Ferguson, Mo.: Demonstrators threw Molotov cocktails and the police responded with smoke bombs, stun grenades, and teargas last night in a fourth night of violence in Ferguson, Mo., following the police killing of an unarmed black teenager Saturday night. Many people in Ferguson believe a white police officer shot 18-year-old Michael Brown without provocation.

A new witness told CNN that Brown and the officer struggled at the police car and that Brown was shot while he backed away with his hands up.

As demonstrators faced off with the police late in the day, the cops positioned an armored vehicle with a sniper on top. At night the streets were clouded with smoke and teargas. As police cleared a McDonald’s restaurant, reporters Wesley Lowery of The Washington Post and Ryan Reilly of The Huffington Post said they were handcuffed and put into a police van. Lowery said a police officer smacked his face into the glass and gave a sarcastic apology.

Ferguson authorities have refused to identify or give the race of the officer who shot Brown, saying it was for the officer’s safety. The town of 21,000 people is 2/3 black and the police department of 53 has three nonwhite officers.

Demonstrators have demanded that the officer’s name be released. Police say the officer was slightly injured in the confrontation with Brown.

Mystery Trip: President Obama is expected to leave his vacation Sunday and return to the White House for reasons that have not been announced. The White House says the President is not going to make big news. He’s expected to return to Martha’s Vineyard Tuesday.

Iraq: The siege of Mount Sinjar appears to have been broken by US airstrikes and Kurdish ground attacks, allowing the escape of thousands of the Yazidi religious minority. A team of US Special Forces spent a night on the mountain, assessing the size of the humanitarian problem. They concluded that while thousands of people took refuge on the mountain, it did not amount to tens of thousands, which might have required a massive rescue operation.

Ukraine: A Russian aid convoy headed for Ukraine has stopped short of the border amid questions about whether the 280 trucks will be allowed to cross the border. The Ukraine government says the convoy will not be allowed into the country torn by conflict with pro-Russian separatists. Russia won’t say exactly where the trucks are going, and despite claims that they are working with the Red Cross, the organization says they are not. Heavy shelling was reported in the city of Donetsk today, which is surrounded by government troops.

Gaza: Israel and Gaza have begun a new 5-day ceasefire agreed at the end of a second 72-hour truce. The two sides briefly exchanged fire in the period between the two ceasefires.

Murder in Paradise: A suitcase abandoned in a taxi trunk in Bali raised suspicions and rightfully so. Inside was the body of Sheila von Wiese Mack, 62, of Oak Park, Ill. Police arrested Mack’s 19-year-old daughter, Heather, and her 21-year-old boyfriend, Tommy Schaefer, an aspiring rap musician. The death penalty in Indonesia is by firing squad.

Fly Me: A British Flybe passenger jet with 47 people on board made a hard landing in Belfast when the pilot’s artificial left arm detached. The pilot, who’s a well-respected senior airman, said he would be more careful in the future to be sure his arm is properly strapped on.

Old Media: The 538 Blog notes that AOL, the dinosaur from the dawn of the Internet age, still makes a good profit with its 2.3 million customers. But to give you an idea who the customers are, AOL entices subscribers with two free wills from Hyatt Legal Plans and a $16 membership to the American Association of Retired Persons. Many of the customers are still on dialup service. “You’ve got mail,” but it’s a month old.

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