News: World/Asia

Pope Francis expresses 'shame and sorrow' over Pennsylvania paedophile priest scandal 

• World/Asia
• 2018-08-16 20:53:24Z

Pope Francis has expressed "shame and sorrow" over the latest paedophile priest scandal and vowed to "root out this tragic horror". The Vatican said Francis was "on the side" of victims following recent revelations that 301 "predator priests" operated in the US state of Pennsylvania over the last seven decades, in many cases having their crimes covered up by the Church. In a statement the Vatican said: "Victims should know that the pope is on their side. Those who have suffered are his priority, and the Church wants to listen to them, to root out this tragic horror that destroys the lives of the innocent. "There are two words that can...

Washington cardinal entangled in two sex-abuse scandals

• World/Asia
• 2018-08-16 20:17:10Z

Cardinal Donald Wuerl, the Roman Catholic archbishop of Washington, is facing a storm of criticism and calls for his resignation after becoming entangled in two major sexual abuse scandals roiling the church that he has served with distinction since 1966.

Was a great white shark to blame for Cape Cod attack?

• World/Asia
• 2018-08-16 18:07:40Z

TRURO, Mass. (AP) - On a windswept dune overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, hastily erected signs warned Cape Cod beachgoers to stay out of the water on Thursday, a day after a New York man became the first person to be attacked by a shark off the coast of Massachusetts since 2012.

Husband Charged With Murder After Making TV Plea for Missing Family's Safe Return

• World/Asia
• 2018-08-16 12:56:45Z

After making a plea for the safe return of his pregnant wife and two daughters on TV, Christopher Watts was arrested in their disappearance.

Man arrested after overdoses at downtown city park

• World/Asia
• 2018-08-16 03:56:01Z

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) - Forty-six people overdosed Wednesday at or near a Connecticut park from a suspected bad batch of "K2" synthetic marijuana, requiring paramedics to be stationed there to provide treatment, authorities said.

Donald Trump revokes security clearance of former CIA director John Brennan

• World/Asia
• 2018-08-16 02:12:11Z

Donald Trump has revoked the security clearance of former CIA director John Brennan - one of his most vocal critics on national security issues. Announcing the decision Sarah Sanders, the press secretary, accused the former intelligence chief of  "erratic conduct and behaviour", adding he had "leveraged" his security status to make "unfounded, outrageous" allegations about the administration. "Mr Brennan has a history that calls into question his objectivity and credibility," she added. The former intelligence chief reacted by saying he would not back down. "This action is part of a broader effort by Mr. Trump to suppress freedom of speech &...

Ted Cruz in a tight race for Texas Senate seat

• World/Asia
• 2018-08-15 23:34:28Z

Beto O'Rourke gains momentum on Senator Cruz; Casey Stegall shares an update on the race.

Criticized For Racism, Trump Goes After Black Former National Security Adviser

• World/Asia
• 2018-08-15 23:10:45Z

WASHINGTON ― As President Donald Trump's White House struggled with

Closing Arguments Were High Stakes for Manafort's Defense Team. They May Be Higher for Robert Mueller

• World/Asia
• 2018-08-15 22:53:11Z

Trump continues to refer to the Mueller investigation as a "witch hunt," a conviction in the Manafort trial could help the investigators prove its legitimacy to a skeptical public

Trump revokes ex-CIA chief's security clearance, slamming critic

• World/Asia
• 2018-08-15 22:50:19Z

The Republican president, in a statement read to reporters by White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders, also announced he was evaluating whether other former high-ranking officials, all of whom have criticized him, should have their security clearances withdrawn as well. The decision came a day after Brennan, who headed the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency under Democratic President Barack Obama, leveled a blistering attack against Trump for the president's tweeted criticism of former White House aide Omarosa Manigault Newman, who wrote a book critical of Trump. Trump, without mentioning specific comments made by Brennan, said the former CIA leader had engaged in "frenzied commentary" and...

Ford Mustang price climbs while Chevy Camaro gets a price cut

• World/Asia
• 2018-08-15 19:00:00Z

Despite arriving in dealer showrooms just a month ago, the 2019 Ford Mustang has received a price increase. The refreshed 2019 Camaro, meanwhile, arrives with a price cut. According to Cars Direct, the destination charge increases by $95 for all trim levels, rising from $900 to $995.

Heroic Father Suffers Severe Injuries While Trying to Save Son From Balcony Fall

• World/Asia
• 2018-08-15 17:39:00Z

The father and son both fell over the railing.

Teen pushed off bridge: 'I could have died'

• World/Asia
• 2018-08-15 15:46:43Z

16-year-old Jordan Holgerson says she's lucky to be alive after a woman pushed her off of a Clark County footbridge in Washington state.

Constellation makes big bet on Canadian cannabis company

• World/Asia
• 2018-08-15 13:59:21Z

Spirits company Constellation Brands announced Wednesday it will significantly boost its investment in Canada's Canopy Growth in a big bet on the growth of cannabis-based products. Constellation, whose products include popular beer brands Corona and Modelo, will hold a 38 percent stake in Canopy Growth under a deal that provides the Canadian company with $4 billion for investment, said a joint press release. The investment is the "largest to date in the cannabis space" and comes as some 30 countries pursue medical marijuana "while also rapidly laying the global foundation needed for new recreational cannabis markets," the companies said.

Qatar's emir heads to Turkey for talks with Erdogan

• World/Asia
• 2018-08-15 08:59:17Z

Qatar's emir headed to Turkey on Wednesday for talks with President Tayyip Erdogan who is dealing with a collapse of the lira currency and deteriorating relations with the United States. Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Erdogan are expected to discuss "means of strengthening the existing strategic cooperation between the two countries in various fields", the state news agency QNA reported. Turkey and Qatar have traditionally maintained good ties and Ankara stood by Doha after Saudi Arabia and other Arab states severed diplomatic, trade and travel ties with Qatar last year, accusing it of financing terrorism, a charge Doha denies.

'Black Panther' prom mom indicted for social security fraud

• World/Asia
• 2018-08-15 08:31:27Z

Saudia Schuler, the North Philadelphia mom who sent her son to the prom in a "blockbuster" fashion, was indicted Tuesday for Social Security Fraud.

The Latest: Steil wins Wisconsin GOP primary to replace Ryan

• World/Asia
• 2018-08-15 01:56:28Z

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Latest on primaries in Connecticut, Minnesota, Vermont and Wisconsin (all times local):

Wisconsin, Minnesota primaries to gauge strength of opposition to Trump

• World/Asia
• 2018-08-14 20:01:52Z

Voters were going to the polls in those states for party primaries, and Democrats will have a chance to show they can mobilize voters for Nov. 6's congressional elections and perhaps the 2020 presidential race as well. Trump was the first Republican presidential candidate to win Wisconsin in 32 years, and he narrowly lost to Democrat Hillary Clinton in Minnesota. Trump's consistently low approval ratings and his trade policies, however, may have given Democrats renewed life.

Raw: Afghan City in Ruins As Battles Continue

• World/Asia
• 2018-08-14 16:39:32Z

Afghan security forces pushed back the Taliban from the eastern provincial capital of Ghazni on Tuesday and were trying to flush the insurgents out of the city's outskirts. (Aug. 14)

Kellyanne Conway's Husband Slams Trump With Business Analogy

• World/Asia
• 2018-08-14 16:34:54Z

Kellyanne Conway's husband, George Conway, slammed President Donald Trump's

The Navy Wants Lots of Ship-Killer Missiles to Fight Russia or China

• World/Asia
• 2018-08-14 12:07:00Z

As recently as 2016 the Navy's warships were badly out-gunned by Russian and Chinese ships. In 2018, the U.S. fleet was on the cusp of reversing that dynamic.

Water rescues, flooded roads as flash floods overtake parts of Delaware Valley

• World/Asia
• 2018-08-14 10:19:46Z

Heavy rain has caused roads to flood all across the Delaware Valley resulting in cars getting stuck, people being rescued, and streets to shut down.

Police bodycam video shows Las Vegas officer shooting man who stabbed his wife

• World/Asia
• 2018-08-14 07:04:29Z

Las Vegas police have released bodycam and 911 audio from an incident last week where an officer shot and killed a man who had stabbed his own wife.

New Zealand man accused of attempted murder in Bali after scooter accident

• World/Asia
• 2018-08-14 05:45:00Z

A New Zealand tourist holidaying on the Indonesian island of Bali has reportedly been arrested for attempted murder after what he claims was an accidental incident with a scooter driver.  Matty Isiah, a security guard who lives in western Australia, was leaving a night club in the resort town of Kuta in the early hours of Sunday morning when he struck the driver while putting out his arm to flag down a taxi, reported the New Zealand Herald.  A co-worker, Regan Jhonson, claimed that although the incident was a misunderstanding, he had been arrested for attempted murder.  "He came out of a nightclub to flag a taxi, he's put his arm out and a scooter's ridden up along the...

Manafort trial turns from prosecution's case to his defense

• World/Asia
• 2018-08-14 04:21:42Z

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) - Prosecutors rested their tax evasion and bank fraud case in the trial of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, closing two weeks of testimony that depicted him as using millions of dollars hidden in offshore accounts to fund a luxurious lifestyle - and later obtaining millions more in bank loans under false pretenses.

Nebraska set to become first US state to use fentanyl in execution

• World/Asia
• 2018-08-13 20:44:47Z

Nebraska prison officials are preparing to execute Carey Dean Moore on Tuesday for the 1979 murders of two Omaha cab drivers. The first execution in the US using the opioid drug fentanyl is expected to take place on Tuesday after a federal appeals court rejected a German pharmaceutical company's move to block the killing. The court gave the go ahead on Monday for Nebraska to put to death Carey Dean Moore on the grounds it is the "will of the people".

Aretha Franklin 'gravely ill,' surrounded by family

• World/Asia
• 2018-08-13 15:25:09Z

The 'Queen of Soul' Aretha Franklin is reportedly 'gravely ill' and surrounded by her friends and family. Reports come after her alleged fight with pancreatic cancer.

The 10 Hikes Around the World Worth Traveling For

• World/Asia
• 2018-08-13 15:04:25Z

Mountain lion breaks into Colorado home and kills house cat

• World/Asia
• 2018-08-13 11:47:59Z

A mountain lion that became trapped inside a Colorado home killed a house cat before police and wildlife officers were able to scare it out.

AP Interview: Malaysia's Mahathir aims to scrap China deals

• World/Asia
• 2018-08-13 11:02:56Z

PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia (AP) - Malaysia is looking to cancel multibillion-dollar Chinese-backed infrastructure projects signed by the previous scandal-tainted government as it digs itself out of debt, Malaysia's prime minister said Monday during an extensive interview in which he also blasted Myanmar's treatment of Rohingya Muslims as "grossly unjust."

Hippo kills Taiwan tourist visiting Kenyan lake

• World/Asia
• 2018-08-13 03:13:50Z

A hippopotamus attacked and killed a tourist from Taiwan who was taking photographs on the shore of Lake Naivasha. The man was pronounced dead on arrival at the Naivasha District Hospital, while another tourist survived the attack on Saturday evening, according to the Kenya Wildlife Service said on Sunday. The agency identified the dead man as Chang Ming Chuang, 66, and the survivor as Wu Peng Te, 62, and said they were from China but Taiwan's foreign ministry said the two were from the self-ruled island.

Police Union Urges Officers To Protest Miami Dolphins After Players Kneel During Anthem

• World/Asia
• 2018-08-13 03:04:22Z

Two Miami Dolphins players knelt during the national anthem ahead of their

Ex-White House staffer releases tape of her firing

• World/Asia
• 2018-08-12 23:46:49Z

A former White House staffer who has written a bombshell memoir of her time serving under President Donald Trump released a secret tape Sunday of the chief of staff firing her. The White House Situation Room is supposed to be a top-security room and electronic devices are banned there, but it was not immediately clear whether Manigault Newman would face legal ramifications for releasing the recording. On the tape, which Manigault Newman said was made in 2017, a voice she claims belongs to Kelly points to "significant integrity issues" that prompted him to fire her.

Erdogan says U.S. set deadline for pastor's release

• World/Asia
• 2018-08-12 15:30:30Z

The United States gave Turkey a deadline until last Wednesday, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday, to release an American pastor being tried by a Turkish court. The case of Andrew Brunson, an evangelical Christian, is one of a series of disputes that lies at the heart of deteriorating ties between the two NATO allies. Speaking to supporters in the Black Sea coastal city of Trabzon, Erdogan revealed details of negotiations held last week between the two countries, saying Washington had threatened sanctions if Turkey refused to release the pastor.

Manchester police say 10 people injured in shooting

• World/Asia
• 2018-08-12 15:20:00Z

LONDON (AP) - Ten people, including two children, were injured early Sunday morning when shots were fired after a Caribbean carnival in the northern English city of Manchester.

New Jersey Police Rescue Bride in Wedding Gown After Newlyweds Get Trapped in Flood

• World/Asia
• 2018-08-12 13:28:44Z

Not quite the blessed day they expected.

Taliban delegation visits Uzbekistan to talk peace, security

• World/Asia
• 2018-08-12 10:11:17Z

A Taliban delegation travelled to Uzbekistan earlier this month to discuss the Afghan peace process and withdrawal of foreign forces, officials said Sunday, as fighting between insurgents and security forces raged near Kabul. The meetings in Afghanistan's northern neighbour follow recent reports that the Taliban sent similar delegations to China, illustrating the group's rising ambitions to engage in independent talks with foreign governments as momentum for a peace settlement in the country builds. The head of the Taliban's political office in Qatar Sher Muhammad Abbas Stanekzai met with Uzbek Foreign Minister Abdul Aziz Kamilov over a four-day period from August 6, and discussed the...

The latest: Tupola wins GOP primary for Hawaii governor

• World/Asia
• 2018-08-12 07:46:11Z

HONOLULU (AP) - The Latest on the primary election (all times local):

The Latest: Case wins Democratic House primary in Hawaii

• World/Asia
• 2018-08-12 07:19:55Z

HONOLULU (AP) - The Latest on the primary election (all times local):

Richard Russell: Well-liked airline worker who died after stealing plane in Seattle

• World/Asia
• 2018-08-12 04:14:24Z

They were not his last words but they revealed something of Richard Russell's story as he sat at the controls of a stolen passenger aircraft, a few hundred feet above the ground. "I've got a lot of people that care about me," he told air traffic controllers. "It's going to disappoint them to hear that I did this." Minutes later he was dead. The empty Bombardier Q400 turboprop aircraft nosedived into island in Puget Sound, not far from Seattle.  Relatives and friends of the 29-year-old said they were struggling to reconcile the rogue pilot - whose actions closed an international airport and sent F-15 fighters scrambling into the air - with the likeable young man they knew....

Former prosecutor reacts to lengthy delay in Manafort trial

• World/Asia
• 2018-08-11 17:58:49Z

Paul Manafort on trial for bank and tax fraud; former federal prosecutor Doug Burns shares his take on the trial.

'Suicidal' man steals and crashes empty plane from Seattle airport

• World/Asia
• 2018-08-11 05:56:11Z

Two military F-15 jets were scrambled late Friday after a "suicidal" airline worker stole and later crashed an empty passenger plane from the Seattle-Tacoma airport, local officials said. An airline employee "conducted an unauthorized takeoff" of an airplane carrying no passengers at the major airport in the northwestern US state of Washington, airport officials said on Twitter. The aircraft "crashed in south Puget Sound," Sea-Tac Airport said, adding that normal operations at the transport hub had resumed after a pause.

Turkey lira crashes as Trump piles on pressure

• World/Asia
• 2018-08-11 02:58:31Z

The embattled Turkish lira tumbled over 16 percent to new record lows against the dollar as strains with the United States intensified, but President Recep Tayyip Erdogan defiantly proclaimed Turkey would emerge victorious in an "economic war". Compounding the lira's agony, President Donald Trump said Friday he had doubled steel and aluminium tariffs on Turkey, noting that relations between the NATO allies were "not very good". The lira's plunge on Friday is one of the most serious economic crises that Erdogan has faced since coming to power in 2003 in the wake of a financial crisis in 2001 that brought the economy to near meltdown.

CNN's Jake Tapper Rips Trump For Bashing NFL Players, Not White Supremacists

• World/Asia
• 2018-08-11 00:11:01Z

CNN's Jake Tapper slammed President Donald Trump on Friday for failing to

DeVos proposes another rollback on for-profit college rules

• World/Asia
• 2018-08-10 21:30:39Z

The Trump administration plans to roll back another major Obama-era rule that was created to police the for-profit college industry, according to a proposal issued by the Education Department on Friday.

Doug Field, former Tesla engineering chief, returns to Apple

• World/Asia
• 2018-08-10 19:51:08Z

Doug Field, who stepped down as the senior vice president of engineering at Tesla Inc last month, is returning to Apple Inc , Apple told Reuters on Thursday. Field will be working with Apple executive Bob Mansfield, who has been heading up Apple's self-driving car programme, Project Titan, according to Daring Fireball, a technology news website that earlier reported Field's move. Apple did not comment on Field's new position.