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Image copyright New York Times Image caption The New York Times says this evidence was gathered at the scene of the attack

 Police investigating the Manchester Arena bomb attack have stopped sharing information with the US after leaks to the media.

 UK officials were outraged when photos appearing to show debris from the attack appeared in the New York Times.

 It came after the name of bomber Salman Abedi was leaked to US media just hours after the attack, which left 22 dead.

 Theresa May said she would tell Donald Trump at a Nato meeting that shared intelligence "must remain secure".

 The US's acting ambassador to the UK "unequivocally condemned" the leaks in a BBC radio interview.

 "These leaks were reprehensible, deeply distressing," Lewis Lukens said.

 "We have had communications at the highest level of our government ... we are determined to identify these leaks and to stop them."

 Meanwhile, the Queen has been to the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital visiting some of the injured as well as members of the emergency services.

 While there she paid tribute to Manchester and the "extraordinary" way the city had responded to Monday's attack at an Ariana Grande concert, in which 116 people were also injured.

 Families' distress

 In total eight men are now in custody following the bombing carried out by Manchester-born Abedi, a 22-year-old from a family of Libyan origin.

 The arrests have been "significant" while searches of premises have also yielded items "important to the investigation", Greater Manchester Police said.

 It has also emerged two people who had known Abedi at college made separate calls to a hotline to warn the police about his extremist views.

 A Whitehall source said Abedi was one of a "pool" of former subjects of interest whose risk remained "subject to review" by the security service and its partners.

 In other developments:

 Greater Manchester Police hope to resume normal intelligence relationships - a two-way flow of information - soon but is currently "furious", the BBC understands.

 Its chief constable Ian Hopkins said the recent leak had caused "much distress for families that are already suffering terribly with their loss.".

 The force - which is leading the investigation on the ground - gives its information to National Counter-Terrorism, which then shares it across government and - because of the Five Eyes intelligence sharing agreement - with the US, Australia, Canada and New Zealand.

 Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Manchester attack: Queen visits Royal Manchester Children's Hospital

 All other US-UK intelligence is still being shared, while five terrorist plots have been disrupted in the UK since the 22 March Westminster attack, the BBC has learned.

 Home Secretary Amber Rudd has said she is "confident" the leaks will now end, after having voiced her irritation following the leak of the attacker's name.

 However, the pictures of debris - which appear to show bloodstained fragments from the bomb and the backpack used to conceal it - were subsequently leaked to the New York Times, prompting an angry response from within Whitehall and from UK police chiefs.

 BBC security correspondent Gordon Corera says UK officials believe that US law enforcement rather than the White House is the likely culprit for the leaks.

 Analysis

 By Dominic Casciani, BBC home affairs correspondent

 The police decision to stop sharing information specifically about the Manchester attack with their security counterparts in the US is a hugely significant move and shows how angry British authorities are.

 The information from the crime scene wasn't shared on a whim: the British and Americans have a lot of shared world-leading expertise in improvised explosive devices and scientists would be discussing whether the Manchester device tells them something new that could, ultimately, track down a bomb-maker.

 Other sharing will continue. The UK and US share a vast amount of information about terror and espionage threats - it is a tight-knit network that also encompasses Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

 That system is based on trust and the "control principle": if a piece of intelligence is shared, the receiving nation has no right to further disseminate it without permission.

 The UK's National Police Chiefs' Council described the "unauthorised disclosure" as a breach of trust which had potentially undermined a "major counter-terrorism investigation".

 Counter-terrorism detectives have spoken in the past about how a delay of about 36 hours before the public know who is being investigated can allow known associates of the suspect to be arrested without being tipped off.

 Lord Blair, who was the head of the Metropolitan Police at the time of the bombings in London on 7 July 2005, said a similar leak had happened then.

 "It's a different world in which the US operate in terms of how they publish things and this is a very grievous breach but I'm afraid it's the same as before," he said.

 Image caption Abedi's father, Ramadan, was held in Tripoli

 What's happening with the investigation?

 Eight men have been arrested in the UK since Monday night, including Abedi's older brother Ismail, 23.

 Abedi's younger brother Hashem, 20, was held by special forces linked to the interior ministry in the Libyan capital Tripoli, as was their father.

 Speaking on Wednesday, Greater Manchester Chief Constable Ian Hopkins said: "It's very clear that this is a network that we are investigating."

 As part of their investigation, raids involving controlled explosions have been carried out at a block of flats near Manchester Piccadilly station in the city centre on Wednesday and at an address in the Moss Side area of Manchester in the early hours of Thursday.

 Anyone with information can call the anti-terror hotline on 0800 789321.

 Who are the victims?

 Image caption From left: Courtney Boyle, Elaine McIver and Eilidh MacLeod

 Abedi detonated his "nuts-and-bolts" bomb at the end of an Ariana Grande gig as children, teenagers and others were making their way out of Manchester Arena.

 Others, including parents, were waiting in the foyer to pick up family and friends when the bomb went off.

 The youngest so far known to have died is eight-year-old Saffie Roussos. Off-duty Cheshire police officer Elaine McIver was also among the dead.

 The latest victims to be named are Wendy Fawell, 50, from Otley, west Yorkshire and Eilidh MacLeod, a 14-year-old from Barra in the Outer Hebrides, and 19-year-old Courtney Boyle.

 Of the 116 injured, 75 remain in hospital. Of those 23 are in critical care, five of them children.

 Who was the attacker?

 Image caption Salman Abedi was described by a former classmate as short-tempered and gullible

 Salman Abedi was a 22-year-old born in Manchester to Libyan parents, and a former University of Salford student.

 He attended Burnage Academy for Boys in Manchester between 2009 and 2011, and The Manchester College until 2013.

 A former classmate told the BBC that Abedi was a "very jokey lad" but also "very short tempered" and would get angry at "the littlest thing".

 The man, who did not want to be identified, said Abedi had hung around "the wrong crowd and was very, very gullible".

 Before leaving Burnage Academy, Abedi had become "more and more religious", the man added.

 A Muslim community worker, who did not want to be identified, has told the BBC that two people who had known Abedi at college had made separate calls five years ago to a hotline to warn about his extremist views.

 He said they had been worried that Abedi was "supporting terrorism" and he had expressed the view that "being a suicide bomber was ok".

 Profile: Who was Salman Abedi? ||||| Undated handout photo from an unnamed source made available on Wednesday May 24, 2017 of Salman Abedi. ??British authorities identified Salman Abedi as the bomber who was responsible for Monday's explosion... (Associated Press)

 Undated handout photo from an unnamed source made available on Wednesday May 24, 2017 of Salman Abedi. ??British authorities identified Salman Abedi as the bomber who was responsible for Monday's explosion in Manchester which killed more than 20 people. (AP) (Associated Press)

 MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Security forces rounded up more suspects Wednesday in the deadly Manchester concert blast and soldiers fanned out across the country to national landmarks as an on-edge Britain tried to thwart the possibility of additional attacks.

 Officials scoured the background of the British-born ethnic Libyan identified as the bomber, saying he was likely part of a wider terrorist network. Additional arrests were made both in Britain and in Libya in the bombing that killed 22 people and wounded scores more.

 Among those taken into custody in Libya were the suspected bomber's father and his younger brother, the latter of whom confessed to knowing "all the details" of the attack plot, Libyan anti-terror authorities said.

 "I think it's very clear this is a network we are investigating," Chief Constable Ian Hopkins of the Manchester Police said as authorities raided British properties thought to be connected to Salman Abedi, the 22-year-old suspected bomber who grew up in Manchester and died in the attack.

 British Home Secretary Amber Rudd said Abedi "likely" did not act alone in the strike at the close of an Ariana Grande concert Monday night and that he had been known to security forces "up to a point." Meanwhile, officials probed possible travel by the alleged bomber, looking for clues to new threats.

 Government officials said nearly 1,000 soldiers were deployed to Buckingham Palace, Parliament and other high-profile sites across the country. Britain's terror threat level was raised to "critical" — the highest level — on Tuesday over concern another attack could be imminent.

 French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb said Abedi was believed to have traveled to Syria and had "proven" links to the Islamic State group, which claimed responsibility for the attack. British officials, however, have not commented on whether Abedi had links to IS or other extremist groups.

 British authorities were probing whether Abedi had ties to other cells across Europe and North Africa, according to two officials familiar with the case who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak about the ongoing investigation.

 They said one thread of the inquiry involved pursuing whether Abedi was part of a larger terror cell that included Mohamed Abrini, otherwise known as "the man in the hat," with connections to the Brussels and Paris attacks. Abrini visited Manchester in 2015.

 "It looks like we're not dealing with a lone wolf situation. There's a network — a cell of ISIS-inspired terrorists," said U.S. Rep. Mike McCaul, R-Texas, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee. He said the bomb's construction suggested a "level of sophistication" that might indicate foreign training.

 Six additional arrests were made in Britain on Wednesday as the sprawling investigation extended to Libya, where Abedi's father and 18-year-old brother were detained in Tripoli. The father, Ramadan Abedi, denied his son had links to militants in an interview with The Associated Press before he was taken into custody, saying, "We don't believe in killing innocents."

 The elder Abedi was allegedly a member of the al-Qaida-backed Libyan Islamic Fighting group in the 1990s, according to a former Libyan security official, Abdel-Basit Haroun.

 The Libyan anti-terror force that arrested the men said in a statement that the brother, Hashim Abedi, 18, confessed that he and his brother were linked to the Islamic State group and that he was aware of the arena bombing plan. The anti-terror force said the father had not been charged, but was taken in for questioning.

 A second brother, Ismail Abedi, 23, was taken into custody in Manchester a day earlier.

 The suspected bomber grew up in Manchester's southern suburbs and once attended Salford University there. Neighbors recalled him as tall, thin and quiet, and said he often wore traditional Islamic dress. Among investigators' areas of interest is how often Abedi traveled to Libya, which has seen an eruption of armed Islamist groups since dictator Moammar Gadhafi was overthrown and killed in 2011.

 Before his arrest, Abedi's father said he had last spoken to his son five days ago and he sounded "normal." He said his son was getting ready to visit Saudi Arabia for a short Umrah pilgrimage then planned to head to Libya to spend the Islamic holy month of Ramadan with his family. He said his son last visited Libya about six weeks ago and had never gone to Syria. He denied ties to any militant groups or suggestions of extremism.

 "We aren't the ones who blow up ourselves among innocents," he said. "We go to mosques. We recite Quran, but not that."

 At Manchester's Didsbury Mosque, where the Abedi family worshipped, the bombing was condemned and reports that the suspected bomber had worked there were denied. Azhar Mahmoud, who prays at the mosque in southern Manchester, said it was "horrible" that Abedi was associated with it.

 "Wherever he got that, he didn't get it from this mosque," he said, adding that the imam regularly preached against radicalization.

 British Prime Minister Theresa May chaired a meeting Wednesday of her emergency security cabinet group to talk about intelligence reports on Abedi and concerns that he might have had outside support. Police raided homes believed to be connected with the investigation.

 At one apartment building in Manchester, heavily armed police swarmed in and a controlled explosion was heard. At another property, a house a 10-minute walk from where Abedi lived, neighbors said they were awakened by a loud noise and saw a man hauled away in handcuffs.

 "There was a policeman, armed policeman, shouting," neighbor Omar Alfa Khuri said. "And I realized there is something wrong here."

 Across London, troops fanned out and authorities reconsidered security plans. The changing of the guard ceremony at Buckingham Palace was canceled so police officers could be re-deployed. The Palace of Westminster, which houses Parliament, was shuttered to those without passes, and tours and events were canceled until further notice. Armed police patrolled outside St. Paul's Cathedral in London, another popular tourist spot.

 For a second night, a throng of people filled a Manchester square for a vigil for the victims. Muslim, Christian and Jewish leaders echoed a message that extremists wouldn't drive a wedge among the city's religious groups. People lifted their hands in the air during a moment of silence.

 "There are no divisions here tonight," Irfan Chishti, the imam of Manchester's biggest mosque, told the crowd.

 Officials said all of the bombing victims have been identified, but names were being withheld until autopsies were completed.

 Still, their stories began to emerge: Michelle Kiss, a mother of three whose "family was her life;" Nell Jones, an "always smiling" teenager; Martyn Hett, who packed life "to the brim with his passions;" Jane Tweddle, a "bubbly, kind, welcoming" receptionist. The youngest known of those killed was just 8. Besides the dead, the number of people who sought medical help after the attack was raised to 119. Officials said 64 people remained hospitalized, including 20 who were critically injured.

 __

 Michael reported from Cairo and Katz reported from London. Associated Press writers Sylvia Hui and Paisley Dodds in London, Rob Harris in Manchester, Angela Charlton in Paris; Deb Riechmann in Washington; and Matt Sedensky in New York contributed to this report. ||||| "Very important" items have been found in property searches after the Manchester attack and "significant" arrests have been made, say police.

 Eight men are currently in custody, including the bomber's older brother.

 Two more people were arrested overnight in Greater Manchester, following other raids and arrests on Wednesday in Manchester, Wigan and Nuneaton in Warwickshire.

 Chief Constable Ian Hopkins told reporters: "The arrests that we have made are significant, and initial searches of premises have revealed items that we believe are very important to the investigation."

 :: LIVE: The latest updates on the Manchester attack

 He said "associated searches" were now taking place at a number of addresses.

 Image: Salman Abedi (centre), his brother (left) Hashem Abedi and father Ramadan Abedi

 A Whitehall source told Sky News that bomber Salman Abedi was one of many former "subjects of interest" (SOI) for MI5, and apparently not being actively investigated.

 The source said: "Abedi was one of a larger pool of former subjects of interest whose risk remained subject to review by MI5 and its partners.

 "Where former SOIs show sufficient risk of re-engaging in terrorism, MI5 can consider reopening the investigation, but this process inevitably relies on difficult professional judgements based on partial information."

 The source said MI5 is managing 500 active investigations, involving some 3,000 subjects at any one time.

 :: Why many terror suspects are not being watched

 Image: People observed the silence in St Ann's Square in Manchester

 People across the country fell silent at 11am to remember the 22 people murdered by Abedi at Manchester Arena.

 Thousands paused at their workplaces, and crowds stopped at public places including Manchester's Albert Square and Trafalgar Square in London.

 Minutes ahead of the Queen's arrival, doctors and nurses at Royal Manchester Children's Hospital also stood together to remember the victims - many of whom are still being treated.

 Police are continuing to piece together the killer's final days, with the 22-year-old transiting through Dusseldorf in Germany about four days before the attack.

 Image: The Queen visited the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital

 It is believed he was on his way back from a trip to Libya, where his younger brother and father live. They, too, have now been arrested.

 CCTV footage also appears to place Abedi at Manchester's Arndale shopping centre at around 8pm on Friday.

 Images show a man with a backpack similar to the one pictured blown to shreds in photos leaked to US media.

 The pictures are said to have caused fury among police and security services, with Theresa May to raise the issue with Donald Trump at the NATO summit, and some intelligence sharing put on pause.

 The night of his attack, Abedi stayed in a £75-per-night flat close to the arena.

 Image: CCTV from the Arndale is thought to show Abedi with the backpack

 Image: Pictures published in the US appearing to show remnants of the backpack

 Police have said it is "very clear" there is a "terror network" that is likely to have helped the Manchester-born attacker.

 Sky News has found Abedi had links to an Islamic State cell which operated in the city, and knew one of the terror group's most prolific recruiters.

 The sophistication of Abedi's device has led to concerns a bomb maker could still be at large.

 Police searched a semi-detached house in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, overnight, after a man was arrested there on Wednesday.

 Neighbours said a Libyan-born father-of-five named named Naser Elshetwi lived at the house, but the identity of the person arrested has not been confirmed.

 Police in balaclavas also mounted an early-morning raid at a house in Manchester's Moss Side, using a controlled explosion to gain entry. No arrests were reported by police.

 There was another overnight raid on a flat in the city's Withington area - where one man was arrested.

 1:49 Video: Salman Abedi and the Manchester terror cell

 Neighbours said a man and woman lived there with three children. One resident in the street told reporters she had spoken to the woman, who said she was from Libya.

 :: The victims of the Manchester terror attack

 Meanwhile, Abedi's father and brother have also been detained in Libya.

 Ramadan Abedi, and 20-year-old Hashem Abedi were arrested in capital, Tripoli.

 Authorities say Hashem was preparing his own attack in the city and knew about his brother's plot.

 When arrested he is reported to have said: "I have ideology with my brother... I know everything about my brother, what he was doing there in Manchester." ||||| BRUSSELS/LONDON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump said on Thursday that “deeply troubling” leaks to U.S. media about the Manchester suicide bombing would be investigated, after irate British police briefly stopped sharing information with U.S. agencies.

 U.S. President Donald Trump (L) and Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May react during a ceremony at the new NATO headquarters before the start of a summit in Brussels, Belgium, May 25, 2017. REUTERS/Christian Hartmann

 Prime Minister Theresa May raised British concerns with Trump at a NATO summit in Brussels, telling him intelligence shared between their two countries had to remain secure, in a rare public show of dissatisfaction with Britain’s closest security ally.

 After a suspension that lasted about a day, Britain’s most senior counter terrorism officer said late on Thursday that the police had resumed sharing information with the United States after receiving “fresh assurances”.

 Trump had called the leaks “deeply troubling”.

 “I am asking the Department of Justice and other relevant agencies to launch a complete review of this matter, and if appropriate, the culprit should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” he said in a statement released after his arrival in Brussels.

 The row comes as British police stepped up their investigation into a suspected network behind Salman Abedi, a 22-year-old British-born man with Libyan parents who blew himself up on Monday night at the Manchester Arena indoor venue after a concert by U.S. singer Ariana Grande

 The singer’s fans are mostly children and teenagers and the explosion killed 22 people, ranging from an eight-year-old schoolgirl to parents who had come to pick up their children.

 Police are holding eight people in custody in connection with the attack and bomb disposal units were used in searches as officers raided properties across the city.

 In the nearby town of Wigan, where a man was arrested on Wednesday, police said they had discovered potentially suspicious items, prompting them to bring in the bomb squad and evacuate properties in the area. The security alert was later lifted.

 Police said they were making good progress.

 “I want to reassure people that the arrests that we have made are significant, and initial searches of premises have revealed items that we believe are very important to the investigation,” Manchester’s police chief Ian Hopkins said.

 With the official threat level raised to “critical”, meaning a further attack could be imminent, troops have been deployed to free up police, and armed officers patrolled trains for the first time in Britain.

 The state-run National Health Service said all 27 major trauma units in England had told staff to be prepared for a possible attack, ahead of the weekend and a public holiday on Monday.

 BOMB-MAKER?

 Abedi had recently returned from Libya, where his father and younger brother were arrested by a militia on Wednesday.

 Abedi passed through Istanbul on his way to Europe, Turkish security officials told Reuters, but said there were no records of him entering Syria during his travels as had been suggested on Wednesday by the French interior minister. [L8N1IR4RV]

 A source with knowledge of the investigation told Reuters Abedi might have made the bomb himself or with some assistance from an accomplice. That was a change from previous thinking that a bomb-maker might be at large.

 “The focus is still the search for accomplices and the network but he could have made this bomb himself,” the source said.

 Over the past three days, several key details of the investigation, including the name of the bomber, first came out in U.S. media, angering British police who feared such leaks risked compromising their investigation.

 May raised the matter with Trump as they gathered for a group photograph at the NATO summit.

 “She expressed the view that the intelligence sharing relationship we have with the U.S. is hugely important and valuable, but that the information that we share should be kept secure,” a British government source said.

 U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions also spoke to Britain’s interior minister Amber Rudd about the issue. The U.S. Justice Department said it had initiated steps to address the “rampant leaks”, which it said could not be tolerated.

 The decision to stop sharing police information with U.S. agencies was an extraordinary step for Britain, which is usually at pains to emphasize its “special relationship” with the United States.

 “While we do not usually comment on information sharing arrangements ... having received fresh assurances, we are now working closely with our key partners around the world,” said Mark Rowley, Britain’s lead officer for counter-terrorism policing.

 British authorities did not say the investigation had in fact been compromised by the leaks.

 The attack injured 116 people, of whom 75 were admitted to hospital and 23 remain in a very serious condition, health authorities said.

 Queen Elizabeth visited the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, where some of the casualties have been treated, and was filmed chatting with a girl lying injured on a ward. She described the attack as “very wicked”.

 “A CITY UNITED”

 A minute’s silence was observed in honor of the victims at a square in central Manchester, after which crowds broke into an emotional chorus of “Don’t Look Back in Anger”, an old hit song by the band Oasis who are from the city.

 The city’s two giant soccer clubs, Manchester United and Manchester City, laid aside their rivalry to jointly donate 1 million pounds ($1.3 million) to an emergency fund set up to support families affected by the attack. They labeled their initiative “A City United”.

 The bombing has caused revulsion across the world for targeting children and teenagers. Former U.S. President Barack Obama, meeting German Chancellor Angela Merkel at an event in Berlin, said the pair were “heartbroken”, while Trump told fellow NATO leaders the attack was “savage” and “barbaric”.

 Many European cities, including Paris, Berlin and Brussels, have suffered attacks in the past two years, underlining the importance of confidential intelligence cooperation.

 Britain routinely shares intelligence with the United States bilaterally, and as part of the “Five Eyes” network which also includes Australia, Canada and New Zealand.

 Trump was widely criticized this month after it emerged he had discussed sensitive Syria-related intelligence, originating from an ally, with Russian officials at a White House meeting. May said at the time Britain would continue to share information with Washington.

 Pictures published by the New York Times included remains of the bomb and of the rucksack carried by the suicide bomber, and showed blood stains amid the wreckage.

 “I think it’s pretty disgusting,” said Scott Lightfoot, a Manchester resident, speaking outside a train station in the city. He criticized media for publishing such material.

 Slideshow (8 Images)

 “Who’s leaking it? Where’s it coming from? This is British intelligence at the end of the day, people shouldn’t be finding out about this.”

 In a statement, the New York Times defended its decision to publish the images, saying they were “neither graphic nor disrespectful of victims”.

 “Our coverage of Monday’s horrific attack has been both comprehensive and responsible,” the newspaper said. ||||| A "vivacious" teenager from the picturesque Scottish island of Barra has been confirmed dead by her parents.

 Eilidh MacLeod, 14, was killed in the blast at the Ariana Grande concert in Manchester on Monday evening, which she attended with her close friend Laura MacIntyre, 15, who was located in hospital nearly 20 hours after the incident.

 Ms MacIntyre's parents have said in a statement that their daughter is in a critical condition.

 They said: "Our daughter Laura is a funny and witty young girl who excels at everything she does.

 "Laura and her friend Eilidh were so looking forward to the concert, but the night has now ended in a tragedy where Eilidh has now lost her life and Laura is in a critical condition. ||||| British police have stopped sharing evidence from the investigation into the terror network behind the Manchester bombing with the United States after a series of leaks left investigators and the government furious.

 The ban is limited to the Manchester investigation only. British police believe the leaks are unprecedented in their scope, frequency and potential damage.

 Downing Street was not behind the decision by Greater Manchester police to stop sharing information with US intelligence, a No 10 source said, stressing that it was important police were allowed to take independent decisions.

 “This is an operational matter for police,” a No 10 spokesman said. The police and the Home Office refused to comment. The Guardian understands there is not a blanket ban on intelligence-sharing between the US and the UK.

 Photographs of Manchester bomb parts published after leak Read more

 Relations between the US and UK security services, normally extremely close, have been put under strain by the scale of the leaks from US officials to the American media.

 After chairing a meeting of the emergency Cobra meeting Theresa May said: “I will make clear to President Trump that intelligence shared between our security agencies must remain secure.” She is due to meet the US president at a Nato summit in Brussels on Thursday.

 Ahead of the summit, the prime minister said she would work with other leaders on the global effort to defeat terrorism and remove extremist material from the internet.

 She said the domestic threat of terrorism is still at a critical level, meaning an attack may be imminent, and she urged the public to remain vigilant.

 On Friday, the prime minister will attend a G7 summit in Taormina in Sicily, although her planned attendance is being cut short by a day because of the higher domestic terror threat level.

 The prime minister said she will “lead a discussion on counter-terrorism and on how we will work together to prevent the plotting of terrorist attacks online and to stop the spread of hateful extremist ideology on social media”.

 British officials were infuriated on Wednesday when the New York Times published forensic photographs of sophisticated bomb parts that UK authorities fear could complicate the expanding investigation, in which six further arrests have been made in the UK and two more in Libya.

 It was the latest of a series of leaks to US journalists that appeared to come from inside the US intelligence community, passing on data that had been shared between the two countries as part of longstanding security cooperation.

 A senior Whitehall source said: “These images from inside the American system are clearly distressing to victims, their families and other members of the public. Protests have been lodged at every relevant level between the British authorities and our US counterparts. They are in no doubt about our huge strength of feeling on this issue. It is unacceptable.”

 Whitehall sources reported a sense of deflation among UK security staff at the amount of detail coming out of America. The UK had shared the material with US police and intelligence in the expectation it would remain secret. The amount released is hampering at least part of the investigation, they believe.

 Manchester’s mayor, Andy Burnham, said the leaks were arrogant and disrespectful, and police chiefs also criticised the actions.

 A national counter-terrorism policing spokesperson said: “We greatly value the important relationships we have with our trusted intelligence, law enforcement and security partners around the world.

 “When that trust is breached it undermines these relationships, and undermines our investigations and the confidence of victims, witnesses and their families. This damage is even greater when it involves unauthorised disclosure of potential evidence in the middle of a major counter-terrorism investigation.”

 The police and the domestic security agency, MI5, are facing questions over whether they ignored warnings about Salman Abedi and whether there were clues they failed to pick up on.

 While not directly responding to the criticism, the agencies have stressed that they have a large number of potential suspects and, in spite of increased spending, do not have infinite resources to monitor everyone. Hard decisions have to be made about prioritising which suspects need to be put under physical and electronic surveillance, they have said.

 The number of specialist personnel carrying out physical surveillance varies according to whether a suspect is being watched at home or in the outside world.

 MI5 is reticent about releasing exact figures but it has a database of about 3,000 potential people of concern, of whom about 500 are regarded as potentially high risk. Only a small proportion of these can be put under 24-hour physical surveillance and often only for a limited number of days or weeks.

 The ban on sharing information with the US on such a major inquiry is unprecedented, more so because the atrocity has potential implications for US efforts to prevent any similar attacks directed at American targets.

 The ban is described as temporary, and British police are examining if they can put safeguards in place to stop any further leaks.

 British police are angry that as their officers are in pursuit of a suspected terror network, with raids deemed so risky they are being carried out by elite armed officers, sensitive information is being regularly leaked by the US.

 May will raise her concerns with the US president at the Nato summit, where she will push for the military alliance to join the coalition against Islamic State.

 The images published by the New York Times revealed that the device used by Salman Abedi, which killed 22 people, had been made with “forethought and care”, raising questions for investigators about how it had been constructed and by whom.

 Abedi had carried a metal box containing “well packed” explosives, metal nuts and screws in a box probably inside a Karrimor rucksack, the leaked details showed. The device was powerful enough for shrapnel to penetrate metal doors and to scar brick walls. Abedi detonated the bomb with his left hand.

 It showed the force of the explosion was such that his torso was ripped from the rest of his body and propelled across the foyer and that most of those killed were in a circle around the bomber.

 The kind of information that has been leaked is routinely shared with police counterparts in the US. The information goes into a shared computer system and is then distributed among different specialists in the US, ranging from bomb experts to those dealing in counter-terrorism.

 The UK and US are among the closest intelligence partners in the world, with the UK’s surveillance agency, GCHQ, sharing information with the NSA, MI6 with the CIA, and MI5 with the FBI. But the lines are not rigid and information is often shared more widely.

 On Wednesday Amber Rudd, the British home secretary, had rebuked the US security services for leaking the bomber’s name to American media before it had been made public in Britain, but her warnings appear to have had no impact.

 “I have been very clear with our friends that that should not happen again,” Rudd said.

 Nato’s secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, was asked about the leaks by reporters in Brussels before Thursday’s meeting of Nato leaders.

 He said: “Sharing intelligence is of great importance. Sharing intelligence is based on trust and we have seen in Nato over many, many years that we have been able to share intelligence in a good way and that has been of great importance to the alliance and for all allies.”

 Stoltenberg said he was unable to comment further as he “did not know what actually happened”. He added that it was a bilateral issue between the US and the UK.

 Ian Blair, who was Metropolitan police commissioner during the London underground bombings on 7 July 2005, said his investigation had also been troubled by leaks from US intelligence.

 Blair said he was sure the leaks had “nothing to do with Trump” given that similar leaks had happened during his own time investigating a terror attack.

 “I’m afraid this reminds me exactly of what happened after 7/7, when the US published a complete picture of the way the bombs had been made up. We had the same protests.

 “It’s a different world in how the US operates in the sense of how they publish things. And this is a very grievous breach but I’m afraid it’s the same as before.”

 Lord Carlile, the former independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, described the leaks as “very unusual and irresponsible” and called for those responsible to be “called to account”.

 He said: “Photos of the backpack after the event could be of utility to future bombmakers, for obvious reasons. Also, it damages decades of confidence between the UK and US services, the cohesion of the ‘Five Eyes’ group [the US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand], and sharing of information with French, German and other security services. These leaks made yesterday a very bad day for national security in several countries, and those responsible should be called to account.” ||||| The bomber in the Manchester terrorist attack appeared to have carried a powerful explosive in a lightweight metal container concealed either within a black vest or a blue Karrimor backpack, and may have held a small switch in his left hand, according to preliminary information gathered by British authorities.

 Remnants of backpack

 The initial analysis of the bomb, based on evidence photographed and collected at the crime scene and distributed by British authorities, does not specify the size or type of explosive used in the bomb’s main charge but suggests an improvised device made with forethought and care.

 Possible switch located in suspect’s left hand

 Law enforcement images of metal nuts and screws propelled by the blast, and of damage nearby, show that the bomb’s makeshift shrapnel penetrated metal doors and left deep scuffs in brick walls.

 Nuts and screws used as shrapnel

 And the authorities’ review of the blast site shows that many of the fatalities occurred in a nearly complete circle around the bomber, Salman Abedi, whose upper torso was heaved outside the lethal ring toward the Manchester Arena entrance.

 Manchester Arena Torso of bomber Box office Doors to arena Victims Foyer Approx. location of detonation Bridge to Victoria Station Manchester Arena Torso of bomber Box office Doors to arena Victims Foyer Approx. location of detonation Bridge to Victoria Station Manchester Arena Torso of bomber Box office Doors to arena Victims Foyer Approx. location of detonation Bridge to Victoria Station The New York Times

 All of these are indicators of a powerful, high-velocity charge, and of a bomb in which its shrapnel was carefully and evenly packed.

 The location of the bomber’s torso, and the apparent absence of fatalities in a line between the blast site and where his remains landed, was said by one explosive disposal technician who examined the images to indicate that the explosive charge was more likely in a backpack than in a vest, and propelled the bomber away from the blast.

 Manchester Arena Exit Stage Exit Exit Parking Exit Blast area People seen running down these stairs in video. Victoria Station Train tracks Manchester Arena Exit Stage Exit Exit Exit Blast area Victoria Station Train tracks The New York Times

 Certain details of the bomb further suggest a desire by a bomb-maker to reduce the risk of a dud.

 The authorities found a mangled Yuasa 12-volt, 2.1 amp-hour lead acid battery at the scene, which is more powerful than batteries often seen in backpack bombs or suicide vests. The battery, used for emergency lighting and other applications, can be bought for about $20.

 12-volt battery that was possible power source

 A possible switch to initiate the explosion, carried in the bomber’s left hand, was also unusual in a suicide device, in that it appears to have contained a small circuit board soldered inside one end.

 It is not clear from the law enforcement images if the object was a simple plunger switch, or included a timer or a receiver that could be operated remotely via radio signal – or some combination, or something else.

 Such redundancy, if the object was the switch, could give the bomber or a cell more than one option for deploying the device, and suggest that the bomb was not as simple in design as many terrorist devices, which often are crude and prone to failure or haphazard effect.

 One independent analyst of improvised explosive devices, Michael C.L. Johnson, suggested that the object might be an electronic cigarette and unrelated to the bomb’s detonation – an understandable case of investigators focusing on a crime-scene detail early in a case. |||||

– Police in Britain, angered by repeated leaks of sensitive information, have decided to stop sharing information on the Manchester terrorist attack with American authorities. The decision came after photographs believed to show bomb debris appeared in a New York Times report, sources tell the BBC, which calls the step a "hugely significant" move that shows just how angry British authorities are about leaks that could hinder the investigation. Prime Minister Theresa May is expected to raise the issue with President Trump at a NATO meeting Thursday, though the leaks are believed to have come from US law enforcement agencies, not the White House. In other coverage: The Times report that infuriated British police has photos of the remains of a backpack and a battery found at the scene, along with detailed analysis of the blast site. Analysts say the bomb, powerful enough to embed shrapnel in metal walls, appears to have been made with "forethought and care." Two more men in Britain have been arrested in connection with the Monday night attack, bringing the number of people in custody to eight, including one woman, reports Reuters. Suicide bomber Salman Abedi's father and brother have been detained in Libya. British authorities say the leaking of information provided under a long-standing cooperation deal is unacceptable. "These images from inside the American system are clearly distressing to victims, their families, and other members of the public," a government source tells the Guardian. "Protests have been lodged at every relevant level between the British authorities and our US counterparts." Rep. Mike McCaul, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, says the device detonated at the end of an Ariana Grande concert shows a "level of sophistication" that suggests the involvement of foreign terror cells, the AP reports. "It looks like we're not dealing with a lone wolf situation. There's a network—a cell of ISIS-inspired terrorists," the Republican says. Sky News reports that German intelligence services say Abedi was in the country around four days before the Manchester attack. Security camera footage obtained by Sky shows a man suspected to be Abedi in Manchester's Arndale shopping center on Friday with what may be the backpack used in the bombing. One of the latest of the 22 victims to be identified is 14-year-old Eilidh MacLeod, who had traveled from the Scottish island of Barra to Manchester with her mother and a friend for the concert, the Telegraph reports. "Eilidh was vivacious and full of fun. She loved all music, whether it was listening to Ariana or playing the bagpipes with her pipe band," her family said in a statement.


Article:

ROSEBURG, Ore. (AP) — The gunman who opened fire in an Oregon college shot one classmate after saying he could save her life by begging, and others were killed after being told to crawl across the floor, according to relatives of students in the classroom.

 This undated photo provided by Bonnie Schaan shows her daughter, Cheyeanne Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald had her kidney removed after being shot during a fatal shooting at Umpqua Community College on Thursday,... (Associated Press)

 Melody Siewell places flowers at a makeshift memorial near the road leading to Umpqua Community College, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2015, in Roseburg, Ore. Armed with multiple guns, Chris Harper Mercer walked... (Associated Press)

 CORRECTS SPELLING OF CHEYEANNE - Bonnie Schaan, second from left, discuss her daughter, Cheyeanne Fitzgerald, who was wounded in the shooting at Umpqua Community College, during a news conference outside... (Associated Press)

 A timeline of law enforcement response to the Umpqua Community College shooting is posted for the media at a news conference, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2015, in Roseburg, Ore. Armed with multiple guns, Chris... (Associated Press)

 Bonnie Schaan leaves a news conference outside Mercy Medical Center, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2015, in Roseburg, Ore., after talking to reporters about her 16-year-old daughter Cheyanne Fitzgerald. Cheyanne... (Associated Press)

 Randy Scroggins, a pastor at New Beginnings Church of God, cries as he talks about is daughter Lacey Scroggins on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2015, in Roseburg, Ore. Scroggins says his daughter Lacey was wounded... (Associated Press)

 This undated photo from a MySpace page that appeared to belong to Chris Harper Mercer shows him holding a rifle. Authorities identified Mercer as the gunman who went on a deadly shooting rampage at Umpqua... (Associated Press)

 Signs calling for prayers and remembrance for those killed in a fatal shooting at Umpqua Community College, are seen on a pair of local businesses, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2015, in Roseburg, Ore. Armed with... (Associated Press)

 Randy Scroggins, a pastor at New Beginnings Church of God, cries in his church Saturday, Oct. 3, 2015, in Roseburg, Ore. Scroggins had just spoke on the phone with the mother of a man who was shot and... (Associated Press)

 Vanessa Becker, chairwoman of the Umpqua Community College Board of Trustees, speaks during a news conference, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2015, in Roseburg, Ore., where she announced that classes would not resume... (Associated Press)

 CORRECTS SPELLING OF CHEYEANNE - Bonnie Schaan attends a news conference about her 16-year-old daughter Cheyeanne Fitzgerald outside Mercy Medical Center, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2015, in Roseburg, Ore. Cheyeanne... (Associated Press)

 A sign in remembrance for those killed in a fatal shooting at Umpqua Community College, is displayed at a local business, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2015, in Roseburg, Ore. Armed with multiple guns, Chris Harper... (Associated Press)

 Douglas County Sheriff John Hanlin speaks during a news conference, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2015, in Roseburg, Ore. Hanlin said that Christopher Harper-Mercer, the gunman that killed nine at Umpqua Community... (Associated Press)

 Vincent Attanasio holds up a sign while performing with the Roseburg High School band Saturday, Oct. 3, 2015, in Roseburg, Ore. The band was collecting donations for for families of the victims of the... (Associated Press)

 Charley Thompson, left, and his wife Rachel Thompson place flowers at a makeshift memorial near the road leading to Umpqua Community College, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2015, in Roseburg, Ore. Armed with multiple... (Associated Press)

 Vincent Attanasio holds up a sign while performing with the Roseburg High School band Saturday, Oct. 3, 2015, in Roseburg, Ore. The band was collecting donations for for families of the victims of the... (Associated Press)

 However, Christopher Sean Harper-Mercer spared a student and gave the "lucky one" something to deliver to authorities, according to the mother of a student who witnessed Thursday's rampage.

 Authorities have not disclosed whether they have an envelope or package from Harper-Mercer, who Douglas County Sheriff John Hanlin said Saturday killed himself as officers arrived. But a law enforcement official said a manifesto of several pages had been recovered.

 Bonnie Schaan, the mother of 16-year-old Cheyeanne Fitzgerald, said she was told by her 16-year-old daughter that the gunman gave someone an envelope and told him to go to a corner of the classroom.

 Harper-Mercer said the person "'was going to be the lucky one,'" Schaan told reporters outside a hospital where her daughter's kidney was removed after she was shot.

 Relatives of other survivors of the shooting that killed nine also said Harper-Mercer gave something to a student in the class.

 Pastor Randy Scroggins, whose 18-year-old daughter Lacey escaped without physical injuries, said she told him that the gunman called to a student, saying: "'Don't worry, you're the one who is going to survive.'"

 Harper-Mercer then told the student that inside the shooter's backpack was "all the information that you'll need, give it to the police," Scroggins said, citing the account by his daughter.

 Scroggins also said his daughter heard the gunman tell one victim he would spare that person's life if the student begged, then shot the begging victim anyway.

 Lacey Scroggins also spoke about students being ordered to crawl to the middle of the room before being shot. Scroggins said his daughter survived because she was lying on the floor and partially covered by the body and blood of a fellow student. The gunman thought Lacey Scroggins was dead as well, stepped over her and shot someone else.

 Randy Scroggins received a phone call from that student's mother while speaking with The Associated Press.

 "He saved my girl. I will forever call your son my hero," he said of 20-year-old Treven Anspach. He told the man's mother he would mention her son during his Sunday church service and ask for prayers. "I'm so sorry for your loss."

 Janet Willis said her granddaughter Anastasia Boylan was wounded in the Thursday attack and pretended to be dead as Harper-Mercer kept firing, killing eight students and a teacher.

 Willis said she visited her 18-year-old granddaughter in a hospital in Eugene, where the sobbing Boylan told her: "'Grandma, he killed my teacher!'"

 Boylan also said the shooter told one student in the writing class to stand in a corner, handed him a package and told him to deliver it to authorities, Willis said.

 The law enforcement official who disclosed the existence of the manifesto did not reveal its contents but described it as an effort to leave a message for law enforcement.

 The official is familiar with the investigation but was not authorized to disclose information and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

 The official said the document was left at the scene of the shooting but wouldn't specify how authorities obtained it.

 Boylan, a freshman at Umpqua Community College, also told her grandmother the gunman asked students about their faith.

 "If they said they were Christian, he shot them in the head," Willis said, citing the account given by her granddaughter.

 However, conflicting reports emerged about Harper-Mercer's words as he shot his victims.

 Stephanie Salas, the mother of Rand McGowan, another student who survived, said she was told by her son that the shooter asked victims whether they were religious but did not specifically target Christians.

 Salas said it was like telling the victims "you're going to be meeting your maker."

 Salas said the gunman told victims "'this won't hurt very long'" before shooting them.

 Law enforcement officials have not given details about what happened in the classroom. However they released a timeline that shows police arrived at the scene six minutes after the first 911 call and exchanged gunfire with the shooter two minutes later.

 Harper-Mercer was enrolled in the class, but officials have not disclosed a possible motive for the killings. In a statement released by authorities, his family said they were "shocked and deeply saddened" by the slayings.

 The dead ranged in age from 18 to 67 in the attack in Roseburg, a rural timber town about 180 miles south of Portland.

 Harper-Mercer wore a flak jacket and brought at least six guns and five ammunition magazines when he went to the campus that morning.

 Oregon's top federal prosecutor said the shooter used a handgun when he opened fire.

 Several years ago, Harper-Mercer moved to Oregon from Torrance, California, with his mother Laurel Harper.

 Harper-Mercer's social media profiles suggested he was fascinated by the Irish Republican Army and frustrated by traditional organized religion.

 Scroggins said he was grateful his daughter survived Harper-Mercer's attack.

 "There's been a lot of emotion," he said. "But others don't get their children back."

 ___

 Contributing to this report are Associated Press writers Jonathan J. Cooper and Rachel La Corte in Portland; and Rebecca Boone in Boise, Idaho. ||||| Despite Mr. Harper-Mercer’s online interest in high-profile shootings and neighbors’ memories of him as an enthusiastic gun collector who frequently went target shooting with his mother, the gunman’s father told CNN he did not know his son owned guns.

 Mr. Harper-Mercer’s parents divorced a decade ago, and he had lived with his mother. The father said he had not seen his son since he and his mother, Laurel Harper, moved to Oregon about two years ago, but said there was no “disharmony or any bitterness” between him and his son.

 Adding a raw, personal voice to the debate over gun control in the wake of this latest mass shooting, he said the United States needed to tighten gun laws.

 “It has to change,” he said. “How can it not? Even people that believe in the right to bear arms, what right do you have to take someone’s life?” He would not discuss his son’s mental health issues, deferring to the police investigation. “Obviously, someone who goes and kills nine people has to have some kind of issue,” he said.

 Standing on his lawn, Mr. Mercer said the shooting had devastated his family. “But we’re not alone in this,” he said. “My heart goes out to all the families that were affected by this.”

 His interview came on the same afternoon that relatives of one of the students wounded in his son’s rampage also stepped in front of the microphones, here outside the front doors of Mercy Medical Center in Roseburg.

 Image Christopher Harper-Mercer Credit Associated Press.

 Bonnie Schaan, the mother of Cheyeanne Fitzgerald, said that her daughter had been shot in the back during the massacre in her classroom. Tears welled up in her eyes as she explained that a bullet had clipped her daughter’s lung and lodged in one of her kidneys, which had to be removed. Cheyeanne, 16, a nursing student, remains in intensive care.

 Mr. Harper-Mercer asked the young woman about her religion, according to her aunt, Colleen Fitzgerald, but “she didn’t answer.” Instead, Cheyeanne played dead next to her friend, Anastasia Boylan, a student who was also shot. Ms. Schaan said that her daughter did not know Mr. Harper-Mercer. After hearing the news about the shooting on campus, Ms. Schaan said she texted her daughter and said, “I’m on my way to school.” Instead she went to the hospital.

 Cheyeanne has begun to talk with her father about the ordeal, Ms. Schaan said. Now, even a chair being moved unsettles her. Her mother added, “She’s mentioned all the blood.”

 Dr. Jason Gray, the chief medical officer at Mercy Medical Center, said only two victims were still in the hospital. One was in critical condition and the other in fair condition. They were expected to be released in two to five days.

 The hospital treated seven victims in total, Dr. Gray said. Two were released Thursday, four went into surgery and one died in the emergency department. Three other people were being treated for wounds at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend in the town of Springfield.

 On Friday, about 300 people showed up at Mercy Medical Center to donate blood, Dr. Gray said. The hospital set up a donation station nearby to handle the crowd. |||||

 The family of Oregon community college shooter Christopher Sean Harper-Mercer released a statement Saturday, saying they are “shocked and deeply saddened by the horrific events,” which resulted in 10 deaths, including that of their son.

 “Our thoughts, our hearts and our prayers go out to all of the families of those who died and were injured,” the statement read, according to multiple news outlets.

 Authorities say police officers arrived on the scene six minutes after receiving the first 911 call about the shooting, the Associated Press reports, and officers exchanged gunfire with the shooter two minutes later. Douglas County Sheriff John Hanlin said Saturday that the medical examiner’s office also determined that Mercer killed himself, according to the AP.

 Mercer, who killed nine people at Umpqua Community College also left a “manifesto” for authorities, but the AP says officials did not reveal what was in it.

 The police have yet to release a possible motive for the killings.

 Read More:

 Oregon Sheriff Shared Sandy Hook Conspiracy Theory Online

 Relatives Mourn Oregon Shooting Victims: ‘Our Lives Are Shattered Beyond Repair’

 Oregon Shooter Was Army Dropout |||||
What is a summary?

– Details are emerging on the grisly mass murder at an Oregon college—including reports that the shooter gave one "lucky" student a message for authorities before killing nine people and taking his own life, reports the AP. Gunman Christopher Harper-Mercer handed over an envelope and said that student "'was going to be the lucky one,'" according to the mother of a student who was shot and wounded in the spree. A pastor whose 18-year-old daughter wasn't injured told a similar story, with the gunman saying, "'Don't worry, you're the one who is going to survive,'" while the grandmother of a survivor said the "lucky" student was told to stand in a corner with the package. Authorities haven't confirmed, but one law enforcement source says a pages-long manifesto has been found. The pastor, Randy Scroggins, relayed other stories from his daughter—about how Harper-Mercer told one student to beg for her life but shot her anyway, and shot other students after telling them to crawl along the floor. Scroggins says his daughter only survived because another student's blood and body was lying on top of her. "He saved my girl," he said after talking to that student's mother. "I will forever call your son my hero." Other reports have Harper-Mercer targeting students in the writing class for being either Christian or religious. Meanwhile, the gunman's family released a statement saying they were "shocked and deeply saddened by the horrific events," Time reports, and the father said a change in gun laws could prevent future tragedies, the New York Times reports.


Saudi media fall for Obama Muslim joke

 RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — When a US satirist joked that President Barack Obama will admit to Congress that he is Muslim in his latest compromise with Republicans, Saudi media took it seriously.

 On Friday the online version of Al-Hayat newspaper and the prominent news website Sabq.org both reported straightforwardly humourist Andy Borowitz's column that began:

 "In his latest effort to find common ground with Republicans in Congress, President Barack Obama said today that he was willing to agree that he is a Muslim.

 "In agreeing that he is a Muslim, Mr. Obama is sending a clear signal that he is trying to find consensus," Borowitz said in the column posted on the Huffington Post and The Borowitz Report websites this week.

 Both Al-Hayat, one of the Middle East's most influential newspapers, and Sabq, believed to be controlled by the Saudi interior ministry, apparently missed the joke.

 "Obama doesn't mind coming out as a Muslim if that will satisfy the Republicans," the Al-Hayat headline said.

 "Obama: 'I'm ready to announce that I am a Muslim,'" led Sabq.

 Both repeated Borowitz's "quote" of Obama saying:" My place of birth has been, and will always be, negotiable."

 "White House sources indicated today that the president might be willing to meet the GOP (Grand Old Party -- the Republicans) halfway on his birthplace and say that he was born in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean," Borowitz joked,

 Despite Obama repeatedly saying he is Christian, because his native-Kenyan father was born a Muslim, and because his middle name is Hussein, many Muslims and even some US Republicans suspect he is secretly Muslim.

 Copyright © 2012 AFP. All rights reserved. More » ||||| WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report) -- In his latest effort to find common ground with Republicans in Congress, President Barack Obama said today that he was willing to agree that he is a Muslim.

 Differences over his religious orientation have been a sore point between the president and his Republican foes for the past two years, but in agreeing that he is a Muslim, Mr. Obama is sending a clear signal that he is trying to find consensus.

 "The American people do not want to see us fighting in Washington," Mr. Obama told reporters at the White House. "They want to see us working together to improve their lives, and Allah willing, we will."

 But Mr. Obama's willingness to back down on his claim of being a Christian does not seem to have satisfied his Republican opposition, as GOP leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) today insisted that the President must also agree that he was born in Kenya.

 While Mr. Obama did not immediately agree to Rep. Bohener's demand, he hinted that yet another compromise might be in the offing: "My place of birth has been, and will always be, negotiable."

 White House sources indicated today that the president might be willing to meet the GOP halfway on his birthplace and say that he was born in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.

 Elsewhere, moments after his capture in London, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said, "I knew I shouldn't have signed up for Foursquare." More here.

 The Los Angeles Times says Andy Borowitz has "one of the funniest Twitter feeds around." Follow Andy on Twitter here. |||||
What is a one-paragraph summary of the above article?

– Sarcasm doesn't always translate well. When satirist Andy Borowitz wrote this column at the Huffington Post headlined "In Latest Compromise With GOP, Obama Agrees He Is a Muslim," the Saudi media utterly missed the joke. A respected newspaper, Al-Hayat, and website, Sabq.org, reported it as straight news, notes AFP. "Obama doesn't mind coming out as a Muslim if that will satisfy the Republicans," read the newspaper's headline, while the website went with, "Obama: 'I'm ready to announce that I am a Muslim.'" If only they'd read to the bottom of Borowitz's column, the "quote" attributed to Julian Assange after his arrest—"I knew I shouldn't have signed up for Foursquare"—might have tipped them off that the whole thing was joke. Or maybe not.


Article:
Whose Virtual Stock Has Gone Up This Week?

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 The Dow is up for the third day in a row. Hurrah! But rather than bore you with talk of retail returns, we thought we'd take a look at something much more fun. Whose personal stock, literally and figuratively, got a boost this week? Here at PopEater, we are obsessed with the ups and downs of fame. And these days, there are so many ways folks can use fame and celebrity to increase their value in the media marketplace. Whether it was sponsoring a beauty pageant for Tiger Woods' mistresses, hopping on Conan's Twitter bandwagon or the unfortunate passing of a close friend, here are the folks who increased their value on the fame industrial average this week. The Dow is up for the third day in a row. Hurrah! But rather than bore you with talk of retail returns, we thought we'd take a look at something much more fun. Whose personal stock, literally and figuratively, got a boost this week? Here at PopEater, we are obsessed with the ups and downs of fame. And these days, there are so many ways folks can use fame and celebrity to increase their value in the media marketplace. Whether it was sponsoring a beauty pageant for Tiger Woods' mistresses, hopping on Conan's Twitter bandwagon or the unfortunate passing of a close friend, here are the folks who increased their value on the fame industrial average this week.

 -- If you hadn't heard of AshleyMadison before this week, you probably know their name now. They're a Web site designed for people looking to have an affair. In a fit of branding genius, they put up the $100,000 prize for Howard Stern's Miss Mistress Pageant this week, and according to founder Noel Biderman that investment has translated into "millions of dollars of free advertising." Comparing the 55 days prior to the announcement that AshleyMadison would be sponsoring the pageant and the 55 days following the announcement, those crazy number crunchers at AshleyMadison estimate they have realized a 22% increase in revenue and a 27% increase in site membership. Thank you Tiger, yet again you've contributed to the weakening of the marital union.-- Let's call this one the Six Degrees of Conan O'Brien. We have all heard the story of Sarah Killen, whose life has been forever made more awesome by Conan O'Brien's decision to make her the one person he follows on Twitter. Prior to Conan shaking up her life, Killen had been struggling to figure out how to pay for her wedding. Those worries are now out the window -- she has been gifted with the wedding of her dreams, as sponsors have hopped on the Conan bandwagon and offered Killen free rings, wine, shoes and the most important of all wedding day items, the dress. Enter NYC dressmaker Kelima K, who has given Sarah a dress in return for Sarah promoting their favorite charity, The Children's Hunger Fund. The kids win and now Kelima K has become one of this season's most sought after dressmakers. Not bad for three degrees of Conan separation.-- Is it too soon to bring this up? Probably. The death of Corey Haim is a tragedy. He was taken from us much too soon. The two Coreys have been close since puberty -- when they both experienced the roller coaster ride of making it big young and flaming out early. Feldman is the obvious celebrity choice to publicly mourn and remember Haim, but it bears mentioning that no one has paid this much attention to Feldman since his twenties. Now, everyone's been clamoring for a sit-down with Feldman. He gave the first to Larry King, telling the talk show host that Haim had died destitute and couldn't even afford to own a car. Not exactly the kind of glowing eulogy you'd want to hear from your best friend. So Feldman's stock has gone up this week due to unhappy circumstances. Now, we just have to wait and see if he continues to try to capitalize. ||||| Exclusive: Student shocked by fame over Twitter link to Kanye West

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 A TEENAGER catapulted to fame by megastar rapper Kanye West has spoken exclusively to the Coventry Telegraph about his bizarre moment in the spotlight.

 Despite having nearly 400,000 followers on social networking website Twitter, American A-list celebrity West is following only one – 19-year-old Steve Holmes of Eastern Green.

 West, an award-winning rapper and hip-hop producer, mysteriously selected Steve before sending him a message reading: “You are the chosen one. Dun dun dun.”

 On Twitter, people who “follow” you – whether friends or strangers – can see updates you leave on your account, and if you follow them back you can exchange messages.

 But since gaining the star’s seal of approval on Saturday night, student Steve has been inundated with admiring, jealous and strange messages from fans, journalists and wannabe celebrities across the globe.

 He told the Coventry Telegraph: “I just commented on something on Kanye West’s account and next thing I know he’s following me.

 “I was like, “Oh my God!”, but about 20 seconds later I had 20 messages from people I didn’t even know and my phone wouldn’t stop bleeping.”

 In two hours Steve’s followers rocketed from 60 to more than 1,000.

 To try and get some peace Steve deleted the Twitter application from his iPhone, but it hasn’t stopped people worldwide trying to track him down through other social networking sites, like Facebook. ||||| When Conan O’Brien randomly started following Sarah Killen’s Twitter page (@LovelyButton) she got nearly 19,000 followers, a new iMac, a free wedding gown, gratis wedding rings, $2,600 in donations for her cancer walk, and the chance to meet Ludacris. In return, Sarah is inviting Conan to her wedding. “My fiance wants Conan to be his best man,” she said. “That would be really cool. And hey, if he wants us to come on his show, we’d get married on there. That would be fantastic.” Guess she’s not that big of a fan if she hasn’t heard that there isn’t a show anymore? [Gawker]

 Twitter has done some crazy things to our world. Nerds have become popular and we know more about strangers than our closest friends thanks to the constant updates of their mundane thoughts. And it’s also set the celebrity world a bit topsy-turvy. Here are just a few of those who’ve been plucked from obscurity and thrust into Twitter greatness. |||||Summary:

– The random woman Conan O’Brien decided to follow on Twitter got a new computer, donations to her cancer walk, and the wedding of her dreams. The random guy Kanye West decided to follow on Twitter just got…annoyed. “Before this weekend I thought it would be cool to have a celebrity following me on Twitter but now I think it’s really not worth it,” 19-year-old Steve Holmes tells the Coventry Telegraph. “It’s crazy. I’m getting messages from people I don’t even know.” His followers jumped from 60 to more than 6,000 and his iPhone “wouldn’t stop bleeping,” so he deleted the Twitter application from it. “A guy wanted me to look at his film trailer and people have been sending me links to their music demos—as if I have some sort of influence over Kanye West,” Holmes says. He’s turned down interviews with outlets including the BBC and CNN, and recently tweeted that he won’t be speaking to any more press.


Article:

Rupert Murdoch (center) attempts to speak to the media after he held a meeting with the parents and sister of murdered school girl Milly Dowler in London, Friday, July 15, 2011. / AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth

 Last Updated 2:30 p.m. ET

 LONDON  Rupert Murdoch met with the family of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler, whose phone was hacked by the now-defunct tabloid News of the World, and offered "a full and sincere apology," a lawyer for the family said.

 Revelations that journalists had accessed Dowler's phone in search of information for news stories while her family and the police searched in vain for the missing girl - later found dead - inflamed the long-simmering phone hacking scandal involving Murdoch's News of the World, which was shut down last week.

 Dowler family lawyer Mark Lewis said Murdoch appeared humbled and had offered "a heartfelt and what seemed to be a very sincere apology, telling them that the events that transpired at the tabloid were not in keeping with the standards set out when his own father entered the media industry.

 "I don't think somebody could have held their head in their hands so many times and said that they were sorry," Lewis said.

 The 80-year-old mogul emerged from the meeting at a London hotel to catcalls of "shame on you" from hecklers. He said that "as founder of the company I was appalled to find out what had happened and I apologized."

 Murdoch's tone was dramatically different to that in an interview published Thursday in the Wall Street Journal, in which he said the company had made only "minor mistakes" and had handled the crisis "extremely well in every way possible."

 Murdoch added that he was "getting annoyed" at all the negative headlines.

 Rebekah Brooks resigns amid hacking scandal

 Hacking scandal casts light on Murdoch politics

 Special section: Murdoch in crisis

 The meeting came hours after Murdoch released a copy of an apology that will be printed this weekend in British newspapers.

 The ad signed by Murdoch says News International is "deeply sorry for the hurt" caused to phone-hacking victims. It adds that, "we regret not acting faster to sort things out."

 Above: Sally Dowler (left), Gemma Dowler and Bob Dowler walk from the One Aldwych Hotel as their attorney Mark Lewis (right) looks on, after meeting with News Corp. Chairman Rupert Murdoch, July 15, 2011 in London. (Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images)

 Also today, the head of Murdoch's British newspaper operation resigned, becoming the highest-ranking casualty yet in the phone-hacking scandal roiling Britain.

 BBC News quotes Dowler attorney Lewis as calling the resignation of Rebekah Brooks - editor of the newspaper at the time - as "poetic justice."

 Brooks, chief executive of Murdoch's embattled U.K. newspapers and his loyal lieutenant, resigned today. As she departed, Murdoch's son James signaled a new strategy for dealing with the storm that has knocked billions off the value of News Corp., scuttled its ambitions to take full control of lucrative British Sky Broadcasting, and radically changed the power balance between U.K. politicians and the feared Murdoch press.

 A new chief executive untainted by the U.K. problems, Tom Mockridge, 55, was installed to replace Brooks at News International, the local unit of Rupert Murdoch's global News Corp. media empire. Mockridge, a New Zealander who has served as a spokesman for the Australian government, joined News Corp. in 1991 and has been in charge of Sky Italia since 2003.

 The moves come after News Corp. brought in Edelman Communications to help with public relations and lobbying.

 But with two U.K. police investigations running as well as an FBI review into the possible hacking of the phones of 9/11 victims, it remains far from clear what happened, what may yet be revealed or which of the proliferating allegations of wrongdoing circulating among Britain's papers is really true.

 Murdoch had defended the 43-year-old Brooks in the face of demands from British politicians that she step down, and had previously refused to accept her resignation. He made an abrupt switch, however, as News Corp. struggled but failed to contain the crisis.

 BNET: Murdoch Dumps Loyal Lieutenant  Next Step: Redemption!

 Brooks was editor of the News of the World tabloid between 2000 and 2003, when the paper's employees allegedly hacked into the phone of 13-year-old murder victim Milly Dowler in 2002 as police searched for her, potentially interfering with the police investigation.

 That report last week provoked outrage far beyond any previous revelations of snooping on celebrities, politicians and athletes. In quick succession, Murdoch closed the 168-year-old News of the World and abandoned his bid for full BSkyB ownership. Prime Minister David Cameron then appointed a judge to conduct a sweeping inquiry into criminal activity at the paper and in the British media.

 Brooks said the debate over her position as CEO of News International  the British arm of News Corp.  was now too much of a distraction.

 "I have believed that the right and responsible action has been to lead us through the heat of the crisis. However my desire to remain on the bridge has made me a focal point of the debate," Brooks said in an email Friday to colleagues that was released by News International. "This is now detracting attention from all our honest endeavors to fix the problems of the past."

 Yet Brooks hinted last week that there was more to come.

 "We have more visibility perhaps with what we can see coming our way than you guys can," she told staff at News of the World as they prepared their last edition.

 "I am tied by the criminal investigation but I think in a year's time, every single one of you in this room might come up and say 'OK, well, I see what she saw now,"' she said, according to a recording obtained by Sky News.

 The comments Friday by James Murdoch, who heads the international operations of the New York-based News Corp., were an abrupt shift in tone from an interview his father gave Thursday to The Wall Street Journal  another Murdoch paper. Rupert Murdoch had said that News Corp. management had handled the crisis "extremely well in every way possible" save for a few "minor mistakes."

 Brooks has been in charge of News International's four  now three  British newspapers since 2007, following a four-year stint as editor of the market-leading daily tabloid, The Sun. Just a week ago, she faced 200 angry employees at the News of the World who had lost their jobs as she kept hers when Murdoch shut down the paper.

 The news of her resignation was greeted with relief by British politicians.

 "It is right that Rebekah Brooks has finally taken responsibility for the terrible events that happened on her watch, like the hacking of Milly Dowler's phone," said opposition Labour Party leader Ed Miliband. "No one in this country should exercise power without responsibility."

 Cameron, who had called for Brooks to step down, said she had made "the right decision," said Steve Field, the prime minister's spokesman.

 Saudi Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal Alsaud, the second-largest News Corp. stockholder, told the BBC on Thursday that if Brooks were found to be implicated in wrongdoing by the newspapers "for sure she has to go. "

 Brooks has agreed to answer questions next week from a U.K. parliamentary committee. Rupert and James Murdoch initially resisted, but also agreed to appear after the committee issued formal summonses to them.

 Being hauled before a hostile group of legislators marks a rapid change of fortune for the 80-year-old Murdoch, long accustomed to being courted by prime ministers and other politicians scared of provoking the wrath of his editors.

 "Murdoch is like a beast or a god. He can attack you and destroy you or he can give you great power and glory," Lord Maurice Glasman said Friday in a House of Lords debate. "He was outside the constraints, outside of law. He makes and breaks kings."

 British police have arrested seven people in their investigation of phone hacking, and two others in a parallel investigation of alleged bribery of police officers for information. Police say they have recovered a list of 3,700 names  regarded as potential victims  but so far have been in touch with fewer than 200 people.

 News Corp. shares were down 1.3 percent at $15.78 in early New York trading. ||||| Murdoch Tells Dowler's Family: 'I'm Sorry'

 Rupert Murdoch has apologised personally to Milly Dowler's family over claims the murdered girl's voicemails were accessed illegally by the News Of The World.

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 It is alleged the Sunday tabloid hacked into the teenager's mobile after she was abducted in 2002, when Rebekah Brooks was editor.

 Messages were deleted to make room for more recordings, it is claimed, and this gave the family false hope that she was still alive.

 Mrs Brooks has resigned as News International chief executive after coming under increasing pressure since the allegations about Milly's phone emerged a couple of weeks ago.

 Mrs Brooks denies any knowledge of the alleged wrongdoing.

 And the scandal has claimed another senior executive at News Corporation.

 Les Hinton, who worked for the company for 52 years, has stepped down as chief executive officer of Dow Jones & Company.

 He worked at News International from 1995 until 2007 when he told the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee he had not seen any evidence the hacking had spread beyond one rogue journalist.

 Meanwhile, an apology written by Mr Murdoch over the phone hacking scandal will appear in national newspapers on Saturday.

 Apology from Rupert Murdoch over hacking scandal

 He had called the meeting with the Dowlers and the family's lawyer Mark Lewis at a London hotel.

 Speaking afterwards about the Milly claims, Mr Murdoch told reporters: "I was appalled about what had happened and I apologise."

 Mr Lewis said: "He [Mr Murdoch] was humbled to give a full and sincere apology to the Dowler family.

 "The Dowler family told him that his papers should lead the way to set the standards of honesty and decency in the field, and not what had gone on before.

 "At the end of the day, actions are going to speak louder than words."

 Mr Lewis also said Mr Murdoch "apologised many times" and "had his head in his hands".

 Mrs Brooks and Rupert and James Murdoch

 The hacking claims have centred on the now closed-down News Of The World (NOTW), which was published by News International (NI), the UK subsidiary of News Corp, and officers say around 4,000 people could have been targeted.

 In his letter of apology, Mr Murdoch writes: "We are deeply sorry for the serious wrongdoing that occurred.

 "We are deeply sorry for the hurt suffered by the individuals affected. We regret not acting faster to sort things out.

 "I realise that simply apologising is not enough.

 "In the coming days, as we take further concrete steps to resolve these issues and make amends for the damage they have caused, you will hear more from us."

 Among the hacking allegations are that the NOTW could have illegally accessed the phones of 7/7 victims' families as well as relatives of dead soldiers.

 And the FBI has said it is investigating claims News Corp journalists tried to hack into the phones of 9/11 victims.

 In a statement Les Hinton said: "I have watched with sorrow from New York as the News of the World story has unfolded.

 "I have seen hundreds of news reports of both actual and alleged misconduct during the time I was executive chairman of News International and responsible for the company.

 "The pain caused to innocent people is unimaginable."

 Les Hinton with Mr Murdoch, Mrs Brooks and Mr Coulson

 Mr Murdoch praised Mr Hinton's "extraordinary work" and said: "Les and I have been on a remarkable journey together for more than 52 years.

 "That this passage has come to an unexpected end, professionally, not personally, is a matter of much sadness to me."

 Earlier Mrs Brooks admitted she had become a "focal point of the debate" and had to quit to avoid distracting attention from her company's efforts to "fix the problems of the past".

 The former Sun and NOTW editor, 43, said she was "sorry for what we now know to have taken place".

 Her resignation came despite Mr Murdoch describing her as his first priority when he flew to London last Sunday to take charge of the crisis in his media empire.

 Labour MP Tom Watson: 'Brooks had to go'

 Meanwhile, Mrs Brooks' successor at the paper, Andy Coulson, stayed as a guest of the Prime Minister at Chequers in March, several weeks after his resignation as David Cameron's communications chief, Sky sources say.

 Mr Coulson was arrested last week by police investigating alleged phone hacking at the publication. He was questioned and later released on bail.

 Mrs Brooks received hospitality at Chequers twice last year, once in June and again in August.

 In recent weeks, the share prices of News Corp, the parent company of NI, and BSkyB have fallen amid the scandal.

 News Corp has withdrawn its bid to take full ownership of the broadcaster after the proposed deal was criticised by politicians.

 Police are continuing their investigations into alleged hacking and there will be a public inquiry led by judge Lord Justice Leveson.

 Meanwhile, NI has denied completely a legal action by Jude Law against The Sun alleging that four articles published in 2005 and 2006 were based on information derived from illegal voicemail interception.

 On Friday night the actor issued a statement through his lawyers Atkins Thomson confirming the action.

 It said: "News International have put out a statement about a claim brought by Jude Law, which is currently before the court.

 "We have no comment to make about this claim which will be considered by the court in due course."

 News International said in a statement: "We believe this is a deeply cynical and deliberately mischievous attempt to draw The Sun into the phone-hacking issue.

 "The allegations made in this claim have been carefully investigated by our lawyers and the evidence shows that they have no foundation whatsoever."

 Law is already taking action against the News of the World and the case will be heard in January at the High Court.

 Sky's political editor Adam Boulton said of Mrs Brooks' resignation: "It doesn't change any of News Corp's legal problems.

 "It's probably too late for the sacrifices - last week the NOTW and today Rebekah Brooks - to stop any of the inquiries: the criminal inquiries, the public inquiries or the investigations in the United States."

 Mrs Brooks is due to appear before MPs on the Commons Culture Committee next Tuesday where she is expected to face tough questions about hacking allegations at the paper, which was closed at the weekend.

 Also giving evidence will be Rupert Murdoch and his son News International chairman James Murdoch, who both bowed to pressure after previously saying they were unavailable to attend on that day.

 Labour leader Ed Miliband had been calling for Mrs Brooks to quit, and last week David Cameron said he would have accepted her resignation if she stood down.

 In reaction to her leaving her job, the Prime Minister thought her resignation was "the right decision", his official spokesman has said.

 Plenty of former News Of The World journalists think if she had resigned a week ago they would still be in a job. Sky's political correspondent Peter Spencer

 Mrs Brooks announced she was going in an internal email to staff at the company, which also publishes The Times and Sunday Times.

 In response James Murdoch said: "I want to thank her for her 22 years of service to the company.

 "She has been one of the outstanding editors of her generation and she can be proud of many accomplishments as an executive. We support her as she takes this step to clear her name."

 Chairman of the Commons Culture Committee John Whittingdale said he believed her resignation had been "inevitable".

 Tom Mockridge is Mrs Brooks' successor at News International

 "I think this is the right decision. I think many people expected it to come rather sooner, but I think her position was extremely difficult," he told Sky News.

 Another committee member, Labour MP Tom Watson, who has been a leading critic over the phone-hacking scandal, said the spotlight would now shift to James Murdoch.

 He told Sky News: "Her departure will now move the focus onto James Murdoch and what he knew about authorising payments to buy the silence of hacking victims."

 Tom Mockridge, the chief executive of Sky Italia, has been named as her successor.

 James Murdoch praised him as "a highly respected and accomplished media executive", who had shown "leadership and integrity" in creating the 24-hour TV news channel in Italy.

 :: Brooks 'should have gone sooner'

 :: Brooks - from teenage hack to media mogul

 :: Read full resignation statement by Brooks |||||
What is a summary?

– Rupert Murdoch has taken a step toward convincing the world he is, in fact, a human being. The embattled media mogul has apologized to the family of Milly Dowler, the schoolgirl murdered in 2002 whose phone was allegedly hacked by Murdoch's News of the World. He met with the family in a London hotel, and will also publish an apology to all the phone hacking victims in British newspapers this weekend, reports CBS News. "I don't think somebody could have held their head in their hands so many times and said that they were sorry," says the family's lawyer of Murdoch. After Dowler went missing, the tabloid allegedly broke into her voicemail, mistakenly leading her family to believe she was still alive, Sky News reports. The family "told him that his papers should lead the way to set the standards of honesty and decency in the field, and not what had gone on before," the lawyer continues. "At the end of the day, actions are going to speak louder than words."