George Zimmerman Says He Was Punched in FL Restaurant After Talking About Trayvon Martin


\George Zimmerman told police he was punched in the face Sunday night at a restaurant in Sanford, Florida, while explaining to fellow diners that he shot Trayvon Martin in self-defense, according to a police report released by the Seminole County Sheriff's Office.
While witnesses claim in the police report that Zimmerman bragged that he shot Martin, Zimmerman said in the report that he was not bragging, but trying to explain he shot Martin self-defense.
Zimmerman shot 17-year-old Martin on February 26, 2012, while on neighborhood watch duty. He was charged with second-degree murder but was acquitted after he was found not guilty by a jury on July 13, 2013.
Zimmerman arrived at Gators Riverside Grill Sunday night to place a takeout order when he complimented a patron's tattoos, he told police. When the man asked Zimmerman to "prove" that he was "the one" who shot Martin, Zimmerman pulled out his driver's license and began to explain that he shot Martin in self defense, according to its report.
As Zimmerman spoke to the tattooed individual, another man, identified by police as Eddie, asked Zimmerman if he was "bragging" about shooting Martin, the police report reads. Zimmerman replied no, the continues. Eddie later punched Zimmerman in the face after telling him to "get the f*** out" of the restaurant twice, despite Zimmerman stating that he wasn't looking for trouble, according to the police report.
ABCNEWS

In private conference call, top Clinton aide says Trump is ‘tripping on himself’


Several staffers from Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton’s campaign held an invitation-only conference call with 1,000 current and former aides to President Barack Obama on Wednesday night. During the “off-the-record” conversation, Clinton’s director of states and political engagement, Marlon Marshal, discussed Republican nominee Donald Trump’s tendency to “spout off at the mouth” and its effect on the race.
“Obviously, I don’t need to tell you all Donald Trump is kind of tripping on himself right now and continues to say just things that no one running for no one should say, period. But particularly if you’re running for the office of president of the United States,” Marshall said in an apparent reference to recent remarks Trump has made that drew criticism in the media and among members of the Republican party.
Yahoo News listened to the call, which featured Marshall and other staffers discussing Clinton’s plans for the next month and her challenges with wooing young voters. At multiple points during the call, Clinton’s relentlessly cheerful staff asked the Obama alumni to use weeks of their vacation time to become what they called “Clinton closers” and volunteer for the campaign in the final months of the election.
Marshall warned that Clinton supporters “have a lot of work to do” to ensure victory even though Trump continually courts controversy.
“Those thoughts and those statements are just not worthy of the office,” Marshall said of Trump’s comments. “That being said, this election, we cannot just leave it to Donald Trump’s mouth to assume this election is all said and done.”
The conference was declared “off the record and not for press purposes,” and was reportedly intended for people who were Obama administration staffers, appointees and people who worked on the president’s 2008 and 2012 campaign staff.
Marshall said a major purpose of the call was to generate a “sense of urgency” and prevent complacency among Clinton supporters.
“I think sometimes when, you know, you see some of the craziness from the other side, it’s like, ‘Oh, OK, you know, Hillary should win,’” Marshall said. “We cannot be deterred from doing the organizing that we need to be successful. We want to engage all of you in getting involved in that organization.”
Lauren Crawford, the campaign’s director of expansion state programs came on next and detailed ways the conference call listeners could volunteer for Clinton. Given their experience working for Obama, Crawford said the people on the call would be “super vols.” She encouraged them to phone bank and to travel to battleground states, but she said the biggest way to help would be as a “Clinton Closer.”
“We’re here because you’re the all-stars and you’re going to go above and beyond. … We’re asking you to take time off that you can in October and November,” Crawford explained.
Crawford said the listeners would get a “follow-up email” where they could sign up to join the “Clinton Closer” volunteer program.
“That’s someone who can take two, three, four weeks. I mean, I might even ask for six if you’re feeling, you know, ambitious. Someone who can go into any of our states [to] really help,” Crawford said.
Another staffer later encouraged the people on the call to “make sure you have saved up some vacation time” to volunteer for Clinton in the fall.
Marshall also pointed out that the Clinton campaign is “hiring” for paid positions. He offered the listeners a preview of the campaign’s plans for August and said it would be an “economic month,” with Clinton and her running mate, Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, traveling the country and “driving home our economic message.” Marshall said this would include outlining Clinton’s economic platform and attacking Trump for some of his businesses that sell products that aren’t made in America.
“Sometimes, he can spout off at the mouth for certain things, but people also think he’s a successful business person,” Marshall said of Trump. “We’re going to remind voters more of the economy that Hillary Clinton wants to build as president of the United States. But also, Trump’s success really comes at the expense of others. … He talks about ‘Made in America’ or ‘Make America Great Again.’ That should start with the things that he has that he sells, which are actually made in other countries.”
At the end of the call the Clinton staffers took questions. One came from Kal Penn, an actor best known for his role in the “Harold & Kumar” stoner comedies, who has also worked in the Obama White House as an associate director of public engagement. Penn said he was personally getting “a lot of questions from folks about youth vote.”
“They were feeling like … the anti-Trump stuff wasn’t really working with young people,” Penn said.
The youth vote is a major concern for the Clinton campaign. Clinton’s primary rival, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, earned more votes among 18 to 29-year-olds. Trump polls well with younger men.
Penn said the “folks” asking him about the election were looking for “talking points” about things Clinton has achieved that would appeal to Obama supporters. According to Penn, the various people talking to him about the race felt positive messages about Clinton were more persuasive than attacks on Trump.
“They wanted to know what are some good resources to sort of talk about Sen. Clinton’s successes tied into the Obama stuff,” said Penn.
Marshall responded by noting Clinton has “a whole millennial/youth outreach team” and there are “some folks who we’ve added who were on Sen. Sanders’ team.” He also addressed Penn’s critique of “anti-Trump” messaging.
“Obviously there’s a lot of reasons why someone should not, in my opinion, support Donald Trump,” Marshall said. “I think everyone on this call probably agrees with that. We also know that we’re not going to win the election by just saying why Donald Trump would be a bad president, but we need to and will continue to make the case of … why Hillary Clinton would make a fantastic president.”
Marshall directed Penn to Clinton’s website to find policies that might appeal to young voters. Lierman specifically cited Clinton’s “college affordability plan.”
The call closed with Clinton staffers breaking into loud cheers.
“Whoooo! Yeah! Whoooo! Please Believe! Yeah!”
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to clarify which Clinton campaign staffers were involved in organizing the conference call.
Yahoo NEWS

Egypt 'kills head of Islamic State's Sinai branch'

The Egyptian military says it has killed the head of the Sinai branch of so-called Islamic State (IS), along with dozens of its fighters.
It said Abu Duaa al-Ansari was killed in a series of air strikes on fighters of the Sinai Province - or Ansar Beit al-Maqdis - group.
The air strikes targeted jihadist strongholds near the town of El-Arish.
Sinai Province is Egypt's most active insurgent group and has been linked to deadly attacks in Sinai and Cairo.
The Egyptian military said: "The raids left more than 45 terrorists killed, dozens of others injured and several arms caches destroyed."
Brig-Gen Mohammed Samir said in a posting on Facebook that Ansari was killed in an operation guided by "accurate intelligence".
The posting did not say when the operation was carried out.
The air strikes were on southern and south-western areas of El-Arish, the largest town in northern Sinai.
The jihadist group, which has been active in the Sinai peninsula since 2011, has not commented on the army's statement.

Video threat

Islamist militancy has risen in Egypt since the army deposed President Mohammed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood in 2013.

Sinai Province: Egypt's most dangerous insurgents

  • Originally called Ansar Beit al-Maqdis (Supporters of Jerusalem), but changed its name after it pledged allegiance to so-called Islamic State in November 2014
  • Began with rocket attacks on Israel but refocused on targeting Egyptian security forces after the removal of President Morsi
  • Its aim is thought to be to take control of the Sinai peninsula to turn it into an Islamist province
  • Deadliest attacks include killing of 33 security personnel in North Sinai in October 2014
  • The number of active members is believed to be between 1,000 and 1,500
  • Believed to have cells in Cairo, Giza and the Western Desert

A recent survey conducted by London-based Al-Araby al-Jadid news website said the group had carried out more than 31 attacks in various areas across Sinai within just a two-week period in March 2016.
The group is also a prolific producer of propaganda videos.
On Wednesday, a video said to be from the IS Sinai affiliate issued a rare direct threat to 
Israel, saying it would soon "pay a high price".

BBC NEWS

An Israeli soldier faces a murder charge after two Palestinians were shot dead in the West Bank.




An Israeli soldier has been arrested after being captured on video allegedly shooting a Palestinian knifeman who was lying injured on the ground following an attempt to kill troops.
The Israeli army said the incident took place in the West Bank city of Hebron after two Palestinians stabbed and wounded an Israeli soldier, adding that troops then shot and killed the pair.
Ramzi Al-Qasarawi and Abdel-Fattah Al-Sharif, both 21, were identified as the Palestinians who were shot and pictured lying on the ground after the attack. 

Footage filmed by a bystander showed one of the two assailants lying on the ground following the stabbing, barely moving.
As Israeli ambulances arrived and soldiers milled around, one soldier appeared to take aim with his weapon and shoot a round into the head of the Palestinian lying on the ground.
The man's body jerked and blood could be seen streaming from his head. Israeli military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Peter Lerner called the incident a ‘grave breach’ of army values.


Military police have detained the soldier, which Lt Col Lerner called an ‘extraordinary’ measure, and are investigating the incident. The military said the investigation began before the video surfaced.
An Israeli hospital spokesman said the soldier in yesterday’s attack was in a stable condition and initial checks showed he had sustained light injuries.
A statement from the Israeli military said: 'Two assailants stabbed an (Israeli) soldier at a military post in Hebron. Forces responded to the attack and shot the assailants, resulting in their deaths.' 
Hebron, where there is a community of around 1,000 Israeli settlers living in the middle of the city of 200,000, has been the scene of many violent incidents over the past six months.
Yesterday’s attack took place inside the area where Jewish settlers live side-by-side with some Palestinian residents.
The United Nations, the European Union and the United States have backed Israel's right to defend itself during a six-month campaign of street attacks by Palestinians in Jerusalem and the West Bank, while also urging restraint in the use of force.
Human rights groups have accused Israeli forces of too readily resorting to gunfire to wound or kill attackers rather than trying to detain them by other means.
In some cases, Palestinians have been shot on suspicion that they were about to carry out an attack.


EgyptAir Hijacking: Hostage Taker Arrested in Cyprus After Plane Diverted


A hijacker who took dozens of hostages aboard a commercial jet over what appeared to be a "personal" matter involving a woman was arrested after an hours-long standoff Tuesday, authorities said.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Cyprus confirmed around 7:45 a.m. ET that all of the passengers and crew had been safely freed.
The drama unfolded aboard EgyptAir Flight MS181, which was on a domestic flight en route from Alexandria to Cairo. A hijacker who claimed to have an explosive belt ordered the plane to diverted to either Turkey or Cyprus, according to officials.
The Airbus A320 flew to the Cypriot port city of Larnaca and landed at around 7:50 a.m. local time (12:50 a.m. ET), where negotiations got underway, EgyptAir said.
The majority of the passengers were soon released, with just four foreigners and seven crew members left on board.

The hijacker spent the first three hours of the standoff demanding to speak to his Cypriot ex-wife, a high-level source close to the operation told NBC News.
"Our people they were talking to him all the time in order to keep him busy and allow people to come out," the source added, saying that negotiators asked that more hostages be released in return for each of his requests.
The hijacker — who was identified by the Cyprus Ministry of Foreign Affairs asSeif Eldin Mustafa — then shifted his demands.
"He asked for asylum, he wanted to talk with someone from the European Union ... It seems that he was an unstable personality," the source explained, requesting anonymity due to the fluid nature of the investigation.

The source said that once the passengers and crew had been freed the hijacker was alone in the plane "so he didn't have any other option than to come out."
Live footage from the scene shortly before the arrest was announced showed the pilot dangling from a rope out of the cockpit window and dropping to the ground. Two people were later seen coming down stairs parked next to the jet.
There were conflicting reports about how many people were on board — with some officials saying it was carrying 55 and others suggesting that figure was 81.
The passenger list included eight Americans, according to Egypt's Civil Aviation Ministry.
Authorities were examining whether the hijacker did actually have any explosives.
Earlier, Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades said the hijacking was "not something that has to do with terrorism."
The same high-level source close to the operation had suggested early on that the hijacker's motive seemed to be about a "personal" matter involving a woman. The hijacker is believed to be an Egyptian national.

Trump v Bernie: who makes the better Juggalo?

Just when you thought this election couldn’t be any more of a circus, we hear about the hashtag #JuggalosforBernie. That got us thinking, if there's a hashtag, there's gotta be a picture of Bernie Sanders donning Juggalo makeup.

And of course, the Internet did not disappoint. 


PHOTO VIA FACEBOOK
  • Photo via Facebook

We discovered this photo on the Juggalos for Bernie Facebook page, which among other things, also led us to the photo of the Juggalette breastfeeding at a Sanders rally in Ohio [awesome]. This election is the best. 


PHOTO VIA FACEBOOK

That question, 'wonder what Donald Trump would do?' got us thinking, if there are Juggalos for Bernie, there's gotta be Juggalos for Trump. 

And of course, we quickly found it. Trumpalos United is a thing that exists and now, a photo that will likely give you nightmares tonight. 



PHOTO VIA FACEBOOK

Pakistan bombing: Suspects, arms seized after attack on Christians kills 69


Lahore, Pakistan (CNN)Security forces, hunting for suspects in the deadly Easter Sunday bombing targeting Christians in a Lahore park, raided locations in three cities overnight and arrested suspected terrorists, a military spokesman said Monday on Twitter.
No details were given on who had been arrested or what role -- if any -- they may have played in the bombing, which killed at least 69 people, a local government spokesman told CNN.
The blast injured more than 341 others, Punjab government spokesman Jehangir Awan said.
A splinter group of the Pakistani Taliban, Jamat-ul-Ahrar, claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it had targeted Christians. The group vowed more such attacks.
The overnight raids by military and intelligence agencies targeted locations in three cities across the Pakistani province of Punjab, including Lahore, Faisalabad and Multan, military spokesman Lt. Gen. Asim Bajwa tweeted.
    In addition to the unspecified number of arrests of suspected "terrorists and facilitators," forces also recovered a "huge cache of arms and ammunition," Bajwa said
    Operations were continuing, "with more leads coming in," he tweeted.
    Sunday's attack came at a poignant time for Pakistan's Christians, some of whom were in the city's Gulshan Iqbal Park to celebrate Easter on Sunday evening.
    The religious group makes up only 2% of the population, and tensions are high between them and a hardline Muslim core that wants to see a strict interpretation of Islamic law take precedence in Pakistan's legal system.

    'Dead bodies ... everywhere'

    One witness named Danish was at the amusement park with his two sisters.
    "It was so crowded that there was even no way of entering it," he told reporters. "There was suddenly a big blast. Everyone panicked, running to all directions. Many of them were blocked at the gate of the park. Dead bodies can be found everywhere."
    He said one of his sisters died; the other was wounded.
    "The object (that) hit her looks like a piece of hard iron, and it burned her in the neck," Danish said.

    A Christian man named Sohail said he was there with four of his children and his wife.
    "I went to get groceries, but my children insisted that it was the last day of their school holidays so I should take them to Iqbal Park, which I did," he said.
    As Sohail went to get tickets for the park's rides, the blast occurred.
    "My 6-year-old is in critical condition and is in surgery," he said.
    Lahore's parks remained closed Monday for security reasons, the deputy commissioner of police said.

    Prime Minister: 'I want more proactive coordination'

    Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, a Lahore native, condemned the blast and met with law enforcement and intelligence officials Monday.
    "Our goal is not only to eliminate terror infrastructure but also the extremist mindset, which is a threat to our way of life," he said.
    "I want more proactive coordination between law enforcement and intelligence agencies. Provinces should speed up intelligence-based operations against terrorists. We must take this war to the doors of terrorist outfits before they are able to hit our innocent countrymen."

    International condemnation

    Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has worked to thaw the icy relations between his country and Pakistan, called Sharif on Sunday to express his grief over the bombing.
    Pakistani Taliban group claims responsibility for Lahore blast
    Pakistani Taliban group claims responsibility for Lahore blast01:23
    The Indian leader expressed solidarity with Pakistan, the Pakistani state-run news agency reported.
    "Modi said coward terrorists had targeted females and kids which was highly condemnable and regrettable," according to the news agency, the Associated Press of Pakistan.
    The United States and Australia also condemned the attack.
    "This cowardly act in what has long been a scenic and placid park has killed dozens of innocent civilians and left scores injured," U.S. National Security Council spokesman Ned Price said in a statement.
    Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop echoed the sentiment.
    "As Christians worldwide celebrate Easter, a shocking terrorist attack in Lahore, Pakistan, reminds us that terrorism is a global scourge," she said Monday.

    History of violence

    In March of last year, suicide bombers attacked a Christian community, also in Lahore, setting off two blasts that killed at least 14 people and wounded dozens more, officials said.
    The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for those attacks. And they warned of more to come.
    The explosions, which struck the Nishtar Colony area in the city of Lahore, wounded at least 78 people, a Lahore General Hospital official said at the time.
    And in 2013, suicide bombers struck a church in the northwestern city of Peshawar, killing more than 80 people.

    Belgian police renew appeals for tips into ‘man in white’ bomb suspect

     Belgian police on Monday issued a fresh call for help to identify “the man in white,” one of the three bombers at the Brussels airport and the only one believed to have survived the attack.
    The new appeal suggested that they had not yet concluded that a man currently in custody and charged with participating in a terrorist attack, Faysal Cheffou, is the same attacker shown in the airport surveillance image.
    One Belgian official familiar with the case said that authorities did not currently believe Cheffou was the one in the shot. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the investigation.
    This could open another manhunt and raise further questions about the extent of the network behind last week’s bloodshed.
    Belgian prosecutors released a video Monday showing the third airport bombing suspect in a floppy hat and white jacket pushing a luggage cart shortly before bombs exploded March 22. A photo from the video was made public shortly after the attacks.
    Meanwhile, police across Europe widened anti-terrorism crackdowns Monday as prosecutors in Belgium charged three people suspected of having links to militant networks, adding further to signs that the multi-nation probes were moving rapidly beyond last week’s bombings in Brussels.
    Yet even as the authorities chased new leads, there was still more reckoning from last Tuesday’s attacks claimed by the Islamic State. Belgium’s health minister raised the death toll to 35.
    In Brussels, the federal prosecutor identified the three people charged with “participation in the activities of a terrorist group” only as Yassine A., Mohamed B. and Aboubaker O. They were among 13 people detained Sunday morning by police for questioning; the rest have been was released.
    It was not immediately clear whether the latest suspects had alleged roles in planning the suicide blasts at Brussels Airport and a metro station. But the police sweeps in Belgium — and among its European Union partners — suggests moves aimed at heading off possible new attacks. They also add to an emerging picture of multinational networks behind recent attacks — another striking indication of the reach of the Islamic State beyond its strongholds in Iraq and Syria.
    On Monday the Dutch police said they arrested three other men allegedly linked to terrorism planning. A day earlier, Dutch authorities captured a 32-year-old French citizen in Rotterdam who was suspected of ties to an apparent foiled attack in France last week. They gave his name only as Anis B.
    Wim de Bruin, spokesman for the Dutch prosecutor’s office, said in an interview that police found mobile phones, SIM cards, ammunition, money and drugs when capturing him.
    Dutch police said two of the three other men arrested, age 43 and 47, were of Algerian origin. No information was released about the third suspect. De Bruin said all three were arrested while police were looking for Anis B. He said none of them would be extradited to France.
    Italian police, meanwhile, were holding an Algerian man suspected of having provided false documents to the Islamic State militants behind the attacks in Paris and Brussels.
    According to the Italian news agency ANSA, 40-year-old Djamal Eddine Ouali had been the subject of a Belgian arrest warrant since January. ANSA said he was suspected of having given falsified papers to Salah Abdeslam, a suspected member of the cell that carried out the Nov. 13 Paris attacks, who is now in Belgian custody.
    Ouali is also believed to have furnished documents to Najim Laachraoui, suspected to have been one of the suicide bombers at Brussels Airport, and to a man killed by Belgian authorities in a raid this month before the attacks.
    In central Brussels, widespread anxiety was visible as riot police with shields and white helmets fanned out Sunday afternoon around a memorial site for victims. Police briefly fired water cannons after several hundred men dressed in black, apparently soccer fans, advanced into the area. The fans waved a giant banner against the Islamic State and, according to some media reports, shouted nationalist slogans.
    Hours before the street clashes, Belgian prosecutors charged another suspect linked to the attacks. The man, identified by authorities only as Abderrahmane A., has been in custody since Friday and faces charges of belonging to a terrorist organization. Belgian police did not provide details.
    The new steps in the investigation come as Belgian authorities seek to beat back criticism of their handling of terrorism threats.
    Investigators acknowledged late last week that they did not question Abdeslam extensively after his March 18 arrest, possibly missing clues that might have helped them avert the attacks four days later.
    On Sunday, Interior Minister Jan Jambon defended to local media the government’s decision-making during last week’s attacks. He has come under fire for failing to protect other Brussels residents after the initial attack at the airport.
    That criticism made the weekend announcement that authorities may have captured the most-wanted remaining suspect from Tuesday’s attacks even more welcome news.
    According to a European security official, the man is Fayçal Cheffou, whose is suspected to be the third attacker at Brussels Airport. His explosives-laden suitcase apparently did not detonate.
    The man, whom Belgian officials have not fully identified, was charged Saturday with “participation in the activities of a terrorist group, terrorist murders and attempted terrorist murders.”
    According to Belgian media, Cheffou has described himself as a journalist in the past and has promoted radical Islamist beliefs.
    Belgian authorities also have charged a man identified as ­“Rabah N.” with taking part in a terrorist group and another man, identified as “Aboubakar A.,” with a terrorism-related offense.
    The latest person to be charged may be Abderrahmane Ameroud, whom Belgian media has reported as linked to the attacks. Ameroud was sentenced by a French court to seven years in prison for involvement in a plot to assassinate Ahmed Shah Massoud, a legendary Afghan guerrilla leader. Massoud was killed in 2001.
    It is not known what exactly each person is suspected to have done.
    Over the weekend, militants continued to celebrate attacks that they said demonstrated the weakness of Western defenses. In a video released Saturday, a Dutch-speaking fighter, identified as Abu Hanifa al-Beljiki, addressed the government of Belgium.
    “You learned nothing from the lessons of Paris, because you continued fighting Islam and the Muslims,” he said, according to a transcript from the SITE Intelligence Group. “For this I want to tell you that the attack in Brussels is reaping what you had sown with your own hands.”
    More than 300 people were wounded in the attacks. Nearly half of those killed were foreign nationals, including at least four Americans. According to Belgium’s Foreign Ministry, not all of those wounded have been identified because some remain comatose.
    Annabell Van den Berghe contributed to this report.
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