| NBC's Brian Williams taking himself off the air for several days Posted: 07 Feb 2015 04:42 PM PST  NBC News anchor Brian Williams said on Saturday he was taking himself off the evening newscast for several days, responding to intense criticism over his claims that he rode in a helicopter that was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade in Iraq a decade ago. "In the midst of a career spent covering and consuming news, it has become painfully apparent to me that I am presently too much a part of the news, due to my actions," Williams said in a statement posted on NBC News' website. Williams, a star anchor who has garnered high ratings for NBC, said he planned eventually to return to the broadcast and "continue my career-long effort to be worthy of the trust of those who place their trust in us." Lester Holt, who typically anchors NBC Evening News on weekends, will step in to handle the weekday evening broadcast in the interim, Williams said. NBC, a unit of Comcast Corp, on Friday said it was launching an internal probe of Williams' false statements that he was in a helicopter in 2003 that was brought down by enemy fire during the U.S. invasion of Iraq.
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| UK's Prince Charles voices alarm at radicalisation Posted: 07 Feb 2015 04:34 PM PST  Britain's Prince Charles said the numbers of vulnerable young Muslims being radicalised by "crazy stuff" on the Internet was "frightening", in an interview to be broadcast Sunday. The heir to the throne also voiced concern about Christians fleeing the Middle East in droves, saying the situation might end with very few left in the cradle of the religion. In a BBC radio interview, Charles said radicalisation was "one of the greatest worries" and the issue could not be simply "swept under the carpet. Speaking of "the values we hold dear", Charles said: "You'd think that the people who have come here, born here, go to school here would abide by those values and outlooks.
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| Brian Williams taking himself off air temporarily Posted: 07 Feb 2015 04:24 PM PST  LOS ANGELES (AP) — Brian Williams said he is temporarily stepping away from the "NBC Nightly News" amid questions about his memories of war coverage in Iraq, calling it "painfully apparent" that he has become a distracting news story.
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| Brian Williams Exits Stage Left—for Now Posted: 07 Feb 2015 03:28 PM PST |
| Indictment: Bosnian immigrants plotted over Facebook Posted: 07 Feb 2015 03:23 PM PST CHICAGO (AP) — Six Bosnian immigrants accused of sending money and military equipment to extremist groups in Syria used Facebook, PayPal and other readily available services to communicate and transfer funds, according to a federal indictment. |
| Brian Williams Temporarily Steps Down from NBC Nightly News Posted: 07 Feb 2015 02:54 PM PST  Brian Williams has voluntarily stepped down from NBC Nightly News for several days while his network investigates his false claim that his helicopter came under fire during the Iraq war in 2003. "In the midst of a career spent covering and consuming news, it has become painfully apparent to me that I ... Read More > Other Links From TVGuide.com Brian Williams NBC Nightly News With Brian Williams
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| Brian Williams Temporarily Stepping Down From 'Nightly News' Anchor Desk Posted: 07 Feb 2015 02:32 PM PST  NBC's "Nightly News" anchor Brian Williams announced Saturday that he will be taking "several days" off from the broadcast. "In the midst of a career spent covering and consuming news, it has become painfully apparent to me that I am presently too much a part of the news, due to my actions," Williams said in a note to NBC News staff, obtained by Access Hollywood . Williams' statement also named Lester Holt as the anchor who will temporarily fill his vacant seat as a substitute, but maintained that he does not plan to step down for good. "As Managing Editor of NBC Nightly News, I have decided to take myself off of my daily broadcast for the next several days, and Lester Holt has kindly agreed to sit in for me to allow us to adequately deal with this issue," Williams' statement noted.
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| Brian Williams Temporarily Leaving 'Nightly News' Posted: 07 Feb 2015 02:32 PM PST  NBC's "Nightly News" anchor Brian Williams announced Saturday that he will be taking "several days" off from the broadcast. "In the midst of a career spent covering and consuming news, it has become painfully apparent to me that I am presently too much a part of the news, due to my actions," Williams said in a note to NBC News staff, obtained by Access Hollywood . Williams' statement also named Lester Holt as the anchor who will temporarily fill his vacant seat as a substitute, but maintained that he does not plan to step down for good. "As Managing Editor of NBC Nightly News, I have decided to take myself off of my daily broadcast for the next several days, and Lester Holt has kindly agreed to sit in for me to allow us to adequately deal with this issue," Williams' statement noted.
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| Embattled US anchor takes himself off air Posted: 07 Feb 2015 02:30 PM PST  Top US television anchor Brian Williams said Saturday he was taking himself off the air for "several days" as he faces an internal investigation for embellishing an Iraq war story. Williams, 55, who reportedly earns $10 million a year and is watched by an estimated nine million Americans a night, admitted earlier this week that a story he often repeated on air about coming under fire was not true. "In the midst of a career spent covering and consuming news, it has become painfully apparent to me that I am presently too much a part of the news, due to my actions," Williams said in a note posted on NBC's website. "As managing editor of 'NBC Nightly News,' I have decided to take myself off of my daily broadcast for the next several days, and Lester Holt has kindly agreed to sit in for me to allow us to adequately deal with this issue," he added.
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| NBC anchor Williams taking himself off the air for several days Posted: 07 Feb 2015 02:13 PM PST NBC News anchor Brian Williams said on Saturday that he will take himself off the evening newscast for several days as the network probes misstatements related to his experience reporting on the Iraq war in 2003. "In the midst of a career spent covering and consuming news, it has become painfully apparent to me that I am presently too much a part of the news, due to my actions," Williams said in a statement posted on NBC News' website. Williams said he planned eventually to return to the broadcast and "continue my career-long effort to be worthy of the trust of those who place their trust in us." Lester Holt, who typically anchors NBC Evening News on weekends, will step in to handle the weekday evening broadcast in the interim, Williams said. NBC, a unit of Comcast Corp, on Friday said it was launching an internal probe of Williams' false statements that he was in a helicopter that was brought down by enemy fire during the U.S. invasion of Iraq. |
| Ahead of curfew ending, bombs kill 40 in Baghdad area Posted: 07 Feb 2015 02:12 PM PST  BAGHDAD (AP) — Baghdad's decade-old nightly curfew ended after midnight Sunday, hours after bombs exploded in and around the Iraqi capital, killing at least 40 people in a stark warning of the dangers still ahead in this country under attack by the Islamic State group.
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| Bombings in Iraqi capital kill 32, hours before curfew ends Posted: 07 Feb 2015 02:01 PM PST  Attacks in Baghdad, including a suicide bombing inside a restaurant, killed at least 32 people on Saturday, hours before a years-old nightly curfew was lifted. Doing away with the curfew -- which most recently was in effect from midnight to 5:00 am -- brought an end to a longstanding policy aimed at curbing violence in the capital by limiting movement at night. Another attack -- said to have been either a suicide or roadside bombing -- hit a commercial area in central Baghdad, killing at least nine people and wounding 28, officials said, revising a lower toll. As the attacks are carried out during the day or early evening when most people are out, the curfew has had little impact on that type of violence.
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| Brian Williams Stepping Away From NBC Nightly News Amid Scandal Posted: 07 Feb 2015 01:24 PM PST The controversy surrounding his helicopter story continues. |
| Iraqi PM to probe killing of two civilians at Anbar security HQ Posted: 07 Feb 2015 01:19 PM PST  Iraq's prime minister ordered an investigation on Saturday into the killing of two civilians at the main security office in western Anbar province, where the army and Shi'ite and Sunni volunteers are fighting Islamic State insurgents. The directive is the latest effort by Haider al-Abadi, a moderate Shi'ite Islamist who took office in September, to show that his administration is transparent and accountable to all sects as the government seeks to roll back IS gains in the country's north and west. Abadi's official Facebook page called the killing "a heinous crime ... intended to sow discord and distract (citizens) and the security forces from fighting the Daesh criminal gang," - a reference to Islamic State. Abadi's predecessor, Nuri al-Maliki, was accused of protecting Iraq's Shi'ite community while turning a blind eye to allegations of abuses against the Sunni minority by the security forces and Shi'ite militias.
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| As Baghdad lifts curfew, bombs are reminder of country at war Posted: 07 Feb 2015 01:19 PM PST By Saif Hameed and Stephen Kalin BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Five blasts across Baghdad on Saturday tempered Iraqis' anticipation of a more relaxed and accessible capital as the government prepared to lift a night-time curfew that has kept the city on a war-time footing for more than a decade. The attacks included a suicide bombing at a restaurant in a Shi'ite neighborhood and improvised explosives devices planted in a bustling central market district, underscoring the peril ordinary people still face from militant violence in Baghdad. Ending the curfew and "demilitarizing" several neighborhoods is part of a campaign to normalize life in Iraq's war-blighted capital. Officials hope to demonstrate that Baghdad no longer faces a threat from Islamic State, the militant group which seized large areas of northern and western Iraq last year. |
| Years-old nightly Baghdad curfew ends Posted: 07 Feb 2015 01:17 PM PST  Iraq's years-old nightly curfew was raised on Sunday in a bid by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to ease restrictions on daily life despite persistent violence plaguing the country. Doing away with the curfew -- which most recently was in effect from midnight to 5:00 am -- ends a longstanding policy aimed at curbing violence in the capital by limiting movement at night. Illustrating the persistent danger of violence in Baghdad, bombings in the capital killed at least 32 people and wounded more than 70 on Saturday. The decision to lift the curfew comes as Iraqi forces battle to regain ground from the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group, which spearheaded an offensive that overran large areas north and west of Baghdad last June.
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| Iranian opposition leader: In confronting Islamic extremism, mullahs must be evicted from Middle East Posted: 07 Feb 2015 12:39 PM PST Among other speakers was former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who strongly criticized the Obama administration's policy on Iran and the region. "Iran is more dangerous than ISIS," Giuliani said. |
| Islamic State 'sentenced' U.S. hostage to death last year: activist Posted: 07 Feb 2015 12:19 PM PST  By Alistair Bell WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The young American hostage who Islamic State says was killed in a Jordanian air strike was condemned to death by the militant group last year, according to an American Muslim activist. Islamic State seized aid worker Kayla Mueller in 2013 in northern Syria and initially gave her a "life sentence" in retaliation for the jailing in Texas of a Pakistani woman whose case is a well-known cause among Islamist militants, said activist Mauri Saalakhan, who leads a U.S. campaign to free the Pakistani. The militant group said on Friday that Mueller, a 26-year-old from Prescott, Arizona, was killed when Jordanian fighter jets bombed a building where she was being held. Mueller's family had long asked U.S. officials, aid groups and media outlets, including Reuters, not to use her name for fear the publicity could induce Islamic State to harm her.
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| Jordan says UAE sending jets to support raids on IS Posted: 07 Feb 2015 12:12 PM PST By Suleiman Al-Khalidi AMMAN (Reuters) - The United Arab Emirates is sending a squadron of F16 jet fighters to Jordan to conduct air strikes against Islamic State alongside Jordanian planes, an army source in Amman said. Jordan launched bombing raids against the jihadist group's positions in Syria and Iraq on Thursday in response to its brutal killing of a captured Jordanian pilot, military action that it continued on Saturday. The UAE, meanwhile, has suspended flights as part of the U.S.-led coalition conducting air strikes against Islamic State in view of concerns about search and rescue capabilities after the pilot was downed. UAE fighters would now join raids from inside Jordan, the source said. |
| The Mystery Around ISIS' Last Known American Hostage Posted: 07 Feb 2015 12:06 PM PST  Since gaining control of large swathes of Iraq and Syria, the Islamic State has stuck to a consistent pattern in dealing with hostages from the United States and United Kingdom, two countries that adhere to a strict policy against paying ransoms. On Friday, ISIS declared that Mueller, held captive since August 2013, died after a Jordanian missile struck a weapons warehouse where she was being held. In December 2012, Mueller, an experienced international aid worker, moved to the Turkish/Syria border to work for the Danish Refugee Council and one other organization. The Syrian and Mueller, whose arrival in Aleppo was unannounced, stayed the night and planned to travel back to Turkey by bus the following day.
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| Brian Williams is not alone: Hillary Clinton, Stephen Glass and other famous fabrications Posted: 07 Feb 2015 12:06 PM PST  Brian Williams admitted this week that, contrary to previous claims, he was not aboard a helicopter that was grounded by rocket grenades during the U.S. invasion of Iraq. But he's not the first public figure who has been caught stretching the truth.
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| Q&A: Yemen at dangerous crossroads as Shiites seize power Posted: 07 Feb 2015 11:43 AM PST  Yemen's Shiite rebels have dissolved parliament and declared a transitional government in the majority Sunni nation. The move raises doubts over whether the U.S.-led counter-terrorism campaign against Yemen's branch of the al-Qaida terror network can continue without local support.
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| Coalition planes bomb IS 'capital' in Syria Posted: 07 Feb 2015 11:22 AM PST  Coalition warplanes pounded a stronghold of the Islamic State group in Syria Saturday amid uncertainty over the fate of a US hostage the jihadists claim was killed in an earlier raid. The United Arab Emirates, meanwhile, said it would station a squadron of F-16 warplanes in Jordan to support it in strikes against the IS who burned alive a captured Jordanian airman. The parents of American Kayla Jean Mueller said they were "hopeful" she was still alive, after IS said she had been buried under rubble following a strike by a Jordanian warplane on their self-proclaimed capital Raqa. We have sent you a private message and ask that you respond to us privately," said Carl and Marsha Mueller.
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| UN chief in Riyadh to meet new Saudi king Posted: 07 Feb 2015 10:42 AM PST  UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon arrived in Saudi Arabia Saturday on his first visit since King Salman acceded to the throne following last month's death of his half-brother Abdullah. During his two-day stay, Ban will offer his condolences over Abdullah's death to the new monarch, the Saudi representative to the UN, Abdullah al-Muallami, was quoted as saying by the daily Asharq al-Awsat on Saturday. He said King Salman and Ban will also discuss regional issues including the Palestinian question, the crisis in Syria and Yemen, where a Shiite militia seized power on Friday.
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| Trial comes for Marine accused of killing 'American Sniper' Posted: 07 Feb 2015 10:39 AM PST STEPHENVILLE, Texas (AP) — Eddie Ray Routh had been talking crazy for a while. So when he showed up on his sister's doorstep one afternoon two Februarys ago and claimed to have shot two men, she didn't know what to think. |
| 5 questions, answers about 'American Sniper' murder trial Posted: 07 Feb 2015 10:01 AM PST Iraq War veteran Eddie Ray Routh is preparing to stand trial, charged with capital murder in the shootings of "American Sniper" author and former Navy SEAL Chris Kyle and his friend Chad Littlefield. Routh's post-traumatic stress disorder brought the men together, as Kyle and Littlefield sought to help the ex-Marine. Routh's parents think that diagnosis should carry some weight with the jury. Here are some questions and answers about the proceeding, and how PTSD might play a role. |
| The Daily Fix: California Colleges to Require Vaccine as Nation Grapples With Measles Outbreak Posted: 07 Feb 2015 09:35 AM PST The 10-campus University of California system has expanded its vaccination requirements starting with the class of 2017. They will include immunization for measles. In Marin County, one of California's wealthiest, exemption rates are triple the state level. In the private San Francisco Waldorf School, only 35 percent of kindergarteners have had their measles shots. |
| Official: UAE sends F-16s to Jordan to fight Islamic State Posted: 07 Feb 2015 09:14 AM PST  AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — The United Arab Emirates said Saturday it ordered a squadron of F-16 fighters to Jordan, which an official said would participate in airstrikes on the Islamic State group after the UAE earlier suspended its involvement.
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| Western powers say Libya risks bankruptcy as oil slumps Posted: 07 Feb 2015 08:56 AM PST  The United States and five of its European allies on Saturday warned that Libya could face bankruptcy if its oil output and prices on international markets continue to fall. Voicing alarm at the deteriorating security situation in the North African state, the allies said Libya was on the brink of economic implosion because of a collapse in its production and the sliding value of crude. "We remain deeply concerned about the economic impact of the political and security crisis on Libya's future prosperity," said the statement from Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United States. Global oil prices rallied this week having fallen 60 percent in six months.
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| UAE says to station F-16s in Jordan to support strikes on IS Posted: 07 Feb 2015 08:51 AM PST The United Arab Emirates on Saturday ordered a squadron of F-16 warplanes to be stationed in Jordan to support it in strikes against the Islamic State group. The federation's official WAM news agency said Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahayan, deputy head of the UAE armed forces, had ordered the move. "The initiative... reaffirms the UAE's unwavering and constant solidarity with Jordan and its leading role and immense sacrifices for the security and stability of the region as embodied by martyr and hero Maaz al-Kassasbeh," the Jordanian pilot burned alive by IS, the agency reported. WAM said the deployment was aimed at supporting Jordan's military in the fight against "the brutal terrorist organisation" IS, without specifying the number of aircraft involved or their role. |
| NBC probes Brian Williams' dubious anecdotes: Will the 'gist' save him? Posted: 07 Feb 2015 08:42 AM PST NBC News, Mr. Williams' employer, has now launched an investigation into whether the self-styled "everyman" anchor, who heads the nation's most popular nightly newscast, went beyond telling viewers the "gist" of what happened in Iraq and Katrina and instead made up details to make his own role seem more dramatic. In one case, Williams said an Army helicopter he was riding on in 2003 was forced down by rocket-propelled grenades in Iraq, which is not, according to soldiers who were there, what happened. In fact, as he has now conceded, Williams was riding in a rear guard helicopter which may or may not have taken small arms fire, according to contradictory accounts. |
| Exclusive - Iran tells West President Rouhani at risk if talks fail: Iranian officials Posted: 07 Feb 2015 08:16 AM PST  By Parisa Hafezi and Louis Charbonneau ANKARA/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Iran's foreign minister has warned the United States that failure to agree a nuclear deal would likely herald the political demise of pragmatist President Hassan Rouhani, Iranian officials said, raising the stakes as the decade-old stand-off nears its end-game. Mohammad Javad Zarif pressed the concern with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry at several meetings in recent weeks, according to three senior Iranian officials, who said Iran had also raised the issue with other Western powers. In a statement posted on the Iranian Foreign Ministry's website, Zarif later denied discussing domestic issues with Western officials.
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| Erdogan's loyal spy chief quits to enter Turkish politics Posted: 07 Feb 2015 08:04 AM PST  Turkey's powerful intelligence chief, one of the most steadfast allies of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has resigned to stand for election as a lawmaker in upcoming elections, the official Anatolia news agency said Saturday. The resignation of Hakan Fidan, who has headed the National Intelligence Agency (MIT) since 2010, could herald a major reshuffle of the Turkish government after June 7 legislative elections. Turkey's press have in recent days speculated feverishly that Fidan's standing as an MP would set him up to become the new foreign minister, a move that would give a higher profile to Turkish diplomacy. His resignation has been accepted by Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and will take effect on Tuesday, Anatolia added.
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| Syria death toll now exceeds 210,000: rights group Posted: 07 Feb 2015 06:51 AM PST  The death toll after nearly four years of civil war in Syria has risen to 210,060, nearly half of them civilians, but the real figure is probably much higher, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Saturday. The Observatory, which is based in Britain and has a network of activists across Syria, said that 10,664 children and 6,783 women were among the dead. Reuters tried to contact Syrian authorities for comment, but they were not immediately available. Peaceful protests against four decades of rule by President Bashar al-Assad's family in March 2011 degenerated into an armed insurgency following a fierce security crackdown.
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| U.S.-led forces launch 26 air strikes in Syria, Iraq: U.S. military Posted: 07 Feb 2015 06:40 AM PST U.S.-led forces launched 15 air strikes against Islamic State in Iraq and 11 in Syria, the U.S. military said on Saturday, adding that nine targets in Syria centered around the border city of Kobani that was recaptured from the militants last month. The Kobani strikes hit seven of the militants' tactical units and destroyed five vehicles and two staging areas, the Combined Joint Task Force said in a statement. The strikes in Iraq targeted northern areas including al Qaim, Kirkuk, Mahkmur, Mosul and Tal Afar, it said. |
| Family of U.S. hostage of Islamic State says hopeful she is still alive Posted: 07 Feb 2015 05:12 AM PST (Reuters) - The parents of an American humanitarian worker held hostage by Islamic State since August 2013 said on Friday they are hopeful she is still alive, after the group said she was killed in a bombing by Jordanian fighter jets. Carl and Marsha Mueller, the parents of Kayla Jean Mueller, asked the Islamic State group to contact them privately, according to a statement released by a family representative. "This news leaves us concerned, yet, we are still hopeful that Kayla is alive," they said in the message. In a message directed to "those in positions of responsibility for holding Kayla," they said: "You told us that you treated Kayla as your guest, as your guest her safety and well-being remains your responsibility." Mueller was the last-known American hostage held by Islamic State, which controls wide areas of Syria and Iraq. |
| Turkish spymaster Fidan quits to contest parliamentary election: sources Posted: 07 Feb 2015 03:20 AM PST By Orhan Coskun ANKARA (Reuters) - The head of Turkey's intelligence service, Hakan Fidan, one of President Tayyip Erdogan's closest confidants, has resigned to run in a parliamentary election in June, two senior Turkish officials said on Saturday. Fidan, who played a key role in trying to stop the hacking of confidential state communications during a corruption scandal implicating Erdogan's inner circle last year, has been widely seen as a potential future foreign minister. Fidan's move into politics would give Erdogan, who became Turkey's first popularly-elected head of state last August, another loyal ally in the top ranks of the ruling AK Party, helping him cement his grip on government. "He will make the best of any job in any place," Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu was quoted by the Hurriyet newspaper as saying this week, describing Fidan as "brave and valiant". |
| Third time on target for 'Sniper' star Cooper? Posted: 07 Feb 2015 12:43 AM PST  Bradley Cooper could make it third time lucky at the Oscars this month, after being nominated a rare three consecutive times for Hollywood's highest awards. The 40-year-old is shortlisted for best actor for his role in the controversial blockbuster "American Sniper" as former Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, one of America's most famous warriors in the second Iraq war. It follows his nod in the same category for "Silver Linings Playbook" in 2013, and one for best supporting actor for "American Hustle" last year -- a three-time feat last achieved more than a decade ago by Renee Zellweger (2001-2003). "I think this is Bradley Cooper's best performance and it's his third consecutive nomination," Tim Gray, awards editor at industry journal Variety, told AFP.
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| Quotations in the News Posted: 07 Feb 2015 12:05 AM PST "But as a first reaction, we think it's illogical and we are highly skeptical about it. How could they identify a Jordanian warplane ... in the sky? What was the American lady doing in a weapons warehouse?" — Jordanian government spokesman Mohammed al-Momani about Islamic State group claims that U.S. aid worker Kayla Jean Mueller had been killed in a Jordanian air strike in northern Syria. |
| Egyptian military kills 47 militants in the Sinai Posted: 06 Feb 2015 11:55 PM PST  Egyptian security forces killed 47 Islamic militants in the country's Northern Sinai on Friday in one of the biggest operations in the region in months, security sources said. Apache helicopters killed 27 militants from the Sinai Province group, which pledges allegiance to Islamic State, the ultra-hardline militants who have seized swathes of Iraq and Syria, the sources said. Sinai Province, fighting to topple the Cairo government, has claimed responsibility for coordinated attacks that killed more than 30 members of the security forces in late January. After that bloodshed, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi told Egyptians the country faced a long, tough battle against militants.
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