Pleads not guilty
Khatallah, charged in the 2012 Benghazi attacks, pleads not guilty today in connection to the crime, during an appearance before a U.S. federal judge. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr., says in a written statement:
In a courtroom in our nation’s capital, today we took the first step down the road to justice for the four American heroes killed in Benghazi. This prosecution is a reflection of our determination to honor the sacrifice of U.S. citizens who perish on foreign soil in service to our country. We will be steady, deliberate and relentless in seeking to hold accountable all who were responsible for this deadly act of terror.
Reclaims Tikrit
Both state media and a local tribal leader are reporting that Iraq security forces have reclaimed Tikrit from Sunni militants. Sheikh Khamis al-Joubouri, a key tribal leader in Tikrit, tells CNN that Iraqi security forces, along with special forces and fighters from local tribes, entered the city and gained control. Sabah Numan, a Counter Terrorism Unit spokesman, tells CNN that 120 militants have been killed and 20 vehicles destroyed in the large-scale operation that began this morning. Numan says:
We are mainly busy defusing booby-trapped houses and cars on the main roads leading into Tikrit.
Suspect in federal court
A U.S. official confirms that Ahmed Abu Khatallah, the man accused of masterminding the attack will appear in a federal court in Washington, D.C. today. Authorities believe Khatallah is one of the senior leaders of Ansar al Sharia, whose members were among several militias that participated in the attack.
FIFA: Suarez needs treatment
FIFA’s top World Cup official and the international players’ union are saying that after three biting incidents, Luis Suarez needs treatment. FIFA secretary general, Jerome Valcke, says a third incident in Suarez’s career was “unacceptable.”
I think he should find a way to stop doing it, he should go through a treatment.
‘Chronic systematic failures’
A report prepared by Rob Nabors, who President Obama assigned the task of assessing the situation at the agency, states:
It is clear that there are significant and chronic systemic failures that must be addressed by the leadership at VA.
Nabors and acting VA Secretary Sloan Gibson met with Obama to discuss the findings in the report.
Humanoid robot
Google withdraws the humanoid robot it bought from a Japanese design firm, SCHAFT, from the Pentagon’s DARPA Robotics Challenge so they can work on a commercial version. The robot is 4 feet 11 inches tall and uses a capacitor instead of a battery for power, giving it more strength than other robots.
Room broken into
Ronaldo returns to his room at the World Cup base in Brazil and finds that a 15-year-old fan has broken into his room. The boy, Yago Leal, was able to get past security, enter Ronaldo’s room and lay on his bed. Ronaldo chose to allow the boy to escape and take a photo of him, and did not involve the police. The report states:
Once inside the room, Leal took a rest on Ronaldo’s bed because, as he said, ‘he knew he had laid on it.’.
Resistance Council predicts regime change
Council of Resistance of Iran, the largest gathering of the Iranian resistance, commences today. 100,000 people are expected to gather outside Paris for speeches, demonstrations and protests aimed at toppling the Iranian government. The group’s leader, Maryam Rajavi, says:
I am confident that the mullahs’ religious dictatorship ruling Iran will not last in the 21st century and will be overthrown. It really begs logic to expect this religious dictatorship, the founder of terrorism and fundamentalism in the whole of the region and is seeking nuclear weapons, to take international policy hostage, to continue and endure.
In an exclusive Fox News interview, Rajavi laid out what she sees as Tehran’s intentions: to spread radical fundamentalism, obtain a nuclear weapon and do whatever it can to eliminate opponents, including continued executions of her supporters to silence the opposition.
The mullahs do not represent the Iranian people. What the Iranian people are yearning for and what represents them, is an Iran which the Iranian resistance envisions: an Iran which is free, democratic and where the ballot box speaks, a non-nuclear Iran, with gender equality, where women and men and youth enjoy equal rights and do not threaten and endanger the world with war and challenges.
EU trade pact problematic
Ukraine’s signing of a trade and economic pact with the European Union may bring “grave consequences,” Russia warns. The agreement prompts EU leaders to hold off on imposing new sanctions on Russia for its continued military presence in Ukraine. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko calls the agreement with the EU the “most important day” for his country since it became independent from the Soviet Union. Olexander Motsyk, Ukraine’s ambassador to the U.S., told FoxNews.com:
It is our ambition to become a member of the European Union in foreseeable future, the purpose of which is not just to join the EU, but, most importantly, to build a free, democratic and prosperous European nation in Ukraine.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin said.
There will undoubtedly be serious consequences for Ukraine and Moldova’s signing.
Re-evaluates board decisions
The court’s recent ruling that invalidated three appointments made by President Obama to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has the board wondering whether board decisions made when the now-invalid appointees were participating will have to be re-decided. More than 430 cases could now be in doubt. In a recent statement, Board Chairman Mark Gaston Pearce said:
We are analyzing the impact that the Court’s decision has on Board cases in which the January 2012 recess appointees participated. The Agency is committed to resolving any cases affected by today’s decision as expeditiously as possible.
Saudi forces on high alert
SPA, the state-run news agency, reports King Abdullah has ordered that “all necessary measures” be taken to protect Saudi Arabia against terror threats:
Anticipating (that) the terrorist organizations or others might carry out actions that might disturb the security of the homeland, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques has ordered taking all necessary measures to protect the gains of the homeland and its territories in addition to the security and stability of the Saudi people.
A Saudi official, who is not authorized to speak with the media, says:
Saudi Arabia shares a long border with Iraq and the government is aware that ISIS is very close to Iraq’s border with Jordan, and is also aware ISIS has been very public about its intention to attempt to attack Saudi Arabia.
Needs fighter jets
Maliki tells the BBC that if Iraq had fighter jets in the air ISIS advances could have been avoided. Iraq has been trying to secure fighter jets from the United States for some time. The country is now asking Russia to supply them with fighter jets.
I’ll be frank and say that we were deluded when we signed the contract with the United States.
Sunni detainees executed
In a recent report, Amnesty International states there is evidence showing a pattern of “extra judicial executions” of Sunni detainees by government forces and Shiite militias in the northern Iraqi cities of Tal Afar, Mosul and Baquba. Senior crisis response adviser, Donatella Rovera says:
Reports of multiple incidents where Sunni detainees have been killed in cold blood while in the custody of Iraqi forces are deeply alarming. The killings suggest a worrying pattern of reprisal attacks against Sunnis in retaliation for ISIS gains.
UK Glass regulations
Andrew Paterson, senior technology officer at the Information Commissioner’s Office in the UK, writes in a blog post that businesses using Glass are subject to laws in the country regarding how data is stored and secured:
Organizations must not lose sight of the fact that wearables must still operate in compliance with the law and consumers’ personal information must be looked after.
A Google spokeswoman responds:
The fact that Glass is worn above the eyes and the screen lights up whenever it’s activated clearly signals it’s in use and makes it a fairly lousy surveillance device.
Fullscreen bid
Yahoo makes a bid of $250 million for Fullscreen, the content provider for Youtube. The company creates content for thousands of Youtube channels, generating 3 billion monthly views.
Lowers iPhone prices
The retailer lowers prices on the Apple iPhone 5s and 5c models beginning Friday, June 27, 2014. With a two-year phone service contract, a 16-gigabyte iPhone 5S will cost $99, coming down from $149. The 16-gigabyte iPhone 5c will be $29, down from $49. The offer is available in Wal-Mart’s brick and mortar stores only. In an effort to clear inventory, retailers often lower prices to clear space to make room for new merchandise.
Speed-the-Plow role
Lohan will star in David Mamet’s stage play, Speed-the-Plow, at the Playhouse Theatre in London’s West End. Lohan will play the role of Karen, an ambitious seductive secretary. The play will open October 2, 2014 and run until November 29, 2014. Madonna played the same role in the original Broadway production in 1988.
Lowers iPod Touch price
Apple announces price cuts on its Touch devices, and an upgrade for the cheapest Touch model. The iPod Touch features a touchscreen, WiFi access to the Internet and Apple’s App Store and a music player. The least expensive iPod Touch, which comes with 16 GB of storage, now costs $199. Apple adds a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera and new color options. The price of the 32 GB iPod Touch drops from $299 to $249, and the price of the 64 GB iPod Touch drops from $399 to $299. The new iPod touch is now available in the US and will be available worldwide “in the coming days”.
WHO: drastic action needed
WHO calls for “drastic action” to fight the deadliest Ebola breakout on record and is convening an 11-nation meeting to address the crisis. 635 cases of haemorrhagic fever (most confirmed to be Ebola), including 399 deaths, have been reported across Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, making this the larges breakout ever reported. Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said that the deadly outbreak of the virus is “out of control”.
Working fans get extended lunch break
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announces that New York’s state employees are being given an extended lunch break to view the USA – Germany game on June 26, 2014. In a letter to Team USA coach Jurgen Klinsmann:
On behalf of all New Yorkers, I wish you and the entire team the best of luck.