2019年3月22日星期五

Yahoo! News: Iraq

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Yahoo! News: Iraq


President Trump abruptly yanks sanctions on North Korea because he 'likes' dictator Kim Jong Un

Posted: 22 Mar 2019 05:46 PM PDT

President Trump abruptly yanks sanctions on North Korea because he 'likes' dictator Kim Jong UnPresident Donald Trump overruled his own Treasury Department and withdrew new sanctions aimed at North Korea because he "likes" dictator Kim Jong Un.


Harvard 'shamelessly' profits from photos of enslaved people, descendant claims in lawsuit

Posted: 21 Mar 2019 07:18 AM PDT

Harvard 'shamelessly' profits from photos of enslaved people, descendant claims in lawsuitA descendant of enslaved people has sued Harvard University, alleging that the Ivy League institution has "shamelessly" profited from photos of her ancestors. Tamara Lanier, of Norwich, Connecticut, claims that Harvard has ignored requests to surrender images of a man named Renty, whom she says is her great-great-great grandfather, and his daughter Delia. Lanier is suing Harvard for "wrongful seizure, possession and expropriation" of the images, asking the university to return the photos to her, pay unspecified damages, and recognise her ancestry.


Indonesia's Garuda says to cancel 49-jet Boeing 737 deal after crashes

Posted: 21 Mar 2019 09:35 PM PDT

Indonesia's Garuda says to cancel 49-jet Boeing 737 deal after crashesIndonesia's national carrier Garuda has told Boeing it will cancel a multi-billion-dollar order for 49 Boeing 737 Max 8 jets after two fatal crashes involving the plane, in what is thought to be the first formal cancellation for the model. "We have sent a letter to Boeing requesting that the order be cancelled," Garuda spokesman Ikhsan Rosan said. "The reason is that Garuda passengers in Indonesia have lost trust and no longer have the confidence" in the plane, he said, adding that the airline was awaiting a response from Boeing.


The Latest: Nebraska puts flood damage at more than $640 mln

Posted: 21 Mar 2019 06:33 PM PDT

The Latest: Nebraska puts flood damage at more than $640 mlnKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Latest on flooding in the Midwest (all times local):


Bringing the Sting: The U.S. Navy Is Getting New F/A-18E/F Super Hornets

Posted: 21 Mar 2019 09:00 PM PDT

Bringing the Sting: The U.S. Navy Is Getting New F/A-18E/F Super HornetsThe Super Hornets would be the first new-build examples of the Block III variant of the F/A-18E/F. The Block III flies farther and carries more weapons than an older F/A-18E/F can do and also is stealthier than earlier Super Hornet models are.


Turkey's Erdogan shows shooting video again, hours after NZ meeting

Posted: 22 Mar 2019 10:22 AM PDT

Turkey's Erdogan shows shooting video again, hours after NZ meetingNew Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters arrived in Istanbul on Friday to talk to Erdogan about the footage and comments he has made on the shooting of 50 people at mosques in Christchurch a week ago, which have drawn condemnation from New Zealand and Australia. "I did not ask that question because I felt that I did not have to ask it, because they are not doing that anymore," Peters told reporters after attending a meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). Two hours later, however, Erdogan paused his speech at an election rally in the central province of Konya so that the audience could watch the video footage of the shootings that the alleged gunman had broadcast on Facebook on March 15.


Some Pickups Lag in Passenger Crash Protection

Posted: 20 Mar 2019 09:01 PM PDT

Some Pickups Lag in Passenger Crash ProtectionCrash Tests Show Some Pickup Trucks Lag in Passenger Protection Most pickup trucks fall short when it comes to protecting passengers in certain types of crashes, according to new findings from t...


Strengthen Your Retirement Security in 7 Steps

Posted: 22 Mar 2019 11:47 AM PDT

Strengthen Your Retirement Security in 7 StepsRetirement security is the ability to live a comfortable retirement without the burden of financial stress. Early planning is the best way to ensure a financially secure retirement, but not everyone has the luxury of time to prepare. The financial decisions you make in the years approaching retirement will have a significant impact on your retirement security.


JetBlue pilots who drugged and raped flight attendants continued working for airline without repercussion, lawsuit says

Posted: 22 Mar 2019 10:20 AM PDT

JetBlue pilots who drugged and raped flight attendants continued working for airline without repercussion, lawsuit saysThree female flight attendants claim they were drugged and two of them raped by two JetBlue pilots during a layover in Puerto Rico, a new lawsuit filed this week in New York federal court has claimed. At least one of the female flight attendants said she was forced to work with one of the accused pilots after the alleged rape. After making their way to a beach in Puerto Rico near the hotel they were staying during their layover in May of last year, the women were offered sips from one of the flight attendant's alcoholic beverages.


Kellyanne Conway says Trump is 'protective of me' in feud with her husband

Posted: 21 Mar 2019 08:12 AM PDT

Kellyanne Conway says Trump is 'protective of me' in feud with her husbandWhite House counselor Kellyanne Conway on Thursday continued to defend her boss, President Trump, who called her husband, George, a "whack job" whose feud with Trump is "doing a tremendous disservice to a wonderful wife."


Venezuela arrests Guaido aide for 'terrorism' in defiance of US

Posted: 21 Mar 2019 07:57 PM PDT

Venezuela arrests Guaido aide for 'terrorism' in defiance of USVenezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's regime defied the US on Thursday to arrest a top aide of opposition leader Juan Guaido, whom Washington recognizes as the crisis-hit country's interim leader. The United States has repeatedly warned Maduro's government against arresting Guaido or his close aides, saying it would face unspecified repercussions.


Correction: Southern Flood Threat story

Posted: 22 Mar 2019 01:07 PM PDT

Correction: Southern Flood Threat storyIn a story March 21 about the U.S. flooding outlook, The Associated Press misspelled the last name of a weather forecaster. He is Kevin Low, not Lao.


CNN takes over a week to report Covington lawsuit

Posted: 21 Mar 2019 05:57 PM PDT

CNN takes over a week to report Covington lawsuitWhat happened to 'facts first'? Reaction from former Secret Service agent Dan Bongino.


Indonesia's Garuda asks to cancel 737 MAX order it had been reconsidering before Ethiopia crash

Posted: 22 Mar 2019 09:14 AM PDT

Indonesia's Garuda asks to cancel 737 MAX order it had been reconsidering before Ethiopia crashGaruda is the first airline to publicly confirm plans to scrap an order for the jets after the Ethiopian Airlines crash that killed 157 people. "Many passengers told us they were afraid to get on a MAX 8," Garuda CEO Ari Askhara told Reuters on Friday. Analysts last week said the grounding of the 737 MAX fleet could give some airlines a good excuse to delay or cancel purchases, saving cash on their balance sheets.


See Photos of the New 2020 Porsche Cayenne Coupe

Posted: 21 Mar 2019 11:14 AM PDT

See Photos of the New 2020 Porsche Cayenne Coupe


Home loan applications rise as wealthier shoppers hunt for more expensive houses

Posted: 21 Mar 2019 12:56 PM PDT

Home loan applications rise as wealthier shoppers hunt for more expensive housesMortgage interest rates are now lower than a year ago, and home shoppers are buying in, but most are wealthier and purchasing more expensive homes.


Jared Kushner: Trump's son-in-law uses WhatsApp and personal email for official White House business, attorney says

Posted: 21 Mar 2019 07:30 AM PDT

Jared Kushner: Trump's son-in-law uses WhatsApp and personal email for official White House business, attorney saysJared Kushner uses private messaging apps and personal email to communicate about official Trump administration matters with foreign leaders – a violation of a laws governing White House records - a congressional committee has been told. Elijah Cummings, the Democratic congressman who heads the House of Representative's oversight committee, said the lawyer of the president's son-in-law.


Mueller Closes Trump Probe; Barr May Reveal Details Over Weekend

Posted: 22 Mar 2019 04:38 PM PDT

Mueller Closes Trump Probe; Barr May Reveal Details Over WeekendThere were no instances in which Mueller was told not to take a specific action in his wide-ranging probe, Barr said. "I remain committed to as much transparency as possible, and I will keep you informed as to the status of my review," Barr wrote.


See How Snøhetta’s Architecture Brought the Best of Scandinavian Design to the World

Posted: 21 Mar 2019 01:21 PM PDT

See How Snøhetta's Architecture Brought the Best of Scandinavian Design to the World


The Latest: Defense expert supports cop who shot black teen

Posted: 21 Mar 2019 03:32 PM PDT

The Latest: Defense expert supports cop who shot black teenPITTSBURGH (AP) — The Latest on the homicide trial of a white Pennsylvania police officer in the shooting of an unarmed black 17-year-old (all times local):


'Unprecedented' Spring Flood Season to Put 200 Million People in the U.S. at Risk, NOAA Warns

Posted: 22 Mar 2019 12:56 AM PDT

'Unprecedented' Spring Flood Season to Put 200 Million People in the U.S. at Risk, NOAA WarnsSome 200 million people across the U.S. are at risk of experiencing spring flooding, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration warned


US-backed forces press offensive against IS Syria enclave

Posted: 21 Mar 2019 01:44 AM PDT

US-backed forces press offensive against IS Syria enclaveUS-backed forces pressed an offensive against the Islamic State group in its last redoubt in Syria on Thursday, denying reports the jihadist enclave had fallen. "Mopping up operations continue in Baghouz camp," the command of the Syrian Democratic Forces said in a brief statement. The SDF, which launched a final assault against the village of Baghouz in eastern Syria on February 9, denied reports that the IS enclave had completely fallen to its forces.


Crashed Boeing jets lacked two safety features that would have cost extra

Posted: 21 Mar 2019 01:53 PM PDT

Crashed Boeing jets lacked two safety features that would have cost extraTwo Boeing jets that crashed in Ethiopia and Indonesia each lacked a pair of cockpit safety features that the plane manufacturer charged extra for. The systems  might have helped the pilots as they struggled to control their planes, aviation experts said. Lion Air Flight 610 crashed in October killing 189 people, and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 went down on March 10, shortly after takeoff from Addis Ababa, with the loss of 157 lives. Both Boeing 737 Max aircraft were new but did not have an angle of attack indicator, which shows how much the nose is tilted. They also did not have an angle of attack disagree light, which is triggered if other sensors are giving conflicting information, the New York Times reported. Such safety features were not required on new planes by the US Federal Aviation Administration, and Boeing charged a fee to have them put in if an airline requested them. Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines had opted not to. Boeing has now announced the angle of attack disagree light will be free on new 737 Max planes. Ethiopia Airlines crash Bjorn Fehrm, an aviation analyst, told the New York Times: "They're critical and cost almost nothing for the airlines to install. Boeing charges for them because it can. But they're vital for safety." The various extra customised features offered by plane manufacturers can be expensive, with airlines paying hundreds of thousands of dollars for them. Many low-cost airlines opt not to do so if regulators have not made them mandatory. Airlines with Boeing 737 Max 8s in their fleet The US Justice Department has reportedly issued a number of subpoenas as part of an investigation, which is in its early stages, looking at Boeing's safety procedures. In a statement Ethiopian Airlines said its pilots went through all the extra training required by Boeing and the FAA to fly the 737 Max. As investigators look into the crashes attention has turned to a new software in the planes that can push the nose down in some circumstances, for example when the sensors suggest the plane may be stalling. The FAA has said satellite-based tracking data showed the movements of both flights were similar before they crashed. It has emerged that the Lion Air pilots frantically scrambled through a handbook to understand why the jet was lurching downwards.


Economic Inequality: What It Is and How It Impacts You

Posted: 21 Mar 2019 06:00 AM PDT

Economic Inequality: What It Is and How It Impacts YouIt's nearly impossible to read the news these days without running across mentions of economic inequality. In recent months, politicians have debated the merits of raising marginal tax rates on the wealthy, a move proponents say could reduce economic inequalities. Likewise, economic inequality takes center stage when columnists discuss the extreme riches of some of today's business owners, like Jeff Bezos, who could purchase every home in Austin, Texas, according to real estate brokerage Redfin.


'A gift sent from the heavens': Nebraska pals find fridge full of beer during flood cleanup

Posted: 21 Mar 2019 11:14 PM PDT

'A gift sent from the heavens': Nebraska pals find fridge full of beer during flood cleanupKyle Simpson and Gayland Stouffer had spent the day cleaning up from flooding in Nebraska when a fridge appeared in the distance. It was full of beer.


U.S. announces first new North Korea sanctions since failed summit

Posted: 21 Mar 2019 04:03 PM PDT

U.S. announces first new North Korea sanctions since failed summitThe U.S. Treasury Department also issued an updated advisory that listed 67 vessels that it said had engaged in illicit transfers of refined petroleum with North Korean tankers or were believed to have exported North Korean coal. The department identified the newly sanctioned firms as Dalian Haibo International Freight Co Ltd and Liaoning Danxing International Forwarding Co Ltd, both based in China. The move prohibits U.S. dealings with the designated companies and freezes any assets they have in the United States.


President Trump's latest executive order is a shot in the campus free speech wars

Posted: 21 Mar 2019 10:59 AM PDT

President Trump's latest executive order is a shot in the campus free speech warsBut while Trump's order is a clear declaration he agrees with conservative concerns about America's colleges, it's not clear what actual effect the move will have in academia.


10 Things to Know for Today

Posted: 22 Mar 2019 02:57 AM PDT

10 Things to Know for TodayYour daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today:


Lawyers release list of Illinois Catholic clergy accused of sexual misconduct

Posted: 20 Mar 2019 07:22 PM PDT

Lawyers release list of Illinois Catholic clergy accused of sexual misconductAttorneys for clergy sex abuse victims released a new report Wednesday detailing all the Illinois priests who they say have been publicly accused of sexual abuse.


Energy giants spent $1bn on climate lobbying, PR since Paris: watchdog

Posted: 21 Mar 2019 06:26 PM PDT

Energy giants spent $1bn on climate lobbying, PR since Paris: watchdogThe five largest publicly listed oil and gas majors have spent $1 billion since the 2015 Paris climate deal on public relations or lobbying that is "overwhelmingly in conflict" with the landmark accord's goals, a watchdog said Friday. Despite outwardly committing to support the Paris agreement and its aim to limit global temperature rises, ExxonMobil, Shell, Chevron, BP and Total spend a total of $200 million a year on efforts "to operate and expand fossil fuel operations," according to InfluenceMap, a pro-transparency monitor. Two of the companies -- Shell and Chevron -- said they rejected the watchdog's findings.


Ethiopian Airlines Denies Reports That Pilot in Boeing 737 MAX Crash Was Not Properly Trained

Posted: 21 Mar 2019 06:28 AM PDT

Ethiopian Airlines Denies Reports That Pilot in Boeing 737 MAX Crash Was Not Properly TrainedThey were prepared to fly a Boeing 737 Max 8, the airline said


Love it or Hate it?: China Is Studying Russia's New Su-57 Stealth Fighter

Posted: 20 Mar 2019 08:00 PM PDT

Love it or Hate it?: China Is Studying Russia's New Su-57 Stealth FighterThe Su-57's overall capability is "not bad at all," Global Times paraphrased Wang as saying.


Tax refunds are $3 smaller on average versus last year after seventh week of filing season

Posted: 22 Mar 2019 04:02 PM PDT

Tax refunds are $3 smaller on average versus last year after seventh week of filing seasonAfter three weeks of rising tax refunds, the average tax refund is $3 less than a year ago.


Druze on Golan Heights reject Trump backing for Israeli sovereignty

Posted: 22 Mar 2019 07:30 AM PDT

Druze on Golan Heights reject Trump backing for Israeli sovereigntyThe fertile hillsides of the Israeli-occupied Golan are scattered with villages inhabited by 22,000 Druze, an Arab minority who practice an offshoot of Islam. Many still have relatives on the Syrian side of the fortified boundary. In Majdal Shams, older residents remember being part of Syria before Israel captured most of the heights in the 1967 Middle East war, occupying and later annexing it in 1981.


Dem long shot John Delaney wants to take on the 'bully' in the White House

Posted: 21 Mar 2019 12:39 PM PDT

Dem long shot John Delaney wants to take on the 'bully' in the White HouseNeither of his parents went to college, and it was a scholarship from his father's labor union that helped fund his attendance at Columbia University.


Brexit End Likely to Be Based on a Customs Union, JPMorgan Says

Posted: 21 Mar 2019 12:41 PM PDT

Brexit End Likely to Be Based on a Customs Union, JPMorgan Says(Bloomberg) -- The realities of the Brexit situation indicate that the U.K. is going to end up with "something that's founded on a customs union" with the European Union, according to Karen Ward, chief market strategist for Europe, Middle East and Africa at JPMorgan Asset Management.


Brazilian ex-president remains silent under questioning

Posted: 22 Mar 2019 02:01 PM PDT

Brazilian ex-president remains silent under questioningRIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Former Brazilian President Michel Temer remained silent when questioned by investigators Friday, a day after he was arrested as part of the country's sprawling Car Wash corruption probe.


More Misconceptions about College

Posted: 22 Mar 2019 03:30 AM PDT

More Misconceptions about CollegeNow that we've all had a good airing of grievances about elite colleges and their attendant injustices, let's get some perspective.While the numbers of high-school graduates heading off to college have increased in recent years, the percentages graduating with a four-year degree have not increased much. Many students, especially those who are the first in their families to attend college, drop out before receiving a degree. (They cannot drop out of student-loan payments, though.)Data from the Lumina Foundation show that among Americans aged 25–64, 52.4 percent have no more than a high-school diploma (though 15.4 percent of them attended college for a while). An additional 5.2 percent received a certificate of some kind, and 9.2 percent obtained an associate's degree. What most people think of when you say "college" is a four-year institution. Only 21.1 percent received bachelor's degrees, and another 12.2 percent also earned graduate degrees. Adding the last two categories brings the fraction of Americans with college or graduate degrees to just over one-third.While most of the conversation in the past week has focused on highly selective colleges such as Yale and Penn, it's important to remember that only a small number of America's colleges are selective. As FiveThirtyEight has reported, more than 75 percent of undergrads attend colleges that accept at least half of all applicants. The number who attend selective colleges -- i.e., schools that accept 25 percent or fewer — is just 4 percent. And the number who attend schools in the very top tier, colleges that reject 90 percent or more, can be counted on your fingers and toes. You can probably guess most of them. (Though not all. On this U.S. News list, Pomona College came in at No. 11, and the Minerva Schools at Keck Graduate Institute came in first.) Less than 1 percent of college students attend these elite schools.Most students attend commuter schools, which tend to be community colleges. Even among those at four-year institutions, almost 25 percent attend part-time. Half of college students are also working, not getting plastered at frat parties.There's a healthy debate in policy circles about whether our current cultural preoccupation with college for all is a good thing. Some people who are funneled toward college might be a better fit for vocational training, apprenticeships, or other life paths; and while there is no doubt about the association between college completion and higher income, there is uncertainty about the causal relationship.Rather than gnash our collective teeth about whether Jason or Jessica can get into MIT, we might want to focus on all students, those who are headed for college and those who are not. Every student in elementary and high school should be learning about the "success sequence." The phrase was introduced by Isabel Sawhill and Ron Haskins of the Brookings Institution and has lately been reinforced with a study by W. Bradford Wilcox and Wendy Wang of the Institute for Family Studies.What they've found is that students have it within their power to virtually guarantee a middle- or upper-class income if they follow three steps. Those three basics are 1) finish high school, 2) get a full-time job, and 3) get married before having children. Young people who follow all three steps have only a 3 percent likelihood of living in poverty when they reach young adulthood. Eighty-six percent of Millennials who put marriage first had incomes in the middle or upper third, compared with 53 percent who had children before marriage. The success sequence works for those born into poverty, too. Seventy-one percent of Millennials who grew up in the bottom third of the income distribution were in the middle or upper third by young adulthood if they followed the three steps. Among African Americans, 76 percent who followed the success sequence achieved the middle class or above, and among Hispanics, the percentage was 81 percent.With all of the emphasis on a tiny sliver of the top 1 percent of students, most young people can get the impression that they are doomed to a lesser life. In fact, avoiding a few pitfalls like dropping out of high school, having a baby out of wedlock, and failing to find employment is a ticket to success.There's a bias among writer types to pay attention to Princeton and Columbia. But that's not really where the action is in helping most Americans.© 2019 Creators.com


Seats aboard JetBlue now feature most legroom of any US airline

Posted: 21 Mar 2019 07:54 AM PDT

Seats aboard JetBlue now feature most legroom of any US airlineLong-legged flyers may be interested to learn that JetBlue's newest cabin redesign now features the most legroom of any US airline for economy-class cabins. 


Ram Rebel TRX Pickup Spied, Likely to Get the Supercharged Hellcat V-8

Posted: 22 Mar 2019 11:11 AM PDT

Ram Rebel TRX Pickup Spied, Likely to Get the Supercharged Hellcat V-8Looks like the Ford F-150 Raptor isn't going to have the sandbox to itself anymore.


New Zealand bans assault weapons within days of massacre

Posted: 21 Mar 2019 12:21 AM PDT

New Zealand bans assault weapons within days of massacreNew Zealand imposed a ban on assault weapons Thursday, moving swiftly following the Christchurch massacre and triggering renewed calls from leading American politicians for gun controls in the United States. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said assault rifles and semi-automatic weapons were now banned with immediate effect, making good on a pledge to the country of the military-style weapons used in last week's slaughter of 50 people.


Why did the Dow plunge? Banks and tech stocks drag down market

Posted: 22 Mar 2019 04:39 PM PDT

Why did the Dow plunge? Banks and tech stocks drag down marketU.S. stocks moved broadly lower on Wall Street Friday, dragged down by banks and industrial companies.


Exclusive: U.S. threatens to derail meeting of Latam lender if China bars Venezuela

Posted: 21 Mar 2019 04:19 PM PDT

Exclusive: U.S. threatens to derail meeting of Latam lender if China bars VenezuelaThe Washington-based IADB, the biggest lender to Latin America, voted last week to replace Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's board representative with Harvard economist Ricardo Hausmann, who is backed by Guaido. Several sources familiar with the situation told Reuters that China - one of the Venezuelan government's few remaining international allies - had proposed not inviting representatives from either the Maduro or Guaido camps to "de-politicize" the meeting. Discussions to try to resolve the issue are ongoing among IADB member countries, and a final decision has not yet been taken, the sources said.


Jared Kushner Used Encrypted App to Communicate With Foreign Leaders, Democrats Claim

Posted: 21 Mar 2019 04:42 PM PDT

Jared Kushner Used Encrypted App to Communicate With Foreign Leaders, Democrats ClaimIt could just be a prelude of what is to come


Which Subcompact Crossovers and SUVs are Best? Here Are All 17, Ranked

Posted: 21 Mar 2019 08:31 AM PDT

Which Subcompact Crossovers and SUVs are Best? Here Are All 17, Ranked


On heels of scandals, USC announces new president

Posted: 20 Mar 2019 06:45 PM PDT

On heels of scandals, USC announces new presidentLOS ANGELES (AP) — The University of Southern California on Wednesday announced a new school president to usher "a new era" following a series of high-profile scandals that culminated last week with a massive college admissions bribery case.


Easter 2019: Forbidden eggs, Eostre and how the date is decided

Posted: 22 Mar 2019 04:20 AM PDT

Easter 2019: Forbidden eggs, Eostre and how the date is decidedEaster weekend is fast approaching with all the fondant-filled Creme Eggs, sticky hot cross buns and sugar-coated Mini Eggs our stretchiest waistbands can withstand.  Of course, the  Christian festival is far more than its associated confectionery. Easter celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ who, according to the New Testament, died on the cross on Good Friday and came back to life three days later. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Sunday, which also marks the end of Lent's 40-day period of fasting. From the origins of the Easter bunny to the celebrations' ever-changing dates, here is your essential guide to the holiday. Jump to it, bunny: Your complete guide to Easter decorations When is Easter 2019? This year, Good Friday falls on April 19, Easter Sunday on April 21 and Easter Monday on April 22 - three weeks later than they did last year.  While the holiday is a movable feast, it always falls somewhere between March 21 and April 25 every year. It is calculated as the first Sunday after the first full moon following the first day of spring. The full moon is known as the Paschal (Passover) Full Moon. Methods for calculating Easter are fiendishly complicated and a uniquely baffling synthesis of mathematics, astronomy and theology.  As Christians believe Jesus was crucified during the Jewish Passover festival, Easter is celebrated around the same time. Nonetheless, different Christian groups were already marking it on separate dates by the end of the 2nd Century. Q&A; | Maundy Thursday These date-led disagreements even set the course of history for the British Isles at the Synod of Whitby in 664AD when the preferred date of the Roman - rather than the Celtic - church became the standard. The decision is said to have catapulted Britain into the European sphere of influence. Though disputes over Easter's exact timing have been used as proxies for deeper power struggles for centuries, most now accept that it falls on the first Sunday following the first full moon after the spring equinox - which the Church approximated as March 21. This year, Easter Sunday falls on April 21, the longest stretch following March 21's full moon – which falls on a Sunday. In 2016, the Archbishop of Canterbury suggested Easter should fall on the same Sunday every year and the Most Rev Justin Welby said Anglican leaders would join discussions with other church leaders to fix the date for the first time, theoretically putting an end to almost 2,000 years of controversy. The 10 best destinations for Easter sun What do eggs have to do with Easter? Eggs illustrate new life, just as Jesus began his new life on Easter Sunday after the miracle of his resurrection. When eggs are cracked open they are said to symbolise an empty tomb. Originally, eating eggs was forbidden in the week leading up to Easter (known as Holy Week). They were saved and decorated in the run-up to the celebration and given to children as gifts. Sometimes they were coloured red, in recognition of the blood sacrificed by Jesus when he was crucified. Green was also used to symbolise spring re-growth after the winter. The first chocolate eggs appeared in France and Germany during the 19th century. As chocolate-making techniques improved, the Easter egg as we know it was popularised. Where does the Easter Bunny fit in to all of this? Rabbits and hares have been associated with spring for hundreds of years. It is thought that the Anglo-Saxon Goddess of Spring, Eostre – who many believe the Christian event is named after – had a hare as her companion, symbolising fertility and rebirth. It's hardly surprising that rabbits and hares have become associated with fertility as they are both prolific breeders and regularly give birth to large litters in early spring. The legend of the Easter Bunny is thought to have originated among German Lutherans, where the 'Easter Hare' judged whether children had been good or bad in the run-up to Easter. Easter bunnies and eggs are symbols of spring and fertility.  Over time it has been incorporated into Christian celebrations, becoming especially popular in Britain during the 19th century. Many children believe that the Easter Bunny lays and hides baskets of coloured eggs, sweets and toys in their homes or around the garden the night before Easter Sunday – much like Father Christmas delivering gifts on Christmas Eve. This has given rise to the tradition of the Easter egg hunt which is still popular among children today. Why do we eat hot cross buns? A hot cross bun is a spiced, sweet bun marked with a cross on top. They are traditionally eaten on Good Friday as the cross represents the crucifixion of Jesus, while the spices are said to remind Christians of the spices put on his body. Hot cross buns appeared in the Oxford English Dictionary in 1733 but they are believed to have existed long before. Enriched, sweetened bread dough dates back to the Romans. Long before Christianity, loaves and buns were baked with symbols on them, one of which was a cross. Small, spiced cakes were also baked to honour the Saxon goddess Eoestre and celebrate spring, but it was the Tudors who began to link the spiced currant buns we know today with feast days, celebrations and - eventually - Lent. Delicious recipes to cook this Easter Wild garlic and parsley soup Jose Pizarro's roast rack of lamb with braised peas and lemon-thyme salsa Hot cross bun panna cotta Paul Hollywood's Easter simnel cake How is Easter celebrated around the world? In many central and eastern European countries decorating eggs with beautiful patterns is especially popular. In Switzerland, Easter eggs are delivered by a cuckoo and, in some areas of Germany, a fox. The egg-giving tradition arrived in the United States in the 18th century via protestant German immigrants in the Pennsylvania Dutch area. Traditional Easter foods from around the world On Easter Monday, the President of the United States holds an annual Easter egg roll on the lawn of the White House for young children. In the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland it is a day of remembrance for the men and women who died in the Easter Rising which began on Easter Monday 1916.


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