| Both Democrats and Republicans Struggle to Fix Their Broken Politics Posted: 06 Aug 2017 01:14 AM PDT  Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), Gov. Jerry Brown (D-Calif.) and the panel join Meet the Press in a special edition on our broken politics.
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| ‘Severe Turbulence’, 10 Injured on Flight from Greece to Philadelphia Posted: 06 Aug 2017 09:11 AM PDT  Ten people were injured after an American Airlines flight from Athens, Greece, experienced "severe turbulence" prior to landing at Philadelphia International Airport Saturday.
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| Trump turns to base to protect imperiled presidency Posted: 05 Aug 2017 06:31 PM PDT  Beset by investigations, dire approval ratings and growing party dissent, Donald Trump is stirring up his base, hoping to mobilize an army of political shock troops to protect his presidency. Revelations that a grand jury has been impaneled to investigate his finances and his campaign's ties to Russia raises the specter of indictments and subpoenas that would shake any administration. Facing the prospect of limping through another three and a half years, Trump is settling on a strategy of shoring up the support of voters who propelled him to the White House with a series of right-wing policy announcements and red-blooded speeches.
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| Latest: Radio dispatches offer insight after officer shot Posted: 07 Aug 2017 01:52 PM PDT  CLINTON, Mo. (AP) — The Latest on the fatal shooting of a western Missouri police officer during a traffic stop (all times local):
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| Venezuela quells attack on military base, two killed Posted: 06 Aug 2017 04:38 PM PDT  By Girish Gupta and Alexandra Ulmer VALENCIA/CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) - Venezuelan authorities quelled an attack on a military base near the city of Valencia by soldiers and armed civilians on Sunday, killing two of them in a dramatic escalation of unrest in the protest-convulsed South American nation. The pre-dawn raid coincided with a video circulated on social media showing more than a dozen men in military uniform announcing an uprising to restore constitutional order following the creation of a pro-government legislative superbody on Friday, condemned internationally as a power grab by President Nicolas Maduro. The opposition has denounced Maduro for dragging Venezuela toward dictatorship and has appealed to the military for help.
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| Graffiti on stop signs could trick driverless cars into driving dangerously Posted: 07 Aug 2017 02:55 AM PDT  Driverless cars could ignore road signs on the streets since they can be confused by simple vandalism, researchers have found. While carmakers have been investigating ways to protect autonomous cars against hackers, more conventional attacks could confuse the vehicles into misreading road signs that would appear normal to ordinary drivers. Placing stickers or posters over part or the whole of a road sign could be used to trick the smart car into ignoring stop signs, even if visually they appear the same to the human drivers. Researchers at the University of Washington demonstrated how car hackers who had gained access to the visual recognition software within the vehicle could create simple alterations to road signs that would cause the car to misread them. The researchers said changes that trick learning algorithms, such as those used in driverless cars, can cause them "to misbehave in unexpected and potentially dangerous ways." Stickers caused cars to read a stop sign as a speed limit sign Credit: University of Washington In one example, graffiti stickers were added to a stop sign that read "Love / Hate", which caused it to be misread as speed limit sign reading 45. In another trick, the researchers printed out a right-hand turn sign that looked almost identical to a legitimate one, but subtle colour changes caused the sign to be misinterpreted as a stop sign. "Both of our attack classes do not require special resources—only access to a colour printer and a camera," the researchers said. The team said they hoped the research could help build better defensive systems into autonomous vehicles. Although the turn right sign appears very similar the computer misread it Credit: University of Washington The dangers of such attacks could see cars driving straight through junctions or coming to a halt in the middle of the road. Some current cars are already equipped to read and detect signs, such as Tesla's Autopilot feature on its Model S electric cars, although the vehicles are not yet programmed to react to the signs. Threats to self-driving cars that would normally not affect human drivers have proved tricky for researchers to counter. Engineers at Volvo have been trying for two years to teach their cars how to avoid kangaroo collisions, while a team at Waymo was forced to develop a pair of tiny windscreen wipers to clean bird droppings that masked the cars cameras and LIDAR systems. This week the government announced new guidance to develop safer driverless cars. Transport minister Lord Callanan said: "We need to make sure that the designs of the vehicles in the first place are completely cyber secure so that people can't break into them, they can't steal them and more importantly they can't hack them to potentially cause accidents." The crazy future of transport - in pictures
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| This T-shirt Company Is Trying To Reclaim The Swastika Symbol Posted: 06 Aug 2017 11:02 AM PDT ![This T-shirt Company Is Trying To Reclaim The Swastika Symbol]( "This T-shirt Company Is Trying To Reclaim The Swastika Symbol") The move has brought a lot of heat from Facebook users.
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| Passenger knocked out as whale slams into Australia boat Posted: 06 Aug 2017 09:52 PM PDT  A man was knocked unconscious and three others suffered facial fractures and broken ribs after a whale slammed into a charter fishing boat off Australia's north coast, the skipper said Monday. The 30-foot (9-metre) vessel was returning to port in the Whitsundays off the Queensland state coast with eight passengers on board when a humpback whale rammed it from below, sending it airborne. "Within a split second we all hit the floor, the boat launched up into the air and it dislodged everyone off their feet," captain Oliver Galea told AFP of the drama on Saturday.
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| Excessive corrosion blamed for deadly Ohio ride failure Posted: 06 Aug 2017 01:17 PM PDT  A few days after the deadly incident in Columbus, Ohio, KMG instructed operators to suspend the use of similar rides. The company said it had dispatched investigators to Columbus, where they looked at video footage of the incident and conducted a metallurgical test of the 18-year-old ride. Ohio State Fair officials were not immediately available for comment.
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| Why Republicans Can't Just Pivot to Tax Reform Posted: 07 Aug 2017 01:00 AM PDT ![Why Republicans Can't Just Pivot to Tax Reform]( "Why Republicans Can't Just Pivot to Tax Reform") The White House is promising swift action on the GOP's next priority. But Congress must first pass a budget, and the details are once again dividing the party.
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| Northwestern professor, Oxford staffer jailed in stabbing Posted: 06 Aug 2017 05:46 AM PDT  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Far from their prestigious campuses, a Northwestern University professor and a University of Oxford finance officer were jailed in the San Francisco area on Saturday after eight days as fugitives in the death of a young hairdresser in Chicago who was repeatedly stabbed until the knife broke, police said.
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| Road rage incident leaves four-year-old boy in serious condition after being shot in the head Posted: 07 Aug 2017 09:10 AM PDT  A four-year-old boy is in a serious condition after he was shot in the head following an apparent road rage incident involving his mother. The youngster, who has not been identified by the authorities, was taken to Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital where he was reportedly conscious and breathing.
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| Macedonia aims to solve protracted name row with Greece Posted: 06 Aug 2017 09:05 PM PDT  After a quarter-century-long dispute that has blocked its entry to NATO and the European Union, Macedonia seems determined to end the row with Greece over its name. The quarrel between Skopje and Athens dates back to Macedonia's declaration of independence from Yugoslavia in 1991 and has poisoned neighbourly relations. From the outset Greece denied its neighbour the right to use the name Macedonia, which is also the name of a northern Greek region.
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| Venezuela troops quash anti-Maduro attack on military base Posted: 06 Aug 2017 05:42 PM PDT  VALENCIA, Venezuela (AP) — Soldiers battled for three hours Sunday morning against a small band of anti-government fighters who snuck onto a Venezuelan army base, apparently intent on fomenting an uprising, President Nicolas Maduro said.
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| US Navy take part in war games off Scotland's coast as they help train British forces Posted: 07 Aug 2017 05:24 AM PDT  Members of Britain's new carrier strike group are engaged with the US Navy and other international allies in Exercise Saxon Warrior, aboard American aircraft carrier the USS George HW Bush. The 97,000-tonne and 1,092ft Nimitz class aircraft carrier was off the coast of Scotland on Sunday in the latest phase of the war game, ahead of the UK's carrier strike group setting up on the Queen Elizabeth in the coming months. F/A-18 Hornet pilots return from a flight during joint military exercise, Saxon Warrior, aboard the USS George H.W. Bush on August 6, 2017 off the north west coast of the United Kingdom Credit: Getty Images Europe/ Dan Kitwood Commander Betton, commander of the Royal Navy's carrier strike group, told the Press Association the two new carriers marked a huge step for UK defence that would "usher in a new era of carrier strike activity". Speaking aboard USS George HW Bush, he added: "Carrier enabled power projection, which is the formal term for this capability, offers strategic choice to Her Majesty's Government. "The ability to scale from humanitarian assistance, response to natural disasters, through to a poise to try and deter a potential conflict and if necessary to engage as a serious tier one partner in the international coalition to take our place at the top table. "As a United Nations permanent security council member, I feel it's firmly the right thing for the United Kingdom to be doing." Timelapse: HMS Queen Elizabeth squeezes out of dockyard with inches to spare 00:44 The Royal United Services Institute recently warned that the £3 billion carrier could be disabled with a single strike from a relatively cheap missile costing less than £500,000, and sunk by multiple missiles. Other recent warnings around the Queen Elizabeth have concerned its technology and vulnerability to cyber attack, as well as the number of ships and maritime aircraft available to protect it. Captain Ken Houlberg, the UK carrier strike group chief of staff, said the capability delivered by an aircraft carrier and strike group "sets that nation on the world map - it's a player". He added: "It's got hard power tools that can deliver capability across the spectrum of conflict, from humanitarian and disaster relief through defence engagement to full high-end war fighting with our coalition allies. "It sets Britain apart." Both men were also confident the UK's two carriers could compete with the American fleet, with the USS George HW Bush one of 10 in the US Navy. Personnel stand in steam created after a plane took off during joint military exercise, Saxon Warrior, aboard the USS George H.W. Bush on August 6, 2017 Credit: Dan Kitwood/ Getty Images Europe Cmdr Betton said the two British carriers would operate at a high state or readiness, with one or the other always available at short notice to undertake carrier strike operations. Cpt Houlberg added: "We've got to get from two carriers the sorts of things the Americans get from a lot more, and that's going to be quite a challenge, but it's something I'm confident we can deliver." Graphic: HMS Queen Elizabeth
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| That 'Game of Thrones' Stark family reunion had the internet Posted: 06 Aug 2017 06:26 PM PDT  Spoilers follow for Game of Thrones Season 7, episode four. So don't act like you haven't been warned, dummy. Finally, (most of) the Starks are back together. With winter falling all around Winterfell, it was only fitting that the Starks have a family reunion for almost everyone who's still alive. This episode saw the triumphant return of Arya. Though two dullards tried to keep her out of her own home, there's no stopping a girl who is no one and it led to a very emotional reunion with Sansa over their father's grave. Things were only made more weepy when Bran joined them by the weirwood (even though he's v creepy now and wtf is he). SEE ALSO: 'Game of Thrones' has become so self-referential it causes me physical pain Jon Snow is still in Dragonstone, undertaking his new mining operation, trying to Make Westeros Great Again, so he unfortunately couldn't join his surviving 'siblings' in Winterfell. But all the same, it was extremely touching to see these disparate survivors who have gone through so very much sitting calmly and talking to each other about old times. (I mean, it was great except Bran. idk, guys. Is he ever going to be relatable again?) REGARDLESS, the internet absolutely freaking loved it. Hoping for another Stark family reunion tonight like... 爛 #GameOfThrones pic.twitter.com/KCbSfqCEJO — Elizabeth Banks (@ElizabethBanks) August 6, 2017 I just want Arya and Sansa to bond and murder Cersei together. You two are so similar now, please talk!! #GameOfThrones — AlizaW (@AlizaTweets) August 7, 2017 ok I am officially crying. My Stark bbs — nessa (@durillium) August 7, 2017 Stark gang back baby #demthrones pic.twitter.com/N08IpqT8DX — Squallah (@The_WavyOne) August 7, 2017 "I'm Arya Stark.This is my home". #GameOfThrones pic.twitter.com/roIkxk9eqZ — endgame (@delenaslooch) August 7, 2017 Issa STARK REUNION!!! #GameofThrones — Everyone Calls me G (@futbolfreedom) August 7, 2017 Another Stark came home and I cry @GameOfThrones — Alexandra Leigh (@prncssalejandra) August 7, 2017 Stark Reunion got me like #GameOfThones #GameOfThrones #gots7 #GameOfThronesS7 pic.twitter.com/UlIVkpLSKi — Robbie Ramos (@Robbieallday28) August 7, 2017 "I'm Arya Stark, this is MY home" #gots7 pic.twitter.com/yNTwVjKMg0 — manu (@manuharagao) August 7, 2017 David and Dan giving us Stark reunions left right and center. Just like DJ Khaled once said. 'Another One' #ThronesYall #GOTS7 pic.twitter.com/BBLrZQeiHk — Ryan (@TotoRyan69) August 7, 2017 THE STARK SISTERS ARE BACK TOGETHER #GameofThrones pic.twitter.com/chpy0xHkKu — Rick Grimes (@DrPresidentPat) August 7, 2017 STARK SISTER REUNION. THIS IS NOT A DRILL. #GameofThrones pic.twitter.com/4PMfa21sGu — Faith D'Isa (@FaithNoMoar) August 7, 2017 Now let's just hope that they stay alive for a while. WATCH: The 'Game of Thrones' cast reveals what songs would be on their character's iPod
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| Toxic waste from U.S. pot farms alarms experts Posted: 06 Aug 2017 07:39 AM PDT  By Sharon Bernstein WEAVERVILLE, Calif. (Reuters) - Pollution from illegal marijuana farms deep in California's national forests is far worse than previously thought, and has turned thousands of acres into waste dumps so toxic that simply touching plants has landed law enforcement officers in the hospital. The volume of banned or restricted pesticides and illegally applied fertilizers in the woods dwarfs estimates by the U.S. Forest Service in 2014, when a top enforcement official testified that the pollution was threatening forest land in California and other states.
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| Charity run by Pakistani Islamist with $10 million bounty launches political party Posted: 07 Aug 2017 09:28 AM PDT  A Pakistani charity that the United States accuses of being a front for anti-India militant group that staged the 2008 Mumbai attacks has entered politics by forming a new party, charity officials said on Monday. The new Milli Muslim League party will follow the ideology of Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), which the U.S. says is a front for banned militant group Lashkar-e-Tayyaba (LeT) and is run by Hafiz Saeed, the alleged mastermind of the 2008 attacks that killed 166 people. "We have decided to make a new political party, so that Pakistan is to made a real Islamic and welfare state," said Milli Muslim League President Saifullah Khalid.
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| 'Adult Entertainers Kill Man Who Changed Their Flat Tire Posted: 06 Aug 2017 12:27 PM PDT  Four adult entertainers are charged with the death of a good Samaritan who helped change their flat tire.
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| 6 Ways to Lower Your Risk of Breast Cancer Posted: 07 Aug 2017 02:29 PM PDT  Watch the video to learn 6 ways to lower your risk of breast cancer.
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| AP FACT CHECK: Trump didn't receive laudatory calls Posted: 06 Aug 2017 11:36 PM PDT  WASHINGTON (AP) — In President Donald Trump's universe, the past week was distinguished by two phone calls that happened and two that didn't.
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| Settle Flowerpot Festival Posted: 07 Aug 2017 10:32 AM PDT ![Settle Flowerpot Festival]( "Settle Flowerpot Festival") You can choose to follow one of the Flowerpot Trails that are available to purchase from the Tourist Information Centre or you can just explore and take great delight in 'bagging' another display. The Festival is FREE and accessible at all times throughout July and August.
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| What It's Like to Test Drive the 2017 Lamborghini Huracán Spyder Posted: 07 Aug 2017 08:06 AM PDT  At nearly $300,000, the fabled Italian brand shows us once more why they are among the very best in producing exceptional supercars
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| Jordanian king backs Palestinian leader in rare visit Posted: 07 Aug 2017 08:21 AM PDT  Abdullah's first trip to the West Bank in five years was seen as a message to Israel and the United States over the sensitive Al-Aqsa mosque compound and the stalled peace process. It came less than two weeks after the end of a standoff at the holy site over new security measures, including metal detectors, imposed by Israel following an attack that killed two policemen.
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| Petition builds against Macron's First Lady plans Posted: 07 Aug 2017 11:24 AM PDT  By Caroline Pailliez PARIS (Reuters) - More than 220,000 people have signed a petition against French President Emmanuel Macron's plans to create a formal First Lady role for his wife Brigitte. Unlike the U.S. First Lady, the wife of the French president does not have a formal role, although they are often informal champions for charitable causes. Past presidential wives have had small teams working for them at the Elysee presidential palace.
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| At least 11 killed in 'barbaric' Nigeria church shooting Posted: 06 Aug 2017 04:06 PM PDT  At least 11 worshippers were shot dead at a church in southeast Nigeria on Sunday, with authorities suggesting the bloodshed was due to a local feud. Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari condemned the attack, describing the incident as "an appalling crime against humanity and unspeakable sacrilege," his office said. At around 6:00 am (0500 GMT) at least one gunman opened fire at Saint Philip's church in Ozubulu, near the city of Onitsha, unleashing terror on the congregation.
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| Tourists Arrested in Germany For Performing Hitler Salute Posted: 06 Aug 2017 10:08 AM PDT  The salute is banned in Germany
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| Two Baltimore murders break 72-hour anti-violence 'ceasefire' Posted: 06 Aug 2017 07:31 AM PDT  The unidentified victim suffered multiple gunshot wounds just before 10 p.m. on Saturday, a few hours after a 24-year-old man was reported shot and killed. Following the first shooting on Saturday, Baltimore Ceasefire's organizers said on Facebook that the killing would not stop their mission. Despite the shootings, activists held marches, cookouts and vigils on Saturday night, paying tribute to the city's murder victims and hugging residents affected by the violence, the Baltimore Sun reported.
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| Donald Trump's highest-profile tech backer Peter Thiel fears 'this whole thing ends in disaster' Posted: 07 Aug 2017 11:18 AM PDT  Silicon Valley's most high-profile backer of Donald Trump's presidential campaign has reportedly begun disparaging the President's erratic administration and even warning it may collapse in "disaster". Mr Thiel's vision of limited government aligns with a central plank of Republican orthodoxy, and his libertarian-minded aversion to foreign entanglements mirrors Mr Trump's isolationist stance.
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| More Syrian child brides in Jordan amid poverty, uncertainty Posted: 06 Aug 2017 11:19 PM PDT  MAFRAQ, Jordan (AP) — Married at 15 and divorced at 16, a Syrian teen says she regrets having said yes to a handsome suitor — a stranger who turned into an abusive husband.
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| Little boy pens brilliant letter to Nasa applying for job fighting aliens Posted: 07 Aug 2017 07:43 AM PDT  An ambitious nine-year-old boy has penned a letter to Nasa applying to become the space agency's Planetary Protection Officer. The fourth grader from New Jersey said he was suitable as "my sister says I am an alien", he added: "I am so young, so I can learn to think like an alien." When 4th grader and self-proclaimed "Guardian of the Galaxy", Jack, wrote to us about applying for a job, we replied https://t.co/932pj3Q50Bpic.twitter.com/RhcGdnzGAw— NASA (@NASA) August 4, 2017 The letter in full: "Dear Nasa, "My name is Jack Davis and I would like to apply for the planetary protection officer job. I may be nine but I think I would be fit for the job. "One of the reasons is my sister says I am an alien, also I have seen almost all the space alien movies I can see. "I have also seen the show Marvel Agents of Shield and hope to see the movie Men In Black. "I am young so can learn to think like an alien." He signed off the letter with "Jack Davis, Guardian of the Galaxy." Nasa's Planetary Science Director Jim Green replied: "At NASA, we love to teach kids about space and inspire them to be the next generation of explorers. "Think of it as a gravity assist - a boost that may positively and forever change a person's course in life, and our footprint in the universe." First photos inside futuristic capsule for space tourists released Space tourism: 10 ways you can leave planet Earth
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| 2017 Chrysler 300S V-6 RWD Posted: 07 Aug 2017 10:15 AM PDT  S without RT.
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| Taliban, IS jointly massacred 50 civilians: Afghan officials Posted: 07 Aug 2017 03:35 AM PDT  The Taliban and Islamic State group jointly massacred dozens of civilians in an Afghan village, officials said Monday, highlighting rare co-operation between the insurgents that could increase the strain on Afghanistan's beleaguered security forces. The fighters killed more than 50 men, women and children in the remote Sayad district of northern Sar-e Pul province on Saturday after overrunning the Afghan Local Police (ALP) -- a government-backed militia -- in a 48-hour battle, according to local officials. "It was a joint operation by Daesh (IS) and Taliban fighters.
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| USDA has begun censoring use of the term 'climate change', emails reveal Posted: 07 Aug 2017 08:43 AM PDT  Among the 'intense weather events' qualifying as climate change under the advice in the email chain is drought. Staff at the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) have been told to avoid using the term climate change in their work, with the officials instructed to reference "weather extremes" instead. A series of emails obtained by the Guardian between staff at the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), a USDA unit that oversees farmers' land conservation, show that the incoming Trump administration has had a stark impact on the language used by some federal employees around climate change.
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| Tunisian fishermen stall 'racist' anti-migrant ship's progress Posted: 06 Aug 2017 11:59 AM PDT  Fishermen at a Tunisian port on Sunday prevented a ship carrying far-right anti-immigration activists from docking, dealing a fresh blow to a controversial mission aimed at disrupting the flow of migrant boats from north Africa to Europe. Chartered by extremist group "Generation Identity", the C-Star passed through waters off Libya on Saturday. It briefly tailed the Aquarius, operated by French group SOS Mediterranee, one of several NGO boats conducting search and rescue operations in an area notorious for deadly migrant boat sinkings.
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| Elon Musk Just Confirmed a ‘Special’ Tesla Model 3 Surprise Posted: 07 Aug 2017 05:29 AM PDT  The CEO has been up tweeting.
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| Samsung scion Lee fights back tears as prosecutors seek 12 years' jail Posted: 07 Aug 2017 01:11 AM PDT  By Joyce Lee and Christine Kim SEOUL (Reuters) - Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Jay Y. Lee fought back tears and denied wrongdoing on Monday as prosecutors sought a 12-year jail term on charges that include bribing the former president to help cement control of the South Korean tech giant. Lee, the de facto leader of one of Asia's largest conglomerates, has been in detention since February on trial for charges ranging from embezzlement to perjury, in a scandal that gripped the country for months and led to the ouster of former president Park Geun-hye. "I have never asked anyone, including the president, for anything for the company or my personal gain," said Lee in a final statement, his voice wavering.
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| How to know if your child is transgender: What experts say Posted: 07 Aug 2017 10:48 AM PDT  EL CERRITO, Calif. (AP) — How can a parent know if their child is transgender? What separates a young boy who might be transgender from one with a vivid imagination who likes to dress up in his sister's dresses? What do you do if your daughter tells you she's a boy?
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| Faraday Future Finally Buys a Factory for Its Electric Cars Posted: 07 Aug 2017 09:19 AM PDT  The flashy electric car company has settled down.
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| Facial recognition on the iPhone 8 may be more advanced than we thought Posted: 07 Aug 2017 06:27 AM PDT 
The HomePod firmware that Apple mistakenly made public last weekend may very well represent the most significant iPhone leak we've ever seen. While the prototype iPhone 4 obtained by Gizmodo a few years back revealed a completely new form factor, many of the device's new software features remained unknown until Steve Jobs officially introduced the device a few months later. In stark contrast, Apple's HomePod firmware has provided us with an inside look at the iPhone 8's new form factor along with a few of the device's more significant new features. Just a few days ago, for example, data strings from the HomePod firmware revealed that the iPhone 8's front facing camera will likely support 4K video recording at 60 frames per second.
That said, the most significant and intriguing tidbits of information regarding the iPhone 8 center on the removal of Touch ID and the inclusion of an advanced facial recognition system. With respect to Touch ID, developer Steve Troughton-Smith a few days ago relayed that nothing in the HomePod firmware points to the iPhone 8 featuring a Touch ID sensor embedded into the display. Instead, it's widely believed that the iPhone 8 will incorporate advanced facial recognition software that will be used for biometric authentication. To this end, developers have also found evidence that facial recognition on the iPhone 8 will be used to authenticate Apple Pay transactions. Since debuting on the iPhone 5s in 2013, Touch ID has been an incredibly reliable, useful and secure way for users to log into their device and authorize financial transactions. As a result, there are well-grounded concerns as to whether or not facial recognition will be as easy to use and practical as Touch ID. After all, Touch ID allows users to unlock a device as they pull it out of a pocket, even in the dark. Replacing Touch ID with facial recognition therefore raises a number of interesting questions. For starters, what happens when a user takes out his or her device in the dark? Well, not to worry, data strings in the HomePod firmware suggest that the iPhone 8's front facing cameras will rely upon infrared sensors that should work just fine in low light and dark environments. Another valid concern asks if users will have to hold up the iPhone 8 directly to their face in order to unlock it. This, of course, would present an obvious step backwards in usability. Once again, this concern may not be as big of an issue as some might imagine. The latest iPhone 8 leak to emerge from the HomePod firmware release indicates that the iPhone 8 camera will be able to identify individual users even when the device sitting flat on a table. Originally unearthed by iHelp BR, the data string in question reads in part: "accessibility.resting.pearl.unlock." Notably, Pearl is believed to be the internal codename for the iPhone 8's facial recognition scheme. 
That this feature would exist certainly makes sense given that Apple isn't generally in the business of releasing new products that provide less functionality and usability than existing ones.
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| Philippine military needs 20,000 more troops due to greater threats: Duterte Posted: 06 Aug 2017 03:19 AM PDT  Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has asked lawmakers to approve the recruiting of 20,000 more soldiers to tackle increased security threats following a bloody urban siege in the south, his spokesman said Sunday. Almost 700 people have been killed, according to the official count, in over two months of fighting in the southern city of Marawi against Islamist militants who have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group. The militants, waving the black IS flag, have occupied parts of Marawi since May 23, prompting Duterte to declare martial law in the entire southern region of Mindanao.
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| McConnell to consider bipartisan plan to pay health insurers Posted: 06 Aug 2017 11:37 AM PDT  week after an attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act failed, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says he'd consider a bipartisan effort to continue payments to insurers to avert a costly rattling of health insurance markets.
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| The strange case of Fox News, Trump and the death of young Democrat Seth Rich Posted: 06 Aug 2017 10:09 PM PDT  In the early hours of Sunday 10 July 2016, Seth Rich, a 27-year-old digital campaigner with the Democratic National Committee, was walking home after a long night at his favorite Washington sports bar, Lou's City. Last week, the conspiracy theory that conservatives draped around Rich's lifeless neck – that he was the source of the hacked DNC emails released by WikiLeaks at the height of the 2016 presidential race, and not Russia, as US intelligence insists – was revealed to have received a boost from the highest quarter.
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