2019年3月28日星期四

Yahoo! News: Iraq

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Yahoo! News: Iraq


Prosecutor: Grand jury in Russia probe 'continuing robustly'

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 06:01 PM PDT

Prosecutor: Grand jury in Russia probe 'continuing robustly'WASHINGTON (AP) — A grand jury that was involved in special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation is "continuing robustly," a federal prosecutor said Wednesday.


Netanyahu says Israel ready for Gaza campaign if needed; Palestinians plan huge march

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 10:52 AM PDT

Netanyahu says Israel ready for Gaza campaign if needed; Palestinians plan huge marchIn Gaza, organizers announced plans for a massive protest on Saturday along the border to mark the anniversary of weekly demonstrations at which Israeli forces have, according to Gaza medical officials, already killed nearly 200 Palestinians. Israel launched air strikes and moved troops and armor reinforcements to the Gaza border this week after a rocket attack from the Hamas Islamist-run enclave wounded seven Israelis in a village north of Tel Aviv on Monday. "All Israelis should know that if a comprehensive campaign is required, we will enter it strong and safe, and after we have exhausted all of the other possibilities," Netanyahu said after visiting the Gaza frontier and meeting with Israeli commanders.


Russia tells Trump its troops will stay in Venezuela for 'as long as needed'

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 12:11 PM PDT

Russia tells Trump its troops will stay in Venezuela for 'as long as needed'Russia has said its troops will remain in Venezuela "for as long as needed" in a blunt rejection of Donald Trump's demand they leave immediately. In the latest indication the crisis in Venezuela is taking on elements of a proxy battle between the former Cold War rivals, a spokeswoman for Russia's foreign ministry said the troops had been dispatched to fulfil "military contracts". "They are involved in the implementation of agreements in the sphere of military and technical cooperation," said Maria Zakharova, according to the AFP, adding that the troops would stay there "for as long as needed".


See Photos of the 2019 Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack 1320

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 08:08 AM PDT

See Photos of the 2019 Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack 1320


More universities notified they are under investigation in connection with the college admissions scandal

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 05:38 AM PDT

More universities notified they are under investigation in connection with the college admissions scandalDepartment of Education opens preliminary investigation into eight universities in connection with the college admissions scandal.


Southwest Airlines takes financial hit from Boeing 737 Max 8 grounding

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 05:51 AM PDT

Southwest Airlines takes financial hit from Boeing 737 Max 8 groundingThe grounding of Boeing 737 Max 8 planes is costing Southwest Airlines. It will lose $150 million in first-quarter revenue due to one-time issues.


WTO confirms US failed to fully comply over Boeing subsidies

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 12:02 PM PDT

WTO confirms US failed to fully comply over Boeing subsidiesThe World Trade Organization confirmed Thursday that Washington failed to fully comply with a 2012 order to halt subsidies to Boeing, marking a partial victory for rival aircraft maker Airbus and the EU. The ruling from the WTO appeals body was the latest blow in the decade-long clash between the titans of the civil aircraft industry, which has seen both Airbus and Boeing score points along the way.


Green New Deal: Senate defeats proposal as Democrats unite in protest

Posted: 26 Mar 2019 07:46 PM PDT

Green New Deal: Senate defeats proposal as Democrats unite in protestNon-binding proposal spearheaded by progressives aims to reduce greenhouse gases and lessen social inequity The US Senate defeated a motion to take up the Green New Deal, the non-binding proposal spearheaded by progressive Democratic lawmakers to radically reduce greenhouse gases and try to lessen social inequity. Republican leaders in the Senate had scheduled Tuesday's vote in an effort to turn the proposal into a wedge issue in the 2020 elections, hoping to force Democrats on the record about their support – or opposition – for a proposal that is popular among the Democratic base but has been criticized by many conservatives. Democrats called the efforts by the Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell a "sham", and 43 of them voted "present" rather than casting an up-or-down vote. Lawmakers ultimately voted 57-0 against the proposal. Three Democrats and independent senator Angus King of Maine ultimately joined all 53 Republicans in opposing the plan. The Green New Deal aims to virtually eliminate greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and calls for the US to shift away from fossil fuels such as oil and coal. It also urges national healthcare coverage and job guarantees, high-quality education and affordable housing, as well as "upgrading all existing buildings in the United States" to be energy-efficient. The proposal has broad support among Democratic activists, and all six of the 2020 presidential contenders serving in the Senate have signed on as cosponsors, putting it at the forefront of the party's sprawling primary race. Republicans say the plan would devastate the economy and lead to a huge tax increase. They call it more evidence of the creep of "socialism" in the Democratic party, along with "Medicare for All" and a sweeping elections reform package that would allow public financing of congressional campaigns. McConnell said the proposal "might sound like a neat idea in places like San Francisco or New York" but would result in communities across the country being "absolutely crushed". He argued the deal would "kill off entire domestic industries" and eliminate millions of jobs. Donald Trump also weighed in against the plan, which the White House called "job crushing". At a luncheon with Senate Republicans, Trump urged lawmakers to keep the Green New Deal alive as an issue to use against Democrats. Mike Lee, a Republican senator from Utah, called the Green New Deal "ridiculous" and displayed pictures of dinosaurs, cartoon characters and babies as he derided the plan. He said he was treating it "with the seriousness it deserves". Democrats derided the GOP moves and said they carried their own political risk by mocking an issue – climate change – that a growing number of Americans care deeply about. Climate change, they said, is deadly serious, citing floods in the midwest, wildfires in the west and hurricanes in the south. "Climate change is not a joke," said Ed Markey, a Democratic senator from Massachusetts and the resolution's lead Senate author. "Mocking it is shameful." "The GOP's climate delaying is costing us lives [and is] destroying communities," congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the plan's sponsor in the House, tweeted. The GOP's climate delaying is costing us lives + destroying communities.Iowa, Nebraska & many in the Midwest are catastrophically flooded right now, in one of the 1st major climate change disasters of 2019.A #GreenNewDeal urges us to pursue a plan on the scale of the problem. https://t.co/dWXe44hxWX— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) March 26, 2019 Ocasio-Cortez also said she had encouraged fellow Democrats to vote present, and questioned Republicans' reluctance to schedule major hearings on the effects of climate change. Separately, speaking at a hearing of the House financial services committee on Tuesday, Ocasio-Cortez sharply criticized the suggestion that concerns about the environment were "elitist" and condemned past inaction. "You want to tell people that their concern and their desire for clean air and clean water is elitist? Tell that to the kids of the South Bronx, which are suffering from the highest rates of child asthma in the country," she said. "This is about our lives, and this should not be partisan," she added. "Science should not be partisan." By Tuesday evening, the clip of her comments had been shared thousands of times. Watch every second of this... @AOC is so incredibly spot on. pic.twitter.com/ESP4dC5TTo— Brian Tyler Cohen (@briantylercohen) March 27, 2019 The New York senator Kirsten Gillibrand, one of a half-dozen senators seeking the Democratic nomination for president, said Republicans treat climate change "as a game" and said Democrats "will not fall for this stunt". Slowing climate change "should be our nation's moonshot" in the 21st century, Gillibrand argued. "We don't know if we can get to net-zero carbon emissions in 10 years, but why not try?" she said at a rally before the Senate vote.


India Smashes Satellite in a Surprise Test of a New Space Weapon

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 06:14 AM PDT

India Smashes Satellite in a Surprise Test of a New Space WeaponThe test, which was announced to the nation by the prime minister, was unexpected.


Man pleads guilty to kidnapping Jayme Closs, killing parents

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 08:22 PM PDT

Man pleads guilty to kidnapping Jayme Closs, killing parentsBARRON, Wis. (AP) — A Wisconsin man pleaded guilty Wednesday to kidnapping 13-year-old Jayme Closs and killing her parents, in a move that spares the girl held captive in a remote cabin for three months from the possible trauma of having to testify at his trial.


U.S. jury to determine liability, damages in Roundup cancer trial

Posted: 26 Mar 2019 06:35 PM PDT

U.S. jury to determine liability, damages in Roundup cancer trialThe case is only the second of more than 11,200 Roundup lawsuits to go to trial in the United States as litigation setbacks and a prior jury verdict against the company have sent Bayer shares plunging. "A responsible company would test its product. A responsible company would tell their customers if they knew it causes cancer," Aimee Wagstaff, a lawyer for plaintiff Edwin Hardeman, said during closing arguments on Tuesday.


Trump news: Hope Hicks accused of lying to Robert Mueller as president is blamed for Bush ‘heart attack’

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 01:55 PM PDT

Trump news: Hope Hicks accused of lying to Robert Mueller as president is blamed for Bush 'heart attack'Hope Hicks has been accused of lying to Special Counsel Robert Mueller during his investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election by a former spokesperson for Donald Trump's legal team. Mark Corallo said the former White House communications director lied to investigators from the special counsel's office about discussions that were had with the president on Air Force One after the infamous 2016 Trump Tower meeting was made public through media reporting.


Save $80 on crazy wireless over-ear headphones with earbuds inside the cups, today only

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 12:22 PM PDT

Save $80 on crazy wireless over-ear headphones with earbuds inside the cups, today onlyYou've undoubtedly seen plenty of pairs of headphones in your lifetime, but you've never seen anything like the Nuraphone Wireless Noise Cancelling Over Ear Headphones. These premium noise cancelling headphones have a feature you won't find on any other over-ear headphones out there: earbuds built right into the cups. The result is a listening experience that's unlike anything else you've ever tried, and you can save $80 on them in Amazon's one-day sale.Here's what you need to know from the product page: * Personalised sound: The world's only headphone to automatically learn and adapt to how you hear music. * Adjustable bass: Choose your level of Immersion, from low to the front row. * Active Noise Cancellation + Social Mode: Enjoy uniquely quiet listening, or hear conversations and your surroundings with the touch of a button. * In-and-over-ear design: Combines in-ear buds dedicated to melodies with over-ear drivers dedicated to bass you can feel. * Additional features: aptX-HD wireless Bluetooth plus wired options, 4 external microphones for clearest voice calls, 20+ hours wireless battery life, free nuraphone companion app.


10-year-old girl dies after classroom fight

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 11:33 AM PDT

10-year-old girl dies after classroom fightA 10-year-old girl has died two days after she was injured in a fight with a fellow pupil at her primary school. RaNiya Wright was found unresponsive by staff at the Forest Hills Elementary School in the South Carolina of Walterboro, after she got into an altercation with another Year 5 student on Monday. The other student involved in the fight, who has not been identified, has been suspended from the school, according to NBC News.


Cuba, Google move to improve island's connectivity

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 10:22 AM PDT

Cuba, Google move to improve island's connectivityHAVANA (AP) — Cuba and Google signed a deal Thursday moving the island one step closer to having a state-of-the-art connection to the modern internet.


Boeing Sued Over Ethiopia Crash as Political Woes Deepen

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 01:52 PM PDT

Boeing Sued Over Ethiopia Crash as Political Woes DeepenThe Chicago-based company is under intense scrutiny after two crashes less than half a year apart killed 346 people. The U.S. aerospace giant lost billions of dollars in market value in the days after the Ethiopia crash as nation after nation announced they were barring the aircraft from flying. A Boeing spokeswoman declined to comment on Thursday's complaint in federal court in Chicago.


China expels ex-Interpol chief Meng from Communist Party

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 03:53 AM PDT

China expels ex-Interpol chief Meng from Communist PartyChina has expelled former Interpol chief Meng Hongwei from the Communist Party and dismissed him from his official positions, the country's graft watchdog announced Wednesday. Meng, who served as the vice minister of public security, vanished in September last year during a visit to China from France, and was later accused of accepting bribes. "Meng Hongwei has no party principles ... does not report personal matters in accordance with regulations ... and refuses to implement the decision of the Party Central Committee," the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) said in a statement.


Why the U.S. Air Force Just Launched 24 Stealth F-22 Raptors Into the Sky

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 03:00 PM PDT

Why the U.S. Air Force Just Launched 24 Stealth F-22 Raptors Into the SkyThe dramatic "elephant walk" at Elmendorf Air Force Base was more than an impressive photo-op. It showed off much of the new, bigger F-22 force at the base, underscored the resident 3rd Wing's apparently improving maintenance capabilities and underscored the Air Force's evolving strategy for deploying F-22s and other planes in self-sustaining small groups.


Saudi must make Khashoggi trials public: UN expert

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 09:53 AM PDT

Saudi must make Khashoggi trials public: UN expertA UN human rights expert said Thursday that Saudi Arabia needed to hold public trials for those accused of murdering journalist Jamal Khashoggi in order for the process to be credible. "Contrary to Saudi Arabia assertions, these are not internal, domestic matters," said Agnes Callamard, the United Nations special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions. The kingdom "is grievously mistaken if it believes that these proceedings, as currently constituted, will satisfy the international community," she added in a statement.


US STOCKS-Wall St set for muted open, trade talks in focus

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 05:55 AM PDT

US STOCKS-Wall St set for muted open, trade talks in focusWall Street's main indexes were set for a subdued opening on Thursday, as investors awaited more details on the progress in U.S.-China trade negotiations amid lingering fears of slowing economic growth. Futures inched lower after data showed the U.S. economy slowed more than initially thought in the fourth quarter, keeping growth in 2018 below the 3 percent annual target, and corporate profits failed to rise for the first time in more than two years. A Reuters report said China has made unprecedented proposals on a range of issues including forced technology transfer, though sticking points still remained and there was no definite timetable for a deal.


End of Obamacare? President Donald Trump resumes an old battle. Here's why.

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 10:02 AM PDT

End of Obamacare? President Donald Trump resumes an old battle. Here's why.President Donald Trump pledges to make the GOP "the party of healthcare" as his administration calls on federal judges to throw out Obamacare.


Adam Schiff isn't backing down: 'Undoubtedly there is collusion'

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 12:51 PM PDT

Adam Schiff isn't backing down: 'Undoubtedly there is collusion'With Republicans demanding he step down, the California Democrat vows to keep investigating the president.


Teenage boys at Maryland school rated female classmates based on their looks - so the girls fought back

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 11:14 AM PDT

Teenage boys at Maryland school rated female classmates based on their looks - so the girls fought backIt included the names of 18 girls in the Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School's International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, ranked and rated on the basis of their looks, from 5.5 to 9.4, with decimal points to the hundredth place. A group of male students in their program created the list more than a year ago, but it resurfaced earlier this month, through text messages and whispers during class. One male classmate, seeing the name of his good friend Nicky Schmidt on the list, told her about it, and within 24 hours, dozens of girls had heard about the list.


Microsoft: Seizure of sites Iranian hackers used for attacks

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 11:40 PM PDT

Microsoft: Seizure of sites Iranian hackers used for attacksMicrosoft said it seized 99 websites used by Iranian hackers to steal sensitive information and launch other cyberattacks.


Modi Says Satellite Destruction Shows India Is Now a ‘Space Power’

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 10:27 AM PDT

Modi Says Satellite Destruction Shows India Is Now a 'Space Power'In a televised address to the nation, Modi said India fired a missile to knock down one of its own satellites in low Earth orbit, calling the capability crucial for national security. "India has today established its name as a space power," Modi said. The shoot-down involved an interceptor from India's ballistic missile defense program, showcasing the country's rising confidence in the technology.


Two Women File Lawsuit After Chicago Police Raid Wrong Home During Child`s Birthday Party

Posted: 26 Mar 2019 08:19 PM PDT

Two Women File Lawsuit After Chicago Police Raid Wrong Home During Child`s Birthday PartyTwo women are demanding justice after they say their home was mistakenly raided by Chicago police during a child's birthday party, leaving the kids terrified.


Jake Patterson: Wisconsin man pleads guilty to kidnapping Jayme Closs and shooting her parents

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 11:46 AM PDT

Jake Patterson: Wisconsin man pleads guilty to kidnapping Jayme Closs and shooting her parentsJake Patterson has pleaded guilty to kidnapping 13-year-old Jayme Closs, killing her parents and holding her captive in a remote cabin for three months. The intentional homicide counts carry a sentence of life in prison. According to a criminal complaint , Patterson told authorities he decided she "was the girl he was going to take" after he saw her getting on a school bus near her home.


Jury begins deliberations in Roundup trial phase 2

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 01:13 AM PDT

Jury begins deliberations in Roundup trial phase 2San Francisco (AFP) - "Monsanto knew" its weedkiller Roundup was carcinogenic yet sold it anyway, the lawyer for an American retiree said on the last day of a trial to determine the agriculture giant's culpability for his cancer. The company's attorney meanwhile denied the allegations and accused Monsanto's critics of concocting a conspiracy, as arguments drew to a close and the jury began its deliberations midday on Tuesday. The same San Francisco jury previously found that a quarter century exposure to Roundup, whose principal ingredient is controversial chemical glyphosate, was a "substantial factor" in giving 70-year-old Edwin Hardeman non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.


Defending Green New Deal, Ocasio-Cortez says GOP Sen. Mike Lee doesn't take 'job seriously'

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 11:47 AM PDT

Defending Green New Deal, Ocasio-Cortez says GOP Sen. Mike Lee doesn't take 'job seriously'"The real question we should be asking: Why does the Senate GOP refuse to hold any major hearings on climate change?" Ocasio-Cortez said in a tweet.


After Mueller report, are apologies in order?

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 04:41 PM PDT

After Mueller report, are apologies in order?After a nearly two-year probe, special counsel Robert Mueller concluded that no one in the Trump campaign, including the president, conspired with Russia. What happens next?


Fluffy Things Are the New Shearling

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 02:21 PM PDT

Fluffy Things Are the New Shearling


UPDATE 1-PG&E creditors propose $35 bln exit plan - Bloomberg

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 10:36 PM PDT

UPDATE 1-PG&E creditors propose $35 bln exit plan - BloombergSome creditors of PG&E Corp, including Elliott Management Corp and Pacific Investment Management Co (Pimco), are proposing a $35 billion plan for the California power utility to exit bankruptcy within a year, Bloomberg reported late on Wednesday. Pimco, Elliott and David Kempner Capital Management have discussed the proposal with California lawmakers and other stakeholders, Bloomberg reported https://bloom.bg/2JOGnv0, citing sources familiar with the matter.


Beto O'Rourke hires Iowa caucus architect as state tactician

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 12:21 PM PDT

Beto O'Rourke hires Iowa caucus architect as state tacticianDES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A former Iowa Democratic Party official is facing criticism for jumping to Beto O'Rourke's campaign — and bringing with him inside information that O'Rourke's rivals for the White House say could give the former Texas congressman an advantage on caucus night.


Grounded Boeing 737 Max also grounds FAA reputation

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 02:56 PM PDT

Grounded Boeing 737 Max also grounds FAA reputationEthiopian Airlines and Lion Air crashes are only the latest tragedies from Federal Aviation Administration's coziness with airline industry: Our view


Verizon adds free 'Call Filter' feature in bid to fight robocalls

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 03:03 PM PDT

Verizon adds free 'Call Filter' feature in bid to fight robocallsVerizon's free answer to the robocall plague has arrived.


True to form, Avenatti attacks Nike a day after arrest

Posted: 26 Mar 2019 06:43 PM PDT

True to form, Avenatti attacks Nike a day after arrestNEW YORK (AP) — Attorney Michael Avenatti came out swinging Tuesday against Nike, accusing the shoemaker — without evidence — of "rampant" corruption mere hours after he was released from U.S. custody on charges he tried to extort up to $25 million from the company.


No-deal Brexit on April 12 is UK's most likely option right now: lawmaker Letwin

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 12:37 AM PDT

No-deal Brexit on April 12 is UK's most likely option right now: lawmaker LetwinA no-deal Brexit on April 12 is the most likely scenario right now for Britain, Conservative Party lawmaker Oliver Letwin said on Thursday. "I think that at some point or other we either have to get a deal across the line or accept that we have to find an alternative if we want to avoid no deal on April 12, which I think at the moment is the most likely thing to happen," Letwin, the architect of a series of votes on alternatives to Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit deal, told BBC radio. If Britain wants to hold a referendum or an election it would need to delay Brexit by at least several months but it is unclear if parliament would vote for such a long extension, Letwin said.


PHOTOS: MLB Opening Day 2019

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 01:23 PM PDT

PHOTOS: MLB Opening Day 2019All 30 teams will be in action on Thursday's MLB schedule, with games spread out across the day. While Opening Day was technically March 20 when the Mariners and Athletics played a two-game series in Japan, Thursday is officially known as baseball's Opening Day.


Trump's Gunboats Test Xi's Red Lines as China Talks Grind On

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 02:49 AM PDT

Trump's Gunboats Test Xi's Red Lines as China Talks Grind OnSince Sunday alone, the U.S. has sailed a warship through the Taiwan Strait, released a report criticizing travel restrictions in Tibet and hosted Uighur exiles at the State Department. The moves -- all of them defying China's warnings against meddling in what it views as its internal affairs -- came ahead the arrival of Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer in Beijing for trade talks.


Germs to blame for Pope ring-kissing mystery

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 09:13 AM PDT

Germs to blame for Pope ring-kissing mysteryThe mystery of why Pope Francis repeatedly withdrew his right hand as a long line of people bowed and tried to kiss it this week has been resolved -- he did not want to spread germs. Francesca Lynagh reports.


Five migrants arrested after Maltese special forces raid brings end to high seas hijack drama

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 11:15 PM PDT

Five migrants arrested after Maltese special forces raid brings end to high seas hijack dramaFive migrants who allegedly led the hijacking of a tanker in the Mediterranean to avoid being returned to Libya were arrested in Malta on Thursday after special forces stormed the vessel to take back control. The five men, some of whom were led off the merchant vessel in plastic handcuffs, were among 108 asylum seekers who were rescued by the El Hiblu 1 tanker north of Libya on Tuesday. The tanker was ordered by Libyan authorities to take the migrants to Tripoli, but they allegedly subjected the 12-man crew to physical threats and forced the vessel to sail north instead, towards Europe. Migrants in Libya are held in horrific conditions and are often subjected to beatings, torture and rape, according to the UN and humanitarian agencies. A migrant suspected of hijacking the ship is detained in Valletta, Malta Credit: Reuters The Maltese military intervened in the early hours of Thursday, with armed commandoes boarding the tanker in an operation that involved Maltese naval vessels and helicopters. Maltese authorities established communications with the captain of the 170ft-long oil tanker when it was about 30 nautical miles away from Malta and proceeding towards the island. "The captain repeatedly stated that he was not in control of the vessel and that he and his crew were being forced and threatened by a number of migrants to proceed to Malta," the authorities said. The tanker was escorted by navy vessels to Valletta, Malta's capital, where the five alleged ringleaders were arrested and taken away for questioning. They are likely to be charged with "illegally forcing the captain of the ship to hand over control through coercive action and changing its course," Maltese government sources said. No one was injured during the high seas drama, but the outnumbered crew said they were threatened with assault unless they followed orders.   The rescued migrants consisted of 77 men, 19 women and 12 children. "We do not shirk responsibility, despite our size. We will now follow all international rules accordingly," said Joseph Muscat, Malta's prime minister. Matteo Salvini, the hardline deputy prime minister of Italy, had called the migrants "pirates" and vowed that they would not be allowed to land on Italian soil. Police buses await migrants who arrived on the 'hijacked' merchant ship Credit:  DARRIN ZAMMIT LUPI/REUTERS "Immigration is managed by criminals and should be blocked by any legal means necessary," he said. Sea-Eye, a German migrant rescue NGO, said one of its vessels had overheard radio messages between a European military aircraft and the captain of the tanker. "The captain of the ship…said unequivocally on the radio that people are very upset and do not want to be brought back to Libya," Sea-Eye said. Vincent Cochetel, the UN refugee agency's special envoy for the central Mediterranean, said that the safety of merchant ship crews was as important as that of "human beings fleeing a hellish situation and not wanting to return there." A Maltese special forces soldier guards a group of migrants  Credit: DARRIN ZAMMIT LUPI/REUTERS Italy's populist coalition closed its ports to rescued migrants last summer, leading to a number of stand-offs with other EU countries over boatloads of rescued migrants. There has been a sharp drop in the number of asylum seekers crossing the Mediterranean, as the EU-trained Libyan coast guard intercepts them and returns them to the Libyan coast. Humanitarian organisations said the migrants should not be characterised as criminals or "pirates" because they were trying to avoid returning to a hellish existence in Libya. "It is entirely legitimate for people found in distress at sea to reject being returned to Libya, the very place they know they will only continue to suffer the gravest of violations of their rights and the most degrading treatment," said Johannes Bayer, the chairman of Sea-Watch.   Matteo Salvini, the Italian interior minister and deputy prime minister Credit: AFP EU countries such as Italy and Malta "alert the Libyan coast guard when refugees and migrants are spotted at sea so they can be taken back to Libya, despite knowing that people there are arbitrarily detained and exposed to widespread torture, rape, killings and exploitation," said Matteo de Bellis, an expert on migrants for Amnesty International. In November, dozens of migrants seized control of a container ship that had picked them up at sea, barricading themselves inside and refusing to disembark in the Libyan port of Misrata. After 10 days, Libyan authorities forcibly removed them from the ship and placed them in a detention centre. Sign up for your essential, twice-daily briefing from The Telegraph with our free Front Page newsletter.


UPDATE 4-New Jersey jury finds J&J not liable in talc cancer trial; company settles 3 other cases

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 10:20 AM PDT

UPDATE 4-New Jersey jury finds J&J not liable in talc cancer trial; company settles 3 other casesA New Jersey jury on Wednesday cleared Johnson & Johnson of liability in a lawsuit brought by a man who said that asbestos in the company's talcum powder products caused his mesothelioma. The jury delivered its unanimous verdict in Middlesex County Superior Court in New Brunswick, just miles from J&J's headquarters, in the case of plaintiff Ricardo Rimondi. J&J, which faces some 13,000 talc-related lawsuits nationwide, denies that its talc causes cancer, saying numerous studies and tests by regulators worldwide have shown its talc to be safe and asbestos-free.


Delta, Korean Air apologize after teens kicked off of plane because of peanut allergy

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 07:40 AM PDT

Delta, Korean Air apologize after teens kicked off of plane because of peanut allergyThe brothers were traveling on their own on Delta partner, Korean Air, which wouldn't accommodate a request to refrain from serving peanuts.


Markets Right Now: Health care, tech lead US stocks lower

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 01:11 PM PDT

Markets Right Now: Health care, tech lead US stocks lowerNEW YORK (AP) — The latest on developments in financial markets (all times local):


The F-15 Eagle: The Undisputed King of Fighter Combat (As In It Never Lost?)

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 03:31 AM PDT

The F-15 Eagle: The Undisputed King of Fighter Combat (As In It Never Lost?)Is this true?


Petersen Museum Opens First Custom Electric Motorcycle Exhibit

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 05:00 AM PDT

Petersen Museum Opens First Custom Electric Motorcycle ExhibitThe Petersen Museum is set to open the first ever all-electric bike exhibit. Opening in late April of this year, the Petersen Automotive Museum is set to become the very first to host a display completely dedicated to electric motorcycles. This exhibit has been dubbed the "Electric Revolution" and will explore the history and future of the electric bike.


India's Modi launches election blitz, trumpets space feat

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 06:36 AM PDT

India's Modi launches election blitz, trumpets space featIndia's Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarked on a campaign blitz Thursday with three huge rallies where he declared voters would reward his decision to test new weapons and bomb Pakistan with a thumping election victory. The Hindu nationalist leader addressed tens of thousands of supporters in three northern cities in his first official campaign events since the announcement of the election earlier this month. Modi, 68, hit the hustings a day after India destroyed a low-orbiting satellite using a ballistic missile -- a military feat only equalled by China, Russia and the United States.


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