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 PressIran names suspect in Natanz attack, says he fled country
Iran named a suspect Saturday in the attack on its Natanz nuclear facility that damaged centrifuges there, saying he had fled the country “hours before” the sabotage happened. While the extent of the damage from the April 11 sabotage remains unclear, it comes as Iran tries to negotiate with world powers over allowing the U.S. to re-enter its tattered nuclear deal with world powers and lift the economic sanctions it faces. Already, Iran has begun enriching uranium up to 60% purity in response — three times higher than ever before, though in small quantities.
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...
U.S.Miami HeraldHis coworkers were stealing his marijuana, police say. He’s now been charged with murder
Roland Day was convinced that three of his coworkers had rifled through his bag and stolen his marijuana. So he headed to the bus stop near a Home Depot where he knew the trio would be, got out of the car holding a gun and fired at least seven times, according to a police report. One of his coworkers, who was 21, was killed and two others were injured.
WorldThe TelegraphSNP accused of trying to ‘deceive’ Scots into independence with manifesto giveaways
Nicola Sturgeon has been accused of trying to con Scots into backing a new independence referendum with a series of unaffordable election giveaways. The Scottish Tories claimed that the Scottish budget would need to at least double if all of the policies and aspirations included in the SNP manifesto were to be implemented. The spending splurge promised by Ms Sturgeon includes free bikes for poorer children, an end to NHS dentistry charges, free bus travel for young people and a laptop or tablet for every school pupil.
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.
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.
U.S.Raleigh News and ObserverHow to spot and correctly identify North Carolina’s six venomous snakes
Along with the warmer weather of spring and summer months, North Carolinians know anytime they are outdoors to keep an eye out for things that slither. Especially in the springtime, when snakes are becoming more active and are more likely to cross our paths, it's good to know the venomous (sometimes incorrectly referred to as poisonous) snakes from the harmless ones, which are beneficial to keep around. A good rule of thumb is that most venomous snakes have a triangular or diamond-shaped head, while nonvenomous snakes have a tapered head.
WorldThe TelegraphIndependent Scotland's 'immediate priority' would be to join EU Single Market, says Alex Salmond
Spending watchdog launches probe into Greensill's access to Covid support schemes Ministry of Justice dragged into lobbying scandal Calls for 'urgent reform' of Whitehall second job rules Michel Barnier raises warning over Frexit Coronavirus latest news: 77 cases of new Indian variant found in UK 'a cause for concern', says expert Alex Salmond has said the "immediate priority" of an independent Scotland would be to get back into the EU's Single Market. The former first minister, who is campaigning for his new independence party Alba, told Sky News that Scotland had been "dragged out of the EU against our will", adding that he would seek to "get back into the Single Market, as we can do that...
BusinessReutersWorld stocks at new peaks on strong China, U.S. data
NEW YORK/LONDON (Reuters) -Gold prices hit a seven-week high and global stocks scaled new records on Friday after strong U.S. and Chinese economic data bolstered expectations of a solid global recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. Government stimulus, strong corporate earnings from U.S. banks and in Europe, along with signs of economic recovery in countries leading the COVID-19 vaccination race have all helped push stock market indexes to new heights this week. MSCI's broadest gauge of world stocks rose 0.42% to an all-time peak, lifted by surging European shares and lesser gains on Wall Street where both the Dow Industrial and benchmark S&P 500 posted their fourth week of successive gains.
U.S.LA TimesLong Beach wants to help Biden house immigrant children. But are city leaders ready?
When the White House called Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia last week to ask if his city would help house unaccompanied immigrant children recently arrived at the U.S.-Mexico border, he didn't hesitate. It was personal for Garcia, who emigrated with his family from Peru to the U.S. at 5 years old. The 43-year-old up-and-coming progressive politician empathized with the immigrant children and wanted to help the Biden administration avert a humanitarian crisis.
ScienceBBCPhilippines: Giant clam shells worth $25m seized in raid
Around 200 tonnes of illegally harvested giant clam shells worth nearly $25 million (£18 million) have been seized in the Philippines. The seizure is one of the largest ever hauls of the endangered species. Four suspects have been arrested on an island in the ecologically protected province of Palawan.
WorldLA TimesBiden and Japan's prime minister meet, reaffirming their alliance amid China's rise
President Biden welcomed Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga at the White House on Friday, his first face-to-face meeting with a foreign leader and a clear signal to an increasingly aggressive China about the shared commitment to strategic cooperation between the United States and Japan. "Our cooperation is vital in my view — and I think in both our views — to meeting the challenges that face our nations and ensuring the region remains free and open and prosperous," Biden said to Suga as reporters briefly were allowed in the room where the leaders met across a long table flanked by top advisors. Suga expressed gratitude for being Biden's first foreign visitor and condolences for the victims of the deadly shooting overnight at a FedEx plant in Indianapolis.
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
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.
CelebrityThe TelegraphPrinces William and Harry to be reunited before Prince Philip's funeral
The Duke of Cambridge and the Duke of Sussex will be reunited behind closed doors at Windsor Castle on Saturday before laying their beloved grandfather to rest. Members of the Royal family including Prince William and Prince Harry will gather in the State Entrance Hall before the Duke of Edinburgh's coffin emerges from the State Entrance at 2.41pm. In an apparent sign of ongoing tensions between the brothers, they will not walk shoulder to shoulder in the funeral procession but will be separated by their cousin Peter Phillips, the Queen's eldest grandchild.
- NewsKFSN – Fresno
Clovis police searching for shooting suspect
Clovis police are searching for 36-year-old Troy Clowers, who they say shot his sister's girlfriend at her Harlan Ranch home during an argument on Thursday night.
U.S.Business InsiderA prisoner was 'covered in filth and barking like a dog' after 600 days of solitary confinement in a Virginia jail
Tyquine Lee, 28, spent over 600 days in solitary at Red Onion prison in Virginia from 2016 to 2018. Red Onion is a supermax prison treated as an 'end of the line' facility within the penal system. adults and children are held in segregation in US prisons, according to the most recent data.
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.
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.
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.
CelebrityThe TelegraphPrince Philip funeral: Royal Family has 'not been able to say goodbye to Duke of Edinburgh in the way they'd hoped or planned'- latest updates
Prince Philip obituary 1921-2021 Minute-by-minute: The funeral timings How to watch Prince Philip's funeral Why Peter Phillips is the ideal peacemaker to stand between William and Harry Prince Philip's custom-made Land Rover hearse design unveiled The Order of Service: follow from home What the funeral tells us about Prince Philip The Archbishop of Canterbury has said the Royal Family have not been able to say goodbye to Prince Philip "in the way they'd hoped or planned". Justin Welby said the public will "never fail to admire" the Queen's composure in the wake of her husband's passing.
WorldUSA TODAY'The progress Afghanistan has made ... will all be for naught,' retired general fears
The consensus of Afghanistan's future after the withdrawal of U.S. troops by Sept. 11 is grim, according to some U.S. experts. The estimated 2,500 U.S. troops that President Joe Biden has ordered home offered some slim assurance that the Afghan government could withstand the Taliban insurgency that has reemerged across the country of 37 million. Without those forces in place, the same negative trends – the ascendance of the once-topped Taliban, the descent of the U.S.-supported Afghan government and erosion of rights and protection for women and children – will likely accelerate, some say.
WorldThe IndependentBabies dying from Covid in Brazil as ‘humanitarian catastrophe’ hits country
As some countries look towards an end to the coronavirus pandemic, Brazil is facing an ever-worsening crisis, with overwhelmed health systems and a soaring death toll leading to a significant number of babies dying from Covid-19. The South American country's seven-day rolling average for deaths reached more than 3,000 this month, as the medical NGO Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) warned that a “humanitarian catastrophe” was unfolding due to government mismanagement of the pandemic. Dr Christos Christou, MSF's international president, said far-right leader Jair Bolsonaro's government had all but refused to introduce “evidence-based comprehensive public health guidelines”.
“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.”