WASHINGTON (AP) — A Democratic privacy advocate and libertarian-minded Republican are asking the nation’s top intelligence official to release more information about the communications of American citizens swept up in surveillance operations. The request by Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon and GOP Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky adds to a chorus of calls for […]

(BBC News) — There’s a glint of pride in Abu Jaafar’s eyes as he explains what he does for a living. He used to work as a security guard in a pub but then he met a group which trades in organs. His job is to find people desperate enough to give up parts of […]

DOWNINGTOWN, Pa. (NBC 10) — An assistant principal at Downingtown STEM Academy in Chester County has been placed on administrative leave after a video surfaced of him yelling at pro-life teenagers last Friday. The video, posted on YouTube by one of the teens, showed a heated verbal exchange between Dr. Zach Ruffs and a 16-year-old […]

(Newsweek) — Three militants loyal to the Islamic State group (ISIS) have been killed by wild boars as they planned to ambush Iraqi tribesmen opposed to the group, according to a local anti-ISIS leader. At least eight ISIS fighters had reportedly taken cover among dense reeds in Iraq’s al-Rashad region, about 55 miles southwest of […]

(The Guardian) — The Liberal Democrat leader, Tim Farron, has confirmed that he does not believe gay sex to be a sin, saying that while he had no wish to “pontificate on theological matters,” he also did not want people to misunderstand his religious beliefs. Farron, who professes to be an evangelical Christian, has faced […]

(Christian Concern) — The National Union of Teachers (NUT) has passed a motion calling on its members to teach nursery children about same-sex relationships and transsexualism. The motion was passed by delegates at the NUT’s annual conference in Cardiff, which took place earlier this month. Christian Concern’s Chief Executive Andrea Williams warned that this would […]

(Newsweek) — Russia’s Supreme Court has declared Jehovah’s Witnesses an extremist organization, ordering its assets liquidated and banning all activities in the country, Russian state media reported Thursday. The ban will not come into force until after the group’s appeal is heard. The ruling upholds a claim made by Russia’s Ministry of Justice. Responding to […]

(NBC News) — The nationwide manhunt for Steve Stephens, the man accused of posting video of a murder to Facebook, ended Tuesday when his body was found in a vehicle in Erie, Pa., police said. Pennsylvania State Police confirmed in a tweet that Stephens had been spotted by Pennsylvania State Police Tuesday morning. After a […]

MARDAN, Pakistan (VOA News) — An angry mob killed a fellow student at a Pakistani university campus Thursday on accusations that he’d posted blasphemous content online. It was the latest in a series of vigilante attacks over the increasingly contentious issue in the predominantly Muslim country. Witnesses and local media reported angry students associated with the ruling […]

(Newsweek) — Swedish police have arrested a man they suspect rammed a hijacked beer delivery truck into a crowd in central Stockholm on Friday, killing four people and wounding more than a dozen in what they called a terror crime. While police declined to comment on the identity or possible motive of the man, who […]