Trump asks Supreme Court to unfreeze border wall money

The Trump administration on Friday asked the Supreme Court to lift a freeze on Pentagon money it wants to use to build sections of a border wall with Mexico. Two lower courts have ruled against the administration in a lawsuit over the funding. Last week, a divided three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco kept in place a lower court ruling preventing the government from tapping Defense Department counterdrug money to build high-priority sections of wall in Arizona, California and New Mexico.

Hong Kong protesters clash with police on border with mainland China

Hong Kong protesters clashed with police on Saturday in a town near the boundary with mainland China where thousands rallied against the presence of Chinese traders, seizing on another grievance following major unrest over an extradition bill. The demonstration in the Hong Kong territorial town of Sheung Shui, not far from the Chinese city of Shenzhen, began peacefully but devolved into skirmishes and shouting. Protesters threw umbrellas and hardhats at police, who retaliated by swinging batons and firing pepper spray. Later in the day Hong Kong police urged protesters to refrain from violence and leave the area. The protest was the latest in a series that have roiled the former British colony for more than a month, giving rise to its worst political crisis since its 1997 handover to China. Sometimes violent street protests have drawn in millions of people, with hundreds even storming the legislature on July 1 to oppose a now-suspended extradition bill that would have allowed criminal suspects in Hong Kong to be sent to China to face trial in courts under ruling Communist Party control. Critics see the bill as a threat to Hong Kong's rule of law. Chief Executive Carrie Lam this week said the bill was "dead" after having suspended it last month, but opponents vow to settle for nothing short of its formal withdrawal. Protests against the bill had largely taken place in Hong Kong's main business district, but demonstrators have recently begun to look elsewhere to widen support by taking up narrower, more domestic issues. A supporter begs police officer not to attack protesters Credit: AP In Sheung Shui, protesters rallied to oppose small-time Chinese traders who make short trips into the territory to buy goods that they then haul back to China to sell. The demonstrators chanted demands in Mandarin, China's official language, for the Chinese traders to go home. Many street-level shops were shuttered during the march. The traders have long been a source of anger among those in Hong Kong who say they have fuelled inflation, driven up property prices, dodged taxes and diluted Sheung Shui's identity. "Our lovely town has become chaos," said Ryan Lai, 50, a resident of Sheung Shui, where so-called "parallel traders" buy bulk quantities of duty-free goods to be carried into mainland China and sold. "We don't want to stop travel and buying, but please, just make it orderly and legal. The extradition bill was the tipping point for us to come out. We want Sheung Shui back." When Britain returned Hong Kong to China 22 years ago, Chinese Communist leaders promised the city a high degree of autonomy for 50 years. But many say China has progressively tightened its grip, putting Hong Kong's freedoms under threat through a range of measures such as the extradition bill. Hong Kong's lack of full democracy was behind the recent unrest, said Jimmy Sham of the Civil Human Rights Front, which organised protests against the extradition bill. "The government, Carrie Lam, some legislators in functional constituencies are not elected by the people, so there are many escalating actions in different districts to reflect different social issues," he said. "If political problems are not solved, social well-being issues will continue to emerge endlessly." Major demonstrations in the past month against a proposal to change extradition laws have reawakened other movements in Hong Kong Credit: AP One protester said Saturday's scuffles started when demonstrators charged the police after the latter came to the assiatcne of mainland traders who had assaulted demonstrators. "Some people were attacked and got injured in a stampede. I tried to save some girls so I was also attacked by pepper spray by police. Now I feel so bad. The cops are dogs," said the man, who would only give the name Ragnar. Protesters ripped up median barriers and fences to set up roadblocks and defences. A young man was treated for a bloody head wound metres from where surrounded police were hitting activists armed with umbrellas. A baton charge by police in riot gear cleared the street minutes later to free trapped officers. "We have no weapons and we were peaceful. When we saw them taking photos of us in the crowd we had to react," said another protester, surnamed Chan, who declined to give his full name. "We are all scared now. How can they hit us with batons?" he said, staring at a pool of blood where one of his peers was treated. Last week nearly 2,000 people marched in the Tuen Mun residential district to protest against what they saw as the nuisance of brash singing and dancing to Mandarin pop songs by middle-aged mainland women. On Sunday, tens of thousands marched in one of Kowloon's most popular tourist shopping areas, trying to persuade mainland Chinese tourists to back opposition to the extradition bill. "We want to raise awareness in Washington that the United States has to do more now to help Hong Kong become fully democratic," said a resident of the nearby town of Fanling, who was one of five people in Saturday's crowd carrying U.S. flags. "They are the most important power left that can stand up to China," added the 30-year-old man, who gave his name only as David. Anti-extradition protesters plan another demonstration on Sunday in the town of Sha Tin, in the so-called New Territories between Hong Kong island and the border with China.

Pregnant woman, 8-year-old son found dead after flash flooding in Pennsylvania

A pregnant woman and her 8-year-old son were killed as severe storms hit Berks County, Pennsylvania Thursday night.

Delta nearly joined its rivals in buying the troubled Boeing 737 Max

The airline's CEO said it was a "close call" to pass on the plane, which has been grounded after two lethal crashes in five months.

Britain sending destroyer to Gulf amid Iranian threats

Iran on Friday demanded the British navy release an Iranian oil tanker seized last week off Gibraltar, accusing London of playing a "dangerous game" and threatening retribution, while London announced it was sending a destroyer to the Persian Gulf. The comments from Iran's Foreign Ministry came the day after police in Gibraltar, a British overseas territory on the southern tip of Spain, said they arrested the captain and chief officer of the supertanker suspected of breaching European Union sanctions by carrying a shipment of Iranian crude oil to Syria.

Dolphin impaled in the head found dead, wildlife officials seek clues

Investigators are looking for who or what made a gash in the head of a bottlenose dolphin found dead in May.

Hurricane warning issued in Louisiana as Tropical Storm Barry gains strength in Gulf of Mexico

Tropical Storm Barry formed in the Gulf of Mexico and is expected to hit Louisiana and already-soaked New Orleans as a hurricane Saturday.

Read the Transcript of TIME's Interview With Benjamin Netanyahu

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sat down with TIME correspondents in Jerusalem on June 25. Here's a transcript of what he said.

Britain sends second warship to Gulf after Iran tanker standoff

Britain said Friday it was sending a second warship to the Gulf and raising the alert level in the oil-rich region as tensions spike after Iranian gunboats threatened a UK supertanker. The decision was disclosed as US President Donald Trump stepped up his war of words with the Islamic republic, which breached part of a nuclear accord already rejected by Washington. "Iran better be careful," Trump told reporters outside the White House.

UPDATE 2-UK to facilitate release of Iranian tanker if it gets Syria guarantees-Hunt

British foreign minister Jeremy Hunt told his Iranian counterpart on Saturday that Britain would facilitate the release of the detained Grace 1 oil tanker if Tehran gave guarantees it would not go to Syria. The tanker was seized last week by British Royal Marines off the coast of the British Mediterranean territory of Gibraltar on suspicion of violating sanctions against Syria. Iran on Saturday reiterated its call for the ship's release.

Tropical Storm Barry: What to know about Barry's path, landfall, winds, flooding and more

Some 14 trillion gallons of rainwater are forecast to fall on Louisiana, Mississippi and Arkansas during Barry. Three million people may be impacted.

Police officer who lost his job after shooting an unarmed man is ‘rehired to collect lifetime pension’

A police officer who was charged with murder for shooting an unarmed man in a hotel hallway was reportedly rehired temporarily so he could collect a pension, local media reports.Philip Brailsford, who killed Daniel Shaver at La Quinta hotel in Arizona in 2016, reportedly came to the agreement last year with the Mesa city manager's office. This allowed him to apply for a disability pension on the basis of a medical retirement in a reversal of his firing by the department after the shooting.He will receive a lifetime pension of around $30,000 per year.The agreement was first reported by local news outlets in Arizona, which obtained the settlement agreement that the city reached with Mr Brailsford last August.Mr Shaver's shooting captured media attention across the US when it happened in 2016, and again after Mr Brailsford's trial when his body camera video was released.Police were called to the hotel in January 2016 following a complaint about a man with a rifle in one of the rooms. Mr Shaver, 26, had been showing a legal pellet gun that he used in his job in pest control, to a woman in the room with him.Body camera footage begins with the confrontation between Mr Brailsford, other officers, and Mr Shaver and the woman. Mr Shaver complies with a series of confusing commands from the responding officers, putting his hands up and lying down on the ground.They threaten to kill him multiple times for not complying with their orders."If you move, we're going to consider that a threat and we are going to deal with it and you may not survive it," one officer says. "Please do not shoot me," Mr Shaver says at one point, his hands in the air. But Mr Brailsford opened fire after Mr Shaver appeared to reach behind himself while crawling towards the officers. He was struck five times.Mr Brailsford, who was carrying an AR-15 rifle with the phrase "You're F****d" etched into the weapon, according to a police report, was charged with murder for the shooting and fired from his job soon after.He testified in court that he believed Mr Shaver was reaching for a gun and would have done the same thing again.He was acquitted in November 2017 after a six-week trial on both second-degree murder and reckless manslaughter charges.The settlement notes that Mr Brailsford has been treated for post-traumatic stress disorder. Michael Piccarreta, his lawyer, told ABC 15 his PTSD stemmed from the shooting incident and criminal prosecution. Mesa City manager Chris Brady told ABC 15 that Mr Brailsford's PTSD claim dates to before his trial. "So in fairness he was given the opportunity to make that appeal to the board," he said. The shooting prompted a multimillion-dollar lawsuit filed by Mr Shaver's family, which is still pending.Washington Post

US VP Pence visits overcrowded migrant camp, deplores 'crisis'

The vice president visited the McAllen Border Station, where he was taken to a sweltering outdoor portal where 384 men were held in a caged area. The stench was horrendous, according to media reports from journalists traveling with Pence who were allowed into the area for 90 seconds. "To be honest with you, I was not surprised by what I saw," Pence said afterward.

Tennessee governor signs 'Forrest Day' proclamation, honoring the Confederate general

Tennessee law instructs the governor to do so, though Lee said he is not currently considering changing the law.

12 people were evacuated from a tiny island when storm surge from Tropical Storm Barry flooded the only road off the island

The Coast Guard received a report of a dozen people in distress on the Isle de Jean Charles around 4:30 a.m. Saturday.

Here are the most important things about wealthy financier Jeffrey Epstein and his alleged sex-trafficking operation

The shocking sex-trafficking allegations against financier Jeffrey Epstein have captivated the country. The case is more bizarre than you thought.

Magnitude 4.9 aftershock hits near California town rocked by big quakes

A magnitude 4.9 aftershock struck on Friday roughly 5 miles east of the remote California town of Ridgecrest, which was rocked by a pair of major earthquakes over the past week, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. There were no reports of damage or injuries in Friday's temblor, which occurred at 6:11 a.m. Pacific time, one of thousands of aftershocks felt since a magnitude 6.4 earthquake shook Ridgecrest on July 4, followed by a 7.1 quake the following day. The two larger quakes, the most severe in Southern California in decades, were felt across the region as far away as Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

UK envoy said Trump ditched Iran deal to spite Obama: report

Britain's ambassador to Washington believed US President Donald Trump pulled out of the Iranian nuclear deal because it was associated with his predecessor Barack Obama, leaked documents showed Saturday. "The administration is set upon an act of diplomatic vandalism, seemingly for ideological and personality reasons -- it was Obama's deal," ambassador Kim Darroch wrote in a diplomatic cable in May 2018. The cable was included in a second batch of leaked reports published by the Mail on Sunday newspaper, the first of which caused Darroch to resign earlier this week.

Tropical Storm Barry is expected to hit parts of Louisiana with more than 3 feet of storm surge and 20 inches of rain — here's what that much water looks like

New Orleans has already been drenched in nearly 9 inches of rain, prompting a flash-flood emergency declaration.

Armstrong's famous "one small step" quote -- explained

What did Neil Armstrong really say when he took his first step on the moon? During a 30th anniversary gathering in 1999, the Apollo 11 commander acknowledged that he didn't hear himself say it either when he listened to the transmission from the July 20, 1969, moon landing. NASA has also stood by the moonwalker.

Hong Kong protesters, police clash as demonstrations target Chinese traders

The demonstration in the Hong Kong territorial town of Sheung Shui, not far from the Chinese city of Shenzhen, began peacefully but devolved into skirmishes and shouting. Protesters threw umbrellas and hardhats at police, who retaliated by swinging batons and firing pepper spray. Later, Hong Kong police urged protesters to refrain from violence and leave the area.

Secretary of Labor Alex Acosta is out — here are all the casualties of the Trump administration so far

From John Kelly and Rex Tillerson to Anthony Scaramucci and Reince Priebus, here's everyone who has left the Trump administration so far.

New Zealanders give up weapons after mosque killings

Dozens of New Zealanders handed in their firearms Saturday as a gun buyback scheme went into operation aimed at ridding the country of semi-automatic weapons in the wake of the Christchurch mosque attacks. The first of more than 250 collections to be held nationwide was in Christchurch, where 51 Muslim worshippers were gunned down while at prayer less than four months ago. The government, with support from opposition parties, immediately rushed through legislation to tighten New Zealand's gun laws.

Pete Buttigieg unveils agenda to help black Americans

Facing dismal poll numbers among black voters, Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg released a multipronged plan addressing everything from promoting black history and culture and ensuring Washington, D.C., statehood to tackling the racial wealth gap.

South Africa sends troops into 'warzone' township

South African president Cyril Ramaphosa ordered troops into the suburbs of Cape Town to quell a crime wave that municipal officials say has turned the city into a “warzone.” Hundreds of soldiers will be deployed into sprawling area of townships known as the Cape Flats to combat gang-related violence that saw 14 people killed in 24 hours last week.  More than 900 people have been killed in gang-related violence in the Cape Flats in the past year.  Last Friday, six women between the ages of 18 and 26 were murdered by unknown gunmen at a home in a shanty town in the area. The next day another five men, aged 18 to 39, were shot dead and one was injured in two separate shooting incidents in the township of Philippi. The victims included three members of the same family: Sonwabo Zwilibi's, 17, and his brother Aphiwe, 18, and their cousin Sikelela Zwilibi, 25.  Six policemen have also been shot and injured in the past week.    Bheki Cele, the Police Minister,  said the military deployment would last three months and see troops backing up police officers.  “We'll go door to door, we'll collect every illegal firearm, we'll collect all criminals that we want, we'll collect all outstanding criminals that have been on bail and that is happening from two o'clock this morning,” he said.  The opposition Democratic Alliance, which control Cape Town and the Western Cape province, welcomed the move.  “We have truly reached a state of emergency, which threatens the stability and reputation of the city,“ said  Jean-Pierre Smith, a DA mayoral committee member for safety and security.   He said the people of the Western Cape needed the army “because they want safety.“ More than 20,000 people, or 57 per day, were murdered in South Africa last year.  Under apartheid, South Africa’s Group Areas legislation assigned all the different racial groups to separate residential and business districts, mostly in urban areas  Many people of mixed race who used to live close to the heart of Cape Town were uprooted from their homes in the 1950s and moved to the Cape Flats, a treeless, sandy area of ancient former beaches, so that the inner city would be exclusive to white people.   “This situation has its roots in the history of South Africa. People were removed from their homes and dumped far away to areas where there was nothing, no society no shops, nothing,” said Jakkie Cilliers, head of African Futures & Innovation at South Africa’s influential Institute for Security Studies. ”This created a generation of alcoholics which had a particularly violent impact in the Western Cape.”

Flynn's absence leaves hole at trial of ex-business partner

Prosecutors will have to go to trial Monday against the ex-business partner of former national security adviser Michael Flynn with no assurance they can present evidence of any kind from Flynn himself. Court documents unsealed this week revealed prosecutors no longer plan to call Flynn as a witness at the upcoming trial of Bijan Kian and that they now classify Flynn as an unindicted coconspirator in the case. Kian is accused of illegally working as an agent of the Turkish government.

UK PM contenders say EU will drop Irish backstop for Brexit deal

The two candidates vying to become Britain's next prime minister both said Friday they believe the EU will agree a Brexit deal this year without the controversial "backstop" provision for the Irish border. Ex-London mayor Boris Johnson, the favourite over foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt to replace outgoing premier Theresa May, predicted the European Union would instead negotiate the issue during post-Brexit free trade talks. "We will get a deal by October 31st," Johnson told the BBC during highly-anticipated separate interviews with the leadership rivals, referring to the latest delayed deadline for Britain's departure from the bloc.

A Russian destroyer allegedly sailed into the line of fire during multinational shooting drills in the Black Sea

A Russian destroyer was warned to keep clear, but it allegedly sailed into the line of fire anyway, creating a "dangerous situation."

UPDATE 1-China's June exports fall after U.S. tariff hike, imports shrink more than expected

China's exports fell in June as the United States ramped up trade pressure, while imports shrank more than expected, pointing to further strains on the world's second-largest economy. China's manufacturers are struggling with sluggish demand at home and abroad, and a sharp U.S. tariff hike announced in May is threatening to crush already-thin profit margins, reinforcing views that Beijing needs to announce more stimulus measures soon. "The latest U.S. tariff hike probably contributed to this drop, alongside a broader slowdown in foreign demand," Capital Economics said in a note.

2020 Jeep Gladiator vs. 2019 Toyota 4Runner: Which Is the Better Bug-Out Vehicle?

These two rugged utility vehicles can manage the daily slog yet excel when the pavement ends.

We Lightened Up All Your Favorite Casseroles

Sen. Kamala Harris attacks former Vice President Joe Biden on 'The Breakfast Club'

Harris called Biden's comments about his stance on busing "revisionist history."

New Orleans area braces for first hurricane of the season

Thousands of Louisianans broke out sandbags or fled to higher ground Thursday as Tropical Storm Barry threatened to turn into the first hurricane of the season and blow ashore with torrential rains that could pose a severe test of New Orleans' improved post-Katrina flood defenses . National Guard troops and rescue crews in high-water vehicles took up positions around the state as Louisiana braced for the arrival of the storm Friday night or early Saturday. President Donald Trump on Thursday night declared a federal declaration of emergency for Louisiana, authorizing the Department of Homeland Security and Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate all disaster relief efforts.

Iran orders 'foreign powers' to leave the Strait of Hormuz, and says the West is playing a 'dangerous game' over Gibraltar tanker seizure

Iran has threatened to disrupt maritime traffic in the strait before. Doing so could decrease the world's oil supply and send prices shooting up.

Photos of the 2020 Jeep Gladiator and 2019 Toyota 4Runner

Texas judge rejects part of state's 'sanctuary city' lawsuit

A Texas judge has dismissed substantial parts of the attorney general's first "sanctuary cities" lawsuit that alleges the San Antonio police chief obstructed enforcement of immigration law. Attorney General Ken Paxton's lawsuit accuses Police Chief William McManus of releasing 12 immigrants suspected of entering the U.S. illegally. It was a rare enforcement of Texas' 2017 Senate Bill 4, which penalizes local officials who restrict federal immigration enforcement.

A Russian destroyer allegedly sailed into the line of fire during multinational shooting drills in the Black Sea

A Russian destroyer was warned to keep clear, but it allegedly sailed into the line of fire anyway, creating a "dangerous situation."

AP Explains: How do immigration authorities make arrests?

After postponing an immigration-enforcement operation late last month, the Trump administration plans to go ahead with the raids as soon as this weekend. The sweep is expected to be similar to others that authorities have done regularly since 2003 and often netted hundreds of arrests. This one is different because President Donald Trump tweeted in June that it would be the start of an effort to deport millions of people who are in the country illegally.

View Photos of the 2020 Porsche 911 Carrera S

UPDATE 1-Ukrainian fighter found guilty over killing of Italian photographer

An Italian court sentenced a Ukrainian man to 24 years in jail on Friday over his role in the 2014 killing of an Italian photographer covering fighting between pro-Russian forces and Ukrainian troops. Journalist Andrea Rocchelli and his Russian colleague Andrey Mironov were killed after they were hit by mortar fire near the town of Slaviansk in eastern Ukraine five years ago. Italian prosecutors in the northern city of Pavia said Vitaliy Markiv, a volunteer fighter with the Ukrainian forces at the time, had taken part in the deadly attack and accused him of being an accessory to murder.

Sebastian Gorka at the center of Rose Garden ruckus following Trump event

After President Trump invited a group of right-wing and fringe media figures to the White House for a “social media summit” on Thursday, the event ended with a former presidential adviser and a CNN political analyst getting into a heated exchange in the Rose Garden.

Poll: Biden, Warren lead, while Sanders and Harris tied in 3rd place

Sen. Bernie Sanders has slipped from his second-place standing in several recent polls. In a new NBC News/WSJ poll, Sen. Elizabeth Warren has claimed second place behind Joe Biden.

GOP candidate for governor in Mississippi says female reporter needs male chaperone

A Republican candidate for governor in Mississippi has banned a gay female reporter from riding along on a campaign trip unless she brought a male colleague to accompany her, citing concerns that the journalist could be used in a smear campaign alleging an extramarital affair.

Iran orders 'foreign powers' to leave the Strait of Hormuz, and says the West is playing a 'dangerous game' over Gibraltar tanker seizure

Iran has threatened to disrupt maritime traffic in the strait before. Doing so could decrease the world's oil supply and send prices shooting up.

Four Britons held in China, two days after drugs bust

Four Britons have been arrested in an eastern China province, the British embassy said Friday, two days after Chinese police announced a drug bust there involving 16 foreigners. Police in the city of Xuzhou in Jiangsu province said on Wednesday that a total of 19 people were arrested in a drugs case centring on a local branch of a language school. "We are in contact with the Chinese authorities following the arrest of four British people in Jiangsu province, and are providing consular assistance," a spokeswoman with the British embassy in Beijing told AFP.

AOC weeps while hearing mother’s story of toddler who died after being detained by ICE

US congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was moved to tears by the testimony of a woman whose 19-month-old daughter died after being detained by immigration authorities.Yazmin Juarez told a House oversight and reform hearing in Washington that she had left her home in Guatemala to seek a safer life in the US. Instead she saw her baby Mariee die. After the pair were detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) last spring, they were held with 30 other people including sick children, Ms Juarez said. Despite being healthy beforehand, she said her daughter fell ill with a high fever, vomiting and diarrhoea.Nurses at the south Texas family residential centre in the city of Dilley – the largest such facility in the US – failed to thoroughly examine the child, Ms Juarez said, merely sending her away with painkillers.Mariee eventually died of a lung infection some weeks after they were released, having spent two weeks in custody.Her death was “like they tore out a piece of my heart”, Ms Juarez said. “I wanted to have a better life for her and a better future so that she could keep growing, but now we won’t be able to do that and she is gone.”She added, through a translator: “There are days I just want to give up. It’s been so painful for me to see so many children and not my little girl.”Ms Juarez said she missed being hugged by her daughter.As she recounted her story, tears could be seen rolling down Ms Ocasio-Cortez’s cheeks. The 29-year-old Democrat, who became the youngest woman ever elected to Congress last year, was seen wiping them away with a tissue. Six children have died in government detention in recent months, either in the custody of Border Patrol, where people are first held when they cross the border, or that of Health and Human Services, the agency responsible for sheltering unaccompanied children.Ms Juarez has filed a legal claim seeking $60m (£48m) from the government over her baby’s death. She said she had testified because she wanted everyone to know about the conditions in which people are held under Donald Trump‘s administration after they migrate to the US or seek asylum.Lawyers, doctors and government documents have brought to light claims of people being served spoiled food, wrongly isolated, held in cells filled to double their capacity and denied access to showers while being detained for more than a month.Children have been made to sleep on the floor, blocked from washing their hands and refused clean clothes despite being kept in sometimes squalid cells.Mr Trump’s hardline stance on immigration has been one of his signature policies. Last week, he tweeted: “If Illegal Immigrants are unhappy with the conditions in the quickly built or refitted detentions centers, just tell them not to come”.Additional reporting by agencies

Sudan general says coup attempt foiled

Sudan's ruling military council has foiled a coup attempt, a top general announced on state television Thursday, saying that 12 officers and four soldiers had been arrested. The announcement came as the ruling military and civilian protesters agreed last week to end a political impasse after the army in April ousted longtime ruler Omar al-Bashir on the back of a popular uprising. "Officers and soldiers from the army and National Intelligence and Security Service, some of them retired, were trying to carry out a coup," General Jamal Omar of the ruling military council said in a statement broadcast live on state television.

Pelosi reportedly scolds progressives in closed-door meeting, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez fires back

The House speaker reportedly tells Democrat lawmakers to come to her with complaints instead of tweeting about them.

More News Coming Friday on Ford and Volkswagen's Truck and EV Tieup

Ford and VW formalize an alliance to build pickups and vans and will reportedly share VW's MEB platform.

Slain Danish student's mother urges death sentences in Morocco trial

Salé (Morocco) (AFP) - The mother of a Danish student beheaded along with another Scandinavian woman while hiking in Morocco's High Atlas mountains called Thursday for the suspected jihadist killers to face the death penalty as their trial neared its end. "The most just thing would be to give these beasts the death penalty they deserve, I ask that of you," said Helle Petersen in a letter read by her lawyer in an anti-terrorist court in Sale, near the capital Rabat. "My life was destroyed the moment that two policemen came to my door on December 17 to announce my daughter's death," the mother of 24-year-old Louisa Vesterager Jespersen wrote in the letter, read out in total silence and with the defendants' faces impassive.