U.S. officials warn 'intense' flu season to continue, urge shots

(Reuters) - Adults who get a flu shot are 36 percent less likely to get the disease, while for children the figure was an unexpectedly high 59 percent, U.S. health officials said on Thursday, predicting that the current "intense" season could continue for weeks. Anyone not already immunized should get a flu shot despite the lateness of the season, because "some protection is better than none," one of the officials told a news briefing. A total of 63 children in the United States have died of influenza this season, and three-quarters of them did not get a vaccine, said Anne Schuchat, acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Florida shooting: Parkland school students take Tomi Lahren to task over view on gun control

Conservative political commentator Tomi Lahren has been taken to task by students at the Parkland, Florida high school where 17 people were killed. Ms Lahren tweeted in the wake of the mass shooting: “Can the Left let the families grieve for even 24 hours before they push their anti-gun and anti-gunowner agenda? Teenagers from the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School responded to Ms Lahren: "This IS about guns,” wrote one student named Carly.

President Trump addresses 'a nation in grief' on Florida shooting, tells US children they are 'never alone'

President Trump addressed the American public on Thursday following the deadly high school shooting in Parkland, Fla., speaking of unifying bonds and emphasizing mental health in his remarks. "My fellow Americans, today I speak to a nation in grief," Trump said. Suspected 19-year-old gunman Nikolas Cruz killed at least 17 people when he brought an AR-15 semiautomatic rifle to Stoneman Douglas High School on Wednesday and opened fire.

Russian toll in Syria battle was 300 killed and wounded: sources

By Maria Tsvetkova MOSCOW (Reuters) - About 300 men working for a Kremlin-linked Russian private military firm were either killed or injured in Syria last week, according to three sources familiar with the matter. A Russian military doctor said around 100 had been killed, and a source who knows several of the fighters said the death toll was in excess of 80 men. The timing of the casualties coincided with a battle on Feb. 7 near the Syrian city of Deir al-Zor where, according to U.S. officials and associates of the fighters involved, U.S.-led coalition forces attacked forces aligned with Moscow's ally, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Palmdale abuse case: Mother of slain 8-year-old Gabriel Fernandez pleads guilty

The mother of a slain 8-year-old Palmdale boy pleaded guilty to murder in exchange for life in prison without the possibility of parole.

16 Skeleton Helmets From The Winter Olympics That Are Pure Fire On Ice

Skeleton athletes are bringing fire to the Winter Olympics with their epic helmet designs.

Amy Schumer Just Got Married. But She Wants to Talk About Gun Control Instead

Schumer addressed the Parkland school shooting on Instagram

Senate Advances Judicial Nominee Who Can't Say If Racial Bias Exists In The Justice System

WASHINGTON ― The Senate voted Thursday to advance one of President Donald Trump’s judicial nominees, Michael Brennan, who spent his confirmation hearing dodging questions about whether racial bias exists in the criminal justice system.

The lives lost in the Florida high school mass shooting

A hopeful teenage girl, a college-bound swimmer, and a football coach who died protecting students were among the 17 lives cut short when a gunman opened fire inside a Parkland, Florida high school.

Florida high school shooting survivor skewers Tomi Lahren's tweet on gun control

A Florida high school student who survived Wednesday's mass shooting spoke out about the horrifying experience in response to FOX News' Tomi Lahren's comments on gun control. Lahren, an outspoken conservative commentator, took to Twitter after the attack to voice her thoughts on the shooting, which claimed the lives of at least 17 people. "Can the Left let the families grieve for even 24 hours before they push their anti-gun and anti-gunowner agenda?" she wrote.

Florida shooter a troubled loner with white supremacist ties

Parkland (Etats-Unis) (AFP) - Nikolas Cruz was expelled from school, threatened fellow students and posted "very disturbing" messages on social media, along with pictures of his favorite guns. A mugshot of Cruz, released after his arrest, depicts a young man seemingly little different from any other 19-year-old -- cleanly-cut chestnut hair, hazel eyes, his face speckled with freckles. Cruz had also joined the white supremacist group Republic of Florida, participating in their paramilitary training exercises, a member of the group told US media.

Parkland School Shooting Suspect: Portrait of an Angry Young Man With an AR-15

Who is Nikolas Cruz, the accused school shooter in Florida?

How Congress and Trump stymied Obama's mental-health gun-control rule

After the school shooting in Florida, President Trump emphasized the importance of mental health. But one of his first actions in the White House was to reverse Barack Obama's recommendation for a new regulation that would prevent people with severe mental health illnesses from purchasing guns.

Russian mother grieves for son killed by US strike in Syria

KEDROVOYE, Russia (AP) — For Russian mother Farkhanur Gavrilova, the blow came a week ago when an acquaintance called her to say that her son was killed in a U.S. airstrike in Syria that pitted Russian and U.S. combatants against each other for the first time in the Syrian war.

There's A New IRS Tax Scam That Comes With A Twist

With so many Social Security numbers hacked last year, most taxpayers are on high alert to make sure cyber-crooks don’t misdirect their tax refunds from the Internal Revenue Service.

U.S. charges Russians with 2016 U.S. election tampering to boost Trump

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Russian propaganda arm oversaw a criminal and espionage conspiracy to tamper in the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign to support Donald Trump and disparage Hillary Clinton, said an indictment released on Friday that revealed more details than previously known about Moscow's purported effort to interfere.

from Reuters: World News http://ift.tt/2EzK3cM

Big Mexico quake cuts power and damages homes; two dead in crash

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - A prolonged 7.2 magnitude quake that rocked Mexico on Friday left nearly a million homes and businesses without power in the capital and south but the only reported deaths came when a military helicopter crashed after surveying the aftermath.

from Reuters: World News http://ift.tt/2GljQiJ

Exclusive: Haiti president says many aid organizations hid misconduct

PORT-AU-PRINCE (Reuters) - Haiti's president said on Friday that sexual misconduct by staff of British charity Oxfam was only the tip of an "iceberg" and called for investigations into Doctors Without Borders and other aid organizations which came to the country after its 2010 earthquake.

from Reuters: World News http://ift.tt/2ofMGKf

China’s Hui Muslims fearful Chinese New Year education ban a sign of curbs to come

GUANGHE, China (Reuters) - For some in China's ethnic Hui Muslim minority here, a recent ban on young people engaging in religious education in mosques is an unwelcome interference in how they lead their lives.

from Reuters: World News http://ift.tt/2BvJqCF

South Africa's Ramaphosa hails 'new dawn', warns of tough decisions

CAPE TOWN (Reuters) - South Africa will face "tough decisions" as it works to repair its economy after years of stagnation, new President Cyril Ramaphosa said in a sober address on Friday that sought to draw a line under the turbulent rule of his predecessor Jacob Zuma.

from Reuters: World News http://ift.tt/2sz7hhI

Salary + 144 eggs: Venezuelan firm offers unusual monthly compensation

CARACAS (Reuters) - A Venezuelan security firm is looking to attract personnel with a "motivational" bonus of 144 eggs for good presentation and time-keeping - alongside a $10 per month salary.

from Reuters: World News http://ift.tt/2o4z7hm

Evangelical still ahead as lead shrinks in Costa Rica election: poll

SAN JOSE (Reuters) - Evangelical Christian Fabricio Alvarado Muñoz maintained his lead in Costa Rica's second-round presidential race even as his center-left rival narrowed the gap, according to a poll published on Friday.

from Reuters: World News http://ift.tt/2o5fqFU

Oxfam agrees not to bid for new funding from UK government

LONDON (Reuters) - Oxfam has agreed not to bid for any new funding from Britain's government until London is satisfied the charity meets sufficient ethical standards, development minister Penny Mordaunt said on Friday.

from Reuters: World News http://ift.tt/2EKNjpb

Maldives seeks foreign help to investigate arrested judges' wealth: envoy

GENEVA (Reuters) - Maldives will seek help from other countries to investigate judges suspected of taking bribes and "hijacking" the Supreme Court to drag the island nation into political crisis, a senior Maldives diplomat told Reuters in an interview.

from Reuters: World News http://ift.tt/2of390X