2019年3月9日星期六

Yahoo! News: Iraq

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Yahoo! News: Iraq


Hezbollah calls on supporters to donate as sanctions pressure bites

Posted: 08 Mar 2019 12:17 PM PST

Hezbollah calls on supporters to donate as sanctions pressure bitesLebanon's Hezbollah on Friday called on its supporters to donate money as it comes under increasing pressure from Western sanctions intended to isolate it financially. The United States deems all parts of Hezbollah a terrorist organization and has been steadily increasing financial sanctions against the Iran-backed movement. "I announce today that the resistance is in need of its (popular base)," Hezbollah Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said, adding that donations were needed to support the group's activities.


Manafort Caught a Break on His Sentence, But Will Soon Face a Tougher Judge

Posted: 08 Mar 2019 06:01 AM PST

Manafort Caught a Break on His Sentence, But Will Soon Face a Tougher JudgeManafort, 69, faced as long as 24 years in prison after jurors in Alexandria, Virginia, convicted him last year of hiding $55 million in offshore accounts, failing to pay $6 million in taxes, and defrauding banks. Next, Manafort will be sentenced on March 13 by U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson in Washington, where he pleaded guilty to two conspiracy charges and pledged to cooperate with Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. It was Jackson who sent Manafort, President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman, to jail on June 15 after prosecutors accused him of tampering with witnesses.


President Donald Trump and Michael Cohen call each other liars over pardon request

Posted: 08 Mar 2019 11:35 AM PST

President Donald Trump and Michael Cohen call each other liars over pardon requestPresident Donald Trump says Michael Cohen asked him for a pardon in a Friday tweet, saying "He lied!" Cohen says it didn't happen that way.


Scientists Think They May Have Found a New Kind of Killer Whale

Posted: 07 Mar 2019 11:39 PM PST

Scientists Think They May Have Found a New Kind of Killer WhaleThe "Type D killer whale" was discovered off the coast of Chile


Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez struggles to defend Rep. Omar

Posted: 08 Mar 2019 05:57 AM PST

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez struggles to defend Rep. OmarThe freshman Democrat lawmaker calls the anti-Semitism controversy a 'learning experience.


Markets Right Now: Stocks mark 1st weekly loss since January

Posted: 08 Mar 2019 01:12 PM PST

Markets Right Now: Stocks mark 1st weekly loss since JanuaryNEW YORK (AP) — The latest on developments in financial markets (all times local):


Google warns everyone to update their Chrome browser right now

Posted: 08 Mar 2019 07:01 AM PST

Google warns everyone to update their Chrome browser right nowIt's always smart to keep all of your software up to date, but it's not too often that a developer goes out of its way to stress to all of its users that they should drop everything and apply the latest update as soon as possible. But that is exactly what Google has done this week, as Clement Lecigne of the company's Threat Analysis Group reveals in a blog post that two zero-day vulnerabilities have been discovered in Google Chrome.First reported on February 27th, Google was quick to release an update two days later on March 1st to address the issue. In all likelihood, your Chrome browser updated itself automatically, but if you want to check, go to Help > About Google Chrome, and make sure you're on version 72.0.3626.121. If not, update right away.As Chrome security engineer Justin Schuh explained in a series of tweets on Wednesday, this attack is different from previous attacks on Chrome because, rather than targeting Flash, it targets the Chrome code directly.When Flash was the first exploit in the chain, Google could silently update the Flash plugin behind the scenes, and Chrome would automatically switch over to the updated plugin without any user intervention. On the other hand, this zero-day exploit requires the user to manually restart the browser, so even if the update is installed on your system, you still have to close and reopen the browser for it to take effect.https://twitter.com/justinschuh/status/1103763265119707136The (relatively) good news is that, as of yesterday, Google has "only observed active exploitation against Windows 7 32-bit systems," so if you're on Windows 10 (or even Windows 8), you're probably in the clear. Nevertheless, there's no point in taking any risks, so be sure that your browser is up to date, and if it isn't, update today.


Democrats including Ocasio-Cortez condemn US strategy on Venezuela

Posted: 07 Mar 2019 07:21 PM PST

Democrats including Ocasio-Cortez condemn US strategy on VenezuelaSixteen Democratic lawmakers, among them rising star Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, on Thursday sent a joint letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo criticizing what they described as "counterproductive" US strategy on crisis-hit Venezuela. "We write to express our deep concern regarding the Trump Administration's handling of relations with Venezuela, particularly its suggestions of military intervention, imposition of broad unilateral sanctions, and recent recognition of an opposition leader as interim president," the legislators wrote.


Omar throws shade at Obama: 'We don't want anybody to get away with murder because they are polished'

Posted: 08 Mar 2019 09:58 AM PST

Omar throws shade at Obama: 'We don't want anybody to get away with murder because they are polished'Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., is an outspoken critic of President Trump. But she's also critical of his predecessor.


Utah teacher on leave after forcing student to wash off Ash Wednesday cross

Posted: 08 Mar 2019 09:35 AM PST

Utah teacher on leave after forcing student to wash off Ash Wednesday crossA Utah school district has placed a teacher on administrative leave for forcing a student to remove the Ash Wednesday cross from his forehead.


Without vaccine, hundreds of children die in Madagascar measles outbreak

Posted: 08 Mar 2019 01:47 AM PST

Without vaccine, hundreds of children die in Madagascar measles outbreakA few weeks later, all three children were dead, victims of the worst measles outbreak on the Indian Ocean island in decades. Measles cases are on the rise globally, including in wealthy nations such as the United States and Germany, where some parents shun life-saving vaccines due to false theories suggesting links between childhood immunizations and autism. In Madagascar, one of the world's poorest countries, parents are desperate to vaccinate their children, many trudging for miles to get to clinics for shots.


Paul Manafort Was an Agent of Ukraine, Not Russia

Posted: 09 Mar 2019 03:30 AM PST

Paul Manafort Was an Agent of Ukraine, Not RussiaPaul Manafort, the clandestine agent of Russia at the heart of the Trump campaign's "collusion" scand — oh, wait.Have you ever noticed what Paul Manafort's major crime was? After two years of investigation, after the predawn raid in which his wife was held at gunpoint, after months of solitary confinement that have left him a shell of his former self, have you noticed what drew the militant attention of the Obama Justice Department, the FBI, and, ultimately, a special counsel who made him the centerpiece of Russia-gate?According to the indictment Robert Mueller filed against him, Manafort was an unregistered "agent of the Government of Ukraine." He also functioned as an agent of Viktor Yanukovych, Ukraine's president from 2010 to 2014, and of two political parties, the Party of Regions and its successor, the Opposition Bloc.Manafort was not an unregistered agent of Russia. Mueller never alleged that Manafort was a clandestine operative of the Kremlin. He worked for Ukraine, not Putin. Indeed, for much of his time in Ukraine, he pushed his clients against Putin's interests.Mueller's prosecutors looked on glumly Thursday as Manafort was sentenced to a mere 47 months' imprisonment by Judge T. S. Ellis III of the federal court in Alexandria, Va. After rescinding the cooperation agreement they had extended Manafort following his convictions at trial, Mueller's team had pressed for a sentence of up to 24 years for the 70-year-old former Trump campaign chairman. The judge demurred, pointedly observing that Manafort was "not before this court for anything having to do with collusion with the Russian government to influence [the 2016] election."The prosecutors won't be chagrined long, of course. Against Manafort, one case with a potential century of jail time was not enough. There's a case in Washington, too. There, Manafort will be sentenced next week, by a different judge who will surely impose a sentence more to the special counsel's liking. The knowledge of that, more than anything else, explains Judge Ellis's comparative wrist-slap, which ignored sentencing guidelines that called for a severe prison term.Those guidelines were driven by prodigious financial fraud, not espionage. No one has even alleged espionage -- even though the investigation was aggressive, even though the two indictments charge numerous felonies, and even though Mueller has had as his star informant witness Manafort's longtime sidekick, Richard Gates, a fellow fraudster who was deeply involved in his partner's work for foreign governments.Understand: Paul Manafort would never have been prosecuted if he had not joined Donald Trump's campaign. He would not have been prosecuted if Hillary Clinton had won the 2016 election and spared Democrats the need to conjure up a reason to explain their defeat -- something other than nominating a lousy candidate who stopped campaigning too early.Manafort's Ukrainian work was not a secret. By the time of the 2016 campaign, he'd been at it for over a dozen years. He wasn't alone. Not even close. An array of American political consultants flocked to post-Soviet Ukraine because that's where the money was. Manafort worked for the Party of Regions, led by Yanukovych. The Obama consultants worked for Yanukovych's rival, Yulia Tymoshenko -- the populist-socialist who sometimes colluded with Putin and other times posed as his opponent. The Clinton consultants lined up with Viktor Yuschenko, Putin's generally pro-Western bête noire, who was nearly assassinated by Kremlin operatives and who navigated between east and west.What you may already notice is that Ukraine is complicated. That collusion narrative you've been sold since November 8, 2016? It's a caricature.The people peddling it know that Americans are clueless about the intricacies of politics in a former Soviet satellite and the grubby bipartisan cesspool of international political consultancy. You are thus to believe that the Party of Regions was nothing but a cat's paw of Moscow; that Manafort went to work for Yanukovych, the party's Putin puppet; and that Manafort's entrée into the Trump campaign was a Kremlin coup, a Russian plot to control of the White House.Sure. But then . . . where's the collusion charge? If that's what happened, where is the special counsel's big indictment of a Trump–Russia conspiracy, with Manafort at its core?There is no such case because the collusion narrative distorts reality.Manafort is not a good guy. He did business and made lots of money with Ukrainian and Russian oligarchs who, largely through their organized-crime connections, made their fortunes in the post-Soviet gangster-capitalism era, when the spoils of an empire were up for grabs.Manafort got himself deeply in hock with some of these tycoons. He may owe over $25 million to Oleg Deripaska, a Russian aluminum magnate. Deripaska, you've repeatedly been told, is Putin's oligarch. That may be true -- they are close enough for Putin to have intervened on his behalf when the U.S. government imposed travel restrictions. But former senator Bob Dole intervened on Deripaska's behalf, too. So did the FBI, when they thought Deripaska could help them rescue an agent detained in Iran. So did Christopher Steele, the former British spy of Steele-dossier infamy.Having business with Deripaska did not make Manafort a Russian spy. No more than taking $500,000 from a Kremlin-tied bank made Bill Clinton a Russian spy. For a quarter century, the United States government encouraged commerce with Russia, notwithstanding that it is anti-American and run like a Mafia family. As secretary of state, Hillary Clinton worked with the Putin regime to develop Moscow's version of Silicon Valley. Business with Russia was like what the Clintons used to tell us about lies about sex: Everybody does it.Manafort's business eventually soured. There is good reason to believe that, once he was installed as chairman of the Trump campaign -- when Trump looked like a sure GOP-nomination winner and general-election loser -- Manafort tried to monetize his position of influence. He hoped to make himself "whole," as he put it, by demonstrating that he was once again a political force to be reckoned with -- offering Deripaska briefings on the campaign, offering his Ukrainian oligarch benefactors polling data showing that Trump had a real chance to win.Manafort likes the high life. Running with this crowd helped him live it, and helped him hide most of his money overseas, in accounts he could stealthily access without sharing his millions with the taxman.But all that said, Manafort was not a Russian agent. Even Robert Mueller, who went after him hammer and tongs, never accused him of that.When his Ukrainian oligarch sponsors asked him to take Yanukovych on as a client, Manafort was reluctant. Yanukovych was essentially a thug who grew up in the Soviet system. The corruption of the 2004 presidential election, which Yanukovych's Kremlin-backed supporters tried to steal, ignited Kiev's Orange Revolution. Manafort, a cold-blooded Republican operative who had cut his teeth fighting off the Reagan revolution in the 1976 Ford campaign, calculated that Yanukovych was damaged goods.But in the shadowy world of international political consultancy, money talks and scruple walks. Manafort's oligarch patrons made the Regions reconstruction project worth his while. He remade Yanukovych from the ground up: Learn English, warm to Europe, embrace integration in the European Union, endorse competitive democracy, be the candidate of both EU-leaning Kiev and Russia-leaning Donbas.This was not a Putin agenda. It was an agenda for Ukraine, a country with a split personality that needs cordial relations with the neighborhood bully to the east as it fitfully lurches westward. Regions was a pro-Russia party, but that is not the same thing as being Russia. What the oligarchs want is autonomy so they can run their profitable fiefdoms independent of Kiev. They leverage Moscow against the EU . . . except when they talk up EU integration to ensure that they are not swallowed up by Moscow. What the oligarchs mainly are is corrupt, which suited Manafort fine.The unsavory business was successful for a time. Regions returned to power. Yanukovych finally won the presidency and immediately announced that "integration with the EU remains our strategic aim." It was a triumph for Manafort, but a short-lived one. While Yanukovych rhapsodized about rising to Western standards, he ran his administration in the Eastern authoritarian style, enriching his allies and imprisoning his rivals.The latter included Tymoshenko, who was prosecuted over a gas deal she had entered when she was prime minister -- with Putin. Russia bitterly criticized her prosecution, and when she was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment, the Kremlin blasted Yanukovych's government for pursuing her "exclusively for political motives." Manafort, meanwhile, continued to airbrush Yanukovych's image in the West, scheming with lobbyists and a law firm to help him defend the controversial Tymoshenko trial -- a scheme abetted by lawyer Alex van der Zwaan, who eventually pled guilty to making false statements to Mueller's investigators.Yanukovych's moment of truth came in late 2013. He was poised to sign the Association Agreement with the EU, a framework for integration. Putin furiously turned up the heat: blocking Ukrainian imports, drastically reducing Ukrainian exports, bleeding billions of trade dollars from Kiev's economy, threatening to cut off all gas supplies and drive Ukraine into default. Manafort pleaded with his client to stick with the EU. Yanukovych caved, however, declining to enter the Association Agreement and making an alternative pact with Putin to assure gas supplies and financial aid.It was over this decision that the Euromaidan protests erupted. Yanukovych fled the country in early 2014, given sanctuary in Moscow. Subsequently, Regions renounced Yanukovych, blaming him for the outbreak of violence and for looting the treasury. The party disbanded, with many of its members reemerging as the Opposition Bloc, the party to which Manafort gravitated -- along with his partner, Konstantin Kilimnik, and his lobbyist associate, W. Samuel Patten. (Like Manafort, Patten has pled guilty to working as an unregistered agent of Ukraine; Kilimnik, who is in Russia, was indicted by Mueller for helping Manafort tamper with witnesses.)Paul Manafort is a scoundrel. He was willing to do most anything for money -- even offering to burnish Putin's image as he burnished Yanukovych's. But Manafort was never a Kremlin operative working against his own country, except in the fever dreams of the Clinton campaign's Steele dossier. And his crimes notwithstanding, he'd be a free man today if Mrs. Clinton had won. Instead, he'll be sentenced yet again next week. And this time, he'll get slammed.


KitchenAid has a new line of cooking utensils exclusive to Walmart, and we want them all

Posted: 09 Mar 2019 02:00 AM PST

KitchenAid has a new line of cooking utensils exclusive to Walmart, and we want them allKitchenAid has a new Walmart-exclusive line of cooking gadgets and tools -- possibly as a tribute to KitchenAid's 100th birthday a few months ago -- and we are psyched. KitchenAid is our jam. There are no new stand mixers in the collaboration (boo), but other gorgeous cooking gear like utensils, strainers, bowls, and more can up the style factor in your kitchen. And that stuff is just as important as the big appliances.SEE ALSO: Walmart just launched a new line of furniture and it's actually really niceNot surprisingly, you can expect premium materials, heat-resistant handles, stainless steel blades, and dishwasher-safe plastic. It's all super affordable like the rest of Walmart's prices (nothing over $40, actually), but still rocks that KitchenAid name and quality. That's a win-win you won't find anywhere else. A few of our favorite pieces are below, but you can shop the whole collection here. KitchenAid 15-piece kitchen tool and gadget set -- $39.97Image: kitchenaidBuying the must-have utensils separately just doesn't make sense when you can snag 'em in a set. New college students, homeowners, or anyone learning to cook more than noodles will appreciate having a slotted spatula, basting spoon, euro peeler, can opener, a set of four measuring cups, and a set of five measuring spoons, all in one box for less than $40. Get it all here. Nonslip ice cream scoop -- $8.97Image: kitchenaidWhy does it seem like there's never an ice cream scoop around when you need one? This stainless steel head was designed to push through even the toughest straight-from-the-freezer ice cream, and the silicone handle won't freeze your hand. Skip the defrosting process, scoop your dessert, and throw it in the dishwasher. Get it here. 4-piece prep bowls and lids -- $9.97Image: kitchenaidConserve some of that precious cabinet space with this set of four bowls that double as meal prep or storage containers. Use the included lids to stack them in the fridge, or nest the set when they're not being used. Get them here. 7-inch stainless steel mesh strainer -- $12.97Image: kitchenaidPasta ain't the only thing you need a clean strainer for -- especially with summer not so far away. Strain your noodles, fresh veggies, and fruits with this premium oval strainer, made with durable stainless steel mesh and a metal lip for hands-free straining over a bowl. Get it here. Stainless steel tongs -- $12.97Image: kitchenaidStop using a spatula to pick up a steak or a spoon to serve salad -- it's time to get tongs like an adult. These stainless steel tongs are topped with silicone grabbers to gently grasp meats, veggies, spaghetti, and more. The silicone is heat-resistant up to 500 degrees (!), and they can go in the dishwasher. Get them here. Image: kitchenaid Shop the Walmart-exclusive KitchenAid collection See Details


7 Energy Stocks That Don't Need Higher Oil Prices

Posted: 08 Mar 2019 09:52 AM PST

7 Energy Stocks That Don't Need Higher Oil PricesThe best oil stock ideas from Bank of America.


Google Assistant is getting an update that makes it easier to talk to

Posted: 08 Mar 2019 06:03 PM PST

Google Assistant is getting an update that makes it easier to talk toHaving a conversation that feels natural with a digital assistant is still not in the same league as a person-to-person interaction, but there are certainly some assistive technologies that do a reasonably good job of mimicking it. We'd put Google Assistant in that category, thanks to the natural-sounding voice and the assistant's ability to understand a wide range of the complexities of human conversation.Still, that's not to say certain things can't be improved, which is why Google is starting to add support for its "Continued Conversation" feature to smart displays like the Google Home Hub. Basically, it's a way to not have to keep prompting the assistant with a "Hey, Google" trigger so that you can keep a conversation going.According to Google Assistant product manager Bibo Xu, this is an optional setting that can be turned on to enable you to have a more natural back-and-forth exchange with the assistant. "After you initially trigger the Assistant with a request, the Assistant will stay active for long enough to respond to follow up questions so you don't have to say 'Hey Google' as often," Bibo explains in a Google blog post.The feature can be turned on within the Google Assistant app by going to Settings, then Preferences, then Continued Conversation where you just hit the toggle.Meantime, Google is also taking this opportunity to actually add a number of other related enhancements to smart displays, such as "Interpreter mode." Say you have family members or some friends who speak different languages. With this new mode that's now available, all you have to do is say "Hey Google, be my French interpreter," and you can have a natural, easy-flowing conversation in dozens of languages.Other fun additions and improvements include some small touches that are still useful, like making it easier to dismiss some cards on the display's home screen when you no longer need them (just swipe up). It's also easier to manage multi-room audio with the displays, as well.Google's new update means you can add your smart display to a speaker group, and play music throughout the house. There are also new controls for adjusting the volume of any device in the group. All you have to do is tap on the group name of the player on the screen, and that will get things started.


India slams Pakistan action against militants

Posted: 09 Mar 2019 12:10 AM PST

India slams Pakistan action against militantsIndia said Saturday that its army is on a "strict vigil" for new attacks from Pakistan and renewed warnings to its neighbour to take concrete action against militant groups. An Indian foreign ministry spokesman responded with scepticism to reports of scores of militants being rounded up in Pakistan this week. Islamabad was in "a state of denial" over its support for groups accused of staging attacks in India, the spokesman, Raveesh Kumar, said at a specially convened media briefing.


Wisconsin man jailed for kidnap-murder confesses in letter -report

Posted: 08 Mar 2019 10:24 AM PST

Wisconsin man jailed for kidnap-murder confesses in letter -reportJake Patterson, 21, wrote to a reporter at KARE 11 News that he had acted "mostly on impulse" but does not "think like a serial killer," according to a copy of the Feb. 28 letter published by the Minneapolis-based television station. Patterson was charged in February with murder for the Oct. 15 shooting deaths of Closs' parents in Barron, Wisconsin, and for kidnapping the girl he is alleged to have targeted seemingly at random after spotting her boarding a school bus. KARE 11 News said the letter from the Polk County jail was sent to one of its reporters who wrote to Patterson asking him whether he had any remorse or regret for the crimes.


Trump: Founder of alleged prostitution spa 'sold Chinese businessmen access to president’

Posted: 09 Mar 2019 11:10 AM PST

Trump: Founder of alleged prostitution spa 'sold Chinese businessmen access to president'Chinese clients have allegedly been offered access to Donald Trump and his administration by the female founder of a massage parlour involved in a high-profile prostitution sting. Li Yang, the Chinese founder of the Orchids of Asia Day spa in Florida, made headlines last week when US media unearthed a photo of her smiling alongside the US president at his West Palm Beach country club during last month's Super Bowl. Less than three weeks after the selfie was taken, Robert Kraft, owner of Super Bowl champions the New England Patriots, was charged with soliciting prostitution at Orchids of Asia after police said they caught him on video in January paying for oral sex.


Women divided by race over key issues, but with areas of overlap

Posted: 07 Mar 2019 09:01 PM PST

Women divided by race over key issues, but with areas of overlapAmerican women of all races want many of the same things, but they don't necessarily agree on what their biggest issues are, or the best way to solve them, according to the results of a new poll conducted by Langer Research Associates for Yahoo, HuffPost, Makers and other Verizon media brands, in partnership with Care. Two years into the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements, most women agree that sexual harassment is a problem, but there's a significant difference between the races over how big: 80 percent of women of color call it a "serious" problem, compared to 63 percent of white women. In the fight for equal rights, one in five white women think it has gone too far or far enough, but that drops to 7 percent among black women.


History will judge UK, EU badly if they get Brexit wrong: Hunt

Posted: 08 Mar 2019 12:24 AM PST

History will judge UK, EU badly if they get Brexit wrong: HuntBritish Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said history would view both the UK and the European Union badly if they mismanage Britain's exit from the bloc. Britain is due to leave the EU on March 29 but British lawmakers have rejected Prime Minister Theresa May's deal. "History will judge both sides very badly if we get this wrong," Hunt told BBC radio on Friday.


Fact: South Korea's Army Is Armed with Russian T-80 Main Battle Tanks

Posted: 07 Mar 2019 06:00 PM PST

Fact: South Korea's Army Is Armed with Russian T-80 Main Battle TanksNorth Korea's worst nightmare?


ICE makes more arrests at decoy university

Posted: 09 Mar 2019 07:42 AM PST

ICE makes more arrests at decoy universityFederal immigration authorities made more arrests at a decoy university created to catch illegal immigrants.


Every Toyota-Built Hybrid You Can Buy (Lexuses Included!)

Posted: 08 Mar 2019 11:25 AM PST

Every Toyota-Built Hybrid You Can Buy (Lexuses Included!)


US-backed fighters could soon resume offensive against IS

Posted: 09 Mar 2019 09:34 AM PST

US-backed fighters could soon resume offensive against ISBAGHOUZ, Syria (AP) — U.S.-backed fighters could soon resume an offensive against the Islamic State group in the last area they control in Syria, an official said Saturday, adding that the battle against the extremists is expected to take three days.


Trump brands Democrats as 'anti-Jewish' party

Posted: 08 Mar 2019 10:57 AM PST

Trump brands Democrats as 'anti-Jewish' partyUS President Donald Trump blasted Democrats as "anti-Israel" and "anti-Jewish" Friday after they passed a congressional measure opposing hate speech in general instead of specifically condemning alleged anti-Semitic comments by a Muslim congresswoman. "I thought yesterday's vote by the House was disgraceful," Trump told reporters at the White House. The resolution was originally intended to deliver a direct rebuke of anti-Semitism following controversial comments by a Muslim Democratic congresswoman, Ilhan Omar, that were deemed anti-Semitic and offensive by many colleagues.


Smollett's lawyer cites 'overkill' after actor indicted on 16 counts of lying to police

Posted: 08 Mar 2019 06:47 PM PST

Smollett's lawyer cites 'overkill' after actor indicted on 16 counts of lying to policeThe "Empire" star's legal woes deepened after a Chicago grand jury indicted him on 16 felony counts of lying to police about alleged hate-crime attack.


9 Interior Design Trends to Look Out for in 2019

Posted: 08 Mar 2019 06:43 AM PST

9 Interior Design Trends to Look Out for in 2019An October 2018 report from the Remodeling Futures Program at the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University projected that remodeling spending is expected to grow to more than $350 billion in the third quarter of 2019. Whether you're renovating your home for yourself, updating your home to sell or looking to spice up a living space that you rent, you'll see some new trends entering the interior design field this year -- and others easing out of the spotlight. An interior design trend, by definition, is the temporary popularity of a style, pattern, color or approach to decor.


In Gaza, women walk thin line between hope and despair

Posted: 07 Mar 2019 11:54 PM PST

In Gaza, women walk thin line between hope and despairAmid the poverty and deprivation of the Gaza Strip, Palestinian women struggle to find a taste of normality that is taken for granted in much of the rest of the world. Nada Rudwan used to work in digital marketing, but as her work slowed - unemployment in Gaza stands at nearly 50 percent - she decided to put her tech skills towards one of her passions: cooking. "It is an attempt to beat the physical blockade of Gaza by finding a job that just needs some talent, a camera and internet connection," she said.


Man wins mega millions jackpot to tune of $273m after stranger returns lost lottery ticket

Posted: 09 Mar 2019 09:28 AM PST

Man wins mega millions jackpot to tune of $273m after stranger returns lost lottery ticketAn unemployed New Jersey man won a $273m (£210m) Mega Millions lottery jackpot last week after a stranger found and returned the winning ticket he had left behind on a shop counter. The man, Michael J Weirsky, told reporters on Thursday he lost two tickets immediately after he bought them at a QuickChek in Phillipsburg, New Jersey, on the day before the lottery draw. Mr Weirsky had spent hours searching for the tickets when he got to his home in Alpha, New Jersey, near the Pennsylvania border.


EU Makes New Offer Well Short of May's Demands: Brexit Update

Posted: 08 Mar 2019 09:30 AM PST

EU Makes New Offer Well Short of May's Demands: Brexit UpdateTheresa May appealed to members of Parliament to back her deal or risk seeing Brexit canceled, as the European Union made a new offer in talks that falls far short of U.K. demands. Key Developments:Barnier makes a new offer on the backstop -- letting Britain exit the backstop, but keeping Northern Ireland in it.


PM Khan says no militants will be allowed to attack from Pakistani soil

Posted: 08 Mar 2019 05:38 AM PST

PM Khan says no militants will be allowed to attack from Pakistani soilPakistan faces growing international pressure to rein in Islamist groups that carry out attacks in neighboring India. One such attack in Indian-controlled Kashmir on Feb. 14, claimed by the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) Pakistan-based group, killed 40 Indian paramilitary police and led to clashes between the nuclear-armed rivals as India retaliated. Both countries carried out aerial bombing missions last week and even fought a brief dogfight over Kashmir before tensions cooled.


'Humiliated and ashamed': Paul Manafort, former Trump campaign chairman, sentenced to nearly 4 years in prison

Posted: 07 Mar 2019 07:23 PM PST

'Humiliated and ashamed': Paul Manafort, former Trump campaign chairman, sentenced to nearly 4 years in prisonPaul Manafort, Trump's former campaign chairman, must pay more than $24 million in fines and restitution. He faces more prison time next week.


Canadian man behind mosque massacre appeals sentence: reports

Posted: 08 Mar 2019 03:38 PM PST

Canadian man behind mosque massacre appeals sentence: reportsA Canadian man sentenced to 40 years in prison without the possibility of parole for the killing of six worshippers at a Quebec mosque in January 2017 has launched an appeal, local media reported Friday. Alexandre Bissonnette was convicted on February 8 to life imprisonment for the murders, the deadliest attack on a Muslim place of worship in the West. In their appeal at the Quebec courthouse, Bisonnette's lawyers argued that Judge Francois Hout had imposed "an illegal punishment, manifestly unreasonable and not indicated in ordering 40 years imprisonment before being eligible for parole," according to the public Radio-Canada.


The Latest: Hickenlooper says driving out immigrants 'crazy'

Posted: 09 Mar 2019 02:40 PM PST

The Latest: Hickenlooper says driving out immigrants 'crazy'AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The Latest on the Democratic contenders for president (all times local):


10 killer deals you don’t want to miss on Saturday

Posted: 09 Mar 2019 05:22 AM PST

10 killer deals you don't want to miss on SaturdayWelcome to a special weekend addition of our series that rounds up all the best deals of the day. Before you head out to the theater this weekend to see Marvel's latest blockbuster Captain Marvel, why not be your own hero and save a ton of cash on the most popular products around? Highlights from Saturday's roundup include a new all-time low of just $16.79 for Anker's best fast wireless charger, just $21 for Samsung's lightning-fast EVO 128GB microSD card, a 4-pack of Alexa and Google enabled smart plugs that cuts the price to just $7.99 per plug, Eufy Lumos smart LED bulbs for only $13 each, a very popular $150 air fryer for just $85, the Exploding Kittens card game for only $14, a huge $50 discount on Microsoft Office Home and Student 2019, $40 off Amazon's best-selling DNA test kit, $18 for a 30W USB-C power adapter that will let you charge your iPhone from 0% to 80% in under one hour (you'll need a USB-C to Lightning cable, too), $30 off Amazon's waterproof Kindle Paperwhite, and more. Check out all of today's best deals below.UPDATE: It looks like we've got two bonus deals for you today, because the insanely popular Instant Pot DUO60 and Instant Pot DUO80 are both down to their lowest prices of 2019! Clip the $18 coupon on the DUO60 page to get it for $71.99, and the DUO80 is down to $89.99 with no coupon needed.


Severe thunderstorms expected on Saturday in parts of U.S. Midwest, South

Posted: 09 Mar 2019 07:48 AM PST

Severe thunderstorms expected on Saturday in parts of U.S. Midwest, SouthPortions of eastern Arkansas, southeastern Montana, southern Illinois and western Kentucky are under a risk of scattered severe storms on Saturday, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Alex Lamers. Isolated severe thunderstorms are also expected from upper Mississippi and northeast Texas to the lower Ohio Valley and Tennessee Valley. Last Sunday's tornadoes in Lee County, Alabama, were spawned by a late-winter "supercell" thunderstorm, ripping through homes and businesses with cyclonic winds of up to 170 miles (274 km) per hour.


Duck reportedly survives after getting swallowed by Lake Berryessa's 'Glory Hole' spillway in Napa County

Posted: 08 Mar 2019 06:13 AM PST

Duck reportedly survives after getting swallowed by Lake Berryessa's 'Glory Hole' spillway in Napa CountyDid the duck survive or not? One man says the bird made it out alive after getting swallowed by Lake Berryessa's famous spillway. Some experts, however, are skeptical.


China warns of repeating history's mistakes with Venezuela

Posted: 08 Mar 2019 02:17 AM PST

China warns of repeating history's mistakes with VenezuelaThe Chinese government's top diplomat issued a stern warning on Friday against interfering in Venezuela and imposing sanctions, saying history offered a clear lesson about not "following the same old disastrous road". China has repeatedly called for outsiders not to interfere in Venezuela's internal affairs and has stuck by embattled President Nicolas Maduro. Most Western countries have recognized opposition leader Juan Guaido as Venezuela's legitimate head of state.


Trump investigation designed to 'impeach or embarrass' president, furious leading Republican claims amid fury at Manafort sentence

Posted: 08 Mar 2019 01:26 PM PST

Trump investigation designed to 'impeach or embarrass' president, furious leading Republican claims amid fury at Manafort sentencePresident Donald Trump has again attacked the "witch hunt hoax" embroiling his administration following the sentencing of ex-campaign manager Paul Manafort, declaring the outcome proved "no collusion" with Russia as Democrats decried the lenience of Manafort's 47-month sentence as a "miscarriage of justice". Departing for Alabama to tour the state's devastation by a recent tornado, the president found time to denounce his opposition as an "anti-Israel, anti-Jewish" party over Congresswoman Ilhan Omar's comments on the influence of Israeli interest groups in Washington, despite the House having passed a resolution condemning prejudice of all kinds by 402 to 23.


R. Kelly released from jail after paying child support

Posted: 09 Mar 2019 11:45 AM PST

R. Kelly released from jail after paying child supportSinger R. Kelly was released from jail Saturday after paying child support following a previous detention on sex abuse charges. The R&B superstar was taken into custody Wednesday after failing to come up with the $161,000 he owed in payments to his ex-wife and their three children. "I promise you we're going to straighten all this stuff out," Kelly, 52, told journalists as he left prison.


Sen. Martha McSally on Air Force handling of rape: 'They failed on the job. Big time'

Posted: 08 Mar 2019 09:57 AM PST

Sen. Martha McSally on Air Force handling of rape: 'They failed on the job. Big time'In a nationally televised interview, Sen. Martha McSally said she didn't even consider reporting her rape at the time because of the environment.


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