Home Blog Page 73177

North Korea: US, South Korean spies tried to kill Kim Jong Un

0

SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea on Friday accused the U. S. and South Korean spy agencies of an unsuccessful assassination attempt on leader Kim Jong Un involving bio-chemical weapons. In a statement carried on state media, North Korea
SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea on Friday accused the U. S. and South Korean spy agencies of an unsuccessful assassination attempt on leader Kim Jong Un involving bio-chemical weapons.
In a statement carried on state media, North Korea’s Ministry of State Security said it will “ferret out and mercilessly destroy” the “terrorists” in the CIA and South Korean intelligence agency for targeting its supreme leadership.
North Korea frequently lambasts the United States and South Korea, but its accusation Friday was unusual in its detail.
The ministry said the spy agencies in June 2014 “ideologically corrupted and bribed” a North Korean citizen who had been working in Russia to carry out the alleged assassination on Kim after returning home.
It said South Korean agents gave money and satellite communication equipment to the North Korean to attack Kim during a public event with a biochemical weapon such as a delayed-action radioactive or “nano poisonous” substance.
The ministry said after a series of contacts and payments, the agents told the North Korean last month that the type of biochemical substance had been decided and would be supplied by the CIA.
It didn’ t describe how the alleged plot was broken up or release the full name of the North Korean suspect, identifying him only by his surname, Kim, and didn’ t say whether anyone else was in custody.
The statement said in response to the alleged plot, a “Korean-style anti-terrorist attack will be commenced from this moment to sweep away the intelligence and plot-breeding organizations of the U. S. imperialists and the puppet clique, ” referring to South Korea.
The ministry demanded that the United States and South Korea execute the intelligence agents involved in the “heinous” plot and apologize.
The statement was carried on North Korea’s official news service and read on state TV.
Officials at South Korea’s National Intelligence Service did not answer repeated phone calls seeking comment.
Earlier this year, South Korea accused North Korea of using the chemical war agent VX to assassinate Kim Jong Un’s exiled half brother at Kuala Lumpur’s airport, which led to calls in the United States to relist the North as a state sponsor of terrorism. North Korea denied involvement.
The North Korean statement comes during a period of tension on the Korean Peninsula over concerns that the North is preparing another nuclear test or missile launch, including a possible test of an intercontinental ballistic missile. Such moves would be a step toward the country’s goal of developing nuclear-armed missiles capable of reaching the U. S. mainland.

© Source: http://www.presstelegram.com/general-news/20170505/north-korea-us-south-korean-spies-tried-to-kill-kim-jong-un
All rights are reserved and belongs to a source media.

Umfrage: Macron baut Vorsprung auf Le Pen aus

0

Neuen Umfragen zufolge baut Emmanuel Macron in Frankreich seinen Vorsprung deutlich aus.
Zwei Tage vor der Präsidentenwahl in Frankreich hat der frühere Wirtschaftsminister der Regierung Hollande, Emmanuel Macron, Umfragen zufolge seinen Vorsprung vor der Kandidatin des Front National, Marine Le Pen, ausgeweitet. Am Freitag, dem letzten Tag eines turbulenten Wahlkampfes, lag der Macron 24 Prozentpunkte vor der Kandidatin des Front National. Unsicherheiten birgt allerdings die Wahlbeteiligung. Meinungsforschern zufolge könnte diesmal ein Viertel der Wähler den Urnen fernbleiben – das wäre der zweithöchste Wert seit 1965.
Nach der jüngsten Elabe-Erhebung für den Fernsehsender BMF und das Magazin „L’ Express“ kommt der frühere Investmentbanker Macron auf 62 Prozent der Stimmen, Le Pen auf 38 Prozent. Der frühere Wirtschaftsminister hat demnach drei Punkte gegenüber der vorherigen Elabe-Umfrage gewonnen. Es ist der beste Wert, den eines der großen Institute für ihn seit der ersten Wahlrunde am 23. April ermittelt hat. Die Umfrage wurde nach dem letzten TV-Duell am Mittwochabend erhoben. Zahlreiche Medien hatten zuvor erklärt, dass Macron der Sieger der Debatte gewesen sein soll. Le Pen hinterließ in der Debatte tatsächlich den Eindruck, als rechne sie selbst nicht mir ihrem Wahlsieg.
Meinungsforscher geben laut Reuters an, dass mindestens 15 Prozent der rund 47 Millionen Wahlberechtigten noch unentschieden sind, wem sie ihre Stimme geben. Vor allem viele Linke sind enttäuscht vom Abschneiden ihrer Kandidaten – der Sozialist Benoit Hamon landete in der ersten Runde weit abgeschlagen bei gut sechs Prozent, der radikale Linke Jean-Luc Melenchon kam mit knapp 20 Prozent überraschend auf den vierten Platz, verpasste aber die Stichwahl. Viele Linken wollen nun weder Macron noch Le Pen ihre Stimme geben und gehen gar nicht erst zur Wahl. An der ersten Runde beteiligten sich laut Innenministerium knapp 78 Prozent. Laut Odoxa-Umfrage dürften es in der Stichwahl 75 Prozent werden.
Bei vorangegangenen Wahlen in den USA und beim Brexit waren die Umfragen weit daneben gelegen. Allerdings hatten die französischen Institute den Ausgang des ersten Durchgangs ziemlich präzise vorhergesagt.
*** Für PR, Gefälligkeitsartikel oder politische Hofberichterstattung stehen die DWN nicht zur Verfügung: Unsere Prinzipien: Kritische Distanz zu allen und klare Worte. Das gefällt natürlich vielen nicht: Der Bundesregierung, den EU-Behörden, den Netzwerken der Parteien, den Lobbyisten, Medien unter staatlicher Aufsicht, verschiedenen Agitatoren aus dem In- und Ausland. Diese Player behindern uns nach Kräften und attackieren unser Geschäftsmodell.
Daher bitten wir Sie, liebe Leserin und Leser, um Ihre Unterstützung: Sichern Sie die Existenz der DWN!
Hier können Sie sich für einen kostenlosen Gratismonat registrieren. Wenn dieser abgelaufen ist, erhalten Sie automatisch eine Nachricht und können dann das Abo auswählen, das am besten Ihren Bedürfnissen entspricht. Einen Überblick über die verfügbaren Abonnements bekommen Sie hier. ***

© Source: https://deutsche-wirtschafts-nachrichten.de/2017/05/05/umfrage-macron-baut-vorsprung-auf-le-pen-aus/
All rights are reserved and belongs to a source media.

China's Xi urges Trump to use caution in handling North Korea

0

Trump and Xi spoke again by phone amid concerns North Korea is preparing for a nuclear test as early as this week.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Monday implored President Trump to show restraint toward North Korea, repeating a plea for patience amid signs the isolated nation is preparing for another nuclear test.
The two spoke by phone for the second time this month, and following a face-to-face meeting in Florida. Trump has urged Xi to exert more pressure on North Korea, which depends largely on its neighbor for economic survival. China insists Washington should do its part to defuse tension over the North’s nuclear ambitions by embracing talks.
China is “firmly opposed to any violations of the U. N. Security Council resolutions, ” Xi said, according to a Chinese Foreign Ministry statement, and is willing to work with the United States.
He also emphasized “hope that all sides exercise restraint and avoid intensifying the situation on the peninsula. Only when each side takes responsibility and works together, can we solve the nuclear issue.”
There’s no such thing as a failed missile launch: Lessons from North Korea, the post-truth capital of the world »
The White House issued a statement confirming the two leaders spoke about North Korea, but mentioned nothing about Xi cautioning restraint.
“President Trump criticized North Korea’s continued belligerence and emphasized that Pyongyang’s actions are destabilizing the Korean peninsula, ” the statement said. It added that Trump and Xi “committed to strengthen coordination in achieving the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.”
The Trump administration has warned that all options, including military action, are “on the table” should Pyongyang attempt its sixth nuclear test. North Korea celebrates the 85th anniversary of its army’s founding Tuesday and likes to mark such occasions with displays of its power.
Trump also spoke with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Monday as Japanese destroyers began naval drills with the U. S. aircraft carrier Carl Vinson.
“We agreed to strongly demand that North Korea, which is repeating its provocation, show restraint, ” Abe told reporters.
A White House statement said only that the two leaders addressed “a range of regional and global issues of mutual concern.”
U. S. officials earlier said the aircraft carrier was headed toward the Korean peninsula, when it was actually going in the opposite direction. Now — according to Vice President Mike Pence, who visited Japan last week — it’s headed the right way.
China is increasingly worried the standoff between the U. S. and North Korea could spiral out of control, resulting in a cascade of refugees on its border and the collapse of a buffer region between it and a democratic South Korea.
“The fact that the two leaders communicated at this point is important, ” said Zhang Liangui, a North Korea expert at the Communist Party’s Central Party School in Beijing. “It seems that the view from China and the U. S. on the Korean peninsula is getting closer.”
North Korea ratcheted up tensions Sunday when it reportedly detained a third American citizen, a teacher at Pyongyang University of Science and Technology. The state-run media declared the nation ready to sink the U. S. aircraft carrier.
Analysts had predicted a nuclear test in mid-April to coincide with the birthday of the nation’s late founder, Kim Il Sung. His grandson, current leader Kim Jong Un, instead flubbed a missile launch.
But Washington and South Korea believe the North is inching closer toward creating an intercontinental ballistic missile that could reach the United States. Even China, which has long sought to balance its North Korean alliance with global demands to act, has taken a more defiant tone.
China suspended coal imports this year, and a Communist Party-run newspaper has warned the country might cut off oil shipments should the North conduct a nuclear test.
The state-run Korean Central News Agency on Friday implied that China was “dancing to the tune” of the United States. China’s Global Times newspaper, a Communist Party mouthpiece, shot back.
North Korea’s “nuclear program has severely impacted peace and stability in northeast Asia, jeopardizing China’s major national interests, ” the paper said Monday in an unusually fierce attack.
“Preventing Pyongyang from continuing to develop nuclear weapons has already become Beijing’s priority in northeast Asian policies.”
Nicole Liu in The Times’ Beijing bureau contributed to this report.
Meyers is a special correspondent.
Twitter: @jessicameyers
Trump to China: Help us rein in North Korea and we’ll back off on trade issues
North Korea on a bun: What the legendary Koryo Burger tells us about the isolated nation, and ourselves
If there’s debris and destruction, it must be springtime in Beijing

© Source: http://www.latimes.com/world/asia/la-fg-china-north-korea-call-20170424-story.html
All rights are reserved and belongs to a source media.

Economy adds strong 211,000 jobs, unemployment at 10-year low

0

Economists expected a gain of 190,000 jobs in April and the unemployment rate to rise to 4.6%.
The labor market bounced back in April amid milder weather as employers added 211,000 jobs, providing evidence that weakness the prior month was a blip that likely won’ t keep the Federal Reserve from raising interest rates in June.
The unemployment rate, which is calculated from a different survey, fell from 4.5% to 4.4%, a new 10-year low, the Labor Department said Friday.
Economists expected 190,000 job gains, according to the median estimate of a Bloomberg survey.
Businesses added 94,000 jobs. Federal, state and local governments added 17,000.
Job gains for February and March were revised down by 6,000. February’s was revised to 232,000 from 219,000, and March was even weaker than believed after a downgrade to 78,000 from 98,000.
More on jobs:
‘What’s your salary?’ becomes a no-no in job interviews
The future of jobs: More men doing ‘women’s work’
Average hourly wages, however, increased less than expected, rising 7 cents to $26.19 and pushing down annual gains to 2.5% from 2.7% the previous month. While pay increases have accelerated the past year or two, the Fed is seeking a faster pickup as a sign of sharper inflation to cement its plan for two more interest rate hikes this year. Employers are expected to increase salaries more sharply as the low jobless rate forces them to bid up to attract fewer available workers. The falling jobless rate is likely to soon put more upward pressure on wages.
An encouraging sign is that a broader measure of unemployment — that includes discouraged workers and part-timers who prefer full-time jobs as well as the unemployed — fell to 8.6% from 8.9%.
Unusual weather patterns have caused sharp swings in payrolls this year. Unseasonably warm temperatures in January and February brought forward hiring in sectors such as construction, retail, and leisure and hospitality, with monthly job gains topping 200,000. But that led to an offsetting tumble in March that was amplified by snowstorms in the Midwest and Northeast, leaving employment growth that month at about half the earlier pace.
Goldman Sachs expected April’s more favorable temperatures to spur pent-up hiring in construction and other areas hurt by March’s foul weather, boosting overall payroll additions by 25,000 to 40,000.
At the same time, retailers are shedding jobs as more Americans shop online, a dynamic that Goldman says will drag down monthly job growth by an average 10,000 or so in the months ahead. Retailers added 58,000 jobs the past year, down from an average of nearly 275,000 in each of the prior two years.
And Diane Swonk, who heads DS Economics, reckons a federal hiring freeze from late January to mid April curtailed government staff additions last month by as much as 10,000.
Even with the weather-related volatility, monthly job growth in the first quarter was close to last year’s 180,000 average, which marked a noticeable slowdown from an average 226,000 in 2015. Employers are struggling to find workers because the sub-5% unemployment rate has left a smaller pool of jobless Americans on the sidelines. Many economists believe monthly payroll gains will average about 170,000 this year, but that’s more than enough to further lower unemployment.
Other labor market indicators have been mixed. Payroll processor ADP said businesses added a solid 177,000 jobs last month. And initial jobless laims, a gauge of layoffs, returned to four-decade lows after edging up in March. But indexes of both manufacturing and service-sector hiring declined in April.

© Source: https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2017/05/05/employers-added-211000-jobs-april/101306822/?utm_source=feedblitz&utm_medium=FeedBlitzRss&utm_campaign=usatoday-newstopstories
All rights are reserved and belongs to a source media.

Two killed as cargo plane crashes off US runway

0

The pilot and co-pilot of a cargo plane contracted by UPS have been killed after it went off the runway and over a hillside at a US airport.
The pilot and co-pilot of a cargo plane contracted by UPS have been killed after it went off the runway and over a hillside at a US airport.
After crashing, the plane went down a steep, wooded hill and emergency crews were trying to reach the crash site in West Virginia from above and below, airport spokesman Mike Plante said.
“It’s difficult terrain to negotiate, ” he said.
The Air Cargo Carriers plane had flown from Louisville, Kentucky, and arrived at the West Virginia airport at 5.43am, Mr Plante said.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating.
Charleston airport officials have proposed spending 290 million US dollars (£224 million) to rebuild and extend the airport runway after a landslide in 2015 took out a church and an unoccupied house.
The proposal calls for lengthening the runway from about 6,800 feet to 8,000 feet.
AP

© Source: http://www.independent.ie/world-news/two-killed-as-cargo-plane-crashes-off-us-runway-35684372.html
All rights are reserved and belongs to a source media.

IS-Verdächtiger in Deutschland verhaftet

0

Ein junger Mann aus Syrien soll eine brutale Kampfeinheit der Jabhat al-Nusra angeführt haben und dann zum IS gewechselt sein. Wie er nach Deutschland kam, wurde vorerst nicht angegeben.
Die deutsche Bundesanwaltschaft hat nahe Leipzig (Sachsen) ein mutmaßliches Mitglied der Terrormiliz Islamischer Staat verhaften lassen. Der 29-jährige Syrer Ahmad A. soll im Bürgerkrieg in seiner Heimat zunächst eine Kampfeinheit der terroristischen und islamistischen Vereinigung Jabhat al-Nusra angeführt haben, wie die Behörde am Freitag mitteilte.
Er soll im November 2012 an der Eroberung der syrischen Stadt Dibsi Afnan und im Februar 2013 an der Eroberung von Tabka beteiligt gewesen sein. Nach Auseinandersetzungen zwischen der Al-Nusra-Front und dem Islamischen Staat (IS) soll er sich im Frühjahr 2013 dem IS angeschlossen haben. Wie er nach Deutschland gekommen ist, etwa als Flüchtling, wurde vorerst nicht bekanntgegeben.
Der Mann wurde von Beamten der sächsischen Polizei und des Bayerischen Landeskriminalamts verhaftet, wobei ein Haftbefehl eines Ermittlungsrichters des Bundesgerichtshofs vom 3. Mai vollstreckt wurde. Der Beschuldigte wurde noch am Freitagmittag direkt in Karlsruhe vorgeführt. Der Vorwurf lautet Mitgliedschaft in ausländischen Terrorvereinigungen. Seine Wohnung wurde durchsucht. Eine Terrorgefahr soll von ihm aktuell nicht ausgegangen sein, es wurde auch nicht angegeben, wie man ihm auf die Spur gekommen war.
(dpa)

© Source: http://diepresse.com/home/ausland/aussenpolitik/5212676/ISVerdaechtiger-in-Deutschland-verhaftet?from=rss
All rights are reserved and belongs to a source media.

Prey's Demo Is Well-Optimized on PS4 and Xbox One

0

Last year, Bethesda ruffled many feathers by announcing that reviewers will no longer get early access to new games. So…
Last year, Bethesda ruffled many feathers by announcing that reviewers will no longer get early access to new games. So with this week’s release of Prey, the reboot of the tumultuous franchise of the same name, Bethesda can’ t rely on pre-release reviews to help move copies. Their solution? Bring back the good ol’ days of the pre-release demo!
If you’ re curious about how well Prey looks and plays on consoles, you can see for yourself with the “Opening Hour” demo on both PS4 and Xbox One. We’ ve spent some time with the demo running on the PS4, and found it to be entertaining if a bit hammy at times.
Dan Stapleton, writing on our sister site IGN, likes this solution so much that he calls it a “model for the future of demos.” That’s high praise — especially when you consider the long history of hostility between developers and the press over this title.
While you’ d expect a new game coming out of Arkane Studios to be running on either the id Tech engine or its derivative Void engine, Prey is developed on the CryEngine instead. And in spite of the checkered history with console performance on CryTek’s platform, there’s not much to complain about in terms of frame rate.
The Digital Foundry team analyzed footage from the demo on both consoles, and found that the game is optimized well to run at a solid 30fps. The PS4 sees only the tiniest dips around save points, and the Xbox One isn’ t far behind. There’s only a single problematic area in the demo that causes a noticeable drop on the Microsoft side.
While this demo doesn’ t take advantage of the PS4 Pro ‘s extra horsepower, it does look a bit better on Sony’s hardware. The PS4 renders natively at 1080p, and the Xbox One is stuck at 900p. However, the PS4 suffers from some slight input lag, so some of us will prefer the Xbox One experience. However, the developer is aware of the issue, and it should be smoothed out in the full release.
The anti-aliasing solution on consoles is sub-par, and the visuals are far from cutting-edge, but Arkane Studios has effectively sold their product by letting regular people actually play the game for themselves. After playing the demo, it’s easy to tell exactly what kind of game this is.
But regardless of the minor technical issues on the console releases, we have a much bigger bone to pick. If you’ re a PC gamer, you simply don’ t have access to the demo. That stands out as particularly worrisome because Arkane’s last game, Dishonored 2, had significant issues on the PC. It’s a different team on a different engine this time around, but you might want to hold off on your purchase until the reviews hit.

© Source: https://www.extremetech.com/gaming/248807-preys-demo-well-optimized-ps4-xbox-one
All rights are reserved and belongs to a source media.

North Korea Accuses The CIA Of Trying To Assassinate Kim Jong-Un Amid World War 3 Rumors

0

Amid rising tensions between North Korea and the International community, and threats of World War 3, North Korea has accused the Central Intelligence Agency of trying to assassinate the…
Amid all this tension, Pyongyang has now accused the CIA of using “biochemical substances” to assassinate its leader Kim Jong-un. North Korean officials have also threatened a “counter-terrorist attack” against its aggressors, the United States and South Korea, as a response to these claims.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. [Image by Wong Maye/AP Images]
“The heinous terrorist criminal group was discovered which infiltrated the DPRK after careful preparations.”
The report further specifies the detail of the attempted assassination on Kim Jong-un, claiming that the “terrorists” had involved a North Korean citizen in their plot. They were planning to use “biochemical substances including radioactive substance and nano poisonous substance” to assassinate Kim Jong-un. North Korean officials claim that the terrorists were later uncovered as being CIA agents. Pyongyang has called this an act of “state-sponsored terrorism.”
The North Korean Security ministry has issued a threat to the United States regarding these claims.
“We will ferret out and mercilessly destroy to the last one the terrorists of the US CIA.”
[Image by Wong Maye-E/AP Images]
Tensions between North Korea and the international community have been high for the past month, with rumors of World War 3 floating around. North Korea has continued on with its missile tests despite condemnation from the international community and threats from the U. S. and its allies. North Korea has been headstrong in its response, launching four failed missile tests since March. The country’s leader Kim Jong-un has reportedly threatened to bomb South Korea and the United States using its ballistic missiles. China, North Korea’s most powerful and one of it’s few allies, has also been warning North Korea about its missile and nuclear tests. But North Korea doesn’ t seem to care at all as it continues on with its tests and its threats.
“There is a chance that we could end up having a major, major conflict with North Korea. Absolutely.”
President Trump said that he and his administration were still looking for a non-military path, such as added economic sanctions, to deal with North Korea. Trump said that the U. S. would love to resolve the issue in a peaceful manner.
“We’ d love to solve things diplomatically but it’s very difficult.”
With North Korea refusing to stand down on its nuclear and missile programs and threats, it is becoming increasingly difficult to avoid some form of conflict in the near future that could possibly lead to a full blown war and eventually a World War.
During the interview, Trump also spoke of the man at the center stage of all this, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Trump said that he believed Kim would eventually act rationally, accepting diplomatic solutions to the issue. Trump seemed somewhat sympathetic of the 33-year-old, pointing out how he had to take over his country and all the pressure that comes with it at a young age.
[Featured Image by motttive/Shutterstock]

© Source: http://www.inquisitr.com/4196061/world-war-3-assassinate-kim-jong-un-north-korea/
All rights are reserved and belongs to a source media.

Tennis: Tennisstar Djokovic trennt sich von weiteren Trainern

0

Madrid (dpa) – Drei Wochen vor Beginn der French Open hat Novak Djokovic mit der Trennung von seinem kompletten Trainerstab für Aufsehen gesorgt. Nachdem der
Madrid (dpa) – Drei Wochen vor Beginn der French Open hat Novak Djokovic mit der Trennung von seinem kompletten Trainerstab für Aufsehen gesorgt.
Nachdem der frühere Weltranglisten-Erste am Ende des vergangenen Jahres bereits die Zusammenarbeit mit Deutschlands Tennis-Legende Boris Becker nach drei erfolgreichen Jahren beendet hatte, wird er in Zukunft auch nicht mehr auf die Dienste seines langjährigen Coaches Marian Vajda, von Fitness-Trainer Gebhard Phil Gritsch und von Physiotherapeut Miljan Amanovic zurückgreifen.
“Es war keine einfache Entscheidung, aber wir alle hatten das Gefühl, dass wir eine Veränderung brauchen”, erklärte Djokovic in einem auf seiner Homepage veröffentlichten Statement. “Ich will das Level meines Spiels weiter steigern”, sagte der Serbe, der nach dem Triumph in Roland Garros vor einem Jahr nicht mehr sein ganzes Leistungsvermögen abrufen konnte und Platz eins in der Weltrangliste an den Briten Andy Murray abgeben musste.
“Es fühlt sich so an, als würde ich wieder etwas Neues starten und ich liebe diese Art von Herausforderung”, sagte Djokovic. Bis auf weiteres will der Weltranglisten-Zweite ohne festen Trainer unterwegs sein. “Ich werde mir mit der Entscheidung Zeit lassen”, sagte er zu einem möglichen Nachfolger. “In meiner Karriere ging es immer nach oben und im Moment erlebe ich, wie es ist, wenn es mal in die andere Richtung geht”, sagte Djokovic. Er sei aber voller Zuversicht, “stärker und konstanter” zurückzukommen.
Die French Open beginnen am 28. Mai. In der kommenden Woche ist Djokovic erst einmal in Madrid am Start.

© Source: http://www.t-online.de/sport/tennis/id_81085464/tennis-tennisstar-djokovic-trennt-sich-von-weiteren-trainern.html
All rights are reserved and belongs to a source media.

Senator reveals that the FBI paid $900,000 to hack into San Bernardino killer's iPhone

0

California senator Dianne Feinstein cited the amount while questioning FBI Director James Comey at a Senate Judiciary Committee oversight hearing.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the top Democrat on the Senate committee that oversees the FBI, said publicly this week that the government paid $900,000 to break into the locked iPhone of a gunman in the San Bernardino, California, shootings, even though the FBI considers the figure to be classified information.
The FBI also has protected the identity of the vendor it paid to do the work. Both pieces of information are the subject of a federal lawsuit by The Associated Press and other news organizations that have sued to force the FBI to reveal them.
California’s Feinstein cited the amount while questioning FBI Director James Comey at a Senate Judiciary Committee oversight hearing Wednesday.
“I was so struck when San Bernardino happened and you made overtures to allow that device to be opened, and then the FBI had to spend $900,000 to hack it open, ” Feinstein said. “And as I subsequently learned of some of the reason for it, there were good reasons to get into that device.”
Comey hinted at a ballpark range last year, saying the government paid more than he would earn in his remaining seven years on the job, an amount that would have been at least $1.3 million.
The federal government paid the sum as it cut short an extraordinary court fight with Apple Inc., which was resisting a judge’s order to help the Justice Department hack into the phone of Syed Rizwan Farook, who along with his wife killed 14 people in a San Bernardino attack in December 2015. An unidentified third party came forward last March with a solution to open the phone.
The AP and other news organizations last year filed a public records lawsuit to learn how much the FBI paid. The Justice Department has said in court filings that the information was properly classified. It argued that the information it withheld, if released, could be seized upon by “hostile entities” that could develop their own countermeasures and interfere with the FBI’s intelligence gathering.
Feinstein’s spokesman, Tom Mentzer, would neither discuss the senator’s remarks nor say whether she was offering an estimate or disclosing information obtained in an FBI briefing.
The FBI had no immediate comment Friday.

© Source: http://www.cnbc.com/2017/05/05/dianne-feinstein-reveals-fbi-paid-900000-to-hack-into-killers-iphone.html
All rights are reserved and belongs to a source media.

Timeline words data