RT

A new war of words has broken out between Washington and Caracas after President Donald Trump banned the use of the oil-backed cryptocurrency launched by Venezuela in a bid to undermine the dominance of the petro-dollar.

Trump signed an executive order late on Monday prohibiting trade in the Venezuelan government’s newly-launched Petro cryptocurrency in the US. The order bans “all transactions related to, provision of financing for, and other dealings in, by a United States person or within the United States, any digital currency, digital coin, or digital token,”issued by Venezuela’s government since January 9, a White House statement said.  Continue reading “US bans use of Venezuela’s oil-backed cryptocurrency as a ‘scam supporting dictatorship’”

RT

The hashtag #DeleteFacebook is trending, after it was revealed that Cambridge Analytica bought data harvested from 50 million Facebook users and used it to target voters during the 2016 US presidential election.

The data mining was revealed on Saturday by the Observer, which found that the firm – which worked with Donald Trump’s election team – bought the harvested data from a company called Global Science Research. Cambridge Analytica has denied knowing the data was improperly obtained.  Continue reading “#DeleteFacebook trending as users fume over Cambridge Analytica data harvesting scandal”

RT

Nearly seven years after the bloody NATO-backed uprising overthrew Colonel Gaddafi, his son, Saif Al-Islam is reportedly seeking to run in the Libyan presidential elections this year to “rescue” his country from the turmoil.

The second son of the Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on charges of crimes against humanity, is seeking to run in the country’s presidential election, which is set to be held sometime before the end of this year. The 45-year-old, currently hiding in Tunisia, launched his presidential campaign as a member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Libya (PFLL) on Monday.  Continue reading “Saif Gaddafi may run for Libya’s presidency to ‘save’ country 7 years after father’s murder”

RT

American banking giant Morgan Stanley has predicted a dire end to the bitcoin phenomenon, comparing it to the tech bubble of 2000. But this time, according to the bank, events will escalate much faster.

Some 18 years ago, the Nasdaq rallied 250 to 280 percent in its most “exuberant” periods ahead of bear markets, just like cryptocurrency market does, Morgan Stanley said in a note to its clients.  Continue reading “Bitcoin resembles dot-com bubble, but collapse is unfolding 15 times faster – Morgan Stanley”

RT

Incumbent Russian leader Vladimir Putin has secured a landslide victory in the presidential election with over 99% of the ballots counted.

Vladimir Putin is now leading with 76,6 percent of the vote, Ella Pamfilova, head of the Russian Central Election Commission. Pamfilova announced the preliminary results during a news conference on Monday morning.    Continue reading “Vladimir Putin decisively re-elected as Russian president after 99% of votes counted”

Mail.com

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi was feted in Australia with a military honor guard and 19-gun salute Monday as part of a state visit that has provoked protests over her response to her country’s violent campaign against Rohingya Muslims.

Suu Kyi arrived in Sydney over the weekend for a summit of Southeast Asian leaders and her state visit officially began Monday, when she was welcomed to Parliament House in Canberra. Her visit comes as she faces international criticism over what has become Asia’s worst refugee crisis in decades.  Continue reading “Myanmar’s Suu Kyi welcomed to Australia amid protests”

Mail.com

GEORGETOWN, Ky. (AP) — Two freight trains collided and derailed shortly before midnight, injuring four people and igniting a fire that forced nearby residents to evacuate, authorities said Monday. Nearby residents were evacuated “out of an abundance of caution after the crash was reported at 11:14 p.m., Lexington Fire Lt. Jessica Bowman told The Associated Press. Bowman said she couldn’t confirm what substance had spilled and was burning, but the people were allowed to return home once safety risks were ruled out.

Police told the Scott County School superintendent, Kevin Hub, to open schools as emergency shelters, and buses were sent to the neighborhood to collect people without transportation. Hub said he could see smoke billowing from the scene and they were prepared to receive hundreds of people. The Red Cross even arrived with snacks. Shortly after many residents arrived, they were able to return home.  Continue reading “4 people injured when trains collide, derail in Kentucky”

Mail.com

ALLENTOWN, Pa. (AP) — A Pennsylvania teenager who was missing for almost two weeks along with the 45-year-old man who frequently signed her out of school without her parents’ permission was returned home and the man was in custody after the two were found in Mexico, authorities said.

Federal agents and Mexican authorities found 16-year-old Amy Yu and Kevin Esterly in Playa del Carmen on Saturday and they were flown to Miami, authorities said. Police said the girl, who was in good health, arrived on Sunday in Philadelphia and was taken home to Allentown, 60 miles (97 kilometers) northwest of the city. Esterly was awaiting processing in Miami. The married father of four will face a charge of child custody interference when he arrives in Pennsylvania.  Continue reading “Teen girl home, man in custody after both located in Mexico”

RT

White House counselor Kellyanne Conway told Hillary Clinton to “stop pretending you’re a feminist” over her remarks about female Republican voters feeling pressure to vote the same way as their husbands.

Conway lashed out on Thursday during an appearance on the Fox and Friends program. “Let me tell you something, lady,” she said, addressing Clinton. “The idea that I, or other women like me have to ask our husbands how to vote, it’s really a joke. Particularly since — I won’t say her name, but I’ll appeal to you directly — particularly since this country knows who you are, first and foremost, because of who you married.”  Continue reading “‘Stop pretending you’re a feminist’ – White House’s Conway berates Clinton”

Mail.com

BEIRUT (AP) — Thousands of civilians streamed out of two besieged enclaves on opposite sides of Syria on Thursday, crossing on foot and in pick-up trucks and tractors to safety after suffering weeks of shelling and bombardment at Turkish and Syrian government forces.

At least 10,000 men, women and children emerged from Hamouria and nearby opposition towns near the Syrian capital, carrying their belongings in suitcases and bags, as government forces pushed rebels out of the town with a punishing aerial and ground campaign, according to state-run Syrian television and a war monitoring group.  Continue reading “Hundreds flee Syrian town in besieged opposition enclave”

Mail.com

KEY WEST, Fla. (AP) — A U.S. Navy fighter jet crashed Wednesday off the coast of Key West, Florida, killing its two crew members. The F/A-18 Super Hornet was on approach to land at a naval air station around 4:30 p.m. when it crashed into shallow water about a mile (1.5 kilometers) east of the runway.

Both the pilot and weapons-system officer ejected and were rescued, but U.S. Naval Air Forces reported late Wednesday night that both had died. Their names are being withheld pending notification of next of kin. The cause of the crash is also under investigation.  Continue reading “Navy jet crashes off Key West, killing 2 crew members”

Mail.com

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Authorities say a disgruntled worker killed a nursing supervisor and wounded another medical worker before killing himself inside a hospital in Birmingham, Alabama. Police say 63-year-old nurse manager Nancy Swift was shot to death at UAB Highlands Wednesday night.

The say another worker was wounded but survived. Authorities described the shooter as a disgruntled worker who then turned the gun on himself. Authorities didn’t release the names of the wounded person or the suspected gunman. The hospital said one of them was a contractor, but wouldn’t say which one.  Continue reading “Police: Disgruntled worker killed nurse in Alabama hospital”

RT

The National Bank of Hungary (MNB) has announced it is bringing home the country’s 100,000 ounces (3 tons) of gold reserves from London.

The decision to repatriate gold reserves, in total worth some 33 billion Hungarian forint (US$130 million), was also explained as being for safety reasons, in case of a potential geopolitical crisis.   Continue reading “Economic crisis looming? Hungary latest country to repatriate gold”

Mail.com

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Trump administration plan to crack down on people who lie to buy guns faces a giant hurdle: It relies on federal agents and prosecutors who are already overwhelmed with other responsibilities.

Prosecutors and officials from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives have historically preferred to use their limited resources to deal with violent crimes rather than aggressively pursue people who give false information on background check forms. Lying on the forms is a felony, and prosecutors sometimes struggle to win convictions.   Continue reading “Prosecuting more who lie to buy guns could strain resources”

Mail.com

Young people in the U.S. walked out of school to demand action on gun violence Wednesday in what activists hoped would be the biggest demonstration of student activism yet in response to last month’s massacre in Florida.

More than 3,000 walkouts were planned across the U.S. and around the world, organizers said. Students were urged to leave class at 10 a.m. local time for 17 minutes — one minute for each victim in the Feb. 14 attack at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.   Continue reading “US students stage school walkouts to protest gun violence”

Mail.com

SAN DIEGO (AP) — President Donald Trump’s motorcade Tuesday zipped past demonstrators who both jeered and cheered him and his plans for a “big beautiful border wall” after he inspected prototypes. The president’s first visit to the California border amid a contentious battle with state officials over his immigration policies was peaceful. Hundreds of people participated in scattered rallies on both sides of the border dividing San Diego from Tijuana, Mexico.   Continue reading “Trump’s visit to California sparks protests, rallies”

RT

Moscow will not respond to the British request about a clandestine Soviet chemical weapon allegedly used in an ex-double agent’s poisoning until a sample of the agent is provided, the Russian foreign minister said.

On Monday, British Prime Minister Theresa May said a chemical weapon developed under a secret Soviet program dubbed Novichok was used in the poisoning of Sergei Skripal. May demanded that Russia provide details of the program, saying otherwise London would consider the poisoning an attack directed by the Russian government.   Continue reading “Russia won’t respond to UK ultimatum until samples of alleged chemical weapon received – Lavrov”

RT

Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom will team up with the Russia-China Investment Fund for Regional Development (RCIF) to develop a joint uranium mining project in Zabaikalsky Region, Western Russia.

The enterprise, valued at 18.5 billion rubles ($325 million), will be owned by two of Rosatom’s subsidiaries. The Priargunsky Industrial Mining and Chemical Union will reportedly get 51 percent of the new venture, while ARMZ Uranium Holding is set to own the remaining 49 percent.   Continue reading “China becomes first foreign country allowed to invest in Russian uranium mining”

Mail.com

JABALIYA, Gaza Strip (AP) — An explosion struck the convoy of the Palestinian prime minister on Tuesday as he was making a rare visit to Gaza, in what his Fatah party called an assassination attempt it blamed on Gaza militants.

The blast further complicated what already is a troubled reconciliation process between Gaza’s ruling Hamas militant group and the internationally backed Palestinian Authority in the West Bank. It also cast a cloud over a meeting later Tuesday at the White House, where international representatives were to discuss economic development and the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza.   Continue reading “Explosion strikes Palestinian PM’s convoy in Gaza”

Mail.com

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A previously withheld video has been released showing the near-constant heckling of Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin during a moderated talk about the economy at UCLA. The university initially balked at releasing the video, saying that Mnuchin “subsequently withdrew” his agreement for it to be posted online.

The video shows audience members hissing at Mnuchin throughout the Feb. 26 event in Los Angeles. The hissing was so loud the secretary barely spoke a sentence without commenting about it. Seven minutes into Mnuchin’s opening remarks, three different women shouted at him and were either carried or escorted out of the room by police after they ignored warnings to stop. They yelled that the U.S. is bullying North Korea and criticized President Donald Trump’s tax legislation.   Continue reading “Previously withheld UCLA video shows heckling of Mnuchin”