2019年4月10日星期三

Yahoo! News: Education News

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Yahoo! News: Education News


Democrats press Barr over Trump's war on Obamacare

Posted: 09 Apr 2019 10:27 AM PDT

Democrats press Barr over Trump's war on ObamacareAttorney General William Barr was pressed on the Justice Department's lawsuit against the Affordable Care Act that, if it prevails, would cause millions of Americans to lose their health care coverage.


Mnuchin Says He Didn’t Recommend ‘Wrong Person’ in Fed’s Powell

Posted: 10 Apr 2019 11:37 AM PDT

Mnuchin Says He Didn't Recommend 'Wrong Person' in Fed's PowellTreasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said he was right to recommend Jerome Powell as Federal Reserve chairman despite President Donald Trump's frequent criticism of the central bank leader. "I don't feel like I picked the wrong person," Mnuchin said Wednesday in an interview on CNBC. The Fed's interest rate increases in 2018 outraged the president, who went so far as to discuss firing Powell with his advisers late in the year.


Capitol Hill hearing on online hate sees it firsthand

Posted: 09 Apr 2019 04:12 PM PDT

Capitol Hill hearing on online hate sees it firsthandWASHINGTON (AP) — A congressional hearing on online hate turned into a vivid demonstration of the problem Tuesday when a YouTube livestream of the proceedings was bombarded with racist and anti-Semitic comments from internet users.


Benjamin Netanyahu begins forming coalition as US hails prospects of Israeli-Palestinian peace

Posted: 10 Apr 2019 10:17 AM PDT

Benjamin Netanyahu begins forming coalition as US hails prospects of Israeli-Palestinian peaceBenjamin Netanyahu yesterday began negotiations to form a new Right-wing coalition after seeing off a centrist challenger in a close election and securing a fifth term as Israel's prime minister.  Mr Netanyahu's Likud party won the same number of seats as Blue & White, a centrist coalition led by former general Benny Gantz, but the victory of other Right-wing parties gave the prime minister a clear path to a majority government.  "I already began talks with the leaders of the Right-wing parties, our natural partners," Mr Netanyahu told his cheering supporters in Tel Aviv. "I intend to finish the work quickly, with the aim of forming a stable national government."  The result was hailed by Donald Trump, who said the prime minister's victory meant "a better chance" for peace between Israelis and Palestinians, but was met with dismay by Palestinians. The election will cement Mr Netanyahu's reputation as the most successful election-winner in Israeli history and prove that his brand of divisive Right-wing politics is the country's dominant political force. Israel election The 69-year-old has been in power for 13 years and is now on course to overtake David Ben Gurion, Israel's founding father, as the country's longest-serving prime minister.  Despite his election success, Mr Netanyahu is still facing criminal corruption charges that have the potential to drive him from office by the end of the year. Opponents suspect he will use his new majority to try to pass an immunity law to shield himself from prosecution.  Mr Netanyahu, known in Israel as "Bibi", denies all wrongdoing and claims the prosecutions are part of a politically-motivated witch hunt against him and his family.   Mr Netanyahu (left) defeated Benny Gantz (right) Credit: ABIR SULTAN/EPA-EFE/REX That explanation appeared to satisfy a majority of Israeli voters, who cast their ballots for parties committed to keeping Mr Netanyahu in power.  "I know some of the things Bibi did are wrong but I'm not looking for a rabbi. I'm looking for a leader," said Yaakov Lemash, 76, after voting for Likud. Mr Netanyahu's Likud and Mr Gantz's Blue & White each appeared to have won 35 seats in Israel's 120-member parliament. But while Likud and the Right-wing parties had a clear route to a majority, Mr Gantz did not have enough allies on the Centre-Left.   The former general, who rose from a commando to the head of Israel's military, conceded the election on Wednesday evening. But his party said it was already gearing up to fight another election next year if the criminal case against Mr Netanyahu drives him from office Letters from Jerusalem RHS Speaking at the White House, Mr Trump praised Mr Netanyahu as a friend and ally. "I never made it a promise but everybody said you can't have peace in the Middle East with Israel and the Palestinians," Mr Trump said. "I think we have a chance and I think we have now a better chance with Bibi having won." The president handed Mr Netanyahu a major pre-election boost by recognising Israel's annexation of the Golan Heights two weeks before polling day.   The White House has said it will release its Israeli-Palestinian peace plan, referred to as "the Deal of the Century" sometime after the Israeli elections.  Skeptics question whether the long-awaited plan will ever be released, as it has been pre-emptively rejected by the Palestinians and may cause political difficulties for Mr Netanyahu and America's Arab allies.    "I never made it a promise"pic.twitter.com/Npi6wDwQJ6— Noa Landau נעה לנדאו (@noa_landau) April 10, 2019 Hanan Ashrawi, a Palestinian official, said Israelis "overwhelmingly voted for candidates that are unequivocally committed to entrenching the status quo of oppression, occupation, annexation and dispossession in Palestine". The next step in the election is for Israel's president, Reuven Rivlin, to summon party leaders for consultations before formally announcing next week who will be tasked with forming a government.    Mr Netanyahu's potential coalition partners began publicly announcing their demands in return for joining the government. One small Right-wing party demanded two ministerial posts, while another called for a harder line against Hamas in Gaza.   Israel's two ultra-Orthodox parties increased their standing from 13 to 16 seats, giving them more sway within a future coalition.  The parties are focused on budgets for religious communities but also on preventing public transportation on Shabbat, the Jewish holy day, and blocking a compromise to allow more liberal Jews space at the Western Wall.  Mr Netanyahu was dogged throughout his last term by Naftali Bennet and Ayelet Shaked, two ambitious young ministers from a hardline conservative party who perpetually assailed the prime minister from his Right.   In a disastrous political miscalculation, Mr Bennett and Ms Shaked's new party looked like it failed to pass the minimum vote threshold, leaving both of them without ministries or even parliamentary seats.


Ford Again Recalls F-150 and Super Duty Pickup Trucks for Second Repair over Engine-Block Fire Risk

Posted: 10 Apr 2019 08:44 AM PDT

Ford Again Recalls F-150 and Super Duty Pickup Trucks for Second Repair over Engine-Block Fire RiskThe new recall will bring back more than 130,000 U.S.-market trucks for another fix; more than 400,000 pickups in the U.S. alone have been affected by the recall.


Southwest flight canceled? Here's why the airline won't book you on another carrier

Posted: 09 Apr 2019 01:06 PM PDT

Southwest flight canceled? Here's why the airline won't book you on another carrierFrustrated Southwest Airlines passengers have bombarded the airline with questions in the wake of heavy Boeing 737 Max 8 flight cancellations.


Uganda kidnapping: Arrests made in Costa Mesa resident Kimberly Sue Endicott's abduction

Posted: 10 Apr 2019 01:17 AM PDT

Uganda kidnapping: Arrests made in Costa Mesa resident Kimberly Sue Endicott's abductionUgandan police say they have arrested some people over the kidnapping last week of a Costa Mesa tourist who has since been freed.


The Navy Wanted to Take Battleships and Make Them Into Nuclear 'Bombers'

Posted: 10 Apr 2019 12:00 AM PDT

The Navy Wanted to Take Battleships and Make Them Into Nuclear 'Bombers'Today the naval gunfire argument rages on. Even in the age of drones and precision warfare there are still occasional calls to bring the heavily manned, imprecise Iowa class back to service. There's a certain romance to battleships, and having four Iowas sitting around in good condition has beguiled naval enthusiasts and planners for more than 60 years with schemes to bring them back.In the early 1980s, four Iowa-class fast battleships originally built during World War II—Iowa, Missouri, New Jersey and Wisconsin—were taken out of mothballs and returned to active duty.(This first appeared several years ago.)Nearly 900 feet long and displacing close to 60,000 tons, the battlewagons could fire a nine-gun broadside sending 18 tons of steel and explosives hurtling towards their targets.The battleships were modernized to include cruise missiles, ship-killing missiles and Phalanx point-defense guns. Returned to the fleet, the ships saw action off the coasts of Lebanon and Iraq. At the end of the Cold War the battleships were retired again. All were slated to become museums.


Trump won't separate children from migrants -- but praises tactic

Posted: 09 Apr 2019 03:15 PM PDT

Trump won't separate children from migrants -- but praises tactic"We're not looking to do it," he told reporters at the White House. "I'll tell you something: once you don't have it, that's why you have many more people coming," Trump said of migrants and asylum seekers. "They are coming like it's a picnic, like 'let's go to Disneyland,'" Trump said.


Debris Found After Japanese F-35A Stealth Fighter Crashes at Sea

Posted: 09 Apr 2019 09:22 PM PDT

Debris Found After Japanese F-35A Stealth Fighter Crashes at SeaThe plane and its pilot, a man in his 40s, went missing about 135 kilometers (85 miles) off the Japanese coast Tuesday after departing Misawa Air Base on the northeastern corner of Honshu Island, the Japan Air Self-Defense Force said in a statement. A part of what's believed to the the plane's tail was spotted floating near where it disappeared, Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya told reporters Wednesday. The Lockheed Martin Corp. F-35 is considered the most expensive U.S. weapons system.


Walmart's Spring Sale Is Marking Down Tools, Grills, and More

Posted: 10 Apr 2019 02:39 PM PDT

Walmart's Spring Sale Is Marking Down Tools, Grills, and More


Explainer: Israeli election results: what happens next?

Posted: 09 Apr 2019 04:33 PM PDT

Explainer: Israeli election results: what happens next?By Maayan Lubell JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his main challenger Benny Gantz both claimed victory in Israel's election on Tuesday. Israeli TV exit polls produced differing results about who will emerge as the leader of the largest single party, and the polls have been wrong in the past. So both sides still have all to play for. However, there are indications that Netanyahu has a clearer path to forming a coalition government with other right-wing, far-right and religious parties. ...


The Latest: NRA backs suit on synagogue-inspired gun control

Posted: 09 Apr 2019 11:16 AM PDT

The Latest: NRA backs suit on synagogue-inspired gun controlPITTSBURGH (AP) — The Latest on Pittsburgh's effort to restrict firearms and ammunition (all times local):


New York City declares public health emergency, orders mandatory measles vaccinations

Posted: 09 Apr 2019 11:30 AM PDT

New York City declares public health emergency, orders mandatory measles vaccinationsMayor Bill de Blasio says the city has "the power to do this."


Texas Tech Medical School Will Stop Considering Race in Admissions Due to Trump Administration Pressure

Posted: 10 Apr 2019 07:50 AM PDT

Texas Tech Medical School Will Stop Considering Race in Admissions Due to Trump Administration PressureThe move is part of an agreement with the U.S. Department of Education


Vitamin and mineral supplements won't help you live longer, could cause harm, study says

Posted: 09 Apr 2019 05:47 PM PDT

Vitamin and mineral supplements won't help you live longer, could cause harm, study saysThe study found excess intake of calcium through supplements was associated with a higher risk of death from cancer.


Trump angers Republicans by firing top immigration officials including Homeland Security chief

Posted: 09 Apr 2019 03:31 AM PDT

Trump angers Republicans by firing top immigration officials including Homeland Security chiefDonald Trump's purge of top officials at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has alarmed congressional Republicans, who warn the president's immigration shake-up is creating a "growing leadership void".The president's allies fear further sackings are on the cards following the ousting of a string of senior figures including homeland security secretary Kirstjen Nielsen.The overhaul has been fuelled by Mr Trump's frustration with the increasing number of migrants at the US-Mexico border and was reportedly orchestrated by his adviser Stephen Miller, the impetus behind some of the administration's most controversial policies.Ms Nielsen submitted her resignation on Sunday after meeting with the president at the White House. Three days earlier, the administration withdrew the nomination of Ron Vitiello to lead Immigration and Customs Enforcement.The head of US Citizenship and Immigration Services, Lee Francis Cissna, and homeland security general counsel John M Mitnick are also expected to be forced out of their positions, officials told Associated Press.Other long-time civil servants in agency posts also face the chop, said the officials, who spoke to on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak publicly.Court challenges, immigration laws and Mr Trump's own advisers have blocked several of his proposals as his re-election campaign looms.But Republicans said a new immigration team was likely to face the same obstacles."It's a mess," Texas senator John Cornyn told Politico. "Strikes me as just a frustration of not being able to solve a problem. Honestly, it wasn't Secretary Nielsen's fault. It wasn't for lack of effort on her part. I don't know if there's anybody who's going to be able to do more."Wisconsin Republican Ron Johnson, chair of the Homeland Security Committee, said: "I am concerned with a growing leadership void within the department tasked with addressing some of the most significant problems facing the nation."Democrats have also voiced alarm over the dismissals."The purge of senior leadership at the Department of Homeland Security is unprecedented and a threat to our national security," said Dianne Feinstein, of California. "President Trump is trying to remake DHS into his own personal anti-immigration agency."Beyond changing senior personnel, Mr Trump is also considering resuming the separation of migrant parents from their children at the border, a policy which provoked outrage before it was scrapped last year. That could mean he would have to violate his own executive order and possibly run afoul of a federal judge overseeing reunifications. Gil Kerlikowske, who led Customs and Border Protection from 2014 to 2017, said: "I don't envy anybody in that position because these are policies that are White House policies, not DHS."


French Jet Deal to Be Examined by India Court in a Blow to Modi

Posted: 10 Apr 2019 03:51 AM PDT

French Jet Deal to Be Examined by India Court in a Blow to ModiA three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi said the Supreme Court will further hear petitions alleging corruption in a deal to buy 36 Rafale jets by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's administration.


Apple quietly nixes fee to transfer data from your old Mac to your new one

Posted: 10 Apr 2019 02:12 AM PDT

Apple quietly nixes fee to transfer data from your old Mac to your new oneAfter speaking with an Apple Store Operations Specialist, TidBITS reported that the company has dropped the data migration fee charged when users move their content from an old computer to a new Mac. Previously, when you went to the Apple Store to upgrade your computer to a new one or had some repairs done, you'd have to pay a whopping $99 to migrate the data to your new device or new hard drive. As first reported by TidBITS on Tuesday, Apple quietly discontinued charging this particular fee.


Pakistan PM sees better chance of peace talks with India if Modi's BJP wins election

Posted: 09 Apr 2019 09:04 AM PDT

Pakistan PM sees better chance of peace talks with India if Modi's BJP wins electionKhan said that if the next Indian government were led by the opposition Congress party, it might be too scared to seek a settlement with Pakistan over disputed Indian-controlled Kashmir, fearing a backlash from the right. "Perhaps if the BJP - a right-wing party - wins, some kind of settlement in Kashmir could be reached," Khan told a small group of foreign journalists in an interview. This was despite the massive alienation that Muslims in Kashmir and Muslims in general were facing in Modi's India, said Khan, who took office last August.


UN Security Council to meet Wednesday on Libya

Posted: 09 Apr 2019 10:50 AM PDT

UN Security Council to meet Wednesday on LibyaThe UN Security Council will hold urgent closed-door consultations on Wednesday on the crisis in Libya, where fighting has derailed UN-led efforts to prepare for elections. UN envoy Ghassan Salame will brief the council on his decision to postpone a national conference aimed at drawing up an election roadmap, diplomats said. Thousands of people have fled Tripoli after forces under the command of Khalifa Haftar, who controls part of eastern Libya, launched an offensive last week to take the capital.


Yahoo strikes $117.5 million data breach settlement after earlier accord rejected

Posted: 09 Apr 2019 11:29 AM PDT

Yahoo strikes $117.5 million data breach settlement after earlier accord rejectedThe proposed class-action settlement made public on Tuesday was designed to address criticisms of U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh in San Jose, California. Koh said the original settlement was not "fundamentally fair, adequate and reasonable" because it had no overall dollar value and did not say how much victims might expect to recover. Yahoo, now part of New York-based Verizon Communications Inc, had been accused of being slow to disclose three data breaches affecting about 3 billion accounts from 2013 to 2016.


CBD hype: Is this hemp-plant derivative snake oil or a legit remedy?

Posted: 10 Apr 2019 07:46 AM PDT

CBD hype: Is this hemp-plant derivative snake oil or a legit remedy?CBD use has soared since the Farm Bill relaxed rules for the hemp-based product. But there's little control over marketing and therapeutic claims.


See Photos of the 2020 Mercedes-AMG GT R Pro

Posted: 09 Apr 2019 02:09 PM PDT

See Photos of the 2020 Mercedes-AMG GT R Pro


Trump's 'business ties' to Iran's Revolutionary Guards reemerge, a day after he designated it a terror group

Posted: 09 Apr 2019 08:21 AM PDT

Trump's 'business ties' to Iran's Revolutionary Guards reemerge, a day after he designated it a terror groupA day after Donald Trump designated Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) a terrorist organisation, reports are reemerging of the Trump Organization's alleged participation in a scheme that likely helped the IRGC launder money to fund its interests abroad.The US government made the unprecedented move to blacklist another country's military because, Mr Trump said, the IRGC "actively participates in, finances, and promotes terrorism as a tool of statecraft". The designation imposes sanctions including freezing assets the IRGC may have in US jurisdictions and a ban on Americans doing business with the organisation.But according to a 2017 report by the New Yorker, the Trump Organization signed contracts in 2012 with developers to build a skyscraper in Azerbaijan that appeared "to be a corrupt operation engineered by oligarchs tied to Iran's Revolutionary Guard". The family the Trumps partnered with on the Trump Tower Baku project were the Mammadovs, whose billionaire patriarch Ziya Mammadov was the then-Azerbaijani transport minister, on a reported salary of little over £9,000. According to Transparency International, Azerbaijan is one of the most corrupt countries on Earth, and, according to one US diplomat – in comments made public by WikiLeaks eight years ago – Mr Mammadov was "notoriously corrupt even for Azerbaijan". In 2008, Mr Mammadov awarded a series of multimillion-pound contracts to Azarpassillo, an Iranian construction firm allegedly controlled by the IRGC as part of a larger scheme to export money from Iran in order to fund terror and other activities abroad.The company was run by the Darvishi family, at least three members of whom were associated of the IRGC, the New Yorker reported. Two brothers in the family, Kamal and Keyumars, made frequent visits to Azerbaijan and reportedly developed a close relationship with the Mammadovs. The Trump Tower Baku project carried some classic hallmarks of a money-laundering operation, including firms being paid in cash, some of which was transferred in duffel bags."I got a hundred and eighty thousand dollars one time, which I fit into my laptop bag, and two hundred thousand dollars another time," said Frank McDonald, who performed work on the building's interior.> In response to previous sanctions, the IRGC came up with a clever scheme. It would create hundreds of "private" companies, owned by IRGC officers, that would fund terror, seek WMD, launder money and do other bidding of the central org. > > 1/> > — Adam Davidson (@adamdavidson) > > April 8, 2019Trump Organization lawyer Alan Garten said the company learned in 2015 about the "possibility" the Mammadovs had ties to the IRGC, which was under US sanctions, but did not pull out of the deal until December 2016 as there was "no rush" because the project had "stalled". He also said the Trump Organization had binding contracts with the Mammadovs that they could not just abandon, something sanctions experts rubbished."You can't violate sanctions just because you have a contract with someone," said Jessica Tillipman, an assistant dean at George Washington University Law School. There is no evidence Mr Trump or any Trump Organization officials acted illegally in the deal. Mr Trump, in fact, was reportedly only lightly involved in the project, which was spearheaded by his oldest daughter, Ivanka.> View this post on Instagram> > I love a room with a view. Here I am in the incredible city of Baku, Azerbaijan, checking out the construction progress of our new Trump International Hotel & Tower, which will open in 2015. See more on my project on IvankaTrump.com (link in profile).> > A post shared by Ivanka Trump (@ivankatrump) on Nov 24, 2014 at 10:16am PSTBaku XXI Century, the firm owned by the Mammadovs, has denied involvement in corruption. Azarpasillo and the Trump Organization have been contacted for comment.


New Zealand Parliament votes to ban semi-automatic weapons

Posted: 10 Apr 2019 02:13 AM PDT

New Zealand Parliament votes to ban semi-automatic weaponsWELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand's Parliament on Wednesday passed sweeping gun laws that outlaw military style weapons, less than a month after mass shootings at two mosques in the city of Christchurch left 50 people dead and dozens wounded.


SpaceX postpones first commercial launch due to strong wind

Posted: 10 Apr 2019 05:11 PM PDT

SpaceX postpones first commercial launch due to strong windSpaceX postponed Wednesday what would have been its first commercial launch with the Falcon Heavy rocket, citing strong wind in the upper atmosphere. The rocket is to carry a Saudi satellite operated by Arabsat, a year after sending founder Elon Musk's red Tesla roadster into orbit as a test. The Falcon Heavy had been scheduled to lift off from the Kennedy Space center in Florida at 6:36 pm (2236 GMT) and place the six-ton Arabsat-6A satellite into geostationary orbit about 22,500 miles (36,000 kilometers) above the Earth.


Google wants to start making more money from Maps, and we all know what that means

Posted: 10 Apr 2019 04:05 PM PDT

Google wants to start making more money from Maps, and we all know what that meansGoogle is reportedly about to bring a version of the same playbook that turned its best-in-class search engine into an unstoppable money machine over to Google Maps, its service that more than 1 billion people rely on for directions and other related information. What that means for users, according to a new Bloomberg report, is that we may start to see more things like sponsored listings from businesses that have paid to be atop Google Maps results when you search for a variety of information, like nearby businesses.Hopefully, Google's reported interest in leaning on Maps as it hunts for new sources of revenue won't mean the company goes overboard -- like the way you have to scroll down past a slew of ads and highlighted results after conducting a Google Search, for example. As a heavy Google Maps user, though, I'm wary, especially given that relevancy may be even more important when looking for information within Maps than in Search.Brian Nowak, a Morgan Stanley analyst, said during a recent conference while interviewing Google business executive Philipp Schindler that Google Maps may be "the most under-monetized asset that I cover.""It's almost like a utility where it's kind of waiting for you to flip the switch on," Nowak said, as recounted by Bloomberg. As he explains it, there are actually several different ways Google could flip that revenue switch within Maps. I'm a Maps user who actually uses it as a Yelp-like service, firing it up to search things like restaurant reviews, which of course will display reviews from Google users along with detailed information like the business' location, hours of operation and more. Google, of course, could start promoting restaurants that would be highlighted when I do a search like that within Maps.Among other revenue opportunities, there are times when you're conducting a search within Maps for things that are nearby you. Say, you're low on gas and looking for the closest gas station. Google also could start automatically generating personalized recommendations for you, even before you ask. Those are all areas where Nowak thinks Google could easily start tapping Maps for money, while noting that the main thing people use it for (finding directions) is a "utility" that shouldn't be messed with -- which should most definitely go without saying.An objective assessment of all this is that it shouldn't come as a surprise. Bit by bit, Google has turned Maps into a kind of Swiss Army knife of a service, packing tons of features in recent months like even the ability to "follow" business listing that are starting to feel more like a "page" they'd have on a service like Facebook. Google has also already experimented with ads within Maps, and Google-owned navigation app Waze runs ads there. Google Maps director of product management Rajas Moonka told Bloomberg that because so much of what we do and search for in Maps is commercial and about businesses, ads can be a natural complement to that. You can see this in some specific areas of Maps, such as when the voice directions sometimes tell you to, say, "Turn right right at the Dunkin Donuts" instead of giving a street instead. According to Google, that's not an ad or the result of a paid exchange, but, again, it's another opportunity where Google could squeeze more revenue if it wanted.The Bloomberg report ends on a declarative note. Google Maps, it says, "is the next, big service" the company is turning to for revenue growth. Hopefully, Google will take it easy and won't do anything to disrupt the overall experience -- but, again, there's certainly reason to worry.


Candace Owens fumes at Rep. Ted Lieu's use of her Hitler comments

Posted: 10 Apr 2019 04:30 PM PDT

Candace Owens fumes at Rep. Ted Lieu's use of her Hitler comments"I think it's pretty apparent that believes that black people are stupid," Owens said in response to Lieu playing a clip of her comment on Hitler.


The 2019 Audi TT RS Gets Some New Colors and Air Scoops, Starts at $67,895

Posted: 10 Apr 2019 11:17 AM PDT

The 2019 Audi TT RS Gets Some New Colors and Air Scoops, Starts at $67,895Minor exterior and interior updates for the world's only five-cylinder sports car in production.


Trump: Uganda must capture kidnappers of freed US tourist

Posted: 08 Apr 2019 07:41 PM PDT

Trump: Uganda must capture kidnappers of freed US touristKAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday urged Uganda to find the kidnappers of an American tourist who has been freed amid conflicting reports over whether a ransom was paid for her release.


India Supreme Court to hear Dassault jet deal in setback for Modi

Posted: 10 Apr 2019 02:39 AM PDT

India Supreme Court to hear Dassault jet deal in setback for ModiThe published material was privileged defense documents, the government says. "Preliminary objections of the Centre are dismissed," said the court, led by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, referring to the federal government, adding that it would set a date for further hearings. Modi, facing a tightening election, has vehemently denied opposition allegations of wrongdoing in the purchase of 36 Rafale planes and the government had asked the court to reject the petitions, citing national security.


Indian election authorities stop release of Modi's fawning Bollywood biopic as polls open

Posted: 10 Apr 2019 09:25 AM PDT

Indian election authorities stop release of Modi's fawning Bollywood biopic as polls openIndia's Election Commission has prohibited the release of a Bollywood biopic on Narendra Modi, the prime minister, a day before its scheduled release, claiming it would tip the balance of the general elections in his favour.   The Commission, which oversees India's parliamentary and provincial elections, on Wednesday ruled that releasing PM Narendra Modi would give an "unfair advantage" to Mr Modi's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that is seeking re-election for a second five-year term. The order came in response to objections by the opposition Congress Party and stated that all "biopic material with the potential to create an uneven playing field during elections" should not be aired until the end of voting. The Commission was also considering imposing a ban on the 10-day old, 24-hour NaMo news channel named after the prime minister, stating that it violated the code of conduct for political parties at election time. The first of seven rounds of voting in 91 of 543 parliamentary constituencies across the country will take place on Thursday amidst tight security. Billboards in Mumbai have been put up for the web series "Modi: Journey of a Common Man" Credit: REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas The remaining six rounds of polling will conclude on 19 May and election results will be announced four days later, on 23 May. Meanwhile, a series of opinion polls predict that Mr Modi's BJP-led alliance will return to power by winning 272 seats, one more than the halfway mark needed to form the government. This, however, indicates a sharp drop from the commanding majority of 336 seats that Modi's National Democratic Alliance won in the 2014 elections when he promised to turn India into an economic powerhouse and create a million jobs every month. In the meantime, voters in Hailakandi district in India's north-eastern Assam state are being offered generous concessions on a range of products such as jewellery, food and medicines - provided they vote. To obtain the 10-15 per cent concession at all jewellery shops, restaurants and pharmacies in the district, all they will have to do is to show the indelible ink mark on their index finger that proves they have cast their ballot.


UN chief calls for immediate halt to Libya fighting

Posted: 08 Apr 2019 07:40 PM PDT

UN chief calls for immediate halt to Libya fightingUN chief Antonio Guterres on Monday appealed for an immediate halt to fighting in Libya, after strongman Khalifa Haftar's forces claimed an airstrike on Tripoli's only functioning airport. Thousands have fled violence in the capital city, according to the United Nations, since Haftar launched a surprise assault last week which has left dozens dead. Secretary-General Guterres "urges the immediate halt of all military operations in order to de-escalate the situation and prevent an all-out conflict," said a UN statement late Monday.


Protect your precious Apple Watch Series 4 with a $9 clear case

Posted: 09 Apr 2019 12:11 PM PDT

Protect your precious Apple Watch Series 4 with a $9 clear caseIf you're going to spend hundreds of dollars on a new Apple Watch Series 4, you might want to consider spending an additional few bucks to ensure that it's protected from scratches. The Smiling Apple Watch 4 Clear Case with Built in TPU Screen Protector is a top-rated Apple Watch clear case on Amazon, and it's available for 40mm and 44mm Apple Watch Series 4 models. A two pack is only $9 in either size, and the case's great design leaves the back open so it doesn't interfere at all with heart rate monitoring.Here's more info from the product page: * [Designed for the 40mm or 44mm] This case fit for apple watch 2018 newest series 4 Apple Watch 40mm, high-quality TPU case with built in screen protector. * [Precise cutout]: This 40mm or 44mm watch case was designed with precise cutouts for functional buttons and ports. * [Ultra Slim]: This apple watch case front cover is only 0.3mm and total 0.5oz weight not add any bulk and you will not lose any touch sensitivity. * [Shock-proof]: Made of high quality, anti-scratch TPU, this case covers the full front and curved edges of the iwatch, offering full protection for your apple watch against scratches, drops, and bumps. * Includes: 2 pack high quality TPU case for the 40mm or 44mm series 4 apple watch


& Other Stories launches a summer wedding capsule

Posted: 10 Apr 2019 03:56 AM PDT

& Other Stories launches a summer wedding capsuleReady-to-wear brand & Other Stories, part of the H&M group, has announced the launch of a women's bridal  capsule for the Summer wedding season. Designed to stand out at the most festive and sophisticated gatherings, the collection will be available from April 12 in stores and online at www.stories.com.


The Best Stuff in Wayfair's Way Day Sale (a.k.a. 36 Hours of Home Decor Bargains)

Posted: 10 Apr 2019 12:51 PM PDT

The Best Stuff in Wayfair's Way Day Sale (a.k.a. 36 Hours of Home Decor Bargains)


Nipsey Hussle is gone. His legacy will forever live in South Los Angeles, a place of pride and hope

Posted: 08 Apr 2019 07:29 PM PDT

Nipsey Hussle is gone. His legacy will forever live in South Los Angeles, a place of pride and hopeSouth Los Angeles is a sprawling cluster of neighborhoods, many of them rich with African-American history, that are staring down major changes.


What's behind Warren's plan to break up Facebook, Amazon and Google

Posted: 10 Apr 2019 02:00 AM PDT

What's behind Warren's plan to break up Facebook, Amazon and GoogleElizabeth Warren accuses Amazon and other tech giants of unfairly demanding special favors from governments, selling users' consumer profiles for marketing purposes and exercising a stranglehold over capital funding for potential competitors.


Powerful storm to threaten damage, hazardous travel

Posted: 10 Apr 2019 04:00 PM PDT

Powerful storm to threaten damage, hazardous travelImpacts ranging from severe storms to blizzard conditions will unfold from Wednesday into Thursday as a potent storm moves across the central U.S.


Putin, on Mueller report: 'We said from the start it would find nothing'

Posted: 09 Apr 2019 08:03 AM PDT

Putin, on Mueller report: 'We said from the start it would find nothing'U.S. Attorney General William Barr said in a summary released last month that Mueller had found no evidence of collusion between Trump's campaign and Russia in the election. Putin, speaking at an Arctic forum in the Russian city of St Petersburg, said on Friday that Mueller's findings were predictable for Moscow. "That it (Mueller's inquiry) would finish in that way - like a mountain giving birth to a mouse as they say - was clear to us in advance.


India's Congress party chief files election nomination

Posted: 10 Apr 2019 03:37 AM PDT

India's Congress party chief files election nominationAMETHI, India (AP) — Congress party chief Rahul Gandhi, the scion of India's most famous modern political dynasty, filed nomination papers in the family stronghold of Amethi in Uttar Pradesh state, hoping to hold onto a key seat for a fourth consecutive time in national elections that begin Thursday.


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