A roundup of the most interesting, thought-provoking and surprising questions that our favorite columnists (and subreddits) addressed in recent days.
The names of the three fugitive chimpanzees hunted down, shot and left to bleed out on the baking Great Plains by a well-armed posse were Tyler, Jimmy Joe and Reuben.
A Saturday test of the crew capsule for SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft failed due to an "anomaly," according to SpaceX. According to a unconfirmed recording, "anomaly" may be an understatement.
"If you were interviewing a job applicant and they told you, 'Just so you know I wasn't found guilty of f*cking my neighbor's mailbox but I also wasn't specifically found innocent" ....you'd definitely think twice about hiring them."
On its 49th birthday, Earth Day is having a midlife crisis. In the beginning, it was a policy-shaking event that awakened a new generation of activists. But now even environmentalists have misgivings about it.
For years, a subculture of teenage hobbyhorse enthusiasts flourished under the radar. Now the craze is a national export and a celebration of girlhood.
Warren is suggesting what she calls a "truly transformational" approach: wiping out $50,000 in student loan debt for anyone with a household income below $100,000. People with student loans and a household income between $100,000 and $250,000 would receive substantial relief as well.
The images show the stark lines of farmers' fields pushing against the unruly Amazon rainforest, mines carved into hillsides and logs stacked in a manmade clearing.
Fortunately for all of us, old dogs can learn new tricks — for example, this course: Neuroplasticity: How To Rewire Your Brain uses cutting-edge research and hands-on training to work your cognitive flexibility and stimulate new neural connections, so you can override those bad habits that haven't been helping you and develop better ones.
The government has blamed a little-known local jihadist group, National Thowheed Jamath, although no-one has yet admitted carrying out Sunday's attacks.
The NFL has more data on its players than ever before, but evaluating prospects still involves a lot of guesswork. Here's how some teams are getting creative to find their perfect pick.
The president's longtime fixer had, for months, sought "a little loving and respect." Confidential emails and texts chronicle their momentous falling out.
In the past few years, people are buying up old units and modding them to make the Game Boy even better than before. We've also seen a number of notable retailers like Gameboy Shack emerge.
Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson — the half-dead, feared knight Ser Gregor Clegane on "Game of Thrones" and the reigning World's Strongest Man — is surprisingly soft-spoken.
Michael Schiess started slow with just a handful of games in his living room. Soon, however, things really started getting rolling down the playfield and now he is the purveyor of the Pacific Pinball Museum Annex in Alameda, California.
Despite established urban tech hubs, some smaller cities are attracting high-tech jobs with lower living costs, unique talent pools, and geographic diversity.
Have spider mites on your alocacia? Struggling with root rot? Chances are Instagram influencers like Christine Kelso, Jennifer Tao, Brandon Jeon, Darlene Zavala and Danae Horst (gardening gurus with more than 300,000 followers among them) have the answers you're seeking.
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We are in NBA playoff season folks, and that means new memes... cue Nick Nurse cracking his knuckles and getting ready to wow us.
Nurse is the head coach of the Toronto Raptors, and a veteran in the "priceless facial reactions" department. His latest reaction came when a three-second violation was called against Raptors player Fred VanVleet.
The Raptors were never in any real danger of losing. They ended up winning the game 107-85, putting the Raptors at a 3-1 lead against the Orlando Magic in the seven game series. But Nurse's reaction was still the best part of the game.
Behold:
It didn't take long for people to start riffing. Read more...
Earth Day is a great time to rethink the way your home is powered — is it sucking energy where you could be conserving it? There are plenty of steps you can take to reduce your home’s carbon footprint. For example, voice assistants give you the power to control smart home devices, so they’re only on when you’re actually using them.
Programmable thermostats save energy and save you money, especially when you’re able to control the thermostat from your phone anywhere you go. The Emerson Sensi Touch WiFi thermostat is a programmable smart device that can help you regulate your heating and cooling, and it’s currently on sale for $132.47 at Amazon — it’s listed at $169 on Emerson’s official website. Read more...
Let's review Jaime Lannister's journey in Game of Thrones Season 8's second episode.
He wriggled out of what surely would have been execution-by-dragonfire with a little help from his friends, Sansa and Brienne (and Tyrion I guess). He spilled the beans about sister Cersei's painfully obvious betrayal. He squared his grim history with Bran. He ate crow and pledged to serve at Brienne's side.
And finally: he raised a middle finger to tradition and corrected a gross injustice as he formally knighted Ser Brienne of Tarth.
Let's be real with ourselves here. Jaime's probably doomed. The battle of Winterfell is set to kick off in the third episode, and this potent mix of redeeming moments and righting past wrongs primes Jaime for what will surely be a final heroic sacrifice. Read more...
For music fans looking to hit the road on their own tour, Québec City has plenty to offer. In addition to its rich culinary history and European charm, this super walkable destination also plays host to world-class entertainment.
Just a quick trip from both Boston and New York, this French-Canadian port city will be rocking all summer long with music events, shows and concerts, from big headliners to street performers and just about everything in between. Check out what’s on the calendar and plan a trip that will have your inner rock star jamming out. Read more...
The world comes to party at Festival d’été de Québec.
Things are going to get very bad, very quickly in the third episode of Game of Thrones final season. But what if the threat is already inside the house?
Spoilers, obviously, for anyone who hasn't yet caught Episode 2.
By now we know that everyone we care about who's not named Cersei Lannister or Euron Greyjoy has converged on Winterfell. They're ready for battle, with a plan that involves having the main force keep the White Walker army at bay while a smaller crew baits the Night King and tries to cut off the head of the snake.
The main force is virtually everyone chilling out in the Stark stronghold right now, minus the women, children, and brainiacs (hi Sam and Tyrion, sorry guys). Those people will be nestled safely in the underground confines of... wait, what? The Stark crypt? Read more...
Nearly 11 years ago to the day, Nick Fury emerged from the shadows of Tony Stark's penthouse apartment to recruit the newly powerful Iron Man for S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Avenger Initiative.
At the time, the pair's short exchange was little more than a promising post-credits moment. 20 films later, and it's the starting line for one of the world's most successful franchises.
Since the release of Iron Man in 2008, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has introduced audiences to dozens of beloved characters and stories, innovating the art of filmmaking, progressing on-screen representation, and creating a dedicated, global fanbase in the process. Read more...
With those five words in Avengers: Infinity War, Dr. Strange telegraphed both the Avengers' final showdown with the mad titan Thanos and the end of the Marvel Cinematic Universe as we know it.
While the MCU will survive past the events Avengers: Endgame, it's highly likely that not all of the beloved heroes introduced in the first four phases of the shared Marvel universe will be as lucky. With half of the universe currently dusted, Endgame has a lot to get through — will the dusted characters be brought back? And if so, who else is doomed to lose in the final fight? Read more...
When Americans celebrated the first Earth Day on April 22, 1970, the planet's atmosphere was markedly different than it is today. Nearly 50 years ago, scientists measured Earth's levels of carbon dioxide — the planet's most important greenhouse gas — at around 325 parts per million, or ppm.
Now, almost five decades later, that number has shot up to around 412 ppm, nearly 90 ppm higher. It's a change atmospheric researchers, geologists, and climate scientists call unparalleled in at least 800,000 years, though it's likely carbon dioxide levels haven't been this high in millions years.
"The rate of CO2 increase since the first Earth Day is unprecedented in the geologic record," said Dan Breecker, a paleoclimatologist at The University of Texas at Austin. Read more...
Editor's note: Mashable and PCMag are both owned by Ziff Davis.
Did you know that 20 to 50 million metric tons of electronic waste is thrown out every year across the world? Not only is that harmful to the environment, it’s also hurting your wallet. Yeah, you can buy a new, cheap laptop, but maybe this Earth Day you want to cut down your carbon footprint by purchasing a refurbished one.
In honor of our planet, the PCMag Shop is offering discounts on refurbished computers and accessories — savings you won’t want to pass up.
Shopping refurbished means you can get some decked out laptops at a pretty low price. This 15-inch 2-in-1 has a Full HD IPS touch display, a quad-core i7 processor, 16GB of RAM, and a huge 512GB SSD. A similar, new model can cost you closer to $1,400, but this refurbished laptop will run you $899.99. Read more...
HBO has released the official lyric video of "Jenny of Oldstones" by Florence + The Machine, the haunting song which premiered during the closing credits of the second episode of Game of Thrones Season 8.
A short verse of it was sung by Podrick Payne earlier during the episode featuring a montage of Arya and Gendry, Sansa and Theon, Sam and Gilly, Missandei and Grey Worm, and Jon and Daenerys.
It's a foreboding choice of song because according to Westerosi folklore and from the A Song of Ice and Fire books, "Jenny of Oldstones" is a sad tale of a prince having to choose between true love and the Iron Throne which leads to lots of bloodshed. Read more...
In the second episode of the final season of Game of Thrones, everyone in Winterfell was prepared to die. The Night King was fast approaching, the populace was woefully unprepared, and every named character spent what they assumed was their last night on earth being horny as heck.
Season 8 episode 2, which was "coincidentally" the 69th episode of Thrones featured more characters making sexy eyes at each other than perhaps all other seasons combined, letting the threat of imminent death fuel their desire to get to the bone zone before the army of the dead (a different, worse kind of bone zone) came for their lives. Read more...
"The most heroic thing we can do now is look the truth in the face," Sansa Stark warns in the promo for Game of Thrones episode 3.
Our fave heroes don't have a choice because the army of the dead is finally outside Winterfell's gates. The brief teaser also offers a glimpse at Jon in the middle of the battleground, Jon and Dany in some kind of face-off, and Brienne ready to lead the charge among other fun stuff. Read more...
Sri Lanka restricted access to social media following a terror attack that left more than 200 people dead and at least 450 injured. Eight bombs exploded in three churches and three luxury hotels on Easter Sunday.
According to The New York Times, restricted sites include Facebook, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp, Viber, and YouTube.
"This was a unilateral decision," presidential adviser Harindra Dassanayake told the Times, explaining officials worried that the spread of misinformation and hate speech could incite violence.
The move isn't a first for the country — in 2018, Sri Lankan officials blocked access to social media when viral posts on Facebook called for violent attacks against Muslim communities, provoking riotsThe New York Times report notes that Facebook did not respond to the government's request for better content moderation until it cut off the social network entirely. Read more...
As Coachella's second weekend wrapped up, Kanye West celebrated Easter with a live streamed Sunday Service.
Kanye's Sunday Services were made public in January. They aren't quite traditional church services with sermons and declarations of faith, but videos of the secretive weekly events show that the services do focus on performing music with religious undertones. The events are invite-only and guests have to sign a nondisclosure agreement before attending. Since guests are forbidden from speaking to press about it, outsiders have only seen snippets of the services through Instagram posts or Twitter videos. Read more...
It's not clear if Samsung's first attempt at a foldable display device is ready for primetime, but the word out of China suggests there may be some concern.
The upcoming launch of the Galaxy Fold has reportedly been postponed, as have events connected to it in Hong Kong and Shanghai that were set for Tuesday and Wednesday. It's worth noting that Samsung hasn't confirmed any of this directly,
Word of the launch delay comes via "someone claiming to be familiar with the matter" speaking to SamMobile. The source claims that the delay stems from an issue with the launch event's venue, though the specifics aren't clear. Read more...
In the year of our Lord 2019, someone recreated the Bible through Bitmoji.
The Bitmoji Bible is more of a collection of a handful of stories found in Jewish and Christian holy scriptures than an actual translation told exclusively through Bitmoji. While much of the actually philosophical passages aren't included — how are you supposed to discuss promises of salvation through a few cartoon characters? — you might recognize more well known myths, like the story of David and Goliath.
"Today's children are more likely to read a text message than a book," co-creator Daniel Eckler said through Twitter DM. "Given the Bible has been translated into more than 3000 languages, I thought it should be translated into one of the most popular contemporary languages." Read more...
Three decades is a long time to stay friends with people, especially your fake TV friends. The cast of Saved by the Bell shared sweet reunion photos to Instagram on Saturday night that showed the Bayside crew is still tight years later.
"FRIENDS FOREVER," Elizabeth Berkley (Jessie) captioned their group photo. She also included the hashtags #imsoexcited #buddybands #love #friends #family#life, and #magic, which are, quite frankly, adorable.
It's so disappointing to see a great game come along that falls shorts because it keeps getting in its own way.
I don't know what went wrong with Heaven's Vault. Developer Inkle Studios has done enough strong work over the years for me to go into any of their games with confidence and curiosity. I still feel that way even now. But I'm disappointed with this latest game.
Let's start with what works. There's a great idea at the core, for oneHeaven's Vault is a story-driven adventure game in which you play as fantasy space archaeologist Aliya Elasra as she researches a lost alien civilization and tries to decode its written language. Read more...
While everyone else even remotely famous was at Coachella for April's middle two weekends, Seattle-born legends Brandi Carlile and David Grohl took to the streets of their home city to busk.
Their set in front of Pike Place Market on Saturday was live streamed. You can still watch their performance of The Beatles' "Let It Be" and the Foo Fighters' "Times Like These" on Carlile's Facebook page.
Carlile announced the surprise performance on Instagram just before arriving at the market.
Gavin DeGraw took quite a tumble on Saturday after performing "The Star-Spangled Banner" at an NHL game. The performance itself was generally well-received, but DeGraw's wipeout went viral.
Fans attending the game between the Nashville Predators and Dallas Stars caught the fall from multiple angles, and while it doesn't get much better, it does get funnier.
I can’t stop watching Gavin DeGraw falling, so let me know how the rest of the game goes
It's April 21, 2019 and that means Nintendo's Game Boy is officially a thirtysomething.
The chunky portable gaming system launched exactly 30 years ago, ushering in a new era of portable entertainment that today accounts for the industry's biggest market. Gaming on the go was mostly restricted back then to standalone handhelds with simple play mechanics that couldn't hope to compete with the console games of the moment.
Game Boy changed everything. You could swap games anytime you wanted, so long as you had the right cartridge. The screen was small, the monochrome graphics weren't quite up to NES standards, and a dependence on batteries made it a relatively expensive toy over long-term use. Read more...
UCLA gymnast Katelyn Ohashi concluded her collegiate gymnastics career Saturday with a near-perfect routine that enthralled Twitter as usual. Ohashi's floor routine went viral earlier in 2019, but Saturday marked her last competitive performance of college – and perhaps of her life.
Ohashi competed with the same combination that earned her viral fame in January (not her first viral routine or perfect 10). ESPN notes that she removed a Jackson Five song in light of the current conversation around Michael Jackson since HBO's Leaving Neverland.
We had the honor of seeing Katelyn Ohashi perform her incredible floor routine when UCLA was at Michigan for the regionals. She was last to go, after every other apparatus was done. It was unreal. Goosebumps. Teary eyes. Stadium erupted with joy when she finishedhttps://t.co/tB7GOnMObE
TAIPEI, TAIWAN — Both China and Vietnam are building up tiny islets across Asia's most disputed sea, but while China receives international criticism Vietnam receives very little, and even gets some support because its pace of construction is slower and widely seen as defensive.
Vietnam's work on islets it has held for decades is kept to areas of the South China Sea closest to its mainland coasts. The country shuns military mega projects that might appear offensive. And it belongs to the 10-country Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) known for working out any bilateral differences. These factors differ from China.
* Report shows operators standing on the bridge, technicians at control panels and the ski-jump flight deck without any aircraft on board * Home-grown warship is not expected to join fleet review marking PLA Navy's 70th anniversary on Tuesday
China's state broadcaster has aired footage of the country's new aircraft carrier, revealing details for the first time of the home-grown warship's interior.
While the new aircraft carrier is not expected to take part in a fleet review marking the PLA Navy's 70th anniversary on Tuesday, a CCTV report has offered a rare glimpse of the vessel in footage taken during its most recent sea trial.
The naval parade will include 32 Chinese warships – including its first and only operational aircraft carrier the Liaoning – and 20 foreign vessels from 10 countries, deputy naval commander Qiu Yanpeng said on Saturday.
The U.S. naval fleet of the future may one day include submarines without a sailor from bow to stern that prowl the depths of the ocean, navigating mine-infested waters to gather intelligence or even clandestinely drop explosives.
The military views autonomous vehicles as a way to accomplish missions deemed too risky, mundane or expensive for human crews. While aerial drones have largely been tasked with these types of duties for more than a decade, the Navy is now increasingly funding robotic ships and undersea drones to complement the work done by its crewed vessels.
Last month, Boeing Co. beat out rival Lockheed Martin Corp. for a $46.7-million Navy contract modification to build an Orca undersea drone. Boeing had previously won a contract to build four of the Orca drones, bringing the total contract value for the five to $274.4 million. A large chunk of work will be done at the aerospace giant's Huntington Beach facility, and the drones are expected to be completed by 2022.
WNU Editor: It took years of research and development for aerial drones to be as important as they are today. The same is going to happen with unnamed naval vessels (including subs). We are at the beginning of the unnamed naval era, and it is going to take just as long (if not longer) for them to become as standard as today's aerial drone fleet are.
HAVANA (Reuters) - The Cuban government has ordered its state-run power system to further reduce electricity generation in the latest sign that a cash crunch exacerbated by new U.S. sanctions is taking an economic and human toll, a newspaper reported on Sunday.
Ciego de Avila's provincial Communist Party newspaper, Invasor, reported that local generation would be cut 10 percent to save fuel as part of a nation-wide reduction ordered on April 18.
The report said cuts in fuel allocation for power generation begun in 2016 had so far spared the residential sector and essential services from blackouts but warned that could change.
More than 95 percent of the country's electricity is generated by oil-fired plants.
WNU Editor: These Cuban economic stats are revealing .... Foreign trade fell 25 percent from 2013 through 2017, with imports dropping to $11.3 billion from $15.6 billion. Bottom line .... the slowdown in the Cuban economy is going to continue. Venezuelan aid is going to decrease. And with U.S. citizens now free to sue foreign companies doing business with Cuba, it is going to get worse.
From India to Armenia to Jerusalem, Christian faithful around the world came together to celebrate Easter, the day many Christians consider to mark the resurrection of Jesus Christ following his crucifixion pic.twitter.com/fCK7PQ0YK8
The British Army is planning to upgrade just 148 of its 227 Challenger 2 tanks, according to The Times.
The proposed cut to the armored force -- the British Army's second major reduction in tanks since 2010 -- would make the U.K. ground-combat branch the 56th biggest tank-operator, The Times estimated.
Cutting tanks could jeopardize London's plan to revamp its armed forces for high-tech combat with a major world power such as Russia.
As recently as 2010 the British Army possessed 316 of the 408 Challenger 2 tanks it originally acquired starting in the late 1990s.
Deep cuts across the U.K. armed forces in 2010 eliminated not only 89 tanks, but also two aircraft carriers, two amphibious ships, four frigates, an army brigade, a third of the army's artillery and all of the air force's Harrier jump jets and maritime patrol planes. Uniformed manpower dropped by 30,000.
SEOUL — When South Korean President Moon Jae-in visited the White House this month, U.S. President Donald Trump used the meeting to tout that the Asian nation plans to buy of a large amount of American weapons systems in the years ahead.
"President Moon [Jae-in] and South Korea have agreed to purchase a tremendous amount of our military equipment, from jet fighters to missiles, to lots of other things," Trump said at the April 11 meeting, where North Korea's stalled denuclearization topped the agenda. "And we make the finest equipment in the world by far, and we appreciate the purchase. It's a very large purchase."
South Korea's presidential office and military procurement authorities have since been tight-lipped about what might be in that "very large purchase." But local defense experts and industry sources tell Defense News that acquisition decisions will focus on airborne systems with a price tag reaching 10 trillion won (U.S. $8.8 billion) over the next five to six years.
WNU Editor: Bottom line, this is South Korea's wish list ....
.... The Ministry of National Defense said earlier this year that it would increase defense spending by an average of 7.5 percent each year over the next five years. The ministry said it would spend some $240 billion during that period, with about $82.7 billion of that set aside for improving weapons systems.
In early December, a flotilla of two dozen Chinese fishing boats and escort warships sailed to the disputed Filipino-occupied reef of Thitu. By the end of the month, Beijing had almost 100 vessels in and around the archipelago, creating an initially largely hidden confrontation that could yet spark outright war.
When China's People's Liberation Army Navy turns 70 in October, the celebrations will center on its largest, highest-profile warships — particularly its pair of aircraft carriers, set to be the first of many. High-tech saber-rattling is clearly at the heart of Beijing's strategy to dominate its immediate neighborhood, with jets and warships particularly aggressive around Taiwan's borders in the last six months.
Cuba's President Miguel Diaz-Canel, left, shakes hands with Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro last December. Cuba and Venezuela have deep ties, which leaves Canada in a difficult situation. (Ernesto Mastrascusa/Reuters)
In exchange for subsidized Venezuelan oil and preferential loans, Cuba has exported its police state to Venezuela. Now Havana must pay for its allegiances.
National Security Advisor John Bolton recently announced new policies aimed to hasten the restoration of democracy in Venezuela. One of the initiatives is to fully implement Title 3 of the United States' trade embargo against Cuba.
Title 3 has been on the books for more than twenty years, yet this will be the first time it will be fully implemented. What that means is that U.S. citizens will now be allowed to sue foreign companies trafficking in stolen property in Cuba. The move is meant to help increase pressure on the Cuban regime and their allies in Venezuela.
President Bill Clinton signed the Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity Act into law in 1996. But his and subsequent administrations have consistently issued waivers bypassing full enforcement of the law. This allowed the Cuban regime and foreign companies doing business with them to profit off property seized from Americans without compensation. The waivers have helped line the pockets of the Castros and their cronies for decades.
* The Sri Lankan government has reportedly blocked access to various social media sites after a wave of bombings left over 200 dead across the country. * Although there is no known direct connection between Sunday's attacks and social media at this time, Facebook and other social media have played a role in fanning ethnic and religious violence in Sri Lanka and other countries in recent years.
After a series of bombings at churches and hotels early Easter Sunday left over 200 dead across Sri Lanka, the country's government has blocked access to social media sites including Facebook and Instagram, according to Sri Lanka's government news site.
According to that report, Sri Lanka's Presidential Secretariat made the decision "as false news reports were spreading through social media."
A tweet from Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe condemning the attacks cautioned residents of the country to "avoid propagating unverified reports and speculation," and a tweet from Sri Lanka's Red Cross debunked social media rumors that their building had been attacked.
Local resident in Guire says there was heavy gunfire and the military was 'taken by surprise' in the attack.
Fighters killed at least 12 soldiers in an attack on Sunday in central Mali.
The military outpost at Guire was attacked at about 5am, a source told AFP news agency.
"The terrorists came out of the forest. They were on motorcycles and pick-up trucks. They burned vehicles and took away others," said the source, who asked not to be named.
"The new toll is at least 12 dead, including the post commander, a captain."
AMLO's new drug policies are a gamble, with implications on everything from internal displacements to international relations.
On February 17, some 300 people from the Mexican state of Guerrero set up camp outside of Mexico City's National Palace to pressure the government to address their forced displacement by drug gangs from their homes in the Sierra Madre. Two weeks earlier, president Andrés Manuel López Obrador had announced that Mexico's war against narcotrafficking was over. "There is no war. We want peace, we're going to get peace," he'd told reporters in his daily morning press conference. For communities like the displaced from Guerrero, Mexico's war on drugs is alive and well. The hand-lettered posters around their tent encampment detailed their complaints: "In Guerrero there is no guarantee of anything. It's a narco state."
The United States has proposed disclosing some of the top-secret details of its state-of-the-art F-35 stealth fighter jet to Japan to encourage joint development of an aircraft that will succeed the Air Self-Defense Force's F-2 fighter, The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned.
The ASDF also has some F-35s. The U.S. plan, which was proposed to the Defense Ministry, would open the door to a jointly developed successor jet based on the F-35 and other fighters, which would be one of the world's leading fighter aircraft.
According to Japanese government sources, the United States has indicated a willingness to release confidential details about the software installed in the F-35 airframe to control parts including the engine and the missiles. If the F-35 software, currently held exclusively by the U.S. side, is diverted to the F-2 successor aircraft, the United States will disclose the source code to the Japanese side.
At Pearl Harbor, Japanese attackers struck hard and fast to begin World War II. Their speed caught the Americans by surprise, and we lost many -- far too many -- men, ships and planes. Before we could win the war in the Pacific, we had to fight hard just to get back to where we had been before the attack.
But another tragedy came hours later, when another Japanese force targeted Clark Field in the Philippines. Despite the warning that the U.S. was under attack, planes were left in the open, ripe targets for attack. Again, they were destroyed on the ground without a fight.
The lessons: 1) Speed kills. 2) You must always be armed and ready to respond.
WNU Editor: What I like about the F-15 are its operating costs (from Defense Systems Journal) ....
According to the latest available figures provided to DSJ today by the Air Combat Command, the "then year" FY 2017 dollars for costs per flight hour for USAF tactical aircraft* are as follows:
The change of government will likely see Canada pull out of the F-35 joint Strike Fighter Program, driving up costs for other countries. Above, a Canadian airman has his picture taken beside an F-35 Joint Strike Fighter before the start of a news conference in Ottawa in 2010. Reuters/Chris Wattie
Canada for the third time in a decade is trying to replace its aging F/A-18A/B Hornet fighter jets. With every year the acquisition effort drags on, the condition of the Royal Canadian Air Force's fast-jet fleet grows direr.
"The politically-charged competition to replace Canada's aging fleet of fighter jets will rocket forward at the end of May [2019] as the federal government releases a long-anticipated, full-fledged tender call," Murray Brewster reported for CBC News.
Four companies are vying for the multibillion-dollar contract for as many as 88 fighters that would replace the RCAF's 1980s-vintage Hornets, which in Canadian service are designated "CF-18."
Exil polls have comedian Volodymyr Zelensky - who plays Ukraine's president on TV - smashing incumbent Petro Poroshenko and coasting to victory with about 73%. A truly stunning resulthttps://t.co/RaagavTslVpic.twitter.com/D6LZQ75fmf
Political newcomer and television comedian Volodymyr Zelensky was on course Sunday to win Ukraine's presidential elections, beating incumbent and chocolate magnate Petro Poroshenko, exit polls suggested.
Projections put Zelensky at 73.2%, giving him a significant lead over Poroshenko, who has won just 25.3%, according to an exit poll published by Ukinform.
A second exit poll was expected at 3 pm ET.
Poroshenko's support dwindled under a platform that was focused on playing tough with neighboring Russia, which has been locked in a proxy war with Ukraine for the last five years.
WNU Editor: Exit polls are saying that Volodymyr Zelensky has won with 73% of the vote. My sources in Kiev just told me that the number is closer to 80%. President Petro Poroshenko has also just conceded defeat. The official results will be announced tomorrow.
More News On Reports That Volodymyr Zelensky Is Projected To Win Ukraine's Presidential Elections In A Landslide
The presentations provide a window into what kinds of information he was receiving, and how, during a particularly critical time in history.
Just shy of a month before his inauguration in 2017, then-President-Elect Donald Trump held a series of meetings with senior officials from the U.S. Air Force and other branches of the U.S. military, as well as executives from Lockheed Martin and Boeing, at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida. At the time, reports said that the primary topics of discussion were the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and the Air Force One replacement effort, programs Trump criticized the cost of before and after the meetings, but which he began to soften on in the months afterward. Now, thanks to the Freedom of Information Act, we have more details about exactly what information Trump received from the military briefers, including that he received a presentation on the U.S. Nuclear Triad, as well.
With Venezuela in flames, China and Russia are seeking claims in the rubble.
But the United States has been caught flat-footed, and the Pentagon is struggling to develop ways to blunt the countries' influence in Latin America since President Donald Trump has antagonized and distanced himself from nations in the Western Hemisphere.
Defense officials have sought non-force options to deter China and Russia in Venezuela, CNN reported this week, through a mix of humanitarian missions and more training in Latin America led by U.S. Southern Command, the Pentagon arm that oversees a sixth of the world's land mass.
Yet experts said those efforts and others are in opposition to pressure and rhetoric from the White House, which has made significant demands to Latin American nations to curb migration and drug trafficking without offering much in return - all while ceding influence and support that Russia, and particularly China, have been happy to take over.
WNU Editor: I disagree with the above post. One .... Venezuela was in a mess long before President Trump was elected in 2016, and China and Russia have always played a significant role in Venezuela starting when Chavez was in power. Two .... Venezuela owes both China and Russia tens of billions of dollars, putting Venezuela in a debt trap that has resulted in almost all of its oil exports being essentially given (yes given) to both Russia and Venezuela. This has nothing to do with Trump and his policies. Three .... China has pledged to invest $250 billion in Latin America with the goal of reaching half a trillion dollars in trade. But this promise to invest is not as rosy as it looks. China will lend money on the condition that its workers and resources are used for infrastructure projects, and in turn this money must be paid off at interest rates and promises that many countries in Africa and Asia have learned are not attractive as promised. As for trade .... everyone knows that when it comes to China it must be one way. Sell resources to China cheap, buy finished Chinese products at the expense of local markets. This IMHO is not a win for Latin America. Four .... Trump is not responsible for the souring of relations with Latin America. The U.S. has had a lousy history with the Americas going back decades, but what is different today is that there is a coalition of countries (Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Argentina, Peru, etc.) that are working with the U.S. on how to respond to the disaster in Venezuela, and that is new and due to President Trump's diplomacy. As for the current migration crisis. Tens of millions of Latin Americans have made it known that they want to migrate to the U.S. in the next few years .... Gallop Poll: 42 Million Latin Americans Say They Want To Move To The U.S. (February 11, 2019). This is not President Trump's fault. Most Latin American governments have failed miserably in providing the basic needs to their population, and in this regard Venezuela is the worst culprit in Latin America today.
A U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer, departs an airfield in an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia on May 17, 2018. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Enjoli Saunders)
The U.S. Air Force overcommitted its B-1B Lancer bomber fleet in Middle East operations over the last decade, causing it to deteriorate more quickly than expected, according to the head of Air Force Global Strike Command.
The bombers were recently called back to the U.S. to receive more upgrades and maintenance to prepare for the next high-end fight.
"We overextended the B-1s in [U.S. Central Command]," Air Force Gen. Timothy Ray, commander of AFGSC, told reporters during a defense writers group breakfast Wednesday in Washington, D.C.
The B-52 Stratofortress bomber can use explosive cartridges to jump start its engines.
On a normal day, it takes about an hour to warm up a B-52. But not if you use explosive charges to kick-start its engines.
A new video released by the U.S. Air Force demonstrates the cartridge start, or "Cart Start" method. Airmen use small controlled explosive charges to get a bomber's turbofan engines moving, allowing it get off the ground faster.
The bombers of the U.S. Strategic Air Command were on constant alert during the Cold War, prepared to retaliate against surprise nuclear attack at a moment's notice. The B-52 Stratofortress was a mainstay of SAC's bomber force, which was prepared to take off from bases all over the United States and converge on enemy targets. The bombers had to move fast to escape being caught on the ground by enemy bombers and intercontinental ballistic missiles.
A Navy spokesperson confirmed that NCIS is investigating the device found aboard the USS Arlington, currently in port in Greece.
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Navy is investigating a report that a female Marine found a camera in a women's bathroom of the USS Arlington, according to three military officials.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the Sixth Fleet confirmed that the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) is probing a "recording device in a head" aboard the Arlington, an amphibious transport dock that is currently in port in Greece.
The State Department issued a revised travel advisory for Sri Lanka on Sunday, warning that “terrorist groups continue plotting” possible attacks in the wake of the deadly Easter blasts that killed 290 people.
“Terrorists may attack with little or no warning,” the updated travel warning reads. It adds that places of worship, tourist locations, transportation hubs, hotels, shopping malls, airports and other public areas may be be targeted. According to the State Department, the advisory level for Sri Lanka has been raised to a level 2.
Those traveling to Sri Lanka are advised to use “increased caution,” to monitor local media for breaking events and to have a contingency plan for emergencies.
#SriLanka Travel Advisory Update – Level 2 – Exercise increased caution due to terrorism. Terrorists may attack with little or no warning. Be aware of your surroundings in tourist locations & crowded public venues. Monitor local media for breaking events. https://t.co/WVEF4cPWeWpic.twitter.com/4WdVuI2ccr
Sunday’s deadly bombings, which also wounded more than 500 people, centered on churches and hotels in the capital Colombo and two other cities. While the majority of the victims were Sri Lankans, up to 35 foreigners, including Americans, are believed to have died in the deadliest spate of attacks to hit the South Asian nation since the end of a civil war a decade ago.
In a statement, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo confirmed that “several” Americans had died and condemned the “terror attacks.”
While no group has yet to come forward to claim responsibility, seven suicide bombers from a domestic militant group known as National Thowfeek Jamaath have been linked to the attacks, Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne said Monday, according to the Associated Press.
InJanuary 2018 floods, the sea wall that Australia built to protect the residents of Yam Island collapsed. Residents of the island — just over 1 square mile — which lies off the coast of mainland Australia, waded through the floodwaters as quickly as they could, grabbing whatever belongings they could. But the force of the ocean water dragged most of their bags away. Houses were destroyed, making 16 people homeless.
Floods are common in this part of the world, but they have grown worse. Vonda Malone, the mayor of the Torres Strait Islands, says climate change is having a “devastating” effect on locals. “Communities are being submerged.”
The Torres Strait Islands are among the most vulnerable regions to climate change in Australia. Sea levels continue to rise, making tides more destructive, coastal erosion faster and droughts more severe. Buildings, roads and even cemeteries have been washed away.
More than 200 Islands make up the Torres Strait, a body of water separating the Australia’s far northern Cape York Peninsula and the southern coast of Papua New Guinea. The Islanders are one of Australia’s two distinct indigenous cultural groups, the other being the aboriginal people. About 4,000 Islanders live on the 18 habitable Islands, and 42,000 members of the Islander community live outside the area, mostly in the north of Queensland. The Torres Strait Islander people speak traditional languages: Meriam Mir, mostly spoken in the Eastern Islands, and Kala Lagaw Ya, which is more prevalent in the Western Central and Inner Islands. The community have lived on the Islands for an estimated 2,500 years.
Fast-rising sea levels are not just a concern for the Islanders—they’re a global threat. NASA estimates that sea levels will rise between 30 inches and 60 inches by the end of the century. Eight of the world’s 10 largest cities are located by a coast, including Tokyo, Mumbai and New York City. Almost 40 percent of Americans live in relatively high-population-density coastal areas, where rising sea levels are causing flooding and the erosion of the shoreline. But in the Torres Strait Islands sea levels are rising by 0.2 inches each year — double the worldwide average, according to the Torres Strait Regional Authority (TSRA). A 20-inch rise could increase the chance of flooding on the Australian mainland by 300 times, according to the Australian Department of Environment and Energy.
Malone,a native of Thursday Island — the central hub of the Torres Strait Islands — was elected in October 2016, becoming the region’s first indigenous, female mayor. She says the Australian government applies “sweeping national policies” rather than considering the “unique needs” of these remote islands, threatened by an encroaching ocean. “Politicians need to work more closely with Islanders to recognize and accommodate for our differences,” says Malone, who has worked in government for more than two decades. There are vast health, social and economic inequalities between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians, including shorter life expectancy, higher rates of infant mortality, greater rates of mental health disorders, and lower levels of education and employment. Access to clean water is one of the “gravest” concerns for islanders, says Malone. Wells are increasingly unusable because rising sea levels have led to the contamination of ground-water.
Jolanda Purdy —Urdy Images Vonda Malone is the indigenous leader and first female Mayor of the Torres Shire Council.
“The Torres Strait authorities have been advocating for more support from the government for over 20 years to make our communities more resilient against climate change. But we still need more resources,” Malone says.
Especially at risk are the approximately 1,500 people living on the northwestern islands of Boigu and Saibai, and the central islands of Masig, Poruma, Warraber and Yam. Parts of these islands are less than one meter above sea level and communities are located a few meters from the beach.
Pat Simons, spokesperson for environmental NGO Friends of the Earth from Melbourne in Australia, has echoed Malone’s call to action. After the release of a report in October 2018 revealing the severe impacts of global warming, he said “All levels of government must do a heavier lift than the community when it comes to tackling climate change.”
Islanders have been sounding the alarm for years. In 2014, they celebrated when, the Federal and Queensland governments finally pledged AUS$26.2 million for the installation of coastal defenses in six Torres Strait communities across the most vulnerable islands, amid fears that the entire community of 350 people would need to be relocated.
But six months after those defenses were built in 2017, strong tides began to break through the wall on Boigu Island, a 3-mile-wide island home to approximately 260 people. Dennis Gibumam, an elder from Boigu Island,told The Guardian “When the high tide and strong winds come together, it breaks. We pray we don’t lose our homes. We don’t want to leave this place.” Seawalls cannot protect communities from flooding, said Helen Szoke, the Chief Executive Oxfam Australia.
Earlier climate change adaptation plans advocated the Islanders’ relocation from the coast, but local government often ended up rejecting such recommendations, instead commissioning the construction of small local seawalls in areas at risk of erosion, wrote Mark Gibbs, a director at the Queensland University Of Technology. “These plans typically lack monitoring and evaluation and a realistic implementation strategy,” he said. Other more “sophisticated” options include making existing structures less vulnerable by repurposing them.
Fairfax Media — Getty ImagesJensen Warusam, from Saibai Island, on his boat in the Torres Strait.
Climate change also threatens the Islanders’ culture and way of life.Getano Bann, a 55 year-old musician born in Australia’s east coast city of Mackay, says the Central Torres Strait says the islands “represent belief systems and cultural practices that have been part of our people since time immemorial.” Bann, whose family comes from the Yam Island, says the land itself “holds stories about our ancestors” who were buried there. “How do you replace people’s sense of identity by moving them to higher ground?” Bann asks.
Sea levels in the Torres Strait are projected to increase by 30 inches over the next 100 years according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a Geneva-based U.N. body that provides regular assessments of the scientific basis of climate change, its impacts and future risks. That’s a conservative estimate — and still one that would lead to the loss of marine industries, increased physical and mental health issues. It could even cause the complete submersion of some islands which would mean an enormous loss of culture.
The longer term challenges, including eventually relocating are extremely disturbing” for communities who have a deep connection to their islands,” said Szoke. Yet for most islanders, Malone says leaving the Torres Strait remains a “last resort.”
(KIEV, Ukraine) — With nearly all the votes counted in Ukraine, TV star Volodymyr Zelenskiy is projected to win the country’s presidential runoff vote in a landslide.
The Central Election Commission says Monday that Zelenskiy has won 73% of the vote while the incumbent President Petro Poroshenko got just 24% support with more than 96% of the ballots counted.
Unlike in most of the elections in Ukraine’s post-Soviet history, Zelenskiy appears to have won both in Ukraine’s west and east, areas that have been traditionally polarized. One of the campaign slogans of the popular television comedian who has no previous political experience was to unify Ukraine, which has been torn by bitter debates over its identity as well as the separatist conflict in the east that is fueled by neighboring Russia.
Even with a landslide to give him a powerful mandate for change, Zelenskiy has daunting challenges ahead.
The simmering, deadly conflict in eastern Ukraine and the conundrum over Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea are likely to dominate the agenda of the man who up until now has only played the president in a TV sitcom. Zelenskiy, a Russian speaker from central Ukraine has promised to step up efforts to re-integrate the east back into Ukraine’s fold but has offered no details on how he is going to do that.
A political novice, 41-year-old Zelenskiy will also have to face off against Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has ruled his country for nearly two decades, if he wants to mend relations with Ukraine’s neighbor.
Officials in Moscow on Monday sounded cautiously optimistic but also condescending about Zelenskiy’s victory.
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said on his Facebook page on Monday morning that the election results in Ukraine show “there is a chance to improve the relations with our country after all.”
Medvedev, whose government has been supplying the Ukrainian separatists with weapons and manpower, expressed hope that Zelenskiy would be “pragmatic and responsible” when tackling separatism in the east.
(COLOMBO, Sri Lanka) — The coordinated Easter Sunday bombings that ripped through Sri Lankan churches and luxury hotels, killing more than 200 people, were carried out by seven suicide bombers from a domestic militant group named National Thowfeek Jamaath, a government official said Monday.
All of the bombers were Sri Lankan citizens, but authorities suspect foreign links, Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne said at a news conference.
Earlier, Ariyananda Welianga, a government forensic crime investigator, said an analysis of the attackers’ body parts made clear that they were suicide bombers. He said most of the attacks were carried out by a single bomber, with two at Colombo’s Shangri-La Hotel.
The bombings, Sri Lanka’s deadliest violence since a devastating civil war ended a decade ago on the island nation, killed at least 290 people with more than 500 wounded, Police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekara said Monday.
Meanwhile, Sri Lankan police investigating the bombings are examining reports that intelligence agencies had warnings of possible attacks, officials said Monday.
Two government ministers have alluded to intelligence failures. Telecommunications Minister Harin Fernando tweeted, “Some intelligence officers were aware of this incidence. Therefore there was a delay in action. Serious action needs to be taken as to why this warning was ignored.” He said his father had heard of the possibility of an attack as well and had warned him not to enter popular churches.
And Mano Ganeshan, the minister for national integration, said his ministry’s security officers had been warned by their division about the possibility that two suicide bombers would target politicians.
The police’s Criminal Investigation Department, which is handling the investigation into the blasts, will look into those reports, Gunasekara said.
Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, the archbishop of Colombo, said the attacks could have been thwarted.
“We placed our hands on our heads when we came to know that these deaths could have been avoided. Why this was not prevented?” he said.
Earlier, Defense Minister Ruwan Wijewardena described the blasts as a terrorist attack by religious extremists, and police said 13 suspects had been arrested, though there was no immediate claim of responsibility. Wijewardena said most of the bombings were believed to have been suicide attacks.
But officials have yet to say who they believe is behind the attacks. The Tamil Tigers, once a powerful rebel army known for its use of suicide bombers, was crushed by the government in 2009, and had little history of targeting Christians. While anti-Muslim bigotry has swept the island in recent years, fed by Buddhist nationalists, the island also has no history of violent Muslim militants. The country’s small Christian community has seen only scattered incidents of harassment in recent years.
The explosions — mostly in or around Colombo, the capital — collapsed ceilings and blew out windows, killing worshippers and hotel guests in one scene after another of smoke, soot, blood, broken glass, screams and wailing alarms.
A morgue worker in the town of Negombo, outside Colombo, where St. Sebastian’s Church was targeted, said many bodies were hard to identify because of the extent of the injuries. He spoke on condition of anonymity.
Lakmal, a 41-year-old businessman in Negombo who declined to provide his last name, went with his family to St. Sebastian’s for Easter Mass. He said they all escaped the blast unscathed, but he remains haunted by images of bodies being taken from the sanctuary and tossed into a truck.
At the Shangri-La Hotel, a witness said “people were being dragged out” after the blast.
“There was blood everywhere,” said Bhanuka Harischandra a 24-year-old from Colombo and founder of a tech marketing company. He was heading to the hotel for a meeting when it was bombed. “People didn’t know what was going on. It was panic mode.”
Most of those killed were Sri Lankans. But the three bombed hotels and one of the churches, St. Anthony’s Shrine, are frequented by foreign tourists, and Sri Lanka’s Foreign Ministry said the bodies of at least 27 foreigners from a variety of countries were recovered.
The U.S. said “several” Americans were among the dead, while Britain, India, China, Japan and Portugal said they, too, lost citizens.
The streets were largely deserted Monday morning, with most shops closed and a heavy deployment of soldiers and police. Stunned clergy and onlookers gathered at St. Anthony’s Shrine, looking past the soldiers to the stricken church.
The Sri Lankan government initially lifted a curfew that had been imposed during the night but reinstated it Monday afternoon. Most social media remained blocked Monday after officials said they needed to curtail the spread of false information and ease tension in the country of about 21 million people.
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said he feared the massacre could trigger instability in Sri Lanka, and he vowed to “vest all necessary powers with the defense forces” to take action against those responsible.
The scale of the bloodshed recalled the worst days of Sri Lanka’s 26-year civil war, when the Tamil Tigers, from the ethnic Tamil minority, sought independence from the Sinhalese-dominated country. The Sinhalese are largely Buddhist. The Tamils are Hindu, Muslim and Christian.
Sri Lanka, off the southern tip of India, is about 70 percent Buddhist. In recent years, tensions have been running high between hard-line Buddhist monks and Muslims.
Two Muslim groups in Sri Lanka condemned the church attacks, as did countries around the world, and Pope Francis expressed condolences at the end of his traditional Easter Sunday blessing in Rome.
Six nearly simultaneous blasts took place in the morning at the shrine and the Cinnamon Grand, Shangri-La and Kingsbury hotels in Colombo, as well as at two churches outside Colombo.
A few hours later, two more blasts occurred just outside Colombo, one at a guesthouse where two people were killed, the other near an overpass, Atapattu said.
Also, three police officers were killed during a search at a suspected safe house on the outskirts of Colombo when its occupants apparently detonated explosives to prevent arrest, authorities said.
Authorities said a large bomb had been found and defused late Sunday on an access road to the international airport.
Air Force Group Captain Gihan Seneviratne said Monday that authorities found a pipe bomb filled with 50 kilograms (110 pounds) of explosives. It was large enough to have caused damage to a 400-meter (400-yard) radius, he said.
Harischandra, who witnessed the attack at the Shangri-La Hotel, said there was “a lot of tension” after the bombings, but added: “We’ve been through these kinds of situations before.”
He said Sri Lankans are “an amazing bunch” and noted that his social media feed was flooded with photos of people standing in long lines to give blood.
(LONDON) — Two teenagers who were arrested in the shooting death of a 29-year-old journalist in Northern Ireland have been released from police custody without being charged.
Police let the 18- and 19-year-old men go Sunday night and appealed to anyone with information about whoever killed Lyra McKee to come forward.
McKee was fatally wounded during rioting Thursday night in the city of Londonderry.
Police say she was probably hit by a bullet someone fired at police. Video from the scene showed a gunman wearing a black face mask aiming at officers.
The two teens were arrested under an anti-terrorism law on Saturday. Their release means authorities are still seeking the person who pulled the trigger.
McKee’s funeral is scheduled to be held in her native Belfast on Wednesday.
Sri Lankan authorities flicked the off switch on most social media after Easter Sunday attacks on churches and hotels killed hundreds of people, a dramatic reaction that reflects distrust in the capability of American internet companies to control harmful content.
The block on social media including Facebook and its WhatsApp and Instagram services was announced by the government’s official news portal, which cited the spread of “false news reports” online. The NetBlocks observatory said it detected an intentional blackout of the popular platforms as well as YouTube, Snapchat and Viber. Twitter appeared unaffected.
Officials likely feared that the spread of inflammatory content could provoke more bloodshed in Sri Lanka, a Buddhist-majority island nation that has large Hindu, Muslim and Christian minorities and a long history of ethnic and sectarian conflict. At least 290 people were killed in the bombings.
Ivan Sigal, head of the internet and journalism advocacy organization Global Voices, said the country’s rapid action was a “telling moment.”
“A few years ago we’d be using these platforms to help each other and coordinating assistance. Now we view them as a threat,” he wrote on Twitter.
“If I were Facebook and WhatsApp I’d take a moment to ask myself where I’d gone wrong,” he said. “Cannot think of a clearer signal for lack of platform trust.”
It wasn’t the first time Sri Lanka has blocked social media. The government imposed a weeklong ban in March 2018 because of concerns that WhatsApp and other platforms were being used to fan anti-Muslim violence in the country’s central region.
Facebook is increasingly in the crosshairs of regulators, rights groups and the public as it tries to balance what CEO Mark Zuckerberg has called “giving people a voice” and demands for censorship of hate speech and other harmful content posted on Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.
It faced intense criticism after the right-wing extremist who attacked two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, last month, killing 50 people, live-streamed the massacre on Facebook. The U.N. in a report last year blamed the social media company for the spread of hate speech in Myanmar that dehumanized Rohingya Muslims and contributed to persecution that caused hundreds of thousands to flee the country.
In the past, blocking social media would have been seen as “outrageous censorship,” Sigal said, highlighting the shift in attitude to social media sites. “Now we think of it as essential duty of care, to protect ourselves from threat.”
Sri Lanka’s government said the shutdown would extend until it concludes its investigation into the bomb blasts that rocked churches, luxury hotels and other sites.
NetBlocks, however, said post-attack blackouts can be ineffective.
“What we’ve seen is that when social media is shut down, it creates a vacuum of information that’s readily exploited by other parties,” said Alp Toker, executive director of the London-based group. “It can add to the sense of fear and can cause panic.”
“That’s going to be a problem for people trying to communicate with friends and family,” Toker said.
Some internet users are circumventing the social media blocks by using a virtual private network, which masks the location of a computer, Toker said.
An analysis by Sri Lankan researcher and author Yudhanjaya Wijeratne of thousands of Facebook posts made during last year’s ban found that many Sri Lankans simply found ways around it.
Wijeratne has recommended narrower and more “technically challenging” approaches to curbing hate speech, such as better detection and strengthening local laws.
Facebook said it was aware of the Sri Lankan government’s statement.
“People rely on our services to communicate with their loved ones and we are committed to maintaining our services and helping the community and the country during this tragic time,” the company said.
KIEV, Ukraine — A comedian whose only political experience consists of playing a president on TV appeared poised to reprise the role in real life when an exit poll showed him winning Ukraine’s presidential runoff Sunday in a landslide.
Results from the exit poll after voting stations closed showed Volodymyr Zelenskiy receiving an extraordinary 73.2% — or nearly three out of every four votes cast — to President Petro Poroshenko’s 25.3%.
If borne out by election returns, the overwhelming victory by Zelenskiy would stand as a crushing rebuke to Poroshenko’s five years in office and a verdict on the country’s deep-seated corruption, sickly economy and grinding war against Russian-backed separatists in the country’s east that has killed over 13,000 people.
While official returns had yet to be released, Poroshenko accepted defeat, saying: “I am leaving office, but I want to firmly underline that I am not leaving politics.”
Zelenskiy, for his part, vowed after the release of the exit polls: “I promise I will never let you down.” And he suggested that his apparent victory could be a model for other former Soviet states that want to move forward from ossified politics.
“To all the countries of the former Soviet Union — look at us, everything is possible,” he said.
Although Zelenskiy was criticized for a vague campaign platform and never holding public office, voters appeared to cast aside those concerns in favor of a thorough sweep of Ukraine’s political leadership.
“I have grown up under the old politicians and only have seen empty promises, lies and corruption,” said Lyudmila Potrebko, a 22-year-old computer programmer who voted for Zelenskiy. “It’s time to change that.”
Zelenskiy, 41, became famous nationwide for his comic portrayal in a Ukrainian TV series of a high school teacher who becomes president after a video of him denouncing corruption goes viral.
Poroshenko was a billionaire candy magnate and former foreign minister before he took office in 2014 after huge street protests drove his Russia-friendly predecessor to flee the country. Although he instituted some reforms, critics said he had not done nearly enough to curb corruption.
Millions of people living in the rebel-controlled east and in Russia-annexed Crimea were unable to vote. Russia seized Crimea in 2014, and fighting in the east erupted that same year.
The incumbent campaigned on the same promise he made when he was elected in 2014: to lead the nation of 42 million into the European Union and NATO. However, those goals have been elusive amid Ukraine’s many problems. A visa-free deal with the EU led to the exodus of millions of skilled workers for better living conditions elsewhere in Europe.
In a jab at his politically inexperienced rival, the president warned voters that “it could be funny at first, but pain may come later.”
Poroshenko emphasized the need to “defend achievements of the past five years,” noting the creation of a new Ukrainian Orthodox Church that is independent from Moscow’s patriarchate, a schism he championed.
“Poroshenko has done a lot of good things for the country – creating its own church, getting the visa-free deal and taking Ukraine away from the empire,” said 44-year-old businessman Volodymyr Andreichenko, who voted for him.
But Poroshenko’s message fell flat with many voters struggling to survive on meager wages and pay soaring utility bills.
“We have grown poor under Poroshenko and have to save to buy food and clothing,” said 55-year-old sales clerk Irina Fakhova. “We have had enough of them getting mired in corruption and filling their pockets and treating us as fools.”
Poroshenko has denied any link to an alleged embezzlement scheme involving one of his companies and a top associate.
Like Poroshenko, Zelenskiy pledged to keep Ukraine on its pro-Western course, but said the country should only join NATO if voters give their approval in a referendum. He said his top priority would be direct talks with Russia to end the fighting.
Zelenskiy’s image has been shadowed by his admission that he had commercial interests in Russia through a holding company, and by his business ties to self-exiled billionaire businessman Ihor Kolomoyskyi. Kolomoyskyi owns the TV station that aired the actor’s sitcom and his other comedy shows.
“Both candidates stand for integration into Europe, both kneel to honor those killed in the war with Russia, both are linked to oligarchs,” 67-year-old teacher Dmytro Volokhovets said with a touch of sarcasm. “But Zelenskiy will win because he’s young and new.”
At least 207 people have been killed and 450 more wounded following a series of explosions in Sri Lanka. The blasts took place in the capital Colombo, a town north of the capital and a town on the island nation’s east coast, targeting churches, hotels and a housing development.
In the wake of the tragedy, leaders around the world offered an outpouring of support to the people of Sri Lanka.
President Donald Trump offered a message of support to Sri Lanka Sunday morning over Twitter. “The United States offers heartfelt condolences to the great people of Sri Lanka,” the President tweeted. “We stand ready to help!”
138 people have been killed in Sri Lanka, with more that 600 badly injured, in a terrorist attack on churches and hotels. The United States offers heartfelt condolences to the great people of Sri Lanka. We stand ready to help!
The President’s message was a correction of an earlier tweet, which stated that the explosions had “killed at least 138 million people and badly injured 600 more.”
Other leaders around the world also offered condemnations of the attacks and expressions of support.
Scott Morrison, the prime minister of Australia, denounced the attacks and offered a message to Sri Lanka in a recorded statement on Sunday. “To the beautiful people of Sri Lanka, Australia sends its heartfelt sympathies and our prayers and our support and our offer to do whatever we can to support you in this terrible time of need.”
“Canada strongly condemns the heinous attacks on Christians at churches and hotels,” wrote Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. “Our hearts and thoughts are with the families and loved ones of those killed and all those injured.”
Absolutely horrific news from Sri Lanka. Canada strongly condemns the heinous attacks on Christians at churches and hotels. Our hearts & thoughts are with the families & loved ones of those killed and all those injured.
UK Prime Minister Theresa May also condemned the horrific attacks. “The acts of violence against churches and hotels in Sri Lanka are truly appalling, and my deepest sympathies go out to all of those affected at this tragic time,” she wrote. “We must stand together to make sure that no one should ever have to practice their faith in fear.”
The acts of violence against churches and hotels in Sri Lanka are truly appalling, and my deepest sympathies go out to all of those affected at this tragic time.
We must stand together to make sure that no one should ever have to practise their faith in fear.
“We are deeply saddened by the terrorist attacks against churches and hotels in Sri Lanka,” wrote French President Emmanuel Macron. “We firmly condemn these odious acts. We stand by the people of Sri Lanka and our thoughts go out to the loved ones of the victims on this Easter Sunday.”
We are deeply saddened by the terrorist attacks against churches and hotels in Sri Lanka. We firmly condemn these odious acts. We stand by the people of Sri Lanka and our thoughts go out to the loved ones of the victims on this Easter Sunday. https://t.co/NytqQP9aE7
Former President Barack Obama also offered his support on Sunday morning following the attacks. “The attacks on tourists and Easter worshippers in Sri Lanka are an attack on humanity,” he wrote. “On a day devoted to love, redemption and renewal, we pray for the victims and stand with the people of Sri Lanka.”
The attacks on tourists and Easter worshippers in Sri Lanka are an attack on humanity. On a day devoted to love, redemption, and renewal, we pray for the victims and stand with the people of Sri Lanka.
Leaders of Sri Lanka’s neighbors also condemned the attacks.
“There is no place for such barbarism in our region,” wrote Indian Prime Minister Chowkidar Narendra Modi. “India stands in solidarity with the people of Sri Lanka. My thoughts are with the bereaved families and prayers with the injured.”
Strongly condemn the horrific blasts in Sri Lanka. There is no place for such barbarism in our region. India stands in solidarity with the people of Sri Lanka. My thoughts are with the bereaved families and prayers with the injured.
— Chowkidar Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 21, 2019
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan tweeted “My profound condolences go to our Sri Lankan brethren. Pakistan stands in complete solidarity with Sri Lanka in their hour of grief.”
Strongly condemn the horrific terrorist attack in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday resulting in precious lives lost & hundreds injured. My profound condolences go to our Sri Lankan brethren. Pakistan stands in complete solidarity with Sri Lanka in their hour of grief.
PARIS — The archbishop of Paris and Catholics from around France and the world honored the firefighters who saved Notre Dame Cathedral, praying Sunday at a special Easter Mass for a swift reconstruction of the beloved monument.
The fire that engulfed Notre Dame during Holy Week forced worshippers to find other places to attend Easter services, and the Paris diocese invited them to join Sunday’s Mass at the grandiose Saint-Eustache Church on the Right Bank of the Seine River.
Paris Archbishop Michel Aupetit handed over a bible that had been rescued from Notre Dame to the firefighters, who held a place of honor at Sunday’s service.
Aupetit thanked city officials for their support amid “the drama” of last Monday’s fire, and “especially you, those for whom this Mass is dedicated” — the firefighters who struggled for nine hours to contain flames that consumed Notre Dame’s roof and collapsed its spire.
He notably thanked fire service chaplain Jean-Marc Fournier, who saved the most precious thing for Catholics from the fire, the chalice containing consecrated hosts that for Catholics are the body of Christ.
Police and a soldier guarded the entry to Sunday’s Mass, creating a long line to check bags before visitors could enter the 13th-century Saint-Eustache Church. It was unclear if the extra security was linked to an Easter Sunday attack on churches and hotels in Sri Lanka that killed at least 190 people and wounded nearly 500 others.
Notre Dame’s parishioners were joined by Catholics and others from around France and beyond. An Associated Press reporter heard at least six languages being spoken in the crowd.
“Everyone is affected by what happened to Notre Dame,” said Parisian Michel Ripoche. “Easter is a holiday we celebrate every year, all our lives. Clearly what happened at Notre Dame added to the importance” of today’s service.
Peggy Godley, visiting from Chicago with her husband and two daughters, “wanted to see what it was like to celebrate a Mass in Paris.”
“We didn’t get to see Notre Dame. We were hoping to be there, but it’s too late,” she said.
Notre Dame isn’t expected to reopen to the public for five or six years, according to its rector, although the French president is pushing for a quick reconstruction. Investigators believe the fire was an accident, possibly linked to renovation work.
Notre Dame Rector Patrick Chauvet told The Associated Press on Good Friday that he has “plenty of hope, because I believe that from this suffering there will be a renaissance.”
He said he would fight for speedy rebuilding work.
Culture Minister Franck Riester said Sunday that most of the sensitive spots in the cathedral have been stabilized, including support structures above its prized rose windows.
“There remain some sensitive points in the vaulted ceiling, and so teams from the Culture Ministry, construction companies are working to remove the rubble that remains on the ceiling and progressively cover it up. And after that, we can say that the Notre Dame of Paris is saved,” he said on France-2 television.
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, and William, Duke of Cambridge stepped out in their Sunday best, with Kate Middleton sporting a pastel periwinkle Alexander McQueen coat dress with a matching hat.
For her part, the birthday monarch wore a festive mint suit and matching hat topped off with a bright pink bow for the service.
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, who is expecting her first baby due at the end of April, didn’t attend. However, she did have a birthday message to deliver to “Granny” on the newly minted Instagram account she shares with Prince Harry.
“Happy Birthday Your Majesty, Ma’am, Granny. Wishing you the most wonderful day! Harry & Meghan,” they captioned a gallery of happy photos with the Queen, including throwback ones alongside Harry and William and newer snapshots with Meghan.
Eamonn M. McCormack—Getty ImagesWINDSOR, ENGLAND – APRIL 21: Queen Elizabeth II departs the Easter Sunday service at St George’s Chapel on April 21, 2019 in Windsor, England. (Photo by Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty Images)
Harry joined other royal family members such as Autumn Phillips and Peter Phillips, Princess Beatrice and her dad Prince Andrew, Sophie, Countess of Wessex and her husband, Prince Edward. Mike and Zara Tindall and Lady Louise Windsor also joined the festivities.
KIRSTY WIGGLESWORTH—AFP/Getty ImagesCatherine, Duchess of Cambridgeand Britain’s Prince William, Duke of Cambridge arrive for the Easter Mattins Service at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle on April 21, 2019. (KIRSTY WIGGLESWORTH/AFP/Getty Images)
It looks like Prince, George, Princess Charlotte and little Prince Louis sat this church service out as the little ones sometimes do.
Eamonn M. McCormack—Getty ImagesWINDSOR, ENGLAND – APRIL 21: (L-R) Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Zara Tindall, Mike Tindall, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge greet Queen Elizabeth II as she arrives for the Easter Sunday service at St George’s Chapel on April 21, 2019 in Windsor, England. (Photo by Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty Images)
At one point during the festivities, onlookers who came to pay tribute sang “Happy Birthday” to the Queen as she greeted everyone before departing in her car.
And a video of the crowd singing happy birthday to the Queen after the Sunday service: pic.twitter.com/uOBskWlPqW
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