NewsAssociated PressLawyer: US Navy veteran held in Iran sentenced to 10 years
A U.S. Navy veteran from California has been sentenced to 10 years in prison in Iran, his lawyer said Saturday, becoming the first American known to be imprisoned there since President Donald Trump took office. Iran, which in the past has used its detention of Westerners and dual nationals as leverage in negotiations, has yet to report on White's sentence in state-controlled media. "Obviously the concern is that the Iranians are using this as a tool against the United States, given the other individuals who are in custody," Washington-based lawyer Mark Zaid told The Associated Press.
- WorldBloomberg
Venezuela's Maduro Asks Cabinet Ministers to Offer Resignations
Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro asked his cabinet ministers to offer their resignations in a sign he wants to reshuffle leadership among those closest to him. President @NicolasMaduro has asked the entire Executive Cabinet to offer their charges for resignation for the purpose of a profound reorganization of the methods and operation of the Bolivarian government to shield the Homeland of Bolivar and Chavez from any threat,” Vice President Delcy Rodriguez said in a tweet. Maduro's verified account retweeted the message.
- NewsUSA TODAY
Here's the biggest news you missed this weekend
Ethiopia's transport minister on Sunday said “clear similarities'' were found between the Ethiopian Airlines crash that killed 157 people a week ago and a fatal Lion Air crash Oct. 29 in Indonesia. Information from flight data and voice recorders, or black boxes, confirmed data indicating the doomed flights — both of which involved the now-grounded Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft — followed comparable paths, Transport Minister Dagmawit Moges said. Pilots in both instances encountered problems controlling the plane shortly after takeoff and tried to return to the airport but nosedived before making it back. The death toll in the mosque shootings that shook New Zealand rose to 50 people on Saturday, with victims ranging in age from 2 years old to over 60, according to local news reports.
- BusinessWTVD – Raleigh/Durham
French aviation experts see clear links in Boeing crashes in Ethiopia, Indonesia
The French civil aviation investigation bureau BEA has concluded there were "clear similarities" between this month's crash of an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 MAX plane and a Lion Air plane crash last October.
PoliticsYahoo NewsLast prosecutor on Michael Flynn case departs Mueller's office
A high-profile counterterrorism prosecutor who handled the guilty plea of retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn has departed Robert Mueller's team, according to a spokesman for the special counsel's office. “Zainab Ahmad has concluded her detail with the Special Counsel's Office but will continue to represent the office on specific pending matters that were assigned to her during her detail,” Peter Carr said in a statement. The announcement of Ahmad's departure comes on the heels of press reports that her colleague Andrew Weissman, the lead prosecutor on Paul Manafort's case, would leave the office in coming days.
WorldAFPFrench 'yellow vest' demos caused 170 mln euros damage: insurers
Claims for damage linked to three months of yellow vest protests in France have been estimated at 170 million euros ($190 million) even before this weekend's riots on the Champs-Elysees, the French Insurance Federation said on Monday. The FFA said that 10,000 claims had been filed since the outbreak of protests in November over fuel taxes, which then snowballed into a revolt against the governing style and policies of President Emmanuel Macron. Since the end of December, the number of protesters has fallen, but each Saturday thousands still take to the streets, including far-right and far-left groups as well as anarchists who are responsible for much of the violence.
BusinessReutersBrotherly love at Reliance? India's Mukesh Ambani provides 'support' to brother Anil as debt paid off
India's richest man Mukesh Ambani, who controls oil-to-telecoms powerhouse Reliance Industries that is now worth many times the troubled business group run by his younger brother Anil, appears to have offered some kind of support to ensure Anil paid off a 5.5 billion rupees ($80 million) debt. If Anil didn't pay the debt, then he had been threatened by India's Supreme Court with a prison term. The nature of the backing and how it was delivered is unclear, but in a statement Anil Ambani thanked his billionaire brother "for standing by me during these trying times, and demonstrating the importance of staying true to our strong family values by extending this timely support".
- NewsThe Independent
California poppies: City declares public safety crisis after 'super bloom apocalypse'
Officials in the California city of Lake Elisnore are used to large crowds coming to see the wildflowers that burst into a vibrant blaze of gorgeous colour as spring gets underway. As a result, the city was forced to say “no” to visitors after what some officials termed a “super bloom apocalypse”. “The city has expended all available resources to address the #SuperBloom," they wrote on the the city's Instagram page.
NewsAssociated PressThe Latest: Downstream Missouri River prepares for flooding
As rivers and creeks in flooded eastern Nebraska and western Iowa crest Saturday, officials have begun looking downstream at likely flooding further south along the Missouri River. The Jefferson City News-Tribune reports Missouri Gov. Mike Parson met with emergency management team members Friday to review and update flood-response plans. The Missouri Highway Patrol is preparing additional equipment, and swift water rescue personnel are on standby.
WorldAFPDutch police arrest tram attack suspect after huge manhunt
Dutch police on Monday arrested a Turkish-born suspect over a possible terror attack on a tram in the city of Utrecht that left three people dead and five wounded. Heavily armed officers later surrounded a building following the bloodshed in the Netherlands' fourth largest city and his arrest was dramatically announced at the end of a news conference. Dutch authorities said they were still investigating a likely terrorist motive for the attack but said they "cannot exclude" other motives, including a family dispute.
- NewsU.S.News & World Report
3 Things Students Should Know About AP Registration Changes
The College Board, the not-for-profit organization that oversees the Advanced Placement program, recently announced its plans to alter AP registration policies. Since this decision directly affects students who are considering enrolling in AP courses, you must know exactly which changes will take place, as well as when. -- AP exam registration will now take place in November.
- NewsUSA TODAY
New Zealand PM vows tighter gun laws after death toll in Christchurch terror attack rises to 50
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern reiterated her promise for changes to the country's gun laws Sunday, two days after a gunman killed 50 people in a terrorist attack on two mosques in the city of Christchurch. Ardern said at a news conference that laws need to change and “they will change.” She said her Cabinet will discuss the policy details Monday. New Zealand has fewer restrictions on rifles or shotguns than many countries.
NewsAssociated PressKansas hopes to resurrect proof-of-citizenship voting law
Kansas' solicitor general on Monday called on a federal appeals court to reinstate the state's law requiring people to provide proof of citizenship before they can register to vote, saying problems with how it was enforced during the three years it was in place are fixable. During a hearing before a three-judge panel of the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Salt Lake City in a case with national implications for voting rights, Judge Jerome Holmes questioned attorneys for the state and for plaintiffs who succeeded in getting a lower court to overturn the law, which was in effect from 2013 until 2016. Solicitor General Toby Crouse said there were problems with the way the law was implemented, but he argued that the state should be able to ensure that ballots are cast legally and called on the court to resurrect the law.
- BusinessCar and Driver
Photos of the 2020 Bentley Continental GT V8
It gives up four cylinders and some power to the W-12 but still promises to be plenty quick. From Car and Driver
- WorldBloomberg
South Korea Says It's Considering Holding Talks With North Korea
South Korea said it's considering holding talks with North Korea in efforts to help improve relations between the latter and the U.S. since their summit fell apart in Vietnam last month. South Korea's Blue House presidential office confirmed a Yonhap News Agency report that it's mulling a meeting with its reclusive neighbor. Both the U.S. and North Korea “absolutely don't want” to revert to the situation before 2017 when there was conflict and confrontation, Yonhap cited an unidentified high-level official at the Blue House as saying.
WorldReutersIsraeli rabbi, wounded in Palestinian attack, dies: hospital
An Israeli rabbi died on Monday of wounds from a Palestinian attack a day earlier in the occupied West Bank in which a soldier was killed - an incident that played into Israeli politics three weeks before a national election. The rabbi, Achiad Ettinger, 47, was a father of 12 and a resident of a Jewish settlement in the West Bank. He was shot on Sunday shortly after the soldier was stabbed to death at an intersection on a busy highway in the territory.
WorldAFP'Clear similarities' between Boeing crashes in Ethiopia, Indonesia
Flight recorder data recovered from the wreckage of Boeing 737 MAX planes that crashed in Ethiopia and Indonesia shows "clear similarities," Addis Ababa said Sunday as the US maker announced it was finalizing a software update for its under fire anti-stall system. Pressure was mounting meanwhile on the US Federal Aviation Administration, which insisted it had followed standard procedures in certifying the plane model, even as it was reported to have come under investigation by the Department of Transport. "The 737 MAX certification program followed the FAA's standard certification process," the agency said in an email to AFP.
NewsAssociated PressThe Latest: Up to 500 homes damaged in 1 Nebraska county
The state's emergency management agency says more record crests are expected in various rivers by Tuesday. Nebraska has had much of the worst of the late-winter flooding that's been seen across the Midwest. Hundreds of homes are damaged and the state says 660 people are staying in shelters.
WorldAFPSaudi crown prince approved 'intervention' against dissidents: report
More than a year before the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Saudi Arabia's powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman approved a secret campaign to silence dissenters, The New York Times reported on Sunday. American officials referred to it as the Saudi Rapid Intervention Group, the Times said. At least some of the clandestine missions were carried out by members of the team that killed and dismembered Khashoggi in October at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, suggesting his murder was part of a wider campaign against dissidents, the report said, citing the US officials and associates of some Saudi victims.
- WorldThe Telegraph
Mesut Ozil sparks new political row over wedding invite for Turkish president
The footballer Mesut Özil has become embroiled in a new political row in Germany over reports he asked Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Turkey's president, to be guest of honour at his wedding. The Arsenal star resigned from the German national team last year claiming he was a victim of racism after coming under fire over his public support for Mr Erdoğan . German politicians spoke out after he was pictured with his fiancee, Amine Gulse, meeting Mr Erdoğan at Istanbul airport last week.
- BusinessCar and Driver
Every New Compact Crossover and SUV Ranked from Worst to Best
Pick out the right right-sized and right-priced SUV. From Car and Driver
BusinessUSA TODAYSouthwest Airlines launches Hawaii service from Oakland to Honolulu with new snacks, in-flight hula dancing
Southwest Airlines' Hawaii service debuted Sunday, finally giving the nation's largest domestic carrier a footprint in the vacation hot spot. Southwest Flight 6808, a 5 1/2-hour nonstop flight from Oakland, California, to Honolulu, landed at 2 p.m. local time. It was met by Hawaii Governor David Ige and Southwest Airlines President Tom Nealon. Passengers on the inaugural flight were treated to leis and in-flight hula dancing and were the first to sample the expanded snack pack that will be served on the no-frills airline's Hawaii flights.
- U.S.KGO – San Francisco
Report: Suspected Golden State Killer Joseph DeAngelo was arrested, then released by Sacramento police in 1996
The man accused of at least 13 murders and numerous sexual assaults, was once arrested and released by Sacramento police.
- PoliticsThe Independent
Congress to probe Trump administration's response to rising threat of white nationalism
The Democratic-controlled House Judiciary Committee has revealed plans to hold hearings on the rising threat of white nationalism. The planned hearings were first reported by the Daily Beast just days after a suspected shooter targeted two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, and released a lengthy manifesto that celebrated Donald Trump as a “symbol of renewed white identity and common purpose. Mr Trump then said during a televised appearance in the Oval Office that he did not believe white nationalism was an increasing threat in the US.
- WorldReuters
U.N. official condemns Hamas crackdown on Gaza protests
Cellular phone videos posted on social media showed Hamas security forces beating protesters with clubs, and gunshots could be heard. Nickolay Mladenov, the U.N. special coordinator for Middle East peace, said in a statement that "the long-suffering people Gaza" have a right to protest at "the dire economic situation" without fear of reprisal. "I strongly condemn the campaign of arrests and violence used by Hamas security forces against protesters, including women and children, in Gaza over the past three days," he said.
