FBI, Secret Service investigate reports of cyber attacks on U.S. banks

The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation said it is investigating media reports that several U.S. financial firms have been victims of recent cyber attacks.

"We are working with the United States Secret Service to determine the scope of recently reported cyber attacks against several American financial institutions," FBI spokesman Joshua Campbell said in a statement late on Wednesday.

He did not name any firms or give further details. A Secret Service spokesman could not be reached for comment.

JPMorgan Chase & Co was the victim of a recent cyber attack, according to two people familiar with the incident who asked not to be identified because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the matter. They declined to elaborate on the severity of the incident, saying JPMorgan was still conducting an investigation to determine what happened.

JPMorgan spokesman Brian Marchiony declined comment when asked about the attack.

“Companies of our size unfortunately experience cyber attacks nearly every day. We have multiple, layers of defense to counteract any threats and constantly monitor fraud levels,” he said in a statement.

Earlier on Wednesday, Bloomberg News reported that Russian hackers were believed to have carried out cyber attacks against JPMorgan Chase and another unnamed U.S. bank in mid-August, resulting in the loss of sensitive data.  Authorities are investigating whether the breaches were linked to recent attacks on major European banks, the Bloomberg report said.

The New York Times reported late on Wednesday that the networks of JPMorgan and at least four other U.S. banks had been infiltrated in a string of coordinated attacks this month, citing four people familiar with the investigation.

The attackers stole large quantities of data, including checking and savings account information, though their motivation is not yet clear, according to the Times report, which said several private security firms have been hired to conduct forensic reviews of infected networks.

Reuters was not able to independently verify the details in the Bloomberg and Times reports.

Israel And Palestine Agree Gaza Ceasefire

A long-term truce in Gaza has been agreed with Israel,
Palestine President Mahmoud Abbas said. The ceasefire
announced by Egypt came into effect at 16:00 GMT with
almost immediate reports of warning sirens going off in
southern Israel.

“ We have responded to the Egyptian proposal for a complete and comprehensive cease-fire, which
starts at 19:00 Cairo time ,” Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, stated. "There will be a
complete stop in fighting."

A senior Israeli official confirmed to Reuters that Israel had accepted the Egyptian proposal for a
" for a complete and unlimited-in-time ceasefire" Gaza ceasefire.

"Israel accepted already the Egyptian proposal on July 15. Israel has always supported an
unconditional, open-ended ceasefire," the anonymous official told the agency.

Celebratory gunfire rang through Gaza shortly after 7pm as thousands flocked to the streets in
celebration.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-28939350

Cameroon Military Kills 27 Boko Haram militants In Border Clashes

YAOUNDE, Cameroon: Cameroon's army has killed 27
members of Nigerian Islamist group Boko Haram near a
northern town, state radio said Wednesday, in a sign of
growing cross-border activity by the militants.
The Boko Haram fighters crossed the border into
Cameroon earlier this week, after attacking a military
base and police station in Nigeria and apparently
sending some 480 Nigerian troops retreating across the
frontier.
" Cameroon soldiers have killed 27 Boko Haram
elements during an attack in a locality near Fotokol in
the far-north," state radio CRTV said, adding that the
deaths occurred Monday and Tuesday. There was no
word on any Cameroonian casualties.
A Cameroonian soldier in the region said the militants
had been pushed back into Nigeria, with calm returning
to the area Wednesday.
In recent weeks, Boko Haram, which is seeking to carve
out a de facto Islamic state in northern Nigeria, has
stepped up attacks in Cameroon, leading the central
African country to increase deployments along its
jungle border.
But Cameroon has not always been successful in
fending off Boko Haram raids. President Paul Biya
dismissed two senior army officers last month following
attacks in which at least seven people were killed and
the wife of the vice prime minister was kidnapped.
SOURCE http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/World/2014/Aug-27/268691-cameroon-kills-27-boko-haram-militants-in-border-clashes.ashx#axzz3BblXUKc1

Three Beheaded In Brazil Prison Riot

Three prisoners have been beheaded and at least five other people injured in a riot at a Brazilian jail, authorities said.

Inmates took several prisoners hostage during the riot, decapitating at least three and throwing others off the roof.

They also took prison officers hostage, burned furniture and smashed rooms up with metal poles. 

Police Captain Ricardo Pinto said the riot at the prison in the southern city of Cascavel was ongoing amid negotiations over better conditions.

The revolt at the 928 bed jail began before sunrise on Sunday when a prison guard was captured during breakfast, Captain Pinto said.

Dozens of the prisoners climbed onto the building's rooftop, with their faces covered with white fabric.

Local media images showed at least 30 rebellious inmates shouting while they beat men held with ropes around their necks, or whose hands were tied behind them.

The rioting inmates waved banners emblazoned with the initials PCC for a criminal prison gang formed in the 1990s.

Relatives arriving at the prison to visit inmates waited outside as night fell, trying to get information about their loved ones.

Jairo Ferreira, a lawyer for the prison guards' union, said the inmates rioted to demand better food and medical care in the prison.

Captain Pinto said the revolt may also have been related to the recent convictions of two prisoners.

Beyoncè, Miley Cyrus Win Big At The 2014 MTV Vma's: See The Complete List

The highly anticipated MTV Video Music Awards night took place last night, starting with a taste "Anacoda," and ended with a sweet family moment as Beyoncé accepted her Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award in the arms of her hubby Jay Z and little girl Blue Ivy.

Other winners includes, Miley Cyrus who won the Video of the Year, with "Wrecking Ball, Ed Sheeran for the Best Male Video and Katy Perry winning in the Best female category.

Video of the Year: Miley Cyrus "Wrecking Ball"

Best Hip-Hop Video: Drake feat. Majid Jordan, "Hold On (We're Going Home)"

Best Male Video: Ed Sheeran feat. Rihanna, "The Monster"

Best Female Video: Katy Perry feat. Juicy J, "Dark Horse"

Best Pop Video: Ariana Grande feat. Iggy Azalea, "Problem"

Best Rock Video: Lorde, "Royals"

Father of slain Ferguson, Missouri teen calls for peace at teens funeral

(Reuters) - Rev. Al Sharpton and the father of an unarmed black teenager killed by a white officer on Aug. 9 appealed for peace as they led a rally against police violence on Sunday, the day before Michael Brown Jr's funeral in Ferguson, Missouri.

At the rally, which drew hundreds of people to Forest Park in St Louis on a sweltering summer afternoon, Michael Brown Sr was joined by the parents of Trayvon Martin, a Florida teenager shot dead in 2012.

In introducing the slain teen's father, Sharpton appealed for calm after a week of sometimes violent protests over an incident that has called global attention to the issue of race relations in the United States.

"We don't want anything tomorrow that will defile Michael Brown's name," said the civil rights leader, concerned that a fresh round of violence might flare in Ferguson.

Brown Sr, who hesitated for a moment before speaking, thanked the community for the support shown to him and Michael Brown's mother, who was not present at the rally.

"All I want tomorrow is peace while we lay our son to rest. Please, that's all I ask," he said.

In Ferguson, police and demonstrators have clashed on and off for more than a week. Authorities have come under fire for mass arrests and the use of heavy-handed tactics and military gear.

On Sunday evening, only a handful of people gathered at the site of the recent protests, greatly outnumbered by a visible but unobtrusive police force. Someone was giving out hot dogs from a van parked near a make-shift memorial to Michael Brown at the spot he was shot.

The National Guard began a gradual withdrawal from Ferguson on Friday, but authorities remain braced for a possible flare-up of civil disturbances surrounding Brown's funeral on Monday.

Later at the rally, Trayvon Martin's parents also spoke briefly.

The shooting of their son by a civilian vigilante reignited the debate about the state of race relations in the United States at a level not seen in recent years, with family and supporters saying it showed the rough treatment that black youths face.

CALLS FOR VIOLENCE TO STOP

In Ferguson, there were few protesters out on Sunday as temperatures soared to above 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 C).

Kevin Harris, 40, a security guard who lives near Forest Park, was sitting with his 11-year-old son Kameron on foldout canvas chairs waiting for the rally to begin.

Harris wore a T-shirt with the silhouette of a man with his hands up and reading "Please Don't Shoot - R.I.P. Michael Brown" and Kameron was wearing a T-shirt saying "Hands Up Don't Shoot."

"We all need to come together to stop the violence. All the violence, including black on black violence. We are our own worst enemy," Harris said.

Among those who braved the heat were about a dozen African- American women coming from church services and carrying umbrellas to protect them from the sun.

“We just wanted to come here and show our support for the Brown family, even for a little while because of the heat,” said Roberta Jackson, 65, a retiree. “This has all been such a shock to the community and it’s important to show we care even if we can’t stay long.”

Meanwhile, supporters of Darren Wilson, the officer who shot Brown, planned a second day of fundraising for him, with a gathering at a St. Louis sports bar where an entirely white crowd attended an event for him on Saturday.

The White House said three presidential aides would attend Brown's funeral on Monday.

Speaking on "Face the Nation" on CBS, Democratic Representative Lacy Clay of Missouri, who is due to speak at the funeral, said he had promised Brown's parents he would push for a transparent investigation into his death.

"I'm more concerned that if we do not get to the truth and get to what actually happened and bring justice to this situation, then there’s going to be a problem in the streets," he said.

A grand jury began hearing evidence on Wednesday, a process the county prosecutor said could take until mid-October.

Cameroonian Striker Killed By Object Thrown From Stands

A footballer has died after being hit in the head by an object thrown from the stands after a match, his club have announced.

Cameroonian striker Albert Ebosse, who has national caps, was fatally struck by a projectile at the end of JS Kabylie's game against USM Alger in Algeria.

He had scored a goal in the game, which his club lost 2-1. 

Footage posted on YouTube shows the player on a stretcher with his head wrapped in bandages after the attack in the northern city of Tizi Ouzou.

A Facebook page dedicated to the player has been created, offering tributes and condolences to his family.

A statement published on Kabylie's website said: "The Ministry of Interior and Local Government, speaking through minister Tayeb Belaiz, has given an instruction to open an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of Albert Ebosse.

"The JSK player succumbed to a head injury after being hit in the head at the end of the meeting with USM Alger."

Reacting to the news, USM Alger said in a statement: "This terrible news is saddening for football in our nation and in Cameroon and arrives like a bombshell.

"In these painful circumstances, USM Alger and its members send their deepest condolences to the family of the deceased and to JS Kabylie.

"May Albert Ebosse rest in peace."

The 24-year-old played for Coton Sport FC, Unisport Bafang and Douala AC in Cameroon, before transferring to Malaysian side Perak FA in 2012.

He joined JS Kabylie, one of Algeria's richest clubs, in July 2013. He reportedly had six international caps, mainly with Cameroon's B team.