2018年2月8日星期四

Yahoo! News: Education News

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Yahoo! News: Education News


Democrats Win Special Election In Missouri District That Went Big For Trump

Posted: 06 Feb 2018 07:36 PM PST

Democrats Win Special Election In Missouri District That Went Big For TrumpDemocrats flipped a Missouri state House seat Tuesday, marking the 35th seat that has changed from red to blue since Donald Trump become president.


Thousands sign petition to remove judge who sentenced blind child rapist to probation

Posted: 07 Feb 2018 06:59 AM PST

Thousands sign petition to remove judge who sentenced blind child rapist to probationA petition to remove an Oklahoma judge who sentenced a convicted child rapist to 15 years of probation is gaining serious momentum online.


Trump touted conspiratorial ambassador nominee's 'marketing' skills

Posted: 07 Feb 2018 08:40 AM PST

Trump touted conspiratorial ambassador nominee's 'marketing' skillsPresident Trump's administration sold Leandro Rizzuto Jr. as highly qualified for his ambassadorship to Barbados.


The Ones They Left Behind: A Puerto Rican Family Still Torn Apart Months After Maria

Posted: 08 Feb 2018 02:47 AM PST

The Ones They Left Behind: A Puerto Rican Family Still Torn Apart Months After MariaOne morning last September, Jeancarlo and Jan Miguel Ruiz Núñez stepped out of their home and found their neighborhood, on the outskirts of the small mountain town of Lares, Puerto Rico, wrecked.


Mexico authorities catch animal traffickers trying to mail a tiger cub

Posted: 08 Feb 2018 09:53 AM PST

Mexico authorities catch animal traffickers trying to mail a tiger cubMexican authorities have found a tiger cub in a plastic container, due to be express mailed to another address. The Office for Environmental Protection on Wednesday found the Bengal cub when a sniffer dog looking for contraband detected it in the plastic container, sedated. The cub was found in the package filled with newspaper clippings, in the western state of Jalisco, due to be shipped to an address in the central state of Queretaro.


DHS cybersecurity head: 'No doubt' Russians penetrated voter registration systems

Posted: 07 Feb 2018 07:45 AM PST

DHS cybersecurity head: 'No doubt' Russians penetrated voter registration systemsIn an exclusive interview with NBC News' Cynthia McFadden, Jeanette Manfra, the head of cybersecurity at the Department of Homeland Security, says that 21 states were targeted during the 2016 election.


Trump sees 'BOMBSHELLS' in FBI texts about Clinton email probe

Posted: 07 Feb 2018 10:33 AM PST

Trump sees 'BOMBSHELLS' in FBI texts about Clinton email probePresident Trump turned his Twitter attention on Wednesday to newly released 2016 text messages between a pair FBI agents who claim President Obama wanted "to know everything we're doing."


Tillerson Says Russia Is Already Trying To Meddle In 2018 Midterms

Posted: 07 Feb 2018 01:06 PM PST

Tillerson Says Russia Is Already Trying To Meddle In 2018 MidtermsSecretary of State Rex Tillerson says Russia is already trying to meddle in the 2018 midterm elections and the U.S. isn't prepared to counter the threat.


Toronto Police Find Remains Of At Least 6 People Linked To Suspected Gay Village Killer

Posted: 08 Feb 2018 02:24 PM PST

Toronto Police Find Remains Of At Least 6 People Linked To Suspected Gay Village KillerAfter days of excavation, Toronto police on Thursday said they have recovered the remains of at least six different people on property that was landscaped by suspected serial killer Bruce McArthur, who has been charged with the murder of five men connected to the city's gay village.


Hillary Clinton urges people to vote in midterm elections: 'We are in the midst of a war on truth, facts and reason'

Posted: 07 Feb 2018 12:08 PM PST

Hillary Clinton urges people to vote in midterm elections: 'We are in the midst of a war on truth, facts and reason'Former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton said she is "committed" to urging American voters to participate in 2018 midterm elections to "get the sexism out of politics."


Zara Is Selling This Lungi Look-Alike For $90, And Brown Twitter Is Cackling

Posted: 08 Feb 2018 03:30 PM PST

Zara Is Selling This Lungi Look-Alike For $90, And Brown Twitter Is CacklingCenturies after Asian dads figured out the simple pleasure that wearing lungis can bring, it seems the Spanish fashion retailer Zara wants in on the style.


EPA's Pruitt Suggests Global Warming May Not Be A 'Bad Thing' For Humans

Posted: 07 Feb 2018 08:37 PM PST

EPA's Pruitt Suggests Global Warming May Not Be A 'Bad Thing' For HumansScott Pruitt, the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, alluded earlier this week that global warming may be beneficial to humans, once again questioning the world's leading scientists who have declared the phenomenon one of the greatest known threats to humanity.


SpaceX rocket now on a trajectory toward asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter

Posted: 06 Feb 2018 09:00 PM PST

SpaceX rocket now on a trajectory toward asteroid belt between Mars and JupiterAt mission control, 6,000 workers cheered the launch Tuesday.


US kills more than 100 Assad regime fighters in largest deliberate strike against Syrian government forces 

Posted: 08 Feb 2018 03:30 AM PST

US kills more than 100 Assad regime fighters in largest deliberate strike against Syrian government forces The US-led coalition killed more than 100 Assad regime fighters in eastern Syria on Wednesday, officials said, in the largest deliberate strike carried out by Western forces against pro-Syrian government troops. The coalition said it struck regime fighters with airstrikes and artillery after they launched an "unprovoked attack" against the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the Western-backed rebels fighting the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) in Syria.     "We estimate more than 100 Syrian pro-regime forces were killed while engaging SDF and coalition forces," a US military official said.  The strikes took place in the Euphrates River valley in the province of Deir Ezzor, where Isil still holds scraps of territory but is under intense pressure from both Syrian regime forces and the SDF.  The US has struck pro-regime forces in eastern Syria several times but Wednesday's attack caused more casualties than any previous deliberate strike. Syrian army fighters are operating against Isil in Deir Ezzor as are the Syrian Democratic Forces Credit: LOUAI BESHARA/AFP/Getty Images Around 100 Syrian army troops were killed in an accidental strike in Deir Ezzor in September 2016 when US forces mistook them for Isil fighters.  The US and the Assad regime have for the most part maintained an uneasy truce in Syria, exchanging hostile words but rarely shooting at each other Wednesday's strike against pro-regime forces illustrates the complex new reality in Syria, where the shared enemy of Isil has largely been defeated and tensions are growing between competing military forces in the country.  The US said that around 500 pro-regime troops, backed by tanks and artillery, had launched what appeared to be coordinated attack on an SDF headquarters.  "The coalition conducted strikes against attacking forces to repel the act of aggression," a coalition spokesman said. US jets have uneasily shared Syrian airspace with Russian and regime aircraft Credit: AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon The US did not specifically say if the fighters were from the Syrian army or an allied militia or a foreign fighters group like the Lebanese militants Hizbollah.  The Syrian regime said the fighters were from a local militia fighting against Isil and accused the US of "a war crime and a crime against humanity". Damascus regularly protests against the US-led intervention in Syria, calling it a violation of Syria's sovereignty, but has been largely powerless to stop it.  The US maintains a "deconfliction channel" with Russia, which is allied with the Syrian regime, and the two militaries use the channel to coordinate their movements to avoid to any accidental conflicts.  The US said it had been in contact with the Russians throughout the attack on Wednesday and had been reassured that Russian aircraft would not launch strikes against the coalition in support of Syrian regime troops.  Further strikes on regime positions are being considered within the US government, a Syrian opposition diplomatic source told the Telegraph, particularly within the National Security Council led by General HR McMaster, and supported by Nikki Haley, the ambassador to the UN.  But there is significant divergence within the administration, according to the source, with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson urging more caution.  The French government is said to support such moves, having been frustrated by what it saw as flip-flopping within the Trump administration over their willingness to stand up to Russia in Syria. 


Black Lives Matter activist shot, killed in New Orleans

Posted: 07 Feb 2018 01:14 PM PST

Black Lives Matter activist shot, killed in New OrleansNEW ORLEANS (AP) — A man fatally shot in New Orleans has been identified as a Black Lives Matter activist known for his leap through police tape at a South Carolina demonstration last year as he attempted to seize a Confederate battle flag from a protester.


Teva warns on 2018 profit, may face migraine drug delays

Posted: 08 Feb 2018 12:17 PM PST

Teva warns on 2018 profit, may face migraine drug delaysBy Tova Cohen and Steven Scheer TEL AVIV (Reuters) - Teva Pharmaceutical Industries on Thursday said its 2018 results would be weaker than expected and that it might encounter delays for an important new migraine drug, pushing the drugmaker's shares down more than 9 percent. Israel-based Teva, the world's largest generic drugmaker, is facing price erosion, fierce competition for its blockbuster multiple sclerosis drug Copaxone and a consolidating customer base, particularly in the United States. It also said that the approval and launch of its migraine drug fremanezumab, one of two drugs the company pegged to help return it to growth in the future, could be delayed by an FDA warning letter received by manufacturer Celltrion, which will supply the drug to Teva.


Seattle To Become Latest City To Erase Past Marijuana Convictions

Posted: 08 Feb 2018 09:41 AM PST

Seattle To Become Latest City To Erase Past Marijuana ConvictionsIn an effort to bring "restorative justice" to communities that have been disproportionately affected by drug law enforcement, Seattle's mayor and city attorney said Thursday that the city will move to dismiss marijuana possession convictions that were prosecuted before Washington state voted to legalize the drug.


Senate announces two-year budget deal but House could stall over Dreamers

Posted: 07 Feb 2018 10:29 AM PST

Senate announces two-year budget deal but House could stall over DreamersSenate leaders on Wednesday announced a far-reaching agreement that would set federal spending levels for the next two years, a major victory for both parties after years of lamenting Congress's reliance on short-term solutions to avert financial crises. The bipartisan plan would raise defense and non-defense spending by $300bn and provide billions of additional dollars in disaster relief funding for areas ravaged by wildfires and hurricanes last year. "I am pleased to announce that our bipartisan, bicameral negotiations on defense spending and other priorities have yielded a significant agreement," McConnell said.


Through multiple teams and sports, Tim Tebow's dog Bronco is always by his side

Posted: 07 Feb 2018 02:42 PM PST

Through multiple teams and sports, Tim Tebow's dog Bronco is always by his sideThe 2010 NFL Draft changed Tim Tebow's life forever, and not just because it was the start of his NFL career.


Flu shot myths debunked

Posted: 07 Feb 2018 07:49 AM PST

Flu shot myths debunkedMany cite the risk of getting sick as a reason to not get a flu shot, but the truth is that there's no live flu virus in the shot, so it cannot make you sick. Any symptoms means your immune system is kicking in.


Cornell University Fraternity on Probation for 'Pig Roast' Sex Competition

Posted: 07 Feb 2018 02:39 PM PST

Cornell University Fraternity on Probation for 'Pig Roast' Sex CompetitionThe Zeta Beta Tau fraternity is on probation for two years


Taiwan earthquake: Buildings tilt on sides after at least four killed and scores missing amid rescue operation

Posted: 07 Feb 2018 12:57 AM PST

Taiwan earthquake: Buildings tilt on sides after at least four killed and scores missing amid rescue operationRescue workers scrambled to search for survivors in buildings left tilting precariously on their foundations in Taiwan, after a 6.4-magnitude earthquake killed at least four people and injured more than 200. Scores more people were trapped and others missing after the tremor shook the city of Hualien on the east coast, while a series of aftershocks were felt throughout the night.  At least six tall buildings were left tilting on their sides. The worst-hit and was propped up with cranes as it lent at about 45 degrees. Authorities said they could not verify how many residents were still missing after the quake, which hit the popular tourist port city late on Tuesday. Early on Wednesday, rescue efforts were focused on the Yun Tsui residential building, which also housed a restaurant, shops and a hostel.  At least six tall buildings were left tilting on their sides after the 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck Credit: REUTERS and PAUL YANG/AFP/Getty The quake left the 12-storey building leaning to one side, its lower floors pancaked. The national fire agency said 143 residents from the building remained missing. But it was not immediately clear if those unaccounted for were trapped inside the building. Rescue and emergency workers block off a street in Hualien where a building was left tilting precariously One local who lives nearby told how he watched the tower block partially collapse. "I saw the first floor sink into the ground," said 35-year-old Lu Chih-son, who saw 20 people rescued from the building. "Then it sunk and tilted further and the fourth floor became the first floor. "My family were unhurt, but a neighbour was injured in their head and is bleeding. We dare not go back home now. There are many aftershocks and we are worried the house is damaged." A firefighter works at a collapsed building in the early hours Credit: Tyrone Siu/Reuters Resident Chen Chih-wei, 80, said he was sleeping in his apartment on the top floor of the building when the quake struck. "My bed turned completely vertical, I was sleeping and suddenly I was standing," he said. He said he managed to crawl his way to a balcony to wait for rescue, adding that the quake was the strongest he had felt in more than five decades of living in Hualien. Smoke rises around a collapsed building amid rescue efforts Credit: TYRONE SIU /Reuters President Tsai Ing-wen visited the site on Wednesday morning, where officials were going room by room looking for anyone trapped inside. "Now is the prime time for our rescue efforts, our first priority is to save people," she said in a Facebook post. Four mobile cranes had been brought in on the back of trucks to help prop up the structure. The worst-hit building was propped up with mobile cranes as it lent on its side Credit: REUTERS Liu Yan-hu, from the Hualien County Architects Association, said it looked like the building's main structure was intact. Five more buildings including a hospital and a hotel were also damaged in the city, where roads were ripped apart and strewn with rubble. The national fire agency said four people had been killed across the city, with 225 others injured. More than 117 people had been rescued from damaged buildings on Wednesday morning. An aerial image shows a residential building leaning on a collapsed first floor Credit: Central News Agency/AP  Hualien is one of Taiwan's most popular tourist hubs as it lies on the picturesque east coast rail line and near to the popular Taroko Gorge. Frequent aftershocks left some residents stranded in the open as they feared going back into buildings.  Authorities said 830 people were in shelters on Wednesday morning and some 1,900 houses were without power. Large cracks in a street after the powerful earthquake hit Hualien Credit: TYRONE SIU /Reuters The severely damaged Marshal Hotel had also crumpled into the ground as its bottom storeys disappeared. "The lower floors sunk into the ground and I saw panicked tourists being rescued from the hotel," said witness Blue Hsu. Graphic: Taiwan earthquake shake intensity Earthquake is two years after tremor that killed 100 The earthquake hit at just before midnight (3.50pm GMT) around 13 miles (21 kilometres) northeast of Hualien, according to the United States Geological Survey. It followed almost 100 smaller tremors to have hit the area in the last three days and comes exactly two years since a quake of the same magnitude struck the southern Taiwanese city of Tainan, killing more than 100 people. Rescue workers search for victims at a collapsed building in Tainan in February 2016  Credit: Lam Yik Fei /Getty Most of the deaths from the February 2016 earthquake were from the 16-storey Wei-kuan apartment complex, which toppled on its side and buried many residents in the rubble. It was the only high-rise in Tainan to crumble completely in the quake, which came two days before Lunar New Year, when many people were visiting relatives for the biggest celebration of the Chinese calendar. How to | Stay safe in an earthquake The safety of the building was called into question immediately after the disaster, when metal cans and foam were found to have been used as fillers in the concrete and residents said there had been cracks in the structure. Five people were found guilty and sentenced to five years imprisonment over the disaster, including the developer and two architects, with prosecutors saying they "cut corners" that affected the building's structural integrity. Why Taiwan is regularly hit by big earthquakes Taiwan lies near the junction of two tectonic plates and is regularly hit by earthquakes. The island's worst tremor in recent decades was a 7.6 magnitude quake in September 1999 that killed around 2,400 people.


Death toll rises amid relentless Syrian air raids: 10 killed

Posted: 07 Feb 2018 09:00 AM PST

Death toll rises amid relentless Syrian air raids: 10 killedBEIRUT (AP) — New airstrikes launched by Russian and Syrian government forces on a besieged rebel-held region east of Damascus killed at least 10 people on Wednesday, opposition activists said, part of an ongoing aerial campaign that has killed dozens of civilians in the past few days.


Apple Inc. (AAPL) Stock May Suffer Until 2019

Posted: 08 Feb 2018 04:16 AM PST

Apple Inc. (AAPL) Stock May Suffer Until 2019Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL) stock is down 8.7 percent in the past month after the iPhone X "supercycle" turned out not to be as super as investors had hoped. While there may still be long-term value in Apple stock, Goldman Sachs analyst Rod Hall says investors shouldn't be in a hurry to buy. Hall says the weakness in iPhone unit sales that weighed on Apple stock following its fiscal first-quarter earnings report will remain an albatross for Apple stock for at least two more quarters.


North Korea Holds Massive Military Parade Ahead Of 2018 Winter Olympics

Posted: 08 Feb 2018 01:05 AM PST

North Korea Holds Massive Military Parade Ahead Of 2018 Winter OlympicsNorth Korea staged a large military parade on Thursday, just one day before the opening ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.


Congressional Leaders Reach Spending Deal, But Passage Is Still In Doubt

Posted: 07 Feb 2018 01:38 PM PST

Congressional Leaders Reach Spending Deal, But Passage Is Still In DoubtWASHINGTON ― Republicans think they have a bill to avert a government shutdown and significantly raise spending caps ― a bipartisan deal months in the making.


Prosecutor: Trump's comments on fatal crash 'ghoulish'

Posted: 07 Feb 2018 12:20 PM PST

Prosecutor: Trump's comments on fatal crash 'ghoulish'INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — An Indiana prosecutor blasted President Donald Trump on Wednesday for politicizing the case of an immigrant illegally living in the U.S. and charged in a drunken crash that killed Indianapolis Colts linebacker Edwin Jackson and another man, saying his and others' comments were "ghoulish and inappropriate."


Aby Rosen Unveils Artist Lofts in Foster + Partners–Designed 100 East 53rd Street

Posted: 08 Feb 2018 09:09 AM PST

Aby Rosen Unveils Artist Lofts in Foster + Partners–Designed 100 East 53rd Street


Child takes wheel of school bus after driver suffers medical emergency

Posted: 07 Feb 2018 05:50 AM PST

Child takes wheel of school bus after driver suffers medical emergencyA pupil grabbed the wheel of his school bus when the driver suffered a medical emergency, averting a potential accident. As the vehicle approached the Colorado River Bridge, Karson Vega stepped into the breach as his fellow students feared they would go off the road in the Texan town of La Grange. As the approached the bridge, Karson said he tried to talk to the driver to tell him to stop.


There May Be a Hidden Agenda in Hong Kong's Ruling to Spare Joshua Wong From Prison

Posted: 07 Feb 2018 01:56 AM PST

There May Be a Hidden Agenda in Hong Kong's Ruling to Spare Joshua Wong From PrisonHuman rights advocates said the court's decision could have a "chilling" effect on pro-democracy cases in the future


12 Raspberry Pies That'll Have You Craving Summer

Posted: 07 Feb 2018 03:40 PM PST

12 Raspberry Pies That'll Have You Craving Summer


U.S. strikes pro-Syrian forces after 'unprovoked attack' on partners' base

Posted: 07 Feb 2018 03:57 PM PST

U.S. strikes pro-Syrian forces after 'unprovoked attack' on partners' baseU.S. aircraft carried out rare, retaliatory strikes in Syria's Deir al-Zor province on Wednesday against forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad after they attacked U.S.-backed fighters' headquarters there, U.S. officials said. No U.S. troops embedded with the local fighters at their headquarters were believed to have been wounded or killed in the attack, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The U.S.-led coalition fighting Islamic State described the attack on the headquarters as "unprovoked," but offered little information in its terse statement confirming the attack.


Pennsylvania's Supreme Court Explains Why It Struck Down Congressional Map Favoring GOP

Posted: 07 Feb 2018 05:47 PM PST

Pennsylvania's Supreme Court Explains Why It Struck Down Congressional Map Favoring GOPThe Pennsylvania Supreme Court offered a lengthy and long-awaited explanation on Wednesday of its decision to strike down the state's congressional map, saying the districts violated a state constitutional guarantee of "free and equal" elections.


24 Gifts 'Black Panther' Fans Will Love To Ring In The Release

Posted: 07 Feb 2018 02:42 PM PST

24 Gifts 'Black Panther' Fans Will Love To Ring In The ReleaseThe reviews are in, and it looks as if "Black Panther" is being hailed as one of the best Marvel films yet.


Kitten placed in freezer, thrown off 2nd-story balcony, police say

Posted: 07 Feb 2018 07:19 PM PST

Kitten placed in freezer, thrown off 2nd-story balcony, police sayPolice arrested a man for animal cruelty after he allegedly placed a kitten in a freezer and threw the feline off a second-story balcony in Fontana.


Myanmar army ‘continuing to force Rohingya out of the country’ through rape and starvation says Amnesty

Posted: 07 Feb 2018 12:03 PM PST

Myanmar army 'continuing to force Rohingya out of the country' through rape and starvation says AmnestyThe Burmese military is still pushing the Rohingya minority out of their homes through forced starvation, the fear of abduction, and the looting of their property, according to new evidence from Amnesty International. The tactics of ethnic cleansing are still widespread, despite Burma signing a recent repatriation deal with Bangladesh, where close to 700,000 Rohingya refugees have sheltered since the start of a brutal military crackdown in August, the human rights group said. Aid agencies documented thousands of refugees crossing over the border during December and January, squeezing into the already overcrowded, dusty Kutupalong camp near Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar. Interviews conducted by Amnesty with new arrivals from Buthidaung township revealed that most had fled their homes out of hunger, after being denied access to their rice fields and markets. As one of the poorest states in Burma, Rakhine was already suffering from high malnutrition rates even before the military launched a savage campaign of arson, rape and killing. Rohingya Muslim refugee Mohammad Younus, 25, from the Burmese village of Gu Dar Pyin, stands on a hill of Kutupalong refugee camp, Bangladesh Credit:  Manish Swarup/ AP While the acute violence has subsided, widespread hunger has been stoked by an apartheid system that restricts villagers' movements.  "We weren't able to get food, that's why we fled," said Dildar Begum, 30, from Ka Kyet Bet Kan Pyin village, near Buthidaung town. Abdu Salam, 37, a day labourer in the rice fields near Hpon Nyo Leik village, told Amnesty that he was prevented from working during harvest time. "The soldiers came and said, 'This harvest is not your harvest.'..All of us were forced to leave," he said. Others fled because girls and young women were being abducted by soldiers, fearing they would be forced into sexual slavery. While some new refugees spoke of how they had been robbed of all their valuables and abused at military checkpoints even as they left their homes behind. Matthew Wells, senior crisis advisor at Amnesty International, said the extent of the ongoing attacks laid bare why plans for organised repatriation were "woefully premature." An arms embargo and targeted sanctions against Burma were urgently needed to apply pressure to the military to stop the ethnic cleansing, he said. "Since the beginning of the crisis, the international community's response to the atrocities against the Rohingya population has been weak and ineffective, failing to grasp the severity of the situation," he said


Jury: Oklahoma man guilty of murder, hate crime in slaying

Posted: 07 Feb 2018 03:05 PM PST

Jury: Oklahoma man guilty of murder, hate crime in slayingTULSA, Okla. (AP) — Jurors convicted an Oklahoma man of murder and hate crime charges Wednesday for fatally shooting his Lebanese neighbor after bombarding him with racial and anti-Muslim insults in a long-running feud with his family, who are Christian.


Harley-Davidson Reminds Us That Its Bikes are Customizable

Posted: 08 Feb 2018 06:08 AM PST

Harley-Davidson Reminds Us That Its Bikes are CustomizableHarley-Davidson Politely Reminds Us Its Bikes are Customizable New video from Harley reminds the motorcycling world that the moco's bikes are, indeed, highly customizable. Harley's stranglehold on the motorcycle industry has become increasingly tenuous over


Jimmy Kimmel Spots Something Intriguing About Melania Trump's Twitter Account

Posted: 08 Feb 2018 03:04 AM PST

Jimmy Kimmel Spots Something Intriguing About Melania Trump's Twitter AccountJimmy Kimmel dissected Melania Trump's Twitter game on Wednesday night, and discovered an intriguing detail.


Mercedes apologises to China after quoting Dalai Lama

Posted: 07 Feb 2018 09:59 AM PST

Mercedes apologises to China after quoting Dalai LamaMercedes-Benz has apologised for "hurting the feelings" of the people of China for quoting the Dalai Lama on Instagram. The German auto giant became the latest of several international companies that have backpedalled recently for offending Chinese consumers with advertising or information that clashes with Beijing's official position on Tibet and other Chinese-claimed regions. Mercedes' seemingly benign post to its official Instagram account showed a Benz on a beach before rolling white-capped waves. "Look at situations from all angles, and you will become more open," the ad copy ran, citing the Dalai Lama, who is seen by Beijing as a separatist. "Start your week with a fresh perspective on life from the Dalai Lama," the carmaker wrote in the tagline. Mercedes' seemingly benign post to its official Instagram account showed a Benz on a beach before rolling white-capped waves The Zen post immediately drew criticism from Chinese internet users for quoting the Nobel Peace Prize laureate, whom Beijing accuses of being a "wolf in monk's robes" seeking Tibetan independence through "spiritual terrorism". The Dalai Lama has called for granting Tibetans greater autonomy within China, but not independence. While Instagram is blocked in China and inaccessible to most Chinese - and the post was penned in English - Mercedes-Benz quickly deleted the photo after the outcry and issued an apology on China's Twitter-like Weibo social media platform. "Even though we deleted the related information as soon as possible, we know this has hurt the feelings of people of this country," Mercedes said on its verified Weibo account on Tuesday. The post "published extremely incorrect information, for this we are sincerely sorry," the company wrote, without naming either Instagram or the Dalai Lama, or explaining what the offending post was about. "We have immediately taken real action to deepen our understanding of Chinese culture and values, including among our colleagues abroad, and in this way regulate our behaviour." China's foreign ministry applauded Mercedes' quick response on Wednesday, with spokesman Geng Shuang telling reporters: "Recognising and correcting one's mistakes is the most basic of ethics." Beijing "welcomes foreign companies to reap the opportunities of China's development but during this process we hope foreign companies can perform the most basic of compliance," Geng said. China's state media was less conciliatory, with the online edition of the Communist Party mouthpiece People's Daily running an editorial attacking Mercedes after it published an apology. Offending the sensitivities of Beijing has proven a problem for a number of foreign companies tapping the lucrative Chinese market. Earlier this year, a spate of brands came under government criticism for online material that listed Chinese regions such as Tibet and Hong Kong as separate countries. Marriott hotels even had its Chinese website and app blocked for a week by mainland authorities, while Spanish clothing giant Zara and Delta Air Lines were also called out. Trendy Japanese retailer Muji has also faced the wrath of what the foreign ministry called the "new era" of a "more confident and open" China. One of the retailers' in-store catalogues held a store location map which Beijing said omitted islands disputed with Japan. Last summer, British band Placebo was scheduled to perform at the Summer Sonic Festival in Shanghai - until they posted a photo of the Nobel winner on Instagram. The picture resulted "in a lifetime ban by the Ministry of Culture in China," the band said in another post acknowledging they would be unable to perform. "We apologise to all the fans who were hoping to see Placebo perform," it wrote.


US-led strikes on Syria pro-regime forces kill 100: US official

Posted: 08 Feb 2018 07:10 AM PST

US-led strikes on Syria pro-regime forces kill 100: US officialThe US-led coalition said Thursday it killed at least 100 pro-regime fighters to fend off an attack on its allies in eastern Syria, in one its deadliest confrontations yet with forces backing Damascus. The initial attack was carried out by forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad on key oil and gas installations in parts of Deir Ezzor province controlled by US-backed Kurdish forces. The clash came against a backdrop of escalating tensions between Washington and Damascus over an uptick in the suspected use of chemical weapons by the regime and allied militia.


Mattis says U.S. service members in DACA will generally not be deported

Posted: 08 Feb 2018 01:37 PM PST

Mattis says U.S. service members in DACA will generally not be deportedU.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on Thursday that service members in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program will not be deported, other than a few exceptions, even as lawmakers debate the fate of children brought to the United States illegally. Until now, the fate of about 800 service members in the program had not been clear. "We would always stand by one of our people, and I have never found the Department of Homeland Security unwilling to take any call from anyone on my staff if we in fact found someone who had been treated unjustly," he told reporters.


Scott Baio Facing New Allegations From Another 'Charles In Charge' Costar

Posted: 08 Feb 2018 02:19 AM PST

Scott Baio Facing New Allegations From Another 'Charles In Charge' CostarA second cast member of the 1980s sitcom "Charles in Charge" has accused actor Scott Baio of abusive behavior.


House leader Paul Ryan suggests he has enough votes to prevent government shutdown

Posted: 08 Feb 2018 10:54 AM PST

House leader Paul Ryan suggests he has enough votes to prevent government shutdownHouse Speaker Paul Ryan has said he thinks he has enough votes in the House of Representatives to pass a far-reaching budget deal and avert a government shutdown. "I think we will," Mr Ryan told radio show host Hugh Hewitt when asked whether he had the support to keep the government open. Part of it depends on the Democrats.


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