world news: 2018-07-08

Saturday 14 July 2018

5-Year-Old With Cancer Crafts An Obituary That'll Make You Laugh And Cry

A 5-year-old Iowa boy lost a battle with cancer last week, but he's winning

The Top Bombshells In Robert Mueller's Indictment Of Russian DNC Hackers

WASHINGTON ― Friday's indictment of 12 Russian intelligence officers charged

President Trump arrives in UK to meet with Prime Minister May and Queen

The president met with Prime Minister Theresa May on Thursday, whose government faces controversy as it attempts to move forward with the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union.

Timeline: Ethiopian and Eritrean relations

Eritrea's President Isaias Afwerki was due to arrive in Ethiopia on Saturday to cement a stunning rapprochement between the neighbors that has swept away two decades of hostility in a matter of weeks.

from Reuters: World News https://ift.tt/2NRnc1p

Eritrea's president arrives in Ethiopia for three-day visit

Eritrea's President Isaias Afwerki arrived in the Ethiopian capital on Saturday for a three-day visit, Ethiopia's state-run broadcaster and a Reuters witness said, days after the two neighbors declared their "state of war" over.

from Reuters: World News https://ift.tt/2Jmdot1

Explosive thrown at house of former Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams

An explosive device was thrown at the home of former Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams in Northern Ireland overnight, the Irish nationalist party said on Saturday, in an attack it blamed on "increasingly desperate and irrelevant groups."

from Reuters: World News https://ift.tt/2NRn8Pd

A Crisis Management Guru Bungles a Crisis

By DAVID SEGAL from NYT Business Day https://ift.tt/2NfGa0K

Brett Kavanaugh Doesn't Have To Reverse Obergefell To Destroy LGBTQ Rights

There was some attention ― and perhaps even a bit of hope ― this week after

Strzok holds his own as Republicans try to put on show at hearing

Rachel Maddow reviews some highlights as well as some newly learned details from FBI Agent Peter Strzok's testimony in Congress as Strzok stood up to Republicans bent on political showmanship.

After a Successful Cave Rescue, Thailand's Navy SEALs Will Add Cave-Diving to Their Training

The daring rescue mission has underscored the need for more training

The Thailand Cave Rescue and Other Stories of People Trapped Deep Within the Earth

The saga in Thailand is the latest in a long series of ordeals deep within the earth.

Papa John's CEO Attempts Damage Control But Not An Apology

Papa John's CEO Steve Ritchie had one job on Friday: Do damage control for the

Huge iceberg off Greenland sparks flooding fears

A massive iceberg drifting off Greenland has triggered fears of flooding if it breaks up, leading the authorities to evacuate a high-risk zone. "We fear the iceberg could calve and send a flood towards the village," Lina Davidsen, a security chief at the Greenland police, told Danish news agency Ritzau on Friday. The settlement in northwestern Greenland has 169 inhabitants, but only those living closest to the iceberg have been evacuated, Ritzau reported.

Chicago man in Puerto Rico shirt incident due back in court

A Chicago man charged with a felony hate crime after a video went viral showing him scolding a woman for wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with a Puerto Rican flag will return to court on Aug. 1 after his release on bond, authorities said on Friday. Timothy Trybus, 62, was arrested and charged with two counts of felony hate crime, upgrades on previous misdemeanor counts stemming from the June 14 incident, said Robert Foley, a spokesman for the Cook County State's Attorney's Office. The incident made national headlines this week after a video on social media showed Trybus approaching a woman, identified as Mia Irizarry, as she stood near a picnic grove in Caldwell Woods, a recreational area in the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, a green belt that surrounds Chicago.

Democrat deftly defends Peter Strzok on the question of anti-Trump bias

Peter Strzok found an unlikely ally during Thursday’s testimony over text messages the FBI agent wrote critical of Donald Trump and his supporters: congressional Republicans. While Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee and the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hammered Strzok throughout the day for his 2016 text to former FBI lawyer Lisa Page assuring her that Trump would not become president, Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., used his time to question Strzok to read off a series critical comments about Trump written by members of the GOP.

Putin hosts aide to Iran's supreme leader amid Syria talks

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin has received the Iranian leader's top adviser hours after conferring with the Israeli prime minister about Iran's presence in Syria.

5-year-old boy writes his own obituary before dying from rare cancer

A five-year-old Iowa boy who suffered from a rare form of cancer penned his

Police find source of Novichok poisoning in victim's house

Police have located the source of the Novichok nerve agent responsible for poisoning two people in Salisbury last month. Counter terrorism investigators recovered a small glass bottle from the home of victim, Charlie Rowley, which has tested positive for the deadly chemical. Further tests on the bottle and its contents are now being carried out, but it is hoped it could also provide crucial evidence to prove who attacked former Russian double agent, Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, in March. Dawn Sturgess, 44, from Durrington, Wiltshire died in hospital on Sunday evening after being exposed to the nerve agent the previous weekend. Her partner, Charlie Rowley, 45, was also taken to hospital critically ill, but has since regained consciousness and has been interviewed by police. It is thought Mr Rowley was able to help detectives when he emerged from his coma as to the whereabouts of the source of the contamination. Salisbury three way split Detailed examination of the bottle and its contents will now take place as part of the murder investigation that was launched following the death of Ms Sturgess. Police have also expressed their determination to track down those who carried out the assassination attempt on Mr Skripal, although the blame has been laid firmly at the door of the Russian state. A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "On Wednesday, 11 July, a small bottle was recovered during searches of Charlie Rowley’s house in Amesbury. It was taken to the Defence, Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) at Porton Down, Wiltshire, for tests. "Following those tests, scientists have now confirmed to us that the substance contained within the bottle is Novichok. Further scientific tests will be carried out to try and establish whether it is from the same batch that contaminated Sergei and Yulia Skripal in March – this remains a main line of enquiry for police. "Inquiries are under way to establish where the bottle came from and how it came to be in Charlie’s house." Large parts of Salisbury will remain cordoned off Credit: AFP Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu, Head of UK Counter Terrorism Policing, said: “This is clearly a significant and positive development. However, we cannot guarantee that there isn’t any more of the substance left and cordons will remain in place for some considerable time. "This is to allow thorough searches to continue as a precautionary measure for public safety and to assist the investigation team. “I also appreciate there is a lot of interest in this; however, we are not in a position to disclose any further details regarding the bottle at this stage. “The safety of the public and our officers remains paramount and we are continuing to work closely with Wiltshire Police, scientists, health experts from Public Health England and other partners.” Wiltshire Chief Constable, Kier Pritchard, described the development as "significant and encouraging", but urged locals to remain vigilant and not to pick up any litter that they had not dropped themselves." He said: “It’s a highly precautionary measure and the overall risk to the public is low but their advice is simple – ‘If you didn’t drop it, don’t pick it up’. This is particularly important as we move into the school holidays." Meanwhile a father of two from north Wales was questioned over the Novichok poisonings after detectives found suspicious chemicals in his shed. David James, 36, was held in custody for nine hours after officers discovered dozens of test tubes and laboratory equipment during a search of his home. But it turned out the chemicals were harmless ingredients he was using to make soap in order to get his daughters interested in science.

President Trump arrives in UK to meet with Prime Minister May and Queen

The president met with Prime Minister Theresa May on Thursday, whose government faces controversy as it attempts to move forward with the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union.

Paul Ryan Says 'Abolish ICE' Is 'Craziest Position I've Ever Seen'

WASHINGTON ― Reliable Donald Trump defender Paul Ryan slammed the "Abolish

Woman harassed for wearing Puerto Rican shirt speaks out

CHICAGO (AP) — A woman shown on a video being confronted by a man because she was wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with the Puerto Rican flag said Friday that the only action a park officer took to defuse the situation was to tell her cousin who'd stepped in to protect her to calm down.

Protests against Trump's visit take place across U.K.

Tens of thousands of protesters demonstrated in London on Friday against US President Donald Trump, whose four-day visit to Britain has been marred by his extraordinary attack on Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit strategy.

Meditation May Have Helped Trapped Thai Soccer Team, Reports Suggest

Even the most levelheaded person would be rattled by being trapped in a

Former Exeter police officer accused of being the Golden State Killer to appear in court

Joseph Deangelo will go before a judge as part of a procedural hearing Thursday. Survivors and their families are expected to be in that courtroom as well.

Trump trashes immigration in Europe as British PM praises it in U.K.

President Trump doubled down Friday on his assertion that immigration has damaged the cultural fabric of Europe, while British Prime Minister Theresa May said it “has been good” for the United Kingdom.

Rep. Louie Gohmert Uses House Hearing To Sling Mud At FBI Agent's Marriage

A House hearing about FBI bias during the 2016 election erupted into chaos

After a Successful Cave Rescue, Thailand's Navy SEALs Will Add Cave-Diving to Their Training

The daring rescue mission has underscored the need for more training

Tesla hits 200,000 cars, meaning lower tax credit for buyers

Under a major tax overhaul passed by the Republican-controlled U.S. Congress late last year, financial incentives in the way of tax credits that lower the cost of electric vehicles are available for the first 200,000 such vehicles sold by an automaker. The tax credit is then reduced by 50 percent every six months until it phases out. From Jan. 1 next year, the $7,500 tax credit will drop to $3,750 around mid-year, the Tesla website said.