Obama says beheading 'shocked the conscience' of the world

BAGHDAD/EDGARTOWN Mass. (Reuters) - U.S.
President Barack Obama said on Wednesday the
beheading of American journalist James Foley by
Islamic State militants "shocked the conscience of
the entire world" and he vowed the United States
would do what it must to protect its citizens.
U.S. officials, meanwhile, said American
warplanes continued to strike IS targets in Iraq.
Islamic State posted a video on Tuesday that
purported to show the beheading of Foley in
revenge for U.S. air strikes in Iraq. It prompted
widespread revulsion that could push Western
powers into further action against the group.
U.S. officials said on Wednesday that intelligence
analysts had concluded that the video, titled "A
Message to America," was authentic. It also
showed images of another U.S. journalist, Steven
Sotloff, whose fate Islamic State said depends on
how the United States acts in Iraq.
The gruesome video presented Obama with bleak
options that could define American involvement in
Iraq and the public reaction to it, potentially
dragging him further into a conflict he built much
of his presidency on ending.
"Jim was taken from us in an act of violence that
shocked the conscience of the entire world,"
Obama said in brief comments to reporters in
Edgartown, Massachusetts, where he has been
vacationing. He said he had spoken with Foley's
family.
"The United States of America will continue to do
what we must do to protect our people. We will
be vigilant and we will be relentless," Obama
said. "When people harm Americans, anywhere,
we do what's necessary to see that justice is
done."
British anti-terrorist police began an investigation
of the video, in which Foley's killer spoke with a
London accent.
Apparently a British national, the killer is just one
of hundreds of European Muslims drawn to join
Islamic State in Iraq and Syria and who
authorities say pose a security threat to U.S. and
European interests if they return home from the
Middle East.
The video showed a high level of technical
proficiency and the use of a British voice may
have been intended to make its contents clear to
audiences in the United States, Islamic State's
declared enemy.
Political leaders were swift to react.
British Prime Minister David Cameron interrupted
his holiday to return to London to lead the hunt
to identify the killer.
Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said he was
not surprised to hear the British accent and that
large numbers of British nationals were fighting in
Iraq and Syria.
INTELLIGENCE SERVICES
"Our intelligence services will be looking very
carefully on both sides of the Atlantic at this
video to establish its authenticity, to try to
identify the individual concerned and then we will
work together to try to locate him," Hammond
told Sky news.
France said it wanted the permanent members of
the U.N. Security Council and regional countries,
including Arab states and Iran, to coordinate
action against Islamic State.
President Francois Hollande called for an
international conference to discuss how to tackle
the group.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned
"the horrific murder of journalist James Foley, an
abominable crime that underscores the campaign
of terror the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
continues to wage against the people of Iraq and
Syria," U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.
Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari urged the
world to back his country against Islamic State,
which he described as a threat to the world, not
just to the minority ethnic groups whose
members it has killed in Iraq.
Germany and Italy said they were ready to send
arms to bolster the military capabilities of Iraqi
Kurds fighting Islamic State in northern Iraq.
Sending arms into conflict zones is a major
departure for Germany, which has often shied
away from direct involvement in military conflicts
since World War Two due to its Nazi past.
The video's message was unambiguous, warning
of greater retaliation to come against Americans
following nearly two weeks of U.S. air strikes that
have pounded militant positions and halted the
advance of Islamic State, which until this month
had captured a third of Iraq with little resistance.
Foley, 40, was kidnapped on Nov. 22, 2012, in
northern Syria, according to GlobalPost. He had
earlier been kidnapped and released in Libya.
Sotloff, who appeared at the end of the video,
went missing in northern Syria while reporting in
July 2013. He has written for TIME among other
news organizations.
On Facebook, Foley's mother, Diane Foley, said:
"We have never been prouder of our son Jim. He
gave his life trying to expose the world to the
suffering of the Syrian people.
"We implore the kidnappers to spare the lives of
the remaining hostages. Like Jim, they are
innocents. They have no control over American
government policy in Iraq, Syria or anywhere in
the world."
The video was posted after the United States
resumed air strikes in Iraq this month for the first
time since the end of the U.S. occupation in
2011.
ISLAMIC STATE
Islamic State, which has declared a caliphate in
the parts of Iraq and Syria it controls, opened the
video with a clip of Obama saying he had
authorized strikes in Iraq.
The words "Obama authorizes military operations
against the Islamic State effectively placing
America upon a slippery slope towards a new war
front against Muslims" appeared in English and
Arabic on the screen.
It showed black and white aerial footage of air
strikes with text saying: "American aggression
against the Islamic State."
A man identified as Foley, his head shaven and
dressed in an orange outfit similar to uniforms
worn by prisoners at the U.S. military detention
camp in Guantánamo Bay, is seen kneeling in the
desert next to a man standing, holding a knife
and clad head to toe in black.
"I call on my friends, family and loved ones to rise
up against my real killers, the U.S. government,
for what will happen to me is only a result of their
complacency and criminality," the kneeling man
says.
The man next to him, in a black mask, speaks in
a British accent and says, "This is James Wright
Foley, an American citizen, of your country. As a
government, you have been at the forefront of the
aggression towards the Islamic State."
ISLAMIC ARMY
"Today your military air force is attacking us daily
in Iraq. Your strikes have caused casualties
amongst Muslims. You are no longer fighting an
insurgency. We are an Islamic army, and a state
that has been accepted by a large number of
Muslims worldwide."
Following his statement, he beheads the kneeling
man. At the end of the video, words on the side of
the screen say, "Steven Joel Sotloff," as another
prisoner in an orange jumpsuit is shown on
screen. "The life of this American citizen, Obama,
depends on your next decision," the masked man
says.
University of Virginia political scholar Larry
Sabato said the killing was like the beheading of
American journalist Daniel Pearl in Pakistan in
2002. He said it could help bolster a perception
among Americans that the United States will have
to be more aggressive in dealing with Islamic
State militants.
Syria has been the most dangerous country for
journalists for more than two years. At least 69
other journalists have been killed covering the
conflict there and more than 80 journalists have
been kidnapped in Syria.
The U.S.-based Committee to Protect Journalists
estimates that approximately 20 journalists are
currently missing in Syria. Many of them are
believed to be held by Islamic State.
Islamic State also released a video on Tuesday
that gave a strong indication it might try to strike
American targets. The video with the theme
"breaking of the American cross" boasts Islamic
State will emerge victorious over "crusader"
America.
It followed a video on Monday warning of attacks
on American targets if Washington strikes its
fighters in Iraq and Syria.
As well as taking territory, Islamic State has
seized a number of oil wells in northern Iraq. The
government in Baghdad said it was troubled by
reports that Islamic State was smuggling oil to
export markets and warned that the purchase of
such supplies could help the group fund its
operations.
(Additional reporting by Stephanie Nebehay in
Geneva, Oliver Holmes and Tom Perry in Beirut,
Sabine Siebold in Berlin, Costas Pitas and William
James in London, Louis Charbonneau at the
United Nations and John Irish in Paris; Writing by
Giles Elgood and Jim Loney; Editing by David
Stamp and Dan Grebler)

FIFA rejects appeals of FC Barcelona and Spanish FA in relation to transfers of minors

The FIFA Appeal Committee has decided to reject
the appeals lodged by Spanish club FC Barcelona
and the Real Federación Española de Fútbol (RFEF)
and to confirm in their entirety the decisions
rendered by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee in the
respective cases relating to the protection of
minors.
As such, FC Barcelona is to serve a transfer ban
which will see the club prevented from registering
any players at both national and international level
for two complete and consecutive transfer periods,
starting with the next registration period (January
2015) given that the appeal of the club had been
granted suspensive effect by the chairman of the
FIFA Appeal Committee. FC Barcelona has also been
ordered to pay a fine of CHF 450,000 and been
given a period of 90 days from today in which to
regularise the situation of all minor players
concerned.
Meanwhile, the RFEF has been ordered to pay a fine
of CHF 500,000 and granted a period of one year in
which to regularise their regulatory framework and
existing system concerning the international transfer
of minors in football.
The terms of the decisions taken by the FIFA Appeal
Committee were communicated to FC Barcelona and
the RFEF today.

HTC reveals cut-price One M8 windows phone device

The modified One M8 is being sold at roughly half
the price of the same handset running Google's
Android.
This is the first time the struggling manufacturer
has released a Windows smartphone in more than
two years.
One analyst said the new device was "almost
certainly financially supported" by Microsoft, in an
attempt to gain a foothold in the US market.
The new phone, which comes with Windows
Phone 8.1 pre-installed, is available exclusively
through US network provider Verizon.
When bought with a 24 month contract, it is
priced at $99 (£60), approximately 50% cheaper
than the Android One M8.
"Consumers love the HTC One M8 and today's
introduction extends that enthusiasm to new
audiences hungry for choice in their mobile
experience," said Jason Mackenzie, president of
HTC Americas.
He added: "Microsoft shares our vision, and
that's why we committed to bringing the
Windows Phone platform to the HTC One M8."
Android losses
The Taiwanese firm, which originally made its
name selling early versions of Windows phone
handsets, has preferred Android devices in recent
years.
However it has recently lost out to rivals such as
Samsung, and while its flagship handset, the HTC
One, received good reviews, these did not
translate into strong sales.
In April, HTC posted losses of 1.88bn Taiwanese
dollars (£37m; $63m) for the first three months
of 2014, compared with a profit of T$85m a year
earlier.
Shares in HTC have dropped by 38% in the past
year.
Microsoft 'desperate'
Daniel Gleeson, an analyst at the consultancy IHS
Technology, told the BBC the move was a "big
thing for Microsoft as they want a big push for
Windows phones in North America".
A Japanese pop group shows off HTC's other
new handset, the Android-based J Butterfly
"Microsoft are desperate for other manufacturers
to develop Windows smartphones, and they
almost certainly financially supported HTC to
make this phone," he added.
"Microsoft needs to kickstart the whole Windows
Phone ecosystem. Its apps do not get updated at
the same frequency as Android or iOS
equivalents."
As for the pricing of the phone, Mr Gleeson said,
this was an attempt by HTC and Microsoft to
position themselves as a cheaper alternative to
the upcoming new iPhone.
Earlier on Tuesday, HTC's chief executive Peter
Chou unveiled another new phone in Tokyo, aimed
at the Japanese market.
The updated J Butterfly model, the HTL23,
features a plastic body, but is otherwise similar to
the Android One M8.

Samsung-made Nook tablet announced by Barnes and Noble

The US book chain is marketing the device as the
"first-ever full-featured Android tablet optimised
for reading", based on its inclusion of pre-
installed Nook apps and homescreen shortcuts.
However, its screen is lower resolution than
Kobo's Android-powered Arc 7HD.
One analyst said it would be an "uphill struggle"
to sell the new device.
"There is growing consumer apathy to this
growing class of low-cost tablets," said Ben
Wood, from the tech consultancy CCS Insight.
"Although there is the Nook angle on this, it goes
into the melting pot with numerous other tablets
that will appear in this price point as we run up
to Christmas.
"Amazon has pretty much locked out the market
in reading-focused tablets anyway, the only thing
I'd applaud here is the fact that Barnes & Noble
has gone to Samsung, which can give it scale and
quality."
The tablet is branded with Samsung's logo but
has the book store's apps pre-installed
The advantage that the 7in (17.8cm)-screened
Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 Nook has over Amazon's
Fire tablets is that it can easily access the
Google Play marketplace. Amazon's tablet uses a
proprietary store with fewer apps available.
Costing $179 (£107), the new Nook is also
cheaper than the Kindle Fire HDX and Kobo Arc
7HD.
However with only 216 pixels per inch, text will
appear less sharp on its screen. Likewise,
magazines and movies sold from the included
Nook Newsstand and Nook Video apps will
present less detail than similar purchases on
either the two other Android machines or Apple's
bestselling iPad Mini, which also has its own
dedicated ebook store.
Amazon and Kobo have book-focused tablets
with higher resolution screens
Even so, one market watcher said the tie-up still
made business sense. Samsung should benefit
from the exposure of having its machine
promoted in Barnes & Noble's stores and website,
while the retailer gets to cut its costs after
posting a $47m (£28.2m) net loss for its last
financial year.
"It's very hard to make money out of mobile
devices," said Ian Fogg, from the IHS
consultancy.
"But by having this partnership, Barnes & Noble
can have its own content and services pre-
installed so that they are not just front-of-mind
but also front-of-eyes for consumers.
"If it wants to get its apps used on other people's
devices it has to persuade people to install them
instead of a Kindle app or another competitor -
that visibility is very important."
At the moment the Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 Nook
is only available in the US.
Barnes and Noble will continue to sell e-ink
readers, including the Nook GlowLight, which was
launched in the UK earlier this month.

IG orders Lagos airport terror suspect moved to Abuja

The Acting Inspector-General of Police, Mr.
Suleiman Abba, has directed that the suspected
suicide bomber arrested near the Murtala
Mohammed International Airport, Lagos on Monday
be moved to Abuja.
A security source said that the IG ordered the
transfer of the physically-challenged terror
suspect to Abuja for immediate interrogation and
investigation into his activities.
The source said that the suspected insurgent
would be in Abuja on Tuesday evening in view of
the urgency of the IG’s directive.
The suspected suicide bomber had attempted to
bomb the annex office of the Nigerian Airspace
Management Agency, located inside the Murtala
Muhammed Airport, Lagos, when he was
apprehended by security personnel on Monday.
The physically-challenged suspect whose name
was yet to be ascertained was reportedly arrested
with suspected explosives around his neck.
The suspect who was later handed over to the
police by Airport security operatives, was
subsequently taken to the Airport Police
headquarters along the Ikeja- Airport road
It was learnt that the Police would conduct
investigations into the issue of the arrested
insurgent.
The source said that investigation would also focus
on the mental state of the suspect and the veracity
of the statements he was said to have made to
security operatives.
It was gathered that security operatives would not
rush to make any statement about the suspect in
order to avoid sending out wrong information to the
public.
It was further learnt that prior to the directive to
move the suspect to the Force Headquarters, the
Police in Lagos were looking at claims that the
terror suspect might have mental challenges.
Security operatives are investigating the canisters
that were said to be in custody of the suspect
when he was arrested with a view to finding out
whether they were Improvised Explosive Devices
or not.
The source said that the security operatives would
ensure a holistic investigation into the incident in
spite of claims that the cripple was known in the
area to be of unstable mind.
It was further stated that other security agencies
like the Department of State Security could only
come in after the police might have concluded their
investigation and if they chose to hand over the
matter to the SSS for further action.
The source said, “That suspect has been moved to
Abuja; the Police are the ones investigating the
matter.
“Today, the IG issued an urgent directive that the
suspect should be moved to Abuja immediately and
I think that has been done.
“Although, there are issues about the state of mind
of the man, but we are not taking any chances; the
matter would be investigated thoroughly.
“I also believe that the items that were found on
him would be duly screened to find out whether
they were IEDs or not.
“For now, the Police are in charge and after their
investigation, if there is anything to hand him over
to the SSS, they will take over from there.”
The NAMA General Manager, Public Affairs, Mr.
Supo Atobatele, had said the suspect was nabbed
while making phone calls and when accosted, his
incoherent explanation led to his arrest by security
operatives.
The Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba,
could not be reached for comment on Tuesday as
repeated calls to his phone failed to connect and he
did not respond to a text message sent to him.

Man United Agrees To Pay €20m and Nani in exchange of the Argentine Defender Rojo

The Red Devils have agreed to include the
Portuguese winger in their bid to sign the
Argentina international, who had gone on strike i
order to force through a transfer
EXCLUSIVE
By Duncan Castles
Manchester United have agreed a €20 million dea
for Sporting defender Marcos Rojo, with Nani
going the other way on a season-long loan.
Rojo is to move to Old Trafford after extensive
negotiations between the two clubs, against the
backdrop of the Argentina defender going on
strike before apologising to his team-mates and
supporters .
With United covering the majority of Nani's salar
- one of the highest at the Premier League club -
the deal is something of a triumph for Sporting
president Bruno de Carvalho.
He had refused to accept United's initial €20m
offer for Rojo, drawing the ire of both the player
and Doyen Sports, an investment fund who own
75 per cent of the Argentine's economic rights.
With Sporting contractually obliged to pay 20% of
any fee over €5m for Rojo to his former club
Spartak Moscow, and 75% of the income going t
Doyen, a €20m sale would have effectively seen
the World Cup finalist leave for free.
In bringing Nani back to the club where the
forward began his professional career, De
Carvalho has landed one of Portugal's most
prominent footballers at minimal salary cost to
Sporting.
De Carvalho was determined to play hard-ball
with Rojo's agents after the player refused to
train with the club in order to help push through
move to Old Trafford, insisting he would not be
held to ransom.
Rojo himself apologised for his behaviour in an
interview with the club's television channel on
Sunday evening , though it is understood it is
partly designed to facilitate the transfer.
"It was all a misunderstanding, I was a hothead,"
he said. "I'm sorry for what happened because I
feel that I was unprofessional.
"I want to tell the people that I didn’t behave
correctly, but I’m am very fond of this club. They
are the ones that will decide my career, and I
hope it will be the best both for me and the club.
But I want to stress that I’m very happy at the
club, and I like the way I’m treated and the care
they give me."
The deal underlines United's desperation to
provide Louis van Gaal with personnel capable of
playing the high-risk 3-5-2 formation their new
manager is attempting to introduce at Old
Trafford.
The Dutchman began his first Premier League
campaign with just three experienced central
defenders and one international left-back in his
squad, duly falling to Saturday's 2-1 home loss
to Swansea City.
Rojo, 24, is comfortable operating as one of the
three centre backs in a 3-5-2 or as the left wing
back. During his two season at Sporting he was
used primarily as a central defender.
Nani has four years remaining on the highly
lucrative contract United awarded him early last
summer. Though then manager David Moyes
considered persuading the Portugal international
to remain with the club as a key element in
structuring his squad, the pair rapidly fell out an
Nani rarely made the first XI in subsequent
months.
Liverpool have made Portugal Under-21
international Tiago Ilori available for loan as they
attempt to rebalance their squad for the new
season. Ilori, an initial €7.5m signing from
Sporting last summer, has yet to start a game fo
the Reds but had expected to be part of Brendan
Rodgers' first-team plans this season.
His position, though, has been complicated by
Kolo Toure's refusal to accept a transfer to
Trabzonspor, leading Liverpool to seek another
developmental loan move. While Bordeaux are
interested in Ilori, he would prefer a switch to
another Premier League side.

Luis Suarez Pledges Never To Bite Again

Controversial striker Luis Suarez said he was
"very depressed" after the World Cup biting
incident that led to the Uruguay international
being initially banned from all soccer activities for
four months.
Suarez can now train with new club Barcelona
and play friendlies, following an appeal hearing
last week, before making his competitive return at
the end of October.
"I prefer not to look backwards," the former
Liverpool forward said as he was presented to
the media at the Nou Camp on Tuesday.
"I didn't want to do anything and I was very
depressed," added Suarez referring to his state of
mind following the biting incident involving Italy
defender Giorgio Chiellini at the World Cup in
Brazil.
"I decided that all I could do was accept reality
and say sorry. I have apologised to people in
Uruguay for what happened and I am now looking
ahead."
The Uruguayan featured for the first time for
Barca when he came on for the last 15 minutes of
Monday's 6-0 friendly victory over Mexican side
Leon.
Suarez is set to play his first La Liga game in the
'Clasico' against Real Madrid the weekend of
October 25-26.
During Tuesday's presentation, vice-president
Jordi Mestre disclosed that the transfer fee Barca
had agreed with Liverpool was 65 million pounds
($108.11 million).
"I hope the time goes quickly as I want to play
again," said Suarez. "It is going to be difficult as
I will have to wait some months but I have
accepted this.
"My job is to train and be ready to return by the
end of October. All I can do is prepare and be
ready for the game against Real.
"It would be great to play but it is down to the
coach," added Suarez.
"I have really found a great atmosphere in the
dressing room...everyone has been very friendly
and obviously the time passes quicker if you are
with teammates and new people."
Brazil forward Neymar and former World Player of
the Year Lionel Messi were involved in Monday's
match.
"Neymar and Messi were fantastic to watch," said
Suarez. "Everyone knows what I can offer and I
will work hard to bring trophies back to Barca
which is the reason I am here."