| White House officials, Washington Post spar over coverage of Trump Posted: 06 Sep 2019 11:53 AM PDT ![White House officials, Washington Post spar over coverage of Trump]( "White House officials, Washington Post spar over coverage of Trump") White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham said on Twitter on Friday the Post had not reported on a Trump measure. Others pointed out that it had.
|
| Hurricane Dorian death toll will be ‘staggering’, says Bahamas as storm barrels up US coast Posted: 06 Sep 2019 12:58 AM PDT  The death toll from Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas will be "staggering", the country's government has warned – as the storm now begins to batter the US east coast.The official body count in the Caribbean nation stood at 30 on Friday morning but, with thousands missing, it is expected to rise sharply.
|
| Protests flare in Hong Kong despite bill's withdrawal Posted: 06 Sep 2019 08:59 AM PDT  Hong Kong protesters besieged a police station and a subway stop Friday, prompting police to fire tear gas and rubber bullets as new violence erupted despite the government's promise to drop a proposed law that sparked months of demonstrations in the semiautonomous Chinese territory. About 2,000 angry protesters surrounded the police station in the crowded, working-class district of Mong Kok late Friday for a second straight night, demanding accountability over a violent police raid on the nearby Prince Edward subway station on Aug. 31. Police set up barriers at the entrance of the police station and later fired tear gas and rubber bullets to ward off the crowd, many of whom wore masks and used umbrellas to shield themselves.
|
| Jeffrey Epstein accuser denies Prince Andrew photo is a 'fake' in letter to the Duke of York Posted: 06 Sep 2019 11:47 AM PDT  Lawyers for the Jeffrey Epstein accuser Virginia Roberts Giuffre have denied claims that a photograph showing the Duke of York with his hand around her waist is a fake. Two attorneys for Ms Roberts wrote to Prince Andrew in a letter dated Tuesday to push back on "troubling" suggestions that the image was doctored. Their letter countered comments from "sources close to" the Duke which circulated in the UK press recently suggesting he is taller and has "much chubbier" fingers than in the photograph. Ms Roberts Giuffre has claimed she was made to have sex with the Duke when she was 17 after being recruited by Epstein, a US financier and multimillionaire. The Duke has always vehemently denied the allegation. Ms Roberts Giuffre's lawyers, Brad Edwards and David Boies, wrote: "While your recent press statements indicate your sincere desire to help the victims of sexual abuse, we are concerned that certain statements attributed to you (which we hope do not reflect your actual views) are quite inconsistent with a desire to deal responsibly with the serious allegations that have been made. "We now see, for instance, a troubling assertion attributed to you that a well-documented photograph depicting you, Virginia Roberts Giuffre and Ghislaine Maxwell in each other's company is a 'fake'." Jeffrey Epstein in 2017 Credit: New York State Sex Offender Registry via AP, File They also request a meeting with the Duke to discuss the photograph and Ms Roberts Giuffre, suggesting a meeting in New York, London or another venue could be arranged. The lawyers noted they had approached the Duke years ago for a meeting about the "long-held photograph", writing: "We were puzzled and, we must admit, disappointed that you did not cooperate at that time. They added: "Nevertheless, given your new attention to the subject and your pledge to cooperate, we renew our request for your cooperation." The photograph first emerged in 2011 when the Mail on Sunday published the image and detailed Ms Roberts Giuffre's account of meeting Prince Andrew. It is said to have been taken at the home of Ghislaine Maxwell, the daughter of media tycoon Robert Maxwell, in London in 2001, when Ms Roberts Giuffre was 17. The allegation against the Duke is facing renewed attention after Epstein, 66, killed himself in prison last month following an arrest over sex trafficking of underage girls. Prince Andrew was one spotted at the door of Jeffrey Epstein's New York home in 2010 Credit: Mail on Sunday/2010 by Mail on Sunday The Duke released a statement last month saying it was "a mistake and an error" to see Epstein after the financier had pleaded guilty to soliciting prostitution in 2008. The Duke said he did not "see, witness or suspect any behavior of the sort that subsequently led to his arrest and conviction". He added: "I deplore the exploitation of any human being and would not condone, participate in, or encourage any such behaviour." Epstein's death in prison has triggered an investigation in the US Department of Justice given he had been taken off suicide watch just days before. Guards who were meant to be checking in on him every 30 minutes failed to do so. He was also meant to have another prisoner sharing his cell but was alone. US prosecutors have vowed not to drop the investigation despite Epstein's death, insisting that if there are any co-conspirators in his crimes they will be brought to justice. A Buckingham Palace spokesman declined to comment on the letter. The spokesman reissued a previous statement: "It is emphatically denied that The Duke of York had any form of sexual contact or relationship with Virginia Roberts. Any claim to the contrary is false and without foundation."
|
| Nigerian Ruling Party Demands Takeover of South African Firms Posted: 06 Sep 2019 09:01 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- Nigeria's ruling party urged the government to nationalize South African companies operating in the West African nation in retaliation for xenophobic attacks on its nationals.Relations between Africa's two biggest economies have been tense following attacks on businesses run by migrant Africans in Johannesburg, which sparked reprisal raids by mobs on the offices of the South African mobile-phone company MTN Group Ltd. and stores operated by Shoprite Holdings in the commercial hub of Lagos and the capital, Abuja."Whereas South Africans continue to benefit from the Nigerian business environment and repatriating billions of dollars, the South African authorities appear jealous of the menial jobs which some Nigerians and other black people are involved in," All Progressives Congress party Chairman Adams Oshiomhole said in a video clip broadcast on Friday by Lagos-based Channels Television. "It is worth it for the Nigerian government to take steps to take over the remaining shares of MTN that are owned by South Africans."The APC chairman recommended similar measures for other South African companies, the boycott of their products and the revocation of landing rights for South African Airways.To contact the reporter on this story: Tope Alake in Lagos at talake@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Anthony Osae-Brown at aosaebrown2@bloomberg.net, Dulue Mbachu, Paul RichardsonFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
|
| A Fast-Moving Wildfire Has Burned 2,000 Acres in Southern California. What to Know About the Tenaja Fire Posted: 05 Sep 2019 12:06 PM PDT  Fire officials have issued mandatory evacuation orders to over 400 homes in Riverside County
|
| Gun Used in Texas Shooting Was Illegally Manufactured and Sold: REPORT Posted: 05 Sep 2019 02:19 PM PDT  Authorities believe the gun used in the drive-by shooting in Midland and Odessa, Texas this past weekend was illegally manufactured and sold by a Lubbock, Texas man, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday.The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is currently investigating a man who they believe illegally manufactured and sold the AR-15-style rifle that Seth Ator used to kill seven people and injure 22 more on Saturday, before he was shot and killed by police.Ator, 36, had previously attempted to purchase a gun from a licensed seller in January 2014, but failed the requisite background check because he'd been declared mentally unfit by a local court. A nationwide criminal-background check identified the court order and prevented the purchase, according to local authorities.If Ator did in fact purchase the weapon through a private transaction, its seller was under no obligation to conduct a background check, but could be held criminally liable if evidence emerges that he knew his prospective customer came to him due to a previous background-check failure.Authorities intercepted Ator outside of a movie theater, killing him only after he rampaged down a highway that links Midland and Odessa shooting indiscriminately.Partisan tensions over gun-control legislation have escalated in recent weeks following separate mass shootings in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio. Congressional Democrats continue to insist on universal-background-check legislation that would apply to private sales, a version of which passed the House earlier this year.Republicans, meanwhile, remain non-committal as Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell refuses to endorse specific legislation.
|
| Texas man first person charged nationwide since bump stock ban Posted: 06 Sep 2019 07:48 AM PDT  A 43-year old Texas man has been indicted for possessing a machine gun after police say they found a rifle with a bump stock in his home.
|
| 'I don’t see any path for Biden to win the nomination without South Carolina' Posted: 06 Sep 2019 02:01 AM PDT  The former vice president is betting it all on the black vote.
|
| Hurricane Dorian updates: After making landfall in North Carolina, the storm is moving up the coast. At least 30 people have died in the Bahamas. Posted: 06 Sep 2019 02:45 PM PDT  Hurricane Dorian is moving away from North Carolina and Virginia. The storm passed over North Carolina's Outer Banks at 8:35 a.m. ET on Friday.
|
| Pope Francis says it is ‘an honour that the Americans attack me' Posted: 06 Sep 2019 03:28 AM PDT  In an offhand remark on the papal plane en route to Mozambique, Pope Francis acknowledged the sharp opposition he has faced from conservative Catholic detractors in the United States, calling it an "an honour that the Americans attack me".His remark came at the start of a six-day trip to Africa, as the pope shook hands in the back of the plane with a French reporter who handed him a copy of his new book How America Wanted to Change the Pope.
|
| After Robert Mugabe's death, what next for Grace? Posted: 06 Sep 2019 10:02 AM PDT  Shorn of her late husband's protection, Grace Mugabe is likely to be feeling more than a little exposed as she begins her widowhood. Often derided as Zimbabwe's Lady Macbeth, her reputation for greed and her ruthless determination to succeed Robert Mugabe helped destroy both his presidency and her ambitions. For the military coup that overthrew Mr Mugabe in November, 2017 might never have taken place had he not let himself be persuaded to ditch his most loyal lieutenants in the ruling Zanu-PF party and make her his heir. Mrs Mugabe was by her husband's side when he died in Singapore and she will almost certainly be allowed pride of place during his funeral. But, after the mourning ends, her many enemies could well begin circling. Emmerson Mnangagwa, Zimbabwe's president and the man who overthrew her husband, promised last year that the Mugabes would be "left in peace", but he pointedly ruled out granting them immunity. He is certainly no fan of the former first lady, accusing her of trying to kill him by poisoning his ice-cream as they jostled to be named Mr Mugabe's successor in the months before the coup. Out of deference to his former boss, President Mnangagwa left her alone. With him gone, he may be less circumspect. Few politicians or ordinary Zimbabweans would rally to her cause. From the moment the former typist, 40 years her husband's junior, married Mr Mugabe in 1996, excess seemed to follow excess. When white-owned farms were seized, ostensibly to be redistributed to the poor, she allegedly received 20 of the very best, becoming one of Zimbabwe's largest landowners. Mr Mugabe's three children adored their father, who lavished them with presents, such as luxury homes, and a fabulous lifestyle. In a country brought to penury by her husband's misrule, Mrs Mugabe's extravagance will not be forgotten quickly. Mr Mnangagwa would also welcome the distraction a trial of the former first lady would bring from the continuing financial woes Zimbabwe is suffering. Criminal charges would not come without risk, however. If Mrs Mugabe is placed in the dock, there is no knowing what uncomfortable secrets about Zimbabwe's ruling elite she may reveal.
|
| Mexico president says El Chapo's drug wealth should go to Mexico Posted: 05 Sep 2019 11:17 AM PDT  Mexico's president on Thursday welcomed a proposal to give the alleged fortune of drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman to the country's indigenous people, and said the wealth of Mexican criminals in the United States should be returned to Mexico. Jose Luis Gonzalez Meza, a lawyer for Guzman, said this week his client had proposed that billions of dollars in revenue that U.S. authorities had attributed to his business operations should be handed to indigenous communities in Mexico. Speaking at his regular morning news conference, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who earlier this year announced the creation of a "Robin Hood" institute to return ill-gotten wealth to the Mexican people, gave his approval to the idea.
|
| Kamala Harris Supports Mandatory Buyback of Assault Weapons Posted: 06 Sep 2019 03:18 PM PDT ![Kamala Harris Supports Mandatory Buyback of Assault Weapons]( "Kamala Harris Supports Mandatory Buyback of Assault Weapons") (Bloomberg) -- Kamala Harris said Friday she supports a mandatory buyback of military-style assault weapons, taking a more aggressive position than her main rivals for the Democratic presidential nomination."I think it's a good idea," she told reporters after a campaign event in Londonderry, New Hampshire."We have to work out the details -- there are a lot of details -- but I do" support a forced buyback, Harris said when asked about the policy. "We have to take those guns off the streets."Harris's higher-polling rivals Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren back banning sales of semi-automatic rifles like those used in recent mass shootings but stop short of calling for a forced buyback of guns already owned. Beto O'Rourke has said he would require owners of such weapons to sell them to the government.A recent Quinnipiac poll found that 49% of Americans oppose a mandatory buyback of assault weapons while 46% favor the idea. But among Democrats, 71% support the idea while just 23% are against it.To contact the reporter on this story: Sahil Kapur in Washington at skapur39@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Wendy Benjaminson at wbenjaminson@bloomberg.net, Laurie Asséo, Joe SobczykFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
|
| ‘A beautiful soul’: Mourners gather to remember 15-year-old victim of Texas shooting Posted: 06 Sep 2019 03:31 PM PDT  Upwards of 1,000 people gathered in Odessa to mourn15-year-old Leilah Eliana Hernandez, the youngest person to die in Saturday's shooting rampage
|
| NASA Stumped by Weird Green Blobs Posted: 06 Sep 2019 08:25 AM PDT  What are they doing up there?
|
| Ex N.Korea prisoner says he was CIA spy: German media Posted: 06 Sep 2019 08:07 AM PDT  A former prisoner in North Korea has told German media that he used to spy for the CIA, seeking out nuclear secrets and taking pictures with a concealed wristwatch camera. In a TV report by public broadcaster NDR, South Korean-born US citizen Kim Dong-chul, 67, recounts his former espionage operations, arrest and the abuse and torture he suffered behind bars. Kim Dong-chul was one of three American detainees freed by Pyongyang in May 2018, in the lead-up to the first summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
|
| The Latest: Family stunned after verdicts in warehouse fire Posted: 05 Sep 2019 04:04 PM PDT  A family of a man who died when a fire tore through a party at a California warehouse says they're stunned and frustrated that a jury acquitted one defendant and couldn't reach a verdict for another charged with involuntary manslaughter. Alberto Vega, whose brother Alex Vega died, said Thursday that he was "in shock" and felt "sick to his stomach" after a jury found Max Harris not guilty and a judge declared a mistrial for Derick Almena. Alex Vega's mother, Mary Vega, says she's angry at the outcome but doesn't regret that a judge threw out a plea agreement last year after families protested that the sentences were too lenient.
|
| Southern US to feel like middle of summer as record heat builds into this weekend Posted: 06 Sep 2019 04:45 AM PDT  Record-challenging heat will make it feel like the middle of summer across the southern United States through the weekend.Dry conditions and plenty of sunshine will stretch from eastern Texas to Georgia on Saturday as an area of high pressure settles over the region.Temperatures across much of this area will climb into the middle to upper 90s F, while farther west in Louisiana and eastern Texas, highs are expected to peak near 100 F."In fact, record highs may be challenged in several locations, such as Dallas, Houston and Shreveport, Louisiana, just to name a few," AccuWeather Meteorologist Ryan Adamson said.Several cities from Texas to Florida set new record high temperatures for the date on Friday, including New Orleans and Miami. Sweltering heat will spread farther north across the Southeast on Saturday in the wake of Hurricane Dorian.Heat will peak in most places on Saturday with high temperatures ranging from the middle 90s along the Southeast coast to the lower 100s in eastern Texas.Normal highs for the beginning of September across this region range from the middle 80s to lowers 90s.It will feel even hotter across the region as AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures reach above 100 F. It may even feel as hot as 110 F away from the coast. Several record highs were tied or broken across the south on Thursday. In Vero Beach, Florida, which had been at risk from impacts from Dorian earlier in the week, the high temperature of 97 broke the old Sept. 5 record of 96 set back in 1996. New Orleans tied its record of 97; the last time the city hit 97 on Sept. 5 was in 2000.Those along the Southeast coast left without power in the wake of Dorian will need to take extra precautions, such as drinking plenty of water to stay hydrated and taking frequent breaks in the shade during strenuous activity.While Sunday will still be hot, the arrival of some spotty showers and thunderstorms can help to keep temperatures a couple of degrees lower from eastern North Carolina to the panhandle of Florida.Temperatures will remain on the higher side into the beginning of next week, but more widespread showers and thunderstorms will knock temperatures down by a couple degrees in most locations."Temperatures should fall below 100 degrees in most areas by Sunday and Monday," added Adamson, "but it will still likely be above normal for early September, with widespread mid-90s."Download the free AccuWeather app to keep track of temperature trends in your area. Keep checking back for updates on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
|
| At destroyed airport, Bahamians tell stories of survival and death Posted: 06 Sep 2019 10:17 AM PDT  After Hurricane Dorian destroyed her home in Central Pines, she needed food for her two-year-old daughter. What she found first, it turned out, was a bloated body by the store's entrance. Later, Smith and a friend went to a trailer park to check on a coworker who lived there.
|
| The head of the Navy SEALs sacked 3 SEAL Team 7 leaders after team members were kicked out of Iraq Posted: 06 Sep 2019 05:00 PM PDT  Rear Adm. Collin Green removed three senior SEAL Team 7 leaders "due to a loss of confidence that resulted from leadership failures."
|
| Sarah Huckabee Sanders Whines ‘Women Attack Me Relentlessly’ in Fox News Contributor Debut Posted: 06 Sep 2019 09:17 AM PDT  "Ladies and gentlemen, she's a Fox News contributor!" That's how Fox & Friends co-host Steve Doocy introduced former White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who made her debut as a paid pundit for the network Friday morning. She spent most of her 10-minute appearance fawning over President Donald Trump and feeling sorry for herself. Sanders began by dismissing concerns over the soft September jobs numbers. "Look, I think at the end of the day, there's no question that the president and his administration have turned the country around and put it on the right track," she said, arguing that "we are doing better under this president than we have in the previous eight years." Those assertions went unchallenged by the Fox hosts. When Doocy suggested that some believed "we needed a magic wand" to turn manufacturing around in this country, Sanders chimed in with, "Well, we found one in President Trump." Even when some time Trump critic Brian Kilmeade raised mild concerns over the trade war with China, Sanders said the president was doing everything right. Newsmax Enlists Bill O'Reilly's Longtime Right-Hand Man for War on Fox NewsLater, Doocy brought up the infamous incident when Sanders was asked to leave a restaurant in Virginia and wondered whether she is "still taking heat when you go out to eat" now that she's left the White House. "Sometimes," she answered with a laugh. "It usually depends on where I am in the country." Sanders said she has had no problems in her native Arkansas but it's "hit or miss" in New York City. While she said she hasn't been asked to leave any restaurants recently, people do sometimes say "nasty" things to her."What I always find interesting is, 99 percent of the people that come over to say something negative and to attack you are women," Sanders added, saying she finds that "very startling" from a "group of people that claim to be the champions of women empowerment." "I'm only the third woman and the first mom to ever be the White House press secretary," she continued, "and yet women attack me relentlessly instead of being proud that we have more women doing those types of jobs." "But you're out of the administration!" Doocy replied incredulously. "I am, but they still see me as someone who is a very pro-Trump supporter," Sanders said. "I'm not going to change my position." With that in mind, Sanders offered a small preview of what readers can expect from her upcoming White House memoir. "My experience was extremely positive," she said, "my book will be positive." We all know how that approach worked out for her predecessor Sean Spicer. 'Fox & Friends' Host Brian Kilmeade: Trump 'Never Should Have Said' Mexico Would Pay for WallRead more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
|
| Trial opens of US cop who killed neighbor in his own apartment Posted: 06 Sep 2019 09:14 AM PDT  A white policewoman went on trial in Dallas Friday for shooting and killing a black man in his own apartment, having mistaken it for hers. Exactly one year after Amber Guyger, 31, killed Botham Shem Jean, 26, jury selection in the racially charged murder case began in the Texas city. Guyger's attorneys have sought to move the case to another jurisdiction, on grounds that potential jurors in Dallas may already have strong views on the case, given the heavy media coverage it has fuelled.
|
| Florida inmate says beating by guards left her paralyzed Posted: 05 Sep 2019 02:00 PM PDT  A female inmate at a Florida prison is suing the state corrections agency, saying she was left paralyzed after being beaten by four guards. Cheryl Weimar and her husband, Karl, said in their lawsuit that her civil rights were violated when she was nearly beaten to death by guards last month at the Lowell Correctional Institution in Ocala, Florida. Weimar was left with a broken neck and is now a paraplegic because of the guards' use of force, according to the lawsuit.
|
| Police: Family worried after finding military weapons in elderly couple's Montgomery County home Posted: 06 Sep 2019 10:37 AM PDT  Family members helping an elderly couple clean out their home became concerned when they discovered multiple military ordnance items and firearms inside, police said.
|
| 2019 Honda Civic Type R vs. 1991 Acura NSX in Photos Posted: 06 Sep 2019 04:59 AM PDT |
| British woman rescued in Bahamas amid fears Dorian's death toll will be 'staggering' Posted: 05 Sep 2019 09:18 PM PDT  A British woman who had been trapped beneath the rubble for days in one of Bahama's worst hit islands has been rescued by the Royal Navy. The unnamed woman was taken on board a ship and stabilised before being airlifted to hospital in Nassau, the capital of the island nation, where they were receiving treatment on Thursday night. She is one of the thousands of people who were awaiting rescue on the islands of Abaco and Grand Bahama, which have been largely flattened by Hurricane Dorian. The death toll on Thursday night stood at 30, but it is feared that it will be significantly higher as people search for their missing loved ones. "Let me say that I believe the number (dead) will be staggering," Health Minister Duane Sands was quoted by The Nassau Guardian as telling Guardian radio. "... I have never lived through anything like this and I don't want to live through anything like this again." The RFA Mounts Bay crew, which have been stationed in the Caribbean since June in preparation for hurricane season, have so far delivered shelter kits, ration packs and water. Damaged cars and trucks sit in a field following landfall by Hurricane Dorian, in the Bahamas Credit: Reuters The Royal Navy said its Wildcat helicopter also evacuated an American woman along with her two children and a baby to Nassau. The Wildcat will also be airlifting relief to outlying, cut off communities in liaison with the Royal Bahamian Defence Force and is stationed off Abaco. Distraught survivors described the horror of crossing unattended corpses as they made their way to safety. Hurricane Dorian barrels towards US after battering Bahamas, in pictures Ronnie Archer, 71, told The Telegraph many more of the hurricane's victims lay in the streets of Marsh Harbour, Abaco, while looters raid shops for food and water. "The morgue is full and there are bodies floating in the water," she said after being evacuated. "A friend of mine bumped into the body of a woman which was just floating in the streets. "There is now lots of looting happening. There are people taking rice, juice, everything they can get their hands on. I don't know if they are armed." An aerial view of damage caused by Hurricane Dorian is seen on Great Abaco Island Credit: Scott Olson/Getty Images She was at her home of 30 years when the wind started to get stronger and stronger. "I sat in the wheelchair and I watched my house drop to pieces," she told this newspaper. "I heard a bang and I looked around and saw that the windows had blown in from the force. The next time that I looked up I saw the sky and I realised that the roof had gone." Her family, including a seven month old granddaughter, are staying behind to see what they can save as local officials confirmed reports of rampant looting. The United Nations estimates more than 76,000 people were in need of humanitarian relief after the most damaging storm ever to hit the Bahamas. The British Humanitarian and Disaster Relief team removing debris and providing aid assistance to the Islanders of Great Abaco Credit: Paul Halliwell/BRITISH MINISTRY OF DEFENCE Gaylele Laing broke down in tears and embraced her niece after she was rescued from Abaco on Thursday. As a diabetic who had run out of medicine she was given a priority evacuation, but she was barely able to speak as she revealed that she had to leave her family members, including her grandchildren aged 11 and 12 behind. The Treasure Quay resident told The Telegraph through tears: "It was terrible, there is total devastation, there is nothing left. "We hid in the bathroom as the eye of the storm passed and then the water surge came. We never expected it to be that bad. We had to break the window and swim to safety. The whole family, the kids included. At that point I thought we were going to die. "We did as much as we could to prepare and if we had known it was going to be that bad we would have left Abaco, we have been though hurricanes before but nothing like this. Everything is gone." Another survivor on the Abaco Islands, Ramond King, said he watched as swirling winds ripped the roof off his house, then churned to a neighbour's home to pluck the entire structure into the sky. Nothing is here, nothing at all. Everything is gone, just bodies," he said. A perfect storm | How climate change has made Hurricane Dorian worse Dorian continued to cause substantial damage as it hit the US coastal states of South and North Carolina on Thursday leaving 239,000 homes and businesses without power. The US National Hurricane Centre warned it remained a category 2 hurricane with winds reaching 110mph and the risk of life-threatening storm surges, winds and flash flooding. Tornadoes spun off by Dorian's outer bands were also reported along the coast, including Emerald Isle, North Carolina, where several homes were destroyed. The beach town said on its website that the tornado hit at around 9 am on Thursday leaving dozens of mobile homes upturned and power lines down. Charleston, in South Carolina had more than 100 roads closed due to severe flooding, with up to 20 inches of rain forecast to hit the historic port city. The map appeared to have been altered with a black marker to include Alabama Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Meanwhile Donald Trump, the US president, was mocked for showing a map of the storm's projected path that appeared to have been altered with a black marker pen to include the state of Alabama, which was never in harm's way. Mr Trump had incorrectly claimed in a tweet at the weekend that Alabama was one of the US states that could be hit by the hurricane, leading the National Weather Service to deny that in a tweet of its own. "Alabama will NOT see any impacts from Dorian. We repeat, no impacts from Hurricane Dorian will be felt across Alabama. The system will remain too far east," the National Weather Service in Alabama tweeted. When reporters later asked Mr Trump whether the chart had been altered with a pen, the president said: "I don't know; I don't know." But he doubled down on his claims, saying: "I know Alabama was in the original forecast, they thought it would get a piece of it".
|
| U.S. Treasury warns anyone fueling Iran tanker risks being blacklisted Posted: 05 Sep 2019 01:33 PM PDT  The U.S. Treasury Department on Thursday warned that anyone around the world who helps fuel Iranian vessels blacklisted by Washington runs the risk of being designated as well. The Treasury Department blacklisted the Adrian Darya, a tanker at the center of a confrontation between Washington and Tehran, on Aug. 30. Washington has warned that it would regard any assistance given to the ship as support for a terrorist group, namely, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
|
| Business class passenger racially abuses Asian crew member and demands to be served by 'white girl', court hears Posted: 06 Sep 2019 09:47 AM PDT  An IT consultant racially abused a female British Airways cabin crew member and demanded he be served only by a "white girl," a court has heard.Peter Nelson, 46, became irate after being woken up by Sima Patel-Pryke while flying business class from London's Heathrow to Rio de Janeiro, in Brazil, jurors were told.
|
| CDC Warns against Vaping after Third Recorded Death from Mystery Illness Posted: 06 Sep 2019 11:22 AM PDT  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday warned against using e-cigarettes, amid 450 potential cases of a mysterious lung ailment related to vaping, which has now claimed three lives."While the investigation is ongoing, the CDC has advised that individuals consider not using e-cigarettes because as of now, this is the primary means of preventing lung disease," said Dr. Dana Meaney-Delman, a CDC incident manager. "We believe that a chemical exposure is likely associated with these illnesses, but more information is needed."The cause of the mysterious ailment is still unclear, but federal and New York state officials have found a possible link to products containing THC, a compound found in marijuana, which often also contain Vitamin E acetate, an oil that can be harmful if inhaled."No one substance or compound, including Vitamin E, has been identified in all samples tested," said Mitch Zeller, the deputy director of the FDA's Center for Tobacco Products.Indiana health commissioner Kris Box warned Friday that the deadly products sometimes come from somewhere other than the commercial market."We know that these products typically contain nicotine, which is highly addictive, and many cases report inhaling THC and other substances not available in commercial products," Box said in a statement. "While it is unclear what substances are causing injury, when you use these products with other chemicals, you may not know everything that you're inhaling and the harm it can cause."The New York State Department of Health said that Vitamin E acetate was found in marijuana-vaping products used by New Yorkers who contracted the mysterious illness in the past few weeks."Vitamin E acetate is not an approved additive for New York State Medical Marijuana Program-authorized vape products," the Department said.
|
| Cheerleader accused of killing newborn told her dad 'I tried to cremate the baby' Posted: 06 Sep 2019 01:27 PM PDT  Skylar Richardson is charged with aggravated murder and involuntary manslaughter. She's accused of deliberately killing her baby and burying her.
|
| China slams Canada after Trudeau criticizes detentions Posted: 06 Sep 2019 05:18 AM PDT  China accused Canada of not abiding by international norms Friday in response to comments from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who accused Beijing of arbitrarily detaining two Canadians. Trudeau's remarks are "purely unfounded countercharges that confound black and white," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said. Canada arrested Meng Wanzhou — Chinese telecom giant Huawei's chief financial officer and the daughter of its founder — on Dec. 1 at the request of the U.S, where she is wanted on fraud charges.
|
| US opens probe of 4 automakers over California emissions pact Posted: 06 Sep 2019 11:41 AM PDT  The US Department of Justice has opened an antitrust probe of California's agreement with four automakers on fuel efficiency standards that circumvented the Trump administration's plans, automakers said Friday. The agreement announced in July increases the fuel economy standards on autos sold in California.
|
| UPDATE 1-India loses contact with spacecraft on mission to the moon Posted: 06 Sep 2019 03:59 PM PDT ![UPDATE 1-India loses contact with spacecraft on mission to the moon]( "UPDATE 1-India loses contact with spacecraft on mission to the moon") India lost contact with a spacecraft it was attempting to land on the moon on Saturday, the chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said, in a setback to the nation's ambitious plans to become the first country to probe the unexplored lunar south pole. The lander of India's Chandrayaan-2 moon mission was attempting a "soft," or controlled, landing near the south pole of the moon where scientists believe there could be water ice. ISRO lost communication with it just as it was about to land on the moon.
|
| Son of founder of Italy's Five Star Movement under investigation for gang rape Posted: 06 Sep 2019 08:56 AM PDT  The son of Beppe Grillo, comedian and co-founder of Italy's Five Star Movement, is under investigation by police and prosecutors after being accused of gang rape with three of his friends. Ciro Grillo, 19, is facing allegations that he and the other men raped a Scandinavian model at the comedian's villa at Porto Cervo on Sardinia's exclusive Costa Smeralda during their summer vacation. Five Star is a partner in Italy's new governing coalition, which took office on Thursday. The rape inquiry coincides with the re-emergence of Beppe Grillo who urged the party leader, Luigi Di Maio, to join the centre-left Democratic Party and avoid snap elections. According to Italian media, Ciro Grillo and the three others met the woman, who has not been named, at a nightclub in Porto Cervo and after a night of heavy drinking they returned to the Grillo family's luxury villa where the alleged rape took place on July 16. Lawyers for Grillo and the other accused say the defendants have not denied having sex with the 19-year-old woman but claim the sex was consensual. The four accused, who come from the northern city of Genoa, were interrogated for several hours on Thursday by public prosecutor Gregorio Capasso in the Sardinian town of Tempio Pausania. Mr Capasso told the media on Friday that the investigation would be completed soon. "Given the sensitivity of the case, we will maintain the utmost confidentiality," the prosecutor told the ANSA news agency on Friday. Prosecutors are looking for evidence of drugs and alcohol and police have seized the cellphones of the accused for video of the incident. Lawyers representing Grillo and the others declined to comment but reportedly told the prosecutor the woman's case was weak because she had waited 10 days to report the rape and had continued her vacation. Grillo is the second of Beppe Grillo's four children. In 2017 he was a national champion of savate, which combines boxing and kick boxing. An avid user of social media, the young Grillo loved to post photos and comments of his sporting prowess and partying.
|
| A US Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt accidentally fired off a rocket over Arizona Posted: 06 Sep 2019 07:08 AM PDT  It happened again. This is the second time this year an A-10 has unintentionally released munitions in an area where it shouldn't have.
|
| Unregulated vaping spawns new teenage nicotine addicts. And now adult vapers are dying. Posted: 05 Sep 2019 02:59 PM PDT  Lung illnesses have emerged among at least 215 people who used e-cigarettes. THC could be a common factor. Where's the oversight?: Our view
|
| Afghan president postpones US trip to discuss Taliban deal Posted: 06 Sep 2019 11:31 AM PDT  Afghanistan's president has postponed a planned visit to Washington early next week where he was to discuss the U.S.-Taliban talks on ending America's longest war, a person familiar with the negotiations said Friday. The development emerged after the U.S. envoy negotiating with the Taliban, Zalmay Khalilzad, abruptly returned to Qatar for unexpected talks with the insurgents on the deal that he had described as complete just days ago. The agreement "in principle" to begin a U.S. troop withdrawal only needed President Donald Trump's approval, Khalilzad said Monday.
|
| A$AP Rocky's Swedish lawyer was shot in the head and the shooting suspect is still at large Posted: 06 Sep 2019 09:46 AM PDT  The Swedish Police Authority wrote on its website that "several" people have been taken into custody for questioning in connection to the shooting.
|
