2018年2月8日星期四

Yahoo! News: India Top Stories - Reuters

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Yahoo! News: India Top Stories - Reuters


DHS cybersecurity head: 'No doubt' Russians penetrated voter registration systems

Posted: 07 Feb 2018 07:45 AM PST

DHS cybersecurity head: 'No doubt' Russians penetrated voter registration systemsIn an exclusive interview with NBC News' Cynthia McFadden, Jeanette Manfra, the head of cybersecurity at the Department of Homeland Security, says that 21 states were targeted during the 2016 election.


Thousands sign petition to remove judge who sentenced blind child rapist to probation

Posted: 07 Feb 2018 06:59 AM PST

Thousands sign petition to remove judge who sentenced blind child rapist to probationA petition to remove an Oklahoma judge who sentenced a convicted child rapist to 15 years of probation is gaining serious momentum online.


The Ones They Left Behind: A Puerto Rican Family Still Torn Apart Months After Maria

Posted: 08 Feb 2018 02:47 AM PST

The Ones They Left Behind: A Puerto Rican Family Still Torn Apart Months After MariaOne morning last September, Jeancarlo and Jan Miguel Ruiz Núñez stepped out of their home and found their neighborhood, on the outskirts of the small mountain town of Lares, Puerto Rico, wrecked.


Trump sees 'BOMBSHELLS' in FBI texts about Clinton email probe

Posted: 07 Feb 2018 10:33 AM PST

Trump sees 'BOMBSHELLS' in FBI texts about Clinton email probePresident Trump turned his Twitter attention on Wednesday to newly released 2016 text messages between a pair FBI agents who claim President Obama wanted "to know everything we're doing."


Mexico authorities catch animal traffickers trying to mail a tiger cub

Posted: 08 Feb 2018 09:53 AM PST

Mexico authorities catch animal traffickers trying to mail a tiger cubMexican authorities have found a tiger cub in a plastic container, due to be express mailed to another address. The Office for Environmental Protection on Wednesday found the Bengal cub when a sniffer dog looking for contraband detected it in the plastic container, sedated. The cub was found in the package filled with newspaper clippings, in the western state of Jalisco, due to be shipped to an address in the central state of Queretaro.


Tillerson Says Russia Is Already Trying To Meddle In 2018 Midterms

Posted: 07 Feb 2018 01:06 PM PST

Tillerson Says Russia Is Already Trying To Meddle In 2018 MidtermsSecretary of State Rex Tillerson says Russia is already trying to meddle in the 2018 midterm elections and the U.S. isn't prepared to counter the threat.


Senate leaders reach funding deal as shutdown looms

Posted: 07 Feb 2018 03:02 AM PST

Senate leaders reach funding deal as shutdown loomsSens. McConnell and Schumer announce a longterm budget deal has been reached, despite President Trump's threats of a shutdown.


Trump touted conspiratorial ambassador nominee's 'marketing' skills

Posted: 07 Feb 2018 08:40 AM PST

Trump touted conspiratorial ambassador nominee's 'marketing' skillsPresident Trump's administration sold Leandro Rizzuto Jr. as highly qualified for his ambassadorship to Barbados.


Police say Texas officer's killer likely gunned down 2nd man

Posted: 08 Feb 2018 01:02 PM PST

Police say Texas officer's killer likely gunned down 2nd manDALLAS (AP) — A gunman who mortally wounded a suburban Dallas police officer likely killed a second man before barricading himself in an apartment and randomly firing his weapon during the standoff, authorities said Thursday.


Hillary Clinton urges people to vote in midterm elections: 'We are in the midst of a war on truth, facts and reason'

Posted: 07 Feb 2018 12:08 PM PST

Hillary Clinton urges people to vote in midterm elections: 'We are in the midst of a war on truth, facts and reason'Former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton said she is "committed" to urging American voters to participate in 2018 midterm elections to "get the sexism out of politics."


Zara Is Selling This Lungi Look-Alike For $90, And Brown Twitter Is Cackling

Posted: 08 Feb 2018 03:30 PM PST

Zara Is Selling This Lungi Look-Alike For $90, And Brown Twitter Is CacklingCenturies after Asian dads figured out the simple pleasure that wearing lungis can bring, it seems the Spanish fashion retailer Zara wants in on the style.


EPA's Pruitt Suggests Global Warming May Not Be A 'Bad Thing' For Humans

Posted: 07 Feb 2018 08:37 PM PST

EPA's Pruitt Suggests Global Warming May Not Be A 'Bad Thing' For HumansScott Pruitt, the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, alluded earlier this week that global warming may be beneficial to humans, once again questioning the world's leading scientists who have declared the phenomenon one of the greatest known threats to humanity.


Alleged Drunk Driver Busted After Getting $200,000 Lamborghini Wedged Under Trailer

Posted: 07 Feb 2018 07:36 AM PST

Alleged Drunk Driver Busted After Getting $200,000 Lamborghini Wedged Under TrailerThe incident happened early Saturday morning.


SpaceX rocket now on a trajectory toward asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter

Posted: 06 Feb 2018 09:00 PM PST

SpaceX rocket now on a trajectory toward asteroid belt between Mars and JupiterAt mission control, 6,000 workers cheered the launch Tuesday.


Seattle To Become Latest City To Erase Past Marijuana Convictions

Posted: 08 Feb 2018 09:41 AM PST

Seattle To Become Latest City To Erase Past Marijuana ConvictionsIn an effort to bring "restorative justice" to communities that have been disproportionately affected by drug law enforcement, Seattle's mayor and city attorney said Thursday that the city will move to dismiss marijuana possession convictions that were prosecuted before Washington state voted to legalize the drug.


US-led strikes on Syria pro-regime forces kill 100: US official

Posted: 08 Feb 2018 07:10 AM PST

US-led strikes on Syria pro-regime forces kill 100: US officialThe US-led coalition said Thursday it killed at least 100 pro-regime fighters to fend off an attack on its allies in eastern Syria, in one its deadliest confrontations yet with forces backing Damascus. The initial attack was carried out by forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad on key oil and gas installations in parts of Deir Ezzor province controlled by US-backed Kurdish forces. The clash came against a backdrop of escalating tensions between Washington and Damascus over an uptick in the suspected use of chemical weapons by the regime and allied militia.


FBI: No evidence of attack in Border Patrol agent's death

Posted: 07 Feb 2018 05:24 PM PST

FBI: No evidence of attack in Border Patrol agent's deathDALLAS (AP) — FBI officials said Wednesday that the investigation into the November death of a U.S. Border Patrol agent has yielded no evidence that there was a "scuffle, altercation or attack" more than two months after President Donald Trump and others used the suggestion of an attack to promote the building of a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.


Mattis says U.S. service members in DACA will generally not be deported

Posted: 08 Feb 2018 01:37 PM PST

Mattis says U.S. service members in DACA will generally not be deportedU.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on Thursday that service members in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program will not be deported, other than a few exceptions, even as lawmakers debate the fate of children brought to the United States illegally. Until now, the fate of about 800 service members in the program had not been clear. "We would always stand by one of our people, and I have never found the Department of Homeland Security unwilling to take any call from anyone on my staff if we in fact found someone who had been treated unjustly," he told reporters.


Taiwan earthquake: Buildings tilt on sides after at least four killed and scores missing amid rescue operation

Posted: 07 Feb 2018 12:57 AM PST

Taiwan earthquake: Buildings tilt on sides after at least four killed and scores missing amid rescue operationRescue workers scrambled to search for survivors in buildings left tilting precariously on their foundations in Taiwan, after a 6.4-magnitude earthquake killed at least four people and injured more than 200. Scores more people were trapped and others missing after the tremor shook the city of Hualien on the east coast, while a series of aftershocks were felt throughout the night.  At least six tall buildings were left tilting on their sides. The worst-hit and was propped up with cranes as it lent at about 45 degrees. Authorities said they could not verify how many residents were still missing after the quake, which hit the popular tourist port city late on Tuesday. Early on Wednesday, rescue efforts were focused on the Yun Tsui residential building, which also housed a restaurant, shops and a hostel.  At least six tall buildings were left tilting on their sides after the 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck Credit: REUTERS and PAUL YANG/AFP/Getty The quake left the 12-storey building leaning to one side, its lower floors pancaked. The national fire agency said 143 residents from the building remained missing. But it was not immediately clear if those unaccounted for were trapped inside the building. Rescue and emergency workers block off a street in Hualien where a building was left tilting precariously One local who lives nearby told how he watched the tower block partially collapse. "I saw the first floor sink into the ground," said 35-year-old Lu Chih-son, who saw 20 people rescued from the building. "Then it sunk and tilted further and the fourth floor became the first floor. "My family were unhurt, but a neighbour was injured in their head and is bleeding. We dare not go back home now. There are many aftershocks and we are worried the house is damaged." A firefighter works at a collapsed building in the early hours Credit: Tyrone Siu/Reuters Resident Chen Chih-wei, 80, said he was sleeping in his apartment on the top floor of the building when the quake struck. "My bed turned completely vertical, I was sleeping and suddenly I was standing," he said. He said he managed to crawl his way to a balcony to wait for rescue, adding that the quake was the strongest he had felt in more than five decades of living in Hualien. Smoke rises around a collapsed building amid rescue efforts Credit: TYRONE SIU /Reuters President Tsai Ing-wen visited the site on Wednesday morning, where officials were going room by room looking for anyone trapped inside. "Now is the prime time for our rescue efforts, our first priority is to save people," she said in a Facebook post. Four mobile cranes had been brought in on the back of trucks to help prop up the structure. The worst-hit building was propped up with mobile cranes as it lent on its side Credit: REUTERS Liu Yan-hu, from the Hualien County Architects Association, said it looked like the building's main structure was intact. Five more buildings including a hospital and a hotel were also damaged in the city, where roads were ripped apart and strewn with rubble. The national fire agency said four people had been killed across the city, with 225 others injured. More than 117 people had been rescued from damaged buildings on Wednesday morning. An aerial image shows a residential building leaning on a collapsed first floor Credit: Central News Agency/AP  Hualien is one of Taiwan's most popular tourist hubs as it lies on the picturesque east coast rail line and near to the popular Taroko Gorge. Frequent aftershocks left some residents stranded in the open as they feared going back into buildings.  Authorities said 830 people were in shelters on Wednesday morning and some 1,900 houses were without power. Large cracks in a street after the powerful earthquake hit Hualien Credit: TYRONE SIU /Reuters The severely damaged Marshal Hotel had also crumpled into the ground as its bottom storeys disappeared. "The lower floors sunk into the ground and I saw panicked tourists being rescued from the hotel," said witness Blue Hsu. Graphic: Taiwan earthquake shake intensity Earthquake is two years after tremor that killed 100 The earthquake hit at just before midnight (3.50pm GMT) around 13 miles (21 kilometres) northeast of Hualien, according to the United States Geological Survey. It followed almost 100 smaller tremors to have hit the area in the last three days and comes exactly two years since a quake of the same magnitude struck the southern Taiwanese city of Tainan, killing more than 100 people. Rescue workers search for victims at a collapsed building in Tainan in February 2016  Credit: Lam Yik Fei /Getty Most of the deaths from the February 2016 earthquake were from the 16-storey Wei-kuan apartment complex, which toppled on its side and buried many residents in the rubble. It was the only high-rise in Tainan to crumble completely in the quake, which came two days before Lunar New Year, when many people were visiting relatives for the biggest celebration of the Chinese calendar. How to | Stay safe in an earthquake The safety of the building was called into question immediately after the disaster, when metal cans and foam were found to have been used as fillers in the concrete and residents said there had been cracks in the structure. Five people were found guilty and sentenced to five years imprisonment over the disaster, including the developer and two architects, with prosecutors saying they "cut corners" that affected the building's structural integrity. Why Taiwan is regularly hit by big earthquakes Taiwan lies near the junction of two tectonic plates and is regularly hit by earthquakes. The island's worst tremor in recent decades was a 7.6 magnitude quake in September 1999 that killed around 2,400 people.


North Korea Holds Massive Military Parade Ahead Of 2018 Winter Olympics

Posted: 08 Feb 2018 01:05 AM PST

North Korea Holds Massive Military Parade Ahead Of 2018 Winter OlympicsNorth Korea staged a large military parade on Thursday, just one day before the opening ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.


Through multiple teams and sports, Tim Tebow's dog Bronco is always by his side

Posted: 07 Feb 2018 02:42 PM PST

Through multiple teams and sports, Tim Tebow's dog Bronco is always by his sideThe 2010 NFL Draft changed Tim Tebow's life forever, and not just because it was the start of his NFL career.


Apple Inc. (AAPL) Stock May Suffer Until 2019

Posted: 08 Feb 2018 04:16 AM PST

Apple Inc. (AAPL) Stock May Suffer Until 2019Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL) stock is down 8.7 percent in the past month after the iPhone X "supercycle" turned out not to be as super as investors had hoped. While there may still be long-term value in Apple stock, Goldman Sachs analyst Rod Hall says investors shouldn't be in a hurry to buy. Hall says the weakness in iPhone unit sales that weighed on Apple stock following its fiscal first-quarter earnings report will remain an albatross for Apple stock for at least two more quarters.


Flu shot myths debunked

Posted: 07 Feb 2018 07:49 AM PST

Flu shot myths debunkedMany cite the risk of getting sick as a reason to not get a flu shot, but the truth is that there's no live flu virus in the shot, so it cannot make you sick. Any symptoms means your immune system is kicking in.


Congressional Leaders Reach Spending Deal, But Passage Is Still In Doubt

Posted: 07 Feb 2018 01:38 PM PST

Congressional Leaders Reach Spending Deal, But Passage Is Still In DoubtWASHINGTON ― Republicans think they have a bill to avert a government shutdown and significantly raise spending caps ― a bipartisan deal months in the making.


Prosecutor: Trump's comments on fatal crash 'ghoulish'

Posted: 07 Feb 2018 12:20 PM PST

Prosecutor: Trump's comments on fatal crash 'ghoulish'INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — An Indiana prosecutor blasted President Donald Trump on Wednesday for politicizing the case of an immigrant illegally living in the U.S. and charged in a drunken crash that killed Indianapolis Colts linebacker Edwin Jackson and another man, saying his and others' comments were "ghoulish and inappropriate."


British Isis fighters known as 'the Beatles' captured in Syria

Posted: 08 Feb 2018 01:58 PM PST

British Isis fighters known as 'the Beatles' captured in SyriaThe pair were captured by the American-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, reports said. Two British Isis militants implicated in brutal acts of torture and execution, have been captured by US-backed Kurdish fighters in Syria. The two men, Alexanda Kotey and El Shafee Elsheikh, formed part of a group of four fighters nicknamed "the Beatles" due to their British accents and are allegedly responsible for murdering approximately two dozen hostages in Syria.


Canada police find remains of six people in serial killer probe

Posted: 08 Feb 2018 12:05 PM PST

Canada police find remains of six people in serial killer probeCanadian police said Thursday they have so far uncovered the remains of six people at a home in Toronto linked to an alleged serial killer. Bruce McArthur, 66, was arrested last month for two murders and was later charged with three additional homicides after skeletal remains were found hidden in planters at a Toronto property the suspect, a landscaper, used for storage. "I can now confirm we have recovered the remains of at least six individuals over the last week and a half," lead investigator Sergeant Hank Idsinga said.


Pennsylvania's Supreme Court Explains Why It Struck Down Congressional Map Favoring GOP

Posted: 07 Feb 2018 05:47 PM PST

Pennsylvania's Supreme Court Explains Why It Struck Down Congressional Map Favoring GOPThe Pennsylvania Supreme Court offered a lengthy and long-awaited explanation on Wednesday of its decision to strike down the state's congressional map, saying the districts violated a state constitutional guarantee of "free and equal" elections.


Aby Rosen Unveils Artist Lofts in Foster + Partners–Designed 100 East 53rd Street

Posted: 08 Feb 2018 09:09 AM PST

Aby Rosen Unveils Artist Lofts in Foster + Partners–Designed 100 East 53rd Street


Teva warns on 2018 profit, may face migraine drug delays

Posted: 08 Feb 2018 12:17 PM PST

Teva warns on 2018 profit, may face migraine drug delaysBy Tova Cohen and Steven Scheer TEL AVIV (Reuters) - Teva Pharmaceutical Industries on Thursday said its 2018 results would be weaker than expected and that it might encounter delays for an important new migraine drug, pushing the drugmaker's shares down more than 9 percent. Israel-based Teva, the world's largest generic drugmaker, is facing price erosion, fierce competition for its blockbuster multiple sclerosis drug Copaxone and a consolidating customer base, particularly in the United States. It also said that the approval and launch of its migraine drug fremanezumab, one of two drugs the company pegged to help return it to growth in the future, could be delayed by an FDA warning letter received by manufacturer Celltrion, which will supply the drug to Teva.


Mercedes apologises to China after quoting Dalai Lama

Posted: 07 Feb 2018 09:59 AM PST

Mercedes apologises to China after quoting Dalai LamaMercedes-Benz has apologised for "hurting the feelings" of the people of China for quoting the Dalai Lama on Instagram. The German auto giant became the latest of several international companies that have backpedalled recently for offending Chinese consumers with advertising or information that clashes with Beijing's official position on Tibet and other Chinese-claimed regions. Mercedes' seemingly benign post to its official Instagram account showed a Benz on a beach before rolling white-capped waves. "Look at situations from all angles, and you will become more open," the ad copy ran, citing the Dalai Lama, who is seen by Beijing as a separatist. "Start your week with a fresh perspective on life from the Dalai Lama," the carmaker wrote in the tagline. Mercedes' seemingly benign post to its official Instagram account showed a Benz on a beach before rolling white-capped waves The Zen post immediately drew criticism from Chinese internet users for quoting the Nobel Peace Prize laureate, whom Beijing accuses of being a "wolf in monk's robes" seeking Tibetan independence through "spiritual terrorism". The Dalai Lama has called for granting Tibetans greater autonomy within China, but not independence. While Instagram is blocked in China and inaccessible to most Chinese - and the post was penned in English - Mercedes-Benz quickly deleted the photo after the outcry and issued an apology on China's Twitter-like Weibo social media platform. "Even though we deleted the related information as soon as possible, we know this has hurt the feelings of people of this country," Mercedes said on its verified Weibo account on Tuesday. The post "published extremely incorrect information, for this we are sincerely sorry," the company wrote, without naming either Instagram or the Dalai Lama, or explaining what the offending post was about. "We have immediately taken real action to deepen our understanding of Chinese culture and values, including among our colleagues abroad, and in this way regulate our behaviour." China's foreign ministry applauded Mercedes' quick response on Wednesday, with spokesman Geng Shuang telling reporters: "Recognising and correcting one's mistakes is the most basic of ethics." Beijing "welcomes foreign companies to reap the opportunities of China's development but during this process we hope foreign companies can perform the most basic of compliance," Geng said. China's state media was less conciliatory, with the online edition of the Communist Party mouthpiece People's Daily running an editorial attacking Mercedes after it published an apology. Offending the sensitivities of Beijing has proven a problem for a number of foreign companies tapping the lucrative Chinese market. Earlier this year, a spate of brands came under government criticism for online material that listed Chinese regions such as Tibet and Hong Kong as separate countries. Marriott hotels even had its Chinese website and app blocked for a week by mainland authorities, while Spanish clothing giant Zara and Delta Air Lines were also called out. Trendy Japanese retailer Muji has also faced the wrath of what the foreign ministry called the "new era" of a "more confident and open" China. One of the retailers' in-store catalogues held a store location map which Beijing said omitted islands disputed with Japan. Last summer, British band Placebo was scheduled to perform at the Summer Sonic Festival in Shanghai - until they posted a photo of the Nobel winner on Instagram. The picture resulted "in a lifetime ban by the Ministry of Culture in China," the band said in another post acknowledging they would be unable to perform. "We apologise to all the fans who were hoping to see Placebo perform," it wrote.


A 2-Year-Old Girl’s Eyebrows Were Waxed at Daycare, Mother Says

Posted: 07 Feb 2018 02:01 PM PST

A 2-Year-Old Girl's Eyebrows Were Waxed at Daycare, Mother SaysOfficials are investigating the complaint over the toddler's eyebrows


12 Raspberry Pies That'll Have You Craving Summer

Posted: 07 Feb 2018 03:40 PM PST

12 Raspberry Pies That'll Have You Craving Summer


Indicting a President Not Settled Law

Posted: 07 Feb 2018 12:04 PM PST

Indicting a President Not Settled LawFormer U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder talks with Rachel Maddow about whether Donald Trump could be charged with obstruction of justice, and the failure of Jeff Sessions to stand up for DoJ and FBI employees under attack.


South Korean president to meet North Korean leader's sister

Posted: 08 Feb 2018 02:37 AM PST

South Korean president to meet North Korean leader's sisterSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea's president plans to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's sister and other senior North Korean officials when they visit the South this week for the Winter Olympics, his spokesman said Thursday.


Jimmy Kimmel Spots Something Intriguing About Melania Trump's Twitter Account

Posted: 08 Feb 2018 03:04 AM PST

Jimmy Kimmel Spots Something Intriguing About Melania Trump's Twitter AccountJimmy Kimmel dissected Melania Trump's Twitter game on Wednesday night, and discovered an intriguing detail.


Death toll tops 220 in four-day Syria regime assault on rebel enclave

Posted: 08 Feb 2018 12:24 PM PST

Death toll tops 220 in four-day Syria regime assault on rebel enclaveSyrian regime jets pounded Eastern Ghouta on Thursday, sending the death toll for the four-day assault on the rebel enclave on the outskirts of Damascus soaring past 220. Violence also flared in eastern Syria, where the US-led coalition said it killed at least 100 pro-regime fighters to fend off an attack on its Kurdish allies. The clash marked a fresh escalation between Washington, which has threatened the regime over its alleged use of chemical weapons, and Damascus, which labelled the latest incident in eastern Syria a "war crime".


24 Gifts 'Black Panther' Fans Will Love To Ring In The Release

Posted: 07 Feb 2018 02:42 PM PST

24 Gifts 'Black Panther' Fans Will Love To Ring In The ReleaseThe reviews are in, and it looks as if "Black Panther" is being hailed as one of the best Marvel films yet.


There May Be a Hidden Agenda in Hong Kong's Ruling to Spare Joshua Wong From Prison

Posted: 07 Feb 2018 01:56 AM PST

There May Be a Hidden Agenda in Hong Kong's Ruling to Spare Joshua Wong From PrisonHuman rights advocates said the court's decision could have a "chilling" effect on pro-democracy cases in the future


Harley-Davidson Reminds Us That Its Bikes are Customizable

Posted: 08 Feb 2018 06:08 AM PST

Harley-Davidson Reminds Us That Its Bikes are CustomizableHarley-Davidson Politely Reminds Us Its Bikes are Customizable New video from Harley reminds the motorcycling world that the moco's bikes are, indeed, highly customizable. Harley's stranglehold on the motorcycle industry has become increasingly tenuous over


Child takes wheel of school bus after driver suffers medical emergency

Posted: 07 Feb 2018 05:50 AM PST

Child takes wheel of school bus after driver suffers medical emergencyA pupil grabbed the wheel of his school bus when the driver suffered a medical emergency, averting a potential accident. As the vehicle approached the Colorado River Bridge, Karson Vega stepped into the breach as his fellow students feared they would go off the road in the Texan town of La Grange. As the approached the bridge, Karson said he tried to talk to the driver to tell him to stop.


Japan's Princess Mako postpones wedding amid tabloid reports about fiance's 'family dispute'

Posted: 08 Feb 2018 06:22 AM PST

Japan's Princess Mako postpones wedding amid tabloid reports about fiance's 'family dispute'Japan's Imperial Household has denied speculation that the postponement of Princess Mako's wedding was due to tabloid reports of a row over money in her fiancé's family. The Emperor's granddaughter was due to marry her college sweetheart Kei Komuro, a 26-year-old paralegal, in a high-profile wedding in November after announcing their engagement last year. However, the nuptials were postponed this week with the Imperial Household Agency citing "a series of important ceremonies next year", in apparent reference to the planned abdication of the Emperor and the handover of power to his son. The abrupt announcement came as something of a surprise in Japan, less than a month before a traditional betrothal ceremony was scheduled to formalise the engagement and pave the way to the wedding. However, a series of weekly magazine reports focusing on Mr Komuro and his family would most likely have created an uncomfortable backdrop to wedding preparations in recent weeks. The reports focus on a row surrounding claims that Mr Komuro's mother – with whom he still lives in Yokohama – allegedly failed to repay her former partner more than 4 million yen (£26,200) which she apparently borrowed to cover her son's university fees. rincess Mako of Akishino is seen after the Imperial Household Agency announces the postponement of the marriage of Princess Mako of Akishino and Kei Komuro  Credit: Getty However, Takaharu Kachi, an Imperial Household Agency official, told reporters that the decision to postpone the couple's engagement was not related in any way to tabloid reports. Meanwhile Princess Mako, 26, also issued a statement saying she believed the couple had "rushed things" and apologised for their "immaturity": ""I wish to think about marriage more deeply and concretely and give sufficient time to prepare our marriage and for after the marriage." She added: "It is because of our immaturity and we just regret it. We feel extremely sorry for causing great trouble and further burden to those who have willingly supported us." Princess Mako faces giving up her royal status and becoming a commoner when she marries her fiancé, whom she met while the pair were both studying at the International Christian College in Tokyo.  Kei Komuro, fiance of Princess Mako of Akishino is seen after the Imperial Household Agency announces the postponement of the marriage Credit: Getty The recent flurry of tabloid stories relating to Mr Komura's family appeared in several weekly magazines known as shukanshi but were not reported at the time by mainstream national newspapers or broadcasters. The shukanshi tend to report with more freedom – and controversy – than mainstream media in Japan as they operate outside the confines of the "press club system" which strictly regulates membership and access to news within official organisations. Referring to the mainstream press and the recent tabloid scandals, Professor Jeffrey Kingston, director of Asian studies at Temple University in Tokyo, told the Telegraph: "By British standards, he's been treated rather mildly by the media. The Imperial Household Agency no doubt frowns upon such reporting and everybody knows it. There's some taboo journalism goes on here - everyone knows that they wouldn't want certain things printed, so they don't print it even if there's no explicit instruction not to." He added: "Getting married to a commoner is something of a big deal here. The commoners that they marry tend to be blue blood commoners. This is a common commoner. I imagine in some circles in the Imperial Household Agency and the government, this would not be their top choice. But she has gone with her heart."


Fox News' Latest Attack On Rod Rosenstein: He Threatened GOP Congressmen

Posted: 06 Feb 2018 05:58 PM PST

Fox News' Latest Attack On Rod Rosenstein: He Threatened GOP CongressmenWASHINGTON ― Here's an extraordinary claim that Fox News viewers have been hearing in recent days: The second-in-command at the Justice Department, the Republican law enforcement veteran whom President Donald Trump tapped to become deputy attorney general, threatened the Republican members of Congress investigating his department.


Father who tried to attack Nassar in court doesn't want donations

Posted: 08 Feb 2018 04:19 PM PST

Father who tried to attack Nassar in court doesn't want donationsA man who tried to attack former sports doctor Larry Nassar in a Michigan courtroom is thanking people who donated $31,000 online but says he doesn't want the money.


Jury: Oklahoma man guilty of murder, hate crime in slaying

Posted: 07 Feb 2018 03:05 PM PST

Jury: Oklahoma man guilty of murder, hate crime in slayingTULSA, Okla. (AP) — Jurors convicted an Oklahoma man of murder and hate crime charges Wednesday for fatally shooting his Lebanese neighbor after bombarding him with racial and anti-Muslim insults in a long-running feud with his family, who are Christian.


U.S. dismisses fears of wider war after deadly Syria clashes

Posted: 08 Feb 2018 03:17 PM PST

U.S. dismisses fears of wider war after deadly Syria clashesBy Phil Stewart and Lisa Barrington WASHINGTON/BEIRUT (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis dismissed concerns on Thursday that the United States was being dragged into a broader conflict in Syria, after a major clash with pro-Syrian government forces overnight that may have left 100 or more of them dead. The U.S.-led coalition said it repelled an unprovoked attack near the Euphrates River by hundreds of troops aligned with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who were backed by artillery, tanks, multiple-launch rocket systems and mortars. The incident underscored the potential for further conflict in Syria's oil-rich east, where the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias holds swathes of land after its offensive against Islamic State.


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