Lava flow creeps toward Hawaii homes

29 October 2014 Last updated at 22:55

Rain has helped tamp down smoke from a creeping lava flow which threatens residents of a Hawaiian village.

The slow moving, red hot lava from Kilauea volcano has been flowing toward the village of Pahoa for weeks.

Hotter than 1,600F (900C), it advanced 90 yards (82m) overnight on Tuesday and threatens homes and property.

Evacuated residents packed up their homes and relocated to neighbouring areas as they awaited word of the molten lava's spread.

"People have their life savings in their properties here. They face losing it all," businessman Mike Metcalf told the Reuters news agency.

Rain on Wednesday was not enough to limit the lava flow, but did help limit the smoke emanating from the spreading stream.

For the first time, the lava could be seen from the homes that are in its path.

A family prepares

Denise Lagrimas is packing up her family's home in preparation for the oncoming lava flow.

"I don't want to stick around and just wait for it to come and take it," she said. "You just never know."

Though it remains unclear if the home will be in the lava's path, the Lagrimas family decided to move to a nearby town.

They have also expressed concern the lava will block roads and prevent them from reaching their jobs in a coastal town to the north.

"We didn't want to go anywhere where it's close enough where we would have to evacuate again," Ms Lagrimas said.

Kilauea on the Big Island has been erupting since 1983, but lava has recently burst forth from a new vent.

Two roads to Pahoa have been closed and a cemetery has already been overtaken by the lava.

The town's residents will be allowed to watch the destruction of their homes "as a means of closure", officials said.

And they will be allowed to take photos and video for insurance purposes.

"You can only imagine the frustration as well as... despair they're going through," said Hawaii County Civil Defense Director Darryl Oliveira.

Can you stop lava?

At temperatures of about 1,000C, lava destroys whatever it touches. Its path is notoriously hard to predict.

The ability to impede or redirect lava largely depends on location, resources and luck.

Decades ago in Hawaii, the US attempted to bomb a lava flow, only to see the bomb craters refill. In Iceland, crews made use of billions of gallons of cold water around a nearby harbour to cool the lava in place. And barriers along Mount Etna in Italy redirected a flow away from a tourist area. But these attempts have been helped by a natural slowing or halting of lava eruptions.

"You have to be in a wealthy country with a lot at stake to even consider" lava diversion, Dr Shannon Nawotniak told the BBC, particularly given the volume of volcanic eruptions and the potential costs.

"You might buy yourself some time until the volcano stops itself."

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It has been moving at an average of five to 10m an hour, but has done so fitfully, sometimes slowing down to two yards or speeding up to 20, depending on topography, said Janet Babb, a spokeswoman for the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.

Decomposed vegetation in the lava's path has also produced methane explosions at the front of the flow, Ms Babb said.

"It's not a massive explosion," she said. "But it can dislodge rocks."

After the new vent opened in July, lava threatened a separate community before coming to a standstill in September.

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The Kilauea volcano has been erupting since 1983

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'Operation' inventor needs operation

29 October 2014 Last updated at 18:53

The inventor of the popular board game Operation is in desperate need of money to pay for a real-life operation.

Friends of John Spinello, 77, are hoping to raise $25,000 (£15,400) on a crowdfunding site for oral surgery not covered by his insurance.

Mr Spinello sold the game for $500 in 1964 and is not entitled to royalties.

He is also planning an auction of the original prototype to raise additional money, according to the Huffington Post.

"John has had a good life, but has admitted to us that he is struggling to pay his bills and is in need of a medical procedure without sufficient insurance coverage," organisers Tim Walsh and Peggy Brown wrote on CrowdRise.com.

In the popular game players use tweezers to pull small plastic pieces representing medical ailments out of a "patient". If the tweezers hit the metal rims of the holes in the patient, the board emits a buzz and the player loses a turn.

Mr Spinello told the Huffington Post he was not resentful over the lack of royalties from the game, one of 12 finalists this year for induction into the National Toy Hall of Fame.

"Look, everyone needs medical care," Mr Spinello told the website.

"I prefer not to dwell on that aspect and focus more on the joy that the game has brought to so many over the years."

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White House computers 'hacked'

29 October 2014 Last updated at 12:02

A White House computer network has been breached by hackers, it has been reported.

The unclassified Executive Office of the President network was attacked, according to the Washington Post.

US authorities are reported to be investigating the breach, which was reported to officials by an ally of the US, sources said.

White House officials believe the attack was state-sponsored but are not saying what - if any - data was taken.

In a statement to the AFP news agency, the White House said "some elements of the unclassified network" had been affected.

A White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the Washington Post: "In the course of assessing recent threats, we identified activity of concern on the unclassified EOP network.

"Any such activity is something we take very seriously. In this case, we took immediate measures to evaluate and mitigate the activity.

'State-sponsored'

"Certainly, a variety of actors find our networks to be attractive targets and seek access to sensitive information. We are still assessing the activity of concern."

The source said the attack was consistent with a state-sponsored effort and Russia is thought by the US government to be one of the most likely threats.

"On a regular basis, there are bad actors out there who are attempting to achieve intrusions into our system," a second White House official told the Washington Post.

"This is a constant battle for the government and our sensitive government computer systems, so it's always a concern for us that individuals are trying to compromise systems and get access to our networks."

The Post quoted its sources as saying that the attack was discovered two-to-three weeks ago. Some White House staff were reportedly told to change their passwords and there was some disruption to network services.

In a statement given to Agence France-Presse, a White House official said the Executive Office of the President received daily alerts concerning numerous possible cyber threats.

In the course of addressing the breach, some White House users were temporarily disconnected from the network.

"Our computers and systems have not been damaged, though some elements of the unclassified network have been affected. The temporary outages and loss of connectivity for our users is solely the result of measures we have taken to defend our networks," the official said.

The US's National Security Agency, Federal Bureau of Investigation and Security Service were reportedly investigating.

Requests for comment were referred to the Department for Homeland Security, a spokesman for which was not immediately available. A White House spokesman has not responded to the BBC's request for comment.

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Ex-baseball star in gun accident

29 October 2014 Last updated at 13:38

Retired baseball star Jose Canseco has undergone surgery after nearly shooting off his finger by accident, police and his fiancee have said.

Mr Canseco, 50, was cleaning his gun in his Las Vegas home, apparently unaware there remained a bullet in the weapon.

His fiancee told the Los Angeles Times she "heard the gun go off and saw his middle finger hanging by a string".

Known as a power hitter, Mr Canseco gained notoriety after admitting to regular doping during his career.

In a 2005 memoir, he said steroid use was widespread in Major League Baseball.

The Cuban-born right-handed outfielder hit 462 home runs in a 17-year career with the Oakland Athletics, the Texas Rangers, and other teams.

A six-time all-star, Mr Canseco retired in 2001.

Las Vegas police spokesman Lt Mark Reddon said officers responded to a call of an accidental shooting shortly after 14:30 local time (21:30 GMT) on Tuesday.

Lt Reddon said Mr Canseco was brought to a nearby hospital.

"It will either have to be amputated or have full reconstruction surgery," Leila Knight, Mr Canseco's fiancee, told the Los Angeles Times, adding doctors told him he would never have full use of the left hand again.

There were 16,864 accidental non-fatal firearm injuries in the US last year, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Collins hands over Alamo artefacts

29 October 2014 Last updated at 14:39

Singer Phil Collins has handed over his large collection of Alamo memorabilia to a Texas museum, calling the donation the end of a six-decade "journey".

"I'm 64," he said of his fascination with the 1836 battle. "When I was five or six years old, this thing began."

Collins' collection includes a fringed leather pouch used by Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie's legendary knife.

"There's things in there that will make your mouth drop," the Genesis star said in San Antonio.

The donation was accepted on Tuesday by Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson, who is campaigning for a new historical centre to house Collins' collection.

"Texans are deeply indebted to Phil Collins,'' Patterson said. "He is giving us back our heritage.

"Now these Texas treasures need a home where all can see them and study from them and learn about how Texans won our liberty.''

The legendary battle, named after a former mission in San Antonio, saw 1,500 Mexican troops lay siege to 200 Texans fighting for Texas independence.

Collins said he first became interested in the Alamo after watching a 1950s TV series about Crockett, the famed frontiersman who died in the conflict.

The Grammy and Academy Award winner's collection includes more than 200 items and is thought to be the largest in private hands.

"My nine-year-old son was saying, 'Why are you going to give it all away, Dad? I thought I was going to have it,''' he told reporters.

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US Fed ends QE stimulus programme

29 October 2014 Last updated at 19:28

The US Federal Reserve has announced it is ending its quantitative easing (QE) stimulus programme begun in 2008.

The Fed said it was confident the US economic recovery would continue, despite a global economic slowdown.

The targets for inflation and reduction in unemployment were on track, the Fed said in a statement.

The central bank, which also said it would not raise interest rates for a "considerable time", has gradually cut back QE since last year.

'Sufficient strength'

The statement suggested that although the jobs market is strengthening, it is still not back to normal, which is why interest rates are being held.

"The Committee continues to see sufficient underlying strength in the broader economy to support ongoing progress toward maximum employment in a context of price stability," the Fed said.

Analysts said the news was in line with expectations.

"The Fed's announcement is exactly what everyone expected," said Wayne Kaufman, chief market analyst at Phoenix Financial, in New York.

"The Fed sees enough improvement in economic activity to end QE, but at the same time, it will keep low rates because it isn't yet seeing what it wants to see as far as inflation goes," he said.

Several analysts seized on the Fed's comments about slack in the labour market. Previous policy statements have referred to "significant underutilization of labor resources".

Wednesday's statement left out the word "significant".

Paul Ashworth, chief US economist at Capital Economics, said: "In light of the latest drop in the unemployment rate to below 6%, the dropping of "significant" could be, well... significant."

Brian Jacobsen, strategist at Wells Fargo Funds Management, added: "I was pleasantly surprised that they removed the reference to there being significant underutilization of labour resources.

"I think that is a hat tip to some of the progress being made in the labour market."

US shares were down ahead of the statement and continued to drift lower after the news was announced.

'Milestone'

QE started in November 2008 amid the financial crisis and fears that the US, and the rest of the world, might be facing another great depression.

The Fed's traditional ammunition, cutting interest rates, was running low - there was one more cut the following month, taking the main interest rate target down to practically zero.

So the central bank began buying financial assets and creating new money to pay for them.

In total, the Fed has added $3.7tn worth of assets to its holdings, about an eightfold increase.

BBC economics correspondent Andrew Walker said that although the US economy is improving, the moderate unemployment rate does not tell the whole story.

"There are still many people working part-time who would rather have longer hours, and many people not looking for jobs who are not counted as unemployed but would actually like to work. And long term unemployment is still a serious problem.

"The end of QE will nonetheless be an important milestone in the repair of the US economy," he said.

Recent data has pointed to increase spending by consumers and businesses. However, the housing market is still struggling and pay is stagnant.

There is concern about the long-term impact of the US's persistent low inflation, which risks undermining consumer spending as people delay purchases in the hope that prices will fall further.

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Giants beat Royals in World Series

San Francisco Giants sealed their third World Series title in five years with a 3-2 victory over Kansas City Royals in the deciding match of the series.

The Royals, who won their only title in 1985, had taken the best of seven series into a finale with a 10-0 win.

But Madison Bumgarner pitched five scoreless relief innings, striking out four while allowing only two hits.

The left-hander was named the World Series Most Valuable Player as the Giants won their eighth overall title.

Bumgarner, 25, originally credited with the game-seven win before an official scorer's change gave him only a save and handed Jeremy Affeldt the win, allowed only one run in 21 World Series innings with 17 strikeouts and only one walk.

He lowered his career record World Series earned run average to 0.25, having allowed one run in 36 innings on 14 hits, with five walks and 31 strikeouts - the best earned run average among pitchers with at least 25 innings.

"It's truly incredible what he did," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "I just can't believe what he accomplished."

Bumgarner, who also won the World Series with the Giants in 2010 and 2012, said: "I was concentrating on making pitches. I wasn't thinking about how many innings I was going to go, or how many pitches or anything like that. I was just thinking about getting outs."

Game 1: Kansas City Royals 1-7 San Francisco Giants
Game 2: Kansas City Royals 7-2 San Francisco Giants
Game 3: San Francisco Giants 2-3 Kansas City Royals
Game 4: San Francisco Giants 11-4 Kansas City Royals
Game 5: San Francisco Giants 5-0 Kansas City Royals
Game 6: Kansas City Royals 10-0 San Francisco Giants
Game 7: Kansas City Royals 2-3 San Francisco Giants

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US faces Ebola quarantine test case

30 October 2014 Last updated at 12:13

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Ebola nurse Kaci Hickox : "I don't think this is an acceptable line to be drawn"

A nurse who cared for Ebola patients in Sierra Leone is fighting the US state of Maine over its right to quarantine her against her will.

In a test case for returning US health workers, Kaci Hickox has vowed to leave her home on Thursday if the state does not lift the restrictions.

President Barack Obama has been sharply critical of isolation being forced on people he says are "American heroes".

Almost 5,000 people have died from the Ebola virus, mostly in West Africa.

The US envoy to the UN, Samantha Power, is expected to call for a stronger international response when she meets EU officials in Brussels.

She has been visiting the countries most affected - Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia - to show US support, as well as Ghana, where the UN Mission for Ebola Emergency Response is based.

In other developments

• The World Health Organization (WHO) reported a decline in the spread of Ebola in Liberia
• South Africa's first black billionaire, Patrice Motsepe, donated $1m (£620,000) to Guinea
• The US joined 30 other nations from the Americas at an Ebola conference in Cuba
• In UK, an umbrella of charities - the Disasters Emergency Committee - is to launch an Ebola appeal

Deaths from Ebola

The infection last week of a doctor in New York who had returned from Guinea has sparked a debate in the US over isolation policies for people coming back from West Africa.

Dr Craig Spencer had travelled on the subway and been bowling the night before he developed a fever, which is the point when people become contagious.

The governors of New York and New Jersey introduced mandatory quarantines as a result, and Ms Hickox was outraged to be put in a tent in Newark on returning from Sierra Leone on Friday.

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Sierra Leone has one of the world's highest infant mortality rates, and the Ebola outbreak is likely to push it even higher.

Officials said she had a temperature - which she denies - but she was released from Newark on Monday and flown back to Maine to be monitored at her boyfriend's house in Fort Kent.

"I am not going to sit around and be bullied around by politicians and be forced to stay in my home when I am not a risk to the American public," said Ms Hickox, who has tested negative for Ebola twice and has no symptoms.

She appeared briefly outside the house on Wednesday night to speak to reporters and express her continued frustration.

"I'm not willing to stand here and let my civil rights be violated when it's not science-based," she said.

But Maine Governor Paul LePage has said he will seek legal authority to keep her isolated at home until 10 November.

"While we certainly respect the rights of one individual, we must be vigilant in protecting 1.3 million Mainers, as well as anyone who visits our great state," he said in a statement.

California became the latest US state to announce tough rules for people returning from the Ebola-hit region.

These states are defying updated federal guidelines issued on Monday that call for active monitoring but not quarantine.

Twice this week, President Obama has condemned quarantine as a policy based on fear, not science, while praising the work of US aid workers.

"We need to call them what they are, which is American heroes," he said. "They deserve our gratitude, and they deserve to be treated with dignity and with respect.''

But he has faced questions about why the Pentagon is imposing a 21-day isolation on returning military personnel, despite them not coming into contact with Ebola patients while working to build clinics in West Africa.

Ebola virus disease (EVD)

• Symptoms include high fever, bleeding and central nervous system damage
• Spread by body fluids, such as blood and saliva
• Fatality rate can reach 90% - but current outbreak has mortality rate of about 70%
• No proven vaccine or cure
• Fruit bats, a delicacy for some West Africans, are considered to be virus's natural host

Ebola special report

Have you been affected by the issues raised in this article? You can share your experience by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk

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Rocket makers probe US explosion

30 October 2014 Last updated at 12:27

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The investigation could take weeks, says Orbital Sciences

The builders of an unmanned supply rocket which exploded on the way to the International Space Station have vowed to find the cause of the failure.

Antares, built by Orbital Sciences Corp, combusted seconds after leaving a launch pad in the US state of Virginia.

The company has warned locals near the crash site to avoid hazardous wreckage.

Crews have accessed the Nasa facility to search for debris, which may shed light on the incident. The investigation could take weeks.

"We will not fly until we understand the root cause," said Frank Culbertson, executive vice-president of Orbital Sciences, adding the top priority now was repairing the launch pad as "quickly and safely as possible".

Mr Culbertson told the BBC the mission's range safety officer had initiated a command to destroy the rocket, after a major, yet-unidentified failure occurred 15 seconds into the flight.

"Whenever a rocket either goes off course or appears to not be functioning properly, in the interest of public safety they'll destroy the rocket itself with an explosive charge," he said.

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The rocket explosion in Virginia was caught live on BBC World News

One line of inquiry will be the rocket's AJ-26 engines. They were refurbished Soviet-era power units originally developed to take cosmonauts to the moon in the late 1960s.

The rocket, launched from Wallops Flight Facility, was due to carry nearly 5,000lb (2,200kgs) of supplies to six astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

It included equipment for astronauts to conduct tests on blood flow to the human brain and to analyse meteors.

There was also equipment for experiments to examine the growth of pea shoots in orbit and how the body's immune system reacts to space travel.

Continue reading the main story

More than 1,300lb (600kg) of food was on board, including pre-packaged meals and freeze-dried crab cakes.

The flight - expected to be the third contracted mission with Nasa - was initially planned for Monday but was delayed due to a yacht in the surrounding danger zone.

Meanwhile, the Russian Space Agency launched its own supply rocket to the ISS early on Wednesday. It arrived successfully six hours later with a reported three tonnes of food aboard.

Following the failed launch of Antares, Nasa's station programme manager Mike Suffredini told US media that all of the lost materials will be sent to the ISS at a later date. The six-person crew has enough supplies to last into next spring, he added.

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US posts better-than-expected growth

30 October 2014 Last updated at 13:10

The US economy grew at an annual rate of 3.5% in the July-September quarter, the Commerce Department has said.

That was better than the 3% pace that economists had been expecting and follows the 4.6% growth rate recorded in the April-June quarter.

Strong export growth and higher government spending helped to boost growth in the third quarter.

In a sign of confidence in the US recovery, on Wednesday the Federal Reserve ended its stimulus scheme.

The fall in unemployment to a six-year low has helped boost that confidence.

"Today's number represents a return to a healthy-looking trend. The most recent IMF forecasts suggest the US economy will grow 3.1% next year and 3.0% in 2016, and these could be revised further upwards in the coming months," said Ben Brettell, senior economist at Hargreaves Lansdown stockbrokers.

It has been a volatile year for US growth data.

In the first quarter the economy contracted at an annual rate of 2.1% after severe weather hampered economic activity.

But the second quarter saw a rebound, growing at an annual pace of 4.6%.

Taken together the latest two quarters are the strongest consecutive quarters of growth since the second half of 2003.

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'Terror' wi-fi signal delays flight

28 October 2014 Last updated at 12:36 By Zoe Kleinman Technology reporter, BBC News

A wi-fi signal named "Al-Quida Free Terror Nettwork" (sic) has resulted in a long delay for passengers on a plane at Los Angeles airport.

A passenger alerted American Airlines cabin crew when his smartphone identified the network as one available nearby and police were notified.

After an investigation lasting several hours, police at the airport said no crime had been committed.

The flight from LA to London on Sunday was eventually rescheduled for Monday.

Many broadband subscribers re-name their home wi-fi network to personalise it.

When a device comes within range of the network, its name will appear on a list of potentially available wi-fi connections.

While some use their family name or the name of their house, others take a more satirical approach.

'Sometimes it's funny'

"It can be a kooky way of saying you support a local football team or you want to bait your neighbour who supports the opposing team," said Stuart Miles of tech review site Pocket Lint.

"Some people use it as advertising. It's an unwritten code of spreading a message that you're allowed to do - but obviously sometimes it's funny and sometimes it's not."

In a discussion about favourite wi-fi names on community site Reddit, users admitted to using titles like "FBI Surveillance Van", "ISIS HQ" and names that sounded like computer viruses to alarm passers-by.

The acronym LAN (Local Area Network) - the name given to a network linking a small group of computers in a home or business hub - has also been the subject of puns.

'Get off my LAN', 'the promised LAN' and 'WuTangLAN', a homage to US rappers Wu-Tang Clan, are popular choices.

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'Boston bomber' friend convicted

28 October 2014 Last updated at 17:23

A friend of the Boston Marathon bombing suspect has been found guilty of lying to investigators.

Robel Phillipos, 21, told a string of falsehoods about the night two other friends threw out Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's bag and computer.

The defence argued Phillipos had been intimidated by investigators and had been so high on marijuana he could not remember what happened.

Three died and more than 200 were injured in the 15 April 2013 attack.

Two other friends of Mr Tsarnaev, Dias Kadyrbayev and Azamat Tazhayakov, have been convicted of conspiracy and obstruction of justice. Investigators say they threw out Mr Tsarnaev's belongings at his request shortly after the attack, in an effort to hide evidence.

None of the three have been implicated in plotting the attack near the finish line of the Boston Marathon.

At Phillipos' trial, FBI agents testified he eventually acknowledged he was in Mr Tsarnaev's dorm room at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth with Kadyrbayev and Tazhayakov when they removed Tsarnaev's backpack and computer from the room on 18 April 2013.

The defence called several friends who said Phillipos smoked marijuana a half-dozen times that day. Former Massachusetts governor and presidential candidate Michael Dukakis, a friend of his mother, also testified.

Mr Dukakis said he had spoken to Phillipos on the phone five days after the bombings and Phillipos said he had been questioned by the FBI for five hours but was confused and did not remember what he said.

Prosecutors said Phillipos told investigators many details about the night of 18 April and had lied because he knew he had done something wrong.

Phillipos is set to be sentenced in January, and will remain under house arrest until then. He faces a maximum sentence of eight years per count of lying during a terrorism investigation.

Mr Tsarnaev is awaiting trial and has pleaded not guilty to the 30 federal charges against him.

His brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26, was killed in a shootout with police days after the bombing.

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Canada 'grateful' to Cpl Cirillo

28 October 2014 Last updated at 18:19

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Prime Minister Steven Harper and the corporal's five-year-old son gathered at the city's cathedral - Paul Cusiac reports

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper told thousands of mourners the nation was deeply grateful to a soldier killed by a gunman in Ottawa last week.

Mr Harper spoke at a funeral for Cpl Nathan Cirillo, 24, who was shot by Michael Zehaf-Bibeau while standing guard unarmed at Canada's war memorial.

Zehaf-Bibeau, 32, then entered Canada's parliament and fired dozens of shots.

Mr Harper choked back tears as he addressed Cirillo's five-year-old son, Marcus Daniel Cirillo.

"May time ease the searing pain of today," Mr Harper said. "And may [Marcus] some day find comfort in the fact that our entire country looks up to his dad with pride, with gratitude [and] with deep abiding respect."

Separately, US Secretary of State John Kerry has paid his respects in his first trip to Canada as America's top diplomat, laying a wreath at the National War Memorial in honour of the Canadian soldier.

He told reporters the US expresses "deep solidarity with our country's closest ally... [and] we offer our heartfelt condolences and prayers".

On Tuesday, a procession of 4,500 people walked along closed streets in Cpl Cirillo's hometown of Hamilton, Ontario, as a crowd lined the route to the funeral.

At the funeral, Mr Harper said Cpl Cirillo died "protecting and preserving" the memorial to fallen soldiers.

"Freedom is never free, it has been earned by the soldier then donated to all of us... Our hearts are broken at his loss, but our spirits are grateful for his memory," Mr Harper said.

Police are continuing to analyse a video that Zehaf-Bibeau made prior to the attack and are investigating several individuals in contact with the gunman before the incident.

Zehaf-Bibeau, a drifter with a record of petty crime and drug use, was killed by the House of Commons sergeant-at-arms inside the parliament building.

Authorities said that in the period leading up to the attack he had sought to obtain a Canadian passport for travel to Syria.

On Monday, Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Commissioner Bob Paulson told the Canadian Senate that more must be done to prevent home grown radicals from receiving militant training overseas.

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Noriega fails to sue Call of Duty

28 October 2014 Last updated at 19:19

A judge has dismissed a legal action brought by Manuel Noriega, the former dictator of Panama, against the publisher of the Call of Duty video games.

The ex-military ruler had tried to sue Activision after a character based on him featured in the title Black Ops II.

Noriega had sought damages.

But the judge at Los Angeles Superior Court ruled that the inclusion of the character was protected under free speech laws.

"This was an absurd lawsuit from the very beginning and we're gratified that in the end, a notorious criminal didn't win," said Rudy Giuliani, the former mayor of New York, who had defended Activision in the case.

"This is not just a win for the makers of Call of Duty, but is a victory for works of art across the entertainment and publishing industries throughout the world."

Noriega is currently serving a jail sentence in Panama for crimes committed during his time in power, including the murder of critics.

In the video game, the character based on him initially helps the CIA capture a Nicaraguan terrorist, but later turns on the Americans and is hunted himself in fictional scenes.

In reality, Noriega did work as a CIA informant before the agency broke ties with him. After the US became concerned about his violent rule, President George Bush ordered the invasion of Panama in 1989, which resulted in his capture.

Call of Duty games have featured other real-life characters including Fidel Castro, ex-CIA director David Petraeus and President John F Kennedy, among others.

Activision had warned that had the legal action been permitted to proceed, it could have encouraged other political figures to object to the use of their appearance in films, television programmes and books in addition to video games.

"Today's ruling is a victory for... global audiences who enjoy historical fiction across all works of art," said Bobby Kotick, chief executive of Activision's parent company, Activision Blizzard.

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US steps up security over terror fears

28 October 2014 Last updated at 22:43

The US has announced bolstered security measures at government buildings across the nation in the wake of an attack on Canadian parliament.

Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said the Federal Protective Service will enhance its presence at various sites in Washington DC and elsewhere.

The action has been described as a precautionary step to safeguard US government personnel and facilities.

It comes one week after a gunman opened fire in Ottawa, killing a soldier.

"The reasons for this action are self-evident: the continued public calls by terrorist organisations for attacks on the homeland and elsewhere, including against law enforcement and other government officials, and the acts of violence targeted at government personnel and installations in Canada," Mr Johnson wrote in a statement on Tuesday.

"Given world events, prudence dictates a heightened vigilance."

The homeland security chief did not provide details as to which of the more than 9,500 federal US facilities will see additional security, claiming such information is "law-enforcement sensitive".

The announcement comes just hours after Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper spoke at a funeral for Cpl Nathan Cirillo, 24, killed by gunman Michael Zehaf-Bibeau last week.

"May time ease the searing pain of today," Mr Harper told mourners.

Cirillo was standing guard unarmed at Canada's war memorial when Zehaf-Bibeau, 32, opened fire.

The gunman then entered Canada's parliament and fired dozens of shots before being killed by Sergeant-at-Arms Kevin Vickers.

The Canadian authorities earlier said the gunman was radicalised but had no ties to Middle Eastern Islamist extremists.

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Hawaii residents flee lava flow

29 October 2014 Last updated at 06:21

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The Kilauea volcano has been erupting since 1983

Residents of a Hawaiian village threatened by the Kilauea volcano have been evacuated from their homes as lava has hit the first houses in its way.

The slow moving, red hot lava spilling from the volcano is hot enough to incinerate homes and cannot be stopped by firefighters.

The lava has been flowing towards the village of Pahoa for weeks, destroying everything in its path, officials say.

Experts say the molten lava is hotter than 900C (1,600F).

"People have their life savings in their properties here. They face losing it all," businessman Mike Metcalf told the Reuters news agency.

Kilauea on the Big Island has been erupting since 1983, but lava has recently burst forth from a new vent.

Two roads to Pahoa have been closed and a cemetery has already been overtaken by the lava.

The town's residents will be allowed to watch the destruction of their homes "as a means of closure", officials said.

And they will be allowed to take photos and video for insurance purposes.

"You can only imagine the frustration as well as... despair they're going through," said Hawaii County Civil Defense Director Darryl Oliveira.

Can you stop lava?

At temperatures of about 1,000C, lava destroys whatever it touches. Its path is notoriously hard to predict.

The ability to impede or redirect lava largely depends on location, resources and luck.

Decades ago in Hawaii, the US attempted to bomb a lava flow, only to see the bomb craters refill. In Iceland, crews made use of billions of gallons of cold water around a nearby harbour to cool the lava in place. And barriers along Mount Etna in Italy redirected a flow away from a tourist area. But these attempts have been helped by a natural slowing or halting of lava eruptions.

"You have to be in a wealthy country with a lot at stake to even consider" lava diversion, Dr Shannon Nawotniak told the BBC, particularly given the volume of volcanic eruptions and the potential costs.

"You might buy yourself some time until the volcano stops itself."

Read more

The flow, now 55m wide, advanced about 275m between Sunday morning and Monday morning.

It has been moving at an average of five to 10m an hour, but has done so fitfully, sometimes slowing down to two yards or speeding up to 20, depending on topography, said Janet Babb, a spokeswoman for the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.

Decomposed vegetation in the lava's path has also produced methane explosions at the front of the flow, Ms Babb said.

"It's not a massive explosion," she said. "But it can dislodge rocks."

After the new vent opened in July, lava threatened a separate community before coming to a standstill in September.

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Joan Rivers family hires legal firm

29 October 2014 Last updated at 10:09

Joan Rivers' daughter, Melissa, has hired a legal firm to investigate the circumstances around her mother's death.

The comedian died on 4 September aged 81 following a cardiac arrest during a medical procedure on her throat.

The New York medical examiner's office said the death was due to brain damage from low blood oxygen.

The investigation could pave the way for a civil claim against the clinic where the comic was treated.

"In order to fully determine the facts and circumstances surrounding the death of Joan Rivers, we confirm that our firm has been engaged by Melissa Rivers and her family," Ben Rubinowitz, a partner at Gair, Gair, Conason, Steigman, Mackauf, Bloom and Rubinowitz, said.

However, he declined to comment on whether Rivers' family intended to file a legal claim.

Rivers died after spending a week on life support at Mount Sinai Hospital following the cardiac arrest.

The official cause of death was listed as anoxic encephalopathy - a condition caused when brain tissue is deprived of oxygen leading to brain damage.

It was also classified as a "therapeutic complication", meaning it was a known risk of the procedure.

Negligence is not suspected and was not listed as a contributing cause.

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White House computers 'hacked'

29 October 2014 Last updated at 12:02

A White House computer network has been breached by hackers, it has been reported.

The unclassified Executive Office of the President network was attacked, according to the Washington Post.

US authorities are reported to be investigating the breach, which was reported to officials by an ally of the US, sources said.

White House officials believe the attack was state-sponsored but are not saying what - if any - data was taken.

In a statement to the AFP news agency, the White House said "some elements of the unclassified network" had been affected.

A White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the Washington Post: "In the course of assessing recent threats, we identified activity of concern on the unclassified EOP network.

"Any such activity is something we take very seriously. In this case, we took immediate measures to evaluate and mitigate the activity.

'State-sponsored'

"Certainly, a variety of actors find our networks to be attractive targets and seek access to sensitive information. We are still assessing the activity of concern."

The source said the attack was consistent with a state-sponsored effort and Russia is thought by the US government to be one of the most likely threats.

"On a regular basis, there are bad actors out there who are attempting to achieve intrusions into our system," a second White House official told the Washington Post.

"This is a constant battle for the government and our sensitive government computer systems, so it's always a concern for us that individuals are trying to compromise systems and get access to our networks."

The Post quoted its sources as saying that the attack was discovered two-to-three weeks ago. Some White House staff were reportedly told to change their passwords and there was some disruption to network services.

In a statement given to Agence France-Presse, a White House official said the Executive Office of the President received daily alerts concerning numerous possible cyber threats.

In the course of addressing the breach, some White House users were temporarily disconnected from the network.

"Our computers and systems have not been damaged, though some elements of the unclassified network have been affected. The temporary outages and loss of connectivity for our users is solely the result of measures we have taken to defend our networks," the official said.

The US's National Security Agency, Federal Bureau of Investigation and Security Service were reportedly investigating.

Requests for comment were referred to the Department for Homeland Security, a spokesman for which was not immediately available. A White House spokesman has not responded to the BBC's request for comment.

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US man missing during NFL game found

29 October 2014 Last updated at 12:49

Police have found a man who went missing during a professional football game in Denver on Thursday.

Paul Kitterman, 53, was found in a car park in Pueblo, Colorado, around 161km (100 miles) south of Denver on Tuesday evening.

Denver police tweeted that Mr Kitterman was unharmed and foul play is not suspected.

He told police that he had hitchhiked from Denver to Pueblo because he had "had his fill of football".

A missing persons report was filed when he vanished from the Denver Broncos game leaving behind his stepson.

Jarod Tonneson said his stepfather left his seat at half-time and did not come back.

Mr Kitterman, who had not watched television since his disappearance, said he was surprised at the media attention according to according to local news station Koaa 5.

Pueblo police sergeant Frank Ortega told the station officers were alerted to Mr Kitterman's presence by a local furniture store owner who saw him wandering around a Kmart car park.

Mr Kitterman, who reportedly told police that he liked to walk, spent Tuesday evening in a hotel before his family came to collect him.

Mr Kitterman lives in Kremmling, northwest of Denver. He and Mr Tonneson had been invited to the game - his first NFL match - by friends at the last minute.

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US rocket explodes during launch

29 October 2014 Last updated at 13:06

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The rocket explosion in Virginia was caught live on BBC World News

An unmanned supply rocket bound for the International Space Station has exploded shortly after its launch from the US state of Virginia.

Antares, built by Orbital Sciences Corp, combusted seconds after leaving the seaside launch pad at Wallops Flight Facility.

The cause of the cargo ship malfunction has yet to be determined.

The initial planned launch of the spacecraft on Monday was delayed due to a yacht in the surrounding danger zone.

The flight was expected to be the third contracted mission with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

The rocket was due to carry nearly 5,000lb (2,200kgs) of supplies to six astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

It included equipment for astronauts to conduct tests on blood flow to the human brain and to analyse meteors.

There was also equipment for experiments to examine the growth of pea shoots in orbit and how the body's immune system reacts to space travel.

More than 1,300lb (600kg) of food was on board, including pre-packaged meals and freeze-dried crab cakes.

"We will understand what happened, hopefully soon, and we'll get things back on track," said Frank Culbertson, executive vice-president of Orbital Sciences.

"We've all seen this happen in our business before, and we've all seen the teams recover from this, and we will do the same."

No-one was injured, said Mr Culbertson, and an investigation team was going through the data to try to establish the cause.

He added it was possible his company's staff had triggered the rocket's destruct mechanism after the launch went wrong, but that he was not certain.

Investigating the crash

The examination of debris around the site would begin on Wednesday morning, Mr Culbertson said.

But he urged locals to avoid the crash area as the rocket had been carrying "hazardous materials".

"Certainly don't go souvenir hunting along the beach," he said.

Continue reading the main story

Russia's space agency conducted its own launch to the ISS on Wednesday.

The operation, which by chance was on the same day as the Antares launch, was planned long before Wednesday's accident, officials said.

Investigators will not jump to conclusions but one line of inquiry will surely focus on the AJ-26 engines used to lift the rocket away from the pad, says BBC science correspondent Jonathan Amos.

"These are actually modified Russian-built power units that were originally developed for the ill-fated Soviet Moon rocket, the N-1.

"They have been refurbished to modern standards, but one blew up in ground testing earlier this year."

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Frank Culbertson, Orbital Sciences, warned against keeping wreckage 'souvenirs'

Analysis: Jonathan Amos, BBC science correspondent

This new rocket was part of Nasa's effort to contract out "routine" cargo resupply to the International Space Station. But if we needed reminding that nothing in space is routine then this explosion has brought that message home in spectacular fashion.

The US space agency "seeded" development of Antares - and the supply ship it launches, Cygnus - by giving incentive payments to manufacturer Orbital Sciences Corporation, to help them develop a low-cost, commercial follow-on to fill the cargo gap left by the retired space shuttles.

The blast is likely to have seriously damaged the launch pad and support infrastructure, meaning that even if the fault is quickly identified and corrected, restarting Antares flights again may take a long time.

However, there should be no immediate threat to supplies for astronauts on the space station. The Cygnus cargo ship that was on top of the Antares is one of a fleet of vehicles that are used in this role. These other robotic vessels, launched atop other rockets, will now have to pick up the slack.

There is no doubting the explosion is a major setback for Orbital Sciences Corporation, and its plans to market Antares as a multi-purpose, commercial launcher. Confidence always takes a hit in the wake of a failure. But Orbital has the expertise to come back - as it has done after previous launch failures.

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New Toronto mayor ends Rob Ford era

28 October 2014 Last updated at 02:37

A moderate conservative has been elected as the mayor of the Canadian city of Toronto, defeating the brother of controversial incumbent Rob Ford.

John Tory won 40% of the vote, ahead of Doug Ford, whose brother Rob admitted problems with alcohol and crack cocaine use during his four years in office.

Rob Ford announced last month that he would not seek re-election as he undergoes treatment for a rare cancer.

However, he did win election to a council seat in the Etobicoke district.

"In four more years, you're going to see another example of the Ford family never, ever, ever giving up," he said, hinting at another run for mayor.

The results of the mayoral election were announced on Monday night after more than 90% of the votes had been counted.

Doug Ford congratulated Mr Tory on his victory and said he was proud of his brother.

"I still believe he's the best mayor ever," he said.

Earlier this year, Rob Ford began rehab for drugs and alcohol problems after a slew of newspaper reports and videos that depicted him under the influence.

In 2013, the mayor admitted he had smoked crack cocaine in a "drunken stupor".

He was stripped of many of his powers by the city council.

Provisional results

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Toronto Mayor Rob Ford: In his own words

John Tory - 40%

Doug Ford - 34%

Olivia Chow - 23%

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IS hostages 'have been waterboarded'

26 October 2014 Last updated at 13:33

A British hostage being held by Islamic State (IS) has said prisoners of the militant group who have tried to escape have been punished with waterboarding.

The statement came in the latest video featuring 43-year-old journalist John Cantlie, who was seized in late 2012.

Mr Cantlie reads an apparently scripted message that criticises the British and US's stance on hostage negotiations.

He quotes from emails in which families of hostages allegedly complained about the US refusal to negotiate with IS.

One message, which Mr Cantlie dates to 17 July this year, allegedly said: "We have begged them so many times already. Everyone has buried their heads in the sand.

"We feel we are caught in the middle between you and the US government, and we are being punished."

Referring to the hostages' treatment by the captors, Mr Cantlie says: "Some of us who tried to escape were waterboarded by our captors, as Muslim prisoners are waterboarded by their American captors."

'Direct contact'

At the end of the six-minute video, the journalist says there will be more messages to come.

Publication of the video comes days after the death of Mr Cantlie's father Paul, 80, who had recorded a video message from his hospital bed urging IS to release his son.

Jessica Cantlie, John Cantlie's sister, has also appealed for ''direct contact" with the militants.

John Cantlie, an experienced journalist and photographer, has been held captive in Syria twice.

He was kidnapped in July 2012, and handcuffed and blindfolded for a week, but escaped with help from the Free Syrian Army.

He was kidnapped for a second time when he returned to Syria towards the end of 2012.

Islamic State - also known as Isis or Isil - has taken control of large areas of Syria and Iraq.

Since August, IS has filmed and posted online the deaths of four Western hostages.

They were US journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff, British aid worker David Haines and Alan Henning, a taxi driver from Salford who was a volunteer on an aid mission to Syria.

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New York axe attack 'terrorist act'

25 October 2014 Last updated at 06:40

Police in New York say an axe attack on two officers was a terrorist act carried out by a radicalised Muslim convert.

Zale Thompson, 32, was shot dead after wounding the two officers, one critically, in Queens on Thursday.

Commissioner William Bratton said Thompson was not on any watch lists but had browsed al-Qaeda web sites and watched beheadings.

A bystander shot in the incident is critical but stable in hospital.

'Loner'

Witnesses said the man deliberately targeted the foot-patrol officers, charging them and then swinging the axe two-handed,

One officer, Kenneth Healy, 25, was hit on the head and was listed as critical but stable in hospital. The other officer was hit on the arm.

The officers fired several rounds, killing the attacker and wounding a female bystander, police said.

Commissioner Bratton said the whole incident took just seven seconds and praised the "extraordinary bravery and skill" of the officers involved.

He said of the attacker: "We believe that he acted alone, that we would describe him as self-radicalised."

Mr Bratton said Thompson's father had said his son had "spent extensive amounts of time by himself in his bedroom and by all accounts, was a true proverbial loner".

Thompson had served in the US Navy.

In recent social media postings, he spoke of injustices in US society and abroad, but did not indicate any affiliation with a terrorist group.

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Ex-PGA boss sorry for Poulter tweet

Ted Bishop has apologised after being sacked as president of the PGA of America for calling Ian Poulter "a little girl" on social media.

Bishop's Twitter and Facebook comments were later deleted but the PGA voted to relieve Bishop of his duties.

The PGA also apologised for Bishop's "unacceptable" and "insensitive gender-based statements".

Bishop said: "I want to apologise to Ian Poulter and anyone else that I might have offended with my remarks."

He added: "I have great remorse that my comments contained the words 'little girl' because I have always been a great advocate for girls and women in golf.

"In my 37-year career in golf, I have worked with many women to grow the sport and I have been a champion for inclusion and equal rights for women in golf.

"This is a classic example of poor use of social media on my part," added Bishop, who had one month remaining on his two-year term as the 38th PGA president.

Ian Poulter called Bishop's comments "shocking and disappointing"

The Ladies Professional Golf Association praised the PGA's dismissal of Bishop.

It said in a statement: "The PGA of America's quick and decisive action sent a strong message - reinforcing a consistent belief that with so many positive gains being made among golf's leading organisations, there is simply no room nor willingness, to take a step backwards."

Bishop had responded to Poulter's criticism of the Ryder Cup captaincy of Sir Nick Faldo and Tom Watson in the Englishman's new book 'No Limits'.

Englishman Faldo, who won six major titles and a record 25 Ryder Cup points during his career, drew criticism from the European team during this year's competition.

The 57-year-old, who was Europe captain at the 2008 Ryder Cup, said while commentating on this year's match that Sergio Garcia was "useless'' during the 16½-11½ loss to the United States at Valhalla six years ago, adding that he had a "bad attitude".

Poulter, 38, said in his book: "Faldo has lost a lot of respect from players because of what he said."

Ian Poulter was a captain's pick at Valhalla in 2008, when Europe lost heavily to the US

Noting that it was Europe's only loss in the past 15 years and that Faldo was captain, he added: "So who's useless? I think Faldo might need to have a little look in the mirror.''

In Bishop's tweet, which he later deleted, he said: "Faldo's record stands by itself. Six majors and all-time RC points. Yours vs. His? Lil Girl.''

In a separate post on his Facebook page, which was also deleted, Bishop added: "Really? Sounds like a little school girl squealing during recess. C'MON MAN!"

Poulter called Bishop's 'little girl' comments "pretty shocking and disappointing".

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Ryder Cup final day in three minutes

In a statement issued to the Golf Channel, Poulter later wrote: "Is being called a 'lil girl' meant to be derogatory or a put down? That's pretty shocking and disappointing, especially coming from the leader of the PGA of America. No further comment.''

PGA of America vice-president Derek Sprague, who has been appointed interim president, said: "The members of the PGA of America must uphold the highest standards and values of the profession, as well as the manner in which we conduct ourselves at all times.

"We apologise to any individual or group that felt diminished, in any way, by this unacceptable incident."

Bishop chose 65-year-old Watson as the 2014 US Ryder Cup captain and Poulter said in his book that Watson's decision-making "completely baffled" him, adding: "It gave us a real boost. I found it utterly bizarre."

Ted Bishop (left), pictured here with Tom Watson, deleted his controversial social media comments about Poulter

He identified Watson's failure to play Mickelson and regular partner Keegan Bradley in either of the Saturday sessions as a particularly strange decision.

Five-time major champion Mickelson and 2011 US PGA winner Bradley won all three of their matches together at the 2012 Ryder Cup, and were also paired for the first two sessions of this year's event, winning once and losing once.

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Canada outlines 'lone wolf' threat

27 October 2014 Last updated at 20:09

Radicalised lone wolf gunmen present "a much more challenging threat" for authorities, the head of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police has said.

RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson testified before a Senate committee on Monday, just days after a gunman killed a soldier and stormed parliament.

A video made by Michael Zehaf-Bibeau indicates ideological and political motives for the attack, said police.

Plots by lone individuals are harder to anticipate, said Mr Paulson.

"The more elaborate the plot is, the more likely it is we are able to respond, and in advance," he testified, adding authorities are more able to pick up chatter or hints of a coordinated attack.

The top Mountie's comments come one week after Canada experienced two separate attacks authorities say were perpetrated by radicalised individuals.

On 20 October, a man - said to be influenced by extreme Islamists and on a security watch list - struck two Canadian soldiers with his car before being shot dead by police.

Two days later, Zehaf-Bibeau, 32, shot dead Corporal Nathan Cirillo outside Ottawa's war memorial before entering parliament and firing dozens of shots.

He was shot dead by by Sergeant-at-arms Kevin Vickers, 58.

On Monday, Mr Paulson said that attack was carried out with "seemingly little to no preparation".

"The magnitude of the threat is perhaps best characterised as serious," Mr Paulson testified. "It does feel as if the events of the last couple of days have led to a sense of loss and vulnerability.

The attacker

• Thirty-two-year-old Michael Zehaf-Bibeau, a petty criminal with a history of convictions for minor drug offences and theft
• Officials believe he recently converted to Islam; a friend he met at a mosque described him as unstable
• Mother reported to be an immigration official, his father a Libyan who once ran a cafe in Montreal

The suspect: A trail of petty crime

Canadian authorities have said the gunman was radicalised but had no ties to Middle Eastern Islamist extremists.

Police are continuing to analyse a video Zehaf-Bibeau made prior to the attack, as well as investigate several individuals in contact with the gunman before the incident.

On Monday, Mr Paulson told Canadian officials more must be done to prevent homegrown radicals from receiving militant training overseas.

"While we are facing this threat at home, we must focus our efforts on preventing individuals travelling abroad to commit to commit acts of terrorism," Paulson said.

"Preventing the individuals from travelling is critical," he added. "If these individuals return with training and/or battle experience, they pose an even greater threat to Canada and our allies."

The Canadian government is expected to soon introduce a bill broadening the powers of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.

The bill is said to allow the service to track potential terrorists when they travel outside of Canada.

Earlier this month, the country announced plans to join the US-led campaign of air strikes against Islamic State (IS) militants in Iraq.

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VIDEO: Ebola: 'NY doing everything possible'

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Second girl dies in US school attack

27 October 2014 Last updated at 23:34

A second girl has died of wounds she suffered in a US school shooting in Washington state which ended when a young man fatally shot himself.

Gia Soriano, 14, was targeted during a gun rampage by fellow pupil Jaylen Fryberg near Seattle on Friday.

Her family said in a statement they were "devastated by this senseless tragedy".

Police said the killer had invited his friends by text message to the canteen where he carried out the attack.

Fryberg arranged to meet three friends and two cousins for lunch at Marysville-Pilchuck High School, Snohomish County Sheriff Ty Trenary told reporters on Monday.

He pulled out a handgun in the cafeteria and started shooting.

Zoe Galasso, 14, was also killed in the attack at Marysville Pilchuck High School.

Three other students targeted by Fryberg - including two of his cousins - remain in hospital. Two are in a critical condition, while one was upgraded to satisfactory on Monday.

All were shot in the head after the boy pulled out a weapon and started firing in the school cafeteria.

Reports have emerged about the heroics of one teacher, Megan Silberberger, who ran to the scene of the shooting and "did everything possible to protect students", according to a statement from her union.

It was unclear whether Fryberg had killed himself deliberately or whether the gun had been fired by accident as he struggled with the teacher.

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Peter Bowes: A disturbingly familiar scene

Fryberg, who was from a prominent Tulalip Indian Reservation family, was described as a popular, outgoing student, though messages he posted online before the attack suggested he had been "broken" by an unspecified event.

One pupil at the school told the Reuters news agency that the attack was related to a "fight over a girl".

Gia Soriano's organs will be donated for transplant, officials at Providence Regional Medical Center Everett said.

"We are devastated by this senseless tragedy," her family said in a statement. "Gia is our beautiful daughter, and words cannot express how much we will miss her."

The school will be closed this week

On Sunday, parents and students gathered in a gymnasium at the school for a community meeting, with speakers urging support and prayers.

"Our legs are still wobbly," Tony Hatch, a cousin of one of the injured students, said.

Matt Remle, a tribal guidance counsellor, told the Associated Press news agency the first-year students were polite and close-knit.

"These were not kids who were isolated," he said. "They had some amazing families and have amazing families."

The community was struggling to understand the attack, Mr Remble said.

"We can't answer that question," he said. "But we try to make sense of the senselessness."

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US sceptical about Afghan war - poll

28 October 2014 Last updated at 01:07

Americans are sharply divided as to the value of the nation's intervention in Afghanistan, a new BBC poll suggests.

Fewer than half of respondents said the the conflict was worthwhile for the US.

Two-thirds of participants were sceptical that US involvement left the Afghan government able to defend its own people without assistance.

But Americans seem to be more optimistic than British people about the country's prospects. The UK forces finally withdrew on Sunday.

In a similar poll conducted in the UK, only 24% said sending UK troops to Afghanistan has left that nation better off.

The US entered in its longest military conflict 13 years ago in Afghanistan, but today only 28% of respondents say America is safer as a result.

The BBC poll found Republicans were more likely than Democrats to consider US involvement in the Middle Eastern country worthwhile, at 54% to 43%.

Republicans - members of the political party which spearheaded the military intervention - are also currently less likely to say Afghan forces can protect their country without further US assistance.

Britons views on the conflict were found to be even more negative than Americans.

Only 14% of UK respondents say the international intervention made the European nation safer.

More than two-thirds of participants said UK involvement was not worthwhile.

As the US plans to end its combat mission in Afghanistan this year, nearly 9,800 troops will remain in country for training and counter-insurgency support.

With the closing of Camp Bastion, only some UK special forces and trainers in Kabul will remain.

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US used Nazis as Cold War spies

28 October 2014 Last updated at 01:36

Declassified US records reveal the nation's intelligence chiefs used hundreds of Nazis as spies and informants after World War Two.

Central Intelligence Agency officials are said to have turned to the country's former enemies to help beat the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

Academics studying the documents say America used at least 1,000 ex-Nazis.

Some had served at the highest levels of the Nazi Party, and were recruited to work as spies for the US in Europe.

Former SS officer Otto von Bolschwing reportedly wrote policy papers on how to terrorise Jews, but was hired by the CIA to spy in Europe after World War Two.

The agency is said to have relocated him and his family to New York in the 1950s as a reward for loyal service.

Nazi collaborator Aleksandras Lileikis - linked to the massacres of tens of thousands of Jews in Lithuania - was recruited by the US as a spy in East Germany and later brought over to Boston.

There's evidence the CIA even tried to intervene when Mr Lileikis became the subject of a war crimes investigation.

The recruitment of Nazi assets occurred against the backdrop of Cold War paranoia and panic.

But records indicate long-time FBI director J Edgar Hoover not only approved of the use of ex-Nazis as spies, he also dismissed the horrific acts they'd been involved in during the war as Soviet propaganda.

The revelations come one week after an Associated Press investigation found the US government had paid dozens of suspected Nazi war criminals millions of dollars in Social Security benefits after forcing them to leave the US.

The payments were made through a legal loophole. The US justice department later said benefits are paid to individuals who renounce US citizenship and leave voluntarily.

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US advises against Ebola isolation

28 October 2014 Last updated at 12:00

US medics returning from treating Ebola patients in West Africa will be actively monitored but not placed in quarantine under new US health rules.

The federal guidelines came after a nurse was put in isolation in a tent in New Jersey, a decision condemned by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

Meanwhile, Australia has been criticised for a West Africa visa ban.

The current Ebola outbreak in West Africa has infected more than 10,000 people and killed almost 5,000.

People are not contagious until they develop Ebola symptoms and the UN Secretary-General's spokesman said "returning health workers are exceptional people who are giving of themselves for humanity".

"They should not be subjected to restrictions that are not based on science."

Quarantine decisions in the US are made in each state, and the new guidelines from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) were immediately rejected by the governor of New Jersey.

The CDC said it was "concerned about some policies" being put into place.

New Jersey is one of three states with a 21-day quarantine for all health workers who have had contact with Ebola patients.

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie defended the mandatory isolation imposed on US nurse Kaci Hickox, who was quarantined when she returned home from Sierra Leone. He added: "That's what we will continue to do."

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The BBC's Gabriel Gatehouse reports from Monrovia in Liberia: ''Ebola robs its victims of their dignity''

Ms Hickox, who had no symptoms, has now left hospital in New Jersey for her home in Maine, where health officials say she'll be quarantined for 21 days.

She said she was made to feel like a criminal when she arrived back in the US last Friday.

Separately, Australia, which has had several scares but no recorded case of Ebola, has been criticised by Amnesty International for taking a "narrow approach".

A spokesman told Reuters that the ban made no sense from a health perspective but ensured that vulnerable people were trapped in a crisis area.

Analysis: Anthony Zurcher, BBC News

The decisions in New York, New Jersey and elsewhere aren't about proper policy, says the Washington Post's Daniel W Drezner, they're about politics.

"Let's be clear - Cuomo and Christie acted in the interest of being perceived as 'doing something' highly visible even though those actions will not make anyone safer," he writes. "It's the definition of security theatre."

Moreover, given US political realities, it's theatre that will play itself out again and again in states across the country as long as new Ebola cases continue to appear.

US Ebola weakness: Politics is policy

In other developments:

• The US Army Chief of Staff has imposed a 21-day monitoring period for all soldiers returning from the region
• The husband of a Spanish nurse who recovered from Ebola has been sharply critical of Spain's government
• The UN's chief of Ebola mission has told the BBC that the outbreak is likely to get worse
• A five-year-old boy has tested negative for Ebola in New York after visiting West Africa and developing a fever
• In the US, the Pentagon says about a dozen US troops returning from West Africa are being isolated at a base in Italy
• And Amber Vinson, a US nurse who contracted Ebola from a Liberian man who died of the disease in Dallas, Texas, is being released from hospital after being found free of the virus

The CDC's guidance for travellers and health workers returning from West Africa sets out four risk categories, and puts most healthcare workers returning from the epidemic-hit region as at "some risk" of infection.

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Anthony Banbury, UN Ebola mission: "We need more and we need it fast"

CDC director Dr Tom Frieden said workers considered to be at high risk or some risk would be required to be "actively" monitored for symptoms for 21 days.

Those at highest risk are anyone who's had direct contact with an Ebola patient's body fluids.

Even if they have no symptoms, they should avoid commercial travel and large public events, Dr Frieden said, adding that voluntary quarantine was enough.

More than 10,000 people have contracted the Ebola virus, with 4,922 deaths, according to the World Health Organization's latest figures.

All but 27 of the cases have occurred inside Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea.

The virus spreads through close contact and health officials say stopping the spread of the disease in the areas hardest hit by the outbreak will prevent Ebola's spread to other countries.

Ebola virus disease (EVD)

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How Ebola survivors' blood is saving lives

• Symptoms include high fever, bleeding and central nervous system damage
• Spread by body fluids, such as blood and saliva
• Fatality rate can reach 90% - but current outbreak has mortality rate of about 70%
• No proven vaccine or cure
• Fruit bats, a delicacy for some West Africans, are considered to be virus's natural host

Ebola special report

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IS hostages 'have been waterboarded'

26 October 2014 Last updated at 13:33

A British hostage being held by Islamic State (IS) has said prisoners of the militant group who have tried to escape have been punished with waterboarding.

The statement came in the latest video featuring 43-year-old journalist John Cantlie, who was seized in late 2012.

Mr Cantlie reads an apparently scripted message that criticises the British and US's stance on hostage negotiations.

He quotes from emails in which families of hostages allegedly complained about the US refusal to negotiate with IS.

One message, which Mr Cantlie dates to 17 July this year, allegedly said: "We have begged them so many times already. Everyone has buried their heads in the sand.

"We feel we are caught in the middle between you and the US government, and we are being punished."

Referring to the hostages' treatment by the captors, Mr Cantlie says: "Some of us who tried to escape were waterboarded by our captors, as Muslim prisoners are waterboarded by their American captors."

'Direct contact'

At the end of the six-minute video, the journalist says there will be more messages to come.

Publication of the video comes days after the death of Mr Cantlie's father Paul, 80, who had recorded a video message from his hospital bed urging IS to release his son.

Jessica Cantlie, John Cantlie's sister, has also appealed for ''direct contact" with the militants.

John Cantlie, an experienced journalist and photographer, has been held captive in Syria twice.

He was kidnapped in July 2012, and handcuffed and blindfolded for a week, but escaped with help from the Free Syrian Army.

He was kidnapped for a second time when he returned to Syria towards the end of 2012.

Islamic State - also known as Isis or Isil - has taken control of large areas of Syria and Iraq.

Since August, IS has filmed and posted online the deaths of four Western hostages.

They were US journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff, British aid worker David Haines and Alan Henning, a taxi driver from Salford who was a volunteer on an aid mission to Syria.

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