- PoliticsYahoo News
Trump impeachment hearings: 4 takeaways from Day 3 of public testimony
The first impeachment hearings of the week brought more bad news for the White House, as two officials who listened directly to a call between President Trump and the president of Ukraine testified they found it unusual, while a witness called by Republicans defended the honor of former Vice President Joe Biden and said calling for an investigation into him was “unacceptable.” But there were elements in Tuesday's testimony that offered some support to the narrative favored by House Republicans. Jennifer Williams was a staffer for the 2004 George W. Bush campaign before moving into a nonpolitical foreign service position and now serves as a national security aide to Vice President Mike Pence.
- PoliticsYahoo News
Senate report faults slow FBI response to Chinese 'brain gain' scheme
A bipartisan Senate investigation has found deficiencies in the FBI's response to recruitment efforts of U.S.-based scientists and researchers by the Chinese government, and is pushing the agency to do more to work with universities and federal research agencies that hand out billions of dollars in grants. “American taxpayer funded research has contributed to China's global rise over the last 20 years,” reads a report from Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, and Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del. Portman chairs the Homeland Security Committee's Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (PSI), and Carper is the top-ranking Democrat. Researchers ordinarily publish findings that are not national-security-related, but the report found that the proprietary methods and data undergirding publicly available scientific research are being co-opted for China's benefit through a program backed by the Chinese government.
- NewsUSA TODAY
'Vicious, senseless': Patrick Frazee gets life sentence for killing fiancée, burning body
Lee, who lives in Hansen, Idaho, testified that Frazee asked her to clean up the scene of the killing and that she watched him burn a plastic tote she believed contained Berreth's body. Lee acknowledged she took Berreth's cellphone with her to Idaho at Frazee's request to try to deceive investigators about Berreth's whereabouts. She reached a plea deal with prosecutors for tampering with evidence and faces up to three years in prison.
- WorldAssociated Press
Ex-British Consulate staff says Chinese police tortured him
A former employee of the British Consulate in Hong Kong says he was detained and tortured by Chinese secret police trying to extract information about massive anti-government protests in the territory. Simon Cheng said in an online statement and media interviews that he was hooded, beaten, deprived of sleep and chained to an X-shaped frame by plainclothes and uniformed agents as they sought information on activists involved in the protests and the role they believed Britain played in the demonstrations. British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab summoned the Chinese ambassador in London to demand Beijing investigate.
- WorldBloomberg
U.S. Increased Sea Patrols to Send Message to China, Defense Secretary Says
The U.S. is conducting more patrols in the South China Sea to send a signal to China that it intends to maintain freedom in the area that's crucial for global trade, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Tuesday. Esper said at a media briefing in Manila the U.S. “rejects attempts by any nation to use coercion or intimidation to advance international interests at the expense of others. He also urged nations with South China Sea claims to take a public position and assert sovereign rights to get China “on the right path.
- NewsINSIDER
Syracuse University has suspended all fraternity activities for the rest of the semester after a black student said a group of students accosted her and called her a racial slur
Elstad Ranch/Flickr Syracuse University's fraternities had their social activities canceled for the rest of the semester after a black student said members of the Alpha Chi Rho fraternity called her the N-word. It was the latest in a series of reported racist and anti-Semitic incidents to sweep the upstate New York campus since November 7. Syracuse University has canceled all fraternity social activities for the rest of the semester after a black student reported a racist attack.
- WorldReuters
Convicted ex-PM Sharif leaves Pakistan for medical treatment in London
LAHORE, Pakistan/ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif left Pakistan on Tuesday in an air ambulance to seek medical treatment in London, his party said, a month after the three-time premier was released on bail from a seven-year prison sentence for corruption. Sharif, 69, was accompanied by his younger brother and personal physician, leaders of his Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) Party said. Despite the convictions for corruption, Sharif remains popular among many Pakistanis, and his health has dominated newspaper front pages and TV channels in recent weeks.
- TechnologyThe National Interest
Meet What Could be The U.S. Navy's Ultimate Weapon (As in a New Destroyer)
Washington D.C.) The Navy has laid the keel for its first new, Flight III DDG 51 surface warfare destroyer armed with improved weapons, advanced sensors and new radar 35-times more sensitive than most current systems, changing attack and defensive options for the surface fleet. Navy Flight III Destroyers have a host of defining new technologies not included in current ships such as more on-board power to accommodate laser weapons, new engines, improved electronics, fast-upgradeable software and a much more powerful radar. The Flight III Destroyers will be able to see and destroy a much wider range of enemy targets at farther distances.
WorldAFPIsrael intercepts rocket fire from Syria, reportedly hits back
Israel's air defences intercepted four rockets fired from neighbouring Syria on Tuesday, the army said, prompting reported retaliatory missile strikes against the source of the fire. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the rockets were fired from positions around the capital held by groups loyal to the Damascus government. It did not elaborate on which group had launched the rockets or whether there had been any casualties in the retaliatory strikes.
- PoliticsThe Independent
Trump reacts to damning testimony by claiming he barely knows Sondland: 'He seems like a nice guy'
Donald Trump has responded to shocking testimony that he personally directed a "quid pro quo" – which Democrats say amounts to bribery – by again saying that he barely knows the witness, Gordon Sondland, but adding: "He seems like a nice guy though." Weeks after praising Mr Sondland, whom he appointed US ambassador to the EU, as a "great American" and "highly respected", the president told reporters outside the White House: "I don't know him very well. I have not spoken to him very much.
- WorldThe Telegraph
Isil leaders with 'vast amounts of cash' planning comeback in Turkey, Iraq spy chief claims
Senior Islamic State members with access to “huge” amounts of money are in Turkey and plotting a comeback, an Iraqi spy chief has warned. Lieutenant General Saad al-Allaq, head of Iraq's Military Intelligence, claimed in an interview with CNN that Iraq has given Ankara dossiers on nine alleged leaders of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil), including top financiers for the terror group. The general said senior Isil figures known as "emirs" have access to vast reserves of cash and were forming new cells in Turkey.
PoliticsYahoo News VideoSpecial envoy Kurt Volker says 'most people' didn't see the distinction between Burisma and investigating former Vice President Biden
Special envoy to Ukraine Kurt Volker said during questioning that "others didn't see the distinction" between Burisma and investigating former Vice President Biden.
- LifestylePopular Mechanics
7 Amazing Facts About Jaguars, One of the World's Coolest Cats
The big cats are among the fiercest apex predators in the world. From Popular Mechanics
NewsUSA TODAYA California nanny promised children would be 'safe' in his care. He instead used them in porn videos, authorities say
A former California nanny will serve 30 years in federal prison for filming child pornography with at least five victims under his care, authorities said Monday. Travis Elconin convinced families and friends to hire him as a caretaker, the U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California said in a press release, then sexually abused their children. The 35-year-old Burbank resident also advertised his nanny services online, according to court documents detailed in the release.
- WorldBloomberg
Corbyn Holds Johnson to Debate Draw: U.K. Campaign Trail
Although the headline result was a draw, 67% of respondents thought Corbyn performed well, showing why these debates are such a risk for the prime minister. Johnson was firm on his position on leaving the European Union, while Corbyn talked about the public sector, including the National Health Service. Coming up:Both Corbyn and Johnson are expected to be campaigning in northern England.The Liberal Democrats will unveil their policy manifesto at 5 p.m. in London.Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab travels to Brussels for a meeting of NATO foreign ministers.The Brexit Party will be holding an event in east London.
- WorldThe Daily Beast
Cuomo Blasts Syracuse U Leadership After White-Supremacist Manifesto Allegedly AirDropped to Students
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday blasted leadership at Syracuse University for its handling of ongoing hate speech and racist harassment on campus, which escalated overnight when a white-supremacist manifesto was allegedly AirDropped to some students' cell phones. The university's Department of Public Safety announced in a campus-wide email early Tuesday morning that it was investigating reports that the hate manifesto, which students told The Daily Beast was the same one used by the Christchurch mosque shooter, was sent to student phones at Bird Library at around 1 a.m. It was also posted in an online discussion forum about Greek life just after 10 p.m., The Daily Orange, the student newspaper, reported. “The hateful activities at Syracuse University are most disturbing, not only to the Syracuse University community, but to the greater community of New York,” Cuomo said in a press release on Tuesday afternoon.
- WorldReuters
China says Hong Kong courts have no power to rule on face mask ban
China's top legislature said Hong Kong courts have no power to rule on the constitutionality of legislation under the city's Basic Law, which includes a proposed ban on face masks, state news agency Xinhua reported on Tuesday. The statement came a day after Hong Kong's High Court ruled that a ban on wearing face masks during public demonstrations that have rocked the financial hub for more than five months was unconstitutional. "Whether the laws of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region comply with the Basic Law of Hong Kong can only be judged and decided by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress," Yan Tanwei, a spokesman for the Legislative Affairs Commission of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, said in a statement.
WorldAFPProtest-hit Iran says 'enemy conspiracy' defeated
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Wednesday the country's people had defeated an "enemy conspiracy" behind a wave of violent protests and were celebrating their victory. Rouhani blamed the deadly unrest on "anarchists" who took to the streets "based on a plot that the region's reactionary, the Zionists and Americans hatched", referring respectively to Saudi Arabia, Israel and the US. The demonstrations erupted in sanctions-hit Iran on Friday, hours after the price of petrol was raised by as much as 200 percent.
- BusinessBusiness Insider
Apple details plans to build a $1 billion campus in Austin ahead of Trump's visit to its Texas factory (AAPL)
Apple has begun construction on a new $1 billion campus in Austin, Texas, the company said on Wednesday. The announcement comes as President Trump, who has been making a big push to keep US manufacturing jobs in America, will be visiting Apple's Texas production facility on Wednesday. Tim Cook has met with Trump several times over the past year as Apple seeks exemptions on Chinese import tariffs that would impact its most popular products.
- WorldAssociated Press
Netanyahu challenger unable to form coalition
Benjamin Netanyahu's chief rival failed to form a new government by a Wednesday deadline, dashing his hopes of toppling the long-time Israeli prime minister and pushing the country closer toward an unprecedented third election in less than a year. The announcement by Benny Gantz, leader of the centrist Blue and White party, prolonged the political paralysis that has gripped the nation for the past year. It also provided a new lifeline for the embattled Netanyahu, who is desperate to remain in office as he prepares for an expected indictment on corruption charges.
- WorldThe National Interest
Russia's TU-22M3 Backfire Bomber Has A New Supersonic Missile (And The Navy Is Worried)
Russia's much-feared Tupolev Tu-22M3 Backfire is getting a new upgrade and is adding a new long-range supersonic missile called the Kh-32. The bomber and its new weapon will be delivered to the Russian Aerospace Forces in October. “According to the existing plan, the first Tu-22M3M with the most advanced Kh-32 long-range cruise missile will go on combat duty in long-range aviation in October this year," a Russian defense industry source told the state-owned TASS news agency.
WorldYahoo News VideoChina signs defense agreement with South Korea as U.S. angers Seoul with demand for $5 billion troop payment
The defense ministers of South Korea and China have agreed to develop their security ties to ensure stability in northeast Asia, the latest indication that Washington's longstanding alliances in the region are fraying.
- NewsUSA TODAY
A Catholic priest condemned a teen's suicide at his own funeral. Now, his mom is suing
A Michigan mother is suing the Archdiocese of Detroit alleging that the priest who spoke at her son's funeral questioned whether her son would go to heaven after dying by suicide, adding to the family's suffering. Linda Hullibarger and her husband, Jeff, said they met with Rev. Don LaCuesta in 2018 to plan funeral services for their 18-year-old son, Maison, a straight-A student and outstanding athlete who died on Dec. 4. According to the complaint filed Thursday in Wayne County, the parents met with LaCuesta well before the funeral to make clear they wanted the priest to deliver a positive and uplifting message that celebrated the life of their son.
- BusinessBloomberg
India Army to Cut Sniper Rifle Orders by About 70%
The Indian Army plans to buy just 1,800 state-of-the-art sniper rifles and 2.7 million rounds of ammunition -- less than a third of its total requirement -- driven by budgetary constraints and the need to speed up deliveries, people with knowledge of the matter said. The military pruned its original requirement of 5,720 sniper rifles and 10 million rounds of ammunition, which would have cost $140 million, to prioritize spending and advance the purchase of more modern equipment, they said, asking not to be identified as the information isn't public. Indian Army spokesman Aman Anand said he had no comment to offer on the change in procurement plans.
- WorldThe Telegraph
Chinese bishop 'on the run' after refusing to join state-sanctioned church
A Catholic bishop in China is believed to be on the run from state security after refusing to bring his church under a government-sanctioned religious association. Guo Xijin, 61, has fled the custody of state agents and has gone into hiding, reported Catholic Asia News, a website, and cannot be immediately reached for comment. Mr Guo is part of a group of bishops that many religious and human rights experts feared would be persecuted after the Vatican inked a deal with Beijing last year on the ordaining bishops.
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