world news: 2018-05-06

Saturday, 12 May 2018

Devin Nunes Gets Meeting On Secret Russia Probe Source After Threatening DOJ

WASHINGTON ― Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), a prominent defender of President

Flake seeks report on Haspel's role in destruction of CIA interrogation tapes

The Republican senator from Arizona joins Democrats in calling for the release of a classified CIA report on Gina Haspel’s role in the destruction of videos of enhanced interrogation techniques.

Monica Lewinsky disinvited from Philanthropy Summit because Bill Clinton was going

Monica Lewinsky has described how she was unceremoniously disinvited from a high profile event after the organisers realised Bill Clinton was going to be there. Miss Lewinsky, 44, had accepted an invitation to the fifth annual Philanthropy Summit hosted by Town & Country, the lifestyle magazine, at Hearst Tower in New York. However, her invitation was rescinded by the magazine, which offered her the opportunity to write an article instead. Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky at the White House Credit: Getty Miss Lewinsky, who is now an anti-bullying activist, wrote on Twitter: "Dear world: please don't invite me to an event (esp one about social change) and - then after I've accepted - uninvite me because Bill Clinton then decided to attend/was invited. "It's 2018. Emily post would def not approve," a reference to the etiquette expert Emily Post. She added: "P.S. ...and definitely, please don't try to ameliorate the situation by insulting me with an offer of an article in your mag." dear world: please don't invite me to an event (esp one about social change) and --then after i've accepted-- uninvite me because bill clinton then decided to attend/was invited. it's 2018. emily post would def not approve. ✌��Me— Monica Lewinsky (@MonicaLewinsky) May 9, 2018 Miss Lewinsky's affair with Mr Clinton, when she was a 22-year-old White House intern and he was the US president, became public in 1998, rocking his administration, and leading in part to his impeachment. The summit, which took place on Wednesday, featured "activists, game-changers, and leaders across the field of philanthropy, education, healthcare, and gun control". For a panel discussion Mr Clinton introduced survivors of the Parkland high school shooting in Florida, in which 17 people died. A spokeswoman for Mr Clinton said the former president had not been aware that Miss Lewinsky was scheduled to attend and then disinvited. She said: "President Clinton was invited to address the Town & Country Philanthropy Summit. He gladly accepted. "Neither he nor his staff knew anything about the invitation (to Miss Lewinsky) or it being rescinded." In a statement the magazine said: "We apologise to Ms Lewinsky and regret the way the situation was handled.

Hawaii volcano: Why the eruption of Kilauea could be so terrifyingly deadly

Hawaii's Kilauea volcano has already shocked the world by sending massive walls of lava into houses and eating up cars, and spreading acid rain across the island. "We know the volcano is capable of doing this," said Charles Mandeville, volcano hazards coordinator for the U.S. Geological Survey, citing similar explosions at Kilauea in 1925, 1790 and four other times in the last few thousand years. "If it goes up, it will come down," said Charles Mandeville.

Israeli airstrikes target Iranian military installations in Syria

The Israeli military on Thursday said it attacked nearly all of Iran's military installations in neighboring Syria in response to an Iranian rocket barrage on Israeli positions in the occupied Golan Heights.

A Young Black Man Was Choked By Police at a Waffle House After Prom — A Cell Phone Video Captured What Happened

He was taking his younger sister to a Waffle House after her prom

Hamas leader hints of mass breach of Israeli border

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — The Hamas militant group's leader in the Gaza Strip on Thursday said protesters in a mass demonstration along the Israeli border next week will be unarmed and peaceful, but also compared them to a "starving tiger" and held out the possibility that tens of thousands of people could burst through the fence and swarm into Israel.

Donald Trump tells Indiana rally US 'is being respected again' and vows to 'secure peace' with North Korea

Donald Trump claimed that "America is being respected again" and vowed to "secure peace" with North Korea as he campaigned ahead of the US's midterm elections. Speaking at a rally in Elkhart, Indiana, the US president said his relationship with the secretive communist state's leader Kim Jong-un was "good", adding that he would meet him "to secure a future of peace and prosperity for the world". Mr Trump was joined at the rally by Vice President Mike Pence, Indiana's former governor and a number of senior members of their Republican Party in the state.

Four children found dead with mother and grandparents in Australia's worst mass shooting since Port Arthur

Four children have been found dead along with their mother and grandparents in the worst Australian mass shooting since the Port Arthur massacre. The three generations of the same family were found with gunshot wounds Friday at a rural property in southwest Australia in what has been described as a "horrific" suspected murder-suicide. In a crime that has shocked the nation, Katrina Miles and her children aged eight to 13 were found dead at the home of her parents-in-law, Peter and Cynda Miles, who were well known and respected in the community. Cynda was killed, as was another male, identified by some media as Peter. All seven had moved Osmington, a village of fewer than 700 people near the tourist town of Margaret River, to grow fruit three years ago. Police did not confirm their identities and would not comment on the possibility of murder-suicide, but said they are not looking for a suspect. Police forensics investigate the death of seven people in a suspected murder-suicide in Osmington Credit: Richard Wainwright/AAP Image Officers were called to the quiet property by a male at 5am on Friday and found five people inside the house and two adults outside, as well as two firearms. All seven were said to be residents of the property at Osmington, a small town about 160 miles south of Perth, known for its wineries and resorts. The state’s police commissioner, Chris Dawson, said the shooting was “horrific” but confirmed they were not looking for suspects, suggesting it was a murder-suicide. "The loss of any life is tragic, but four children and three adults, this is a significant tragedy," he said. “I don’t think any other words can describe how tragic this is. This will be a very large-scale and detailed investigation." She apparently said on Facebook a month ago that she believed she was being stalked by someone close to her. Meg Janes, a 68-year-old local resident, said she heard a series of gunshots early in the morning and assumed that someone was shooting kangaroos. The shots, she said, had “quite a long gap between them”. “Something woke me up around 4am,” she told the PerthNow website. “I heard quite a few gunshots and at the time I didn’t take much notice of it. I got up and went to the toilet and I thought, ‘That’s a bit strange, that’s an odd hour to be shooting kangaroos’. It wasn’t until I saw the police that I thought, ‘Hang on a minute’.” Ms Janes said of the family: “We’d swap plants and seedlings from time to time. They’re really nice people… It’s a huge shock for everyone.” Pamela Townshend, the president of the local Margaret River-Augusta shire, said the dead family was well-known in the tight-knit community. “Everyone is totally shocked. It is just so sad. It’s just overwhelming,” she told The West Australian. “[Osmington] is a very small community. Everyone knows everyone. This family, if it is who we think it is, is very embedded in the local community.” Felicity Haynes, another resident, said the family moved to Osmington from the town of Margaret River, about 12 miles away, for the seclusion and quiet of rural life. The incident was the worst mass shooting in Australia since a 1996 massacre by a deranged gunman at Port Arthur, a former convict jail in Tasmania, which left 35 people dead. That shooting prompted an overhaul of Australia’s gun laws, including an amnesty which resulted in the destruction of about 700,000 privately-owned firearms. #UPDATE: Police have addressed the media, as seven are feared dead in Margaret River mass tragedy. @hansinclair9 is #LIVE at the scene. #9Newspic.twitter.com/6itT6vCmpV— Nine News Sydney (@9NewsSyd) May 11, 2018 Gun crime in Australia fell sharply after strict controls were introduced in response to a mass shooting in 1996, when a lone gunman killed 35 people in Tasmania. That prompted the government to buy back or confiscate a million firearms and make it harder to buy new ones. Australia has banned all semi-automatic rifles and all semi-automatic and pump-action shotguns, and has a restrictive system of licensing and ownership controls. While there have been some mass killings since Port Arthur, the latest killings could prove to be the single biggest incident of gun-related deaths since 1996. Police said they went to the property after getting a telephone call. "The reason police went to the property was from a telephone call which we've recorded," said Dawson, who would not comment on the identity of the caller. He said police and other specialists would be at the scene for several days at least. "This will be a very large scale and detailed investigation," he said.

Malaysia's Najib resigns as party, coalition chief

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Ousted Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said on Saturday that he had resigned as president of United Malay National Organisation (UMNO) party, and chairman of the Barisan Nasional alliance, with immediate effect.

from Reuters: World News https://ift.tt/2KUiKxG

For a Black Girl in London, It’s the Summer of Meghan Markle

By ELLEN BARRY from NYT World https://ift.tt/2jQp2lB

Defeated Malaysian Prime Minister Is Barred From Leaving Country

By AUSTIN RAMZY from NYT World https://ift.tt/2G8VzvR

Breaking Up Immigrant Families: A Look at the Latest Border Tactic

By MIRIAM JORDAN from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2Kh9OBg

Mets Win With 9th-Inning Homer, Soothing Sting of Batting-Order Gaffe

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS from NYT Sports https://ift.tt/2Iio10p

Athletics Strike Quickly Against Sonny Gray and Cool Off the Yankees

By WALLACE MATTHEWS from NYT Sports https://ift.tt/2G8IzpW

What’s on TV Saturday: The Eurovision Song Contest and ‘Mum’

By SARA ARIDI from NYT Arts https://ift.tt/2wB3FxJ

Noted Humanitarian Charged With Child Rape in Nepal, Stunning a Village

By KAI SCHULTZ and RAJNEESH BHANDARI from NYT World https://ift.tt/2rCPpPw

Here Are the Biggest Stories in American Politics This Week

By EMILY COCHRANE from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2Ki9wdB

Trump Tirade Is Culmination of Immigration Frustration

By MICHAEL D. SHEAR from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2IecMKs

Federal Prisons Roll Back Rules Protecting Transgender People

By KATIE BENNER from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2KiN4AH

Oklahoma Governor Vetoes Bill That Would Have Made Gun Licenses Unnecessary

By LOUIS LUCERO II from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2rETjai

Webb Simpson, With a Record 63, Takes Over the Players Championship

By JEFF BABINEAU from NYT Sports https://ift.tt/2IySzy8

A Helicopter on Mars? NASA Wants to Try

By KENNETH CHANG from NYT Science https://ift.tt/2IdmacV

Corrections: May 12, 2018

By Unknown Author from NYT Corrections https://ift.tt/2Ic282I

An American Diplomat in Europe

By BRET STEPHENS from NYT Opinion https://ift.tt/2wvBAYN

Sex, Trump and Cecile

By GAIL COLLINS from NYT Opinion https://ift.tt/2rDzZKz

Energy Executive Admits Lying About ‘Low-Show Job’ for Percoco’s Wife

By VIVIAN WANG and BENJAMIN WEISER from NYT New York https://ift.tt/2jOejIq

Balderdash!

By CAITLIN LOVINGER from NYT Crosswords & Games https://ift.tt/2rDop2U

At Toys ‘R’ Us, a $200 Million Debt Problem Could Lead to $348 Million in Fees

By MICHAEL CORKERY from NYT Business Day https://ift.tt/2jQe4fL

It Didn’t Hit $1 Billion, but Rockefeller Sale Still Set a Record

By ROBIN POGREBIN from NYT Arts https://ift.tt/2rDCi0n

White House aide mocks Sen. John McCain’s cancer: ‘He’s dying anyway’

Sources with direct knowledge tell NBC News Kelly Sadler made the comment on Thursday after McCain announced that he was opposing the nomination of Gina Haspel as director of the CIA.

Toxic gas alert for Hawaii eruption; new areas at risk

By Terray Sylvester PAHOA, Hawaii (Reuters) - Hawaii residents were alerted on Thursday to rising levels of toxic gas from volcanic fissures and geologists warned that new areas east of the erupting Kilauea volcano may be at risk to lava bursting from the ground. Hawaii County authorities sent a text message to residents in the southeast corner of the Big Island that a wind change would bring rising levels of sulfur dioxide gas, which is fatal if inhaled in large quantities. "Due to decreasing tradewinds, residents are advised to monitor their sensitivity to increased levels of SO2," the text message sent at 9.22 a.m. said.

Hawaii residents shaken by tremors, brace for new lava outbreaks

By Karin Stanton PAHOA, Hawaii (Reuters) - Dozens of tremors rattled residents on Hawaii's Big Island on Friday as molten rock from Kilauea volcano flowed under an area where homes have already been destroyed by fiery lava geysers. Fifteen large cracks or fissures have opened on the eastern flank of Kilauea, one of the world's most active volcanoes, destroying dozens of houses and other structures and forcing around 2,000 people to evacuate their homes. New outbreaks of lava were expected in or around the hard-hit Leilani Estates area in the southeastern Puna district, about 20 miles (32 km) south of Hilo, the Hawaii Volcano Observatory and local authorities said.

Europe isn't US 'vassal' and should push back harder against Donald Trump over Iran, says France

France's finance minister says European countries should push back harder against the Trump administration over the Iran nuclear deal and not act as "vassals" to the U.S. But German Chancellor Angela Merkel says the U.S. withdrawal from the Iran accord isn't a reason to dump decades of trans-Atlantic ties altogether. The back and forth Friday came as thousands of Iranians took to the streets in cities across the country to protest Trump's decision. European governments are scrambling for ways to save billions of dollars in trade that could collapse because of U.S. President Donald Trump's decision this week to re-impose sanctions. Trump argued that the 2015 nuclear deal, which allowed for the lifting of sanctions, wasn't tough enough on Iran. French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Europe-1 radio that Europe should not accept that the U.S. is the "world's economic policeman." "Do we want to be vassals who obey decisions taken by the United States while clinging to the hem of their trousers?" Le Maire asked. "Or do we want to say we have our economic interests, we consider we will continue to do trade with Iran?" Iranian protestors burn the U.S. flags during a gathering after their Friday prayer in Tehran, May 11 Credit: Vahid Salemi/AP Merkel took a more measured tone. "This is a serious event, we have to say that, but it is not a reason to call into question the entire trans-Atlantic partnership," she said during an appearance Friday in the western German city of Muenster. She acknowledged that it is uncertain "to what extent we can keep this (nuclear) agreement alive if a giant economic power doesn't join in." The top diplomats of Iran, France, Britain and Germany are expected to meet early next week to discuss their next steps. Le Maire proposed creating a European body that would have the same kind of powers that the U.S. Justice Department has to punish foreign companies for their trade practices. As a result of the new U.S. sanctions, companies worldwide must stop doing business with Iran or risk U.S. fines or other punishment. The sanctions will not only bar U.S. companies from doing business with Iran, but they also will hurt foreign companies by prohibiting them from using American banks unless they cut links with Iran. European governments tried for months to persuade Trump to stick with the deal but failed, and now fear it will raise the risk of conflict in the region. Military tensions between Iran and Israel have already mounted, and oil prices are rising on the uncertainty. Planemakers Airbus and Boeing, oil companies and auto manufacturers like France's Renault and Peugeot could be among companies hardest hit. Le Maire said France is pushing for exemptions for its companies, but that he has "no illusions" about a generous American response. Meanwhile, the U.S. government tried to further pinch Iran's finances by disrupting a currency exchange network allegedly used to transfer millions of dollars to Iran's Revolutionary Guard. The Treasury Department said in a statement Thursday it took joint action with the United Arab Emirates against nine Iranian individuals and entities involved in the network, and threatened sanctions against any other companies that help those nine. Thousands of Iranians protested Friday across the country. The demonstrations resembled previous aggressive but orderly gatherings typical under President Hassan Rouhani, who has tried for a rapprochement with the West. Although slogans of "Death to America" were few, many Iranians are sincerely angry over Trump's decision and are siding with hard-liners who long have warned to be suspicious of the West. Iran said it may resume uranium enrichment in a higher rate in weeks if it finds nuclear deal will not work anymore after the U.S. pullout from the deal.

Threat of explosive Kīlauea eruption prompts closure of Hawaii's Volcanoes National Park

Most of Hawaii’s Volcanoes National Park closed on Friday due to the ongoing threat of an explosion at the summit of Kīlauea Volcano.

Trump welcomes home 3 U.S. detainees freed by North Korea

In a made-for-TV ceremony in the dead of night, President Donald Trump on Thursday welcomed home three Americans freed by North Korea and declared their release a sign of promise toward his goal of denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula.

Hawaii volcano: Why the eruption of Kilauea could be so terrifyingly deadly

India and Nepal PMs launch construction of 900 MW power plant

By Gopal Sharma KATHMANDU (Reuters) - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday visited Nepal to launch building work with his counterpart K.P.Sharma Oli on the country's biggest hydroelectric project, as New Delhi seeks to rebuild trust in the Himalayan republic, where China has made deep inroads. At a ceremony in Kathmandu, Modi and Oli pushed a button that opened the curtain on a plaque at the site of the 900 MW hydro-power project, formally marking the start of construction work there. The project, which is expected to cost $1.04 billion and is being built by state-run Indian firm Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN) Limited, will be the single biggest foreign investment project in cash-strapped Nepal.

SpaceX launches most powerful Falcon 9 yet

The rocket is designed to require far less maintenance and refurbishment between flights, and is certified to carry humans to space later this year when SpaceX launches its Dragon crew capsule to the International Space Station. The Block 5 Falcon 9 rocket's main goal for its maiden mission was to propel a communications satellite for Bangladesh, called Bangabandhu Satellite-1, to a geostationary transfer orbit roughly 22,000 miles (35,000 kilometers) above Earth.

Navdeep Bains: US apologizes after Canada minister told to remove turban

Officials from the Trump administration issued an apology after a security agent at a Detroit airport repeatedly demanded that a Canadian cabinet minister remove his turban, the minister has revealed.

At least 38 dead as hundreds of homes are swept away after dam bursts in Kenya

At least 38 people died when their homes were swept away after a dam burst in southern Kenya following heavy rains, officials have said. Weeks of torrential rain had already affected 220,000 people in in the country before the Patel Dam in Solai near the Rift Valley city of Nakuru was breached on Wednesday night. Regional police chief Gideon Kibunjah confirmed the death toll has risen overnight to 38 and the disaster left 40 people needing hospital treatment. Hundreds of homes in the neighborhood - estimated to be around 450 - were destroyed, including those on the expansive Nyakinyua Farm, which borders the dam's water reservoir. Mr Kibunjah said: "The search and rescue exercise is ongoing and more bodies have been retrieved. The death toll is now 27. "It is a disaster because most people were asleep when the tragedy occurred and their houses were swept away." Police officers speaking from the scene say the private Patel dam, used for irrigation and fish farming, may have lacked a proper outlet. Police chief Joseph Kioko said many were feared missing and officials said the dam water and mud flooded out of the reservoir and submerged homes, extending to a radius of more than a mile (almost 2km). Volunteers search for survivors of the disaster Credit: AFP The Kenyan Red Cross estimates that up to 500 families were affected by the disaster, which took place some 150 kilometres (90 miles) northwest of Nairobi. Nakuru Governor Lee Kinyanjui said: "The water has caused huge destruction of both life and property. The extent of the damage has yet to be ascertained. "We have set up a centre near the scene for families to report missing members to enable us to reunite them." Several villages were affected around Nakuru, Kenya's fourth-largest city, as well as two schools. Weeks of torrential rains in Kenya have led to flooding and mudslides, and the latest deaths take to 159 the death toll countrywide. Government statistics released Wednesday showed that more than 220,000 people have been displaced by flooding as heavy rains hit the country after three consecutive failed rainy seasons had left it in drought. Since March, at least 21,000 acres (8,500 hectares) of farmland have been submerged in water with an estimated 20,000 animals killed, the Red Cross said last week. The floods have also destroyed road networks in some parts of the East African country and in some cases the military has stepped in to airlift residents from submerged houses.

Symantec plunges on internal investigation, weak forecast

The company said its financial results and forecast may change based on the outcome of the internal investigation, which is being led by an audit committee of Symantec's board. The company said the investigation was not related to a security concern or breach in its products or systems. The committee has retained independent counsel and other advisers to assist in the investigation, Symantec said.