| How ISIS Returnees Are Stirring a Debate Over Citizenship, Security and Rule of Law Posted: 21 Feb 2019 11:56 AM PST  Trump wants Europe to take back "over 800 ISIS fighters"
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| The Latest: US ambassador: Protect children, stop sex abuse Posted: 22 Feb 2019 08:23 AM PST  VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Latest on Pope Francis' sex abuse summit at the Vatican (all times local):
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| Manafort Faces March 8 Sentencing for Virginia Fraud Convictions Posted: 21 Feb 2019 10:58 AM PST  U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III set the date on Thursday, giving Manafort until March 1 to reply to Mueller's recommendation that he serve between 19.6 and 24.4 years in prison. Manafort, 69, was convicted by jurors last August of bank fraud, tax fraud and failure to file a foreign bank account report. Manafort, who was President Donald Trump's campaign chairman in 2016, also faces a March 13 sentencing in federal court in Washington.
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| North Carolina board votes to hold new House election over absentee ballot fraud Posted: 21 Feb 2019 01:37 PM PST  The North Carolina Board of Elections voted unanimously to hold a new election in the state's 9th District after overwhelming evidence of vote tampering.
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| Tucker Carlson: Fox News host laughs along with guest after he suggests black people ‘need to move on’ from slavery Posted: 22 Feb 2019 06:55 AM PST  A guest who appeared on Tucker Carlson's Fox News show said African Americans "need to move on" from slavery because it was abolished "a century-and-a-half ago". Mark Steyn, a cultural commentator, made the comments on Thursday during a segment discussing 2020 presidential candidates who are in favour of reparations for African Americans. During his rant, Steyn said: "Slavery was abolished a century and a half ago, nobody alive today has a grandparent who was a slave, and in that sense I think you reach a point where, you know, you need to move on.
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| CORRECTED: Microsoft workers demand it drop $480 million U.S. Army contract Posted: 22 Feb 2019 03:30 PM PST  The organising effort, described to Reuters by three Microsoft workers, offers the latest example in the last year of tech employees protesting cooperation with governments on emerging technologies. Microsoft won a contract in November to supply the Army with at least 2,500 prototypes of augmented reality headsets, which digitally displays contextual information in front of a user's eyes. In a petition to Microsoft executives, posted on Twitter, workers said they "did not sign up to develop weapons, and we demand a say in how our work is used." They called on the company to develop "a public-facing acceptable use policy" for its technology and an external review board to publicly enforce it.
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| Google improving Maps and Search to fight the opioid crisis Posted: 22 Feb 2019 04:09 AM PST  On Thursday Google announced that it is making it easier to locate drug disposal locations year-round with enhanced opioid-related query results. Since 2017, the opioid crisis has been officially a public health emergency with Google queries for "medication disposal near me" reaching an all-time high on the platform just last month. In response, the company has improved Maps and Search results of queries like "drug drop off near me" or "medication disposal near me" to display permanent disposal locations, typically pharmacies (like Walgreens or CVS Health), hospitals, or government buildings, where you can discard unused and unneeded medications.
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| ISIS bride: Father of radicalized Alabama woman sues Trump administration, seeks her return Posted: 22 Feb 2019 05:55 AM PST  The father of an Alabama woman who joined the Islamic State in Syria filed suit against the Trump administration Thursday in an effort to allow her return to the United States.
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| IRS employee charged in leak of Trump attorney records Posted: 21 Feb 2019 04:47 PM PST  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — U.S. prosecutors have charged an IRS employee with leaking banking records of President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer Michael Cohen that flagged suspicious activity, the U.S. attorney's office in San Francisco said Thursday.
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| 2019 10Best Cars Posted: 22 Feb 2019 06:52 AM PST |
| Robert Kraft prostitution scandal exposes depth of modern slavery, sex trafficking industry Posted: 22 Feb 2019 03:15 PM PST  Sex trafficking won't stop until the costs are high enough to make rich, powerful men feel that buying Chinese girls from a local spa isn't worth it.
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| Warren Backs Government Reparations for African Americans Posted: 21 Feb 2019 12:49 PM PST  Senator Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.) on Thursday followed fellow Democratic presidential contender Senator Kamala Harris (D., Calif.) in calling for the government to pay reparations to African Americans to atone for slavery and subsequent discrimination.Warren's campaign told the New York Times that she does support some form of government reparations for the descendants of slaves, but did not specify what policy she we would pursue if elected in 2020.Warren's support for reparations came after Harris came out in support of the idea during a radio interview last week."We have to be honest that people in this country do not start from the same place or have access to the same opportunities," she said. "I'm serious about taking an approach that would change policies and structures and make real investments in black communities."Since angering much of the progressive-activist community last year by publicizing the results of her DNA test to substantiate her claim of Native American ancestry, Warren has prioritized racial equity in laying out her 2020 presidential platform. She has called for a special home-buying-assistance program that would help alleviate the effects of racial red-lining, a phenomenon in which African Americans are prevented from buying homes in certain neighborhoods. She has also presented a universal-child-care proposal that would create a network of government-backed child-care centers available to families making under 200 percent of the federal poverty level.Other prominent Democratic presidential contenders, including Senators Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, Cory Booker of New Jersey, and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, have not yet come out in support of reparations. Senator Bernie Sanders (D., Vt.) dismissed the idea of paying reparations to the descendants of slaves as impractical during his 2016 presidential run but has not weighed in on the issue since.
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| What Amazon Didn’t Get From New York Posted: 21 Feb 2019 06:00 AM PST  My view is that local governments overuse such subsidies. Consider, by way of illustration, entitlement and discretionary spending on the federal level. Much of discretionary spending, by contrast, is research grants and procurement contracts.
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| Bobby Berk to Launch Collection for A.R.T. Furniture at High Point Posted: 21 Feb 2019 09:00 AM PST  The collaboration marks the first time A.R.T. is working with an outside designer
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| Google moves to fix YouTube glitch exploited for child porn Posted: 21 Feb 2019 12:22 PM PST  Google-owned YouTube said Thursday it was taking action to close a loophole that enabled users to share comments and links on child pornography over the video-sharing service. The response came after a YouTube creator this week revealed what he called a "wormhole" that allowed comments and connections on child porn alongside innocuous videos. "Any content -- including comments -- that endangers minors is abhorrent and we have clear policies prohibiting this on YouTube," a spokesman said in an email to AFP.
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| Some Americans face a costly surprise this tax season: tiny refunds or bigger bills Posted: 21 Feb 2019 11:52 AM PST  For some, this tax season so far has come with a costly surprise – a tiny tax refund or a big tax bill. The shock is hitting their finances.
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| Putin to U.S.: I'm ready for another Cuban Missile-style crisis if you want one Posted: 21 Feb 2019 01:33 PM PST  The Cuban Missile Crisis erupted in 1962 when Moscow responded to a U.S. missile deployment in Turkey by sending ballistic missiles to Cuba, sparking a standoff that brought the world to the brink of nuclear war. More than five decades on, tensions are rising again over Russian fears that the United States might deploy intermediate-range nuclear missiles in Europe, as a landmark Cold War-era arms-control treaty unravels. Putin's comments, made to Russian media late on Wednesday, follow his warning that Moscow will match any U.S. move to deploy new missiles closer to Russia by stationing its own missiles closer to the United States or by deploying faster missiles or both.
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| Disabled greeter meets with Walmart about job; no resolution Posted: 22 Feb 2019 02:44 PM PST  A beloved, longtime Walmart greeter with cerebral palsy met with store management in Pennsylvania on Friday in a bid to keep his job but came away with no guarantees, and his family is girding for a fight.
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| Fake news: Kim and Trump lookalikes draw crowds in Hanoi Posted: 22 Feb 2019 02:38 PM PST  Days before the second summit between Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump, to be held in Vietnam's capital, a Kim impersonator appeared at the Metropole Hotel, a back-up location for the meeting. Howard X, an Australian, has been cashing in on his resemblance to North Korea's leader, especially his haircut. It looks awful," Howard X said, adding it takes him three hours to prepare his outfit and get into character.
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| Empire executives suspend Jussie Smollett and say his character Jamal will not appear in final two episodes Posted: 22 Feb 2019 07:50 AM PST  Jussie Smollett's character Jamal will not appear in the final two episodes of Empire, the Fox show's executive producers have said. Smollett has been charged with filing a false police report after alleging he had been the victim of a racist and homophobic attack, authorities have said. Police in Chicago had earlier said the 36-year-old actor was being considered as a suspect in the case and have now confirmed charges have been brought against him. He has been charged by Cook County State's Attorney's Office with disorderly conduct and filing a false police report. Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said detectives are now looking to arrest Smollett. In a statement, Fox said: "The events of the past few weeks have been incredibly emotional for all of us. Jussie has been an important member of our Empire family for the past five years and we care about him deeply. "While these allegations are very disturbing, we are placing our trust in the legal system as the process plays out. "We are also aware of the effects of this process on the cast and crew members who work on our show, and to avoid further disruption on set we have decided to remove the role of Jamal from the final two episodes of the season." Jussie Smollett's mugshot Lawyers acting on behalf of Smollett have said they will mount an "aggressive defence" to the charges. Lawyers Todd Pugh and Victor Henderson said in a statement: "Like any other citizen, Mr Smollett enjoys the presumption of innocence, particularly when there has been an investigation like this one where information, both true and false, has been repeatedly leaked. "Given these circumstances, we intend to conduct a thorough investigation and to mount an aggressive defence." It did not say where Smollett is and when he might turn himself in to police. The charges emerged on the same day that detectives and two brothers who were earlier deemed suspects testified before a grand jury. The announcement that charges had been made followed weeks of speculation around the investigation and lengthy interviews of the brothers by authorities, a search of their home and their release after police cleared them. Investigators have not said what the brothers told detectives or what evidence detectives collected. On Friday, it became clear the focus of the investigation had shifted when police announced a "significant shift in the trajectory" of the probe after the brothers were freed. If found guilty of the Class 4 felony, Smollett faces a prison sentence of between one to three years, but could also receive probation. Smollett had alleged he had been attacked by two masked men in downtown Chicago on January 29, telling police his attackers had shouted racist and homophobic abuse and tied a noose around his neck. Jussie Smollett as his character Jamal in Empire Credit: Chuck Hodes/Fox Smollett, who is black and came out as gay in 2015, made a tearful appearance on Good Morning America this month and said he had been "forever changed" by the alleged attack. He said: "I will never be the man who this didn't happen to. "I am forever changed and I don't subscribe to the idea that everything happens for a reason, but I do subscribe to the idea that we have the right and responsibility to make something meaningful out of the things that happen to us, good and bad." Asked what message he wanted to send by speaking about the attack, he replied: "I want young people, young members of the LGTBQ community, young black children, to know how strong they are, to know the power they hold in their little pinky." Smollett has starred in musical drama Empire since 2015. He plays Jamal, the gay son of a music mogul, played by Terrence Howard. Fox, the network which airs Empire, said it had no comment to add.
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| China against forcefully sending aid to Venezuela Posted: 22 Feb 2019 01:52 AM PST  China said Friday it was against forcefully sending "so-called humanitarian assistance" to Venezuela, warning it could spark conflict in the crisis-torn country. China has loaned billions to Venezuela and has remained committed to President Nicolas Maduro even as the country has fallen deeper into economic crisis. Foreign aid mostly from the US has piled up on Venezuela's borders as the Maduro government refuses to let it into the country.
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| Day one highlights from Milan Fashion Week Posted: 21 Feb 2019 03:59 AM PST  Hot on the heels of Benetton, which opened Milan Fashion Week Tuesday, February 20, fashion houses Gucci, Alberto Zambelli, Annakiki, Alberta Ferretti and Moncler showed their fall/winter 2019-2020 collections in the Italian city. This first official day reiterated certain trends spotted in New York and London with some colorful displays, notably at Byblos and Annakiki, mixing bright shades and prints, as well as at Gucci. Like in London and New York, plays on volume and proportion -- especially with outerwear designs -- were also on the agenda in Milan, with several extravagant pieces covered with frills and furbelows.
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| Neptune's smallest moon may have been created by comets Posted: 20 Feb 2019 09:28 PM PST  We're all made of star stuff, but some things in the universe are created by comets.Neptune's recently discovered and smallest moon, Hippocamp, has been confirmed and observed in detail by the Hubble Space Telescope according to new research published in Nature on Wednesday.SEE ALSO: Neptune looks extremely sharp and very blue in these latest imagesNamed Hippocamp for the half-horse, half-fish creature from Greek mythology -- all of Neptune's moons are named for Greek and Roman mythological figures -- it's the smallest of the planet's seven inner moons, with a diameter of approximately 20-21 miles (34 kilometres). How have we never met Hippocamp before? The planet's other six small inner moons were picked up in a 1989 fly-by from the Voyager 2 spacecraft, but Hippocamp was missed. Between 2004 and 2009, the Hubble picked up a "white dot" from 150 images, and in 2013, Mark Showalter of California's SETI Institute officially discovered the moon by analyzing the photographs and plotting its circular orbit. Hippocamp was officially confirmed in the study published Wednesday by Showalter alongside Imke de Pater from the University of California, Berkeley, Jack Lissauer of NASA's Ames Research Center, and R. S. French of SETI.While there are three Hubble programmes dedicated to studying Neptune's rings, arcs and small inner moons, the study's authors had to develop their own specialised image processing techniques to focus on the inner satellites, including Hippocamp, because of their speedy orbits. With these new techniques, the team were able to confirm not only that Neptune officially has 14 moons, but how the smallest was likely formed. Part of another moon?Hippocamp sits in orbit near Proteus, the largest and outermost of Neptune's moons. In fact, the study's authors suggest Hippocamp could be derived from Proteus, as an ancient fragment of it. "The first thing we realized was that you wouldn't expect to find such a tiny moon right next to Neptune's biggest inner moon," study author Showalter said on NASA's blog. "In the distant past, given the slow migration outward of the larger moon, Proteus was once where Hippocamp is now."This diagram shows the orbits of several moons located close to the planet Neptune.Image: NASA, ESA, and A. Feild (STScI)The inner moons are thought to be younger than Neptune, having formed after the capture (a successful pull into orbit) of Neptune's largest moon, Triton. But according to the study, each inner moon has likely been fragmented by comet impacts, including Proteus, which sports the enormous Pharos crater thought to be unusually large in relation to the size of the moon, and possibly created by a comet."Based on estimates of comet populations, we know that other moons in the outer solar system have been hit by comets, smashed apart, and re-accreted multiple times," said Lissauer. "This pair of satellites provides a dramatic illustration that moons are sometimes broken apart by comets."It's this type of comet impact that the authors hypothesise could have released debris from the moon, which then settled into orbit and gradually accreted (formed) into Hippocamp. According to NASA, astronomers refer to it as "the moon that shouldn't be there."A pretty violent way to be born, but there it is. WATCH: Elon Musk says Mars round trip could cost only $100,000 one day
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| Winter storm brings rare snowfall to the Las Vegas Strip Posted: 21 Feb 2019 05:51 PM PST  The snow dusted casino marquees and prompted revelers to erect a snowman near the famous "Welcome to Las Vegas" sign.
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| May Faces Revolt as Negotiations Stumble: Brexit Update Posted: 22 Feb 2019 09:21 AM PST  Talks on revising the Brexit deal aren't making much progress, and officials on both sides are downplaying the chances of an imminent breakthrough. If Theresa May has nothing new to show Parliament next week, she's likely to face a revolt that could force her to delay Brexit -- and take the threat of a no-deal exit off the table. Key Developments:EU and U.K. say don't expect a breakthrough at Sharm El-Sheikh summit on SundayEU expects May to ask for a three-month delay to exit day, according to people familiar with the situation.
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| Syracuse coach Boeheim strikes, kills pedestrian on highway Posted: 21 Feb 2019 04:48 PM PST  SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) — Longtime Syracuse basketball coach Jim Boeheim struck and killed a man along an interstate late Wednesday night as he tried to avoid hitting the man's disabled vehicle, police say.
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| Donald Trump: Russian Asset? Posted: 22 Feb 2019 11:45 AM PST  'I think it's possible" that President Donald Trump is a Russian asset, disgraced former FBI acting director Andrew McCabe told CNN's Anderson Cooper on Tuesday. McCabe also said to The Atlantic that FBI brass felt "concern about the president and whether or not he posed a national-security threat that we should be investigating."On Wednesday, Russian president Vladimir Putin addressed the Federal Assembly in Moscow. "Let me be loud and clear," he told lawmakers near the Kremlin. "If the U.S. really is going to deploy missiles on the European continent, it will exacerbate the international situation and create a genuine danger for Russia, as there will be missiles with a 10–12-minute flight time to Moscow." Putin lamented America's February 1 withdrawal from the 1987 Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces treaty and added: "We are ready for disarmament talks, but we are no longer going to knock on a closed door."McCabe's bizarre comments perfectly echo the Trump-hating Left's exhausted yet unsinkable theory that the president of the United States secretly works for Russia, Russia, Russia, and that he and Putin somehow swiped the White House from Hillary Clinton, who had waited her turn patiently to become America's commander-in-chief.But only a thoroughly rotten Russian asset would create genuine danger for the Kremlin and close doors to Moscow. Indeed, President Trump routinely gives Putin ulcers.A Russian asset worth his borscht would work quietly to erode America's military. Instead, Pentagon spending has soared from Obama's final $521 billion allocation to Trump's $634 billion in outlays for 2017 (up 21.7 percent) and another $716 billion last August (up 12.9 percent).Not satisfied simply to bolster the U.S. armed forces, Trump has pressured America's NATO allies to do the same. Some criticize Trump for supposedly abusing our European partners. Actually, he has lavished them with tough love."By the end of next year, NATO allies will add $100 billion extra toward defense," NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg said January 27 on Fox News Sunday. "So we see some real money and some real results. And we see that the clear message from President Donald Trump is having an impact." Stoltenberg added: "NATO is united because we are able to adapt to deliver. North America and Europe are doing more together now than before."None of this makes Vladimir Putin smile.Putin must have groaned last October when President Trump persuaded German chancellor Angela Merkel to spend $576 million on a terminal to receive U.S. liquefied natural gas. The Wall Street Journal called this "a key concession to President Trump as he tries to loosen Russia's grip on Europe's largest energy market." This promises less revenue and leverage for Moscow and more profits and employment for American gas exporters.Adjacent to Russia, Trump restored Poland's purchase of U.S. Patriot air-defense missiles (which Obama canceled to appease Moscow). Trump also shipped Javelin anti-tank missiles to Ukraine.Last June, and in January 2017, Trump imposed financial sanctions and travel restrictions on Russian companies and oligarchs. This was payback for Moscow's invasions of Ukraine and Crimea and its interference in U.S. political campaigns. As Trump said: "We must unite as Americans to protect the integrity of our democracy and our elections."If anyone behaved like a Russian asset, it was Obama. Trump's predecessor launched the soft-on-Moscow "Russian Reset." He was caught on a hot mic in March 2012 whispering to Russian leader Dmitry Medvedev: "This is my last election," Obama said at a conference in Seoul. "After my election I have more flexibility," especially on matters like anti-ballistic missiles in Europe, on which Russia frowned. "I understand," Medvedev replied. "I will transmit this information to Vladimir."As The Weekly Standard recalled, "the Obama administration removed a group of missile launchers from near the Russian border with Poland after Moscow objected to their placement." Obama refused to arm Ukraine's anti-Putin fighters. Obama's first secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, said in March 2010: "Our goal is to help strengthen Russia." This apparently included encouraging Cisco Systems, Google, and Intel to open shop at Skolkovo, a sort of Russian Silicon Valley. The Pentagon and FBI eventually learned that the entire project was a giant technology-theft scam.Strengthening Russia also involved greenlighting Moscow's purchase of Uranium One Inc. and its 20 percent share of U.S. uranium reserves. This company's top investors donated $145 million to the Clinton Foundation. What a coincidence.Alas, fact-o-phobic Trump haters like Andrew McCabe consider him a pro-Moscow mole even as they wink at Obama's and Hillary's Russophilia.Michael Malarkey furnished research for this opinion piece.
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| UK backlash at Meghan's lavish US baby shower Posted: 22 Feb 2019 05:35 AM PST  Meghan Markle drew fresh scorn from British media this week after celebrating the imminent arrival of her first baby with what they described as an "extravagant" trip to New York in a private jet. The Duchess of Sussex, due to give birth in the spring, returned to Britain Thursday after enjoying a party with celebrity friends at what British papers referred to as "the most expensive hotel suite in the US". The party, hosted at Manhattan's Mark Hotel by Serena Williams and attended by other high-profile figures including Amal Clooney, saw guests serenaded by a harpist and given expensive gifts, they reported.
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| Milan fashion week: catwalk beauty looks from day one Posted: 21 Feb 2019 08:52 AM PST  The Fall/Winter 2019 ready-to-wear shows have moved into Milan, where day one kicked off with some major hair and beauty looks. Gucci's beauty look was somewhat abstract, thanks to a series of face masks and sculptural jewelry pieces, such as this metal ear covering which was inspired by the 24-karat gold work 'Fashion Fiction #1' by the artist Eduardo Costa. Lit-from-within skin formed the basis of the beauty look at Alberta Ferretti, where the dewy complexions were teamed with the faintest hint of smudgy eyeliner and a dab of lip gloss for an elegant, feminine aesthetic.
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| Consumer Reports' Top Picks Quiz Posted: 21 Feb 2019 09:47 AM PST  A lot of research goes into determining which vehicles achieve a spot as one of Consumer Reports' Top Picks. Take our quiz to see how well you know our annual list of the best SUVs, cars, and tru...
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| Johnson & Johnson stock price falls after federal subpoena on alleged asbestos in baby powder Posted: 21 Feb 2019 01:08 PM PST ![Johnson & Johnson stock price falls after federal subpoena on alleged asbestos in baby powder]( "Johnson & Johnson stock price falls after federal subpoena on alleged asbestos in baby powder") The Justice Department and Securities and Exchange Commission investigate the alleged asbestos contamination of Johnson & Johnson's baby powder.
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| Anti-Zionism is anti-Semitism, warns Emmanuel Macron Posted: 21 Feb 2019 05:52 AM PST  France is to recognise anti-Zionism, the denial of the state of Israel, as a form of anti-Semitism in response to a surge in acts against Jews not seen "since the Second World War". Emmanuel Macron, the French president, also promised new legislation in May to fight hate speech on the Internet, which could see platforms such as Facebook and Twitter fined for every minute they fail to take down racist or violent content. Speaking at the annual meeting of France's largest Jewish organization, CRIF, Mr Macron said that France and other countries in Europe had recently witnessed "a resurgence of anti-Semitism that is probably unprecedented since World War II." "We have denounced it a lot, adopted plans, passed laws sometimes. But we haven't been able to act efficiently," he said. While stopping short of calling for new legislation, the President said the working definition of anti-Semitism drawn up by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance would help guide police forces, magistrates and teachers in their daily work. That definition stipulates that anti-Semitism can take the form of "denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination, e.g., by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavour". "Anti-Zionism is one of the modern forms of anti-Semitism," said Mr Macron. "Behind the negation of Israel's existence, what is hiding is the hatred of Jews." Such guidelines in no way infringed on people's right to criticise to the Israeli government and its policies, he said. Mr Macron also said that his party would introduce a bill in parliament in May to force social media to withdraw hate speech posted online and use all available means to identify the authors "as quickly as possible." Digital minister Mounir Mahjoubi said: "There will be an obligation for results: if the content is not taken down then there will be a fine, and a large fine," Mr Mahjoubi told France Info radio. "Each minute that content remains online, it increases the harm to society. Twenty-four hours is far too long." Anti-Semitic acts surged by 74 per cent last year in France, according to government figures Credit: Getty Images Europe France has been pressuring Internet companies to better regulate their content ever since a series of terror attacks starting in 2015. The recent "yellow vest" protests have largely been orchestrated online. Many postings have included links to anti-Semitic, anti-immigrant and anti-vaccine messages, as well as a string of conspiracy theories. Mr Macron's speech came a day after thousands attended rallies across France to denounce a rise in anti-Semitic acts and in a week in which almost 100 gravestones spray-painted with swastikas were discovered in a Jewish village cemetery in eastern France. The number of anti-Semitic incidents rose last year by 74 per cent from 311 in 2017 to 541, the government announced last week.
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| Maduro's Soldiers Have Begun Disobeying Orders, Rubio Says Posted: 20 Feb 2019 09:01 PM PST  "Saturday's a day when we're going to find a lot about the Maduro regime," Rubio, who's been helping set U.S. policy toward Venezuela, said in a telephone interview on Wednesday. Juan Guaido, the National Assembly leader battling Maduro as legitimate head of the country, has been pushing aggressively for soldiers and generals alike to recognize him as president, something the U.S. and more than 30 other countries have done. While only one general and two colonels -- among thousands of top officers -- have broken ranks in the past weeks, Rubio says Maduro's grip is loosening.
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| Is This the Next-Gen 2022 Ford Ranger Pickup? We Think So Posted: 21 Feb 2019 08:52 AM PST  Leaked photos out of Australia seem to show a clay styling model of the upcoming truck.
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| The Latest: Smollett's lawyers vow 'aggressive defense' Posted: 20 Feb 2019 05:57 PM PST  CHICAGO (AP) — The Latest on the attack reported by Jussie Smollett (all times local):
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| Record amounts of snow blanket parts of Arizona Posted: 22 Feb 2019 06:04 AM PST  A winter storm hammered parts of Northern Arizona on February 21 and 22. In Flagstaff, roughly 3 feet of snow fell on the 21st, shattering the all-time single day record.
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| Apple teams with Ant Financial, banks for interest-free iPhone financing in China Posted: 21 Feb 2019 08:32 PM PST ![Apple teams with Ant Financial, banks for interest-free iPhone financing in China]( "Apple teams with Ant Financial, banks for interest-free iPhone financing in China") Apple Inc has teamed up with Chinese payments giant Ant Financial Services Group and several local banks to offer interest-free financing, its first such move in the country as it looks to boost waning smartphone sales. The U.S. tech behemoth issued a rare revenue warning last month citing weaker iPhone sales in China, one of its most important markets, where consumer spending has taken a hit due to a slowdown in economic growth. On its China website, Apple is promoting the new scheme, under which customers can pay 271 yuan ($40.31) each month to purchase an iPhone XR, and 362 yuan each month for an iPhone XS.
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| Japan wants frictionless UK-EU trade after Brexit: ambassador Posted: 21 Feb 2019 10:35 AM PST  Japan wants Britain to have frictionless trade with the European Union after Brexit, its ambassador said Thursday, insisting a damaging no-deal scenario should be avoided. Japanese companies are looking to expand their investment in Britain but are holding back due to uncertainty over Brexit, Koji Tsuruoka said during a talk in London.
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| Sajid Javid defends stripping Shamima Begum of her nationality, saying he would not make someone 'stateless' Posted: 21 Feb 2019 12:54 AM PST  Home Secretary Sajid Javid has defended his decision to strip the jihadi bride Shamima Begum of her British citizenship, saying he would never leave someone "stateless". The 19-year-old from London, who fled to Syria aged 15, wanted to return to the UK with her newborn baby. But the Home Secretary revoked her British citizenship in a move only permissible under international law if it does not leave the individual stateless. The Telegraph understands Begum has inherited Bangladeshi dual nationality through her parents, but the country's minister of state for foreign affairs Shahriar Alam denied this on Wednesday, saying she was "nothing to do with Bangladesh". Asked about the situation on ITV's Peston, Mr Javid said: "I'm not aware of any Home Secretary in any party in any previous government that has taken a decision that would leave anyone stateless. "I'm not going to talk about an individual, but I can be clear on the point that I would not take a decision and I believe none of my predecessors ever have taken a decision that at the point the decision is taken would leave that individual stateless." Britons returning from Syria | The facts The Home Secretary would not be drawn to comment on Begum's case specifically, but speaking generally, he said: "Let's say they are in the UK and they radicalise others and groom others, they carry out a terrorist attack themselves or incite others to do that. "What about the danger and the risk to the country of that? What about the impact on community cohesion if people come back to the country and use their presence here to try and racialize others? I have to weigh that up too." The exact situation surrounding Begum's citizenship remains unclear, and the waters were further muddied on Wednesday night when Mr Alam, Bangladesh's foreign minister, said: "The Government of Bangladesh is deeply concerned that she has been erroneously identified as a holder of dual citizenship shared with Bangladesh alongside her birthplace, the United Kingdom. "Bangladesh asserts that Shamima Begum is not a Bangladeshi citizen. She is a British citizen by birth and has never applied for dual nationality with Bangladesh. "It may also be mentioned that she never visited Bangladesh in the past despite her parental lineage. So, there is no question of her being allowed to enter into Bangladesh." The statement added that Dhaka had only been made aware of the situation by the media, suggesting Mr Javid had not pre-warned Bangladesh of his plans. International law forbids nations from making people stateless by revoking their only citizenship, but The Telegraph understands that the Home Office made the decision to revoke Begum's British citizenship based on Bangladeshi law. There, until the age of 21, it is understood the Isil bride automatically retains dual nationality due to the fact her parents are both from the country. At the age of 21, a child born to Bangladeshi parents has the right to waive their right to dual nationality, but not before. The complication lies in how she would be able to get to Bangladesh - where it is understood her father is currently living - and how she proves that she is Shamima Begum. The teenager has never visited the country and does not have a Bangladeshi passport. Her old British passport is invalid due to her citizenship being revoked and she has previously said she used her sister's passport to travel to Syria back in 2015. One possible option for her would be to travel to Turkey via the notoriously penetrable border with Syria and present herself to the Bangladeshi embassy. But officials in Dhaka may well appeal the Home Office's decision to make Begum their responsibility, insisting that she has never even been to the country. The Home Office letter Credit: ITV News Asked whether she had been left stateless by Britain, the Begum family's lawyer Tasnime Akunjee said: "It's certainly something we will be adding to the mix in terms of our appeal." He has said Ms Begum was born in the UK, has never had a Bangladeshi passport and is not a dual citizen. A Home Office spokesman said Mr Javid's priority was the "safety and security" of the country. Decisions to deprive people of citizenship were "based on all available evidence and not taken lightly," the spokesman added. Ms Begum was one of three schoolgirls to leave Bethnal Green to join the terror cult in 2015 and resurfaced heavily pregnant at a Syrian refugee camp last week. When shown a copy of the Home Office letter that announced her British citizenship would be stripped, she said it was "a bit unjust on me and my son". She went on to say she may try for citizenship in the Netherlands, where her husband is from. Mr Javid suggested the action to prevent Ms Begum returning will have no impact on her baby son's nationality. While insisting he could not discuss individual cases, he told the Commons: "Children should not suffer. "So, if a parent does lose their British citizenship, it does not affect the rights of their child." Ms Begum's situation has sparked intense debate about the UK's responsibilities to those seeking to return from Syria. The British Nationality Act 1981 provides the Home Secretary with the power to strip people of citizenship if it is "conducive to the public good". Lord Carlile, former independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, said Ms Begum could challenge the Home Secretary's decision, and described it as a "complex issue" that could take a while to resolve. Figures for 2017 show that 104 people were deprived of their British citizenship, up from 14 in the previous year.
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