Mnangagwa: Zimbabwe's 'Comeback Crocodile'?

Emmerson Mnangagwa appeared well-placed to reprise his leading role in Zimbabwe after returning to the country in the wake of the army's takeover, prompted by his sacking by President Robert Mugabe. Nicknamed "Ngwena" (The Crocodile) because of his fearsome power and ruthlessness, the 75-year-old has a reputation for taking no prisoners -- but appeared to have been outfoxed by Grace Mugabe. It was the climax of a long feud between Grace and Mugabe's then deputy to be in pole position to replace the ailing leader when he died or retired.

Erdogan says Turkey must clear Syria's Afrin of YPG militia

President Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday that Turkey needed to clear the Afrin region of northwest Syria of Kurdish YPG militia fighters, who have been in the forefront of the battle there against Islamic State insurgents. Erdogan, speaking in Ankara to officials from the ruling AK Party, also expressed disappointment with the United States, which backs the YPG. Ankara views the YPG as an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has fought a decades-long insurgency in Turkey and is designated a terrorist group by Turkey, the United States and European Union.

The Absolute Worst Excuses Ever For Calling In Sick

CareerBuilder’s annual survey, which covered a 12-month period ending in September, found that 40 percent of workers had claimed to be sick when they actually weren’t, and 38 percent of employers had checked up on workers who called in sick.

Jay-Z Writes How ‘Probation Is A Trap’ In Powerful Meek Mill Op-Ed

Jay-Z continued to show his support for fellow rapper Meek Mill in a poignant New York Times opinion piece published Friday.

Why People in Mississippi Have to Watch the Giants

By KEVIN DRAPER from NYT Sports http://ift.tt/2mJJOrw

Trump starts paying his own legal bills on Russia probe -attorneys

By Karen Freifeld and Ginger Gibson WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump has begun paying his own legal bills related to the Russia investigation and will no longer cover the costs using political donations to his reelection campaign or the Republican Party, his attorneys confirmed on Friday. Trump defense lawyer John Dowd said that following payments by the Republican National Committee (RNC), the president began paying the bills and now wants to make the party "even." The expenses cover personal lawyers representing Trump before special prosecutor Robert Mueller's probe of possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia in last year's election, and whether Trump may have obstructed justice by firing Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey, among other actions.     Moscow has denied meddling in the election, and Trump has denied any collusion or obstruction.

Charles Manson alive, but reportedly on death's doorstep in California hospital: 'It’s just a matter of time'

Mass murderer Charles Manson is alive in a California hospital, but new reports suggest he may be near to death after serving more than four decades behind bars for committing one of the most notorious crimes in modern history.