Afghanistan troop levels...British Iraq report: Blair blamed...Hoverboard recall

Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama says he'll leave 8,400 troops to address Afghanistan's security situation, which he describes as "precarious." Obama acknowledges that few Americans might have expected U.S. troops would still be in Afghanistan this long after the 2001 invasion following the 9/11 attacks. But he said perseverance is needed to prevent al-Qaida from regrouping and the Islamic State group from spreading.

LONDON (AP) — A long-awaited official report on Britain's decision to join the war effort in Iraq has scathing criticism of former Prime Minister Tony Blair. Letters published as part of the report show Blair assured President George W. Bush of his support for regime change in Iraq eight months before the U.S.-led invasion began in March 2003. The report cites flawed intelligence and "wholly inadequate" planning.

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — The U.S. Justice Department has quickly launched a civil rights investigation into the video-recorded killing of a black man who was shot after he was pinned to the pavement by two white police officers on the pavement outside a convenience store in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Alton Sterling had been selling homemade CD's. An anonymous caller said Sterling had a gun. Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards, who called the video "disturbing," asked the federal government to take the lead in the investigation.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Attorney General Loretta Lynch says the Hillary Clinton email investigation is being closed without any criminal charges. Lynch announced the Justice Department decision a day after FBI Director James Comey recommended against any prosecution. Lynch said last week that she intended to accept whatever recommendations and findings were presented by the FBI and by her career prosecutors.

NEW YORK (AP) — More than 500,000 hoverboards are being recalled after some of the motorized scooters overheated, burned riders and damaged property. The Consumer Product Safety Commission says there have been 99 reports of battery packs that exploded or caught fire. And there were at least 18 injuries including burns.