US President Barack Obama will cut short a trip to Europe and travel to Dallas next week in the wake of the deadly ambush in the city that left five police dead, the White House has said.
	"The president has accepted an invitation from Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings to travel to Dallas early next week," spokesman Josh Earnest said in a statement yesterday, adding that Obama would return to the United States tomorrow night -- one day ahead of schedule.
	Obama, who was in Warsaw this week attending a NATO summit, weighed in on the attacks from the Polish capital, calling the episode "vicious, calculated and despicable."
	Micah Johnson, the 25-year-old black Army veteran who carried out the sniper-style attack, killed five police while wounding seven more, as well as injuring two civilians.
	Before being killed by police, he told officers he wanted to kill white cops in retaliation for the harsh treatment of blacks by law enforcement.
	Earlier in the week, two black men were killed by ...

Obama to travel to Dallas, cut European trip short: WH

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Obama to cut short European trip: White House. (AFP)

Obama to travel to Dallas after shooting: White House.

As the deadly shooting rampage in Dallas unfolded, one man was surprised amid the chaos to find out police had identified him as a suspected attacker -- and his photo was plastered all over the internet.
	The Dallas Police Department ignited a brief manhunt for the camouflage-clad Mark Hughes, after tweeting a photo of him toting an AR-15 assault rifle with the words: "This is one of our suspects. Please help us find him!"
	Hughes was marching in the Dallas demonstration to protest US police brutality against black Americans -- with his gun in tow, which he had been carrying legally with a Texas open-carry permit.
	"I wasn't aware that I was even a suspect. Gun shots rang out. We ran," he told MSNBC.
	"It was hours later after I had given up my gun that I received a phone call that I was now a suspect.... I just didn't understand how I had become a suspect."
	Hughes then turned himself in to police and was released after being questioned.
	When asked why he took his firearm to the ...

Dallas shooting: Man wrongly identified as shooter speaks out

The Spanish government and Jewish groups have blasted a far-left party for posting an "anti-semitic" cartoon protest against US President Barack Obama's upcoming visit to the country.
	The criticism comes after the Madrid branch of the United Left coalition, yesterday tweeted a cartoon depicting a thick-lipped Obama hugging an Orthodox jew wearing a kippa emblazoned with the Star of David and a wad of money bills sticking out of his pocket. Explosions surround the two men.
	The caption above the cartoon reads "Invading and destroying countries to loot them," along with the hashtag #Obamagohome.
	The attached message, which has been retweeted over 200 times, urges people to gather outside the US embassy in Madrid on Sunday to protest against Obama's visit.
	"United Left is using the most rancid prejudices and anti-Semitic stereotypes with this image," the Federation of Jewish communities of Spain said in a statement.
	Spain's secretary of state for foreign affairs, Ignacio Ybanez ...

Spanish party under fire for 'anti-semitic' Obama cartoon

Police have confirmed the gunman who killed five officers in an ambush in Dallas was a 25-year-old named Micah Johnson, an Army veteran and reported "loner" from Texas with no criminal history.
	"The deceased suspect has been identified as Micah Johnson," the Dallas Police Department said yesterday in an update on the probe into what marked the single biggest loss of life for law enforcement in America since 9/11.
	"During the search of the suspect's home, detectives found bomb-making materials, ballistic vests, rifles, ammunition, and a personal journal of combat tactics," it said in a statement, adding that detectives were analysing the information contained in the journal.
	"Information provided through the course of the investigation indicates that the suspect was an Army veteran and others have identified him as a loner."
	"The suspect has no criminal history," the police statement added.
	It noted that Johnson's Facebook page referred to Richard Griffin of the rap group Public ..

Dallas gunman identified, bomb materials found in home: police

The main shooting suspect in the deadly ambush on Dallas police was a US Army reservist and Afghanistan veteran who apparently supported violent black militant movements.
	On the Facebook page attributed to Micah Johnson, the 25-year-old widely identified as the gunman, he appears with his right arm raised in the tight fist reminiscent of the black power movement of decades ago in America.
	Johnson, who is black, wears a colorful, loose-fitting African style tunic against the backdrop of the red, black and green Pan-African flag, which became popular during the black liberation drive of the 1960s in the United States.
	Dallas police say the gunman staged a furious ambush-style attack Thursday night in Dallas at a rally held to protest this week's fatal shooting of two black men by police in other states.
	Five police were shot dead and seven were wounded, as were two civilians.
	The shooter, who told police he acted alone, was killed by a bomb carried by a police robot device after an 

Dallas shooter apparently backed black militant groups

The United States has expelled two Russian officials over an attack on a US diplomat in Moscow last month by a policeman, the State Department said.
	The news comes after complaints from Washington about what it deemed a mounting campaign of harassment and intimidation of American diplomats and their families in the Russian capital.
	"On June 17, we expelled two Russian officials from the United States to respond to this attack," department spokesman John Kirby said.
	Kirby said that on June 6, a Russian policeman attacked an accredited US diplomat entering the US embassy compound, after the US official identified himself.
	"The action was unprovoked and it endangered the safety of our employee. The Russian claim that the policeman was protecting the embassy from an unidentified individual is simply untrue," Kirby told reporters.
	The spokesman said that Russian security services had "intensified their harassment against US personnel in an effort to disrupt our diplomatic and consular 

US: 2 Russian officials expelled after US diplomat attacked

At least 25 civilians including four children were killed and 120 others wounded today in rebel shelling of regime-held districts of Syria's Aleppo, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
	The shelling comes as a 72-hour nationwide ceasefire -- announced by the army to mark the end of the holy month of Ramadan -- is due to end at midnight.
	Fighting has continued since the truce was announced on Wednesday, particularly in and around Aleppo, with deaths on both sides of the divided city.
	State news agency SANA said that 20 people had been killed and a further 140 wounded in the shelling of districts in the government-controlled west, and accused the rebels of violating the ceasefire.
	An AFP correspondent in the city's rebel-held east said that regime air strikes and rocket fire had also targeted opposition neighbourhoods on Friday.
	The Observatory, a Britain-based monitoring group, said that at least three civilians had died in regime air strikes there.
	Further north, the ...

25 killed in rebel shelling in Syria's Aleppo: monitor

Shares of Juno Therapeutics plunged Friday after regulators suspended a clinical trial of a leukemia treatment following two patient deaths last week.
	The two patient deaths occurred after Juno recently added fludarabine to its chemotherapy regime that accompanies its cell treatment for acute lympoblastic leukemia.
	Juno, in a statement released after markets closed Thursday, said it had been notified by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that its tests, called the "Rocket" trial, were suspended following the two deaths.
	There were no treatment-related deaths when fludarabine was not included, the Seattle-based company said, adding that it would petition regulators to resume the tests.
	Juno chief executive Hans Bishop said he was encouraged by other results for the treatment, Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR), which involves the genetic engineering of T cells, a subtype of white blood cells linked to immunity, to kill cancer cells.
	However, the FDA hold "will likely impact" ...

Juno shares dive as clinical test halted after 2 deaths

The House of Representatives has passed a measure that would block US aircraft sales to Iran, potentially undercutting a Boeing deal with Tehran worth up to USD 25 billion.
	Two amendments approved to an appropriations bill from Representative Peter Roskam would ban sales from Boeing and from European rival Airbus, amid concerns the aircraft could be used for military purposes, the congressman said in a statement today.
	One amendment would prohibit the Office of Foreign Assets Control from using funds to authorize a license necessary to allow aircraft to be sold to Iran. A second would bar loans from US financial institutions to purchase militarily adaptable aircraft.
	The ban would need to be approved by the Senate or any bill that reconciles differences in legislation by the two chambers.
	Roskam, an Illinois Republican, said in a tweet that in the vote yesterday, "House Democrats did not mount any significant opposition and, in many cases, joined efforts to block the sale."
	The ..

US House passes bill to block Iran aircraft sales

US President Barack Obama insisted today Brexit would not harm transatlantic unity but warned against a bitter divorce that would undermine security in the face of a resurgent Russia.
	Britain's shock vote to leave the European Union dominated Obama's final NATO summit, which comes at what he called the most critical time for the military alliance since the Cold War.
	Obama used the Warsaw summit to issue a clear message to key US allies Brussels and London to resolve their differences amicably.
	"No-one has an interest in protracted, adversarial negotiations," he said.
	But he said that while the British vote had "created uncertainty" about European integration, fears that it could destabilise the relationship between Europe and the United States were exaggerated.
	"This kind of hyperbole is misplaced," he said after meeting European Council head Donald Tusk and European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker.
	Obama said earlier in the Financial Times he was "confident" Britain and ...

Obama downplays Brexit impact at NATO summit

Hate crimes surged in Britain before and after the June 23 EU referendum, police said today, following a campaign dominated by a divisive debate about immigration.
	More than 3,000 incidents were reported to police across the country between June 16 and 30, up 42 percent on the same period last year, according to the National Police Chiefs' Council.
	"We now have a clear indication of the increases in the reporting of hate crime nationally and can see that there has been a sharp rise in recent weeks," said Mark Hamilton, the council's lead officer on hate crime.
	"This is unacceptable and it undermines the diversity and tolerance we should instead be celebrating."
	The police attributed part of the increase to greater vigilance by police and greater awareness among the public.
	But anti-racism campaigners had previously reported a surge in attacks, from verbal abuse to physical attacks, in the days after Britain's vote to leave the EU.
	Prime Minister David Cameron had raised the ...

Reported hate crimes surged around Brexit vote: UK police

EU member states today approved a highly-criticised deal with the US intended to curb government spying on the personal internet data of EU citizens.
	Washington and the European Commission, the EU's executive arm, had announced the new "Privacy Shield" deal in February.
	"Privacy Shield" has now been approved by member-state regulators, the Commission said in a statement.
	The deal replaces an agreement that was thrown out by the European Court of Justice last year.
	"Today Member States have given their strong support to the EU-US Privacy Shield, the renewed safe framework for transatlantic data flows," said a statement from the commission, which is expected to formally enact the decision next week.
	Approval by national regulators "paves the way for the formal adoption of the legal texts and for getting the EU-US Privacy Shield up and running," the European Commission said in a statement.
	Top US companies including Facebook and Google in particular have been eager to end the legal 

EU member states approve US data deal

An Anglo-American trio presented the prize-winning solution to a 35-year old maths problem today, but verifying it may be a problem in itself: reading it would take 10 billion years.
	"Boolean Pythagorean Triples" is not a shameful contagious disease, but a long-unsolved enigma within a field called Ramsey Theory.
	It was such a brain-teaser that nearly 30 years ago fabled American mathematician Roland Graham offered a cash prize to anyone who could solve it.
	It was only USD 100, but still.
	The self-declared winners -- Marijn Heule, Oliver Kullmann and Victor Marek, of the universities of Texas, Swansea and Kentucky, respectively -- unveiled their proof at the international SAT 2016 conference in Bordeaux, France.
	By their own account, they cracked the puzzle "using Cube-and-Conquer, a hybrid satisfiability testing (SAT) method for hard problems."
	As one would.
	But colleagues, they acknowledged, needed to see the proof in the pudding, so to speak.
	"Due to the general interest in 

Longest maths proof would take 10 billion years to read

Gunfire erupted near the presidential palace in South Sudan's capital Juba today, a day after a deadly clash dealt a new blow to a shaky peace deal in the world's youngest country.
	President Salva Kiir and his deputy, former rebel leader Riek Machar, were both at the compound preparing to address the media when sporadic gunfire and artillery was heard outside for around 30 minutes.
	There was confusion as the shooting died down, with Kiir telling reporters: "What is happening outside is something we cannot explain to you."
	The fresh violence came a day after five soldiers were killed in a shootout with former rebels in Juba, just as the country prepares to mark its fifth anniversary of independence from Sudan tomorrow.
	It was believed to be the first time the army and former rebels had clashed in the capital since both established positions there as part of the August 2015 peace agreement.
	Army spokesman Lul Ruai Koang said the five soldiers, all loyal to Kiir, were killed and two 

Gunfire near presidential palace in South Sudan

Milos Raonic became the first Canadian man to reach a Grand Slam final at Wimbledon here today when he stunned punch drunk seven-time champion Roger Federer in a titanic five-set struggle.
     Sixth seed Raonic triumphed 6-3, 6-7 (3/7), 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 and goes on to face second seed Andy Murray, the 2013 champion, or 10th-seeded Czech Tomas Berdych
	It was 25-year-old Raonic's first win on grass against a top 10 opponent and shattered Federer's hopes of going on to claim a record eighth All England Club crown and 18th major.
	"There was a little opening and I took it," said Raonic who looked down and out in the fourth set.
	"It's a big impact for Canada. Hopefully, it will be even bigger if I win on Sunday."
	After weathering an early storm, Federer had been in complete control of the semi-final, his 10th at the tournament, until the tie turned suddenly and dramatically in the fourth set.
	The 34-year-old, bidding to become the oldest finalist in 42 years, squandered three break ...

Raonic stuns Federer in five sets to make Wimbledon final

Prime Minister David Cameron said today that Britain's shock vote to quit the European Union does not mean the country will play a smaller role in world affairs.
	"Britain is not going to be playing a lesser role in the world," Cameron said as he arrived for a NATO summit in Warsaw dominated by concerns over Britain's post-EU future.
	"We are not turning our back on NATO," he said, and Britain would discuss doing even more with its partners in the US-led alliance to meet changing security challenges.
	Britain is a key nuclear-armed NATO ally, wields a permanent veto on the UN Security Council and enjoys a "special relationship" with the United States.
	The Brexit vote shocked Britain's allies, with US President Barack Obama having strongly backed the remain camp ahead of last month's referendum, citing the possible impact on Britain's key role in world affairs as a major concern.
	Obama insisted earlier today that the outcome would not undermine Britain's role in NATO but urged London 

Cameron: UK won't play 'lesser' global role after Brexit

Gunfire erupted at the presidential palace in South Sudan's capital Juba today.
	President Salva Kiir and his deputy, former rebel leader Riek Machar, were both at the presidential compound preparing to address the media when sporadic gunfire and artillery was heard outside lasting for around 30 minutes.
	There was confusion as the shooting died down with Kiir telling reporters: "What is happening outside is something we cannot explain to you."
	The shooting occurred a day after five soldiers loyal to Kiir were killed in a shootout with former rebels in Juba.

Gunfire erupts in South Sudan capital

A British court has awarded a 53 million pounds( USD 69 million) divorce settlement to a former model who had demanded 196 million pounds from her Saudi billionaire husband -- including 1 million pounds a year just for clothes.
	Lawyers for US national Christina Estrada, 54, said the total settlement amounted to 75 million pounds, including the value of her existing assets.
	She had asked for 196 million pounds from 61-year-old husband Sheikh Walid Juffali but thanked the court after the ruling.
	"I am fully aware that the spectacular life Walid and I led was immensely fortunate and rarefied. And I fully understand how this can be perceived in the wider world," she said in a statement.
	In hearings during which she was cross-examined on her material needs she told the court: "I was a top international model. I have lived this life. This is what I am accustomed to".
	She said she needed 60 million pounds for a home in London, 4.4 million pounds for a country house in Henley-on-Thames ..

Ex-model wins 53m pounds in divorce from Saudi billionaire

Charging bulls injured 14 people, including an Indian, today during the annual San Fermin festival in the northern Spanish city of Pamplona, local officials said.
	Those hurt as bulls were let loose through the city's narrow streets included four US citizens, an Indian, a Portuguese a Briton and a South African, according to the local government.
	A South African man, 73, and a 58-year-old Spanish resident of Pamplona were in a serious condition after being gored, the Navarre regional government said on its website.
	Two other Americans and an Indian were also gored without sustaining serious injuries, it said.
	A 53-year-old American woman was hospitalised for trauma.
	Pamplona is host to the most famous of Spain's many bull-running festivals, where hundreds of people try to outrun six charging bulls over 800 metres (yards).
	As often happens, on Friday bulls tossed several people into the air and pinned others to the ground as participants pulled their tails and grabbed their ...

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