Wiping your pet's paws off after being outside is one of those "Neither of us wants to do this, but it needs to be done" rules.
But warm weather means constantly running in and out of the house, which meansthere'sa much higher chance of your cat or dog accidentally tracking in dirt, mud, or something grosser.
Your pet hair vacuum will need backup: The Hoover PowerDash Pet Carpet Cleaner claims to be two times more powerful than the average stick carpet cleaner, and it's on sale for just $89.99.
Finding a carpet cleaner that completely removes stains can be a task. The Hoover PowerDash (FH50700) uses its PowerSpin Pet Brush Roll to deliver deep power to extract the stain without leaving a noticeable ring on the carpet. The HeatForce fan will ensure that you won't be walking on a wet carpet for days, and antimicrobial protection on the brush prevents stain odors from sticking around. Read more...
The ship that is Jaime Lannister and Brienne of Tarth hit some turbulent waters in this week's Game of Thrones. It started with them finally getting it on and ended with Jaime leaving Winterfell, despite Brienne's tearful pleas against it.
It's a traumatic setback for both of them in different ways.
Ser Brienne does not deserve to be left stranded like that, let alone beg the man to stay by her side. Unlike some, I honestly didn't even mind that she showed us a full spectrum of her emotions in that scene where she was crying as he left because, yes, strong women are allowed to be emotional. Read more...
Fans of Lil Nas X's catchy trap country song "Old Town Road" (and the remix featuring Billy Ray Cyrus) are in for a real treat.
The mastermind behind the KNOH YouTube account recreated the song, but replaced all the instruments with audio samples of horse sounds.
"Horses make strange noises. They're f***ing weird. But they're majestic creatures," the video reads before introducing the sound samples that are included in the jam.
After the neighs and "clip clop" noises of a horse trot were altered through pitch correction and special effects, they were beautifully assembled to recreate the familiar country anthem. And of course, the video would be nothing without the stunning horse clips and lyrics flashing across the screen. Read more...
There have been some pretty big smartphone releases in the last year. Each time, there seems to be a free gift thrown in with SIM-free or pay monthly orders. It is just the done thing nowadays. We're definitely not questioning this development, because it's great news for consumers everywhere.
In even better news, the free gifts just keep getting better, and you can now claim a free Acer Chromebook worth £199 when you order a new Google Pixel 3a or 3a XL with Mobiles.co.uk or Carphone Warehouse. This deal is available until June 4 on both sites.
With Carphone Warehouse, you must order a Google Pixel 3a or Google Pixel 3a XL on a SIM-free or pay monthly contract, and you can then claim your free Acer 11-inch Chromebook (16GB). To do this, you must submit a claim for the reward between 14 and 45 calendar days of the date of purchase. Read more...
With all the recent fuss about Avengers and Game of Thrones, the ultimate fantasy series — Star Wars — has had to take a back seat. This is wrong.
The next Star Wars instalment isn't until the end of 2019, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't be celebrating the franchise in the meantime. We've only just had Star Wars Day, after all.
Fans of the saga can now imagine the biggest battles and missions with helmets from the black series. With great features and decoration, this series has all the quality and realism that Star Wars fans love.
The signature helmet of Darth Vader, featuring a collar, mask, and hood pieces for an adjustable fit, is now available for just £58.99. This is down from the list price of £94.99. That's a massive saving of £36. Read more...
Pride is a pretty incredible experience, but imagine for a moment how magical it would be to celebrate in Disneyland Paris this year.
It doesn't need to be just a figment of your imagination though, because Magical Pride at Walt Disney Studios Park is a real thing, and tickets are just £79. So prepare yourself for an unforgettable experience on June 1, where you can live your best life at an event full of magical surprises.
Magical Pride is all set to be a truly unforgettable event, with a Magical Pride Parade, character meet and greet, and a dance party with renowned DJs and live performances from top acts. Sounds good, right? Read more...
The final season of Game of Thrones is well underway, and the reaction has been mixed, to say the least.
You could argue that the somewhat unenthusiastic reaction is due in part to the incredibly high standard set by the seven preceding seasons. They were so good, guys. Let's not forget that. They were so good in fact that fans from all over the world have sought out iconic locations from the series, just to get a little closer to the action.
You too can visit scenes from Game of Thrones with two tickets to the Giant Causeway guided tour of Northern Ireland. Combining fact and fantastic fiction in a beautiful trip around Northern Ireland’s biggest attractions, this Game of Thrones tour also takes in filming locations for some of Westeros’s most dramatic episodes. Read more...
We've already seen it in a heavily stylized promo shot, but the CW debuted Ruby Rose's Batwoman look in this short teaser for the upcoming series.
Don't expect much in the way of early looks at the stories will be told. This 30-second snippet is more about setting the mood, starting with a slow pan up the side of a building, a fluttering cape, and a quick look at the iconic Bat Signal.
Then we see our hero turn and face the camera and... boom. Meet Batwoman. We don't know when she'll be here, but the teaser promises that she's "coming soon." Read more...
Say goodbye to the early versions of Bird's e-scooter. The fleet will soon be filled with scooters built for sharing with its newest model, the Bird One, introduced Wednesday. Limited-edition versions are also available for purchase, so you can have your very own Bird e-scooter.
The Bird One offers a longer-lasting battery with a range of up to 30 miles on a single charge. Its steel-reinforced aluminum frame is supposed to be more durable and give it a longer lifespan — Bird says it'll be four times longer than the Ninebot ES scooters currently used in Bird's fleet, which they will no longer buy. The One will first arrive in Los Angeles and will reach other areas in the coming weeks. Read more...
The baby boy was born at 5:26 a.m. on June 6, 2019. The new royal bundle of joy weighed 7lbs 3oz at the time of his birth.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle and their new son held a photocall at St George's Hall at Windsor Castle on May 8, 2019 in Windsor, England, two days after the birth.
The new royal baby.
Image: Dominic Lipinski - WPA Pool/Getty Images
Meghan told a BBC News reporter that being a new mum is "magic." "I mean, I have the two best guys in the world so I'm really happy," she said. Read more...
Don't say we never give you anything, because we have tracked down the best deals on home and kitchen appliances, grooming devices, and more, so that you can save. OK, so we're not exactly giving you these things, but we are pointing you in the right direction.
You can pick up discounted devices from the leading names in tech, like Philips, Oral-B, Panasonic, eufy, and Belkin. We have sourced the best deals on everything from electric toothbrushes to bread makers, with something for everyone.
These are the best deals from across the internet for May 8.
Best of the best
We have picked out the best deals on a wide range of devices, from top brands like SanDisk and Silicon Power. Read more...
Anne Hathaway is clearly a pretty fortunate person in a lot of respects.
Not when it comes to outfits, though.
In the interview above with Stephen Colbert, Hathaway recounts two separate incidents — one at a past Met Gala, and one literally just before she came on the show — in which her clothes have decided to split at inopportune moments.
At least she's always managed to style it out, though. Read more...
Clueless about Mother's Day? Fitness trackers are a definite home run gift.
(If she doesn't have one yet, she'll be psyched on the boost of inspiration they give — and if she already has one, just give her an upgrade.)
The Fitbit Alta lets her watch her daily fitness progress and get feedback on her sleeping patterns. If she's more hardcore about fitness, the latest Apple Watch Series 4 will be her favorite gift for years to come. With a built-in electrical heart sensor, it tracks heart rate ensuring that she's hitting the right heart rate zones to improve your cardiovascular performance.
Or maybe she's more of a cooking person (same). Impress her with the Instant Pot Aura. This uniquely-shaped Instant Pot fits roasts much better than its cylindrical competitors and has built-in sous vide. Read more...
Still haven't gotten mom a Mother's Day gift, huh? Yeah, turns out that "busy being the perfect child" isn't an excuse for not getting your mom a present.
Here's your "oh shit" warning that the big day is May 12. The cutesy personalized gifts from Etsy that take four weeks to ship are out of the question. You're going to need something that can ship out fast.
Every gift that we've listed below has free two-day shipping with Amazon Prime or Walmart — or it's a subscription and doesn't have to be shipped at all. Making a big purchase for mom (like a tablet or expensive robot vacuum) would typically require some research on your part, but you don't exactly have time for that. We made sure to pick the best-of-the-best brands that mom is guaranteed to recognize and love. Read more...
Everyone seems to have a side hustle these days. But the million dollar question is: are they really making moves (and raking in the cash), or are they just talking some big game? Because some people are really just in the business of looking busy.
If you're serious about being in the first category, check out The Complete Start A Side Business Bundle for some invaluable information on launching a bona fide side hustle with the cash flow to prove it.
This massive 12-course bundle will teach you how to get started building a bustling e-commerce business that earns money while you sleep. While the instruction focuses heavily on drop shipping and import businesses, you'll also get supplementary courses on skills you can monetize ranging from blogging to live streaming your video game playtime (100% serious here). The entire bundle will only cost you $25, which you could earn back in minutes. Read more...
Productivity hacks: they're so prolific you've probably learned to filter out the noise. Apps promising to monitor focus, fancy neurolinguistic programming and mindfulness practices, even amino acid-infused drinks promising to make your brain more nimble and efficient. Where to start?
Here's a tip: the best solution is sometimes the simplest. Have you tried a notebook?
Yes, they may be rather analog in comparison to your customary tech solutions — but that's the point. These notebooks, journals, and planners don't light up the page with text notifications and friend requests. No digital noise plus pure concentration equals a recipe for productivity. Read more...
With the global Pokémon craze set off by Pokémon Go's massive success, it's easy to forget that this is a for-kids brand. But it is. And Detective Pikachu knows it.
That's not meant to be a knock on the movie, though some might disagree. Having Ryan Reynolds there in the starring role, bringing his genetically snarky man-voice to lovable Pikachu, sets certain expectations in this post-Deadpool world.
But Detective Pikachu has a more wholesome and kid-friendly tale to tell. It's the story of Tim Goodman — yes that's the character's name, and yes it's delightfully on the nose. He's a young man who's a bit of a drifter. He used to be a Pokémon trainer, but he grew up and left that phase of his life behind. Read more...
Tesla has quietly launched several neat features over the past couple of days, making it easier for Tesla owners to receive software updates, and get their car fixed if something goes wrong.
On Monday, Electrek wrote that Tesla cars can now diagnose themselves, and even pre-order parts to a Tesla Service Center if need be.
Several users noticed a new message on their Tesla's main screen, stating that "an unexpected condition has been detected" and that a "replacement part has been pre-shipped to your preferred Tesla Service Center." The user was prompted to use their Tesla Mobile App or Tesla account to schedule a service visit. Read more...
If you ask Google Pixel development lead Mario Queiroz, the answer is not right now.
Speaking to CNET, Queiroz confirmed that Google has been prototyping the technology for "a long time," but right now, the company doesn't see a clear use case for such a phone.
According to Queiroz, foldable phones are nice for people who want to extend the size of their screen, but that's probably not enough for the product to succeed.
"The use case is going to need to be something where you go, 'Hey, I definitely need to have this.' Right now, you don't need to have a foldable. It's kind of a 'nice-to-have'," he said. Read more...
Forget all the fan theories, all people can seem to talk about is that damned coffee cup which mistakenly appeared on Game of Thrones.
While the cup has now been digitally removed by HBO, actor Liam Cunningham, who plays Sir Davos Seaworth on the show, brought it up again in an interview with Conan O'Brien on Tuesday.
"These things happen, it's a big job, people run in, and Emilia [Clarke] probably drinks too much coffee," Cunningham joked.
While the actor brought O'Brien a Starbucks cup, it's very likely not the actual one from set. The cup you saw on screen was one from the show's craft services — not the café giant — as reported by the Wall Street Journal. Read more...
In light of the UN's dire warning about the Earth's accelerating extinction rate, George Clooney has stepped up for a PSA against people and their "dumbfuckery."
"Dumbfuckery is highly contagious, affecting the minds of even the most stable geniuses," the actor joked on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Tuesday night.
Focusing his attention on climate change, vaccinations, and the dinosaurs, it's the kind of reminder that we shouldn't need — but unfortunately do. Read more...
The breakaway gaming hit of 2019, Apex Legends, is coming to mobile.
EA made the announcement in an earnings call released on Tuesday, which heaped praise on the Respawn-developed battle royale game.
Apex Legends is EA's "fastest growing new game" ever, reaching 50 million players in its first month — a number that competitor Fortnitetook three months to reach — and 30 percent of those players are new to EA.
It's unsurprising that EA wants to continue that momentum on mobile, where the likes of PUBG and Fortnite have found much success.
Cryptocurrency exchange Binance announced a "large scale security breach" Tuesday afternoon, warning customers that unnamed hackers had managed to successfully steal 7,000 bitcoin. At current prices, this equals approximately $40 million.
But wait, it gets worse.
"Hackers were able to obtain a large number of user API keys, 2FA codes, and potentially other info," Binance founder and CEO Changpeng Zhao (who goes by CZ) wrote in a press release. "The hackers used a variety of techniques, including phishing, viruses and other attacks. We are still concluding all possible methods used." Read more...
We all aspire to be as self-indulgent as Billy Porter at the Met Gala.
Obviously, everyone wants to make an entrance at the Met Gala pink carpet. If anything, the carpet walk is a performance in itself — from Lady Gaga stripping through four different looks in the span of 15 minutes to Zendaya lighting up the carpet (literally, her dress had built in lights) as Cinderella. But nobody on Monday night nailed down the entrance quite like Tony-Award-winning actor Billy Porter, who showed up lounging on a chaise carried by six very attractive shirtless men adorned in gold.
Honestly, can anyone top this? It's a freakin' MOOD. Read more...
A supposed leak of the movie was published on Tuesday night from a mysterious YouTube account called Inspector Pikachu, and was tweeted about by the voice of Pikachu, Ryan Reynolds.
The first minute or so gives you the impression that you're watching the real thing, and it's complete with a screener watermark which says "R. Reynolds."
Eventually though, the movie switches to a loop of Pikachu dancing, which goes on for the one hour, 44 minute length of the film. You got us good. Read more...
At this year's I/O developer conference, Google shared its vision to "make a more helpful Google for everyone," offering up a slew of useful features — AR in search, Live Captions for video, dark mode for Android, and a beefed-up Lens camera, for instance.
It's a positive and empowering mission, no doubt, but what's up with Stadia, Google's upcoming video game streaming platform? Google had nothing new to say about it — to be fair, it's probably saving details like pricing for E3 next month — which was kinda disappointing.
On the bright side, we got to try out the Stadia controller, and it's quite good. Read more...
Waymo and Lyft are partnering up to offer more Phoenix passengers a self-driving ride.
Waymo, an autonomous vehicle company from Google parent company Alphabet, launched its self-driving taxi service in the Phoenix area late last year. On Tuesday, Waymo's CEO John Krafcik announced that 1,000 riders currently have access to the car service, called Waymo One. But now, through a partnership with Lyft, more riders can experience self-driving.
Over the next few months, 10 Waymo vehicles — the company modifies Chrysler Pacifica minivans with self-driving equipment like cameras and LiDAR sensors — will be available on the Lyft ride-hailing app in the Phoenix area where Waymo's been operating. Once all the vehicles are available, Lyft will add an option to select a Waymo vehicle from the Lyft ride-hailing app. Read more...
A quarter-century after the end of apartheid, South Africans go to the polls Wednesday for the sixth national elections since the demise of the harsh system of racial discrimination, although the country remains divided by economic inequality. https://t.co/V1gjVLj2j8
China says Vice Premier Liu He will visit the U.S. this week for trade talks, playing down a sudden increase in tensions after Trump vowed to impose new tariffs pic.twitter.com/Zk4d3NkPHw
Latest rhetoric comes a day after administration said it was sending more troops to Persian Gulf region to deter Iran, following emergence of new intelligence on likely Iranian-sponsored attacks.
Iran's top security body dismissed as "psychological warfare" a U.S. announcement that a carrier strike group and bombers are being sent to the Middle East as a message to Tehran, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Tuesday.
U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton said on Sunday the United States was deploying the Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group and a bomber task force to the vicinity of Iran to assist the U.S. Central Command, although it was unclear if that was referring to the Persian Gulf.
PENTAGON / WHITE HOUSE — U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has made an unscheduled visit to Iraq, amid growing tensions with Iran after intelligence reports indicated that Iran moved short-range ballistic missiles by boat in waters off its shores.
The move, first reported by CNN, was one of several clues that Iran might be considering or preparing to attack U.S. forces in the region, a government official told AP.
The official told the news agency that they were not sure whether the boats with missiles represented a new military capability or were only being moved to new locations.
Pompeo on Tuesday canceled a scheduled trip to Germany and made an unannounced visit to Baghdad to meet with Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi to share concerns about the increasing Iranian activity.
Intelligence showing that Iran is likely moving short-range ballistic missiles aboard boats in the Persian Gulf was one of the critical reasons the US decided to move an aircraft carrier strike group and B-52 bombers into the region, according to several US officials with direct knowledge of the situation.
The concerns over the movement of the missiles was one of multiple threads of intelligence from various sources that led the US to believe Iran had a capability and intention to launch strikes against US targets.
On Tuesday US Central Command spokesperson Capt. Bill Urban said they had seen "indications that Iranian and Iranian proxy forces were making preparations to possibly attack US forces in the region."
China's new nuclear-capable air-launched ballistic missile will complete its triad.
The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) released its annual public assessment of China's military capabilities. You can read the full report here (PDF).
There's a lot of meat to the report, which is a useful source of information on developments in China's military capabilities and strategy, but I wanted to focus on one particularly interesting revelation.
Last year, as I noted, DoD released the U.S. government's assessment that the People's Liberation Army Air Force had once again been assigned a nuclear mission. China's Air Force was taken off the nuclear mission sometime in the late-1970s or early-1980s, when Beijing's nuclear gravity bombs were phased out in favor of the erstwhile Second Artillery Corps (now People's Liberation Army Rocket Force) and its stable of long-range missiles.
WNU Editor: I expect this Chinese nuclear buildup will continue for the foreseeable future. As to what are the U.S. options? It may come down to this .... China nuclear triad expansion threatens US trade deal (Chriss Street, American Thinker).
HONG KONG/BEIJING(Reuters) - Construction of China's first full-sized aircraft carrier is well under way, according to satellite images obtained and analyzed by a U.S. think tank.
The images from April, provided to Reuters by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, reveal considerable recent activity during the last six months on a large vessel at the Jiangnan shipyard outside Shanghai.
China has not formally confirmed it is building a third carrier, despite recent hints in state media, and the timing and extent of its carrier program remain state secrets.
The Pentagon said last week that work had begun, but no images have emerged until now.
Both Asian and Western militaries, and regional security analysts, are seeking information on the carrier, which is expected to be China's first large, modern platform capable of leading a full range of strike group operations.
The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II. The Trump administration is arguing the Canadian government's jet procurement policy discriminates against the F-35. (Mike Hillman/CBC)
OTTAWA — U.S. officials have threatened to pull the F-35 out of the competition to replace the Royal Canadian Air Force's aging CF-18 fighters over the Liberal government's plan to ask bidders to re-invest some of the giant purchase contract in Canadian industry.
The warnings are in two letters sent to the government last year and obtained by defence analyst Richard Shimooka. They were released in a report published Monday by the Macdonald-Laurier Institute think-tank.
They say the requirement is incompatible with Canada's obligations as a member of the group of countries working together to develop the F-35 stealth fighter in the first place.
WNU Editor: You are suppose to choose a jet fighter based on fulfilling the future mission requirements of the military, not choosing it based on how many jobs will can create.
Ships with the Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group and John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group transit the Philippine Sea on November 16, 2018. Petty Officer 3rd Class Connor Loessin
A failed coup attempt targeting Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro on April 30 ended in confusion and failure. Russian and Cuban advisors and a strong core of the Venezuelan military continues to support Maduro amid economic collapse and widespread protests.
U.S. president Donald Trump in 2018 threatened military action against Maduro but didn't make good on the threat. Washington instead imposed sanctions in order to pressure Maduro to step down.
But at least one lawmaker wants to escalate Washington's involvement in the Venezuelan tragedy. "Cuba, Russia send troops to prop Maduro up in Venezuela … while we talk/sanction," Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, on May 3, 2019 tweeted. "Where is our aircraft carrier?"
WNU Editor: I do not expect any major U.S. military presence near Venezuela for the foreseeable future .... aircraft carriers included. Venezuela is a hopeless mess, and there is little if any public support or political will in the U.S. and elsewhere to intervene militarily followed by spending tens of billions to clean it up.
This is one of those days where you are just stuck in meetings. Military and Intelligence News Briefs and World News Briefs will be posted tomorrow. Regular blogging will return within the hour.
FBI Director Christopher Wray, testifying to Congress Tuesday, said that he would not describe the bureau's traditional surveillance as "spying" -- indicating a possible split with Attorney General William Barr on his controversial use of the term to describe intelligence-gathering during the Russia probe.
"That's not the term I would use," Wray told lawmakers on the Senate Appropriations Committee when asked if FBI agents engage in "spying" when they follow FBI policies and procedures. "Lots of people have different colloquial phrases. I believe that the FBI is engaged in investigative activity, and part of investigative activity includes surveillance activity of different shapes and sizes, and to me the key question is making sure that it's done by the book, consistent with our lawful authorities."
Former FBI agent Peter Strzok appeared to believe the CIA was leaking to the media about the Trump campaign and suspicious ties to the Russians and was involved in the investigation far earlier than previously known, according to text messages highlighted by a pair of Republican senators on Monday.
In a letter to intelligence community Inspector General Michael Atkinson, Sens. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., and Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, quoted Strzok saying in December 2016 that "our sisters have begun leaking like mad. ... They're kicking it into overdrive." They note the watchdog is already looking into alleged Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act abuse and urging him to look into these "apparent leaks" as well.
WNU Editor: A truly fascinating look into what senior officials in the FBI were thinking when it came to media leaks and the possible role of the CIA in disseminating them. This story is also not receiving the mainstream coverage that it deserves.
The FBI's reported attempt to obtain information under false pretenses from former Trump campaign operative George Papadopoulos in 2016 constitutes spying, former CIA counter-intelligence chief James Olson told Hill.TV in an interview Monday.
"It does sound like spying," Olson said, adding that "spying can take many different forms and the art of spying has evolved."
He went on to say that "the old fashioned ways of misrepresenting yourselves or approaching someone under false pretenses is still kind of the tried and true -- that sounds like what happened here."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (right) shakes hands with U.S. national-security adviser John Bolton during their meeting at the prime minister's office in Jerusalem on August 20, 2018.
Israel passed information on an alleged Iranian plot to attack U.S. interests in the Gulf to the U.S. before national security adviser John Bolton threatened Iran with "unrelenting force" last night, senior Israeli officials told me.
Why it matters: Bolton's unusual and aggressive statement included news that the U.S. would move an aircraft carrier to the region. The officials said intelligence gathered by Israel, primarily by the Mossad intelligence agency, is understood to be part of the reason for Bolton's announcement.
Venezuelan opposition leader and self-declared president Juan Guaido poses during an interview with AFP in Caracas on May 6, 2019 (AFP Photo/Ronaldo SCHEMIDT)
CUCUTA, Colombia Since he first stood on a stage Jan. 23 and announced he was seizing the presidency from Nicolas Maduro, Juan Guaido, the 35-year-old head of Venezuela's Congress, has embodied hope for change. With the backing of the U.S. and more than 50 other nations and the adoration of millions he made the country believe his slogan "vamos bien" we're doing well.
But last week's failed military uprising and a spate of violent but fruitless demonstrations have some wondering if Guaido, and the opposition at large, have what it takes to oust Maduro and end 20 years of single-party rule. Suddenly "vamos bien" is becoming harder for some to utter.
WNU Editor: In disasters like Venezuela the public focus is not on opposition leader Juan Guaido and who supports him. The focus is on survival. And while I am sure there are many in Venezuela who are disappointed that Juan Guaido was not successful last week, his support is still there. On a side note, Guaido is right .... Backers 'failed to follow through' in abortive uprising, Guaido tells AFP (AFP).
#UPDATE US Secretary of State Mike #Pompeo abruptly cancelled a visit to Germany on Tuesday hours before he was due to arrive in Berlin, with his spokeswoman citing "pressing issues". https://t.co/SYaPA2zCXJ
Turkish president Erdogan is accused of 'plain dictatorship' as Istanbul mayoral election is cancelled and a re-run ordered after his candidate lost https://t.co/LKGVTCrLRx
* In response to the threat of a possible attack on US forces by Iran, the US military decided to send additional firepower to the Middle East, an area of responsibility overseen by US Central Command. * This includes an aircraft carrier with a full carrier air wing, one cruiser, four destroyers, and a group of heavy bombers. * The US has said it will respond to any Iranian attack on US interests with "unrelenting force."
The US military is sending a carrier strike group and a bomber task force to the Middle East as a show of force to Iran. There is a ton of firepower heading that way.
The USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group, which consists of the carrier and its powerful carrier air wing, as well as one cruiser and four destroyers, is moving into the region with an unspecified number of B-52 Stratofortress heavy long-range bombers, according to US Central Command.
These assets, according to US Central Command, are being deployed in response to "clear indications that Iranian and Iranian proxy forces were making preparations to possibly attack US forces in the region." This is in addition to strategic assets already in the area.
EUROSCEPTIC parties across Europe appear to be ahead in the polls for now European parliamentary elections approach. But if they are elected, anti-EU forces may still have to secure the support of the incoming European Commission President.
SOUTH AFRICA will take to the polls today in what has been called one of the "biggest elections since the dawn of democracy" by analysts. But can you vote as an expat in Britain in the South Africa general election?
EUROPEAN Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker yesterday hit out at "totally unacceptable" comparisons between Donald Tusk, Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin.
IRAN is poised to resume work to develop nuclear weapons if signatories to a landmark 2015 agreement failed to protect its economy from US sanctions, dramatically raising the tensions in the Middle East.
TURKISH President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's political party have been allowed to hold a re-run of the Istanbul election after the AK party lost by a slim margin.
BAGHDAD — U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has made an unannounced trip to Iraq as Washington warns Iran against any action against American interests in the Middle East.
Pompeo was in Baghdad briefly Tuesday night before flying out.
Pompeo says his visit was meant to show U.S. support for “a sovereign, independent” Iraq, free from the influence of neighboring Iran. He met with Iraq’s president and prime minister.
Pompeo’s visit comes amid increasing tensions between Washington and Tehran. The U.S. is rushing an aircraft carrier strike group to the Middle East to deter or respond to any Iranian attack. U.S. officials have said there are indications Iran is planning to retaliate for the Trump administration’s stepped-up sanctions on the country, although the threat information remains vague.
(WARSAW, Poland) — Rights groups and government critics in Poland are protesting Tuesday after police temporarily detained a human rights activist for putting up posters depicting the country’s most revered Catholic icon with the LGBT rainbow on the halos of Mary and baby Jesus.
Prosecutors in the central city of Plock said the activist, 51-year-old Elzbieta Podlesna, has been questioned and has heard charges of insulting religious feelings and desecration of the icon of Mother of God of Czestochowa, popularly known as the Black Madonna of Czestochowa, a painting housed at the Jasna Gora monastery in Czestochowa, in southern Poland, since the 14th-century.
Last month, Podlesna placed posters with altered images of the icon on walls, garbage bins and mobile toilets near St. Dominik’s church in Plock. She did not physically damage the icon, which was venerated by pontiffs including Pope John Paul II. Jasna Gora is the nation’s holiest shrine, drawing hundreds of thousands in annual pilgrimages. The late Pope John Paul II, who was Polish-born, visited it since childhood and as a clandestine student during WWII.
About 300 people with a giant rainbow flag and holding posters of the altered icon heard speeches from human rights activists as they staged a peaceful protest in downtown Warsaw.
Earlier Tuesday, European Council president Donald Tusk, who was in his native Poland, said the Polish authorities’ harsh reaction was “inconceivable.” The Warsaw-based Helsinki Foundation of Human Rights found the raid on Podlesna’s home and her brief detention “hard to understand.”
But former Prime Minister and European Parliament member Jerzy Buzek said things like altering the revered icon’s image “should not take place because they can insult people who are deep believers.” Dariusz Rosati, a former left-wing foreign minister who is now running for the European Parliament, suggested using less controversial campaigning that would avoid provoking some groups in society.
The case has highlighted the clash in predominantly Catholic Poland between the freedom of speech and laws banning hostility against religious beliefs. On social media, debate raged between critics of the government who said it was an abuse of power, and Catholics and backers of the conservative ruling party who argued their feelings were intentionally hurt. Deputy Justice Minister Patryk Jaki called the posters part of a campaign to “humiliate Catholics” and said it has to be stopped.
The debate came ahead of this month’s European Parliament elections.
Poland is predominantly Catholic and its government is conservative and pro-church, in recognition of the church’s supportive role in the country’s struggle for freedom during World War II and later against communist rule. In recent weeks, the ruling rightwing Law and Justice party has described the LGBT rights movement as a danger to Polish families and children. It seemed to be tapping into a belief held by some Poles that liberal values have been forced on them as a result of Poland joining the EU 15 years ago. LGBT rights have become increasingly visible as more Polish cities and towns hold gay pride parades, including in places known as bastions of the church and conservative values like Czestochowa.
Podlesna defended her actions on private TVN24 Tuesday. “This is certainly not an attack on religion, certainly not an attack on faith, this is not a form of attack,” she said. “How can you attack anyone using a picture, let’s be serious,” she added.
Podlesna said police came for her early Monday and searched her home. She was put in custody for several hours. She could face up to two years in prison or a stiff fine if convicted.
Interior Minister Joachim Brudzinski thanked the police for their action and said that the principles of freedom and tolerance did not give anyone the right to hurt the feelings of believers.
The church has recently been under criticism in Poland for its continuing prominent role in state matters, and for revealing hundreds of covered-up cases of sexual abuse of minors by priests. Public opinion surveys have shown falling support for having nuns and priests, or even lay educators, teach religion in public schools.
The recent graduate of Colorado College was on his way to work as a fishing guide for Atlantic salmon in northwest Russia, according to his former employer.
Brooks was reportedly the only U.S. citizen on the Murmansk bound Aeroflot plane, which had to turn back just 30 minutes after taking off from Moscow as a result of unspecified technical difficulties. Russian authorities said 37 passengers survived by escaping from the slides at the front of the plane as the rear was engulfed in flames. “[Brooks] was in the back of the plane, so he wasn’t able to make it out,” Valdez told the Sante Fe New Mexican news site.
Crew members and passengers say the Russian-built Sukhoi Superjet-100 was struck by lightning after taking off, disconnecting communications with ground control, the BBCreported. But some aviation experts have questioned whether a lightning strike could severe the plane’s communications, given that modern jets are designed to withstand storms.
Russian investigators are considering pilot error as a possible cause of the crash. The Russian news outlet, Kommersant Daily, quoting unnamed sources close to the investigation, says several factors are being scrutinized. Among them are why the pilots decided to fly into a storm front, which raised the level of risk, why they were in a hurry to land, though normal procedure is to circle over the airport first to burn up fuel, and why they appear to have exceeded the normal landing speed which, along with heavy fuel tanks, made the plane bounce off the tarmac.
Valdez, Brooks’ former employer and owner of the The Reel Life fishing shop in Santa Fe, told the Albuquerque Journal, a New Mexico news site, that Brooks “had it all to offer the world. I never heard a bad complaint against him.” Brooks was the “most patient, knowledgeable and kind guide we could ever have had,” he said in another interview.
The 22-year-old had studied environmental science and also loved philosophy, the The Santa Fe New Mexican reported. Jim Leonard, head of school at Santa Fe Preparatory School, who saw Brooks two weeks before his departure called him a “terrific kid,” and said that “his nature was one of such kindness.”
In Moscow, Brooks had been working at – what he called – “the most prestigious fly fishing lodge in the world,” according to Mark Rossetti, a friend of Brooks. “It costs about $15,000 for a week of fishing, and to get the position that he got is unheard of,” Rossetti told the The Santa Fe New Mexican “That’s not an easy job to get. I think there’s only two or three Americans who have ever guided there.”
Brooks had dreamed of working in Russia for the rest of his life, said Rossetti. “He just spent an entire month with the new rod that he bought for that job…He spent an entire month up in Washington just learning to cast. Didn’t even catch a fish. Took work so serious that he flew across the country just to cast for a month — day in, day out.”
“He would live by, ‘live straight, not straightened,’” said Rossetti, meaning “make the right decision the first time so that you don’t have to go back on your mistakes. He always did that. He was the most amazing man.”
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — An Australian DJ popular on the Asian club circuit was found dead after suffering massive bleeding from an injury at a resort complex on the Indonesian island of Bali, police said Monday.
Adam Neat’s official social media pages carried a statement confirming his death, saying he died while trying to help a friend who suffered multiple fractures on Saturday.
Indonesian police said they are still investigating the death of the 42-year-old performer, who used the stage name Adam Sky. An initial police report seen by The Associated Press said Neat suffered a deep and wide cut to his arm that caused massive bleeding.
A post shared by DJ Adam Sky (@adamskyofficial) on
Local police chief Dody Monza said the body was found lying near a bathroom in his bedroom by two housekeepers at Hillstone Villa where the DJ stayed in Bali, a few minutes after they heard a woman scream for help.
Police said a 22-year-old Russian woman described as a friend of Neat’s was found naked beside the villa with a broken leg, while bloodstained glass fragments were found in Neat’s room. Police did not say how the woman was injured.
Police Detective Muhammad Nurul Yaqin said a preliminary investigation showed that Neat was drunk at the time and smashed a glass window in his bedroom. Part of the broken window fell on his right arm, causing severe bleeding, he said.
“We cannot conclude yet whether he intended to break the glass or accidentally hit it,” he said.
Monza said Neat’s wife arrived in Bali after his death and refused an autopsy.
“We are still investigating this case despite an autopsy refusal by Neat’s wife,” he said.
Neat’s website says he has toured with artists including Taio Cruz and The Scissor Sisters.
(COLOMBO, Sri Lanka) — Sri Lanka’s president says “99%” of the suspects in Easter Sunday attacks on churches and hotels have been arrested and their explosive materials seized, and that it is safe for tourists to return to the Indian Ocean island nation.
“The country is in a safe position right now,” President Maithripala Sirisena said in an interview with The Associated Press on Tuesday.
More than 250 people were killed in coordinated suicide bombings carried out by Sri Lankan militants at churches full of people celebrating Easter services and at luxury hotels in the capital, Colombo, popular with foreign tourists.
The dead included dozens of foreigners.
Sirisena said he was not told of near-specific advance information from Indian intelligence sources describing the plot and providing names and whereabouts of the attackers in at least three instances. He was out of the country on a private trip to Singapore on the day of the attacks. Upon his return, he demanded the resignation of his defense secretary and chief of police.
Sirisena said the violence wasn’t a problem specific to Sri Lanka, instead ascribing it to “global terrorism.”
Police have said two previously little-known groups — National Towheed Jamaat and Jammiyathul Millathu Ibrahim — conspired in the attacks.
Officials say Zahran Hashim, a radical Islamic preacher from the country’s east, may have led the attackers and was one of the nine suicide bombers to die.
Two days after the bombings, the Islamic State group claimed responsibility and later released a video of Hashim and other men pledging their loyalty to IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
Later, al-Baghdad praised the attackers in a video that was his first public appearance in nearly five years.
Two Reuters reporters jailed for their coverage of the Myanmar military’s violence against Rohingya Muslims were released Tuesday after spending 511 days in prison, bringing a long-awaited close to one of the world’s most high-profile press freedom cases.
Burmese journalists Wa Lone, 33, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 29, smiled and waved as they were mobbed by reporters walking out of the Yangon’s infamous Insein Prison. Their release was part of a presidential pardon that saw more than 6,500 prisoners walk free.
Their case captured global attention and heaped international pressure upon the Myanmar government, led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. Thousands signed an online petition, changed their social media profile pictures to an iconic image of the pair, and shared constant updates with the hashtag #FreeWaLoneKyawSoeOo. Since their arrest in December 2017, they have won numerous awards — most recently co-winning the Pulitzer Prize for international reporting — and were recognized in TIME’s 2018 Person of the Year issue as Guardians of Truth.
Wa Lone thanked those who supported them during their imprisonment. “I can’t wait to go to my newsroom,” he said before departing to be reunited with his family. At Reuters’ newsrooms across the globe, colleagues were also eager to see their return. Aurindom Mukherjee, Social Media Editor at Reuters, Tweeted that the staff at Reuters Singapore headquarters burst into applause as they watched the reporters walk out of prison on television.
“We are enormously pleased that Myanmar has released out courageous reporters, Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo. Since their arrests 511 days ago, they have become symbols of the importance of press freedom around the world. We welcome their return,” Stephen J. Adler, Reuter’s Editor-in-Chief said in a statement.
Other journalists also chimed in. Iranian-American Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian, who was detained in Iran for 544 days, said the reporters face challenges ahead.
Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo are finally free! This is great news for them and their families. Now that their unjust ordeal is over, a new series of challenges begin. I hope these heroes are enjoying their first moments of freedom with their families. https://t.co/Dr4IDix1WP
Human rights lawyer Amal Clooney, who joined their legal team just over a year ago, praised Reuters editor-in-chief Steve Adler and Chief Counsel Gail Gove for standing by their colleagues.
“It is inspiring to see a news organization so committed to the protection of innocent men and the profession of journalism,” Clooney said in a statement. “It has been an honour to represent Reuters and the two journalists in this case and I hope that their release signals a renewed commitment to press freedom in Myanmar.”
While the pair’s release was met with an outpouring of joy, some pointed out that the arrest was unjust to begin with and many people remain imprisoned or awaiting trial on similarly spurious charges.
“Although Myanmar failed shamefully to redress the injustice of their trumped-up arrest and conviction on spurious evidence, we are relieved that their ordeal behind bars is over” Suzanne Nossel, Chief Executive Officer of PEN America, said in a statement.
“Young men who have now proven themselves as world-renowned journalists, they have long and important careers ahead of them carrying out the essential work of holding Myanmar’s fledgling new government accountable and keeping their country’s deserving public informed,” Nossel said.
Having personally raised their case with Aung San Suu Kyi in Sept I am extremely grateful she has listened to me and many others and responded to a clear miscarriage of justice. In a world where media freedom is under attack this is a rare glimmer of hope
While everyone was excited to see the journalists walk free, experts noted that poor press freedom is still a big issue in the country.
“These courageous investigative journalists should have never been arrested, much less imprisoned, in the first place and their release was long overdue. But the crisis is not over for the literally dozens of other Burmese journalists and bloggers who are still facing baseless criminal charges for their reporting about the Tatmadaw or NLD government officials,” Phil Robertson, deputy director for the Asia Division of Human Rights Watch, said in a statement.
(ROVANIEMI, Finland) — The Arctic is melting, but don’t ask U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to talk about climate change. Nor even to agree on a text that mentions it.
For the Trump administration, disappearing sea ice in the world’s “high north” appears to be first and foremost an economic opportunity to exploit rather than a crisis to mitigate.
That position was made clear by Pompeo over two days of meetings in the northern Finnish Arctic city of Rovaniemi involving the foreign ministers of the eight members of the Arctic Council — Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the United States.
“Steady reductions in sea ice are opening new naval passageways and new opportunities for trade, potentially slashing the time it takes for ships to travel between Asia and the West by 20 days,” he said in a speech Monday, which was met with polite but muted applause.
“Arctic sea lanes could become the 21st century’s Suez and Panama canals.”
Finnish Foreign Minister Timo Soini, whose country is wrapping up its two-year chairmanship of the council, said Tuesday there was no joint declaration given the inability to get the U.S. to agree on a text that included language about climate change.
Instead, a brief joint statement reaffirmed a “commitment to maintain peace, stability and constructive co-operation in the Arctic.”
Soini told reporters that he didn’t want to “name and blame anybody” and called the outcome “good enough” for all parties. Finland’s chairmanship of the council had largely focused on climate change concerns.
A senior U.S. official, speaking to reporters on condition of anonymity, downplayed the failure to craft a declaration and defended Pompeo’s omission of “climate change” from remarks.
“Just because you don’t have a certain phrase in it, you can’t infer that the United States has taken a position that is anti-environment,” the official said.
Pompeo did acknowledge environmental concerns, and told the meeting Tuesday that “the Trump Administration shares your deep commitment to environmental stewardship.”
“The Arctic has always been a fragile ecosystem, and protecting it is indeed our shared responsibility,” Pompeo said.
Over the summit, Pompeo also defended President Donald Trump’s decision to pull the U.S. out of the Paris climate accord in 2017, a day after a U.N. biodiversity report warned that extinction loomed for over 1 million species of plants and animals.
“Collective goals, even when well-intentioned, are not always the answer,” Pompeo said. “They are rendered meaningless, even counterproductive, as soon as one nation fails to comply.”
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said his country is “open to the widest kind of cooperation in the Arctic” and that “there are no reasons for conflicts and for getting military methods involved in solving any issues arising here.”
Bill Erasmus, the chairman of the Arctic Athabaskan Council, a Canada-based group of indigenous people, expressed disappointment that a joint declaration had not been reached.
“We recognize that climate change is real,” he said. “Climate change is man-made, and our elders tell us that we are clearly in trouble.”
Official U.S. statements and documents prepared for the meeting did not refer to “climate change” and their scientific focus was limited to reductions in U.S. carbon emissions that predate the administration.
According to statistics Pompeo presented, U.S. energy-related CO2 emissions fell by 14% between 2005 and 2017, while global energy-related CO2 emissions increased more than 20%. In terms of black carbon, which is a particular threat to the Arctic, U.S. emissions were 16% below 2013 levels in 2016 and are projected to nearly halve by 2025, he said.
“I’m sure it was a good party,” Pompeo said of the negotiations in Paris. “I’m sure it felt good to sign the agreement. But at the end of the day, what matters to human health, what matters to the citizens of the world, is that we actually have an impact on improving health. And our technology, our innovation, the R&D we put in in the United States, that’s what will drive better climatic outcomes, that’s what will create cleaner air and safer drinking water, and that’s what I hope the whole world will focus on.”
Pompeo again declined the opportunity to mention “climate change” on Tuesday when he met with Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland who pointedly referred to the phenomenon as she played down a dispute with the United States over the sovereignty of the Northwest Passage.
“We have a very close, very fruitful collaboration,” she said. “And actually, as we see the conditions of the Northwest Passage changing with our changing climate, I think that’s actually grounds for closer collaboration with the United States.”
Pompeo replied by saying the U.S. is more concerned about Russia and China in the Arctic than ownership of the Northwest Passage.
“The challenges in the Arctic aren’t between the United States and Canada, let me assure you,” he said. “There are others that threaten to use it in ways that are not consistent with the rule of law.”
Canada’s Freeland also noted that “unpredictable weather patterns caused by climate change” are causing security threats and navigational issues.
Iceland’s foreign minister, Gudlaugur Thor Thordarson, was bleak in his assessment.
“We can expect due to climate change more drastic changes in the next two decades than we have seen in the last 100 years,” he said.
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Two Naxals killed in encounter with police in Chhattisgarh Two Naxals, including a woman, were killed in an encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada district in the early hours of Wednesday,
Morning digest: Anger boils over on the streets of Puri, 55 detained for agitating against clean chit for CJI, and more A select list of stories to read before you start your day.
