Mail.com

PETALING JAYA, Malaysia (AP) — A Malaysian airport security video shows the poisoned half brother of North Korea’s leader apparently unconscious on a gurney and being pumped with oxygen by medical attendants as they wait for an elevator to take him to an ambulance.

The video reviewed by The Associated Press on Monday shows what may be Kim Jong Nam’s final recorded moments of life after he fell perilously ill at the international airport in Kuala Lumpur on Feb. 13. It emerged as the trial of two women accused of killing Kim by smearing VX nerve agent on his face at the behest of suspected North Korean agents is underway at Malaysia’s High Court.   Continue reading “Video shows North Korean motionless on gurney after attack”

Mail.com

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Dallas owner Jerry Jones said the NFL can’t leave the impression it tolerates players disrespecting the flag and any Cowboys making such displays won’t play. Jones had his strongest comments so far on the national anthem controversy Sunday night. They started with his response to a question about Vice President Mike Pence leaving the game in Indianapolis after about a dozen San Francisco players knelt during the anthem.

“I know this, we cannot … in the NFL in any way give the implication that we tolerate disrespecting the flag,” said Jones, also the team’s general manager, after a 35-31 loss to Green Bay. “We know that there is a serious debate in this country about those issues, but there is no question in my mind that the National Football League and the Dallas Cowboys are going to stand up for the flag. So we’re clear.”   Continue reading “Jerry Jones: Cowboys ‘will not play’ if they disrespect flag”

Mail.com

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The iconic image of six Marines raising an American flag over Iwo Jima on Feb. 23, 1945, is recognized around the world, credited with boosting morale at a critical moment of World War II, and generating record fundraising for war relief at home.

It’s also the first photograph to win the Pulitzer Prize in the same year it was taken. After 72 years, though, some worry that the man who made it, Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal, may fade from American memory. A group of veterans and photographers want to avoid that with their longshot petition to the U.S. Navy asking that a warship be named for him.   Continue reading “Group seeks to name Navy ship for Iwo Jima photographer”

RT

It appears that in its eagerness to accuse Russian hackers of meddling in the US presidential election, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) wrongly claimed California’s election systems had been breached.

California Secretary of State Alex Padilla released a statement in which he confirmed that DHS officials had told him that the state’s election system had been “scanned” by Russian hackers.   Continue reading “‘Year late & bad info’: California says DHS falsely accused Russia of hacking its voting systems”

Mail.com

BALI, Indonesia (AP) — More than 120,000 people have fled the region around the Mount Agung volcano on the Indonesian tourist island of Bali, fearing it will soon erupt, an official said Thursday. The disaster mitigation agency’s command post in Bali said the number of evacuees has swelled to about 122,500. The figure is more than double the estimated population within an immediate danger zone but people further away are leaving too.

Those who have fled are scattered in more than 500 locations across the island famed for its beaches, lush green interior and elegant Hindu culture, taking shelter in temporary camps, sports centers and other public buildings.   Continue reading “More than 120,000 flee menacing Bali volcano”

Mail.com

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — First, Hurricane Maria knocked out power and water to Puerto Rico. Then diesel fuel, gas and water became scarce. Now, it’s money. The aftermath of the powerful storm has resulted in a near-total shutdown of the U.S. territory’s economy that could last for weeks and has many people running seriously low on cash and worrying that it will become even harder to survive on this storm-ravaged island.

There are long lines at the banks that are open with reduced hours or the scattered ATMs that are operational amid an islandwide power outage and near total loss of telecommunications. Many people are unable to work or run their businesses because diesel to run generators is in short supply or they can’t spend all day waiting for gas to fill their car.   Continue reading “Now even money is running out in storm-hit Puerto Rico”

Mail.com

DENVER (AP) — The man who opened fire on a crowded movie theater in suburban Denver in 2012, killing 12 people and wounding 70 others, is being housed at a facility in Pennsylvania, the Federal Bureau of Prisons disclosed Thursday.

James Holmes’ location had been a tightly held secret after he was moved out of Colorado last year because he was attacked by another inmate. Colorado prison officials had argued that they could not say where he was being held because of an agreement with states that take in out-of-state prisoners.   Continue reading “Colorado theater shooter transferred to Pennsylvania prison”

RT

Unlike Russia, the US is not observing its own pledge to dispose of its chemical weapons arsenal, the President Vladimir Putin said ahead of the destruction of the last batch of Russian chemical weapons on Wednesday.

“Russia strictly complies with its international obligations, including those related to non-proliferation and reductions of weapons of mass destruction,” Putin said.  Continue reading “US long overdue destroying its chemical weapons, Putin says as Russia completes disposal”

Mail.com

IRBIL, Iraq (AP) — The Kurdish referendum on independence from Iraq was approved by more than 92 percent of voters, officials said Wednesday, as Iraq’s prime minister vowed to keep his country united without resorting to the use of force.

Even with the strong support, the non-binding vote is unlikely to lead to formal independence, but it has escalated long-running tensions with Baghdad, which has moved to block flights in and out of the Kurds’ autonomous region. Iraq and its neighbors, along with virtually the entire international community, are opposed to any redrawing of the map.   Continue reading “Iraq’s Kurds say 92% voted in favor of independence”

Mail.com

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans are proposing a far-reaching, $5 trillion plan Wednesday that would cut taxes for corporations and potentially for individuals, simplify the tax system and nearly double the standard deduction used by most Americans.

The plan is sweeping in scope but omits critical, controversial details that are likely to take months to work out in a bitterly divided, GOP-led Congress. The political stakes are high for Republicans and for Trump, whose agenda has largely stalled as the GOP abandoned efforts to repeal the Obama-era health law. Republicans see tax overhaul as a once-in-a-generation opportunity that could produce a large political payoff, though some polls show the public is skeptical that average Americans will benefit much.   Continue reading “Trump, GOP tax plan would cut rates for many Americans”

Mail.com

CINCINNATI (AP) — A coroner’s report gives a cause of death for a young Ohioan detained for more than a year by North Korea, but couldn’t determine what led to the fatal injury. Otto Warmbier’s (WARM’-beer) parents told a Fox News show Tuesday that North Korea tortured the 22-year-old University of Virginia student. President Donald Trump tweeted after their TV appearance: “Otto was tortured beyond belief by North Korea.”   Continue reading “Coroner’s report sheds little light on Ohio youth’s death”

RT

Brent crude prices hit a 26-month high on the news Turkey has threatened to cut oil supplies from Iraqi Kurdistan. This gave a boost to the Russian ruble, which remains the world’s strongest currency against the US dollar in the last 12 months.

The North Sea Brent benchmark, which is used to price Russia’s Urals blend, almost reached $60 per barrel before retreating to $58.68 on Tuesday. The gains still represent a more than $3 surge compared to last week. US West Texas Intermediate was trading near $52 per barrel.   Continue reading “Surging oil prices keep Russian ruble world’s strongest currency”

Mail.com

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A century before the fight to end Jim Crow segregation laws, Octavius Valentine Catto was leading a civil rights movement in Philadelphia. The 19th-century educator and activist fought for better education for black students, led efforts to desegregate the city’s street cars and pushed for equal voting rights — all before he was killed at age 32. His contributions to American democracy rival some of the country’s most celebrated patriots, yet his story has remained largely unknown.

“We know more about Rocky — who’s not even a real person — than we know about Octavius, which says a lot,” said Democratic Mayor Jim Kenney, who first learned of Catto’s story as a young city councilman. “There were scores of these people throughout history, and it’s important to understand that there were people other than the Founding Fathers who contributed greatly to this country.”   Continue reading “Philadelphia to honor black activist with City Hall statue”

Mail.com

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The evidence against an Ohio man accused of killing three down-and-out men lured by fake Craigslist job offers wasn’t strong enough to convict him, according to attorneys fighting the defendant’s death sentence.

No physical evidence links death row inmate Richard Beasley to the killings, his attorneys argued in a court filing with the Ohio Supreme Court. It also doesn’t make sense that someone would go to great lengths to target the poor individuals whom Beasley was charged with killing, the attorneys said.   Continue reading “Convicted Ohio Craigslist killer of 3 questions evidence”

Mail.com

WASHINGTON (AP) — The partisan battle over the country’s health care system will “certainly continue,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday. But he stopped short of saying whether the chamber will vote on the latest Republican plan repealing the Obama health care law, which seems virtually certain to be rejected.

The Kentucky Republican made his comment a day after another Republican, moderate Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, said she would oppose the GOP bill in a showdown this week. She is the fourth Republican to say they’re against the measure — exceeding the two GOP votes party leaders can lose and still push the measure through the Senate.   Continue reading “McConnell: Debate over nation’s health care will continue”

Mail.com

IRBIL, Iraq (AP) — Iraqi Kurds cast ballots on Monday in their autonomous region and in a wide sweep of captured territories on whether to seek independence from Baghdad, a historic vote that has also raised tensions and fears of instability.

The referendum is non-binding and will not immediately bring independence, but it would mark a definitive stance by the Kurds to break away, and Kurdish leaders say they will use a “yes” vote to press for negotiations with Iraq’s central government to win statehood.  Continue reading “Iraqi Kurds vote in referendum on independence from Baghdad”

Mail.com

SPINDALE, N.C. (AP) — When Randy Fields’ construction company faced potential ruin because of the cratering economy, he pleaded with his pastor at Word of Faith Fellowship church to reduce the amount of money he was required to tithe every week.

To his shock, Fields said church founder Jane Whaley proposed a divine plan that would allow him to continue tithing at least 10 percent of his income to the secretive evangelical church while helping his company survive: He would file fraudulent unemployment claims on behalf of his employees. She called it, he said, “God’s plan.”   Continue reading “Church used unemployment scam to boost funds, ex-members say”

Mail.com

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — An airplane uniquely configured for Alaska that could leave passengers sharing the main deck with a kitchen sink, this week’s groceries or a herd of reindeer is about to be taken out of service.

Alaska Airlines is retiring its combi planes, Boeing 737-400s designed to be half cargo immediately behind the cockpit and then seating for 72 passengers in the rear. The planes were the workhorse for the airline, moving goods and people across the nation’s largest state.   Continue reading “Planes designed for Alaska to take final flight”

RT

Moscow has warned the US that if militias it supports in northeast Syria again attack positions of pro-government forces backed by Russia, the Russian military will use all its force to retaliate.

The troops of the Syrian Democratic Force (SDF), a predominantly Kurdish militia that receives support from the US military, have twice attacked positions of the Syrian Arab Army in the Deir ez-Zor governorate with mortar and rocket fire, according to the Russian Defense Ministry’s spokesman, Major General Igor Konashenkov.   Continue reading “Russia warns US it will strike back if militia attacks in Syria don’t end”

Mail.com

BOSTON (AP) — A man accused of participating in a plot to behead conservative blogger Pamela Geller became consumed by Islamic State group propaganda because he was overweight, lonely and desperate for an escape from his bleak life, his defense attorney said Wednesday.

Federal authorities say David Wright conspired with his uncle and a third man to kill Geller on behalf of the terrorist group because they were upset she organized a Prophet Muhammad cartoon contest in Texas. The plot was never carried out. Wright also wanted to conduct other attacks in the U.S. and encouraged his uncle to kill police officers, officials say.  Continue reading “Defense: Man accused of terror plot an ‘idiot,’ not fighter”