| The Breakdown of U.S. Syria Policy Posted: 06 Jan 2019 11:37 AM PST  What is clear is that the decision to withdraw is not the only thing that unraveled the policy.
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| Prosecutor: Duo attacked wrong car in deadly drive-by Posted: 07 Jan 2019 02:21 PM PST  HOUSTON (AP) — Two men suspected in a drive-by shooting that killed a 7-year-old black Houston girl and that was initially investigated as a possible hate crime mistakenly thought they were attacking people whom they had fought with at a club hours earlier, a prosecutor said Monday.
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| Former Venezuela Supreme Court judge flees to U.S., denounces Maduro Posted: 06 Jan 2019 07:01 PM PST  The latest defection from the crisis-stricken OPEC nation's government comes amid growing international pressure on Maduro over his new term, which resulted from a broadly boycotted 2018 vote dismissed by countries around the world as a sham. "I've decided to leave Venezuela to disavow the government of Nicolas Maduro," Zerpa said in an interview with EVTV, which is broadcast over cable and the internet. "I believe (Maduro) does not deserve a second chance because the election he supposedly won was not free and competitive." The Supreme Court confirmed in a statement that he had fled, referring to him as a former magistrate and adding it opened an investigation of him in November over accusations of sexual harassment by women in his office.
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| China Must Democratize for Taiwan Progress, President Tsai Says Posted: 05 Jan 2019 07:45 PM PST  China must usher in major democratic reforms if it hopes to overcome decades of mutual animosity with Taiwan, President Tsai Ing-wen said in Taipei Saturday. Tsai called on Beijing to become more democratic and renounce the use of military force if it wants to have any chance of winning over the hearts and minds of the Taiwanese public. "The insufficiency of China's democratic system, its poor record on human rights, and the fact they have never renounced use of military force against Taiwan have caused a high degree of concern among the Taiwanese people," Tsai said at a briefing.
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| Malaysia royals to pick new king Jan. 24 after abdication Posted: 07 Jan 2019 03:23 AM PST  KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Malaysia's royal families will meet on Jan. 24 to pick a new king after Sultan Muhammad V abdicated unexpectedly after just two years on the throne, an official said Monday.
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| Poland to close 'escape rooms' that fail safety standards: PM Posted: 06 Jan 2019 03:48 AM PST  Poland will close 'escape rooms' that do not meet safety standards, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Sunday after a fire killed five teenage girls. The girls were celebrating a birthday at an escape room in the northern town of Koszalin when the fire broke out. Authorities carried out inspections of at least 178 escape room locations across Poland at the weekend and found 129 did not meet health and safety standards, said the head of state fire services Leszek Suski.
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| SAS soldiers injured and ally killed by Isil missile in Syria Posted: 06 Jan 2019 10:39 AM PST  Two British Special Forces soldiers have been seriously hurt after a missile attack by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) in Syria. The attack was believed to have happened on Saturday morning near Deir Ezzor in the east of the country. A Kurdish soldier fighting alongside the British forces was killed in the missile strike and five other British troops were injured. The most serious casualty, understood by the Telegraph to be from Britain's elite 22 SAS Regiment, based in Hereford, is thought to have been hit in the throat with shrapnel. British Special Forces are believed to be operating in the east of Syria alongside American troops and Kurdish fighters of the People's Defence Unit (YPG), a mainly Kurdish militia fighting in Syria. Kamiran Sadoun, a Syrian Kurdish journalist working for the Telegraph, spoke to injured fighters from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) at a makeshift hospital at the al-Omar oil field in the evening of Saturday 5. Isil's last battleground "I was in the hospital when they brought three injured SDF fighters," he said. "One was heavily injured and one of them was injured lightly and one of them was killed. "We asked them what happened. One said they were patrolling with the British, there were around 5-7 of them when the Isil thermal rocket - a guided missile - hit. Two or three of the British were heavily injured but all 5-7 of them were lightly injured." The attack occurred as allies and fighters in the region consider the impact of President Trump's decision to withdraw US forces from the country. On December 19 Mr Trump stated that Isil had been defeated in Syria and that troops would be coming home "now". However, on Sunday John Bolton, the US National Security Adviser, confirmed reports that the withdrawal would be slower than the President suggested. He said Mr Trump was committed to defeating the remnants of Isil and "wants the caliphate destroyed". He also stated that the US withdrawal is conditional on Turkey agreeing not to target America's Kurdish allies. Analysis | US withdrawal does not mean the war on Isil stops Turkey must "meet the President's requirement that the Syrian opposition forces that have fought with us are not endangered," he said during a visit to Israel and Turkey. Also speaking on Sunday, Mr Trump denied the apparent volte-face: "We're going to be removing our troops. I never said we were doing it that quickly," he said. Emile Hokayem, Senior Research Fellow for Middle East Security at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said Isil would be emboldened by news of an American withdrawal, describing President Trump's new Syria policy as "messy". "One can debate the merits and wisdom of the long-term US presence in north-east Syria," he said, "but certainly the way it was announced and the chaos that followed - with the resignation of [Defence Secretary James] Mattis and [Syria Special Envoy Brett] McGurk - really played to the advantage of the adversaries of the US and the West. "The US has become overly ambitious [in recent years]. The presence in eastern Syria was supposed to check and kick out Iran [and] it was supposed to ensure the enduring defeat of Isil. Benjamin Netanyahu greets US National Security Adviser John Bolton in Jerusalem on Sunday Credit: Getty Images Europe "The goals kept growing and there was a massive mismatch between the risk appetite of the Pentagon and the resources applied. "US policy has been bankrupt for many years, starting under Obama. The US was always going to face this kind of dilemma, this is not a purely Trump administration crisis. "The key problem was how this was announced, how it countered all the statements of senior US officials. "Trump makes things worse, but he didn't create those dilemmas. A security source told the Telegraph the attack on British and Kurdish forces shows that the war against Isil in Syria and Iraq is not over. "The enemy is still there and still active. Isil are not entirely defeated," the source said. Although Britain operates in some parts of the world without US partners it is inconceivable British forces would continue to operate in Syria following a US withdrawal. US army vehicles supporting the Syrian Democratic Forces in Hajin, in the Deir Ezzor province, eastern Syria, December 15, 2018. Credit: DELIL SOULEIMAN/AFP The Telegraph understands that the tempo of operations has not diminished since Mr Trump's decision and that US forces have not yet started disengaging from the region. The logistics of any withdrawal are likely to be hampered until the spring by bad weather. According to government statistics, RAF fighter jets and drones conducted 46 strikes against Isil targets in Syria in the first two weeks of December. The airstrikes helped expel Isil forces from the strategically important area of Hajin, near the Iraq border, described by the Ministry of Defence as "the terrorists last significant territory". Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson, using an Arabic name for Isil, said: "The advance through Hajin is a huge milestone and shows that Daesh are being pushed further back into the shadows. "Make no mistake though, although this is another significant battle won, much hard work still lies ahead to ensure we win the war."
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| U.S. top court declines to take up Trinity Industries guardrail case Posted: 07 Jan 2019 11:19 AM PST  The justices left in place a 2017 decision by the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturning a 2014 verdict by a federal jury in Texas that found Trinity had defrauded the government. Joshua Harman, a competitor of Dallas-based Trinity, filed the lawsuit in 2012 under the False Claims Act, which allows whistleblowers to sue companies on the government's behalf to recover fraudulently paid-out taxpayer money. Because of Joshua Harman's efforts, there is more federal and state scrutiny than ever before to ensure the safety of our nation's roads and highways," said Nicholas Gravante, one of Harman's lawyers.
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| Ocasio-Cortez plans to impose taxes as high as 70 percent Posted: 07 Jan 2019 02:21 AM PST  White House office of public engagement associate director under President Obama Raul Alvillar and Stampede Consulting partner Holly Turner weigh in on newly elected Rep. Ocasio-Cortez's plans.
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| Meteorologist Jeremy Kappell fired after using racial slur on air Posted: 07 Jan 2019 04:25 PM PST  Jeremy Kappell was fired a day after the Mayor of Rochester called for his dismissal.
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| This Is Now the Third-Longest Government Shutdown in U.S. History Posted: 07 Jan 2019 03:46 AM PST  The longest shutdown took place in 1995-1996
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| Ukraine's newly independent church holds 'historic' first service Posted: 07 Jan 2019 03:56 AM PST  Ukraine's newly created independent Orthodox Church held its first service in Kiev on Monday after a historic break with the Russian Orthodox Church that has enraged Moscow. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko attended the service in Kiev's most ancient church, the 11th-century Saint Sophia's Cathedral, as Ukrainian Orthodox believers celebrated Christmas Day according to the Julian Calendar. The service came a day after the Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew based in Istanbul handed over a formal decree that finalised recognition of Ukraine's new Church.
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| Every Angle of the 2018 Porsche 911 Turbo S Posted: 07 Jan 2019 12:44 PM PST |
| U.S. destroyer sails in disputed South China Sea amid trade talks Posted: 07 Jan 2019 07:06 AM PST  A U.S. guided-missile destroyer sailed near disputed islands in the South China Sea in what China called a "provocation" as U.S. officials joined talks in Beijing during a truce in a bitter trade war. The USS McCampbell carried out a "freedom of navigation" operation, sailing within 12 nautical miles of the Paracel Island chain, "to challenge excessive maritime claims", Pacific Fleet spokeswoman Rachel McMarr said in an emailed statement. The statement came as trade talks between China and the United States were under way in Beijing, the first round of face-to-face discussions since both sides agreed to a 90-day truce in a trade war that has roiled international markets.
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| The 5 Best Bluetooth Speakers on the Market Posted: 07 Jan 2019 01:32 PM PST |
| Police officer who shot a Chihuahua during a service call loses job, Arkansas sheriff says Posted: 07 Jan 2019 05:44 AM PST  The former officer, Deputy Keenan Wallace, was also a K9 handler.
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| Louisiana town reels from loss of 5 children in fiery crash Posted: 06 Jan 2019 07:35 PM PST  MARKSVILLE, La. (AP) — It was supposed to be a fun, post-Christmas trip to Disney World for 14-year-old Jeremiah Warren and his friends from a church in this small Louisiana town — "clean fun" as Warren's aunt described it. But then word came of a fiery crash on a Florida highway that killed seven people, including five children from this area traveling in a church van.
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| National parks, aid for poor hit as US govt shutdown drags on Posted: 07 Jan 2019 01:59 PM PST  National parks that are unstaffed, long lines at airports with workers calling in sick, and assistance to the nation's poorest threatened: the partial shutdown of the US government is hitting everyday Americans and no solution is in sight. Garbage is piling up around trash cans in national parks that lack federal employees who have been deemed non-essential and are not being paid. Unlike during previous shutdowns, some national parks have remained open even without park rangers to ensure safety.
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| Trump confirms key plotter in USS Cole attack has been killed Posted: 06 Jan 2019 08:50 AM PST  President Donald Trump confirmed Sunday that the US military has killed one of the architects of the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole that left 17 American servicemen dead. The military said Friday that Al-Qaeda operative Jamal al-Badawi was believed to have been killed in a precision strike in Yemen. "Our GREAT MILITARY has delivered justice for the heroes lost and wounded in the cowardly attack on the USS Cole," Trump tweeted.
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| Tesla CEO Elon Musk breaks ground on Shanghai Gigafactory Posted: 07 Jan 2019 05:34 AM PST  The first car plant in China to be wholly owned by a foreign company.
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| Russia 'not ruling out prisoner exhange' for Briton held on spying charges Posted: 06 Jan 2019 08:55 AM PST  Russia's foreign ministry has not ruled out a prisoner exchange for the British citizen held on apparent charges of espionage. Paul Whelan, a former US marine, was arrested in Moscow on December 28th. Russian media reported claims that the 48-year-old was apprehended in possession of a USB drive containing the names of Russian security agents. Since his arrest Mr Whelan, who also holds US, Canadian and Irish passports, has been kept in the notoriously brutal Lefortovo prison in the Russian capital. On Saturday, Russia's deputy foreign minister said that it was too early to talk of a prisoner swap. "As to the possibility of prisoner exchanges, it's incorrect to consider the question when formal charges have not even been brought," Sergei Ryabkov told state-run RIA-Novosti news agency. The United States is also currently holding Maria Butina, a Russian citizen who pled guilty to espionage last month and co-operated with prosecutors over her attempts to infiltrate right-wing groups, including the National Rifle Association. The foreign ministry comments follow revelations about Mr Whelan's past. In 2008, he was court-martialed and dishonourably discharged from the Marines on charges of larceny and passing bad checks. According to the Washington Post, he attempted to steal $10,000 while deployed to Iraq in 2006. Mr Whelan, a Russophile who often visited the country, possessed an account on Vtonktate, the Russian version of Facebook. Many of his contacts appear to be involved in the Russian navy or Defence Ministry, the New York Times reported. A view shows Lefortovo pre-trial detention centre in Moscow Credit: REUTERS However, CIA officials told the paper that Mr Whelan's court-martial meant it was unlikely he would have later been employed as a secret agent, adding that most spies possess diplomatic passports so they cannot be detained for long. On his Vtonktate page, Mr Whelan posted "GOD SAVE PRESIDENT TRUMP!!" after the President's 2017 inauguration, alongside updates about the family cat. One of his VK friend's, Oleg, told Russian media that he had loaned Mr Whelan $1,000 to buy a paintball gun and not been repaid. "I am sorry that I can't send you I have already surpassed the limit that I can send abroad within a year," Mr Whelan allegedly told him. The former serviceman's twin brother, David, told reporters that he feared his sibling could be detained for several years, caught up in the worsening tensions between Washington and Moscow. He said there was nothing to indicate his brother was a spy and the arrest was "very arbitrary". "Our family is tending to focus on getting him out anything we can do to make his stay as least-awful as possible and not worry so much about the rationale for what caused it," David said. Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) is investigating Mr Whelan on charges of espionage that carry a sentence of up to 20 years, state-run media reported.
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| Travel nightmares: What to do if an airline damages your checked luggage Posted: 07 Jan 2019 08:01 AM PST  Airlines must repair, replace or reimburse you for your bag if it is damaged. Here's how to make sure that happens.
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| Lettuce wraps are the perfect low-carb vehicle for chicken Posted: 07 Jan 2019 07:14 AM PST  Lettuce wraps are the perfect low-carb vehicle for delicious fillings. We wanted a light but flavor-packed filling and knew an Asian-inspired flavor profile was the way to go.
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| Kendall Jenner's 'brave' announcement of having acne underwhelms Twitter Posted: 06 Jan 2019 05:54 PM PST  Kendall Jenner revealed her new partnership with Proactiv Sunday, a year after the reality star's acne was visible on the Golden Globes red carpet.
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| Should South Korea Participate in China's Belt and Road? Posted: 06 Jan 2019 11:31 AM PST  The costs involve more than money.
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| Superformance Will Resurrect Ford's Stunning Shelby GR-1 Concept Posted: 07 Jan 2019 07:56 AM PST  The tuner will produce hundreds, and there'll be an electric powertrain option.
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| MoveOn: 2020 Democratic nominee must be unapologetically progressive Posted: 06 Jan 2019 02:51 PM PST  Voters are going to back candidates who've got their backs, writes Karine Jean-Pierre, the chief public affairs officer for MoveOn.
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| Brazil government not looking to interrupt Embraer-Boeing tie-up: official Posted: 07 Jan 2019 07:19 AM PST  Brasília (AFP) - The Brazilian government is not poised to interrupt plans for a tie-up between national planemaker Embraer and US giant Boeing, a senior official said Monday, days after President Jair Bolsonaro expressed wariness over the venture. The government "is not thinking of interrupting this negotiation," Augusto Heleno, secretary for institutional security, said after accompanying Bolsonaro to an event in Brasilia appointing the new heads of public banks, the O Globo news website reported. Bolsonaro last week sent shares in Embraer diving after saying that, while he approved of the $5.2-billion tie-up, he wanted reassurance that Boeing would not simply gobble up the Brazilian company.
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| Lush Cosmetics spices things up for Valentine's Day Posted: 07 Jan 2019 02:20 AM PST  Lush Cosmetics is getting in the mood for Valentine's Day with a very suggestive beauty collection. The natural cosmetics brand has launched its latest collection just in time for February 14, featuring a few risqué products such as an eggplant emoji-shaped bath bomb, a 'Big Banana' massage bar and a peach-shaped bath bomb inspired by a raunchy scene in the movie "Call Me By Your Name." The series also includes an 'American Cream' shower gel, an 'American Pie' body conditioner, and an 'Eve's Cherry' lip scrub, among other products. The Valentine's Day collection, which launches online Monday and in store on January 11, is the latest big release for the brand and follows a busy 2018.
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| California mudslides shut down Pacific Coast Highway, ensnare motorists including rapper Soulja Boy Posted: 06 Jan 2019 12:42 PM PST  A potent winter storm that hammered the West Coast over the weekend triggered mudslides in Southern California in areas scorched by wildfires.
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| Trump: Weakness in China economy gives Beijing incentive for trade deal Posted: 06 Jan 2019 10:31 AM PST  President Trump said Sunday that weakness in the Chinese economy gave Beijing a reason to work toward a deal.
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| In-Depth Photos of the 2019 Lamborghini Huracán Evo Posted: 07 Jan 2019 07:44 AM PST |
| Gabon soldiers arrested after announcing coup 'to restore democracy' as president languishes Posted: 07 Jan 2019 12:16 AM PST  Loyalist forces in Gabon swiftly crushed a coup attempt on Monday as a plot by junior officers to end half a century of rule by the Bongo family stuttered to an ignominious halt. Two hours before dawn, a handful of subalterns from the presidential guard seized control of state radio, announcing to a nation mostly still asleep that power was now in the hands of a "national restoration council". But it swiftly became apparent that the conspiracy to oust Ali Bongo, the ailing president of the central African state, was as poorly executed as it was ill-conceived. Deploying the flowery rhetoric of many a past African coup leader, a young lieutenant identifying himself as Kelly Obiang urged military units and Gabonese civilians onto the streets to support the plotters' cause. "If you are eating, stop," he told listeners. "If you are having a drink, stop. If you are sleeping, wake up… rise up as one and take control of the street." Despite the perceived unpopularity of Mr Bongo, a Masonic grand master and former funk singer, just hundreds heeded the call, and they were quickly dispersed with teargas. As it became apparent that the plotters had no backup plan, armoured vehicles quickly appeared on the streets of Libreville, the capital, and within a few hours an army unit had recaptured the radio station. Two conspirators were killed and five others were arrested, including Lt. Obiang, a government spokesman announced. "The government is in place; the institutions are in place," the spokesman said. Gabon has been plunged into uncertainty as Ali Bongo has remained abroad since having a stroke in October Credit: ISSOUF SANOGO/AFP/Getty Images Gabon, one of Africa's most prosperous states thanks to its rich oil repositories, has only experienced one coup attempt before, in 1964. But never has a president seemed as vulnerable as Mr Bongo. He assumed office in 2009 on the death of his father, Omar, who ruled Gabon for 42 years and reportedly acquired 39 properties in France alone while in office. Presiding over an ailing economy, "Ali B" — as the president is known — was controversially re-elected in 2016 by the narrowest of margins. Last October, Mr Bongo, who is 59, suffered a stroke and has been convalescing in a Moroccan royal palace for more than a month. A faltering New Year message, his first since his stroke, did little to assuage fears about his health, with many noting his slurred speech and apparently immobile right hand. Yet, even given Mr Bongo's weakened state, observers were surprised that officers in the presidential guard, regarded as highly loyal and almost exclusively drawn from his home region, would attempt a coup. Some feared that the plot would be used as a pretext to further repress the opposition or move against its most prominent leader, Jean Ping, a former chairman of the African Union's commission and the president's challenger in the 2016 vote.
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| Palestinian Authority pulls employees from Egypt-Gaza crossing Posted: 06 Jan 2019 12:40 PM PST  The dispute over the border stems from a rift between the PA, based in the occupied West Bank and headed by Western-backed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and the Islamist militant group Hamas, which took control of Gaza more than a decade ago in a civil war. Re-opening the Rafeh crossing, which according to human rights groups is the sole exit point from Gaza for an estimated 95 percent of its 2 million population, will require Egypt to agree on a new operator. It is unclear whether it will allow Hamas to run the passage.
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| Japan billionaire says 'free cash' tweet most shared of all time Posted: 07 Jan 2019 01:27 AM PST  Billionaire Japanese tycoon and future space tourist Yusaku Maezawa said Monday his tweet promising a cash giveaway of nearly $10,000 was the most retweeted ever. The 43-year-old Maezawa posted a tweet on Saturday promising one million yen ($9,250) in cash each to 100 randomly selected followers who had retweeted it by Monday. The tweet -- now retweeted more than 4.3 million times -- is the most shared in history, according to the entrepreneur.
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| Speaker Nancy Pelosi tamps down impeachment talk, hints Democrats will not pursue without Republican backing Posted: 06 Jan 2019 09:20 PM PST  The Democratic Party struggles with talk of impeachment while they await special counsel Robert Mueller's report; reaction and analysis from Fox News senior judicial analyst Judge Andrew Napolitano, host of 'Liberty File' on FOX Nation.
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