to Farsi.

According to a translation by the US-based Middle East Media Research Institution, he referred to the current conflicts in Iraq and Syria, and told the interviewer: "These wars in the middle and these threats stem from a comprehensive American strategy.

"After the fall of the Soviet Union, the Americans felt that a new force was beginning to materialise, namely the union between Sunnis and Shias. The basis of this force was the blessed Islamic Revolution in Iran, this force is Islam, or the Islamic world.

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How do drone strikes go wrong?

However impressive technologically advanced weapons are, they still rely on human beings to guide them. That's where missions go awry.

Two hostages, Warren Weinstein, an American, and Giovanni Lo Porto, an Italian, were killed in Pakistan.

Mr Obama says he takes "full responsibility" for their deaths.

The loss of these two men shines a spotlight on the efficiency of US operations. White House officials have provided few details about the raid, but few doubt that it was a drone strike.

Officials have said for years drone strikes are precise. But no matter how sophisticated the machines are, they're still controlled by humans.

That's usually where the problem lies.

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Wi-Fi on planes opens door to in-flight hacking, warns US watchdog

Hackers on commercial flights could now bring down the plane they are on by using the on board Wi-Fi, a US government watchdog has warned.

The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) does not suggest it would be easy to do but it points out that as airlines and the Federal Aviation Administration attempt to modernise planes and flight tracking with internet-based technology, attackers have a new vulnerability they could exploit.

The GAO says: “Modern aircraft are increasingly connected to the internet. This interconnectedness can potentially provide unauthorized remote access to aircraft avionics systems.”

The report highlights the fact that cockpit electronics are indirectly connected to the passenger cabin through shared IP networks. The connection between passenger-accessible systems and the avionics of the plane is heavily moderated by firewalls, but information security experts have pointed out that firewalls, like all software, can never be assumed to be totally infallible.

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Harrison Ford injured in plane crash - BBC News

US actor Harrison Ford has been injured in a small plane crash in Los Angeles.

The 72-year-old, star of the Indiana Jones and Star Wars films, reported engine failure and crash-landed his vintage plane on a Venice golf course.

He was breathing and alert when medics arrived and took him to hospital in a "fair to moderate" condition, a fire department spokesman said.

His son Ben, a chef in Los Angeles, later tweeted from the hospital: "Dad is OK. Battered but OK!

His publicist said: "The injuries sustained are not life threatening, and he is expected to make a full recovery,"

The nature of Ford's injuries have not been disclosed but website TMZ, which first reported the story, said he suffered "multiple gashes to his head".

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Obama Iran should halt nuclear work for decade - BBC News

President Barack Obama has said Iran should agree to at least a decade-long freeze on its nuclear activity if a landmark deal is to be finally reached.

In an interview with Reuters, Mr Obama also said the odds were still against such an agreement happening.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to oppose a deal in a speech to Congress on Tuesday.

But the president said Mr Netanyahu had been wrong on Iran before, when he opposed an interim agreement last year.

"Netanyahu made all sorts of claims - this was going to be a terrible deal, this was going to result in Iran getting $50bn worth of relief, Iran would not abide by the agreement."

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Los Angeles police chief says homeless man grabbed for gun - BBC News

The Los Angeles police chief has presented evidence he claims shows that a homeless man reached for an officer's weapon before being shot dead.

Charlie Beck also said two officers were wearing body cameras, but he has declined to release the footage.

He did not release any details about the man - known as Africa - who was shot by three officers just after 12:00 local time (20:00 GMT) on Sunday.

Protests about police actions have been held across the US in recent months.

They were sparked by a number of instances where police shot dead black men after a confrontation.

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Netanyahu: Speech 'not intended to disrespect' Obama - BBC News

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said his coming speech to the US Congress is "not intended to disrespect" President Barack Obama.

In a speech to the top US-Israel lobby, Mr Netanyahu said the last thing he would want is to make Israel a US partisan issue.

Mr Netanyahu has been invited to speak at the US Capitol on Tuesday by House Speaker John Boehner about Iran.

It is seen as a rebuke to Mr Obama's threat to veto new sanctions on Iran.

The White House has said Mr Obama will not meet Mr Netanyahu during this trip as he is visiting too close to Israel's election date.

The Israeli leader is at odds with the Obama administration's pursuit of negotiations with Iran over their nuclear programme.

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Eight dead in series of shootings in Missouri - BBC News

Eight people are dead and one person has been injured after a series of shootings in south-central Missouri.

Police made the discoveries on late Thursday at five different homes in or near the small town of Tyrone after an emergency call.

Officials found Joseph Jesse Aldridge, 36, dead of a self-inflicted gun wound in a vehicle near one of the crime scenes.

At least four of the victims have been identified as his family members.

Police are continuing to investigate Aldridge's motive.

Residents reported that police went door-to-door on Friday warning them to secure their homes.

On Friday afternoon, police identified four of the dead as Garold Aldridge, his wife Julie Ann Aldridge, Harold Aldridge and his wife Janell.

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'Progress' in US-Cuba talks but no embassy decision - BBC News

Cuban and US diplomats say they have made progress in talks in Washington to restore full relations between the two countries.

At issue is the opening of embassies in the two capitals and Cuba's hope it will be removed from a US terror list.

The Cuban delegation was optimistic that problems could be overcome.

Likewise the head of the US delegation said she hoped that the embassies issue could be resolved before a regional summit in Panama on 10 April.

It is hoped that Presidents Barack Obama and Raul Castro will shake hands in a symbolic sign of improved relations at the summit.

This is the second round of talks between the two countries since a rapprochement in December.

The two presidents made a surprise announcement saying they would seek to re-establish diplomatic ties, ending more than 50 years of ill-will.

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US avoids homeland security shutdown as House passes bill - BBC News

US lawmakers have avoided a partial shutdown of homeland security after passing a one-week funding extension just hours before a midnight deadline.

The House of Representatives voted 357-60 in favour of the short-term bill after it had been passed in the Senate.

It ensures the department's 250,000 employees will be paid while a longer-term funding agreement is discussed.

It will now be signed by President Barack Obama, who said he would back a short-term deal to avert a shutdown.

The two-thirds majority vote was reached about two hours before the midnight (05:00 GMT Saturday) deadline.

Earlier, Republicans had rejected a similar three-week extension after provisions against President Obama's immigration plan were dropped.


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US spy chief James Clapper highlights cyber threats - BBC News

US intelligence agencies have placed cyber attacks from foreign governments and criminals at the top of their list of threats to the country.

Online assaults would increasingly undermine US economic competitiveness and national security, said Director of National Intelligence James Clapper.

A report issued by his office said Russia's military was setting up a cyber command to carry out attacks.

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