| Comedian advances to runoff against incumbent in Ukraine presidential race Posted: 01 Apr 2019 06:51 AM PDT  Comedian Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who plays Ukraine's president on television, has won the first round of the struggling country's presidential election and is set to face the incumbent in a runoff this month. The political newcomer had garnered more than 30 per cent of Sunday's vote with four-fifths of the ballots counted on Monday afternoon. President Petro Poroshenko, known as 'the chocolate king' for his expansive candy business, was in second place with 16 per cent. Former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko was expected to miss the runoff with 13 per cent of the vote, even though she has claimed that her own parallel vote count has her advancing to the second round. On Sunday night, she suggested she would dispute the results and called for supporters to come to polling places to prevent alleged falsifications for Mr Poroshenko A simmering conflict with Russia-backed separatists in the east continues to plague Ukraine, which last year became the poorest country in Europe. There has been agonisingly slow progress on reforms undertaken after a pro-Russian president was ousted by protests in 2014 and Crimea was annexed by Russia. Surveys in March suggested that Mr Zelenskiy would handily defeat Mr Poroshenko if they faced each other in the second round. The leading candidate has promised to tackle corruption but shunned a detailed platform and campaign in favour of a feel-good comedy tour. President Petro Poroshenko speaks at his campaign headquarters after the vote on Sunday Credit: Efrem Lukatsky/AP Mr Poroshenko declared that he would win the runoff, calling Mr Zelenskiy a marionette of Ihor Kolomoisky, the self-exiled oligarch who owns the channel that runs his programmes. Mr Zelenskiy responded by calling Mr Poroshenko a marionette of the former deputy head of his security council, a reference to a corruption scandal in which the official's son was found to have sold the defence ministry overpriced equipment smuggled in from Russia. The comedian has been hit by his own scandals. A company he owns was found to have made money in Russia after he said he had no business there, and an investigation on Thursday found he owned an undeclared 15-room villa in an Italian resort favoured by Russian oligarchs. Mr Zelensiky has said he would sit down with Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, to solve the conflict in eastern Ukraine. Asked by journalists on Sunday night what he would say to Mr Putin, he said he would force him to give back Ukrainian territory and demand compensation for occupying it. Mr Putin's spokesman said on Monday that the leader would explain that Russia is not occupying Ukrainian territory, adding that Crimea was "not open for discussion". Spanish and Canadian warships docked in Odessa on Monday as part of a Nato mission to the Black Sea following last year's Kerch Strait crisis. Russia in November seized three Ukrainian ships near annexed Crimea and captured 24 sailors who are now on trial in Moscow. Former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko votes on Sunday Credit: Pyotr Sivkov/TASS/Barcroft Mr Poroshenko is expected to focus on Mr Zelenskiy's lack of experience and try to embarrass him in debates in the second round. An influx of cash subsidies to pensioners could also help mobilise support. His challenger tried to appeal to disaffected voters by focusing on the president's business empire and corruption allegations against him. Only nine per cent of Ukrainians support their government, according to polls. Reports emerged on Sunday that Mr Zelenskiy might form a parliamentary coalition with Ms Tymoshenko, which would set her up to become prime minister. Both candidates denied they were in talks. Much of the country's opposition would support Mr Zelenskiy and try to turn the second round into a referendum on Mr Poroshenko, whose disapproval rating is up to 50 per cent, analyst Volodymyr Fesenko said. "I would bet on Zelenskiy in second round, there are risks but he has more of a chance," Mr Fesenko said. "It will depend on the turnout of his voters and how unified the opposition is, but there is a lot of dissatisfaction with Poroshenko."
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| Avocado shortages, virgin margaritas: Border shutdown would hit American palates Posted: 01 Apr 2019 07:11 AM PDT  President Donald Trump's threat to shut down the U.S.-Mexico border would hit American consumers - in the gut.
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| Biden team blasts 'trolls' amid scrutiny over behavior Posted: 01 Apr 2019 04:31 PM PDT  WASHINGTON (AP) — Aides to Joe Biden struck a more aggressive tone on Monday as the former vice president faced scrutiny over his past behavior toward women.
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| Singapore Isn’t Waiting for Facebook to Crack Down on Fake News Posted: 01 Apr 2019 04:50 AM PDT  "There are a lot of falsehoods being propagated," Singapore Law Minister K Shanmugam told reporters on Monday. The government's move comes just days after Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg called for new global regulations for everything from hate speech online to privacy and data protection. While Facebook asked for regulators around the world to agree on standards for online content, governments like Singapore see the issue as serious enough that they need to take more immediate action.
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| Murdered South Carolina College Student May Have Thought Suspect's Car Was an Uber Posted: 31 Mar 2019 12:54 PM PDT  Police have charged a suspect with kidnapping and murder
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| A Stealthy F-15X: A Good Idea or a Waste of Time for the Air Force? Posted: 31 Mar 2019 11:00 AM PDT  We have a look.
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| 20 Interior Styling Secrets from AD Stylists Posted: 01 Apr 2019 01:47 PM PDT |
| Trump rails against asylum seekers and Mexico as Congress prepares to subpoena Mueller report Posted: 01 Apr 2019 06:28 AM PDT  House Judiciary Committee chairman Jerrold Nadler is planning a vote on Wednesday on a motion to subpoena special counsel Robert Mueller's report on ties between Donald Trump and Russia and demand testimony from at least four former top Trump aides.The report is still under review by attorney-general William Barr but Mr Nadler has lost patience and hopes to issue him with a "hurry up" notice and call up Mr Trump's ex-chief strategist Steve Bannon, former director of strategic communications Hope Hicks, ex-White House Counsel Don McGahn and former chief of staff Reince Priebus to appear before his committee.President Trump has meanwhile repeated his threat to shutdown the US border with Mexico in protest at what he regards as America's neighbour's failure to tackle northbound illegal immigration and called on the Democrats to help fix asylum "loopholes".Mr Mueller's report was delivered to the Justice Department a week and a half ago, marking an end to a nearly two year investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential campaign.The attorney general's office then sent a letter to Congress just two days later, detailing in broad strokes the findings of the investigation. Mr Barr wrote in that letter that the Mueller probe found no evidence of collusion or conspiracy between the Russian efforts and the Trump campaign. Mr Barr then noted that the Mueller probe did not make a judgement on whether Mr Trump had committed obstruction of justice — and the attorney general said that he had determined that charges were not warranted.The information in the letter has been celebrated by Mr Trump, who has insisted repeatedly during the first two years of his campaign that he and his campaign had not colluded with the Russian meddling.The Mueller report did, however, note that dozens of Russian individuals or groups were involved in an effort to sway the election for Mr Trump.Please allow a moment for our liveblog to load
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| Turkey's ruling party leads local elections but loses Ankara Posted: 31 Mar 2019 06:03 PM PDT  ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ruling party led Sunday's mayoral elections but suffered setbacks as the opposition regained hold of the capital Ankara and made significant inroads in other parts of Turkey. The elections, which the Turkish strongman had depicted as a fight for the country's survival, were largely seen as a test of his support amid a sharp economic downturn.
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| Japan’s Next Imperial Era to Be Called ‘Reiwa,’ or ‘Auspicious Calm’ Posted: 01 Apr 2019 12:35 AM PDT  The unveiling of what had been a closely guarded secret is among the first steps toward the imperial succession. Emperor Akihito, 85, is preparing to step down at the end of the month, drawing the curtain on his three-decade reign. "The word 'reiwa' implies the people's hearts coming together in beauty to create and develop culture," Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told reporters.
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| American Airlines flight makes emergency landing following bird strike after takeoff Posted: 31 Mar 2019 10:46 AM PDT  A bird strike on an American Airlines flight from Boston's Logan Airport to New York's LaGuardia forced the plane to return to the airport Sunday.
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| 3.1 magnitude earthquake shakes San Fernando Valley Posted: 31 Mar 2019 05:23 PM PDT  A 3.1-magnitude earthquake occurred in the Northridge area at 3:52 a.m., according to USGS.
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| UPDATE 2-Boeing to submit 737 MAX software upgrade 'in the coming weeks' Posted: 01 Apr 2019 01:51 PM PDT ![UPDATE 2-Boeing to submit 737 MAX software upgrade 'in the coming weeks']( "UPDATE 2-Boeing to submit 737 MAX software upgrade 'in the coming weeks'") WASHINGTON/SEATTLE, April 1 (Reuters) - Boeing Co plans to submit a proposed software enhancement package for the grounded 737 MAX in "the coming weeks" after the company had previously said it planned to deliver the fix for government approval by last week. The company on Monday confirmed a statement from the Federal Aviation Administration that it would submit the upgrade later than previously announced. "We are working to demonstrate that we have identified and appropriately addressed all certification requirements and will be submitting for FAA review once completed in the coming weeks," Boeing said in a statement.
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| The Latest: Envoy welcomes quick release of Vietnam suspect Posted: 01 Apr 2019 05:02 AM PDT  SHAH ALAM, Malaysia (AP) — The Latest on the trial of a Vietnamese woman in the killing of estranged North Korean scion Kim Jong Nam (all times local):
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| James Comey hints at 2020 presidential run in arguably the worst political April Fool’s prank yet Posted: 01 Apr 2019 02:56 PM PDT  April Fool's Day is possibly the worst time to believe anything you read on the Internet. Take, for example, former FBI Director James Comey a message he sent to his more than one million followers on Twitter. The former FBI director posted a photo to his account showing him standing with his back towards the camera on an open road, looking into the distance with his hands in his pockets and his feet planted over a yellow lane separating each side of the street. "I'm in," he wrote. "We need someone in the middle."The former official — who Donald Trump forced out of the FBI in a controversial move that sparked public outcry — then added the hashtag 2020, leading some to believe he was set to make a bold announcement about a political bid for the White House. Mr Comey has no reported intention of actually campaigning to become the next president of the United States, however. And by the sound of his tweet's response, sitting out of the race is likely a smart decision on his part. Hours after the original picture was posted to his account, Mr Comey tweeted, "But could you imagine a president who used this website to make dad jokes rather than to hurl insults?"> I'm in. We need someone in the middle. 2020 pic.twitter.com/IGt69bEQz1> > — James Comey (@Comey) > > April 1, 2019"Happy AprilFools," he continued, adding the hashtag VoteDem2020. "April Fools jokes are supposed to be funny, Mr Comey," one user wrote. Another added: "Without a doubt, this is the worst thing that Comey has ever done." Twitter users continued railing against Mr Comey throughout the day, pointing to a 2016 press conference in which he divulged details about the FBI's findings into Hillary Clinton's emails as alleged evidence of his political bias. Mr Comey, who detailed his career in the FBI and what it was like being removed by Mr Trump in the recent book A High Loyalty: Truth, Lies and Leadership, has been criticised for his handling of the probe by lawmakers and Americans on both sides of the aisle.
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| From victory to vengeance: Trump scents blood in 2020 fight Posted: 31 Mar 2019 06:17 AM PDT  The president celebrated the Mueller report – but then his latest effort to invalidate Obamacare left some feeling he 'stepped all over that message'Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan on 28 March. Photograph: Cory Morse/APIt felt like a victory lap. At a rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan on Thursday night, surrounded by a sea of red Make America Great Again hats, a defiant Donald Trump held the podium before a raucous crowd."After three years of lies and smears and slander, the Russia hoax is finally dead," the president declared in a 90-minute speech.Basking after the conclusion of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation, which clouded the first two years of his presidency, Trump falsely claimed "total exoneration".He vowed retaliation against some of his sharpest critics and suggested consequences for the media were in order. He spoke of doing away with Barack Obama's healthcare law. And he threatened to shut down the US-Mexico border as early as next week.It was a stark reminder of how Trump views his executive authority and a glimpse of his looming fight for re-election.> He is much more likely to be re-elected today than he seemed at the end of last week> > Michael Steel"He is much more likely to be re-elected today than he seemed at the end of last week," said Michael Steel, a Republican operative who was an aide to former House speaker John Boehner. "I think that Democratic oversight activities will continue, but this definitely took the wind out of their sails."However, Trump's legal perils are far from over. According to a short letter to Congress by attorney general William Barr, the special counsel's report on Russian interference in the 2016 election did not clear Trump of wrongdoing. Mueller did not reach a conclusion on whether Trump obstructed justice, specifically stating that his report "does not exonerate" the president.Mueller did not find a criminal conspiracy between Trump aides and Moscow, which the president said supported his longstanding claim of "no collusion". Left unclear was what the special counsel had to say of repeated contacts between Trump associates and Russian nationals, and lies to prosecutors about such communications.On Friday, Barr said that by mid-April he would make public a redacted version of the Mueller report, which is nearly 400 pages long. The attorney general faced criticism after drawing his own conclusion, in his letter to Congress, that Mueller did not have sufficient evidence to charge Trump with obstruction of justice.In a second letter released on Friday, Barr said his initial assessment was not intended to be a summary of the Mueller report and that the American public "would soon be able to read it on their own".Trump nonetheless seized on Barr's rendering of the Mueller report."There are a lot of people out there that have done some very, very evil things, some bad things, I would say some treasonous things against our country," Trump told reporters last Sunday. "And hopefully people that have done such harm to our country – we've gone through a period of really bad things happening – those people will certainly be looked at. I've been looking at them for a long time."On Fox News, Trump's most prominent boosters chimed in."This must be a day of reckoning for the media, for the deep state, for people who abuse power, and they did it so blatantly in this country," said Sean Hannity, who ranks among Trump's closest allies.> It could be a reset but it's not going to be, because the president is congenially incapable of resetting> > Rick Tyler"If we do not get this right, if we do not hold these people accountable, I promise you, with all the love I can muster for this country and our future for our kids and grandkids, we will lose the greatest country God has ever given man. We will lose it."Initial polls showed little change in public perception of the Mueller investigation or potential wrongdoing by Trump.A CNN survey found nearly 60% of Americans believed Congress should continue to investigate, while 56% said they did not believe Trump had been exonerated of collusion, even though Barr's letter said the special counsel could not establish a criminal conspiracy. Perhaps most tellingly, 86% said the findings would not affect their vote in 2020."The political divide is virtually the same," said Rick Tyler, a former aide to Ted Cruz's 2016 presidential campaign. "If you didn't like Trump before, you don't like him anymore now. If you like Trump, you still like him.""It could be a reset but it's not going to be, because the president is congenially incapable of resetting." 'The party of healthcare'Indeed, in the immediate wake of what some called the best week of his presidency, Trump returned to the impulsive style of governing that has prompted disorder and left his own party flatfooted.In a major shift, the administration announced on Wednesday it would back a legal effort to fully invalidate the Affordable Care Act (ACA), commonly known as Obamacare, a move that would threaten healthcare coverage for millions of Americans, an issue which proved central to November's midterm elections, in which Democrats regained the House.At his Michigan rally Trump renewed his call to toss out the ACA, insisting Republicans would come to be known as the 'party of healthcare'. Photograph: Paul Sancya/APTrump's move came over the objections of Barr and Alex Azar, his health secretary. The House minority leader, Kevin McCarthy, reportedly told Trump the move made no sense, given Republicans do not have a plan to replace the ACA and would be unable to move legislation."Members feel like [the Mueller report announcement] was great and Trump stepped all over that message with the Obamacare lawsuit announcement," a House GOP aide told Axios.Tyler said: "While I can argue lots of different structures that would be better than Obamacare, that would be like overthrowing a foreign government with no replacement government. The result would be chaos."Undaunted, at his Michigan rally Trump renewed his call to toss out the ACA, insisting Republicans would come to be known as the "party of healthcare". And he didn't stop there.Trump also vowed to shut down the Mexico border "next week", a move that would do significant damage to the US economy. Mexico is a vital trading partner but Trump complained it was not doing enough to stop illegal immigration.Trump received familiar support from Fox. But other Republicans warned Trump not to jeopardize an otherwise positive moment."I think it's a good thing for America that a detailed and thorough investigation concluded that the president of the United States is not a witting or unwitting agent of a foreign power," said Steel."I do think there's some danger that in the hubris of his response, the president makes mistakes."• This article was amended on 1 April 2019. Due to an editing error, Michael Steel's family name was misspelled as Steele in a pullquote.
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| Support for Rival Soft Brexit Plan Builds in U.K. Parliament Posted: 01 Apr 2019 09:58 AM PDT  The proposal, which includes a bolted-on customs union arrangement, is building up steam after the main opposition Labour Party and the Scottish National Party backed it. Prime Minister Theresa May has set herself against staying in the EU's single market and a customs union, because to do so would wreck two key aims of the pro-Brexit campaign: to end unlimited immigration from the EU and to set the U.K. free of EU tariffs to strike trade deals around the world. The House of Commons is debating four rival options to May's three-times rejected Brexit deal and politicians will vote on them on Monday evening.
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| Station Wagons 2019-2020: The Best and the Rest Posted: 01 Apr 2019 02:05 PM PDT |
| Biden bids to quell storm over campaign trail kiss Posted: 31 Mar 2019 08:02 AM PDT  Former vice president Joe Biden insisted Sunday he had never acted inappropriately towards women as a growing row about a kiss on the campaign trail cast a shadow over his expected run for the White House. The 76-year-old Biden is the clear favorite to win the Democrat nomination to take on Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election even though he has yet to declare his candidacy.
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| Holocaust survivor, 90, makes first visit to US Holocaust Memorial Museum with Triangle students Posted: 31 Mar 2019 05:44 PM PDT  A Holocaust survivor living in the Triangle is preparing for a very emotional trip to the United States Holocaust Museum in Washington D.C.
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| No Ethiopia plane crash report on Monday, maybe this week: source Posted: 01 Apr 2019 04:38 AM PDT  "Not today, maybe this week," the source said, when asked about the report into a crash that killed 157 people and led to the worldwide grounding of U.S. planemaker Boeing's top-selling 737 MAX jet. The report will be closely examined for clues to any similarities between the March 10 accident and a Lion Air crash in October, also involving a 737 MAX, that killed 189 people. Liability claims related to the Ethiopian crash and 737 MAX grounding could be the largest aviation reinsurance claim outside of war on record, broker Willis Re said on Monday.. Separately, Norwegian Air said its chief executive Bjoern Kjos would travel to meet Boeing in Seattle on Monday.
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| Man in 'MAGA' hat slashes man's hand with sword in Calif. Posted: 01 Apr 2019 02:07 PM PDT ![Man in 'MAGA' hat slashes man's hand with sword in Calif.]( "Man in 'MAGA' hat slashes man's hand with sword in Calif.") SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — San Francisco police were searching Monday for a man who wore a red "Make America Great Again" hat and used a sword to slash another man's hand after an argument outside a roller-skating rink.
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| Woman, 61, gives birth to own granddaughter Posted: 31 Mar 2019 04:36 PM PDT  A woman from Nebraska has given birth to her own granddaughter, after acting as a surrogate mother for her son gay son and his husband.When Matthew Eledge and Elliot Dougherty said they wanted to have a child to expand their family, Mr Eledge's 61-year-old mother offered to be involved in a very special way,"There was no moment of hesitation. It was natural instinct." Ms Eledge told KETV-News. After lengthy medical checks, doctors at Omaha's University of Nebraska Medical Centre gave the go-ahead. A foetus was created using in vitro fertilistion, using Mr Eledge's sperm and eggs from Mr Dougherty's sister, Lea Yribe.Last week, several weeks early, Ms Eledge gave birth to a baby weighing 5 pounds, 13 ounces. The couple have named her Uma Louise."When you are gay and married and want to have a kid, you go into it with knowledge that you are going to have to create a family in a special way," said Mr Eledge. "There are creative, unique ways to build a family."He added: "We are thankful with how the whole process worked. We are really grateful that both Uma and her grandma are here, happy and healthy."The entire team from doctors to nurses to lab techs showed a beautiful balance of professionalism and compassion. For the time being, we're just going to relax and enjoy this moment."The birth was captured in a series of stunning images by Ariel Panowicz, who posted several to her Instagram account."Little tiny Uma Louise has ventured into this world and let me tell you, she is simply perfect," she wrote in one caption."Carried and birthed by her 61-year old Grandmother, and created by her two dads and loving aunt, Uma is surrounded by an immense amount of love." She added: "Being a part of today was amazing. Cele, you are a warrior."
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| China Bans Fentanyl, Bowing to U.S. Pressure Posted: 01 Apr 2019 09:19 AM PDT  Chinese officials on Monday announced an immediate ban on the production and distribution of all "fentanyl-related substances," fulfilling a promise that President Xi Jingping made to President Trump last year following a years-long Department of Justice pressure campaign.Speaking at a press conference in Beijing, officials representing three government agencies announced that they would expand the existing ban on some 25 fentanyl variants to all forms of the drug.Following the Group of 20 summit in Buenos Aires in December, Trump drew attention to China's role in profiting from the sale of fentanyl, which claims tens of thousands of American lives every year. U.S. officials announced after the summit that Xi had promised Trump China would crack down on fentanyl production as part of negotiations that led to a halt in the escalating trade war between the two countries.> It is outrageous that Poisonous Synthetic Heroin Fentanyl comes pouring into the U.S. Postal System from China. We can, and must, END THIS NOW! The Senate should pass the STOP ACT – and firmly STOP this poison from killing our children and destroying our country. No more delay!> > -- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 20, 2018U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, who leads the ongoing trade negotiations with Beijing, told the Senate last month that he would like China's commitment to curtailing opioid production codified in any final agreement."It may very well be something that we end up writing into this agreement," Lighthizer told lawmakers in February. "But it clearly is something the president views himself as having a commitment on. And that we are monitoring to see in fact if there are changes."While Chinese officials on Monday acknowledged the importance of curtailing fentanyl production, they maintained that China should not be blamed for the devastation wrought by the opioid crisis in the U.S."We believe that the United States is the main cause of the problem of the abuse of fentanyl in the United States," Liu Yuejin, vice commissioner of China's National Narcotics Control Commission, said at the press conference.While the ban officially went into effect Monday, it remains unclear whether the government will prioritize its enforcement across the thousands of far-flung Chinese chemical factories capable of producing the valuable narcotic.
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| Alexas, stop fighting! This house is big enough for more than one voice assistant Posted: 31 Mar 2019 01:39 PM PDT ![Alexas, stop fighting! This house is big enough for more than one voice assistant]( "Alexas, stop fighting! This house is big enough for more than one voice assistant") Live in a multi-device household? That can spell disaster when they all respond to the same command. But a solution appears to be on the horizon.
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| U.K. Brexit Crisis Deepens as Commons Fails to Find Plan B Posted: 01 Apr 2019 03:15 PM PDT  The House of Commons voted on four different policies but none of them won a majority, pushing Britain's messy divorce from the European Union deeper into crisis. With just 11 days left until the U.K. is due to exit the bloc of 28 nations, the stalemate leaves the prime minister with a crucial decision over what to do next.
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| Happy 15th birthday to Gmail, which is about to get a great feature we’ve been waiting for Posted: 01 Apr 2019 04:19 AM PDT  It's hard to believe that Gmail celebrates its 15th birthday today, debuting as it did on April 1 way back in 2004 -- back when, given the date, many people thought Google was pulling our leg by announcing a free email service on this day of all days. "Google Gets the Message, Launches Gmail," the press release from the time declared. "Search is Number Two Online Activity -- Email is Number One; 'Heck, Yeah,' Say Google Founders".Certainly, the world looks a lot different now than it did then. Gmail's launch, for example, came three years before the iPhone was a thing and a couple of years before the launch of Twitter. Today, Gmail is the premiere free email service, a centerpiece of the workday for countless professionals. To be sure, the search giant is still tweaking things, finding opportunities to make updates that the company hopes will keep improving the user experience such as this news we told you about just a few days ago. The short version: Google is going to start making emails look and feel more like webpage experiences with dynamic, interactive content.Meanwhile, it seems that Google finally, at the ripe old age of 15, is releasing a feature that users have wanted for quite a while now. We first told you back in July that Google is apparently close to adding an official scheduler to Gmail, a revelation that came via a few lines of code found in a teardown of the then-latest Gmail app APK.As we saw yesterday from a look at a few lines of code from the last Gmail app APK, the scheduler will work exactly as we had hoped. That insight came thanks to a 9to5Google report, which found that the official scheduler will allow users to send a scheduled email as soon as two minutes into the future or to delay it to anytime under "50 years from now." The user interface will include an option to select your date and time, as well as a way to confirm your choice once the message is finished.Additionally, the feature will also let you cancel the delayed message at any time, if you want, before it's sent. At that point, the email will return to "draft" status. Google confirmed the news on Monday, and the new feature is already beginning to roll out.
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| Facebook removes 'fake' accounts linked to Pakistani military Posted: 01 Apr 2019 06:02 AM PDT  Facebook is removing 103 pages, groups and accounts linked to the media wing of Pakistan's military, the social media giant announced Monday, calling them "fake" accounts created to manipulate people. The statement by Facebook's head of cybersecurity policy, Nathaniel Gleicher, shines a rare light on efforts by Pakistan's shadowy military establishment to use social media as a propaganda tool.
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| After Apple terminates AirPower project, here are some wireless charging pad alternatives Posted: 01 Apr 2019 08:28 AM PDT  Two years since Apple's wireless charging pad, the AirPower, was announced, the project was officially abandoned due to excessive heating, the brand confirmed last week; for those of you who were looking forward to the now-cancelled launch, here are five product substitutions you can use for your iPhone (or any other Qi-compatible device.)
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| Ex-U.S. Vice President Biden denies inappropriate conduct over alleged kiss Posted: 31 Mar 2019 10:11 AM PDT  Biden has said he does not recall the 2014 incident. The allegation was made in an online essay published on Friday by Lucy Flores, a party activist who was running to be Nevada's lieutenant governor. Flores said Biden also touched her shoulders and smelled her hair when they appeared at an event together, making her feel uncomfortable.
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| Pope defends decision to reject French cardinal's resignation Posted: 31 Mar 2019 01:37 PM PDT  "I can't accept it because in juridical terms, in classic world jurisprudence, there is the presumption of innocence as long as the case is open, and he has appealed," Francis said. A court in Lyon ruled on March 7 that between July 2014 and June 2015, Barbarin covered up allegations of sexual abuse of boy scouts in the 1980s and early 1990s by a priest who is due to go on trial later this year. Barbarin, 68, the highest-profile cleric to be caught up in the child sex abuse scandal inside the French Church, received a six-month suspended prison sentence.
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| Beto O’Rourke says immigration makes America safer as he kicks of 2020 campaign with liberal focus Posted: 31 Mar 2019 01:50 AM PDT  Democratic presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke declared that immigrants make the country safer as he staged rallies across Texas on Saturday to formally kick off his 2020 White House bid, looking to shore up his deeply conservative home state and champion the US-Mexico border at a time when President Donald Trump has threatened to shut it.The former congressman, who represented El Paso for three House terms until last year, began the day addressing 1,000-plus supporters in his hometown, across the border from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. He later spoke at the historically black Texas Southern University in Houston, before finishing with a late-night Austin event, addressing a large crowd a stone's throw from the pink-granite state Capitol.Bounding onto a makeshift El Paso stage in a blue-button-down shirt to The Clash's "Clampdown," Mr O'Rourke declared: "We are safe, not despite the fact that we are a city of immigrants and asylum seekers. We are safe because we are a city of immigrants and asylum seekers.""We have learned not to fear our differences, but to respect and embrace them," he told a crowd that waved small American flags and black-and-white signs reading "Viva Beto" while often interrupting their candidate to chant his first name. Mr O'Rourke also spoke at length in his native Spanish, eliciting loud and sustained cheers.In a series of tweets on Friday, Mr Trump warned he could close the US southern border next week "if Mexico doesn't immediately stop ALL illegal immigration coming into the United States." In later comments to reporters he added: "We'll keep it closed for a long time. I'm not playing games."Mr O'Rourke has made promoting the border as culturally rich and economically powerful the centrepiece of his campaign and spoke on a downtown street corner a few blocks from it. He decried federal officials' recent decisions to hold people who crossed into the US to seek asylum "in cages" under El Paso's international bridge, saying those detainees "are our fellow human beings and deserve to be treated as our fellow human beings." Mr O'Rourke entered the race 14 March and has already visited nine states, but had promised to return to El Paso for an official kick-off. As he has previously, he renewed calls to work with Republicans and Democrats, saying "before anything else, we are Americans first" and prompting chants of "USA! USA!" But he also made bolder predictions than in the past, saying that if his campaign can bring people from across the ideological spectrum together he can top the rest of the crowded Democratic 2020 presidential field and "defeat Donald Trump."A small but vocal group of El Paso Trump supporters had other ideas, gathering a few blocks away from the event to shout anti-O'Rourke sentiments for hours. Mr O'Rourke represented the city in Congress for six years, but gave up his seat while nearly upsetting Texas Republican senator Ted Cruz in November. The Democrat who replaced him in the House, representative Veronica Escobar, welcomed those on hand to the "beautiful, magical, safe and secure US-Mexico border," adding, "When the border sends America her people, we are sending them our best in Beto O'Rourke." Amy O'Rourke, who has largely avoided the spotlight since her husband began running for president, gave a short speech too, telling the crowd, "Listening to people is what gives Beto strength. It fuels him and it gives him context (with) which he can think about policies and the things he wants to do for this great country."Despite such nods to bipartisanism, however, Mr O'Rourke offered many positions on Saturday that were liberal enough to make moderates nervous. He vowed to legalise marijuana nationally, defend abortion rights, sign new sweeping voting rights legislation to end partisan gerrymandering and allow automatic and same-day voter registration, institute federally financed, universal pre-kindergarten programmes, strengthen unions and bring home all troops from the US-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.He also renewed his support for a House proposal called "Medicare for America," which he says will guarantee universal health care coverage while allowing people who like getting insurance through their employer to continue doing so.Mr O'Rourke hit many of the same points hours later in Houston, but recalled a school shooting near that city last year to advocate for nationwide federal background checks on firearms purchases. He added that assault weapons "sold to the United States military with the sole purpose of killing people as effectively, as efficiently and in as great a number as possible" should be "kept on the battlefield" and not "sold into our communities."Addressing thousands and wearing a Texas Southern baseball cap, Mr O'Rourke also recalled the devastation in Houston of 2017's Hurricane Harvey, saying the US must do more to combat climate change and that the nation's fourth-largest city understands the phenomenon's dangers "better than just about anyone in this country."Concluding in Austin, he called that city's liberal politics "the centre and the source of so much of what is good for Texas and for the United States of America."Texas has not elected a Democrat to statewide office in 25 years. But Mr O'Rourke came within 3 percentage points of beating Mr Cruz, and his party is hoping that a booming Hispanic population and large numbers of new residents moving in from other states could keep Texas close in 2020 — potentially reshaping the electoral college. California senator Kamala Harris drew a large crowd last weekend when she too visited Texas Southern."This state and its 38 electoral votes count like they've never counted before," Mr O'Rourke said in El Paso. "All of us matter."Associated Press
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| Parliament Seizes Control Amid Brexit Rift in May's Tories Posted: 01 Apr 2019 01:05 AM PDT  U.K. lawmakers will seize control of Parliamentary proceedings on Monday for a second session in a bid to scrap Prime Minister Theresa May's thrice-rejected Brexit plan in favor of one they can support. It's the latest attempt to reach an orderly end to the U.K.'s increasingly chaotic divorce from the European Union. The House of Commons is likely to debate Brexit options including a customs union, the single market or a combination of both.
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| Woman sexually assaulted inside limo in Gold Coast Posted: 01 Apr 2019 03:26 AM PDT  A woman was sexually assaulted by a man inside a limo in the Gold Coast neighborhood Sunday morning, Chicago police said.
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| Japan's Emperor Akihito ends reign marked by modernisation Posted: 31 Mar 2019 05:28 PM PDT  Japan's outgoing Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko dramatically modernised the tradition-bound monarchy, bringing themselves closer to the public and boosting popular support for the household. Akihito has broken new ground with everything from his decision to marry for love to his outspoken calls for peace and expressions of regret over Japan's wartime role. Born in 1933 just as Japan was embarking on its militaristic sweep across Asia, Akihito was 11 when World War Two ended in defeat.
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| The most popular Instant Pot is back down to its best price of the year Posted: 01 Apr 2019 04:42 AM PDT ![The most popular Instant Pot is back down to its best price of the year]( "The most popular Instant Pot is back down to its best price of the year") Today is the day you finally get that Instant Pot you've been dreaming of. Amazon just slashed the price of the insanely popular Instant Pot IP-DUO60 7-in-1 Programmable Pressure Cooker to $68.99. It normally sells for $100, so this is a $31 discount and a fantastic bargain. In fact, it's the lowest price of 2019 so far and within $9 of this model's lowest price of all time. What the heck are you waiting for!?Here's more info from the product page: * 7-in-1 Multi-Functional Cooker--Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Saute/Browning, Yogurt Maker, Steamer & Warmer * Large, easy to use control panel with 14 built-in Smart Programs, Dual pressure, Automatic keep-warm, and 3 temperatures for saute/browning and slow cook * Delay cooking time up to 24-Hours; Manual setting up to 120 minutes of cook time * UL and ULC certified with 10 proven safety mechanisms; Highly energy efficient and kitchen friendly * Includes 3-ply bottom stainless steel cooking pot, stainless steel steam rack with handle, rice paddle, soup spoon, and measuring cup. Instructions, recipes, and cooking time tables in English, Spanish, Chinese and French
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| Border row pitches Mexican president into deep water with Trump Posted: 31 Mar 2019 08:57 AM PDT  Amid a surge in migrant detentions at the southwest U.S. border, Trump on Friday said he would close the 2,000-mile (3,200-km) frontier, or sections of it, during the coming week if Mexico did not halt the flow of people. Casting the government under leftist President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador as the villain in his struggle to curb illegal immigration to the United States, Trump returned to a signature theme of his 2015-2016 presidential election bid. On Friday, Lopez Obrador again said he would not quarrel with Trump, invoking "love and peace" and repeating his commitment to curbing migration.
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| This Week: Durable goods, Constellation Brands results, jobs Posted: 31 Mar 2019 10:05 PM PDT  A look at some of the key business events and economic indicators upcoming this week:
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| The 2020 Toyota Yaris Hatchback in Photos Posted: 01 Apr 2019 01:22 PM PDT |
| Fox News apologizes after graphic says Trump cuts aid to '3 Mexican countries' Posted: 31 Mar 2019 09:18 AM PDT  "We had an inaccurate graphic on screen … we just want to be clear the funding is being cut off to three Central American countries. We apologize for the error, it never should have happened."
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| Applebee's brings back $1 Strawberry Dollarita for April, plus other deals and freebies Posted: 01 Apr 2019 04:11 PM PDT  April brings big freebie and deal days including National Burrito Day, National Beer Day, Tax Day and National Pretzel Day.
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| Venezuelans Protest Power Cuts That Put Maduro in a Bind Posted: 31 Mar 2019 09:55 PM PDT  Power went out in all of western Zulia state at 9:55 a.m., Willy Casanova, mayor of the city of Maracaibo, said on Twitter. Netblocks.org, which tracks internet disruptions globally, said only 15 percent of the country had internet after the power failure. Weeks of power cuts have increased instability in Venezuela.
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