| After drone killings, pressure for a new hostage strategy Posted: 24 Apr 2015 01:37 PM PDT  WASHINGTON (AP) — The accidental killing of two hostages in a U.S. operation against al-Qaida has put a new spotlight on the Obama administration's reliance on drones in the battle against terrorism — and has also raised pressure on the White House to revise the nation's oft-criticized strategy for dealing with abducted Americans and their families.
|
| Massachusetts governor proposes new oversight of ride-sharing services Posted: 24 Apr 2015 12:34 PM PDT  By Elizabeth Barber BOSTON (Reuters) - Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker on Friday proposed legislation that would bring new oversight of popular ride-sharing companies such as Uber and Lyft by requiring them to obtain permits in order to operate in the state. A growing network of ride-sharing companies, which let customers summon cars by tapping their smartphones, already operates in Massachusetts. He called the new regulations a way to "embrace innovation and protect and serve consumers." Under the proposal, which would need to be approved by the state legislature, ride-sharing companies would have to require their cars to carry at least $1 million in insurance coverage and to perform background checks on all drivers, who must be at least 21 years old. Ride-sharing companies would be regulated by the same state agency that regulates private buses. Uber said in a statement that the legislation would allow it "to continue offering Massachusetts safe, reliable transportation options and opportunities to earn a living with greater flexibility." Taxi companies have been fierce opponents of ride-sharing services, claiming they siphon customers without having to go through the expensive process of obtaining taxi medallions.
 |
| Police respond to suspicious package at Statue of Liberty Posted: 24 Apr 2015 11:46 AM PDT  New York City police say they're responding to a report of a suspicious package at the Statue of Liberty.
|
| Statue of Liberty, NYC's Liberty Island evacuated: NBC Posted: 24 Apr 2015 10:42 AM PDT  NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Statue of Liberty and Liberty Island in New York Harbor were evacuated as a precaution on Friday due to safety concerns, a NBC television affiliate reported, citing the National Parks Service. It was not clear why the evacuation was ordered. Park officials could not be reached immediately for comment. (Reporting By Frank McGurty)
|
| Jury in Etan Patz trial focuses on earlier suspect in 1979 murder Posted: 24 Apr 2015 09:21 AM PDT  By Natasja Sheriff NEW YORK (Reuters) - Jurors in the trial of a former deli worker who confessed to killing Etan Patz in 1979 listened on Friday to a re-reading of witness testimony that implicated another, earlier suspect in the case of the missing 6-year-old boy. Pedro Hernandez, 54, is charged in state Supreme Court in Manhattan with the murder and kidnapping of Patz, one of the first missing children whose pictures appeared on milk cartons in an effort to locate them. His lawyers have said the real culprit is Jose Ramos, long a prime suspect in the disappearance.
|
| Italian authorities: Terror suspects planned Vatican attack Posted: 24 Apr 2015 08:48 AM PDT  MILAN (AP) — An Italian prosecutor says Islamic extremists suspected in a bomb attack in a Pakistani market that killed more than 100 people had also planned an attack against the Vatican in 2010 that was never carried out.
|
| GOP presidential hopefuls say no thanks to White House Correspondents’ Dinner Posted: 24 Apr 2015 07:11 AM PDT  It's one of the hottest tickets in the political world — unless you're a Republican hoping to win your party's nomination.
|
| US drone war under scrutiny after botched strike Posted: 24 Apr 2015 01:30 AM PDT  President Barack Obama's admission that a US drone strike accidentally took the lives of two hostages has raised fresh questions about the limits and the risks of the country's "targeted killing" campaign. Since taking office in 2009, Obama has relied heavily on drone raids to hunt down Al-Qaeda leaders and other Islamist extremists from Pakistan's tribal areas to Somalia and Yemen. The White House also admitted that US intelligence was flawed for another drone strike at about the same time, which killed two US citizens who were Al-Qaeda operatives but who Washington did not know were present.
|
| More than 12 hurt as stage collapses at Indiana high school Posted: 24 Apr 2015 01:14 AM PDT  WESTFIELD, Ind. (AP) — More than a dozen people were injured after a stage filled with students collapsed during a musical performance at a central Indiana high school, authorities said.
|
| Hostage locations difficult to track - and may be getting harder Posted: 23 Apr 2015 10:53 PM PDT  By Warren Strobel and Mark Hosenball WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. drone strike that accidentally killed two hostages in Pakistan exposes intelligence shortfalls that former and current U.S. officials say appear to be growing more frequent as militants expand their safe havens and as Washington gathers less on-the-ground human intelligence. Obtaining timely intelligence on hostages has always been difficult, especially in volatile regions where the United States has limited access and where militants have well-established operations.
|
| In Iowa for Faith & Freedom, Republican contenders face tricky balance Posted: 23 Apr 2015 10:17 PM PDT  When the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition plays host to nine Republican White House hopefuls this weekend, the conservative Christian group will simply be pursuing its stated mission to "take back our state and country." But the Republican contenders who will speak at the group's annual Spring Kick-Off face a more delicate balance: How to address pressure from the Christian group to toe the conservative line on a number of social issues such as abortion and gay marriage without alienating members of the broader party who are more focused on the economy or foreign policy. Iowa holds the country's first nominating contests with its caucuses, giving the small, Midwestern state an outsized role in the presidential scrum. "Certainly Christian conservatives will be up to half of all the likely caucus goers," said Doug Gross, who chaired Mitt Romney's 2008 Iowa campaign.
|
| Arizona sheriff acknowledges investigation into judge's wife Posted: 23 Apr 2015 08:47 PM PDT  PHOENIX (AP) — In a bombshell revelation, Sheriff Joe Arpaio acknowledged Thursday that his office was behind a secret investigation into the wife of the judge presiding over a racial-profiling lawsuit against the brash Arizona lawman known for his anti-immigration patrols.
|
| Lawsuit: Ferguson probe was botched from start Posted: 23 Apr 2015 03:32 PM PDT  Ex-Ferguson police Officer Darren Wilson destroyed potentially crucial evidence shortly after fatally shooting Michael Brown, the slain teen's family alleges in a lawsuit filed Thursday.
|
Aucun commentaire:
Enregistrer un commentaire