NASA releases complete image of Pluto's crescent

On Thursday, NASA released the first complete picture of Pluto's crescent from the New Horizons probe. The probe captured the image with its Multi-spectral Visible Imaging Camera (MVIC) on July 14, fifteen minutes after closest approach to the planet.

After nine years' journey, New Horizons made closest approach to Pluto on July 14 and released the first coloured photo of the dwarf planet's atmospheric haze on October 8. An incomplete crescent photo of Pluto was released in September.

The photo shows different layers of the haze of Pluto's faint atmosphere with Sputnik Planum, an icy plain, visible on the right side and uneven plateaus on the dark left side.

Charon's Craters[edit]

Scientists also announced their discovery that 5km wide Organa crater on Charon, the largest satellite of Pluto, absorbed large amount of radiation of wavelength 2.2µm in an infrared scan, evidence of frozen ammonia. A nearby crater, named Skywalker, of comparable size showed the presence of water ice.

Will Grundy from the New Horizons composition team said "Why are these two similar-looking and similar-sized craters, so near to each other, so compositionally distinct?" He also proposed various ideas about the abundance of ammonia. The impact creating the crater could be more recent, or may have hit a subsurface ammonia pocket, or brought ammonia with it.

Studies in 2000 revealed that Charon has ammonia, but its concentration in the Organa crater was extraordinarily high.

Bill McKinnon, New Horizons Geology, Geophysics and Imaging deputy lead, called it "a fantastic discovery". He further said "Concentrated ammonia is a powerful antifreeze on icy worlds, and if the ammonia really is from Charon’s interior, it could help explain the formation of Charon's surface by cryovolcanism, via the eruption of cold, ammonia-water magmas."

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Crescent Pluto.
Image: NASA/JHUAPL/SwRI.

Organa crater.
Image: NASA/JHUAPL/SwRI.

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Romanian nightclub fire kills over two dozen

Officials said at least 27 people are dead and 155 injured after pyrotechnic effects used at the Colectiv nightclub in Bucharest, Romania reportedly malfunctioned yesterday, sparking a fire.

File photo of pyrotechnic effects
Image: Toggy.

The club was hosting an album launch party which attracted hundreds of attendees at the time of the fire. As of this morning, some people thought to be attending the nightclub were still unaccounted for.

A witness told local media that pyrotechnics used in the club ignited nearby objects. The Facebook page for the album launch event said "customized light show and pyrotechnic effects" were to be used at the scene.

A crush occurred as people flocked to exits in an attempt to flee from the nightclub. A witness interviewed by Reuters said "there was a stampede of people running out of the club."

On the Facebook page for the album launch event, users who believed people they knew may have been attending the event posted questions asking about where their friends or family members were. Many victims of the fire did not carry any form of identification with them. The Government has set up a hotline for those whose friends or family members are believed to have been at the club.

President of Romania Klaus Iohannis said on Facebook he was "shocked and deeply saddened"^((ro)) by the incident.

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Scottish Ebola nurse Pauline Cafferkey 'critically ill' says Royal Free Hospital

The Royal Free Hospital in London yesterday said a nurse suffering with complications after Ebola, Pauline Cafferkey, is "critically ill" after her condition deteriorated. Cafferkey, 39, was readmitted to an isolation unit at the Royal Free on the night of October 8𔃇 where she had spent time earlier in the year after contracting Ebola in Sierra Leone whilst treating patients with the infection.

The hospital said in a statement: "We are sad to announce that Pauline Cafferkey's condition has deteriorated and she is now critically ill. She is being treated for Ebola in the high level isolation unit at the Royal Free Hospital."

Royal Free Hospital, London; from file.
Image: User:Ryan4314.

Cafferkey visited an out of hours GP clinic on October 5 where her symptoms were not linked to Ebola, before deciding to go to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow on October 6 where she was treated at the hospital's infectious diseases unit. Two days later, she was flown by plane to the Royal Free. She is the only person known to suffer with Ebola in this way for a second time, which can remain in the body after an initial recovery.

Jonathan Ball of the University of Nottingham said he'd heard of nothing like this. "I am not aware from the scientific literature of a case where Ebola has been associated with what we can only assume as life-threatening complications after someone has initially recovered, and certainly not so many months after."

Pauline's sister Toni Cafferkey was critical of the wrong diagnosis, telling the Sunday Mail newspaper, "At that point me and my family believe they missed a big opportunity to give the right diagnosis and we feel she was let down. Instead of being taken into hospital, she spent the whole of Tuesday very ill".

A spokesperson for NHS Glasgow and Clyde said Pauline Cafferkey did receive a diagnosis from an out of hours clinic and said: "Her management and the clinical decisions taken based on the symptoms she was displaying at the time were entirely appropriate. All appropriate infection control procedures were carried out as part of this episode of care."

Experts say they do not believe the infection recurring within Pauline Cafferkey is contagious despite monitoring 58 people she has been in contact with. This is said to be a precaution as Ebola can only be spread through body fluids and the infection is not creating the same symptoms associated with a one-off diagnosis of Ebola.

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Civilian deaths as U.S. bombs hospital in Afghanistan

Tuesday, October 6, 2015 

Kunduz province in Afghanistan.
Image: User:TUBS.

The location of the hospital in Kunduz.
Image: © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Twenty two civilians, including three children, died, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) reported, on Saturday after a United States airstrike hit a hospital in the city of Kunduz in northern Afghanistan. Amongst the fatalities were twelve charity staff working for MSF. MSF said there were about two hundred people in the building.

	Under the clear presumption that a war crime has been committed, MSF demands that a full and transparent investigation into the event be conducted by an independent international body.
—Médecins Sans Frontières

	The strike may have resulted in collateral damage to a nearby medical facility.
—United States military

A statement was issued on the MSF website criticising the attack and stating "Under the clear presumption that a war crime has been committed, MSF demands that a full and transparent investigation into the event be conducted by an independent international body." The US military released a statement saying they had struck "against individuals threatening the force" and "The strike may have resulted in collateral damage to a nearby medical facility." The US Government announced there would be three separate investigations, carried out by the Afghan forces, the US military, and NATO. The Afghan interior ministry claimed there had been a Taliban presence in the hospital although this was denied by the insurgent organization.

The attack was also condemned by the International Committee of the Red Cross, whilst the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, described the strike as "inexcusable" and called for a full investigation.

On September 28, the Taliban launched an assault on Kunduz. The US has been carrying out air strikes to support Afghan government forces attempting to recover the city. MSF said it had often provided the Afghan and US governments with details of the location of the hospital, particularly on September 29. The Taliban had unsuccessfully tried to capture Kunduz in April this year, but they were pushed back by government forces.

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Major haemorrhage linked to alcoholism announced as cause of Charles Kennedy's death

Charles Kennedy, former UK Liberal Democrats leader, died of a major haemorrhage linked to his alcohol addiction, his family announced in a statement yesterday. Kennedy, a Scottish former Member of Parliament, died unexpectedly on Monday at the age of 55.

His family said in the statement, "Charles's death was caused by a major haemorrhage and the report makes clear this was a consequence of his battle with alcoholism. We are grateful to the many friends and also medical experts who sought to help down the years but ultimately this was an illness Charles could not conquer despite all the efforts he and others made."

They also spoke of the tributes that had been paid to the politician saying "It has become all too apparent to us how much Charles meant to so many people and how many lives he touched. We were grateful that his young son Donald was able to attend the Commons session where so many MPs spoke so warmly about his father. The words and images of that day, and of so many other tributes, will be there for us to look back on with pride in Charles, and Donald will always know what a special father he had."

On Wednesday, Members of Parliament from various political parties paid tribute to Kennedy. His ex-wife Sarah and 10-year-old son were in attendance to hear the tributes.

Despite a successful tenure as leader of the Liberal Democrats, Kennedy had to resign in 2006 as party leader due to his alcoholism. He was a Member of Parliament for 32 years until he lost his seat in last month's General Election.

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Beau Biden, son of US vice president, dies at 46

US Vice President Joe Biden's son Beau died of brain cancer on Saturday. He was 46.

File photo of Beau Biden, 2013.
Image: Doug Gansler.

After being diagnosed less than two years ago, Beau underwent treatment and was considered recovered, but was recently admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland due to return of the cancer.

Biden released a statement through the White House. Noting the family was with Beau when he died, he said, "It is with broken hearts that Hallie, Hunter, Ashley, Jill and I announce the passing of our husband, brother and son, Beau, after he battled brain cancer with the same integrity, courage and strength he demonstrated every day of his life."

President Barack Obama and the first lady Michelle Obama cancelled a scheduled White House reception to visit the Biden family and give their condolences.

The Obamas released a statement not long after receiving the news that states, “Michelle and I are grieving. Beau Biden was a friend of ours. His beloved family [...] are friends of ours. And Joe and Jill Biden are as good as friends get."

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Kerry hospitalized after cycling accident

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry had a cycling accident yesterday and as a result has broken his right leg. The accident happened near Scionzier, France; reportedly he may have hit a curb.

Official portrait of John Kerry, 2013.
Image: US Department of State.

Kerry was in Geneva on Saturday for talks with the Iranian Foreign Minister, Muhammad Javad Zarif, on the Iranian nuclear program. As a result of the accident Kerry has canceled his official trips, including an international conference on Islamic State (ISIS).

Kerry was taken to Geneva's HUG medical centre by helicopter and after an X-ray examination it was confirmed his right femur is fractured. John Kirby, a State Department spokesman, said "The secretary is stable and never lost consciousness, his injury is not life-threatening and he is expected to make a full recovery".

Kerry is expected to receive further treatment in Boston by a doctor there who operated on him for a previous hip injury located, Kirby said, near the current injury.

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Teen accused of Anzac Day terror plot applies for bail

An 18-year-old Victorian teen accused of plotting a terrorist attack on Anzac Day applied for bail at Melbourne Magistrates' Court on Wednesday. It is alleged that Harun Causevic and his associate, Sedvdet Besim, also 18, planned to run down and behead a police officer before stealing his gun to harm others at Anzac Day services in Melbourne.

Federal prosecutor Andrew Doyle stated the allegations made against Mr Causevic at the start of the hearing. Mr Doyle said Mr Causevic and Mr Besim had planned to carry out a terror attack in Melbourne if they weren't able to access passports to head overseas.

Denis Scott, an Australian Federal Police agent, told the court how Mr Causevic had allegedly called AFP and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation officers "dogs" during the process of trying to obtain a passport in March.

It was also revealed that Mr Besim had been speaking to a 14-year-old boy in the United Kingdom over the Internet. The boy had been portraying himself as an older man with experience in terrorism. Agent Scott told the court that these conversations were conducted through an online voice program, and that the two spoke about planning to carry out an attack on Anzac Day.

It was alleged that Mr Causevic was an accomplice in organising the terror plot in Melbourne. The court heard of a number of incidents where Mr Causevic's extremist behaviours were put on show. In one instance he was involved in a car accident in which he allegedly told the driver involved that ISIS was "going to kill" Australia. It was also alleged that Mr Causevic had once spat on a police vehicle and waved an Islamic flag at officers.

During a search at Mr Causevic's home police found weapons such as knives, a tactical vest and an Islamic flag. Agent Scott told the court that if bail was granted, Mr Causevic could put the safety of the public and police force in danger.

The defence argued that there was no evidence to show that Mr Causevic had been in contact with the boy Mr Besim had been speaking with in the UK. Evidence was given from some members of the Islamic Council of Victoria suggesting that Mr Causevic was capable of being guided away from extremist Islamic ideology if he is granted bail.

Magistrate Suzie Cameron is expected to make her decision on Mr Causevic's bail application on Friday.

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Indiana Governor signs needle exchange program

Indiana Governor Mike Pence dropped his former opposition to needle exchange programs and on Tuesday signed legislation passed by lawmakers on April 29 — the last day of the state's legislative session — that would allow local health departments, municipalities, counties, or nonprofit organizations to implement needle exchange programs. The debate about the controversial programs came on the heels of an HIV outbreak in Southern Indiana.

Austin, in Scott County, Indiana, was the epicenter of the outbreak. The number of new HIV positive cases in Scott County in this outbreak rose past 140. Governor Pence declared the outbreak a public health emergency on March 26, and at the same time approved a 30-day needle exchange program. Pence since offered a 30-day extension as the number of HIV positive cases continued to rise.

Needle exchange programs provide clean needles in exchange for dirty needles. The sharing of dirty needles has been linked to the outbreak. Experts like Chris Beyrer, president of the International AIDS Society, support needle exchange programs. Beyrer told the Indianapolis Star, however, that temporary measures, like the one Pence implemented on March 26, don't solve the long-term problem. The World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also recommend needle exchange programs. But experts say long-term needle exchange programs are needed.

The HIV epidemic in Southern Indiana has been linked to a drug problem in Scott County. HIV and Hepatitis C are blood-borne viruses that spread by way of bodily fluids and bloodstream injections, especially when more than one person is using the same needle.

Legislators on the committee responsible for Senate Bill 461 heard testimony last week before voting. Representative Thomas Washburne, Republican, Evansville, told Wikinews on April 27 that he was involved in conversations pertaining to needle exchange programs. "I am inclined to follow the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control in implementing needle exchanges," Washburne said in an interview with Wikinews. "My vote against Senate Bill 461 was not due to the needle exchanges, but other issues involved in the bill."

House members passed the bill 80󈝿, senators 38󈝷.

After legislators passed the bill, Pence told WISH-TV: "From my perspective, the focus needs to be on health emergencies. I have throughout my career not supported needle exchanges as anti-drug policies. But with regard to addressing an epidemic, which is what we’ve seen in Scott County, which is unprecedented in any rural part of the country. I was prepared to support that through executive action."

Louisville, Kentucky, about 35 miles south of Austin, was the first Kentucky municipal government to approve a needle exchange program. The Louisvile Metro Council voted 22𔂾 to approve the program on April 23. That approval requires reconsulting the council before actually implementing such a program. About 195 cities in the United States have adopted similar programs.

Dr. William Shaffner, a doctor and chair of the Department of Preventative Medicine at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, told Wikinews reporters March 25 at the University of Southern Indiana in Evansville, the day before Pence declared the public health emergency, such a program would make sense. He said the best course of action would be to "block and tackle."

"Needle exchange programs ought to be used," Shaffner said. "They have been proven to work and do not cause an increase in drug use."

Dr. William Schaffner presents March 25, 2015 at the 2015 Shaw Lecture at the University of Southern Indiana about emerging infectious diseases.
Image: Gkstylianides.

USI Biology Professor Marlene Shaw welcomes a full house to the 2015 Shaw Lecture on March 25, 2015 at the University of Southern Indiana.
Image: Gkstylianides.

A crowd of students, faculty and healthcare professionals gather during the 2015 Shaw Lecture on March 25, 2015 in Mitchell Auditorium at the University of Southern Indiana to hear Dr. William Shaffner present.
Image: Gkstylianides.

Dr. William Shaffner answers questions from students on March 25, 2015 during the 2015 Shaw Lecture at the University of Southern Indiana.
Image: Gkstylianides.

Should the state of Indiana emphasize drug reduction and not have a needle exchange program or emphasize preventative health measures and continue the needle exchange? Comment!

Mississippi medical board allows embattled physician to keep license

On Wednesday, the Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure chose to let Doctor Carroll Frazier Landrum keep his physician's license, following an investigation sparked by an anonymous complaint. Media reported the Mississippi doctor has been working out of his Toyota Camry for about two years, making house calls to see patients.

The investigation, started earlier this year, reportedly centered around Dr. Landrum having no physical office thus possibly being unable to properly store patient records.

Volunteers are presently renovating the former post office in the town of Edwards, Mississippi, United States for the doctor to have an office. Estimations indicate the new office should be ready by early next month. Landrum, 89, closed his Edwards office two years ago. Landrum has routinely seen three or four patients per day since that time. Reportedly, illegal drug activity in the vicinity of his office placed him in danger. The doctor stated he was told his physical safety was in jeopardy.

Becoming tearful, Dr. Landrum told reporters he's glad he's been able to help so many people and "give them some hope and relief, and help them survive." Landrum has assured the medical board he will refresh his training with a medical record-keeping course. According to Landrum's attorneys, at first the board were unwilling to release their investigative records, although ultimately they did release some of the documents.

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Xu Caihou, former Chinese general, dies aged 71

Xu Caihou, a former Chinese general who was once the second in command within the People's Liberation Army, died yesterday, according to Chinese state news agency Xinhua. Xu, 71, was due to be prosecuted over bribery charges. The cause of death was announced as bladder cancer.

In 2012 Xu resigned from the executive committee of the Communist Party. In 2013 he retired from the position of Central Military Commission Vice Chairman. In June last year, despite no charges announced against Xu at the time, his general's rank was revoked.

The government said they started investigating Xu last March over claims of corruption and in October he admitted to accepting "massive" bribes as payment in assisting people to gain promotions. Due to his death the charges against him are to be dropped but anything gained illegally by Xu is to be dealt with under Chinese law.

Military officials have been investigated more regularly in recent years as the Chinese government try to crack down on army corruption.

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Zambian President Edgar Lungu to undergo treatment abroad after collapse

Edgar Lungu, the current President of Zambia, is to undergo medical treatment aboard after collapsing while on stage in Lusaka on Sunday during a ceremony for International Women's Day. The Presidency announced yesterday that Lungu will have throat surgery abroad.

Doctors on Sunday diagnosed him with malaria. Lungu spoke to the press from hospital on Sunday saying "I am looking forward to going home. Doctors have done their tests and they have found traces of malaria, but they are doing further tests and they will let me know what next after before the end of the day".

A later announcement identified his condition instead as a narrowing of the oesophagus, which he had previously received treatment for three decades ago. Despite not announcing where Lungu would head to be treated the Presidency did say he would undergo a "high-tech medical procedure which is currently unavailable in Zambia".

Lungu, who only became the Zambian President in January, has previously dispelled rumours of his health. During the election he fought back against comments about his health calling it a "smear" campaign against him.

Some in Zambia have claimed the presidency is "jinxed". Lungu's predecessor Michael Sata died in October of last year at the age of 77 in London, England. Sata died only six years after serving President Levy Mwanawasa died following a stroke.

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Volkswagen CEO resigns after emissions scandal

Martin Winterkorn, Volkswagen AG’s CEO, resigned yesterday after it was discovered the German motor vehicle company has been rigging emissions tests for their diesel vehicles.

The company has not announced who his successor will be, but plans to discuss the issue tomorrow. Winterkorn has said that he was "shocked" by the rigging of the emissions tests. "Above all, I am stunned that misconduct on such a scale was possible in the Volkswagen Group", Winterkorn said in a statement issued yesterday.

This resignation came after he issued an apology on Sunday about the emissions test rigging, which involved installing a program onto the company's diesel vehicles to manipulate test results. The program, referred to as a "defeat device", causes the vehicles to emit less nitrogen dioxide, a pollutant contributing to smog and possibly linked to asthma, during testing.

Volkswagen's share value has dropped by one third, The Toronto Star reported. The stock prices of France car manufacturers Citroen, Renault, and Peugeot have also dipped. The Associated Press states that this may be due to concerns other car manufacturers are also engaging in illegal acts.

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Volkswagen engulfed by diesel emissions scandal

Chief Executive of Volkswagen Martin Winterkorn issued on Sunday a public apology and announced an outside inquiry would be carried out, after the company became engulfed in a scandal about diesel emissions tests.

Volkswagen logo

Over the weekend there were damaging revelations that the car manufacturer has been using illegal software to enable diesel cars to cheat on mandatory emissions tests.

An investigation into alleged breaches of environmental law was originally initiated on the advice of the International Council on Clean Transportation, a European NGO. The United States Environmental Protection Agency requested tests be carried out by West Virginia University, where the secret software was discovered.

Volkswagen has suffered a significant drop of almost a fifth in the value of its shares. There have been knock-on effects for other car manufacturers who have also seen their share values fall after suggestions that the scandal could extend much further than just Volkswagen.

The company will have to foot the bill for the recall of close to 500,000 VW and Audi cars. There is also the possibility of paying federal fines of up to US$18 billion dollars because the US Clean Air Act sets a maximum fine of US$37,500 for each vehicle that contravenes the requirements of the Act.

The software, known as a "defeat device", enabled cars to identify when they were being tested and to switch on the emission control system. The devices may have been adding urea to the car exhaust because that would reduce the amount of nitrogen dioxide. The car would release a fraction of the nitrogen oxide compared to when they were being driven normally. Emissions of nitrogen oxide contribute to smog and are thought to have caused a rise in respiratory illnesses like asthma.

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Subway sandwich empire co-founder Fred DeLuca dies

Fifty years after starting his first sandwich shop as a teenager, Subway CEO and co-founder Fred DeLuca died on Monday. He was 67 and suffering from cancer.

A Subway restaurant in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Image: Ian Thomson.

Subway yesterday announced his death, but not the location. He had developed leukaemia, which the company announced in 2013. The business was founded with friend Peter Buck who lent DeLuca $1,000 to open Pete's Super Submarines in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The company remains based in the state.

By 1968 the business was renamed Subway and the two young entrepreneurs began looking at franchising as a method of expansion. It worked: With over 44,000 locations Subway is the world's largest fast food franchise. The company has locations in 110 countries.

Subway brands itself as a healthy alternative on the fast food market. It has faced various controversies: ingredients, contracts with franchisees, and longtime advertiser Jared Fogle have all come under scrutiny. Fogle left the company this year after admitting underage sex and child pornography offences.

"I knew nothing about making sandwiches, nor the food industry," DeLuca would later write of his 1965 startup. Growing up he lived in state-owned housing in The Bronx, New York City. Forbes estimated his 2015 wealth at around $3.5 billion.

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US adds 173,000 jobs in August; unemployment rate drops to seven year low

The US economy added 173,000 jobs in August, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on Friday. The unemployment rate fell from 5.3 to 5.1 percent, the lowest since April 2008.

Although August job gains were lower than most economists forecast, job growth numbers for June and July were revised upwards by a combined 44,000. Average job gains over the past three months stand at 221,000, compared to March-May's 189,000 monthly average. Over the past twelve months, job growth has averaged 247,000 per month.

Average hourly earnings rose 0.3 percent, or 8 cents, marking the largest increase in earnings in seven months. Hourly earnings had risen by 6 cents in July. Wages have risen by 2.2 percent over the past year.

Job growth in August was primarily concentrated in the health care and social assistance, financial activities, and professional and business services sectors. Those three areas of the economy added a combined 108,000 jobs. Food service and drinking places employment increased by 26,000 over the month, and other economic sectors saw employment hold steady. Manufacturing, on the other hand, saw employment decline by 17,000 in August. A stronger dollar and worldwide economic weakness make US exports less desirable, leading to a flattening in manufacturing employment so far this year after steadily rising in the early years of the US economic recovery.

The solid overall job gains led analysts to slightly raise expectations for a decision by the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates this month. Investors raised the likelihood of a September rate increase from 26 percent before the jobs report to 30 percent, and stocks dropped by over one percent on Friday. "The payrolls data is certainly good enough to allow for a Fed rate hike in September," said Deutsche Bank's head of currency strategy, Alan Ruskin. "The big question is still whether financial market volatility will scupper the plans."

"This is the first time the market has looked at a Fed meeting and really has no idea what the Fed is going to do," said Mark Kepner, a New Jersey equity trader with Themis Trading. "Right now you're looking at the overall uncertainty and that's what's hanging on the market. I don't think this number in and of itself changes how somebody's going to vote."

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Fiat Chrysler recalls 7,810 Jeep SUVs for software vulnerability

7,810 Jeep SUVs are to be recalled in order to address a software vulnerability in the vehicles' entertainment systems which allows the vehicles to be "hacked" — allows vehicle software security to be compromised — Fiat Chrysler Automobiles US (FCA US) said on Friday. This recall affects some 2015 model Jeep Renegades.

FCA US said exploiting the vulnerability would take "unique and extensive technical knowledge, prolonged physical access to a subject vehicle and extended periods of time to write code.” They said there are no known instances where the software vulnerability has caused injury to anyone.

They said owners of affected cars can fix the software vulnerability by inserting a device containing a software patch into a USB port inside the car.

Another 1.4 million vehicles manufactured by the company have also been recalled last month, when white hat hackers discovered they were able to hack and disable the engines of the affected vehicles remotely.

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US economy adds 215,000 jobs in July; unemployment rate remains steady at 5.3%

Continuing a trend of steady employment growth, the United States economy added 215,000 jobs in July, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said on Friday. The unemployment rate remained unchanged at 5.3%.

"Job growth is quite strong," stated Jim O'Sullivan, chief economist at High Frequency Economics, a data analysis firm in New York. "This pace of employment growth is clearly strong enough to keep the unemployment rate trending down."

Average hourly earnings rose 0.2%, marking a rebound after growth stalled in June. Wages have grown by 2.1% over the past year, below the Federal Reserve's target of 3.5% annual wage growth, and not much more than the underlying rate of inflation.

While sluggish wage growth remains a pocket of weakness in the economic recovery, steady payroll gains averaging 242,000 per month over the past twelve months have led observers to consider a Federal Reserve interest rate hike as increasingly likely, according to The New York Times.

"We view this report as easily clearing the hurdle needed to keep the Fed on track for a September rate hike," said Rob Martin, an economist at Barclays in New York. "The bar for not moving now is much higher."

Although the Federal Reserve has not explicitly stated that they plan to raise interest rates in the near future, the US central bank has stated that it would raise rates when it has seen "some further improvement" in the jobs market. The Fed has not increased interest rates since 2006, and during the 2007-2009 recession, it lowered rates to historically low levels.

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Petition pressures City of Edinburgh Council to review clause affecting live music scene

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Australian businessman Alan Bond dies aged 77

Australian business tycoon Alan Bond died today after complications from open heart surgery. He was 77.

Following open heart surgery to repair and replace heart valves, leading to complications, Bond was placed in an induced coma. The family released a statement outside the Perth hospital where Bond died in intensive care following his operation on Tuesday.

His son John said, "His body finally gave out after heroic efforts of everyone involved here at the intensive care unit at Fiona Stanley Hospital [...] He never regained consciousness after his surgery on Tuesday."

In the 1980s Bond was one of the richest men in Australia; in 1992 he declared bankruptcy. In 1997 he was convicted and jailed for his involvement in an AU$1.2 billion fraud case. Bond was released in 2000.

In 2008 Australian magazine Business Review Weekly estimated Bond was worth AU$265 million.

Bond leaves behind three children and eight grandchildren.

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Spanish authorities arrest Yuriy Kolobov, former Ukrainian finance minister

Yuriy Kolobov, the former finance minister of Ukraine has been arrested in Spain on charges of fraud and embezzlement. Kolobov was wanted, along with former President Viktor Yanukovych, accused of fraud which cost Ukraine billions of dollars in assets. The Spanish civil guard arrested him on Wednesday, at a flat in Altea, in the Province of Alicante.

A brief statement from the Ukrainian interior ministry said: "We confirm the information that [Mr Kolobov] has been detained." No comment was made by Spain's interior ministry. A judge at Spain's High Court will question Kolobov, before dealing with the extradition process. Kolobov, 41, is the first member of Yanukovich's administration to be arrested on charges relating to fraud. The current Ukrainian government continue efforts to recover lost assets. The Interim Prime Minister, Arseniy Yatsenyuk, told parliament that Yanukovich has left Ukraine with $75 billion of debt.

Interpol issued warrants for Yanukovich, Kolobov, and former Prime Minister Mykola Azarov. It is doubtful Yanukovich, who is now in Russia, could be extradited back to Ukraine. Kolobov previously held the position of deputy head of Ukraine's central bank, before being selected as Finance minister in 2012.

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Southwest Airlines grounds 128 uninspected planes

The US carrier Southwest Airlines, the world's largest low-cost carrier, announced grounding 128 planes on Tuesday because the planes had not be adequately inspected.

Company spokesperson Brandy King explained backup hydraulic systems of 128 of the company's Boeing 737-700s should have been inspected sooner. The systems overdue for inspection back up the main rudder control systems.

King said the the incident is inadvertent and emphasised the airline's commitment to safety. The airline decided to ground the planes involved in the missed inspections and notified the authorities.

As of last year, Southwest Airlines' fleet had around 665 Boeing 737s. The uninspected planes incident involves about twenty percent of its fleet, and caused the airline to cancel about 80 flights on Tuesday, with possibly another 19 cancellations yesterday.

Following the airline's actions, the Federal Aviation Administration ruled grounding of the planes is not mandatory provided inspections are completed within five days.

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Time magazine names Ahmed Mohamed to 'Most Influential Teens of 2015'

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