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AP Top News at 3:06 p.m. EDT
Saturday August 22nd, 2015 at 4:15 PM

AP Top News at 3:06 p.m. EDT

The Latest: French official confirms ID of train attackerThe latest on the gunman who was subdued by passengers after opening fire at a train traveling from Amsterdam to Paris (all times local Paris time): 9:00 p.m. (7:00 p.m. GMT)

Afghan car bombing kills at least 12, including 3 AmericansKABUL, Afghanistan (AP) - A suicide car bomber attacked a NATO convoy traveling through a crowded neighborhood in Afghanistan's capital Saturday, killing at least 12 people, including three American civilian contractors for the international military force, authorities said. The Taliban quickly denied it was behind in the attack in Kabul's Macrorayan neighborhood, though the militants increasingly have been targeting Kabul in recent weeks and often don't claim attacks that maim large numbers of civilians.

PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) - The first high-level talks in nearly a year between South Korea and North Korea stretched into the early hours of Sunday, as the rivals looked to defuse mounting tensions that have pushed them to the brink of a possible military confrontation. The closed-door meeting in the border village of Panmunjom, where the armistice ending fighting in the Korean War was agreed to in 1953, began early Saturday evening, shortly after a deadline set by North Korea for the South to dismantle loudspeakers broadcasting anti-North Korean propaganda at their border. North Korea had declared that its front-line troops were in full war readiness and prepared to go to battle if Seoul did not back down.

GEVGELIJA, Macedonia (AP) - Thousands of rain-soaked migrants on Saturday rushed past Macedonian riot police who were attempting to block them from entering Macedonia from Greece. Police fired stun grenades and dozens of people were injured in the border clashes. By the end of the day, every one got across, including several hundred migrants, mostly elderly and children, who had remained on the Greek side of the border. Thousands then boarded trains and buses that took them up north to the border with Serbia from where they will attempt to enter European Union-member Hungary.

Congressman says NYC federal building gunman got 'raw deal'NEW YORK (AP) - A man who gunned down a security guard at a federal building in Manhattan before killing himself was a whistleblower who had been given "a raw deal" by the agency that fired him, a New Jersey congressman who took up the man's case said Saturday. Rep. Bill Pascrell said he did not know what made Kevin Downing, a military veteran who had once been employed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, open fire at the New York federal building on Friday.

Puerto Rico, USVI prepare for weakening Hurricane DannySAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) - A weakening Hurricane Danny approached Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands on Saturday, but was expected to bring little relief to residents of the drought-stricken northern Caribbean. The Category 1 hurricane was located 635 miles (1,020 kilometers) east of the Leeward Islands Saturday afternoon, with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph (135 kph). It was traveling west-northwest at 12 mph (19 kph).

2016's top candidates struggle to change the subject

Man faces obscenity charge after O'Donnell's daughter foundTOMS RIVER, N.J. (AP) - The owner of the home where Rosie O'Donnell's missing teen daughter was found earlier this week has been arrested for allegedly having inappropriate online communications with the 17-year-old girl, according to authorities and the star's spokeswoman. Steven Sheerer faces charges of child endangerment and distribution of obscenity to a minor, authorities said Saturday.

Legal showdown looms over the NCAA's ban on paying athletesATLANTA (AP) - Fresh off a ruling that Northwestern University football players can't form a union, the NCAA is about to face a more direct challenge to its longstanding policy of not letting schools pay athletes like they're professionals. A federal judge who issued a landmark decision against the NCAA last year is considering whether to grant class-action status to lawsuits by current and former college athletes seeking to abolish the NCAA's prohibition against competitively paying players. Taken together, the cases carry billion-dollar implications and hinge, essentially, on whether the concepts of amateur athleticism and economic competition can co-exist.

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Philip Hammond flies to Tehran to reopen British embassy in Iran by Press Association
Saturday August 22nd, 2015 at 4:15 PM

In the first visit by a British foreign secretary to Iran since 2003, Hammond will reopen embassy that was stormed by a mob four years ago

Britain’s embassy in Iran will reopen on Sunday in a sign of the diplomatic thaw between the two nations four years after the building was shut when it was stormed by violent protesters. Philip Hammond is flying to Tehran for a ceremony to mark the move in the first visit to the country by a British foreign secretary since 2003.

The UK has had no diplomatic presence in Tehran since a mob ransacked the British embassy in 2011 but the election of Hassan Rouhani as president brought about a significant improvement in relations.

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Brothers may have recorded killings of five family members in Oklahoma by Associated Press in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Saturday August 22nd, 2015 at 4:15 PM

Search warrant affidavit says video cameras were in the home where Robert and Michael Bever allegedly stabbed their parents and three siblings

A search warrant affidavit in the stabbing deaths of a Broken Arrow couple and three of their children indicates that the killings, which happened last month, may have been recorded on video.

The affidavit, first obtained by the Tulsa World, says video cameras were in the home where 18-year-old Robert Bever and 16-year-old Michael Bever allegedly fatally stabbed their parents and three siblings and wounded another sibling.

Official: Islamic State Ambushes, Kills up to 50 Iraq Troops
Saturday August 22nd, 2015 at 4:14 PM

Provincial official: Islamic State militants kill up to 50 Iraqi troops in Anbar ambushes

John Grisham Talks Politics at Mississippi Book Festival
Saturday August 22nd, 2015 at 4:14 PM

John Grisham talks politics at Mississippi Book Festival, a day of storytelling celebration

ISIS Ambushes Kill Up to 50 Iraqi Troops by Jacob Davidson
Saturday August 22nd, 2015 at 4:14 PM

TIME

(BAGHDAD) — A top provincial official in Iraq’s Anbar province says up to 50 soldiers have been killed by Islamic State militants in two separate ambushes in the turbulent region west of Baghdad.

Sabah Al-Karhout, president of the Anbar Provincial Council, told The Associated Press on Saturday that the ambushes took place Friday west of the provincial capital, Ramadi.

He had no more details and there was no immediate word from authorities on the violence.

Defense Minister Khalid al-Obeidi on Saturday toured the army’s command in Anbar. During a meeting with troops there, a Defense Ministry statement said al-Obeidi counseled that forces must use “caution and precision” when advancing to avoid “unjustified losses.”

The Islamic State group controls about a third of Iraq, including much of Anbar.

7 Dead as Fighter Jet Crashes Into Highway at British Airshowby DANNY HAKIM
Saturday August 22nd, 2015 at 4:13 PM

NYT > World

A fighter jet taking part in a British airshow in West Sussex, on England’s southern coast, crashed into a busy road.

Abbas reportedly resigns as PLO Executive chief
Saturday August 22nd, 2015 at 4:13 PM

DEBKAFile

August 22, 2015, 10:25 PM (IDT)

Mahmoud Abbas resigned Saturday as head of the Palestinian Liberation Organization’s executive committee in a bid to force new elections for a new body at the Palestinian National Council meeting next month. More than half of the 18 committee members stepped down with him. Abbas retains the titles of Palestinian president and chairman of the Palestinian Authority.

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Iran unveils new Fateh-313 missile with 500km range
Saturday August 22nd, 2015 at 4:12 PM

DEBKAFile

August 22, 2015, 10:37 PM (IDT)

The new missile Iran unveiled Saturday is a short-range, solid fuel, ballistic missile of the Fateh-313 series. This model has a quicker launch capability, longer lifespan and high accuracy, the Iranians claimed. DEBKAfile: The Fateh-313 is a direct threat to the Gulf region and especially Saudi Arabia. It has been made ready for operational service at a time that the Saudi-UAE-led forces are advancing in Yemen and the pro-Iranian Houthi rebels are suffering a series of defeats.

Twelve killed, including 3 US contractors, in Kabul attack
Saturday August 22nd, 2015 at 3:20 PM

DEBKAFile

August 22, 2015, 10:14 PM (IDT)

At least 12 people were killed and 66 others wounded in a suicide attack in Afghanistan's capital Saturday, the spokesman for Kabul's police chief said. Three were US contractors. The bomber blew up his explosives-laden Toyota Corolla in the Macroyayan area of Kabul, clearly seeking out the convoy of contractors and Afghan civilians as his target. Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid sent an email to media denying his group was responsible for the explosion.

U.S. heroes hogtie gunman
Saturday August 22nd, 2015 at 3:18 PM

A French passenger and three Americans -- a civilian, an Air Force member and a National Guard member -- hogtied a gunman and stopped an attack on a European train.

Incredible footage shows shooting aftermath
Saturday August 22nd, 2015 at 3:18 PM

Who are men who thwarted attack?
Saturday August 22nd, 2015 at 3:18 PM

The three childhood friends left the United States for Europe as vacationers, but will return home as heroes.

France: Train attacker had a Kalashnikov, pistols, box cutter
Saturday August 22nd, 2015 at 3:18 PM

Cyber Warfare - Google News

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Migrants Rush Across Border in Macedoniaby THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Saturday August 22nd, 2015 at 3:18 PM

NYT > World

Thousands of refugees managed to get past a cordon set up to prevent them from crossing into the country from Greece.

Photos of the week: Army
Saturday August 22nd, 2015 at 3:17 PM

Stars And Stripes

Our staff-selected photos of the week of the Army in action.

China syndrome: how the slowdown could spread to the Brics and beyond - The Guardian
Saturday August 22nd, 2015 at 3:11 PM

The Guardian

China syndrome: how the slowdown could spread to the Brics and beyond
The Guardian
But in the past 18 months, the Chinese economy has slowed, causing problems for two distinct groups of emerging-market economies – the east Asian countries that sell components and finished goods to their big neighbour, and countries that supply China ...
Sinking currencies reflect fear over emerging economies as China slows and Fed ...Fox News
This selloff is about China and emerging markets, with a dash of FedMarketWatch
Global shares, oil routed on China fearsThe Australian Financial Review
The Globe and Mail (subscription) -Wall Street Journal
all 302 news articles »

After Retiring, Odierno Lands on Wall Street
Saturday August 22nd, 2015 at 3:09 PM

Defense News - Home

With last week’s announcement that he has joined JPMorgan Chase as a senior advisor to CEO Jamie Dimon, retired US Army Gen. Ray Odierno became the latest high-ranking officer to find a second career on Wall Street.

US judge orders immigrant families released from detention
Saturday August 22nd, 2015 at 3:08 PM

Stars And Stripes News

A federal judge in California has ordered the government to release immigrant children from family detention centers "without unnecessary delay," and with their mothers when possible, according to court papers.

Americans Recount Bloody Encounter With Gunman on Train to France by By ADAM NOSSITER
Saturday August 22nd, 2015 at 3:04 PM

NYT > United States Defense And Military Forces

The quick action by two servicemen on a high-speed train traveling from Amsterdam to Paris averted what officials said could have been a blood bath.

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Prosecutors Investigate Deadly St. Louis Shooting by Police
Saturday August 22nd, 2015 at 3:04 PM

Prosecutors investigate death of suspect who was shot in the back by St. Louis police

Skydivers Parachute Into Funeral of Army Skydiver
Saturday August 22nd, 2015 at 3:04 PM

Skydivers parachute into funeral of Army Golden Knight killed in Chicago air show accident

Macedonia police fire stun grenades as thousands of migrants rush border by Associated Press
Saturday August 22nd, 2015 at 3:03 PM

Several people injured on second day of clashes as migrants en route to western Europe try to enter Macedonia from Greece

Thousands of migrants rushed past baton-wielding Macedonian police who were attempting to stop them entering Macedonia from Greece. Police fired stun grenades and several were injured in the clashes.

The conflict started when police decided to allow a small group of migrants with young children to cross the frontier. Then the crowds at the back squeezed them towards the wall of police. Several women and children fell to the ground apparently fainting after pushing past the cordon. Thousands of others, including women with babies and men carrying small children, used the moment to run across a field unprotected by barbed wire to enter Macedonia. Police fired stun grenades, but failed to stop the push.

Provincial Official: Islamic State Militants Kill up to 50 Troops in Ambushes West of Baghdad
Saturday August 22nd, 2015 at 3:03 PM

Provincial official: Islamic State militants kill up to 50 troops in ambushes west of Baghdad

In science we trust… up to a point by Adam Rutherford
Saturday August 22nd, 2015 at 2:43 PM

Eminent journals and peer-reviewed academic papers are supposed to convince us of scientific truth. Here’s why we should all be wary…

Science is emphatically not a belief system. It doesn’t require faith, and it works: civilisation is built on science working. But it’s a full-time job to keep on top of one subject, and impossible to stay up to date across a range of fields. We have to trust that the system works. But does it?

This is the process: scientists do the research – primarily paid for by you – which gets written up and peer-reviewed before publication as a paper in a journal. Getting published in a journal is not a mark of truth but that your research is credible enough to warrant entering the literature for ongoing scrutiny. Published papers are the benchmark of academic success, and the media’s main focus.

Nine injured after explosion at eastern China chemical plantby Reuters
Saturday August 22nd, 2015 at 2:42 PM

Saturday’s blast started fire and shattered windows in village, but no fatalities were reported

Nine people have been injured in an explosion at a chemical plant in eastern China, state media has said.

No fatalities were reported in the blast on Saturday night, said the Xinhua news agency – citing local authorities, although the nine injured people were taken to hospital.

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Profile Emerges of a Suspect in Attack on Train to Franceby STEVEN ERLANGER
Saturday August 22nd, 2015 at 2:41 PM

NYT > World

The gunman is believed to be Ayoub El Kahzani, of Moroccan origin, who was known to the Spanish and French security services and is reported to have traveled to Syria last year.

Europe on high alert after French train attack by heavily armed gunman by Mark Townsend and Kim Willsher
Saturday August 22nd, 2015 at 2:41 PM

French authorities questioning suspect at counter-terrorism headquarters outside Paris

Security was stepped up on major European rail services as fears of “blowback” attacks by jihadis returning from Syria escalated after a gunman known to the intelligence agencies opened fire on a high-speed train bound for Paris.

The lone gunman is thought to be a 26-year-old Moroccan, known to Belgian, French and Spanish authorities, who travelled to fight in Syria last year, prompting speculation the attack was linked to Islamic State (Isis).

Are you thinking what I’m thinking? The rise of mind controlby Tom Ireland
Saturday August 22nd, 2015 at 2:41 PM