- WorldAssociated Press
Pompeo tries rallying foreign leaders in alleged oil attacks
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is reaching out to wary foreign leaders to frame alleged Iranian attacks in a Middle East oil shipping route as a problem for the world at large, especially for Asian countries vitally dependent on that oil. Pompeo, in a series of Sunday television interviews, emphasized the U.S. international outreach in the wake of what the U.S. says were Iranian attacks Thursday on two oil tankers near the Strait of Hormuz . "I made a bunch of phone calls yesterday.
WorldAFPEgypt's former president Morsi quietly buried in Cairo
Egypt's first democratically elected president Mohamed Morsi was buried Tuesday, as the UN backed calls for an independent investigation into the causes of his death after he collapsed in a Cairo courtroom. The Islamist leader, who was overthrown in 2013 after a year of divisive rule and later charged with espionage, was buried at a cemetery in eastern Cairo's Medinat Nasr, one of his lawyers said. Abdel Moneim Abdel Maksoud said family members had washed Morsi's body and prayed the last rites early Tuesday morning at the Leeman Tora Hospital.
- PoliticsYahoo News
McConnell on Jon Stewart: 'I don't know why he's all bent out of shape' over 9/11 victims' fund
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Monday said he can't understand why Jon Stewart is angry over the handling of health care funding for 9/11 victims. Appearing at a hearing of a subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee last week, Stewart made an impassioned plea for lawmakers to reauthorize the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund, which is set to expire next year amid mounting claims from first responders, construction workers and others involved in operations at Ground Zero up through May 30, 2002.
- ScienceBGR News
Daring maneuver brings NASA’s orbiter closer to an asteroid than ever before
NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft has been orbiting the space rock known as Bennu since the start of the year. It caught up with the asteroid in late December of 2018 and successfully inserted itself into orbit around the object around New Year's day. There have been several “firsts” along the way, but its latest maneuver is the most daring yet, and it allowed the spacecraft to break yet another record.
- WorldReuters
China stands by Hong Kong leader after days of street protests
China redoubled its support for Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam on Monday after days of protests against a planned extradition bill, and a source close to Lam said Beijing was unlikely to let her go even if she tried to resign. Lam's attempts to pass a bill that would allow people in Hong Kong to be extradited to China for trial triggered the biggest and most violent protests in decades in the former British colony, now under Chinese rule. As the crisis entered its second week, demonstrators and opposition politicians braved intermittent rain to gather near the government's offices and urge her to kill the bill and quit.
NewsUSA TODAYUnruly passenger hits flight attendant, then pukes during Delta flight to Paris
Passengers on Delta Air Lines' Flight 500 from Indianapolis to Paris made an unexpected visit to Detroit on Thursday after an "unruly passenger" caused the plane to divert. The disturbance occurred just after 6 p.m. EDT, according to a federal criminal complaint.
- BusinessCar and Driver
View Photos of the 2020 BMW X3 M
Available in 473-hp standard and 503-hp Competition flavors, BMW's latest M ute is as capable as it is silly. From Car and Driver
- WorldAssociated Press
Earthquake in southern China kills 11 people, injures 122
A strong earthquake that hit Sichuan province in southern China late Monday night killed 11 people and injured 122, the local government said. The Yibin city government posted the casualty toll on its social media accounts Tuesday morning. Xinhua news agency said rescue efforts were underway in the stricken area.
WorldFOX News VideosMigrants from Congo and Angola arriving in San Antonio, Texas and Portland, Maine
Former immigration judge Andrew Arthur weighs in on the record number of African migrants at the border.
- PoliticsUSA TODAY Opinion
Why are we headed for a blowup with Iran? It began when Trump scrapped the nuclear deal
Tensions in the volatile U.S.-Iran relationship are increasing, and the two sides are ever closer to the possibility of a direct military confrontation since President Donald Trump condemned what was almost certainly an Iranian mine attack disabling two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman last week. A serious and sustained conflict isn't inevitable, but the odds have increased. Amidst all the hype, spin and storytelling from both sides, here are some harsh truths about the Trump administration and its Iranian adversaries. The accord — known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) — was flawed, to be sure, and didn't address Iran's aggressive regional behavior or its ballistic missile programs.
WorldAFPEx-Tehran mayor to face trial over wife's killing
Former Tehran mayor and prominent reformist Mohammad Ali Najafi will stand trial next month on charges of murdering his wife, the government-run Iran newspaper said Sunday. Najafi, 67, turned himself in and confessed to shooting his second wife Mitra Ostad on May 28 at their home in northern Tehran, according to Iranian media. "On July 1, the first trial session of Mohammad Ali Najafi, former Tehran mayor, will be held at Tehran's Criminal Court," the Iran daily reported.
BusinessAFP600 people on Monsanto 'watch lists' in Germany, France: Bayer
US seeds and pesticides maker Monsanto kept lists of around 600 key pro- and anti-pesticides figures in Germany and France alone, its German parent company Bayer said Monday amid a widening probe. Bayer has admitted the lists covered politicians, journalists and others across seven European countries and in Brussels. "Update on Monsanto stakeholder lists: until the end of last week, the firm hired by Bayer contacted all the people on the German and French lists," Bayer's press department tweeted.
- WorldBGR News
Accidental cat filter turns press conference live stream into a meme
In something of a ridiculous and yet lighthearted story, a Pakistani politician's press briefing with journalists recently became comedic fodder after a cat filter was applied to the faces of individuals being recorded via Facebook live. The incident, which was attributed to human error, showcased regional minister Shaukat Yousafzai — and others — with cat ears and whiskers while talking about otherwise serious topics. The cat filter was live for a few minutes before someone noticed it and promptly removed it.
- BusinessReuters
FOREX-Strong data keeps dollar near 2-week highs before Fed meeting
The dollar held near a two-week high against its major rivals on Monday ahead of a crucial U.S. Federal Reserve meeting that many expect will lay the groundwork for an interest rate cut to bolster the world's largest economy. While strong U.S. retail sales on Friday reduced the already-low chance of an easing this week and lifted the dollar, investors are betting Fed Chairman Jerome Powell would leave the door open to future rate cuts in light of increasing economic strains. "As long as Powell does not rule out near term rate cuts, the dollar will be top heavy after the Fed meeting," said Masafumi Yamamoto, chief currency strategist at Mizuho Securities.
- LifestyleUSA TODAY
Meghan McCain felt 'less alone' without John McCain on Father's Day with 'dead dads club'
People criticize Meghan McCain a lot — and not always without reason — for bringing up her late father all the time. If you watch “The View,” the ABC morning talk show of which McCain is a co-host, or follow her on Twitter, you usually don't have to wait too long before you hear her bring up Sen. John McCain. Meghan McCain has been public in her grief and her difficulty in getting over her father's death, so it's no surprise that she was not looking forward to Father's Day.
- BusinessAssociated Press
The Latest: Airbus is ready for autonomous planes; are you?
The chief salesman for Airbus says his company already has the technology to fly passenger planes without pilots at all — and is working on winning over regulators and travelers to the idea. Christian Scherer also said in an interview with The Associated Press on Monday that Airbus hopes to be selling hybrid or electric passenger jets by around 2035. While the company is still far from ready to churn out battery-operated jumbo jets, Scherer said Airbus already has "the technology for autonomous flying" and for planes flown by just one pilot.
- WorldReuters
Death toll from China quakes rises to 11
BEIJING/SHANGHAI, June 18 (Reuters) - The death toll from two strong earthquakes in China rose to 11 on Tuesday, with 122 people injured, state media said, adding that rescuers pulled some survivors from rubble in a part of the country that often suffers strong tremors. The quakes, roughly 30 minutes apart, hit the southwestern province of Sichuan late on Monday, with shaking felt in key regional cities, such as the provincial capital of Chengdu and the metropolis of Chongqing. People rushed into the streets and cracks were left in some buildings by the quakes, pictures posted on the social media accounts of state media showed.
- WorldThe National Interest
China Worships at the Alter of Stealth (As in Fighters and Mega Bombers)
David Axe Security, The latest info. If there's one thing that might hold back the JH-XX's development, it's the new plane's engine, just as problems integrating a Chinese-built engine reportedly have slowed development of the J-20 and FC-31 fighters. The Chinese air force is expanding its fleet of J-20 radar-evading stealth fighters while also preparing to field FC-31 stealth fighters and H-20 long-range stealth bombers, the U.S. Defense Department warned in the 2019 edition of its annual report on Chinese military developments.
- WorldAssociated Press
Israel moves to name Golan settlement after Trump
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Cabinet convened in this hamlet Sunday to inaugurate a new settlement named after President Donald Trump in a gesture of appreciation for the U.S. leader's recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the territory. The settlement isn't exactly new. Currently known as Bruchim, it is over 30 years old and has a population of 10 people.
WorldAFPMoscow warns against 'baseless accusations' over tanker attacks
The Kremlin on Sunday warned against "baseless accusations" over last week's attacks in the Gulf of Oman on two oil tankers, blamed by Washington and Riyadh on Iran. "Such incidents can undermine the foundations of the world economy. That's why it's hardly possible to accept baseless accusations in this situation," said Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov.
WorldAFPRock blasts cause quake near China-North Korea border
Two explosions detonated to crush rocks in northeast China caused a small earthquake near the North Korean border on Monday, local authorities said. The 1.3-magnitude quake with a zero-metre depth occurred at 19:38 pm (1138 GMT) in Hunchun city in northeastern Jilin province, according to the China Earthquake Networks Center. The explosions were set off by Jilin Longye Blasting Company due to the "manufacturing needs" of the rock-crushing facility, said the Hunchun city government through its official Twitter-like Weibo.
- BusinessBGR News
Insider claims Apple will launch 5.4-inch and 6.7-inch 5G iPhone models next year
Leaks concerning this fall's upcoming iPhone models continue to trickle out at a steady pace, but some analysts are already looking ahead to 2020. In a research note shared with AnTuTu (via MacRumors), TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo revealed new details about the prospective 2020 smartphone lineup from Apple. According to Kuo, Apple will once again release three iPhone models in 2020, but will make significant changes to the designs of the high-end models.
- BusinessNational Review
AOC: ‘Hyde Amendment Is about Income Inequality’ Not Abortion
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.) on Sunday praised former vice president Joe Biden for his recently announced opposition to the Hyde amendment and said that her own opposition to the prohibition on the direct federal funding of abortion is rooted in her concern about income inequality. “I'm encourage by the fact that he is now against the Hyde Amendment,” Ocasio-Cortez told ABC's Jonathan Karl when asked about Biden's recent reversal on the issue. Ocasio-Cortez, who launched a petition over the weekend to build public support for the amendment's repeal, went on to explain that the direct federal funding of abortion is necessary to protect the abortion rights of incarcerated pregnant women.
- BusinessUSA TODAY
Day after a nationwide register outage, Target's tech troubles continue on a smaller scale
The great Target outage of 2019 continued on a smaller scale Sunday with a few shoppers reporting that some stores were unable to process credit card purchases. Saturday's approximately two-hour long outage affected all Target stores and was caused by an error made during regular system maintenance, Target spokeswoman Jenna Reck confirmed to USA TODAY. Sunday's issue was unrelated, caused by an issue at vendor NCR, Target said in a statement.
- WorldAssociated Press
Japan protests Chinese activity near disputed islands
Japan has protested what is says was an unauthorized Chinese maritime survey within its economic waters near disputed East China Sea islands, officials said Monday. Japan's Foreign Ministry said it lodged a protest with Beijing after a Chinese maritime research ship was seen dropping a wire-like object into the water off the northwestern coast of Japanese-controlled Senkaku islands on Sunday. China also claims the islands, which it calls Diaoyu.
