The CIA paid psychologists $81 million to devise brutal tactics for use on terror suspects, and they're suing

After a doctor X-rayed one prisoner's badly broken feet, his colleague gave interrogators the go-ahead to force him to stand for 52 hours.

They were employed in an $81-million dollar CIA interrogation program which ran for at least seven years under the Bush administration beginning in 2002.

Public documents suggest it was led by two military psychologists, John Bruce Jessen and James Mitchell, whose techniques are widely seen as torture.

A lawsuit filed in 2017 by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of former prisoners shines new light on the grisly details of the tactics the doctors approved for use on terrorism suspects in an attempt to extract information from them after the events of September 11, 2001. These tactics, which range from water-boarding to "walling" — a method that involves pushing a person into a flexible plywood wall so hard that it creates a disturbing sound that pierces the ear — are widely considered torture by experts.

Prodigy, rapper of Mobb Deep fame, dies aged 42

The Queens-born MC died on Tuesday after a performance in Las Vegas, having been hospitalized recently for complications tied to sickle cell anemia

The rapper Prodigy, one half of the American hip-hop duo Mobb Deep, died on Tuesday at the age of 42.

The MC was found unconscious in Las Vegas, and while the cause of death remains unclear, the group’s publicist sent the following statement to the music website XXL:

“It is with extreme sadness and disbelief that we confirm the death of our dear friend Albert Johnson, better known to millions of fans as Prodigy of legendary NY rap duo Mobb Deep. Prodigy was hospitalized a few days ago in Vegas after a Mobb Deep performance for complications caused by a sickle cell anemia crisis. As most of his fans know, Prodigy battled the disease since birth. The exact causes of death have yet to be determined. We would like to thank everyone for respecting the family’s privacy at this time.”

Mobb Deep, comprised of Prodigy and Havoc, has sold more than 3 million records, their albums The Infamous and Hell on Earth having been critically acclaimed successes in the 1990s. The group took an indefinite hiatus in 2012 but reunited shortly after, releasing their eighth album, The Infamous Mobb Deep, in 2014. The duo performed in Las Vegas at the weekend on The Art of Rap tour, alongside Ice-T, Ghostface Killah, and Onyx.

BREAKING! Death Penalty For Billionaire Kidnapper, Evans

The Lagos Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode has signed into law Life Imprisonment or death penalty for the offence of Kidnap and forceful extortion in Lagos State as he signs into law the state kidnapping prohibition bill, 2016.

The law provides for death penalty for kidnappers whose victims die in their custody, and life imprisonment for the act of kidnapping.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the Lagos State House of Assembly passed the bill on January 5.

The governor said that the law was enacted to address key issues bordering on security.

He said that kidnapping had become a major threat to the safety of residents and, therefore, required decisive action by the government.

“This law imposes a penalty of life imprisonment for kidnapping for ransom.

“The law stipulates that, where a victim dies in the course of kidnapping, the suspect is liable on conviction to death.

Pregnant mother of 4 shot and killed by Seattle police after she confronted officers with a knife

On Sunday, a pregnant mother of four  identified as 30-year-old Charleena Lyles was shot and killed by Seattle police after she confronted officers with a knife. 

Police Sgt. Mark Jamieson said two officers went to Lyles' address after she called to report a burglary. "We were here to meet with one of the residents. Typically, that would be a one-officer call, but there was some information in the system, officers had dealt with this particular unit, this particular caller just recently. There was some hazard information so that prompted a second officer to respond. She started talking all crazy about how the officers weren't going to leave and she had a pair of scissors," one officer says." Jamieson said.

Nigerians start a #TontoDikehChallenge on Facebook

Nigerians have started a #TontoDikehChallenge on Facebook and it's the most hilarious thing ever. The Challenge started after the actress dressed as a man for her son's Father's day school celebration. Since then, Facebook users have been sharing photos of themselves crossing dressing on the platform. 

 

What we know about Navy destroyer's deadly collision with a container ship off Japan

The Japanese coast guard is investigating the collision between the Navy destroyer USS Fitzgerald and a container ship off the coast of Japan on Saturday that killed seven U.S. sailors and injured several more.

Here's what we know:

The collision happened early Saturday

The USS Fitzgerald collided with the Philippine-flagged container ship ACX Crystal off the coast of Yokosuka, Japan, before 2:20 a.m. Saturday local time, according to the U.S. Navy.

The Fitzgerald sustained damage on its starboard side and experienced flooding in some spaces as a result of the collision, according to the Navy.

The destroyer was operating about 56 nautical miles southwest of Yokosuka when it collided with the ACX Crystal. Most of the Fitzgerald's 300 crew members on board would have been asleep at the time, The Associated Press reported.

Weather conditions were clear at the time of the collision, the AP reported. The area is often busy with sea traffic, with as many as 400 ships passing through it every day, according to Japan's coast guard.

Police find hidden trove of suspected Nazi artifacts in Argentina

TriggerMembers of the federal police carry a Nazi statue at the Interpol headquarters in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

 In a hidden room in a house near Argentina’s capital, police believe they have found the biggest collection of Nazi artifacts in the country’s history, including a bust relief of Adolf Hitler, magnifying glasses inside elegant boxes with swastikas and even a macabre medical device used to measure head size.

Some 75 objects were found in a collector’s home in Beccar, a suburb north of Buenos Aires, and authorities say they suspect they are originals that belonged to high-ranking Nazis in Germany during World War II.

“Our first investigations indicate that these are original pieces,” Argentine Security Minister Patricia Bullrich told The Associated Press on Monday, saying that some pieces were accompanied by old photographs. “This is a way to commercialize them, showing that they were used by the horror, by the Fuhrer. There are photos of him with the objects.”

The surprising reason why most men cheat

Men have revealed the real reason why they cheat on their partners, and it’s not what many women might expect.

Many people assume that cheaters look for a bit on the side because they are bored with their stale relationship, but that may not be the case for most cheaters.

In fact, it turns out that boredom with the relationship isn’t even one of the top three reasons why cheaters look for someone else to get intimate with.

According to Superdrug’s Online Doctor, the most common reason why men are unfaithful is simple: the other person was just really hot.

According to a shocking survey of 2,000 adulterers, European men stray because they can’t resist the temptation of the other person.

US student freed by North Korea in a coma dies at age 22

Otto Warmbier, an American college student who was released by North Korea in a coma last week after almost a year and a half in captivity, died Monday, his family said.

The 22-year-old "has completed his journey home," relatives said in a statement. They did not cite a specific cause of death.

"Unfortunately, the awful, torturous mistreatment our son received at the hands of the North Koreans ensured that no other outcome was possible beyond the sad one we experienced today," his parents said.

Doctors had described his condition as a state of "unresponsive wakefulness" and said he suffered a "severe neurological injury" of unknown cause.

His father, Fred Warmbier, said last week that he believed Otto had been fighting for months to stay alive to return to his family. The family said he looked uncomfortable and anguished after arriving June 13 but his countenance later changed.

"He was peace. He was home, and we believe he could sense that," they said.

Warmbier was accused of trying to steal a propaganda banner while visiting with a tour group and was convicted of subversion. He was put before North Korean officials and journalists for a televised "confession."

Jay Z’s ‘4:44’ Album Will Drop At The End Of The Month

As if Jay Z didn’t have enough on his hands, the hip-hop legend has just shared details on a new album, 4:44. But you won’t be able to buy it or stream it just anywhere.

The album will drop June 30 for subscribers of Sprint or Jay Z’s Tidal platform through what’s pitched as a first-of-its-kind partnership between both companies.

Chatter on a new Hov LP heated up in recent weeks, and the entrepreneur and music man threw fuel on that fire last week with a mysterious campaign which saw the numbers “4:44″ and the date “6.30.17” dished up on posters and online.

More Trouble For Dino Melaye

More Trouble For Dino Melaye As 188, 580 Electorates Sign For His Recall

A total of 188, 580, electorate from Kogi West have signed the recall register form of Senator Dino Melaye.

Announcing the figure at the All
progressives Congress State Secretariat in Lokoja, the returning officer for the recall of the serving senator, Adamu Yusuf explained
that out of 360,098 of the total registered voters of the seven western senatorial districts comprising Yagba, Mopa Muro,
Kabba Bunu, Yagba East, Koton Karfe, Lokoja and Ijumu, 188, 588, signed the recall register constituting 52.3% of the voters in senatorial district.

Ten years in jail and 1,000 lashes: why we must defend Saudi blogger Raif Badawi

It was the fifth anniversary yesterday of the arrest of the Saudi blogger Raif Badawi, whose supposed crime was to argue for secularism, democracy and human rights. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison and 1,000 lashes – a punishment that amounts to death by torture – although only 50 lashes were inflicted on him in the one session. Medical opinion was that he would not survive the remainder of that part of his sentence.

His cause has been taken up by humanist organisations, as well as by Amnesty International. He has been honoured with the EU’s Sakharov prize. Even Prince Charles raised his case on a visit to Saudi Arabia. We may be sure that neither Theresa May nor Donald Trump would do so. It is one thing to coat huge arms deals in the rhetoric of defending western freedoms, but quite another to risk any of the profits for the sake of a Saudi man who wished to enjoy those same freedoms.

Jay Z plans to bail out dads for Father's day, blasts the US criminal justice system in explosive op-ed

Legendary American hip-pop artiste, Jay Z, who recently became the first rapper to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and just became a new dad of twins, has revealed that he would help out fathers who are in jail because they can't afford bail, in celebration of Father’s day which is today.

Jay Z made this known in a powerful op-ed which was first sighted by TIME. In the extensive and explosive piece, the rapper criticized the United State’s criminal justice for wrongful convictions. Read the full Op-ed after the cut...

Beyonce gives birth to twins

American pop star Beyonce has given birth to twins, according to media in the US.

Entertainment Weekly, Us Weekly and People magazines confirmed the news, but the date of birth and gender of the babies are not yet publicly known.

Beyonce, who is married to rapper Jay-Z, announced her pregnancy in an Instagram photo in February - the most-liked post in history on the network.

The couple already have a daughter, Blue Ivy, aged five.

There has been no official confirmation of the birth from Beyonce and Jay-Z themselves.

Other photos Beyonce posted after her pregnancy announcement showed her swimming under water, reclining on a bed of roses and sitting naked on a floral throne.

Turbulence on Paris-China flight injures 26

At least 26 people were injured, four seriously, when turbulence hit a China Eastern Airlines flight from Paris on Sunday, state media reports.

The turbulence struck as flight MU774 was on its way to Kunming, in the southern Yunnan province.

Passengers suffered broken bones, cuts to the scalp and soft tissue injuries, the Xinhua state news agency reported.

China Eastern Airlines later said it was crucial passengers wear seatbelts as flights descend.

"I was on the flight, and I felt like I would not survive," the Hong Kong- based South China Morning Post quoted one passenger as saying on the Weibo microblogging site.

Stuttgart Airport suspends ALL flights over 'imminent bomb threat' after two passengers arrested and 'suspect package' found on plane

Stuttgart Airport has suspended ALL flights over an 'imminent bomb threat' - after two passengers were arrested and a 'suspect package' found on a plane, according to German media.

We'll be bringing you the very latest updates, pictures and video on this breaking news story.

For the latest news and breaking news visit mmm360.blogspot.com .

Get all the big headlines, pictures, analysis, opinion and video on the stories that matter to you.

Huge forest fires in Portugal kill at least 57 peopl

At least 62 people have been killed in huge forest fires in central Portugal, many dying in their cars as they tried to flee the flames.

Portugal’s prime minister, António Costa, described the blazes – which have injured dozens more people – as “the greatest tragedy we have seen in recent years in terms of forest fires”, and warned the death toll could rise. Three days of national mouring were declared.

US Vice President, Pence, hires lawyer for Russia inquiries

Vice-President Mike Pence has hired an outside lawyer to handle his response to inquiries into possible ties between President Trump’s campaign and Russia.

Richard Cullen is known for representing high profile clients.

Earlier, US media reported that Donald Trump was being investigated by special counsel Robert Mueller for possible obstruction of justice.

Mueller is leading an FBI inquiry into Russia’s alleged meddling in the 2016 presidential election.

Reports in US media said senior intelligence officials would be interviewed on whether Trump tried to end an inquiry into his sacked National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, and about the firing of FBI chief James Comey.

Trump – who has repeatedly denied any collusion with Russia – said the move was the latest action in a “phony story”.

Pictured in her mugshot, the talented horse rider and aspiring model, 18, who was jailed for two years after turning getaway driver for £700,000 car theft gang

Police have released the custody mugshot of a talented horse rider and aspiring model who was jailed for two years after being a getaway driver for a £700,000 car theft gang.

Kirstie Covele, 18, was behind the wheel during 13 of 33 burglaries which were carried out in just two months last summer. 

The group managed to steal a range of vehicles including a number of Mercedes, BMWs and Audis which amounted to £696,500.

They often wore 'skeleton' or ski masks when they raided the homes across Kent and south east London armed with screwdrivers.

  

Kirstie Covele, 18, (pictured left and right) is a talented horserider and was hoping to compete at the next Olympics. Police have now released her mugshot

Trump is reportedly being investigated for obstruction of justice

• Special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the US election is reportedly expanding to include possible obstruction of justice by President Donald Trump.
• Mueller is also interviewing senior intelligence officials and looking for proof of any financial crimes possibly committed by Trump's associates.
• A spokesman for Trump's lawyer said in a statement Wednesday that "the FBI leak regarding the President is outrageous, inexcusable, and illegal," but did not dispute the accuracy of the report.

Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian election interference expanded to include whether President Donald Trump attempted to obstruct justice just days after he fired former FBI Director James Comey, The Washington Post reported Wednesday.

Two South African communities give Nigerians residing there quit notice

Two South African communities,  Kuruman community in Northern Cape Province and Klaafontein community, Extension 5 in Johannesburg, have reportedly given the Nigerians residing there quit notice. 

According to the President of the Nigerian union in South Africa, Ikechukwu Anyene, the Klaafontein community, have directed landlords in the area not to renew the rent of Nigerians residing in their properties while the Kuruman community in Northern Cape Province have given Nigerians till tomorrowJune 16th to leave their community. 

President Donald Trump turned 71 today — here are some memorable photos of his life

On January 20, 2017, Donald J. Trump pulled off an improbable victory, becoming the 45th President of the United States. His life, much like his presidency thus far, has been well-documented, for better or worse.

Here are some photos of Trump's journey thus far.

An original version of this post ran on June 14, Trump's 70th birthday.

Bound for the rigors of business school in the future, Donald Trump received discipline at an early age by attending a military academy. There, he reportedly excelled in extracurricular activities such as being the Honor Cadet.

JIHADI NEXT DOOR ARRESTED FOR LONDON BRIDGE ATTACK

An Islamic fanatic who starred in a Channel 4 documentary with London Bridge terrorist Khuram Butt has been arrested for the same attack.

Ricardo McFarlane, 29, was taken into custody after a raid by anti-terror police in east London last week.

He is one of seven suspects that are being quizzed by detectives in relation to the horrific attacks on London Bridge and Borough market on June 3.

Eight people were murdered and 48 injured when terrorists Khuram Butt, Rachid Redouane and Youssef Zaghba mowed people down in a van before going on a stabbing frenzy.

McFarlane appeared in the TV documentary the Jihadi Next Door with Butt, when it aired last year.

Footage from the show, which got 1.2million viewers, showed him praying with a group in Regents Park, after they had angrily confronted worshippers outside a mosque in central London.

Mr Francis Orbih Esq wins election as President Badminton Federation Nigeria

Big Congratulations Mr Francis Orbih esq on his election as the new President of the Badminton Federation of Nigeria.

Breaking news London fire: Screaming people trapped as blaze engulfs 27-storey Grenfell Tower in Notting Hill

Residents were trapped “screaming for their lives” as flames raged through a 27-storey tower block in Notting Hill in the early hours today.

Witnesses described “horrible scenes” as firefighters battled the inferno at Grenfell Tower in the Lancaster West estate near Ladbroke Grove.

London Fire Brigade confirmed "a number of fatalities" this morning. They could not say how many people were killed due to the "complexity" of the operation.

Forty fire engines with 200 officers were called shortly before 1am as flames engulfed the block from the second floor upwards “within seconds”.

Hundreds of fire officers were joined by police and paramedics to wake and evacuate residents as set up an exclusion zone around the base of the tower as burning debris crashed down the side.