- WorldReuters
WRAPUP 10-U.S. says Navy ship 'destroyed' Iranian drone in Gulf
The United States said on Thursday that a U.S. Navy ship had "destroyed" an Iranian drone in the Strait of Hormuz after the aircraft threatened the vessel, but Iran said it had no information about losing a drone. In the latest episode to stir tensions in the Gulf, U.S. President Donald Trump told an event at the White House that the drone had flown to within 1,000 yards (metres) of the USS Boxer and had ignored "multiple calls to stand down." "This is the latest of many provocative and hostile actions by Iran against vessels operating in international waters.
- NewsUSA TODAY
Dominican Republic to enhance food and drink inspections after tourist deaths
The Dominican Republic Ministry of Tourism is amping up safety measures after the Caribbean vacation destination made headlines for a spate of tourist deaths. Minister of Tourism Francisco Javier García announced Thursday that programs are being implemented immediately throughout the country to strengthen travelers' confidence, according to a press release. Most notably, as some deaths have reportedly happened after tourists have consumed alcohol from hotel mini-bars, the new measures include tightening inspections on food and beverages in tourist destinations.
- NewsThe Independent
Chappaquiddick 50 years on: The car crash that forever tarnished Ted Kennedy
Heavily favoured to win the Democratic nomination for the presidency, Ted Kennedy looked set to square-off against Republican incumbent Richard Nixon at the 1972 election. A car crash in Chappaquiddick would claim the life of a young female political campaigner and forever tarnish his reputation. On 18 July, 1969, Kennedy, aged 37 at the time, had been attending a party on Chappaquiddick Island, part of the affluent Massachusetts resort Martha's Vineyard.
WorldAFPAustralian detained in China expected to be charged: lawyer
An Australian national who was detained in China on national security grounds is expected to be formally charged, his lawyer said Thursday, amid tensions between Canberra and Beijing. Chinese-Australian author and democracy advocate Yang Jun, whose pen name is Yang Hengjun, was detained in January shortly after making a rare return to China from the United States. The foreign ministry in Beijing said then he was suspected of endangering "China's national security" -- which often implies espionage allegations.
- NewsThe Telegraph
Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman accuses US government of 'torture' as he is sentenced to life in prison
Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman has been sentenced to life in prison plus 30 years by a judge in New York. Guzman pleaded with Judge Brian Cogan to be lenient, telling the court - in his first public remarks - that he had been subject to "torture" while in US custody. Guzman, who used a translator, continued reading from a piece of paper.
- Lifestylemotorious
Rally Red 1972 Dodge Challenger Shows Off Its Muscles
If you have been in the market for an iconic American muscle car, then you're in luck. GR Auto Gallery is pleased to announce this bold and beautiful 1972 Dodge Challenger up for sale. Dressed in a brilliant Rally Red paint job, the exterior shines at every angle and is in pristine condition.
- LifestyleDelish
Your Kids Won't Have Any Room For Candy After These Halloween Dinner Ideas
Halloween fun should go way beyond just candy. From Delish
PoliticsFOX News VideosSeattle-based restaurant chain declares bankruptcy, cites high minimum wage
Restaurants Unlimited says high wage expenses for workers could not be offset by profits; Dan Springer reports as the House prepares to vote on a federal minimum wage hike.
- WorldAssociated Press
Turkey calls on US to reverse decision on F-35 exclusion
The U.S. decision to exclude Turkey from an American-led fighter jet program goes against the "spirit of alliance," the Turkish government said Thursday, and called on its NATO ally to reverse the decision. In a major break with a longtime ally, U.S. President Donald Trump's administration on Wednesday said Turkey is being kicked out of the F-35 program because it is buying the Russian S-400 air defense system. Washington says the S-400 would compromise the F-35 program and aid Russian intelligence.
- PoliticsBloomberg
House Vote to Repeal Obamacare Tax Shows Health Care Tension
The House voted overwhelmingly to repeal a tax Wednesday intended to fund the Affordable Care Act, preserving tax breaks for employer-sponsored insurance plans favored by large corporations. In a reversal of the usual partisan roles, Democrats rather than Republicans led the charge to kill a key part of Obamacare. The bill to repeal the levy commonly known as the “Cadillac tax” passed 419-6 with bipartisan support.
- WorldReuters
UPDATE 1-U.S. amphibious group patrols Arabian Sea as Iran tensions simmer
At a thumbs-up sign from a sailor, a U.S. Harrier fighter jet takes off from the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer in the Arabian Sea as an oil tanker passes, a nautical mile away. The patrol is "standard" but the situation - growing tension between the United States and Iran - is not. "We want to make sure that we assure allies in the region and to ensure freedom of navigation and free flow of commerce," says Colonel Fridrik Fridrikson, commanding officer of the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit.
- CelebrityUSA TODAY
'Not what your mom sent you:' Teen takes legendary senior photos in a bathrobe
When Tiffany Clark, owner of Chaos and Clark Photography, went to pick up her cousin for his senior photo session, she wasn't expecting anything crazy. Evan Dennison got in the car wearing sweatpants and carrying a bag. Clark asked him where his clothes were. Dennison assured her they were in his bag and he would change once they got to their location.
WorldAFPSouth Koreans boycott Japan beer in brewing trade row
Beer-loving South Koreans angered by a trade row with Tokyo are boycotting Japanese brews in a surge of patriotism that has even seen popular beauty bloggers targeted. Japan this month unveiled tough restrictions on exports crucial to tech titans like Samsung, fuelling fears about the impact on the global tech sector, while South Korea's central bank warned it could have "no small impact" on the economy. "This is a sudden drop we haven't seen for a long time," an E-Mart official told AFP, adding that sales of Korean beer brands were up around seven percent in the same period.
- NewsMashable
America will roast for 4 days
The National Weather Service (NWS) noted that 20 to 30 high temperature records could fall between the Rockies and the East Coast. There will be little relief even at night: The weather agency expects 123 records for the warmest daily low temperature to be either broken or tied this week. The NWS labeled this excessive heat as "scorching." On Saturday in Washington D.C., the confluence of humidity and air temperatures are forecast to produce a heat index (or feeling) of around 110 F. Meteorologist Michael Ventrice called these forecasted conditions "dangerously hot." Indeed, heat waves kill more Americans than any other weather event.
- NewsThe National Interest
Marine Corps Tells Rep. Duncan Hunter He Can’t Use Trademarked Corps Material for His Campaign
"It is personally disappointing to Congressman Hunter that he is now being told that he cannot use this motto or image that thousands of Marines like Congressman Hunter, who went to war under this banner, have used for tattoos, coins, and multiple other items of personal sentiment," Harrison told Task & Purpose. Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) has been told to stop using the Marine Corps' emblem and the 1st Marine Division's motto in his campaign literature, Corps officials confirmed. The Marine Corps Trademark Licensing Office has sent Hunter, a Marine veteran, a cease and desist letter telling him to quit using the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor emblem along with the phrase, "No Better Friend, No Worse Enemy," on a fundraising mailer that accuses his political opponent of having links to terrorism, NBC News first reported on Wednesday.
- ScienceTime
Here's Every Single Mission to the Moon in One Chart
Humans started to work in earnest to get to the moon in the 1950s, when the U.S. and U.S.S.R. initiated a bracing Cold War space race. The Soviets drew first blood in 1959: in that one year, Luna 1 became the first spacecraft to reach the moon. Luna 2 was the first to reach the lunar surface, and Luna 3 sent back the first images of the dark side of the moon.
- PoliticsYahoo News
Biden looks to overturn Trump's undoing of Obama's foreign policy legacy, but Iraq remains a question mark
The Green New Deal is spurring debate on the crucial issue of climate change, which could also play a role in a possible Republican challenge to Donald Trump. Yahoo News will be examining these and other policy questions in “The Ideas Election” — a series of articles on how candidates are defining and addressing the most important issues facing the United States as it prepares to enter a new decade. Since he became president, Donald Trump has seemed singularly focused on undoing the accomplishments of his predecessor, Barack Obama, especially when it comes to foreign policy.
- WorldAssociated Press
7,800 police in Philippines punished for deadly drug raids
Thousands of Philippine police officers have received administrative punishments with more than 2,000 dismissed for wrongdoings during raids where drug suspects were killed under the president's crackdown, officials said Thursday. Communications Assistant Secretary Marie Rafael Banaag told a news conference that 14,724 police were investigated for their involvement in police drug operations that led to deaths from July 2016 until last April. A tally presented by Banaag showed that 2,367 police officers have been fired, 4,100 suspended while the rest were reprimanded, demoted, had their salaries forfeited or deprived of certain privileges.
- NewsPolitico
Flynn had $4.6M unpaid legal tab, records show
Michael Flynn built up unpaid legal bills of more than $4.6 million during the Trump-Russia investigation before parting ways with his attorneys last month, according to records introduced at a federal court trial this week. Law firm Covington & Burling appears to have billed Flynn about $5 million after he became a client in early 2017, when his lobbying and consulting work came under Justice Department scrutiny. Covington partners Robert Kelner and Stephen Anthony initially helped the retired Army lieutenant general and his consulting firm, Flynn Intel Group, navigate a Justice Department inquiry into the firm's work on Turkey-related issues.
- BusinessReuters
Pakistan lost $50 million from airspace restrictions: minister
Pakistan's aviation minister on Thursday said that his country suffered loses of over eight billion rupees ($50 million) from airspace restrictions imposed since February which affected hundreds of commercial and cargo flights. Pakistan closed its airspace after an attack by a Pakistan-based militant group in Indian-controlled Kashmir led to clashes between the nuclear-armed powers, adding flight time for passengers and fuel costs for airlines. “Over eight billion rupees worth of losses have been suffered by the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority,” Ghulam Sarwar Khan, Pakistan's aviation minister told a press conference in Karachi.
- WorldThe Independent
Satellite images ‘show US military buildup in Saudi Arabia’ amid Iran tensions
The United States is preparing to send hundreds of troops to Saudi Arabia where satellite images appear to show a build up of American forces on the ground. The moves would likely strengthen the US' controversial relationship with Saudi Arabia, while also responding to rising tensions with Iran which escalated dramatically in recent months. After the US unilaterally withdrew from a landmark 2015 nuclear deal last year and reimposed tight sanctions, Iran announced in July that it had surpassed limits on enriched uranium imposed in the agreement.
- LifestylePopular Mechanics
A Closer Look at Chevy's Mid-Engine Corvette...From 1988?
Surely the Corvette Indy will elevate Chevy's sacred nameplate beyond mere world class into the rarefied regions of the Porsche 959, Ferrari Testarossa and Lamborghini Countach. Although GM normally resists lower-volume exotics, the Corvette Indy has gone well beyond its original scope. What began as a concept car for the 1986 Detroit Auto Show has expanded into a full-scale prototype program.
WorldAFPTiger, rhinos flee to higher ground in India's flood-hit Assam
A tiger escaped from a wildlife park in India's flood-ravaged Assam and stretched out on a shophouse bed Thursday, startling residents and shining a spotlight on the plight of animals caught up in the deluge. The adult tiger -- weighing more than 200 pounds (90 kilogrammes) -- was like many other beasts in the World Heritage-listed Kaziranga National Park, trying to reach dry land as the reserve became submerged by heavy rains. Wild buffalos running in floodwaters, exhausted rhinos resting on patches of land and elephants crossing a road were some of the unusual sights as rangers raced to reach animals struggling in the waters.
- BusinessThe National Interest
Why the Air Force's F-15 EX Fighter Would Get Crushed by Russia In a War
David Axe Technology, Europe A problem? While an F-35 can carry 22,000 pounds of munitions to a ceiling of 50,000 feet and a distance of 670 miles at a top speed of Mach 1.6, the F-15EX can haul 29,500 pounds of weapons as high as 60,000 feet and as far as 1,100 miles at a top speed of Mach 2.5. The debate continues over the Pentagon's proposal to buy new F-15EX Eagle fighters from Boeing to complement Lockheed Martin-made F-35 stealth fighters.
- WorldBloomberg
China Is Drafting Urgent Plan to Resolve Hong Kong Chaos, SCMP Says
Chinese officials in charge of Hong Kong affairs are working on an urgent strategy to solve the city's political chaos and have ruled out the use of military force, the South China Morning Post reported, citing unidentified people familiar with the discussions. They will soon present top leaders in Beijing with both an immediate plan to handle the mass protests and a longer-term strategy that could result in China overhauling its management of the former British colony, the newspaper said, without elaborating on a date. Beijing maintains that the crisis is best left for Hong Kong authorities to resolve and doesn't want to get directly involved, according to the report.
