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Cyber attack thwarted by flipping 'kill switch' but experts fear new blitz

Europe and Russia were left reeling today by a malicious global cyber attack that used leaked NSA tools to exploit a vulnerability in Microsoft Windows and spread ransomware across networks around the world.

Tens of thousands of users from London to St. Petersburg logged on yesterday to find ominous threats to delete their suddenly encrypted computer files unless they cough up $300 or more in Bitcoin payments to the unknown perpetrators, security experts and intelligence officials told ABC News today.

A message saying “Oops, your important files are encrypted” flashed across screens all over the world. According to The New York Times, experts estimated that before the last affected computers are unlocked, victims could collectively pay more than $1 billion to the attackers.

The attack appears to have been thwarted by private cyber security researchers who identified and triggered the malware’s "kill switch," which halted the attacks before it spread throughout U.S. networks, a senior U.S. intelligence official confirmed, but it is unclear whether, the official said, a modified attack will soon be launched.

"That is a huge concern right now," said Darien Huss, a senior security research engineer at Proofpoint who was among the researchers who helped disable the virus, called "WannaCry," told ABC News today. "It would not be very difficult at all to re-release this ransomware attack without a kill switch or without an approved kill switch that only they can activate."

Huss is also worried about copycats, who could "take the exploit code that was used in this attack and implement it into their own virus."

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Trump had Russia on his mind when he decided to fire Comedy

President Trump reveals he planned to fire Comey before DOJ recommendation

President Donald Trump said today he was thinking about the Russia investigation when he made the decision to fire FBI director James Comey, despite the official administration line that Comey’s removal had nothing to do with it.

Until this evening, the White House had publicly denied that Trump was considering the handling of the investigation into his campaign’s possible ties with Russia when he decided to fire Comey.

When I decided to just do it, I said to myself, I said, 'You know, this Russia thing with Trump and Russia is a made up story, it's an excuse by the Democrats for having lost an election that they should have won,'" Trump said Thursday during an interview with NBC News.

However, later in the interview, he said that he backs a full investigation into Russian meddling in the election.

I want that thing to be absolutely done properly,” Trump said, but later adding, “There's no collusion between me and my campaign and the Russians. The other thing is the Russians did not affect the vote.”

Earlier this week, Trump tweeted that the Russia investigation was a "total hoax" and a taxpayer charade.

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http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-russia-mind-decided-fire-comey/story?id=47361253

France votes in presidential election after volatile campaign

Breaking News: France votes in presidential election after the volatile campaign.

Voters leave their booths in the 7th district in Paris on Sunday to cast their ballots.

Story highlights:

• The final days of campaigning were shaken by an attack on police in Paris.
• CNN News:

Paris (CNN)French citizens are voting for their next President on Sunday following a volatile campaign period that was overshadowed by a terror attack on police in Paris last week.

With 11 names on the ballot, no one candidate is expected to win an outright majority. Only four leading contenders are seen as having a realistic prospect of making it through to the second-round vote in May.

The frontrunners are far-right National Front leader Marine Le Pen, scandal-hit conservative François Fillon, centrist newcomer Emmanuel Macron and far-left wildcard Jean-Luc Mélenchon. The top two in Sunday's vote will face off on May 7 for the second and final round of voting.

The beginner's guide to the French elections

Some 47 million people are registered to vote, and latest polls suggest the results are too close to call. That means France could end up with a choice between candidates from the far-left and far-right, or a far-right stalwart facing off against a political novice. With such a fractured field, no one is expected to win a majority in Sunday's first round.

Benoit Hamon is the mainstream left-wing Socialist Party nominee but polls suggest he has struggled to gain traction.

Soldiers guard the Eiffel Tower area in Paris on Sunday as security is stepped up for the presidential vote.

Security, immigration major issues

Polls opened at 8 a.m. local time (2 a.m. ET) Sunday across the country, and by midday, around 30% of voters had cast their ballots. Initial results expected in the evening.
Security has been stepped up for the vote, taking place at 70,000 polling stations. Extra police have been deployed to the streets of Paris and elsewhere.

French President Francois Hollande cast his vote in Tulle in southwestern France. Hollande has been so unpopular in his presidency, he made the unusual decision not to run for a second term.

France suffered the worst terror attack on its soil under Hollande's watch, with 130 people killed in the Paris attacks in November 2015.

It's not yet clear how the vote will be affected by the attack Thursday on the landmark Champs Elysees boulevard in Paris, in which a policeman was killed.

But it was certainly in the minds of the candidates, including Hollande, who acknowledged France was experiencing troubled times.

"We are in a period, but this period is neither recent nor over, so we have to mobilize a lot of resources, in particular for the two days of a vote for the presidential election and then the legislatives. And for the French I think it is the best message they can send, it's to show that democracy is stronger than anything."

Security has inevitably been an issue in campaigning, as have immigration and the economy. Many voters think current immigration policies have exacerbated France's unemployment problems and contributed to the deadly terror attacks of the past couple of years.

The main candidates canceled campaign events Friday -- the last day of campaigning -- and instead made televised statements in which they competed to talk tough on security and vowed a crackdown on ISIS, which claimed the attack.

Details:
http://edition.cnn.com/2017/04/23/europe/french-presidential-election-vote/index.html

North Korea tension: China 'seriously concerned' about nuclear threats

North Korea showed off military hardware at a parade in honour of the anniversary of founding father Kim Il-sung's birth

BBC News:

China says it is seriously concerned about North Korean nuclear development, in the wake of a BBC interview with a top official from the North.

North Korea's vice-foreign minister told the BBC Pyongyang would continue to test missiles and would launch a pre-emptive nuclear strike if it thought the US was planning an attack.

Foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said China opposed words or actions that could further raise tension.

North Korea-US tension is growing.

There has been heated rhetoric from both sides in recent days. US Vice-President Mike Pence, who has been visiting the region, warned the North not to test Washington and said the US "era of strategic patience" with Pyongyang was over.

The BBC's Stephen McDonell in Beijing says the Chinese government appears to be becoming increasingly frustrated with North Korea, its traditional ally.

"I have noted the recent report," Mr Lu said, referring to the BBC interview.

"China expresses serious concern with recent trends about North Korea's nuclear and missile development.

"China is unswerving in its commitment to realizing the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, maintaining the peace and stability of the Korean peninsula, and continue to solve matters through dialogue and negotiations."

• Face-to-face with top North Korean diplomat
• How might Donald Trump do a deal with North Korea?
• North Korea's missile programme
• What can the outside world do about N Korea?

Mr Lu added that tension was already high in the region before the latest comments from Pyongyang.

The North held a show of military might in a parade over the weekend and tested another missile on Sunday, which the Pentagon said blew up almost immediately after launch.

Pyongyang said it may test missiles on a weekly basis, and warned of "all-out war" if the US takes military action.

"If the US is planning a military attack against us, we will react with a nuclear pre-emptive strike by our own style and method," Vice-Foreign Minister Han Song-ryol told the BBC on Monday.

BBC News:

More Details:

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-39644453

Former Patriots football player Aaron Hernandez found dead in jail cell.

Former New England Patriots football player Aaron Hernandez was found dead this morning after hanging himself in his prison cell where he was serving a life sentence for murder, according to the Massachusetts Department of Correction.

Correction officers discovered Hernandez in his cell at the Souza Baranowski Correctional Center in Shirley, Massachusetts. The former tight end was in a "single cell in a general population housing," the department said in a statement.

Correction officers attempted "lifesaving techniques" on Hernandez. He was subsequently transported to UMASS Leominster where he was pronounced dead at 4:07 a.m. ET by a physician at the hospital.

"Mr. Hernandez hanged himself utilizing a bed sheet that he attached to his cell window," according to the statement. "Mr. Hernandez also attempted to block his door from the inside by jamming the door with various items."

Hernandez's next of kin have been notified.

The Massachusetts State Police are on scene and the investigation is ongoing.

A spokesman for the Massachusetts Department of Correction told ABC News there was no prior concern Hernandez was suicidal, otherwise he would have been on mental health watch in a different part of the prison. It's unknown at this time whether he left a suicide note, the spokesman said.

The death of the former NFL star comes less than a week after he was acquitted in a 2012 double slaying. Hernandez, 27, was already serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole after being convicted in the 2013 killing of semi-professional football player Odin Lloyd, who was dating the sister of Hernandez's longtime fiancee.

Hernandez and his fiancee, Shayanna Jenkins-Hernandez, have a 4-year-old daughter.

The New England Patriots, the Super Bowl LI champions, are scheduled to visit the White House this afternoon to meet with President Donald Trump. A Patriots spokesman told ABC News the team is aware of the reports of Hernandez's death but declined to provide further comment at this time.

ABC News' Dee Carden Matt Foster, Aaron Katersky and Amanda Maile contributed to this report.

Live, long and black giant shipworm found in Philippines

Live, long and black giant shipworm found in Philippines

Scientists have found live specimens of the rare giant shipworm for the first time, in the Philippines.

Details of the creature, which can reach up to 1.55m (5ft) in length and 6cm (2.3in) in diameter, were published in a US science journal.

The giant shipworm spends its life encased in a hard shell, submerged head-down in mud, which it feeds on.

Though its existence has been known for years, no living specimen had been studied until now.

Despite its name it is actually a bivalve, which is the same group as clams and mussels.

The "rare and enigmatic species", also known as Kuphus polythamia, is the longest living bivalve known to man, according to the study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS).

The team of scientists from the US, the Philippines and France recently found and collected five giant shipworms in Mindanao in a marine bay.

A video shows the scientists carefully cutting off one end of the shipworm's shell, before gently shaking it out. A long, slimy black creature is seen sliding out of the tube-like shell.

It belongs to the shipworm family, whose members are usually much smaller and burrow and feed on rotting wood.

The giant shipworm is unique not just for its size, but also for feeding on mud and marine sediment instead, using a type of bacteria.

It therefore has a much smaller digestive system compared to other shipworms.

The animal creates its own hard tube shell, made of calcium carbonate.

It also makes a hard cap to cover its head, which is re-absorbed by the giant shipworm when it wants to grow and burrow further into the mud, researchers said.

Details :

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-39626131

Cleveland Facebook killing reported in emotional 911 call: 'He’s dead ... Lord have mercy'

Breaking News: Cleveland Facebook killing reported in emotional 911 call: 'He’s dead ... Lord have mercy'.

                     Cleveland Facebook killing reported in emotional 911 call

• By EMILY SHAPIRO
• KARMA ALLEN
 

Apr 18, 2017, 10:36 AM ET

"He’s dead ... He’s lying there. Lord have mercy. Oh, my God," a distraught-sounding Cleveland woman said to a 911 operator after she heard a gunshot and saw a man dead outside.

The woman dialed 911 Sunday afternoon in Cleveland after murder suspect Steve Stephens allegedly gunned down 74-year-old Robert Godwin Sr. and later posted a video of the killing on Facebook, according to police.

In another 911 call that day, a man reported: "Someone in front of my house has been shot ... He’s unconscious, he’s dead."

Stephens has been on the run since Sunday, and there have been no credible sightings of him, authorities said. The manhunt for Stephens, who is considered armed and dangerous, is now nationwide and billboards around the country have been plastered with Stephens' photo.

Stephens claimed to have committed multiple homicides, according to police, but no additional victims have been found.

Cleveland police chief Calvin Williams said at a news conference this morning that authorities have received close to 400 tips and are following up on each one. He said calls have come in from as far away as Texas.

“I don’t think the investigation has stalled," Williams said. "These things can take two days, they can take two weeks or even two years.”

Williams urged people who may have seen Stephens to call 911 and anyone with information on the suspect to call the FBI's tip line.

Stephen Anthony, special agent in charge of the FBI's Cleveland Division, said, "Someone out there has a key piece of information that can help us resolve this matter. They just might not know it.” If in doubt, he said, call.

Manhunt for Cleveland Facebook murder suspect expands to national search

Daughter of man gunned down in Facebook video: 'I saw the fear in my father's eyes'

Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson at the news conference this morning thanked the Godwin family "for their leadership" and "showing us the way in this situation."

Jackson said the family "demonstrated even in this tragedy ... that they have forgiven and that they have come together ... They’ve asked us as a community to forgive and to begin to heal. Because what happened on Easter Sunday was traumatic."

Jackson also said that the local clergy has "asked us to communicate to Steve Stephens that they are available to him" if he needs to talk.

Facebook on Monday released a timeline of events connected to the suspect, according to its records:

• 11:09 a.m. PDT — First video, of intent to murder, uploaded. Not reported to Facebook.
• 11:11 a.m. PDT — Second video, of shooting, uploaded.
• 11:22 a.m. PDT — Suspect confesses to murder while using Live, is live for 5 minutes.
• 11:27 a.m. PDT — Live ends, and Live video is first reported shortly after.
• 12:59 p.m. PDT — Video of shooting is first reported.
• 1:22 p.m. PDT — Suspect’s account disabled; all videos no longer visible to public.

A Facebook executive on Monday said the company is reviewing some of its practices in light of the incident.

"It was a horrific crime — one that has no place on Facebook, and goes against our policies and everything we stand for," Facebook VP of Global Operations Justin Osofsky said Monday. "As a result of this terrible series of events, we are reviewing our reporting flows to be sure people can report videos and other material that violates our standards as easily and quickly as possible."

Godwin's daughter, Tonya Godwin Baines, told ABC News the video "forever will be in my mind because I saw the fear in my father's eyes."

Baines said it "feels like our heart is just ripped out of our chest. For somebody to brutally murder my father like that is unbelievable."

                               Steve Stephens is pictured in this photo released by Cleveland Police, April 16, 2017.

Baines said her father was the epitome of a family man who "would give you the shirt off his back."

"He taught us about God, he taught us love, forgiveness. Just to know that I will never ever hear my father's voice again is devastating," Baines said.

"We can never replace him," she added, crying. "A part of us died with him."

Her sister, Debbie Godwin, told ABC News, "I truly can say I don't even feel any animosity against the guy that killed my father.

"I'm glad that my parents taught us to love people and to forgive even when they do us wrong," she said. "My dad would be the kind of person that would say, 'You gotta forgive.'"

"I want him to get help," Debbie Godwin said of the suspected gunman.

Angela Smalls, who said Robert Godwin is the father of two of her children, is pleading for Stephens to turn himself in.

"He took my kids’ father from them and you’re still breathing out here? My babies are hurting," a tearful Smalls said, according to ABC affiliate WEWS in Cleveland. "Let them get some peace. Just turn yourself in, please."

Stephens visited the Sherwin Shooting Sports shooting range in Eastlake, Ohio last summer, a representative of the business told ABC News. Stephens had a concealed carry permit, police said, according to WEWS.

Police said Monday that authorities don’t have any reason to believe Stephens is not still driving a white Ford Fusion with temporary tag number E363630.

A reward is being offered for information leading to his arrest.

ABC News' Jason Volack and Dominick Proto contributed to this report.