| Trump Issues Statement On Sean Spicer Resignation Posted: 21 Jul 2017 04:25 AM PDT  Deputy White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders reads a statement from President Trump change from Sean Spicer to Anthony Scaramucci.
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| Thai court charges disgraced 'jet-set monk' with rape Posted: 20 Jul 2017 02:12 AM PDT  A Thai court charged a disgraced former monk Thursday with the rape of an underage girl, fraud and money laundering, after he was extradited from the United States. Thailand is an overwhelmingly Buddhist nation with around 300,000 men in orange robes, but the clergy are beset by high-profile scandals. Wiraphon Sukphon, 37, was arrested on arrival at Bangkok's main airport late Wednesday from the US where he established an unofficial Buddhist teaching centre after fleeing Thailand in 2013.
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| Trump Finances Part of Russia Investigation Posted: 20 Jul 2017 11:51 AM PDT  Greg Farrell, investigative reporter for Bloomberg News, talks with Rachel Maddow about Special Counsel Robert Mueller including Donald Trump's personal business and finances as part of the Trump Russia investigation.
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| Earthquake rocks Greece and Turkey: Two dead on Kos as hundreds of tourists hurt amid tsunami Posted: 21 Jul 2017 09:07 AM PDT  Earthquake hits off coast of Greek islands and Turkey Two tourists killed on Kos and more than 200 injured Another 360 hurt in Turkish resort of Bodrum 6.7-magnitude quake triggers small tsunami Panic as building crashes down on tourists in bar Others jump from balconies and run for their lives Tens of thousands flee hotels and sleep in streets 'We were all screaming': Tourists describe night of chaos At least two tourists have been killed and more than 500 others injured after a powerful earthquake shook the Greek Islands and Turkish coast, triggering a small tsunami. The 6.7-magnitude quake struck in the Aegean Sea on Thursday night south of the Turkish city of Bodrum and east of the small Greek island of Kos - both areas popular with British holidaymakers. It sent a building crashing down on tourists at a bar in the Old Town of the main port on Kos, killing two men - a 27-year-old from Sweden and a 39-year-old from Turkey - and injuring scores of others in scenes of panic. Other holidaymakers were injured when they lept to safety from balconies of other buildings. Greek health officials said 13 people were flown to hospitals in Athens and on the islands of Rhodes and Crete. The earthquake triggered a small tsunami that brought two-foot tidal waves that caused flooding in Bodrum and parts of Kos, which took the brunt of the impact with significant damage to buildings. Earthquake rocks holiday resorts in Greece and Turkey - in pictures Tourists were forced to flee their hotels when the quake hit at around 1.30am local time on Friday (10.31pm GMT Thursday) and experienced more than 20 aftershocks throughout the night. The effects of the quake were felt by people miles away from the epicentre. Many ran from their homes or holiday apartments with pillows and blankets. Tens of thousands of holidaymakers spent the night outdoors on Kos, with many sleeping on sunbeds along beaches and in squares. Rubble in a street on the Greek island of Kos, that bore the brunt of the earthquake damage Credit: Reuters A car left wedged in a street following the earthquake Credit: DOGAN NEWS AGENCY A car is covered with debris following an earthquake on Kos Credit: GIANNIS KIARIS More than 200 people were injured on Kos. Some had been trapped when buildings collapsed. Many suffered broken bones, with a number in a serious condition. Police said the injured including tourists of various nationalities. The Turkish health minister said that almost 360 people were hurt in the resort of Bodrum. Of the victims in Bodrum, 25 remained in hospital on Friday morning. Some had broken bones, but the health minister said there were no serious injuries. Firefighters remove debris outside a cafe following the earthquake Credit: GIANNIS KIARIS/EPA Fallen bottles in a shop on Kos after the 6.7-magnitude earthquake Credit: GIANNIS KIARIS/EPA People try to move the cars from a flooded coastal road after the quake triggered a small tsunami Credit: Kos Today Among those who felt the earthquake on Kos was British student Naomi Ruddock, who is on holiday with her mother. "We were asleep and we just felt the room shaking," she said. "The room moved. Literally everything was moving. "And it kind of felt like you were on a boat and it was swaying really fast from side to side - you felt seasick." Map: 6.7 Magnitude earthquake near Kos The Foreign Office warned on Friday of "significant" travel disruption for those hoping to leave Greece by either flight or ferry. There are currently around 10,000 British holidaymakers in Kos, and in the "low thousands" in Bodrum, according to the Association of British Travel Agents (Abta). However the true figure is likely to be higher, as this excludes independent travellers. TUI, which owns Thomson and First Choice, said that a "handful" of its customers were among those injured. Kos Airport was closed on Friday morning, but later reopened with delays meaning that even those who already had flights booked to leave were caught up in the chaos. "Tour operators are working alongside the local authorities to assess the damage, and will make arrangements to move customers should structural damage be found to their accommodation," a spokesman for Abta said. Tourists leap from balconies as buildings collapse Hundreds of revelers were in or near the popular White Corner Club in the old town of Kos when the building partially collapsed. At least five other people were seriously injured on Kos as tourists and local residents scrambled out of buildings, some even leaping from balconies. Rubble on the street in front of a collapsed on Kos Credit: Michael Probst/AP A damaged structure sits on the ground after the earthquake Credit: Michael Probst/AP The quake-damaged Church of Saint Nicholas on Kos Credit: LOUISA GOULIAMAKI/AFP The quake damaged churches, an old mosque, and the port's 14th century castle, along with old buildings in the town. The toppled minaret of a mosque on Kos Credit: Michael Probst/AP A partially destroyed building in Kos is seen from above Credit: Nikiforos Pittaras/AP In nearby Turkey, the quake caused cracks on walls of some buildings in the resort of Bodrum, flooded the lower floors of sea-front hotels and restaurants and sent moored boats crashing toward the shore. Wide cracks in quayside near tourist strip Images show long, wide cracks in the asphalt on the quayside at the port of Kos, which is near a tourist strip of cafes and bars. A man walks along the damaged pier of the port of Kos Credit: COSTAS BALTAS/Reuters Damage in the port of Kos Credit: EPA/GIANNIS KIARIS Damage is seen at a square following an earthquake on the island of Kos Credit: GIANNIS KIARIS/EPA Kos airport remained operational and Greek Deputy Shipping Minister Nektarios Santorinios flew there. But he said the port was out of action. "Passengers on ferries have been rerouted to the islands of Nisyros and Kalymnos," he told Greek SKAI TV. Kos mayor: There are not many old buildings left A wall collapsed on a building dating to the 1930s and it crushed people who were at the bar in the building's lower level. Kos Mayor Giorgos Kyritsis said: "There are not many old buildings left on Kos. Nearly all the structures on the island have been built under the new codes to withstand earthquakes," the mayor said. Rubble from a damaged old building on the Greek island of Kos Credit: AP Rubble in the street by a cafe on Kos Credit: Reuters A man walks near a damaged building on Kos Credit: AP The Kos hospital said at least 20 of the injured had broken bones. Rescuers were checking for trapped people inside houses after the quake struck in the middle of the night. Kyritsis said the army was mobilised along with emergency services. Emergency workers attend to a person injured on Kos Credit: COSTS METAXAKIS/AFP Medics transfer a man injured on Kos to hospital in the city of Heraklion on the island of Crete Credit: STEFANOS RAPANIS/Reuters Emergency workers use a trolley to move a person injured in the earthquake Credit: COSTS METAXAKIS/Getty Authorities had warned of a localised tsunami, and witnesses described a "swelling" of the sea after the earthquake. The island's port was among structures that sustained damaged and a seafront road and parts of the island's main town were flooded. Tourists sleep in streets after abandoning hotels In the Turkish city of Marmaris, beachfront hotels were flooded. Elsewhere, holidaymakers cowered for shelter and in some resorts they abandoned their rooms for safety, gathering in the street. Two strong aftershocks followed. Hotel guests briefly went back to their rooms to collect their belongings. But they opted to spend the night in the open air, using sheets and cushions borrowed from nearby lounge chairs to build makeshift beds. Hotel guests sleep outdoors after abandoning their rooms in Bitez, a resort town about four miles west of Bodrum Credit: Ayse Wieting/AP Holidaymakers sleep in the street after the quake shook Kos Credit: REUTERS People camp outside after a quake in Akyarlar, Bodrum Credit: REUTERS Such was the force of the earthquake its impact was felt as far away as Rhodes and Crete. "Felt it here (in Rhodes) too. Pretty strong. Looked out the window to see the waves in the pool," Daniel Markham, a councillor on Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council in Kent, tweeted. Shallow quake was only 6.2 miles below seabed The quake, which was felt across the Aegean coast, was very shallow - only 6.2 miles below the seabed, the US Geological Survey said. A seismologist told Greek television that there had been a tidal wave about 28 inches (70 cm) high. A map released by the US Geological Survey shows the location of the quake Credit: US Geological Survey 'The light was swinging... crockery falling out of cupboards' Christopher Hackland, a Scottish diving instructor, told of the moment the earthquake struck. "There was banging," he said. "There was shaking. The light was swinging, banging on the ceiling, crockery falling out of the cupboards, and pans were making noise. "There was a lot of screaming and crying and hysterics coming from the hotel. It felt like being at a theme park with one of the illusions, an optical illusion where you feel like you're upside down." 'There was first a noise and then a roar... my boat was dragged to the shore' Boat captain Metin Kestaneci, 40, told how he was asleep on his vessel when the quake hit. "There was first a noise and then a roar. Before I could ask 'what's happening?' my boat was dragged toward the shore. We found ourselves on the shore," Kestaneci said. "I've never experienced such a thing." A man looks at damaged boats at a beach following the sea surge Credit: AFP Britons tell of fear at being woken by quake A number of Britons have spoken of their fear when they felt tremors as the quake struck. Lauren Duffy, from Merseyside, said glass and broken pieces of marble statues were among the debris strewn near her hotel in the wake of the earthquake. The University of Chester student, who is staying at the Atlantis Hotel in Lambi, a short drive from Kos Town which is believed to have been worst affected, spent the night outside with fellow guests as aftershocks continued to rock the island. People receive medical treatment at the garden of Bodrum State Hospital Credit: DOGAN NEWS AGENCY The 20-year-old, who is on holiday with her mother and sister, said: "We were woken up by really aggressive shaking. "We didn't know what it was. You couldn't find your balance. It was just a scary situation." The trio are due to leave Kos on Sunday, but said: "I think if the option came up to fly home early I think we would accept it at this stage." Tourist: Whole building 'shook like jelly' Kristian Stevens, from Nelson in Lancashire, said he felt the building he was in "shake like a jelly". The 48-year-old had just gone to bed when the quake struck. He said: "It was quite surreal as I had just laid down in bed and the whole building shook. The whole building shook like a jelly. "Many of the locals rushed out into the streets still in underwear. Some have been seen with blankets and pillows not sure if it is safe to return home." People stand outside damaged buildings on Kos Credit: AFP/Getty Sophie Wild said she ran from her third-floor accommodation when she woke to a loud banging noise. The 21-year-old from Canterbury in Kent is coming to the end of her holiday in Altinkum, around 500 miles away from Bodrum. She said: "We were asleep and were awoken by what sounded like banging on our door, it got louder and louder and the building started shaking. We jumped up ran to the balcony to see what it was (my first thought when we heard the banging was that we were being attacked). "When we realised it was an earthquake, we got an immediate sense to get out, we thought the building was going to crumble around us. We ran down our stairs." Earthquake of 6.3 magnitude hits west of Turkey and the tsunami was felt, many hotels are flooded: https://t.co/ZUtq0BRcL4pic.twitter.com/OY3TT1bPX8— Washington Hattı (@WasHatti) July 20, 2017 'The room moved... it felt like you were on a boat' Naomi Ruddock, who is on holiday in Kos with her mother Eleanor, said she felt like she was on a boat in choppy water when the earthquake hit. The 22-year-old, who is due to graduate from Brighton University next week, said they were woken from their sleep when the room shook. She said: "We were asleep and we just felt the room shaking. The room moved. Literally everything was moving. And it kind of felt like you were on a boat and it was swaying really fast from side to side, you felt seasick." Naomi Ruddock, 22, and her mother, Eleanor, who are on holiday in Kos Credit: Naomi Ruddock/PA The pair ran from their ground floor room in the Akti Palace Hotel in Kardamena, around a 30 minute drive from Kos Town which is thought to have been worst hit. Ms Ruddock, from London, added: "The restaurant manager just said that he's never seen anything like this ever happen ever around this area or ever in Greece. He said it was like something out of a film, and it was." A boat rests on a pavement after a quake in Kos triggered a mini tsunami Credit: Reuters London student tells of 'surreal nightmarish experience' London student Georgie Jamieson, who was holidaying in Kos with her family, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "We're all a bit shaken up. We had been having a lovely evening down in the hotel and got up to our room an hour before it struck. "We were literally dozing off when the first tremor struck. From then on it was a bit of a surreal nightmarish experience. "I was semi-conscious. At first I panicked and I was a bit fear-struck, but then slowly trying to process what was happening. "Everything was shaking really vigorously. I've never felt anything like it before. Almost as if the ground was going to cave in." Damage and flooding are seen on a coastal road in Kos Credit: AP Georgie said she went to check on her sisters, and they were initially unsure whether it was safer to leave the hotel room or stay. "We ran to the door to check there was nothing outside that had been visibly damaged," she said. "When we saw that that was all clear, we were coming to terms with the fact that we were experiencing an earthquake and we grabbed our stuff and made a run away from the building." Hotel owners try to calm thousands of tourists Constantina Svynou, head of the hoteliers' association in Kos, told Greek ERT television that many visitors had spent the night outside their hotels, but some were now returning to their rooms. "There are about 200,000 tourists on the island, we are at the peak season," he said. "Our first reaction was to calm the tourists, following basic rules and evacuating hotel buildings." Hotel owners in Bodrum told Turkish broadcasters that some tourists were checking out. "It was a lucky escape and it could have been much worse," said Issa Kamara, a 38-year old personal trainer at the Maca Kizi hotel in Bodrum's smart Turkbuku area. Video: Flooded streets in Bodrum after tsunami Video Added from #Bodrum#Tsunami#Earthquakepic.twitter.com/3bR5tHnieg— Global News (@GlobalZarfati) July 20, 2017 Foreign Office advice to Britons near quake The Foreign Office advised Britons in surrounding areas to follow the advice of local authorities and tour operators. A spokesman for the Foreign Office said: "We are speaking to the Turkish and Greek authorities following an earthquake off the coast of Bodrum and near the island of Kos. "Any British people in the areas affected should follow the instructions of local authorities." Are earthquakes common in this region? Turkey's location between the Arabian tectonic plate and the Eurasian plate renders it prone to earthquakes. In October 2011, more than 600 people died in the eastern province of Van following a 7.2-magnitude quake and powerful aftershocks. In 1999, two massive earthquakes killed about 20,000 people in Turkey's densely populated northwest. The same year, a 5.9 magnitude quake killed 143 people in Greece. How are earthquakes categorised? At a glance | Moment Magnitude Scale of earthquakes How you can stay safe in an earthquake If you ever are unlucky enough to be affected by an earthquake, here is what you should do to stay safe. How to | Stay safe in an earthquake
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| Powerful earthquake hits Greece and Turkey Posted: 21 Jul 2017 10:17 AM PDT ![Powerful earthquake hits Greece and Turkey]( "Powerful earthquake hits Greece and Turkey") A deadly 6.7-magnitude undersea quake hit the Greek holiday island of Kos and the Turkish resort of Bodrum on Friday, injuring hundreds in areas abuzz with nightlife.
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| Germany cannot scare Turkey with 'threats': Erdogan Posted: 21 Jul 2017 06:47 AM PDT  Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday told Germany it cannot scare Ankara with threats, in an escalating row over a wave of arrests that prompted Berlin to step up warnings to German tourists and investors. "They (Germany) cannot scare us with these threats, they should know this," Erdogan said in a speech in Istanbul. "You (Germany) do not have the power to smear Turkey... or the power to scare us," he added.
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| Police Dispatcher Asks Cops to Help Him Propose During Traffic Stop Posted: 20 Jul 2017 02:51 PM PDT  A Texas woman was shocked when a police officer pulled her over.
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| After Trump rebuke, Sessions shows up for work, will stay ‘as long as that is appropriate’ Posted: 20 Jul 2017 08:28 AM PDT  Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein dodged questions about their future with the Department of Justice following criticisms from President Trump. In an interview with the New York Times published Wednesday evening, Trump said that he would not have appointed Sessions as attorney general if he knew Sessions would recuse himself from the Russia investigation. "We in the Department of Justice will continue every single day to work hard, to serve the national interest, and we wholeheartedly join in the priorities of President Trump," said Sessions when asked if he had considered resignation.
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| The Latest: Health care bill set for vote faces uphill climb Posted: 20 Jul 2017 06:57 PM PDT  WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on the Republican effort to repeal the Obama health law (all times local):
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| New York Couple Pleads Guilty to Enslaving Korean Children for 6 Years Posted: 20 Jul 2017 04:10 PM PDT  The children have been reunited with their parents
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| Mosul's Christians face dilemma after Islamic State Posted: 20 Jul 2017 09:25 PM PDT  The jihadists may have been ousted from their Iraqi hometown of Mosul but many Christians like Haitham Behnam refuse to go back and trade in the stability of their new lives. "There's no security, no protection for Christians back there," said the former resident of the largest city in northern Iraq. "It's better for us to stay here and keep our mouths shut," said the man in his 40s who resettled in the Iraqi Kurdish capital of Arbil in 2014 after the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group seized control of Mosul.
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| Great White Shark Gets Shockingly Close To Paddle Boarders Near California Posted: 20 Jul 2017 02:40 PM PDT  Paddle boarders came dangerously close to a great white shark in Califonia waters.
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| Ford’s newest police pursuit vehicle isn’t a car at all Posted: 21 Jul 2017 10:26 AM PDT 
Plenty of crooks have attempted to leave the police in their dust by ditching the pavement and going off-road, but Ford's latest police-only pursuit vehicle is ready to give them a run for their money. It's packed with power, durability, and enough upgrades to handle just about any type of terrain, and it's like no other police car you've ever seen — because it's not a car at all. The automotive company just revealed the F-150 Police Responder, and it's an absolute beast.
http://www.ford.com/campaignlibs/content/brand_ford/en_us/wired/f150policeresponder/jcr:content/par/introduction_1251521581.img.jpg/1500496635078.jpg To build a pickup truck worthy of being in a high-speed chase, Ford took its already impressive F-150 with the FX4 off-road upgrades and made it even better. The final product boasts a V6 engine, which might sound fairly weak for a high-powered highway machine, but that modest mill is equipped with not one, but two turbochargers. Rated at a healthy 375 horsepower, that gas-guzzling heart is mated with a 10-speed automatic transmission for smooth and rapid acceleration. The truck also gets upgraded suspension and brakes which have been "police-pursuit calibrated" to give it the edge in handling, as well as underbody skid plates for protection. Ford says it's the first pickup truck that qualifies as "pursuit-rated." The capabilities of the F-150 Police Responder will be tested this year by both the Michigan State Police and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's office, and is slated to formally launch early next year, when it will no doubt make its presence felt on back roads and snow-covered highways across the country.
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| Millions heed anti-Maduro shutdown in Venezuela Posted: 20 Jul 2017 01:55 PM PDT  By Andrew Cawthorne and Girish Gupta CARACAS (Reuters) - Many Venezuelan streets were barricaded and deserted on Thursday for a strike called by foes of President Nicolas Maduro to demand elections and the scrapping of plans for a new congress they fear will consolidate dictatorship in the OPEC country. From the Andes to the Amazon, millions joined the 24-hour shutdown, staying at home, closing businesses or manning roadblocks in a civil disobedience campaign the opposition hopes will end nearly two decades of socialist rule. "We must all do our best to get rid of this tyrant," said Miguel Lopez, 17, holding a homemade shield emblazoned with "No To Dictatorship!" at a barrier on a Caracas street devoid of traffic.
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| Tourists at all-inclusive Mexico resort reportedly drugged, woman dies Posted: 21 Jul 2017 03:53 AM PDT  A family vacation to Mexico ended in tragedy recently after a young woman died at an all-inclusive resort after reportedly being drugged.
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| WaPo: Trump Seeks Advice On Pardoning Himself Posted: 20 Jul 2017 11:26 AM PDT  Ashley Parker, reporter for The Washington Post, talks with Rachel Maddow about new reporting that Donald Trump is trying to undercut Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation and is asking advisers about pardoning himself, aides and family members.
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| Republicans close to blocking Trump from easing Russia sanctions Posted: 21 Jul 2017 02:17 PM PDT  In a rare show of defiance, Republicans in Congress are coming close to preventing Donald Trump from being able to roll back sanctions against Russia. The White House has sought to change a bill that would toughen sanctions on Moscow for meddling in the 2016 US election. Despite telling reporters that the White House supports new sanctions on Russia, Marc Short, its legislative director, declared that the bill would set "an unusual precedent of delegating foreign policy to 535 members of Congress.
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| Detained student's mother: China police want "ransom" Posted: 20 Jul 2017 04:42 PM PDT  BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — The mother of an American college student arrested in central China following an altercation with a taxi driver five weeks earlier said police are demanding the equivalent of a $7,400 "ransom" for his release.
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| 5-Year-Old Girl Fined Nearly $200 for Holding Lemonade Stand Posted: 21 Jul 2017 09:42 AM PDT  "Have I done a bad thing?"
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| Dali's trademark moustache intact at '10 past 10' Posted: 21 Jul 2017 08:05 AM PDT  Surrealist master Salvador Dali's trademark moustache is in perfect shape in its "ten past ten" position, officials said Friday, a day after his remains were exhumed to settle a paternity claim. "I was very anxious about what I would see," said Narcis Bardalet, the forensic expert who embalmed Dali back in 1989 and who was at his grave the moment he was exhumed on Thursday night for DNA test. The arduous task of exhumation involved removing a slab weighing more than a tonne that covered his tomb at the Dali Theatre-Museum in Figueras in northeastern Spain where the eccentric artist was born.
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| 5 Small-Cap Stocks with Big Dividends Posted: 21 Jul 2017 06:00 AM PDT ![5 Small-Cap Stocks with Big Dividends]( "5 Small-Cap Stocks with Big Dividends") When most investors think of the best dividend stocks, they often think of Johnson & Johnson (ticker: JNJ) or Procter and Gamble Co. ( PG). Remember, small-cap dividend stocks come with more risk to cyclical trends in the economy or disruption to revenue. The best part for income investors, however, is that the reliable revenue stream from Extended Stay properties mean this $4 billion company can provide reliable dividends.
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| U.S. warship crew found likely at fault in June collision: official Posted: 21 Jul 2017 12:00 PM PDT  The crew of the USS Fitzgerald was likely at fault in the warship's collision with a Philippine cargo ship in June and had not been paying attention to their surroundings, according to initial findings in an investigation, a U.S. defense official told Reuters on Friday. Multiple U.S. and Japanese investigations are under way into how the USS Fitzgerald, a guided missile destroyer, and the much larger ACX Crystal container ship collided in clear weather south of Tokyo Bay in the early hours of June 17. The collision tore a gash below the Fitzgerald's waterline, killing seven sailors in what was the greatest loss of life on a U.S. Navy vessel since the USS Cole was bombed in Yemen's Aden harbor in 2000.
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| Audi voluntarily recalls up to 850,000 diesel vehicles Posted: 21 Jul 2017 04:08 AM PDT  German luxury carmaker Audi, a Volkswagen subsidiary, issued a voluntary recall of up to 850,000 diesel vehicles Friday, saying it would help reduce engine emissions. "Audi aims to maintain the future viability of diesel engines for its customers and to make a contribution towards improving air quality," the Bavaria-based manufacturer said in a statement. Vehicles with affected engines would receive a free software upgrade that "will further improve their emissions in real driving conditions beyond the current legal requirements," Audi added.
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| Sean Spicer quits and the world loses another reality TV celebrity Posted: 21 Jul 2017 10:38 AM PDT  Sean Spicer quit as White House press secretary on Friday after it became clear Donald Trump was hiring Anthony Scaramucci, a New York financier with virtually no relevant experience, as his new communications director. In the space of six months, Spicer had become a reality TV celebrity doing what critics said was the toughest job in the world: defending the indefensible. It was 5.39pm on a cold, grey Saturday in January, the day of the Women's March on Washington, when Spicer first strode to the podium in the James S Brady Press Briefing Room.
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| Woman becomes US Navy's first female SEAL candidate Posted: 21 Jul 2017 08:13 AM PDT  The US Navy has revealed it has its first two female candidates for special operations posts previously unavailable for women, including one who could become its first female Navy SEAL. One of the candidates is seeking to become a special warfare combatant crewman, while the second is seeking to become an officer with the SEALs. Neither of the candidates has been identified, as is usually the case with members of the special forces.
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| The Latest: Venezuela UN diplomat calls on Maduro to resign Posted: 20 Jul 2017 08:45 PM PDT  CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — The Latest on Venezuela's political crisis and the opposition's general strike (all times local):
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| 'Oh He Just Died': Teens Laugh At Drowning Disabled Man In Disturbing Video Posted: 20 Jul 2017 09:20 PM PDT  In more than two-minute long video, the teens can be heard laughing, instead of calling for help as a Florida man struggled to stay afloat in a pond.
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| China aims to become world leader in AI, challenges U.S. dominance Posted: 21 Jul 2017 01:00 AM PDT  By Cate Cadell and Adam Jourdan BEIJING/SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China has outlined plans to become a world-leader in artificial intelligence by 2025, laying down a challenge to U.S. dominance in the sector amid heightened international tensions over military applications of the technology. China released a national AI development plan late on Thursday, aiming to grow the country's core AI industries to over 150 billion yuan ($22.15 billion) by 2020 and 400 billion yuan ($59.07 billion) by 2025, the State Council said. With this major push into AI, China is looking to rival U.S. market leaders such as Alphabet Inc's Google and Microsoft Corp, as it is keen not to be left behind in a technology that is increasingly key from smart cars to energy.
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| Woman has farting nightmare in first yoga class, heads straight to McDonald's Posted: 21 Jul 2017 06:32 AM PDT  The human body is a wonderful thing. But, sometimes it emits sounds at the most inopportune moments. Like, during this woman's first yoga class. Laura Mazza, the blogger behind Mum on the Run shared a tale that, to many of us, may sound familiar. In a post on Facebook — which has been shared over 8,000 times — she describes how a heavy bout of flatulence turned her yoga class into a hideously embarrassing moment. Mazza's fart was so loud, she didn't feel like sticking around. So, she bolted, red-faced and teary eyed, and headed to McDonald's. SEE ALSO: No, a fart didn't cause an American Airlines flight to evacuate all its passengers Mazza's physiotherapist had advised her to try yoga classes to help with her post-birth abdominal separation, a condition which occurs during or after pregnancy and causes the parting of abdominal muscles."Having kids separated my abdominal wall like Moses parting the Red Sea. Yeah it's not good and my stomach kinda points out like a cone," wrote Mazza on Facebook. Mazza went along to the class and, after being introduced on a first name basis to the whole class, she began giving her best shot at the positions her instructor was demonstrating. "We started doing these random positions, moving into the upward facing dog and I feel a nice crack in my back, thinking I can do this...I totally love yoga. I am a yoga girl," Mazza continued. All was going so well. Well, until she moved into downward facing dog. "That's when I started to feel my guts," says Mazza. "Now for the past few weeks I have had IBS Symptoms like something crazy. My farts stink like something mixed between a rotten egg and an incineration plant." Gosh. "Somewhere between the dolphin position and the three-legged dog, two of those burning garbage eggs slip out and I fart," admitted Mazza. "But then we move to some position where my heads between my legs, and the smell hits me like a punch to the nose. I died inside and now I officially smell like something has also died inside," wrote Mazza. Her thoughts flitted between leaving the yoga class and maybe even leaving the country. Mazza decides to suck it up and carry on with the class. "I gather my resolve and say you know what? Whatever. Everyone farts and I can't help it," she said. When the yoga instructor came around and began pushing people's bodies lower, that's when a problem arose for Mazza. "I hold in my butthole nice and tight to make sure no farts escape again. She comes over... pushes my back down...And buuuuuuuuuurrppppfffffffThe loudest trumpet comes out of my ass," she said. Mortified, Mazza freezes, her face flushes red and her eyes fill with tears. She gets up, casts aside her yoga mat and decides to leg it from the class. As she looks back, she sees the entire class staring at her in shock. "I run out the door and now I'm sitting at McDonald's eating a sundae crying and laughing," she said. Sometimes, you just need an ice cream sundae to help you see the funny side of things. WATCH: Goat yoga will add a new twist to your downward-facing dog
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| This Mercedes G-Wagen/E-Class mash-up is the off-roader we've always wanted Posted: 21 Jul 2017 12:00 PM PDT  No, this is not some sham or gimmick of a rendering—this Mercedes-Benz E-Class All-Terrain 4x4² is very real and it comes straight from the brilliantly twisted mind of a Mercedes-Benz engineer. The Mercedes-Benz E-Class All-Terrain was revealed last year as the brand's answer to the Audi and Volvo soft-roading wagons of the world. It's currently sold exclusively in Europe with a choice of diesel engines.
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| The media's war on Trump is destined to fail. Why can't it see that? | Thomas Frank Posted: 21 Jul 2017 03:00 AM PDT  The news media needs to win its war with Trump, and urgently so. But the goal should be more than just reestablishing the old rules of legitimacy 'I believe that the news media needs to win its war with Trump, and urgently so.' Photograph: Ramin Talaie/Getty Images
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| 'No more woe is me': Senator McCain vows quick return to Washington Posted: 20 Jul 2017 04:27 PM PDT  By Richard Cowan and David Schwartz WASHINGTON/PHOENIX, Ariz. (Reuters) - U.S. Senator John McCain promised on Thursday he would return rapidly to Washington despite his newly diagnosed brain cancer, flashing the fighting spirit that has defined him since he was held in captivity as a Navy pilot during the Vietnam War. McCain, a veteran senator and former Republican presidential candidate known as a strong and sometimes fiercely independent voice on defense and security issues, was found to have an aggressive form of brain tumor, glioblastoma, after surgery last week for a blood clot above his left eye. The news, issued by his office late on Wednesday, drew a wave of support from across the political spectrum, and raised questions about how long McCain would be absent from the Senate, where Republicans have a narrow majority and are eager to notch up some legislative successes for President Donald Trump.
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| N. Korea economy grows at fastest pace in 17 years: Seoul Posted: 21 Jul 2017 12:14 AM PDT  Despite global sanctions over its weapons programmes, North Korea's economy grew at the fastest pace in 17 years thanks to a jump in exports and increased production in mining and other industries, the South's central bank said Friday. The Bank of Korea (BOK) said the North's gross domestic product grew 3.9 percent last year -- the fastest since 1999 when it expanded 6.1 percent. The hermit state does not officially release its economic data, and the Bank of Korea releases its annual estimates based on data compiled from state and private organisations.
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| Surviving Child Describes Horror of Mother's Alleged Family Stabbing Rampage Posted: 20 Jul 2017 11:28 AM PDT  In new Division of Family and Children's Services documents, Diana Romero, 9, recalls the sight of her mother getting a knife out of the kitchen.
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| Check in to get away: Zion park aims to require reservations Posted: 21 Jul 2017 12:52 PM PDT  SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — It would be a first for a U.S. national park: requiring reservations to get in. But it's an option that Zion National Park is considering to manage an overwhelming surge of visitors to its sweeping red-rock vistas and canyons in Utah.
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| BBQ Power Bowls Are The Perfect Healthy Summer Lunch Posted: 21 Jul 2017 09:27 AM PDT  All the best parts of barbecue in one bowl!
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| Illinois man charged with Chinese scholar kidnapping pleads not guilty Posted: 20 Jul 2017 02:55 PM PDT  An Illinois man charged with kidnapping a female Chinese scholar who has been missing for more than a month pleaded not guilty during an appearance in a U.S. court on Thursday. Brendt Christensen, 28, is accused of abducting Yingying Zhang, a 26-year-old visiting scholar at the University of Illinois from southeastern China, who disappeared on June 9. Zhang, who had been studying photosynthesis and crop productivity, was last seen when a security camera recorded her getting into a black car that authorities linked to Christensen, according to court records.
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| Moon Photobombs Mars In Hubble Images For NASA Posted: 20 Jul 2017 02:35 PM PDT  This moon photobombed Mars as the Hubble Space Telescope was trying to take some photos of the planet and they made for some cool shots.
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| Sprint is just straight-up trolling Verizon now Posted: 21 Jul 2017 04:12 PM PDT 
In absence of actually having a good network, Sprint is relying on some top-notch PR to bother Verizon. Sprint already stole away Verizon's signature spokesperson -- Mr "Can You Hear Me Now?" -- and it's now hitting on Verizon's pricing with a savage stunt. For one day only, Sprint has opened up a "Twice the Price" shop next to a Verizon store in Queens, NY. The concept is a store filled with regular things that are twice the price, just like Verizon's plans are twice the price of Sprint.
It's an incredibly brazen attempt to hit Verizon where it hurts most, and it is kinda funny. Verizon has arguably the best network around: it comes joint-top in most speed tests with T-Mobile, and its coverage is hands-down the best in rural areas and indoors. But Verizon's pricing is undeniably high. Even the new Unlimited plan, which was meant to be Verizon's answer to T-Mobile One, is $80 a month for the first line. Now, you can argue that Verizon's plans are still value for money. The Unlimited plan comes with good perks like 10GB of hotspot data, which you pay extra for on T-Mobile (or anyone else), and Verizon does get you more consistent coverage. But for the average user, Sprint's betting that paying half the price makes up for any shortcomings in service. Sprint doesn't have the money to build out its network to compete with Verizon, so the "Twice the Price" store is going to have to do as a competitive strategy for now.
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| Can President Trump Pardon Himself? Posted: 21 Jul 2017 06:55 AM PDT  Can President Trump legally pardon himself? The answer is probably not.
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| Fighting kills 6 Ukraine soldiers in fresh spike of violence Posted: 20 Jul 2017 02:03 PM PDT  Clashes with Russian-backed rebels killed six Ukrainian soldiers Thursday, officials said, in the bloodiest surge in fighting along the volatile frontline in recent months. The violence flared several days after a top rebel leader announced a plan to form a new "state" that Kiev warned could put a long-stalled peace plan further in jeopardy. Ukrainian military spokesman Andriy Lysenko said rebel shelling killed six servicemen and wounded two more around the insurgents' de-facto capital Donetsk.
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| Man Will Spend Life in Prison for Killing 5-Year-Old Stepdaughter After She Asked For Food Posted: 21 Jul 2017 09:47 AM PDT  Thomas McClellan was found guilty of first-degree murder, first-degree child abuse and first-degree arson in the killing of Luna Younger.
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| The Latest: Abortion restrictions in health bill questioned Posted: 21 Jul 2017 03:51 PM PDT  WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on Republican attempts to overhaul the nation's health care laws (all times local):
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