| Dozens protest statue in defeated Syria cradle of uprising Posted: 10 Mar 2019 12:59 PM PDT  Dozens of people demonstrated Sunday in the defeated cradle of Syria's uprising against a statue of the late father of the president being reinstated eight years after protesters demolished it. President Bashar al-Assad's forces secured full control of Daraa from rebels in July, in a massive blow to the country's ill-fated revolt that erupted in the southern city. "We protested in a number of streets... denouncing a statue of Hafez al-Assad being erected in the centre of Daraa," a protester told AFP.
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| Actor Jussie Smollett indicted on 16 counts after being accused of staging racist attack on himself Posted: 08 Mar 2019 07:12 PM PST  Jussie Smollett, an actor in US series "Empire" has been indicted on 16 felony counts by a grand jury in Chicago after being accused of staging a racist attack on himself. Smollett, 36, who is considered one of America's leading black television actors, was accused by police late last month of "exploiting the pain and anger of racism" in a "shameful" attempt to boost his own profile. He was charged with making a false statement to police, which carries a sentence of up to three years in jail. The 36-year-old appeared to be facing even greater legal trouble on Friday when a grand jury returned 16 counts of disorderly conduct against him. "Jussie Smollett knew that at the time … there was no reasonable ground for believing that such offenses had been committed," the indictment states. Prosecutors have accused the actor of staging the attack on himself in January as a "publicity stunt" to boost his $65,000-an-episode salary. Jussie Smollett was suspended from working on US TV series 'Empire' Credit: Getty Smollett told officers he was attacked on January 29 by two white men who put a noose around his neck and yelled "This is MAGA country," a reference to Donald Trump's campaign slogan "Make America Great Again". The actor, who is gay, also claimed his attackers hurled homophobic insults at him during the incident at 2am in downtown Chicago. According to Chicago Police, Smollett paid $3,500 to a pair of Nigerian brothers - Abel Osundairo and Ola Osundairo - who had previously appeared as extras on Empire to carry out the fake attack. Friday's indictment expands the case against the actor and focus on false statements he allegedly made to two different Chicago Police officers. Each count relates to separate acts he falsely described to the officers, including being beaten by two men, that they yelled racial and homophobic slurs and poured a chemical on him. Smollett, who has denied the charges, is scheduled to appear in court on March 14. Smollett's attorney, Mark Geragos, blasted the indictment in a statement as "redundant and vindictive," adding that his client "adamantly maintains his innocence even if law enforcement has robbed him of that presumption." He also said that leveling charges in an indictment spares prosecutors the need to submit evidence and witnesses to defense cross-examination in a preliminary hearing, where a judge decides if sufficient cause exists for the case to proceed to trial.
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| Tax refunds are larger by an average of $22 after fifth week of filing season Posted: 10 Mar 2019 12:23 PM PDT  The average 2019 tax refund issued so far rose to $3,068, up 0.7 percent from $3,036 at the same time last year.
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| Where the investigations related to President Trump stand Posted: 09 Mar 2019 09:16 PM PST  WASHINGTON (AP) — Where investigations related to President Donald Trump stand and what may lie ahead for him:
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| 'F-22 Raptor' of Stealth Submarines: Meet the U.S. Navy's Seawolf-Class Posted: 10 Mar 2019 06:00 AM PDT  A rare breed.
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| At least 19 UN-affiliated personnel killed in Ethiopian crash: agency chief Posted: 10 Mar 2019 03:46 PM PDT  At least 19 affiliated with the United Nations were among those killed in the crash Sunday of an Ethiopian Airlines jet near Addis Ababa, according to the UN migration agency chief. Authorities said all 157 people on board were killed when the Boeing 737 crashed shortly after takeoff from Addis Ababa on a flight to Nairobi, where the UN conference was being held. "Early indications are that 19 staff members of UN affiliated organizations perished," said International Organization for Migration head Antonio Vitorino.
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| Jaguar attacks woman taking selfie at Arizona zoo Posted: 10 Mar 2019 06:15 AM PDT  A woman trying to take a selfie in an Arizona zoo was attacked by a jaguar Saturday evening.
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| Maga hat boy’s lawyer to sue CNN over ‘vicious attacks’ Posted: 10 Mar 2019 07:00 AM PDT  Lawyer L Lin Wood, representing Covington Catholic High School pupil Nick Sandmann, announced during an interview with Fox News that the lawsuit was being launched. The latest litigation comes just weeks after the 16-year-old's legal team filed a lawsuit in federal court against major US daily newspaper The Washington Post. "CNN was probably more vicious in its direct attacks on Nicholas than The Washington Post, and CNN goes into millions of individuals' homes," Mr Wood told Fox News host Mark Levin.
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| The Price of Catholic Unity Posted: 10 Mar 2019 03:30 AM PDT  For Love of My People I Will Not Remain Silent: On the Situation of the Church in China, published in English this year, is a series of eight lectures by Joseph Cardinal Zen. Cardinal Zen delivered the lectures in Hong Kong in 2017. The lectures are an account of the state of the relationship between the Church within and the Church outside China from 2000 to 2017, focusing on a letter written by Pope Benedict to Chinese Catholics in 2007 and on diplomatic relations between the Vatican and the Church in China.Though the plight of faithful in China may currently be overshadowed by the many high-profile sexual-abuse scandals within the Church, the persecution faced by Catholics in the avowedly atheist country should not be disregarded. But it is not the Chinese government's oppression of religious minorities that Zen focuses on. In his lectures he details the incompetence and corruption of Church officials in their handling of the complex and tense relationship between Vatican officials and diplomats, the state-run Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association (PCA), and the underground Catholic Church in China.The PCA has historically operated under the auspices of the ruling Communist party rather than Rome, appointing its own bishops without Vatican approval and thereby rendering those bishops latae sententiae excommunicants. Pope Benedict XVI in 2006 formally excommunicated two PCA-appointed bishops and the two bishops who had ordained them. The underground Catholic Church in China is in good standing and full communion with Rome but lacks the approval of the Chinese government and therefore suffers persecution.Some Chinese Catholics loathe the state-run Church as an empty apparatus intended for control rather than sincere devotion, some believers trust only the state-sanctioned Church, and some do not bother to distinguish between the two, since the difference is not in rite or theology but in ecclesiological administration. Zen, who is still outspoken in his disapproval of the provisional agreement signed on September 22 of last year, criticizes the prevarications of the Vatican in its dealings with the Church in China in For Love of My People. He condemns the strategy of "compromise and surrender" and says that the "Curia has always tried to please the Chinese government."In 1988, the Vatican issued eight points on Catholicism in China. The provisional agreement signed last year is in discord with them. In the eight points, the Vatican's Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples decreed that PCA ordinations were valid but not licit. But under the agreement, in what Pope Francis has claimed is an attempt to foster healing and unity among Chinese Catholics, the distinction between PCA and Catholic bishops has been erased. Francis has recognized eight bishops (one deceased) appointed by the PCA in Beijing as in full ecclesial communion with Rome, even though they were appointed with flagrant disregard for the Vatican and, in some cases, had been previously excommunicated.While the agreement is a step toward repairing the rift within the Chinese Church, it has left Catholics who have long fought for the underground Church in China feeling subverted and betrayed. Pope Francis has admitted that the agreement will not necessarily end the suffering of Chinese Catholics. The pope has also lamented "the suffering for those who don't understand, or who have so many years behind them of living clandestinely." Catholics such as Cardinal Zen who have long encouraged opposition to the PCA suddenly find the Vatican itself seeking common ground with the organization.Unity of believers is a worthy and principal goal, but proper form and the authority of the Church should not be sacrificed in achieving it. Zen decried the agreement before and after it was signed, seeing it as an attempt by the Church to ingratiate itself with China's ruling party rather than defend true believers. Zen rightly notes of Vatican officials that "if today they go along with the regime, tomorrow our Church will not be welcome for the rebuilding of the new China."Zen discusses myriad examples of the incompetence that plagues the Church. One is that Pietro Parolin, the secretary of state appointed by Francis, has allowed the Catholic commission for the Church in China to lapse, no longer facilitating its meetings. Zen also mentions that Father Federico Lombardi, the former director of the Press Office of the Holy See, allowed himself to be interviewed by Phoenix Television, one of the few private television networks officially permitted by Hong Kong's government. Zen suggests that Phoenix is not a neutral outlet. The channel has come under criticism in recent years for the government influence in its programming. In 2016, the channel suspended airing of several popular political-commentary shows because of "ideological mistakes" by the hosts.Zen also tells of Bishop Marcelo Sánchez Sorondo, who at a Vatican symposium on organ transplants invited as a guest of honor Dr. Huang Jiefu, China's former deputy health minister. Huang has publicly taken credit for a decade-long reform effort in the Chinese medical community. In 2005, as vice health minister, he admitted that over 90 percent of the transplant organs in China were harvested from executed prisoners, but he promised reform of the medical system.His high rhetoric notwithstanding, Huang did not seem to effect much change. In June 2016, the U.S. Congress unanimously condemned China's "state-sanctioned forced organ harvesting," in a resolution alleging that the Chinese Communist Party was continuing the practice in secret and that it was killing "non-consenting prisoners of conscience," including religious and ethnic minorities.Zen is a dedicated, orthodox Catholic and he indicates no disobedience to the pope by his criticisms. In his last lecture, Zen says, "I will never lead a rebellion against the Pope" if he signs an agreement with the Chinese government. "I will quietly withdraw to the monastic life of prayer and penance." But a weak and feckless Church that is not willing to fight brazenly for the truth will not inspire many future witnesses like Zen. A Church that does not devote itself to its own teachings is an empty institution.Zen does not leave us without hope for the Church, or for the Church in China. He is our hope. He is the voice crying out in the desert, refusing to be satisfied with half-truths or cowardly deference. Like Christians in other countries hostile to Christianity, Zen in his unwavering dedication to God is an example and testament to all Christians.Zen concedes that there is true belief in both the underground and the official state Church in China. "We came to realize that our categories were too sharply divisive," he says, "when in reality there were so many healthy forces."He does not hesitate to point out the failure of the Church to communicate adequately with Chinese Catholics. In 2007, Pope Benedict wrote a letter intended to provide clarity to the Church in China. The letter was meant to be ready by Easter, Zen says, but the final copy was not published until the end of June. Moreover, the final Chinese copy had mistakes and sentences mistranslated. "What a shame that a letter addressed precisely to the people of China had so many errors in the Chinese translation," Zen laments.In the last of his eight lectures, given on June 28, 2017, Zen, compares being a Catholic in China to living in a cage. He says that the provisional agreement between China and the pope, which was not yet signed at the time of his writing, will further stifle Chinese Catholics in their ability to worship: "To us, a terrifying scenario is unfolding, the sellout of the Church! Not reconstituted unity, but a forced cohabitation in the cage. From the point of view of the faith, we cannot see any gain."If Catholics have learned anything from the recent crimes propagated in the Church, it should be that there is no mercy without justice. Passivity and capitulation among clerics in the face of injustice or persecution should not be tolerated; and no government or institution, including the tangled bureaucracy of the Catholic hierarchy, is above reproach.These criticisms of the Church's entreaties to China come not from an aggrieved anti-cleric but from a cardinal in good standing. Zen's lectures are not a condemnation of authority but rather a call for the Church to act as a strong authority and an uncompromising garrison of virtue. Clerics should not shy away from their commitment to Christian teaching. They should be fortified by it.Hope for Catholicism in China lies in the hands of Cardinal Zen and those who, like him, are willing to defend the faith even without strong support from the Vatican. The Church on Earth will be preserved not by equivocations and incompetent bureaucracy but by the Church Militant. Zen reminds us that it is the Catholics who are steadfast in their devotion to the sacraments and doctrine who will preserve the Church, and that nothing less than martyrdom, be it red or white, is the seed of the Church.
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| Trump adviser: some time may pass before a third North Korea summit Posted: 10 Mar 2019 11:34 AM PDT  Speaking on ABC, John Bolton said the United States has no illusions about North Korea's capabilities, but Trump remains confident in his personal relationship with the North Korean leader. Bolton's comments came after two U.S. think tanks and Seoul's spy agency said last week that North Korea was rebuilding a rocket launch site at Sohae in the west of the country. There have also been reports from South Korea's intelligence service of new activity at a factory at Sanumdong near Pyongyang that produced North Korea's first intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of reaching the United States.
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| Thousands of protesters take to the streets of Caracas amid nationwide Venezuela power outage Posted: 09 Mar 2019 04:31 PM PST  Thousands of people took to the streets of Caracas on Saturday amid a nationwide power cut that has plunged crisis-hit Venezuela into further chaos and desperation for two days. The capital bristled with the security forces of Nicolás Maduro as supporters of Juan Guaidó, the National Assembly leader recognised as the legitimate interim president by more than 50 countries, poured into the city centre. It was a daring move by opponents of the Maduro government, both for the march's unusual proximity to state installations and for it taking place amid the blackout that has almost entirely brought down the country's communications. The National Guard and riot police were out in force across the city, in some areas blocking the demonstrators' passage. The Telegraph counted eight army trucks full of soldiers and nine armoured vehicles and tanks in a convoy approaching the protest route. A supporter of Venezuelan opposition leader and self-proclaimed acting president Juan Guaido, holds a policeman's face during a demonstration in Caracas Credit: AFP On Avenida Victoria, the march's destination, protesters faced off with riot police before the rally even officially began, following an early morning confrontation that had seen security forces fire tear gas at locals as they tried to detain those erecting a platform for speeches. The atmosphere simmered as protesters, their anger heightened by the blackout, shouted at riot police with their shields raised. "You are killers!" one woman shouted. "There is still no electricity, people are dying, and you are going to pay for this!" "Soldiers, friends, the fight depends on you!" chanted others in the crowd, urging the security forces to come over to their side. Once again, it was almost impossible to communicate in Caracas or across most of the country. Power had been restored in some areas of the capital and elsewhere for a few hours on Friday afternoon, before cutting out in the early evening. The grid began to partially function again on Saturday morning, but by midday the blackout had resumed. Mr Maduro and his ministers have pinned the outage on "sabotage" at the Guri hydroelectric dam, accusing the US of waging an "electric war" against Venezuela. Jorge Rodriguez, the communications minister, has singled out Florida senator Marco Rubio for blame. A police officer tries to put out a fire during a demonstration in Caracas Credit: AFP But at the march in support of Mr Guaidó, such claims were ridiculed. "They always have an excuse to blame others," Miguel Useche, a 72-year-old pensioner, told The Telegraph. "They have taken everything, I don't know how many millions of millions they have looted," he said, attributing the electrical collapse to corruption and lack of maintenance. The outage has brought further hardship to a country where many are already struggling to survive amid punishing shortages of food and medicine. As well as communications, water pumps have failed, food is rotting in fridges, businesses are shuttered and transport is virtually non existent. Petrol stations and grocery shops are running dry, with huge queues snaking around the few still operating. At hospitals across the country, back up generators have failed or been insufficient to power life saving equipment. At a number, medical staff have been left ventilating premature babies or patients in critical condition by hand. On Saturday an NGO reported that fifteen Venezuelans with advanced kidney disease had died after being unable to get dialysis during the country's extended power outage. "Between yesterday and today, there were 15 deaths for lack of dialysis," said Francisco Valencia, director of the Codevida health rights group. Carmen Yagres, a 38-year-old engineer, said Mr Maduro's government must go. "We are here because people are dying," she told the Telegraph. "It seems it doesn't matter to them." She implored the US to intervene to end the crisis. "We need international help," she told The Telegraph. Mr Maduro, too, called supporters to the streets of Caracas on Saturday. The hardcore militants of his Socialist PSUV turned out, chanting patriotic slogans in defence of the fatherland against "imperialist aggression". But away from the rank and file, the mood was subdued, the thronging crowds of fervent supporters he has in the past commanded nowhere to be seen.
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| Wild weather weekend to bring blizzard for Midwest, possible tornadoes in Southeast Posted: 09 Mar 2019 10:54 AM PST  A massive storm will bring wild weather to the U.S. this weekend: blizzard conditions in the Midwest and the chance for tornadoes in the South.
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| FAA seeks a truce in dispute between Southwest and key union Posted: 08 Mar 2019 05:05 PM PST  DALLAS (AP) — The Federal Aviation Administration on Friday warned Southwest Airlines and its mechanics union that their bitter fight could hurt the airline's safety program.
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| See Every Angle of the 2020 Porsche 911 Cabriolet Posted: 09 Mar 2019 02:40 PM PST |
| Netanyahu says Israel 'not a state of all its citizens' Posted: 10 Mar 2019 06:00 AM PDT  Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in full campaign mode ahead of April 9 polls, on Sunday said Israel "was not a state of all its citizens" in a reference to the country's Arab population. The prime minister, in comments on Instagram, went on to say all citizens, including Arabs, had equal rights, but referred to a deeply controversial law passed last year declaring Israel the nation-state of the Jewish people. "Israel is not a state of all its citizens," Netanyahu wrote in response to comments from an Israeli actress.
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| Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez claims capitalism is ‘irredeemable’ Posted: 10 Mar 2019 02:47 PM PDT  Democratic congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says that she thinks capitalism is "irredeemable". Ms Ocasio-Cortez made the comment during an interview at South by Southwest in Austin, where she said that the US should be "scared" that corporations had taken over the country. "Capitalism is an ideology of capital — the most important thing is the concentration of capital and to seek and maximise profit," Ms Ocasio-Cortez said during a question and answer session with Bloomberg News.
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| Stormy Daniels arrest not motivated by politics but still improper, investigation finds Posted: 09 Mar 2019 07:35 AM PST ![Stormy Daniels arrest not motivated by politics but still improper, investigation finds]( "Stormy Daniels arrest not motivated by politics but still improper, investigation finds") An internal police investigation found Ohio officers improperly arrested porn actress Stormy Daniels last year but weren't politically motivated.
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| Are South Korean Submarines About to Go Nuclear? Posted: 09 Mar 2019 12:00 AM PST  There may soon be two nuclear powers on the Korean Peninsula.
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| Despite pressure, Venezuela's Maduro seems set on staying put: U.S. envoy Posted: 10 Mar 2019 05:03 AM PDT  Elliott Abrams, who served in the administrations of both Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush, said any negotiated solution would need to be reached among Venezuelans, and that the United States could help by lifting or easing U.S. sanctions and travel restrictions once Maduro agreed to go. Abrams, however, played down any possibility that the Venezuelan president was ready to talk about his exit. "From everything we have seen, Maduro's tactic is to stay put," Abrams said in an interview on Friday.
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| Paul Manafort did not live 'an otherwise blameless life': Terry Moran on sentencing Posted: 10 Mar 2019 10:12 AM PDT  Chief Justice Correspondent Pierre Thomas and Senior National Correspondent Terry Moran discuss the latest in the Mueller probe, including Paul Manafort's sentence of less than four years.
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| Southern storms, apparent tornadoes cause damages; none hurt Posted: 09 Mar 2019 05:50 PM PST  Two apparent tornadoes touched down Saturday in central Arkansas, destroying shops as severe storms raking the South damaged some buildings and tore away roofs in northeast Mississippi.
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| Today’s top deals: $20 off the hottest new Switch game, $17 wireless charger, Instant Pot deals, more Posted: 10 Mar 2019 05:29 AM PDT ![Today's top deals: $20 off the hottest new Switch game, $17 wireless charger, Instant Pot deals, more]( "Today's top deals: $20 off the hottest new Switch game, $17 wireless charger, Instant Pot deals, more") Before you slink down into your couch to enjoy a nice relaxing Sunday, check out our roundup of the best daily deals on the web. Highlights include Anker's best fast wireless charger for just $16.79 (the lowest price ever), a $20 discount on the hottest new Nintendo Switch game out there, $30 off Amazon's waterproof Kindle Paperwhite, Anker's Eufy Lumos smart LED bulbs for just $13 each, blazing-fast Samsung EVO 128GB microSD cards for $21 a piece, two killer Instant Pot deals, $40 off the best-selling DNA test on Amazon, Alexa and Google enabled smart plugs for $7.99 a piece when you buy a 4-pack, and more. See all of today's best deals below.
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| IS runaway teen's baby son dies in Syria Posted: 08 Mar 2019 11:38 PM PST  The baby son of Shamima Begum, a British-born teenager who left London to join the Islamic State group, has died in Syria, the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces has said. Begum, 19, who was stripped of her citizenship by the British government despite her wish to return, gave birth last month in a refugee camp in northeastern Syria. Begum had previously given birth to two other children who are said to have died, apparently from illness and malnutrition.
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| Taxes 2019: How long should I keep my tax returns? Posted: 10 Mar 2019 11:33 AM PDT  How long you should keep tax returns and supporting documents depends on your tax situation and when the audit period of limitations runs out.
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| Utah teacher forces student to wash off Ash Wednesday cross Posted: 08 Mar 2019 05:59 PM PST  SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A teacher in the predominantly Mormon state of Utah was placed on administrative leave after she forced a Catholic student to wash off the Ash Wednesday cross from his forehead.
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| Factbox: Deal, no deal or delay - How will UK parliament decide on Brexit? Posted: 10 Mar 2019 10:42 AM PDT ![Factbox: Deal, no deal or delay - How will UK parliament decide on Brexit?]( "Factbox: Deal, no deal or delay - How will UK parliament decide on Brexit?") Lawmakers will this week decide how and when Britain should leave the European Union in a series of votes that could determine the country's prosperity for decades to come. With Britain due to leave the EU on March 29, and no agreed direction for the world's fifth-largest economy to take, Prime Minister Theresa May will ask lawmakers to vote on up to three possible outcomes. If the deal is rejected, lawmakers will vote on Wednesday on whether the government should pursue a no-deal exit.
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| Ocasio-Cortez Blasts Capitalism as an ‘Irredeemable’ System Posted: 09 Mar 2019 05:31 PM PST  The 29-year-old, first-term U.S. House member from New York and self-described democratic socialist addressed an enthusiastic crowd Saturday at the South by Southwest conference in Austin, Texas, about issues that resonate with her fellow millennials, from universal healthcare to combating climate change. "Capitalism is an ideology of capital –- the most important thing is the concentration of capital and to seek and maximize profit," Ocasio-Cortez said.
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| Nvidia offers bid for Israeli chip firm Mellanox: report Posted: 10 Mar 2019 03:27 AM PDT  Nvidia Corp has submitted an offer to buy Israeli chip designer Mellanox, the Calcalist financial news website said on Sunday. Nvidia is competing for Mellanox with Intel Corp, which has already offered $6 billion for the Israeli company, Calcalist said. It cited estimates that Nvidia would pay at least 10 percent more than the price offered by Intel.
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| 10 killer deals you don’t want to miss on Saturday Posted: 09 Mar 2019 05:22 AM PST ![10 killer deals you don't want to miss on Saturday]( "10 killer deals you don't want to miss on Saturday") Welcome to a special weekend addition of our series that rounds up all the best deals of the day. Before you head out to the theater this weekend to see Marvel's latest blockbuster Captain Marvel, why not be your own hero and save a ton of cash on the most popular products around? Highlights from Saturday's roundup include a new all-time low of just $16.79 for Anker's best fast wireless charger, just $21 for Samsung's lightning-fast EVO 128GB microSD card, a 4-pack of Alexa and Google enabled smart plugs that cuts the price to just $7.99 per plug, Eufy Lumos smart LED bulbs for only $13 each, a very popular $150 air fryer for just $85, the Exploding Kittens card game for only $14, a huge $50 discount on Microsoft Office Home and Student 2019, $40 off Amazon's best-selling DNA test kit, $18 for a 30W USB-C power adapter that will let you charge your iPhone from 0% to 80% in under one hour (you'll need a USB-C to Lightning cable, too), $30 off Amazon's waterproof Kindle Paperwhite, and more. Check out all of today's best deals below.UPDATE: It looks like we've got two bonus deals for you today, because the insanely popular Instant Pot DUO60 and Instant Pot DUO80 are both down to their lowest prices of 2019! Clip the $18 coupon on the DUO60 page to get it for $71.99, and the DUO80 is down to $89.99 with no coupon needed.
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| Iran's Zarif in Iraq ahead of president's visit Posted: 10 Mar 2019 01:53 PM PDT  Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has arrived in Baghdad to prepare the ground for his country's president, Hassan Rouhani, who will begin his first official visit to Iraq on Monday. Baghdad has been under pressure from Washington to limit ties with its neighbour, particularly after the United States withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal and hit Tehran with sanctions. Speaking in a joint press conference with Iraq's top diplomat Mohammed Ali al-Hakim, Zarif said Sunday they had held "very good discussions".
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| Decline in readers, ads leads hundreds of newspapers to fold Posted: 10 Mar 2019 01:44 PM PDT  WAYNESVILLE, Mo. (AP) — Five minutes late, Darrell Todd Maurina sweeps into a meeting room and plugs in his laptop computer. He places a Wi-Fi hotspot on the table and turns on a digital recorder. The earplug in his left ear is attached to a police scanner in his pants pocket.
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| Google sifting through one billion health questions each day Posted: 10 Mar 2019 11:01 AM PDT  Google wants to harness the billion health-related questions people ask it every day to provide better healthcare, despite criticism that the Search giant has played a role in spreading dangerous misinformation about measles vaccinations. Google Health boss David Feinberg said that around 7 per cent of Google's daily searches were health related, equivalent to 70,000 every minute. "People are asking us about conditions, medication, symptoms and insurance questions," he said during a technology conference in Austin, Texas. "In this case we are organising the world's health information and making it accessible to everyone." The former chief executive of major American healthcare provider, Geisinger Health, said that Google was trying to correct its fake news problem and "teams" of doctors and nurses analysing search results following public uproar over the appearance of conspiracy theories relating vaccinations to health problems. "If you Google 'how am I going to kill myself', the first thing that comes up is a suicide prevention note...If you Google 'holocaust' and 'myth' the information that comes up is authoritative advice. If you Google 'vaccines and autism' it comes up with the original study that says [the study] was flawed and not appropriate," he insisted. Some of the company's most popular services, like YouTube or Maps, have more than one billion users per day. Mr Feinberg said Google hopes that the same will be true of its health products. "We can streamline care, and the purpose for that is we want your nurse to look you in the eye and not at the computer," he said. "We want the person on the end of the phone to say 'we have been expecting you'. We want to know everything about you". Technology intelligence - newsletter promo - EOA GPs have for years warned against "Dr Google", claiming that patients checking symptoms online has increased pressure on already stretched doctors in the National Health Service. Google has made some impressive moves in healthcare, applying artificial intelligence to traditional roles of radiologists to diagnose. DeepMind, part of Google parent company Alphabet, introduced a Streams app to the Royal Free London hospital in January 2017, which could diagnose acute kidney injuries - which can lead to a patient depending on dialysis - in 14 minutes, almost four hours quicker than a human doctor. When it used complex algorithms to crunch the patient data, it was able to predict injury two days prior. I feel this urgency this need to move fast," added Mr Feinberg. "But then we have to be super careful because we do not want to erode trust if people stop coming to Google it is game over. At the same time, we have tools to make care better and we need to get them out." Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard, Chair of the Royal College of GPs, said: "The internet is a key source of information for many people who want to find out more about their health - but it's important for everyone to be aware that there is a huge amount of fake or dubious health news out there, so it's encouraging to hear that senior representatives at Google now recognise this and want to address it. "It's a good thing for patients to take an interest in their health, but we would recommend that they use reputable, unbiased UK websites, such as NHS.uk, as a source of safe reliable health advice."
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| Trump signed Bibles. Heresy? Many religious leaders say no Posted: 09 Mar 2019 08:50 PM PST  PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — President Donald Trump was just doing what he could to raise spirits when he signed Bibles at an Alabama church for survivors of a tornado outbreak, many religious leaders say, though some are offended and others say he could have handled it differently.
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| US-backed Syrian forces resume assault on last IS redoubt Posted: 10 Mar 2019 10:47 AM PDT  US-backed forces said Sunday time was up for Islamic State group jihadists hunkering down in their eastern Syrian holdout and resumed their assault on the pocket. The extremists once ruled over millions in a swathe of Syria and Iraq, but they have since lost all that land except for a riverside encampment in the village of Baghouz. The Syrian Democratic Forces has slowed down its months-long campaign against IS in recent weeks to allow civilians and surrendering jihadists out from their shrinking enclave.
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| Man wins mega millions jackpot to tune of $273m after stranger returns lost lottery ticket Posted: 09 Mar 2019 09:28 AM PST  An unemployed New Jersey man won a $273m (£210m) Mega Millions lottery jackpot last week after a stranger found and returned the winning ticket he had left behind on a shop counter. The man, Michael J Weirsky, told reporters on Thursday he lost two tickets immediately after he bought them at a QuickChek in Phillipsburg, New Jersey, on the day before the lottery draw. Mr Weirsky had spent hours searching for the tickets when he got to his home in Alpha, New Jersey, near the Pennsylvania border.
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| Vietnam says investigating cause of boat's sinking in contested waters Posted: 09 Mar 2019 04:01 AM PST ![Vietnam says investigating cause of boat's sinking in contested waters]( "Vietnam says investigating cause of boat's sinking in contested waters") Vietnam is seeking clarification of how a fishing boat came to sink this week in the contested South China Sea, the Foreign Ministry said on Saturday, days after a local rescue agency said it was rammed by a Chinese vessel. Vietnam and China have long been embroiled in maritime disputes in the potentially energy-rich stretch of water, called East Sea by Vietnam. It said all five fishermen on board were rescued by another Vietnamese fishing boat.
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| Surprise sale slashes the two most popular Instant Pots to their lowest prices of 2019 Posted: 09 Mar 2019 07:32 AM PST ![Surprise sale slashes the two most popular Instant Pots to their lowest prices of 2019]( "Surprise sale slashes the two most popular Instant Pots to their lowest prices of 2019") Well what do we have here, bargain hunters!? It looks like Amazon is feeling particularly generous this weekend because out of the blue, it slashed the prices of the two most popular Instant Pot models on the planet to 2019 lows. Well, technically the Instant Pot DUO60 6 Qt 7-in-1 Multi-Use Programmable Pressure Cooker is within $2 of its 2019 low, but that's close enough for us -- clip the $18 coupon on the Amazon page and you'll snag this incredible $100 Instant Pot for only $71.99. If you have a big family and you need more capacity, the $140 Instant Pot DUO80 8 Qt 7-in-1 Multi- Use Programmable Pressure Cooker is down to just $89.99 today, which is this great model's lowest price since Black Friday. What are you waiting for!?Here are the key details from the product page: * Duo, the number 1 selling multi-cooker, combines 7 kitchen appliances in 1, Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Steamer, Saute, Yogurt Marker and Warmer, prepares dishes up to 70% faster to support your busy lifestyle * Features 14 Smart Programs - Soup, Meat/Stew, Bean/Chili, Poultry, Saute/Simmer, Rice, Multigrain, Porridge, Steam, Slow Cook, Keep Warm, Yogurt, Manual, and Pressure Cook. Now, your favorite dishes are as easy as pressing a button * Healthy, stainless steel (18/8) inner cooking pot made from food grade 304, no chemical coating, 3-ply bottom for even heat distribution, fully sealed environment traps the flavours, nutrients and aromas within the food * Built with the latest 3rd generation technology, the microprocessor monitors pressure, temperature, keeps time, and adjusts heating intensity and duration to achieve your desired results every time.Product Dimensions: 14.17 x 14.84 x 13.31 inches * UL and ULC certified with 10 safety mechanisms to provide you with added assurance, designed to eliminate many common errors. * Power supply: 120V - 60Hz
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| Jana Kramer to daughter: No 'drunken, one-night-stand first-time sex' Posted: 10 Mar 2019 02:11 PM PDT  The "One Tree Hill" alum talked how she'll tell her daughter, now 3, about first-time sex and sharing her own first time. She also shared fertility woes.
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| Keeping the Peace in South Asia Posted: 10 Mar 2019 05:00 AM PDT ![Keeping the Peace in South Asia]( "Keeping the Peace in South Asia") As India looks ahead to its approaching election, the world's biggest democracy should take care to draw the right lessons from the crisis. The great temptation for Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be to exploit and even inflame the country's mood of militant nationalism. Modi, leader of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, has boasted that a tough "new India" won't be bullied.
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| Victim of Aurora Workplace Shooting Sues Illinois State Police Posted: 08 Mar 2019 07:33 PM PST  A father of four who was seriously wounded in the Aurora mass shooting last month is suing Illinois State Police.
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| Google Assistant is getting an update that makes it easier to talk to Posted: 08 Mar 2019 06:03 PM PST  Having a conversation that feels natural with a digital assistant is still not in the same league as a person-to-person interaction, but there are certainly some assistive technologies that do a reasonably good job of mimicking it. We'd put Google Assistant in that category, thanks to the natural-sounding voice and the assistant's ability to understand a wide range of the complexities of human conversation.Still, that's not to say certain things can't be improved, which is why Google is starting to add support for its "Continued Conversation" feature to smart displays like the Google Home Hub. Basically, it's a way to not have to keep prompting the assistant with a "Hey, Google" trigger so that you can keep a conversation going.According to Google Assistant product manager Bibo Xu, this is an optional setting that can be turned on to enable you to have a more natural back-and-forth exchange with the assistant. "After you initially trigger the Assistant with a request, the Assistant will stay active for long enough to respond to follow up questions so you don't have to say 'Hey Google' as often," Bibo explains in a Google blog post.The feature can be turned on within the Google Assistant app by going to Settings, then Preferences, then Continued Conversation where you just hit the toggle.Meantime, Google is also taking this opportunity to actually add a number of other related enhancements to smart displays, such as "Interpreter mode." Say you have family members or some friends who speak different languages. With this new mode that's now available, all you have to do is say "Hey Google, be my French interpreter," and you can have a natural, easy-flowing conversation in dozens of languages.Other fun additions and improvements include some small touches that are still useful, like making it easier to dismiss some cards on the display's home screen when you no longer need them (just swipe up). It's also easier to manage multi-room audio with the displays, as well.Google's new update means you can add your smart display to a speaker group, and play music throughout the house. There are also new controls for adjusting the volume of any device in the group. All you have to do is tap on the group name of the player on the screen, and that will get things started.
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| AP source: Trump to seek money for border wall, Space Force Posted: 09 Mar 2019 02:11 PM PST  WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump will be making a significant request for border wall funds and seeking money to stand up Space Force as a new branch of the military in the White House budget being released next week, an administration official said.
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| Netanyahu warns Hamas after Gaza unrest Posted: 09 Mar 2019 04:21 PM PST  Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Hamas Sunday that Israel would not hesitate to launch a "large-scale operation" in Gaza, as daily exchanges with the Palestinian territory threatened a wider escalation. Speaking ahead of the weekly cabinet meeting, Netanyahu noted that while "rogue factions" were behind the recent Gaza "provocations", it "did not exempt Hamas", the enclave's Islamist rulers, of responsibility. "I've heard people in Gaza saying that since we're in an election campaign, a large-scale operation is out of the question," he further said, referring to April 9 Israeli polls.
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| The internet can't stop editing live cats into the 'Captain Marvel' poster Posted: 09 Mar 2019 01:31 PM PST  If you need a reminder of how amazing the internet is, look no further than the trending hashtag for Captain Marvel's cuddly cat -- sorry, I mean Flerken -- named Goose.Following the release of Disney's latest superhero blockbuster in South Korea, the hashtag for Goose, "캡틴마블_우리집구스," started trending. But whereas most Twitter hashtags are usually filled with text, this one quickly turned into a gallery of cute kitty overload.SEE ALSO: Everything you need to know about Captain Marvel's catSpotted by Twitter user @doryheartsbooks, the hashtag is filled with images of peoples' cats Photoshopped into a Captain Marvel background.Awww, too cute:> YA-ONG캡틴마블_우리집구스 pic.twitter.com/QbxS8tuGHH> > -- 레몬 (@dayrhyme) March 9, 2019OK, and this one's adorable as well...> 캡틴마블_우리집구스 > 먀옹!! pic.twitter.com/6o86hVdRZZ> > -- 먀옹 (@wtIdreamedtoday) March 9, 2019Arghh, they're all too darn cute...> 캡틴마블_우리집구스 > > 우리 보리 최고야 귀여워 완벽해! pic.twitter.com/YffWQSlwvW> > -- 서율 (@marron_dInde) March 9, 2019But the most hilarious ones are the tweets parodying the fan creations...like this one made of Nanoblocks:> 반려묘로 캡마 포스터 합성하는 이벤트 하길래 우리 집 해상도 낮은 반려묘들로 합성해 봄... 캡틴마블_우리집구스 pic.twitter.com/qwIwM3OGVQ> > -- 눅쓰 (@Nuxtyle) March 9, 2019And this savage kitty:> 나니야 > 다부숴캡틴마블_우리집구스 pic.twitter.com/zxKTVYZNJe> > -- 나니 (@Super_Mangnani) March 9, 2019Not to be left out, even people who don't own a cat got in on the fun. Check out that gallery with the dogs and the parrot!> This is gold omg I hope Daniel know this. > I'm camping on this hastag until future notice.캡틴마블_우리집구스 pic.twitter.com/TNNq955aaO> > -- .. (@sweveniel) March 9, 2019But really, goose or Goose? > 캡틴마블_우리집구스 GOOSE N GOOSE pic.twitter.com/yUn0RzKIpj> > -- 1101 (@NNOJ8) March 9, 2019If you own a cat, you have a civic duty as a person who uses the internet to Photoshop your furry friend into a Captain Marvel background and overload everyone with cuteness. What are you waiting for? Get 'shoppin. WATCH: Brie Larson says 'Captain Marvel' has already changed her life
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| SpaceX capsule back on Earth, paving way for new manned US flights Posted: 09 Mar 2019 12:38 AM PST  SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean on Friday, completing a NASA demonstration mission that paves the way for the resumption of manned space flights from the US. After hours of suspense, the Dragon spacecraft touched down at 8:45 am (1345 GMT) some 230 miles (370 kilometers) off the coast of the US state of Florida. The seven-seat capsule brought its "crew" of one test dummy back to Earth in the same way that American astronauts returned to the planet in the Apollo era in the 1960s and 1970s, before the 1981-2011 Space Shuttle Program.
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| UK official says EU playing games over Brexit Posted: 09 Mar 2019 10:24 AM PST  LONDON (AP) — With tensions escalating, Britain's House of Commons leader said Saturday that European Union officials need to take seriously British proposals for ending the Brexit impasse before a crucial vote in Parliament.
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