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Latest News, News Headlines, Amazon Coupons, Amazon Offers


Top Stories Today

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 08:51 AM PDT

Top Stories Today


The World's Greatest Delivery Empire

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 07:19 AM PDT

In Beijing, it's often cheaper to have food delivered than to get it yourself. Like, way cheaper. Illogically cheaper. How does Meituan do it?

The Cult Of Homework

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 08:24 AM PDT

"When our students can't make the connection between the work they're doing at 11 o'clock at night on a Tuesday to the way they want their lives to be, I think we begin to lose the plot."

Here's A Perfect, 14-Second Internet Video

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 07:44 AM PDT

We still don't entirely *get* TikTok, but we're thankful for this.

An Insane Credit Card Offering 0% Interest Until May 2020

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 04:36 AM PDT

This jaw-dropping card is offering 0% APR for 14 Months and 5% back in rotating categories. Pay no interest until May 2020 and double your cash back.

Guy Has Unbelievable Reaction Time, Narrowly Avoiding A Dangerously Dumb Driver

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 08:01 AM PDT

Somehow this driver escaped without a single scratch, contacting neither the car nor the barrier.

Gen Z: In Their Own Words

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 06:10 AM PDT

What is it like to be part of the group that has been called the most diverse generation in US history? We asked members of Generation Z to tell us what makes them different from their friends, and to describe their identity. Here's what they had to say.

Airline Ceases Operations In The Middle Of The Night, Leaving Passengers Stranded

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 08:01 AM PDT

Icelandic budget carrier Wow Air has ceased operations and canceled its flights, leaving passengers stranded on both sides of the Atlantic.

Gymnast Malfunctions Midair, Instantly Creates Physical Comedy Gold

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 02:32 PM PDT

Halfway between taking off and coming down this woman's body froze in a Tetris-like shape, and we'll be darned if that's not the funniest thing we've seen all week.

I Was An Intern On A Celebrity Gossip Show In New York

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 08:24 AM PDT

The radio show was broadcast online and the entire purpose of the show was to pretend to the hosts  —  our clients  —  that people were actually listening so they could feel famous.

The Life Expectancy Gap Between The Longest-Living And Shortest-Living County Of Each State, Visualized

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 04:55 AM PDT

In some states, the gaps in life expectancy are shockingly high.

Driver Shuts Down ICE Agents Trying To Arrest Immigrants In His Car Without The Required Warrant

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 01:45 PM PDT

​Bryan MacCormack works with the Columbia County Sanctuary Project in New York, and as such, he's well-versed in the laws surrounding ICE's legal powers.

The Best, Most Inaccessible Show On Television

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 07:19 AM PDT

I love this wild, feral mess that is "The OA," but recounting its plot sounds exactly like trying to explain a delirious dream, one that doesn't make a lot of sense when strung together.

Americans Are Terrible at Saving Money. Can They Trick Themselves Into Doing Better?

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 06:22 AM PDT

There's a tried-and-true savings trick that works much like a giant tax refund — it simply replaces the tax collectors in Washington with your trusted pals.

Get Certified In SQL And Become An In-Demand IT Specialist

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 04:36 AM PDT

This Complete SQL Certification Bundle preps you for a long, lucrative career in IT and architecting systems using Microsoft and Oracle technologies — it offers test prep for 11 different certifications, ensuring you can grow your career and gain new skills to help you stay competitive. Use coupon code MADNESS15 for an extra 15% off the sale price of $39.

Watch This Camera Capture The Speed Of Light At 10 Trillion Frames Per Second

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 11:41 AM PDT

The Slow Mo Guys have built their career on using slow-motion cameras to slow down the world around us and, yet, the cameras they use are still 20 million times slower than this one from Caltech.

The Power Of The Nocebo Effect

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 04:36 AM PDT

Nocebo is the evil twin of the placebo effect — and my constant companion. I set out to find out what it is, and how I could learn to harness the more positive effects of medical mind games.

These Islands Floating On Top Of A Lake Look Like They're From A Fantasy Movie

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 08:01 AM PDT

Sure, trees can lay roots in them. But nothing will ever truly tie them down.

A Job-Scarce Town Struggles With Arkansas's First-In-Nation Medicaid Work Rules

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 04:55 AM PDT

This community provides an early reality check on how hard it is to carry out President Trump's vision of a social safety net that requires most able-bodied people to work, or try to work, in exchange for government health benefits.

Facebook Charged With Housing Discrimination By US Government

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 06:10 AM PDT

The Department of Housing and Urban Development has filed charges against Facebook for violations of the Fair Housing Act, allegedly made in connection with Facebook's ad targeting system.

Computer Repair Technician Explains Why The New iMac Is A 'Complete And Utter Joke'

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 08:19 AM PDT

"This is the most disgusting practice of complete disrespect that you can show your customers."

A Really Unfortunate Reminder To Always Wear Your Safety Googles

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 08:19 AM PDT

You'd think that one exploding exchange air insulator would be lesson enough to get you to stop working, learn your lesson and throw on some glasses.

Ilhan Omar's Embattled First Months In Office

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 06:22 AM PDT

To Omar, the controversies surrounding her are an episode not in the Jewish experience but in the Muslim one. "People will talk about the veterans and the people who are in the armed services, but we never talk about the children," she said. "We're talking about the number of bombs going off, and there's, like, two thousand people who have died."

An Insane Credit Card Offering 0% Interest Until May 2020

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 04:36 AM PDT

This jaw-dropping card is offering 0% APR for 14 Months and 5% back in rotating categories. Pay no interest until May 2020 and double your cash back.

Wild Hockey Youth Starts Attacking Gritty With His Stick

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 07:19 AM PDT

​The Philadelphia Flyers' Mites on Ice program brings youth hockey players onto the ice to play scrimmages during intermissions in Flyers' games. It's cute, fun and *mostly* harmless.

An Open Letter To Uber: We Need to Do Right By Our Drivers

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 06:10 AM PDT

I am an Uber employee and I support the drivers' strikes.

Why Is Stalking People On Venmo So Addictive?

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 04:55 AM PDT

Venmo hides *just* enough to make your imagination fill in the blanks.

Colin Farrell And Danny DeVito Answer The Most Common Questions People Google About Them

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 07:19 AM PDT

Neither of these guys is a great question-asker or answerer, and that is why this video is perfect.

The Worrisome Rise Of Direct-To-Consumer Medicine

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 06:10 AM PDT

Web-based health care could break down barriers to access. But it could also break down doctor-patient relationships.

The Spring Is Wet and Full of Puddles. Protect Your Boots

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 04:36 AM PDT

It's time to water proof those shoes and boots before you find yourself ankle deep in a puddle.

7-Year-Old Basketball Prodigy Ruins His Opponents

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 01:17 PM PDT

He's only been playing for a year.

How 'Heathers' Blew Up The High-School Comedy

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 05:27 PM PDT

The 1989 cult classic ushered in a darker, weirder, more experimental era for teen movies.

The SR-71 Spy Plane Was So Fast, It Outran Every Missile Fired at It

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 02:33 PM PDT

The iconic SR-71 Blackbird, capable of flying three times the speed of sound, remains the fastest warplane ever flown operationally.

James Corden Parodies Elizabeth Holmes, And It Is Very Funny

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 06:12 AM PDT

"I had a very simple, but powerful vision: what if every person in America had a box in their house... and every person could poo in that box?"

Huawei Equipment Has Major Security Flaws, UK Says

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 06:10 AM PDT

Report says Chinese tech giant hasn't made cybersecurity a priority.

Documentarian Alison Klayman Followed Steve Bannon For A Year. Here's What She Learned

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 05:27 PM PDT

"I started to get so annoyed whenever he would smear the left as being about 'identity politics.' Dude, I have watched, that is exactly what you are doing."

The Human Costs Of Kamala Harris' War On Truancy

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 04:55 AM PDT

The "progressive prosecutor" wanted to transform how California responded to students missing school. Parents like Cheree Peoples wound up paying the price.

Why A Growing Glacier Isn't Good News For The Climate

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 04:55 AM PDT

An iconic glacier in Greenland is growing again after two decades of shrinking. But that doesn't mean things are looking up, experts say — just the opposite. The icy behemoth remains a looming climate threat.

There Are No Dream Homes

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 04:55 AM PDT

A house is an investment, except it's also a necessity, and it's also an expression of status, which together make the investment wildly expensive and illiquid.

The Fight Over Treating Neo-Nazi Terrorists Differently From Muslim Ones

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 10:18 PM PDT

A new law broadly criminalizing domestic terrorism would be a stretch politically.

Inside The Hidden World Of Sex Dolls' Make-Up

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 10:18 PM PDT

Given that over time, and from excessive use, the dolls' make-up can rub off, it's important for sellers to offer a range of make-up in case of an emergency. But aside from emergency touch-ups, could doll owners be getting pleasure from making up their dolls?

Why Busy Cities Are Trying Congestion Pricing For Cars

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 05:27 PM PDT

The very idea of congestion pricing is poorly understood, both by elected officials and the general public. Is it a tax? A surcharge? A toll? Should it apply to all vehicles and drivers?

This Weird-Looking Wheel Will Help With Your Back Pain

Posted: 30 Jul 2018 10:36 AM PDT

Based on feedback from over 100,000 original customers, the Plexus Wheel has engineered a way to get back pain relief in less than 5 minutes a day.

T-Shirt Weather Is Here. Prepare Yourself For Just $20

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 02:45 PM PDT

These made-in-LA tees are slim and soft and don't have any stains on them yet.

The New Electrified Bikes From VanMoof Are Really Hard To Steal

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 02:51 PM PDT

VanMoof makes sleek and powerful electric bikes that everyone seems to want — even those who didn't pay for them. VanMoof has a solution for that.

Latest World News, World News, Current Affairs, Daily Current Affairs

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 03:47 AM PDT

Latest World News, World News, Current Affairs, Daily Current Affairs


Tweets For Today

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 10:00 PM PDT











Picture Of The Day

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 09:43 PM PDT

Visitors flocked a street under blooming cherry blossoms near Jiming Temple in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, China March 23. REUTERS/Stringer

WNU Editor: The above picture came from this photo-gallery .... Spring in blossom (Reuters).

Should Google Be Permitted To Help The Chinese Military?

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 09:39 PM PDT

A Chinese national flag flies in front of Google China's headquarters in Beijing on Thursday. Jason Lee/Reuters

Gordon G. Chang, Daily Beast: U.S. Must Put a Ban on Google Helping China Develop a Global Digital Dictatorship

Google's decision to help China is paving the way for Beijing's 'digital dictatorship.' Ultimately, Washington must make a political decision to criminalize such collaboration.

General Joseph Dunford, America's top military officer, has announced he will be meeting with Google representatives this week to talk about the company's assistance to China's People's Liberation Army.

Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, first stoked the controversy over Google on March 14 during his appearance before the Senate Armed Services Committee. "The work that Google is doing in China is indirectly benefiting the Chinese military," he said.

"We watch with great concern when industry partners work in China knowing that there is that indirect benefit," he added later. "Frankly, 'indirect' maybe not be a full characterization of the way it really is. It's more of a direct benefit to the Chinese military."

Read more ....

WNU Editor: Google CEO Sundar Picha met President Trump today, and told him that "he is totally committed to the U.S. Military, not the Chinese Military" .... Trump discusses China, 'political fairness' with Google CEO (Reuters). The problem is that Google has a history of not wanting to work with the Pentagon .... Google Employees Are Outraged That The Company Is Working With The Pentagon To Equip Military Drones With AI (March 6, 2018). More here .... Google Drops Bid For $10 Billion Military Cloud Computing Contract Amid Employee Objections (October 9, 2018).

Patrick Shanahan Says ‘Of Course’ He Wants to Be U.S. Defense Secretary

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 07:00 PM PDT

U.S. President Donald Trump (L) listens next to Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan during a Cabinet meeting on day 12 of the partial U.S. government shutdown at the White House in Washington, U.S., January 2, 2019. REUTERS/Jim Young

Defense One: EXCLUSIVE: Patrick Shanahan Says 'Of Course' He Wants to Be Defense Secretary

Under increasing scrutiny, the acting secretary — and his allies — make the case for President Trump to nominate him.

Patrick Shanahan, the acting defense secretary whose bid to formally replace Jim Mattis is in limbo, answers without hesitation when asked if he wants the job.

"Of course," the Boeing executive-turned-Pentagon No. 2 said with a smile Tuesday, after a House Armed Services Committee hearing.

"I think I can serve the department well," he said in a brief interview with Defense One. "I've spent nearly two years on the National Defense Strategy. I know the defense strategy, I know what it takes to see it though, and I think I can make a big impact in that area."

Read more ....

WNU Editor: If nominated he has to convince the US Senate, and I willing to bet that it will be a confirmation fight that he has a good chance of losing due to his close ties to Boeing, and his history of annoying Republican Senators .... Shanahan, Graham spar over troops withdrawal from Syria (NBC).

How Much Debris Did India's Anti-Satellite Test Creat?

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 06:00 PM PDT



Reuters: U.S. studying India anti-satellite weapons test, warns of space debris

MIAMI (Reuters) - Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan warned any nations contemplating anti-satellite (ASAT) weapons tests like the one India carried out on Wednesday that they risk making a "mess" in space because of debris fields they can leave behind.

Speaking to reporters in Florida during a visit to the U.S. military's Southern Command, Shanahan said the United States was still studying the outcome of a missile India said it launched at one of its own satellites.

"My message would be: We all live in space, let's not make it a mess. Space should be a place where we can conduct business. Space is a place where people should have the freedom to operate," Shanahan said.

Experts say that anti-satellite weapons that shatter their targets pose a space hazard by creating a cloud of fragments that can collide with other objects, potentially setting off a chain reaction of projectiles through Earth orbit.

Read more ....

Update: India shows it can destroy satellites in space, worrying experts about space debris (Vice)

WNU Editor: It is too early to say how much debris was created, but the strike was at a low orbit and there is hope that much of it will burn over the next few years. But the question now is .... who will conduct the next anti-satellite test?

Gambia's Former President Stole Almost $1bn Before Fleeing The Country

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 05:00 PM PDT

Former President of the Gambia, Yahya Jammeh

The Guardian: Gambian ex-president 'stole almost $1bn before fleeing country'

Yahya Jammeh accused of orchestrating huge theft of government funds.

Yahya Jammeh, the former president of the Gambia, orchestrated the theft of almost $1bn (£760m) from his country before his flight into exile two years ago, investigative reporters have alleged.

The Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) said it had reviewed thousands of leaked documents that detailed how government funds had been looted over 22 years.

Jammeh, a former military officer who seized power in a coup in 1994, fled into exile in early 2017 after losing an election.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: Another sad example of corruption in Africa.

Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- March 27, 2019

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 04:05 PM PDT



Andrew Grice, The Independent: Theresa May has nothing to lose by promising to quit, not least since her party will force her out soon anyway

It is hard to read this prime minister, who zigzags around as she fights for her survival and to keep her divided party in one piece

Why on earth should Theresa May adopt a Brexit Plan B if MPs manage to agree one in their landmark indicative votes starting tonight? The answer is clear. If the prime minister refuses, as she's threatening to do, the cross-party group of backbenchers driving the process intend to turn the Commons compromise – probably a soft Brexit – into legislation mandating the government to implement it.

Then May really would have a problem.

Read more ....

Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- March 27, 2019

Factbox: Who might be Britain's next prime minister if May quits? -- William James and Andrew MacAskill, Reuters

Russia weighs in on Trump's Golan Heights decision -- Maxim A. Suchkov, Al-Monitor

Turkey may be the spark that sets fire to the world economy -- Larry Elliott, The Guardian

How Japan is using an old German map to irk South Korea -- Julian Ryall, DW

Twelve years after Nepal conflict, justice eludes victims -- Subina Shrestha, Al Jazeera

Ukraine's Election: Some Things Never Change -- Andreas Umland, Atlantic Council

Why Ukrainians want to elect a comedian as president -- Katya Gorchinskaya, Al Jazeera

Macron's mini-summit in Paris is a snub to Trump's trade policy -- Larry Elliott, The Guardian

Why Russia just sent troops to Venezuela -- Alex Ward, VOX

US-China trade war could endanger millions of hectares of Amazon rainforest -- Nick Kilvert, ABC News Online

Why Venezuela's Economic Pain Could Last Through 2025 -- Simon Constable,

Trump allies help bring Cold War back from dead -- Christopher Scott, Asia Times

Now What? Congress Quiet after ISIS Territorial Defeat -- Katie Bo Williams, Defense One

Trump's counter-intelligence strategy -- Kent Harrington, Asia Times

How to End Endless War -- Stephen Wertheim, New Republic

World News Briefs -- March 27, 2019 (Evening Edition)

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 03:05 PM PDT

Mrs May made her final gamble to try and get the Brexit deal across the line by promising to leave No 10 if Tory Brexiteer rebels finally back down

Daily Mail: The DUP crushes May's hopes hours after her leadership sacrifice for Brexit: Allies won't back PM's deal despite offer to stand down by May 22nd IF Tories support her. . . and Boris couldn't wait to take her up on it!

* Theresa May addressed her MPs tonight and said she would resign as PM if they back her deal later this week
* Amid mounting pressure from Brexiteers and frustrated ministers she admitted to a need for 'new leadership'
* The PM set no date for her departure but promised she would be gone before EU trade negotiations begin
* Speaker John Bercow says the government must change May's deal to bring a third vote this week
* Jacob Rees-Mogg says Remainers will thwart referendum if deal doesn't pass by the end of this week
* He said that 'all other potential outcomes' set to be voted on in Parliament tonight are worse than this deal
* Despite May's promise to go ERG sources told MailOnline tonight the deal was still '100 per cent' set to fail

The DUP crushed Theresa May's hopes of saving her Brexit deal tonight as they rejected her offer to resign in return for rebel votes.

DUP leader Arlene Foster said her party still could not support the deal because it 'poses a threat to the integrity of the UK'. A party statement said 'we will not be supporting the Government if they table a fresh meaningful vote' - with Westminster leader Nigel Dodds vowing to vote No.

The hammer blow came hours after Mrs May sensationally promised to quit Downing Street in return for Tory Brexiteer rebels passing her deal as she admitted her time as Prime Minister was almost over.

Read more ....

MIDDLE EAST

U.S. recognition of Golan Heights as Israeli will help peace process: Pompeo.

Israel airstrikes, Gaza rockets follow day of calm.

Syria requests urgent UN Security Council meeting on Golan.

Hezbollah chief urges 'resistance' over US Golan move.

NGO: Airstrike on Yemen hospital kills 7.

Yemen's healthcare system among war's wreckage.

Mosul ferry sinking: Iraq orders arrest of ex-governor.

Turkey elections: Thousands of observers to oversee local vote.

ASIA

Brunei Shariah law applies death sentence for homosexuality.

Joint US-Afghan operation leaves Taliban fighters, civilians dead.

US efforts to rebuild Afghanistan beset by 'theft and abuse from security forces'.

N. Korea activity incompatible with denuclearization: US.

Kim Jong Un attends 'historic' military meeting, state media says.

North Korean state TV gets another makeover.

China and Russia claim thousands of North Korean workers sent home.

China defends Tibet policy ahead of Dalai Lama exile anniversary.

China expels ex-Interpol chief from Communist Party.

AFRICA

Bouteflika's key allies back army plan to oust him.

Saudi King Salman meets Libya's General Haftar.

10 civilians killed in suspected Boko Haram attack in Niger town.

Comoros' president wins 'sham' election.

UN appeals for $184 million for Cameroon displaced.

Mali 'spiral of violence must stop immediately'.

Cholera outbreaks reported in Mozambique.

Mozambique: One million people without aid after cyclone.

Refugees 'dying in camp in Libya'.

EUROPE

MPs reject EVERY Brexit alternative: Commons turns down eight different plans as plan to leave the EU descends to a new level of chaos.

May offer to quit fails to sway key opponents of her Brexit deal.

Spanish judge issues warrant for alleged North Korea embassy intruders: source.

Pompeo: sees joint action with NATO allies next week on Ukraine.

Unrest in Ukraine as nation prepares to elect new leader.

UK parliament holds 'indicative votes' on Brexit.

Cyprus Backstop? Ireland is not the only island with Brexit muddle.

Luxembourg court delivers setback to 9/11 families' Iran claims.

EU 'to suspend ship patrols' on Mediterranean migrant mission.

Switzerland indicts Liberian over war crimes.

Spanish prosecutor to investigate Catalan leader for disobedience.

AMERICAS

Trump signs executive order on protecting US from potential EMP attacks.

Number of migrants trying to cross US-Mexico border could hit 1M in 2019: report.

Guaido calls for protest as Venezuela blackout drags into third day.

Trump: 'Russia has to get out' of Venezuela.

Russia defends troops in Venezuela.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro accuses US of financing mercenary 'plot' to assassinate him.

Venezuela hit by fourth massive blackout in less than three weeks.

Camps open in Colombia for Venezuelans fleeing crisis.

Anger after Bolsonaro calls for Brazil army to mark 1964 coup.

Canadian police find kidnapped Chinese student Wanzhen Lu after three-day search.

TERRORISM/THE LONG WAR

U.S. steps up push for U.N. to blacklist Kashmir attack leader.

Pentagon sustains budget for arming local anti-IS forces amid US pullout.

Terror suspect arrested in Austria for damaging German trains.

'Dirty secrets' of prison torture hinders trial of accused Bali-bombing chief Hambali, says US lawyer.

ECONOMY/FINANCE/BUSINESS

Wall Street ends down as Treasury yields fall on slowdown worries

Trump discusses China, 'political fairness' with Google CEO.

Boeing holds test flights for 737 MAX fix: sources.

Energy demand grew in 2018 at fastest pace in decade.

China, France sign US$45 billion of deals including Airbus order.

Brunei Adopts Harsh Sharia Law

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 02:48 PM PDT

DW: Brunei Shariah law applies death sentence for homosexuality

Rights groups are outraged as the Brunei government has announced additions to its Islamic penal code, including death by stoning and whipping. DW spoke with human rights activist Matthew Woolfe about the consequences.

Brunei, a small sultanate on the Southeast Asian island of Borneo, introduced the Shariah Penal Code in 2014. The government decided to implement the legal changes in stages, with the first round including fines and jail sentences for offenses like adultery or failing to pray on Fridays.

Read more ....

More News On Brunei Adopting Harsh Sharia Law

Brunei to impose death by stoning for gay sex and adultery -- SCMP/AFP
Gay sex and adultery will be punishable by stoning to death and thieves will be amputated under 'vicious' new Sharia laws brought in by Brunei -- Daily Mail
LGBT+ people to be stoned or whipped to death in Brunei under new sex law -- The Independent
Stoning gays? Amputating thieves? Brunei slammed for 'vicious' new laws -- NBC/AP

How Powerful Is Russian President Putin Really?

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 01:59 PM PDT

Russian President Putin. TASS

Andrew Higgins, New York Times: How Powerful Is Vladimir Putin Really?

Russia today doesn't seem like "a properly run dictatorship."

ORYOL, Russia — After 19 months in a Russian jail awaiting trial for "extremism," Dennis O. Christensen, a Jehovah's Witness from Denmark detained for his faith, received an unexpected lift from President Vladimir V. Putin at the end of last year.

The president, speaking in the Kremlin in December, declared that prosecuting people for their religious affiliations was "a total nonsense" and had to stop.

But instead of curbing a campaign across Russia against Jehovah's Witnesses, Mr. Putin's remark has been followed by more arrests; a conviction and six-year prison sentence for Mr. Christensen; and, in a new low, reports late last month of the torture of believers detained in Siberia.

The gulf between what Mr. Putin says and what happens in Russia raises a fundamental question about the nature of his rule after more than 18 years at the pinnacle of an authoritarian system: Is Mr. Putin really the omnipotent leader whom his critics attack and his own propagandists promote? Or does he sit atop a state that is, in fact, shockingly ramshackle, a system driven more by the capricious and often venal calculations of competing bureaucracies and interest groups than by Kremlin diktats?

Read more ....

WNU Editor: The above reporter has realized a truth about governance in Russia that many Russians have known for a long time .... the U.S. is not the only country in the world with a "Deep State". In fact I would say that Russia's "Deep State", with roots that go back to the time of the Czars,  is probably more powerful and more influential than America's. So yes .... Russian President Putin is a powerful man. But for someone in a small town a thousand kilometres away from the Kremlin, the local bureaucrat or politician is the one who has more power, because they are the ones who can impact your life immediately and directly.

U.K Prime Minister May Says She Will Step Down If Her Brexit Deal Is Passed

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 01:25 PM PDT



Daily Mail: I will go... AFTER Brexit: May's voice cracks as she says she WILL quit as PM on May 22 and make way for a new Tory leader - but only IF MPs back her deal and secure Britain's exit from the EU

* Theresa May addressed her MPs tonight and said she would resign as PM if they back her deal later this week
* Amid mounting pressure from Brexiteers and frustrated ministers she admitted to a need for 'new leadership'
* The PM set no date for her departure but promised she would be gone before EU trade negotiations begin
* Speaker John Bercow says the government must change May's deal to bring a third vote this week
* Jacob Rees-Mogg says Remainers will thwart referendum if deal doesn't pass by the end of this week
* He said that 'all other potential outcomes' set to be voted on in Parliament tonight are worse than this deal
* Despite May's promise to go ERG sources told MailOnline tonight the deal was still '100 per cent' set to fail

Theresa May sensationally promised to quit Downing Street in return for Tory Brexiteer rebels passing her deal tonight as she admitted her time as Prime Minister was almost over.

Mrs May made her final gamble to try and get the Brexit deal across the line by promising to leave No 10 if Tory Brexiteer rebels finally back down.

No 10 sources said the Prime Minister would resign once Britain was outside the EU - due to be May 22 if the deal gets agreed by MPs later this week. She had previously only said she would go before the 2022 election.

It is deeply unclear what Mrs May will do if her deal fails a third time and No 10 sources said it would be a 'whole different ball game'. ERG sources told MailOnline the deal would '100 per cent' still fail and Mrs May still needs to win back DUP support to have any hope.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: To say that her Prime Minister-ship has been a disaster is an understatement. I will always remember her for calling an election when she did not have to, and advocating higher taxes in her election platform. Talk about alienating your base.

More News On U.K Prime Minister May Saying That She Will Step Down If Her Brexit Deal Is Passed

The Latest: Boris Johnson now says he will back Brexit deal -- AP
Boris Johnson to back May's Brexit deal after resignation pledge - live news -- The Guardian
UK's May offers to quit once her Brexit deal is delivered -- France 24
Brexit: Theresa May vows to stand down if deal is passed -- BBC
Prime Minister May says she'll step down if Brexit deal OK'd -- AP
May offers to quit to get her Brexit deal over the line -- Reuters
Theresa May to resign before next phase of Brexit -- The Guardian
Theresa May promises to resign if Tory MPs support her Brexit plan -- ABC News Online
British PM Theresa May told Conservative MPs she will resign after a Brexit deal is delivered -- FOX News
Theresa May says she will quit as UK prime minister should Brexit deal go through -- CNBC

This Court Case Has Shocked Many In The U.S.

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 01:05 PM PDT




Daily Mail: 'They are making fools of all of us': Shell-shocked Mayor Emanuel demands to know why State's Attorney's office decided to drop ALL of Jussie Smollett charges DESPITE admitting he is guilty

* Rahm Emanuel went on Good Morning America on Wednesday to double down on his criticism of the case
* He said prosecutors' decision to drop the charges despite knowing Smollett is guilty 'does not add up'
* He wants all of the evidence from the case to be made public in order for people to judge for themselves
* State's Attorney Kim Foxx is accused of being 'behind the decision' to drop charges against Jussie Smollett
* Foxx recused herself from case because she exchanged texts with Smollett's family member after incident
* In the days after the attack, she tried to wrestle the case from Chicago PD and have the FBI take over
* Smollett's family were exchanging texts with her and said it would be a 'huge victory' if the FBI led the probe
* She is now facing calls for an Attorney General investigation into how she handled the Smollett investigation
* First Assistant Joe Magats stood by his decision to drop the charges and said it 'was not a whitewash'
* Smollett completed 16 hours of community service between Saturday and Monday and gave up $10,000
* Magats insists that he thought it was enough because the star is 'not a threat' and has no criminal background
* Mayor Rahm Emanuel said it was a 'whitewash' of justice that Smollett had been cleared on all 16 counts
* Smollett was facing 48 years behind bars on 16 felony charges for allegedly lying to police about the attack

The incredulous mayor of Chicago said on Wednesday that prosecutors' decision to drop all the charges against Jussie Smollett made 'fools of all of us' as he demanded answers as to why the Empire star was able to escape 'scot-free' despite the State's Attorney's office still believing he is guilty of staging a hoax hate crime.

Smollett, 36, walked out of court on Tuesday a free man after secretly completing 16 hours of community service and forfeiting $10,000 in bond.

Assistant State's Attorney Joe Magats said that even though he does not believe the star is innocent, his office had suddenly decided not to pursue charges because Smollett has a 'lack of criminal background' and was not a threat to the community.

No other explanation for the sudden about-turn has been given and critics, including the 'furious' police chief who led the investigation into the attack, are enraged that not only has Smollett's record been expunged, but a judge has sealed the case meaning none of the evidence will become public.

The Cook County courthouse has also revealed that every trace of the case has been wiped from its systems and, to clerks' surprise, no written motions were filed in court yesterday, making it as though the charges 'never existed.'

Read more ....

Update #1: Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel says dropped Jussie Smollett charges are making 'a fool of all of us' (ABC News)
Update #2: No one knows why prosecutors dropped the Jussie Smollett case (VICE News)

WNU Editor: This is a big story in the U.S., and I suspect that there is more to it than what we currently know. As to what is my take .... a sad reflection on the U.S. legal system, and one has to wonder if he got off because of "liberal/progressive privilege".

An Inside Look At How The U.S. Is Facing An Evolving Anti- Terror Mission

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 11:08 AM PDT

The operations room at the National Counterterrorism Center in McLean, Va., near Washington. The center was created in 2003 to synthesize all the incoming information about potential threats. The CIA, FBI, National Security Agency and even local police departments all have officers at the center. Every 12 hours it puts out a situation report that is shared across the national security community. Office of the Director of National Intelligence

Greg Myre, NPR: With ISIS And Al-Qaida Weakened, U.S. Faces An Evolving Anti-Terror Mission

At the main operations room inside the National Counterterrorism Center, the flow of incoming data never stops. Analysts from across the government sit in front of their blinking computers, all facing huge TV screens tuned to news channels.

"On a daily basis, 10,000 reports come across our ops center and eyes are put on every one of those," said Russ Travers, deputy director of the center, who has been here, on and off, since it was established 16 years ago.

"There are in the neighborhood of 16,000 names within those pieces of information. We have to process all of that," he added.

The U.S. fight against terrorism is at a key juncture. More than 17 years after the 2001 attacks by al-Qaida, that group is no longer the force it was. And the Islamic State has lost its core territory.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: The names of these terror groups may change but there is one constant that has always remained the same .... the dangers that radical and violent Islam hold for those who do not accept their dogma.

President Trump Orders Agencies To Protect The U.S. From An EMP Attack

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 10:49 AM PDT



The Hill: Trump signs executive order on protecting US from potential EMP attacks

President Trump on Tuesday signed an executive order directing federal agencies to identify the threats posed by potential electromagnetic pulses (EMP), which are believed to be potentially dangerous to critical infrastructure like the electric grid, and find ways to guard against them.

Senior administration officials told reporters during a call Tuesday that the order will direct federal agencies to coordinate in assessing the threats that EMPs pose, and find ways to prevent their impact. An EMP is a burst of electromagnetic energy that can be caused by a nuclear weapon or solar storms.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement that the order will create an environment "that promotes private-sector innovation to strengthen our critical infrastructure."

Read more ....

WNU Editor: I would be more worried from a natural emp event rather than a man-made one .... How We'll Safeguard Earth From a Solar Storm Catastrophe (NBC).

More News On U.S. President Trump Ordering Agencies To Protect The U.S. From An EMP Attack

Trump signs executive order to protect the US from a 'debilitating' EMP attack -- Business Insider
Trump orders historic plan to thwart EMP, warns attack would be 'debilitating' -- Washington Examiner
Trump orders feds to study risks of electromagnetic pulse -- NYPost
Trump Orders Study on Risks of Electromagnetic Weapon Attack -- Bloomberg

U.S. Navy's $7.8 Billion Destroyer Is Five Years Late

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 10:38 AM PDT

File photo - Oct. 15, 2016: The USS Zumwalt before its commissioning. (U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class George M. Bell/Released)

Bloomberg: Navy's $7.8 Billion Destroyer Now Due for Delivery 5 Years Late

* Delay adds to questions about Navy's plans for 355-ship fleet
* Deck guns that cost $505 million are now in 'inactive status'

The first ship in the U.S. Navy's $23 billion program to build a new class of destroyers is scheduled for a September delivery -- more than five years later than originally scheduled and 10 years after construction began on the stealthy vessels built by General Dynamics Corp.

Delivery plans for the Zumwalt-class guided missile destroyer have been a roller-coaster of changing milestones, most recently moved from May of this year to September, according to budget documents confirmed by a Navy spokeswoman. The ship isn't expected to have an initial combat capability until September 2021, at least three years later than planned.

The latest delay for the first $7.8 billion vessel, designated the DDG-1000, may add to doubts that the Navy can build, outfit and deliver vessels on time and within cost targets. The service is seeking public and congressional support for plans to reach a 355-ship fleet by 2034 from 289 today, a 20-year acceleration over last year's plan to reach that goal.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: What a disaster.

President Trump Meets Wife Of Venezuelan Opposition Leader And Acting President Juan Guiado

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 10:34 AM PDT



Daily Mail: Russia needs to get out of Venezuela: Trump tells Putin to pull his troops out of strife-torn country as he holds surprise Oval Office meeting with the 26-year-old journalist wife of the U.S.-recognized president

President Trump said Wednesday that 'Russia needs to get out' of Venezuela as the U.S. accused the Kremlin of adding to unrest in the Latin American county.

Russian troops, military planes and equipment arrived in Venezuela over the weekend to support dictator Nicolas Maudro.

Trump dropped into a meeting with Fabiana Rosales, the wife of Venezuelan opposition leader and acting president Juan Guiado, to assert U.S. support for her husband's bid to restore democracy.

'The people are starving, they're being killed they're being beaten,' he said, calling Maduro's refusal to accept humanitarian aid from the U.S. 'unfathomable' and cruel to the people.

Read more ....



More News On The Crisis In Venezuela

Trump says Russian military must leave Venezuela -- Reuters
Trump: 'Russia needs to get out' of Venezuela, tells opposition he's with them '100 percent' -- NBC/AP
Venezuela's second blackout this month drags into third day -- Reuters
Blackouts persist in Venezuela; schools, businesses closed -- FOX News/AP
Venezuela hit with another blackout, 91 percent without internet -- The Hill
Venezuela's Oil Production In Jeopardy After New Blackout -- OilPrice.com
Venezuela By The Numbers (Audio) -- NPR

World News Briefs -- March 27, 2019

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 02:49 PM PDT



The Guardian: Cyclone Idai crisis deepens as first cases of cholera confirmed in Mozambique

Five people test positive for waterborne disease in flooded port city of Beira amid warnings outbreak will spread

The first cases of cholera have been reported in the cyclone-ravaged Mozambican city of Beira, complicating an already massive and complex emergency in the southern African country.

The announcement of five cases of the waterborne disease follows days of mounting fears that cholera and other diseases could break out in the squalid conditions in which tens of thousands have been living since Cyclone Idai struck on 14 March, killing at least 700 people across the region.

Read more ....

MIDDLE EAST

Israel airstrikes, Gaza rockets follow day of calm.

Syria requests urgent UN Security Council meeting on Golan.

Hezbollah chief urges 'resistance' over US Golan move.

NGO: Airstrike on Yemen hospital kills 7.

Yemen's healthcare system among war's wreckage.

Mosul ferry sinking: Iraq orders arrest of ex-governor.

Turkey elections: Thousands of observers to oversee local vote.

ASIA

Joint US-Afghan operation leaves Taliban fighters, civilians dead.

US efforts to rebuild Afghanistan beset by 'theft and abuse from security forces'.

Kim Jong Un attends 'historic' military meeting, state media says.

North Korean state TV gets another makeover.

China and Russia claim thousands of North Korean workers sent home.

China defends Tibet policy ahead of Dalai Lama exile anniversary.

China expels ex-Interpol chief from Communist Party.

AFRICA

10 civilians killed in suspected Boko Haram attack in Niger town.

Comoros' president wins 'sham' election.

UN appeals for $184 million for Cameroon displaced.

Mali 'spiral of violence must stop immediately'.

Cholera outbreaks reported in Mozambique.

Mozambique: One million people without aid after cyclone.

Refugees 'dying in camp in Libya'.

EUROPE

Unrest in Ukraine as nation prepares to elect new leader.

UK parliament holds 'indicative votes' on Brexit.

Cyprus Backstop? Ireland is not the only island with Brexit muddle.

Luxembourg court delivers setback to 9/11 families' Iran claims.

EU 'to suspend ship patrols' on Mediterranean migrant mission.

Switzerland indicts Liberian over war crimes.

Spanish prosecutor to investigate Catalan leader for disobedience.

AMERICAS

Trump signs executive order on protecting US from potential EMP attacks.

Number of migrants trying to cross US-Mexico border could hit 1M in 2019: report.

Trump: 'Russia has to get out' of Venezuela.

Russia defends troops in Venezuela.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro accuses US of financing mercenary 'plot' to assassinate him.

Venezuela hit by fourth massive blackout in less than three weeks.

Camps open in Colombia for Venezuelans fleeing crisis.

Anger after Bolsonaro calls for Brazil army to mark 1964 coup.

Canadian police find kidnapped Chinese student Wanzhen Lu after three-day search.

TERRORISM/THE LONG WAR

Pentagon sustains budget for arming local anti-IS forces amid US pullout.

Terror suspect arrested in Austria for damaging German trains.

'Dirty secrets' of prison torture hinders trial of accused Bali-bombing chief Hambali, says US lawyer.

ECONOMY/FINANCE/BUSINESS

Boeing holds test flights for 737 MAX fix: sources.

Energy demand grew in 2018 at fastest pace in decade.

China, France sign US$45 billion of deals including Airbus order.

Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- March 27, 2019

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 09:49 AM PDT

Missiles are driven past the stand with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and other high-ranking officials during a military parade marking the 105th anniversary of the birth of the country's founding father Kim Il Sung, in Pyongyang April 15, 2017. REUTERS/Damir Sagoli/File Photo

The Hill: Top US general: North Korean activities 'inconsistent' with denuclearization

North Korea's activities with nuclear warheads and missiles have been "inconsistent" with denuclearization, the general in charge of U.S. troops on the Korean peninsula said Wednesday.

Gen. Robert Abrams, commander of U.S. Forces Korea, made the remark after a question from House Armed Services Committee ranking member Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Texas) on North Korea's actions.

"We know they have not tested, but in the production of nuclear weapons and material and missiles, has there been a change?" Thornberry asked.

Read more ....

Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- March 27, 2019

North Korea nuclear, missile activity not consistent with denuclearization: U.S. general -- Reuters

Kim Jong Un attends 'historic' military meeting, state media says. -- UPI

At major military meeting, Kim Jong Un urges army to step up political education -- NK News

Air Force wish list includes more F-35s, tankers ... and some money for advanced tech to confuse Russia and China -- Defense News

Navy: Lack of Submarine Parts Slowing Down Maintenance, New Construction -- USNI News

Navy to Congress: You Need to Let Us Retire Carrier Truman -- DoD Buzz

Austal nets $261.8M for work on next two Expeditionary Fast Transport ships -- UPI

This is why Big Navy is getting bigger -- Mark D. Faram, Navy Times

US Army to prioritize long-range missile capability to go after maritime targets -- Defense News

Textron Delivers Prototype for Army Next-Gen Squad Weapon -- DoD Buzz

U.S. Army, Raytheon complete preliminary design review of DeepStrike missile -- UPI

This new Army unit could help the U.S. win the next Cold War -- Army Times

Newly Disclosed NSA Documents Shed Further Light on Five Eyes Alliance -- Lawfare

Ex-CIA Director John Brennan admits he may have had 'bad information' regarding President Trump and Russia -- FOX News

Disaster aid package includes $2B for military. How much would each branch get? -- Defense News

Army Four-Star Nominated as Next Chief of Staff -- Military.com

Lt. Gen. David Berger Tapped to Lead Marine Corps -- Military.com

Trump to host NATO chief at White House -- The Hill

The US Military Is Creating the Future of Employee Monitoring -- Defense One

State Department approves possible F-16 sales, upgrades for Morroco -- UPI

'We need Turkey to buy the Patriot' missile defense system - acting Pentagon chief -- Reuters

US B-52H Bombers Train With Japan Air Self Defense Force Over East China Sea -- The Diplomat

To Strengthen NATO, Congress Must Help End Its Reliance On Russian Equipment -- Defense One

Is the US Army really ready to Stop Russia in a War? -- National Interest

A brief history of NATO, from Truman to Trump -- Strobe Talbott, Brookings

German government split on Saudi arms ban -- DW

French envoy presses Germany on stalling arms exports -- Defense News

Stealth Hunter: Russia's Deadly S-400 Is Getting Much Closer to NATO's Doorstep -- National Interest

Russia Confirms Its Military Arrived in Venezuela Over the Weekend: 'Every Right to Be There' -- Haaretz/AP

Russian Defense Ministry to Create Film Studio for Military Movies -- Moscow Times

Japanese jets intercept Chinese anti-submarine aircraft, says Tokyo -- Defense News

India shoots down satellite, becomes 'space superpower' -- DW

Why AI researchers should reconsider protesting involvement in military projects -- Bobbie Johnson, MIT Technology Review

India Boasts That It Has Successfully Tested An Anti-Satellite Weapon

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 08:38 AM PDT

A salesman watches Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing to the nation, on TV screens inside a showroom in Mumbai, India, March 27, 2019. REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas

Business Insider: India enters an elite space club after scientists shoot down a low orbit satellite 300 km away in space, says Prime Minister Modi

* Indian scientists have shot down a low orbit satellite 300 km away in space, according to Prime Minister Modi.
* India is the fourth country to wield anti-satellite technology after the US, Russia, and China.
* The technology will be used only for security, peace, and development, Modi reassured, adding that no international covenant had been broken.

According to a televised address by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the country's scientists have just shot down a low-orbit satellite 300 kilometers away in space.

"Just a few minutes ago, our scientists shot down a live satellite on the LEO (Low Earth Orbit)," he said, without clarifying which country the satellite shot down belonged to. "They achieved it in just three minutes."

The anti-satellite missiles were developed in India. Modi went on to reassure the international community that India would only be using the new system for its own security and development, and that no international covenant was broken.

Read more ....

More News On India Boasting That It Has Successfully Tested An Anti-Satellite Weapon

India shoots down satellite in test, Modi hails arrival as space power -- Reuters
Indian PM Modi boasts success of anti-satellite missile launch ahead of election -- NBC News/AP
Mission Shakti: India shoots down live satellite in space, says PM Narendra Modi -- The Independent
Modi's space weapon announcement struggles for lift-off -- The Guardian
India shoots down a weather satellite, declares itself a "space power" -- Ars Technica
China's First Reaction To India's Space Missile Test "Mission Shakti" -- NDTV
Pakistan urges no militarisation of space after India tests anti-satellite missile -- Reuters
What are anti-satellite weapons? -- Al Jazeera
Factbox: Anti-satellite weapons: rare, high-tech, and risky to test -- Reuters

Will NATO Lose In An Air War Against Russia?

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 08:25 AM PDT

Two Typhoon FGR4 aircraft. Sgt Paul Oldfield/MOD

Alex Lockie, Business Insider: NATO will lose its next air war to Putin's 'formidable beasts' if it waits for the F-35 to save it

* NATO needs the F-35 to keep up with evolving threats from Russia, but in a decade, only 20% of NATO's forces will be flying fifth-generation fighters — meaning 80% of them probably can't fight against Russia on day one.
* This puts NATO at a huge disadvantage against Russia, which has new, cheap, and deadly systems meant to shoot down NATO's legacy aircraft by the hundreds.
* Simon Rochelle, the Royal Air Force's air vice-marshal, has proposed plans to keep legacy aircraft fighting and supercharged with the information pulled from fifth-gen fighters and other support planes.
* Rochelle said that if NATO can't fix its interoperability problems across its 28 members, it will lose the next war against Russia.

LONDON — Much of NATO's hope to remain a relevant fighting force in the coming decades has been pinned on the introduction of the F-35, but a simple look at the numbers shows that one airframe alone won't turn the tide against Russia.

"If we think we're going to wait for the next generation to sort the problems out, I can categorically tell you we will fail when next major conflict occurs." Simon Rochelle, the Royal Air Force's air vice-marshal, told the Royal United Service Institute's Combat Air Survivability conference on Wednesday.

"In 2030, 80% of the European NATO forces — should one of those situations occur, God forbid — will be gen 4 fighters. You can't walk away from that," he continued, referring to pre-stealth jets as belonging to a fourth generation of fighters.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: NATO (excluding the U.S.), has more than double the air power that Russia has. Throw in the U.S., that air power increase to 5 to 6 times what Russia has. So will NAOT lose in an air war against Russia. I doubt it.

China's Aggressive New Policy In The Pacific Is Raising 'Alarm Bells' In The Pentagon

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 07:48 AM PDT

US Navy photo showing a confrontation between the USS Decatur, left, and Chinese warship 170, right, in the South China Sea, September 30, 2018. US Navy Photo

Lara Seligman, Business Insider/Foreign Policy: The US military is worried about China's scare tactics in the Pacific, and they fear things could get ugly

* US military officials have watched what they see as increasingly aggressive Chinese actions with concern.
* They worry Beijing could use these tactics, which fall short of actual armed conflict, to advance its interests.

JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii—US military forces in the Pacific are alarmed by what they see as an increasingly capable China using military intimidation and economic coercion to bully its smaller neighbors.

So far, these tactics fall short of actual armed conflict. But US defense officials here and in Washington, most of whom spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive topic, say if the United States does not stay on alert in the region, Beijing could use force to advance its interests—and Taiwan in particular is a major potential flash point.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: Welcome to the new normal.

The U.S. Navy Wants a New 'Ambulance Ship'

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 06:57 AM PDT

The Austal USA EPF medical concept would accommodate a MV-22 Osprey. AUSTAL USA Image

Popular Mechanics: The U.S. Navy Wants a New 'Ambulance Ship' to Treat War Wounded

The ship, the first of its kind, would treat war wounded that didn't need to be evacuated out of theater.

The United States Navy wants a new "ambulance" ship that would have just enough medical facilities to treat lightly or moderately injured troops. The service included a funding request to convert an expeditionary fast transport ship typically used to move troops and equipment around to instead harbor medical facilities and personnel.

Read more ....

Update: Navy's $3.2B Unfunded List Includes Asks for Attack Boat Repair Money, 'Ambulance' Vessel (USNI News)

WNU Editor: Cheaper than a hospital ship, and very practical.

24 F-22 Raptors Do The "Elephant Walk"

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 06:51 AM PDT



Warzone/The Drive: 24 F-22 Raptors Do The "Elephant Walk" In Alaska To Tout Their Readiness To Fight (Updated)

Roughly 20 percent of the Air Force's entire combat coded F-22 fleet was on a single runway at one time for a massive show of force drill.

As the USAF realigns its strategy towards "great power competition" with potential peer state enemies like Russia and China, high-profile displays of readiness among its combat aircraft fleets are becoming far more common than they were in the past. This time around, 3rd Wing based at Elmendorf AFB in Anchorage, Alaska showed off its might by concurrently generating a whopping 24 stealthy F-22 Raptors, an E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning And Control System aircraft, and a C-17 Globemaster III cargo jet—all of which call the base home.

24 hours a day and 365 days a year, within a matter of minutes from when the klaxon sounds, a pair of fully armed and tanked-up F-22s can be scrambled into the air and race towards potential threats operating near U.S. airspace. Often times, a fully crewed E-3 follows right behind them. This happens far more often than most realize in an age of resurgent Russian long-range aviation forces. Russian strategic bombers, tankers, early warning and spy aircraft, and even escorting fighters are common visitors to the airspace off Alaska's frigid shores.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: That is something that you do not see everyday.

More Repairs On America's Newest Aircraft Carrier Pushes Its Delivery Date Into October

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 06:47 AM PDT

Sailors on the aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford during its commissioning ceremony at Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia. US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Julio Martinez Martinez

USNI News: USS Gerald Ford Delivery Delayed Due to Extensive Nuclear Propulsion, Weapons Elevator Repairs; Carrier Won't be Ready Until October

CAPITOL HILL – Unforeseen problems in repairing USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) will push delivery of the carrier back to the fleet by three months, into October, Navy officials told a House Armed Services Committee panel on Tuesday.

The initial 12-month post-shakedown availability (PSA) was designed to fix any problems that arose during the carrier's first at-sea period, when the crew works the ship hard to help identify any problems in construction, as well as to tackle any work that the Navy and shipbuilder agreed to bump from the construction period to PSA. The carrier had planned to conduct a one-year PSA, then work up with its crew and deploy in 2021.

The new delay is due to more time needed to repair Ford's nuclear propulsion system and Advanced Weapons Elevators, Navy acquisition chief James Geurts told the HASC's seapower and projection forces subcommittee.

Read more ....

Update #1: U.S. Navy's Troubled New Aircraft Carrier Delayed Again As Propulsion Issues Arise (Warzone)
Update #2: Why the carrier Ford is delayed again (Mark D. Faram, Navy Times)

WNU Editor: I understand that this is the first carrier of its class, but these repairs and problems are certainly adding to the costs as well as raising questions on the rational for keeping a fleet of aircraft carriers.

World News Updates, World News, Current Affairs, Daily Current Affairs, World News Updates

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 02:06 AM PDT

World News Updates, World News, Current Affairs, Daily Current Affairs, World News Updates


Former FBI Director James Comey drops Trump BOMBSHELL in interview with Lester Holt

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 06:33 PM PDT



FORMER FBI Director James Comey has claimed Donald Trump firing him was "potentially" obstruction of justice.

Norway cruise ship: Cause of Viking Sky chaos REVEALED following investigation

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 11:42 PM PDT



THE Norwegian cruise ship which narrowly escaped capsizing after being trapped in a horrendous storm experienced problems due to relatively low levels of lubricating oil in its engines, the Norwegian Maritime Authority has confirmed.

Powerball winner in Wisconsin: Where is the winning ticket bought? Ticket bags $746MILLION

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 12:54 AM PDT



ONE LUCKY winner has won Powerball's third largest lottery prize, scooping $768.4million - but where was the winning ticket bought?

Guatemala crash HORROR as least 30 dead after truck smashes into crowd

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 10:00 PM PDT



MORE than 30 people have been killed after a truck crashed into a crowd of people in western Guatemala.

‘Democrats DESPISE Israel’ - Trump launches SHOCKING attack on White House rivals

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 09:02 PM PDT



DONALD TRUMP this morning made a stunning claim Democrats "despise" Israel during a live interview on Fox News.

US Presidential hopeful plans to ABOLISH DEATH using technology - ‘We can live to 10,000’

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 08:55 PM PDT



A FORMER US presidential candidate who could run again in 2020 has outlined a radical plan to abolish natural death using technology.

EXTRAORDINARY letter of advice Melania Trump received when she became First Lady revealed

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 08:18 PM PDT



MELANIA TRUMP received a heartfelt letter from George H. W. Bush's wife, Barbara Bush when she became First Lady in 2016.

Russia would be ‘BETTER OFF’ with Hillary Clinton as President claims Trump on Fox News

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 08:03 PM PDT



DONALD TRUMP this morning claimed Russia would prefer Hillary Clinton as President in an interview with Sean Hannity on Fox News.

Syria BOMBED by Israel as tensions between warring nations ERUPT in Middle East

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 08:01 PM PDT



SYRIA has been showered with bombs by the Israeli military, causing damage to an airport, sources say.

Venezuela crisis: Trump tells Russia ALL OPTIONS open unless it withdraws its military

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 07:25 PM PDT



DONALD TRUMP threatened Russia by claiming the US would consider "all options" unless it withdrew from Venezuela.

World News, World News Updates, World News Headlines, Latest World News, Current Affairs

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 02:03 AM PDT

World News, World News Updates, World News Headlines, Latest World News, Current Affairs


A Tanker Hijacked by Migrants Has Arrived Safely in Malta

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 11:53 PM PDT

(VALLETTA, Malta) — A Maltese special operations team on Thursday boarded a tanker that had been hijacked by migrants rescued at sea, and returned control to the captain, before escorting it to a Maltese port.

Armed military personnel stood guard on the ship’s deck, and a dozen or so migrants were also visible, as the vessel docked at Boiler Wharf in the city of Senglea. Several police vans were lined up on shore to take custody of the migrants for investigation.

Authorities in Italy and Malta on Wednesday said that the group had hijacked the Turkish oil tanker El Hiblu 1 after it rescued them in the Mediterranean Sea, and forced the crew to put the Libya-bound vessel on a course north toward Europe.

Italy’s interior minister, Matteo Salvini, said the ship had rescued about 120 people and described what happened as “the first act of piracy on the high seas with migrants” as the alleged hijackers. Malta has put the number of migrants rescued at 108.

The ship had been heading toward Italy’s southernmost island of Lampedusa and the island of Malta when Maltese forces intercepted it.

Maltese armed forces established communications with the captain while the ship was still 30 nautical miles off shore. The captain told Maltese armed forces he was not in control of the vessel “and that he and his crew were being forced and threatened by a number of migrants to proceed to Malta.” A patrol vessel stopped the tanker from entering Maltese waters, they said.

The special team that restored control to the captain was backed by a patrol vessel, two fast interceptor craft and a helicopter.

There was no immediate word on the condition of El Hiblu 1’s crew.

Humanitarian organizations say that migrants are mistreated and even tortured in Libya, and have protested protocols to return migrants rescued offshore to the lawless northern African nation. Meanwhile, both Italy and Malta have refused to open their ports to humanitarian ships that rescue migrants at sea, which has created numerous standoffs as European governments haggle over which will take them in.

A private group that operates a rescue ship and monitors how governments treat migrants, Mediterranea, urged compassion for the group on the hijacked vessel and said it hoped European countries would act “in the name of fundamental rights, remembering that we are dealing with human beings fleeing hell.”

Mass migration to Europe has dropped sharply since 2015, when the continent received 1 million refugees and migrants from countries in the Middle East, Asia and Africa. The surge created a humanitarian crisis in which desperate travelers frequently drowned and leading arrival spots such as Italy and Greece struggled to house large numbers of asylum-seekers.

Along with the dangerous sea journey itself, those who attempt to cross the Mediterranean risk being stopped by Libya’s coast guard and held in Libyan detention centers that human rights groups have described as bleak places where migrants allegedly suffer routine abuse.

EU members “alert the Libyan coast guard when refugees and migrants are spotted at sea so they can be taken back to Libya, despite knowing that people there are arbitrarily detained and exposed to widespread torture, rape, killings and exploitation,” said Matteo de Bellis, an international migration researcher for Amnesty International.

European Union member countries, responding to domestic opposition to welcoming immigrants, have decided to significantly downscale an EU operation in the Mediterranean, withdrawing their ships and continuing the mission with air surveillance only.

“This shameful decision has nothing to do with the needs of people who risk their lives at sea, but everything to do with the inability of European governments to agree on a way to share responsibility for them,” de Bellis said.

E.U. Sets Standard With Ban on Single-Use Plastics by 2021

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 10:40 PM PDT

The European Parliament has voted overwhelmingly to ban single-use plastic items including straws, food containers and cotton bud sticks, in a bid to tackle marine litter and encourage sustainable alternatives.

According to a press release published by the E.U. Parliament on Wednesday, 560 lawmakers voted in favor of the agreement, while 35 were against and 28 abstained.

“Today we have taken an important step to reduce littering and plastic pollution in our oceans and seas,” said Frans Timmermans, the First Vice President of the European Commission.

“Europe is setting new and ambitious standards, paving the way for the rest of the world,” he added.

The Single-Use Plastics Directive will ban products for which alternatives exist on the market, such as single-use plastic cutlery, plates, and items made of oxo-degradable plastics, by the year 2021. E.U. member states will also have to achieve a 90% collection target for plastic bottles by 2029.

Additionally, the agreement will extend the “polluter pays” principle, putting more pressure on manufacturers of tobacco filters, fishing gear and other pollutive products to bear environmental responsibility.

According to the European Commission, more than 80% of marine litter is plastics, and less than 30% of the 25 million tonnes of plastic waste generated yearly by E.U. countries is recycled. Due to its slow rate of decomposition, plastic accumulates in seas, oceans and on beaches in the E.U. and worldwide.

Earlier this month, a whale that washed ashore in a coastal Philippines province was revealed to have 88 pounds of plastic trash inside its body. Last year, a pilot whale died in southern Thailand after eating more than 80 plastic bags.

The legislation is estimated to avoid around $25 billion-worth of environmental damages by 2030.

“Once implemented, the new rules will not only prevent plastic pollution, but also make the European Union the world leader in a more sustainable plastic policy,” Vice-President Jyrki Katainen said.

Rescued Migrants Hijacked a Ship and Demanded That It Head Toward Europe

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 08:20 PM PDT

(VALLETTA, Malta) — Migrants hijacked a cargo ship that rescued them in the Mediterranean Sea and forced the crew to put the Libya-bound vessel on a course north toward Europe, authorities in two European countries said.

Italy’s interior minister, Matteo Salvini, identified the ship as the Turkish oil tanker El Hiblu 1. He said the tanker had rescued about 120 people and described what was happening as “the first act of piracy on the high seas with migrants” as alleged hijackers.

The new route put the ship on a route to Italy’s Lampedusa island and the island nation of Malta. The governments of both countries vowed to keep it from their territorial waters in the Mediterranean.

“Poor castaways, who hijack a merchant ship that saved them because they want to decide the route of the cruise,” Salvini, who heads the anti-migrant League party, was quoted as saying by the ANSA news agency.

There was no immediate word on the condition of El Hiblu 1’s crew. Other information about the reported hijacking was unavailable or difficult to confirm while the vessel remained at sea.

Italian media reports said the crew planned to take the group it rescued and was headed that way when migrants seized control of the ship six miles from the Libyan coast.

A private group that operates a rescue ship and monitors how governments treat migrants, Mediterranea, urged compassion for the group on the hijacked vessel and said it hoped European countries would act “in the name of fundamental rights, remembering that we are dealing with human beings fleeing hell.”

The Armed Forces of Malta said military personnel were standing by and the tanker still was in Libyan territorial waters as of early Wednesday night.

A Maltese military official told Maltese media the ship was carrying 108 migrants. The official was not authorized to speak to reporters and requested anonymity.

The official also said Malta would not allow the hijacked tanker to enter the country’s waters.

Italy’s Salvini said weather conditions were not good and it was unclear if the tanker would end up approaching Malta or Lampedusa island. But he had a message for the pirates: “Forget about Italy.”

Mass migration to Europe has dropped sharply since 2015, when the continent received one million refugees and migrants from countries in the Middle East, Asia and Africa. The surge created a humanitarian crisis in which desperate travelers frequently drowned and leading arrival spots such as Italy and Greece struggled to house large numbers of asylum-seekers.

Along with the dangerous sea journey itself, those who attempt to cross the Mediterranean risk being stopped by Libya’s coast guard and held in Libyan detention centers that human rights groups have described as bleak places where migrants allegedly suffer routine abuse.

EU members “alert the Libyan coast guard when refugees and migrants are spotted at sea so they can be taken back to Libya, despite knowing that people there are arbitrarily detained and exposed to widespread torture, rape, killings and exploitation,” Matteo de Bellis, an international migration researcher for Amnesty International, said. ”

European Union member countries, responding to domestic opposition to welcoming immigrants, have decided to significantly downscale an EU operation in the Mediterranean, withdrawing their ships and continuing the mission with air surveillance only.

EU officials on Wednesday lamented the move, while Amnesty International and other groups responded by reiterated its view that Europe’s collaboration with Libya to stem migration was a human rights outrage.

“This shameful decision has nothing to do with the needs of people who risk their lives at sea, but everything to do with the inability of European governments to agree on a way to share responsibility for them,” de Bellis said.

India’s Narendra Modi Projects Military Might by Testing Anti-Satellite Missile

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 07:00 PM PDT

(NEW DELHI) — India successfully test-fired an anti-satellite weapon Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in an unexpected announcement of military advancement that was broadcast live just weeks before a general election.

He said the destruction of a satellite in low-earth orbit by missile demonstrated India’s capacity as a “space power” alongside the U.S., Russia and China.

The announcement is Modi’s latest bid to flex India’s military muscle as his party seeks to retain power in polls beginning April 11.

After 40 Indian soldiers were killed in a February suicide bombing in disputed Kashmir, India said it retaliated with a “surgical strike” on a terrorist camp in Pakistan. But Pakistan later shot down one of India’s Soviet-era fighter jets, prompting scrutiny of India’s aging military hardware.

In Washington, the vice commander of U.S. Air Force Space Command, Lt. Gen. David Thompson, told a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing that the Air Force detected the collision in space. It happened at 1:39 a.m. in Washington, or 10:30 a.m. in New Delhi.

Pallava Bagla, a science writer at the New Delhi Television Channel, said that by hitting the fast-moving satellite, India had crossed a significant threshold and demonstrated it could “bring down an enemy satellite in space.”

Modi said the anti-satellite capability is “not against anyone,” and that India’s policy remains against the use of weapons in space.

Earlier this month, acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan argued for a 2020 Pentagon budget shaped by national security threats posed by China, including anti-satellite weapons.

Thompson said the Air Force detected about 270 objects in the debris field created by the collision and the number was likely to increase. He said the Air Force will inform satellite operators if any of those objects become a threat to satellites in orbit. “At this point in time the International Space Station is not at risk,” he said.

No Brexit Option Receives Majority in British Parliament

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 03:04 PM PDT

LONDON (AP) — British lawmakers have voted on eight different possible Brexit options, but none received the majority support that would clarify the U.K.’s course.

Parliament is trying to find an alternative to Prime Minister Theresa May’s twice-rejected EU divorce deal.

Lawmakers voted Wednesday on options that included leaving the European Union without a deal, staying in the bloc’s customs union and single market, putting any EU divorce deal to a public referendum, and canceling Brexit if the prospect of a no-deal departure gets close.

The strongest support was for a plan to stay in a customs union with the bloc after Brexit, which was defeated by eight votes: 272-264.

Lawmakers plan to narrow the list of options down and hold more votes on Monday.

Britain has until April 12 to find a new plan — or crash out of the EU without a deal.

Northern Ireland Party Refuses to Back Theresa May’s Brexit Deal Due to Border Provision

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 02:22 PM PDT

(LONDON) — A Northern Ireland party that props up Prime Minister Theresa May’s government says it won’t support her Brexit divorce deal, a blow to May’s hopes of winning approval for the agreement in Parliament.

The Democratic Unionist Party said Wednesday it won’t support the deal because of a provision designed keep an open border between EU member Ireland and the U.K.’s Northern Ireland after Brexit.

The pro-British Unionist party opposes the provision because it fears it would weaken the bonds between Northern Ireland and the rest of the U.K.

DUP leader Arlene Foster said, “We cannot sign up to something that would damage the Union.”

May wants to try again to get her twice-rejected Brexit deal through Parliament. Many pro-Brexit lawmakers have said they will back it, but only if the DUP agrees.

Cruise Ship Stranded Off Norway’s Coast Had Low Oil Levels, Official Says

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 11:01 AM PDT

(COPENHAGEN, Denmark) — A cruise ship that was the focus of a daring rescue operation off Norway’s frigid North Sea coast became disabled because its engines didn’t have enough lubricating oil, the country’s top maritime official said Wednesday.

Low oil levels were the “direct cause” of the engine failure that stranded the ship during a storm Saturday, Lars Alvestad, the acting director general of the Norwegian Maritime Authority, said. Sensors detected the oil shortage and automatically shut down the Viking Sky’s engines to prevent a breakdown, he said.

The ship’s harrowing weekend ordeal injured dozens of people, including 36 who were admitted to hospitals. Four people from the ship remained hospitalized Wednesday, including one being treated in an intensive care ward in critical but stable condition, Norwegian health officials said.

Alvestad said the amount of oil was “relatively low” but still “within set limits” as the Viking Sky neared Hustadvika, a shallow area known for shipwrecks that has many reefs but no larger islands to offer boats shelter from pounding waves.

“The heavy seas probably caused movements in the tanks so large that the supply to the lubricating oil pumps stopped,” Alvestad said during a news conference. “This triggered an alarm indicating a low level of lubrication oil, which in turn, shortly thereafter, caused an automatic shutdown of the engines.”

Viking Sky “suffered power ‘blackout’ in challenging weather conditions,” he said.

The ship’s operator, Viking Ocean Cruises, said it welcomed “the prompt and efficient investigation” of the weekend emergency and accepted the findings.

“We have inspected the (oil) levels on all our sister ships and are now revising our procedures to ensure that this issue could not be repeated,” the company said in a statement.

The Viking Sky ended up in a dangerous situation when the engines stopped Saturday. With the ship carrying 1,373 passengers and crew members rocking violently, the crew sent out a mayday call. Passengers would recall a large wave crashing through glass doors and knocking people across the floor of an area where they were instructed to gather as a muster point.

The crew anchored the Viking Sky in a bay as it came close to hitting rocks and the airlift to get passengers off the ship began. Five helicopters winched passengers off one-by-one as winds howled in the dark of night. Waves up to 26-feet- (8-meters-) high were smacking into the ship, ruling out an evacuation by boat.

The rescue operation ended Sunday when the engines restarted, after 479 passengers had been airlifted to land. The ship traveled under its own power to a Norwegian port with nearly 900 passengers and crew members remaining onboard.

The ship was on a 12-day cruise along Norway’s coast before its scheduled arrival Tuesday in Britain. The passengers were mostly an English-speaking mix of American, British, Canadian, New Zealand and Australian citizens.

Alvestad said his agency has issued a new safety notice about crews making sure boats have a continuous supply of lubricating oil to engines and other critical systems in poor weather conditions.

The Viking Sky was being towed to a shipyard in another port Wednesday for repairs.

U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May Promises She Will Quit Once Brexit Deal Is Delivered

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 10:48 AM PDT

(LONDON) — British Prime Minister Theresa May told Conservative lawmakers Wednesday that she will step down once the U.K.’s exit from the European Union is delivered — a dramatic concession meant to bring enough of her colleagues on board to push her deal over the line.

May told a party meeting of legislators that she was aware of a desire for a new approach – and new leadership – in the second phase of the Brexit negotiations.

“I am prepared to leave this job earlier than I intended in order to do what is right for our country and our party,” she said, according to a transcript released by her office. “I ask everyone in this room to back the deal so we can complete our historic duty – to deliver on the decision of the British people and leave the European Union with a smooth and orderly exit.”

May has been under mounting pressure from pro-Brexit members of her Conservative Party to quit. Several have said they would support the withdrawal deal if another leader was chosen to lead the next stage of negotiations, which will determine Britain’s future relations with the EU.

In a packed meeting described by participants as “somber,” May finally conceded she would have to go, although she did not set a departure date.

Anti-EU lawmaker Jacob Rees-Mogg, who has clashed with May throughout the Brexit process, said she had been “very clear” that if Britain leaves the EU on May 22, she will quit soon after.

He said the prime minister had been “very dignified.”

“She out her case well, and reiterated that she had done her duty,” he said.

May’s announcement came as British lawmakers debated multiple options for leaving the EU as they sought to bring some clarity to the tortured Brexit process and stop the country tumbling out of the bloc within weeks with no exit plan in place.

In the wake of two overwhelming defeats for May’s withdrawal agreement with the EU, the House of Commons seized control of the parliamentary timetable for debate and votes on a range of Brexit alternatives.

House of Commons Speaker John Bercow selected eight widely differing options for votes from a list of 16 submitted by lawmakers. They include calls to leave the EU without a deal, to stay in the EU’s customs union and single market, to put any EU divorce deal to a public referendum, and to cancel Brexit if the prospect of a no-deal departure gets close.

Later in the day, lawmakers will vote on all of the options they could accept. The plan is for the most popular ideas to move to a second vote Monday to find one option that can command a majority. Parliament would then instruct the government to negotiate it with the EU.

May has said she will consider the outcome of the votes, though she has refused to be bound by the result.

The government condemned lawmakers’ move to seize control because it upends the usual practice in which the government sets the timetable for debate and votes in Parliament.

But Conservative lawmaker Oliver Letwin, one of those behind Wednesday’s votes, said “this is not an insurgency.”

“This process has come about as a result of the increasing concern that many of us have had across the House of Commons that we were heading not towards an approval of the prime minister’s deal, but alas towards a no-deal exit,” he said.

Almost three years after Britons voted to leave the EU, the date and terms of its departure are up in the air. Last week, the EU granted Britain a delay to the scheduled March 29 exit date, saying that if Parliament approves the proposed divorce deal this week, the U.K. will leave the EU on May 22. If not, the government has until April 12 to tell the 27 remaining EU countries what it plans to do — leave without a deal, cancel Brexit or propose a radically new path.

May, meanwhile, still hopes to bring the divorce deal that the government struck with the EU back for another vote in the House of Commons — if she can win over enough opponents to ensure passage. Lawmakers rejected the deal by 230 votes in January and by 149 votes earlier this month, primarily because of concerns about the Northern Ireland border.

Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay said he had introduced a motion to have Parliament meet on Friday if needed so a vote could be held. But it remained unclear whether it would go ahead, since Bercow said Wednesday he would not accept another vote on the twice-rejected deal unless substantial changes were made.

House of Commons leader Andrea Leadsom told the BBC there was a “real possibility” the unpopular agreement would be brought back for a vote on Thursday or Friday.

Tony Travers, a professor of government at the London School of Economics, said the parliamentary votes could boost support for May’s deal by convincing pro-Brexit lawmakers that a withdrawal might be delayed or abandoned.

Rees-Mogg, who has sought a complete break from the bloc, said May’s deal is still a bad one, but “the risk is, if I don’t back it, we don’t leave the EU at all.”

“I think we have got to the point where legally leaving is better than not leaving at all,” he told the BBC. “Half a loaf is better than no bread.”

But Rees-Mogg said he would not back the deal unless Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party decided to vote for it. The DUP, which has 10 seats in the House of Commons, said Tuesday it still wasn’t prepared to support the “toxic” deal.

Wednesday’s votes in Parliament could potentially produce conflicting and inconclusive results. But they could push Britain in the direction of a softer Brexit that keeps Britain closely tied economically to the EU.

That would probably require the U.K. to seek a longer delay, although that would mean that the country would have to take part in May 23-26 European Parliament elections.

Many EU officials are keen to avoid the messy participation of a departing member state.

But the chief of the European Council told European lawmakers that the EU should let Britain take part if the country indicated it planned to change course on Brexit.

Donald Tusk said the bloc could not “betray” the millions of Britons who want to stay in the EU.

“They may feel they are not sufficiently represented by the U.K. Parliament but they must feel that are represented by you in this chamber. Because they are Europeans,” Tusk said.

 

How Bowe Bergdahl May End Up Being the Key to Peace with the Taliban

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 10:00 AM PDT

In the summer of 2018, the Trump Administration began quietly reaching out to the Taliban to strike a peace deal in Afghanistan. With little apparent sense of irony, President Trump pursued negotiations through the same Taliban officials that during his presidential campaign he routinely called vicious, bloodthirsty terrorists—the same five men who President Obama released from Guantanamo Bay in the 2014 prisoner exchange for U.S. Army soldier Bowe Bergdahl.

Trump’s Taliban peace talks have been underway in Doha, Qatar, since January, and as the full scope of the war comes into view, Bergdahl’s status as a detested scapegoat can and should be reassessed. In history’s long view, he may be remembered as the key that unlocked a frozen peace process.

From the day after they first captured Bergdahl, the Taliban demanded a prisoner trade. For years, Taliban officials, spokesmen, and military commanders broadcast a common refrain—let’s negotiate a prisoner swap—through every available channel. But Washington had no ready reply. Held captive by the Taliban inside Pakistan, our supposed ally, Bergdahl’s plight mirrored the self-enforcing illogic of the entire conflict.

The Obama Administration held secret the May 31, 2014 prisoner trade that released him until the last possible hour, not only for operational security on the Afghan-Pakistani border, but also to keep it from political adversaries in Washington. Within hours of the swap, Republican operatives led by Richard Grenell, Trump’s ambassador to Germany, took to cable news to spread reckless gossip that Bergdahl had been a defector. The backlash that followed, led in large measure by Trump himself, revealed the extent to which American politics had come untethered from reality.

Two days after the exchange, and long before his gilded descent to the presidency, Trump called Bergdahl a traitor on Fox & Friends, unwittingly regurgitating years of Taliban propaganda on America’s most watched news network. Trump howled that Obama’s prisoner swap wasn’t just a bad deal, but a high crime bordering on treason.

“We trade five killers that want to destroy us, that are already back in service to try and knock us out, and we trade five killers for one traitor,” Trump told Fox’s Martha MacCallum in July 2014. MacCallum never pushed back, but Trump was wrong on every count. Far from trying to kill Americans, each of the five Taliban were either working as U.S. intelligence assets or had been detained while trying to.

One of the five Taliban officials, Abdul Wasiq, had been an intelligence minister when, in November 2001, he met with American operatives and offered to help track down his boss, Taliban leader Mullah Omar. Wasiq said he would carry a GPS device to lead them straight to Omar, but shortly after the meeting the Americans detained him, bound his wrists with zip-ties, blinded him with goggles stuffed with cotton balls, inserted a tranquilizing suppository in his rectum, and flew him to Guantanamo Bay, where he spent more than twelve years in Kafkaesque purgatory. The primary reason for his detention? According to his official Pentagon records, he was there “to provide information…on Omar’s location.”

After Obama released the five, and following their warm welcome in Doha, where the Qataris presented each with a shiny gourmet cake, they were put under house arrest, monitored by Qatari authorities, and have lived in air-conditioned obscurity ever since. Now, Trump’s peace talks are restoring their lost status and influence.

As for Bergdahl, there has never been a shred of credible evidence that he sympathized with the Taliban. Following an exhaustive Army investigation and his three-year prosecution by a team of fifty Pentagon lawyers under both the Obama and Trump administrations, he was never charged with treason.

But mythical narratives are a tough habit to kick. Just ask Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who summed up the recent state of play with a dizzying boast: “I have a team on the ground right now trying to negotiate with the Taliban terrorists in Afghanistan.” It seems that with the Taliban—a conservative, patriarchal movement that loves guns and pick-up trucks and has a nasty totalitarian streak—Trump and his team may have finally found a negotiating partner on his level.

Trump and Pompeo are also presiding over an increasingly broken relationship with their own clients in Kabul. After Afghan National Security Advisor Hamdullah Mohib protested his own government’s exclusion from the talks, U.S. officials publicly rebuked him and, even though he is married to an American woman, seem to have threatened his U.S. visa. American officials issued a similar travel ban on Amrullah Saleh, who, as the former director of Afghan intelligence has been one of Washington’s fiercest allies in Kabul for more than a decade. When his visa was denied, Saleh had been planning a trip to D.C. to inform members of congress that the Trump administration is on the brink of abandoning him.

Today, the Taliban controls more territory and leverage than any time since the war began. Once Trump made it clear that he wanted out, the Taliban has also been setting the timetable, demanding a total withdrawal of U.S. forces within a year. No one knows how this will end, but Trump’s exit plan raises profound questions about what we are leaving behind. Gains made by the U.S. and NATO cannot be denied, and Afghans who welcomed us fear what lies ahead.

“I watch soccer matches and cheer for Afghan female pop stars, who sing where the Taliban executed women 20 years ago,” one Afghan media professional wrote recently in the Wall Street Journal. “I have the freedom to express my views, as I’m doing now. I will not give this up.”

Barring a speedy resolution, the war in Afghanistan will soon reach its twentieth year. It would be easy to label Trump a hypocrite for negotiating with the same men he called “five of the greatest killers in the Middle East.” But in Doha, reality has trumped rhetoric. When the books are written about America’s longest war, Bowe Bergdahl will be remembered as a key figure who, intentionally or not, helped force both sides to stop fighting and start talking.

Austria Considers Dissolving Far-Right Group After It Received Donation From Suspected New Zealand Mosque Attacker

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 09:14 AM PDT

(VIENNA) — The Austrian government is considering dissolving a far-right group after it emerged that one of its leading members received a donation in the name of the suspected New Zealand mosque gunman, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said Wednesday.

Austrian police on Monday searched the home of the head of the Identitarian Movement of Austria, Martin Sellner, and seized computers and phones after prosecutors discovered that he had received a four-figure sum from a person named Tarrant — the same surname as the suspected Christchurch shooter. Sellner denied involvement in the attack and claimed he had planned to inform authorities about the donation.

Speaking after a Cabinet meeting, Austria’s chancellor pledged a full and transparent investigation into any possible connections between the Alpine nation and the New Zealand shooter.

“We can now confirm that there was financial support and therefore a connection from the New Zealand attacker to the Identitarians in Austria,” Kurz said.

“Our position is clear: no matter what kind of extremism it is, whether it’s radical Islamism or far-right fanatics, must have no place in our country and our society,” he added. “We will use the full force of the law against this kind of ideology.”

Kurz said anyone found to have committed crimes would be punished. “Furthermore (we will) examine whether the Identitarians can be dissolved,” he said.

Austrian authorities said last week that the Christchurch shooter visited the country and Kurz said investigators are now trying to determine “whether there further contacts between the New Zealand attacker and Austrian citizens” during his trip.

Australian Brenton Tarrant was arrested within an hour of the March 15 attack, in which 50 Muslims were killed in the southern New Zealand city. He has been charged with murder.

Some of Tarrant’s anti-Muslim views are echoed by the Identitarian Movement.

Austria’s vice chancellor, Heinz-Christian Strache, said there would be “no tolerance” for anyone found to have ties to the Christchurch attacker and condemned his “sick ideology.”

Strache’s Freedom Party has itself been linked to the Identitarian Movement and a photo showing him and a prominent member of the group in a pub was the subject of a recent court case in Austria. Strache had sued for defamation, claiming the photo was a fake, before acknowledging it was real and withdrawing the suit.

“We have adopted clear resolutions in the Freedom Party that anybody who is active in the Identitarians can’t hold any function (in the party),” said Strache, adding that he didn’t vet everyone who wanted to take a selfie with him.

Huawei P30 Pro first look: Flagship smartphone with quad cameras

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 12:04 AM PDT

Huawei P30 Pro first look: Flagship smartphone with quad cameras
Huawei has officially launched the P30 Pro, the company's latest flagship smartphone that comes with a Leica-branded quad-camera setup. The phone has some great specifications. Here is our first look at Huawei P30 Pro.

Source: TIE

Policeman attacked in Muzaffarpur for stopping auto driver on wrong side of road

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 12:04 AM PDT

Policeman attacked in Muzaffarpur for stopping auto driver on wrong side of road
A group of people thrashed police personnel over stopping violation of traffic rules in Bihar s Muzaffarpur. The offenders are reported to be an auto-rickshaw driver and his friends.

Source: TIE

Wasn’t keen on making a biopic on my life: Sunny Leone

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 12:04 AM PDT

Wasn't keen on making a biopic on my life: Sunny Leone
Bollywood actor Sunny Leone attended the season finale of Karenjit Kaur The Untold Story of Sunny Leone . Speaking to media she said, I wasn t keen on making a biopic on my life, except when the production house & Daniel, they all came to me.

Source: TIE

Chennai Super Kings win second game, beat Delhi Capitals by 6 wickets

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 12:04 AM PDT

Chennai Super Kings win second game, beat Delhi Capitals by 6 wickets
Chennai Super Kings won their second IPL 2019 match, beating Delhi Capitals by six wickets at Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi on Tuesday.

Source: TIE

PM Modi announces India’s arrival as space super power

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 12:04 AM PDT

PM Modi announces India's arrival as space super power
PM Narendra Modi on Wednesday addressed the nation to announced that India has successfully tested a anti-satellite missile, the fourth country in the world to do so.

Source: TIE

How smart CFOs can scale up and save businesses: Deepak Parekh spells 2-L formula

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 12:04 AM PDT

How smart CFOs can scale up and save businesses: Deepak Parekh spells 2-L formula
Leverage and liquidity are the two financial tools a smart CFO must guard. Both not only help scale up businesses but also lead to their downfall, says HDFC chairman Deepak Parekh. The CFO s job is to raise a red flag at the right time, he notes.

Source: TIE

Explained: What The Mankading Controversy’s All About

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 12:04 AM PDT

Explained: What The Mankading Controversy's All About
Why Ravichandran Ashwin is facing criticism for 'Mankading' Jos Buttler in an IPL match

Source: TIE

Nirmala Sitharaman supports Jaitley’s ‘biggest bluff’ remark, says it’s just an election time promise

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 12:04 AM PDT

Nirmala Sitharaman supports Jaitley's 'biggest bluff' remark, says it's just an election time promise
Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday hailed and supported Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, and terming Congress president Rahul Gandhi s minimum income plan biggest bluff.

Source: TIE

Delhi Crime: To keep daughters safe, raise sons right, says Shefali Shah

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 12:04 AM PDT

Delhi Crime: To keep daughters safe, raise sons right, says Shefali Shah
Delhi Crime actress Shefali Shah talks about how she is teaching her sons to treat women right.

Source: TIE

Fire breaks out at thermocol factory in Greater Noida

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 12:04 AM PDT

Fire breaks out at thermocol factory in Greater Noida
A major fire broke out at a thermocol factory in Greater Noida on Tuesday. Plumes of black smoke could be seen emanating from the area and about 12 fire tenders were rushed to the spot.

Source: TIE

Had 300 people died in Balakot, wouldn’t there be ‘international cry’, asks Farooq Abdullah

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 12:04 AM PDT

Had 300 people died in Balakot, wouldn't there be 'international cry', asks Farooq Abdullah
Former J&K CM and National Conference (NC) leader Farooq Abdullah said that there would have been an 'international cry' if 300 people had died in the Balakot air strikes. Abdullah also critcised the central govt for politicising the air strikes.

Source: TIE

Admiral Sunil Lanba inaugurates Indian Navy’s Nuclear, Biological & Chemical Training facility

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 12:04 AM PDT

Admiral Sunil Lanba inaugurates Indian Navy's Nuclear, Biological & Chemical Training facility
Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Sunil Lanba inaugurated the Indian Navy s Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Training Facility. This will help train personnel of naval ships fitted with nuclear, biological and chemical detection and protection systems.

Source: TIE

Couple shot dead outside temple in Ghaziabad

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 12:04 AM PDT

Couple shot dead outside temple in Ghaziabad
A young couple were shot dead in Ghaziabad, just as they were exiting a temple. The deceased have been identified as Annu and Preeti. Police said Annu was a resident of Uttarakhand and was in the glass trading business in Vijay Nagar.

Source: TIE

Ravichandran Ashwin powers Kings XI Punjab to controversial win over Rajasthan Royals

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 12:04 AM PDT

Ravichandran Ashwin powers Kings XI Punjab to controversial win over Rajasthan Royals
Kings XI Punjab registered a controversial 14-run win over Rajasthan Royals in their first IPL match at Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Monday.

Source: TIE

Rahul Gandhi: 25 crore poor people to get Rs 72,000 per year

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 12:04 AM PDT

Rahul Gandhi: 25 crore poor people to get Rs 72,000 per year
Nearly two months after announcing the minimum income support scheme, Congress president Rahul Gandhi Monday said nearly 25 crore poor people in the country will get financial assistance of Rs 72,000 per annum if the party is voted to power.

Source: TIE

Rahul’s minimum income guarantee ‘a bluff announcement’: Jaitley

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 12:04 AM PDT

Rahul's minimum income guarantee 'a bluff announcement': Jaitley
Calling it a bluff announcement, Arun Jaitley took a swipe at Congress election promise of a minimum income guarantee, claiming that Rs 72,000 for five crore families would prove to be less than two-thirds of what is being provided by the govt.

Source: TIE

Samsung Galaxy M30 review: Samsung promises on the specifications but is it a value for money deal?

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 12:04 AM PDT

Samsung Galaxy M30 review: Samsung promises on the specifications but is it a value for money deal?
Samsung Galaxy M30 promises a lot on the specifications of the device but is it enough to take on the competition? Here is our review of the Samsung Galaxy M30.

Source: TIE

Rahul Gandhi holds CWC meeting in Delhi

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 12:04 AM PDT

Rahul Gandhi holds CWC meeting in Delhi
Congress president Rahul Gandhi along with former PM Manmohan Singh and other leaders held Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting at the party headquarters in the national capital on Monday.

Source: TIE

If I had not made Allahabad-Varanasi waterway, how could Priyanka Gandhi have travelled: Nitin Gadkari

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 12:04 AM PDT

If I had not made Allahabad-Varanasi waterway, how could Priyanka Gandhi have travelled: Nitin Gadkari
Ahead of Lok Sabha polls, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari talked about the developments that have been done by BJP.

Source: TIE

Fire breaks out at Mumbai’s Byculla vegetable market, 5 fire tenders on spot

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 12:04 AM PDT

Fire breaks out at Mumbai's Byculla vegetable market, 5 fire tenders on spot
A major fire broke out at Mumbai s Byculla vegetable market. Five fire tenders were on spot to douse the flames. There are no reports of casualties or injuries. More details are awaited.

Source: TIE

Eating later in the day could be linked to obesity

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 12:04 AM PDT

Eating later in the day could be linked to obesity
Those who eat later in the day should start having meals on time as the habit could contribute to weight gain, according to a new study.

Source: TIE

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