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Latest News, News Headlines, Amazon Coupons, Amazon Offers


Top Stories Today

Posted: 03 Apr 2019 07:56 AM PDT

Top Stories Today


The Winners Of The Smithsonian Magazine's 2018 Photo Contest Are Stunning

Posted: 02 Apr 2019 07:51 PM PDT

From a lava lizard hitching a ride on an iguana to a newborn cowboy baby, here are the winning images of the 16th annual Smithsonian contest.

The Scariest Words A Boss Can Say

Posted: 03 Apr 2019 07:45 AM PDT

Why hearing "can we talk?" evokes so much dread.

Here's The First Trailer For 'Joker' Starring Joaquin Phoenix

Posted: 03 Apr 2019 06:31 AM PDT

"I thought my life is a tragedy. But now I realize... it's a comedy."

Keep Your Face Happy With Gillette's New SkinGuard Razor

Posted: 03 Apr 2019 04:43 AM PDT

Specifically designed to prevent redness, irritation and razor bumps, Gillette's new SkinGuard razor helps minimize tug and pull and also lubricates before and after each blade.

Plane Wings Curiously Hold Onto Condensation During Take Off

Posted: 01 Apr 2019 09:58 AM PDT

The wings create a reduction in air pressure, swirling vapor that, in turn, forms clouds.

Inside The Deranged Mind Of A Howard Schultz Superfan

Posted: 03 Apr 2019 07:45 AM PDT

Comedian Conner O'Malley's recurring video series has haunted my timeline and thoughts.

My Dispiriting, Infuriating – And Illuminating – Time As A Political Telemarketer

Posted: 03 Apr 2019 07:45 AM PDT

What I learned about politics while phone-banking for the Democrats.

Your Heart Will Skip A Beat Watching This Wingsuit Pilot Zoom Over Rio De Janeiro

Posted: 03 Apr 2019 04:43 AM PDT

A part-time-daredevil, full-time-police-officer flies over Rio's beaches — and maybe it's the time we finally bought ourselves a plane ticket down to "the marvelous city."

E-Scooters Launch In Brookline, Accident Sends Woman To Hospital Minutes Later

Posted: 03 Apr 2019 07:45 AM PDT

This could hardly be the scene that two leading scooter companies, Lime and Bird, envisioned when they called a press conference and staged a live demo outside Brookline Town Hall.

A Look Back At 'Farscape': Aliens, Puppets And Criminals On The Run

Posted: 03 Apr 2019 04:43 AM PDT

"Just make it as weird as you possibly can." According to creator Rockne S. O'Bannon, this was the order given to him and Brian Henson, as they stood in the Syfy president's office 20 years ago last month.

These Cakes That Look Like Human Body Parts Are So Gross We're Not Eating Cake For A While

Posted: 02 Apr 2019 01:54 PM PDT

To be clear, we love cake.

AirPower Is Dead, But This Wireless Charging Station Is The Perfect Substitute

Posted: 03 Apr 2019 04:43 AM PDT

The Nomad Base Station will charge your phone and headphones at the same time.

When Did America's Heart Turn Cold On Buffet Chains?

Posted: 03 Apr 2019 05:52 AM PDT

Potentially around the same time that the term "fried rice syndrome" entered the lexicon.

Ditch The Charger With The VAVA Voom 23 IPX6 Rugged Portable Speaker

Posted: 03 Apr 2019 04:43 AM PDT

Nothing makes the great outdoors better than this VAVA Voom 23 IPX6 Rugged Portable Speaker: thanks to the 5,200mAh rechargeable battery, this powerful Bluetooth speaker streams audio for up to 24 consecutive hours at an 80% volume level — meaning you can fill up any campsite or trail with sound.

Water Starting To Pour Down A Dam Spillway Is The Most Soothing Thing You'll Watch This Week

Posted: 02 Apr 2019 02:10 PM PDT

Two years after it was severely damaged in a storm, the Oroville Dam reopened its repaired spillway and — yep, our whole body is now relaxed.

But The Drugs Keep Me Sober

Posted: 03 Apr 2019 04:43 AM PDT

Most recovery programs require total abstinence to be considered sober. But is a sober performance worth your sanity and personal safety?

Let The Sounds Of This Man Jamming On An Acoustic Double-Sided Guitar Flow Right Over You

Posted: 02 Apr 2019 10:33 AM PDT

Double the guitars does, indeed, yield double the gorgeous music.

Rising Comedian Patti Harrison Asks Tim Heidecker For Career Tips, Finds Herself Getting Adopted Instead

Posted: 03 Apr 2019 04:43 AM PDT

Over a spotty conference call across LA, Heidecker and Harrison spoke about all the things that would naturally arise in conversation: Trump, Twitter trolls, Zyrtec, men without chins, and 14-foot-long tiger sharks.

Coming Soon: The Death Of The Filibuster

Posted: 03 Apr 2019 05:52 AM PDT

Senate Republicans are set to trigger the "nuclear option" once again, the latest sign that the 60-vote threshold is going out of style.

3-Year-Old Carefully Explains One Theory As To Why The Dinosaurs Went Extinct

Posted: 02 Apr 2019 01:54 PM PDT

Listen to this wonderfully nerdy child lay down some facts to the chagrin of creationists everywhere.

We Weren't Expecting To See This In The Middle Of A Nebraska Farm Field

Posted: 02 Apr 2019 09:26 AM PDT

Due to flooding from the nearby Niobrara river, a humongous, 20-feet high wall of ice is now stranded in the middle of a field in Keya Paha County, Nebraska.

A Broke Millennial Guide To Investing If You Have Student Loans

Posted: 02 Apr 2019 05:02 PM PDT

Should you pay off your loans faster or start putting money in the market?

Keep Your Face Happy With Gillette’s New SkinGuard Razor

Posted: 03 Apr 2019 04:43 AM PDT

Specifically designed to prevent redness, irritation and razor bumps, Gillette's new SkinGuard razor helps minimize tug and pull and also lubricates before and after each blade.

This Elderly Woman Busting A Move To '90s Eurodance Tracks Is Our Techno Queen

Posted: 01 Apr 2019 02:32 PM PDT

May we all give as few f**ks when we're her age.

A Biophysicist Explains How Ant-Man Could Kill Thanos From Inside His Ass

Posted: 03 Apr 2019 05:52 AM PDT

"Is Ant-Man's expansion greater than the compressive tolerance of Thanos' rectum?"

Watch This Supremely Cute Little Girl Transform Into A Jellyfish

Posted: 02 Apr 2019 11:35 AM PDT

Three-year-old Xiao Ya turns our heart to mush with her very adorable animorphing.

Nxivm Member Admits To Enslaving A Woman In A Locked Room For Two Years

Posted: 02 Apr 2019 05:02 PM PDT

A Nxivm cult member who secretly pleaded guilty last week to charges of racketeering conspiracy admitted to keeping her own personal slave locked in a room for two years, newly unsealed court documents reveal.

Physical Rituals, Creeps and Plausible Deniability  —  What HR Won't Tell You

Posted: 02 Apr 2019 04:32 PM PDT

Lately employers have been forced to address not only blatant instances of harassment, assault and exploitation, but also how company cultures may make employees feel trapped in performing physical rituals.

This Map Is A Fun Guide On How To Pronounce European Capitals The Correct Way

Posted: 02 Apr 2019 10:53 AM PDT

After you're done visiting "Bear Lean," you might want to check out "Pa Ree" and "I'm Stir Dumb."

How BioWare's 'Anthem' Went Wrong

Posted: 02 Apr 2019 11:55 AM PDT

It wasn't even supposed to be called "Anthem." Just days before the annual E3 convention in June of 2017, when the storied studio BioWare ("Mass Effect," "Dragon Age") would reveal its newest game, the plan had been to go with a different title: "Beyond." They'd even printed out "Beyond" T-shirts for the staff.

Lori Lightfoot Elected Chicago Mayor, Making Her The First African-American Woman To Lead The City

Posted: 02 Apr 2019 07:38 PM PDT

Attorney Lori Lightfoot defeated Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle in Tuesday's election, making her Chicago's first African-American female mayor, according to unofficial returns.

NASA Says Satellite That India Shot Down May Threaten The ISS

Posted: 03 Apr 2019 04:43 AM PDT

NASA chief Jim Bridenstine said the missile that shot down the satellite created at least 400 pieces of orbital debris, including 60 larger than 6 inches in size. While the satellite was well below the ISS, 24 of the pieces were blasted above its apogee, creating a potential risk.

Even If Bigfoot Isn't Real, We Still Need Him

Posted: 02 Apr 2019 03:14 PM PDT

I just spent two years chasing a myth. Why?

A Taiwanese Woman Lied Her Way Into Mar-a-Lago With Malware, Feds Say

Posted: 02 Apr 2019 04:32 PM PDT

The woman gave Secret Service conflicting accounts of why she was at the Trump property.

How A Medical Mystery Tilted The 1992 Election In Bill Clinton's Favor

Posted: 02 Apr 2019 03:14 PM PDT

In 1989, Barbara Bush was diagnosed with Graves' disease. Then, two years later, George H.W. Bush came down with it — just in time for his re-election campaign.

Murder, She Drew

Posted: 02 Apr 2019 03:14 PM PDT

For 45 years, courtroom artist Marilyn Church has captured the legal drama of everyone from John Gotti to Martha Stewart — and even one Donald J. Trump.

Inside The Spectacular Fall Of The Granddaddy Of Right-Wing Conspiracy Sites

Posted: 02 Apr 2019 02:10 PM PDT

In the feverish heyday of the "birther movement," conspiracy-hungry readers swarmed to WorldNetDaily.

Millennials Are Getting Sick Of Drinking

Posted: 02 Apr 2019 02:10 PM PDT

We've long treated alcohol as a dichotomy: Either you drink whenever the opportunity presents itself, or you don't drink at all. Many Millennials — and especially the urban, college-educated consumers prized by marketers — might just be tired of drinking so much.

Dog Being Tempted With Food Immediately Recognizes Her Owner's Trap

Posted: 02 Apr 2019 11:55 AM PDT

A guilty corgi named Milk-tea, who made a mess out of a trash can, does what she has to to do to avoid getting told off by her owner.

The Mobster In Indianapolis

Posted: 02 Apr 2019 02:10 PM PDT

John Franzese Jr. helped send his father, notorious Colombo family mobster Sonny Franzese, to prison. Then he turned up in Indianapolis.

Win $2,500 In Apple Products, Including A MacBook Pro

Posted: 02 Apr 2019 02:25 PM PDT

Want Apple's latest and greatest but don't have the cash lying around to plunk down on it? Well, we're giving away a MacBook Pro, an Apple Watch and an iPad Air.

The Latest Urban Pack From Arc'teryx Is Waterproof And Won't Make You Fight To Get It Open

Posted: 02 Apr 2019 01:55 PM PDT

This backpack covers all of your very simple requests of what such a bag should do.

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.

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

Posted: 03 Apr 2019 04:44 AM PDT

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


Iraq's President Says There Is No Serious Opposition To U.S. Troops In His Country

Posted: 03 Apr 2019 02:00 AM PDT

Iraq President Barham Salih. Reuters

WNU Editor: An revealing admission from a senior Iraqi leader .... Why Iraq's president says there's no serious opposition to US troops in his country (Qassim Abdul-Zahra, The Associated Press and Zeina Karam, The Associated Press). What's my take. Iraq has many problems. The presence of a few thousand U.S. soldiers in the desert training Iraqi soldiers is the least of their headaches.

There Are currently No U.S. Bombers In The Middle East

Posted: 03 Apr 2019 01:00 AM PDT

A USAF B-1B Lancer bomber and F-15E Strike Eagles fly in formation during Joint Air Defense Exercise 19-01, on Feb. 19, 2019. Air Force photo by SSgt. Clayton Cupit.

Air Force Magazine: No Bombers Deployed to CENTCOM After B-1s Return Home

B-1s from Dyess AFB, Texas, recently returned home, leaving the Middle East without a USAF bomber presence—a rare occasion after 18 years of war.

About 350 airmen and the aircraft returned home on March 11, about two weeks before US-backed fighters declared victory over ISIS's physical caliphate, according to photographs published by Dyess. Although air operations are continuing in the region, no bombers have replaced them.

Coalition airstrikes supported Iraqi Security Forces operations against ISIS in northern and western Iraq from March 25 to March 27, according to US Central Command.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: The war against ISIS is essentially over. And while the Afghan war continues, my guess is that having bombers near by are not necessary.

U.S. Frustrated With German Defense Spending

Posted: 03 Apr 2019 12:00 AM PDT


DW: Frustration in US over Germany's defense spending shortfall

The news that Germany won't meet defense spending targets set by NATO plays badly in the US, even among friends of the country. It is just the latest in a string of issues fueling tension between Berlin and Washington.

There arguably would never have been a good moment for Berlin to renege on its planned increase in defense spending. But to do it in the run-up to NATO celebrating its 70th anniversary in Washington is particularly bad timing.

While Washington had grudgingly accepted Berlin's explanation that it could not meet NATO's goal that members spend 2 percent of their gross domestic product on defense by 2024, Germany's latest projection that it now won't even meet the 1.5 percent mark it set itself was met with dismay.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: The NATO chief agrees .... NATO chief Stoltenberg meets Trump, encourage German 'fair share' (DW).

President Trump Wants NATO Members To Spend More On Defense

Posted: 02 Apr 2019 11:00 PM PDT



USA Today: Donald Trump, NATO leader meet amid tensions over military spending by US allies

WASHINGTON – Marking the 70th anniversary of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the world's most famous NATO critic – President Donald Trump – focused Tuesday on the money paid by members of the historic U.S.-European military alliance.

"Tremendous progress has been made," Trump said in welcoming NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg to the White House.

Stoltenberg thanked Trump for his "strong commitment to NATO," especially his "strong leadership on burden sharing."

Though Trump and Stoltenberg frequently say nice things about each other, their latest meeting took place amid tensions over Trump's attacks on the alliance, especially his claims that some countries don't contribute enough to mutual defense.

Read more ....

More News On President Trump Wanting NATO Members To Spend More On Defense

Trump says NATO countries burden-sharing improving, wants more -- Reuters
Trump: NATO members must do more to raise defense spending -- Washington Post
Trump Urges NATO Nations to Boost Their Budgets Even More -- Sputnik
NATO Celebrates 70th Anniversary, But Demands Rise For European Burden-Sharing -- VOA
Europe is spending more on its defence. Can Trump take credit? -- Dana Lewis, Al Jazeera

Tweets For Today

Posted: 02 Apr 2019 10:30 PM PDT











Cooking Breakfast For 1,500 On A U.S. Navy Ship

Posted: 02 Apr 2019 10:00 PM PDT



From YouTube: Have you ever wondered what it takes to make breakfast for a boat full of US Sailors and Marines? We climbed aboard the USS Arlington to see how Navy and Marine culinary specialists get the job done. Turns out, it takes thousands of eggs, endless strips of bacon, and (ahem) boatloads of hash browns.

Picture Of The Day

Posted: 02 Apr 2019 09:30 PM PDT

The Washington Monument is seen as buds begin to show on cherry blossom trees near the Tidal Basin in Washington, March 27. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

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

Turkey And China Are Testing Electromagnetic Weapons (Video)

Posted: 02 Apr 2019 09:00 PM PDT




Sputnik: WATCH Turkey, China Test Electromagnetic Weapons

Electromagnetic railguns are among the world's most futuristic new weapons; they can fire projectiles at hypersonic speeds and reach far-away targets without relying on gunpowder or other chemical propellants.

The Turkish defence industry has released a video showing a test of the country's newest electromagnetic railgun, the Sahi 209 Block II, which came amid reports that the successful test of a similar electromagnetic weapon had been announced by the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy.

Read more
....

WNU Editor: I am surprised that Turkey is testing these weapons.

Does The U.S. Have Leverage Over China?

Posted: 02 Apr 2019 08:00 PM PDT



John S. Van Oudenaren, National Interest: America Has Leverage with China that It Lacks With Russia

And Washington should use it to tilt great-power politics in its favor.

At present, U.S. foreign policy confronts a difficult dilemma concerning China. There is a growing consensus in Washington that China is America's primary strategic competitor, if not adversary. However, most of Washington's other major foreign-policy challenges, Iran, North Korea, Venezuela, withdrawing from Afghanistan and an intensifying strategic contest with Russia, are rendered more manageable if Washington preserves a working relationship with Beijing.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: Washington can debate all that it wants on whether China is America's primary strategic competitor and/or adversary. But I do know that for the past few decades China has viewed the U.S. as its adversary (not competitor), and its priority has been to confront America on the economic/geopolitical/and military level in Asia and beyond. As to the question .... does the U.S. have leverage over China? I think that ship sailed about 5 - 7 years ago.  China is now too big to be severely hampered on the economic level, and I give it another 10 years (if not sooner) before it can easily outmatch America's military power in Eastern Asia and the Pacific.

India And Pakistan Are Using Social Media In Their Information War

Posted: 02 Apr 2019 07:00 PM PDT

Reuters: Facebook, Twitter sucked into India-Pakistan information war

ISLAMABAD/NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Pakistani social media campaigner Hanzala Tayyab leads about 300 ultra-nationalist cyber warriors fighting an internet war with arch-foe India, in a battle that is increasingly sucking in global tech giants such as Twitter and Facebook.

Tayyab, 24, spends his days on Facebook and encrypted WhatsApp chatrooms organizing members of his Pakistan Cyber Force group to promote anti-India content and make it go viral, including on Twitter where he has more than 50,000 followers.

That ranges from highlighting alleged Indian human rights abuses to lionizing insurgents battling Indian security forces in Kashmir, a disputed Himalayan region at the heart of historic tensions between Pakistan and India.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: Facebook is trying to put a stop to this .... Facebook removes fake accounts tied to Indian political parties, Pakistan's military (Los Angeles Times), but I predict it will fall short. Social media is huge in Pakistan and India, and trying to regulate the content on these platforms is almost next to impossible.

U.S. Air Force Halts Deliveries For The Second Time Of Boeing KC-45 Tanker Aircraft

Posted: 02 Apr 2019 06:00 PM PDT

A KC-46 is displayed on Jan. 24 at Boeing's production facility in Everett, Wash., ahead of a ceremony marking the first KC-46 delivery. (Valerie Insinna/Staff)

Air Force Times: Air Force again halts KC-46 deliveries after more debris found

The Air Force has once again halted deliveries of the KC-46 Pegasus tanker from Boeing after more foreign object debris, or FOD, was found in some closed compartments of the aircraft.

Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson confirmed in a House Armed Services Committee hearing on the budget Tuesday morning that deliveries had been stopped for a second time. Wilson told Rep. Joe Courtney, D-Connecticut, that the Air Force is putting corrective actions in place, including requiring all closed compartments be inspected, "to make sure that the production line is being run the way that it needs to be run."

Read more ....

More News On The U.S. Air Force Halting Deliveries For The Second Time Of Boeing KC-45 Tanker Aircraft

U.S. Air Force again halts deliveries of Boeing KC-46 tanker aircraft -- Reuters
Pentagon refuses Boeing tanker deliveries over quality issues -- France 24
U.S. Air Force Again Halts Delivery of Boeing's Tanker Over Debris -- Seattle Times/Bloomberg
Boeing KC-46 Deliveries Halted, Again -- Breaking Defense
USAF stops Boeing KC-46 deliveries for second time after more FOD -- Flight global
Boeing is ramping up inspections after the US Air Force rejected its new KC-46 tanker planes again -- Business Insider
US Air Force again halts delivery of Boeing refueling plane over debris found onboard -- CNN

Russian Military Is Preparing To Defend The Maduro Regime In Venezuela

Posted: 02 Apr 2019 05:00 PM PDT


Annika Hernroth-Rothstein, Daily Beast: Putin saved Assad in Syria. Can he save Maduro in Venezuela? It's starting to look that way.

CARACAS, Venezuela—"I'm ready to die for this. I'm 56 years old and I was born to have my blood shed for this country, but I don't want this to be your death, as it may be so many others in the coming months. I want you to get out but I know you won't so I will do everything I can to protect you."

We're in the car, my bodyguard José and I, trying our best to make our way through a Caracas under complete blackout. The streets are eerily empty but as always here in Venezuela, the quiet is dangerous and José's head is on a constant swivel, his almond eyes focused on everything but me.

The Russians have just arrived in Venezuela. Nicolás Maduro's Eastern ally sent tons of military equipment and two planes carrying at least 100 Russian troops to touch down at Caracas airport as tensions in this fractured country rise to the point of no return. Having seen the images of these foreign soldiers lining up at the airport, saluting their Venezuelan colleagues, José and I are discussing what comes next—not only for the country but for us, the team that has been working together for almost two months.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: Chinese army personnel are also in Venezuela .... Chinese army arrives in Venezuela just days after the Russian military (AMN).

More News On Russia's Growing Military Involvement In Venezuela

Russia Opens Military Center in Venezuela, Defying U.S. Threats -- Newsweek
Russia opens military helicopter training centre in Venezuela -- The Telegraph
Russian company to finish helicopter facility in Venezuela -- FOX News/AP
Colombia rejects Russia warning against Venezuelan military action -- Reuters
Colombia warns Russia over military support to Maduro regime -- Punch
The Folly of Conflict With Russia Over Venezuela -- Bonnie Kristian, Reason
Why Moscow Sent Its Military Personnel to Venezuela -- Vladimir Frolov, Moscow Times

Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- April 2, 2019

Posted: 02 Apr 2019 04:15 PM PDT



Katharine Poppe and Rachel Cook, National Interest: Puppet Wanted: Why Algeria's Ruling Elite Sought to Oust Abdelaziz Bouteflika

The Algerian people must stand together in preventing the regime from delaying the upcoming elections and the necessary, peaceful transition of power.

For over a month, protestors have flooded the streets in Algeria, calling for change. These protests, by some estimates the largest Algeria has seen in decades, were initially ignited by the announcement of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika's candidacy for a fifth term in office.

In reality, Bouteflika is nothing more than a straw president, having been rendered infirm by a debilitating stroke in 2013. Since that point, a powerful group consisting of generals, businessmen, politicians, and Bouteflika's brother, Said, have coalesced around him, ruling the country in his name. His bid for a fifth term is nothing more than an attempt by this elite group— called le pouvoir—to maintain their grip on power.

Read more ....

Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- April 2, 2019

Algeria's Bouteflika Is on His Way Out. Here's What's Next. -- Foreign Policy

Algeria's longtime dictator just resigned amid massive protests -- Alex Ward, VOX

A look back at Abdelaziz Bouteflika's years in power -- AFP

Turkey's democracy wakes up -- Ömer Taşpınar, Asia Times

China Is Testing the United States -- Seth Cropsey, RCD

China's sea moves roil Philippine election politics -- Richard Javad Heydarian, Asia Times

India and Pakistan's Crisis Means a New Arms Race -- Mansoor Ahmed and Maimuna Ashraf, National Interest

Malaysia's former prime minister Najib Razak faces more than 100 years in jail — here's why -- Holly Robertson, ABC News Online

Kazakhstan: What is Nazarbayev's transition plan about? -- Arkady Dubnov, Al Jazeera

Billions in the Ground: The Race to Harvest North Korea's Rare Earth Reserves -- Patricia Schouker, National Interest

Is Ethiopian PM Abiy's reform drive running out of steam? -- Merga Yonas Bula, DW

Abiy's year one: Ethiopia faces the threat of ethnic conflict -- Yohannes Gedamu, Al Jazeera

As a close US ally in Africa teeters, what comes next in Gabon? -- Gyldas A. Ofoulhast-Othamot, University of Tampa

War of Words Pushes Belarus-Russia Relations to the Brink -- Artyom Shraibman, Carnegie

Is Colombia's fragile peace breaking apart? -- Ted Piccone, Brookings

World News Briefs -- April 2, 2019 (Evening Edition)

Posted: 02 Apr 2019 03:36 PM PDT



AFP: Algeria's under-fire President quits after 20 years amid an upsurge of public anger at his rule and army demands for him to go

* President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, 82, has stepped down from office after ruling Algeria for the past 20 years
* Earlier this year Bouteflika had announced his intention to seek a fifth term of office causing many protests
* There were scenes of jubilation in Algiers after the 82-year-old confirmed his decision to relinquish power
* Algerians will head to the polls within the next 90 days to elect their new president for the next five-year term

Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika has stepped down after 20 years in office and weeks of massive nationwide protests aimed at pushing him out of power.

The announcement followed a call from the powerful army chief for the ailing president, 82, to 'immediately' take up his proposal to bow out while respecting the constitution.

The official APS news agency said that Bouteflika had notified the Constitutional Council of his decision to end his mandate.

Read more ....

MIDDLE EAST

Iran braces as floods set to spread to oil-rich region.

Floods hit 40,000 displaced people in northwest Syria: UN.

US-backed force tracks Syria jihadists after 'caliphate' falls..

Yemen's Houthis deny U.N. access to Hodeidah mills for 'safety reasons': sources.

Erdogan's ruling party suffers losses in Turkey's 3 largest cities.

Erdogan's AK Party challenges Istanbul local election results.

Netanyahu to meet Putin days before Israel vote.

Palestine financial hit: Civil servants' salaries cut in half.

Iran orders evacuation of 70 villages due to high flood risk.

Saudi Arabia paying Jamal Khashoggi's children thousands each month – report.

Millions of pilgrims travel to Shiite shrine in Iraqi capital.

ASIA

US warns Beijing against force after Taiwan incursion.

Malaysia ex-PM Najib to go on trial for corruption.

3 Pakistani soldiers killed in renewed fighting with India.

Thai army boss urges political solutions to country's divisions.

US peace envoy returns to Kabul to speak with Afghan government.

Landmines take growing toll in Afghanistan conflict.

India's Congress promises to halve unemployment; Kashmir plan criticized.

Brunei sultan seeks conservative support with hardline sharia laws.

Australia's government cuts taxes ahead of election.

AFRICA

Algeria's Bouteflika submits resignation: state TV.

Algeria's next in line: Bouteflika loyalist Abdelkader Bensalah.

IS-backed Boko Haram faction publishes 'execution' video.

French military doctor killed in Mali.

Former SLeone authorities accused of siphoning off $1 billion.

Libya chaos leaves city residents struggling for water.

Food security: Thousands of Kenyans face starvation.

Algeria protest leader vows more pressure despite Bouteflika decision.

South Africa's politicians feed anti-foreigner violence.

Europe accused of financing Eritrean project based on 'forced labour'. EU denies claim of funding Eritrea 'forced labour' project.

Mozambique flood survivors mourn, with thousands still missing.

Mozambique bracing for cholera outbreak after Cyclone Idai. Cholera kills two, infects 1,400 in cyclone-hit Mozambique.

Senegal president pledges action on environment during second term.

EUROPE

May: UK to seek further Brexit delay, try to break logjam. UK's Theresa May to request further Brexit delay.

Brexit deadlock continues after British MPs reject four alternative proposals.

EU's Barnier: May deal is the only path to orderly Brexit.

With British government, parliament and people divided, a disorderly Brexit looms.

Macron: EU 'will not be hostage to Brexit crisis'.

Timoshenko claims Ukrainian president's election results were rigged.

North Macedonia deal: Greek PM Tsipras in 'historic' visit. Greek PM stops for selfie on goodwill trip to North Macedonia.

South Korea, Spain to hold talks following North Korea embassy raid.

Pope Francis says 'fake news' stirs up hatred as he warns culture has 'lost its sense of truth and bends the facts to suit particular interests'.

AMERICAS

Chinese woman arrested by Secret Service at Trump's Mar-a-Lago.

Trump says '100%' ready to shut down Mexico border. Trump takes step back from threat to close border with Mexico.

Trump says no healthcare vote until after 2020 election.

Trump seems inclined to close border despite potential chaos.

US Democrats ramp up subpoena threats.

Joe Biden: Second woman accuses ex-VP of unwanted touching.

Venezuelan judge moves to strip Juan Guaido's immunity.

Uruguay leader sacks top military officials over 'cover-up'.

Canada warming at twice the global rate, climate report finds.

TERRORISM/THE LONG WAR

Red Cross wants to send IS children back.

Who are the 12 accused French jihadists to be tried by Iraq?

Central Command: Eight airstrikes conducted against al Qaeda in Yemen since Jan. 1.

Surprising arrest of Islamic State suspects in the Philippines.

'I didn't hate America... I'll be a model citizen if you let me back': ISIS bride from Alabama begs to return home five years after leaving to join ISIS in Syria and calling for US Muslims 'spill blood' at Memorial Day events.

ECONOMY/FINANCE/BUSINESS

Wall Street treads water after rally, Walgreens slumps on profit warning.

Global tensions to force trade slowdown in 2019: WTO. WTO cuts economic outlook, calls for 'urgent' end to trade wars.

Saudi Aramco made $111 billion in 2018, topping Apple as the world's most profitable company.

Nasa: India's satellite destruction could endanger ISS.

The Amphibious Assault Ship USS Wasp Is Carrying An Unusually Large Number Of F-35s

Posted: 02 Apr 2019 03:02 PM PDT

Sailors aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp arriving at Subic Bay in the Philippines ahead of the Balikatan exercises. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Benjamin F. Davella III

Business Insider: A US Navy warship was seen in the South China Sea carrying an unusually large number of F-35s

* The US Navy amphibious assault ship USS Wasp recently sailed in the South China Sea on its way to the annual Balikatan exercises in the Philippines.
* The warship was carrying an unusually large load of F-35s, nearly twice as many as normal, The National Interest first noticed.
* The heavier configuration could be a first step toward a "light carrier" concept known as the "Lightning carrier," The War Zone said.

The US Navy amphibious assault ship USS Wasp was recently seen sailing in the South China Sea on its way to the Philippines with an unusually heavy configuration of F-35s.

The Wasp was carrying at least 10 F-35B Lightning II stealth fighters, more than the usual load of six of these hard-hitting fifth-generation jet fighters, The National Interest first reported, adding that the warship may be testing the "light carrier" warfighting concept known as the "Lightning carrier."

Read more ....

WNU Editor: Besides 10 F-35Bs, here are also four MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft and two MH-60S Seahawk helicopters on board.

Algeria's President Abdelaziz Bouteflika Has Resigned

Posted: 02 Apr 2019 12:31 PM PDT

FILE PHOTO: Algeria's President, Abdelaziz Bouteflika, in May 2017. © Reuters / Zohra Bensemra

BBC: Algeria's President Abdelaziz Bouteflika resigns

Algeria's President Abdelaziz Bouteflika has resigned after weeks of mass protests, the state news agency APS reports.

Mr Bouteflika, who had been in power for 20 years, had already dropped plans to seek a fifth term as opposition to his rule grew.

The powerful Algerian army had called for the 82-year-old to be declared incapable of carrying out his duties.

He suffered a stroke six years ago and has rarely appeared in public since.

Leaders of the protests had rejected Mr Bouteflika's offer to go by the end of his current term - 28 April - as not enough.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: So much for him saying that he was going to resign on April 28 .... Algeria's Bouteflika will resign by April 28: State media (Al Jazeera). When I read these confusing reports a few hours ago I sensed something was up .... Presidential office memo sparks confusion in Algeria as military deny army chief's sacking (Euronews), followed by this one .... Algerian army chief of staff says Bouteflika must resign immediately (France 24), and this one .... Defense Ministry tells Algeria's leader to quit immediately (AP).

More News On Algeria's President Abdelaziz Bouteflika Resigning

Algerian president Bouteflika resigns: state news agency -- Reuters
Algeria's president Abdelaziz Bouteflika resigns, state media reports -- The Guardian
Algeria's Bouteflika resigns: state news agency -- Al Jazeera
Algeria's President Bouteflika resigns after weeks of protests -- RT

Greek And North Macedonian Leaders Meet After 30 Year Long Name Dispute

Posted: 02 Apr 2019 12:07 PM PDT



The Guardian: Greek PM stops for selfie on goodwill trip to North Macedonia

Alexis Tsipras talks of bridge building on first official visit after end of decades-long dispute.

In a historic trip replete with bear hugs, red carpets, selfies and smiles, the Greek prime minister has attempted to bury the hatchet with the newly named North Macedonia, declaring the start of a new "narrative" between the once-hostile neighbouring states.

Making the first official visit by a Greek premier to the former Yugoslav republic since it declared independence in 1991, Alexis Tsipras arrived in Skopje two months after the Athens parliament ratified a landmark accord that changed the name of the Balkan country, which was previously known as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

From the outset it was friendship – and the economy – that set the tone of Tsipras's visit.

Read more ....

More News On Greek And North Macedonian Leaders Meeting In Skopje

Selfie diplomacy: North Macedonia, Greek leaders break ice -- AP
Selfies and air pact mark North Macedonia-Greece detente -- Reuters
Greek and North Macedonian Prime Ministers Pose For Historic Selfie After End To 30-Year-Long Name Dispute -- Time
Greece, North Macedonia building 'new narrative,' PM Tsipras says -- Kathimerini
Greek PM makes first official visit to North Macedonia -- Al Jazeera

U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May Will Ask The EU For A Further Extension

Posted: 02 Apr 2019 11:15 AM PDT



BBC: Brexit: Theresa May to ask EU for further extension

Theresa May will ask the EU for an extension to the Brexit deadline to "break the logjam" in Parliament.

The PM says she wants to meet Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn to agree a plan on the future relationship with the EU.

But she insisted her withdrawal agreement - which was voted down last week - would remain part of the deal.

Mrs May said she wanted the extension to be "as short as possible" - before 22 May so the UK does not have to take part in European elections.

The UK has until 12 April to propose a plan - which must be accepted by the EU - or it will leave without a deal.

Read more ....

Update #1: May says she will ask for a further Brexit delay (Reuters)
Update #2: May: UK to seek further Brexit delay, try to break logjam (AP)

WNU Editor: Another delay will change nothing.

This Radical Islamic Group Is Building A Caliphate Of Its Own In Syria

Posted: 02 Apr 2019 11:09 AM PDT

Members of the former al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria, now called Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, gesture as they cheer in the northwestern city of Ariha, after a coalition of insurgent groups seized the area in Idlib province on 29 May 2015 ( Reuters )

Richard Hall, The Independent: How a 'smarter' Islamic state is quietly taking over swathes of Syria after Isis defeat

Takeover of a university the latest power grab by al-Qaeda offshoot, which is building a caliphate of its own.

The Isis caliphate is no more. Four years after its fighters captured large swathes of Iraq and Syria and declared its intention to spread jihad around the world, the terror group no longer holds any territory.

But as one extremist Islamic state falls, another one endures. Over the past few years, a group that was formerly part of al-Qaeda has cemented its power in northern Syria and now rules over some 3 million people.

After forcing out rival rebel groups in Idlib earlier this year, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) has imposed its control over all aspects of life in the province. Now, a university with more than 6,000 students has become the battleground between in its quest for dominance.

"They came when we were in the middle of exams and said they would be taking over," says Ahmad, a student at Free Aleppo University, which was shut down last week by the HTS-controlled administration in Idlib.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: I still expect the Syrian government and its allies to launch an offensive to recapture Idlib province in the future. But for now this radical Islamic group is consolidating its power in this region.

Saudi Arabia Is Paying 'Blood Money' To Jamal Khashoggi's Children

Posted: 02 Apr 2019 11:15 AM PDT

Jamal Khashoggi's four children are being paid tens of thousands of dollars each per month and have been given houses in Jeddah worth millions by Saudi Arabia (pictured, Khashoggi's eldest son Salah shakes hands with Mohammed bin Salman)

Daily Mail: Saudi Arabia allegedly paying Jamal Khashoggi's children $40,000 'blood money' per month and has given them property worth $16million to buy their silence over his death

* Jamal Khashoggi was killed and dismembered by a Saudi hit squad last year
* His children are being given at least $10,000 per month each by the kingdom
* Two sons and two daughters have also been given houses worth up to $4m each
* Critics accuse Saudi of paying blood money to keep them quiet about his death

The children of murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi have received multimillion-dollar homes and are being paid thousands of dollars per month by Saudi Arabia.

His four children - two sons and two daughters - have each been given houses in Jeddah worth up to $4million each, it has been claimed.

They are also being given payments of at least $10,000 per month with an additional payment totalling tens of millions of dollars apiece to be made once the trial of Khashoggi's alleged killers is completed.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: Paying for their silence is not cheap.

More News On Reports That Saudi Arabia Is Paying 'Blood Money' To Jamal Khashoggi's Children

Jamal Khashoggi's children given million-dollar houses in Saudi Arabia, payments as compensation for slaying -- National Post/Washington Post
Jamal Khashoggi's children get huge "blood money" payouts from Saudi Arabia, Washington Post reports -- CBS
Children of Jamal Khashoggi receiving homes, 'blood money' from Saudis: report -- FOX News
Jamal Khashoggi's kids have reportedly received money and multimillion-dollar houses from the Saudis as compensation for their father's murder -- Business Insider
Saudi Arabia gave Jamal Khashoggi's children homes, money: Report -- Al Jazeera
Khashoggi's children given houses and monthly payments by kingdom: Report -- Middle East Monitor
Saudi Arabia is paying Jamal Khashoggi's children millions to stay silent about his gruesome murder -- VICE News

India - Pakistan Border Clashes Kill Three Pakistani Soldiers

Posted: 02 Apr 2019 10:20 AM PDT

FILE PHOTO © AFP / SAJJAD QAYYUM

Al Jazeera: Pakistan soldiers killed in fresh clashes on India border

At least three soldiers killed, one wounded in exchange of fire in disputed Kashmir region, Pakistan's military says.

At least three Pakistani soldiers have been killed when India and Pakistan exchanged fire across the Line of Control in the disputed region of Kashmir, Pakistan's military said, in the latest round of hostilities between the nuclear-armed neighbours.

The soldiers were killed in an exchange of fire in the Rawalakot area of Pakistan-administered Kashmir on Tuesday, a Pakistani military statement said. Another soldier was wounded, the military said.

Read more ....

More News On Today's India - Pakistan Border Clashes

7 dead as Pakistan, India trade fire in disputed Kashmir -- CBC/AP
3 Pakistani soldiers killed in renewed fighting with India -- UPI
3 Pakistani Soldiers Killed as Heavy Firing Continues Between India and Pakistan -- Sputnik
3 troops killed, 1 injured as Indian forces open 'unprovoked fire' in Kashmir – Pakistani Army -- RT
India-Pakistan clashes on Kashmir border leave civilians dead -- CBS
Seven Pak posts destroyed as Indian Army retaliates to ceasefire violations -- Times of India
Pakistan-India tensions ground Afghan travelers -- Reuters

Turkey's Ruling Party Are Contesting Election Results

Posted: 02 Apr 2019 09:53 AM PDT



Anadolu Agency: Turkey: Ruling party contesting Ankara poll results

Party also officially contesting irregularities in 3,217 ballot boxes, says AK Party's head in capital Ankara

Turkey's ruling party is officially challenging the results of Sunday's local elections in all 25 districts of the capital Ankara, according to the party's provincial head.

Hakan Han Ozcan announced on Tuesday that the Justice and Development (AK) Party is also contesting irregularities in 3,217 ballot boxes.

The process for applying to the Supreme Electoral Council to contest Sunday's poll results ended on Tuesday at 3.00 p.m. local time (1200GMT).

Read more ....

WNU Editor: The Ruling party are not accepting the results .... Turkey local election results delayed as AKP lodges objections (The Guardian).

More News On The Ruling Party Contesting Election Results In Major Cities

Erdogan's AK Party 'loses' major Turkey cities in local elections -- Al Jazeera
Erdoğan's grip on Turkey slips as opposition makes election gains -- The Guardian
Erdogan's AK Party challenges Istanbul local election results -- Reuters
Turkey election: Erdogan disputes results in major cities -- BBC
Turkey's elections show Erdogan's power is finally waning – and a new political star is born in Istanbul -- The Independent
A new era in Turkey -- Yusuf Kanli, Hurriyet Daily News

World News Briefs -- April 2, 2019

Posted: 02 Apr 2019 03:06 PM PDT



BBC: Brexit: No deal more likely but can be avoided - Barnier

A no-deal Brexit is now more likely but can still be avoided, the EU's chief negotiator has said.

Michel Barnier said a long extension to the UK's 12 April exit date had "significant risks for the EU" and a "strong justification would be needed".

Meanwhile, the BBC's John Pienaar said Theresa May's cabinet has considered plans to "ramp up" preparations for a no-deal Brexit.

A snap general election was also discussed in the meeting, he said.

A second two-hour regular cabinet meeting will be held later, with the issues likely to be discussed again.

Read more ....

MIDDLE EAST

US-backed force tracks Syria jihadists after 'caliphate' falls..

Yemen's Houthis deny U.N. access to Hodeidah mills for 'safety reasons': sources.

Erdogan's ruling party suffers losses in Turkey's 3 largest cities.

Erdogan's AK Party challenges Istanbul local election results.

Netanyahu to meet Putin days before Israel vote.

Palestine financial hit: Civil servants' salaries cut in half.

Iran orders evacuation of 70 villages due to high flood risk.

Saudi Arabia paying Jamal Khashoggi's children thousands each month – report.

ASIA

3 Pakistani soldiers killed in renewed fighting with India.

Thai army boss urges political solutions to country's divisions.

US peace envoy returns to Kabul to speak with Afghan government.

Landmines take growing toll in Afghanistan conflict.

India's Congress promises to halve unemployment; Kashmir plan criticized.

Brunei sultan seeks conservative support with hardline sharia laws.

Australia's government cuts taxes ahead of election.

AFRICA

Libya chaos leaves city residents struggling for water.

Food security: Thousands of Kenyans face starvation.

Algeria protest leader vows more pressure despite Bouteflika decision.

South Africa's politicians feed anti-foreigner violence.

Europe accused of financing Eritrean project based on 'forced labour'. EU denies claim of funding Eritrea 'forced labour' project.

Mozambique flood survivors mourn, with thousands still missing.

Mozambique bracing for cholera outbreak after Cyclone Idai.

Senegal president pledges action on environment during second term.

EUROPE

Brexit deadlock continues after British MPs reject four alternative proposals.

EU's Barnier: May deal is the only path to orderly Brexit.

With British government, parliament and people divided, a disorderly Brexit looms.

Macron: EU 'will not be hostage to Brexit crisis'.

Timoshenko claims Ukrainian president's election results were rigged.

North Macedonia deal: Greek PM Tsipras in 'historic' visit. Greek PM stops for selfie on goodwill trip to North Macedonia.

South Korea, Spain to hold talks following North Korea embassy raid.

Pope Francis says 'fake news' stirs up hatred as he warns culture has 'lost its sense of truth and bends the facts to suit particular interests'.

AMERICAS

Trump says no healthcare vote until after 2020 election.

Trump seems inclined to close border despite potential chaos.

US Democrats ramp up subpoena threats.

Joe Biden: Second woman accuses ex-VP of unwanted touching.

Venezuelan judge moves to strip Juan Guaido's immunity.

Uruguay leader sacks top military officials over 'cover-up'.

Canada warming at twice the global rate, climate report finds.

TERRORISM/THE LONG WAR

Central Command: Eight airstrikes conducted against al Qaeda in Yemen since Jan. 1.

Surprising arrest of Islamic State suspects in the Philippines.

'I didn't hate America... I'll be a model citizen if you let me back': ISIS bride from Alabama begs to return home five years after leaving to join ISIS in Syria and calling for US Muslims 'spill blood' at Memorial Day events.

ECONOMY/FINANCE/BUSINESS

Global tensions to force trade slowdown in 2019: WTO. WTO cuts economic outlook, calls for 'urgent' end to trade wars.

Saudi Aramco made $111 billion in 2018, topping Apple as the world's most profitable company.

Nasa: India's satellite destruction could endanger ISS.

Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- April 2, 2019

Posted: 02 Apr 2019 07:24 AM PDT

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un watches the launch of a Hwasong-12 missile in this undated photo released on Sept. 16, 2017, by the Korean Central News Agency. Reuters/KCNA

PRI: What can satellites reveal about North Korea's missile and nuclear sites? Not enough.

Vehicles and equipment were detected near the uranium-enrichment facility at the Yongbyon Nuclear Scientific Research Center in North Korea last month.

Was this a telltale sign that the North Koreans were ramping up nuclear-related activities at one of its most sensitive military sites?

Maybe not, according to analysts at 38 North.

"The purpose of these vehicles and equipment is unclear," wrote the authors of a recent report on the 38 North website that describes itself as providing "[i]nformed analysis of events in and around North Korea."

Experts have been watching North Korea closely since the end of the failed summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Hanoi at the end of February, looking for signs of what Kim will do next. Satellite imagery is one of the best ways to peer into the isolated country. But analyzing those images is something that needs to be done carefully.

Read more ....

Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- April 2, 2019

Future nuclear weapons technology: which states are developing nukes? -- Army Technology

Are Saudis using US energy info to get nuclear weapons? -- CNN

Perceptions of India's Nuclear Capability Buildup: Ghost Hunting and a Reality Check -- The Diplomat

Treaty's end would give U.S., Russia impetus to make more nukes: study -- Reuters

4 Things to Know About the U.S. Nuclear Deterrence Strategy -- C. Todd Lopez, US Department of Defense

Atomic Bang: The 5 Biggest Russsian and American Nuclear Weapons Tests Ever -- National Interest

The U.S. Military Wants to Kill Nuclear-Armed ICBMs with Lasers -- National Interest

The Military Is Mounting Laser Weapons on Tanks -- Futurism

Colorado is front-runner for Space Command home -- UPI

99 US House lawmakers push for more F-35s -- Defense News

BAE awarded $21.4M for propulsars, tailcones for future Virginia-class submarines -- UPI

Contract for New Coast Guard Icebreaker Could Be Awarded this Month -- Military.com

US Not Scaling Back Military Exercises With South Korea, Building Up Capability -- Sputnik

U.S. kicks off Balikatan exercise in Philippines -- UPI

US brings F-35B stealth fighters to Philippines' Balikatan exercise for first time -- Stars and Stripes

U.S. Amphibious Assault Ship In South China Sea With Unprecedentedly Large Load of F-35Bs -- Warzone/The Drive

US Halts Shipment of F-35 Equipment to Turkey -- DoD Buzz

Pentagon Working on Secondary Supply Sources for Turkish-Made F-35 Parts -- Sputnik

Lockheed clinches $2.4 billion deal for sale of THAAD missiles -- Reuters

Lockheed awarded $2.5B to start work on THAAD systems for Saudis -- UPI

Raytheon Space & Airborne Systems Rewrites The Rules For Defense Technology -- Loren Thompson, Forbes

The Army picked this sub gun for security details to use while protecting top commanders and leaders -- Army Times

Pentagon not trying to delay key Niger ambush report, Shanahan says -- Military Times

Alaska soldier killed in live-fire training accident -- Army Times

Trump's next Secretary of Defense needs to have these 10 things -- Van Hipp, FOX News

UN launches investigation after Mail on Sunday exposé reveals British Special Forces are fighting on same side as child soldiers in Yemen civil war -- Daily Mail

NATO chief plays down divisions as allies mark anniversary -- AP

NATO chief to meet Trump, alliance critic, on anniversary -- AFP

Stick to defence spending pledge, NATO chief tells Germany -- AFP

Russia to Offer China Su-57 5th Gen. Stealth Fighter -- Franz-Stefan Gady, The Diplomat

Taiwan will forcefully expel PLA warplanes next time: Tsai Ing-wen -- SCMP

US national security adviser John Bolton rebukes Beijing for incursions into Taiwanese airspace -- SCMP

Simmering South China Sea heats up -- AP

Asia allies take major steps forward with F-35 rollout -- Defense News

India's Anti-Satellite Test Wasn't Really About Satellites -- Wired

Update From NASA: Space Debris From India’s Anti-Satellite Missile Test Is A Threat To The International Space Station

Posted: 02 Apr 2019 05:16 AM PDT

The International Space Station. YouTube

Digital Trends: Space debris from India's anti-satellite missile test a threat to ISS, NASA says

It may have seemed like a good idea at the time, but India's destruction of one of its own orbiting satellites in a recent missile test has inadvertently put those aboard the International Space Station (ISS) in increased danger, according to NASA.

Speaking at a live-streamed event on Monday, NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine described India's anti-satellite missile test on March 27 as "not compatible with the future of human spaceflight," adding, "It's unacceptable and NASA needs to be very clear about what its impact to us is."

Read more ....

Previous Post: Head Of NASA Calls India's Anti-Satellite Missile Test A 'Terrible, Terrible Thing'

WNU Editor: The news from India's missile test just keeps on getting worse.

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

Posted: 03 Apr 2019 02:08 AM PDT

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


British Catholic missionary BURNED to death in Amazon after helping Peru tribes

Posted: 03 Apr 2019 01:05 AM PDT



A BRITISH Catholic missionary and environmental activist who has helped for years Peru's discriminated tribes was found burned to death in the Amazon.

Nazi occupation secrets REVEALED by restricted documents captured by UK commandos

Posted: 02 Apr 2019 07:58 PM PDT



NAZI occupation secrets have been revealed following the rediscovery of secret documents, captured in an audacious raid by British commandos in 1941.

RARE insight into Melania Trump's life at Mar-a-Lago - First Lady 'not like everyone else'

Posted: 02 Apr 2019 10:22 PM PDT



MELANIA TRUMP visits Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach to escape the public eye with US President Donald Trump.

Justin Trudeau crisis: Canada PM OUSTS former attorney general amid SNC-Lavalin scandal

Posted: 02 Apr 2019 06:31 PM PDT



Justin Trudeau's SNC-Lavalin crisis intensified after he expelled two former ministers who resigned over a corruption scandal from the governing Liberal caucus.

Melania Trump reveals HUGE change to the White House - but for ONE day only

Posted: 02 Apr 2019 10:13 PM PDT



MELANIA TRUMP has revealed a huge change in the White House in support of a disorder which affects 1 in 59 children in the US.

Brunei Sultan calls for 'stronger' Islamic teaching after shock Sharia law introduced

Posted: 02 Apr 2019 09:48 PM PDT



BRUNEI's Sultan has called for "stronger" Islamic teachings after controversial Sharia law was introduced in the Asian country.

Taiwan earthquake: Magnitude 5.5 quake ROCKS Pacific Ring of Fire - 'Feels strong'

Posted: 02 Apr 2019 07:20 PM PDT



BUILDINGS shook in Taiwan after the country experienced a massive earthquake.

White House BREAKS SILENCE over Melania Trump Mar-a-Lago visit security breach

Posted: 02 Apr 2019 07:28 PM PDT



THE White House has released a statement following the security breach in Mar-a-Lago while President Trump and his wife Melania were there.

NASA attacks India for ‘endangering’ astronauts lives after destroying its OWN satellite

Posted: 02 Apr 2019 07:05 PM PDT



NASA has labelled India's decision to blast down one of its own satellites in an apparent show of strength towards Asian rivals Pakistan and China was "a terrible, terrible thing".

Trump ADMITS closing US-Mexico border will damage economy - 'Security is more important'

Posted: 02 Apr 2019 05:52 PM PDT



US PRESIDENT Donald Trump has admitted closing the border will damage the US economy.

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

Posted: 03 Apr 2019 01:48 AM PDT

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


The Red Cross Wants to Send Hundreds of Children of Islamic State Fighters Home

Posted: 03 Apr 2019 01:04 AM PDT

The head of the International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC) said Tuesday that hundreds of children of Islamic State fighters should be reunited with their families and repatriated from the caliphate’s last holdout to their countries of origin, Agence France-Presse reports.

The children are among some 73,000 people currently housed in the Al-Hol refugee camp after U.S.-backed forces cleared out the last ISIS stronghold in Syria last month. The United Nations estimates that 92% of those displaced into the camp are women and children.

There are “certainly hundreds, maybe more” children without their parents at the camp, according to Peter Maurer, president of the ICRC.

“Our priority is to proactively look to bring kids back to their country of origin where there are hopefully still family if they are unaccompanied,” Maurer said, according to AFP.

After the identities of children are verified, the ICRC said it will notify governments in the children’s country of origin and try to determine whether there are relatives willing to take in the minors.

“I have seen the dire conditions and witnessed the efforts to manage the tens of thousands of people pouring into the camp,” Maurer, who spent five days in Syria last month, wrote in a statement. “The needs are huge and the camp is overwhelmed.”

“Dozens of children have died because of the cold and conditions in Al-Hol in the last weeks,” he added.

Last month, U.S.-backed forces declared victory over the Islamic State group in Syria, marking the end of a five-year campaign against the militants, who at one point had ruled a third of both Iraq and Syria.

As the caliphate collapses, governments around the globe are grappling with what to do about citizens who joined the militant proto-state.

At the Al-Hol camp, there are citizens of some 30 or 40 countries.

But Maurer said there appears to be little appetite to tackle the problem of foreign jihadists and their wives and children, according to AFP.

Last month, the newborn son of British teenager Shamima Begum, who joined IS when she was 15 years old, died in a refugee camp. The news came after Begum, whose citizenship was revoked, begged to be allowed back for the safety of her son.

President Donald Trump has also said he will not permit the return of a 24-year-old U.S.-born woman, Hoda Muthana, and her toddler.

France, however, has repatriated five orphaned children of IS jihadists, and said it would bring as many as 130 children back on a case-by-case basis.

Malaysia Ex-Prime Minister Najib Razak Faces First Corruption Trial Over the 1MDB Scandal

Posted: 03 Apr 2019 12:21 AM PDT

(KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia) — Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak appeared in court Wednesday for the start of his corruption trial, exactly 10 years after he was first elected to office only to suffer a spectacular defeat last year on allegations he pilfered millions of dollars from a state investment fund.

The trial was originally due to start in February but was delayed by procedural matters. There is a chance it may be pushed back again Wednesday as Najib’s lawyers had earlier this week applied to review the top court’s ruling for the trial to begin despite several pending appeals.

Ten years ago this Wednesday, Najib became Malaysia’s sixth prime minister but anger over the 1MDB investment fund scandal led to his electoral loss last May. U.S. investigators say more than $4.5 billion was stolen from 1MDB by associates of Najib between 2009 and 2014. They say the ill-gotten gains were laundered through layers of bank accounts in the U.S. and other countries to finance Hollywood films and buy hotels, a luxury yacht, art works, jewelry and other extravagances.

Some $700 million from the fund that Najib set up for Malaysia’s economic development allegedly landed in his own bank account.

One of only a few Southeast Asian leaders to be arraigned after losing office, Najib has denied any wrongdoing.

The 65-year-old was greeted by a small group of supporters as he arrived at the courthouse. They all bowed their heads in a short prayer before Najib went up to the courtroom.

Wednesday’s trial is the first of several against Najib, who has been charged with 42 counts of criminal breach of trust, graft, abuse of power and money laundering in one of Malaysia’s biggest criminal proceedings. His wife, Rosmah Mansor, also has been charged with money laundering and tax evasion linked to 1MDB. She has also pleaded not guilty and her trial has not been set.

Najib’s son, Norashman Najib, praised his father for his “tremendous strength and resolve.” He tweeted late Tuesday that the trial will be an “excruciatingly difficult period” for his father but that “with the right attitude, even the most trying of situations can be a blessing from Allah.”

The patrician Najib, whose father and uncle were Malaysia’s second and third prime ministers respectively, has fought back with a political makeover on social media that aims to transform his image from an out-of-touch elitist to a leader for the working class.

A Malay-language catchphrase translating to “What’s to be ashamed about, my boss?” was coined while he was campaigning in a by-election last month and has become his new rallying cry. Expensive tailored suits have been replaced by hoodies and jeans. A picture Najib posted on social media showing himself posing on a Yamaha motorcycle with his new “‘no-shame” meme resonated with many Malay youths disenchanted by Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad’s new government.

In another offbeat music video that he uploaded on social media, Najib slammed the new government as “liars” and crooned about the “slander and revenge” against him in a Malay-language rendition of the 1970’s R&B soul hit “Kiss and Say Goodbye” by the Manhattans.

He posts a dozen messages daily, mostly mocking the new government and its policies, and touching on the plight of the needy.

Despite his smiles and “cool” public persona, Najib could face years in prison if convicted.

Once a towering figure in politics, Najib has fallen from grace swiftly since his historic electoral loss, which led to the first change of government since Malaysia’s independence from Britain in 1957.

The new government soon after it took office reopened investigations into 1MDB that had been stifled under Najib. He and his wife were barred from leaving the country and grilled by anti-graft officials, and their properties raided. Truckloads of luggage stashed with cash, jewelry and hundreds of expensive designer bags worth a staggering 1.1 billion ringgit ($270 million) were seized from their home and other properties.

Philippine Supreme Court Orders Release of Evidence From Duterte’s Drug War

Posted: 02 Apr 2019 08:44 PM PDT

(MANILA, Philippines) — The Philippine Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered the release of police documents on thousands of killings of suspects in the president’s anti-drug crackdown, in a ruling that human rights groups said could shed light on allegations of extrajudicial killings.

Supreme Court spokesman Brian Keith Hosaka said the court ordered the government solicitor-general to provide the police reports to two rights groups which had sought them. The 15-member court, whose justices are meeting in northern Baguio city, has yet to rule on a separate petition to declare President Rodrigo Duterte’s anti-drug campaign unconstitutional.

Solicitor-General Jose Calida had earlier agreed to release the voluminous police documents to the court but rejected the requests of the two groups, the Free Legal Assistance Group and the Center for International Law, arguing that such a move would undermine law enforcement and national security.

The two groups welcomed the court order.

“It’s a big step forward for transparency and accountability,” said Jose Manuel “Chel” Diokno, who heads the Free Legal Assistance Group.

He said the documents will help the group of human rights lawyers scrutinize the police-led crackdown that was launched when Duterte came to office in mid-2016, and the massive number of killings that the president and police say occurred when suspects fought back and endangered law enforcers, Diokno said.

“This is an emphatic statement by the highest court of the land that it will not allow the rule of law to be trampled upon in the war on drugs. It is a very important decision,” said Joel Butuyan, president of the Center for International Law.

“These documents are the first step toward the long road to justice for the petitioners and for thousands of victims of the ‘war on drugs’ and their families,” Butuyan said.

More than 5,000 mostly poor drug suspects have died in purported gunbattles with the police, alarming Western governments, U.N. rights experts and human rights watchdogs. Duterte has denied ordering illegal killings, although he has publicly threatened drug suspects with death.

The thousands of killings have sparked the submission of two complaints of mass murder to the International Criminal Court. Duterte has withdrawn the Philippines from the court.

After holding public deliberations on the two groups’ petitions in 2017, the Supreme Court ordered the solicitor-general to submit documents on the anti-drug campaign, including the list of people killed in police drug raids from July 1, 2016, to Nov. 30, 2017, and documents on many other suspected drug-linked deaths in the same period that were being investigated by police.

Canada’s Trudeau Ousts Two Ex-Ministers From the Ruling Party Amid Scandal

Posted: 02 Apr 2019 07:22 PM PDT

(TORONTO) — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau ousted Canada’s former attorney general and another ex-minister from the Liberal party caucus Tuesday amid a scandal that has rocked his government in an election year.

Trudeau cited repeated questioning of his leadership as well as the fact that former attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould publicized a secretly recorded conversation she had with Michael Wernick, Canada’s top civil servant.

Trudeau called that “unconscionable.”

Trudeau also ousted Jane Philpott, a former Cabinet minister who stepped down from her role after she said she lost confidence in how the government has handled the affair.

Both Wilson-Raybould and Philpott had remained as members of Trudeau’s party in Parliament after resigning from Cabinet but kept making remarks that damaged the prime minister and the party.

The two were two high-profile women ministers in Trudeau’s Cabinet, half of which are women. Wilson-Raybould was Canada’s first indigenous justice minister.

Trudeau and Liberal lawmakers met Tuesday evening to discuss Wilson-Raybould and Philpott.

Wilson-Raybould tweeted that Trudeau had removed her and she will not be a Liberal candidate in the fall election.

“What I can say is that I hold my head high & that I can look myself in the mirror knowing I did what I was required to do and what needed to be done based on principles & values that must always transcend party,” she tweeted. “I have no regrets. I spoke truth as I will continue to do.”

Wilson-Raybould believes she was demoted from her role as attorney general and justice minister to veterans’ affairs minister in January because she didn’t give in to pressure to enter into a remediation agreement with a Canadian company accused of bribing officials in Libya.

That potential solution would avoid a potential criminal conviction that would bar engineering giant SNC-Lavalin from receiving any federal government business for a decade. The company is a major employer with 9,000 employees in Canada and more than 50,000 worldwide.

The scandal has led to multiple resignations, including Gerry Butts, Trudeau’s top aide and best friend. And it has damaged the party for eight weeks.

In a letter released earlier Tuesday, Wilson-Raybould pleaded with her colleagues to remain and acknowledged they are enraged but said she was “trying to help protect the Prime Minister and the government from a horrible mess.”

“Now I know many of you are angry, hurt, and frustrated. And frankly so am I, and I can only speak for myself. I am angry, hurt, and frustrated because I feel and believe I was upholding the values that we all committed to,” Wilson-Raybould wrote to colleagues earlier Tuesday.

Trudeau has been on the defensive since the Globe and Mail newspaper reported Feb. 7 via sources that Trudeau’s staff put pressure on Wilson-Raybould. She denied she was the source of the story, writing “I am not the one who made it public.”

The secret recording Wilson-Raybould made public shows Wernick telling Wilson-Raybould that Trudeau “is determined, quite firm” in finding a way to avoid a prosecution that could put 9,000 jobs at risk.

It also reveals Wilson-Raybould saying she regards the pressure as “inappropriate.”

Philpott said neither she nor Wilson-Raybould initiated the crisis now facing Trudeau and the party.

“Rather than acknowledge the obvious — that a range of individuals had inappropriately attempted to pressure the former Attorney General in relation to a prosecutorial decision — and apologize for what occurred, a decision was made to attempt to deny the obvious — to attack Jody Wilson-Raybould’s credibility and attempt to blame her,” Philpott said in posting on social media.

“That approach now appears to be focused on whether Jody Wilson-Raybould should have audiotaped the Clerk instead of the circumstances that prompted Jody Wilson-Raybould to feel compelled to do so.”

Wilson-Raybould has refused to express support for Trudeau for weeks, a demand many Liberal lawmakers said was necessary if she was to remain in Parliament as part of the party caucus

Trudeau said past civil wars within the Liberal party damaged the party.

“The team has to trust each other. With Jody Wilson-Raybould and Jane Philpott that trust has been broken. Our political opponents win when Liberals are divided,” Trudeau said to a loud ovation in caucus.

Nelson Wiseman, a political science professor at the University of Toronto, said Wilson-Raybould is angling to eventually replace Trudeau.

“Her letter, I believe, sets the stage for her run at the Liberal leadership if the Liberals lose in October and Justin Trudeau steps down,” Wiseman said.

“She is a victim of the parliamentary system which in Canada imposes sturdier party discipline than in any of the other Westminster parliamentary systems. The letter reveals her naiveté, as a rookie Member of Parliament, about how the system works.”

Venezuelan Lawmakers Strip Opposition Leader Juan Guaido of His Immunity

Posted: 02 Apr 2019 06:50 PM PDT

(CARACAS, Venezuela) — Maduro loyalists stripped Venezuela’s Juan Guaidó of immunity Tuesday, paving the way for the opposition leader’s prosecution and potential arrest for supposedly violating the constitution when he declared himself interim president.

But whether the government of President Nicolas Maduro will take action against the 35-year-old lawmaker following the Constituent Assembly’s decision remains unclear. Guaidó has embarked on an international campaignto topple the president’s socialist administration amid deepening social unrest in the country plagued by nearly a month of power outages .

He declared himself Venezuela’s interim president in January, and vowed to overthrow Maduro. So far, however, Maduro has avoided jailing the man that the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump and roughly 50 other nations recognize as Venezuela’s legitimate leader.

A defiant Guaidó spoke publicly moments after the vote, saying he’s undeterred, while knowing he runs the risk of being “kidnapped” by the Maduro government.

“We are aware of that,” Guaido said. “But we will not change our path.”

He cited low wages driving millions abroad and the spate of blackouts that have crippled the nation’s public transportation, water services and communications.

The Trump administration has threatened the Maduro government with a strong response if Guaido is harmed and Florida Senator Marco Rubio — who has Trump’s ear on Venezuela policy — said before the vote that nations recognizing Guaidó as his country’s legitimate leader should take any attempt by Maduro’s government to “abduct” him as a coup.

“And anyone who cooperates with this should be treated as a coup plotter & dealt with accordingly,” Rubio said on Twitter.

However, the vote against Guaidó was unanimous, and Constituent Assembly president and socialist party boss Diosdado Cabello accused the opposition of naively inviting a foreign invasion and of inciting a civil war.

“They don’t care about the deaths,” Cabello said. “They don’t have the slightest idea ??what the consequences of war are for a country.”

The Constituent Assembly, which is made up entirely of Maduro loyalists, met a day after Maduro ally and Venezuela Supreme Court of Justice Maikel Moreno ordered it to strip Guaidó’s immunity for violating an order banning him leaving the country while under investigation by the attorney general. The opposition leader is also accused of inciting violence through street protests, and of receiving illicit funds from abroad.

The Constitution guarantees immunity for elected officials, and says that in order to withdraw immunity the accused lawmaker must be given a preliminary hearing before the Supreme Court. The action must be approved by the National Assembly — steps that weren’t taken in Guaidó’s case.

The Constitutional Assembly was created two years ago, when Maduro became frustrated by the democratically elected and opposition-dominated National Assembly rejected the president’s policies. Its creation essentially replaced the National Assembly, rendering it powerless.

Guaidó has dismissed the Maduro-stacked high court and Constituent Assembly as illegitimate, and continued his calls for Maduro to step down.

Guaidó has come under increasing pressure in recent weeks, and Tuesday night’s vote was but the latest instance of that. Officials have jailed his chief of staff, Roberto Marrero, and accused him of involvement in a “terrorist” scheme to overthrow the government. Maduro’s government also barred Guaidó from holding public office for 15 years for allegedly hiding or falsifying data in his sworn statement of assets.

The opposition leader, however, has drawn masses of Venezuelans into the streets and garnered broad international support, demanding Maduro give up rule of the crisis-wracked nation.

Defying the court order, Guaidó left the country in late February for a ten-day tour of South America, meeting with foreign leaders who support the Venezuelan opposition and who reject Maduro’s election last year for a second six-year term.

Maduro blames Washington of attempting a coup to overthrow him and install Guaidó’s puppet government aimed at seizing Venezuela’s vast oil reserves.

Geoff Ramsey, a Venezuela researcher at the Washington Office on Latin America, said the Maduro government may be assessing its strength amid the global community.

“This seems like an attempt to test the waters, weighing how the international community would react to detaining Guaido,” Ramsey said. “The government is reasserting its authority while also sending a clear signal to the opposition: we are in control.”

Theresa May Says Britain Will Seek Second Brexit Delay

Posted: 02 Apr 2019 10:53 AM PDT

(LONDON) — With Britain racing toward a chaotic exit from the European Union within days, Prime Minister Theresa May veered away from the cliff-edge Tuesday, saying she would seek a further delay to Brexit as U.K. politicians sought a compromise solution to the crisis.

May made the announcement after the EU’s chief negotiator warned that a disruptive and costly Brexit was likely unless Britain broke the impasse that has paralyzed the government and Parliament.

After failing repeatedly to win Parliament’s backing for her Brexit blueprint, May said the country needed “national unity to deliver the national interest.”

Following the defeat of the government’s plan and a range of lawmaker-written alternatives, May said Britain would need a further delay to its EU departure, currently scheduled for April 12. She offered to hold talks with opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn in an attempt to find a compromise solution.

“This debate, this division, cannot drag on much longer,” May said in a televised statement from 10 Downing St. after an all-day Cabinet meeting.

European Council President Donald Tusk gave a cautious welcome to May’s change of course.

“Even if, after today, we don’t know what the end result will be, let us be patient,” he tweeted — a suggestion the EU would wait for Britain to present a clear plan.

Earlier, EU negotiator Michel Barnier offered a downbeat assessment of the situation.

“As things stand now, the no-deal option looks likely. I have to tell you the truth,” Barnier said in Brussels.

Barnier said “we can still hope to avoid it” if London produced a breakthrough before an April 10 EU summit.

The leaders of the EU’s 27 remaining countries have given the U.K. until April 12 to leave the bloc or to come up with a new plan, after British lawmakers thrice rejected an agreement struck between the bloc and May late last year.

The House of Commons has also failed to find a majority for any alternative plan in two days of voting on multiple options.

May’s statement came after a seven-hour meeting of her fractious Cabinet, which is split between supporters of a “soft Brexit” that keeps close economic ties with the EU, and Brexiteers who believe a no-deal exit is better than compromising.

May’s words seemed to indicate that she was veering away from the possibility of a no-deal Brexit — but also that she has not given up on her own unloved withdrawal agreement.

Her plan is to seek approval for the legally binding agreement — which sets out in detail the terms of Britain’s departure from the EU — after securing cross-party political support for a vision of future ties between the U.K. and the bloc.

If she and Corbyn fail to reach agreement, May said Parliament would get to vote on a range of options — and the government would be bound by the result. It is the first time she has committed to following the instruction of lawmakers.

May didn’t indicate how long an extension she would seek from the EU, though she said she hoped Britain could pass the agreement by May 22, in time to avoid participating in elections for the European Parliament.

Corbyn said he would be “very happy” to sit down with May, even though “so far she hasn’t shown much sign of compromise.”

Corbyn said Labour would present May with its conditions for Brexit, which include a close economic relationship with the bloc through a customs union, maintaining high environmental standards and protecting workers’ rights.

May’s move infuriated pro-Brexit politicians, who say Britain must cut ties to the EU in order to forge an independent economic policy.

“I think people will feel very short-changed,” said former Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, a prominent pro-Brexit voice in Parliament.

But May’s words brought relief for those who fear the effects of a no-deal Brexit, which would complicate trade and travel, with new checks on borders and new regulations on dealings between the EU and Britain.

Businesses have warned that the economic impact in Britain could be devastating.

Ford of Europe Chairman Steven Armstrong said “a no-deal Brexit would be a disaster for the automotive industry in the U.K.”

Edwin Morgan, interim director general of business group the Institute of Directors, said May’s statement was “a welcome step towards compromise,” though there remained obstacles ahead.

“We urge the leader of the opposition to work with the prime minister to find a solution,” he said. “Both sides must play ball.”

Britain’s political paralysis — and May’s failure to get Parliament’s approval for the withdrawal agreement she negotiated — have exasperated EU leaders.

French President Emmanuel Macron said that if Britain’s politicians could not agree on a way forward, “they will de facto have chosen for themselves to leave without a deal.”

“We cannot avoid failure for them,” Macron said before a meeting in Paris with Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar.

But Varadkar stressed “there’s still time” for May to come to the April 10 summit with “credible” proposals.

Meanwhile, British lawmakers intent on avoiding a no-deal Brexit have drawn up plans to prevent Britain crashing out of the bloc, by accident or design.

“We are now in a really dangerous situation with a serious and growing risk of no deal,” Labour Party legislator Yvette Cooper said.

Cooper introduced legislation, which Parliament is set to consider, this week, that would compel May to seek to extend the Brexit process beyond April 12 in order to prevent a no-deal departure.

Netanyahu Is Running for Re-Election as ‘Mr Security.’ But His Strategy in Gaza Might Be His Achilles Heel

Posted: 02 Apr 2019 10:30 AM PDT

The pastoral village of Mishmeret in central Israel, with a population around 1,000, seems an unlikely warzone. Birdsong is louder than traffic, and the cyprus-lined streets mostly lead to farmhouses growing tomatoes, habanero peppers, and flowers for export overseas. But on March 28, British-Israeli Robert Wolf ducked under a blue tarp cordoning off the remains of his family home, a pile of collapsed wood and broken concrete, and surveyed the damage wrought by a rocket that crashed through his roof March 25, some 75 miles from where it was fired in southern Gaza.

“This is a quiet place. Normally you don’t hear of anything happening here,” Wolf, 60, tells TIME after the attack. But three days ago “our whole lives changed.” Had his son not fallen asleep on the couch with the window open enabling him to hear an early morning warning siren, Wolf says, he would have lost not only his home but the six members of his family who along with him were injured in the blast.

It’s a fear that hangs over many in Israel, which lives “under genuine, incredible existential threat” from Hezbollah, Iran, Hamas and other militant groups, according to Yohanan Plesner, President of the Israel Democracy Institute (IDI), an independent research center based in Jerusalem. As Israelis prepare to vote on April 9 in the most closely-watched election in years, the rocket that hit Wolf’s home has raised fresh questions over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s handling of Gaza, and cast doubt on the “Mr. Security” image he has long cultivated.

Cross-border tensions have been ticking up over the past year, but the rocket that collapsed Wolf’s central Israel home on March 25 marked a new escalation, striking only 11 days after two others flew towards Tel Aviv for the first time since 2014. In response to the Mishmeret attack, the military closed border crossings, sent two brigades to southern Israel, and prepared to call up thousands of reservists, raising fears of a land incursion. The last such conflict, in 2014, left about 2,200 Palestinians dead, more than half of them civilians. On the Israeli side, 67 soldiers were killed along with six civilians, according to the U.N.

Saturday also marked one year since the start of the “March of the Return” protests, at which thousands of Palestinians have gathered weekly at the frontier between Gaza and Israel to protest dire living conditions and call for the right to return to ancestral homelands. Israel says the demonstrations are cover for Hamas terrorist attacks and its soldiers have killed around 200 Palestinians and shot 6,000 unarmed demonstrators since the border demonstrations began. The anniversary march on Saturday, attended by 40,000 people, had been seen as a potential flashpoint for further escalation but the IDF said Hamas exercised “restraint not seen in the past year.” Still, IDF soldiers fatally shot four demonstrators, and hours after Israel re-opened Gaza’s borders Sunday, five more rockets were fired from the Strip. No Palestinian group has claimed responsibility for the rockets, but Israeli tanks later shelled Hamas positions.

Israelis are watching events in Gaza unfold just as Israel’s election campaign approaches its final stages. Netanyahu, who has been in power for three consecutive terms since 2009 and also led Israel from 1996-1999, is hoping to surpass Israel’s founder David Ben-Gurion as the longest serving prime minister in the country’s history. But he is facing serious headwinds. In late February, Israel’s Attorney General said he would indict the prime minister on bribery, fraud and breach of trust charges, pending hearings. Netanyahu has also risked the support of moderate Israelis by fostering a deal between his far-right coalition partners and the extreme right Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power) party, so as to boost both’s chances of passing the 3.5% of the vote threshold required to enter the Knesset. The move prompted rare criticism from AIPAC, America’s largest pro-Israel lobbying body, which called Otzma Yehudit “racist and reprehensible.”

“There are so many things to be disgusted by”, says Yossi Mekelberg, an Israeli politics expert at London-based think-tank Chatham House, “it’s really whether the electorate has reached a point where enough is enough.”

In 2015, Netanyahu swept to victory on the back of a campaign focused on security, and rallied his base by stoking fears of Arab Israelis voting “in droves” for the opposition. (Arabs make up about a fifth of Israel’s total population.) While his 2019 campaign has also drawn accusations of incitement against Israel’s Arab minority, repeating the same trick on security presents a challenge—this time, he is up against an emblem of the defense establishment.

Former IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz—who has campaigned for “national reconciliation instead of incitement—is running near level with Netanyahu in recent polls. He has recruited two other retired IDF generals to the centrist alliance he formed with former finance minister Yair Lapid, including hawkish former defense minister Moshe Ya’alon. While the incumbent has attempted to portray Gantz as “insane”, “unstable” and a weak “leftist”, his battlefield experience and Netanyahu’s lavish praise for his rival pre-election means few accusations have stuck. Gantz quickly claimed the recent escalation showed that Netanyahu, who has also been Israel’s defense minister since last December, had sacrificed the country’s “deterrence” against Hamas.

Some security experts echo criticisms of Netanyahu. Retired IDF Brigadier General Shlomo Brom, now head of the Israeli-Palestinian relations program at the Institute of National Security Studies says that Netanyahu has procrastinated rather than advancing a coherent strategy on the Gaza Strip, coming up with “ad hoc responses to the problems of the moment.” Those include allowing Qatar to send cash to Hamas in order to stabilize Gaza, and working with the militant group at the expense of the Ramallah-based Fatah, which wants to achieve its vision of Palestinian statehood by political means instead of armed struggle. Netanyahu has made it clear there is no prospect of a Palestinian state under his leadership and allowed Israeli settlements to expand in the West Bank, which is under what Brom calls an “apartheid reality.”

Gantz may have an edge on Netanyahu in recent leadership polls, but the incumbent’s right wing religious block is still deemed more likely to win a majority in the Knesset. And although Gantz’s manifesto includes a vaguely worded commitment to “deepen the processes of separation from the Palestinians,” analysts say it’s not clear he has a coherent strategy either. “He doesn’t say much,” says Chatham House’s Mekelberg. “You have to assume things from his background, where he was born, certain things he says, and who are his political partners.” A January OpEd in Israel’s English-language newspaper Haaretz simply said: “Talk to us Benny Gantz.

While the rocket attacks appear to have dented Netanyahu’s record on defense—in a poll conducted in their wake 54% of respondents said they were not satisfied with his handling of security, a jump of 15% on the previous survey—there’s no indication that will affect election outcomes, says IDI’s Plesner. In fact, voters who switch allegiance from Likud may be more likely to move further right judging by a separate poll in which more than half of respondents said the IDF’s response to the rockets had been too weak. Netanyahu’s education minister Naftali Bennet, of the recently-formed New Right party, has urged Israel to “open the gates of hell” on Hamas.

For now, it appears neither Hamas nor Netanyahu want escalation. But human rights groups say the status quo is also desperate. On March 17, the U.N. condemned Hamas for cracking down on Gaza’s “long-suffering people” after hundreds had demonstrated under slogans like “Revolt of the hungry.”

Beside the wreckage of his collapsed house, Wolf dismissed the far right’s bellicose rhetoric, saying he was against a response that would lead to the loss of more civilian lives in Gaza and Israel. He spoke of his anger at Hamas, his determination to rebuild, and how friends from Israel’s Jewish, Arab and Druze communities had comforted him after the destruction of his home. But Israelis should think carefully about the security situation before they vote on April 9, he said: “There’s a saying, it’s better the devil you know than the devil you don’t. Well, it’s not true. Sometimes you might as well take a risk.”

 

Pope Francis Says Women Have ‘Legitimate Claims’ for Justice, Calls Virgin Mary an ‘Influencer’

Posted: 02 Apr 2019 08:22 AM PDT

(VATICAN CITY) — Pope Francis said in a document released Tuesday that women have “legitimate claims” to seek more equality in the Catholic Church, but he stopped short of endorsing recent calls from his own bishops to give women leadership roles.

In the text, Francis also told young adults they should try to help priests at risk for sexually abusing minors in what a Vatican official said was a great act of trust the pope has for today’s youth to help “priests in difficulty.”

Francis issued the document, known as an apostolic exhortation, in response to an October 2018 meeting of the world’s bishops on better ministering to today’s young Catholics.

The synod took place against the Church’s clergy sex abuse crisis and included demands for greater women’s rights. The bishops’ final recommendations called the need for women to hold positions of responsibility and decision-making in the church “a duty of justice.”

In the new document reflecting at length on the October meeting, Francis did not echo that sweeping conclusion. Instead, he wrote that a church that listens to young people must be attentive to women’s “legitimate claims” for equality and justice, as well as better train both men and women with leadership potential.

“A living church can look back on history and acknowledge a fair share of male authoritarianism, domination, various forms of enslavement, abuse and sexist violence,” Francis said.

He continued: “With this outlook, she can support the call to respect women’s rights, and offer convinced support for greater reciprocity between males and females, while not agreeing with everything some feminist groups propose.”

An organizer of last year’s synod, Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri, was asked at a news conference Tuesday about Francis’ lack of reference to women in leadership positions and the need to welcome gay Catholics. Baldisseri replied that Francis couldn’t rewrite everything from the final synod recommendations.

Francis’ new document, a 299-paragraph booklet entitled “Christ is Alive,” covers a wide range of issues confronting young people today. In it, he notes that many feel alienated from the church because of its sexual and financial scandals, and are suffering themselves from untold forms of exploitation, conflict and despair.

A hefty chunk of the document focuses on both the promises and perils of the digital world and dedicates ample space to the plight of migrants. It uses millennial lingo, calling the Virgin Mary an “influencer” and describing relations with God in computing terms: “hard disk,” ”archive” and “deleting.”

Francis wrote that he was inspired by all the reflections from the bishops’ synod and refers readers to the 2018 recommendations. He said he wanted to use his new text to “summarize those proposals I considered most significant.”

Throughout, he urges young people to be protagonists in rejuvenating the church.

On the topic of child sex abuse and cover-ups in the church, the pope called for the “eradication” of traditions that allowed child sex abuse to take place and for a challenge to how church leaders handled cases with “irresponsibility and lack of transparency.”

He urged young people to call out a priest who seems at risk of seeking affection from children and youth, “and remind him of his commitment to God and his people.”

Asked if that message wasn’t putting young people in potentially dangerous positions with potential predators, another synod organizer, Monsignor Fabio Fabene, said it was the contrary.

The pope’s words showed Francis wanted to entrust youth with “showing closeness to priests experiencing difficulty” in their missions and for young people to help “rejuvenate the heart of a priest who is in difficulty.”

Such terms have long been used by church officials to minimize the criminality of priests and bishops who rape and molest children.

Asked why there was no reference to Francis’ frequent call for “zero tolerance” for abuse, Baldisseri said the pope doesn’t need to repeat the phrase in every document.

“You don’t need to say ‘zero tolerance’ every time you go to lunch and dinner,” he said.

The document acknowledges the importance of sexuality in the development of young people. As with the roles of women in the Catholic Church, Francis did not repeat the bishops’ wording in recommendations for deeper anthropological, theological and pastoral study on sexuality and sexual inclinations. The term “homosexuality” appears once in Francis’ text.

Women have often complained they have second-class status in the church. History’s first Latin American pope has vowed to change that, but he has done little that is concrete and counts no women among his own advisers.

Just last week, the founder of the Vatican’s women’s magazine resigned with members of the editorial board, citing what she said was a climate of distrust and de-legitimization in the Vatican. The editor of the newspaper that distributes the magazine denied efforts to undermine the women.

Nine nuns were invited to participate at the October synod on Catholic youth, alongside 267 cardinals, bishops and priests. None of the women had the right to vote on the final recommendations. The nuns publicly made clear their displeasure before, during and after the meeting.

The recommendations advocated making women a greater presence in church structures at all levels while respecting church doctrine that the priesthood remains for men only.

The Women’s Ordination Conference, which advocates for a female priesthood, blasted the pope’s document for ignoring the synod’s recommendation to make the whole church aware of the “urgency of an inescapable change” to put women in decision-making roles.

The document, the group said in a statement, “offers only lip service to the movement for women’s equality in the Roman Catholic Church.”

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Now Have Their Own Official Instagram Account

Posted: 02 Apr 2019 08:16 AM PDT

Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry debuted their own official Instagram account, Sussex Royal, on Tuesday.

The royal couple, who tied the knot in May 2018 and are expecting their first child this spring, may have created the Instagram account as a way to share the work and updates of their household, outside of the official Kensington Palace social media accounts, which share all the Royal Family’s news.

But we all know that this Instagram account will also provide an excellent opportunity for Prince Harry to join the ranks of the celebrity Instagram husbands like Jay Z and A-Rod.

In the caption of the pair’s first Instagram post on Sussex Royal, which featured a photo slideshow of the couple and a calligraphy logo, Meghan and Harry welcomed their new followers and shared what they could expect from their newly created account.

“Welcome to our official Instagram. We look forward to sharing the work that drives us, the causes we support, important announcements, and the opportunity to shine a light on key issues. We thank you for your support, and welcome you to @sussexroyal – Harry and Meghan.”

See the first post from Meghan and Harry’s official new Instagram account, Sussex Royal, below.

‘I’m Worn Out. I Am Wiped Out.’ Meet the Scorching Dad Who Burnt the Internet to a Crisp With His Model Meme

Posted: 02 Apr 2019 07:25 AM PDT

If you’ve been perusing the web anywhere from Ghana to Australia this weekend, Twitter has likely directed your attention to the internet-anointed hot model dad.

People quickly developed an intense collective crush on Clint Hayslett, the dashing man striking a James Bond-like poses in a series of photos that caused massive heart and internet breakage.

“I’m wiped out. I’m worn out. I’ve never held my phone for so many hours. It’s very humbling and inspiring,” he told TIME.

It all began when at 45, this never more confident father decided to try a modeling career for a spin.

“My dad is 45, pursuing a modeling career, and I’ve never seen him happier. He told me he’s just waiting for a chance to blow up. So, Twitter, meet my dad,” the caption read.

The photoshoot burning up the internet was for Donahue Eyewear. And Clint did it for free. The photographer Joshua Coleman snapped 3,500 pictures that day, and his son Collin knew how to use them.

Hot Model Dad launches a thousand memes
Joshua Coleman
Hot model dad says he's wiped out but humble
Joshua Coleman


The tweet his son Collin, a junior at the University of Toledo, posted to the tune millions of likes was a total surprise to his dad.

“I went away for a day, and I came back and they said, ‘well, look Dad,” he said. Best trip he ever took.

It didn’t just get people crushing. It got people laughing too when it inspired boatloads of hilarious memes.

Let’s get to point. He’s not on the market. And his wife is just amazed. “She’s my high school sweetheart. That’s the only one who really matters,” he said. This. Guy.

The major offers were not flowing in yet as of Tuesday morning, but the sunglasses company that he modeled for will create a pair of shades in his honor called “The Clint” with the number 45 to celebrate his age.

As for how to live life more charismatically, Hayslett has a message to deliver. “Be yourself, be confident, live right now, and everybody has something awesome that’s in them.”

He’s just the latest in a series of dads to charm the internet. As usual, it’s a great day for dads.

North Western Railway earns 197 crore by selling scrap

Posted: 03 Apr 2019 12:04 AM PDT

North Western Railway earns 197 crore by selling scrap
It was 14.56 per cent more than the income in the year 2017-18. The scrap was sold at 6.87 per cent higher rate as compared to the last fiscal.

Source: TFE

BHU: Student attacked on campus, dies in hospital

Posted: 03 Apr 2019 12:04 AM PDT

BHU: Student attacked on campus, dies in hospital
Four people have been arrested.

Source: DI

JNU sedition case: Delhi govt seeks month's time to grant sanction to prosecute Kanhaiya and others

Posted: 03 Apr 2019 12:04 AM PDT

JNU sedition case: Delhi govt seeks month's time to grant sanction to prosecute Kanhaiya and others
DCP of Special Cell of Delhi Police, Pramod Kushwaha, had earlier told the court that the agency has already sent a request to the Delhi government seeking sanction and added that sanction was an administrative action and the charge sheet can be filed without that.

Source: DI

2 Indian-origin persons among 9 indicted in US court on visa fraud, drug charges

Posted: 03 Apr 2019 12:04 AM PDT

2 Indian-origin persons among 9 indicted in US court on visa fraud, drug charges
Two Indian-origin persons are among nine indicted in a US court on visa fraud and drug charges

Source: DI

Gujarat: Head of NGO for 'harassed husbands' enters LS poll fray, vows to voice woes of 'victimised' men

Posted: 03 Apr 2019 12:04 AM PDT

Gujarat: Head of NGO for 'harassed husbands' enters LS poll fray, vows to voice woes of 'victimised' men
The head of an organisation representing 'harassed husbands' has jumped into the Lok Sabha poll fray in Gujarat with a promise that if voted to power, he will voice woes of men "victimised" by their wives

Source: DI

Hyderabad: Class X student commits suicide after being scolded by parents for playing PUBG

Posted: 03 Apr 2019 12:04 AM PDT

Hyderabad: Class X student commits suicide after being scolded by parents for playing PUBG
A 10th standard student in Hyderabad, Telangana allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself at his residence after his parents scolded him for playing online game 'PUBG'

Source: DI

A-SAT launch: US takes note of India's statements on space debris issues

Posted: 03 Apr 2019 12:04 AM PDT

A-SAT launch: US takes note of India's statements on space debris issues
The United States has said that the issue of space debris is an important concern and it has taken note of the Indian government's statements that its recently conducted anti-satellite test (A-SAT) was designed to address "space debris issues"

Source: DI

Rajasthan: Live mortar found near Nal-Bikaner Air Force Station

Posted: 03 Apr 2019 12:04 AM PDT

Rajasthan: Live mortar found near Nal-Bikaner Air Force Station
Details are still sketchy

Source: DI

Congress to take action against air pollution, global warming; assures protection of wildlife, water bodies

Posted: 03 Apr 2019 12:04 AM PDT

Congress to take action against air pollution, global warming; assures protection of wildlife, water bodies
The Congress on Tuesday said that it recognised air pollution as a national public health emergency and promised an action agenda that will place India at the forefront of the battle against global warming

Source: DI

Cong promises law to prevent, punish mob-engineered hate crimes like lynching

Posted: 03 Apr 2019 12:04 AM PDT

Cong promises law to prevent, punish mob-engineered hate crimes like lynching
The Congress on Tuesday said it will bring in a new law in the first session of the next Lok Sabha to prevent and punish hate crimes such as "mob-engineered" lynching, stripping and burning, if voted to power

Source: DI

India secures deportation of 2017 CRPF camp attack conspirator from UAE

Posted: 03 Apr 2019 12:04 AM PDT

India secures deportation of 2017 CRPF camp attack conspirator from UAE
Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist Nisar Ahmed Tantray's deportation from the UAE has been secured by India

Source: DI

Repealing sedition law will lead to slogans of Bharat tere tukde tukde instead of Bharat Mata ki jai: Amit Shah

Posted: 03 Apr 2019 12:04 AM PDT

Repealing sedition law will lead to slogans of Bharat tere tukde tukde instead of Bharat Mata ki jai: Amit Shah
Amit Shah slams Congress manifesto.

Source: DI

Congress manifesto: Party plans to make office of NSA accountable to Parliament

Posted: 03 Apr 2019 12:04 AM PDT

Congress manifesto: Party plans to make office of NSA accountable to Parliament
The Congress on Tuesday said if voted to power it will make the office of National Security Advisor as well as the National Security Council accountable to Parliament, and define their powers under the law.

Source: DI

'Go to Congress party': Saurabh Bharadwaj tells Alka Lamba after Twitter spat

Posted: 03 Apr 2019 12:04 AM PDT

'Go to Congress party': Saurabh Bharadwaj tells Alka Lamba after Twitter spat
Is Alka Lamba returning to Congress?

Source: DI

KPMG India CEO, Indian-American Arun Kumar elected as member of top US think tank

Posted: 03 Apr 2019 12:04 AM PDT

KPMG India CEO, Indian-American Arun Kumar elected as member of top US think tank
Arun M Kumar, an Indian-American and a former Obama Administration official, has been elected as a member of a top US think-tank, the Council on Foreign Relations

Source: DI

LS poll 2019: Cong fields ex-railways minister Pawan Bansal from Chandigarh

Posted: 03 Apr 2019 12:04 AM PDT

LS poll 2019: Cong fields ex-railways minister Pawan Bansal from Chandigarh
Bansal had to quit midway.

Source: DI

Ahmedabad: School teacher harassed by Facebook friend

Posted: 03 Apr 2019 12:04 AM PDT

Ahmedabad: School teacher harassed by Facebook friend
Friend accused teacher of stealing purse; threatened him, his family

Source: DI

This panchayat in Dediapada voluntarily gives out 'hisab' of its term in form of calendar

Posted: 03 Apr 2019 12:04 AM PDT

This panchayat in Dediapada voluntarily gives out 'hisab' of its term in form of calendar
Distributes calendar detailing funds allocated and used to all families of the villages

Source: DI

Mumbai: Gopal Shetty files nomination papers

Posted: 03 Apr 2019 12:04 AM PDT

Mumbai: Gopal Shetty files nomination papers
Retaliating to the criticism made by Matondkar over Shetty distributing pamhlets in Gujarati, he said that he has pamphlets printed in four languages; Gujarati, Hindi, Marathi, and English.

Source: DI

Congress says Amit Shah's Gandhinagar rally violated model code of conduct

Posted: 03 Apr 2019 12:04 AM PDT

Congress says Amit Shah's Gandhinagar rally violated model code of conduct
The BJP held a rally and road-show near Sardar Patel statue cross-road in Naranpura before Shah went to Gandhinagar for filing his nomination papers for Gandhinagar Lok Sabha seat on March 30.

Source: DI

Ready and equipped to ensure safe polls: Mumbai Police

Posted: 03 Apr 2019 12:04 AM PDT

Ready and equipped to ensure safe polls: Mumbai Police
Over 60% officers working with force are currently engaged in poll process

Source: DI

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