General news

• Boko Haram purportedly pledges allegiance to ISIS

  07-03-2015 23:50 via edition.cnn.com
  
  Boko Haram, the Nigeria-based Islamist terror group, has pledged allegiance to ISIS, according to an audio message purported to be from Boko Haram's leader, Abubakar Shekau.
  
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• 'We Were Allies': Russians Celebrate U.S. WWII Hardware

  07-03-2015 23:47 via feeds.nbcnews.com
  
  American military hardware is being celebrated in Moscow this week, despite the current U.S.-Russia tensions.
  
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• Sean Penn has "no apologies" for green card joke at Oscars

  07-03-2015 23:45 via news.yahoo.com
  
  BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) — Sean Penn opened up about the green card joke heard 'round the world on Saturday in Beverly Hills during a promotional tour for his new film "The Gunman," saying that he has "absolutely no apologies" for his comment. The actor-director also offered up choice words for those who didn't recognize the irony in his remarks.
  
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• Republican presidential hopefuls split on immigration

  07-03-2015 23:41 via news.yahoo.com
  
  DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The clear rift over immigration opened up publicly Saturday in the emerging Republican presidential field, with most potential 2016 candidates calling for enforcement of existing laws and outliers Jeb Bush, the former Florida governor, and Sen. Lindsay Graham wanting to offer the estimated 11 million immigrants in the U.S. illegally a path to legal status.
  
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• Australia, Sri Lanka seek clear paths in Sydney

  07-03-2015 23:34 via news.yahoo.com
  
  Former champions Australia and Sri Lanka meet at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Sunday with eyes on victory and minds on World Cup quarter-final permutations. Until Saturday, both were desperate for a Pool A win to make sure of their own last-eight spots as well as avoiding a potential showdown with South Africa, who seemed set for the runners-up place in Pool B. But then Pakistan decided to turn plans upside down by beating South Africa by 29 runs in Auckland, throwing the final group placings in
  
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• Five killed in Mali jihadist nightclub attack

  07-03-2015 23:24 via news.yahoo.com
  
  Five people including two Europeans and a Malian policeman died in an assault claimed by an Islamist group on a Bamako nightclub Saturday, the first attack targeting Westerners in a city braced for jihadist violence since 2012. A spokesman for Al-Murabitoun, a jihadist group run by leading Algerian militant Mokhtar Belmokhtar, claimed responsibility in an audio recording carried by Mauritanian news agency Al-Akbar, which frequently publishes what it says are statements from jihadist groups. &quo
  
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• Boko Haram pledges allegiance to IS after carnage in Maiduguri

  07-03-2015 23:22 via news.yahoo.com
  
  Boko Haram pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group in an audio message published online on Saturday, after three bombs wreaked havoc in northeast Nigeria, killing 58 and wounding scores. "We announce our allegiance to the Caliph of the Muslims, Ibrahim ibn Awad ibn Ibrahim al-Husseini al-Qurashi," Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau said, referring to IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. The eight-minute speech, in which Shekau was not shown, was published on a Twitter account used by B
  
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• Obama in Selma: 'Our march is not over'

  07-03-2015 23:14 via news.yahoo.com
  
  In a forceful speech in Selma, Alabama on the 50th anniversary of the brutal repression of a peaceful protest, America's first black president denounced new attempts to restrict voting rights. "We gather here to celebrate them," he declared, standing on the spot where Alabama state troopers confronted the marchers in scenes that shocked America.
  
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• VIDEO: UK Eurovision entry revealed

  07-03-2015 23:07 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Musical duo Electro Velvet are to represent the UK at this year's Eurovision Song Contest.
  
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• Kentucky GOP clears path for Paul's dual campaigns

  07-03-2015 23:07 via news.yahoo.com
  
  BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul has taken his first step toward running for president with state party leaders endorsing his plan for a presidential caucus in 2016.
  
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• Gordon crashes pole-winning car in final minutes of practice

  07-03-2015 23:03 via news.yahoo.com
  
  LAS VEGAS (AP) — Jeff Gordon crashed during the final practice before Sunday's race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where his pole-winning car was damaged enough that Hendrick Motorsports pulled out a backup Chevrolet.
  
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• No. 2 Notre Dame women top No. 16 Duke 55-49 in ACC semis

  07-03-2015 22:58 via news.yahoo.com
  
  GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) — When No. 2 Notre Dame needed her most, Jewell Loyd once again did it all.
  
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• Nigeria's Boko Haram pledges allegiance to Islamic State

  07-03-2015 22:55 via news.yahoo.com
  
  MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (AP) — Nigeria's home-grown Boko Haram Islamic extremists have pledged formal allegiance to the Islamic State group in a message allegedly by the Nigerian insurgent leader posted on Twitter and reported by the SITE Intelligence monitoring service.
  
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• Santorum says US immigration system is not working

  07-03-2015 22:49 via news.yahoo.com
  
  DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum says the immigration system in the United States is not working.
  
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• U.N. says talks among warring Libyan factions make progress

  07-03-2015 22:41 via news.yahoo.com
  
  The United Nations said on Saturday delegates from Libya's warring factions had made progress toward a unity government in U.N.-backed negotiations, and a Libyan delegate said they would resume discussions next week. Western leaders are backing the U.N. talks as the only way to end the turmoil in Libya, where two rival governments and armed factions are battling for control and Islamist militants have also gained ground in the chaos. The talks in Morocco are aimed at establishing a unity go
  
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• Nigeria's Boko Haram swears formal allegiance to Islamic State group, oath posted on Twitter

  07-03-2015 22:35 via news.yahoo.com
  
  MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (AP) — Nigeria's Boko Haram swears formal allegiance to Islamic State group, oath posted on Twitter.
  
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• Real Madrid stumbles

  07-03-2015 22:35 via edition.cnn.com
  
  Real Madrid fell to a lacklustre 1-0 defeat at the hands of Athletic Bilbao Saturday, potentially handing the La Liga advantage to arch rival Barcelona.
  
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• Nigeria's Boko Haram pledges allegiance to Islamic State: audio clip

  07-03-2015 22:27 via news.yahoo.com
  
  Nigeria's militant Islamist group Boko Haram pledged allegiance on Saturday to Islamic State, which rules a self-declared caliphate in parts of Iraq and Syria, according to an audio clip posted online. The symbolic move highlights increased coordination between jihadi movements across north Africa and the Middle East and prompted an appeal from Nigeria's government for greater international help in tackling the Boko Haram insurgency. Boko Haram has killed thousands and kidnapped hundreds during
  
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• On Selma anniversary, Obama says racial progress made but more needed

  07-03-2015 22:27 via news.yahoo.com
  
  By Jeff Mason SELMA, Ala. (Reuters) - With a nod to ongoing U.S. racial tension and attempts to limit voting rights, President Barack Obama declared the work of the Civil Rights Movement advanced but unfinished on Saturday on a visit to the Alabama bridge that spawned a landmark voting law. Obama, the first black U.S. president, said discrimination revealed in a report about law enforcement practices in Ferguson, Missouri, this week showed a lot of work needed to be done on race in America, but
  
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• No. 1 Kentucky beats Florida 67-50 for 31-0 regular season

  07-03-2015 22:12 via news.yahoo.com
  
  LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Trey Lyles scored 14 points, Karl-Anthony Towns added 13 with nine rebounds and No. 1 Kentucky pulled away from Florida 67-50 on Saturday to complete the storied program's first unbeaten regular season.
  
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• Leaked letter in Greece earns government wide scorn

  07-03-2015 22:05 via news.yahoo.com
  
  ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Of all seven reform proposals submitted by Greece to eurozone finance ministers, Reform No. 3 has been most talked about since it was leaked.
  
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• Police chief: Veteran officer shot unarmed 19-year-old

  07-03-2015 22:01 via news.yahoo.com
  
  MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Madison's police chief says the 19-year-old man who was shot and killed by an officer was unarmed.
  
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• Boko Haram pledges allegiance to Isis in video message

  07-03-2015 21:58
  
  Boko Haram, the militant Nigerian group, has announced it is allying with the Islamic State (Isis). The pledge was made in a film, appearing to be a recording of the group’s leader Abubakar Shjeka, which was posted online on Saturday evening. Monitoring news website SITE quoted the recording as saying: “We announce our allegiance to the Caliph… and will hear and obey in times of difficulty and prosperity.”
  
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• Police chief: 19-year-old fatally shot by Madison, Wisconsin, officer was unarmed

  07-03-2015 21:57 via news.yahoo.com
  
  MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Police chief: 19-year-old fatally shot by Madison, Wisconsin, officer was unarmed.
  
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• Elgin Marbles row: Greece tells British Government to stop stonewalling on return of Parthenon sculptures

  07-03-2015 21:36
  
  The Government is refusing to negotiate with Greece about the return of the so-called Elgin Marbles despite a request to do so from the United Nations, a decision that could prompt Athens to begin legal action for the first time.
  
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• Proposed fund for 2012 meningitis victims up to $210 million

  07-03-2015 21:32 via news.yahoo.com
  
  BOSTON (AP) — A compensation fund for victims of a nationwide fungal meningitis outbreak blamed on a tainted steroid has grown to $210 million.
  
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• Nigeria's Boko Haram pledges allegiance to Islamic State: video text

  07-03-2015 21:32 via news.yahoo.com
  
  Nigeria's militant Islamist group Boko Haram has pledged allegiance to Islamic State, which rules a self-declared caliphate in parts of Iraq and Syria, according to a video posted online on Saturday. "We announce our allegiance to the Caliph ... and will hear and obey in times of difficulty and prosperity," read an English language translation of the video broadcast in Arabic that purported to be from the Nigerian militant group. The pledge of allegiance was attributed to Boko Haram leader Abuba
  
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• South Carolina's Graham would overhaul immigration

  07-03-2015 21:28 via news.yahoo.com
  
  DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham says Republicans in Congress should work with Democrats to overhaul the immigration system, noting that American businesses need legal workers.
  
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• Villa reach FA Cup semi-finals, Bradford held

  07-03-2015 21:27 via news.yahoo.com
  
  Aston Villa became the first team to reach the FA Cup semi-finals after beating West Bromwich Albion 2-0 on Saturday in a match marred by late pitch invasions. In a near repeat of Tuesday's Premier League game between the sides, which Villa won 2-1, Fabian Delph and Scott Sinclair struck to take Tim Sherwood's team into the last four for the first time since 2010. Both teams finished the game with 10 men, with Claudio Yacob sent off for West Brom and Max Grealish dismissed for Villa, w
  
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• Color meets menswear and celebrities at Paris Fashion Week

  07-03-2015 21:27 via news.yahoo.com
  
  PARIS (AP) — It was color-meets-menswear at Paris' celebrity-filled Fashion Week this Saturday, with Solange Knowles chatting to James Bond "Skyfall" star Naomie Harris at Vivienne Westwood before heading on a plane home.
  
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• Four bombs in Nigeria's Maiduguri city kill at least 50

  07-03-2015 21:22 via news.yahoo.com
  
  By Lanre Ola MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (Reuters) - Four bomb blasts killed at least 50 people in Maiduguri in Nigeria's northeast on Saturday in the worst attacks there since Islamist militants tried to seize the city in two major assaults earlier this year. There was no immediate claim for the bombings but they bore the hallmarks of the Islamist group Boko Haram, which has been waging a six-year insurgency to carve out an Islamic state in Africa's biggest economy. President Goodluck Jonathan, who is s
  
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• Simone Biles rolls to American Cup title in home state

  07-03-2015 21:20 via news.yahoo.com
  
  ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Simone Biles led from the start in a record-setting win Saturday at the American Cup in her first competition since taking a second straight world all-around title last year.
  
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• Selma civil rights milestone marked by first black president

  07-03-2015 21:19 via news.yahoo.com
  
  SELMA, Ala. (AP) — President Barack Obama says America's racial history "still casts its long shadow" despite a half-century of progress toward a more perfect union.
  
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• New charges for bus aide accused of stealing from students

  07-03-2015 21:18 via news.yahoo.com
  
  MILLVILLE, N.J. (AP) — A former school bus aide accused of stealing lunch money and bagged lunches from preschoolers in New Jersey is now charged with stealing cash from the bus driver.
  
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• Rebel pageant: Ukrainian fighters trade in boots for heels

  07-03-2015 21:15 via news.yahoo.com
  
  DONETSK, Ukraine (AP) — Trading in their combat boots and fatigues for high heels and ball gowns, female rebel fighters who normally fight Ukrainian soldiers took Saturday off to take part in a beauty pageant.
  
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• Islamist group claims responsibility for Mali attack that killed 5

  07-03-2015 21:11 via news.yahoo.com
  
  The Mauritanian news website Al-Akhbar said the armed Islamist group al-Mourabitoun had claimed responsibility for an attack in Mali's capital Bamako on Saturday that killed five people. Alakhbar, which is often sent statements by Islamist militants in Mali, said it had received a video it would post later in the day. Al-Mourabitoun was formed by veteran jihadist Mokhtar Belmokhtar, who is a target of French forces hunting down al-Qaeda-linked militants in the Sahel-Sahara region. MUJWA, Belmokh
  
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• Canadian military adviser killed in friendly fire in Iraq

  07-03-2015 21:10 via news.yahoo.com
  
  TORONTO (AP) — A Canadian special forces soldier was killed and three others wounded in a friendly fire incident in northern Iraq, Canada's defense department said Saturday.
  
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• 9 foreigners unaccounted for after IS attack on oil field

  07-03-2015 21:05 via news.yahoo.com
  
  VIENNA (AP) — Fighters from the Islamic State group have attacked an oil field in Libya and nine foreign workers are unaccounted for, officials said Saturday.
  
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• AP PHOTOS: Russian priest finds peace at world's south end

  07-03-2015 21:04 via news.yahoo.com
  
  KING GEORGE ISLAND, Antarctica (AP) — Sophrony Kirilov pulls hard on the strings of the heavy Russian bells from inside the world's southernmost Eastern Orthodox church, calling to anybody who wants to pray on this remote Antarctic island.
  
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• Cruz says Justice Dept. should investigate Clinton emails

  07-03-2015 20:33 via news.yahoo.com
  
  DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Sen. Ted Cruz says the Justice Department should investigate Hillary Rodham Clinton's use of a private email account to conduct official business while she was secretary of state.
  
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• Boeheim coaches final game of the season after NCAA ruling

  07-03-2015 20:27 via news.yahoo.com
  
  RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim took the court with his Orange for the final time this season Saturday, a day after the NCAA hit the program with sanctions for numerous rules violations after a long investigation.
  
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• Obama arrives in Selma to kick off weekend of commemorations

  07-03-2015 20:25 via news.yahoo.com
  
  SELMA, Ala. (AP) — President Barack Obama has arrived in Selma, Alabama, to join many others in the riverside town for weekend commemorations of the historic march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge on March 7, 1965.
  
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• Serbia, France advance as Swiss holders hang on in Davis Cup

  07-03-2015 20:23 via news.yahoo.com
  
  World number one Novak Djokovic powered Serbia to a quarter-final spot in the Davis Cup as the hosts took an unassailable 3-0 lead over Croatia on Saturday as France also advanced unbeaten past Germany. The United States kept their hopes alive against Great Britain in Glasgow despite Mike and Bob Bryan, the top doubles team in the world, being pegged back to two sets all, after winning the opening two frames against Jamie Murray, the brother of Davis Cup team-mate Andy Murray, and Dom Inglot.
  
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• Slain aid worker honored as ultimate Good Samaritan

  07-03-2015 20:23 via news.yahoo.com
  
  PRESCOTT, Ariz. (AP) — The father of an international aid worker killed while being held captive by Islamic State militants read a moving letter at his daughter's hometown memorial service Saturday, recounting her discovery that her life's purpose was to ease the suffering of others.
  
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• Texas' Cruz tells Iowans he opposes renewable fuel quota

  07-03-2015 20:18 via news.yahoo.com
  
  DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Texas Sen. Ted Cruz is telling Iowa Republicans and agribusiness leaders that he opposes the federal standard for renewable production, including ethanol.
  
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• Texas' Perry says states should handle energy subsidies

  07-03-2015 20:02 via news.yahoo.com
  
  DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry is telling Iowa Republicans he'd prefer that states, rather than the federal government, handle energy subsidies.
  
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• East Ukraine rebels say heavy weapons pullback complete

  07-03-2015 20:02 via news.yahoo.com
  
  Pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine claimed Saturday to have fulfilled their end of a February deal with government forces to withdraw heavy weapons from the frontline as part of a ceasefire. "Today is the last day of the weapons withdrawal," Eduard Basurin, one of the rebel leaders told reporters in the town of Snizhne, where the separatists displayed eight 120mm mortars that had been moved back from their positions. Watched by six international monitors, who declined requests
  
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• Obama in Selma to mark Civil Rights anniversary

  07-03-2015 19:55 via news.yahoo.com
  
  Tracing the footsteps of the civil rights marchers who made his journey to the White House possible, Barack Obama headed to Selma, Alabama on Saturday to enlist a new generation in their fight. America's first black president will mark the 50th anniversary of the fateful march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge, where brutal police repression catalyzed support for black voting rights. Accompanied by wife Michelle and daughters Sasha and Malia, Obama will argue that events in the city half a century
  
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• Obama signs law honoring civil rights marchers

  07-03-2015 19:50 via news.yahoo.com
  
  SELMA, Ala. (AP) — Participants in three civil rights marches a half century ago are being recognized with Congressional Gold Medals, the highest honor awarded by Congress.
  
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• Tens of thousands attend anti-Netanyahu rally in Tel Aviv

  07-03-2015 19:45 via news.yahoo.com
  
  TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Tens of thousands of Israelis are gathering at a Tel Aviv square under the banner "Israel wants change" and calling for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to be replaced in March 17 national elections.
  
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