At Russia's request,the United Nations Security Council is scheduling an emergency meeting.They mean to discuss the humanitarian situation in Ukraine where fighting has now reached the main rebel stronghold Donetsk.Pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian government forces were said to be exchanging rocket fire in neighbourhoods on the edge of that city with fears that its spread inward can further escalate the rapidly involving humanitarian crisis.

 

 

The White House says the currrent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip should pave the way for talks to seek a long-term truce.NPR's Craig Windham has more.White House spokesman Josh Earnest says the situation in Gaza remains volatile but the ceasefire presents an opportunity.We have noted for some time that an immediate ceasefire was critical to bringing about the kind of calm in which negotiations could occur.Earnest says the US wants to help achieve a durable solution for the long-term.Israel and the Palestinians had delegations in Cairo.Egyptian mediators are said to shuttle between the two sides in an effort to negotiate an end to the crisis in Gaza.Craig Windham NPR news Washington.

 

 

Shares of Target closed down more than 4 percent today as the retailer reported another financial hit related to last December's data breach.Matt Sepic of Minnesota Public Radio reports the news comes just before a new CEO takes over.Target says it expects cost related to a holiday cash register hacking to reach 148 million dollars for the second quarter for a total of 235 million.Target is also reporting losses from paying off some old debt.With its release of bad financial news,retail consultant Carol Spieckerman says the company is leaving a clean slate for Brian Cornell who starts as CEO next week.It's very important for Target in light of these numbers to show that they're bringing in them some one,that they have a plan,and that they're going to turn the ship around.Among the decisions that the former Pepsico executive will face is what to do about Target's Canadian stores which have lost more than 1 billion dollars since they opened last year.For NPR news I'm Matt Sepic in the Minneapolis.

 

 

The Dow downed on Wall Street.The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 139 points to end the session at 16,429.The Nasdaq closed down 31 points to 43.52.The Standard&Poor's 500 dropped 18 points to 19.20.

 

 

You're listening to NPR news in Washington.

 

 

According to a report by the Associated Press,the size of the US government terrorist watchlist has roughly doubled in recent years.AP says the database put together by the National Counter-terrorism Center now totals roughly 1.1 million people,125000 of whom are US citizens or legal permanent residents.Terrorist Identities Datamart Environment or TIDE for short is a huge classified database of people known to be terrorists,or suspected of having inticed terrorism.

 

 

There are two ebola victims receiving treatment at the Emory University Hospital in Atlanta.58-year-old Nancy Writebol was flown into the US from Liberia.XX reports Writbol was in Liberia while working as a personnel director for the international Christian Mission.SIM president Bruce Johnson says Writebol usually handles administrative work.SIM is partnering with Samaritan's Purse to run a hospital in Liberia.He says Writebol was pitching in where they were treating ebola patients.At the center,she was helping to spray down the individuals came out in the hazmat-like suits,but again what she do was within the protocols that was ?.She did not have direct contact with patients.Speaking at the news conference,Johnson said the Centers for Disease Control is conducting a full review of those protocols.Officials are still trying to determine how the Americans became infected.For NPR news,I'm XX in Atlanta.

 

 

Scientists say they've discovered a manmade dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico.The area in ocean which lacks sufficient oxygen levels to support marine life is said to encompass roughly 5000 square miles that's about the size of the state of Connecticut.Scientists have blamed a variety of factors but say the main cause is excessive nutrients run off from farms along the Mississippi River which champions the Gulf of Mexico.Scientists say there are hundreds of so-called dead zones worldwide.