| Malaysia’s King Abdicates in an Unprecedented Move Posted: 07 Jan 2019 01:58 AM PST  Sultan Muhammad V is stepping down immediately as the 15th King of Malaysia after serving since Dec. 13, 2016, according to a statement from the palace on Sunday which gave no reason for the abdication. Malaysia's Conference of Rulers will convene on Jan. 24 to choose a successor, who will be inaugurated on Jan. 31, state news agency Bernama reported. Sultan Muhammad V pardoned Anwar Ibrahim, who is expected to become the nation's next premier.
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| Recent developments surrounding the South Sea Posted: 07 Jan 2019 02:36 AM PST  BEIJING (AP) — A look at recent developments in the South China Sea, where China is pitted against smaller neighbors in multiple disputes over islands, coral reefs and lagoons in waters crucial for global commerce and rich in fish and potential oil and gas reserves:
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| Carnival Cruise Line delays plan to charge for more room service after backlash Posted: 08 Jan 2019 08:38 AM PST ![Carnival Cruise Line delays plan to charge for more room service after backlash]( "Carnival Cruise Line delays plan to charge for more room service after backlash") Cruise giant Carnival has pushed back a plan to add charges for more room service items on its ships.
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| Another Reason Why the F-22 Raptor Is the Most Dangerous Fighter in the Sky Posted: 07 Jan 2019 03:26 AM PST  The Air Force and Lockheed Martin have now "validated" several new weapons on the F-22 Raptor to equip the stealth fighter with more long-range precision attack technology, a wider targeting envelope or "field of regard" and new networking technology enabling improved, real-time "collaborative targeting" between aircraft.
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| Flu Season Got Off to a Slow Start. But Now It's Widespread in Almost Half the Country Posted: 07 Jan 2019 08:13 AM PST  It's not too late to get a flu shot
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| Cyntoia Brown to be freed after being jailed for murder as a teen Posted: 08 Jan 2019 09:36 AM PST  Cyntoia Brown, a Tennessee woman serving a life sentence in prison for murder and robbery, was granted clemency on Monday after high-profile campaigners brought her case to the public's attention, sparking debate about life terms for children. The case garnered widespread attention in the US, despite being over a decade old, and the hashtag #FreeCyntoiaBrown trended on Twitter after celebrities including reality TV-star Kim Kardashian West, singer Rihanna and comedian Amy Schumer advocated for her release. Brown - now 30 - was charged in 2006 when she pleaded guilty to murdering Johnny Allen, a Nashville real estate agent, in 2004 when she was aged just 16. On the night she killed him, Allen picked up Brown outside a fast-food outlet, where he offered her $150 (£118) for sexual activity. Once at his home, Brown eventually got into Allen's bed. Brown told authorities she thought he was reaching for a gun, so she shot him with a handgun from her handbag and fled with his guns and money. The prosecution argued that the murder was a motivated by greed and not of self-defence, while the defence countered that she was a victim of sex trafficking who feared for her life and was afraid of coming back empty-handed to her pimp nicknamed "Cut Throat" with whom she was living at the time after running away from her adoptive family in 2004. Even though she was a juvenile at the time of the trial, a juvenile court found her competent to be tried as an adult. She was given a 51 years to life sentence, and placed in the Tennessee Prison for Women. Cyntoia Brown shown here in 2006 (left) and 2013 Credit: Tennessee Department of Corrections/Handout via REUTERS In an official statement on Monday, Bill Haslam, the Tennessee Governor, said that the "decision comes after careful consideration of what is a tragic and complex case. "Cyntoia Brown committed by her own admission, a horrific crime at the age of 16. Yet, imposing a life sentence on a juvenile that would require her to serve at least 51 years before even being eligible for parole consideration is too harsh, especially in light of the extraordinary steps Ms Brown has taken to rebuild her life." Juveniles are safeguarded from life-without-parole sentences in the US by the ruling of the US Supreme Court. But the state of Tennessee argued that as Brown had the possibility for parole, the sentencing did not violate the federal law. Houston Gordon, one of Brown's attorneys, said "we need to see this as a national awakening to change the draconian laws that allow juveniles, children, to be placed in adult prisons when they're just children. They're not little adults." Criminal justice advocates called it a "great day for social justice and our city" and Raumesh Akbari, the Democratic member of the Tennessee House of Representatives who praised Mr Haslam's announcement by saying that it shows that Tennessee "can show love, compassion and mercy" for traumatised people, have also expressed support for Brown's release, despite the opposition by some law enforcement officials. In response to her planned release, Brown said that she was grateful for the decision and that she would do her best to turn her life around. "I am thankful for all the support, prayers, and encouragement I have received. We truly serve a God of second chances and new beginnings. The Lord has held my hand this whole time and I would have never made it without him. Let today be a testament to his saving Grace." In prison, Brown completed high-school-level tests and took college classes. In 2015, she received an associate degree from Lipscomb University. She is currently working on completing her bachelor's degree from the same university. Brown will be released on August 7 this year under ten-year-long parole supervision with the condition of not violating any state or federal laws, holding a job and attending regular counseling sessions. She has so far served 15 years in prison. Ed Yarbrough, another attorney for Brown, thanked the state governor. "It will not be popular with everyone in Tennessee, but he did the right thing and we praise him for that," he said.
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| 10 Things to Know for Today Posted: 08 Jan 2019 03:10 AM PST  Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today:
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| Turkey's Erdogan rebukes Trump's top security adviser over Kurds in Syria Posted: 08 Jan 2019 12:24 PM PST  Erdogan said John Bolton, who held talks with Turkish officials in Ankara on Tuesday but left without meeting the president, "made a serious mistake" in setting conditions for Turkey's military role after the U.S. pullout. The rebuke highlights the difficulties in implementing Trump's goal of bringing home some 2,000 U.S. troops stationed in Syria. Trump's plan, clouded by mixed messages from the president and his administration, hinges on Turkish cooperation to secure a huge swathe of northeast Syria as the United States departs.
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| Amid shutdown, federal workers air financial worries at Palmdale town hall Posted: 07 Jan 2019 02:39 PM PST  Federal workers and union leaders expressed worries about making ends meet during the government shutdown at a town hall in Palmdale held by newly elected Rep. Katie Hill.
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| 9 facts you should know about the border before Trump addresses the nation Posted: 08 Jan 2019 01:32 PM PST  It would be nice if Donald Trump would stick to the facts in his address to the nation, but that's not likely.
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| JetBlue passenger was unarmed, suspected of being intoxicated in airport meltdown Posted: 08 Jan 2019 01:29 PM PST ![JetBlue passenger was unarmed, suspected of being intoxicated in airport meltdown]( "JetBlue passenger was unarmed, suspected of being intoxicated in airport meltdown") Florida police have since said that the woman who threatened JetBlue staff that she had a gun did not. Meanwhile, the airline told USA TODAY that she appeared intoxicated.
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| SCOTUS rejects Exxon in climate change document dispute Posted: 07 Jan 2019 12:23 PM PST  The Supreme Court cleared the way for officials to obtain records to probe whether Exxon hid its knowledge of the role fossil fuels play in climate change.
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| Photos of the Original Shelby GR-1 Performance Concept Posted: 07 Jan 2019 07:01 AM PST |
| Smartphones are paving way for the Antichrist, says head of Russian church Posted: 08 Jan 2019 10:08 AM PST  The Russian Orthodox patriarch has warned that the popularity of smartphones is paving the way for the coming of the Antichrist. In an interview on state television for Russian Orthodox Christmas on Monday, Patriarch Kirill warned that the widespread use of gadgets connected to the Internet has opened the possibility for "universal control over humanity". The "devil acts very wisely" in offering people such a "toy", he said. "Such control from one place forebodes the coming of the Antichrist," Patriarch Kirill said. "The Antichrist is the person that will be at the head of the world wide web controlling all of humanity. That means that the structure itself poses a danger. There shouldn't be a single centre, at least not in the foreseeable future, if we don't want to bring on the apocalypse." The patriarch maintained he wasn't categorically against gadgets, but warned that people should be careful not to "fall into slavery to what's in your hands". "You should remain free inside and not fall under any addiction, not to alcohol, not to narcotics, not to gadgets," he said. The Russian Orthodox church has been trying to attract young believers, in part through the web. At a press conference featuring B-movie action star Steven Seagal in October, church officials announced they would create a council for youth affairs with a strong digital presence. Patriarch Kirill serves the Christmas Mass in the Christ the Savior Cathedral in Moscow, Russia Credit: AP But its leader, an outspoken opponent of feminism and gay rights, has remained suspicious of the Internet, which he previously criticised as the "enslavement of consciousness and volition" and a "marketplace of human vanity". Twitter users mostly laughed off Patriarch Kirill's latest warning. "Well, they'll ban international Internet in Russia so the 'Antichrist doesn't come through it,' but where's the guarantee that he won't come through Gundyayev's Breguet watch?" wrote one, referring to the patriarch by his surname. The Russian Orthodox church website photoshopped a Breguet watch worth at least £24,000 off of the patriarch's wrist in a 2012 picture, but it remained clearly visible in the reflection of his arm on a well-polished table. Last month, the church again came under fire over a priest who repeatedly posted photographs of himself with Gucci and Louis Vutton luxury bags and shoes on Instagram. The patriarch would seem to have bigger problems to worry about than iPhones, most notably a schism in the church. The top Orthodox leader in Istanbul signed a decree this weekend recognising a new independent Orthodox church in Ukraine, which will challenge the Russian Orthodox church's sway over the tens of millions of believers in that country. The Moscow church has broken off ties with the Constantinople patriarchate over the "blasphemous" decision. The decree on independence was displayed to the faithful at a Kiev cathedral on Monday.
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| IS counterattack in east Syria leaves 32 dead: monitor Posted: 08 Jan 2019 12:15 AM PST  Jihadists defending their last bastion in eastern Syria used the cover of bad weather to launch a deadly counterattack against a Kurdish-led force, a war monitor said Tuesday. The Islamic State group was unable to hold on to the positions they attacked but the assault killed 23 members of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and also left nine jihadists dead. IS fighters took advantage of poor visibility to unleash suicide attackers on SDF forces along the front line in the Euphrates valley late on Sunday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
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| California storm brings power outages, shuts down highway Posted: 06 Jan 2019 10:24 PM PST  LOS ANGELES (AP) — Tens of thousands of people lost power Sunday after a powerful winter storm swept through Northern California, while another storm system in the southern part of the state unleashed mudslides in wildfire burn areas and trapped motorists on a major highway.
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| Turkish President Tells U.S. It Can Make No 'Concessions' for Syrian Kurds Posted: 08 Jan 2019 05:20 AM PST  Turkish President Erdogan accused Mike Pompeo of making a 'mistake' Tuesday
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| Russian tied to Trump Tower meet indicted in separate US case Posted: 08 Jan 2019 08:37 AM PST  The Russian lawyer whose participation in a June 2016 meeting with top officials of President Donald Trump's election campaign has given rise to allegations of collusion has been indicted in a separate money laundering case, US prosecutors said Tuesday. Natalya Veselnitskaya was charged with fabricating evidence in a 2013 case the US filed against a Russian company, Prevezon Holdings, which was allegedly involved in a $230 million tax fraud scheme in Moscow. The money was purportedly derived from a fraudulent tax refund scheme exposed by crusading lawyer Sergei Magnitsky, who was arrested by Russian authorities and died in prison in 2009 when he was allegedly denied adequate care for severe health conditions.
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| Harley-Davidson's LiveWire Electric Bike Is Here—And Very Expensive Posted: 07 Jan 2019 02:35 PM PST  It's expensive, but fast and tech savvy.
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| We Ride "Off Road" in the 2019 BMW X7 at CES Posted: 08 Jan 2019 02:01 PM PST  BMW set up a course in a parking lot to show off the SUV's off-road capabilities.
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| Google worker behind 'anti-diversity memo' claims role in censored Chinese Search engine Posted: 08 Jan 2019 03:44 PM PST  A Google worker fired for "perpetuating gender stereotypes" has claimed he was working on the company's controversial Chinese search engine before he was sacked. James Damore, a computer engineer who whipped up a storm in Silicon Valley after claiming that the gender gap among technology workers was down to biological differences between men and women, said that he was one of the 100 workers working on the top secret Project Dragonfly. Google was forced to admit the existence of a censored Search engine late last year after a whistle-blower leaked it to the press. The Harvard University graduate also said that during his tenure at the Mountain View campus, he had reported a number of "legal issues" that had "probably not been fixed", without elaborating on what they were. The claims were made amid a twist in an ongoing legal battle between Google and Mr Damore, played out across social media on Monday evening. An anonymous person claiming to be a Google employee who was involved in the firing of Mr Damore, published a statement on popular link-sharing website Reddit that suggested Google had been spying on the software engineer and leaked stories to the press to try and drum up ill feeling toward him before he was sacked. Wow, a Google insider lays out how they conspired to quell dissent by making an example of me, manipulating the media, and lobbying the NLRB. It can't be fully verified, but they have intimate knowledge of the situation.https://t.co/UaSVHgS5vIpic.twitter.com/VsoR6RDI3x— James Damore (@JamesADamore) January 8, 2019 The post, which has since been shared by Mr Damore on Twitter, read: "We needed to make an example of Damore. Looking for some excuse to fire him, we spied on his phone and computer. We didn't find anything, although our spying probably made his devices unusably slow, preventing him from organizing support within the company. "When we did fire him, our reputation and integrity took a hit, but at least other employees were now afraid to speak up." Under the post, which was shared on Reddit, Mr Damore wrote "Whoah [sic], this would explain a lot. I was one of about 100 employees that knew about Dragonfly. "I also did report several legal issues in Search that they probably haven't fixed." A swarm of users were quick to comment on how the piece seemed questionable based on the "spy fiction novel" prose. Mr Damore was fired when his manifesto which accused the company of a "left bias" and a "politically correct monoculture that maintains its hold by shaming dissenters into silence", was picked up by the media after sparking an internal row among staff. He is suing the company for unfair dismissal. The case has been regularly cited among right-leaning figureheads as what they claim is proof that technology is biased. Shortly after his sacking in August 2017, Wikileaks' Julian Assange offered Mr Damore a job, saying that "censorship is for losers". When asked whether Damore had been a part of the search engine, Google re-issued a statement first sent out in 2017 which read: "An important part of our culture is lively debate. But like any workplace, that doesn't mean that anything goes, as we explained here. We look forward to defending against Mr. Damore's claims."
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| Next storm to set its sights on US West Coast by midweek Posted: 07 Jan 2019 02:00 AM PST  As cleanup continues from this past weekend's storms, a new round of rain, mountain snow and gusty winds will take aim at the West Coast of the United States into Wednesday.
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| Ingraham: The crisis of crisis denial Posted: 07 Jan 2019 07:31 PM PST  Liberals continue to fight against Trump's border wall, claim the border crisis is made up.
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| Erdogan blasts Bolton's 'unacceptable' comments on Syrian Kurdish militia Posted: 08 Jan 2019 11:20 AM PST  Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday condemned comments by a key US envoy over the future of a US-allied Syrian Kurdish militia as a "grave mistake", as tensions flared over Washington's planned withdrawal from war-torn Syria. Erdogan's comments came shortly after US National Security Adviser John Bolton held talks in the Turkish capital with Erdogan's adviser Ibrahim Kalin, in a key meeting focusing on the surprise US decision to withdraw its troops from Syria.
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| German data breach prompts calls for improved online security Posted: 07 Jan 2019 04:27 AM PST  German government officials called on Monday for a tightening of data security laws after a far-reaching breach exposed the documents of hundreds of politicians, including Chancellor Angela Merkel. The leader of the opposition Greens party said he had cancelled his Twitter and Facebook accounts following the data breach, one of the largest ever in privacy-conscious Germany. Stephan Mayer, state secretary in the Interior Ministry, said authorities were working around the clock to investigate the breach, and would provide more details around mid-week.
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| 2019 Lamborghini Huracan Evo Is Just That: A Careful Evolution of Lambo's Baby Supercar Posted: 07 Jan 2019 08:15 AM PST  More advanced handling aids and more touchscreen for Lambo's entry-level sports car.
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| Actor Kevin Spacey to face sex assault case in Nantucket courtroom Posted: 07 Jan 2019 04:44 AM PST  The former "House of Cards" star is set to appear in a Massachusetts court to face a criminal charge that he sexually assaulted an 18-year-old male.
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| California Gov. Gavin Newsom's 2-year-old son steals show during inaugural address Posted: 07 Jan 2019 01:05 PM PST  This may have been the most important moment in Gavin Newsom's political career -- but his adorable 2-year-old son Dutch was the one who stole the show.
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| Florida felons rejoice after regaining their right to vote Posted: 08 Jan 2019 01:48 PM PST  ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — The normally humdrum bureaucracy of registering to vote brought tears to the eyes of some Floridians on Tuesday when most felons regained their right to vote under a state constitutional amendment.
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| Hawaiian Airlines says 'so long' to the Boeing 767 Posted: 08 Jan 2019 05:58 AM PST ![Hawaiian Airlines says 'so long' to the Boeing 767]( "Hawaiian Airlines says 'so long' to the Boeing 767") Hawaiian's last Boeing 767 widebody was sent into retirement after completing Hawaiian Airlines Flight 19 from Sacramento, California, to Honolulu.
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| Everyone with an Instant Pot needs to have this $40 accessory kit Posted: 07 Jan 2019 07:59 AM PST ![Everyone with an Instant Pot needs to have this $40 accessory kit]( "Everyone with an Instant Pot needs to have this $40 accessory kit") Instant Pots were huge sellers this past holiday season, so there's a good change you recently got your hands on a brand new one for Christmas. Even if you didn't though and you have an Instant Pot you've been using for years, we've got something you'll definitely want to check out. It's called the Fopurs Pressure Cooker Accessories Set, and it's a 12-piece accessory kit that fits any Instant Pot with a capacity of 5 quarts or larger. This set has all sorts of great Instant Pot accessories that you never knew you needed, like a stainless steel steamer basket, an egg cooker rack, and a non-stick springform pan. All that and more for just $39.99! Here's what you need to know from the product page: * FULL COMPLETE KIT -Our product comes in a full kit which is 12-piece accessories for top brand electric pressure cooker. This set contains all our consumer needs when it comes to making meals for family and friends 'needs. They include 1 stainless Steel Steamer Basket, 1 Non-stick Springform Pan, 1 Steamer Egg Rack, 1 Silicon Egg Bites Mold, 1 Bowl Clip,4 Magnetic Sheets, 1 Silicon Clamp and 2 Silicon Milts. * QUALITY AND EXTRA SAFE -Consumer's safety is our first priority. Our steamer basket and the steamer egg rack are a product of food-grade 304 stainless steel. In addition, it is easy to clean, sturdy and durable and dishwasher safe. Our Silicon parts are BPA free as they are made from high-quality food grade silicone. * OFFERS HEALTHIER COOKING METHODS -Our steamer basket offers one of the best cooking methods with a 90% nutrient remain compared to fried food or grilled food. It can cook a variety of foods ranging from seafood, fish, vegetables, eggs, meat and baby food among others. Most favorable in reheating food without loss of the original nutrients or flavor as compared to microwave. * MULTIPLE USAGES -The steamer basket is modified to serve as a container for fruits and vegetables as well as the egg bites mold being used for egg sauces, cupcakes, ice-cubes, jelly, finger foods, pudding, and mini-muffins. It also offers space for a child snack tray. * 100% CUSTOMER SATISFACTION GUARANTEE -Customer satisfaction is what drives us in the provision of the highest and quality products. All our services to our esteemed customers are refundable upon the customer's satisfaction. If at all you are not satisfied with our product, return it to us. We offer an unconditional money-payback guarantee. We value all our customers. Our key target has always been achieving 100% customer satisfaction.
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| Build the wall: the pledge defining Trump's presidency Posted: 08 Jan 2019 12:41 PM PST  Washington (AFP) - Building a wall on the border with Mexico has been a central plank of US President Donald Trump's political platform, both as a candidate and since taking office.
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| This Is Now the Third-Longest Government Shutdown in U.S. History Posted: 07 Jan 2019 03:46 AM PST  The longest shutdown took place in 1995-1996
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| Authorities warn people to not eat chicken tenders spilled on roadside Posted: 07 Jan 2019 06:39 PM PST  We get it, cheapskates, free food is hard to resist. Especially when it comes in the form of delicious chicken tenders, but Alabama authorities have warned people to not eat any from boxes that were spilled from a 18-wheeler truck on Sunday. SEE ALSO: An 18-inch pizza has more pizza than two 12-inch pizzas, and people are losing it The crash on Highway 35 in Cherokee County prompted motorists to stop and pick up the truckload of spilled tenders, according to the Associated Press. Quick to say nope was the Cherokee County Emergency Management Agency, who warned on Facebook that it's a crime to stop and impede the flow of traffic with your chicken tender pilfering efforts. The agency also cautioned that the cases of tenders had been on the ground for more than 24 hours, and are thus unsafe to eat. Food poisoning ain't fun, people. According to one commenter on the post, the exact location of where to get the free chicken was shared on the Dekalb Buy and Sell Facebook page. "All the people commenting and the guy that posted it were so serious," the commenter wrote. Seems like they weren't the only ones who were keen. > Waiting for a rig hauling bbq sauce to get involved. > > -- Michael Carter (@mtnmedic64) January 7, 2019 > Oh my god there are free highway tenders in Cherokee County, I am going down there RIGHT NOW > > -- Buddy Luv (@TwiterPowerUser) January 7, 2019 > This is some real gov't overreach if you ask me https://t.co/QVtbzLVNV2 > > -- Max Lederman (@Max_Lederman) January 7, 2019 > but...CHICKEN TENDERS https://t.co/cCXV2U34mN > > -- Sheri Lynch (@sherilynch) January 7, 2019 If the roadside, likely off chicken wasn't enough to deter people from trying to get it -- as of Monday, there was none left. The spill had been cleaned up, according to another Facebook post by the Cherokee County Emergency Management Agency. So, if you scored some of the free roadside chicken tenders, maybe put it in the bin, not your mouth. ## WATCH: PepsiCo is using robots to deliver snacks to college students
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| The 2020 Mercedes-Benz CLA Is Sleeker, Smarter, and Finally Done Right Posted: 08 Jan 2019 11:30 AM PST  The second generation of Benz's swoopy compact four-door is what it always should have been.
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| U.S. destroyer sails in disputed South China Sea amid trade talks Posted: 07 Jan 2019 07:06 AM PST  A U.S. guided-missile destroyer sailed near disputed islands in the South China Sea in what China called a "provocation" as U.S. officials joined talks in Beijing during a truce in a bitter trade war. The USS McCampbell carried out a "freedom of navigation" operation, sailing within 12 nautical miles of the Paracel Island chain, "to challenge excessive maritime claims", Pacific Fleet spokeswoman Rachel McMarr said in an emailed statement. The statement came as trade talks between China and the United States were under way in Beijing, the first round of face-to-face discussions since both sides agreed to a 90-day truce in a trade war that has roiled international markets.
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| Every Angle of the 2019 Nissan Leaf Plus Posted: 08 Jan 2019 05:10 PM PST |
| US military confirms airstrike killed USS Cole bombing suspect Jamal al-Badawi in Yemen Posted: 07 Jan 2019 06:13 AM PST  On Oct. 12, 2000, two suicide bombers drove a small boat loaded with explosives into the hull of the USS Cole, killing 17 sailors.
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| Markets Right Now: Retailers lead stock gains on Wall Street Posted: 07 Jan 2019 01:11 PM PST  NEW YORK (AP) — The latest on developments in financial markets (all times local):
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| President Trump could declare an 'immigration emergency.' But would that get him funds for a wall? Posted: 07 Jan 2019 06:01 AM PST  Trump could declare an immigration emergency, but legally moving $5.6 billion toward wall construction appears to be the bigger challenge.
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