| Serbia Lashes Out at U.S. After Diplomat's Warning on Venezuela Posted: 21 Feb 2019 02:12 AM PST  (Bloomberg) -- Serbia rejected a warning from the U.S. over its support for embattled Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro a week after Belgrade hosted a delegation from the Latin American state.
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| The Latest: US ambassador: Protect children, stop sex abuse Posted: 22 Feb 2019 08:23 AM PST  VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Latest on Pope Francis' sex abuse summit at the Vatican (all times local):
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| Fake news: Kim and Trump lookalikes draw crowds in Hanoi Posted: 22 Feb 2019 02:38 PM PST  Days before the second summit between Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump, to be held in Vietnam's capital, a Kim impersonator appeared at the Metropole Hotel, a back-up location for the meeting. Howard X, an Australian, has been cashing in on his resemblance to North Korea's leader, especially his haircut. It looks awful," Howard X said, adding it takes him three hours to prepare his outfit and get into character.
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| Pakistan military warns India against 'misadventure' Posted: 22 Feb 2019 07:47 AM PST  Pakistan's military warned India on Friday against "misadventure", saying it was capable of responding to any threats as tensions simmer between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. "We hope you will not mess up with us," military spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor told a press briefing in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, the second such message Pakistan has sent to New Delhi in as many days. Tensions have risen in the days following a suicide attack in Kashmir that killed 41 Indian paramilitaries and was claimed by Islamist group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), based in Pakistan.
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| Patriots owner Robert Kraft charged with soliciting sex at a Florida spa Posted: 21 Feb 2019 09:41 PM PST  New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft has been charged in Florida with paying for sexual acts at a spa. A spokesperson for Kraft denies any participation in illegal activities.
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| Southwest Airlines cancels nearly 400 flights as maintenance woes, winter storms linger Posted: 21 Feb 2019 06:07 PM PST  The airline continues to have a higher-than-usual number of aircraft out of service due to maintenance and is dealing with snow in Las Vegas.
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| Venezuela shooting: At least one dead after troops fire on indigenous people near Brazil border Posted: 22 Feb 2019 07:26 AM PST  At least one person has been shot dead by Venezuelan security forces during a clash on the border with Brazil, according to local officials. Gran Sabana mayor Emilio Gonzalez identified the woman who was killed as Zoraida Rodriguez, a member of an indigenous community. The mayor said members of the Pemon indigenous group clashed with the Venezuela National Guard and the army, who were moving tanks to the border.
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| A global look at the Catholic Church's sex abuse problem Posted: 21 Feb 2019 11:35 AM PST  VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis' high-stakes sex abuse prevention summit is meant to call attention to the crisis as a global problem that requires a global response.
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| U.S. won't partner with countries that use Huawei systems: Pompeo Posted: 21 Feb 2019 05:28 AM PST ![U.S. won't partner with countries that use Huawei systems: Pompeo]( "U.S. won't partner with countries that use Huawei systems: Pompeo") U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Thursday warned that the United States would not be able to partner with or share information with countries that adopt Huawei Technologies Co Ltd systems, citing security concerns. In an interview on Fox Business Network, Pompeo said nations in Europe and elsewhere need to understand the risks of implementing Huawei's telecommunications equipment and that when they did, they would ultimately not use the company's systems. "If a country adopts this and puts it in some of their critical information systems, we won't be able to share information with them, we won't be able to work alongside them," Pompeo said.
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| Donald Trump: Russian Asset? Posted: 22 Feb 2019 11:45 AM PST  'I think it's possible" that President Donald Trump is a Russian asset, disgraced former FBI acting director Andrew McCabe told CNN's Anderson Cooper on Tuesday. McCabe also said to The Atlantic that FBI brass felt "concern about the president and whether or not he posed a national-security threat that we should be investigating."On Wednesday, Russian president Vladimir Putin addressed the Federal Assembly in Moscow. "Let me be loud and clear," he told lawmakers near the Kremlin. "If the U.S. really is going to deploy missiles on the European continent, it will exacerbate the international situation and create a genuine danger for Russia, as there will be missiles with a 10–12-minute flight time to Moscow." Putin lamented America's February 1 withdrawal from the 1987 Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces treaty and added: "We are ready for disarmament talks, but we are no longer going to knock on a closed door."McCabe's bizarre comments perfectly echo the Trump-hating Left's exhausted yet unsinkable theory that the president of the United States secretly works for Russia, Russia, Russia, and that he and Putin somehow swiped the White House from Hillary Clinton, who had waited her turn patiently to become America's commander-in-chief.But only a thoroughly rotten Russian asset would create genuine danger for the Kremlin and close doors to Moscow. Indeed, President Trump routinely gives Putin ulcers.A Russian asset worth his borscht would work quietly to erode America's military. Instead, Pentagon spending has soared from Obama's final $521 billion allocation to Trump's $634 billion in outlays for 2017 (up 21.7 percent) and another $716 billion last August (up 12.9 percent).Not satisfied simply to bolster the U.S. armed forces, Trump has pressured America's NATO allies to do the same. Some criticize Trump for supposedly abusing our European partners. Actually, he has lavished them with tough love."By the end of next year, NATO allies will add $100 billion extra toward defense," NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg said January 27 on Fox News Sunday. "So we see some real money and some real results. And we see that the clear message from President Donald Trump is having an impact." Stoltenberg added: "NATO is united because we are able to adapt to deliver. North America and Europe are doing more together now than before."None of this makes Vladimir Putin smile.Putin must have groaned last October when President Trump persuaded German chancellor Angela Merkel to spend $576 million on a terminal to receive U.S. liquefied natural gas. The Wall Street Journal called this "a key concession to President Trump as he tries to loosen Russia's grip on Europe's largest energy market." This promises less revenue and leverage for Moscow and more profits and employment for American gas exporters.Adjacent to Russia, Trump restored Poland's purchase of U.S. Patriot air-defense missiles (which Obama canceled to appease Moscow). Trump also shipped Javelin anti-tank missiles to Ukraine.Last June, and in January 2017, Trump imposed financial sanctions and travel restrictions on Russian companies and oligarchs. This was payback for Moscow's invasions of Ukraine and Crimea and its interference in U.S. political campaigns. As Trump said: "We must unite as Americans to protect the integrity of our democracy and our elections."If anyone behaved like a Russian asset, it was Obama. Trump's predecessor launched the soft-on-Moscow "Russian Reset." He was caught on a hot mic in March 2012 whispering to Russian leader Dmitry Medvedev: "This is my last election," Obama said at a conference in Seoul. "After my election I have more flexibility," especially on matters like anti-ballistic missiles in Europe, on which Russia frowned. "I understand," Medvedev replied. "I will transmit this information to Vladimir."As The Weekly Standard recalled, "the Obama administration removed a group of missile launchers from near the Russian border with Poland after Moscow objected to their placement." Obama refused to arm Ukraine's anti-Putin fighters. Obama's first secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, said in March 2010: "Our goal is to help strengthen Russia." This apparently included encouraging Cisco Systems, Google, and Intel to open shop at Skolkovo, a sort of Russian Silicon Valley. The Pentagon and FBI eventually learned that the entire project was a giant technology-theft scam.Strengthening Russia also involved greenlighting Moscow's purchase of Uranium One Inc. and its 20 percent share of U.S. uranium reserves. This company's top investors donated $145 million to the Clinton Foundation. What a coincidence.Alas, fact-o-phobic Trump haters like Andrew McCabe consider him a pro-Moscow mole even as they wink at Obama's and Hillary's Russophilia.Michael Malarkey furnished research for this opinion piece.
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| NYC’s Amazon Negotiator Laments What Might Have Been Posted: 21 Feb 2019 07:15 AM PST  James Patchett, president of the city's Economic Development Corp., made clear that he was still smarting from the deal's collapse while speaking to business executives Thursday at a Crain's Magazine breakfast forum. "I remain incredibly proud of the work we all did together," Patchett said. The deal fell apart, Patchett said, because Amazon wasn't prepared to respond to questions about how it would operate in the city.
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| Bobby Berk to Launch Collection for A.R.T. Furniture at High Point Posted: 21 Feb 2019 09:00 AM PST  The collaboration marks the first time A.R.T. is working with an outside designer
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| Google moves to fix YouTube glitch exploited for child porn Posted: 21 Feb 2019 12:22 PM PST  Google-owned YouTube said Thursday it was taking action to close a loophole that enabled users to share comments and links on child pornography over the video-sharing service. The response came after a YouTube creator this week revealed what he called a "wormhole" that allowed comments and connections on child porn alongside innocuous videos. "Any content -- including comments -- that endangers minors is abhorrent and we have clear policies prohibiting this on YouTube," a spokesman said in an email to AFP.
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| Chicago police on Jussie Smollett arrest: Actor 'took advantage of the pain and anger of racism' Posted: 21 Feb 2019 07:18 AM PST  Jussie Smollett was taken into custody by police in Chicago early Thursday, three weeks after the 36-year-old "Empire" actor claimed he was the victim of a racist and homophobic attack.
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| Sajid Javid defends stripping Shamima Begum of her nationality, saying he would not make someone 'stateless' Posted: 21 Feb 2019 12:54 AM PST  Home Secretary Sajid Javid has defended his decision to strip the jihadi bride Shamima Begum of her British citizenship, saying he would never leave someone "stateless". The 19-year-old from London, who fled to Syria aged 15, wanted to return to the UK with her newborn baby. But the Home Secretary revoked her British citizenship in a move only permissible under international law if it does not leave the individual stateless. The Telegraph understands Begum has inherited Bangladeshi dual nationality through her parents, but the country's minister of state for foreign affairs Shahriar Alam denied this on Wednesday, saying she was "nothing to do with Bangladesh". Asked about the situation on ITV's Peston, Mr Javid said: "I'm not aware of any Home Secretary in any party in any previous government that has taken a decision that would leave anyone stateless. "I'm not going to talk about an individual, but I can be clear on the point that I would not take a decision and I believe none of my predecessors ever have taken a decision that at the point the decision is taken would leave that individual stateless." Britons returning from Syria | The facts The Home Secretary would not be drawn to comment on Begum's case specifically, but speaking generally, he said: "Let's say they are in the UK and they radicalise others and groom others, they carry out a terrorist attack themselves or incite others to do that. "What about the danger and the risk to the country of that? What about the impact on community cohesion if people come back to the country and use their presence here to try and racialize others? I have to weigh that up too." The exact situation surrounding Begum's citizenship remains unclear, and the waters were further muddied on Wednesday night when Mr Alam, Bangladesh's foreign minister, said: "The Government of Bangladesh is deeply concerned that she has been erroneously identified as a holder of dual citizenship shared with Bangladesh alongside her birthplace, the United Kingdom. "Bangladesh asserts that Shamima Begum is not a Bangladeshi citizen. She is a British citizen by birth and has never applied for dual nationality with Bangladesh. "It may also be mentioned that she never visited Bangladesh in the past despite her parental lineage. So, there is no question of her being allowed to enter into Bangladesh." The statement added that Dhaka had only been made aware of the situation by the media, suggesting Mr Javid had not pre-warned Bangladesh of his plans. International law forbids nations from making people stateless by revoking their only citizenship, but The Telegraph understands that the Home Office made the decision to revoke Begum's British citizenship based on Bangladeshi law. There, until the age of 21, it is understood the Isil bride automatically retains dual nationality due to the fact her parents are both from the country. At the age of 21, a child born to Bangladeshi parents has the right to waive their right to dual nationality, but not before. The complication lies in how she would be able to get to Bangladesh - where it is understood her father is currently living - and how she proves that she is Shamima Begum. The teenager has never visited the country and does not have a Bangladeshi passport. Her old British passport is invalid due to her citizenship being revoked and she has previously said she used her sister's passport to travel to Syria back in 2015. One possible option for her would be to travel to Turkey via the notoriously penetrable border with Syria and present herself to the Bangladeshi embassy. But officials in Dhaka may well appeal the Home Office's decision to make Begum their responsibility, insisting that she has never even been to the country. The Home Office letter Credit: ITV News Asked whether she had been left stateless by Britain, the Begum family's lawyer Tasnime Akunjee said: "It's certainly something we will be adding to the mix in terms of our appeal." He has said Ms Begum was born in the UK, has never had a Bangladeshi passport and is not a dual citizen. A Home Office spokesman said Mr Javid's priority was the "safety and security" of the country. Decisions to deprive people of citizenship were "based on all available evidence and not taken lightly," the spokesman added. Ms Begum was one of three schoolgirls to leave Bethnal Green to join the terror cult in 2015 and resurfaced heavily pregnant at a Syrian refugee camp last week. When shown a copy of the Home Office letter that announced her British citizenship would be stripped, she said it was "a bit unjust on me and my son". She went on to say she may try for citizenship in the Netherlands, where her husband is from. Mr Javid suggested the action to prevent Ms Begum returning will have no impact on her baby son's nationality. While insisting he could not discuss individual cases, he told the Commons: "Children should not suffer. "So, if a parent does lose their British citizenship, it does not affect the rights of their child." Ms Begum's situation has sparked intense debate about the UK's responsibilities to those seeking to return from Syria. The British Nationality Act 1981 provides the Home Secretary with the power to strip people of citizenship if it is "conducive to the public good". Lord Carlile, former independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, said Ms Begum could challenge the Home Secretary's decision, and described it as a "complex issue" that could take a while to resolve. Figures for 2017 show that 104 people were deprived of their British citizenship, up from 14 in the previous year.
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| Disabled greeter meets with Walmart about job; no resolution Posted: 22 Feb 2019 02:44 PM PST  A beloved, longtime Walmart greeter with cerebral palsy met with store management in Pennsylvania on Friday in a bid to keep his job but came away with no guarantees, and his family is girding for a fight.
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| At Pope's abuse summit, Church seeks to fix 'systematic failures' Posted: 22 Feb 2019 04:53 AM PST  Cardinals Blase Cupich of Chicago and Oswald Gracias of Mumbai spoke on the second day of a conference of some 200 senior Church officials convened by Pope Francis to confront what he has called the scourge of sexual abuse by the clergy. Various aspects of the sexual abuse crisis made 2018 the worst year for the pope since his election in 2013. Last week, Theodore McCarrick, once a powerful cardinal in the U.S. Church, was dismissed from the priesthood after the Vatican found him guilty of sexual abuse of minors and adults over decades.
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| Trump border wall: Third of Pentagon money president plans to use for wall is already spent, officals say Posted: 22 Feb 2019 05:30 AM PST  Up to a third of the $6.7bn (£5.2bn) in Pentagon funds Donald Trump has identified to spend on a US-Mexico border wall has already been spent, officials have revealed. During his emergency powers declaration last month, the US president announced he would divert billions of dollars from other Department of Defense projects towards the wall, in order to circumvent Congress. It included $3.6bn (£2.8bn) in unspent military construction money, as well as $2.5bn (£1.9bn) in counterdrug funds and $600m (£462m) from an asset forfeiture account – the latter two not dependent on the emergency delaration.
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| Manafort Faces March 8 Sentencing for Virginia Fraud Convictions Posted: 21 Feb 2019 10:58 AM PST  U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III set the date on Thursday, giving Manafort until March 1 to reply to Mueller's recommendation that he serve between 19.6 and 24.4 years in prison. Manafort, 69, was convicted by jurors last August of bank fraud, tax fraud and failure to file a foreign bank account report. Manafort, who was President Donald Trump's campaign chairman in 2016, also faces a March 13 sentencing in federal court in Washington.
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| Warren Backs Government Reparations for African Americans Posted: 21 Feb 2019 12:49 PM PST  Senator Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.) on Thursday followed fellow Democratic presidential contender Senator Kamala Harris (D., Calif.) in calling for the government to pay reparations to African Americans to atone for slavery and subsequent discrimination.Warren's campaign told the New York Times that she does support some form of government reparations for the descendants of slaves, but did not specify what policy she we would pursue if elected in 2020.Warren's support for reparations came after Harris came out in support of the idea during a radio interview last week."We have to be honest that people in this country do not start from the same place or have access to the same opportunities," she said. "I'm serious about taking an approach that would change policies and structures and make real investments in black communities."Since angering much of the progressive-activist community last year by publicizing the results of her DNA test to substantiate her claim of Native American ancestry, Warren has prioritized racial equity in laying out her 2020 presidential platform. She has called for a special home-buying-assistance program that would help alleviate the effects of racial red-lining, a phenomenon in which African Americans are prevented from buying homes in certain neighborhoods. She has also presented a universal-child-care proposal that would create a network of government-backed child-care centers available to families making under 200 percent of the federal poverty level.Other prominent Democratic presidential contenders, including Senators Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, Cory Booker of New Jersey, and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, have not yet come out in support of reparations. Senator Bernie Sanders (D., Vt.) dismissed the idea of paying reparations to the descendants of slaves as impractical during his 2016 presidential run but has not weighed in on the issue since.
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| Robert Kraft, accused of soliciting prostitution, known for philanthropy, bringing people together Posted: 22 Feb 2019 03:05 PM PST  The $400 million Robert Kraft has contributed to a wide range of causes has earned him enormous goodwill in Boston and beyond.
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| Google improving Maps and Search to fight the opioid crisis Posted: 22 Feb 2019 04:09 AM PST  On Thursday Google announced that it is making it easier to locate drug disposal locations year-round with enhanced opioid-related query results. Since 2017, the opioid crisis has been officially a public health emergency with Google queries for "medication disposal near me" reaching an all-time high on the platform just last month. In response, the company has improved Maps and Search results of queries like "drug drop off near me" or "medication disposal near me" to display permanent disposal locations, typically pharmacies (like Walgreens or CVS Health), hospitals, or government buildings, where you can discard unused and unneeded medications.
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| Consumer Reports' Top Picks Quiz Posted: 21 Feb 2019 09:47 AM PST  A lot of research goes into determining which vehicles achieve a spot as one of Consumer Reports' Top Picks. Take our quiz to see how well you know our annual list of the best SUVs, cars, and tru...
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| Venezuela's Guaido defies travel ban as aid row turns deadly Posted: 22 Feb 2019 05:42 PM PST  Cúcuta (Colombia) (AFP) - Venezuela's opposition leader Juan Guaido claimed the military helped him defy a travel ban by the government of President Nicolas Maduro as he joined thousands over the Colombian border on Friday for a charity concert to push for humanitarian aid deliveries. Maduro is trying to prevent food and medicines, mainly from the US, from entering the country as tensions over access to the supplies turned deadly elsewhere.
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| Apple teams with Ant Financial, banks for interest-free iPhone financing in China Posted: 21 Feb 2019 08:32 PM PST ![Apple teams with Ant Financial, banks for interest-free iPhone financing in China]( "Apple teams with Ant Financial, banks for interest-free iPhone financing in China") Apple Inc has teamed up with Chinese payments giant Ant Financial Services Group and several local banks to offer interest-free financing, its first such move in the country as it looks to boost waning smartphone sales. The U.S. tech behemoth issued a rare revenue warning last month citing weaker iPhone sales in China, one of its most important markets, where consumer spending has taken a hit due to a slowdown in economic growth. On its China website, Apple is promoting the new scheme, under which customers can pay 271 yuan ($40.31) each month to purchase an iPhone XR, and 362 yuan each month for an iPhone XS.
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| IRS employee charged in leak of Trump attorney records Posted: 21 Feb 2019 04:47 PM PST  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — U.S. prosecutors have charged an IRS employee with leaking banking records of President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer Michael Cohen that flagged suspicious activity, the U.S. attorney's office in San Francisco said Thursday.
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| Vatican summit on Catholic Church sex abuse crisis begins Posted: 21 Feb 2019 04:42 AM PST  A historic event for the Catholic Church began Thursday. Bishops from around the world gathered at the Vatican to discuss the clergy sex abuse crisis.
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| 2019 10Best Cars Posted: 22 Feb 2019 06:52 AM PST |
| Roger Stone Faces Judge After Posting Her Image With Crosshairs Posted: 21 Feb 2019 01:00 AM PST  On Monday, Stone, a sometime adviser to President Donald Trump who faces charges of lying to Congress and obstructing a federal investigation, posted a photo of U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson on his Instagram account, along with a short diatribe saying she's the judge overseeing his "upcoming show trial." Beside the head shot of Jackson was an image of what looked like rifle-scope crosshairs. After the post caught the attention of social media, Stone took it down and apologized to the judge, conceding it was improper. On Thursday, Stone will appear before Jackson as she weighs whether to tighten a gag order or change the terms of his bail.
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| Anti-Zionism is anti-Semitism, warns Emmanuel Macron Posted: 21 Feb 2019 05:52 AM PST  France is to recognise anti-Zionism, the denial of the state of Israel, as a form of anti-Semitism in response to a surge in acts against Jews not seen "since the Second World War". Emmanuel Macron, the French president, also promised new legislation in May to fight hate speech on the Internet, which could see platforms such as Facebook and Twitter fined for every minute they fail to take down racist or violent content. Speaking at the annual meeting of France's largest Jewish organization, CRIF, Mr Macron said that France and other countries in Europe had recently witnessed "a resurgence of anti-Semitism that is probably unprecedented since World War II." "We have denounced it a lot, adopted plans, passed laws sometimes. But we haven't been able to act efficiently," he said. While stopping short of calling for new legislation, the President said the working definition of anti-Semitism drawn up by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance would help guide police forces, magistrates and teachers in their daily work. That definition stipulates that anti-Semitism can take the form of "denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination, e.g., by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavour". "Anti-Zionism is one of the modern forms of anti-Semitism," said Mr Macron. "Behind the negation of Israel's existence, what is hiding is the hatred of Jews." Such guidelines in no way infringed on people's right to criticise to the Israeli government and its policies, he said. Mr Macron also said that his party would introduce a bill in parliament in May to force social media to withdraw hate speech posted online and use all available means to identify the authors "as quickly as possible." Digital minister Mounir Mahjoubi said: "There will be an obligation for results: if the content is not taken down then there will be a fine, and a large fine," Mr Mahjoubi told France Info radio. "Each minute that content remains online, it increases the harm to society. Twenty-four hours is far too long." Anti-Semitic acts surged by 74 per cent last year in France, according to government figures Credit: Getty Images Europe France has been pressuring Internet companies to better regulate their content ever since a series of terror attacks starting in 2015. The recent "yellow vest" protests have largely been orchestrated online. Many postings have included links to anti-Semitic, anti-immigrant and anti-vaccine messages, as well as a string of conspiracy theories. Mr Macron's speech came a day after thousands attended rallies across France to denounce a rise in anti-Semitic acts and in a week in which almost 100 gravestones spray-painted with swastikas were discovered in a Jewish village cemetery in eastern France. The number of anti-Semitic incidents rose last year by 74 per cent from 311 in 2017 to 541, the government announced last week.
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| Milan fashion week: catwalk beauty looks from day one Posted: 21 Feb 2019 08:52 AM PST  The Fall/Winter 2019 ready-to-wear shows have moved into Milan, where day one kicked off with some major hair and beauty looks. Gucci's beauty look was somewhat abstract, thanks to a series of face masks and sculptural jewelry pieces, such as this metal ear covering which was inspired by the 24-karat gold work 'Fashion Fiction #1' by the artist Eduardo Costa. Lit-from-within skin formed the basis of the beauty look at Alberta Ferretti, where the dewy complexions were teamed with the faintest hint of smudgy eyeliner and a dab of lip gloss for an elegant, feminine aesthetic.
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| Pakistan bans groups linked to Mumbai attack suspects Posted: 21 Feb 2019 09:05 AM PST  Pakistan on Thursday banned two groups believed to be fronts for the group blamed for the 2008 Mumbai terror attack, amid heightened pressure on Islamabad to act against militants. Jamaat-ud-Dawa and Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation were designated "proscribed organisations", the interior ministry said in a statement, adding that Prime Minister Imran Khan had ordered officials to accelerate action against banned groups. JuD and FIF are considered by the UN to be fronts for Lashkar-e-Taiba, a group accused by Washington and New Delhi of carrying out the Mumbai attack, which killed 166 people and brought India and Pakistan to the brink of war.
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| China says humanitarian aid should not be forced into Venezuela Posted: 22 Feb 2019 12:33 AM PST  Humanitarian aid should not be forced into Venezuela, lest it cause violence, China's Foreign Ministry said on Friday, warning that Beijing opposed military intervention in the country. Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro threatened to close the border with Colombia on Thursday as opposition leader Juan Guaido and some 80 lawmakers ran a gauntlet of roadblocks trying to get to the frontier to receive humanitarian aid. Guaido, who is recognized by dozens of countries as Venezuela's legitimate head of state, was poised for a showdown with Maduro's government on Saturday, when the opposition will attempt to bring in food and medicine being stockpiled in neighboring countries.
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| Some Americans face a costly surprise this tax season: tiny refunds or bigger bills Posted: 21 Feb 2019 11:52 AM PST  For some, this tax season so far has come with a costly surprise – a tiny tax refund or a big tax bill. The shock is hitting their finances.
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| Correction: Empire Cast Member-Attack story Posted: 22 Feb 2019 11:46 AM PST  CHICAGO (AP) — In one version of a Feb. 21 story about "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett being charged with staging an attack on himself in Chicago, The Associated Press erroneously referred to police Superintendent Eddie Johnson speaking at a Thursday afternoon news conference. The news conference happened Thursday morning.
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| Tesla Model 3 Loses CR Recommendation | Reliability Posted: 21 Feb 2019 09:34 AM PST  Tesla Model 3 Loses CR Recommendation Over Reliability Issues Consumer Reports can no longer recommend the newest Tesla—the Model 3 electric sedan—because members say they've identified a number...
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| Trump ally Stone gets gag order after 'crosshairs' post Posted: 21 Feb 2019 04:35 PM PST  WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge issued a broad gag order forbidding Roger Stone to discuss his criminal case with anyone and gave him a stinging reprimand Thursday over the longtime Trump confidant's posting of a photo of the judge with what appeared to be crosshairs of a gun.
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| May Faces Revolt as Negotiations Stumble: Brexit Update Posted: 22 Feb 2019 09:21 AM PST  Talks on revising the Brexit deal aren't making much progress, and officials on both sides are downplaying the chances of an imminent breakthrough. If Theresa May has nothing new to show Parliament next week, she's likely to face a revolt that could force her to delay Brexit -- and take the threat of a no-deal exit off the table. Key Developments:EU and U.K. say don't expect a breakthrough at Sharm El-Sheikh summit on SundayEU expects May to ask for a three-month delay to exit day, according to people familiar with the situation.
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| What do Millennials think about Bernie Sanders and the direction of the Democratic Party? Posted: 21 Feb 2019 02:11 PM PST  Nathan Rubin, Malia Fisher, Joseph Pinion and Allison Lee Pillinger Choi weigh in on whether or not Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders has a chance to win the 2020 Democratic nomination.
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| Milan fashion week: catwalk beauty looks from day two Posted: 22 Feb 2019 06:40 AM PST  Day two of Milan Fashion Week was all about classic red lipstick and glossy hair. At Fendi, the models had the front sections of their hair gelled into a wet-look texture and combed forward to curl off to one side of the forehead, forming a modern twist on the '50s quiff. The lipstick took on a fiery, orange-red hue at Emporio Armani, where it was teamed with feathery, uneven bangs and dramatic blusher for a raffish result.
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| Syria force hit by IS attack as tries to free last civilians Posted: 21 Feb 2019 05:49 PM PST  A deadly car bombing claimed by the Islamic State group hit US-backed forces in eastern Syria on Thursday as they tried to negotiate the release of civilians trapped in the jihadists' last sliver of territory. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are working towards evacuating civilians remaining in the holdout, so they can finish off the dying IS "caliphate" either through an assault or a surrender deal. The jihadists overran large parts of Syria and neighbouring Iraq in 2014, but several offensives have retaken all but half a square kilometre (a fifth of a square mile) of their territory in the eastern Syrian village of Baghouz.
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| Putin to U.S.: I'm ready for another Cuban Missile-style crisis if you want one Posted: 21 Feb 2019 01:33 PM PST  The Cuban Missile Crisis erupted in 1962 when Moscow responded to a U.S. missile deployment in Turkey by sending ballistic missiles to Cuba, sparking a standoff that brought the world to the brink of nuclear war. More than five decades on, tensions are rising again over Russian fears that the United States might deploy intermediate-range nuclear missiles in Europe, as a landmark Cold War-era arms-control treaty unravels. Putin's comments, made to Russian media late on Wednesday, follow his warning that Moscow will match any U.S. move to deploy new missiles closer to Russia by stationing its own missiles closer to the United States or by deploying faster missiles or both.
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| A 1967 Ford Mustang Fastback Is the Latest to Be Immortalized in Legos Posted: 22 Feb 2019 06:00 AM PST  The Lego Creator Ford Mustang kit includes 1471 pieces.
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| Johnson & Johnson stock price falls after federal subpoena on alleged asbestos in baby powder Posted: 21 Feb 2019 01:08 PM PST ![Johnson & Johnson stock price falls after federal subpoena on alleged asbestos in baby powder]( "Johnson & Johnson stock price falls after federal subpoena on alleged asbestos in baby powder") The Justice Department and Securities and Exchange Commission investigate the alleged asbestos contamination of Johnson & Johnson's baby powder.
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