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Saturday 11 June 2016

Twitter locks accounts after log-in sale


Some accounts were locked after analysis showed some data being sold was legitimate, said Twitter

Twitter has locked some accounts following reports that log-in details for millions of users were on sale.

On Thursday reports surfaced that a Russian hacker called Tessa88 was asking for 10 bitcoins (£4,000) for access to a list of 32 million names.

In a blogpost, Twitter said it was confident that the data had not come from a hack attack on its servers.

But after scrutinising the list, it had locked some accounts and users would need to reset their passwords.

"The purported Twitter @names and passwords may have been amassed from combining information from other recent breaches, malware on victim machines that are stealing passwords for all sites, or a combination of both," wrote Michael Coates, chief security officer at Twitter, in the blogpost.

Security firm Leaked Source, which first shared information about the list, said its analysis suggested the information came from PCs infected with data-stealing malware.

'Sceptical'

Twitter's cross-checking of the list showed that some of the log-in data being offered was real, said Mr Coates, and led to the micro-blogging service locking those accounts and forcing a password reset.

He said Twitter had taken similar action in recent weeks as data from other breaches became publicly available.

He did not say how many of the supposedly stolen log-ins were legitimate or how many accounts had been locked.

Some security experts have expressed doubt about whether all the information in the list of 32 million log-in names is genuine.

Per Thorsheim, who advises companies about security and safe log-in procedures, said he was "sceptical" about the data but added that he had not had chance to look through it himself.

"A 32 million leak doesn't make sense," he said. "It could be a very old leak from when Twitter only had 32 million users, it could be a chunk of the full dataset from a recent breach or what I usually think - it's just made-up junk."

Troy Hunt, who maintains an online repository of breach data, told technology news site Ars Technica that he too had his doubts about the list.

"I'm highly sceptical that there's a trove of 32 million accounts with legitimate credentials for Twitter," he said. "The likelihood of that many records being obtained independently of a data breach and them being usable against active Twitter accounts is extremely low."

The sale of the Twitter list comes in the wake of a series of "mega-breaches" which have seen data stolen from companies many years ago now being widely shared. More than 600 million passwords feature in the massive data dumps.

Cyberthieves are keen to get at this data because many people reuse log-in names and passwords so finding a working combination on one service may unlock many others.


Wales 2-1 Slovakia

Wales snatched a late winner against Slovakia in their Euro 2016 opener to make a dramatic return to major tournaments after a 58-year absence.

Gareth Bale's dipping free-kick gave Wales a half-time lead and sent their fans into raptures.

Slovakia's Ondrej Duda punished passive Welsh defending to equalise.

But substitute Hal Robson-Kanu's scuffed finish won it for Wales, who now have an excellent chance of progressing to the second round.

Chris Coleman's side face England on Thursday and, with 16 of the 24 teams qualifying for the knockout stages, they can justifiably hope for an extended stay in France.

Absent from major tournaments since the 1958 World Cup, Wales' deafening fans made for a euphoric atmosphere inside a Stade de Bordeaux awash with red.

Coleman had spoken beforehand about the importance of seizing this historic moment, and his players did so with a wholehearted display.

The wait is over

Slovakia were also making their first appearance in the finals stage of a European Championship and, having beaten Spain in qualifying and knocked Italy out of the 2010 World Cup, they had proved they had a taste for the big occasion.

While Welsh hopes depended heavily on Bale, Slovakia's threat was expected to come from their talisman and top-scorer in qualifying, Marek Hamsik.

The Napoli playmaker lived up to his billing, slaloming his way through Wales' defence after three minutes and appearing certain to score, only to be denied by a brilliant goalline clearance by Ben Davies.

It was a frantic start to the match with both sides seemingly inspired by the magnitude of the moment.

And it was Bale who revelled in it most, striking with a wobbling free-kick that Slovakia goalkeeper Matus Kozacik should have saved.

Coleman's bold call

Coleman's team selection was bold, starting Crystal Palace midfielder Jonny Williams to create a fluid attacking trio with Aaron Ramsey and Bale, while recognised strikers Robson-Kanu and Sam Vokes were on the bench.

The decision was vindicated as Slovakia's defence, with an average age of 31, looked uncertain in their attempts to shackle their opponents.

But Jan Kozak's side eventually settled and started to control possession as the match went on.

Their probing paid dividends after an hour when substitute Duda, unchallenged by Wales' backtracking defenders, fired into the bottom corner.

Having initially been rattled, Wales gathered themselves and rallied with a late push for a winner, which eventually came in fortuitous circumstances.

A heavy touch from Ramsey saw the ball land at Robson-Kanu's feet and, although his shot was miscued, it dribbled past Kozacik to seal a precious and much-celebrated victory.

Man of the match - Ben Davies (Wales)

After making a brilliant clearance to deny Marek Hamsik, Tottenham defender Ben Davies impressed with his distribution and general calm in defence.

The stats you need to know

• Gareth Bale scored with Wales' first ever shot on target at a European Championship finals.

• Bale's first ever goal for Wales was also against Slovakia in October 2006 - and also from a direct free-kick.

• Ondrej Duda scored just 52 seconds after coming off the bench, the fastest finals goal at the Euros by a substitute since Juan Carlos Valeron for Spain against Russia in 2004 (39 secs).

• Wales have conceded in each of their past five games (including friendlies), their worst run of conceding since March 2013 (11).

• Ramsey has had a hand in three goals in his past three games for Wales (two goals, one assist).

• Wales are the first British side to win their opening game at a European Championship finals.

What they said

Wales manager Chris Coleman on BBC One: "I think it is my proudest moment.

"Our supporters keep on topping what they have done - that support today was unbelievable.

"In the second half the fans sensed we were a bit jaded and sitting back a bit. We came back and they got right behind us. Our boys showed passion and courage to come back. It was incredible attitude and mentality."

Wales forward Gareth Bale on BBC One: "It was like a home game. Our fans are the best in the world and fully got behind us. We gave them something to celebrate.

"The goal is right up there. A memorable moment, a historic moment for our country. The most important thing is we got the three points.

"Hal getting the winner is amazing. The subs have to make an impact and he was amazing when he came on. Everyone has a part to play and we will keep fighting."

Former Wales international John Hartson on BBC Radio 5 live: "All the Wales team have stood up today. They've also had a little bit of luck, which you also need.

"They are doing the right thing. Yes, they've won the game but they are not getting too excited. I believe this win will take us through as one of those third-placed team.

"When Slovakia hit them post I though it is Wales' day. Maybe Gary Speed is looking down on the players."

What next?

Wales meet British rivals England on Thursday (14:00 BST) at Stade Bollaert-Delelis in Lens, while Slovakia face Russia on Wednesday at Stade Pierre Mauroy, Lille (14:00 BST).


Solar plane flies over New York


Solar Impulse spent some time being photographed from a chasing helicopter

The solar-powered plane Solar Impulse has arrived at New York's JFK airport after making the short trip from Lehigh Valley in Pennsylvania.

Taking off late on Friday night local time, the aircraft spent a good part of the journey turning around the Statue of Liberty for a photoshoot.

This latest flight marks the completion of the trans-America portion of the quest to circle the globe on no fuel.

Solar Impulse must now prepare for a daunting crossing of the Atlantic.

The plane flew over the Statue of Liberty just after 02:00 local time (06:00 GMT).

As he approached the famous landmark, pilot Andre Borschberg spoke with the BBC via satellite phone.

"The US is a country where you meet a lot of entrepreneurs and pioneers, and so to end our American crossing at the Statue of Liberty - which represents for me the freedom of enterprise and the freedom to innovate that is the spirit you can find in this country - is so symbolic."

Landing at JFK: A solar-powered plane using its batteries to fly at night

Mr Borschberg's partner on the Solar Impulse project, Bertrand Piccard, will take over for the Atlantic leg.

Deciding when to cross the ocean will be a tricky decision. The slow-moving, ultra-light plane needs benign winds, and the team concedes that the right conditions may not present themselves for several weeks. "Patience will be the word," said flight director Raymond Clerc. "I expect the flight to take 3-4 days."

The team would like to aim for the French capital, Paris, to reference the historic first solo Atlantic plane crossing made by Charles Lindbergh in 1927. But the weather systems may simply not permit this, and take Solar Impulse instead further south, perhaps to Toulouse, or to Seville in Spain.

Return to UAE

The project has made excellent progress since renewing its global challenge in Hawaii on 21 April.

In 2015, Solar Impulse flew eight stages from Abu Dhabi to Kalaeloa, including a remarkable four-day, 21-hour leg over the western Pacific - the longest solo flight in aviation history in terms of the time it took.

It was damage to its batteries on that stage, however, that forced Solar Impulse to lay up for 10 months, for repairs and to wait for optimum daylight length in the northern hemisphere to return.

The global endeavour will be complete when the plane arrives back in Abu Dhabi.

Solar Impulse plane covered in 17,000 photovoltaic cells.

These either power the vehicle's electric motors directly, or charge its lithium-ion batteries, which sustain the plane during the night hours.

The project is intended as a demonstration of the capabilities of solar power.

Deadly attacks rock Damascus suburb


At least 12 people have been killed in suicide bomb attacks on a suburb of Damascus which is home to Syria's holiest Shia shrine, state media say.

Islamic State group said three militants - two carrying explosives belts and one with a car bomb - carried out the attacks in Sayyida Zeinab, 10km (six miles) south of the centre.

At least 55 other people were wounded.

Sayyida Zeinab, a predominantly Shia area, has been a frequent target of attacks from jihadi groups.

The Sunni IS group says it was behind at least two other bombings in the district earlier this year that killed more than 150 people.

What's left of Syria after five years of war?

Syrian state media said Sayyida Zeinab was hit by two blasts on Saturday - a suicide attack at the entrance to the district and then a car bomb attack in al-Teen street, not far from the shrine.

There were a number of women and children among the casualties, and some of the injuries were serious, Sana news agency said.

The IS-affiliated Amaq news agency later said three IS militants carried out the attacks.

The golden-domed Sayyida Zeinab shrine contains the grave of one of the Prophet Muhammad's grand-daughters, and continues to draw many Shia pilgrims despite the civil war.

A car bomb was used for one of the attacks

Security forces and members of the public inspect the site of the blast

A man clears a room damaged in the attacks, with a picture of President Assad in the background

Sayyida Zeinab is the holiest Shia Muslim shrine in Syria

Shia fighters from around the region have joined the conflict in Syria on the grounds that they wish to protect the shrine from the civil war, observers say.

The Lebanese Shia movement Hezbollah has cited it as a key reason that it chose to fight on the side of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

But this has made this suburb a prime target for the government's enemies, including IS, the BBC's Alan Johnston says.

More than 250,000 people have died and 11 million have fled their homes in more than five years of civil war in Syria.

Anger at Italy paper's Mein Kampf offer


One Italian Jewish community leader called the giveaway "indecent"

Italian newspaper Il Giornale has come under fire for offering free annotated copies of Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf with one of its supplements.

Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi described the decision as "squalid" while others criticised the paper for using the book to increase sales.

The paper argued the move would educate readers about the evils of Nazism.

Hitler published the anti-Semitic manifesto in 1925, eight years before he came to power.

He became military and political leader of Germany from 1933 to 1945, launching World War Two and causing the deaths of millions, including six million Jewish people under Nazi rule.

Mein Kampf hits stores in tense Germany

'Vile act'

Il Giornale sold a history book about Nazi Germany with its Saturday edition, and offered readers who purchased the book a free copy of Mein Kampf.

The editor, Alessandro Sallusti, said (in Italian) that the move would let readers "study what is evil to avoid its return".

"The concerns of our friends of the Italian Jewish community, who always have and always will see us by their side... deserve all our respect," he said.

The newspaper also stressed that the version it was giving away was annotated with critical commentary by an Italian historian.

However, the move was described as "a vile act" by Renzo Gattegna, president of the Union of Italian Jewish Communities.

The giveaway was "indecent" and "light years away from any in-depth learning or study about the Holocaust", Mr Gattegna added.

The copyright of Mein Kampf expired earlier this year. Previously, copyright was held by the regional government in Germany's Bavaria, which banned reprinting of the book.

After the copyright expired, Germany's authorities allowed an annotated, critical version of the book, with academic notes, to be published.

The publication of other editions is restricted in Germany, under incitement laws

Violence mars England match build-up

England fans have been embroiled in fresh clashes with police and rival supporters in Marseille ahead of the team's opening match of Euro 2016.

The latest violence follows two nights of trouble in the French city.

Police used tear gas for a third day on Saturday, and also a water cannon in an attempt to disperse the crowds.

Footage showed bottles being thrown and bloodied fans being given medical treatment. French police say one Briton was seriously injured in clashes.

A police spokesman said the Briton had been resuscitated by officers, but gave no further details.

As the 20:00 BST kick-off for England's game against Russia neared, fans moved towards the Stade Velodrome venue, walking past ranks of police officers in riot gear.

The great majority of fans appeared to be peaceful but there were reports of a few scuffles outside the stadium.

European football's governing body Uefa said it "firmly condemns the incidents in Marseille", adding that "people engaging in such violent acts have no place in football".

Earlier on Saturday, shadow home secretary Andy Burnham had said England fans' behaviour was "embarrassing", given the terrorism threat to France.

BBC News correspondent Nick Eardley, who is in Marseille, described the situation earlier as "pretty terrifying" as fans fought with Russia supporters.

He said he had witnessed bloodied England fans being "dragged away by police", to the sound of sirens blaring out across the city's main square.

Six arrested

Police told the BBC that six people had been arrested and at least five had been injured during the scuffles.

Local police chief Laurent Nunez told AFP news agency: "Police intervened in a clash between English, Russian and French supporters in the Vieux Port district."

Some British journalists in the area have described the scenes on social media, and pointed the finger at a gang of black-clad Russians, who they said had entered the port city's main square from a side street apparently seeking violence.

The violence has come in waves rather than one sustained attack, according to reports

Some fans were bleeding heavily and had to be treated on the street

England are due to kick off against Russia at 20:00 BST

Tear gas has again been used by police

Bottles have also been thrown at police

Several England fans are receiving medical treatment following the skirmishes

From the scene

By Nick Eardley, BBC News correspondent

England and Russian fans have been gathering at the city's port all day; I was mingling with them earlier and many were in good spirits - the odd tense scene, but others taking pictures and joking with police.

It's unclear what actually caused things to turn; one police officer told me there had been a confrontation between England fans and Russian fans in the square.

Some outlets have reported French police saying there were French fans involved too.

What followed was a pretty terrifying exchange of bottles being thrown shortly after 16:00 local time (15:00 BST).

I was in the square at the time and there were fans running everywhere after the first tear gas was fired, many clearly getting injured in the clashes. That went on for some time.

A group of fans - and from where I was standing, just behind the police line, the vast majority appeared to be England fans - continued to throw bottles at police, with officers returning volleys of tear gas and eventually charging those fans left in the square.

It's hard to say exactly what happened after that, but I saw fights in a number of streets around the port. It was only around an hour ago when I left that part of town that things seemed to be getting back to normal, though obviously with a considerably bigger police presence.

Meanwhile, Gary Lineker tweeted: "The trouble in Marseilles is utterly sickening."

Earlier, Mr Burnham said England fans had been "let down by a minority", who may have been provoked but were "not blameless" over the first two nights' violence.

In a series of tweets, Labour's Mr Burnham said when the terror threat in France was taken into account, it made the "behaviour of these England 'fans' even more embarrassing".

Some England fans attempted to kick the tear gas away

Chris Slegg, a BBC London reporter on holiday in Marseille for the football, said he had been at a bar with friends and other fans on Friday night, watching France's game against Romania, and the atmosphere had been friendly.

However, shortly after the match finished, a group of 20 to 30 French youths had emerged from side streets and thrown firecrackers and bottles at people who had been watching the game outside the bar, he said. The incident had been completely unprovoked, he said.

Style of policing

Dave Tomlinson, from the Football Supporters' Federation, who is in Marseille, told the BBC it had been "disappointing to see any problems" involving England supporters.

"We understand from the reports that it's a very small minority of England fans that have been involved," he said.

"We also understand that unfortunately there has been quite a lot of provocation from the French and also the Russian elements that are in the area."

He also said the style of policing was "a little bit different" from what England fans would be used to.

"The first option at the moment seems to be that the French police are going to put tear gas in the areas where there are potentially going to be problems."

BBC 5 live sports presenter George Riley said a group of England fans on Friday night appeared to be goading either the police or locals in the area.

He said the group he had seen gathering on Friday evening appeared "quite menacing", which prompted the 5 live team to leave.

This was outside a pub in the same area that had been affected on Thursday by trouble which had continued well into the early hours of Friday.

One England fan and one local man had been arrested in the early hours of Friday after police moved in with tear gas.

A football fan is helped after sustaining a head wound in Friday's trouble

Police used dogs to control the crowd

Dutch woman held in Qatar after 'rape'


The woman says she was raped while on holiday in Doha

A Dutch woman is being detained in Qatar on suspicion of adultery after she told police she had been raped.

The 22-year-old, who was on holiday, was drugged in a Doha hotel and woke up in an unfamiliar flat, where she realised she had been raped, her lawyer says.

She was arrested in March on suspicion of having sex outside of marriage. She is due to appear in court on Monday.

The alleged rapist is also being held, but says the sex had been consensual.

A Dutch foreign ministry spokeswoman said the woman, who she named as Laura, had been arrested but not yet been charged.

"We have provided assistance to her since the first day of detention. For the sake of the defendant's case we will not make further comments at this point," the Dutch embassy said in a statement.

'Great horror'

The woman had gone dancing at a hotel in Doha where alcohol was allowed, "but when she returned to the table after the first sip of her drink... she felt very unwell" and realised she had been drugged, her lawyer Brian Lokollo told Dutch broadcaster NOS-Radio1.

Her next memory was waking up in an unfamiliar apartment where she "realised to her great horror that she had been raped," Mr Lokollo added.

The woman may also be charged with an alcohol-related offence, news website Doha News reported.

It is an offence to drink alcohol or be drunk in public in Qatar, although alcohol is allowed at certain hotels and expatriates can obtain a permit for purchasing alcohol.

In 2013, a Norwegian woman in neighbouring United Arab Emirates was given a 16-month prison sentence for perjury, extramarital sex and drinking alcohol after she told police she had been raped.

She was later pardoned and allowed to return to Norway.

Singer's killer 'came to confront her'


Orlando police chief John Mina detailed the events leading up to Christina Grimmie's death

The man suspected of killing US singer Christina Grimmie apparently came from another city to confront her, police in Florida say.

Police chief John Mina said the gunman "travelled to Orlando to commit this crime" but did not appear to know her personally.

Ms Grimmie was shot while signing autographs after a concert in the city on Friday night, and died in hospital.

In 2014, she was a contestant on US TV programme The Voice.

Stars pay tribute to Voice star Grimmie

Police say Ms Grimmie was shot about 22:45 local time on Friday (02:45 GMT Saturday) at The Plaza Live in Orlando.

Mr Mina said the gunman, who shot himself dead during a struggle with the singer's brother, was a 21-year-old white male and had two handguns and a hunting knife. His name has not been released.

"She was doing a meet-and-greet, just signing autographs and selling merchandise," he said.

"This white male approached her and opened fire, striking her."

Ms Grimmie finished third in season six of The Voice

Ms Grimmie, seen here at an animal rescue benefit last year in New York, was known for her love of animals

The police chief praised Ms Grimmie's brother Marcus.

"Very heroic actions by Marcus Grimmie to jump in and it definitely could have prevented further loss of life," he said.

The singer had been performing with the band Before You Exit.

Up to 100 people were at the concert, but only a handful remained at the venue when the shooting happened, officials said.

Mr Mina said unarmed security guards checked bags as people entered the venue but no metal detectors were used and no body searches were made.

News of the attack spread quickly on social media, with many fans voicing their shock and anger.

When the first reports of the shooting surfaced, #PrayForChristina was the top trending hashtag on Twitter.

It changed to #RIPChristina after the death was confirmed.

Ms Grimmie first came to prominence as a teenager for her renditions of hit songs, amassing a huge following on YouTube.

In 2011, she released her debut musical recording Find Me. Her second EP - Side A - followed in February 2016

Friday 10 June 2016

Instagram iPhone app gets share extensions, finally letting people post pictures from anywhere


The tweak fixes perhaps the biggest annoyance about using the Instagram app on iOS
instafeed.jpg
    A most popular Instagram page is displayed on a mobile device screen in Pasadena, California REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni
Instagram will now let anybody share pictures from anywhere on their phone, fixing the biggest problem with its iOS app.
The company has finally enabled share extensions so that it’s easy to share from photos or anywhere else on the phone.
The feature has long been available for almost every other app – including those from its owner Facebook. But it might be more useful than any of those for Instagram, since it makes it easy to send photos from the photo library or anyone else.
Share extensions can be triggered from many apps that have a photo in, and are usually opened by clicking the little share button in any particular app. In the Photos app, for instance, people can just open a photo and then click the little rectangular share box – allowing them to share a photo without ever opening the app.
From the share extension, people can choose to write a small message to post alongside the photo – after which it will be uploaded. For any more special features like filters or editing, users will have to click through to the app.
Third-party extensions first arrived with iOS 8 in 2014. Since then many apps have integrated them as a way of sharing things or doing other functions without actually having to open the app, cutting down the amount of bother needed to send things out.
But Instagram – despite being all about encouraging people to share their own photos and videos – didn’t ever seem to get around to integrating the feature within its app, despite going through a complete overhaul and re-design since they were released. But now it has been pushed out in the latest version of the app, which can be found in the App Store.
Perhaps the last remaining frustration for many iOS users is that there is no official Instagram app for iPad. The only way of officially viewing photos on a tablet is to head to the Instagram website, which is lacking many features of the mobile app

Vice News journalist Mohammed Rasool freed from prison in Turkey after 131 days in detention

Rasool was a victim of the recent crackdown on press freedom in Turkey
    turkeypressfreedom.jpg
Mohammed Rasool, a journalist who was arrested and jailed in Turkey in August last year, has been freed after spending 131 days in detention.
Rasool, a freelance journalist for Vice News, was arrested in the town of Diyarbakir in the south east of the country along with two other journalists, Philip Pendlebury and Jake Hanrahan, on 27 August 2015, while the three were reporting on clashes between police and Kurdish separatist groups.
Pendlebury and Hanrahan were freed 11 days after their arrest, but Rasool remained in detention, never facing indictment for the terrorism offences he was accused of, which Vice called "baseless and alarmingly false."

In a statement, Vice News confirmed Rasool's release, saying: "Vice News is pleased to confirm its reporter, Mohammed Rasool has been released on bail having been held in a Turkish prison for 131 days."However, as confirmed by Vice News, Rasool has now been released, bringing the number of imprisoned journalists in Turkey down to 13, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.
Turkey has clamped down on press freedom in recent years, with journalists who write stories critical of the government often facing intimidation, arrest and even detention.
Since Rasool's arrest, Vice has been leading a campaign for his release - in October last year, all of the media network's websites around the world were shut down in a two-hour 'blackout', intended to draw attention to Rasool's plight. 
A petition set up by the Committee to Protect Journalists, which called on Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to free Rasool, also gained around 90,000 signatures after being set up shortly after his detention.

Muhammad Ali funeral live: Stars and fans line streets of Louisville to pay respects to ‘The Greatest'

Hundreds of fans and celebrities are in Louisville, Kentucky, to mourn the passing of Mohammad Ali, the famous boxer and one of the most-loved sportsmen in the country.
He died at the age of 74, after battling Parkinson's disease for more than 30 years. 
His funeral is taking place in his hometown. Will Smith is a pallbearer, and Bill Clinton and Billy Crystal are to deliver eulogies.
The three-time heavy weight champion of the world was also an established figure in the civil rights movement, and he famously objected to serving in the Vietnam War.
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