- PoliticsThe Independent
Republicans block attempt to release entire Mueller report - despite Trump claiming it 'totally exonerates' him
Republicans have blocked an attempt by Democrats to force the release of Robert Mueller's Russia report in its entirety – despite Donald Trump claiming it was “a complete and total exoneration” of him. A day after attorney general William Barr released to Congress the main conclusions of the special counsel's investigation into Russia's alleged interference in the 2016 and possible collusion with the Trump campaign, Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell stopped a Democratic effort to ensure all of it was made public. Earlier this month, the House of Representatives voted 420-0 in favour of making the report public, with no Republican opposition.
WorldAFP Relax NewsArcheologists believe Norway find is rare Viking ship burial
Archeologists believe they have found a rare Viking ship burial site in a region of Norway known for its Viking-era treasures, Norwegian officials said Monday. Using ground-penetrating radar (GPR), experts found a ship-shaped anomaly near other Viking burial mounds in the Borre Park in Vestfold county, southeast of Oslo. This could point to the existence of a mound that was later removed," Terje Gansum, leader of the department for cultural heritage management in Vestfold county, said in a statement.
WorldAssociated PressErdogan proposal to make Hagia Sophia a mosque irks Greece
The Greek government voiced opposition Monday to the suggestion from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that Istanbul's Hagia Sophia — a Byzantine-era cathedral that now serves as a museum — could be reconverted into a mosque. In a television interview Sunday ahead of Turkey's March 31 local elections, Erdogan indicated that it was possible to "change its name from museum to Hagia Sophia Mosque." There have been increasing calls for the government to convert the symbolic structure back into a mosque, especially in the wake of reports that the gunman who killed Muslim worshippers in New Zealand left a manifesto saying the Hagia Sophia should be "free of minarets."
BusinessUSA TODAYAmerican Airlines to cancel 90 flights every day through most of April
American Airlines will cancel 90 flights a day through most of April as a result of the Federal Aviation Administration's decision this month to ground all Boeing 737 Max aircraft. This follows the Boeing 737 Max 8 Ethiopian Airlines crash that killed all 157 people aboard. "In an effort to provide more certainty and avoid last minute flight disruptions, American has extended cancellations through April 24," the airline said in a statement.
- U.S.KGO – San Francisco
Pittsburg principal allegedly shot by wife dies from injuries
A principal in Pittsburg who police say was shot by his wife during a "domestic altercation" at their home has passed away.
- BusinessCar and Driver
The Ford Bronco Will Have a Removable Roof and Doors and Will Go on Sale in Late 2020
The new Ford Bronco SUV will come with either two or four removable doors and have a removable hardtop. The Bronco will go on sale in late 2020, according to Automotive News. According to Automotive News, which gleaned info from dealers who attended a Ford event last month where future products were shown, the Bronco will hit dealer lots in late 2020.
WorldReutersVenezuela blames 'attack' as another crippling blackout hits
Power went out in much of Caracas and nearly a dozen states in the early afternoon, stirring memories of a week-long outage earlier in the month that was the most severe in the country's history. Service was restored in many areas within hours on Monday and Information Minister Jorge Rodriguez said in a televised broadcast that power was being "progressively reestablished." "We have suffered a new attack on our national electricity system's load and transmission center today," Rodriguez said, adding that the event had "similar characteristics" to the March 7 "attack." The blackouts come as the country is experiencing a deep political crisis after National Assembly President Juan Guaido invoked the constitution to assume the interim presidency in January, arguing that Maduro's May 2018 re-election was illegitimate.
BusinessAFPEthiopian Airlines 'believes in' Boeing despite crash: CEO
Ethiopian Airlines "believes in" Boeing despite the crash of its 737 MAX 8 plane that killed all 157 people on board and led to the model's grounding, the carrier's CEO said on Monday. "Let me be clear: Ethiopian Airlines believes in Boeing. "We will work with investigators in Ethiopia, in the US and elsewhere to figure out what went wrong," he added.
- PoliticsTime
How Mueller Gave Trump a Political Win
For 22 months, Donald Trump called him a rogue prosecutor, surrounded by a team of angry partisans with conflicts of interest, leading an investigation into a hoax. The special counsel's conclusion — as relayed to Congress and the public by Attorney General William Barr — that the investigation did not establish that Trump's campaign conspired with Russian efforts to meddle in the 2016 election lifted a dark cloud that's sat over his presidency since its earliest days. March 24 will join a handful of triumphal moments for Trump: the confirmations of Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, the passage of a $1.5 trillion Republican tax cut bill, withdrawing from the Paris climate agreement and the Iran nuclear accords and moving the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.
- WorldThe Telegraph
Children of Isil's caliphate left to toil in squalid refugee camps
“I get about 2,000 lira for putting up one tent,” he said, using the popular term here for Syrian pounds. Hamed is one of about 41,000 children in al-Hol, the largest of three sprawling camps in north eastern Syria that houses former members, children, and prisoners of the Islamic State terrorist group. The fate of the children who emerged from Isil's doomed caliphate is a matter of humanitarian urgency and critical to international security.
BusinessReutersApple to launch a new credit card with Goldman. Are the perks worth it?
Apple Inc said on Monday it will launch a credit card with Goldman Sachs Group Inc this summer that can be used to earn cash back on the purchase of Apple products, but analysts suggest its rewards do not stand out among rivals. The Apple Card will sync with iPhone's users' Apple Wallet and work through its payment system Apple Pay, said Jennifer Bailey, vice president of Apple Pay. She spoke in Cupertino, California, where the company also announced the launch of a streaming television service and an online gaming arcade.
WorldUSA TODAYCruise ship from Norway reaches port with remaining passengers after mayday, air rescues
The Viking Sky ship airlifted more than half its 900 passengers to safety before authorities opted Sunday to allow the ship to limp into the nearby port of Molde with the aid of a towboat. "All passengers and crew are safe, and passengers will be flying home starting tonight," the cruise line said in a statement on its website Sunday. "Throughout all of this, our first priority was for the safety and well-being of our passengers and our crew.
WorldAssociated PressBanning of manifesto raises free speech debate in N. Zealand
New Zealanders are debating the limits of free speech after their chief censor banned the 74-page manifesto written and released by the man accused of slaughtering 50 people at two mosques in the city of Christchurch. At the same time, many local media organizations are debating whether to even name the Australian man charged with murder in the March 15 attacks, 28-year-old Brenton Tarrant, after New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern vowed she would never mention him by name. In some ways, Tarrant's manifesto provides the greatest insight into his character and thinking, with neighbors and those he met in a gym in the sleepy seaside town of Dunedin recalling nothing particularly remarkable about him.
- WorldBloomberg
May Faces Endgame as U.K. Leader Is Losing Control of Brexit
Theresa May will face up to her own desperately weak political position on Monday as members of Parliament move to take over Brexit policy and her own ministers plot to oust her. The U.K. prime minister is under pressure from colleagues inside her Cabinet to name a date when she will step down, with some arguing this would help her win support for her Brexit deal, people familiar with the matter said. May is hoping for one more chance to put the divorce agreement she's negotiated with the European Union to a vote in the House of Commons this week.
WorldReutersIsrael-Hamas fighting abates along Gaza border, but tensions high
Rocket warning sirens continued to sound in Israeli towns near the border late on Monday after Palestinian officials said Egypt had mediated a truce. The flare-up began early on Monday when seven Israelis were wounded near Tel Aviv by a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip, some 120 km (70 miles) away. Hours later Israel - which blamed Hamas, the dominant armed force in Gaza, for the rocket attack - carried out a wave of retaliatory strikes, wounding five Palestinians.
LifestyleAFP Relax NewsAll black everything: Ford offers Black Appearance Package for 2019 Ford Rangers
Ford has announced the new Black Appearance Package available for the 2019 Ford Ranger lineup. Since the 2019 Ford Ranger pickup went on sale in January of this year, over half of the models have been outfitted in either the Sport Appearance Package or the Chrome Appearance Package. As of Monday, another option is now available: the Black Appearance Package.
BusinessUSA TODAYMAX effort: Boeing tests changes to grounded planes to get them back in the air
The software believed to be linked to the catastrophic crashes of two new Boeing 737 MAX 8 planes in less than five months is getting a makeover. Pilots from five airlines, including the three U.S. carriers that flew the MAX jets before they were grounded worldwide, tested upgrades to the flight-control system over the weekend at Boeing's facility outside Seattle, the aircraft manufacturer confirmed. Boeing will also host more than 200 airline pilots, technicians and regulators in an informational session Wednesday that's among the initial steps in its attempt to get the MAX planes back in the air.
- PoliticsThe Independent
Mueller report: Trump claims Russia probe was 'illegal takedown' and suggests Democrats should now be investigated
Donald Trump has described Robert Mueller's probe into alleged collusion between his election campaign and Russia as an “illegal takedown”, while suggesting Democrats should now be investigated. The president claimed the report represented a “total exoneration”, when in fact Mr Mueller specifically said that while his probe did not conclude that the president committed a crime, it also did not exonerate him. Mr Mueller did not make a determination on whether Mr Trump committed obstruction of justice in the Russia probe, and attorney general William Barr and deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein determined the evidence gathered by Mr Mueller was insufficient.
- LifestyleCar and Driver
The Ferrari P80/C Is a Two-in-One Track Car and Garage Beauty, and There's Only One
Commissioned in 2015, the P80/C is the first Ferrari one-off track car. Fun fact: Dropping millions on this Ferrari P80/C bought one collector access to the company's secret design studio and its board of directors for four years, plus a complimentary short film produced by the dealership. Ferrari says it's the first dedicated track car it has ever created as a one-off, although the P80/C does not reach the same extremes as the FXX K.
- U.S.WLS – Chicago
CPS school provides students with free prom dresses
Disney II Magnet School is home to the Wish Upon A Star Boutique, a "store" with hundreds of donated dresses and suits students can have for free.
- BusinessBGR News
Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou was carrying an iPhone when she was arrested last year
The tech industry certainly has its share of scandals, but the drama surrounding Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou certainly takes things to the next level. This past December, Wanzhou was arrested in Canada (at the behest of the United States) on charges of wire fraud and improper business dealings with Iran. Wanzhou may ultimately be extradited to the U.S. as China, not surprisingly, has vehemently denied the allegations on Wanzhou's behalf.
- WorldReuters
UPDATE 1-Airbus close to signing aircraft deal with China - sources
European planemaker Airbus is close to signing a deal worth billions of dollars with China following a delay of more than a year in the negotiations, industry sources said on Monday. The deal is part of a package of trade deals coinciding with a visit to Europe by Chinese President Xi Jinping. Airbus declined to comment.
WorldAssociated PressThai parties jostle for power after 1st election since coup
The two top parties began angling for the upper hand in forming a new government in Thailand on Monday after partial results showed no group won a majority of seats in the country's first national election since a 2014 military coup. The allegations highlight continuing deep divisions in Thailand, which has been wracked by political instability for nearly two decades. The junta-appointed Election Commission announced the results of 350 constituency races but said full vote counts, which are needed to allocate 150 other seats in the House of Representatives, won't be available until Friday after apparent counting problems.
- LifestyleThe Telegraph
Easter 2019: Forbidden eggs, Eostre and how the date is decided
Of course, the Christian festival is far more than its associated confectionery. Easter celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ who, according to the New Testament, died on the cross on Good Friday and came back to life three days later. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Sunday, which also marks the end of Lent's 40-day period of fasting. From the origins of the Easter bunny to the celebrations' ever-changing dates, here is your essential guide to the holiday.
