Marketers are spending more than ever on digital advertising, but there are growing concerns over whether digital audiences actually see many of these ads.

Consider: 

• Users are often served an ad that appears in an inactive web window or an out-of-view part of their screen. 
• Viewability is particularly challenging for online video ads, since these ads are meant to be seen, heard, and played-through.
• Automated platforms for buying and selling online ads also tend to aggravate the viewability platform. 

In a new report from BI Intelligence we look at how industry groups, advertisers, and ad tech vendors are defining and fixing the viewability problem.

Access The Full Report And Its Downloadable Charts By Signing Up For A Risk-Free Trial >>

• Video ads present a unique set of viewability challenges. Video ads are meant to be seen, heard, and played through to the end. 
• A number of ad tech companies have developed viewability-tracking tools, and many publishers already fold in viewability guarantees when they sell directly to advertisers, but these safeguards are offered on an ad-hoc basis. 
• Industry groups are working to create standardized definitions for viewability, and are endorsing accredited viewability-measurement specialists. The Media Rating Council (MRC) recently established new viewability guidelines. 

The report is full of charts and data that can easily be downloaded and put to use.

• Defines the viewability problem, and explores its root causes.
• Lays out the unique viewability challenges for digital video ad units.
• Examines how viewability performance differs based on how ad units are sold, including publisher-sold, network and RTB-sold inventory.
• Outlines new viewability guidelines from the Media Rating Council (MRC).
• Analyzes how pricing/costing models impact the viewability problem.

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The recent measles outbreak that has infected over 100 people from 14 states has sparked a national discussion about why some parents are still refusing to vaccinate their children in spite of a wealth of evidence confirming that vaccination is both safe and effective. It's also made many Americans more aware of the risks the anti-vaccination movement poses to public health.

The anti-vaxxer hysteria can be traced back to one seminal event: the press conference called by London's Royal Free Hospital in February 1998 to publicize a research paper, since retracted, that Andrew Wakefield had written for esteemed medical journal The Lancet.

During that conference, Wakefield presented his explosive findings — since found to be baseless — which he claimed connected the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine to the onset of autism, a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impaired social interaction. Jeremy Laurance, a journalist who was there at the time, later called it"one of the biggest public relations disasters in medicine."

The real disaster, it turned out, wasn't just public relations but public health.

In the aftermath of Wakefield's bombshell, professionals quickly discredited his conclusions. His far-fetched theory, Susan Dominus explained in a 2011 profile in The New York Times, was that "the three vaccines, given together, can alter a child’s immune system, allowing the measles virus in the vaccine to infiltrate the intestines; certain proteins, escaping from the intestines, could then reach and harm neurons in the brain." 

Wakefield based that idea on a case report involving only 12 children, a staggeringly low number of research subjects to investigate an intervention (vaccines) given to millions of children around the world.

There were plenty of reasons that experts were immediately skeptical. Case reports, Julia Belluz explains at Vox, are "basically just stories" and are among the weakest kinds of medical studies: They are observational and involve only a small sample of highly individualized cases that do not accurately represent the entire population. There are no controls. In Wakefield's study, it was even worse: the cases were not randomly selected but carefully assembled — not the kind of data that can lead to conclusions, or even theories, about cause and effect.

Large-scale investigations involving thousands of participants in several countries (such as this Danish study of nearly half a million children) tried to recreate Wakefield's findings, but none found any association between autism and the MMR vaccine.

Wakefield himself repeatedly declined to try to replicate his own findings, a process that is normally standard procedure to verify that the results of a single study, especially such a small and uncontrolled one, are not a fluke.

In 2010, after a thorough investigation that revealed not only bad science but also financial conflicts of interest, the original Lancet paper was retracted by the journal. "Part of the costs of Dr. Wakefield’s research were paid by lawyers for parents seeking to sue vaccine makers for damages," Gardiner Harris wrote in the New York Times, in an article explaining the retraction. "Dr. Wakefield was also found to have patented in 1997 a measles vaccine that would succeed if the combined vaccine were withdrawn or discredited."

What's more, an investigation by the journalist Brian Deer found that"not one of the 12 cases reported in the 1998 Lancet paper was free of misrepresentation or undisclosed alteration."

"The data clearly appeared to be distorted," one source, the father of a boy in the study, told Deer.

By 2011, the editors of the BMJ, a prominent medical journal, were calling the study "fraudulent" and Wakefield had been stripped of his medical license.

But by that time, the damage was already well underway. MMR vaccination rates across Britain, Ireland, the US, and other countries declined as parents learned of Wakefield's theory, according to the New England Journal of Medicine. And a 2002 UK survey found that "nearly 50% of doctors reported parents were less willing to allow medical professionals to give vaccinations to their children," the Washington Post noted.

More than a decade after his fateful press conference, after a long series of studies had failed to lend any credence to Wakefield's speculation, he was asked by the New York Times whether he still believed that autism was caused by the MMR vaccine. "Is that a serious question?" he replied. "Yes, I do still think MMR was causing it."

Indeed, many anti-vaxxers continue to unequivocally support Wakefield and his findings. They reject the studies that have again and again found absolutely no link between autism and vaccines, and consider Wakefield a hero — and a martyr. "To our community, Andrew Wakefield is Nelson Mandela and Jesus Christ rolled up into one," J. B. Handley, co-founder of an anti-vaccine group, told The New York Times. "He’s a symbol of how all of us feel."

California officials have been able to determine that, of the people infected with measles between late December and January 21, the vast majority (of those whose vaccination status was known) had never received the MMR vaccine. 

The anti-vaccination movement that, according to The Los Angeles Times, won’t "get over its ignorant and self-absorbed rejection of science," has been credited with driving the measles rate to a 20-year record high in 2014. The 102 cases so far this year suggest that 2015 could be on track to be even worse.

SEE ALSO: 7 facts about vaccines that show why they're one of the most important inventions in human history

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NOW WATCH: Why we should ban non-vaccinated kids from schools

Android's share of mobile ad traffic surged about 25 percentage points in 2014, pulling into the lead over iOS for the first time, according to a report from mobile ad platform Opera MediaWorks.

Android commanded almost 63% of mobile ad impressions in the fourth quarter of 2014. That's up from 38% a year before. iOS fell from 44% to 27%.

From 2011 to 2013 iOS commanded the largest share of mobile ads.

But the rise of cheaper Android phones in developing countries has pushed Android ahead of iOS in mobile ad traffic, according to Opera Mediaworks CEO Mahi de Silva.

"One of the reasons for this tremendous growth is, of course, the migration to Android globally with the introduction of more affordable phones," de Silva told Business Insider.

Android has made inroads in developing countries by targeting price-sensitive buyers who want a smartphone's features but can't afford to shell out hundreds for an iPhone.

This IDC chart shows how Android dominated the low-end smartphone market in 2014. 

Apple barely dipped its toe in the mid-range market:

Even though Android blew past iOS in mobile ad impressions last year, Apple didn't draw the shortest straw.

iOS actually captured the majority of mobile advertising revenue in 2014, though. That could mean brands are paying more to reach iPhone users who have more disposable income to spend.

Plus, even though Apple's share of mobile ad impressions is falling, it's not falling as fast as some other older platforms.

"BlackBerry and older generation feature phones are the phones losing the most share to the newer platforms, falling from 25% of ad impressions in 2011 to just 10% by the end of 2014," said de Silva.

SEE ALSO: Apple just took out a $6.5 billion loan even though it's sitting on $178 billion in cash

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NOW WATCH: Why Bethany Mota Has A Legion Of 10 Million Fans Waiting For Her Next YouTube Video

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) - Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal reiterated his determination to win a trophy in his debut season after his side beat Cambridge United in the FA Cup fourth round.

United prevailed 3-0 in Tuesday's replay against fourth-tier Cambridge at Old Trafford thanks to goals from Juan Mata, Marcos Rojo and James Wilson, setting up a fifth-round trip to third-tier Preston North End.

With rivals such as Manchester City, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur having exited the competition at this stage, United are now favourites to end an 11-year wait to lift the world's most famous domestic cup competition.

But Van Gaal admits the visit to Deepdale in two weeks will be testing, especially after Preston's impressive 3-1 replay victory away at cup specialists Sheffield United.

"Every club in the FA Cup wants to win; we also," said Van Gaal.

"We have to beat Preston and that will not be easy. They won away against a cup fighter like Sheffield United, so it will be difficult for us to win in Preston North End.

"I heard from (assistant manager) Ryan (Giggs) they (Sheffield United) are very good cup fighters and Preston beat them 3-1. So Preston is not a piece of cake."

Reflecting on his side's performance against a team who are currently 79 places below United in the English league system, the Dutchman added: "I don't think we played a very good match.

"But it is always difficult against a defensive team. We could have done better, but I am pleased with the result.

"Cambridge have played very well; a very organised team and with the mentality that was superb. The fans were fantastic from Cambridge United. We have done what we had to."

- Money for Money -

He added: "I prefer to play against lower teams because the possibility to survive is higher. The FA Cup is a title and I am living for titles as a coach, but it is always difficult.

"It is even sometimes more difficult to win against a lower team than a big team. That is good, but that is also what football is. It is what we all like, that not always the better team is winning.

"We have a real chance now. Why? We are the highest qualified team in the FA Cup, so people are maybe betting on us. I am not allowed to. I give you a tip."

Cambridge might have taken a sensational lead, with forward Tom Elliott missing a glorious one-on-one opening by hitting a post inside the first minute before Mata and Rojo gave United a two-goal half-time advantage.

Although he failed to get his name on the scoresheet, Belgian international Marouane Fellaini impressed in a role as a striker alongside Robin van Persie, playing a part in the two first-half goals.

"Now with Fellaini, we have always also an attacking player through the air," said Van Gaal.

"We could also score through the air, not only along the floor, and that was our game plan and he has confirmed it again.

"We could have scored more, I think. In the second half we played a bit more forward, I believe. We created more chances. Robin van Persie had four opportunities and could have scored more."

Cambridge could not match the dizzying heights of their first meeting with United, a 0-0 draw at the Abbey Stadium, but the £1 million ($1.5 million, 1.3 million euros) in funds generated by the replay was a huge consolation for losing manager Richard Money.

"It means we can be safe and stable financially," said Money.

"We are not going to have a spending spree in the summer and have one massive effort to be promoted. We need to grow.

"We need a new stadium and a new training ground or new facilities at the training ground. That is what the cup run will do for us."

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New York (AFP) - At least six people were killed on Tuesday when a commuter train crashed into a car on the rails outside New York City, local media reported.

The driver of the car was killed when the train slammed into the vehicle around 6:30 pm (2330 GMT) and five passengers aboard died after flames ripped through a carriage, NBC New York reported. 

Metro-North confirmed a train striking a vehicle but did not immediately announce fatalities.

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Marcoussis (France) (AFP) - Grizzled prop Nicolas Mas may be the grand old man of the French scrum but the player nicknamed the 'bus' is not yet ready to admit he has reached the terminus of his career.

Indeed the 34-year-old loosehead prop -- for so long a Perpignan stalwart before transferring to Montpellier in 2013 -- is contemplating his 10th Six Nations campaign and then going on to the World Cup later this year.

While he welcomes the competition posed by the younger generation of Stade Francais' 25-year-old Rabah Slimani and La Rochelle's New Zealand-born Uini Atonio, 24, the 76-times capped Mas insists he is not surrendering his place without a right old tussle.

"Our relations are very good," said Mas on Tuesday just days ahead of France's opening Six Nations game with Scotland at the Stade de France.

"They are the future of French rugby and therefore it is necessary for us to interact, for the better of the team.

"One has to react intelligently to competition but I am still eager to exist and to prove that I still have the ability to play at this level."

However, Mas, who is in line to play in his third World Cup and played in the 2011 final where hosts New Zealand edged the French 8-7, acknowledges that there is a life to be enjoyed outside the game as well as pressures from his loved ones to stop.     

"One has to know when it is time to stop," he said.

"There is a life after rugby.

"I have three children who are 9 and 6 years-old as well as 19 months.

"I gain a lot of pleasure from coming here (the training centre at Marcoussis) but at the same time it is difficult for my wife who is always left to fend for herself and the children."

- Part of French culture -

Mas, who won one French title with Perpignan as well as appearing in the 2003 European Cup final, is willing to impart his vast knowledge to those who are rising up the ranks even of it takes time to gain his confidence.

"I am not someone who often gives lessons, but if I am asked I will do so and with great pleasure," he said.

"I am a shy person at first but when I like people everything develops well."

Mas says that his main lesson to the younger brigade is that adapting to the heavier demands of the game is the biggest hurdle to succeeding.

"The game is different now," says Mas, who made his international debut in 2003.

"There is the scrum but also other issues such as supporting the ball carrier, the rucks and tackling...one has to fulfil a lot of tasks.

"When one has to hold in the scrum for 15 seconds in the scrum then get back up and run everywhere it becomes difficult.

"However, I am not going to play the 'old bore' who regrets everything and says the whole time 'before everything was better'."

Mas, however, would not swap the grime and grind of being a front row forward for the glamour of the back division for example.

"They say that we stay down too long, that it is not a beautiful spectacle, that the spectators want to watch open rugby... they like the three quarters better who run everywhere rather than a forward who just operates at scrums.

"People must also understand all the effort we put into this sector. It is part of French culture, deep rooted for many years, and we must not lose that because then it would be the death of rugby.

"The young would no longer wish to play prop and everyone would be over 2 metres tall.

"Our race (props) would no longer exist. And small guys like me would no longer be needed."

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Beaver Creek (United States) (AFP) - Aksel Lund Svindal and Bode Miller are poised to make their ski racing season debuts after posting fast training times ahead of Wednesday's World Championships super-G race.

Two time overall World Cup champion Svindal finished 11th in Tuesday's training run while Miller, who is one of the most successful ski racers in US history, clocked the 12th fastest time.

The two have a combined 22 Olympic and World medals.

"I will suit up. I will do the super-G," Svindal said. "I am not a medal favorite but ... my gut tells me I can ski down this course pretty good."

Svindal's Norwegian teammate Kjetil Jansrud was the quickest down the Birds of Prey course, finishing in one minute, 45.62 seconds in the Colorado mountain resort town. Austrians Max Franz (1:45.70) and Matthias Mayer (1:45.90) were second and third respectively.

Svindal was 1.12 seconds behind Jansrud with a 1:46.74 and Miller was just a shade back in 1:46.76.

"I am going to start in super-G tomorrow," said Miller, who has been hampered by nagging back problems. "The first training run you keep your eyes open and see where there is potential to make up more speed.

"A couple of little mistakes that are easy to clean up. My body felt fine."

Jansrud said he's not surprised to see Svindal and Miller time their returns for the Worlds.

"Aksel has been injured before so he knows what it takes and Bode is such a good skier he could show up anywhere and do well," said Jansrud. "It is good for the sport to have them back skiing."

Svindal ruptured his Achilles tendon juggling a soccer ball during training in October just eight days before the start of the World Cup season.

Many thought Svindal would be out for the year, but he convinced the Norwegian coaches and team doctor to let him try to ski on his surgically-repaired ankle this week.

"I was a little nervous. I am not going to lie," Svindal said of his training run Tuesday. 

"I have close to zero pain. It is not bad at all. When I ski I don't think about it.

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Los Angeles (AFP) - Disgraced cycling champion Lance Armstrong crashed his car into two parked vehicles and let his girlfriend take the blame after a night out, reports said.

The 43-year-old's girlfriend, Anna Hansen, 33, initially told police she was behind the wheel of Armstrong's car following the incident in December in Aspen, Colorado.

She later admitted to officers that Armstrong -- given a life-ban from cycling three years ago after admitting doping -- had been driving the car at the time, The Denver Post reported on Tuesday.

He faces charges for failing to report an accident and speeding, which are punishable by up to 90 days in jail and fines of up to $300, it said.

According to the Aspen Daily News, which first reported the December 28 incident, Hansen initially lied about who was behind the wheel and about whether Armstrong had been drinking, to avoid national headlines.

She was cited in two traffic tickets, but they were subsequently transferred to Armstrong on January 12 after the circumstances had been clarified, the Daily News reported.

Armstrong was stripped of his Tour de France titles and given a life-ban from cycling by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) in 2012 for doping.

The cancer-survivor eventually made a public confession in a television interview with US talk show host Oprah Winfrey in 2013.

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Amman (AFP) - Jordan vowed to begin executing death-row Islamic extremists at dawn on Wednesday, an "earth-shattering" response to the burning alive of one of its fighter pilots by the Islamic State group.

Hours after a harrowing video emerged online purporting to show the captive and caged 26-year-old F-16 fighter pilot engulfed in flames, a security official said executions would begin at daybreak.

Would-be Iraqi female suicide bomber Sajida al-Rishawi was named as the first slated to go to the gallows.

"The death sentence will be carried out on a group of jihadists, starting with Rishawi, as well as Iraqi Al-Qaeda operative Ziad Karbuli and others who attacked Jordan's interests," said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity.

King Abdullah II, who was visiting Washington as the video came to light, recorded a televised address to his shocked and outraged nation.

The king, who was once in the military himself, described First Lieutenant Maaz al-Kassasbeh as a hero and vowed to take the battle to Islamic State extremists, who have executed several captives on camera in recent months, provoking worldwide revulsion.

"Jordan's response will be earth-shattering," Information Minister Mohammed Momani said on television, while the army and government vowed to avenge the pilot's murder.

"Whoever doubted the unity of the Jordanian people, we will prove them wrong."

US President Barack Obama, who hosted Abdullah in a hastily organised and brief Oval Office meeting, led widespread international condemnation of the latest graphic murder, decrying the "cowardice and depravity" of the Islamic State group.

"The president and King Abdullah reaffirmed that the vile murder of this brave Jordanian will only serve to steel the international community’s resolve to destroy ISIL," a National Security Council spokesman said after the pair met.

The Obama administration had earlier reaffirmed its intention to give Jordan $3 billion in security aid over the next three years.

- 'Unforgivable' -

Kassasbeh was captured in December when his jet crashed over northern Syria on a mission that was part of the US-led coalition air campaign against the jihadists.

Jordanian state television suggested he was killed on January 3, before IS offered to spare his life and free a Japanese journalist in return for Rishawi's release.

The White House would not speculate on whether the video was released to coincide with Abdullah's visit to Washington.

British Prime Minister David Cameron called the murder "sickening," while UN chief Ban Ki-moon labelled it an "appalling act". 

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe condemned it as "unforgivable".

The death marks a further escalation of Islamic State's execution shock tactics after a series of brutal hostage beheadings.

The highly choreographed 22-minute footage shows Kassasbeh at a table recounting coalition operations against IS, with flags from the various Western and Arab countries in the alliance projected in the background.

It then shows Kassasbeh dressed in an orange jumpsuit and surrounded by armed and masked IS fighters in camouflage. 

It cuts to him standing inside a cage and apparently soaked in petrol before a masked jihadist uses a torch to light a trail of flame that runs to the cage and burns him alive.

The video also offered rewards for the killing of other "crusader" pilots.

- 'Act of belligerence' -

Shiraz Maher, from the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation at King's College London, described the footage as "simply the most horrific, disgusting thing I have seen from Islamic State in the last two years".

"They clearly want to make a real point. This is the first individual whom they have captured who has been directly involved with the Western coalition in fighting IS. It is different from the aid workers... This is an act of belligerence.

"Every time you think they cannot commit anything worse -- they open up another trapdoor."

The release of the video came after IS beheaded two Japanese hostages within a week.

The Islamic State group last year declared an Islamic "caliphate" as it rampaged across Iraq and Syria in a brutal offensive of executions and forced religious conversions.

The United States, Jordan and other nations responded with "Operation Inherent Resolve," an air-led campaign to pummel the jihadist group.

Kassasbeh's plane was the first loss of an aircraft since the US-led coalition launched strikes against IS last year.

US Central Command said that the group still had the ability "to conduct small-scale operations," despite months of air strikes.

But, it said, "their capacity to do so is degraded and their momentum is stalling."

Attacks have hit the IS group's "ability to command and control forces; recruit, train and retain fighters, produce revenue from oil sales, and maintain morale." 

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Washington (AFP) - The autobiography of "Little House on the Prairie" author Laura Ingalls Wilder has become a surprise publishing hit in America, with buyers rushing to snap up the candid account of pioneer life.

First published in November by the tiny South Dakota Historical Society Press, "Pioneer Girl" depicts an unglossed view of the 19th century Midwest, a marked departure from the bucolic imagery of the "Little House" series.

The book "is Laura Ingalls' very first draft before it was edited and romanticized," the press's director Nancy Tystad Koupal told AFP.

"We decided to keep this version, because it was as close to the original story of the 19th century pioneers. We wanted to show, in a sense, a behind the scenes of 'The Little House.'"

Wilder first wrote the book in 1930 and it has been annotated by Pamela Hill Smith, who researched all the places and dates Wilder mentioned.

In "Pioneer Life," Wilder details 16 years of travels by her family through an array of Midwestern states including Kansas, Missouri, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa.

Wilder's recollections formed the basis of the "Little House" books that were published between 1932 and 1943.

Whereas the series of 11 volumes paints a fairly innocent picture of pioneer times, Wilder's autobiography bears witness to a less glossy reality.

"At the time, life was hard. Violence was typical. It was part of the pioneers' life," Koupal said.

Koupal says the Ingalls family was in poor financial shape, with little cash and they didn't own a home. Instead, they lived in apartments that Laura's father couldn't always pay for.

"They had to flee in the middle of the night to avoid paying rent," Koupal said.

- Love for 'Little House' -

The autobiography also describes a man who, after drinking a considerable amount of whisky, managed to burn his lungs while lighting a cigar.

Many elements in "Pioneer Girl" were edited out of adaptations because they were considered too violent. In real life, Laura Ingalls took care of a sick woman whose drunk husband tried to rape her. The author only escaped by fighting back.

Wilder's books were adapted for television in 1974 by Michael Landon -- who also starred on the show. It ran for nine seasons, comprising more than 200 episodes.

The "Little House" books and television series were enjoyed by successive generations, which goes some way to explaining the enormous demand for the new book.

"For a lot of people, Laura Ingalls was a big part of their childhood," Koupal said.

Sales really took off after national radio broadcaster NPR and other US media outlets drew attention to it.

The book has soared up the Amazon bestseller list, and for a short while last week eclipsed even "American Sniper" for the top spot.

The decision to make an annotated version was taken after considerable research into the events depicted in the book.

"We had to check if her memory was correct," Koupal said.

"It is her autobiography, but she wrote it when she was 60, and sometimes, memory fails."

Wilder first wrote her autobiography at the request of her daughter Rose, who herself became a noted writer.

"We also wanted to explore her relationship with her daughter Rose, who was her editor and the one who convinced her to write her memoirs. Then, we wanted to show the difference between fiction and reality."

The historical society wanted to distance itself from the television series, which was the most romanticized of all the adaptations.

Since its publication, orders for the autobiography have exploded.

An initial print-run of 15,000 was sold out within a few weeks. The historical society then placed orders for another 15,000 followed by another 45,000 books.

"We couldn't ask for more," Koupal said. "We may not have seen the last of it."

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Amman (AFP) - Jordan executed two jihadist prisoners at dawn on Wednesday after vowing a harsh response to the Islamic State group's murder of a Jordanian pilot, government spokesman Mohammad al-Momani said.

Would-be Iraqi female suicide bomber Sajida al-Rishawi and Iraqi Al-Qaeda member Ziad al-Karboli were executed at 4:00 am local time (0200 GMT), Momani told AFP.

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Jordan has executed two Iraqi militants in response to ISIS killing a captured Jordanian pilot with fire.

Sajida al-Rishawi, the Iraqi woman militant, was sentenced to death for her role in a 2005 suicide bomb attack that killed 60 people. Ziyad Karboli, an Iraqi al Qaeda operative, who was convicted in 2008 for killing a Jordanian, was also executed at dawn, the source said.

Jordanian defense officials had promised retribution.

According to Habib, an army spokesperson promised that Jordan's response will "be at the level of disaster." Conflict News reported that an army spokesperson said that the country's "revenge will be of the size of the anger of the Jordanian people," which is apparently considerable: Habib is reporting a general mood of "anger, disgust" and "calls for revenge."

It's natural that the Jordanian monarchy would want to channel outrage over Kasasbe's death into more assertive anti-ISIS policies. According to the Soufan Group, nearly 2,100 Jordanians have traveled to Syria to join the Islamic State. Jordan shares borders with both countries and hosts over 747,000 refugees from the conflict in Syria.

The country has remained remarkably stable in spite of having deep national fissures of its own, with a royal family identified with the country's Bedouin minority ruling over a majority-Palestinian population.

But Jordan's options may be limited. The country had grounded its pilots after Kasasbe's capture and was thought to mostly play an intelligence-gathering role when it joined Operation Inherent Resolve.

With public opinion inside the kingdom split over cooperation in the anti-ISIS coalition and the kingdom beset with internal concerns, executing terrorism-related prisoners may be the monarchy's most expedient way of sating popular anger and getting back at the group while also papering over its lack of other options for the time being.

SEE ALSO: Why young western women are being drawn to ISIS

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NOW WATCH: The Taiwan Navy Just Unveiled A Stealth Missile Warship Dubbed The 'Carrier-Killer'

Taipei (AFP) - A passenger plane with 58 people on board plunged into a river outside Taiwan's capital Taipei on Wednesday, with 10 people rescued and dozens trapped inside, according to television reports.

The TransAsia ATR 72-600 turboprop plane was on a domestic flight when it hit a road bridge before ploughing into the river, the reports said. Rescuers were trying to reach the trapped passengers, they said.

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Tokyo (AFP) - Japanese health authorities said on Wednesday that they will soon make a decision on a possible penalty against the local unit of Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis for failing to report drug side effects.

That followed media reports which said regulators would slap a 15-day suspension order on the firm, meaning the company could not sell most of its drugs during the two-week period -- a first for a pharmaceutical firm operating in Japan.

Tokyo-based Novartis Pharma K.K. in December admitted it failed to report more than 3,000 cases of patient health problems that may have been caused by adverse effects from about two dozen company drugs.

The Swiss firm's Japanese unit declined to comment Wednesday, while the health ministry said that a decision was imminent.

"We haven't decided anything yet, but it should be announced soon," a spokesman told AFP.

The possible penalty marks the latest headache for the drugmaker in Japan.

In July it was handed a business improvement order for failing to properly report side effects of two leukaemia drugs.

Also in July prosecutors laid charges against the unit over claims that falsified data were used to exaggerate the benefits of a popular blood-pressure drug.

They also indicted a former employee, Nobuo Shirahashi, alleging he manipulated the data in clinical studies that were later used in marketing the drug Valsartan.

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Hong Kong (AFP) - Asia maintained a global stocks rally on Wednesday while the euro held on to healthy gains as hopes grow that Greece will be able to hammer out a debt deal with its European partners.

Traders followed the lead from across Europe and the United States after Greece's new leadership impressed with their charm offensive aimed at getting backing for a renegotiation of its bailout.

Oil prices retreated after surging to their highest levels since early January on news of a cut in the number of rigs drilling and energy giants slashing budgets.

Tokyo jumped 2.17 percent by the break, Hong Kong added 0.80 percent, Sydney gained 1.07 percent, Seoul was up 0.79 percent and Shanghai was 0.21 percent higher.

Anti-austerity Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis have been touring European countries ramping up support for their plan to restructure their debt repayments.

Varoufakis is pushing the idea of debt swaps that would avoid the need for creditors to accept losses on the country's 315-billion-euro ($361-billion) foreign debt, while easing the monthly financing burden on Athens.

While being given sympathetic ear so far the leadership's toughest test will come later this week when it must convince European paymaster Germany of its plans.

However, reassurances by Varoufakis and Tsipras to creditors and allies that a default -- and possible Greek exit from the single currency area -- is not on the cards boosted markets, with Athens surging more than 11 percent.

There were also healthy gains in London, Paris and Frankfurt, which ended at a record high, while in New York the Dow climbed 1.76 percent, the S&P 500 put on 1.44 percent higher and the Nasdaq gained.

The surge in confidence filtered through to currency markets, where the euro rocketed one point to as high as $1.1512 before settling back.

In early Tokyo trade the single currency bought $1.1456 and 134.81 yen, compared with $1.1479 and 134.96 yen late in New York but sharply up from the $1.13 and 132 yen levels seen in Tokyo earlier Tuesday.

The dollar was at 117.65 yen early Wednesday compared with 117.57 yen in US trade.

Oil prices retreated after shooting up over the past few days on hopes of rebounding global energy demand and reduced crude production. 

US benchmark West Texas Intermediate for March delivery fell $1.06 to $51.99 while Brent crude for March eased 68 cents to $57.23. 

Earlier Tuesday Brent had struck $57.23 and WTI touched $51.56.

"With oil having rallied for four days and reached a one-month high, there's a growing sense that it has bottomed out," Hiroichi Nishi, an equities manager at SMBC Nikko Securities Inc. in Tokyo, said by phone. "Chances today are quite high for a rebound."

Gold fetched $1,281.71 an ounce, against $1,281.71 on Tuesday.

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Washington (AFP) - US President Barack Obama and American health authorities appealed to the public to vaccinate their children as the country faces an outbreak of measles due to some parents believing vaccines against deadly diseases are dangerous.

Considered eradicated from the US in 2000, measles re-emerged in December in an outbreak clustered around the Disneyland amusement park in California.

Since then, 102 cases of measles have been reported in 14 states according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

"We are very concerned by the growing number of people who are susceptible to measles and the possibility that we could have a large outbreak in this country as a result," head of the CDC Tom Frieden said over the weekend while encouraging parents to vaccinate their children.

Measles causes fever and rash and in severe cases can lead to pneumonia or brain swelling. The disease is highly contagious because it is transmitted through the air.

The United States had 644 cases of measles in 2014, a record number since 2000. There were 173 cases in 2013.

The resurgence of the disease in the US coincides with a movement of some parents refusing to vaccinate their children. 

Many people who don't vaccinate their children say they fear a triple vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella is responsible for increasing cases of autism -- a theory repeatedly disproven by various studies.

Other people refuse vaccination on religious or political grounds.

The controversy dates back to the publication of a now debunked article in the Lancet medical journal in 1998. The media has been heavily criticized for republishing information in the report that was withdrawn in 2010.

- Beliefs unfounded -

Numerous scientific studies have clearly shown there is no link between vaccines and autism or other health risks.

In 2014, the parents of 79 percent of unvaccinated children asked authorities of their state to be exempt from immunization on the basis of their beliefs, said Anne Schuchat, head of immunization at the CDC.

President Obama tried to convince skeptical parents to ignore unfounded beliefs about vaccines as concerns over the outbreak grow.

"I understand that there are families that, in some cases, are concerned about the effect of vaccinations. The science is, you know, pretty indisputable. We have looked at this again and again. There is every reason to get vaccinated, but there are not reasons to not," Obama said Sunday.

The issue of vaccinations has stirred up the country's political scene, particularly among potential Republican candidates for the 2016 presidential election.

The issue presents challenges for the politicians who do not want to alienate the ultra-conservative electorate who sometimes reject the vaccine.

When asked about the issue, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, a moderate Republican, said it was important for parents to have "some measure of choice." His press office later issued a statement saying children should be vaccinated for the disease.

"While I think it's a good idea to take the vaccine, I think that is a personal decision for individuals," said Senator Rand Paul, a doctor and leader among the Tea Party, a more conservative movement.

On the other hand, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Republican John Boehner was very clear on the issue: "I do believe that all children ought to be vaccinated."

The same message was echoed by Republican Senator Marco Rubio: "There is absolutely no medical science or data whatsoever that links those vaccinations to onset of autism or anything of that nature," he said.

"So absolutely, all children in American should be vaccinated."

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Bolton (United Kingdom) (AFP) - Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has hinted he will make changes for Wednesday's FA Cup fourth-round replay at second-tier Bolton Wanderers, but still expects his side to progress.

Neil Lennon's Bolton earned a replay at the Macron Stadium after battling to a 0-0 draw at Anfield on January 24.

Liverpool have lost only once in their last 12 matches and that was the extra-time defeat by Chelsea in the League Cup semi-finals last week.

With the Merseyside Derby against Everton on the horizon on Saturday, as well as Europa League fixtures with Besiktas later in the month, Rodgers is keen to protect his players from an intense workload.

But he remains fully focused on reaching the fifth round of the FA Cup, where Crystal Palace lie in wait.

"When you have so many games, you have to plan forward and look at that," Rodgers said.

"I always believe the next game is very important and I always pick a team I believe can win the game. It will be a tough game for us, as we saw at Anfield.

"We've got a big month coming up. We want to continue in the cup competitions as well as keep the momentum going in the league.

"We've got a good squad of players who I trust and believe in and where I need to change and rotate, I'll do that. The objective is still the same –- to get three points or to get through to the next round."

Since the initial meeting with Bolton, the Reds have welcomed key striker Daniel Sturridge back after injury and the England international scored as a substitute against West Ham United on Saturday.

- Lennon wants more pace -

It was Sturridge's first Liverpool appearance since August last year and Rodgers says he will work carefully to integrate the 25-year-old back into the team.

"He's still a bit of time off starting," the Northern Irishman said.

"You saw in the period when he came on, he was still getting used to the surroundings again in the 25 minutes or so he had on the pitch, so it's just about bedding him back in."

Steven Gerrard’s next appearance for Liverpool will be his 700th for the club, but Rodgers would not reveal whether that will be at Bolton or against Everton at Goodison Park.

Bolton performed admirably at Anfield to force the replay, but their performance was based on a solid defence.

With Liverpool old boy Emile Heskey, 37, partnering Eidur Gudjohnsen, 36, up front, Bolton's ability to counter-attack was limited and Lennon hopes to cause more problems in the replay.

"I think the game will be pretty much the same way in that they will have the bulk of possession," Lennon said.

"But I think we will be able to create more at home. Certainly the first game was more about limiting Liverpool to the least possible chances and maybe hitting them on the counter-attack.

"But the problem we had on the counter-attack was we had Heskey and Gudjohnsen, so we weren't blessed with blistering pace!

"We might just change up the personnel a little bit to give us a little bit more impetus in terms of pace in attacking areas."

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Kuala Lumpur (AFP) - Defending champion Lee Westwood will be shooting for a third Malaysian Open title this week to extend his strong record in Asia, which has come to feel like home for the Englishman.

Westwood was in a class by himself last year, seizing the title at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club by seven strokes and adding to a previous win in the tournament way back in 1997.

"I am always comfortable playing in Malaysia, and with last year's win one of my best ever, I am ready to defend my title on a course where I almost feel like a member," said Westwood, 41.

Few non-Asian players can rival the former world number one's record in the region.

Westwood has 42 pro victories in his career including seven in Asian Tour-sanctioned events and several others in the region.

His most recent Asian Tour win came in the Thailand Golf Championship in December, the second time he won that event.

The $3 million Maybank Malaysian Open starting on Thursday is co-sanctioned by the European and Asian Tours.

Since his victory last year in Kuala Lumpur, Westwood has struggled to remain in top form and is now ranked 30th in the world.

But, following his one-shot victory in Thailand in December, he finished a solid ninth place last week in the Dubai Desert Classic, won by world number one Rory McIlroy.

Challengers in Kuala Lumpur include Frenchman Victor Dubuisson, the world number 15, who has steadily emerged as a formidable competitor on the European Tour.

The 2010 US Open Champion and world number 20 Graeme McDowell, whose last tournament win came at the Alstom Open de France last July, also is in the fray, as is the Asian Tour's current top-ranked player David Lipsky of the United States.

Besides a challenging course that puts a premium on accuracy, competitors typically must contend with hot and steamy local conditions that can sap the resolve of the un-acclimated, while frequent rain and lightning delays can disrupt momentum.

But the tournament -- held last year in April -- is being staged earlier this year, and recent weather conditions have been relatively balmy.

Two Thai players in the field who know how to handle Malaysian conditions are Thongchai Jaidee, who has won the event twice before, and Kiradech Aphibarnrat, who took the title in 2013.

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TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Taiwan's aviation authority says at least eight people are dead after a TransAsia commercial flight with 58 people aboard clipped a bridge shortly after takeoff and crashed into a river in the island's capital of Taipei.

The Central News Agency (CNA) in Taiwan posted pictures of the plane in the water several dozen meters (yards) from the shore in the Keelung River.

It may be one of the first times a commercial jet was captured on clear dashboard cam video before crashing.

The BBC reports footage from the dashcams of several passing cars captured the plane banking wildly, then clipping a bridge before plunging into the river.

CNA said the flight from Taipei to the outlying island of Kinmen lost contact with flight controllers at 10:55 a.m. local time and the fuselage landed in the Keelung River near the city's downtown Sungshan airport.

The crash comes nearly a month before the 1-year anniversary of the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, which dropped off radar on its way from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing last March.

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A four-floor townhouse in New York's Brooklyn Heights neighborhood has hit the market for $40 million, making it the most expensive ever listed home in Brooklyn.

It unseats Brooklyn’s previous most expensive home — a $35 million, 25,500-square-foot townhouse in Williamsburg — by $5 million.

The mansion is nearly 17,500 square feet with 9,000 square feet of garden space. It has 16 bedrooms, 16 bathrooms, and a whopping 50 rooms.

According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, retired banker and former president of Republic New York Corp Jeff Keil bought the property back in 1991 for $2.3 million. The WSJ reports that he wants to spend more time at his Florida home, but that “he’ll miss the large Thanksgiving gatherings — 34 people around a table — in their Brooklyn apartment.”

Time will tell if the mansion is able to sell at its staggering price point. A home in Brooklyn’s Mill Basin area that was built by a mobster and owned by a Russian heiress was ruthlessly price chopped from $30 million to $17 million after being unable to find a buyer. 

Vicki Negron of Corcoran Group Real Estate has the listing.

Welcome to 3 Pierrepont Place, the new most expensive home listed in Brooklyn at $40 million.

The mansion is nearly 17,500 square feet and has four floors.

The view from the townhouse is described as cinematic with sweeping vistas of New York Harbor, the Statue of Liberty, the Financial District, the Brooklyn Heights Promenade, and Governor's Island.