2018年9月27日星期四

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Yahoo! News: Iraq


Much was missing from Trump's press conference, such as answers

Posted: 26 Sep 2018 08:06 PM PDT

Much was missing from Trump's press conference, such as answersIn the very first question, Trump dismissed the accusations against Kavanaugh as a "big fat con job."


Woman lived with mother's decomposing body for months 'to see the stages of death'

Posted: 27 Sep 2018 10:35 AM PDT

Woman lived with mother's decomposing body for months 'to see the stages of death'A North Carolina woman was arrested after police discovered she had been


Tennessee assistant principal fired after saying girls 'pretty much ruin everything' in school announcement

Posted: 27 Sep 2018 06:25 AM PDT

Tennessee assistant principal fired after saying girls 'pretty much ruin everything' in school announcementA Tennessee high school administrator has been placed on leave after saying that girls "pretty much ruin everything" in a dress code video.


Crack in beam shuts down San Francisco's new $2B terminal

Posted: 25 Sep 2018 06:46 PM PDT

Crack in beam shuts down San Francisco's new $2B terminalSAN FRANCISCO (AP) — San Francisco officials shut down the city's celebrated new $2.2 billion transit terminal Tuesday after discovering a crack in a support beam under the center's public roof garden.


Bin Laden business grew from humble beginnings

Posted: 27 Sep 2018 03:19 AM PDT

Bin Laden business grew from humble beginningsJEDDAH/RIYADH (Reuters) - In Saudi Arabia, the Bin Ladens are known as the Kennedys of Jeddah for their wealth and tragedies. Younger son Osama plotted the 9/11 attacks on the United States. Mohammed arrived in Saudi Arabia from Yemen during the 1920s as an impoverished teenager, blind in one eye.


Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis Have Reportedly Given Up Their Share of the House They Co-Owned with Rumer Willis

Posted: 26 Sep 2018 12:52 PM PDT

Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis Have Reportedly Given Up Their Share of the House They Co-Owned with Rumer WillisKutcher bought the home with his then-stepdaughter in 2009


Florida Man Tries To Flee In Pickup, But It's Hooked To Repo Man's Tow Truck

Posted: 27 Sep 2018 09:49 AM PDT

Florida Man Tries To Flee In Pickup, But It's Hooked To Repo Man's Tow TruckA Florida man took extraordinary steps to prevent his pickup from being


Kavanaugh hearing opens with Ford’s account of alleged assault

Posted: 27 Sep 2018 08:20 AM PDT

Kavanaugh hearing opens with Ford's account of alleged assaultFighting back tears, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault.


Donald Trump Says UN Crowd Wasn't Laughing At Him, But With Him

Posted: 26 Sep 2018 03:57 PM PDT

Donald Trump Says UN Crowd Wasn't Laughing At Him, But With HimPresident Donald Trump said Wednesday that United Nations delegates were


Cosby sent to prison for three to 10 years

Posted: 25 Sep 2018 07:04 PM PDT

Cosby sent to prison for three to 10 yearsDisgraced television icon Bill Cosby was handcuffed and taken into custody Tuesday to begin a minimum three-year prison sentence for sexually assaulting a woman at his Philadelphia mansion 14 years ago. Found guilty on April 26 of drugging and molesting Andrea Constand, a former university basketball administrator, Cosby was impassive when Judge Steven O'Neill handed down the sentence in Norristown, Pennsylvania. The judge rejected a defense request to release Cosby on bail pending an appeal.


Ricky Wheeler: Missing Disabled Teen Found Alive After Bloodhound Picks Up His Scent

Posted: 27 Sep 2018 08:02 AM PDT

Ricky Wheeler: Missing Disabled Teen Found Alive After Bloodhound Picks Up His ScentK-9 Putnam was rewarded for his good work with a steak dinner.


Netanyahu, in U.N. speech, claims secret Iranian nuclear site

Posted: 27 Sep 2018 04:54 PM PDT

Netanyahu, in U.N. speech, claims secret Iranian nuclear siteAddressing the United Nations General Assembly, Netanyahu showed an aerial photograph of the Iranian capital marked with a red arrow and pointed to what he said was a previously secret warehouse holding nuclear-related material. Netanyahu spoke 4-1/2 months after U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew from the accord, arguing it did too little to rein in Tehran's nuclear ambitions and triggering the resumption of U.S. economic sanctions on Iran. Netanyahu said the site contained some 15 kilograms (33 pounds) of radioactive material that has since been moved and called on the U.N. atomic agency to inspect the location immediately with Geiger counters.


CDC urges early flu shots; Estimated 80,000 flu deaths last year in US

Posted: 27 Sep 2018 03:11 PM PDT

CDC urges early flu shots; Estimated 80,000 flu deaths last year in USThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued its annual recommendations on the flu vaccine. The agency suggests that everyone 6 months and older should be vaccinated for influenza every season, ideally by the end of October.


Brett Kavanaugh: Friends describes moment Christine Ford was 'almost raped by federal judge' in new statements

Posted: 26 Sep 2018 08:30 AM PDT

Brett Kavanaugh: Friends describes moment Christine Ford was 'almost raped by federal judge' in new statementsOne of the two women to have accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault, has provided sworn statements from four people she believes corroborate her claims. A day before Christine Blasey Ford and Mr Kavanaugh were to appear before senators in one of the most anticipated events in Capitol Hill for years, Ms Ford sent senators statements by other people she said confirmed her alleged sexual assault. It came as, in another staggering twist, a third woman – Julie Swetnick – revealed she had filed a lawsuit claiming Mr Kavanaugh and one of his close friends were present at "gang rapes".


20 Teacher Gift Ideas That'll Brighten Their Holiday Season

Posted: 27 Sep 2018 02:59 PM PDT

20 Teacher Gift Ideas That'll Brighten Their Holiday Season


Man with long immigration record is charged with killings

Posted: 26 Sep 2018 09:34 PM PDT

Man with long immigration record is charged with killingsLOS ANGELES (AP) — A man with a violent criminal history who was deported six times had no outstanding warrants when questioned last month about the disappearance of his aunt and so he was released, Houston police said Wednesday, when the man was charged in Los Angeles with the beating deaths of three men.


What Bill Cosby Can Expect as He Begins Prison Sentence: 'Life as He Knows It Is Over'

Posted: 26 Sep 2018 10:57 AM PDT

What Bill Cosby Can Expect as He Begins Prison Sentence: 'Life as He Knows It Is Over'He may be able to strike up a friendship with guards, but he can also be a target of an inmate looking to make a name for himself.


U.S. flies bombers over South China Sea amid heightened tensions with Beijing

Posted: 26 Sep 2018 12:49 PM PDT

U.S. flies bombers over South China Sea amid heightened tensions with BeijingLieutenant Colonel Dave Eastburn, a Pentagon spokesman, said that B-52 bombers transited over the South China Sea as part of "regularly scheduled operations designed to enhance our interoperability with our partners and allies in the region." Such flights are common, but usually upset Beijing. In June, China's foreign ministry said no military ship or aircraft could scare China away from its resolve to protect its territory after U.S. B-52 bombers flew near disputed islands in the South China Sea. The United States and China have frequently sparred about the militarization of the South China Sea, where China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and the Philippines all have competing claims.


Skripal 'hitman' unmasked as GRU colonel awarded Russia's highest military honour by Vladimir Putin

Posted: 27 Sep 2018 02:11 AM PDT

Skripal 'hitman' unmasked as GRU colonel awarded Russia's highest military honour by Vladimir PutinOne of the trained assassins wanted for poisoning Sergei Skripal is a decorated colonel in Russian military intelligence given the country's highest award by Vladimir Putin.  The real identity of one of the wanted men in the nerve agent attack - named by counter-terrorism police as Ruslan Boshirov - can be disclosed as Colonel Anatoliy Vladimirovich Chepiga. The 39-year-old, who has served in wars in Chechnya and Ukraine, was made a Hero of the Russian Federation by decree of the President in 2014 in a ceremony shrouded in secrecy. The disclosure, uncovered by investigative journalist organisation Bellingcat in conjunction with The Telegraph, exposes as lies Mr Putin's claims that the Skripals' would-be killers were innocent "civilians".  A spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry dismissed the claims, saying they are part of an "information campaign". Chepiga, posing as Boshirov, and a second man identified as Alexander Petrov, have insisted they were on holiday in Salisbury and had no connection with the attack, using weapons-grade Novichok nerve agent. Video: Salisbury poison suspects claim they were tourists The true identity of his accomplice Alexander Petrov remains unclear, but The Telegraph has established that he was travelling under his real first name and had only changed his surname to an alias. Counter-terrorism police and the security services are understood to know his real name.  A former senior Russian military officer said Col Chepiga's high rank and experience strongly suggested that "the job was ordered at the highest level". The source claimed an attempted assassination of less importance would have been carried out by a lower ranking officer. A Tory minister said: "This is further embarrassment for Putin and Russia. This is the latest in a series of cock-ups by the GRU. It will have the opposite effect he will have wanted. It shows an inept capability that has been exposed. "There is no doubt that the Salisbury poisoning was part of a wider plan of Putin reaffirming Russia as a superpower and letting people know what Russia is capable of. This was a message to the West and his own people - cross me and there are consequences. He has learned that he simply won't get away with it." Boris Johnson, the former Foreign Secretary, said: "Utterly predictable news that GRU behind Skripal atrocity. What have you got to say, Putin? And I hope we hear real condemnation from Corbyn."   Colonel Anatoliy Chepiga - aka Ruslan Boshirov - is believed to be pictured back row, far right with a group of fellow military graduates in Chechnya The revelations come as Theresa May told the UN's security council that Russia should not "be in any doubt" that if it did not "rejoin the international consensus against the use of chemical weapons" then the UK and its allies would be forced to take action.  Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova dismissed the new claims, highlighting how they had been published as Mrs May appeared at the UN. She wrote on Facebook: "There is no evidence, so they continue the information campaign, the main task of which is to divert attention from the main question: 'What happened in Salisbury?' "The question is: when will there be any evidence of the involvement of anyone, as London tells us, of poisoning in Salisbury?" European arrest warrants and Interpol red notices have been issued for the pair, who are accused of the murder of Dawn Sturgess, a local woman inadvertently poisoned by a discarded Novichok bottle, and the attempted murder of Col Skripal, 67, and his daughter Yulia, 33.  Both men - under the aliases Boshirov and Petrov - have been charged with the poisoning of the Skripals by the Crown Prosecution Service. Video: Novichok suspects named by British authorities After Scotland Yard released its evidence - including CCTV showing the men close to Col Skripal's home on the day he was poisoned - the pair appeared on Russia TV, on the order of Mr Putin, to claim that they worked in the fitness industry and their sole reason for visiting the UK was to see the historic sites of "wonderful" Salisbury. Theresa May had publicly accused them of being members of the GRU. It can now be revealed that Col Chepiga has been fighting in an elite special forces unit - Spetsnaz - under the command of the GRU for 17 years and working undercover for at least nine years.  He has been given more than 20 awards and a Hero of the Russian Federation medal, though, unlike most of the other recipients, there is little public information available about Col Chepiga.  The medals are normally awarded by the president personally, and are only given to a handful of people each year. A Russian passport application in the name of Anatoliy Chepiga in 2003 The website of the Far-Eastern Military Command Academy, where Col Chepiga studied, lists all of their alumni who have received the award with a detailed description of the acts that resulted in the recognition.  In his case it simply says: "Anatoly Vladimirovich Chepiga was awarded the honourary title of Hero of the Russian Federation by order of the president of the Russian Federation." His name also appears on a monument in honour of the alumni of the Far-Eastern Military Command who have received their Hero medal at its base on the border with China. The secretive nature of Col Chepiga's award, combined with the timing in 2014, suggests that it was for actions in Ukraine.  The name Anatoliy Chepiga - aka Ruslan Boshirov - is bottom right under a 'gold star honour list' on an honours wall at the Far Eastern Military Command School In 2014 Russia was not engaged in fighting in either Chechnya or Syria and his unit - number 74854 of the 14th Separate Brigade of Special Forces (Spetsnaz) - was pictured on the eastern border of Ukraine that year.  Involvement in Ukraine would explain the secrecy around his award, which is also noted by a veterans' group. The group writes on its website: "You can become a hero even in our seemingly peaceful times."  "Anatoliy Vladimirovich Chepiga, a native of the village of Nikolayevka and 2001 graduate of the Far-Eastern Military Command Academy, was deployed to Chechnya three times and has more than 20 awards and medals.  "In December 2014, Colonel Chepiga was awarded the title of Hero of the Russian Federation for carrying out a peacekeeping mission." From Nikolaevka to Salisbury – The journey of Anatoliy Chepiga from schoolboy to trained assassin Col Chepiga was born in a small village with 300 residents near the border with China in 1979. At the age of 18, he enrolled in the Far-Eastern Military Command Academy in Blageoveschensk, less than an hour from his home.  The academy is an elite training ground for marine commandos and officers in the Spetsnaz. At the time Col Chepiga was a student, it was known for training officers involved in overseas clandestine operations.  He graduated in 2001 and joined his unit. He served with it in Chechnya where he was deployed three times.  Salisbury attack step-by-step timeline puff Bellingcat and the Insider Russia have uncovered a file from 2003 in which Col Chepiga applies for a passport in his real name that lists his address as the military unit in Khabarovsk.  The soldier, who is married with a teenage son, then moved to Moscow, where he can next be traced in 2012. Experts believe that because of his rank as colonel, the same as Col Skripal, and the nature of his work he may have studied at the Military Diplomatic Academy, also known as the "GRU Conservatory", following his move to Moscow.  Passport records show that he was given the alias Ruslan Boshirov in 2009 at the latest.


Sex Crimes Prosecutor Rachel Mitchell Tapped To Question Christine Blasey Ford In Senate

Posted: 25 Sep 2018 07:58 PM PDT

Sex Crimes Prosecutor Rachel Mitchell Tapped To Question Christine Blasey Ford In SenateSenate Republicans have tapped Rachel Mitchell, an Arizona prosecutor


Iran President Hassan Rouhani Says He Does Not Want War With the U.S.

Posted: 26 Sep 2018 04:22 PM PDT

Iran President Hassan Rouhani Says He Does Not Want War With the U.S.Rouhani said that the U.S. decision to pull out of the 2015 nuclear deal in May was "a mistake"


Carrie Severino: Kavanaugh allegations are crumbling

Posted: 27 Sep 2018 06:06 AM PDT

Carrie Severino: Kavanaugh allegations are crumblingJudicial Crisis Network chief counsel and policy director weighs in on the 'circus' surrounding the Supreme Court nomination process.


Former state Sen. Brian Joyce found dead; was awaiting trial

Posted: 27 Sep 2018 03:14 PM PDT

Former state Sen. Brian Joyce found dead; was awaiting trialWESTPORT, Mass. (AP) — Former Massachusetts state Sen. Brian Joyce, who was awaiting trial on federal corruption charges, was found dead in his home Thursday, authorities said.


US regulators charge Tesla CEO Elon Musk with fraud

Posted: 27 Sep 2018 02:04 PM PDT

US regulators charge Tesla CEO Elon Musk with fraudThe US Securities and Exchange Commission on Thursday charged Tesla CEO Elon Musk with securities fraud, alleging he misled investors last month in tweets about taking the company private. Musk tweeted August 7 that he had "secured" funding to privatize the electric automaker at $420 a share, causing a brief spike in Tesla's share price. The SEC said Musk's statements on Twitter were "false and misleading" and that he had never discussed the plans with company officials or potential funders.


Man deported six times charged with murder in California bludgeonings

Posted: 26 Sep 2018 06:15 PM PDT

Man deported six times charged with murder in California bludgeoningsA man who police said fled to California from Texas after being questioned in the disappearance of two relatives was charged on Wednesday in Los Angeles with bludgeoning eight men, three fatally, in a string of attacks aimed mostly at homeless victims. Ramon Alberto Escobar, 47, an El Salvador native and convicted burglar who has been repeatedly deported from the United States, was arrested on Monday after he allegedly clubbed a sleeping man in the head with bolt-cutters in the ocean-front city of Santa Monica, authorities said. Seven other men were similarly attacked in Santa Monica and Los Angeles earlier this month, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.


Syrian official says S-300 defenses will give Israel pause

Posted: 26 Sep 2018 12:53 PM PDT

Syrian official says S-300 defenses will give Israel pauseBEIRUT (AP) — Israel should think carefully before attacking Syria again once it obtains the sophisticated S-300 defense system from Russia, a Damascus official said.


Michael Avenatti tweets out shocking new allegations against Brett Kavanaugh

Posted: 26 Sep 2018 08:27 AM PDT

Michael Avenatti tweets out shocking new allegations against Brett KavanaughOn the eve of crucial hearings about Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh's role in an alleged sexual assault, lawyer Michael Avenatti has tweeted out a court document outlining new allegations against Kavanaugh. Avenatti, who first rose to fame for representing Stormy Daniels, had been teasing the announcement earlier this week, but his Wednesday morning tweets were nevertheless a surprise.  Below is my correspondence to Mr. Davis of moments ago, together with a sworn declaration from my client. We demand an immediate FBI investigation into the allegations. Under no circumstances should Brett Kavanaugh be confirmed absent a full and complete investigation. pic.twitter.com/QHbHBbbfbE — Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) September 26, 2018 Here is a picture of my client Julie Swetnick. She is courageous, brave and honest. We ask that her privacy and that of her family be respected. pic.twitter.com/auuSeHm5s0 — Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) September 26, 2018 He posted both a photo of Kavanaugh's newest accuser, Julie Swetnick, and a court document with details of the allegation. Swetnick, who has had a lengthy career working with federal agencies like the Departments of Treasure and Homeland Security, alleges that she saw Kavanaugh and his friend Mark Judge "drink excessively and engage in highly inappropriate conduct... This conduct included fondling and grabbing of girls without their consent" during the period of 1981 through 1983." SEE ALSO: Trump attacks Kavanaugh's accuser in a string of despicable tweets The most explosive of Swetnick's allegations, though, is a claim that she witnessed efforts by Judge, Kavanaugh "and others to 'target' particular girls" using spiked punch "so they could be taken advantage of."  Additionally, Swetnick details incidents in which Judge, Kavanaugh, and others participated in gang rape — including one incident in which she was the victim. In his tweets, Avenatti includes emails sent to Mike Davis, Chief Counsel for Nominations, United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, about having Swetnick (who is now the third woman to publicly accuse Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct) testify about the accusations. Davis, Avenatti claims, has yet to reply. After Avenatti shared the allegations, a spokesman for the Senate Judiciary Committee confirmed they were looking in to the claims. Statement from Grassley's spox on Senate Judiciary Committee: "This morning Michael Avenatti provided a declaration to the Judiciary Committee. Committee lawyers are in the process of reviewing it now." — Sabrina Siddiqui (@SabrinaSiddiqui) September 26, 2018 Kavanaugh later released a statement denying these new allegations. New: Statement from Judge Brett Kavanaugh:"This is ridiculous and from the Twilight Zone. I don't know who this is and this never happened." — Zeke Miller (@ZekeJMiller) September 26, 2018 Christine Blasey Ford is scheduled to testify to the Judiciary Committee on Thursday about her allegations that Kavanaugh assaulted her at a 1982 party. Senate Democrats are also investigating a second allegation of sexual misconduct by a woman who was classmates with Kavanaugh at Yale. Kavanuagh has repeatedly denied the allegations made against him, including in an interview with Fox News that aired earlier this week.  UPDATE: Sept. 26, 2018, 12:53 p.m. EDT Updated to include Kavanaugh denial.


Twitter Users Taunt Donald Trump After World Leaders Openly Laugh At His UN Speech

Posted: 25 Sep 2018 09:16 PM PDT

Twitter Users Taunt Donald Trump After World Leaders Openly Laugh At His UN SpeechWorld leaders openly laughed at President Donald Trump as he boasted of his


Dying Pennsylvania Vietnam Vet Sells Belongings to Pay for His Funeral

Posted: 27 Sep 2018 11:50 AM PDT

Dying Pennsylvania Vietnam Vet Sells Belongings to Pay for His FuneralWillie Davis, who is dying of cancer, has held yard sales to pay for his funeral.


This really is the beginning of the end for Merkel - but it will be a slow and painful departure for the 'Queen of Europe'

Posted: 26 Sep 2018 04:36 AM PDT

This really is the beginning of the end for Merkel - but it will be a slow and painful departure for the 'Queen of Europe'Germans woke up on Wednesday to a new and uncertain political future. Angela Merkel, the woman who has dominated Europe for more than a decade is wounded, perhaps fatally, by a rebellion from where she least expected it — within her own Christian Democrat party (CDU). In the space of a few hours on Tuesday night, she saw her authority begin to slip away. The German press is already describing her as a "lame duck". Wednesday's headline in Bild, Germany's biggest-selling newspaper, said it all: "Can Merkel still be chancellor?" What happened? Mrs Merkel's MPs did not challenge her directly. German politics is not so brutal or so swift. Instead, they chose the annual election of the party's parliamentary group leader, a vote that is usually a formality, to rebel. The role, a sort of elected Chief Whip, has no direct equivalent in UK politics.  A single protester holds a placard reading "Merkel must go" outside her CDU party headquarters Credit:  AXEL SCHMIDT/ REUTERS Although theoretically chosen by backbenchers, the position is traditionally in the gift of an incumbent chancellor, whose nominee is waved through unopposed. Indeed, this year was the first time since 1973 that a challenger had dared to stand against a chancellor's candidate. But on Tuesday, Volker Kauder, the right-hand man who has served Mrs Merkel loyally in the post for 13 years, was unceremoniously dumped by her MPs in favour of the challenger, Ralph Brinkhaus. It was an unprecedented challenge to Mrs Merkel's authority, and a clear message from the party.  "You've always had my back," she told MPs ahead of Wednesday's vote — only for them to stab her in it. One senior MP from her coalition partner described it as an "uprising against Merkel". Summer of crises The rebellion did not come out of nowhere. Mrs Merkel led the party to heavy losses in last year's election and then struggled to form a government, eventually cobbling together a coalition after the longest negotiations in postwar German history. At the start of 2018 her authority appeared restored as she promoted a new generation to the cabinet and installed the conference darling, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, as party chairman. But since then she has endured a bruising summer as the government lurched from crisis to crisis, seemingly paralysed by internal disputes. At the start of the summer she found herself locked in a damaging power struggle over migrant policy with Horst Seehofer, the interior minister and leader of her Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU). Inside Chemnitz: The forgotten German town where far-Right vigilantes have exposed simmering migration tensions Mr Seehofer threatened to resign and pull his party out of the coalition unless he got his way, which would have deprived Mrs Merkel of a parliamentary majority. She won that face-off, but at the cost of considerable damage to her once impregnable authority. The decisive moment was when her backbench MPs sided with her against Mr Seehofer — the same MPs who have now dealt her a telling blow.  Mrs Merkel probably hoped she had put her troubles behind her when parliament returned to work after the summer. Instead she found herself mired in a new row over far-Right protests in Chemnitz. When Hans-Georg Maassen, the domestic intelligence chief, publicly contradicted Mrs Merkel over the riots, her main coalition partners, the Social Democrats (SPD), had had enough and demanded his dismissal. But Mr Seehofer, seemingly hell-bent on a policy of mutual destruction, dug his heels in again. Mrs Merkel, once the most powerful woman in the world, found herself unable to sack a rebellious intelligence head. A compromise to move Mr Maassen to a more senior role at the interior ministry provoked a public outcry, and Mrs Merkel had to make an embarrassing U-turn. Her once sure touch seemed to have deserted her, and her authority was ebbing away. What next for Mutti? The end is unlikely to come swiftly for Mrs Merkel. She has to stand for re-election as the CDU leader at the party conference in December, but there is no obvious challenger. And the party will be reluctant to force a contest for fear it may trigger new elections: there is no guarantee Mrs Merkel's current coalition partners would agree to serve under a new chancellor. Current polls suggest new elections now could be disastrous for the CDU. The nationalist Alternative for Germany party (AfD) stands to gain most, a prospect all the mainstream parties will be keen to avoid. But there have already been calls for Mrs Merkel to start paving the way for her successor at December's conference. "I expect the chancellor to tell us how she wants to manage the transition to a new chancellor candidate by 2020," Armin Schuster, a senior CDU MP said. Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer - known as Mini-Merkel - is the chancellor's preferred successor Credit:  TOBIAS SCHWARZ/ AFP The next challenge for Mrs Merkel will be key regional elections in Bavaria and Hesse next month. The CDU does not stand in Bavaria, and she will be hoping that predicted losses for the CSU in its home state will weaken her arch-rival Mr Seehofer, and perhaps even see him overthrown as party leader. But losses could also lead to renewed pressure on Mrs Merkel from her Bavarian sister party. Ahe also faces the prospect of damaging losses for her own party in Hesse, a conservative stronghold, at the hands of the AfD. That could strengthen calls within the party to abandon her centrist approach and return to a more conservative line. If the losses in Bavaria and Hesse are bad enough, or if her authority continues to ebb away, Mrs Merkel could surprise everyone and choose to bow out gracefully by not standing for re-election as party leader in December. If that happened, the frontrunners to succeed her would be Jens Spahn, the health minister and darling of the party's right wing, and Ms Kramp-Karrenbauer, the party chairman, who is more in Mrs Merkel's centrist mould. But most analysts expect Mrs Merkel to fight on, as her mentor Helmut Kohl did in the twilight of his career.  What about Europe? On the European stage, Mrs Merkel's woes are likely to accelerate a handover of power that has already started. Once the undisputed "Queen of Europe", Mrs Merkel's influence has waned amid her struggles at home. France's Emmanuel Macron has already begun to displace her as Europe's leading voice, and is her obvious successor. A Merkel departure would leave the door open to Mr Macron becoming Europe's de facto leader Credit: YVES HERMAN/ Reuters In the wake of Donald Trump's election as US president, Barack Obama flew to Berlin for a final appearance alongside Mrs Merkel in what was seen as a symbolic handing over of the torch. But it is Mr Macron, not Mrs Merkel, who has been the European leader most prepared to take on Mr Trump on the world stage. Mr Macron has been frustrated by Mrs Merkel's reluctance to embrace his vision for the future of the European Union, and she is unlikely to offer him any more support as she fights for her own political survival. He — or his successor — will still have to deal with whoever eventually takes over from Mrs Merkel as leader of Europe's biggest economy. But with Mrs Merkel fighting fires on the home front, the path is clear for Mr Macron to succeed her as Europe's leading political figure.


Pope acknowledges China bishop deal will cause suffering

Posted: 25 Sep 2018 05:49 PM PDT

Pope acknowledges China bishop deal will cause sufferingABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE (AP) — Pope Francis acknowledged Tuesday that his landmark deal with China over bishop nominations will cause suffering among the underground faithful. But he said that he takes full responsibility and that he — and not Beijing — will have the ultimate say over naming new bishops.


Ancient Egyptian 'Magic Spell' Deciphered

Posted: 26 Sep 2018 12:51 PM PDT

Ancient Egyptian 'Magic Spell' Deciphered"The most striking feature of [the papyrus] is its image," wrote Korshi Dosoo, a lecturer at the University of Strasbourg in France, who published the papyrus recently in the Journal of Coptic Studies. Dosoo estimates that it dates back around 1,300 years, to a time when Christianity was widely practiced in Egypt.


Naked Jehovah’s Witnesses who 'kidnapped their neighbours believed Armageddon was coming'

Posted: 26 Sep 2018 07:24 AM PDT

Naked Jehovah's Witnesses who 'kidnapped their neighbours believed Armageddon was coming'Three people charged with kidnapping their neighbours while naked were Jehovah's Witnesses who were convinced the end of the world was imminent, it has emerged. According to court document obtained by the Canadian Press, two women and one man pleaded guilty to unlawful confinement after taking three people hostage in Leduc, Alberta. One of the women involved also admitted dangerous driving.


Israel releases images alleging Hezbollah missile project in Beirut

Posted: 27 Sep 2018 12:33 PM PDT

Israel releases images alleging Hezbollah missile project in BeirutThe Israeli military on Thursday released a video clip and photos of what it said were Hezbollah Shi'ite militia rocket building sites in Lebanon. The images were distributed minutes after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the U.N. General Assembly that Israel had evidence that Iran was helping Hezbollah give its missiles precision-guided accuracy. "In Lebanon, Iran is directing Hezbollah to build secret sites to convert inaccurate projectiles into precision-guided missiles, missiles that can target deep inside Israel within an accuracy of 10 meters (yards)," he said.


Sexual Assault Experts: It Makes ‘No Sense’ For A Prosecutor To Question Christine Blasey Ford

Posted: 26 Sep 2018 10:45 AM PDT

Sexual Assault Experts: It Makes 'No Sense' For A Prosecutor To Question Christine Blasey FordSexual violence experts slammed Senate Republicans on Wednesday for enlisting


30 Delicious Fall Soups to Make on a Chilly Day

Posted: 27 Sep 2018 01:16 PM PDT

30 Delicious Fall Soups to Make on a Chilly Day


Trump would 'prefer' to keep top official in Russia probe, but no decision yet

Posted: 26 Sep 2018 08:33 PM PDT

Trump would 'prefer' to keep top official in Russia probe, but no decision yetDonald Trump said he would "prefer" to keep his embattled deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein -- who oversees the Russia collusion probe -- but that he might delay a politically risky decision on the official's fate originally expected for Thursday. "I'd much prefer keeping Rod Rosenstein," Trump told journalists in New York on Wednesday. "I may call Rod tonight or tomorrow and ask for a little bit of a delay to the meeting," Trump said.


WWII remains buried 74 years after 'Bridge Too Far' battle

Posted: 27 Sep 2018 02:26 PM PDT

WWII remains buried 74 years after 'Bridge Too Far' battleSCRANTON, Pa. (AP) — The remains of a U.S. Army paratrooper killed in World War II have been returned to his Pennsylvania hometown, 74 years after he died in the battle chronicled in the 1977 film "A Bridge Too Far."


Nigerian troops fight off Boko Haram attack

Posted: 27 Sep 2018 02:41 AM PDT

Nigerian troops fight off Boko Haram attackNigerian troops have repelled an attack on a military base by Boko Haram jihadists in the country's northeast, the army and security sources said on Thursday. The attack, in the town of Gashigar, in the Mobbar district of Borno state, is believed to have been carried out by a Boko Haram faction backed by the Islamic State group. It was the latest in a series of strikes against military bases that have raised questions about the group's strength, despite repeated official claims they were on the verge of defeat.


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