WorldYahoo News'High probability' Biden's decision to pull U.S. troops from Afghanistan will cause its government to fall, expert says
Former White House adviser Richard Clarke said that there is a “high probability” that President Biden's decision to withdraw all U.S. troops from Afghanistan by Sept. 11 will result in the collapse of the Afghan government and a takeover of that country by the Taliban. “It's a very courageous move and it's not going to be politically great for him,” Clarke said in an interview on the Yahoo News “Skullduggery” podcast.
PoliticsThe WeekMarjorie Taylor Greene is leading an 'America First Caucus' that wants to uphold 'Anglo-Saxon political traditions'
In an effort to "follow in President Trump's footsteps," a new America First Caucus led by far-right lawmakers is seeking to protect "Anglo-Saxon political traditions." The new caucus is recruiting members, reports Punchbowl News, and is appealing to a "common respect for Anglo-Saxon political traditions," including pushing for infrastructure that "befits the progeny of European architecture." Punchbowl described the materials being distributed as "some of the most nakedly nativist rhetoric we've ever seen."
WorldAssociated Press1 killed, 12 wounded in market explosion in Iraq's capital
An explosion rocked a market in east Baghdad on Thursday, killing one person and injuring 12 others, according to Iraq's military. The military said the blast in the capital's Sadr City, in the Habibiya neighborhood, was caused by a car laden with highly explosive materials that blew up while passing through a popular used furniture market. Iraq's president condemned the attack, calling it a “shameless" attempt by terrorist groups to destabilize the country during the holy month of Ramadan.
U.S.AxiosMike Pompeo and his wife misused State Department resources, federal watchdog finds
The State Department's independent watchdog found that former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo violated federal ethics rules when he and his wife asked department employees to perform personal tasks on more than 100 occasions, including picking up their dog and making private dinner reservations. Why it matters: The report comes as Pompeo pours money into a new political group amid speculation about a possible 2024 presidential run. What they're saying: "OIG found evidence of over 100 requests to Department employees that are inconsistent with the Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch or raised questions about the proper use of Department resources," the State Depa...
LifestyleArchitectural DigestThe 9 Best Wireless Headphones for Every Kind of Use
From the most comfortable pair to the best value buy, these headphones will carry you through the spring, summer, and beyond Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
U.S.Associated PressUS likely to up Afghanistan force to ensure safe drawdown
The U.S. will likely increase its troop presence in Afghanistan temporarily over the coming weeks and months in order to fulfill President Joe Biden's order to safely withdraw all forces from the country by Sept. 11, the Pentagon said Friday. Pentagon chief spokesman John Kirby declined to provide specifics and said details are still being worked out. Biden announced Wednesday that the U.S. would pull all of its more than 2,500 troops out of Afghanistan by Sept. 11 — the 20th anniversary of the al-Qaida terror attack on the U.S. that had triggered the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan.
WorldBBCJimmy Lai: Hong Kong's rebel mogul and pro-democracy voice
The billionaire media mogul Jimmy Lai is one of the most prominent supporters of Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement. Mr Lai was 12 years old when he fled his village in mainland China, arriving in Hong Kong as a stowaway on a fishing boat. Like a number of the city's famed tycoons, he went from a menial role, toiling in a Hong Kong sweatshop, to founding a multi-million dollar empire.
WorldReutersOpponents of Myanmar military rule hold 'silent strike'
Opponents of military rule in Myanmar observed a "silent strike" on Friday, with many people staying home to mourn the more than 700 people killed in protests against a Feb. 1 coup and others wearing black held small marches in several cities and towns. Many Myanmar citizens, infuriated by the return of military rule after five years of civilian government led by democracy champion Aung San Suu Kyi, have been taking to the streets day after day with activists thinking up new ways to show opposition as the security forces step up their suppression. "Let's make the roads silent," protest leader Ei Thinzar Maung posted on her Facebook page.
U.S.The TelegraphPreviously unseen Prince Philip photos show his early sailing prowess
The Duke of Edinburgh's early nautical prowess was captured in photographs from his school days that have never previously been seen. Taken in 1937, Prince Philip is seen sitting confidently at the helm of Diligent, one of the sailing boats belonging to the boarding school in Scotland where he was educated, Gordonstoun. The teenage Duke was also pictured in a pose that belied the splendour of the years ahead, as he washed up dishes onboard the boat while grinning at the camera.
PoliticsAssociated PressA look at new Biden administration sanctions against Russia
The Biden administration on Thursday rolled out a sweeping set of sanctions on Russia over its election interference, hacking campaigns and other malign activity. The Treasury Department sanctioned 16 people and 16 entities related to Russia's election interference efforts. Additionally, the department took new action to sanction Yevgeniy Prigozhin, a backer of the Internet Research Agency, which carried out Russia's election interference campaign in 2016, and Konstantin Kilimnik, a Russian intelligence agent who falsely claimed Ukraine was behind the 2016 interference effort.
ScienceBBCCarbon Mapper satellite network to find super-emitters
A constellation of satellites will be flown this decade to try to pinpoint significant releases of climate-changing gases, in particular carbon dioxide and methane. The initiative is being led by an American non-profit organisation called Carbon Mapper. It will use technology developed by the US space agency over the past decade.
WorldReutersCanada's immigration initiative for Hong Kong residents receives over 500 applications early on
In November, the Canadian government said it would make it easier for Hong Kong youth to study and work in Canada in response to new security rules imposed by China on the former British colony. "In the first three weeks that the program was open (Feb. 8 to Feb. 28), IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada) received 503 applications for work permits and 10 applications for work permit extensions," press secretary Alexander Cohen said in an emailed statement.
WorldBBCRaúl Castro steps down as Cuban Communist Party leader
Raúl Castro says he is resigning as Cuban Communist Party leader, ending his family's six decades in power. Mr Castro, 89, told a party congress that he is handing over the leadership to a younger generation "full of passion and anti-imperialist spirit". The move, which was expected, ends the era of formal leadership by him and his brother Fidel Castro, which began with the 1959 revolution.
- WorldYahoo News Video
Daunte Wright's mother calls for accountability
On Thursday, Katie Wright, the mother of Daunte Wright, the 20-year-old Black man shot and killed by police in Brooklyn Center, Minn. expressed her grief and called for accountability for her son's death.
U.S.USA TODAYEvolution of a city's account of a killing: How Chicago's narrative changed in the fatal police shooting of Adam Toledo
In the wake of the release of body-camera videos of the fatal police shooting of 13-year-old Adam Toledo — which appear to show Adam's hands in the air when he was shot – many Chicagoans are calling attention to the city's changing narrative about what happened that early morning late last month. Hours after the incident, Chicago police labeled the incident an "armed confrontation." Following the release of the videos, City Council's Latino Caucus said in a statement "the body camera footage shows that Adam Toledo was an unarmed child whith his hands up when he was shot by a Chicago police officer."
WorldBBCWashington seeks to expose Russian intelligence activity
In a flurry of statements, the US published a vast trove of information about Russian intelligence activities, including naming front organisations and individuals who have worked with Moscow in recent years. The aim of the measures was to send a signal and to impose costs, making it harder for Russia to operate and deter future activity. One Russian tech company which supports the Federal Security Service (FSB) but also does work for foreign governments and international companies was accused of hosting "large-scale conventions that are used as recruiting events" for two Russian intelligence services.
U.S.The IndependentDaunte Wright protester shows CNN his can of soup, mocking 2020 Trump comments
Donald Trump's strange prophecy of weaponised soup appeared to become a reality on Wednesday night, thanks to one of the people protesting over Daunte Wright's death in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. I've been here all four nights. I'm just standing here today with soup for my family,” the protester told cnn >CNN's Sara Sidner, winking at the camera.
U.S.The IndependentNorth Carolina teacher killed in shoot-out after trying to rob Mexican drug cartel
A North Carolina teacher was killed during an “old Western shootout” when he and his brother-in-law tried to rob members of a Mexican drug cartel. Barney Harris, 40, was found dead inside a mobile home that authorities say was a stash house for the Jalisco New Generation Cartel in the state. Police say that Mr Harris and Steven Alexander Stewart had entered a mobile in Alamance County to wait for cartel member Alonso Beltran Lara to arrive so they could rob him of drugs and cash.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderGOP Reps. Lauren Boebert and Marjorie Taylor Greene were the only 'no' votes on a bill reauthorizing the National Marrow Donor Program
GOP Reps. Greene and Boebert voted against a bill that would renew the National Marrow Donor Program. "Nothing in this bill prevents the funding of aborted fetal tissue," a spokesman for Greene said. GOP Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Lauren Boebert of Colorado were the only members of Congress to vote against a bill that would provide patients who suffer from leukemia or other blood diseases access to potentially life-saving bone marrow transplants.
WorldBBCMasterChef winner: Tom Rhodes crowned 17th champion
A former Nando's worker has become the latest winner of BBC One's amateur cookery series MasterChef. Tom Rhodes was crowned champion after cooking a five-course lunch for lockdown heroes and serving up a dish at renowned restaurant Le Gavroche. The 31-year-old from Newcastle saw off competition from fellow finalists Mike Tomkins and Alexina Anatole.
CelebrityINSIDERMakeup brand Morphe is parting ways with beauty YouTuber James Charles amid reports he sent sexual messages to minors
Cosmetics brand Morphe is parting ways with beauty YouTuber James Charles. The move comes in light of allegations that Charles exchanged sexual messages with minors. Charles has said he did not know the teens were underage.
PoliticsThe IndependentFrom Asian hate crime to a minimum wage: 25 things Ted Cruz has voted against this year
The 'No' vote was criticised for being another controversial rejection of the Biden administration agenda, and follows voting against almost every Cabinet secretary of Mr Biden's in recent weeks – although the efforts, in the end, failed. All the bills Mr Cruz has voted 'No' to in the US Senate so for this year, are listed below: The US 2020 election results Not a bill, but infamous for coming in the hours after supporters of former president Donald Trump – wrongly citing election fraud – stormed the US Capitol in events that killed five people, including a Capitol Police officer.
PoliticsThe IndependentBiden news: Pence undergoes pacemaker operation as Sanders pays Trump rare compliment on Afghanistan
Former vice president Mike Pence is recovering after surgery to install a pacemaker, a small device to regulate a heartbeat. Mr Pence is expected to fully recover and return to normal activity in the coming days following the procedure, described as “routine surgery”. While Sanders praised Joe Biden's commitment to withdraw troops from Afghanistan before the 20th anniversary of September 11, he made clear it was a deal negotiated by the former president.
EntertainmentBBCTipping Point: Woman has voice reconstructed thanks to ITV show appearance
A Scottish woman who lost her speech after developing motor neurone disease (MND) has had it reconstructed using sounds from her appearance on the ITV gameshow Tipping Point. Helen Whitelaw appeared on the show in 2019, winning almost £3,000. She was diagnosed with MND the following year, after which her speech rapidly deteriorated.
CelebrityThe WeekHelen McCrory, Peaky Blinders and Harry Potter star, dies at 52
Peaky Blinders and Harry Potter actress Helen McCrory has died at 52 after a battle with cancer, her husband, actor Damian Lewis, has announced. Lewis on Friday said that McCrory, whom he married in 2007, died "peacefully at home, surrounded by a wave of love from friends and family," following a "heroic" cancer battle. McCrory was known best for her roles as Polly Gray on Peaky Blinders and as Narcissa Malfoy in the Harry Potter movies.
“There’s no ‘both sides of the debate’ when it comes to active voter suppression.”
“Companies that do this ooze contempt for their own customers and employees who are not in the leftmost quarter of opinion.”
“The truth is that Fortune 500 companies were never taking moral stances from the goodness of their corporate hearts.”
“The truth is, the companies hold the cards…If companies stick to their guns, Georgia is likely to back down as well.”
“When a company folds to the unfounded outrage of a few misinformed nuts, they are forever at the mob’s beck-and-call.”