WorldThe TelegraphBoris Johnson scraps plans for televised White House-style briefings from £2.6m studio
Boris Johnson's plans to hold White House-style press briefings have been abandoned, despite the Government spending £2.6million on a new Downing Street conference facility. In another major No 10 upheaval, it was confirmed on Tuesday that the Prime Minister had decided to axe the daily televised press conferences. The No 9 briefing room, which has only recently been renovated, will now be used by the Prime Minister, ministers and officials to hold press conferences.
U.S.NextSharkMan Who Harassed Olympian Sakura Kokumai Arrested After Assaulting Elderly Couple in OC Park
A man who was filmed harassing Olympic athlete Sakura Kokumai weeks ago in Orange County has been arrested after also allegedly attacking an elderly Korean American couple in the same location. Michael Vivona, 25, was apprehended by Orange police for punching a 79-year-old man and 80-year-old woman in their faces at Grijalva Park on Sunday evening, LA Times reported. On 4/18/21 officers arrested 25-year-old Michael Vivona from Corona for assaulting an elderly Korean American couple.
WorldAxiosAfter nuclear talks, Iran's president says deal could be reached soon
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Tuesday, after another round of nuclear talks in Vienna, that an agreement can be reached in a short time if the U.S. acts with "honesty." Why it matters: Rouhani's optimism comes as representatives of Iran and other world powers, including the U.S., are about to start drafting a plan to restore the 2015 nuclear deal. "The talks in Vienna have progressed about 60, 70% and if the Americans act within the framework of honesty, we will achieve results in a short time."
- WorldAssociated Press
UN rights experts seek more information about Dubai princess
Independent experts working with the U.N. human rights office on Tuesday called on the United Arab Emirates' government to provide more details about the fate of a daughter of Dubai's powerful ruler who has claimed she was taken hostage. The experts called for the immediate release of Sheikha Latifia bint Mohammed Al Maktoum, who turned up in videos broadcast by the BBC two months ago in which she questioned whether she would survive. “We are alarmed that, following the public release in February of footage in which Sheikha Latifa reported being deprived of her liberty against her will, and the subsequent official request for further information on her situation, no concrete information has been provided by the authorities,” said the experts, who have been contracted as independent advisers to the United Nations by the U.N.-backed Human Rights Council.
U.S.Fort Worth Star-TelegramToddler dies after he’s hit by driver delivering calves to farm, Indiana sheriff says
A toddler died after he was run over on a farm in Indiana, officials say. The LaGrange County Sheriff's Office says a man was delivering calves Monday to the farm near Wolcottville in northeastern Indiana, WANE reported. After speaking with the driver, the boy's father and his siblings went to a barn to prepare for the calves and the driver reversed his pickup truck with a trailer, The News Sun reported.
U.S.NBC News'I'm also a police officer': Arizona deputy uses racial slur, pleads for release after being pulled over for DUI
Newly obtained body camera video captured an Arizona sheriff's deputy using a racial slur and pleading to be let off the hook after an officer pulled him over in December on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol. Pinal County Sheriff's Deputy Julian Navarrette was stopped after an Arizona State University police officer observed him speeding and swerving about 2 a.m. Dec. 5 in Tempe, according to an ASU police report. Navarrette was out with friends at the time of the arrest, the report said.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderKevin McCarthy jumps on Marjorie Taylor Greene's bandwagon, saying he'll introduce his own resolution to censure Maxine Waters for her 'dangerous comments'
House minority leader Kevin McCarthy plans to introduce his own resolution to censure Maxine Waters. McCarthy announced his decision after Marjorie Taylor Greene said she wanted to "expel" Waters for "inciting Black Lives Matter terrorism." Waters has maintained that she did not encourage violence when she spoke to protesters near Brooklyn Center, Minneapolis.
U.S.The IndependentBiden calls George Floyd’s family to pray for them ahead of Derek Chauvin verdict
George Floyd's younger brother says President Biden called his family to say he was “praying” for them. “He was just calling,” Philonise Floyd told NBC's TODAY Show on Tuesday. The Floyd family – and the rest of the country – are now anxiously awaiting the verdict, which come within hours or even weeks.
U.S.Associated PressSheriff: Woman purposely drove into teens playing basketball
A white North Carolina woman was charged with driving her car into a yard where three Black teenagers were playing basketball, injuring one of them. A Pitt County Sheriff's Office news release said deputies responded Sunday afternoon to a report of a child intentionally hit by a car in Greenville. The news release said that Daina Renee Forrest, 35, of Greenville, had been driving around and threatening the three teens by waving a knife and cursing.
- NewsWLS – Chicago
Cars stolen from LaPorte dealership seen driving at over 150 mph: ISP
Four cars stolen this weekend from a LaPorte dealership were seen driving down I-80/94 at over 150 mph, Indiana State Police said.
LifestyleArchitectural DigestThe Best (and Most Beautiful) Watering Cans to Keep Your Plants Alive and Thriving
Helpful, well-designed pour decor Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
WorldReutersQuebec to appeal court ruling on disputed religious symbols law
MONTREAL (Reuters) -The Canadian province of Quebec said on Tuesday it would appeal a court ruling that exempts some teachers and provincial politicians from a controversial law that bans public employees from wearing religious symbols. The ruling, which upheld most of a 2019 law, stops it from applying to educators in Quebec's minority English-language school boards since they hold special rights over education under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Quebec Justice Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette said the decision would be appealed to ensure that it applies to all.
WorldThe TelegraphScottish drug deaths to rise to new record this year, experts warn
Scotland's appalling drug death tally will "undoubtedly" rise to a new record this year, experts warned yesterday after Nicola Sturgeon admitted her government "took our eye off the ball". Annemarie Ward, chief executive of the recovery organisation FAVOR Scotland, said the "situation on the ground is getting worse" despite Ms Sturgeon announcing more than £250 million of new funding and sacking her public health minister. Ms Ward, an SNP member, warned "the current system is broken" and users in the areas with the worst drugs problem, such as Glasgow, are still being denied access to treatment.
U.S.Fort Worth Star-TelegramDriver lies about crash with 18-wheeler to cover up fatal hit-and-run, SC officials say
A South Carolina woman said a recent crash with a big-rig was her “first accident ever,” but there was just one problem — authorities say it was a lie. A judge denied bond Saturday for Casey Marie Schinestuhl, who is accused of hitting 18-year-old Elijah Major while he walked to work in Spartanburg early Friday and then fabricating a story about an 18-wheeler crashing into her car as an apparent cover-up, WYFF reported. Schinestuhl, 24, is charged with hit-and-run leaving the scene with death, according to the South Carolina Highway Patrol.
WorldReutersBritain to add India to COVID-19 travel red-list - health minister
Britain will add India to its travel "red-list" on Friday after detecting 103 cases of a coronavirus variant first identified in the country, health minister Matt Hancock said on Monday. "We've made the difficult but vital decision to add India to the Red List. This means anyone who is not a UK or Irish resident or a British citizen cannot enter the UK if they've been in India in the previous 10 days," Hancock told parliament.
U.S.Business InsiderFlorida county sheriff tells new residents 'don't register to vote and vote the stupid way you did up north'
A sheriff said he welcomed transplants to the Sunshine State, as long as they vote the right way. "Don't register to vote and vote the stupid way you did up north," the Polk County sheriff said. Weighing in on a debate about the effect of new residents on Florida politics, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd proposed a simple solution on Monday.
U.S.BBCBig cats: US senators seek ban on private ownership of lions and tigers
US Senate lawmakers are proposing to ban private ownership of big cats such as lions and tigers in the wake of the Netflix documentary series Tiger King. Support for the Big Cat Public Safety Act, which would also ban public contact with big cat cubs, was announced by four bipartisan senators. The US has more captive tigers than there are wild ones around the world.
U.S.USA TODAYHere are the jurors who will decide whether Derek Chauvin is guilty of murder in George Floyd's death
Over about two weeks last month, lawyers for the prosecution and defense quizzed potential jurors about their knowledge of Floyd's death, their opinions of Chauvin, and their attitudes about police, racial injustice, and the protests and rioting that followed Floyd's death. Several believe the criminal justice system needs to be reformed. Discussing her opinion about Black Lives Matter, one woman responded, “I am Black, and my life matters."
LifestyleKansas City StarMcDonald’s is testing a new chicken breakfast sandwich in Sacramento. What to know
McDonald's chicken sandwich is getting a breakfast makeover. The fast food giant has rolled out the Crispy Chicken Breakfast Sandwich at some stores in the Sacramento area, KXTV reported. The sandwich features a fried chicken filet topped with applewood smoked bacon and a honey sauce, sandwiched between your choice of a biscuit or English muffin, according to Delish.
PoliticsThe IndependentBiden news: White House warns Russia of consequences if Navalny dies as John Kerry apologises for Trump
The White House has warned Russia that “there will be consequences” if Alexei Navalny, a Putin critic, dies in prison, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on Sunday. This comes after President Joe Biden gave a speech on Thursday about Russia where he failed to mention the imprisoned Russian opposition leader, which angered critics. John Kerry has also apologised for former President Donald Trump's “non-leadership” on the effort to address the climate crisis during his four years as US leader.
WorldBBC5G: Rural areas to be allowed taller and wider masts
The government is to allow taller and wider mobile phone masts to be built across the English countryside to speed up the 5G network rollout. Parliament will vote on the plans, which the government says would improve rural coverage, while “minimising any visual impact” on the landscape. Stricter rules will apply in protected areas, including national parks, conservation areas and areas of outstanding natural beauty.
U.S.INSIDERThe former Austin detective accused of killing his family had been charged with sexually assaulting his adopted daughter
A former sheriff's detective accused of killing his family had been charged with sexual assault of a minor. The former sheriff's deputy who police allege killed his family in Austin, Texas, on Sunday was out on bond after he was accused of sexually assaulting his adopted daughter, court documents indicate. The police say Stephen Nicholas Broderick, 41, killed three people: his estranged wife, Amanda Broderick, 35; his adopted teenage daughter, Alyssa Broderick; and her teenage boyfriend, Willie Simmons III. The Travis County District Attorney's Office has charged Broderick with capital murder in all three deaths, KXAN reported.
- ScienceReuters Videos
NASA releases HD video of Mars 'helicopter' flight
NASA's miniature robot helicopter Ingenuity performed a successful takeoff and landing on Mars early on Monday, achieving the first powered, controlled flight by an aircraft over the surface of another planet, the U.S. space agency said. "I don't think I can ever stop watching it over and over again," Aung said of the video, noting scheduled upcoming flights will push Ingenuity to its limit, by going faster, farther and against the wind.
WorldBusiness InsiderThe Pentagon says more and more Russian troops are amassing near Ukraine, and it is not convinced this is just a training exercise
The Pentagon says that the Russian military buildup near Ukraine is larger than the one in 2014. The Defense Department also said that it is not clear "that this is all about training," as Russia says. The US has also raised concerns about Russian plans to block parts of the Black Sea.
U.S.USA TODAYGrizzly bear attack kills backcountry guide near Yellowstone National Park
A Montana wilderness guide with a love for the outdoors died after he was mauled by a grizzly bear likely defending a moose carcass near Yellowstone National Park, wildlife officials said. Charles "Carl" Mock, 40, was attacked last week while fishing north of West Yellowstone near a campground. The Gallatin County Sherriff's Office said Mock died at an Idaho hospital Saturday.
“High-speed rail is bold and attention-grabbing, but the scale of the project makes it near impossible.”
“While a long, slow train ride across the country can be a great thing, the US needs real high-speed rail too.”
“Liberals are right that America has a car problem — but it's commutes, not road trips, that suck.”
“Investments into a high-speed rail system wouldn’t just improve the railroads — automobile traffic could also see some relief.”
“Big cities that are reasonably close together is pretty much a prerequisite for high-speed rail.”