Yahoo says 1 billion user accounts stolen in what could be biggest hack ever

More than 1 billion Yahoo user accounts — including phone numbers, birthdates, and security questions — may have been stolen by hackers during an attack that took place in August 2013, the company revealed on Wednesday.

The announcement of what could represent the largest hack of all time is a separate incident than the one Yahoo disclosed back in September. In that hack, Yahoo said that at least 500 million user accounts were compromised.

"The company has not been able to identify the intrusion associated with this theft," Yahoo said on Wednesday about the new incident.

News of the breach sent Yahoo shares sliding about 2.5% in after-hours trading on Wednesday.

The revelation of the hack could have implications for the $4.8 billion sale of Yahoo to Verizon, which has yet to close. Yahoo disclosed the previous hack to Verizon only after agreeing to the deal, and Verizon has since said that it considers the hack a material event that could affect the terms and price of the acquisition.

"As we’ve said all along, we will evaluate the situation as Yahoo continues its investigation," Verizon told CNBC on Wednesday, regarding the latest hack.

Ex-soldier, 7 others, given a total of 104 years jail sentence for kidnapping Delta Speaker

The Delta State High Court, on Tuesday, sentenced an ex-soldier and seven others to 104 years in prison for kidnapping the current speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Mr Monday Igbuya.
The kidnap, which occurred in May 2009 in Sapele, was allegedly carried out by Godspower Omoniyi, an ex-soldier; Godspower Ikoro; Ernest Atteh; John Adapamu; Ife Freedom; Sunday Uba Tiemo; Kemi Koinyan; and Isaiah Mumbor. Mr Igbuya was released by the kidnappers after six days.
The presiding Judge, Justice O. Jaloggo-Williams, in his judgement, found all eight accused persons guilty on two-count charges of kidnapping and demanding property with menace and sentenced them to ten years in prison each for the kidnapping and three years each for demanding N100,000 with menace.

A robbery charge was also brought against them, however, that was dismissed based on insufficient evidence. The sentences will run concurrently

Cancer sufferer Bradley Lowery enjoys night to remember as he smashes penalty past Chelsea goalkeeper before kick-off

He was playing at the Stadium of Light, but it was five-year-old Bradley Lowery's smile that lit up the night.

The Sunderland fan, who is fighting terminal cancer, enjoyed a night to remember as he smashed a penalty past Chelsea goalkeeper Asmir Begovic in the warm up to last night's Premier League match.The bravery of young Bradley, from Hartlepool, who has been struck down by neuroblastoma for a second time has struck a chord across the country.

How Obama warned Putin face-to-face to stop hacking the election - but is now under fire for botching response from intelligence experts

 

A detailed reconstruction of Russian-directed hacking during the U.S. elections has revealed how the White House rejected robust responses that might have gotten Moscow's attention, along with a series of party missteps that allowed the intrusion to proliferate unabated.

The White House did not hold the first Situation Room meetings about the hack until July, the New York Times revealed in a detailed report on how the hack unfolded. That was several months after the initial intrusion into the computers of the Democratic National Committee, which is believed to have occurred in April.

Ultimately, that hack would result in the release of thousands of embarrassing documents in the midst of a heated political campaign – and forcing the resignation of the DNC chair on the eve of the Democratic National Convention. 

As the scope and origins of the cyber attack became more clear, the White House considered, but rejected the most robust responses that would have sent a strong signal to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

'Possible' counterstrikes that were 'reportedly included,' according to the paper, were going after Putin, a former KGB agent, to expose his financial links to wealthy oligarchs, and punching holes in the Russian internet to let dissidents spread their views.

'Pentagon officials judged the measures too unsubtle and ordered up their own set of options,' according to the paper. None of those ideas were 'formally presented' to President Obama.

Top security officials who met in the White House about the intrusion that roiled Hillary Clinton's campaign feared an overreaction by the U.S. might actually help Putin. 

'If we went to Defcon 4,' said one government official, using the nuclear warning code, 'we would be saying to the public that we didn't have confidence in the integrity of our voting system.'

The White House wouldn't say Wednesday if it had taken action since.

'I'm not in a position to confirm whether or not that response has been initiated or not,' press secretary Josh Earnest said. 'I'm also not in a position to confirm that we won't ever in the future discuss what that response is or what that response may be.

Kanye West Meets With President-Elect Donald Trump at Trump Tower in NYC

Donald Trump and Kanye West on Dec. 13. (Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

It seems there’s much more to Kanye West’s NYC visit than meetings about his fashion line — and showing off that blond hair. The rapper paid a visit to Trump Tower on Tuesday to get together with President-elect Donald Trump.

The “Famous” singer, who has expressed his own presidential ambitions, strode into the midtown Manhattan skyscraper, with an entourage, early in the morning. Kanye, who was without wife Kim Kardashian, walked by reporters on the way to Trump’s personal elevator, uttering only a “hey.”

Summary executions and forced conscription: Aleppo cease-fire deal reached amid 'complete meltdown of humanity'

Pro-government forces in Syria are on the brink of fully recapturing the city of Aleppo from opposition forces, after a month of intense bombing accompanied by a ferocious ground offensive that has forced rebels and civilians into hiding.

Talks between Russia — an ally of Syrian President Bashar Assad — and members of the opposition, aimed at establishing a cease-fire and evacuating civilians from the city, are being mediated by Turkish officials in Ankara.

The rebels announced late Tuesday morning Eastern Time that they had reached a cease-fire deal with Russia to evacuate some opposition forces and civilians from the city.

About 40,000 people will be allowed to leave, a source within the opposition with knowledge of the talks told Business Insider, though rebels are still pressing for more to be evacuated.

A Turkish official tweeted that the "opposition's armed groups also can leave Aleppo, following the civilian population." The official added: "They may go to Idlib, according to the agreement."

It is unclear whether the regime has agreed to the terms of the cease-fire, which had not yet been formally announced.

Student discovered alive by parents five weeks after car crash claimed the lives of four of her classmates

A woman whose family thought she had died in a car crash described the surreal moment they held her funeral - as she lay in a hospital bed.

Whitney Cerak was in a horrific accident in 2006 that killed four of her fellow students and a staff member.Their van was hit by a truck, which crushed the vehicle and caused the death of the five victims.

Whitney survived the ordeal but was wrongly identified as her classmate Laura Van Ryn, who had passed away.

They looked strikingly similar and were both students at Taylor University in Indiana.