Volkswagen AG dropped the most in almost seven years after it admitted to cheating on U.S. air pollution tests for years, risking billions in potential fines and a backlash from consumers in the world’s second-biggest car market.

The shares plunged as much as 22 percent to 126.40 euros, the steepest intraday decline since Oct. 24, 2008, extending the stock’s slump for the year to 32 percent. The drop wiped out about 16 billion euros ($18 billion) in value, making the Wolfsburg, Germany-based company worth 60.4 billion euros.

Volkswagen Chief Executive Officer Martin Winterkorn said on Sunday that the company is cooperating with the probe and ordered its own external investigation into the issue. The CEO said he was “deeply sorry” for breaking the public’s trust and that VW would do “everything necessary in order to reverse the damage this has caused.”

Winterkorn, whose contract renewal is scheduled for a supervisory board vote on Friday, now faces a serious challenge to his leadership, said Arndt Ellinghorst, a London-based analyst for Evercore ISI.

“This latest saga may help catalyze further management changes at VW,” Ellinghorst wrote in a note Monday.

 

Ask us about our FREE financial advice program: ChatButton

 

Other Top Stories:

Will Twitter's Share Crash?

Technical Analysis Lesson 1 - Introduction

How I Made Over $30,000 a Year by Investing in Binary Options

 

Follow us and SHARE this story on Facebook:   

 

 

 

When Alibaba conducted its IPO in September 2014 it was every bit the blockbuster anticipated, selling more shares at a higher price than planned and surging more than 35% when it opened for trading. A year later though, the stock has stumbled below its $68 offering price and become a flashpoint for fierce debate between bulls and bears.

The summer of 2015 has turned up the heat on Alibaba, culminating in last weekend’s critical Barron’s cover story chronicling issues ranging from the company’s problems with counterfeit goods to corporate governance and its lofty market valuation (even with shares already well below their peak). In a point-by-point rebuttal, Alibaba argued that its valuation is much closer to eBay EBAY at a comparable period in that company’s growth cycle and that it has taken substantial steps to identify and penalize merchants dealing in fake goods.

Bulls were quick to defend Alibaba, pointing to past examples of poorly-timed market and stock calls from various financial publications over the years. But many of the issues raised by Barron’s are not easily dismissed.

There is no telling what will happen with Alibaba’s stock, but whatever it is, you can definitely make some money from predicting it correctly. Wait for our signals before making your move!

 

 

Ask us about our FREE financial advice program: ChatButton

 

Other Top Stories:

Will Twitter's Share Crash?

Technical Analysis Lesson 1 - Introduction

How I Made Over $30,000 a Year by Investing in Binary Options

 

Follow us and SHARE this story on Facebook:   

 

 

 

Yesterday we made a poll asking YOU what you think that will happen to the EUR/USD following the Fed’s announcement. This is what you said:

 

Well, you guys predicted the correct result, that the EUR/USD will go up!

European stocks fell on Friday and bonds rose, pushing yields sharply lower, after the U.S. Federal Reserve cited weakening global growth and the recent upsurge in financial market volatility as its reasons for not raising interest rates.

Stocks and currencies in emerging markets, however, which are more vulnerable to higher U.S. interest rates, welcomed the Fed's decision on Thursday to postpone "lift off" for at least another month, and rose across the board.

 

Ask us about our FREE financial advice program: ChatButton

 

Other Top Stories:

Will Twitter's Share Crash?

Technical Analysis Lesson 1 - Introduction

How I Made Over $30,000 a Year by Investing in Binary Options

 

Follow us and SHARE this story on Facebook:   

 

 

 

U.S. stock futures were lower Thursday while global stock markets wavered as investors bet that the Federal Reserve would not raise interest rates.

Stocks rallied Wednesday afternoon after the Fed kicked off its long-awaited two-day policy meeting.

Two months ago, it seemed almost certain that the Fed was going to raise rates in September, but following turmoil in financial markets and concerns about China’s economy, more investors believe the Fed will wait until December to raise rates.

Interest rates have been near zero since 2008 in response to the financial crisis and recession. The Fed’s low interest rate policy was designed to encourage lending, but it also helped drive a seven-year bull market in stocks.

 

Ask us about our FREE financial advice program: ChatButton

 

Other Top Stories:

Will Twitter's Share Crash?

Technical Analysis Lesson 1 - Introduction

How I Made Over $30,000 a Year by Investing in Binary Options

 

Follow us and SHARE this story on Facebook:   

 

 

 

Facebook is finally going to do it -- it's finally going to make a "Dislike" button.

"We have an idea that we're going to be ready to test soon, and depending on how that does, we'll roll it out more broadly," Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said during a townhall Q&A at Facebook's headquarters on Tuesday.

He said making something so "simple" is surprisingly complicated, but after years of people demanding the option to "dislike" a Facebook post, the company is finally ready.

The company had hesitated to launch a dislike button, but it has realized that people want to "express empathy" on posts about unpleasant news. "Not every moment is a good moment," he added.

Zuckerberg, who was recently named the most powerful person in business and media by Vanity Fair, has been holding town halls like these regularly. He says it's an opportunity for him to update Facebook (FB, Tech30) users on how the company is working to make new services.

Later this month, Zuckerberg will host another townhall-style Q&A with a guest -- Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The two will discuss "how communities can work together to address social and economic challenges."

 

 

 

Ask us about our FREE financial advice program: ChatButton

 

Other Top Stories:

Will Twitter's Share Crash?

Technical Analysis Lesson 1 - Introduction

How I Made Over $30,000 a Year by Investing in Binary Options

 

Follow us and SHARE this story on Facebook:   

 

 

 

 

Images of a father struggling to hold his baby above the waves and of drowned Syrians washed ashore have not deterred Racha Sattout from gambling her life to seek sanctuary in Germany after fleeing a Syria ripped apart by war.

For her and thousands of others waiting to cram onto rubber boats on Turkey's shores to cross to the Greek islands, the choice is simple: die in Syria or risk death at sea in the hope of reaching safety and a new life in Europe.

But after she saw the heart-wrenching pictures of Aylan Kurdi, the Syrian Kurdish toddler who drowned this month, she decided to take that risk alone. She left her daughter Riham, 8, and son, Raed, 10, with her husband in Aleppo, and traveled to Turkey. Her hope is to win refugee status in Germany and thereby the right to bring her family to her new home.

But Racha's experience on her journey to date has been bitter, and is typical of the hardships and exploitation suffered by the thousands following the same treacherous route.

A week after arriving in Turkey, using money her sister sent her from Spain for the trip, she was still stranded in a hotel in the coastal city of Izmir at the mercy of people smugglers greedy for money.

"Every night the smuggler says this will be the night of the journey, but he keeps stalling and increasing his prices while my money is dwindling away," she says. Now she has moved in with a Syrian family in Izmir and is looking for another smuggler.

The unstoppable flow of people risking tiny rickety boats and the chicanery of smugglers to cross the Mediterranean shows no sign of abating, and is personalizing the collective tragedy of tens of thousands of Syrian refugees.

They are fleeing a conflict that began as a popular uprising in 2011, but quickly turned into a war that has killed over 250,000 people, creating more than 4 million refugees and displacing some 7.6 million more within the country.

Reminders of the risks come daily. Thirty-four refugees, 15 of them children, drowned when their boat sank off a Greek island on Sunday. Thousands have died in what is fast becoming Europe’s worst refugee crisis since the Second World War.

The refugees' stories speak of a devastated homeland, tremendous dangers to escape and rewards available to those who smuggle them – including fellow Syrians who have taken on the job of trying to make a treacherous passage safer.

Racha says that when a shell landed yards from her son six months ago, she and her husband decided it was time to flee Aleppo, a trading city fought over by the forces of President Bashar al-Assad, mainstream rebels and jihadi forces, including Islamic State.

"We sleep in bombardment and we wake up in bombardment," she said. "The situation in Syria is only getting worse; there is no sign that our ordeal will end, and the sea to Europe is the only hope left for us." Asked if she had seen the news reports of people drowning and whether that put her off, her answer was immediate.

"I’m scared of dying but...we’re dying in Aleppo a hundred times a day – what’s the difference? At least if I make it I might be able to do something to save the family." "When I look at how much my children are suffering, my heart aches. 

 

 

 

BMW CEO Harald Krüger collapsed at a presentation Tuesday during the media day at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

The 49-year-old was making his first major appearance as boss and fainted five minutes in to the company's news conference. He has been the company's CEO since May.

He was helped to his feet by two assistants and escorted from the stage in front of the assembled media. BMW said Krüger's health was "stable and he is recovering well."  

 

 

 

The major candidates running for U.S president, along with an even larger number of independent groups supporting them, raised an unprecedented $388 million in the first half of the year. So where did all this money come from?

Jeb Bush

Jeb Bush was the fundraising leader in the first half of 2016, pulling in $115 million, mostly through his super-PAC. Not surprisingly, the former Florida governor leaned heavily on his home state, but he also picked up large checks from across the country. He had a lower number of donations than some of his rivals—possibly because he waited until later in the year to declare his candidacy and become eligible to accept direct campaign contributions.

Marco Rubio

Marco Rubio’s donor base looks a lot like Bush’s, just smaller. In addition to his super-PAC, he’s getting support from a politically active nonprofit group that raised $15.8 million and doesn’t have to disclose the identities—or locations—of its donors.

Scott Walker

Scott Walker also has a national fundraising profile. There aren’t many small donations because he declared for the presidency in July and therefore was unable to collect any direct campaign contributions in the first half of the year.

Hillary Clinton

Hillary Clinton’s contributors skew more toward the coasts than the leading Republicans’, and didn't write any checks larger than about $1 million.

Bernie Sanders

Most of sanders’ cash came from donors who gave such small amounts—under $200—that their names and addresses weren’t required to be disclosed. Sanders attracted small-dollar contributions from across the country while discouraging the formation of any super-PACs to support him.

Sanders is not the only one who is depending primarily on small donations from across the country. Ben Carson, Mike Huckabee, and Rand Paul fit that pattern to some degree.

Donald Trump

The billionaire Donald Trump is largely self-funding his campaign and didn’t solicit donations in the first half. A few trickled in anyway, from all over the place.

Ted Cruz

Ted Cruz’s supporters are both widespread and well-heeled. His campaign gathered a large number of small checks from across the country, and his superPACs got huge donations from three families, in New York, Texas, and Puerto Rico. (The Puerto Rico donation is from Toby Neugebauer, a retired private-equity fund manager who recently moved to the territory from Texas.)

Bush vs. Clinton

Now for the matchups. Here’s Bush vs. Clinton. The former Florida governor dominates his home state. Clinton wins the West Coast and Colorado.

Clinton vs. Sanders

Even though Sanders raised much less than Clinton, he had more small-dollar support in some parts of the country outside of major cities.

Carson vs. Sanders

They come from opposite parties, but Sanders and Carson were both standouts when it came to small-dollar fundraising.

Bush vs. Carson

Two of the top Republican contenders had very different fundraising strategies. Bush spent most of the first half of 2015 raising big checks for his super-PAC, while Carson raked in small amounts from across the country.

 

 

 

 

Ask us about our FREE financial advice program: ChatButton

 

Other Top Stories:

Will Twitter's Share Crash?

Technical Analysis Lesson 1 - Introduction

How I Made Over $30,000 a Year by Investing in Binary Options

 

Follow us and SHARE this story on Facebook:   

 

 

 

 

Russia has positioned about a half dozen tanks at an airfield at the center of a military buildup in Syria, two U.S. officials said on Monday, adding that the intentions of Moscow's latest deployment of heavy military equipment were unclear.

Moscow has come under increased international pressure in recent days to explain its moves in Syria, where the Kremlin has been supporting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in a 4-1/2-year war.

The Pentagon declined to directly comment on the Reuters report, saying it could not discuss U.S. intelligence. But a U.S. Defense Department spokesman said recent actions by Moscow suggested plans to establish a forward air operating base.

"We have seen movement of people and things that would indicate that they plan to use that base there, south of Latakia, as a forward air operating base," Pentagon spokesman Captain Jeff Davis told a news briefing.

One of the U.S. officials, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters, said seven Russian T-90 tanks had been observed at the airfield near Latakia, an Assad stronghold.

The two U.S. officials said Russia had also stationed artillery that appeared to be arrayed defensively to protect Russian personnel stationed there.

Reuters has previously reported that Russia had deployed about 200 naval infantry soldiers to the airfield, as well as temporary housing units, a portable air traffic control station and components for an air defense system.

In a sign of the pace of Russia's buildup, Moscow has been sending about two military cargo flights a day to the airfield over the past week, U.S. officials say.

A diplomatic source, speaking to Reuters in the region on condition of anonymity, said the Russians were working to improve the airfield."There have been trucks going in and out. It appears the runway is not suited to some types of aircraft yet and they have been doing some improvements," the diplomat said.

Russia has said it will continue providing military supplies to Syria and that its assistance to the Syrian army is in line with international law.

The United States is using Syrian airspace to lead a campaign of air strikes against Islamic State. A greater Russian presence raises the prospect of the Cold War superpower foes encountering each other on the battlefield.

So far, Russia has not sent combat aircraft or helicopter gunships to the airfield, the Pentagon said.

Both Moscow and Washington say their enemy is Islamic State, whose Islamist fighters control large parts of Syria and Iraq. But Russia supports the government of Assad in Syria, while the United States says his presence makes the situation worse.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters on Air Force One that any Russian support to Assad would be "destabilizing and counterproductive." But the White House appeared to hold out hope for some degree of cooperation with Moscow, noting shared concerns about violent extremism.

State Department spokesman John Kirby said Russia's ultimate goal in Syria remained uncertain.

"Clearly, they are providing more assistance," Kirby said. "But the ultimate goal? The ultimate intent here? I think there's still a degree of opaqueness about that."

The Syrian civil war, in which about 250,000 people have died, has caused nearly half of Syria's prewar population of 23 million to flee, with many thousands attempting to reach Europe.

 

 

 

Ask us about our FREE financial advice program: ChatButton

 

Other Top Stories:

Will Twitter's Share Crash?

Technical Analysis Lesson 1 - Introduction

How I Made Over $30,000 a Year by Investing in Binary Options

 

Follow us and SHARE this story on Facebook:   

 

 

 

 

The reality TV show celebrities are debuting new mobile apps and sites that include both free and paid access to makeup tutorials, video diaries, and more.

As her hit mobile game continues to grow, Kim Kardashian West is expanding her mobile app empire today with the debut of new dedicated iOS apps. This new venture is a family affair as well. Her sisters Khloé Kardashian, Kendall Jenner, and Kylie Jenner also announced their individual personal media apps and websites.

Each app aims to give fans a more unique and personal look into each of the sister’s lives. The websites and apps, which will be free to download, offer a mix of free and subscriber content, with a subscription costing $2.99 per month.

The apps were produced by Whalerock Industries, a Los Angeles-based entertainment and media company that creates mobile apps and sites for celebrities. Whalerock’s pitch is that celebrities can become their own media moguls by controlling the types of content they can release, and charge for.

The Kardashian and Jenner apps include personal diaries, live streaming video by the celebrities, beauty tutorials, workout tips, and special access to events and giveaways.

Of course, you can still expect the Kardashian and Jenner sisters to post videos and photos to their massive followings on social sites like Instagram and Snapchat. But it is interesting to see these celebrities taking control of content and stories about their lives, which they had mostly ceded to the media companies, or even social media sites like Instagram.

The Kardashian and Jenner sisters will face the challenge of keeping up the expectations of paid subscribers and continuing to create original content to keep their fans visiting their apps and sites.

This isn’t Kardashian West’s first brush with the mobile app industry. Kardashian’s mobile game, Kim Kardashian: Hollywood, raked in $74 million last year. If they can make subscribers stick, then the model could become one that many more celebrities start to copy—Whalerock Industries is betting on that.

 

 

 

Ask us about our FREE financial advice program: ChatButton

 

Other Top Stories:

Will Twitter's Share Crash?

Technical Analysis Lesson 1 - Introduction

How I Made Over $30,000 a Year by Investing in Binary Options

 

Follow us and SHARE this story on Facebook:   

 

 

 

 

Australia will get its fifth prime minister in eight years after the ruling Liberal Party on Monday voted out Tony Abbott in favor of longtime rival Malcolm Turnbull, following months of infighting and crumbling voter support.

Turnbull, a multi-millionaire former tech entrepreneur, won a secret party vote by 54 to 44, Liberal Party chief whip Scott Buchholz told reporters after the meeting in Canberra. Foreign Minister Julie Bishop was elected deputy leader of the party which, with junior coalition partner the National Party, won a landslide election in 2013.

"Ultimately, the prime minister has not been capable of providing the economic leadership our nation needs," Turnbull told reporters at parliament house ahead of the vote. Abbott pledged to fight the challenge but was ultimately unsuccessful in overcoming the "destabilization" that he said had been taking place within the party over months.

He walked stony faced out of the party room following the vote and did not speak to reporters. Abbott ousted Turnbull as leader of the Liberal Party in 2009 although Turnbull has consistently been seen as a preferred prime minister.

However, Turnbull's support for a carbon trading scheme, gay marriage and an Australian republic have made him unpopular with his party's right wing. The challenge came as Australia's $1.5 trillion economy struggles to cope with the end of a once-in-a-century mining boom and just days before a by-election in Western Australia state widely seen as a test of Abbott's leadership.

Abbott emerged badly weakened from a leadership challenge in February, which came about after weeks of infighting, and pledged a new spirit of conciliation. He and his government have since consistently lagged the Centre-left opposition Labor Party in opinion polls, helping to fuel speculation over how long his party would give him to turn things around.

Abbott had earlier dismissed reports about a challenge as "gossip", saying he refused to play "Canberra games". Peter Chen, a political scientist from the University of Sydney, said Turnbull faced the same problem as Kevin Rudd, a former Labor prime minister toppled by his own party.

"He is popular with the public, but not necessarily within his own party, Chen said.

Abbott has continued to defy popular opinion inside and outside his party, despite pledging to be more consultative, blocking his MPs from supporting same-sex marriage and announcing an emissions reduction target criticized as inadequate by environmental groups.

He agreed last week to take in 12,000 Syrian refugees but the news was overshadowed by rumors of a cabinet reshuffle and an insensitive gaffe about climate change, caught by a microphone at a meeting, by Immigration Minister Peter Dutton.

Abbott has now become the shortest reigning first-term prime minister to be overthrown, Rod Tiffen, an emeritus professor of political science at the University of Sydney, told Reuters.

"It's pretty amazing to think that we will have had two prime ministers overthrown in their first terms, which hasn't happened since World War Two. This shows the degree of instability within parties that we now have," he said.

"Australia does not need another out of touch, arrogant, Liberal leader. Australia needs a change of government," Shorten told reporters in Canberra.

 

 

 

Ask us about our FREE financial advice program: ChatButton

 

Other Top Stories:

Will Twitter's Share Crash?

Technical Analysis Lesson 1 - Introduction

How I Made Over $30,000 a Year by Investing in Binary Options

 

Follow us and SHARE this story on Facebook:   

 

 

 

 

America's economy has recovered from the Great Recession by just about any yardstick. Is it perfect? No. But we are not in the middle of a crisis anymore, which is what 0% interest rates signify.

At a time when the U.S. economy is chugging along at over 2% growth and the unemployment rate reflects almost full employment, there's not much of a case for the Fed's key interest rate to remain at historic lows.

If you listen to some Wall Street pundits and economists, you might think that the Fed raising interest rates right now would cause disaster to strike -- it could send the global economy into recession and the stock market crashing.

If the Fed votes on Thursday to raise its benchmark rates, most likely it will go from being near 0% to maybe 0.125% or 0.25%. This first rate increase in years is more about psychology than finance or economics. The Fed has kept rates so low for so long that people are scared of any change.

The stock market has been swinging wildly in recent weeks at every hint that rates might increase. For the past 10 weeks, the stock market has gained one week and lost the next, partly because of the Fed.

This is not healthy. Keep in mind the Fed has been giving huge hints that it will raise interest rates sometime in 2015 for almost a whole year. In fact, you could argue they've been telegraphing this since 2012 when their forecasts started showing that Fed members believed interest rates would be higher than 0% by the end of 2014.

The bottom line is that the Fed has to act at some point. As with any big decision, there will always be hand wringing over finding the perfect time. It's best to rip the Band-Aid off now. If the Fed delays yet again on raising rates, it will probably just increase stock market turmoil. Already investors are asking -- if not now, will it be October? December? 2016?

The general consensus is that there's about a 50/50 chance the Fed will hike rates Thursday. In Wall Street terms, that means a rate increase is more or less already priced in.

Sure, there will likely be some market reaction (selling) right after any announcement of higher rates. But most likely people will gasp and then relax and realize the world hasn't ended or shifted that much after a 0.25% change.

The real key isn't the initial rate hike. It's what happens after that. Does the Fed continue to raise rates at its next few meetings or does it release the valve slowly and only hike two or three times in the next year?

The pace of the hikes is what people should be focused on, but they won't do that until the first rate hike is over. The question isn't whether it's the perfect time, it's whether it's a good enough time to act. Right now, the U.S. economy and the markets appear ready -- or, at least, as ready as they're likely to get.

A rate hike now sends the world the following messages: 1. The U.S. economy is better and we don't need 0% rates forever. 2. The Fed is not going to get all stirred up by every stock market blip. 3. The Fed has taken the first step -- so let's all breathe and start having a real conversation about what's next.

  

 

 

 

  

Ask us about our FREE financial advice program: ChatButton

 

Other Top Stories:

Will Twitter's Share Crash?

Technical Analysis Lesson 1 - Introduction

How I Made Over $30,000 a Year by Investing in Binary Options

 

Follow us and SHARE this story on Facebook:   

 

 

 

The U.S Stock Market will open soon and in 2 hours time our daily signals will be out.

In order to prepare you better for the next session, we did a recap of the previous two days, in which we had huge announcments by APPLE of their new products, in their announcments Apple provided the stage for other tech giants to show their inovations, such as Microsoft, Adobe and others. 

In previous two days we have seen something that's called a parabola effect:

So what is this parabola effect? just like the ocean: before the huge waves hit the beach, water withdrawals from the shores, and when the surge does come, it comes with a bang and then slowly flattens before the water retracts from the beach back to the sea. That's what we're experiencing the previous two day.

Activate your account now to receive the signals in the next two hours, talk with our representatives on the chat and don't miss out on parabola trading.

 

porabola

 

 

APPLE STOCK

Apple09112015

 

FACEBOOK STOCK

Facebook09112015


MICROSOFT STOCK

Microsoft09112015


GOOGLE STOCK

Google09112015

 

 

 

Ask us about our FREE financial advice program: ChatButton

 

Other Top Stories:

Will Twitter's Share Crash?

Technical Analysis Lesson 1 - Introduction

How I Made Over $30,000 a Year by Investing in Binary Options

 

Follow us and SHARE this story on Facebook:   

 

 

 

 

Don't bet on Donald Trump to become the 45th president of the United States.

That's the message from the gamblers placing bets on the 2016 race for the White House.

Trump is beating his rivals by double-digits in national polls, but bettors remain skeptical the billionaire's lead will last until the Republican convention in Cleveland. Jeb Bush is actually the odds-on favorite to win the GOP nomination, according to Irish gambling website Paddy Power.

The former governor of Florida has 13-to-8 odds to be the Republican standard bearer. That is significantly better than Trump, who has 7-to-2 odds. That means a $100 bet would pay $163 if Bush wins, and $350 if Trump does.

Just like in sports gambling, the odds reflect wagers being made by real gamblers. That suggests people are putting their money on the line to bet on someone they believe will win the nomination.

It's a striking contrast with the polls, which show the real estate mogul with a big lead. The latest CNN poll released on Thursday shows Trump at 32% support for the Republican nomination, ahead of Ben Carson, his nearest rival, by 13 percentage points. No other candidate -- not even Bush -- registers double-digit support.

Greg Valliere, chief political strategist at Potomac Research Group, believes the gambling odds reflect a sense that Trump's harsh personality will eventually turn voters off.

"At some point you'll have huge chunks of the Republican establishment concluding he'll be a disaster in a general election," Valliere said.

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is the favorite to win the White House, with 11-to-10 odds on Paddy Power. Jeb Bush is next with 4-to-1 odds, followed by Trump's 13-to-2 odds. Bush is viewed as a favorite at Betfair, a British site, followed by Marco Rubio and Trump.

 

 

 

Ask us about our FREE financial advice program: ChatButton

 

Other Top Stories:

Will Twitter's Share Crash?

Technical Analysis Lesson 1 - Introduction

How I Made Over $30,000 a Year by Investing in Binary Options

 

Follow us and SHARE this story on Facebook:   

 

 

 

 

President Barack Obama has directed his administration to prepare to take in at least 10,000 Syrian refugees over the next year, the White House said on Thursday.

It is the first specific commitment the United States has made toward increasing its acceptance of refugees from the war-torn country. Since the start of the Syrian civil war in 2011, the United States has taken in 1,500 refugees, with 300 more expected to be cleared by October.

But refugee advocates and some members of Congress said taking in an additional 10,000 refugees did not go far enough toward addressing the humanitarian crisis triggered by the war, which has prompted a massive refugee influx into Europe.

In a letter distributed to House members and seen by Reuters, Democratic Representative David Cicilline asked Obama to accommodate 65,000 Syrian refugees by the end of 2016. Religious groups have called for the United States to accept 100,000 Syrian refugees.

European countries have taken in waves of migrants fleeing violence. Germany allowed 20,000 migrants into the country over the weekend and is preparing for 800,000 this year. Melanie Nezer, vice president of HIAS, a global refugee advocacy group, said that for the United States to allow 10,000 more refugees from Syria was not an adequate response to the crisis.

The United States is conducting air strikes in Syria as part of its effort to fight against Islamic State. It currently admits a total of 70,000 refugees from around the world annually, and is due to increase that total by 5,000 for the fiscal year starting in October.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest would not say whether the 10,000 Syrians would be a part of or in addition to that total.

Earnest said national security was a top concern for admitting Syrians, a country rife with anti-American militants, noting that intensive security screening for refugees could take up to 18 months.

"I do feel confident in telling you that the president will not sign off on a process that cuts corners when it comes to the basic safety and security of the American people and the U.S. homeland," Earnest told reporters.

 

 

 

 

 

Ask us about our FREE financial advice program: ChatButton

 

Other Top Stories:

Will Twitter's Share Crash?

Technical Analysis Lesson 1 - Introduction

How I Made Over $30,000 a Year by Investing in Binary Options

 

Follow us and SHARE this story on Facebook:   

 

 

 

Voters looking to support an eccentric millionaire for president now have more options. John McAfee, who pioneered anti-virus software but most recently made headlines by evading Belizean authorities in 2012, announced a third-party White House bid this week.

McAfee is creating his own party: the Cyber Party. He told CNN he'll focus his bid on online privacy and domestic surveillance.

"We are losing privacy at an alarming rate — we have none left," McAfee told the network. "We've given up so much for the illusion of security and our government is simply dysfunctional. The government can spy on people using their mobile phones while they're with their wives and husbands."

McAfee knows firsthand about the amount of information we unwittingly share online. When he ran from Belizean officials who wanted to question him about the murder of a neighbor, reporters traveling with McAfee accidentally exposed his exact location by including metadata in a photograph they posted online.

Although McAfee was never a suspect in the murder — just a person of interest — he was eventually deported to the United States after illegally entering Guatemala while on the lam. McAfee had ended up in Belize after selling his anti-virus company, and then losing a significant amount of wealth in the most recent recession. As NPR reported in 2012:

McAfee's lifestyle in Belize was active and eccentric. His island home was known as a party house, with many women living there, most believed to be prostitutes from the mainland. And he had seven large dogs protecting the property. Faull, his murdered neighbor, had complained about the dogs and the constant traffic on the small road between their homes.

In the CNN interview, McAfee, who was arrested on charges of driving under the influence in Tennessee last month, said he's ready and willing to discuss his "checkered background."

McAfee filed paperwork with the FEC earlier this week. His campaign has also launched a website, though the page currently contains no information other than a quote attributed to George Washington: "Guard against the impostures of pretended patriotism."

 

 

 

Ask us about our FREE financial advice program: ChatButton

 

Other Top Stories:

Will Twitter's Share Crash?

Technical Analysis Lesson 1 - Introduction

How I Made Over $30,000 a Year by Investing in Binary Options

 

Follow us and SHARE this story on Facebook:   

 

 

 

John Gibson was a pastor and seminary professor. When he wasn't teaching at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, one of his favorite pastimes was fixing cars.

He was married with two children. His daughter, Callie, was teaching in front of 250 college students when she got the call. Her father had killed himself.

It was August 24, six days after hackers exposed the names of millions of people who had signed up for Ashley Madison, the notorious site for those seeking affairs. Gibson's name was on the list.

"It was a moment that life doesn't prepare you for," Gibson’s wife said: "I had to call my kids. How do you tell your kids that their dad is gone and that he took his own life?"

In his suicide note, Gibson chronicled his demons. He also mentioned Ashley Madison.

"He talked about depression. He talked about having his name on there, and he said he was just very, very sorry," Christi said. "What we know about him is that he poured his life into other people, and he offered grace and mercy and forgiveness to everyone else, but somehow he couldn't extend that to himself."

Ashley Madison was hacked in July, and hackers released users' personal information in August. Since then, authorities in Toronto have said they're investigating suicides that could be linked to the data dump. Hackers have also sent extortion emails to people who were on the list.

Gibson said her husband was likely worried he'd lose his job. "It wasn't so bad that we wouldn't have forgiven it, and so many people have said that to us, but for John, it carried such a shame," she said.

Gibson, 56, was known as a great teacher with a "quirky laugh," but he had struggled with depression and addiction in the past, his family said. In a statement, a spokesman for Avid Life Media, Ashley Madison's parent company, expressed the firm's condolences.

"Dr. Gibson's passing is a stark, heart-wrenching reminder that the criminal hack against our company and our customers has had very real consequences for a great many innocent people."

Since his death, his family has made a pact to be more transparent with one another about their struggles. Christi Gibson has a message for the 32 million people exposed and their communities.

"These were real people with real families, real pain and real loss," she says. But "don't underestimate the power of love. Nothing is worth the loss of a father and a husband and a friend. It just didn't merit it. It didn't merit it at all."

 

 

 

Ask us about our FREE financial advice program: ChatButton

 

Other Top Stories:

Will Twitter's Share Crash?

Technical Analysis Lesson 1 - Introduction

How I Made Over $30,000 a Year by Investing in Binary Options

 

Follow us and SHARE this story on Facebook:   

 

 

iPhone 6S and 6S plus

The most important Apple products are always the new iPhones. This year's event was bound to be a bit of a quiet one after the major updates introduced last year. The biggest new feature on the Apple 6S and Apple 6S Plus, the two phones announced Wednesday, is a feature called 3D Touch. This enables the phone to know how forcefully someone is touching the screen, so you can do one thing by touching the screen lightly, and something else by pushing hard.

As always, the phones have more powerful chips and cameras. They also have a new feature called Live Photos, which automatically record photos as short videos, so holding your finger on a photo will show you a moment of movement. Apple is also introducing an app for Android devices that makes it easier for people to switch to iPhones. The new devices range from $200 to $500 with a two-year contract, depending on size and storage, which follows the pricing of the previous versions of the phones. They will be available Sept. 25. IOS 9, the new operating system, will be available for older models on Sept. 16. 


Apple TV

Apple has been selling an Apple TV product since 2007. Eight years later, Tim Cook, the company’s chief executive, began Wednesday's discussion of television by saying that not much innovative had happened to the television experience in decades. “Our vision for TV is simple and perhaps a bit provocative,” he said. In short, Apple thinks that watching TV should feel like using a smartphone, with a home screen of apps.

Apple has developed a new operating system for the latest version of Apple TV and is opening it up to developers for the first time. One notable addition: games. Apple showed off a number of interactive games, including a bulked-up version of mobile game Crossy Road. They also showed off a version of Guitar Hero, which has mostly been played on consoles.

The new Apple TV comes with a new touchscreen remote with voice control via Siri ("show me a funny TV show") as well as motion sensors for gaming. The new device costs between $150 and $200, depending on storage capacity. A beta version of the software is open to developers immediately, and the devices will be available in late October. While the new Apple TV is clearly more advanced than previous versions of the device, it is actually far less provocative than Silicon Valley's real vision for television: the transformation of live television. Apple had hoped to launch a live TV service this year but delayed the project because it couldn't get the content deals lined up.


The iPad Pro

Phil Schiller, Apple's senior vice president for worldwide marketing, speaks about the prices for iPad Pro during the Apple event in San Francisco on Sept. 9, 2015.

Phil Schiller, Apple's senior vice president for worldwide marketing, speaks about the prices for iPad Pro during the Apple event in San Francisco on Sept. 9, 2015. Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg

Apple’s new iPad, the long-anticipated iPad Pro, has a bigger screen than Apple’s smallest laptops. It has a 12.9-inch screen and weighs 1.57 lbs., about the same weight as the original iPad. While the iPad rivals Apple’s line of PCs in physical size, it runs the same operating system that powers its other mobile devices, iOS. The device will be available in November and costs between $800 and $1,080.

Apple also developed two notable accessories for the iPad Pro. There's a cover with a physical keyboard ($170) and a stylus called Apple Pencil ($100). Steve Jobs famously derided the idea of styluses, which seemed more like a square Microsoft thing. At Wednesday’s event, Apple brought Microsoft employees on stage to show how neat they can be.


Apple Watch

Jeff Williams, senior vice president of operations for Apple, during an Apple product announcement in San Francisco on Sept. 9, 2015.

Jeff Williams, senior vice president of operations for Apple, during an Apple product announcement in San Francisco on Sept. 9, 2015. Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg

Apple first showed off its new Apple Watch software in June at its developer conference. The biggest change is that developers will be able to build apps that run on the watch itself instead of on an iPhone. On Wednesday the company said the new software will be available Sept. 16 and showed off a few notable apps, including Facebook Messenger and Airstrip, an app for health-care providers that uses the app to monitor vital signs. It also announced that Hermès is making a new line of bands for the watch and that there will be several new finishes, including rose gold.

 

 

 

 

 

Ask us about our FREE financial advice program: ChatButton

 

Other Top Stories:

Will Twitter's Share Crash?

Technical Analysis Lesson 1 - Introduction

How I Made Over $30,000 a Year by Investing in Binary Options

 

Follow us and SHARE this story on Facebook:   

 

 

 

Subcategories

Please publish modules in offcanvas position.