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Zacarias Moussaoui: 9/11 plotter accuses Saudi royals of funding al-Qaeda attacks

Roy Siemens
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Zacarias Moussaoui: 9/11 plotter accuses Saudi royals of funding al-Qaeda attacks

9/11 terrorist Zacarias Moussaoui has claimed members of the Saudi royal family helped fund the 2001 attacks.

Al-Qaeda’s Zacarias Moussaoui, who is imprisoned in Colorado for his role in the 9/11 attacks, gave testimony in October to lawyers for victims suing Saudi Arabia.

His statement came to light when it was filed in court this week in response to a Saudi bid to drop the lawsuit.

Saudi Arabia has rejected the accusation from a “deranged criminal” with no credibility.

They have made several attempts for the lawsuit to be dropped.Zacarias Moussaoui accuses Saudi royals of funding attacks

In a rare interview for an inmate at a high security “supermax” prison, Zacarias Moussaoui said “extremely famous” Saudi officials, including Prince Turki al-Faisal Al Saud, a former Saudi intelligence chief, were funding al-Qaeda from the late 1990s.

Zacarias Moussaoui also claimed to have met a Saudi official in Afghanistan who worked in the US embassy.

The two men were later supposed to travel to Washington to find a location “suitable to launch a stinger [missile] attack” on Air Force One, he said.

His claims, made under oath, have not been verified.

Zacarias Moussaoui was arrested weeks before the 9/11 attacks on immigrations charges and was in prison at the time of the attacks. He had taken flying lessons in Minnesota and had been wired money by an al-Qaeda affiliate.

In court at his sentencing, Zacarias Moussaoui said he had been part of a grandiose plot to fly a Boeing 747 into the White House.

However, testimony from Khalid Sheikh Mohammed – also in US custody – was used by Zacarias Moussaoui’s defense lawyers to undercut his claims during trial.

Families of 9/11 victims allege that Saudi Arabia and a government-affiliated charity knowingly provided funding and other material support to al-Qaeda that helped it carry out the attacks.

Plaintiffs include families of the nearly 3,000 people killed, as well as insurers that covered losses suffered by building owners and businesses.

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Don Covay dies from stroke complications at 76

Sonia Pantiss
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Don Covay dies from stroke complications at 76

R&B singer and songwriter Don Covay has died in a New York hospital at the age of 76.

His songs were performed by the Rolling Stones, Otis Redding and Aretha Franklin.

Don Covay’s daughter, Ursula, confirmed the singer’s death to The Washington Post.

He died in a New York hospital earlier this week from complications following a stroke.

Don Covay gave Aretha Franklin one of her biggest hits with Chain of Fools in 1968, a song he had written 15 years earlier.

His singing style also influenced Mick Jagger, as seen in the Rolling Stones cover of his song Mercy Mercy.Don Covay dead at 76

Don Covay started out in music in a gospel group with his siblings at school, before joining doo-wop group Rainbows.

While trying to make it as a solo artist and singer-songwriter he spent time as Little Richard’s chauffeur and warm-up act.

Don Covay’s first chart hit came in 1961 with Pony Time. The track, however, became an even bigger hit when Chubby Checker recorded his own version a year later in 1962, topping the pop and R&B charts.

This pattern continued with his song Mercy Mercy, which he recorded in 1964 with a then-unknown Jimi Hendrix on guitar, which went into the top 40.

A year later the Rolling Stones recorded their own version for their album Out of Our Heads, causing many to point out the similarity in singing styles between Mick Jagger and Don Covay.

While working as a songwriter at the Brill Building in New York, Don Covay wrote for artists including Gladys Knight and the Pips, Wilson Pickett and Solomon Burke.

He was also part of the short-lived group the Soul Clan which featured Burke, Joe Tex, Ben E King and Arthur Conley.

His work has been covered by a wide variety of artists including Gene Vincent, Connie Francis, Steppenwolf, Bobby Womack and the Small Faces.

Don Covay suffered a stroke in 1992 and a year later stars including Ronnie Wood, Iggy Pop and Todd Rundgren produced a tribute album entitled Back to the Streets: Celebrating the Music of Don Covay.

After a gap of 23 years, Don Covay released his last album Ad Lib in 2000, which featured Rolling Stones guitarists Ronnie Woods and Keith Richards, Bad Company vocalist Paul Rodgers, Wilson Pickett, Syl Johnson and Huey Lewis.

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Ricardo Medina Jr. released without charge in roommate’s death case

Lisa.Felice
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Ricardo Medina Jr. released without charge in roommate’s death case

Actor Ricardo Medina Jr. has been released without charge after his roommate, Joshua Sutter, was stabbed to death with a sword.

Ricard Medina’s lawyers said he was acting in self defense after he was assaulted by Joshua Sutter at their home in LA.

Prosecutors have decided not to file charges, instead asking detectives to carry on investigating.

Speaking three days after his arrest, the ex-Power Rangers actor said he was “very sorry”.

Ricardo Medina, 36, added: “I am very happy to be out of jail and my heart goes out to the Sutter family.”

The actor said he and a female friend locked themselves in his bedroom after a row with Joshua Sutter.Ricardo Medina Jr murder case

Ricardo Medina claimed his flatmate kicked the door open, at which point he grabbed the sword to protect himself.

His lawyer, Allen Bell said: “There simply aren’t facts here for a crime. It is a self defense case.

“You have an individual here who was the victim of a beating in the kitchen area before he went to the bedroom and locked the door to secure himself from any continuing violence.

“He kicked the door in to continue the aggression.”

Ricardo Medina was arrested after calling emergency services.

Joshua Sutter, 36, was pronounced dead in hospital.

Ricardo Medina played the Red Ranger on Power Rangers Wild Force in 2002 and later played Deker on Power Rangers Samurai.

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Dieudonne M’bala M’bala to go on trial for Paris attacks comment

Diane A. Wade
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Dieudonne M’bala M’bala to go on trial for Paris attacks comment

Dieudonne M’bala M’bala is set to go on trial for a Facebook comment appearing to back Paris gunman Amedy Coulibaly.

The comment referred to a series of three attacks in Paris in January in which 17 people were killed.

The controversial French Comedian is charged with condoning terrorism.

If found guilty, Dieudonne M’bala M’bala could face up to 7 years in jail and a €5,000 ($5,900) fine.

He already has several convictions for inciting anti-Semitism.

Following a massive march in Paris to condemn the attacks, Dieudonne M’bala M’bala wrote on his Facebook account: “I feel like Charlie Coulibaly [French: je me sens Charlie Coulibaly].” Dieudonne M'bala M'bala Paris attacks

The statement combined the “Je Suis Charlie” slogan adopted worldwide after the Paris attacks with the name of one of the three gunmen involved in the attacks.

AmedyCoulibaly killed a policewoman near a Jewish school on January 8 before going on to hold up kosher supermarket HyperCacher the following day, when he murdered four Jewish hostages.

On January 7, two gunmen killed 12 people at magazine Charlie Hebdo, a satirical magazine that has frequently launched withering attacks on religion, including depictions of the Prophet Muhammad.

Dieudonne M’bala M’bala’s comment drew an angry response from many in France.

French PM Manuel Valls said that freedom of speech should not be confused with anti-Semitism, racism and Holocaust denial.

After Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said he had asked the authorities to investigate Dieudonne M’bala M’bala’s remarks, the comedian posted a response on his Facebook page, arguing that he was being treated as a public enemy when all he wanted to do was make people laugh.

The comedian’s detention drew claims of double standards over free speech from some quarters in France.

Dieudonne M’bala M’bala is also facing an inquiry into whether he condoned terrorism in a video in which he mocked the beheading of US journalist James Foley by Islamic State militants.

He was acquitted last year over comments made in a video in which he called for the release of a man who tortured and murdered Ilan Halimi, a Jewish man, in Paris in 2006.

Dieudonne M’bala M’bala has attracted controversy over his trademark “quenelle” gesture. It has been called an inverted Nazi salute, but the comic argues it was intended to be anti-establishment.

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TransAsia GE235 crash UPDATE: At least 23 people killed in Taiwan plane crash

Diane A. Wade
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TransAsia GE235 crash UPDATE: At least 23 people killed in Taiwan plane crash

TransAsia Airways flight GE235 carrying mostly Chinese tourists has crashed into Taiwan’s Keelung River, killing at least 23 people.

Dramatic video footage emerged showing the TransAsia Airways plane clipping a bridge as it came down shortly after take-off from a Taipei airport.

The plane, carrying 58 people, has broken up and the fuselage is lying half-submerged in the Keelung River. Rescue efforts are ongoing.

At least 15 people have been pulled out alive, with 20 still missing.

Television footage showed some passengers wading clear of the sunken wreckage and a toddler being pulled out alive by rescuers.

The dramatic moment a toddler was rescued from the sunken wreckage of the jet.

Emergency teams have cut the plane open to gain access, attempting to reach the remaining passengers trapped in the front section of the fuselage.

“At the moment, things don’t look too optimistic,” Wu Jun-hong, a Taipei fire department official coordinating the rescue effort, told reporters.

Wu Jun-hong said the fire department had requested heavy cranes to pull the body of the plane out of the water.

TransAsia said in a statement that one passenger had already been discharged from hospital.

The ATR-72 turbo-prop plane had just taken off from Taipei Songshan Airport and was heading to the Kinmen islands, just off the coast of the south-eastern Chinese city of Xiamen.TransAsia Flight GE235 crash

It is the second TransAsia ATR-72 to crash in seven months, following an accident last July which killed 48 people and injured 15.

According to a recording played on local media, the final communication from the pilots to air traffic control was: “Mayday, mayday, engine flame out.”

The recording was not immediately verified by aviation officials.

Flight controllers lost contact with the plane at 10:55 local time.

Footage of the plane filmed from inside passing cars showed it banking sharply, hitting a taxi and clipping the bridge before crashing into the river.

“I saw a taxi, probably just meters ahead of me, being hit by one wing of the plane,” an eyewitness told local media.

“The plane was huge and really close to me. I’m still trembling.”

TV footage showed rescuers standing on the tail section of the broken wreckage trying to pull passengers out of the plane with ropes.

The majority of the plane, including the front section of the fuselage and the wings, appeared to be underwater.

The plane’s flight data recorders, also known as black boxes, have been recovered.

TransAsia said it had contacted relatives of all the 22 Taiwanese passengers and was attempting to reach relatives of the Chinese nationals on board.

The company’s chief Chen Xinde offered a “deep apology” in a televised news conference, but said his planes had been “under thorough scrutiny” since mid-2014.

“Both our planes and our flight safety system are following strict regulations, so we also want to know what caused the new plane model to crash, but I don’t want to speculate,” he said.

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Greece crisis: PM Alexis Tsipras optimistic after EU and ECB talks

Clyde K. Valle
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Greece crisis: PM Alexis Tsipras optimistic after EU and ECB talks

Greece’s PM Alexis Tsipras says he believes it will be possible to find a solution to the stand-off with the EU over his country’s debt.

Alexis Tsipras said he was “optimistic” after meeting the heads of the European Commission, European Council and European Parliament in Brussels.

The new prime minister and his finance minister are on a diplomatic offensive to reassure eurozone leaders about their plans.

Alexis Tsipras has pledged to renegotiate the terms of a €240 billion bailout.

His far-left party Syriza was elected last month on a promise to end austerity measures.

“We respect the rules of the European Union,” Alexis Tsipras said after his meetings on February 4.

“I’m very optimistic… Of course we don’t have already an agreement but we are in a good direction to find a viable agreement.”Alexis Tsipras EU talks Brussels

Speaking at the joint news conference, European Parliament President Martin Schulz described their talks as “fruitful” but said there were difficult times ahead.

Meanwhile, Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis said his talks with ECB chief Mario Draghi in Frankfurt had also been encouraging.

“We had a very fruitful discussion and exchange,” Yanis Varoufakis told reporters.

He is keen to convince the ECB that Greece’s debt payments could be linked to the performance of the economy – the more it grows the more interest Greece would pay – through the use of debt swaps.

However, a report in the Financial Times quoted officials involved in the negotiations as saying that the ECB would oppose a crucial part of his plan – the sale of short-term treasury bills to raise €10 billion.

Today’s talks were the latest in a series of European trips to reassure leaders about the plans of a government elected on January 25 on a promise of writing off most of Greece’s spiraling debt.

Alexis Tsipras’s Syriza party had also sparked alarm on the markets and among eurozone officials when it said it would refuse a new tranche of bailout funding, prompting questions about how it would finance itself.

Greece’s current program of loans ends on February 28. A final €7.2 billion is still to be negotiated, but the new government has already begun to roll back austerity measures.

Yanis Varoufakis is hoping to obtain quick cash for Greece while a new plan is agreed amongst the various eurozone members.

Eurozone finance ministers are due to meet on February 11 to discuss Greece’s debt proposals.

Earlier, Alexis Tsipras met European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and European Council President Donald Tusk.

Jean-Claude Juncker was expected to press Alexis Tsipras for a “technical” extension of Greece’s current deal. The Greek leader is to travel to Paris to meet President Francois Hollande later.

On February 5, Yanis Varoufakis is expected to meet Wolfgang Schaeuble, the German finance minister.

Wolfgang Schaeuble has emerged as the one of the toughest critics of the new Greek government, previously saying: “Elections change nothing. There are rules.”

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has ruled out Greece’s debt cancellation, saying creditors had already made concessions.

Greece still has a debt of €315 bilion – about 175% of GDP – despite some creditors writing down debts in a renegotiation in 2012.

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Bobbi Kristina Brown was never married to Nick Gordon

Lisa.Felice
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Bobbi Kristina Brown was never married to Nick Gordon

Bobbi Kristina Brown is not and never has been married to Nick Gordon, an attorney representing her father, Bobby Brown, has said.

Bobby Brown’s attorney Christopher Brown released a statement on February 3 disputing reports that Bobbi Kristina Brown is married to Nick Gordon.

Bobbi Kristina Brown, 21, has been hospitalized since January 31 after being found unresponsive in a bathtub at her Atlanta home. Nick Gordon and a friend called police.Bobbi Kristina Brown and Nick Gordon not married

In January 2014, a representative for the family confirmed that Bobbi Kristina Brown and Nick Gordon had gotten married, but did not release additional details.

Bobbi Kristina is the only child of Bobby Brown and the late singer Whitney Houston.

The singer died in 2012 after being found unresponsive in a Los Angeles hotel bathtub.

Whitney Houston left her entire estate to Bobbi Kristina Brown.

Bobbi Kristina Brown Moved to Atlanta’s Emory University Hospital after Suffering Seizures

Lisa.Felice
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According to recent reports, Bobbi Kristina Brown is being treated at a new hospital in Atlanta after suffering a series of seizures.

Bobbi Kristina Brown, 21, was moved to Atlanta’s Emory University Hospital on February 2 after initially being treated at a smaller medical facility closer her home in suburban Roswell, Georgia, CNN reported.

Whitney Houston’s daughter was found submerged, face down in a tub at her Atlanta home on January 31. She was rushed to North Fulton Hospital and placed in a medically induced coma. However, her immediate prognosis was described as bleak.

She is in “really bad shape,” a source close to the Houston family told CNN.

“Hoping for the best, preparing for the worst,” the source said of loved ones who have gathered at Bobbi Kristina Brown’s bedside – including her father Bobby Brown and husband Nick Gordon.

The individual also said that Bobbi Kristina Brown’s eyes had opened and closed on February 2, but doctors warned the family against reading too much into the movement. The medical team is reportedly attempting to reduce swelling on her brain, but they won’t know the extent of possible damage until she’s taken off of prescribed sedatives, the source said.

Study: Intense jogging is as bad as no exercise at all

Kathryn R. Bown
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Study: Intense jogging is as bad as no exercise at all

According to a study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, too much jogging may be as bad for you as not exercising at all.

Scientists studied more than 1,000 healthy joggers and non-joggers over a 12-year period.

Those who jogged at a steady pace for less than two and a half hours a week were least likely to die in this time.

But those who ran more than four hours a week or did no exercise had the highest death rates.

Analyzing questionnaires filled out by all the people in the Danish study, scientists concluded the ideal pace was about 5mph and that it was best to jog no more than three times a week or for 2.5 hours in total.Intense jogging is unhealthy

People who jogged more intensively – particularly those who jogged more than three times a week or at a pace of more than 7mph – were as likely to die as those who did no exercise.

Researcher Jacob Louis Marott, from the Frederiksberg Hospital in Copenhagen, said: “You don’t actually have to do that much to have a good impact on your health.

“And perhaps you shouldn’t actually do too much.

“No exercise recommendations across the globe mention an upper limit for safe exercise, but perhaps there is one.”

Scientists are not yet sure what is behind this trend – but they say changes to the heart during extreme exercise could contribute.

In their report, scientists suggest: “Long-term strenuous endurance exercise may induce pathological structural remodeling of the heart and arteries.”

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Lance Armstrong charged over Aspen car crash

Clyde K. Valle
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Lance Armstrong charged over Aspen car crash

Cyclist Lance Armstrong is due in court after being accused of leaving the scene of an accident and crashing into two parked cars.

According to police, Lance Armstrong left the scene in the ski resort of Aspen, Colorado, before officers arrived.

According to recent reports, his girlfriend Anna Hansen told police she was driving, before changing her story.

Lance Armstong, 43, who was stripped of seven Tour de France titles for doping, faces court on March 17.

He could face a fine and up to 90 days in jail if convicted of the charges of leaving the scene and driving too fast for the snowy conditions.Lance Armstrong and Anna Hansen Colorado car crash

Anna Hansen, 33, who lives in Aspen, was initially cited for the incident after telling police she had been driving the couple home from an Aspen Art Museum party.

She claimed to have lost control and hit two parked cars, before speaking to the owner and offering to pay for the damage, the police report said.

The Aspen Daily News reported that the couple had made the “joint decision” to avoid negative headlines.

Officers then spoke to the valet at the event, who said Lance Armstrong had driven away from the gala.

On January 12, the charges were transferred to Lance Armstrong. Anna Hansen will not face charges.

Lance Armstrong was stripped of his seven Tour de France victories and banned for life from racing in 2012 by the US Anti-Doping Agency after he admitted using performance-enhancing drugs.

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Moaz al-Kasasbeh: Jordan executes two Iraqi jihadists after ISIS killed its pilot

Roy Siemens
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Moaz al-Kasasbeh: Jordan executes two Iraqi jihadists after ISIS killed its pilot

Two jihadists, including a woman, have been executed in Jordan following the killing of one of its air force pilots by Islamic State (ISIS) militants.

The woman, failed suicide bomber Sajida al-Rishawi, and al-Qaeda operative Ziyad Karboli – both Iraqi nationals – were hanged at dawn, officials said.

The executions came hours after ISIS posted a video appearing to show pilot Moaz al-Kasasbeh being burned alive.

Moaz al-Kasasbeh was seized after crashing during an anti-ISIS mission over Syria in December.

Jordan had attempted to secure Lt. Moaz al-Kasasbeh’s release in a swap involving Sajida al-Rishawi.

Sajida al-Rishawi had been on death row for her role in attacks in Jordan’s capital, Amman, which killed 60 people in 2005.Sajida al-Rishawi and pilot Moaz al-Kasasbeh

Ziyad Karboli was convicted in 2008 for killing a Jordanian national.

The two prisoners were executed at 04:00AM local time, government spokesman Mohammad al-Momani said on February 4.

Jordan earlier vowed an “earth-shattering” response after ISIS posted a video online showing what militants say is the pilot standing in a cage engulfed in flames.

Mamdouh al-Ameri, a spokesman for the Jordanian armed forces, said on February 3 that Lt. Moaz al-Kasasbeh had “fallen as a martyr”.

“His blood will not be shed in vain. Our punishment and revenge will be as huge as the loss of the Jordanians.”

Jordanian state TV reported that Lt. Moaz al-Kasasbeh was killed a month ago.

Jordan, which is part of the US-led coalition against ISIS, had tried to secure Lt. Moaz al-Kasasbeh’s release as part of a prisoner swap, offering to free Sajida al-Rishawi in exchange.

But ISIS had sought her release as part of a deal to free captive Japanese journalist Kenji Goto. A video that appeared to show Kenji Goto’s dead body was posted online four days ago.

Jordan’s King Abdullah hailed Lt. Moaz al-Kasasbeh as a hero, saying Jordan must “stand united” in the face of hardship.

The king decided to cut short a visit to the US after news of the pilot’s death, but he met President Barack Obama on Tuesday evening before flying home.

Many in Jordan have questioned its role in the air strikes against ISIS but the two leaders sought to reaffirm their joint resolve to destroy the group.

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TransAsia plane crashes into Taiwan river killing at least 12 people

Diane A. Wade
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TransAsia plane crashes into Taiwan river killing at least 12 people

A TransAsia Airways plane with 58 people onboard clipped a bridge and crashed into Taiwan’s Keelung River near the capital of Taipei, killing at least 12 people.

The fuselage of flight GE235 is now half-submerged in the Keelung River and lying on its side.

Rescuers on boats have cut it open to gain access to people trapped inside.TransAsia plane crash Taiwan river

Officials say 16 people have suffered injuries, with some taken to hospital. Thirty people remain unaccounted for.

The ATR-72 turbo-prop plane had just taken off from Taipei Songshan Airport and was heading to the outlying Kinmen islands, just off the coast of the south-eastern Chinese city of Xiamen, CNA said.

Flight controllers lost contact with the plane at 10:55 local time.

Footage of the plane filmed from inside passing cars showed it banking sharply, hitting a taxi and clipping the bridge before crashing into the river.

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New York commuter train hits SUV on tracks killing 7 people

Nancy Clayson
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New York commuter train hits SUV on tracks killing 7 people

At least 7 people have been killed and twelve others injured after a packed commuter train hit a SUV at a level crossing north of New York City, officials say.

The train, with about 800 passengers on board, hit the Jeep Cherokee near Valhalla – about 20 miles from New York – on February 3 in the evening.

The SUV’s female driver was killed, along with six people on the train, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said.

The car and front carriage of the train caught fire following the crash.

The packed commuter train had left Grand Central Station in New York City and was heading to Wassaic in south-east New York State.

The crossing gates at the railroad had come down on top of the vehicle, which had stopped on the tracks, Metro-North Railroad spokesman Aaron Donovan said.

Photo AP
Photo AP

The driver got out to look at the damage, and then got back into the car to drive forward before it was hit by the train. It pushed the vehicle more than 400ft.

It is not yet clear why the vehicle stalled on the tracks.

As a result of the collision the electrified third rail of the track came through the front carriage of the train.

Passengers had to escape from the rear of the train.

Andrew Cuomo, who visited the site of the crash, said he witnessed “a truly ugly and brutal sight”.

He added: “When you look at the damage done, it’s actually amazing that not more people were hurt.”

Hundreds of passengers were taken to a local rock climbing gym following the crash.

Parts of the railroad remain closed on February 4.

Metro-North is the second-busiest railroad in the US after Long Island Rail Road, serving about 280,000 passengers a day in New York and Connecticut. It was formed in 1983 and serves about 280,000 riders a day in New York and Connecticut. Service on its Harlem Line was suspended between Pleasantville and North White Plains after the crash.

Last year, the National Transportation Safety Board issued rulings on five accidents that occurred on the railroad in 2013 and 2014, criticizing Metro-North while also finding conditions had improved.

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Alberto Nisman planned arrest warrant for President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner

Diane A. Wade
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Alberto Nisman planned arrest warrant for President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner

Prosecutor Alberto Nisman had planned an arrest warrant for Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, according to the woman investigating the prosecutor’s mysterious death.

Lead investigator Viviana Fein said the draft warrant was found in a rubbish bin in Alberto Nisman’s apartment complex.

Alberto Nisman was found dead in his Buenos Aires apartment last month, with a single bullet wound to the head.

Investigators have yet to establish if he killed himself, or was murdered.

Alberto Nisman had been investigating the 1994 bombing of a Jewish centre in Buenos Aires which killed 85 people.Alberto Nisman arrest warrant Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner

He died hours before he was due to testify in Congress against President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, whom he had accused of covering up alleged Iranian involvement in the 1994 attack.

President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner has denied the allegation. Iran has also denied involvement in the attack.

Viviana Fein told a local radio station on February 3 that the draft warrant was “in the file”.

However, the document had not been included in a 300-page report submitted by Alberto Nisman to a federal court, days before his death.

The government dismissed as “garbage” a local newspaper report earlier this week that referred to the existence of the draft warrant.

President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner had also originally described Alberto Nisman’s death as suicide. However, in a televised speech last week, the president suggested that rogue elements in Argentina’s intelligence service had fed Alberto Nisman false information and manipulated him.

The president announced plans to dismantle the Intelligence Secretariat (SI) and called for a special session of Congress to discuss a draft bill to that effect.

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Why Fly Private Charter?

Nancy Clayson
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Why Fly Private Charter?

            For those of you who do not regularly fly on a chartered flight, we think you should reconsider. Flying via a private jet is one of the best ways to travel, and it may actually be cheaper than you think, especially if you like to travel a lot. It is so convenient and accessible that many people are choosing this method whenever they can. If you are on the fence about whether or not flying a private charter is worth the money, here are just a few of the benefits you can look forward to.

Why Fly Private Charter
Why Fly Private Charter
  1. Fits Your Schedule – Unlike when you fly commercially, taking a private jet fits around your schedule. You can book a plane at any time, to any location. No longer will you have to search the internet to see what flights are leaving your nearest airport, and getting up before the sun just to make a flight. You get to pick when the plane leaves, so you can fit it to your busy schedule.
  2. Less Waiting – The convenience doesn’t stop in just scheduling the flight however. Once you get to the airport, getting to your flight is a breeze. There’s no waiting in line, no going through the TSA shakedowns, and no sitting around in lobby areas, waiting for your flight to board. Your plane is waiting for you when you arrive, and you can just walk right onto it.
  3. Comfort – This may be the best aspect of private flights. When you’re sitting on a plane for several hours, you want to be comfortable. With a private charter you get comfortable seating, catering, in flight entertainment, and much more. It is the most luxurious way to travel, and once you choose it, you won’t want to go any other way. Traveling can be stressful enough, so you might as well get to relax and enjoy the ride while you’re on the go.
  4. Costs – Most people think of chartering a private jet as something they can’t afford. If you actually look into it however, the prices may be better than you think. For example, Jets.com is currently offering some great deals for their private charter services. They have thousands of planes all over the country, at hundreds of airports. When you compare it to all of the benefits you are getting, it is a pretty great deal. If you have thought that private jets were above your budget, take another look and see what is out there. You may end up pleasantly surprised.
  5. Safety – Last but not least is your safety. When you fly private, there’s no chance that you end up missing in Indonesia Your plane flies where and when you want it to, and they all meet the highest of safety standards. We’ve all seen the news lately with those commercial flights having some troubles. You won’t have to worry about things like that when you take a private jet.

With all of these great benefits in store, you owe it to yourself to check out private charters. If you are a constant traveler, you might as well do it in style. Take a look around for some private jet companies and see what the prices are. Especially for those of you who like to travel a lot, the costs may well be worth it. In our opinion, this time-saving, hassle-free way of travel is the only way to go.

Suge Knight hospitalized after pleading not guilty to murder charges

Sonia Pantiss
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Suge Knight hospitalized after pleading not guilty to murder charges

Music producer Suge Knight has been taken to hospital shortly after pleading not guilty to murder and attempted murder in court.

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said Marion “Suge” Knight was seen by doctors after complaining of chest pains.

His court appearance came five days after he was involved a hit-and-run incident in which one man died.

Prosecutors claim Suge Knight, 49, intended to run over two men after an argument, but his lawyer has said it was an accident.

He faces a total of four charges under his real name Marion Hugh Knight and faces life in prison if convicted.

Photo Getty Images
Photo Getty Images

A truck Suge Knight was driving hit and killed his friend Terry Carter, 55, in the incident in the suburb of Compton last week. Another man, Cle “Bone” Sloan, 51, was injured.

Suge Knight’s lawyer said his client was trying to escape an attack at the time.

At a brief court hearing in Compton, the judge set a bail hearing for February 2 and Suge Knight was remanded in custody.

On February 2, a court commissioner revoked the $2 million bail after police said the defendant had a violent past and could intimidate witnesses.

The music producer has previously been convicted of armed robbery and assault with a gun.

Suge Knight, who founded Death Row Records in the 1990s, helped launch the careers of artists including Dr Dre, Tupac Shakur and Snoop Dogg.

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Oscar Nominees Luncheon 2015: Stars gather at Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles

Sonia Pantiss
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0
Oscar Nominees Luncheon 2015: Stars gather at Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles

The annual Academy Awards Nominees Luncheon ran nearly three hours on February 2 at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles.

The Oscar Nominees Luncheon is a chance for all honorees to lunch and take a class picture as a memento of the February 22 ceremony.

Nominees including Clint Eastwood and Bradley Cooper (American Sniper), Oprah Winfrey (Selma), Reese Witherspoon (Wild) and Steve Carell (Foxcatcher) attended the afternoon event at the Beverly Hilton.Oscar Nominees Luncheon 2015

Show producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron told the room that acceptance speeches are a key part of the Oscar ceremony, which is broadcast to 1 billion people in 225 countries.

Oscar host Neil Patrick Harris flew in from New York to lunch with the nominees, and gave a special hug to actress nominee Rosamund Pike – despite the fact that she killed him brutally in Gone Girl.

Neil PatrickHarris attempted to hypnotize the crowd by repeating: “We’re going to spend Oscar night together where everything will be hilarious.”

During the gathering for a group photo, Oscar watchers noted which nominees received the most applause when their name was called.

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Jackrabbits invade Fargo, North Dakota

Nancy Clayson
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Jackrabbits invade Fargo, North Dakota

Dog-sized jackrabbits have invaded a neighborhood of Fargo, North Dakota.

The rabbits are not harmful and at first neighbors found them charming. But they have multiplied and are now leaving their droppings everywhere and devouring trees and shrubs. They leave messes everywhere.

Residents were advised by animal control to poison the jackrabbits, though folks are loathe to do so.Jackrabbit invasion Fargo, North Dakota

One resident said the city pest control department told her that they couldn’t do anything about the jackrabbits, technically wild hares, because they were wild animals.

There is no city ordinance that deals with depopulating rabbits in the area, Fargo Police Lt. Joel Vettel told ABC News.

Female jackrabbits can bear two to four litters each year with one to nine offspring in each litter.

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Standard & Poor’s to pay $1.4 billion settlement over mortgage crisis claims

Clyde K. Valle
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Standard & Poor’s to pay $1.4 billion settlement over mortgage crisis claims

Standard & Poor’s (S&P) has agreed to pay a $1.38 billion settlement to US regulators over allegations it knowingly inflated its ratings of risky mortgage bonds.

The deal with the Department of Justice also resolves 19 other lawsuits.

McGraw Hill – the parent company of S&P – said in a statement the “settlement contains no findings of violations of law”.

S&P is the first credit agency fined over financial crisis-era violations.

The settlement covers mortgage bond ratings between 2004 and 2007.S&P mortgage crisis claims settlement

The bonds, which included sub-prime mortgages, were blamed for the collapse of the US property market and subsequent global financial crisis.

The DoJ filed civil fraud charges against S&P two years ago.

It accused the credit rating firm of giving top recommendations – known as triple-A ratings – to mortgage bonds that it knew contained sub-prime mortgage debt and were therefore not as safe an investment as the rating suggested.

The US government said that S&P’s ratings encouraged financial institutions around the world to buy and sell what proved to be “toxic” financial products in their trillions.

It also accused S&P of failing to warn investors that the housing market was collapsing in 2006 because doing so would have hurt its business.

At the time, S&P said the US government’s case was entirely without factual or legal merit.

“On more than one occasion, the company’s leadership ignored senior analysts who warned that the company had given top ratings to financial products that were failing to perform as advertised,” said Attorney General Eric Holder in a statement announcing the settlement.

“As S&P admits under this settlement, company executives complained that the company declined to downgrade underperforming assets, because it was worried that doing so would hurt the company’s business.

“While this strategy may have helped S&P avoid disappointing its clients, it did major harm to the larger economy, contributing to the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression.”

S&P will pay $687.5 million to the DoJ and a further $678.5 million to the 19 states that had brought lawsuits against it.

The ratings agency will also pay $125 million in a separate settlement with the California Public Employees’ Retirement System.

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Balkan genocide: International Court of Justice rejects Croatia and Serbia claims

James J. Williams
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Balkan genocide: International Court of Justice rejects Croatia and Serbia claims

The International Court of Justice has ruled that neither Croatia nor Serbia committed genocide against each other’s populations during the Balkan wars that followed the collapse of Yugoslavia in the 1990s.

The Croatian government had alleged that Serbia committed genocide in the town of Vukovar and elsewhere in 1991.

Serbia later filed a counter-claim over the expulsion of more than 200,000 Serbs from Croatia.

About 20,000 people died during the 1991-1995 war, mostly Croatians.

Photo EPA
Photo EPA

The Croatian town of Vukovar was devastated when it was occupied by Serbs for three months in 1991. Tens of thousands of ethnic Croats were displaced, and about 260 Croat men were detained and killed.

Four years later, the Croatian military’s Operation Storm bombarded the majority ethnic-Serb Krajina area, forcing about 200,000 people from their homes.

Speaking in UN’s highest court on February 3, Judge Peter Tomka dismissed both the Croatian claim and the Serbian counter-claim.

Forces on both sides had carried out violent acts during the war, Judge Tomka said. However, neither side had provided sufficient evidence to demonstrate the “specific intent required for acts of genocide”.

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Go Set a Watchman: Harper Lee to publish To Kill a Mockingbird sequel after 60 years

Sonia Pantiss
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0
Go Set a Watchman: Harper Lee to publish To Kill a Mockingbird sequel after 60 years

Harper Lee’s unpublished novel Go Set a Watchman is to be released 60 years after the author put it aside to write To Kill a Mockingbird.

Go Set a Watchman, which features the character of Scout as an adult, will be released on July 14.

Harper Lee wrote the novel in the mid-1950s but put it aside on the advice of her editor.

“I thought it a pretty decent effort.” said the author in a statement.

Photo AP
Photo AP

“I am humbled and amazed that this will now be published after all these years.”

Set in the fictional southern town of Maycomb during the mid-1950s, Go Set a Watchman sees Scout return from New York to visit her father, the lawyer Atticus Finch.

According to the publisher’s announcement: “She is forced to grapple with issues both personal and political as she tries to understand her father’s attitude toward society, and her own feelings about the place where she was born and spent her childhood.”

US imposes new visa restrictions on Venezuela officials

Diane A. Wade
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US imposes new visa restrictions on Venezuela officials

The US has expanded visa restrictions on unnamed Venezuelan officials it accuses of human rights violations and corruption.

Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro said the measures were an attempt to violate Venezuelan sovereignty.

They build on sanctions imposed last year on officials alleged to have violated the rights of protesters.

The list of officials banned from entering the US has been extended, and now includes family members.

“We are sending a clear message that human rights abusers, those who profit from public corruption, and their families are not welcome in the United States,” said US state department spokeswoman Jen Psaki.

Nicolas Maduro reacted angrily and said he would write a letter to President Barack Obama.

“We can’t let an empire that has been eyeing all of us pretend or think it has the right to sanction the country of [Simon] Bolivar,” Nicolas Maduro said, making reference to the Venezuela-born hero of Latin American liberation.Nicolas Maduro and Joe Biden in Brazil

The sanctions imposed in December were aimed at officials accused over their role in suppressing anti-government protests that shook Venezuela in the first six months of 2014.

The new visa restrictions were announced a day after Nicolas Maduro accused Vice-President Joe Biden of plotting a coup against his Socialist government during an energy summit of Caribbean leaders in Washington.

Joe Biden’s office called the allegation “baseless and patently false”.

“President Maduro’s accusations are clearly part of an effort to distract from the concerning situation in Venezuela, which includes repeated violations of freedom of speech, assembly, and due process,” read a statement.

Joe Biden and Nicolas Maduro had shaken hands in Brazil during Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff’s inauguration ceremony on January 1.

“Vice-President Biden: Look me in the eyes. I saw you in Brazil, I gave you my hand,” said Nicolas Maduro in a televised address on February 1.

“You, who said this is a new era for relations in Latin America, were going to conspire against Venezuela,” he added.

Relations between the US and Venezuela have been tense for many years. They last had ambassadors in each other’s capitals in 2010.

Robin Williams’ widow and children fight over comedian’s estate

Lisa.Felice
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Robin Williams’ widow and children fight over comedian’s estate

Nearly six months after the death of Robin Williams, his widow, Susan Schneider, and children have gone to court in a dispute over the late comedian’s estate.

In papers filed in December in San Francisco Superior Court, Susan Schneider accused his children of taking items without her permission.

Robin Williams’ children – Zachary, Zelda and Cody – argued that Susan Schneider was “adding insult to a terrible injury” by trying to change their trust agreement.Robin Williams and wife Susan Schneider

The dispute involves items Robin Williams kept at two homes and in storage.

Susan Schneider Williams has requested that the contents of the home she shared with her husband be excluded from the jewellery, memorabilia and other items her husband said his children should have.

Robin Williams’ children have taken issue with this suggestion, saying there should be no limits placed on the items to which they are entitled.

Items in dispute include the actor’s collection of watches and the Oscar statuette he won in 1998 for Good Will Hunting.

Robin Williams, who married his third wife Susan Schneider in 2011, died from hanging at his home in Tiburon, California, in August 2014.

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News Corp investigation dropped in US

Diane A. Wade
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News Corp investigation dropped in US

Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp will not be prosecuted in the US over the phone-hacking scandal in the UK.

US officials were looking into whether alleged payments to British police by journalists meant that News Corp, a US company, broke anti-corruption laws.

The US Department of Justice said on February 2 it was not pursuing charges and was closing its investigation.

The tabloid newspaper at the centre of the scandal was closed down in 2011.

Several News of the World journalists have been prosecuted in the UK, after being accused of hacking phones and paying public officials in return for exclusive stories.

Reporters gained access to the phone of missing British schoolgirl Milly Dowler, who had been murdered.

Photo Getty Images
Photo Getty Images

The FBI had trawled through thousands of emails on News Corp servers, looking for evidence of any possible violations of US law.

The DOJ said in a statement on February 2 that it was ending its “investigation into News Corp regarding possible violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act concerning bribes allegedly paid for news leads”.

It reserved the right to reopen the inquiry if new information came to light, it said.

News Corp said it had been notified and welcomed the news.

“We are grateful that this matter has been concluded and acknowledge the fairness and professionalism of the justice department throughout this investigation,” said Gerson Zweifach, general counsel of News Corp.

A lawyer acting on behalf of a group of relatives of victims of the 9/11 attacks, who suspect that their phones were hacked, said that it was “very disappointing” that the investigation had ended.

Rupert Murdoch controls both News Corp and its sister company Twenty-First Century Fox, which split into separate businesses in 2013.

Super Bowl 2015: Katy Perry’s halftime show seen by record 118.5 million people

Lisa.Felice
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0
Super Bowl 2015: Katy Perry’s halftime show seen by record 118.5 million people

Katy Perry’s Super Bowl performance was seen by 118.5 million people, the biggest audience ever for the halftime show since modern ratings began in 1991.

Photo Getty Images
Photo Getty Images

An estimated 114.4 million people watched the New England Patriots narrowly beat the Seattle Seahawks 28-24, rising to 120 million during the nailbiting finale.

Ratings company Nielsen said that made it the most-watched event in US TV history.

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