Senators in campus sex assault push

30 July 2014 Last updated at 19:49

A cross-party group of US senators have introduced a bill aimed at reducing sexual assault on university campuses.

The legislation comes as researchers estimate one in five women are sexually assaulted while in US universities.

And a recent survey found 40% of US universities had not conducted a sexual assault investigation in the past five years.

The bill would quadruple the penalty for underreporting assaults and overhaul training and other policies.

'Lift the burden'

On Wednesday, a group of Republican and Democratic senators were joined on Capitol Hill by campus sexual assault survivors to announce the bill.

Its provisions include:

• Requirements that universities designate confidential advisers for those who have been assaulted
• Requires employees involved in the assault claims process to have a minimal level of specialised training
• A nationwide, anonymous survey about students' experience with sexual violence on campuses
• Increasing fines for failing to report a campus crime, including sexual assault, to $150,000 (£88,751) from $35,000

New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a Democrat, told reporters a young woman was more likely to be sexually assaulted if she attended university than if she did not.

Analysis - Rajini Vaidyanathan in Washington

This bill is the latest sign that authorities are prepared to take aggressive action against universities over their treatment of sexual assault survivors.

For too long, victims say, their voices have been silenced by institutions which fail to deal with their complaints fairly, brushing them away for fear their reputations could be damaged. Some students say they were told to come face to face with their attackers at internal university disciplinary hearings and made to continue attending lectures in the same room as them, while perpetrators have reportedly been ordered to write apology essays as their only punishment.

Very rarely do cases make it to the courts, in part because universities and law enforcement lack proper protocols in place to report crimes.

Ms Gillibrand cheered student organising efforts on the issue, saying she was "inspired by them" and that the bill would "lift the burden" of fighting for sexual assault protection from victims onto universities.

"None of the students deserve to deal with a university that is afraid of bringing attention to these crimes because application numbers might diminish," she said.

Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.

Julia Dixon has filed a complaint against her university for the way it handled her sexual assault case.

Ada Meloy, general counsel of the American Council on Education, which represents college presidents, said universities were working to address the problem of sexual assault in difficult circumstances.

'Significant marks'

Ms Meloy told the Associated Press news agency many colleges wanted to work with local authorities, but law enforcement is hesitant to do so given the difficulties of prosecuting rape and sexual assault cases.

One of the survivors of assault who spoke, Wagatwe Wanjuki, said her university refused to help her after multiple sexual assaults in an abusive relationship and then expelled her when she began campaigning for better sexual assault policies.

"Tufts' refusal to support me has left significant marks in the years since," said Ms Wanjuki, who said she will be graduating from university in August, six years after she originally planned to do so because of the expulsion.

The bill's way forward is unclear this year as the US Congress goes on a month-long recess at the end of the week, but the bill's bipartisan push is rare.

Among the sponsors are Democrats Senators Claire McCaskill, Richard Blumenthal, Ms Gillibrand, and Mark Warner, as well as Republican Senators Dean Heller, Chuck Grassley, Kelly Ayotte and Marco Rubio.

20.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Los Angeles flood hits university

30 July 2014 Last updated at 16:03

A burst water main on Los Angeles' Sunset Boulevard has caused flooding at the University of California, Los Angeles, local officials say.

The main burst on Tuesday afternoon, sending a jet of water high into the air and opening a hole 10ft (3m) wide in the street.

Local roads were inundated and water poured into underground car parks.

Three motorists had to be rescued from flooded cars.

The broken 30in (76.2cm) main in the city's Westwood neighbourhood dates from 1921 and carries water from reservoirs in the San Fernando Valley to the city of Los Angeles.

In the three hours it took utility workers to stop the flow, as much as 8-10 million US gallons (30-38 million litres) had spilled, Los Angeles Water and Power said in a statement.

The utility said it served about 500 million gallons of water to customers a day.

It said that crews shut down three large valves "as quickly and safely as they could", taking care to avoid damage to other pipes due to the shifts in water pressure.

Police discouraged anyone from trying to surf down streets flooded with ankle-deep water, after some people came to the area with boogie boards.

"That is probably one of the most dangerous things you can do," said Los Angeles Fire Department Captain Jaime Moore.

"For somebody to try and boogie board in this, it's just going to be an asphalt bath."

On Wednesday, a portion of Sunset Boulevard remained closed as utility officials continued repair.

Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.

Jaime Moore of Los Angeles Fire Department: ''Water was seen as high as 25 to 30 feet in the air''

But spokesman Jeff Bray told reporters the location of the leak - at the juncture of two large pipes - was "creating a lot of complexity". In addition, at least two valves were leaking nearby.

The leak has not affected water service elsewhere in the city, but UCLA facilities vice-chancellor Kelly Schmader said "significant damage" had been done to six buildings on campus.

20.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

US travel ban on Venezuela officials

30 July 2014 Last updated at 16:50

The US is imposing travel restrictions on a number of Venezuelan officials.

Officials did not specify how many people would be affected, but said those "who have been responsible for or complicit in human rights abuses" would not be "welcome" in the US.

The Venezuelan opposition has been lobbying for sanctions since thousands of protesters were detained during anti-government protests.

At least 43 people were killed in the protests.

The victims were from both sides of the political divide.

Souring relations

Relations between the US and Venezuela took a turn for the worse on Sunday when the former head of Venezuelan military intelligence, Gen Hugo Carvajal, was released from custody in the Caribbean and given a hero's welcome in Caracas.

Gen Carvajal had been detained on the Dutch Caribbean island of Aruba over US accusations of drug-trafficking activities.

The US Treasury said he had been protecting drug shipments by Colombian Farc rebels.

He was released after Venezuela claimed he had diplomatic immunity because he had been appointed as Venezuela's consul in Aruba.

The US said his release was "deeply disappointing" and accused Venezuela of threatening Aruba and the Netherlands into freeing Gen Carvajal.

In a statement released on Wednesday, US state department spokeswoman Marie Harf said the travel restrictions were in response to "arbitrary detentions and excessive use of force" by Venezuelan officials as they tried to contain growing anti-government protest.

'Imperialist bully'

Hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans took to the streets in February and March in protest at skyrocketing inflation, high crime rates and shortages of some basic staples.

Key opposition figures behind the protests were arrested and have been charged with inciting violence.

Thousands of protesters were detained, many of them have since been released but there have been allegations they were intimidated, beaten and even tortured.

The Venezuelan government says it is investigating dozens of members of the security forces in connection with the allegations.

The demonstrations have since become smaller and less frequent but tensions in the deeply divided country remain high.

President Nicolas Maduro has accused the opposition of trying to launch a coup against his government at the behest of "the imperialist US force".

20.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

US economic growth surges by 4%

30 July 2014 Last updated at 19:37

The US economy grew at an annual rate of 4% during the April-to-June period, latest figures released by the US Department of Commerce have shown.

The growth during the second quarter reverses the contraction seen earlier in the year.

Following the report, the Federal Reserve said it would continue to ease back on its stimulus efforts.

In a widely-expected moved, the Fed announced a cut to its bond purchases to $25bn (£15bn) a month from $35bn.

The central bank has been buying bonds in an effort to keep long-term interest rates low and thus encourage spending, rather than saving, by businesses and consumers.

Big spending

"Information received since the Federal Open Market Committee met in June indicates that growth in economic activity rebounded in the second quarter," said the Fed in a statement after its two-day meeting in Washington, DC.

Consumer spending - which makes up over two-thirds of US economy activity - grew by a robust 2.5% during the second quarter.

Business spending increased by 14% in the world's largest economy, as businesses restocked inventories.

In the previous quarter, from January to March, the US economy shrank a revised 2.1% on an annualised basis, as a result of harsh winter weather.

Continue reading the main story

Even with the rebound, many economists believe that the harsh winter will weight on growth for the year, which is expected to be around 1.6% - less than in 2013.

Inflation fears

The Fed also added that the labour market continued to be weaker than expected, and said that it planned to keep short term interest rates low for the foreseeable future, at least until mid-2015.

Some have worried that keeping rates so low could spur inflation.

The Commerce Department figures showed that inflation, as measured by a component of the overall GDP report, increased by 1.9% - which is within the Fed's target, but an increase from the 1.4% annualised figure reported during the January-to-March period.

"Inflation has moved somewhat closer to the Committee's longer-run objective," said the Fed.

Strong figures

Also on Wednesday, a report by private payroll processor ADP showed that the US private sector added 218,000 jobs in July.

Although official jobs figures will not be released until Friday, the figures are an encouraging sign that the US economy is finally growing at its potential.

All three US stock indexes traded higher in the wake of the figures.

Marc Chandler, global head of currency at investment firm Brown Brothers Harriman, wrote in a note to clients that overall, the US economic growth data was "strong".

However, he pointed out that as a result of revisions to economic data going back to 1999, "it now appears the US economy grew more slowly than previously known over the past three years."

The US recovery from the depths of the 2009 recession remains the weakest since World War Two.

20.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

US bridge to get anti-suicide fence

30 July 2014 Last updated at 21:53

A major bridge between New York City and New Jersey will be getting a safety fence designed to prevent suicides, after an increase in deaths this year.

The 9ft (2.7m) tall fence along both sides of the George Washington Bridge will cost between $37m (£22m) and $47m.

Thirteen people have killed themselves by jumping off the bridge so far in 2014, after 16 deaths in all of 2013.

Officials say they have increased suicide prevention efforts on the bridge in the past few years.

"The Port Authority has stepped up police patrols, added surveillance cameras and installed hotline phones at the George Washington Bridge in recent years to help address the issue of bridge suicides, preventing more than 75 deaths since the beginning of last year," spokesman Ron Marsico told the BBC.

Mr Marsico said the fence would be installed as improvements were made to the bridge's pedestrian and bicycle access areas and would be completed by 2022.

The move comes a month after officials at the Golden Gate Bridge in California voted to install suicide-prevention nets along the bridge.

In 2012, 18 people jumped to their deaths from the George Washington Bridge and 43 people attempted to do so, according to the Port Authority Police Department.

The next year, 16 people died and 37 attempts were averted. Half-way through 2014, 13 people have died and 40 were averted.

Port Authority engineer Bernie Yostpille told the Bergen Record newspaper that an increase in suicide attempts was the motivation for installing the fence.

He added it would be a costly project because an error could turn the fence into a sail, making the bridge deck move up and down.

In one high-profile case, university student Tyler Clementi jumped off the George Washington Bridge days after his roommate filmed him kissing another man in a dorm room in September 2010.

The roommate, Dharun Ravi, served 20 days of 30-day prison sentence after being found guilty of invasion of privacy, among other charges.

20.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Flying axe near-miss on US motorway

30 July 2014 Last updated at 22:46

A car passenger is "shaken up" after an axe flew off the back of a lorry on a motorway and crashed midway through the windscreen, police say.

Massachusetts State Police said the passenger was uninjured but they have fined a landscaper $200 for failing to properly secure the axe.

The incident happened around 11:00 local time on the busy I-95 motorway.

Police said if the driver had been going faster, the axe might have hit someone in the car.

"We are very thankful that this situation did not have a worse ending," state police said in a Facebook post.

"The passenger, who is partially seen in the photo, was shaken up (who wouldn't be?) but not injured," they wrote.

20.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

House votes to sue President Obama

31 July 2014 Last updated at 05:08

Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.

John Boehner urged the US House of Representatives to ''defend the Constitution''

The US House of Representatives has passed a resolution to sue President Barack Obama for allegedly exceeding his constitutional powers.

The 225-201 vote along party lines means House lawyers will now draft legal documents to launch a lawsuit.

Its supporters say Mr Obama exceeded his powers when he delayed an insurance deadline in his healthcare law.

The president himself has dismissed it as a waste of time. "Everyone sees this as a political stunt," he said.

"If they're not going to do anything, we'll do what we can on our own," the president added.

Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.

Nancy Pelosi: "This isn't about this lawsuit... this is about the road to impeachment''

"And we've taken more than 40 actions aimed at helping hardworking families like yours. That's when we act - when your Congress won't."

The action is reportedly the first time either the House or Senate has brought legal action against a president over the legality of his powers, although members of Congress have sued the president before.

Republicans in Congress have complained that Mr Obama has exceeded his constitutional authority on numerous occasions, in order to bypass Congress by issuing executive orders.

They object, for instance, to his order unilaterally easing deportations of some young illegal immigrants, and the prison exchange that won the release of a US soldier held captive for five years by the Taliban.

"This isn't about Republicans or Democrats. It's about defending the Constitution we swore an oath to," Speaker John Boehner said during an impassioned debate in the House on Wednesday evening.

"Are you willing to let any president choose what laws to execute and what laws to change?"

At issue was Mr Obama's decision to twice delay requirements in his 2010 healthcare overhaul that businesses over a certain size provide their workers with health insurance.

Mr Obama has been forthright about his intentions to circumvent the gridlocked Congress when possible, noting frequently that the Republican-controlled House of Representatives has declined even to hold votes on Senate-passed bills on topics from immigration reform to gay rights.

What are executive orders?

The president regularly issues orders to manage the executive branch of the federal government, weighing in on everything from White House office decorations to foreign policy.

Sometimes "the president decides to put those directions on paper, and that becomes an official document," explains Ilya Shapiro, a senior fellow at the libertarian think-tank Cato Institute.

Read a full explainer

As far back as January, White House aides began referring to the president's "pen and phone" strategy - using his telephone to convene meetings at the White House and his pen to sign executive orders and changes to federal regulations.

Every US president since George Washington has issued executive orders, and Mr Obama has not stood out in the modern era for the number he has signed.

In his six years in office Mr Obama has issued 183 executive orders, compared to 291 across George W Bush's eight years and 381 for Ronald Reagan, according to a study by the American Presidency Project at the University of California-Santa Barbara.

But Republicans insist Mr Obama has selectively enforced laws duly passed by Congress, upsetting the balance of powers written into the constitution.

"Such a shift in power should alarm members of both political parties because it threatens the very institution of the Congress," the Republicans wrote in report accompanying the House legislation.

20.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Mexico migrants' train deal reached

31 July 2014 Last updated at 11:43

Guatemala, Mexico and the United States have reached a deal to try to prevent migrants from jumping onto a freight train in an attempt to reach the US, according to Guatemalan officials.

Tens of thousands of migrants stow away on the train, known as La Bestia (The Beast), every year.

Hundreds are injured or killed when they fall under its wheels. Many more are robbed or attacked by gangs.

The three countries said they would establish more checkpoints.

Rising flow

Guatemala's top immigration official, Alejandra Gordillo, said the deal was reached during meetings between Guatemalan President Otto Perez Molina, Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto and US Vice President Joe Biden.

Mr Biden travelled to Central America last month to try to stem a growing flow of unaccompanied minors from the region to the US.

According to US Homeland Security, 52,000 unaccompanied children arrived on the US border with Mexico between October 2013 and 15 June 2014.

Risky rails

Many Central American migrants jump onto La Bestia on their way north, clinging perilously to its sides or sitting on its roof.

They are regularly targeted by criminal gangs, which rob them of their possessions or abduct them to force them to join their ranks.

Those who, exhausted, fall from its roof often lose limbs when they fall under the train's wheels.

Riding the train is illegal, but the authorities have found it hard to stop migrants from boarding it along its thousands of kilometres of tracks.

It is not clear how many checkpoints would be established as part of the deal.

La Bestia stops south of the US border, and migrants who make it that far still face a dangerous journey on foot through the desert or crossing by river.

20.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

US ex-governor's wife 'sought gifts'

31 July 2014 Last updated at 14:11

The star witness in a corruption trial of the ex-governor of Virginia and his wife has testified the former first lady sought gifts and loans in return for help with his business.

Prosecutors say Jonnie Williams gave Bob and Maureen McDonnell gifts and loans totalling $165,000 (£97,000).

Mr McDonnell denies wrongdoing. His wife says their marriage was frayed and she had a "crush" on Mr Williams.

Mr Williams is due to resume testifying in Richmond on Thursday.

Mr Williams, the head of a vitamin supplements company called Star Scientific, testified on Wednesday that Mrs McDonnell told him the couple were broke and in debt, and asked him for money and to pay for high-end shopping trips, offering to connect him to the governor in return.

"She said to me: 'I have a background in nutritional supplements, and I can be helpful to you with this project with your company,'" Mr Williams testified on Wednesday in a federal court in Richmond, on the third day of the McDonnells' trial, according to the Washington Post.

"'The governor says it's okay for me to help you, but I need you to help me with this financial situation.'"

Mr Williams, to whom prosecutors have granted immunity, said he insisted on speaking to the governor before giving her any cash, and testified that the governor subsequently thanked him for his generosity.

Mr McDonnell, once a rising star in the Republican Party with aspirations for national office, left office in disgrace in January at the end of his term. Virginia governors are barred from running for a second consecutive term, and he was succeeded by Democrat Terry McAuliffe.

Prosecutors say Mr McDonnell was in financial dire straights, and traded on his position to win gifts of travel and cash from Mr Williams. They say he helped arrange meetings with state officials for Mr Williams and pitched his vitamin supplements in his own dealings with officials.

They have described Mrs McDonnell as a woman with a taste for luxury who was willing to use her husband's position to extract gifts and loans from the wealthy businessman.

Mr McDonnell argues he was only doing for Mr Williams what he would for any Virginia businessman. Mrs McDonnell's lawyers have said their marriage was frayed - keeping her from conspiring with the governor to promote Star Scientific in exchange for gifts.

20.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Argentina blames US for debt default

31 July 2014 Last updated at 14:17

Argentina has blamed the US for its debt default, calling the mediator in failed talks "incompetent".

Cabinet Chief Jorge Capitanich said his country was considering opening proceedings at international tribunals in The Hague after it was declared to be in technical default.

The announcement came just hours after last-minute talks in New York with a group of bond-holders failed.

The bond-holders are demanding a full pay-out of $1.3bn (£766m).

Argentina says the bond-holders are "vultures" using the South American country's debt problems to make a big profit.

The investors are US hedge funds that bought debt cheaply after Argentina's economic crisis in 2001-2002.

They are also known as "hold-outs" because they did not sign up to a restructuring of debt which the majority of bond-holders agreed to in 2005 and 2010.

Under that deal, investors agreed to settle for about one-third of what they were originally owed.

However, hedge funds NML and Aurelius Capital Management bought up a large chunk of the remaining distressed debt at low prices.

They demand to be paid the full face value of their holding.

'Shameful handling'

Mr Capitanich said Argentina would denounce the "vulture funds" before the International Court of Justice at The Hague and the United Nations General Assembly.

He said the US was to blame for it's "shameful" handling of the funds' case against Argentina.

"The responsibility lies with a state, that of the United States of America," he said in a news conference at the presidential palace.

Mr Capitanich accused the US of "not acting in an adequate manner".

The Argentine government had expected the dispute to go all the way to the US Supreme Court, which would have bought the country more time.

But in June, the Supreme Court declined to hear Argentina's appeal against the decision of a lower court that made it liable for the money.

Under that court's ruling, Argentina cannot use the US financial system to keep paying the restructured bondholders unless it also pays the "vulture funds", placing it in technical default.

20.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

China spies 'hacked Canada agency'

29 July 2014 Last updated at 21:02

A top Canadian government research organisation has been struck by Chinese hackers, the government has said.

The computer infrastructure of the National Research Council was breached by a "Chinese state-sponsored actor", the Canadian Treasury Board said.

The board said the "highly-sophisticated" intrusion was confirmed by one of Canada's spy agencies.

The Chinese embassy in Ottawa said dismissed the report as a "groundless allegation".

"China-Canada relations have maintained a good momentum," said embassy spokesperson Yang Yundong. "We are ready to work together with the Canadian side to create a peaceful, secure, open and cooperative cyber space."

In a statement on Tuesday, the Treasury Board said there was "no evidence" hackers had compromised data in other government systems.

But the board said the National Research Council's computers have been isolated from the rest of the government's systems as a precaution.

The Canadian National Research Council is a research and development agency advised by private industry that is tasked with bringing new technologies to the market.

Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird was in Beijing on Tuesday as part of a trade mission.

A spokesman for Mr Baird said he and his Chinese counterpart had a "full and frank exchange of views on the matter".

20.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

US growth rebounds in second quarter

30 July 2014 Last updated at 13:43

The US economy grew at an annual rate of 4% during the April to June period, latest figures released by the US Department of Commerce have shown.

Consumer spending - which makes up over two-thirds of US economy activity - grew by a robust 2.5%.

Business spending increased by 14% as economic activity forced businesses to restock depleted inventories.

The growth during the second quarter reverses the contraction seen earlier in the year.

From January to March, the US economy shrank a revised 2.1% on an annualised basis as a result of harsh winter weather.

However even with the rebound, the winter is likely to mean overall growth this year will be only 1.6% - less than in 2013.

That could cause the Federal Reserve - which ends a two-day meeting on Wednesday - to continue to keep interest rates low for an extended period into 2015.

20.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Girl struck by crashing plane dies

29 July 2014 Last updated at 17:15

A girl who was struck by a plane that crash landed on a Florida beach on Sunday and killed her father has died of her injuries, police have said.

Oceana Irizarry, 9, was walking with her father Ommy, a US Army first sergeant, on a beach in Venice on Sunday when the plane struck them.

Pilot Karl Kokomoor, who radioed a distress call before the crash, and a passenger were uninjured.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the accident.

Oceana was airlifted to hospital immediately after the crash on Caspersen Beach. Her father was pronounced dead at the scene.

On Tuesday, the Sarasota County sheriff's office said in a statement the medical examiner's office had informed them Oceana had died of her injuries.

"Our precious Oceana has joined her daddy in heaven," the family said in a statement released by All Children's Hospital.

"There are no words to describe the suffering we are experiencing. Their loss is devastating to our family and to everyone who knew them."

Sgt Irizarry and his wife, who lived in Georgia, were in the area celebrating their ninth anniversary, the Tampa Bay Times reported.

Mr Kokomoor was attempting to land at Venice Municipal Airport, adjacent to the beach, when he radioed to say the small aircraft was in trouble and he would try to make an emergency landing.

After striking the father and daughter, the plane travelled another 150ft (46m) before crashing into the sand, the Sarasota sheriff's office told Reuters news agency.

In emergency calls from the beach, a family friend is heard crying as she described the scene of the crash.

Another man told emergency officials Oceana was "breathing a little right now", but she was struggling to do so and unconscious.

20.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

US and EU expand sanctions on Russia

30 July 2014 Last updated at 09:04

Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.

Speaking at the White House, President Obama said: "If Russia continues on its current path, the cost on Russia will continue to grow"

US President Barack Obama has announced new economic sanctions against Russia.

They include banning people in the US from banking with three Russian banks. The EU earlier expanded its sanctions, targeting the oil sector, defence equipment and sensitive technologies.

But Australia's priority is to get access to the crash site of the downed MH17 flight in east Ukraine.

International experts cannot reach the site due to heavy fighting between Ukraine's army and pro-Russia rebels.

Growing cost

Russia has come under increased pressure to end its support for the rebels, who Western governments believe were behind the downing of the Malaysia Airlines jet that killed 298 people in eastern Ukraine.

Moscow has also been accused by the EU and US of supplying heavy weapons to the rebels - a charge it denies.

Mr Obama said the US was widening its sanctions to target the key sectors of the Russian economy - energy, arms and finance.

"If Russia continues on this current path, the costs on Russia will continue to grow," Mr Obama said.

The US Treasury said the banks being targeting in this round of sanctions were VTB, the Bank of Moscow, and the Russian Agriculture Bank (Rosselkhozbank).

Sanctions are having significant costs on Russia, with its central bank spending tens of billions of dollars in order to defend the rouble, a senior state department official has told the BBC.

Analysis by Rajini Vaidyanathan, BBC News, Washington

This latest wave of US sanctions comes as no great surprise.

For the past few weeks, the US been threatening further action against Russia. It's also been calling for the EU to impose stiffer penalties.

The administration said the tragic events surrounding MH17 should serve as a "wake-up call" to reticent EU countries that something had to be done to curb the actions of Russian-controlled separatists.

President Obama hopes these new measures will apply pressure on President Putin to change his course, something previous sanctions have failed to do so far.

When asked by a reporter if this was the start of a new cold war, Mr Obama said it wasn't. The US-Russia relationship is, in the words of one US official, "complicated".

As well as disagreements, there is co-operation - the two nations are working together on Iran nuclear disarmament, and reducing Syria's chemical weapon stockpile.

Full details of the new EU sanctions are expected on Wednesday, when the EU is also set to name more Russian officials facing asset freezes and travel bans in Europe.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel described the latest measures as "unavoidable".

Vladimir Chizhov, Russia's ambassador to the EU, told the BBC: "I am disappointed because the EU is slipping along the tracks that lead nowhere."

He said that he believed Ukraine should be subject to sanctions for its role in the conflict in the country's east.

But Australia's Tony Abbott said on Wednesday his government was focusing on retrieving Australian victims from the MH17 wreckage: "At the moment our focus is not on sanctions, our focus is on bringing home our dead as quickly as we humanly can."

Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.

Jonathan Beale on the outskirts of Donetsk says there is sustained artillery fire towards one of the last strongholds of pro-Russian separatists

Western governments believe the pro-Russian separatists shot the plane down on 17 July with a Russian missile, believing it to be a Ukrainian military flight. The rebels and Moscow deny that, instead blaming the Ukrainian military.

Kerry plea to Russia

Speaking in Washington, US Secretary of State John Kerry urged Russia and the rebels to give Western investigators full access to the crash site.

Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.

John Kerry: "President Putin can make a huge difference, if he chooses to"

"They still can't even ensure that all of the victims' remains have been removed, and that is an unsupportable burden for any family to have to bear, and it is an unacceptable standard for behaviour, period," he said.

Ukrainian troops are continuing an offensive aimed at encircling the rebels in Donetsk region. In the latest developments:

• Several shells are said to have struck buildings in the separatist stronghold of Donetsk city
• Ukraine says its troops have entered the towns of Shakhtarsk and Torez in Donetsk region, and Lutuhyne in Luhansk region
• Ten Ukrainian soldiers and at least 22 civilians have reportedly been killed in the last 24 hours
• The dead civilians are said to include three children and five people at a home for the elderly
• A group of hackers sympathetic to the rebels says it has disabled the website of the Ukrainian president.

Analysis by BBC Europe editor Gavin Hewitt

Europe's leaders did not want to move to economic sanctions but they were moved by two considerations: the outrage at the way investigators have been blocked from access to the crash site of the downed plane and, secondly, the fact that Russia, since the incident, has been allowing heavy weapons across the border into Ukraine.

The calculation in Europe is that it had to act for its own credibility and that it may have to go further to ensure that President Vladimir Putin and his inner circle understand that their actions carry consequences.

How will Russia respond? Hard to say, although Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Russia would not retaliate or "fall into hysterics".

Ukraine conflict: EU squeezes Russia

Last weekend, the EU subjected a further 15 Russian individuals and 18 entities to asset freezes and visa bans for their alleged involvement in the Ukraine conflict.

The list of 87 targets of EU sanctions now includes the heads of the Federal Security Service (FSB) and foreign intelligence, the president of Chechnya, as well as two Crimean energy firms.

However, UK company BP, which owns nearly 20% of Russian state oil giant Rosneft, has warned that further sanctions against Russia could "adversely impact" its performance.

20.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Ex-Virginia governor's trial opens

28 July 2014 Last updated at 17:34

Jury selection has begun in the trial of ex-Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell, who is accused of accepting loans and lavish gifts from a supporter.

He was indicted after leaving office in January and charged with accepting $165,000 (£97,144) from the head of a dietary supplements firm in return for promoting its products.

The Republican says he exercised bad judgment but did not break the law.

He and his wife Maureen face decades in prison if convicted on all counts.

Once rising star

They are charged with 14 counts in total, including fraud against the citizens of Virginia, obtaining property under colour of official right, and false statements.

The federal investigation into the finances of the once-rising Republican star cast a shadow over his last few months as governor. He left office in January after his four-year term ended, and was succeeded by Democrat Terry McAuliffe.

Mr McDonnell was once considered a possible running mate to Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney running in 2012.

Lawyers from both sides were selecting jurors on Monday at a federal courthouse in Richmond, Virginia, the state capital.

According to prosecutors, Jonnie Williams, former chief executive of Star Scientific, gave the McDonnells a $50,000 loan without paperwork, multiple golf trips, vacations at Mr Williams' vacation home, and a shopping trip for tens of thousands of dollars in designer clothing for Mrs McDonnell.

Political courtesies

In return, prosecutors say Mr McDonnell used his influence as governor to help Star Scientific on an "as needed basis", including inviting the company's executives to a reception for healthcare leaders in Virginia, as well as making a personal pitch about a company product to state officials during a meeting about reducing staff healthcare costs.

Mr Williams will testify against Mr McDonnell under a deal to protect him from further prosecution.

Other potential witnesses on the prosecution's list, released on Monday, include Maureen McDonnell and the couple's three children, Sean, Rachel and Bobby.

Lawyers for the former governor say federal investigators were criminalising common political courtesies, like hosting receptions and arranging meetings, and that no government grants were awarded, nor did Mr McDonnell take official action on his behalf.

The indictment also accuses the McDonnells of attempting to hide the loans and other financial benefits from Mr Williams.

Mr McDonnell has said he paid back $120,000 (£70,650) of the money in question.

20.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

LA Clippers sale 'can go ahead'

29 July 2014 Last updated at 00:11

A US judge has ruled that the LA Clippers basketball team can be sold, despite the objections of banned co-owner Donald Sterling.

Judge Michael Levanas said the $2bn sale could go ahead.

Mr Sterling, 80, had been contesting his estranged wife Shelly's decision to sell the basketball team franchise to ex-Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.

Mr Sterling was banned from basketball for life after he was recorded making racist remarks in April.

The Los Angeles court case focused on allegations that Mrs Sterling used medical tests of her husband's mental capacity to remove him as a member of the trust that owned the team, and deceived him into selling.

'Good reason'

Mr Sterling had originally agreed to the sale of the basketball team, but then revoked his blessing, saying he had been improperly removed from the trust.

Mrs Sterling had told her husband to seek an evaluation by two doctors in May. The doctors declared him "mentally incapacitated" and unfit to administer his duties as trustee of the Sterling Family Trust.

This in effect handed Mrs Sterling control of the Clippers.

Judge Levanas of the California Superior Court said he found Mrs Sterling to be a more credible witness than her husband and that she had acted properly over the sale, the BBC's Peter Bowes in Los Angeles reports.

He said that Mrs Sterling "had every good reason to believe that Donald agreed to the sale of the team".

Mrs Sterling burst into tears as the ruling was delivered after the nine-day hearing, saying: "I can't believe it's over. I feel good."

The ruling would take effect in the coming weeks, the judge said.

In a statement, the National Basketball Association (NBA) said it was "pleased" by the ruling. "We look forward to the transaction closing as soon as possible," it said.

The racism allegations had led the NBA to fine Mr Sterling $2.5m. It had also said it wanted to force Mr Sterling to sell the team.

In a 10-minute audio recording published on celebrity website TMZ in April, Mr Sterling was heard telling a woman, subsequently identified as his girlfriend V Stiviano, not to associate in public with black people nor bring them to Clippers games.

The remarks drew widespread condemnation from fans, retired basketball stars and President Barack Obama.

Mr Sterling is suing the NBA, alleging it violated his constitutional rights by relying on information from an "illegal" recording.

20.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Deal on US college sport concussions

29 July 2014 Last updated at 16:24

The US collegiate sport authority has offered to settle 10 lawsuits by former athletes who suffered concussions with a $70m (£41.3m) medical fund.

The money from the National Collegiate Athletic Association would be used to test and diagnose current and former athletes who played within the past 50 years for the effects of head trauma.

It would also tighten rules on returning to play after a concussion.

Growing awareness of the danger of head trauma has roiled US sport recently.

Thousands of players

Earlier in July, the National Football League (NFL) proposed to set aside more than $675m to compensate ex-players who had suffered long-term damage after playing the sport. A judge in that case has granted preliminary approval to the settlement.

And in January, President Barack Obama said if he had a son, he would not let him play professional American football.

Under the terms of the settlement proposed on Tuesday, amateur "student-athletes" on collegiate and university teams will retain the ability to sue individually for compensation.

The sports covered under the settlement, which must be approved by a federal judge, include American football, men's and women's hockey, football, and other contact sports

Tens of thousands of current and former students are expected to qualify for physical and neurological testing.

A lawyer for the players suing the NCAA, Joseph Siprut, said the year-long negotiations would make college sport somewhat safer.

"I wouldn't say these changes solve the safety problems, but they do reduce the risks," he told the Associated Press news agency. "It's changed college sports forever."

Seizures, depression

Mr Siprut also hailed the stricter return-to-play rules proposed under the settlement, which include banning athletes from returning to play or practice on the same day they are diagnosed with a concussion.

"Changes were necessary to preserve the talent well of kids that feeds the game of football," he said. "Absent these kinds of changes, the sport will die."

Also under the settlement, the NCAA athletes will undergo baseline neurological testing at the beginning of the year to track the effects of concussions and other injuries on the brain.

The settlement includes no admission of wrongdoing by the NCAA.

Among the plaintiffs are dozens of athletes who say they suffered brain trauma, including the lead plaintiff, Adrian Arrington, an ex-American football player at Eastern Illinois University.

Mr Arrington endured five concussions during his time at Eastern Illinois, some so severe he could not recognise his parents afterwards.

Court records said Mr Arrington suffered memory loss, seizures and debilitating depression after the concussions.

20.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Last Hiroshima bomb crew member dies

29 July 2014 Last updated at 23:26

Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.

Theodore "Dutch" Van Kirk was the last surviving member of the Enola Gay crew

The last surviving member of the US air crew that dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima has died in Georgia aged 93.

Theodore Van Kirk, also known as "Dutch", was 24 when he became the navigator of the Enola Gay, the aircraft which dropped the bomb.

The attack on Japan on 6 August 1945 killed an estimated 140,000 people.

Van Kirk said he had "no regrets" about the mission and defended its morality, saying it helped to end the Second World War.

His son, Tom Van Kirk, paid tribute to his father, who he said remained active until the end of his life.

"I know he was recognized as a war hero, but we just knew him as a great father", he told AP.

Mr Van Kirk died of natural causes at the retirement home where he lived, his son said.

He had been the last surviving member of the Enola Gay crew since 2010 when Morris Jeppson, the assistant weaponeer, died.

His funeral is expected to take place next week in Pennsylvania.

The bomb, nicknamed "Little Boy", was the first nuclear weapon used in warfare.

The only other instance came three days later when the crew of the Bockscar dropped the "Fat Man" bomb on another Japanese city, Nagasaki, killing an estimated 80,000.

Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.

Hiroshima Bomb Pathe

20.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Los Angeles flood hits university

30 July 2014 Last updated at 04:14

Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.

Jaime Moore of Los Angeles Fire Department: ''Water was seen as high as 25 to 30 feet in the air''

A burst water main on Los Angeles' Sunset Boulevard has caused flooding at the University of California, Los Angeles, local officials say.

The main burst on Tuesday afternoon, sending a jet of water high into the air and opening a hole 10 feet (3m) wide in the street.

Local roads were inundated and water poured into underground car parks.

Three motorists had to be rescued from flooded cars.

The broken main dates from 1921 and carries water from reservoirs in the San Fernando Valley to the city of Los Angeles.

It took several hours before the flow was halted in the early evening. Pipes had to be to closed slowly to avoid further damage, Los Angeles Water and Power spokeswoman Michele Vargas said.

Police discouraged anyone from trying to surf down streets flooded with ankle-deep water, after some people came to the area with boogie boards.

"That is probably one of the most dangerous things you can do," said Los Angeles Fire Department Captain Jaime Moore.

"For somebody to try and boogie board in this, it's just going to be an asphalt bath."

20.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Apology over Turtles '9/11 poster'

30 July 2014 Last updated at 10:03

Paramount Pictures has apologised over a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles poster that accidentally referenced the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

The image shows the characters jumping from an exploding New York skyscraper, above its Australian release date of 11 September.

After receiving criticism online, the film studio deleted the poster from its Twitter and Facebook accounts.

"Combining that image and date was a mistake," Paramount Australia said.

"We are deeply sorry to have used that artwork for the marketing materials promoting the September 11 opening in Australia.

"We intended no offence and have taken immediate action to discontinue its use."

The combination of imagery and release date prompted anger and surprise online for its similarity to the terrorist attacks, during which desperate victims were seen jumping from the World Trade Center.

Stephen Scott tweeted: "Bad move. Poor taste."

Suzanne Carbone added: "Really? Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles jump out of fiery NY tower in poster for film released Sep 11."

Ross O'Donovan said: "How did this slip by the marketing team?"

However others were more forgiving - Alex Shuba wrote: "Target demographic is either too young to remember or born after 9/11, and this is a foreign market - I forgive them."

William added: "Not being from Australia, I'm not certain how much of an impact the date has on them. They probably didn't even think of it."

The film, which stars Megan Fox and features the voice of Johnny Knoxville as turtle character Leonardo, is due in US cinemas on 8 August.

It is not due for release in the UK until 17 October.

20.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

US evacuates Libya embassy staff

26 July 2014 Last updated at 14:58

The US says it has temporarily evacuated its staff from the Libyan capital Tripoli over security concerns.

Staff, including marine guards providing security to the embassy, have been transferred to Tunisia "due to the ongoing violence resulting from clashes between Libyan militias," it adds.

Secretary of State John Kerry said there was a "real risk" to staff.

It comes amid fierce clashes between rival militias in the capital, with intense fighting at Tripoli airport.

Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.

Secretary of State John Kerry says violence in Libya presents a "very real risk" to US embassy staff

Libya has been gripped by instability since the 2011 uprising, with swathes of the country controlled by militias.

With no effective army, Libya's central government has increasingly lost control over the country to rogue and powerful militias in the last two years, says the BBC's Rana Jawad in Tripoli.

Analysis: Rana Jawad, BBC News, Tripoli

The distribution of armed groups across the country means the weapons are evenly spread out - and most battles achieve little beyond a trail of destruction.

It is tricky territory for Western players, and recent efforts by the UN mission in Libya to bring political and militarised sides to a negotiating table failed.

It is common for rival groups to accuse each other of being tied to Gaddafi's regime.

Will Libya's militias defeat democracy?

Military assistance

The US embassy in Tripoli was already operating on limited staffing. All remaining personnel were driven overland to Tunisia in the early hours of Saturday.

The US military said it had "assisted in the relocation" of embassy staff, using F-16 and MV-22 Osprey aircraft.

It said the five-hour operation was "conducted without incident".

State department spokeswoman Marie Harf said the withdrawal "underscored the Obama administration's concern about the heightened risk to American diplomats abroad".

She said that fighting between rival armed groups was taking place "in very close proximity" to the US embassy in the capital.

The state department has also urged US nationals not to go to Libya.

It is the second time in more than three years that the US has closed its embassy in Libya.

Turkey has also withdrawn some 700 members of staff from Libya, Secretary of State John Kerry said.

Earlier this week, the UN also announced it was withdrawing all its staff from Libya.

Warning

US ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans were killed in an attack on the US consulate in Benghazi in September 2012.

The US move comes one day after Libyan government officials warned of the possibility of a break up of the country if clashes over Tripoli airport continue.

Rival Libyan militias have been locked in battle at Libya's main airport in the south of Tripoli since last week, forcing the airport to shut.

Members of the Islamist Libya Revolutionaries Operations Room (LROR) are trying to seize control of the airport, which has been in the hands of the Zintan militia since the toppling of Col Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

Our correspondent in the capital says both militia groups are believed to be on the official payroll.

The government has been unable to disarm the numerous armed groups that took part in the 2011 uprising and which have divided the country.

The eastern city of Benghazi has also been wracked by fighting between a rogue general, Khalifa Haftar, and Islamist groups, while many oil fields remain in the hands of separatist groups.

Dozens of government officials and high-profile military figures have been the target of assassination attempts in the city over the last two years.

20.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Ex-Virginia governor's trial opens

28 July 2014 Last updated at 17:34

Jury selection has begun in the trial of ex-Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell, who is accused of accepting loans and lavish gifts from a supporter.

He was indicted after leaving office in January and charged with accepting $165,000 (£97,144) from the head of a dietary supplements firm in return for promoting its products.

The Republican says he exercised bad judgment but did not break the law.

He and his wife Maureen face decades in prison if convicted on all counts.

Once rising star

They are charged with 14 counts in total, including fraud against the citizens of Virginia, obtaining property under colour of official right, and false statements.

The federal investigation into the finances of the once-rising Republican star cast a shadow over his last few months as governor. He left office in January after his four-year term ended, and was succeeded by Democrat Terry McAuliffe.

Mr McDonnell was once considered a possible running mate to Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney running in 2012.

Lawyers from both sides were selecting jurors on Monday at a federal courthouse in Richmond, Virginia, the state capital.

According to prosecutors, Jonnie Williams, former chief executive of Star Scientific, gave the McDonnells a $50,000 loan without paperwork, multiple golf trips, vacations at Mr Williams' vacation home, and a shopping trip for tens of thousands of dollars in designer clothing for Mrs McDonnell.

Political courtesies

In return, prosecutors say Mr McDonnell used his influence as governor to help Star Scientific on an "as needed basis", including inviting the company's executives to a reception for healthcare leaders in Virginia, as well as making a personal pitch about a company product to state officials during a meeting about reducing staff healthcare costs.

Mr Williams will testify against Mr McDonnell under a deal to protect him from further prosecution.

Other potential witnesses on the prosecution's list, released on Monday, include Maureen McDonnell and the couple's three children, Sean, Rachel and Bobby.

Lawyers for the former governor say federal investigators were criminalising common political courtesies, like hosting receptions and arranging meetings, and that no government grants were awarded, nor did Mr McDonnell take official action on his behalf.

The indictment also accuses the McDonnells of attempting to hide the loans and other financial benefits from Mr Williams.

Mr McDonnell has said he paid back $120,000 (£70,650) of the money in question.

20.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

LA Clippers sale 'can go ahead'

29 July 2014 Last updated at 00:11

A US judge has ruled that the LA Clippers basketball team can be sold, despite the objections of banned co-owner Donald Sterling.

Judge Michael Levanas said the $2bn sale could go ahead.

Mr Sterling, 80, had been contesting his estranged wife Shelly's decision to sell the basketball team franchise to ex-Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.

Mr Sterling was banned from basketball for life after he was recorded making racist remarks in April.

The Los Angeles court case focused on allegations that Mrs Sterling used medical tests of her husband's mental capacity to remove him as a member of the trust that owned the team, and deceived him into selling.

'Good reason'

Mr Sterling had originally agreed to the sale of the basketball team, but then revoked his blessing, saying he had been improperly removed from the trust.

Mrs Sterling had told her husband to seek an evaluation by two doctors in May. The doctors declared him "mentally incapacitated" and unfit to administer his duties as trustee of the Sterling Family Trust.

This in effect handed Mrs Sterling control of the Clippers.

Judge Levanas of the California Superior Court said he found Mrs Sterling to be a more credible witness than her husband and that she had acted properly over the sale, the BBC's Peter Bowes in Los Angeles reports.

He said that Mrs Sterling "had every good reason to believe that Donald agreed to the sale of the team".

Mrs Sterling burst into tears as the ruling was delivered after the nine-day hearing, saying: "I can't believe it's over. I feel good."

The ruling would take effect in the coming weeks, the judge said.

In a statement, the National Basketball Association (NBA) said it was "pleased" by the ruling. "We look forward to the transaction closing as soon as possible," it said.

The racism allegations had led the NBA to fine Mr Sterling $2.5m. It had also said it wanted to force Mr Sterling to sell the team.

In a 10-minute audio recording published on celebrity website TMZ in April, Mr Sterling was heard telling a woman, subsequently identified as his girlfriend V Stiviano, not to associate in public with black people nor bring them to Clippers games.

The remarks drew widespread condemnation from fans, retired basketball stars and President Barack Obama.

Mr Sterling is suing the NBA, alleging it violated his constitutional rights by relying on information from an "illegal" recording.

20.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Fugitive killed in New York shootout

28 July 2014 Last updated at 23:26

A suspected child sex offender resisting arrest has been killed and three New York law enforcement officers injured in a daytime shootout in Manhattan, police have said.

The dead man was wanted by police in San Diego in connection with numerous child molestation allegations.

He had featured on a CNN crime watch show as a wanted fugitive.

The suspect was shot and killed in a gun battle that erupted in tobacco shop in a normally quiet part of the city.

Police quoted by the AP news agency said that the wounded officers were in a stable condition.

The New York Times reported police as saying that one detective was shot twice in the torso, a marshal was shot in the buttocks and another was shot in the shoulder.

It said that the dead man, whom it named as Charles Mozdir, had been on the run since June 2012.

His case - and the police manhunt for him - drew national attention after it was featured on CNN's "The Hunt," which is broadcast on Sunday evenings.

Shootout witness Edoardo Gelardin described the gun battle to AP as "shocking and out-of-place".

He said that he saw officers loading the victims into ambulances and officers with assault weapons sealing off the scene.

"It was a little overwhelming to see a scene like that," he said.

20.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Deal reached on US veterans health

28 July 2014 Last updated at 20:30

Veterans affairs leaders in Congress have announced a compromise to help address the problems overwhelming the US veterans healthcare system.

Senator Bernie Sanders and Congressman Jeff Miller announced a $17bn (£10bn) deal that reconciles Senate and House bills passed in June.

The agency has been stung by revelations of falsified records and months-long waits for appointments.

It provides healthcare to about nine million veterans.

The agency has been overwhelmed in recent years by the surge of aging Vietnam veterans and young veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan seeking care.

A recent VA audit revealed more than 57,000 veterans had to wait three months or longer for initial healthcare appointments. An additional 64,000 veterans who requested appointments over the last 10 years never received them.

At the same time, it has been revealed hospital employees falsified records to conceal the long wait times from administrators in Washington DC.

The agreement announced on Monday includes about $10bn in emergency spending for veterans to obtain outside care if they cannot get prompt appointments with Veterans Affairs (VA) doctors, $5bn to hire doctors, nurses and other medical staff, and $1.5bn to set up 27 new VA clinics around the country.

Mr Sanders, the Senate veterans committee chairman who is one of the most liberal members of the chamber, said the legislation "makes certain that we address the immediate crisis of veterans being forced on to long waiting lists" while strengthening the VA's ability to hire medical professionals and "permanently put an end to the long waiting lists".

The bill, which will need to be approved by both the House and Senate, would also grant the VA secretary authority to fire senior executives immediately.

Veterans advocates were cautious in their praise for the deal.

"There is an emergency need to get veterans off the waiting lists," Louis Celli, legislative director for the American Legion, told the Associated Press News agency. "That's what this is all about."

But Tom Tarantino, chief policy officer of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, said the agreement was several months too late.

"It's about time they're doing their jobs," he said. "You don't get a medal for doing your job."

The deal was struck over the weekend after six weeks of talks. Among the compromises was a provision limiting outside care to veterans who had enrolled prior to 1 August.

Congressional budget analysts had suggested that without limits, tens of thousands of veterans who currently are not treated by the VA would likely seek care if they could see a private doctor, dramatically increasing costs.

In another compromise, $5bn of the $17bn would be offset by other spending cuts within the VA.

Veterans Affairs chief Eric Shinseki resigned in late May amid the scandal, after a damning internal VA investigation uncovered the "systemic" problems in delivering care to veterans across the country.

Robert McDonald, former chief executive of consumer goods giant Procter and Gamble, is expected to be confirmed by the US Senate to succeed Mr Shinseki this week.

20.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

'New virus' discovered in human gut

26 July 2014 Last updated at 01:14 By Smitha Mundasad Health reporter, BBC News

Scientists have discovered a previously unknown virus living in the human gut, according to a study in Nature Communications.

Exploring genetic material found in intestinal samples, the international team uncovered the CrAssphage virus.

They say the virus could influence the behaviour of some of the most common bacteria in our gut.

Experts say these types of viruses, called bacteriophages, have been shown to play a role in chronic diseases.

Continue reading the main story

The fact it has flown under the radar for so long is very strange"

End Quote Prof Robert Edwards San Diego State University

Led by a team at San Diego State University in the USA, scientists scoured genetic information stored in three large international databases.

They stumbled upon a piece of DNA, some 100,000 letters long, present in more than half of all samples from the gut.

'Novel virus'

And while cross-checking its identity in global directories they realised it had never been described before.

Prof Robert Edwards, lead author, said: "It is not unusual to go looking for a novel virus and find one.

"But it's very unusual to find one that so many people have in common.

"The fact it has flown under the radar for so long is very strange."

Researchers say the virus has the genetic fingerprint of a bacteriophage - a type of virus known to infect bacteria.

Phages may work to control the behaviour of bacteria they infect - some make it easier for bacteria to inhabit in their environments while others allow bacteria to become more potent.

Dr Edwards said: "In some way phages are like wolves in the wild, surrounded by hares and deer.

"They are critical components of our gut ecosystems, helping control the growth of bacterial populations and allowing a diversity of species."

According to the team, CrAssphage infects one of the most common types of bacteria in our guts.

'Powerful tools'

They are now trying to grow the virus in a laboratory. And they say the next step would be to work out exactly how the virus affects our gut bacteria.

Dr Martha Clokie, at the University of Leicester, who was not involved in the research, told the BBC: "What is exciting here is the scientists have produced new techniques and powerful tools to help identify previously unknown viruses.

"And thinking longer term, we know bacteria can play an important role in chronic diseases such as obesity and diabetes.

"If we can pin down these viral controllers, we could perhaps one day use them to modify any harmful bacteria, rendering them less powerful."

20.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Lightning kills man on US beach

28 July 2014 Last updated at 20:49

Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.

Lightning struck people on Venice Beach, as Wendy Urquhart reports

One man has been killed and several people have been hurt by lightning strikes on crowded Venice Beach in Los Angeles, California.

The lightning struck amid a rare summer thunderstorm, spreading panic among bathers and visitors.

Lifeguards fanned out across the beach and the water to attend to the injured, many of whom were treated at the scene.

Elsewhere in California, emergency crews are battling to contain wildfires that are threatening hundreds of homes.

At least 14 homes have been destroyed in the fires, which have blazed across drought-stricken grassland and forest.

The two fires in the centre of the state were 65% and 70% contained by Monday morning, and some of the 1,200 people evacuated as the fires advanced were allowed to return to their homes.

Yosemite National Park spokesman Scott Gediman said firefighters have limited the spread of one of the fires through air support.

'Big flash of light'

The man killed at Venice Beach was identified on Monday as Nick Fagnano, 20. The exact cause of his death is not yet known, and it is unclear if he was struck directly.

His family told the San Jose Mercury News newspaper their son was an only child and a 2012 high school graduate who was about to enter University of Southern California as a third-year student. He planned to study urban development.

Friends told the newspaper Fagnano had decided to go into the water to rinse off when the lightning struck.

Witnesses say the sky darkened suddenly and screams filled the air as the storm hit the beach on Sunday afternoon. Eight people were admitted to hospital.

One of the injured is said to be in a critical condition. Several people received treatment for milder symptoms, including anxiety.

Stuart Acher told KABC-TV he was hit by lightning while playing volleyball.

"All of a sudden there was a big flash of light and a boom, and it felt like someone punched me in the back of my head," he told the station.

"It went down the whole side of my right body, and my calves sort of locked up, and I fell over. And I looked up and everybody else was, you know, falling over."

Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.

Footage shows the flames engulf huge parts of the Californian countryside

Steve Christensen told Associated Press news agency that his friend had tried to help lifeguards searching for a missing swimmer.

"He went out to the water to find him and walked right into him," he said. "He was face down on the bottom."

Lightning also hit Catalina Island, near Los Angeles.

A 57-year-old man who was playing golf was injured in the strike. His condition is said to be stable.

Until the latest strike, at least 15 people had been killed this year by lightning in the US, according to the National Weather Service.

20.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Bird-plucking woman on Montreal train

28 July 2014 Last updated at 16:29 By News from Elsewhere... ...media reports from around the world, found by BBC Monitoring

A woman who appeared to upset passengers on a train in Montreal by plucking the feathers off a dead bird has been giving interviews to Canadian media about why she did it.

Christina David, a resident of Montreal who comes from the Inuk village of Kangiqsujuaq in arctic northern Quebec, says she was amazed to see that a video of her preparing her meat for dinner attracted a lot of attention on YouTube. "I didn't know that it was going to affect any other people like that because in my culture it's completely normal," she says in a phone interview with the national CBC radio.

The grainy video shows a young woman bent over a plastic bag on the floor, while other passengers stare, hold their noses or move away. Police spokesman Manuel Couture told the local newspaper Nunatsiaq Online that while some people were disgusted by the incident, if plucking or even eating an animal in public was a common activity in other cultures, there was a good chance she wouldn't face any charges.

David says she was simply excited about cooking a goose her aunt had brought her from the north. "It's not like we get to eat our country food every day," she says in a message on her Facebook page. "I was so happy that I didn't care where I was at the moment - but all I have to say is that I ain't crazy. I couldn't wait to go home so I can put it on the big pan with onions and mushrooms."

Comments posted on the website of CTV news mainly support David. One reader says: "We do live in Canada. These city folk have to realize what their food looks like before the supermarket."

Use #NewsfromElsewhere to stay up-to-date with our reports via Twitter.

20.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Virginia gay marriage ban overturned

28 July 2014 Last updated at 21:55

A federal appeals court has struck down Virginia's same-sex marriage ban, in the latest in a string of judicial victories for gay marriage supporters.

In a 2-1 decision, the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals said denying marriage to same-sex couples "prohibits them from participating fully" in society.

The issue is expected eventually to reach the US Supreme Court.

It was unclear if Virginia would begin issuing marriage licences to gay couples immediately.

But Governor Terry McAuliffe, a Democrat, said he was "overjoyed" by the ruling.

"Its effect will affirm once again that Virginia is a state that is open and welcoming to all," Mr McAuliffe said in a statement.

Virginia banned gay marriages in its state constitution in 2006 after 57% of voters backed an amendment to define marriage as between one man and one woman.

The decision could also effectively overturn same-sex marriage bans in other states covered by the 4th Circuit - North Carolina, South Carolina and West Virginia.

Nineteen states and the District of Columbia currently allow gay marriages, but more than 70 challenges have been filed in the remaining 31 states.

Gay marriage advocates have won more than 20 favourable legal decisions since the 2013 Supreme Court ruling that struck down a key part of a federal law prohibiting recognition of same-sex unions.

The 4th Circuit decision is one of three recent rulings at the federal appeals court level that have overturned state bans.

In recent months, the 10th Circuit, in the west, upheld lower court rulings overturning same-sex marriage bans in Oklahoma and Utah.

"We recognise that same-sex marriage makes some people deeply uncomfortable," Judge Henry Floyd wrote for the majority in the 4th Circuit decision.

"However, inertia and apprehension are not legitimate bases for denying same-sex couples due process and equal protection of the laws."

In his dissent, Judge Paul Niemeyer said the decision to allow gay marriage or not should be left to individual states.

"If given the choice, some states will surely recognise same-sex marriage and some will surely not," he wrote. "But that is, to be sure, the beauty of federalism."

20.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

US: Russia 'violated missile treaty'

29 July 2014 Last updated at 07:46

Russia has violated a key arms control treaty by testing a nuclear cruise missile, the US government says.

Russia tested a ground-launched cruise missile, breaking the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty signed in 1987 during the Cold War, the US said.

A senior US official did not provide further details on the alleged breach, but described it as "very serious".

The bilateral agreement banned medium-range missiles with ranges between 500 and 5,500 km (300 to 3,400 miles).

Analysis: BBC world affairs correspondent Nick Childs

The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty was a landmark Cold War agreement. It essentially eliminated an entire, and highly controversial, class of nuclear weapons. For that reason, it still has resonance.

There have been questions dating back at least to 2008 over whether Russia was developing a weapon that might breach the treaty. So one issue is why Washington has decided to make its declaration now. Is it a reflection of the general deterioration in US-Russian relations, and in particular the fallout from the Ukraine crisis?

Russia has said little. It might argue the Americans are simply wrong, that the missile falls below the range limit. But the widespread suspicion is that it does breach the limits of the treaty. Moscow might also argue the treaty has been overtaken by world events, that other countries are developing similar missiles, and - after all - the Americans pulled out of the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty when it suited them.

But there is also the argument that such an iconic treaty should actually be expanded beyond the US and Russia, rather than falling into disuse.

The US claims come at a time of heightened tensions between the two sides, with the US criticising Russia for its alleged involvement in the conflict in Ukraine.

'Prohibited items'

A senior US official, who was not named, said in a statement that the testing of the missile was "a very serious matter which we have attempted to address with Russia for some time now".

"We encourage Russia to return to compliance with its obligations under the treaty and to eliminate any prohibited items in a verifiable matter," the official added.

US President Barack Obama has written to Russian leader Vladimir Putin over the matter, officials say.

This is the first time the US government has made its accusations public, though the issue has simmered for years, the BBC's Paul Blake in Washington reports.

In January, the New York Times reported that US officials believed Russia had begun testing ground-launched cruise missiles as early as 2008.

The US State Department had said at the time that the issue was under review.

The 1987 treaty is at the heart of American-Russian arms control efforts, and was signed by then-Presidents Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev in the final years of the Cold War, our correspondent says.

20.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Arizona halts executions amid review

25 July 2014 Last updated at 01:18

The US state of Arizona has halted executions pending a review of its death penalty procedures, after the allegedly botched lethal injection of a convicted murderer on Wednesday.

Officials say Joseph Wood gasped and snorted after the lethal cocktail of drugs was administered to him.

He took almost two hours to die.

Wood's execution came as US death penalty states have increasing trouble obtaining the drugs used in capital punishment, amid a European export ban.

'Extreme secrecy'

The morning after Wood's execution, his lawyer Dale Baich demanded an independent inquiry into the death of his client.

"He gasped and struggled to breathe for about an hour and 40 minutes," said Mr Baich, who unsuccessfully tried to halt the execution when he realised his client was still alive.

The execution should have taken 10 minutes, his lawyers said, but Wood, 55, gasped more than 600 times before he died.

In the weeks prior to the execution, Wood's team of lawyers had tried to stop it over doubts about the drugs being used. They sought the identity of the manufacturer of the sedatives and the qualifications of the executioners. Ultimately, the Supreme Court allowed the state to proceed with the execution.

The state "fought tooth and nail to protect the extreme secrecy surrounding its lethal injection drugs and execution personnel," Mr Baich said.

"An independent investigation, led by someone outside of the Department of Corrections and outside of the executive branch of state government, must fully explore the practices which led to tonight's horrifically botched execution."

In a statement announcing the temporary moratorium on executions, Arizona Department of Corrections Director Charles Ryan defended the execution and criticised media descriptions of it as "botched" as premature and "erroneous".

"This is pure conjecture because there is no medical or forensic evidence to date that supports that conclusion," he said.

He said the execution team, including a licensed medical doctor, verified multiple times during the procedure that Wood was "comatose and never in pain".

"The record clearly shows the inmate was fully and deeply sedated beginning at 13:57 - three minutes after the administration of the execution drugs - until he was declared deceased at 15:49," he wrote.

And he said a post-mortem examination showed the IVs delivering the lethal drugs were "perfectly placed".

Arizona Governor Jan Brewer likewise defended the execution.

"By eyewitness and medical accounts he did not suffer," she said. "This is in stark comparison to the gruesome, vicious suffering that he inflicted on his two victims, and the lifetime of suffering he has caused their family."

Analysis: Rajini Vaidyanathan, BBC News, Washington

With more states failing to get hold of the chemicals, some are looking for alternatives.

Earlier this month Tennessee introduced a law to bring back the electric chair, if there are no supplies of the drug. But this too is likely to be subject to legal challenges.

There might be an outcry over this latest execution, but the death penalty is still supported by many in the US, especially in southern states where most executions take place.

Many argue it is a just punishment for those who have committed the most heinous of crimes.

'Why not a bullet?'

The relatives of Wood's victims, his estranged girlfriend Debra Dietz and her father Eugene Dietz, dismissed the controversy over what happened in the death chamber.

"This man conducted a horrific murder and you guys are going, let's worry about the drugs,'' said Richard Brown. "Why didn't they give him a bullet?"

Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.

"What I saw today... is nothing to the day it happened on August 7 1989": Sister of murder victim speaks out after execution

It is the third botched execution in the US this year, and likely to further fuel the debate about the use of lethal injections.

Many US states are trying new execution drugs because some European countries have imposed export bans on drugs that will be used in executions.

Maya Foa, a director at campaign group Reprieve, accused Arizona of torture and of "jettisoning due process and cloaking the procedure in secrecy".

A judge in an earlier hearing over the Wood case suggested that the firing squad might be more humane.

20.24 | 0 komentar | Read More