| GOP Lawmaker Claims ISIS Masterminded Las Vegas Shooting Posted: 19 Jan 2018 08:55 AM PST  told Fox News host Tucker Carlson he believes the Islamic State terror group masterminded the Las Vegas shooting that killed 58 people in October.
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| Delta issues new rules on emotional support animals Posted: 19 Jan 2018 08:05 AM PST  After the airline said it saw a spike in animal incidents, passengers must now provide documentation for their pet to the airline within 48 hours of their flight.
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| 2 Boys Arrested After Vandalism That Killed 500,000 Bees On Iowa Honey Farm Posted: 18 Jan 2018 09:54 PM PST  Two boys are facing felony charges after vandalism at an Iowa honey farm killed 500,000 bees, according to police.
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| 'We want to fix it': Google, YouTube CEOs on Election Meddling Posted: 19 Jan 2018 10:27 AM PST  Google CEO Sundar Pichai and YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki discuss what changes technology companies are making in the wake of foreign meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election via digital information platforms.
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| A Leader of Zimbabwe's Opposition Party Was Among Five Killed in a Helicopter Crash Posted: 18 Jan 2018 06:04 PM PST  Roy Bennett was known as "Pachedu," meaning "one of us" in the Shona language
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| South Korea President Moon's approval rating drops on Olympics furor Posted: 18 Jan 2018 07:36 PM PST ![South Korea President Moon's approval rating drops on Olympics furor]( "South Korea President Moon's approval rating drops on Olympics furor") South Korean President Moon Jae-in's approval rating has fallen to a four-month low, a poll showed on Friday, after a public backlash over a decision for South and North Korea to field a joint ice hockey team at next month's Winter Olympics. Moon's approval rating dropped to 67 percent, Gallup Korea said in a press release, down from last week's 73 percent and the second-lowest ever after the rating stood at 65 percent in late September last year.
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| Apostrophes trip up Kazakhstan's move away from Russian alphabet Posted: 20 Jan 2018 06:35 AM PST  Kazakhstan's quarter-century struggle to assert its autonomy from former overlord Russia has hit an unlikely snag: the lowly apostrophe. A vast but sparsely populated country wedged between Russia and China, Kazakhstan came under the rule of its northern neighbour as Russia and Britain jostled for control of Central Asia in the Great Game. It also came under its linguistic influence, and to this day, many Kazakhs speak more Russian than their Turkic native tongue. This became especially concerning after Russian state media, which remain popular in Kazakhstan, helped whip up Russian-speaking separatists to fight government forces in Ukraine in 2014. In April, Kazakhstan's president of 27 years, Nursultan Nazarbayev, ordered the government to prepare a new Kazakh alphabet based on Latin characters and ditch the one based on Russia's Cyrillic script, which the Soviets implemented in 1940. He has said this will give Kazakhstan "real independence" and help it join the "information world". But a cumbersome version of the new alphabet chosen by Mr Nazarbayev last autumn has sparked rare dissent in this authoritarian country due to its ample apostrophes. Of 32 letters in the alphabet, nine are written with an apostrophe. Mr Nazarbayev meets with Vladimir Putin in December. He has tried to gently assert Kazakhstan's independence from its former overlord Credit: Alexander Nemenov/Pool Photo via AP An "against apostrophes" hashtag soon appeared on social media. So did a "No to Kazakh Latinisation with apostrophes!" Change.org petition in October, which was briefly blocked. Film director Saken Zholdas made a video explaining how inconvenient the apostrophes were. "With this decision, we are unintentionally, or maybe intentionally, killing the brand of Kazakh language once and for all," he said. The problem lies in the need to differentiate related but distinct Kazakh sounds, such as a long and short "a," or consonants similar to "s" and "sh". Setting them apart with an apostrophe allows the alphabet to be typed on a standard Latin keyboard, but also produces odd flurries of punctuation and many eyesore words. For instance, the word for "bottle," pronounced "shisha," is written "s'i's'a", while "east," pronounced "shyghys," becomes "s'yg'ys". Those are hardly the worst: The word for "skier" will be "s'an'g'ys'y" and that for "crucial" will be "s'es'u's'i". The Republic of Kazakhstan will be written "Qazaqstan Respy'bli'kasy". The palace of peace and reconciliation designed by Norman Foster in Astana, Kazakhstan Credit: Sergei Bobylev/\TASS via Getty Images Some have speculated that Mr Nazarbayev picked the apostrophes to keep Kazakh distinct from the Latinised alphabets of other Turkic languages and placate Russia, which since Soviet times has feared pan-Turkic movements along its southern border. "The guy just liked it, and since our country is this way, no one in government can tell the president no," Aidos Sarym, a political analyst who previously served on a state working group on Latinisation, told The Telegraph. Last month, Mr Nazarbayev said while the new apostrophes had caused "much discussion," this version was the right one because it suited computer keyboards. But at the same time it complicates web searches and social media hashtags, where an apostrophe between letters splits them into separate words. "From a technical point of view, apostrophes create more problems than they solve," said political analyst Dosym Satpayev. Mr Nazarbayev appears with Donald Trump in the White House on Tuesday. He has tried to balance relations with the United States, Russia and China Credit: Olivier Douliery/Pool via Bloomberg In his video, Mr Zholdas suggested replacing the apostrophes with accent marks over the nine letters in question, a move he said could be supported by 70 per cent of computer fonts. Despite the defence of his version in December, Mr Nazarbayev also said there was still time to "work with the new alphabet" before the country switches over fully in 2025, giving hope that he could eventually relax his stance. "He wants to go into history … as the father of the new Latin Kazakh alphabet," Mr Sarym said. "You can choose any version and let it be called the Nazarbayev version, but do it right so there aren't problems now, and so that tomorrow we won't have to do an upgrade."
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| Why It's So Hard For Victims Of Extreme Abuse To Leave Posted: 18 Jan 2018 06:52 PM PST  When police entered the home of David and Louise Turpin in Perris, California, they encountered 12 siblings who were being held in filthy, dark conditions ― some chained to furniture.
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| White supremacy still casts a shadow over the Trump presidency after a year of controversy Posted: 20 Jan 2018 11:17 AM PST  Through tax-break highs and Russia-investigation lows, Donald Trump's first year in office has been plagued by a seemingly unshakeable problem: White supremacy and the issue of race. It is perhaps an issue that some will see as unsurprising given the president's language, although the White House has issued statements condemning such groups after a number of controversies. Mr Trump started his campaign by calling Mexican immigrants "rapists," and sailed into office on promises of a "total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States".
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| The Story of the Turpin Family at Center of Abuse Allegations Posted: 18 Jan 2018 09:00 PM PST  David and Louise Turpin pleaded not guilty to a combined 75 counts that included charges of torture, child abuse and false imprisonment.
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| Classmate speaks out about California ‘House of Horrors’ victim Posted: 19 Jan 2018 08:03 AM PST  A classmate of one of the victims who attended community college says the Turpin son was very thin and always in the same clothing.
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| The Electrification Era Moves Closer for Cars Posted: 19 Jan 2018 11:42 AM PST  Automakers are seeing the future, and increasingly it's more high voltage than high octane. At this year's North American International Auto Show in Detroit, just under the sheet metal and hoods ...
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| Confronting China and Russia, not tackling terrorism, is now America's top security priority Posted: 19 Jan 2018 01:11 PM PST  Countering China and Russia is a bigger focus for US national security than defeating terrorism, the American administration announced yesterday. Donald Trump's new national defence strategy named "inter-state strategic competition" as its primary concern rather than jihadist attacks. It marks a tipping point after almost two decades when the US has focussed on countering terrorism following the September 11 attacks. China, Russia, North Korea and Iran were all mentioned as powers that were threatening the international order. The strategy signals a return of a Cold War-style mentality in American foreign policy that will focus on countering rival great powers. James Mattis, US Secretary of Defense Credit: EPA/WALLACE WOON James Mattis, the US defence secretary, explained the rationale behind the 11-page national defence strategy in a speech on Friday. "We will to continue to prosecute the campaign against terrorists that we're engaged in today, but great-power competition - not terrorism - is now the primary focus of US national security," he said. Mr Mattis added: "To those who would threaten America's experiment in democracy: they must know if you challenge us, it will be your longest and worst day." The document itself included a similar message: "Inter-state strategic competition, not terrorism, is now the primary concern in US national security." It called out threats posed by rival nations. "China is a strategic competitor using predatory economics to intimidate its neighbours while militarising features in the South China Sea," it read. US President Donald Trump, right, and Russia's President Vladimir Credit: APEC-SUMMIT "Russia has violated the borders of nearby nations and pursues veto power over the economic, diplomatic, and security decisions of its neighbours. "As well, North Korea's outlaw actions and reckless rhetoric continue despite United Nation's censure and sanctions. "Iran continues to sow violence and remains the most significant challenge to Middle East stability." John McCain, the Republican senator of Arizona, welcomed the strategy, saying: "It gets the big decisions right, prioritises the threats we face, and offers clear guidance for making tough choices." Mr Mattis also called on Democrats to agree new funding ahead of a midnight Friday deadline, warning that the military would suffer if they blocked budget proposals. Appealing to Congress, he said: "No strategy can survive without predictable funding. As hard as the last 16 years have been, no enemy has harmed the US military more than defence spending caps and sequestration." Mr Trump cancelled his trip to Florida on Friday in an attempt to help avoid a government shutdown as Republicans piled pressure on their political opponents. The US president was due to fly to his Mar-a-Lago resort but stayed in Washington as scrambled negotiations played out behind the scenes. A fierce blame game erupted in the American capital as political rivals pointed the finger at each other over who was at fault. Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader of the Senate, accused Democrats of being unpatriotic by threatening to block a funding extension. "The American people, the citizens who actually elected us, will be watching," he said. "They will see which senators make the patriotic decision, stand up for the American people and vote to continue government funding." Chuck Schumer, the most senior Democrat in the Senate, noted that Mr Trump once said that America could use "a good shutdown".
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| Paramedics called to treat Supreme Court Justice Sotomayor Posted: 19 Jan 2018 12:47 PM PST ![Paramedics called to treat Supreme Court Justice Sotomayor]( "Paramedics called to treat Supreme Court Justice Sotomayor") U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, a life-long diabetic, was treated by paramedics for low blood sugar at her home in Washington on Friday morning but was able to go to work afterward, a court spokeswoman said. The 63-year-old Sotomayor, one of the nine-member court's four liberal justices, was diagnosed as a child with type 1 diabetes and has openly discussed her experience with the chronic illness in the past. "Justice Sotomayor experienced symptoms of low blood sugar at her home this morning.
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| 13 siblings allegedly held captive at home by parents: Part 1 Posted: 19 Jan 2018 03:45 PM PST  David and Louise Turpin pleaded not guilty to a combined 75 total counts, including charges of torture, child abuse and false imprisonment.
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| A Norwegian Airline Claims to Have Set a New Record for New York to London Flights Posted: 19 Jan 2018 12:59 AM PST  Norwegian Airlines flight DY7014 beat the previous subsonic record by three minutes
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| Phoenix police: Serial killing suspect tied to 9 attacks Posted: 18 Jan 2018 11:34 PM PST  PHOENIX (AP) — The nine shooting deaths around metropolitan Phoenix that occurred in just a three-week span seemed unconnected at first glance. The victims differ in age, gender and geographical location. But the more law enforcement investigated, the more correlations came to light.
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| Don't Let Dishonest Don Erase Honest Abe Posted: 20 Jan 2018 02:45 AM PST  Michael Wolff's blistering account of the Trump administration's first year, Fire and Fury, prompted what has now become the president's routine response to anyone who criticizes him.
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| Gymnastics stars speak out against Larry Nassar Posted: 19 Jan 2018 07:56 AM PST  Aly Raisman and Jordyn Wieber, two members of the 2012 USA Gymnastics team that stole the show at the London Olympics, were among the victims to give powerful statements against Larry Nassar.
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| Turkey launches offensive against Syrian city held by US-backed Kurdish forces Posted: 20 Jan 2018 09:39 AM PST  Turkish warplanes stuck residential parts of Syria's Afrin on Saturday, forcing people to hole up in their homes and shelters, as Ankara launched an offensive to smash positions held by US-backed Kurdish forces. Hevi Mustafa, a top member of the civilian administration that governs the city in the northwest of Syria, said several wounded people had arrived in the hospitals. "As of this moment our brave armed forces have started the aerial offensive to eliminate the PYD and PKK and Daesh elements in Afrin," said Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said, referring to the Kurdish Democratic Union Party and the Kurdistan Worker's Party respectively, and using an Arabic acronym for the Islamic State group. Associated Press journalists at the Turkish border saw at least five jets heading toward Afrin. They also witnessed a convoy of buses, believed to be carrying Syrian opposition fighters, traveling along the border across from Afrin. The convoy included trucks mounted with machine guns. A senior Turkish official said the jets hit positions held by US-backed SDF militias. The militias had said any attack would be "sudden and unjustified" and "breathe new life" into Islamic State. Turkey has been shelling the area for two days, while Syria had warned it would shoot down any Turkish planes over its territory. Ankara, which claims the offensive will provide safety to its Turkey's borders and the region, informed foreign governments involved in Syria about the attack, which began at 5pm local time and has been codenamed Operation Olive Branch. A military aircraft of Turkish Air Force lands at the Incirlik 10th Tanker Base Command in Saricam district, in Adana after Turkish military started the''Operation Olive Branch'' in Afrin on January 20, 2018. Credit: Anadolu Agency Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has discussed Turkey's military offensive in Syria with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. Separately, Turkey's chief of military staff Hulusi Akar spoke with his US and Russian counterparts, Turkish media reports said. Ministry officials said Saturday Tillerson requested a telephone conversation with Cavusoglu. They did not provide further details. Graphic: Areas of control in Syria Saturday's attack follows Turkish anger at a US announcement of plans to create a 30,000 Kurdish-led "border security force" along the border of Turkey. Tillerson later said the US plans were "misrepresented," in an apparent bid to appease Turkey. Russia has removed its military observers from the Kurdish-run city. Moscow has said it will demand Turkey halt military operation in Afrin in support of its Syrian allies. At 7.30pm local time, Russia pulled back troops deployed close to Afrin to Tell-Afjar, which is within the de-escalation zone established in September. The Defence Ministry said the decisions was made "to prevent possible provocations" and to "exclude the threat to life and health of Russian servicemen". Rojhat Roj, a spokesman for the Syrian Kurdish militia group, confirmed that a Turkish plane struck Afrin city. Smoke rises from the Syria's Afrin region, as it is pictured from near the Turkish town of Hassa, on the Turkish-Syrian border in Hatay province Credit: Osman Orsal/Reuters
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| Donald Trump's 'Screaming' Face On A Newspaper Stack Gets The Funniest Reworking Posted: 20 Jan 2018 01:06 AM PST  A photo-editing battle has erupted over this somewhat unsettling snap of President Donald Trump's face on a stack of German newspapers: PsBattle: Trump screaming in a stack of newspapers from photoshopbattles The viral image was actually part of an advertising campaign for the Der Tagesspiegel newspaper back in 2016, reports AdWeek.
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| After a year of Trump's immigration crackdown, migrants living in fear are using WhatsApp to avoid deportation Posted: 20 Jan 2018 06:39 AM PST  While President Donald Trump was preparing to take the oath of office last January, immigrants were thinking ahead to what was to come: raids, deportations, roadside checkpoints, stakeouts, and — for a now-burgeoning group of people — constant uncertainty. One year out, immigrants say that those preparations are a final line of defence as the Trump administration ramps up its anti-immigrant policies.
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| 'Tourniquet killer' put to death in first US execution of 2018 Posted: 18 Jan 2018 05:38 PM PST  A confessed murderer in Texas, dubbed the "tourniquet killer" for the way he strangled his victims, on Thursday became the first inmate executed in the United States in 2018. Anthony Shore was put to death for raping, torturing and murdering three girls and a young woman in Houston in the 1980s and 1990s. To the family of my victims, I wish I could undo that past.
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| The Funniest Tweets From Parents This Week Posted: 19 Jan 2018 06:00 AM PST  Kids may say the darndest things, but parents tweet about them in the funniest ways.
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| Watch the World's First Ever Drone Surf Rescue Posted: 18 Jan 2018 10:33 PM PST  A drone deployed an emergency flotation device to save two struggling swimmers in Australia
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| The Latest: Man accused in 9 killings had bleak upbringing Posted: 19 Jan 2018 03:21 PM PST PHOENIX (AP) — The Latest on nine killings in the Phoenix area that have been linked to the same convicted felon (all times local):
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| Anti-abortion activists rally in annual 'March for Life' in Washington Posted: 19 Jan 2018 12:51 PM PST ![Anti-abortion activists rally in annual 'March for Life' in Washington]( "Anti-abortion activists rally in annual 'March for Life' in Washington") Thousands of anti-abortion activists from around the U.S. gathered in the capital Washington Friday for the annual "March for Life" -- fired up by the support of Donald Trump, who addressed the crowds via video link.
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| 'Jersey Shore' Star Mike 'The Situation' Sorrentino Pleads Guilty To Tax Evasion Posted: 19 Jan 2018 02:24 PM PST  On Friday, "Jersey Shore" star Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino pleaded guilty to tax fraud in federal court in Newark, New Jersey.
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| China Wants Missile Defenses To Stop India (And Kill Satellites) Posted: 19 Jan 2018 04:28 AM PST  India conducted a successful test of its most advanced intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), a nuclear-capable Agni-5, on Thursday, underscoring a potential threat to China as well as Pakistan. China is also within range of nuclear-armed North Korean missiles and Japan is mulling whether it should develop similar capabilities.
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| This Flu Season Is The Worst Possible Time For A Government Shutdown Posted: 19 Jan 2018 05:52 PM PST  Flu cases are continuing to rise in the U.S., with some states, such as California, seeing record numbers of patients seeking medical attention.
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| Takata Recalls 3.3 Million More Airbags Posted: 19 Jan 2018 10:47 AM PST  Takata has expanded its already massive recall by an additional 3.3 million airbag inflators over the same concerns that they might explode and spray dangerous metal fragments into the vehicle's ...
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| Thai police arrest 'kingpin' in Asian wildlife trafficking Posted: 20 Jan 2018 01:18 AM PST  Thai police have arrested an alleged kingpin in Asia's illegal trade in endangered species, dealing a blow to a family-run syndicate that smuggles elephant ivory, rhino horn and tiger parts to Chinese and Vietnamese dealers. Boonchai Bach, 40, a Vietnamese national with Thai citizenship, was arrested on Friday evening over the smuggling of 14 rhino horns worth around $1 million from Africa to Thailand.
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| Tourists in Jamaica Warned Not to Leave Resorts Due to Violent Crime Posted: 20 Jan 2018 11:01 AM PST  There's been a string of violent crimes in Montego Bay
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| Thousands march on Washington in Donald Trump-supported anti abortion rally Posted: 20 Jan 2018 02:36 AM PST  Thousands of anti-abortion activists and protesters carried posters and shouted slogans in support for the unborn on Friday, as they descended on Washington from various parts of the country for the annual March for Life rally. President Trump addressed the crowds via video from the Rose Garden, saying he is committed to building a "society that is celebrated, protected and cherished," and reaffirming his support for the movement. He said he's the first president to address the gathering in its 45-year history. For anti-abortion activists like Karen Herzog from San Antonio, Texas, who has been attending the yearly rally since 2008, Mr Trump's words are encouraging. She represents an organisation that helps abortion clinic workers draw up an exit strategy when they are ready to leave the industry called 'An Then There Were None.' "I believe that this is a first for a president to show any kind of acknowledgment of the march. I'm very well pleased with that and I'm grateful for his support," she said. For protesters like Caroline from Virginia, the rally was an opportunity to share her experience of adoption with others. She says the choice of giving her daughter up for abortion empowered her, while helping a couple "complete a family" that is now a part of her own. US abortion clinics A year into his presidency, Mr Trump has sought to curtail abortion rights by making rules and policy changes across agencies. He also preserved the Supreme Court's conservative majority by getting Justice Neil Gorsuch confirmed. Abortion-rights groups say Mr Trump's actions amount to a sweeping rollback of reproductive rights.
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| Aly Raisman Tells Nassar 'You Are Pathetic' After He Complains About Sentencing Hearing Posted: 19 Jan 2018 10:37 AM PST  Olympian Aly Raisman addressed serial sexual abuser Larry Nassar in court Friday with a powerful statement, calling the former USA Gymnastics team doctor "pathetic" for complaining about the length of his sentencing hearing and "a monster" for abusing the trust of his young patients.
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| Puerto Rico finances under scrutiny amid plea for help Posted: 19 Jan 2018 10:30 AM PST  SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Top financial officials in Puerto Rico offered a peek Friday into why the U.S. territory is mired in an 11-year recession as a federal control board demanded more transparency and information about the island's finances.
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| How to Solidify Your Retirement Fund Posted: 19 Jan 2018 07:27 AM PST ![How to Solidify Your Retirement Fund]( "How to Solidify Your Retirement Fund") The traditional three-legged retirement stool -- consisting of pensions, personal savings and Social Security benefits -- is looking wobblier than ever. Defined benefit pension plans, which have been disappearing for some time, are now on the verge of extinction. Just 8 percent of private employers offered pension plans in 2017, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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| Croupier and guard arrested over $6m Macau casino heist Posted: 18 Jan 2018 11:15 PM PST  Police in the world's biggest gambling hub Macau have arrested a croupier and a security guard over a massive casino heist where almost HK$48 million ($6 million) in gaming chips were stolen from a VIP room. Semi-autonomous Macau is the only part of China where casino gambling is legal and is a favourite haunt of mainland high rollers. The heist happened early Tuesday morning at mega casino Wynn Macau, owned by United States gaming tycoon Steve Wynn.
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| Mulvaney has been at center of last 2 government shutdowns Posted: 20 Jan 2018 12:44 PM PST  WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's budget chief Mick Mulvaney stormed Washington as a tea party lawmaker elected in 2010, and he hasn't mellowed much as director of the Office of Management of Budget at the White House.
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| The Way Serena Williams Looks At Her Baby Girl Will Make Your Heart Melt Posted: 19 Jan 2018 06:39 AM PST  Serena Williams is simply smitten with her baby girl, Alexis Olympia.
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