2019年11月7日星期四

Yahoo! News: Education News

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Yahoo! News: Education News


Giuliani floats new explanation for pressuring Ukraine to investigate Biden

Posted: 06 Nov 2019 04:41 PM PST

Giuliani floats new explanation for pressuring Ukraine to investigate BidenTrump's personal lawyer said on Wednesday that he pressured Ukrainian officials to investigate Joe Biden to defend President Trump "against false charges."


One of the world's thickest mountain glaciers is melting because of global warming

Posted: 07 Nov 2019 11:09 AM PST

One of the world's thickest mountain glaciers is melting because of global warmingFor half a century, Taku had been the one known Alaskan glacier to withstand the effects of climate change – until now.


NY Tech Firm Sold Chinese Equipment to U.S. Military after Falsely Claiming It was American-Made

Posted: 07 Nov 2019 10:14 AM PST

NY Tech Firm Sold Chinese Equipment to U.S. Military after Falsely Claiming It was American-MadeA Long Island tech firm sold Chinese equipment to the U.S. military while fraudulently claiming the products were American-made, according to New York's NBC 4.Federal agents arrested six current and former executives and employees of Aventura Technologies on Thursday morning, and subsequently raided the company's headquarters. Agents representing the FBI, Customs, the IRS and other agencies were seen carrying out the raid.The suspects are expected to appear in Brooklyn federal court."As alleged, the defendants falsely claimed for years that their surveillance and security equipment was manufactured on Long Island, padding their pockets with money from lucrative contracts without regard for the risk to our country's national security posed by secretly peddling made-in-China electronics with known cyber vulnerabilities," United States Attorney Richard Donoghue said in a statement.Company representatives did not return National Review's request for comment in time for publication.The allegations against Aventura Technologies are raising fears about the materials the company sold to the U.S. military, which are currently in use in the navy and other military branches.Aventura describes itself as a "designer, developer and manufacturer" of security hardware and software products for "government, military and enterprise." The company offers cameras and other hardware for video surveillance, face recognition and artificial intelligence software, and a variety of X-ray and scanning equipment, among other products.The raid comes at a time of rising tensions between the U.S. and China. At a Senate subcommittee hearing on Tuesday, Senator Josh Hawley (R., Mo.) criticized tech companies Apple and TikTok for being "two sides of the same coin when it comes to data security: the danger of Chinese tech platforms' entry into the U.S. market, and the danger of American tech companies' operations in China."


Looking for a hero: shirtless Chilean protester, police-hating dog rise to fame

Posted: 07 Nov 2019 12:53 PM PST

Looking for a hero: shirtless Chilean protester, police-hating dog rise to fameA hooded, muscular man shielding himself with a traffic "Stop" sign during a clash with police amid protests in the Chilean capital has gone viral on social networks, with the man being lauded as a romantic hero of the struggle that has raged for the past three weeks. The image of "PareMan" or "Captain Pare," as he has become known - pare means stop in Spanish - was first captured on Oct. 30 by Reuters photographer Jorge Silva during protests on Santiago's central Alameda thoroughfare. The phrase #PareMan has been trending on social media with some eulogizing him as the "First Chilean Superhero" of the protests, which started over a hike in public transport fares and has broadened to include grievances over low pensions and salaries, high utility rates and patchy public services.


Hawaii Man Dies After Falling 22 Feet Into Lava Tube While Trimming His Trees

Posted: 07 Nov 2019 06:57 AM PST

Hawaii Man Dies After Falling 22 Feet Into Lava Tube While Trimming His TreesAn elderly Hawaii man died after falling into a 22 feet-deep lava tube in his yard, police said.


Baghdadi's wife revealed IS group secrets after capture

Posted: 07 Nov 2019 12:50 AM PST

Baghdadi's wife revealed IS group secrets after captureThe wife of slain Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi revealed "a lot of information" about the jihadist group's "inner workings" after she was captured last year, a Turkish official said. The official said that Baghdadi's spouse identified herself as Rania Mahmoud but was in fact Asma Fawzi Muhammad Al-Qubaysi. The woman was arrested on June 2, 2018 in the province of Hatay, near the Syrian border, along with 10 others, including Baghdadi's daughter, who identified herself as Leila Jabeer.


We've Got the Details on China's Submarine Drones

Posted: 07 Nov 2019 05:58 AM PST

We've Got the Details on China's Submarine DronesThe real deal?


Graham now says Trump's Ukraine policy was too 'incoherent' for quid pro quo

Posted: 06 Nov 2019 11:22 AM PST

Graham now says Trump's Ukraine policy was too 'incoherent' for quid pro quoA day after saying he wouldn't bother to read the testimony, Sen. Lindsey Graham now says he did read it, and his conclusion is that the Trump administration's Ukraine policy was too "incoherent" for it to have orchestrated the quid pro quo at the heart of the impeachment inquiry.


UK police ID all 39 Vietnamese victims found in truck

Posted: 07 Nov 2019 06:08 AM PST

UK police ID all 39 Vietnamese victims found in truckUK police say they have formally identified the 39 people found dead in a container truck in southeastern England and notified their families in the apparent people-smuggling tragedy. The authorities said Thursday they've been working with Vietnamese police and the coroner to identify the bodies that were found Oct. 23 in the back of a truck in an industrial park in the English town of Grays. "This is an important step in the investigation and enables us to work with our Vietnamese Police colleagues to support the families of those victims," Assistant Chief Constable Tim Smith.


Baby Faith found in bullet-ridden SUV reunited with dad after Mexico family massacre

Posted: 07 Nov 2019 06:02 AM PST

Baby Faith found in bullet-ridden SUV reunited with dad after Mexico family massacreChristina Johnson, Faith's mother, saved her daughter's life by stashing her car seat at the bottom of the vehicle during the attack.


Cheapest Trucks You Can Buy for 2019–2020

Posted: 06 Nov 2019 07:48 AM PST

Cheapest Trucks You Can Buy for 2019–2020


Bolivian Mayor Has Hair Forcibly Cut by Masked Protesters as Post-Election Violence Continues

Posted: 07 Nov 2019 10:18 AM PST

Bolivian Mayor Has Hair Forcibly Cut by Masked Protesters as Post-Election Violence ContinuesVinto Mayor Patricia Arce was covered in red paint and had her hair cut in violence after President Evo Morales's contested election.


Woman claims she was 'slut-shamed' by airline

Posted: 07 Nov 2019 01:11 PM PST

Woman claims she was 'slut-shamed' by airlineAn Australian woman said she was "publicly slut-shamed" by two Jetstar airline employees while trying to board a flight at Sydney Airport.


Huge trove of mammoth skeletons found in Mexico

Posted: 06 Nov 2019 03:31 PM PST

Huge trove of mammoth skeletons found in MexicoArchaeologists said Wednesday they have made the largest-ever discovery of mammoth remains: a trove of 800 bones from at least 14 of the extinct giants found in central Mexico. The skeletal remains were found in Tultepec, near the site where President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's government is building a new airport for Mexico City. The herds grew, reproduced, died, were hunted... They lived alongside other species, including horses and camels," archaeologist Luis Cordoba told journalists.


America vs. China vs. Russia: Who Should You Buy Your Fighter Jets From?

Posted: 06 Nov 2019 08:00 AM PST

America vs. China vs. Russia: Who Should You Buy Your Fighter Jets From?The U.S. government has a message for those nations that would buy Russian and Chines weapons: buyer beware.


The Latest: Las Vegas makes sleeping on the streets illegal

Posted: 06 Nov 2019 06:09 PM PST

The Latest: Las Vegas makes sleeping on the streets illegalDespite protests about a war on the poor, Las Vegas officials passed a law Wednesday making it illegal to sleep on the streets when beds are available at established shelters. The measure framed as a ban on camping downtown makes Las Vegas the latest city in the U.S. West to take steps to try to deal with complaints about homelessness. Amid protests that they would criminalize being homeless, Las Vegas elected officials are poised to make it a misdemeanor for people to sleep or camp in public areas when beds are available at established shelters.


Al-Baghdadi's wife revealed ISIS group secrets after capture

Posted: 07 Nov 2019 12:43 PM PST

Al-Baghdadi's wife revealed ISIS group secrets after captureThe wife of slain Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi revealed "a lot of information" about the jihadist group's "inner workings" after she was captured last year, a Turkish official said.


Texas officer who shot woman in her home sometimes had 'tunnel vision,' review says

Posted: 07 Nov 2019 11:37 AM PST

Texas officer who shot woman in her home sometimes had 'tunnel vision,' review saysTexas officer Aaron Dean's review last year shows he was critiqued for having "tunnel vision." Dean is charged with the murder of Atatiana Jefferson.


Ryanair quietly grounded Boeing 737 planes over 'pickle fork' cracking, becoming the latest airline to act on the problem

Posted: 06 Nov 2019 06:51 AM PST

Ryanair quietly grounded Boeing 737 planes over 'pickle fork' cracking, becoming the latest airline to act on the problemThe budget airline grounded at least three 737NG planes, The Guardian reported. Multiple airlines have done the same in recent weeks.


A New Arab Spring Is Unfolding in Iraq and Lebanon. But Things Could Get Bloody If Iran Gets Its Way

Posted: 07 Nov 2019 10:05 AM PST

A New Arab Spring Is Unfolding in Iraq and Lebanon. But Things Could Get Bloody If Iran Gets Its WayA new Arab Spring is unfolding in Lebanon and Iraq as citizens lead protests. But Iran's involvement could be dangerous for protesters.


Child seats in Italy to be fitted with alarms after spate of deaths of children trapped in hot cars

Posted: 07 Nov 2019 01:11 PM PST

Child seats in Italy to be fitted with alarms after spate of deaths of children trapped in hot carsParents of babies and toddlers will be required to use special alarmed child seats under a new law in Italy, in response to a spate of children dying in cars from extreme heat. Parents who fail to buy the alarmed car seats, or buy alarm attachments, face fines of up to €326 and five points being docked from their driving licence. If, within two years, a parent is caught again without the special seat, their driving licence will be suspended for two weeks. The special car seats work by motion sensor and set off audio alarms and flashing lights if a child is left alone in the car. Devices can also be linked to a parent's mobile phone. Under the law adopted on Thursday, they are now compulsory for all children under the age of four. The government has promised to contribute €30 to each family that has to buy the specially-equipped seats, which cost around €100. It will operate on a first-come-first-served basis, with warnings that there is unlikely to be enough money for every family in the country. The law was introduced in response to cases of babies and children dying in cars after being accidentally forgotten by their parents or carers during the scorching heat of summer. It applies not only to Italians but to foreigners visiting the country. An Italian road safety group said that parents "need to hurry" to buy the seats or fit alarms to their existing seats, or risk fines and the docking of licence points. Aside from car accidents and collisions, heat stroke is the main cause of vehicle-related death for children under the age of 15, according to the American Academy of Paediatrics. A small child's body heats up much faster than that of an adult's and vital organs start to shut down quicker.


Holocaust survivor given police escort in Italy after threats

Posted: 07 Nov 2019 05:09 AM PST

Holocaust survivor given police escort in Italy after threatsHolocaust survivor Liliana Segre has been placed under police protection after she received threats from far-right fanatics, security sources said on Thursday, highlighting concern about rising extremism in Italy. Segre, 89, called last month for the creation of a parliamentary commission to investigate hate, racism and anti-Semitism after she was the subject of a daily barrage of abuse on social media. Italy's right-wing parties did not back her proposal and the resulting controversy has only added to the abuse, with a neo-Nazi group this week hanging up a banner to denounce anti-fascism close to where she was making a public appearance.


In Trump adviser trial, comedian contradicts Stone's account, regales jury with jokes

Posted: 07 Nov 2019 10:47 AM PST

In Trump adviser trial, comedian contradicts Stone's account, regales jury with jokesComedian Randy Credico testified in the trial of President Donald Trump's adviser Roger Stone on Thursday where he told jokes, did a Bernie Sanders impression and said he never served as a backchannel between Stone and Wikileaks founder Julian Assange. Credico is a key witness in the government's case against Stone, who is charged with obstructing justice, witness tampering and lying to the House of Representatives intelligence committee in its investigation into Russia interference in the 2016 election. The government alleges that Stone misled the committee in September 2017 by claiming, among other things, that Credico was his intermediary to Wikileaks as Stone sought to learn when Assange planned to dump more damaging emails about Trump's election rival Hillary Clinton.


The Latest: Pilot dies as plane crashes into California home

Posted: 07 Nov 2019 01:40 PM PST

The Latest: Pilot dies as plane crashes into California homePolice say the pilot of a small plane that crashed into a Southern California home has died. Upland police Capt. Marcelo Blanco said Thursday that authorities believe the pilot was the only person aboard the single-engine Cirrus SR22. Blanco says authorities don't know what caused the plane to crash into the residence, igniting a fire.


Johnson, Grassley ask State Department for Hunter Biden docs

Posted: 07 Nov 2019 11:05 AM PST

Johnson, Grassley ask State Department for Hunter Biden docsRon Johnson and Chuck Grassley are asking Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to release any State Department records related to Vice President Joe Biden's son, Hunter. As President Donald Trump faces a House impeachment inquiry for pressuring Ukraine to investigate the Biden family, Republicans are focusing on Hunter Biden's role on the board the Ukrainian gas company Burisma Holdings while his father was vice president.


View Photos of 2020 Porsche 911 Turbo S Prototype

Posted: 06 Nov 2019 03:01 PM PST

View Photos of 2020 Porsche 911 Turbo S Prototype


The flu shot: How effective is it? Here's what Doctors say

Posted: 07 Nov 2019 11:00 AM PST

The flu shot: How effective is it? Here's what Doctors sayThe efficacy of the shot varies drastically from year to year, ranging from  10% to 60%. It all depends on the strains of the virus that appear.


Thailand drug suspects run to ground days after daring escape

Posted: 06 Nov 2019 05:50 AM PST

Thailand drug suspects run to ground days after daring escapeAn American drug suspect and his Thai wife who went on the run after they shot and stabbed their way out of a courtroom were apprehended Wednesday, authorities said, with the man shooting his wife and then himself as police closed in. The couple, along with an associate, had made their brazen and violent escape from a court holding room in the seedy southern city of Pattaya on Monday, wounding a police officer before fleeing in a pick-up truck. "The foreign suspect shot his wife, and then himself," Sattawat Hiranburana, assistant to the national police chief, told AFP, adding that the American had sustained "serious" injuries.


Bill Gates addressed his multiple meetings with Jeffrey Epstein: 'I made a mistake in judgment'

Posted: 06 Nov 2019 02:22 PM PST

Bill Gates addressed his multiple meetings with Jeffrey Epstein: 'I made a mistake in judgment'Bill Gates addressed his ties to Jeffrey Epstein Wednesday, saying that he "made a mistake in judgement" by associating with the convicted sex offender.


Muslim preachers must speak German to work in the country under proposed law

Posted: 07 Nov 2019 07:56 AM PST

Muslim preachers must speak German to work in the country under proposed lawAll imams who work in Germany will in future have to prove they can speak the German language, under a draft law for religious leaders introduced by the government. The bill, which passed cabinet on Wednesday, means that foreign preachers will only be granted work visas if they can demonstrate basic German. They would then need to show improvements in their language skills after a year in order to prolong their stay.  Although it applies to all religious preachers, the coalition treaty signed by the German government - which includes the rule - specifically refers to imams. Interior Minister Horst Seehofer hailed it as "a vital contribution for successful integration in Germany." The government justified the move by saying that imams have a central role to play as models of integration for other immigrants, who often turn to mosques for help when they first arrive. However, the media has reported concerns about clerics preaching in other languages for several years. There are no official figures on the number of mosques in Germany, nor on where their funding comes from. But authorities suspect that Gulf states including Saudi Arabia have been financing the construction of some mosques in order to spread the fundamentalist Wahhabi Islam practised on the Arabian peninsula. Conservatives complain that, as long as imams preach in other languages, they will feel free to espouse views hostile to democracy. Interior Minister Horst Seehofer said the bill was 'a vital contribution for successful integration' but others disagree Credit: Abdulhamid Hosbas/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images But Germany's Green party attacked the draft law, saying it will exacerbate the already acute shortage of imams to serve the country's growing Muslim population. According to a recent study, over 90 percent of imams active in Germany come from abroad. Criticism also came from the Islamic community. Bekir Altaş, head of the Millî Görüş mosque association, said that many Muslim associations had made German language skills a requirement for preaching in their mosques years ago. "The government's plans smack of populism. The portrayal of language skills equating with 'good imams' is dangerous - it downplays German-speaking hate preachers who use their rhetorical abilities to gain notoriety, while ignoring the good work done by other preachers in their native tongue," Altaş said. The bill now goes to the Bundestag, where it is expected to be approved.


How Republican Governor Matt Bevin Lost Teachers and Lost Kentucky

Posted: 06 Nov 2019 05:47 PM PST

How Republican Governor Matt Bevin Lost Teachers and Lost KentuckyPolitical experts say Bevin's criticism of protesting teachers drove his election loss


Dirty Indian Politics Have No Answer for the World’s Most Toxic Air

Posted: 07 Nov 2019 01:00 PM PST

Dirty Indian Politics Have No Answer for the World's Most Toxic Air(Bloomberg) -- The politics of pollution in India's capital New Delhi are as noxious as city's air.While Delhi chokes, politicians squabble in an annual phenomenon that lasts for an intense few weeks at the start of winter, then dies down as pollution levels fall. What they haven't done is come together to find sustainable solutions to one of the world's worst air pollution problems that by the World Bank's calculations costs the country as much as 8.5% of its GDP, or around $221 billion each year.Home to seven of the 10 most polluted cities in the world, India's deadly haze was responsible for one of every eight deaths in 2017, while the life of a child born today is likely to be 2.5 years shorter because of air pollution. Delhi, with its unlikely combination of sweeping green boulevards and sprawling, unchecked urban growth, has become the symbol of the country's struggle to contain this toxic cloud.Describing the city as "gas chamber," Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said crop burning in the states of Punjab and Haryana was a key source of pollution, and called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene. The federal environment minister Prakash Javadekar blamed Kejriwal's administration for not taking serious measures, while his colleague, Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, suggested in a tweet eating carrots could help beat pollution-related harm.So far Modi has not issued a statement on the crisis, which prompted the declaration of a public health emergency and the closure of schools for several days. Calls to the prime minister's office went unanswered."One key reason for the air pollution governance falling short is the absence of commitment and initiative by the political executive," said Santosh Harish, environment researcher at the New Delhi-based Centre for Policy Research, adding most policy measures had been taken at the behest of judiciary. "They are negligent in taking on issues of air pollution as a sense of urgency."The country's politicians should be on a war footing, Harish said, and address the lack of staff, equipment and enforcement power in pollution control boards, inefficiency in public transport systems and insufficient clean power generation.Global ConcernsChina -- which is also battling deadly air pollution -- reduced the annual average concentration of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) by a third between 2013 and 2017 in 74 cities, according to the State of Global Air 2019 study. India has long struggled to pull together a similarly coordinated national approach."China's society had strongly expressed their needs for clean air and health when facing air pollution, thus the government took more emphasis on the issue," said Ma Jun, founder and director of the Beijing-based Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs. There had not been a similar, significant public outcry in India, Ma said. "If there's not enough consensus from the public, it's hard for policy makers to be determined to tackle the issue."Air pollution drives up costs for companies, affecting both the bottom line and productivity, particularly when staff suffer respiratory diseases, said Hemant Shivakumar, a senior consultant at Control Risks. "In the absence of action by the government, this can become a long term risk and companies would want some kind of initiative to be taken."The South Asian nation's toxic air is driven by a combination of factors, including vehicular emissions, factory emissions, road dust and construction activities. Crop burning contributed 44% to Delhi's soaring PM 2.5 levels on Oct. 31, dropping to 2% by Nov. 7, according to System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting.Small scale farmers have been burning to prepare their land for planting for hundreds of years, said Helena Varkkey, an expert on air pollution and lecturer at the University of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur, noting baseline pollution in many Asian cities was also high, due to domestic, vehicular and industrial emissions. "If governments focus on these constant issues outside the major haze seasons, there could be a significant improvement on air quality as a whole," Varkkey said.'Out of Hand'India's farmers, already struggling with depressed crop prices, are tired of shouldering responsibility for the crisis."They blame farmers because farmers are the easiest people to beat," said V.M. Singh, convener of the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee, a group representing around 250 farmer's organizations. He urged governments to focus on programs to generate income from crop stubble, rather than expecting farmers to shoulder costs themselves."Either you take stubble away from farmers or you provide a cheap affordable technological solution to them," said Sagnik Dey, associate professor of atmospheric sciences at Indian Institute of Technology in New Delhi. "You can't expect farmers to bear those high costs."Modi's government has promoted solar power, improved emission standards and handed out millions of gas canisters to households to reduce cooking over open fires. In January it launched the National Clean Air Program. But the measures have yet to alleviate the impact of India's rampant growth, from the dust left by thousands of new construction sites to exhaust from millions of cars."The situation is getting out of hand," said Dey. "The real frustration is that we know what to do but we are not able to implement it because of lack of coordination and limited resources."\--With assistance from Manish Modi, Adrian Leung and Feifei Shen.To contact the reporters on this story: Bibhudatta Pradhan in New Delhi at bpradhan@bloomberg.net;Ragini Saxena in Mumbai at rsaxena30@bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: Ruth Pollard at rpollard2@bloomberg.netFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.


Trump enraged by reports he wanted Barr to clear him over Ukraine call

Posted: 07 Nov 2019 08:00 AM PST

Trump enraged by reports he wanted Barr to clear him over Ukraine callPresident Trump is fuming over news, first reported by the Washington Post, that the president wanted Attorney General William Barr to hold a press conference declaring that he had broken no laws during a phone call with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky.


'A campaign of slander': Takeaways from impeachment witness

Posted: 07 Nov 2019 03:24 PM PST

'A campaign of slander': Takeaways from impeachment witnessA senior State Department official offered some of the most pointed testimony to date in the ongoing impeachment inquiry, alleging that President Donald Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani led a "campaign of slander" against the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, according to an interview transcript released by House investigators Thursday. George Kent, the deputy assistant secretary for European and Euroasian affairs, said he was largely sidelined on Ukraine policy by Trump's inner circle as Giuliani spearheaded a campaign to pressure Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden's dealings in the Eastern European nation.


COLUMN-Carbon taxes will be needed to reduce CO2 emissions: Kemp

Posted: 07 Nov 2019 07:29 AM PST

COLUMN-Carbon taxes will be needed to reduce CO2 emissions: KempNo one likes paying taxes, but a significant and rising tax on carbon dioxide emissions is probably the only way to stem the rise in emissions contributing to climate change. Putting a price on CO2 emissions and letting the market figure out how best to reduce them is the lowest-cost and least-distorting way to cut the amount released into the atmosphere. There are several alternative routes to establishing a carbon price, all of which are theoretically equivalent, but the simplest, most comprehensive and most straightforward to administer is via the imposition of a tax.


Ohio police officer shot while executing search warrant has died, department said

Posted: 07 Nov 2019 12:16 PM PST

Ohio police officer shot while executing search warrant has died, department saidDetective Jorge DelRio was carrying out a search warrant when he was shot. The injuries suffered were "tragically not survivable," police said.


Mainland Chinese student jailed in Hong Kong protests

Posted: 07 Nov 2019 11:35 AM PST

Mainland Chinese student jailed in Hong Kong protestsA student from mainland China arrested at a Hong Kong democracy protest was sentenced on Thursday to six weeks in prison for possession of an offensive weapon -- the city's first such case involving a mainlander in almost five months of unrest. Since the first mass demonstrations in June, more than 3,300 people have been arrested in Hong Kong in connection to the protest movement, with some charged for rioting and illegal assembly. Chen Zimou, a 24-year-old music and English student originally from Chongqing in southwestern China, was arrested for carrying an extendable baton during a protest in July.


Canadian man who lost eye after police beating says he had 'no chance to fight back'

Posted: 06 Nov 2019 11:50 AM PST

Canadian man who lost eye after police beating says he had 'no chance to fight back'Dafonte Miller speaks publicly for first time about 2016 incident in which two white men allegedly assaulted himDespite being off-duty at the time, Michael Theriault told three friends he was a police officer, and said he could ask them whatever he wanted. Photograph: Chris Helgren/ReutersA Canadian man who was beaten so badly by an off-duty police officer and his brother that he lost his eye, said he had "no chance to fight back" in the violent encounter that left him fearful he would go blind.Dafonte Miller's testimony in an Ontario court on Wednesday marked the first time he had spoken publicly about the 2016 incident.Brothers Michael and Christian Theriault face charges of aggravated assault in the beating of Miller, on 28 December 2016. The brothers claim they acted in self-defence. The brothers have also been charged with obstructing justice.The case of two white men allegedly assaulting a black teen, has also laid bare the disproportionate harm the black community faces at the hands of police. According to the Ontario Human Rights commission, black residents are overrepresented in fatal shootings and use of force.In a packed courtroom in Oshawa, Ontario, Miller told the court he and two friends were walking together evening of 28 December, when they were stopped by two men in a driveway.Miller, who was 19 at the time, described the initial encounter as "casual" until Christian Theriault asked the group what were doing in the neighbourhood. Despite being off-duty at the time, Michael Theriault told the three friends he was a police officer, and said he could ask them whatever he wanted, Miller told the court.The boys began to walk away, but soon noticed they were being chased, said Miller, who said he was put in a headlock, before he was punched and then beaten with a meter-long metal pole."I remember just laying there … getting beat for a little while," he said. "I wasn't feeling it no more but I was seeing it."Miller was eventually able to escape and call police. Two neighbours also phoned emergency services.Miller, who was 19 at the time, lost his left eye, which he described as "pretty much burst" after the attack and would bleed as he slept. He suffered other injuries, including a fractured wrist and broken bones in his face.The brothers told the court earlier this week they were in their garage when they heard someone breaking into a truck. After encountering Miller and claiming he had a weapon, the two restrained him in self-defence.Miller's friends have provided conflicting testimony from that night: one says the group was searching cars for money, another denies breaking into vehicles. Crown lawyers say the Theriault brothers falsely claim they acted in self-defence and that Miller had a weapon.


The Air Force Could Have 100 New B-21 Stealth Bombers

Posted: 06 Nov 2019 01:00 AM PST

The Air Force Could Have 100 New B-21 Stealth BombersAir Force weapons developers are immersed in an intricate plan to bring the service's bomber fleet into future decades -- by adding weapons, avionics and networking technologies to current aircraft and moving quickly to bring new B-21 bombers to the force.


Russia may have taken Israel's most advanced missile from Syria — and could figure out how to defeat it

Posted: 06 Nov 2019 01:40 PM PST

Russia may have taken Israel's most advanced missile from Syria — and could figure out how to defeat itExperts worry that the Russian military could learn how to defeat the missile system or refine its air defense systems.


Robots 'not evil' says Boston Dynamics as humanoids go viral

Posted: 07 Nov 2019 08:41 AM PST

Robots 'not evil' says Boston Dynamics as humanoids go viralAs videos of robot-like dogs made by Boston Dynamics go viral on the internet, the humanoids' uncanny abilities have also sparked worries that they could become a threat to humans. Not so, says their creator Marc Raibert in an interview with AFP at the Lisbon Web Summit, claiming that the Spot robots aren't evil and won't be turned into weapons. US engineering and robotics firm Boston Dynamics, founded in 1992, was in 2013 bought by Google, which sold the firm on to Japan's Softbank in 2017.


A former Oklahoma prisoner told us what it was like to be part of Monday's historic mass release of more than 450 inmates

Posted: 07 Nov 2019 06:26 AM PST

A former Oklahoma prisoner told us what it was like to be part of Monday's historic mass release of more than 450 inmatesCalista Ortiz, 26, had her drug possession conviction commuted on Monday and released in the largest single-day prison release in US history.


View Photos of Ram 1500 Built to Serve Edition

Posted: 05 Nov 2019 09:01 PM PST

View Photos of Ram 1500 Built to Serve Edition


Chicago's top cop retiring after turbulent 3-plus years

Posted: 07 Nov 2019 01:13 PM PST

Chicago's top cop retiring after turbulent 3-plus yearsChicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson announced Thursday that he's retiring after more than three years as the city's top cop, a post he took over during one of the most violent chapters in the city's history and amid public outcry over the release of a video showing an officer shooting a black teen 16 times. During a news conference in which Johnson announced his retirement, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said he'd agreed to serve through the end of the year.


Mystery surrounds the last person missing from Camp Fire that left 85 dead in California

Posted: 07 Nov 2019 11:54 AM PST

Mystery surrounds the last person missing from Camp Fire that left 85 dead in CaliforniaSara Martinez-Fabila is the last person still considered missing from the Camp Fire that killed 85 people and nearly destroyed a town in California.


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