Obama stands firm on hostage ransoms

Hours after confirming the death of a US hostage snatched in Syria, President Barack Obama described the anguish of dealing with distraught families, but insisted his government would still not pay ransoms. Telling loved ones he would not allow ransom payments in return for freedom is "as tough as anything I do," Obama told BuzzFeed in an interview following the death of 26-year-old Kayla Mueller. Last week the Islamic State group claimed she had been killed in a Jordanian air strike i