A senior White House staffer, Jake Brewer, has been killed on a charity bike ride.
Jake Brewer, 34, died while taking part in the 150-mile Ride to Conquer Cancer event on September 19.
The senior policy advisor in the chief technology office lost control of his bike and was hit by a vehicle.
President Barack Obama has said he is “heartbroken”, adding: “Jake devoted his life to empowering people and making government work better for them.”
Photo White House
He said Jake Brewer had “a brilliant mind, a big heart, and an insatiable desire to give back”.
“He worked to give citizens a louder voice in our society. He engaged our striving immigrants. He pushed for more transparency in our democracy. And he sought to expand opportunity for all.
“I’ve often said that today’s younger generation is smarter, more determined, and more capable of making a difference than I was as a young man. Jake was proof of that.”
Jake Brewer, from Alexandria, Virginia, reportedly lost control of his bike on a sharp curve in Howard County, Maryland.
His wife, journalist Mary Katharine Ham, posted the news of the death on Instagram.
“I will miss him forever, even more than I can know right now,” she wrote.
President Barack Obama said he and the First Lady would be praying for the Brewer family, adding: “They’ll always have a family here at the White House.”
If you’ve not taken the plunge into the world of eBooks, there’s probably a lot of reasons why. Maybe you prefer the feel of physical books, and no one can deny how good a full bookshelf looks in your sitting room. However, maybe now you’ve been thinking about checking them out and catching up with current technology.
If you’re looking for reasons why you should make the switch, look no further. Below are the top reasons why eBooks are the future of publishing.
There’s thousands to choose from: Whichever store you choose to buy from, you’ll find thousands of titles right at your finger tips. Whether you’re looking for the latest blockbuster or a classic title, they’ll be right there and always available for purchase. You can be reading any title in a matter of minutes. Nook lists the bestselling eBooks in its dedicated online store, so it’s a great place to get started.
It’s easy to download a book: No matter what device you use to read, it’s so simple to find and download any title you want. Simply search for the book you want, or browse through the store. Once you find the one you want, click ‘buy’ and the title will be downloaded to your device. It really is as easy as that.
There’s multiple ways to read: If there’s a device you like to use, there’s probably a way to read eBooks on it. You can buy a dedicated e-reader, or download the app on your smartphone or tablet. EBook Friendly notes that if you currently own a device that you feel you aren’t using to its full advantage, using it to read eBooks could be the answer.
There’s a wealth of free books available: Browsing through an eBook store, you’ll find that many classic titles are being offered for free. If you’ve always wanted to read the works of Charles Dickens or Jane Austen, now’s your chance. There’s also often free books being offered by new and emerging authors, so if you want to try something new, it simply couldn’t be easier or cheaper to do so.
Carry your whole collection in your pocket: EPublisher’s Weekly states that eBooks are hugely portable. An entire library’s worth of files could be held on just one DVD or USB drive. If you like to have a few books on you at all times, then eBooks are a much easier way of doing so. It’s also easier on your bag and your shoulders.
They’re great for students: High school and college students will know the pain of lugging around large textbooks every day, as well as the pain of paying for them. EBooks solve the problem by being cheaper to buy and much more portable. As a bonus, students can use their e-reader to highlight passages or make notes on their texts, making assignments a breeze. If you know a student just entering the academic year, an e-reader could be a gratefully received gift.
Change your preferences on the fly: If you struggle to read small text in regular books, or read text against the traditional white background, eBooks could be the answer. You can change text size or color to suit your needs, making reading much easier with little effort.
They’re good for the environment: You probably hadn’t considered this, but eBooks are much better for the environment than physical books. Success Net states that eBooks basically eliminate the need for trees to be felled for books, saving whole forests in one fell swoop.
They take up much less space: As mentioned earlier, it can be satisfying to decorate your home with shelves full of well thumbed books. However, not everyone has the luxury of space to display their favorite tomes. Until you win the lottery and buy the country manor of your dreams, store all your books on one small device, and save that space for the essentials.
E-readers are designed for ultimate readability: If you buy a dedicated e-reader, you may not notice straight away but they’re designed very cleverly to be the ultimate reading machine. Snarky Nomad lists ten design features that help the reader out, including the lack of page curvature, the ability to read a book one handed, and the inclusion of a dictionary to look up unfamiliar words. You probably didn’t even know you wanted these features until you had them in your hand.
If you weren’t convinced before, you probably are now. EBooks are the ultimate in portability, choice, and ease of use. When you put it like that, what are you waiting for? Take the plunge now, and discover a whole new world of fantastic literature from the comfort of your own home.
Greece former PM Alexis Tsipras has hailed a “victory of the people” after his left-wing Syriza party won the country’s snap election.
Alexis Tsipras said Greeks faced a difficult road and that recovery from financial crisis would only come through hard work.
The conservative New Democracy party earlier conceded defeat.
With 60% of votes counted, Syriza is projected to be just short of a majority but the Independent Greeks have agreed to join a coalition.
The latest figures give Syriza 35% of the vote, compared with New Democracy’s 28%. The far-right Golden Dawn is set to be the third biggest party, with 7.1% of the vote.
Photo AP
The snap election, the fifth in six years, was called after Syriza lost its majority in August. This followed the signing of an unpopular new financial bailout deal with international creditors.
Turnout in this poll was just over 55%, down from 63% in January and low by Greek standards.
Alexis Tsipras said his decision to call an early election was vindicated and that he had been given a clear mandate.
The former prime minister told thousands of jubilant supporters in central Athens: “In Europe today, Greece and the Greek people are synonymous with resistance and dignity, and this struggle will be continued together for another four years.
“We have difficulties ahead, but we are also on firm ground. We won’t recover from the struggle by magic, but it can happen with hard work.”
Alexis Tsipras was joined on stage by Panos Kammenos, leader of the nationalist Independent Greeks, who also entered a coalition with Syriza after the previous election in January.
“Together we will continue the struggle we began seven months ago,” Alexis Tsipras said.
New Democracy leader Vangelis Meimarakis earlier conceded defeat to Alexis Tsipras, saying: “I congratulate him and urge him to create the government which is needed.”
The latest projection gives Syriza 145 seats in the 300-seat parliament, with New Democracy on 75. This is only four fewer than Alexis Tsipras’s thumping victory in January, but again leaves him just short of an absolute majority.
The Independent Greeks are likely to get 10 seats.
Eiffel Tower was closed after a man carrying a backpack was seen scaling the tower.
The alarm was raised early on Sunday, September 20, and the area was evacuated while anti-terror police carried out a search.
Police said they were unable to find the man. France’s iconic landmark, one of the world’s most visited attractions, reopened in the afternoon, after officials carried out a search but found nothing.
Photo AFP
France is on high alert following a series of terror attacks this year.
The Eiffel Tower, which receives as many as 30,000 daily visitors, has been the target of plots by Islamist extremists in the past.
However, police said there may be another explanation for today’s security breach – the man may have been a parachutist hoping to perform a jump.
Tens of thousands of people have attended a Mass celebrated by Pope Francis in the Cuban capital Havana on his first visit to the Communist-ruled island.
Cuba’s President Raul Castro, not a practicing Catholic, attended the event Havana’s iconic Revolution Square.
Later Pope Francis also met the president’s brother and predecessor, Fidel Castro.
Pope Francis, who is at the start of his Cuba and US trip, has been credited with helping the recent thaw in diplomatic ties between both countries.
Photo Reuters
After his arrival on September 19, the pontiff hailed improving ties between Cuba and the US as “an example of reconciliation for the whole world”.
Pope Francis also urged both Cuba and the US to “persevere on the path” of detente.
Security services were seen arresting at least three people who were shouting and attempting to distribute flyers at the edge of Revolution Square as the Mass got under way.
On his way to the service Pope Francis stopped to greet some of the thousands who had come out to see him.
During his homily the Pope said that “Christians are constantly called to set aside their own wishes and desires, their pursuit of power, and to look instead to those who are most vulnerable”.
After the Mass, Pope Francis met Fidel Castro at his house in Havana for about 30 minutes.
According to the Vatican, Pope Francis and Fidel Castro exchanged books as gifts.
The Beatles’ first record contract has fetched $75,000 at a New York auction.
The 1961 contract resulted in the single My Bonnie, a rock-and-roll version of a children’s song.
It was released under the band name Tony Sheridan and the Beat Brothers, but caught the attention of Brian Epstein, who became the band’s manager.
The six-page contract was sold by the estate of German Beatles collector Uwe Blaschke, who died in 2010.
In the early 1960s The Beatles regularly performed at nightclubs in the German city of Hamburg, where the contract was signed. The band had been backing British singer Tony Sheridan at Hamburg’s Top Ten Club at the time.
The contract includes the signatures of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and drummer Pete Best, who was later replaced by Ringo Starr.
“Had they not spent this time in Hamburg, they may have not become the musical force that they did,” said Dean Harmeyer, consignment director at Heritage Auctions, which sold the contract.
“Had they not recorded My Bonnie they may have never come to the attention of Brian Epstein.”
My Bonnie was released only in Germany.
In 1962, with Brian Epstein as their manager, The Beatles recorded Love Me Do, their first hit single under their name.
At least 10,000 refugees have arrived in Austria on September 19, amid bitter rows among EU nations on how to handle the growing crisis.
The refugees had been sent from Croatia into Hungary, which in turn shipped them on to Austria.
Hungary accused Croatia of breaking the rules by failing to register the refugees.
Meanwhile, 26 refugees are missing after their boat sank off Greece.
Coastguards managed to rescue 20 people but were told the boat had been carrying 46 people when it sank off the Greek island of Lesbos.
Separately, a search is continuing for 13 people still missing after their boat sank in the same waters on September 19, killing a five-year-old girl.
On the same day, Austrian police said they were expecting at least 10,000 arrivals, while the head of the Austrian Red Cross, Gerry Foitik, later told Austria Presse Agentur (APA) that between 12,000 to 13,000 people had entered the country over the course of the day.
The deputy police chief of Austria’s Burgenland state, Christian Stella, told APA that Hungary had not given enough warning.
Austrian Interior Minister Johanna Mikl-Leitner accused neighboring countries of failing to follow EU rules, expressing concern that migrants were also arriving from Croatia via Slovenia.
One refugee, who crossed into the Austrian town of Heiligenkreuz from Hungary, told the Associated Press: “I feel like I’ve been born anew. It makes no difference whether I am delayed, whether I stay here two days. The important thing is that I’ve finally arrived and that I am now finally safe.”
Croatia has seen 20,000 refugees entering from Serbia since September 16 and, after initially welcoming them, said it was unable to cope and moved them on.
PM Zoran Milanovic admitted there was no agreement with Hungary.
“We forced them, by sending people up there. And we’ll keep doing it,” he said.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto branded Zoran Milanovic “pathetic”, adding: “Instead of honestly making provision for the immigrants, it sent them straight to Hungary. What kind of European solidarity is this?”
The Hungarian government accused Croatia of breaching international law by failing to register refugees and said all asylum seekers would be registered in Hungary before they could leave for northern Europe.
However, a number of refugees who reached Austria via Hungary ssaid they had not been registered in Hungary either, simply driven in buses across the country and told to walk over a railway line into Austria.
While Hungary continues to transport refugees arriving from Croatia, it is building a razor-wire fence on the border that will be completed soon.
Hungary says it will then enforce the same tough laws it introduced earlier this week on its Serbian border – where there is a similar fence – making crossing it a criminal offence.
However, government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs said that “at the moment” stopping the flow “seems to be impractical”.
Greeks return to polls as voting has begun in the country’s snap general election.
Opinion polls indicate a tight race between the left-wing incumbent Syriza party and the conservative New Democracy.
The snap election, Greece’s fifth in six years, was called after Syriza lost its parliamentary majority in August.
Syriza leader Alexis Tsipras’s popularity plummeted after he agreed a new bailout deal with European leaders.
The bailout involved austerity measures which Syriza had vowed to oppose.
Greece is mired in a deep financial crisis and whoever wins today’s election will have to oversee further tough economic reforms.
According to analysts, whichever party wins is unlikely to get enough seats to form a government alone.
That could mean a period of political instability just as deadlines loom for the implementation of a series of key financial reforms.
Former PM Alexis Tsipras said Greeks would elect “a fighting government” that will “move on with necessary reforms and break with the old regime”, as he cast his ballot on Sunday morning in the Athens district of Kypseli.
Photo AP
Alexis Tsipras signed the bailout deal shortly after a referendum in which more than 60% of voters rejected the austerity measures creditors wanted to impose.
In interviews leading up to the election, Alexis Tsipras Tsipras said he had put his country above his party. He said that had he not agreed to the three-year bailout, Greece would probably have had to leave the eurozone.
He told Antenna TV on September 18 he would “tug the rope” to try to win relief on Greece’s huge national debt from EU creditors.
His main rival, New Democracy leader Vangelis Meimarakis, has dismissed Alexis Tsipras’s term in office as “an experiment that cost [the country] dearly”.
“I fear that if Syriza is elected… the country will soon be led to elections again, and this would be disastrous,” he said.
Commentators say there is also a tight race for third place between the socialist Pasok party and the far-right Golden Dawn.
Analysts have said the migrant crisis on Greece’s doorstep may boost support for Golden Dawn, which is strongly opposed to immigration.
Polls close at 19:00 local time, with the first projected results expected two hours later.
Nepal’s legislators are due to adopt the country’s new constitution, drawn up after years of political wrangling.
The new constitution will be unveiled with a grand ceremony in Kathmandu on September 20.
The controversial constitution will see the Himalayan nation become a secular, federal republic with seven states.
However, it has been opposed by some groups who want Nepal to be a Hindu nation. Minority ethnic groups also fear it will create discrimination.
Protests organized by the Tharu and Madhesi ethnic groups in the south have disrupted parts of Nepal for weeks.
At least 40 people have been killed in the unrest.
The Nepalese authorities have imposed a curfew and deployed security forces but the protests have delayed road transport to the capital, Kathmandu.
“The constitution that will be promulgated is the outcome of many years of struggle by the Nepali people,” Prateek Pradhan, media adviser to PM Sushil Koirala, told Reuters.
“It addresses the aspirations and demands of all sections of Nepali society in an inclusive and representative manner.”
The demand for the new constitution was raised by Maoists rebels whose 10-year civil war ended with a peace deal in 2006.
In 2008, the Maoists won elections to a constituent assembly, leading to the abolition of the 240-year-old monarchy. But amid squabbling, the assembly failed to draw up a new constitution.
Nepal, which has a population of 28 million, is still recovering from the devastating earthquake in April that killed thousands.
In his first speech after his arrival in Cuba, Pope Francis has called for the Church in the communist island to have “the freedom and the means” to pursue its mission.
Pope Francis also hailed improving ties between the US and Cuba as “an example of reconciliation for the whole world”.
The pontiff was greeted by Cuban President Raul Castro after landing in the capital, Havana.
He is due to celebrate Mass on September 20 in Havana’s iconic Revolution Square.
Photo Getty Images
Pope Francis will spend four days in Cuba before flying to the US.
Following his arrival on Cuba on September 19, thousands lined the route of the Pope’s motorcade to the home of the Vatican’s ambassador to Cuba.
Pope Francis – the first pontiff to hail from Latin America – is credited with helping the recent thaw in diplomatic relations between Cuba and the US.
President Raul Castro has thanked Pope Francis for his contribution.
Speaking at the airport alongside Raul Castro, Pope Francis urged further support for Cuba’s Catholics “so that the Church can continue to support and encourage the Cuban people in its hopes and concerns, with the freedom, the means and the space needed to bring the proclamation of the kingdom to the existential peripheries of society”.
The Pope also called on Cuba and the US to “persevere on the path” of detente.
On September 17, the Vatican said it hoped the Pope’s visit would help bring an end to the 53-year-old US embargo and lead to more freedom and human rights in Cuba.
The following day, the US announced eased restrictions on business and travel with Cuba, the latest move by President Barack Obama to improve relations.
Pope Francis’s trip will later take him to the US, which he will also be visiting for the first time since his election to the papacy.
A California driver involved in a high-speed chase on I-225 was struck by gunfire from a police helicopter, officials have confirmed.
According to police, the driver had refused to pull over and had sped past stop signs and red lights.
Police opened fire when the car began heading the wrong way on a motorway. The driver was later confirmed dead.
A sheriff’s spokeswoman said shootings from helicopters were rare but deputies did train for such eventualities.
The incident began on September 18 in Devore, east of Los Angeles, when police tried to pull over a man believed to have committed a burglary.
The Chevrolet Tahoe SUV drove through residential districts at high speed, narrowly missing pedestrians, before getting on to I-215 the wrong way, a statement from the San Bernardino County sheriff’s department said.
A deputy in a helicopter giving chase opened fire, hitting the SUV several times.
The wounded driver jumped from the moving car and ran a short distance before collapsing and dying by the side of the road, the statement said.
Police say they are awaiting autopsy results to reveal whether the man died from gunshot wounds or from leaping from the vehicle.
Police spokeswoman Jodi Miller said officers decided to open fire because the driver was threatening public safety.
The driverless SUV crashed head-on into a Dodge Durango injuring three people, one of whom remains in hospital, police added.
Joan Collins’ sister, best-selling novelist Jackie Collins, has died of breast cancer at the age of 77, her family announced.
“It is with tremendous sadness that we announce the death of our beautiful, dynamic and one-of-a-kind mother,” the statement said.
The British-born writer died in Los Angeles, her spokeswoman said.
Jackie Collins’s career spanned four decades and she sold more than 500 million books in 40 countries.
The family statement said the writer lived “a wonderfully full life”, adored by family, friends and readers.
“She was a true inspiration, a trailblazer for women in fiction and a creative force. She will live on through her characters but we already miss her beyond words,” it added.
Jackie Collins was diagnosed with stage-four breast cancer 6-and-a-half years ago, according to People magazine.
Joan Collins, 82, told the publication she was “completely devastated”.
“She was my best friend. I admire how she handled this. She was a wonderful, brave and a beautiful person and I love her,” the actress said.
Jackie Collins began writing as a teenager, making up racy stories for her school friends, according to a biography on her website.
Her first novel, The World is Full of Married Men, was published in 1968 and became a scandalous bestseller. It was banned in Australia and branded “disgusting” by romance writer Barbara Cartland.
In 1985, Jackie Collins’ novel Hollywood Wives was made into a mini-series by ABC, starring Anthony Hopkins and Candice Bergen.
Jackie Collins is survived by her three daughters, Tracy, 54, Tiffany, 48, and Rory, 46, and six grandchildren. Private funeral services will be held in the US and the UK.
Pope Francis has arrived in Havana, on his first visit to Cuba.
The pontiff will spend four days in Cuba before flying to the US.
The first pope to hail from Latin America, Pope Francis is credited with helping the recent thaw in diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Cuban President Raul Castro has thanked the Pope for his contribution. Cities on Pope Francis’ itinerary have been renovated in preparation for the visit.
On September 17, the Vatican said it hoped it would help bring to an end the 53-year-old US embargo and lead to more freedom and human rights on the island.
On September 18, the US announced eased restrictions on business and travel with Cuba, the latest move by President Barack Obama to improve relations.
Photo AP
Argentina’s President Cristina Fernandez Kirchner also arrived in Cuba on September 19 and will attend a Mass to be celebrated by Pope Francis on Havana’s iconic Revolution Square.
Workers have been building a huge altar and stands for the congregation and choir on the square.
Ahead of Pope Francis’s visit, streets have been newly paved in Havana, and the cathedral has been renovated.
The airport terminal has also been renovated.
In the city of Holguin where Pope Francis will celebrate Mass on September 21, the cathedral has been repaired and repainted.
Officials say nearly 1,000 Cuban and foreign journalists are expected to cover the visit.
Pope Francis’s trip will also take him to the US for the first time as Pope.
In 1998, Pope John Paul II became the first Pope to visit Cuba, saying: “May Cuba… open itself up to the world, and may the world open itself up to Cuba.”
Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump has said it is “not his job” to defend President Barack Obama, after criticism from fellow Republicans for not correcting a supporter who said the POTUS was a Muslim.
Donald Trump tweeted there was “no chance” Barack Obama would defend him if he was similarly attacked.
South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham has said Donald Trump should apologize.
Donald Trump canceled his appearance at a big Republican event on September 18.
The tycoon’s campaign team said he had pulled out of the Heritage Foundation because of a “significant business transaction” that needed his attention.
The criticism has been piling up since a man at Donald Trump’s rally in New Hampshire on September 17 prefaced a question by saying Barack Obama was a Muslim and “not even an American”.
Photo Getty Images
The supporter went on to say: “We have a problem in this country – it’s called Muslims.”
Donald Trump let it go unchallenged and within a few hours, Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton said his failure to denounce “hateful rhetoric” was “disturbing and wrong”.
On September 18, his Republican competitors for the nomination waded into the row.
“He’s playing into this hateful narrative and he has to set it right,” said Lindsey Graham, who said he would never question the president’s faith or patriotism.
Leaders have an “obligation” to correct such statements, said another Republican presidential hopeful, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.
Donald Trump hit back in a series of tweets: “Am I morally obligated to defend the president every time somebody says something bad or controversial about him? I don’t think so!
“If someone made a nasty or controversial statement about me to the president, do you really think he would come to my rescue? No chance!”
Donald Trump added that if he had challenged the man he would have been accused of interfering with his right to free speech.
Barack Obama, who has spoken openly about his Christian faith, was born to an American mother and Kenyan father in Hawaii.
In 2011, Donald Trump challenged Barack Obama to produce his birth certificate to disprove rumors that he was born in Kenya, which the president did.
British rock band The Who has postponed the US leg of their 50th anniversary tour, after Roger Daltrey was diagnosed with viral Meningitis.
The Who had already postponed four dates due to Roger Daltrey’s “mystery virus”.
A statement on the band’s website said: “After extensive tests the seriousness of his condition became apparent.”
The statement added doctors had “prescribed rest”.
The Who apologized to fans and said Roger Daltrey was “on the mend”.
They said they had hoped The Who Hits 50! tour would go ahead, as Roger Daltrey was “getting better” and they did not want to inconvenience ticket holders, but the dates are now being rescheduled for Spring 2016.
“It wasn’t a decision taken lightly,” said the band.
“The Who always give their fans 100% and were never going to compromise the show, but ultimately the band had no alternative but to postpone the tour.”
The band said Roger Daltrey had been especially disappointed to miss the Teen Cancer America benefit in Los Angeles, a charity he and the band “have worked tirelessly for”.
“We are very sorry to disappoint our fans in this way,” Roger Daltrey said.
“For the last four weeks, I have been in and out of the hospital and have been diagnosed with viral Meningitis,” the singer revealed.
“I am now on the mend and feeling a lot better but I am going to need a considerable time to recover. The doctors tell me I will make a complete recovery, but that I should not do any touring this year.”
Pete Townshend also apologized to fans “that have supported us in the last 50 years”.
He added: “Once Roger is completely well we will come back stronger than ever and Roger and I will give you all a show to remember.”
Jeremy Clarkson will return to the BBC to host an episode of satirical news quiz Have I Got News For You next month.
The former Top Gear presenter will join team captains Ian Hislop and Paul Merton when the new series returns on October 2.
Jeremy Clarkson pulled out of hosting the BBC One panel show in April, after being sacked from Top Gear after a “fracas” with the show producer Oisin Tymon.
He is set to front a new motoring show for Amazon in 2016, alongside co-hosts James May and Richard Hammond.
Photo BBC One
Jeremy Clarkson’s appearance on Have I Got News For You will be his first on the BBC since his departure from Top Gear.
He was suspended in March after assaulting Oisin Tymon, and the broadcaster later confirmed his contract would not be renewed.
Jeremy Clarkson signed up to present Have I Got News For You on September 18, and his appearance will mark the start of the show’s 50th series.
When he pulled out of hosting in April, production company Hat Trick had suggested the presenter would appear on the show soon.
A statement said: “On reflection, Jeremy Clarkson has decided not to host Have I Got News For You. We fully expect him to resume his hosting duties later in the year.”
Assistant host Richard Osman will be one of the two guests joining Jeremy Clarkson for the opening episode.
Boston Baby Doe’s mother, Rachelle Bond, has been arrested over the girl’s death, police in Massachusetts say.
Three-year-old Bella Bond was found dead months ago in a plastic bag on the shore of Deer Island in Boston
Rachelle Bond’s boyfriend, Michael McCarthy, who is not Bella’s biological father, is to be charged with the girl’s murder.
Called “Baby Doe” by Boston police, the girl’s body was found by a woman walking her dog on June 25. The girl was finally named on September 18 as Bella Bond.
Police commissioned a computer-generated image to help identify Baby Doe which was shared millions of times.
At a news conference on September 18, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel Conley said police had received a tip-off which had allowed them to solve the mystery.
He said he had authorized the arrest of Rachelle Bond, 40, as an accessory to murder, and her partner, Michael McCarthy, 35, for murder.
Rachelle Bond is in custody, while Michael McCarthy is in hospital being treated for an unrelated medical condition, Dan Conley added.
“At just shy of three years old, Bella Bond was a true innocent,” he said.
“This child, whose very name means beauty, was murdered.”
Daniel Conley did not comment on how Baby Doe died or on any possible motive. No signs of trauma have been found on her body.
The case received a massive response on social media and drew thousands of new visitors to government websites.
Police received hundreds of tips from the public, but they were unable to find anyone who knew the girl until now.
The Baby Doe mystery has been finally solved by Boston police.
The 3-year-old girl was identified as was Bella Amoroso Bond, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel Conley said on September 18.
Baby Doe, also known as Deer Island Jane Doe, was found dead in a plastic bag on the shore of Deer Island in Boston, but remained unidentified despite months of appeals from investigators.
Police commissioned a computer-generated image of the girl to help identify her and the picture was shared millions of times online.
The girl’s body was found by a woman walking her dog on June 25.
Boston police said on September 18 they have spoken to members of the girl’s family.
Photo Boston Police Department
On September 18, Bella’s mother, Rachelle Bond, 40, was charged as an accessory to murder after the fact, Daniel Conley told reporters.
Rachelle Bond’s boyfriend, Michael McCarthy, 35, was charged with murder, according to Daniel Conley.
Michael McCarthy is not Bella’s biological father, according to a law enforcement source.
The couple will be arraigned on September 21. Neither of them, or lawyers representing them, had commented on the case as of September 18.
“This child, whose very name means beauty, was murdered,” Daniel Conley said.
Massachusetts House Speaker Robert DeLeo told reporters that Rachelle Bond and Michael McCarthy blamed each other for the death.
“It appears as though it was a situation of a boyfriend who was involved and that apparently, I think, mother and boyfriend sort of blaming each other in terms of who harmed the child.”
Meanwhile, investigators also searched a home in the city. Police did not disclose additional information, saying the investigation was “very active”.
The case received a massive response on social media and drew thousands of new visitors to government websites.
Police received hundreds of tips from the public, but they were unable to find anyone who knew the girl until now.
Investigators still have not determined how she died because there were no signs of trauma found on her body.
Thirteen top serving and former prison officials have been arrested in Mexico over the escape of the notorious drugs lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman from jail.
Mexico’s ex-head of federal prisons was among 13 people detained, sources close to the prosecutor said.
The ex-directors of the jail from which El Chapo Guzman fled were also reportedly held.
Investigators say El Chapo Guzman had inside help to ease his escape in July through a tunnel under a shower in his cell that ran one mile outside the prison.
It was the second escape from a maximum security prison for El Chapo Guzman, whose Sinaloa cartel is responsible for much of Mexico’s trafficking of drugs to the US.
At least seven officials, including two members of Mexico’s secret service and two prison control room employees, had already been arrested, accused of not raising the alarm once El Chapo Guzman had escaped.
The office of Mexico’s attorney general confirmed the 13 new arrests on September 18, but did not reveal the identity of the suspects.
However, the former national coordinator for Mexico’s prison system, Celina Oseguera, was named as one of the suspects, sources close to the prosecutor told the AFP.
Celina Oseguera was removed from her high-level post after El Chapo Guzman escaped on July 11.
Both directors of Altiplano prison, Valentin Cardenas and Lenor Garcia, who were also sacked after the escape, are also reportedly being held.
After his escape in July, El Chapo Guzman took to Twitter to taunt the police and insult Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto.
Enrique Pena Nieto has promised that all those who had participated in the escape would be punished with “the full weight of the law”.
One point of controversy has been whether the Mexican government should have agreed to a US request to extradite El Chapo Guzman on the basis that American prisons would have been harder for Guzman to break out of.
First arrested in Guatemala in 1993, Joaquin “Shorty” Guzman spent nearly a decade in another maximum-security Mexican jail before escaping, reportedly in a laundry basket.
El Chapo Guzman was on the run for 13 years before being held again in 2014 after a series of high-profile arrests of associates and covert surveillance by the US authorities.
The US has decided to ease restrictions on business and travel with Cuba ahead of Pope Francis visit to the communist island.
This is the latest move by President Barack Obama to improve relations with Cuba.
The rules, which go into effect on September 21, relate to travel, telecom, internet-based services, business operations, banking and remittances.
US businesses will now be allowed to open up locations in Cuba.
Cuban President Raul Castro and President Barack Obama discussed the move in a phone conversation on September 18.
The changes come as the US and Cuba normalize relations after 53 years.
“A stronger, more open US-Cuba relationship has the potential to create economic opportunities for both Americans and Cubans alike,” said US Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew in a statement.
“By further easing these sanctions, the United States is helping to support the Cuban people in their effort to achieve the political and economic freedom necessary to build a democratic, prosperous and stable Cuba.”
Authorized travelers will be permitted to open and maintain bank accounts in Cuba, senior administration officials said on September 18.
Close relatives will now be allowed to accompany authorized travelers going to Cuba for educational, journalistic, humanitarian or religious activities or research.
Officials said travel to Cuba for tourist activity is still prohibited by statute.
Companies will also be able to import Cuban mobile applications to the US and hire Cuban nationals to work on them.
Barack Obama thinks the best way to strengthen the Cuban people is through contact, officials said.
In July, Cuba and the United States formally re-established relations, and in January the Obama administration announced initial changes to the Cuba sanctions program.
Ahead of Pope Francis’ visit to Cuba, and before Cuban President Raul Castro is set to address the United Nations, Cuba announced on September 18 the appointment of a US ambassador, the first since 1961.
Veteran diplomat Jose Cabanas will be Cuba’s ambassador to the US.
The head of a Crimean winery is to be prosecuted in Ukraine for allegedly opening a 240-year-old bottle for Russian President Vladimir Putin and former Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi.
Vladimir Putin and Silvio Berlusconi spent last weekend in Crimea touring ancient ruins.
Prosecutors say they drank at Crimea’s renowned Massandra winery.
Massandra was Ukrainian government property before Russia’s annexation of Crimea in March 2014.
Any charges could not currently be pursued in Crimea, where Russia has full control.
Russian media cited by Radio Free Europe reported that Silvio Berlusconi asked if he could sample the wine during a tour of Massandra.
A witness said Massandra’s new pro-Russian director Yanina Pavlenko in response uncorked a precious bottle of 1775 Jeres de la Frontera for her prestigious guests. The Spanish wine was brought to Crimea by Count Mikhail Vorontsov, during the reign of Catherine the Great.
Russian television last week showed Silvio Berlusconi carefully surveying dust-covered bottles of wine while Vladimir Putin listened to Yanina Pavlenko as she gave them the tour.
Later, Silvio Berlusconi is seen looking at a bottle identified to be from the vintage of 1891, and asked in English: “Is it possible to drink?”
Yanina Pavlenko replied: “Yes.”
It is unclear what happened to that bottle, but Ukrainian prosecutors say the bottle they are concentrating on was worth more than $90,000. They say they are preparing embezzlement charges against Yanina Pavlenko.
“This is one of the five bottles that constitute not only Massandra’s or Crimea’s heritage, but the heritage of all Ukrainian people,” Nazar Kholodnytsky, first deputy prosecutor for Crimea told the Associated Press in Kiev.
He said two bottles similar to the one allegedly consumed were auctioned in London in 2001 and one fetched nearly $49,700 (€44,000).
“The funds went to the state coffers and supported the development of Massandra and wine-making in Crimea,” Nazar Kholodnytsky said.
Yanina Pavlenko’s predecessor as governor, Nikolay Boyko, was dismissed in February after Russian prosecutors filed fraud charges against him.
The new governor is herself wanted in Ukraine for treason after she voted in favor of Russian annexation in 2014.
“Now she’s added one more crime to high treason,” Nazar Kholodnytsky said.
Prince Lev Golitsyn started the first winery in Crimea in 1894, and since then its wines have been celebrated in the Soviet Union and Russia. The Massandra wine cellars hold about 500,000 bottles, including 5 bottles of the 1775 Jeres de la Frontera.
Vladimir Putin and Silvio Berlusconi enjoyed good personal relations when the Italian leader was in power, which they have maintained since he left office in 2011.
Volkswagen has been ordered by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to recall half a million cars because of a device that disguises pollution levels.
The “defeat device” allows cars to pass lab testing even though they actually emit 40 times the emissions standard.
The EPA has been taking a more aggressive stance on car pollution and violations of the Clean Air Act.
The recall could cost Volkswagen up to $18 billion.
It affects 2009-2014 Jettas, Beetles, Audi A3s and Golfs and 2014-2015 Passats.
“Using a defeat device in cars to evade clean air standards is illegal and a threat to public health,” said Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator for the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance.
The illegal system allowed cars to detect when they were undergoing smog emission test and lowered the rate of pollution. Those emission controls were then turned off during ordinary use.
The state of California which assisted in the investigation has also issued a notice of violation to Volkswagen.
In 2014 the EPA fined Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors $300 million for misrepresenting the fuel economy in 1.2 million of their cars. That settlement is the highest to date.
Japan’s parliament has voted a constitutional amendment to allow troops to fight abroad for the first time since the end of World War II 70 years ago.
The vote on the constitutional amendment was delayed for several hours as the opposition tried to stop the measure coming into law.
Outside, demonstrators rallied in a last-ditch show of protest.
Many Japanese are attached to the pacifist provisions in the constitution which banned fighting overseas.
The bills have already passed through the government-dominated lower house.
The Japanese government says that the changes in defense policy are vital to meet new military challenges such as those posed from a rising China.
It wanted to hold the vote before a five-day holiday begins on September 19. The governing coalition has a majority in both chambers of the Diet, meaning that ultimately the opposition camp was powerless to stop the measure becoming law.
Masaaki Yamazaki, the president of the upper house, said the bills were passed with 148 lawmakers voting in support and 90 against.
Photo AFP
More than 200 hours have been spent deliberating the legislation, the Japan Times reported, and its approval by parliament fulfils one of PM Shinzo Abe’s long-held ambitions.
On September 17, opposition politicians tried to physically delay proceedings ahead of a committee vote on the bills.
The bills prompted large public protests for months.
The changes re-interpret rather than formally change the constitution.
However, critics say this will violate the pacifist constitution and could lead Japan into unnecessary US-led wars abroad.
Speaking in parliament on September 18, Akira Gunji, of the opposition Democratic party, said: “We should not allow such a dangerous government to continue like this.
“Prime Minister Abe’s security bill is a threat to our legal framework.”
Supporters of the measures, which are backed by Washington, insist they are essential for the defense of Japan and its regional allies, and will permit greater involvement in peacekeeping activities around the world.
Critics have focused on what they say is ambiguity in how the principles of the legislation will be interpreted, and the possibility that future governments will interpret them more broadly.
Burkina Faso’s detained interim President Michel Kafando has been freed and is in good health, the coup leaders say.
However, PM Isaac Zida, who was also detained when the presidential guard stormed a cabinet meeting on September 16, remains under house arrest.
The African Union has suspended Burkina Faso and threatened sanctions unless the junta releases all interim political figures from detention.
The US and France have also condemned the coup in the former French colony.
Burkina Faso’s coup leaders have agreed to the “principle of dialogue”, as two West African leaders arrived in the country to mediate in the crisis.
At least three people have died in protests in the capital, Ouagadougou, after an ally of former President Blaise Compaore was named leader on September 17.
The influential Balai Citoyen civil society group has put the number of people who have died in demonstrations against the presidential guard (RSP), at 10.
An unknown number of protesters have also been detained.
Demonstrators gathered around the airport for the arrival of a delegation from the regional body, the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas).
The delegation was led by Senegal’s President Macky Sall, the current Ecowas chair, and Benin’s leader Thomas Boni Yayi.
Ahead of their arrival, the air and land borders were officially re-opened.
Security forces again fired in the air on September 18 to disperse to demonstrators who burned tires and blocked streets in Ouagadougou.
Elections were due to be held in Burkina Faso on October 11, nearly a year after a popular uprising forced Blaise Compaore, the long-time ruler of the West African country, from power.
Coup leader Gen. Gilbert Diendere, who was Blaise Compaore’s former chief-of-staff, told reporters that Michel Kafando was now in his official residence.
Michel Kafando was reportedly freed on September 17 but has not yet been seen in public.
Two other ministers have also been released, the coup leaders announce.
The decision to free them was made “as a sign of easing tensions and in the general interest”, a statement read on national television said.
PM Isaac Zida was the army officer who took charge after Blaise Compaore was ousted.
The lieutenant colonel was number two in the RSP, where he may still hold influence, which explains his continued detention.
Blaise Compaore is currently in exile and was accused of committing widespread abuses, and trying to change the constitution to extend his term in office.
Some of his key allies had been barred from contesting the election.
Gen. Gilbert Diendere has said he has had no contact with Blaise Compaore and will do everything to “avoid violence that could plunge the country into chaos”.
An earlier announcement on state television said wide-ranging talks would be held to form a new interim government that would organize “peaceful and inclusive elections”.
Transitional parliamentary speaker Cheriff Sy called for people to “immediately rise up” against the coup, and declared himself the leader.
The coup was announced on the day that a judge was due to give the results of DNA tests on the remains of former President Thomas Sankara, his widow Mariam Sankara said.
Thomas Sankara was killed in a 1987 coup that saw Blaise Compaore and fellow officers such as his close friend Gen. Gilbert Diendere take power.
The former president’s family wants to know the exact circumstances of his death, which have always been shrouded in mystery.
A South-African parole board review panel which will decide whether to free Paralympic champion Oscar Pistorius from jail has started meeting on September 18.
South Africa’s justice minister blocked Oscar Pistorius’ early release in August in a surprise move.
It is not clear when the panel will rule whether the initial decision to free him early was correct.
Oscar Pistorius, 28, has served 11 months of his 5-year sentence for killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day 2013.
The review board, which is meeting in the eastern port city of Durban, comprises a panel of legal experts chaired by a judge.
Journalists from local media have gathered outside the Kgosi Mampuru II prison in Pretoria, where Oscar Pistorius is being held, in anticipation of a potential decision on September 19.
Under South African law, Oscar Pistorius is eligible for release under house arrest, having served a sixth of his sentence.
A court convicted the double-amputee athlete of culpable homicide, or manslaughter, over the killing of Reeva Steenkamp.
Oscar Pistorius shot Reeva Steenkamp through a locked bathroom door at his home in South Africa’s capital, Pretoria, believing she was an intruder, he told his trial.
The prosecution has appealed against the ruling, saying Oscar Pistorius should instead be convicted of murder.
