When you’re shopping for a business laptop — one that’s going to basically follow you everywhere on a daily basis — you have to take more than a few things into account. Power, durability, size, weight, and software features are just some of the things you’ll have to consider when you’re about to make the big purchase. Making the right choice the first time is important too, because laptops are definitely not cheap.
One of the most popular laptops for business — the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon — currently has two different models (the 5th generation and 6th generation) on sale over on the Lenovo website. Depending on what you get, you can end up saving up to 44 percent off the original price. (Also, the X1 Carbon is featured in one of our round-ups, so you know it’s a good one.) Read more...
Owning an iPad has guaranteed clout since they debuted in 2010, and there's just something different about being the parent of the iPad, the device that changed the tablet market forever.
While projects like 4K video editing and graphic design on Photoshop have mostly been a laptop thing in the past, the iPad Pro handles them with ease.
It's finally time to stop playing with the show models at the Apple Store and get one for yourself: The newest 12.9-inch iPad Pro (256 GB) is $150 off at Best Buy.
The second-generation iPad Pro sets itself apart just by its new design — by basically eliminating bezels, Apple totally switched up the iPad's iconic physical design (in a good way). But somehow, that's not even the most impressive part: Now running on an A12X bionic chip, Apple says that the latest iPad Pro has up to 90% faster processing speeds (depending on whether they're single-core or multi-core.) Read more...
The Avengers film has earned $1.2 billion worldwide, smashing box office records across the globe. Bernie Sanders' criticism comes after it was also revealed that Disney CEO Bob Iger made $65 million last year. Read more...
We often think of moms as superheroes (which they totally are, BTW), but they’re also humans who forget and lose things. Help the mamas in your life out this Mother’s Day by gifting them Tile Bluetooth trackers to keep tabs on their belongings.
The Pro series is Tile’s most powerful set of Bluetooth trackers — they’re more durable and have a wider range, tracking up to 300 feet. To use the Tile Pro, your mom just has to attach the tracker to her belongings and then she can use the Tile app on her phone to set off the tracker’s tone, leading her to find her lost items. Additionally, she can double press her Tile trackers to set off a ringtone on her phone if she happens to misplace it. Read more...
Google hasn't completely given up on its Wear OS smartwatch platform just yet.
Ahead of its I/O developer conference, Google's updated Wear OS with what it calls "Tiles" — new widget-sized apps designed to help you quickly do more right from your wrist.
Currently, if you swipe left from the watch face on the latest version of Wear OS, you'll be taken to Google Fit, where you can see information about your Move Minutes and Heart Points.
With Tiles, swiping left adds even more bite-sized apps a glance — you're no longer limited to Google Fit. Read more...
Even without selling phones in the U.S., Chinese tech titan Huawei is well on its way to becoming the world's largest smartphone maker.
Huawei has now cemented itself as the world's second-largest smartphone maker, bumping Apple to third place, according to IDC's latest smartphone shipment report. Huawei's next challenge is to topple Samsung.
Per IDC's report, Huawei was the only smartphone company "at the top of the market" that saw phone shipments grow in the first quarter of 2019.
Huawei reportedly shipped 59.91 million smartphones in the first quarter of the year, an increase of 50.3 percent year-over-year. IDC attributes Huawei's astronomical phone growth to a "well-rounded portfolio targeting all segments from low to high" in China. Additionally, the market analytics firm says Huawei's high-end phones have helped create more brand allegiance for lower-priced devices. Read more...
"Blessed be the fruit," intones Serena Joy (Yvonne Strahovski) in the trailer for The Handmaid's Tale Season 3. We've heard her say that since Season 1 as Commander Waterford's dutiful wife, but the tone shift from then to now is unmistakable.
The trailer for Hulu's returning drama shows June (Elisabeth Moss) and her allies fighting Gilead's powers that be from within. That's an act of supreme subversion from Serena in particular, but she's one of few with the power to change their broken society.
We catch glimpses of every major character, including June's still very-much-alive flame Nick (Max Minghella), Season 2's terrifying new Commander Lawrence (Bradley Whitford), June's friends Moira (Samira Wiley) and Emily (Alexis Bledel), and the ever-formidable Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd). The revolution won't be easy, but it has begun. Read more...
Who doesn’t love the delicious, savory crunch of a perfectly pressed sandwich? If you’re a member of the panini fan club and a collector of unique kitchen appliances, this device from Hamilton Beach is just the thing for you.
Grab a Hamilton Beach electric panini press for $10 off on Amazon and turn your kitchen into the best sandwich shop in town.
First off, let’s talk about versatility — this panini press can do more than just smoosh down sandwiches. It can also cook quesadillas, sweet fruit turnovers, and even be used as a food warmer for items like personal pizzas and open-face sandwiches thanks to its locking lid. With the Hamilton Beach, you’ll always get a totally even, no-stress press — the machine will even tell you when it’s at the proper temperature by way of its green indicator light. And finally, unlike the bulky presses that you would usually find in a cafe or restaurant, this panini press can either fit easily into your cupboard or be left discreetly on your countertop. Read more...
Personal data is valuable stuff. Once you understand this, and realise just how naturally insecure the internet is, you start to feel a little worried. One of the best ways to ensure your safety and anonymity online is to use a virtual private network (VPN), which essentially secures your data from prying eyes. That's not to say VPNs are always advisable since people use them for many different reasons, such as downloading or uploading illegal content. Having said that, it can't be understated just how much personal data matters in this day and age, which is why Mashable has reached out to partners in order to put together the best VPN deals for anyone looking to control their identity online. Read more...
Air fryers have taken over the at-home fried food scene, but there is absolutely no shame in still wanting to use a deep fryer — we get it, food crisped in oil is amazing. A good air fryer can cost anywhere from $50 to a couple hundred dollars, so they’re not the most economical choice.
Cliché gifts aren't our thing — especially when those gifts are for Mother's Day and represent how much you appreciate the person who gave you life and/or raised you. (No pressure.)
But we're here to say that, when done correctly, a bouquet of flowers isn't off the list: From now until May 12 (that's Mother's Day, BTW), you can save 20% on a delivery from The Bouqs' Mother's Day collection using code MOM20.
By "done correctly," we mean that a bouquet should seem handpicked and heartfelt. After a long (but successful) bout on Shark Tank, The Bouqs has set out to revolutionize the way people celebrate special occasions. These premium bouquets make those expensive weddings on TLC actually look achievable, picked by expert flower farmers and lasting up to three weeks. Read more...
A drone captured this absolutely bonkers footage of a tornado from the air on Tuesday. It followed the small twister for several minutes as it traversed open land near Sulphur, Oklahoma.
It's stunning to see the tornado churning across the landscape for several minutes before finally dying out. It's especially cool at about the 1:30 mark when it rips right over a pond, sucking up water into its vortex.
The video was captured by Brandon Clement, a storm chaser who caught a break as a lack of rain and hail gave his drone a clear, unobstructed view of the tornado.
Clement told the Washington Post, “It wasn’t an overly strong tornado and didn’t do any damage, so my reaction seeing this was pure joy." Read more...
Argos is a hub for just about anything. It's the place to be if you're interested in technology, home and garden products, toys, clothing, or jewellery. It also stocks a wide range of other bits, but we would be here all day if we listed them all out.
Until May 7, Argos is offering customers the chance to receive a free £5 voucher or a £5 promotional voucher code with any purchases of £50 or more. That does have to be on a single purchase and it does exclude delivery charges, but that's still a pretty good deal.
Likewise, if you spend £100 or more in a single transaction, you will receive a free £10 Argos voucher or promotional voucher code to spend. This offer applies to purchases made in-store, on Quick Pay kiosks, over the telephone, or on authorised orders at Argos.co.uk. You must spend your voucher or code between May 1 and May 28, so don't wait too long before cashing in. Read more...
High-quality speakers are kind of a necessity for the home. Not in the same way that you need a bed or an oven obviously, but a speaker is still an essential bit of kit.
If your home is the place that you sing and dance the most (and it probably should be) then you need some speakers that can keep up with your moves and perfect vocals. The difficulty can be finding a speaker that combines impressive audio with style.
The Sonos PLAY:1 speaker produces great sound and looks good doing it. This speaker is the smallest in the Sonos range, meaning it fits into any space in your home whilst produces powerful audio that fills the room. You can now save £20 on list price and pick up this stylish model for just £129. Read more...
You need to take your time with some things in life, like strolls along the beach, lunches with friends, and hugs. At the risk of sounding like your parents, you should also take your time when brushing your teeth.
The dentist-recommended time is at least two minutes, and they know best. So if you're coming in under this time, you need to go a little slower. If you need some help ensuring you hit this mark, then there are devices out there that can give you the guidance you require.
The Oral-B PRO 6000 SmartSeries electric toothbrush with Bluetooth helps you to brush just like your dentist recommends, with a timer, multiple brushing modes, and pressure sensors. You can pick up this clever device for just £64.99 from Amazon. That's a £165 reduction on the list price of £229.99, and comes with four toothbrush heads, a smart guide, and a travel case. Read more...
It's been 50 years of sunny days sweeping the clouds away. The beloved children's show Sesame Street has been on air for half a century.
To celebrate this major milestone, a New York City street is permanently becoming Sesame Street and you'll be able to get to Big Bird, Elmo, Cookie Monster, Bert and Ernie, and even Oscar the Grouch's stomping grounds. Instead of asking someone to tell you how to get to Sesame Street, you can plug it into the Waze navigation app.
Waze users in the New York City area can get directions to the fictitious home of Bird Bird's nest, Oscar the Grouch's trash can, as well as other friends, educators, and special guests. In-app messages will pop up on Wednesday afternoon about the newly-named street in the city for anyone in the area using the app. Read more...
Although MacBooks have grown in popularity over the past decade, Microsoft is making a bit of a comeback among consumers with the release of Windows 10 a few years ago. In fact, there are some benefits of using Windows 10 over MacOS X, such as functionality, ease of use, and touch-ability. Believe it or not, you can actually use many Windows 10 laptops like tablets.
Moreover, Windows-based laptops are catching up with MacBooks in terms of design and looks. PC laptops have always gotten a bad name since they have historically prioritised function over style thanks to cheap materials and awful looking displays. Apple computers, on the other hand, integrate form and style into one beautiful machine. Read more...
Looking for the right curling iron can be overwhelming — there are literally hundreds you could choose from. You have to consider your hair type, the kind of curl you want, ease of use, price, material, and more just to find a product to style your hair.
First let’s talk size — because size actually does matter when it comes to styling your hair. Curling irons range in size and can create tiny spirals or big, loose curlsLiana Le, a celebrity stylist at Marie Robinson Salon in New York, said that she prefers one-inch tools to achieve a beachy, undone look, and a 1.25-inch size for a softer, pulled out wave look. For tighter curls you should opt for a three-quarter-inch iron or smaller. If you’re unsure of what size you want, a one-inch curling iron is a safe bet for most hair types and lengths. Read more...
When Daenerys Targaryen emerged from the funeral pyre of Khal Drogo with three baby dragons in the Season 1 finale of Game of Thrones, it was clear that the game had changed. History had relegated dragons to icons of the past, terrifying relics of a dynasty long gone and a magic that no longer existed. Over the course of the series Dany and her dragons have only become more powerful, but now that the series finale looms it’s starting to seem like the only way this story ends is with all of Daenerys’ flappy little fire-children dead.
Even as one dragon has fallen to the Night King (and then fallen to Arya, who felled the Night King), Dany’s two remaining dragons are dramatically overpowered. They’re amazing allies to have in a war, but regardless of how the dust settles on Westeros there’s historical precedent that shows the world is nearly always better off without dragons. In fact, the two times dragons have previously died out have served as turning points for social chance, and their deaths always force a reset on political power. Read more...
The church survived and so did the train depot. But the rest of Paramount Ranch is a mangled yard of twisted metal and charred wood. The National Park Service fenced off the ruins of the replica 19th-century Western town, which throughout its 70-year history in the Malibu hills has served as a classic set for the likes of HBO’s Westworld, countless Hollywood westerns, and weddings. When I visited the rubble in April, a man in his 60s stood beside me, peering through the metal fence at the leveled buildings. “Our daughter got married out here,” he said, wearily
Six months earlier, the Woolsey Fire ripped through the mock town’s saloons, mining shops, and Sheriff’s buildings. The blaze burned nearly 100,000 acres and scorched 88 percent of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, which is home to Paramount Ranch. It was the largest fire in the park’s history, and it left a scar that is easily visible from space. The Woolsey Fire followed in the footsteps of 2017’s nearby Thomas Fire, which for eight months held the title as the biggest wildfire in California history — until, that is, it was eclipsed by yet another giant blaze, the Mendocino Complex fire Read more...
Last year Uber rolled out a rewards program for its drivers in a few U.S. cities and offered full tuition for online courses at Arizona State University for high-level drivers. Now 20 more cities as well as drivers in Mexico for Uber Eats can get in on the rewards.
The program, called Uber Pro, gives perks for different status levels based on ratings and number of trips: partner, gold, platinum, and diamond. For higher status drivers on Pro, free ASU online tuition toward a degree was a perk that could be used by the driver or transferred to family members.
His sentence was given this morning at Southwark Crown Court in London.
Julian Assange will be sentenced at Southwark Crown Court at 10:30AM tomorrow for 'violating his bail conditions' whilst seeking & obtaining political asylum. On Thursday at 10AM there will be a hearing in Westminster Magistrate Court on the US extradition request.
It's hard to imagine the great and the good of Hollywood doing themselves a mischief. But, turns out even A-list celebrities fall down every once in a while.
Zac Efron told Jimmy Kimmel about the time he went skiing and injured himself during a fall.
Efron said he was skiing down a mountain and having a great time, when all of a sudden he realised he was going quite fast.
"I looked at the side and I was like, I'm going 35 miles per hour. I'm going fast, this is like the best skiing I've ever done, I wanna powder ski for the rest of my life," he said.
Just when Efron was thinking about slowing down for a second, he went flying. One of his skis came off, and he disconnected his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his knee. Thankfully, after 6 weeks of recuperation, he's OK now. Read more...
This deals round-up is perfect for anyone interested in tablets, laptops, electric toothbrushes, shavers, speakers, TVs, or pretty much any other device for that matter.
We have lined up the very best deals on a wide range of products so that you can save on a top brand. You can pick up a discounted device from Apple, Samsung, Huawei, Oral-B, Philips, and Braun in this list, alongside a bunch of other big names.
These are the best deals from across the internet for May 1.
Best of the best
Take your pick from this group of the best deals on everything from speakers to TVs, including discounted Sony and Ultimate Ears devices. Read more...
Do you miss the days where you could spend endless hours in the arcades (or just want to play Stranger Things IRL)? Walmart has several Arcade1Up Arcade Cabinets like Asteroids and Centipede on sale for $199 or Street Fighter 2 cabinet for $249. The arcade machines feature the original artwork, the original joystick, and control button layout — which is definitely game to make your guests jealous.
Warning: Contains stabby spoilers for Game of Thrones Season 8, episode three.
The Battle of Winterfell seemed to divide a lot of Game of Thrones fans. Plenty of people loved it. Others thought it was a bit disappointing. Some basically couldn't see it.
But despite your thoughts about the episode itself, one thing seems pretty easy to agree on: the outcome was certainly a surprising one.
Many people were expecting the Night King — who had been built up to be the show's ultimate adversary — to triumph at the battle. Not many predicted how, or when, he'd die. Read more...
If you’re super into gaming and gadgets, you might consider yourself a geek. And if you consider yourself a geek, you’ll likely be excited to know that ThinkGeek is offering 25% off everything today, including discounted clearance items marked at 75% off. This means you can save up to 81% on all the geeky paraphernalia you want.
In a perfect world, we'd all crush our workout goals without a personal trainer or Barry's Bootcamp instructor behind us.
But the reason why we often let our fitness dreams fall by the wayside isn't a lack of willpower, but a lack of visibility into all the progress we're making. As the saying goes, you can't improve what you don't measure, and merely tracking your steps using your phone's health app isn't going to cut it.
If you genuinely want to stay accountable for your health goals, you need something like the Sinji Fitness Tracker — a trusty wearable that can track your calories, steps, sleep, and activity right from your wrist. Unlike pricer wearables like a Fitbit or an Apple Watch, the Sinji is super affordable. In fact, you can get one right now for 77% off. Read more...
Have you ever fantasized about having your very own robot butler that could do all of your chores, cook meals, and ultimately make your life infinitely easier? Us too, but sadly, those don’t exist (yet).
Instead, consider picking up the Deebot N79S robot vacuum from Ecovacs, a stellar automated cleaning device that's on sale for $150 off its usual $299.99 price tag on Amazon today.
This smart vacuum cleaner from Ecovacs is popular among robo-vac aficionados because of its sheer power, app support, and impressively long battery life. Ground-in dirt, pet hair, and more stuck in your carpets? The Deebot can pick up most messes with ease, but can also employ the help of a max power mode for double the suction in even the toughest areas. Read more...
#BREAKING: Maduro forces drive armoured vehicles into crowds and run over protesters outside airbase in Caracas, multiple wounded pic.twitter.com/4mAYUDxR1Z
AFP graphic showing changes in troop numbers in the Venezuelan armed forces since 2008 as well as comparisons to other Latin American countries @AFPgraphicspic.twitter.com/sI2MkirTMf
.@POTUS asked me to deliver a message today — We are keeping the best carrier in the world in the fight! We are NOT retiring the Truman! The USS Harry S. Truman is gonna"Give 'Em Hell" for many years to come! pic.twitter.com/VFt7zb9L3b
The head of Venezuela's feared secret police has turned his back on disputed President Nicolas Maduro in an open letter made public Tuesday night.
Meanwhile, Maduro took to Venezuela's airwaves to proclaim that the uprising sparked by opposition leader Juan Guaidó had been defeated. In a rambling address, Maduro said his regime had responded to the rebellion with "nerves of steel, maximum serenity and effective action" and claimed that the leaders of the uprising were under arrest and being questioned.
"This cannot go unpunished," said Maduro, who added that "all of those involved must surrender."
Manuel Ricardo Cristopher Figuera, the head of the Bolivarian Intelligence Service (SEBIN), is the highest-ranking member of the country's security forces to break with Maduro since Guaidó called for a military uprising Tuesday morning.
WNU Editor: This is a huge defection. And even though he was replaced immediately, I am sure there will be more defections in the future. Here is a good article on why the SEBIN plays a critical in preserving the Maduro regime .... Venezuelan Secret Police: The key to Maduro's oppressive hold on power (Today Venezuela).
An opposition demonstrator with wounds gestures in front of a burning bus, while holding a rock, near the Generalisimo Francisco de Miranda Airbase "La Carlota" in Caracas, Venezuela April 30, 2019. Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido made his strongest call yet to the military to help him oust President Nicolas Maduro but there were no concrete signs of defection from the armed forces leadership. REUTERS/Ueslei Marcelino
President blames Trump imperialists and 'coup-mongering far right' for plot put down by military
Nicolás Maduro claimed his troops have thwarted a botched attempt to topple him masterminded by Venezuela's "coup-mongering far right" and Donald Trump's deranged imperialist "gang".
In an hour-long address to the nation on Tuesday night – his first since the pre-dawn uprising began – Maduro accused opposition leader Juan Guaidó and his political mentor Leopoldo López of seeking to spark an armed confrontation that might be used as a pretext for a foreign military intervention.
The Trump administration is dropping its pitch to mothball the USS Harry S. Truman at its midlife point.
Vice President Mike Pence made the announcement Tuesday during an all-hands call aboard the Truman at Naval Station Norfolk.
"We are keeping the best carrier in the world in the fight. We are not retiring the Truman," Pence said, adding: "The USS Harry S. Truman is going to be giving 'em hell for many more years to come."
That phrase — "give 'em hell" — is a reference to the carrier's battle cry. Pence's announcement, amid weeks of debate over the future of the carrier, was met with cheers from hundreds of sailors. A Pentagon budget proposal called for retiring the Truman halfway through its intended 50-year service life by skipping its midlife refueling, scheduled to begin in 2024. By bypassing that overhaul, the Navy estimated it would save about $3.4 billion, money that it could reinvest elsewhere.
The Mueller Report is now public, and our Mainstream Media have filled the airways with all sorts of commentaries and interpretations. We know that - despite the very best efforts of the dedicated Leftist attorneys on Special Counsel Robert Mueller's staff - there was absolutely no coordination between members of the Trump campaign, or any of his staffers, with Russians. No additional charges have come as a result, other than accusations made earlier of "process crimes" (e.g. failure to report earnings on tax forms, failure to report lobbying work, or not telling investigators what they demanded to hear—"crimes" that practically every politician in Washington has been guilty of at one time or another and would normally not cause much of a stir). None of these involved Russia.
WNU Editor: The author of the above commentary is not a supporter of the Mueller Counsel, the media that fed the narrative on Russian collusion and election interference, and the political class that supported it. But partisanship aside, Boyd Cathey does make a good point ..... where is the evidence that Russia interfered in the 2016 elections? Aside from the claim that $160,000 was spent on a social media campaign (where apparently much was only spent after the election), and claims that it was Russia that leaked emails to Wikileaks proving that the Democrat Party had fixed the primaries to favour Hillary Clinton (which Wikileaks has denied), I have yet to see any real evidence from the U.S. government on Russian interference in 2016. The U.S. intel community is still saying that they do have evidence that Russia interfered in the election, but due to the secrecy of their intelligence operations they are not at the liberty to disclose it. So should we believe and trust the U.S. intel community when they ask for our trust? You tell me.
Special counsel Robert S. Mueller III wrote a letter in late March complaining to Attorney General William P. Barr that a four-page memo to Congress describing the principal conclusions of the investigation into President Trump "did not fully capture the context, nature, and substance" of Mueller's work, according to a copy of the letter reviewed Tuesday by The Washington Post.
The letter and a subsequent phone call between the two men reveal the degree to which the longtime colleagues and friends disagreed as they handled the legally and politically fraught task of investigating the president. Democrats in Congress are likely to scrutinize Mueller's complaints to Barr as they contemplate the prospect of opening impeachment proceedings and mull how hard to press for Mueller himself to testify publicly.
WNU Editor: This is all moot. The report has been released for all to read, and from what I have read in the Trump-Russia collusion section, it only confirms the Attorney General's memo. As to the obstruction part of the report, Attorney General Barr stated that since Mueller did not make a decision on obstruction, his office analyzed the evidence and they made the decision that there was no obstruction.
As for Special Counsel Mueller's concerns that Attorney General Barr's four-page memo "did not fully capture the context, nature, and substance" .... IMHO it is too little, and definitely too late. So why the release of Mueller's letter now? A realization that after two years of intense media focus on Trump - Russian collusion to be told at the end there is no evidence to make a case .... we are witnessing a massive let-down and an attempt to shift the focus to try and make the case for obstruction. My prediction. Good luck to those who want to make a case for obstruction when there is no evidence that Trump - Russian collusion occurred, when executive privilege was not exercised, and no one was fired or prevented in doing their job.
More News On U.S. Special Counsel Mueller Disputing Attorney General Barr's Description On Russian Findings
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was prepared to leave the country on Tuesday morning in the face of a call for an uprising by opposition leader Juan Guaido, but reversed his plan after Russia intervened, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a U.S. television interview on Tuesday.
"They had an airplane on the tarmac. He was ready to leave this morning, as we understand it. Russians indicated he should stay," Pompeo said in an interview with CNN.
Venezuela's opposition leader Juan Guaido has made a new push to oust President Nicolas Maduro, claiming he has the backing of parts of the army. As protesters face off with security, the world reacts.
The US White House led support for Venezuelan leader Juan Guaido's push for a military uprising against President Nicolas Maduro on Tuesday, while Maduro's international backers condemned the push as a coup.
The Trump administration was quick to voice support for Guaido, after leading a mounting pressure campaign since Guaido declared himself interim president in January.
Various officials urged the military to stand by the country's "legitimate institutions," while Secretary of State Mike Pompeo wrote on Twitter that "democracy cannot be defeated."
CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido on Tuesday made his strongest call yet to the military to help him oust President Nicolas Maduro but there were no concrete signs of defection from the armed forces leadership.
Early on Tuesday, several dozen armed troops accompanying Guaido clashed with soldiers supporting Maduro at a rally in Caracas, and large anti-government protests in the streets turned violent. But by Tuesday afternoon an uneasy peace had returned and there was no indication that the opposition planned to take power through military force.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. military on Tuesday said it was monitoring developments in Venezuela but suggested no role in the unfolding events, as armed factions opposing and supporting President Nicolas Maduro clashed at a protest outside a Caracas air base.
"We are monitoring the recent developments in Venezuela closely and are in close contact with our interagency partners and senior chain of command. At the present time, U.S. Southern Command's mission remains unchanged," said Colonel Armando Hernandez, a spokesman at the U.S. military's Southern Command, which oversees U.S. forces in Latin America.
More than 6,500 civilians have fled Baghouz, the Islamic State (IS) group's final enclave in eastern Syria, since Tuesday. Among them were some 200 IS fighters, according to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) militia currently facing down the militant group (AFP)
It is clear the U.S.-led coalition vastly underestimated the number of civilians trapped with ISIS in its last Syrian redoubt.
Their images are by now well known: the thousands of women and children who emerged from ISIS's last stronghold, now housed in the al Hol detention camp in Northwest Syria. According to Kurdish forces, these are the wives and children of foreign fighters, and their future hangs in the balance.
Yet out of the town of al Baghouz from which they staggered—a town which the U.S.-led Coalition effectively destroyed—also came an estimated 60,000 Iraqi and Syrian women and children, survivors of the last battle of a five year air and ground campaign to obliterate the so-called Islamic State as a territorial entity.
WNU Editor: There will be an investigation and accounting one day, but not today. When the fighting has stopped and Syria is stable and rebuilt, that is probably when a more thorough investigation and report will be made on what happened in the Baghouz.
Warships and fighter jets of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy take part in a military display in the South China Sea April 12, 2018. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo
TAIPEI (Reuters) - A generation ago, from mid-1995 into early 1996, China lobbed missiles in the waters around Taiwan as the self-governing island prepared to hold its first fully democratic presidential election. Washington forcefully intervened to support its ally, sending two aircraft carrier battle groups to patrol nearby. The carriers, then as now the spearhead of American power, intimidated Beijing. The vote went ahead. The missiles stopped.
Today, with tension again running high, Washington still backs Taiwan. Chinese President Xi Jinping on January 2 renewed Beijing's longstanding threat to use force if necessary to restore mainland control over the island. But the United States is now sending much more muted signals of support.
Japan's Emperor Akihito has declared his abdication in a historic ceremony at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo.
In his last public address as emperor, Akihito handed over the symbols of power and thanked the public for their support during his 30-year reign.
The 85-year-old was given permission to abdicate after saying he felt unable to fulfil his role because of his age and declining health.
He is the first Japanese monarch to stand down in more than 200 years.
Akihito technically remained emperor until midnight (15:00 GMT on Tuesday).
His eldest son, Crown Prince Naruhito, formally ascends the throne later on Wednesday. A new era - called Reiwa, meaning order and harmony - will begin in Japan's unique calendar.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has convened a meeting of his top national security officials as the U.S. expressed its support for a new push to overthrow the government of Venezuela.
Venezuelan Parliament speaker Juan Guaidó, who declared himself interim president in January with the backing of the U.S. and its allies, escalated the ongoing political crisis facing the country by calling on Tuesday for an uprising by the military, which has so far remained loyal to President Nicolás Maduro.
The US has declared its support for Juan Guaidó as he called for the Venezuelan military to join an uprising against the government of Nicolás Maduro.
The secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, tweeted a message in support of what he called "the start of Operación Libertad".
"The US Government fully supports the Venezuelan people in their quest for freedom and democracy. Democracy cannot be defeated," Pompeo said.
The vice-president, Mike Pence, also went on to Twitter to egg on the protesters:
All military commanders of Venezuela are loyal to the government, President Nicolas Maduro assured amid an attempted military coup, declared by US-backed opposition leader Juan Guaido.
Maduro, who is considered an 'usurper' by his challenger, said that he had spoken to all senior military officers of the country's armed forces, who assured him of their "total loyalty to the constitution and to the homeland." He called on his supporters to mobilize in the face of the latest attempt by Guaido to seize power in Caracas.
WNU Editor: Venezuela's opposition leaders are on the streets rallying support. President Nicolas Maduro is hunkered in his Presidential Palace on the phone protected by Cuban and Russian security contractors. Who is going to succeed?
More News On Venezuelan President Maduro And His Ministers Saying The Army Is Loyal To The Government
Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez raises his fist to the crowd of supporters in Caracas, Venezuela April 30, 2019. (Photo: Manaure Quintero/Reuters)
The Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó took to the streets with activist Leopoldo López and a small contingent of heavily armed soldiers early on Tuesday in a call for the military to rise up and oust the socialist leader, Nicolás Maduro. Events started when Guaidó appeared in an early morning video surrounded by heavily armed soldiers backed by armoured vehicles. Guaidó said soldiers who had taken to the streets were protecting Venezuela's constitution. Information minister Jorge RodrÃguez said on Twitter that Maduro's government was confronting a small 'coup attempt' led by military 'traitors' backed by rightwing opponents.
Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido, who many nations have recognised as the country's rightful interim ruler, talks to supporters in Caracas, Venezuela April 30, 2019. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins
WNU Editor: I have seen my share of uprisings, and this is the real thing. The next 24 hours will be critical on what happens to the Maduro government, and the success (or failure) of this coup attempt. I personally think this coup attempt is happening too soon. The Army leadership is still loyal to the Maduro government, and they are critical if the opposition want to get rid of Maduro. I was also surprised to see opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez on the streets standing beside Juan Guaido. He was in prison, but freed when his supporters stormed the prison to release him this morning. He is enormously popular in Venezuela, and his support for the uprising will rally a lot of people.
* Juan Guaido called for uprising against Nicolas Maduro on Tuesday from the La Carlota airbase in Caracas * Guaido made the announcement surrounded by troops who then began setting up a defensive perimeter * Maduro's forces fired tear gas before a heavy exchange of gunfire, with protesters caught in the middle * US, which backs Guaido, said President was aware while Putin, backing Maduro, was in talks with top officials
Heavy gunfire crackled through the Venezuelan capital of Caracas on Tuesday after opposition leader Juan Guaido called for a military uprising to oust President Nicolas Maduro.
Guaido urged protesters and members of the military to join what he called the 'final phase of Operation Liberty' in a video taken at La Carlota airbase in the capital Caracas while surrounded by heavily-armed soldiers.
The troops then set up defensive positions around the base before Maduro's forces arrived and opened fire with teargas followed by live rounds, according to witnesses.
Guaido claimed that Maduro had lost the support of the military, but the President said he had spoken with his officers who had assured him of their 'total loyalty'.
'Nerves of steel!,' Maduro said on Twitter. 'I call for maximum popular mobilization to assure the victory of peace. We will win!'
Mirroring Osama Bin Laden, Islamic State group leader al-Baghdadi's message is the latest most-wanted figure to use video to communicate with the outside world. A look at other infamous cases by @TamerFakahanyhttps://t.co/6wmyWbDcfa
Videos about the Oniks anti-ship missile used by the Bastion Coastal Defense Complex and a variety of Russian Navy corvettes, frigates, and submarines.https://t.co/huwsABku5jpic.twitter.com/sBm2kBCiSd
A group of Kuchi boys are stripping pieces of metal from former Soviet tanks, abandoned by the Red Army and later used again by the Mudjaheddin under the command of Ahmad Shah Massoud in their fight for control over the plains of Shomali
WIKILEAKS founder Julian Assange has appeared in court to be sentenced for breaching bail after spending nearly seven years holed up in the Ecuadorian Embassy to evade arrest.
EMMANUEL MACRON is facing "grim scenes" in Paris and elsewhere in France today as Yellow Vest protesters turn up the heat on May Day, a UK-based expert in French politics has warned.
US AIRLINES have been banned from flying in and out of Venezuela after opposition leader Juan Guaidó called for a military uprising against Nicolas Maduro.
(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump and his national security team are weighing whether to designate the Muslim Brotherhood a foreign terrorist organization, the White House said Tuesday.
White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said Trump was consulting with his advisers and leaders in the region who share his concern about the Islamist movement with followers across the Middle East. “This designation is working its way through the internal process,” she said.
The New York Times first reported on Tuesday that the administration was pushing to designate the group, but the idea is not new. Some people think the Muslim Brotherhood does not meet the legal criteria required for the designation. Others think the organization is too diverse and spread out across nations, making it difficult to enforce a one-size-fits-all description. There also questions about whether a designation would complicate U.S. diplomacy.
The group was founded in Egypt in the late 1920s and now operates in many countries. Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi came to power in 2014 after removing his predecessor, Mohammed Morsi, who came from the Muslim Brotherhood. Egypt has since outlawed the group and has encouraged the U.S. to follow suit.
To meet the legal criteria for the designation, a group must engage in terrorist activity that threatens the security of Americans or the defense, foreign relations or economic interests of the United States.
Jonathan Schanzer, with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a Washington think tank, said some violent branches of the group could be designated, but other members support its extremist political views but not violence.
That “blurry” picture of the group was what discouraged earlier U.S. administrations from designating it, he said. The Muslim Brotherhood in Libya, Syria and Yemen have apparent ties to militants, while the group in Jordan bills itself as a political group, said Schanzer, who advises against a “blanket terrorist designation” of the group.
Some national security legal experts conclude that the Muslim Brotherhood is too diffuse to designate. They say elements of the group are violent and could continue to be designated, but that, as a whole, it does not create a terrorist threat to the United States.
Enforcing such a designation could be difficult.
Schanzer said intelligence on group members that Jordan or Egypt share with the U.S., for example, could likely be tainted by their desire to weaken political opposition from Islamists in their countries. Designating the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist group also could further strain U.S. relations with Turkey.
The political party of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood. U.S.-Turkey relations are at an impasse over Ankara’s decision to purchase the Russian S-400 missile system.
Asked by reporters at the White House whether there were any concerns that designating the Muslim Brotherhood could create diplomatic complications for the administration because the group is so widespread, Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway replied: “No.”
Daniel Benjamin, former counterterrorism coordinator at the State Department, said the department looked into designating the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization in 2017 and 2018 and concluded that there was no legal basis for a designation.
“That continues to be true,” tweeted Benjamin, who is now at Dartmouth College. He accused the Trump administration of “warping” the designation process for political reasons. “It’s malpractice and ultimately dangerous,” Benjamin said in his tweet.
(TOKYO) — Japan’s new Emperor Naruhito inherited Imperial regalia and seals as proof of his succession and pledged in his first public address Wednesday to follow his father’s example in devoting himself to peace and staying close to the people.
Naruhito succeeded to the Chrysanthemum Throne at midnight after Akihito abdicated.
In his address to the people, Naruhito formally announced his succession and pledged to continue learning.
“When I think about the important responsibility I have assumed, I am filled with a sense of solemnity,” he said. Naruhito noted that his father was devoted to praying for peace and sharing joys and sorrows of the people, while showing compassion.
He said he will “reflect deeply” on the path trodden by Akihito and past emperors, and promised to abide by the Constitution to fulfill his responsibility as a national symbol while “always turning my thoughts to the people and standing with them.
“I sincerely pray for the happiness of the people and the further development of the nation as well as the peace of the world,” he said.
Naruhito was presented with the Imperial regalia of a sword and jewel, each in a box and wrapped in cloth, at a morning ceremony which was his first official duty in his new role.
His wife and daughter, Empress Masako and 17-year-old Princess Aiko were barred from the ceremony, where only adult male royals participated. Only his brother, now Crown Prince Fumihito, and his uncle Prince Hitachi were allowed to witness. Their guests included a female Cabinet minister, however, as the Imperial House Law has no provision on the gender of the commoners in attendance.
Japan was in a festive mood celebrating an imperial succession that occurred by retirement rather than by death. Many people stood outside the palace Tuesday to reminisce about Akihito’s era, others joined midnight events when the transition occurred, and more came to celebrate the beginning of Naruhito’s reign.
From a car window on his way to palace, Naruhito smiled and waved at the people on the sidewalk who cheered him. He and his family still live at the crown prince’s Togu palace until they switch places with his parents.
He is the nation’s 126th emperor, according to a palace count historians say could include mythical figures until around the 5th century.
The emperor under Japan’s constitution is a symbol without political power. Naruhito is free of influence from Japan’s imperial worship that was fanned by the wartime militarist government that had deified the emperor as a living god until his grandfather renounced that status after Japan’s 1945 war defeat.
Naruhito has promised to emulate his father in seeking peace and staying close to people. Palace watchers say he might focus on global issues, including disaster prevention, water conservation and climate change, which could appeal to younger Japanese.
He will also face uncertainties in the Imperial household. Only his younger brother, Prince Akishino, 53, and Akishino’s 12-year-old son, Prince Hisahito, can currently succeed him. The Imperial House Law confines the succession to male heirs, leaving Naruhito’s daughter, Aiko, now 17, out of the running.
Naruhito’s wife Masako is a Harvard-educated former diplomat who may prove an adept partner in his overseas travels and activities. But much will depend on her health, since she has been recovering from what the palace describes as stress-induced depression for about 15 years.
Naruhito, the first Japanese emperor to have studied abroad, is considered a new breed of royal, his outlook forged by the tradition-defying choices of his parents. Akihito devoted his three-decade career to making amends for a war fought in his father’s name while bringing the aloof monarchy closer to the people. Empress Emeritus Michiko was born a commoner and was Catholic educated. Together, they reached out to the people, especially those who faced handicaps and discrimination, and natural disasters.
Naruhito is also the first monarch raised by his own parents, as Akihito and Michiko, who was born a commoner, chose to take care of their children instead of leaving them in the hands of palace staff. They also supported his choice to attend Oxford University, where he researched the history of the Thames River transportation systems.
In an annual news conference marking his Feb. 23 birthday, Naruhito said he was open to taking up a new role that “suits the times.” But he said his father’s work will be his guidepost.
(BUTEMBO, Congo) — The woman spent more than a week at home sick before family members tried to take her to an Ebola treatment center in eastern Congo. Before the motorcycle could reach the facility, it was too late.
Her crumpled body rested against the driver’s back as he worriedly made phone calls, witnesses said.
Health experts are expressing growing alarm about the number of people sickened with the Ebola virus who are never reaching treatment centers, allowing the disease to spread to caregivers and countless others.
Monday set a new record in this outbreak of 27 confirmed cases in a single day, Congo’s health ministry said. Over the past four days 93 cases had been confirmed.
The World Health Organization said 126 new confirmed cases were reported over a seven-day stretch ending on Sunday, the largest such tally in this outbreak that was first declared in August. Fifteen deaths were reported on Sunday alone, marking the highest number of deaths reported on a single day in the outbreak.
In an email, WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic sought to play down the significance of the higher figures, saying the case numbers were “better interpreted as an increase in case activity within the outbreak hotspot areas.”
“We discourage phrasing this as ‘record numbers’ or similar as it does not reflect well current activity/data, and provides an unnecessarily alarmist view of the outbreak,” he wrote.
The fact that many are dying outside the health care system means the full scale of the crisis is unknown.
“There might be double this many cases in reality that we’re just not aware of,” said Tariq Riebl, emergency response director for the Ebola response crisis with the International Rescue Committee.
“A very small number are actually presenting themselves to health centers,” he said.
WHO’s Jasarevic said 38% of people who died over the seven-day period ending Sunday had died before reaching Ebola Treatment Centers, down from more than 60% about two months ago.
Distrust of health workers, combined with a highly volatile security situation at the outbreak’s epicenter, is putting the Ebola response in serious peril.
The spike in recorded cases has been attributed to a series of attacks that have hampered health workers’ efforts to go out into the affected communities to educate and vaccinate.
On April 19, a Cameroonian epidemiologist working with WHO was killed during an attack on a hospital in Butembo city. Two other health workers were injured.
The IRC said it has had to curtail its triage efforts in those areas as a result. Doctors Without Borders has also pulled out temporarily, leaving the health ministry to run the treatment centers there.
Health experts have attributed the community resistance to the fact that eastern Congo has suffered a quarter-century of armed conflict, leading to a deep mistrust of government officials who are now running the treatment centers.
Voters in Ebola hotspots also were unable to vote in the January presidential election, deepening false suspicions that Ebola had been brought to the region for political gain.
There now have been 957 deaths among the 1,466 confirmed and probable cases reported in this outbreak, WHO said.
(WASHINGTON) — The Trump administration declared quick and enthusiastic support Tuesday for the Venezuelan opposition effort to spark a military uprising against embattled President Nicolas Maduro, hoping for decisive action in the political crisis that has engulfed the South American nation.
Late in the day, President Donald Trump threatened a “full and complete embargo” and sanctions on Cuba if its troops do not cease operations in Venezuela. National Security Adviser John Bolton alleged earlier that Cuban troops were keeping Maduro in power in Caracas.
If Cuban Troops and Militia do not immediately CEASE military and other operations for the purpose of causing death and destruction to the Constitution of Venezuela, a full and complete….
….embargo, together with highest-level sanctions, will be placed on the island of Cuba. Hopefully, all Cuban soldiers will promptly and peacefully return to their island!
Trump and senior foreign policy figures in his administration all weighed in during the day, casting the effort headed by opposition leaders Juan Guaido and Leopoldo Lopez as a move to restore democracy, not an attempted coup like the short-lived effort to oust then-President Hugo Chavez in 2002 that seemed to have U.S. support.
“We are with you!” Vice President Mike Pence tweeted to the opposition. Pence, who has had a lead role in the administration’s effort to persuade Maduro to give up power, told the opposition group, “America will stand with you until freedom & democracy are restored.”
To @jguaido, the National Assembly and all the freedom-loving people of Venezuela who are taking to the streets today in #operacionlibertad—Estamos con ustedes! We are with you! America will stand with you until freedom & democracy are restored. Vayan con dios! #FreeVenezuela
Lopez, the country’s most prominent opposition activist, had been under house arrest, and his sudden appearance would seem to have required the cooperation of troops who guard him. However, late Tuesday, he sought refuge with his family in the Chilean Embassy in Caracas, a discouraging sign for supporters of the uprising.
Bolton said it was a “very delicate moment” for Venezuela.
“If this effort fails, they will sink into a dictatorship from which there are very few possible alternatives,” he said at the White House.
The wholehearted embrace of the rebellion reflects the goals of an administration that from its earliest days has sought the removal of Maduro. But it was also an unusually full-throated endorsement by any government for a mass protest that was turning violent.
“It’s more than cheerleading. They are very actively collaborating,” said Mark Weisbrot, who is co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research in Washington and has called for a negotiated end to the political crisis.
The U.S. and about 50 other nations take the position that Maduro’s re-election last year was irrevocably marred by fraud and he is not the legitimate president of Venezuela, a once prosperous nation that has the world’s largest proven oil reserves.
In January, the administration took the unusual step of recognizing Guaido, the opposition leader of the National Assembly, as interim president. It also imposed punishing sanctions on the country’s oil sector, deepening the country’s economic crisis.
Despite these and other measures, Maduro, the hand-picked successor to Chavez, has retained his hold on the country and the support of the security services.
That support had seemed to crack Tuesday with the launch of what the opposition was calling “Operation Freedom,” which began with the early-morning release of a short video of Guaido and Lopez alongside a few dozen national guardsmen urging people to “take to the streets.”
Today interim President Juan Guaido announced start of Operación Libertad. The U.S. Government fully supports the Venezuelan people in their quest for freedom and democracy. Democracy cannot be defeated. #EstamosUnidosVE
“What we are seeing today in Venezuela is the will of the people to peacefully change the course of their country from one of despair to one of freedom and democracy,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tweeted in an early reaction. “The U.S. stands with them.”
What we are seeing today in #Venezuela is the will of the people to peacefully change the course of their country from one of despair to one of freedom and democracy. The U.S. stands with them and @jguaido now and always. #EstamosUnidosVE
Still, the Trump administration was caught slightly off-guard by Guaido’s decision to launch the campaign on Tuesday. Elliott Abrams, the special representative for Venezuela, said the administration had expected major marches and protests to take place on Wednesday for the May Day holiday.
At some point after that, Abrams said, U.S. officials had been led to believe that the chief judge of Venezuela’s Supreme Court, the defense minister and the chief of the presidential guard would declare their support for the constitution and, by extension, renounce Maduro’s leadership. Abrams said U.S. officials believed such a step would galvanize public support for Guaido.
“What was going to happen, we were told, was that they would announce their support for the constitution,” he told reporters at the State Department.
That did not occur and Abrams said “the situation on the ground remains confused.” Nonetheless, Abrams said he had been in contact with Guaido by text message at midafternoon and the opposition leader seemed “buoyant and determined.”
Bolton said a peaceful transfer of power from Maduro to Guaido could still occur if “enough figures depart from the regime and support the opposition.”
The U.S. has been embarrassed by acting too soon in the past. In April 2002, a businessman who had repeated meetings with American officials staged a coup against the leftist President Chavez. While other countries in the hemisphere denounced the move, the administration of then President George W. Bush acknowledged the new government. It had to backtrack as the rebellion fizzled.
Trump administration officials sought to draw a distinction between the two situations. Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, at a conference in California, said the U.S. considers Guaido, not Maduro, the legitimate leader of the country under the Venezuelan constitution. “Importantly, we do not consider it a coup,” he said.
Still, Abrams sounded uncertain as to how Guaido’s bid would end and appeared to set the stage for his possible defeat.
“We know this: At the end of the day, Juan Guaido will still be the legitimate interim president of Venezuela, the United States will still be supporting him,” he said. “The Maduro regime, while it exists will still be illegitimate and completely incapable of solving the problems of the Venezuelan people.”
The call for help came from half a world away to a windowless room at a remote airbase in South Dakota.
An American military advisor was calling from eastern Syria, asking the team at Ellsworth Air Force Base to deploy a drone to hunt down a small group of ISIS gunmen harassing the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the U.S.-backed force fighting in the region. In a series of hit-and-run attacks, the ISIS gunmen had turned the SDF’s makeshift outpost into a shooting gallery, injuring several Syrian troops and putting the U.S. advisors at-risk before melting into the nearby civilian population.
Within minutes, the operators directed a MQ-9 Reaper drone “on-station” in the eastern town of Baghouz to wait for the gunmen to return. But when they appeared, the operators held fire. Rather than launch an airstrike, the operators watched the suspects mount another attack, speed away in a tan vehicle, and then drive to a low-slung building with a thatch-roof on the outskirts of town. There, the drone operators quietly surveilled the suspected terrorists from above.
For two days, the operators watched as the militants brought in more vehicles and weapons. They watched as other people came and went, and gathered intelligence on the visitors. But when the gunmen started preparing for another attack, the operators were cleared to strike.
The drone launched two missiles — first one, then another — which obliterated the building destroying the weapons cache and killing the fighters believed to be inside. “After that, there weren’t any other attacks in the area,” says an Air Force intelligence analyst, who, like others spoke to TIME on the condition of anonymity due to security concerns.
The airstrike described here occurred in November, but similar events have become routine in recent months, indicative of a new phase of the U.S.-led effort against ISIS. While the high-tempo, street-by-street fight against the militant organization is over, it has been replaced by a deliberative hunt for ISIS leaders, underground cell commanders and other so-called high-value individuals.
Indeed, ISIS leadership ranks have proven resilient despite the five years of war. The group, analysts say, has been quick to adapt to new circumstances. No longer capable of seizing and holding territory, the surviving foot soldiers have instead gone back to its guerrilla roots, carrying out ambushes, bombings and assassinations.
“ISIS has morphed into a less pressing force, but it has not completely gone away,” said Col. Julian Cheater, 432nd Wing commander, who oversees Air Force drone operations. “While caliphate has been defeated, we still need to work with our ground partners to make sure that the remaining embers don’t flare up again.”
No figure is more sought after than Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the mercurial ISIS leader, who appeared in an 18-minute propaganda video Monday after a five-year absence from public view. His appearance, clad in a black tunic with a Kalashnikov rifle at his side, comes after years of erroneous reports that he was seriously wounded or killed. Baghdadi stated that ISIS’s fight against the West is far from over. “Our battle today is a war of attrition to harm the enemy, and they should know that jihad will continue until doomsday,” he tells a roomful of followers who are all seated on the floor with their legs-crossed.
The video footage is now being scrutinized by U.S. intelligence analysts for the smallest detail — such as the ornate embroidery on the pillows at Baghdadi’s feet and the design on his followers’ headscarves — that might provide a clue to betray his location.
Staff Sgt. Arielle Vasquez—386th Air Expeditionary Wing Pub/U.S. Air Force Capt. Derrick, 46th Expeditionary Attack Squadron pilot, and Staff Sgt. Marcus, 46th EATKS MQ-9 sensor operator, check aircraft system operations during preflight of an MQ-9 Reaper at an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia, Feb. 21, 2019.
The U.S. also relies upon airborne surveillance, captured communications chatter, signals intelligence and information gathered by allied forces in Iraq and Syria. Despite the unceasing flow of information, finding and tracking ISIS operatives is a painstaking task. ISIS isn’t brazenly waving black flags or openly brandishing Kalashnikovs on their backs unlike in the early days of the war. Leaders eschew cell phones, emails and computers out of fear they’re being traced. Drone operators tell TIME that they’re now watching scores of locations for days, even weeks, to ensure the identities of those inside.
American drone pilots and intelligence analysts’ primary mission is to find ISIS operatives before they attack or mount an effort to reestablish power in recently liberated territory. This requires that drone operators fly above recaptured ISIS territory — all day, every day — looking for the faintest indication of the group’s resurgence. Much like a detective on a stakeout, a single piece of evidence could result in a break through. The military’s ability to connect dots from these disparate scraps of information could be the difference in whether the battlefield victory over ISIS endures or is short lived.
“We’re focusing on those ISIS remnants, sleeper cells and small pockets that may try to resurge and conduct an isolated attack,” the intelligence analyst tells TIME. “For us, it’s going to be watching compounds that are suspected and taking the time and persistence to verify what exactly is going on in these areas where they have this ability to regroup.”
This mop-up work could prove critical. The Pentagon, after all, has squandered hard-fought gains before. ISIS only rose to dominance after U.S. troops left Iraq in December 2011 at the end of an eight-year occupation. By 2014, the Sunni extremist group launched a lightning offensive in Iraq and Syria that resulted in the seizure of territory the size of Britain. Similarly, in Afghanistan, the Taliban was able to reconstitute after being toppled from power just weeks after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. The Taliban regrouped while Washington’s focus shifted to the war in Iraq. The insurgents now hold more territory now than at any time since the U.S.-led invasion.
Just last week, U.S.-led military coalition announced a new wave of airstrikes in Iraq’s northern town of Wadi Ashai where fighters have been attempting to move munitions, equipment and personnel “to exert influence and stage a comeback.” The Institute Study of War (ISW), a Washington think tank, recently identified nine regions across Iraq and Syria where ISIS still has support and conducts operations. The group has more clout today than when U.S. forces initially pulled out of Iraq in 2011.
“Absent sustained pressure,” the U.S. military predicts that the terrorist group would re-emerge in Syria within six to 12 months, according to a recent Department of Defense Inspector General report. The group remains a “potent force of battle-hardened and well-disciplined fighters,” the report said.
The new role of drone surveillance and intelligence in the counter-ISIS mission marks a shift in the long fight against ISIS in Iraq and Syria. Since August 2014, American drone operators on the virtual front lines supported the advance of foreign ground forces in a high tempo war. Over that period, U.S. warplanes unleashed more than 100,000 bombs and missiles on militant targets in non-stop combat missions.
The air strikes played a vital role in dislodging and killing ISIS fighters in densely populated cities, where snipers, booby-traps and car bombs threatened allies and civilians on a daily basis. U.S. counter-insurgency efforts exacted a high price, however. The Pentagon acknowledges that U.S. airstrikes have killed at least 1,291 civilians across Iraq and Syria, since operations against ISIS began. Non-governmental organizations, such as Airwars, puts the figure much higher. It estimates that at least 7,742 innocent people have been killed by U.S.-led air strikes.
“Any significant reduction in strikes in Syria is likely to benefit local populations,” says Chris Woods, director of Airwars. “However, even low intensity … campaigns carry risk.”
Today’s quieter battle against ISIS hinges in part on past U.S. intelligence work gleaned from interrogations of captured fighters and commanders as well as paperwork, laptops and cellphones gathered by Iraqi security forces and U.S.-backed Syrian militias.
The counter-ISIS battle in Syria is different in many ways than past U.S. wars. There are few U.S. troops on the ground actually fighting or providing targeting information. American Special Operations forces coordinate with local forces to gather intelligence from information and material gathered from the battlefield, but also a wide-range of informers with firsthand knowledge about ISIS operations.
“If we get intelligence that a particular ISIS leader or facilitator is in a specific area, we watch that area for days on-end until we can have the correct degree of certainty that they’re there,” another intelligence analyst says. “So whether that’s SDF rolling up an individual or U.S. conducting an airstrike or someone else conducting an airstrike that’s what we’re doing.”
Drone pilots’ shifts can be mind-numbingly dull, circling over a house or a vehicle for hours, waiting to observe something that could make the difference in launching an airstrike. “We’re staring at the same buildings or tents for long periods of time,” a drone pilot said. “It can be difficult to motivate guys to stare at the same building for eight hours, but it’s rewarding when you see the pay off.”
The operators continue to hunt for new targets. And the closer they look, the more they find. Thus, the mission remains open-ended.
(WASHINGTON) — Venezuelan opposition leaders calling for a military uprising against the government of President Nicolás Maduro gained quick messages of support Tuesday from the Trump administration amid a possible turning point in the South American nation’s political crisis.
Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and national security adviser John Bolton all expressed support for the opposition as its two most prominent figures, Juan Guaidó and Leopoldo Lopez, stood with soldiers and called for the people, and the security forces, to rise up against Maduro.
“We are with you!” Pence tweeted to the opposition, in the most direct message of the three. “America will stand with you until freedom & democracy are restored.”
To @jguaido, the National Assembly and all the freedom-loving people of Venezuela who are taking to the streets today in #operacionlibertad—Estamos con ustedes! We are with you! America will stand with you until freedom & democracy are restored. Vayan con dios! #FreeVenezuela
Pompeo welcomed what the Venezuelan opposition leaders were calling “Operacion Libertad,” in hopes that the abrupt release of Lopez from house arrest and the apparent backing of uniformed soldiers would prompt more members of the security forces to abandon Maduro.
“The U.S. Government fully supports the Venezuelan people in their quest for freedom and democracy,” Pompeo said on Twitter. “Democracy cannot be defeated.”
Today interim President Juan Guaido announced start of Operación Libertad. The U.S. Government fully supports the Venezuelan people in their quest for freedom and democracy. Democracy cannot be defeated. #EstamosUnidosVE
U.S. officials were otherwise cautious as they evaluated the situation and waited to see what would develop in the country. In 2002, then President George W. Bush endorsed a coup attempt against the late President Hugo Chavez only to see it fail and his return to power two days later.
Asked about the situation, acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney made a distinction between the 2002 events and the current situation.
“Importantly, we do not consider it a coup,” he said at a conference in California.
Shortly thereafter, Bolton said in a tweet addressed to Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino that the country’s security forces must protect the country’s constitution and stand with the parliament that Guaidó heads.
“The (army) must protect the Constitution and the Venezuelan people,” Bolton said. “It should stand by the National Assembly and the legitimate institutions against the usurpation of democracy. The United States stands with the people of Venezuela.”
.@vladimirpadrino: The FANB must protect the Constitution and the Venezuelan people. It should stand by the National Assembly and the legitimate institutions against the usurpation of democracy. The United States stands with the people of Venezuela.
The Trump administration has led calls for countries to recognize Guaidó as Venezuela’s legitimate leader and has won the support of 54 countries. But the effort to recruit more has largely stalled as Maduro clings to power amid a badly deteriorating economic situation.
Maduro has denounced his opponents as killers and criminals.
(COPENHAGEN, Denmark) — A beluga whale found in Arctic Norway wearing a harness that suggests links to a military facility in Russia is so tame that residents can pet the mammal on its nose.
The white whale frolicking in the frigid harbor of Tufjord, a hamlet near Norway’s northernmost point, has become “a huge attraction” for locals, one resident said Tuesday. The whale is so comfortable with people that it swims to the dock and retrieves plastic rings thrown into the sea.
“The whale is so tame that when you call it, it comes to you,” said Linn Saether, adding the whale also reacts to yells and when humans splash their hands in the water.
She said when she throws out a plastic ring, the Beluga whale brings it back to her as she sits on the dock.
“It is a fantastic experience, but we also see it as a tragedy. We can see that it has been trained to bring back stuff that is thrown at sea,” Saether, 37, told The Associated Press.
The whale was found with a tight harness reading “Equipment St. Petersburg” in English. The hamlet has a dozen permanent residents and less than 100 people in the warmer season.
“The talk in this hamlet is that it could have escaped from a Russian military facility or even have swam from St. Petersburg, Florida, because of the English-language text,” Saether said.
It was not immediately known whether any of the dolphin and whale facilities in St. Petersburg, Florida, were missing a Beluga whale.
On Friday, a fisherman jumped into the frigid Arctic water to remove the harness, which has a mount for a camera, from the whale. It wasn’t clear why the strap was attached to the mammal.
Audun Rikardsen, a professor at the Department of Arctic and Marine Biology at the Arctic University of Norway in Tromsoe, northern Norway, said he believes “it is most likely that Russian Navy in Murmansk” was involved in training the whale.
Russia has major military facilities in and around Murmansk on the Kola Peninsula, in far northwestern Russia close to the Norwegian border.
Russian authorities did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the whale.
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lanka on Tuesday lifted a social media ban that was imposed after the Islamic State-claimed Easter bombings, a sign of security easing even as a Cabinet minister said he and others had received intelligence that they could be targeted by the same group in possible new attacks.
President Maithripala Sirisena ended the blocking of Facebook, WhatsApp, YouTube and other popular sites, but asked the public to “act in a responsible manner” on social media, according to a government statement.
The government had said it was seeking to curb the spread of misinformation when it blocked social media in the wake of the April 21 bombings at churches and luxury hotels that killed 253 people.
Sri Lankan officials have warned that suspects linked to the bombings are still at large, and on Tuesday, Sri Lanka’s health minister, Rajitha Senarathna, said he and seven other government ministers had been identified by intelligence officials as targets of possible additional suicide attacks this week, by the same Islamic State-linked group of Sri Lankan militants.
Senarathna said he stayed at home Sunday and Monday upon the officials’ request. He declined to provide additional information about the source or type of intelligence.
At the same time, some of Sri Lanka’s South Asian neighbors investigated possible activities in their countries inspired by the Easter attack.
In India, the country’s National Investigative Agency said it had arrested a 29-year-old Indian man who identified himself as a follower of Mohammed Zahran, the Sri Lankan militant who officials say led the Easter attacks.
Investigators said in a statement late Monday that Riyas A., also known as Riyas Aboobacker, was plotting a similar suicide attack in the southern Indian state of Kerala. Three other people were brought in for questioning about suspected links to IS, according to the statement.
During a search of their homes, digital devices including mobile phones, SIM cards, memory cards, pen drives, diaries with handwritten notes in Arabic and Malayalam and untitled DVDs and CDs with religious speeches were seized, the statement said. The digital material was being forensically examined.
Investigators did not provide any details about Aboobacker’s alleged plot but said he admitted during questioning that he had followed Zahran’s vitriolic online speeches and videos for more than a year.
Authorities initially blamed the Easter attacks on Zahran and his followers. Then the Islamic State group on April 23 released images of Zahran and others pledging their loyalty to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the group’s shadowy leader.
In a video released Monday, a man said to be al-Baghdadi praised the suicide bombings in Sri Lanka, calling them “part of the revenge” that awaits the West. It was al-Baghdadi’s first filmed appearance in nearly five years.
Authorities in Bangladesh on Tuesday were investigating the Islamic State group’s claim of responsibility for an explosion in the capital that injured three police officers.
Police said a “very powerful” crude bomb thrown by unidentified assailants at a shopping complex in Dhaka late Monday injured two traffic officers and a community police officer.
According to global terrorism monitor SITE Intelligence, IS claimed the attack on “apostate policemen” without producing evidence.
Meanwhile, the Catholic Church’s top official in Sri Lanka said the government’s ban on the niqab, a black veil made of thin fabric, often with a small opening for a Muslim woman to see through, was a good security step, but didn’t go far enough to protect the faithful from another attack.
Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, the archbishop of Colombo, has been a vocal critic of the government’s apparent failure to share near-specific intelligence on the Easter plot and some of the suspects involved.
Ranjith said Tuesday that reports from Negombo, where around 100 people were killed on Easter Sunday in a bombing at St. Sebastian’s Church, indicated that Sirisena’s pledge to have Sri Lankan security forces check every household in the country wasn’t being upheld.
“We are still not satisfied,” Ranjith said. “There is a fear among the people that this is only a camouflage, just hoodwinking everybody.”
(KIEV, Ukraine) — Election authorities in Ukraine have officially named TV star and comedian Volodymyr Zelenskiy as the country’s new president.
The Central Election Commission on Tuesday presented the official results of the April 21 vote, showing Zelenskiy beat incumbent President Petro Poroshenko by winning 73% of the vote.
Zelenskiy has criticized election authorities for dragging their feet on naming him the official winner, which reduces his chances of disbanding the parliament. Zelenskiy will be able to call an early election in the parliament, which is currently dominated by the allies of the outgoing president, only if he is sworn in before May 27.
The parliament now has a month to set the date for the inauguration ceremony.
Clashes broke out in Caracas between anti-government protesters and Venezuelan security forces Tuesday after Juan Guaidó, the leader of Venezuela’s opposition-held parliament, called for a military uprising against Nicolás Maduro’s authoritarian regime.
In a video live-streamed on Twitter early Tuesday, Guaidó was seen standing at La Carlota airbase in Caracas, flanked by a few dozen troops who apparently defected from the government and Leopoldo López, an opposition politician. Lopez had been in prison or under house arrest since 2014, after he led a series of protests against the government. He said that members of the military had freed him on Guaidó’s orders.
Maduro’s information minister called the defections “a coup” by “a small group of military traitors” and said the government was putting it down.
The Associated Press reported that troops loyal to Maduro fired tear gas from inside the airbase on to a nearby highway overpass, where Lopez was addressing a crowd of civilians soon after Guaidó’s announcement.
Clashes continued around the city Tuesday, with photos and footage showing military loyal to the government exchanging tear gas canisters with protesters.
Daniel Blanco—Anadolu Agency/Getty ImagesSupporters of the Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido marching near military base of La Carlota, in Caracas, Venezuela April 30, 2019.
In one clip, an armored car appears to plow into a crowd of protesters on a highway, knocking some to the ground.
This new push from Guaidó is an attempt to convince the top military brass to join the opposition to Maduro’s government, Diego Moya-Ocampos, a Venezuela expert at risk analysts IHS Markit, tells TIME.
“It was an effort to catch Maduro’s security forces by surprise and try to activate a spark to escalate protest beyond the capacity of Maduro’s forces to contain them,” he said. “And at the same time secure the support of those members of the armed forces who are increasingly discontent with Maduro over shortages of food, basic goods, electricity and water.”
He adds: “The key indicator to watch now is whether protests escalate beyond the security forces’ ability to contain them and whether Guaidó wins the support of top military commanders.”
Speaking on state television, the ruling Socialist Party’s chief Diosdado Cabello urged supporters of the government to go to the presidential palace in Caracas to “defend the revolution, to defend Nicolas and to defend the legacy of [former president] Hugo Chávez.”
Rafael Hernandez—picture-alliance/dpa/AP ImagesJuan Guaido, Venezuela’s parliament leader, stands with two megaphones in his hands surrounded by soldiers and civilians at Plaza Altamira on April 30, 2019 in Caracas, Venezuela.
Internet freedom monitor VE Sin Filtro reported that the state-run internet service provider had blocked YouTube and other google services. Some people were also experiencing difficulties accessing Twitter, they said. The opposition relies heavily on social media to communicate with supporters.
The opposition has called mass anti-government protests for Wednesday, May 1.
En el marco de nuestra constitución. Y por el cese definitivo de la usurpación. https://t.co/3RD2bnQhxt
Guaidó said he had met with “the main military units” of the armed forces in order to “begin the final phase of Operation Freedom,” referring to the opposition’s attempt to oust Maduro’s regime.
Guaidó and Maduro have been locked in a stand-off over control of Venezuela since January, when Guaidó claimed that Maduro’s second presidential term, won in elections many consider to be rigged, was invalid and constituted a vacuum of power. As parliament leader, the opposition claims the constitution mandates Guaidó temporarily take over the presidency to organize fresh elections.
The U.S. and 50 other mostly western countries have recognized Guaidó as president, while Maduro retains the backing of Russia, China and Turkey.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo reiterated the Trump Administration’s support for Guaidó in a tweet Tuesday.
Today interim President Juan Guaido announced start of Operación Libertad. The U.S. Government fully supports the Venezuelan people in their quest for freedom and democracy. Democracy cannot be defeated. #EstamosUnidosVE
The military’s continued backing of Maduro has been decisive in keeping him in power. The opposition has so far failed to win over significant number of troops to their cause.
“These have been years of fear,” Guaidó said in the live-stream, referring to the humanitarian and political crisis that has gripped Venezuela since the beginning of its economic collapse in 2014. “That fear ends today. I call on all soldiers, all of our military family, to accompany us in our fight […] on the basis of the constitution, which has always been non-violent.”
Maduro responded to Guaidó’s speech saying he had spoken to commanders of all Venezuela’s regional defense forces and they had “shown their total loyalty to the People, the Constitution and the Country”. He called for a mass demonstration of his supporters to “ensure the triumph of peace.”
¡Nervios de Acero! He conversado con los Comandantes de todas las REDI y ZODI del País, quienes me han manifestado su total lealtad al Pueblo, a la Constitución y a la Patria. Llamo a la máxima movilización popular para asegurar la victoria de la Paz. ¡Venceremos!
All eyes on election results: 4 possible scenarios and how you should position yourself in market There are four possible scenarios which investors can expect and accordingly devise their trading strategy
Millennial Pulse | Students want the government to focus on education In this edition of Millennial Pulse, Moneycontrol#39;s Sakshi Batra talks to the students of Shiv Nadar University to understand the concerns of young, first-time voters.
Facebook building privacy-focussed social platform: Mark Zuckerberg Facebook, which has drawn flak globally over instances of data breaches, is re-hauling its main platform as well as introducing new features across its family of apps.
In revamp, Facebook bets on small-scale connections, and romance Changes coming to the mobile application and eventually the website are part of the vision of co-founder and chief executive Mark Zuckerberg to have Facebook be a place for cozy online gatherings as well as more open public forums.
CSL inks ₹6,311-crore pact to build anti-submarine ships for Navy Cochin Shipyard Ltd. (CSL) on Tuesday signed a contract worth ₹6,311.32 crore for the construction of eight Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft
Hackers show J&K Governor as Imran 'follower' Some miscreants on Tuesday hacked the Twitter handle of Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik and showed him as a follower of Pakistan Prime Mini
Gurugram's electorate a microcosm of India's voters While urban voters complain of poor public transport and rising pollution, rural population dreams of jobs, safety, good schools and hospitals
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There are four possible scenarios which investors can expect and accordingly devise their trading strategy
In this edition of Millennial Pulse, Moneycontrol#39;s Sakshi Batra talks to the students of Shiv Nadar University to understand the concerns of young, first-time voters.
Facebook, which has drawn flak globally over instances of data breaches, is re-hauling its main platform as well as introducing new features across its family of apps.
Changes coming to the mobile application and eventually the website are part of the vision of co-founder and chief executive Mark Zuckerberg to have Facebook be a place for cozy online gatherings as well as more open public forums.
