News: World

Russia's Putin arrives for summit with North Korea's Kim

• World
• 2019-04-25 03:09:44Z

VLADIVOSTOK, Russia (AP) - Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in Vladivostok for a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

#FeelingCute challenge: Texas prison guards fired after probe into 'inappropriate' posts

• World/Latin America
• 2019-04-25 01:55:58Z

The trend often involves uniformed workers posting selfies coupled with captions joking about what their work day may entail.

Russia offers passports to east Ukraine, president-elect decries 'aggressor state'

• World
• 2019-04-25 00:26:12Z

Russia's move is an early test for the Ukrainian president-elect, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who won a landslide victory in Sunday's presidential election and has pledged to find a peaceful solution to the conflict. Zelenskiy said Putin's action showed Russia was waging war in Ukraine and brought

U.S. slams Russia's offer of citizenship to east Ukraine residents

• World
• 2019-04-24 23:51:03Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States condemned on Wednesday Russian President Vladimir Putin's order simplifying the procedure for obtaining a Russian passport for residents of separatist-controlled eastern Ukraine. "Russia, through this highly provocative action, is intensifying its assault

Japan's incoming imperial couple offers the nation something new

• World
• 2019-04-24 23:01:42Z

As they prepare to carve out identities as Japan's emperor and empress, hopes are high they will make the office both more international and more in touch with the lives of ordinary Japanese. "I think there's opportunities for this newest generation of imperial family members to embrace causes that push the envelope a little," said Shihoko Goto, an analyst at the Wilson Center, citing the 55-year-old Masako's experience as a diplomat. "They have a unique background and they have the interest, I believe, and they should have the skill sets to be more engaged," she added, noting how far the family has come from World War Two, when Emperor Hirohito was considered a god.

What does the Mueller report prove? Depends on who you ask

• World
• 2019-04-24 21:54:52Z

Dear readers: It was pretty much a given that special counsel Robert Mueller's account of his two-year investigation would be spun by partisans on both sides. Still, in the run-up to the report's release, there was hope that the meticulously documented, 448-page tome would finally provide us with at least a common set of facts. That it might stand as an impartial, evidence-based delineation of Trump campaign officials' awareness of and involvement in the Russian interference campaign during the 2016 election, as well as the president's subsequent efforts to impede the investigation. Nope. ...

Spurned by Washington, North Korea's Kim seeks a friend in Putin

• World
• 2019-04-24 21:51:58Z

The two men will sit down together on an island off the Russian Pacific city of Vladivostok two months after Kim's summit with U.S. President Donald Trump ended in disagreement, cooling hopes of a breakthrough in the decades-old nuclear row. The summit in Vladivostok - the first ever between Putin and Kim - provides Pyongyang with an opportunity to seek support from a new quarter, Russia, and possible relief from the sanctions hurting its economy. In an interview with Russian state television as his train made a stop off on the journey to Vladivostok, Kim said he was looking forward to useful talks.

Twitter not amused by long wait for Tesla earnings

• World/Europe
• 2019-04-24 21:13:32Z

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Twitter was ablaze on Wednesday with humorous commentary and speculation over why Tesla Inc's first-quarter earnings release was so late. As of 5:05 p.m. ET (2105 GMT), one hour after the market close, the results still had not been released.

Twitter not amused by long wait for Tesla earnings

• World/Latin America
• 2019-04-24 21:12:53Z

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Twitter was ablaze on Wednesday with humorous commentary and speculation over why Tesla Inc's first-quarter earnings release was so late. As of 5:05 p.m. ET (2105 GMT), one hour after the market close, the results still had not been released. Here is a sampling of comments on Twitter: "Tesla forgot to get Deepak's password when he left and now they can't release the earnings. 40 minute late and counting... ...

Police: Sketch of suspect in 2 girls' killings more accurate

• World/Europe
• 2019-04-24 20:58:45Z

DELPHI, Ind. (AP) - A newly released sketch of a man suspected of killing two Indiana teenagers in 2017 "more accurately represents" the man believed to be their killer than a sketch released months after the girls were slain, state police said Wednesday.

Three-year-old boy 'abandoned' at US-Mexico border: agency

• World
• 2019-04-24 20:57:35Z

US border patrol agents found a crying three-year-old boy in a Texas cornfield on Tuesday with his name and a phone number written on his shoes, the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency said Wednesday. The boy was "abandoned" by a group of suspected illegal immigrants who had crossed

The Latest: Kim upbeat on eve of 1st summit with Putin

• World/Europe
• 2019-04-24 20:56:53Z

VLADIVOSTOK, Russia (AP) - The Latest on the summit between Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un (all times local):

Iran FM proposes swap for jailed British national

• World/Latin America
• 2019-04-24 20:23:17Z

Iran's foreign minister on Wednesday proposed a prisoner swap for a British-Iranian mother detained in Tehran, saying the United States should drop charges against an Iranian woman it is seeking in Australia. Britain has been trying unsuccessfully to free Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a dual national who worked for the Thomson Reuters Foundation and was arrested in 2016. Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif drew a parallel to Negar Ghodskani, an Iranian woman who was arrested by Australia in 2017 and separated from her newborn child as the United States asks for her extradition.

Death penalty with dignity? Supreme Court reopens debate

• World
• 2019-04-24 20:02:31Z

"Which shows you what a knucklehead I was," says Dr. Maull, who was caught and convicted in 1985 and given the mandatory minimum sentence that altered his life. This aim to uphold the humanity and minimize the pain of those who have committed heinous acts is not a natural impulse for most people. But as a Buddhist spiritual adviser and a prisoners' rights activist who founded the National Prison Hospice Association while serving his sentence, Dr. Maull sees this goal as springing from an important principle. This year, as a newly constituted Supreme Court has begun to readdress capital punishment, the tension between the principle of human dignity and the practical needs of justice has...

Not criminal, but not ethical either: Mueller reignites a political debate

• World
• 2019-04-24 19:24:41Z

The Mueller report is bringing questions of ethics and morality in government once again to the forefront of a vigorous public debate. Jammed with primary sources, special counsel Robert Mueller's 448-page journey into the inner workings of the Trump campaign and early presidency pops with detail: It is a tale of palace intrigue, deceit, and attempts to collaborate with a foreign power and hinder a federal investigation. The report lays bare copious contacts between Russians and Trump associates during the campaign, though it finds no criminal conspiracy.

Elizabeth Warren's plan for student loan forgiveness: Don't bank on it

• World/Europe
• 2019-04-24 19:23:34Z

Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren wants to roll out a broad plan to cancel up to $50,000 of college debt for lose making less than $100,000.

In-Depth Photos of Our Long-Term 2019 Mazda CX-5 Turbo

• World/Latin America
• 2019-04-24 19:04:00Z

Scaffolding firm says workers smoked at Paris' Notre-Dame

• World
• 2019-04-24 19:03:57Z

A spokesman for family-owned Le Bras Freres, confirming a report in French weekly Le Canard Enchaine, told Reuters that some workers of its Europe Echafaudage scaffolding unit had informed police that they had "sometimes" smoked on the scaffolding, despite a smoking ban on the site. The Canard

This 1965 Superformance Shelby Cobra Will Break All The Necks

• World/Latin America
• 2019-04-24 18:50:31Z

This may be a replica, but it's the only one licensed by Shelby. This 1965 Superformance Shelby Cobra has the sleek, instantly recognizable looks of the original Shelby Cobra, making it a standout in a sea of cool cars.

She helps her fellow veterans sow seeds of peace and recovery

• World
• 2019-04-24 18:30:03Z

Ms. Creech is a former Air Force nurse and part of a growing effort across the United States to help veterans become farmers. This effort began a decade ago when a California farm manager named Michael O'Gorman assembled a small group of vets and started the Farmer Veteran Coalition. Ms. Creech has been both a beneficiary and a leader of this mobilization, a node in an expanding web of veteran farmers and would-be farmers.

Boeing axes 210 orders after India's Jet stops flying

• World/Europe
• 2019-04-24 18:20:10Z

Boeing Co removed 210 aircraft from its order backlog and took an impairment charge over customer financing losses on Wednesday following the near-collapse of India's Jet Airways. Under recent changes in accounting rules, Boeing hives off orders that no longer meet its criteria for recognizing revenue into a separate category, while defending contractual claims. Boeing finance director Greg Smith confirmed the adjustment was related to financial problems at Jet Airways, which halted all flight operations indefinitely on April 17 after its lenders rejected a plea for emergency funds.

Sri Lanka shakes up top security posts after deadly bombings

• World/Latin America
• 2019-04-24 18:17:08Z

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) - Sri Lanka's president shook up the country's top security establishment after officials failed to act on intelligence reports warning of possible attacks before the Easter bombings that killed over 350 people, his office said Wednesday.

Texas Republicans wanted a no-drama session. Here's what happened

• World
• 2019-04-24 17:59:43Z

Texas state Sen. Kel Seliger thought things would be different in the Capitol this year. Republicans have kept a firm grip on politics here for 17 years, controlling both the governor's mansion and the Legislature, and in that time Texas has come to define American conservatism. Inspired by Beto O'Rourke's surprisingly strong challenge to U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, Texas Democrats enjoyed their best election in decades, flipping two seats in the U.S. House as well as two seats in the state Senate and 12 seats in the state House.

German woman, son found dead in Canaries, father arrested

• World
• 2019-04-24 17:47:37Z

Spanish police found the bodies of a missing German woman and her ten-year-old son on Wednesday inside a cave on the holiday island of Tenerife after arresting the boy's father, police said Thursday. A couple found the boy on a mountain and then alerted the authorities who then arrested his father

U.S. criticizes Myanmar court decision on Reuters journalists

• World
• 2019-04-24 17:40:12Z

The United States criticized Myanmar on Wednesday after the Asian country's high court upheld the sentencing of two Reuters journalists, expressing deep concern about freedom of expression and urging that the two be reunited with their families. "Burma's Supreme Court decision yesterday

US STOCKS-S&P 500 hovers below record highs on mixed earnings

• World/Latin America
• 2019-04-24 17:07:43Z

U.S. stocks hovered below their all-time highs on Wednesday, as investors digested a mixed batch of earnings reports and losses in energy stocks limited gains on the indexes. The S&P 500 is 0.3% below its record high of 2,940.91 hit in late September.

Georgian Businessman Offers More Texts With Cohen to Rebut Mueller Footnote

• World/Latin America
• 2019-04-24 17:03:18Z

In a letter to U.S. Attorney General William Barr on Tuesday, lawyers for Giorgi Rtskhiladze demanded a retraction to a footnote in Mueller's 448-page report on Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. The letter says the footnote includes only part of Rtskhiladze's text exchange with then-Trump personal attorney Michael Cohen, failing to provide the full context.

Taking 'old age' out of its old box

• World
• 2019-04-24 15:58:33Z

The famed British actress Glenda Jackson is treading the boards right now as King Lear, reciting from memory all 747 of the character's lines during a 3-1/2 hour performance, eight shows a week. It's an amazing encore for someone who first won accolades on film and stage decades ago and then left for a much different career as an elected politician in the House of Commons. In London, Maggie Smith, Ms. Jackson's senior by a couple of years, is starring in "A German Life," the disturbing real-life confessions of Brunhilde Pomsel, secretary to Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels.

In Notre Dame fire, a reminder of history's complexity

• World
• 2019-04-24 15:44:24Z

When fire struck Paris's Notre Dame cathedral last week, my first instinct, shared no doubt with millions across the globe, was to Google it. The catalyst was less intellectual than personal: its author was Allan Temko, my late uncle.

Flying Southwest to Hawaii: Coconut rum, snack packs and 'Forgetting Sarah Marshall'

• World/Latin America
• 2019-04-24 15:12:37Z

USA TODAY flew to Hawaii on Southwest Airlines and back on Hawaiian Airlines to compare the experience.

Russia eases path to citizenship for east Ukraine residents

• World
• 2019-04-24 15:02:23Z

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed an order simplifying the procedure for obtaining a Russian passport for residents of the rebel-controlled Donetsk and Luhansk regions of eastern Ukraine, the Kremlin said on Wednesday. Separatist rebellions broke out against Ukrainian rule in both regions

Sri Lankan president shakes up defense forces, says attack warnings went unheeded

• World/Latin America
• 2019-04-24 14:59:01Z

Sri Lanka's president has demanded that the defense secretary and national police chief resign after the Easter Sunday suicide bombings.

Daenerys Smiling Through That Intense Game of Thrones Situation Is a Universally Relatable Meme

• World/Latin America
• 2019-04-24 14:52:33Z

Daenerys and Sansa's private meeting in the second episode of the 'Game of Thrones' final season yielded the hottest new meme from Westeros.

Italy urges Europe to ready plan for Libya refugee flight

• World
• 2019-04-24 14:51:43Z

ROME (Reuters) - Italy's government has written to the European Union asking it to ready a plan of action to deal with a possible flight of refugees from the armed conflict in Libya, Italian Foreign Minister Enzo Moavero said on Wednesday. Moavero was speaking at a joint news conference in Rome after

First picture of 'mastermind' behind Sri Lanka suicide bomb attacks as identity of UK student is revealed

• World/Africa
• 2019-04-24 14:43:34Z

This is the first image of Inshaf Ahamed Ibrahim, the Sri Lankan suicide bomber and alleged mastermind of the atrocity which killed 359 people. Ibrahim, 33, blew himself up at the Shangri-La Hotel at just before 9am local time in a third-floor restaurant. The hotel was full of tourists including British victims Anita Nicholson, 42, and her two children Alex, 14, and 11-year-old daughter Annabel. Ibrahim's younger brother Ilham also killed himself when he detonated a suicide bomb at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel, also in the capital Colombo, five minutes later. The father of the two dead terrorists is a senior and wealthy businessman in Sri Lanka who ran a large spice trading company. Inshaf...

Boeing puts cost of 737 MAX crisis at $1 bn

• World/Europe
• 2019-04-24 14:24:38Z

Boeing said Wednesday that its 737 MAX crisis had cost $1 billion in the first quarter as it withdrew its 2019 profit forecast on continued uncertainty about when the grounded jets will fly again after two deadly crashes. The US aerospace giant also cited spending on the software fix and related training, according to an earnings presentation released Wednesday that listed the $1 billion in 737 program costs. The results are the first since the company entered crisis mode with the March 10 crash of an Ethiopian Airlines jet, which along with an October Lion Air crash claimed 346 lives.

Boeing's troubled jet prompts it to pull 2019 forecast

• World/Europe
• 2019-04-24 14:22:52Z

Boeing estimates that it will spend $1 billion to fix the 737 Max and has pulled its forecast of 2019 earnings because of uncertainty surrounding the jetliner, which remains grounded after two crashes that killed 346 people.

Trump unloads on Russia investigation, House Democrats after subpoena request

• World/Europe
• 2019-04-24 14:19:35Z

The president fires back after Democrats subpoena former White House counsel Don McGahn to testify on the Mueller probe; Catherine Herridge reports.

Ambassador: US had no prior knowledge of Sri Lanka threat

• World/Latin America
• 2019-04-24 14:14:31Z

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) - The U.S. had no prior knowledge of the Easter bombings in Sri Lanka that killed over 350 people, the American ambassador said Wednesday, despite local claims that foreign officials had been warned an attack was looming.

Can Elon Musk's robotaxi plan help Tesla owners make $30,000 a year?

• World/Latin America
• 2019-04-24 14:13:50Z

Tesla CEO Elon Musk said he is "very confident" Tesla would be able to offer robotaxis next year as a rival to ride-hailing apps like Uber and Lyft.

Ford invests $500 mn in electric vehicle startup Rivian

• World/Latin America
• 2019-04-24 13:43:51Z

Ford Motor Co. said Wednesday it was investing $500 million in Rivian as part of a strategic partnership with the startup developing electric pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles. The tieup will enable Ford to develop its own branded electric vehicle using Rivian's "flexible skateboard platform," according to a statement from the two companies. "As we continue in our transformation of Ford with new forms of intelligent vehicles and propulsion, this partnership with Rivian brings a fresh approach to both," said Jim Hackett, Ford president and chief executive.

The Mueller Report Exposes U.S. Election Weaknesses

• World/Latin America
• 2019-04-24 13:37:00Z

It would be a profound mistake to overlook the Mueller report's detailed account of a foreign government's multifaceted efforts to interfere in a U.S. election. Russian efforts extended not only to the already well-known trolling and manipulation of opinion but also to hacking that included attempted intrusions into county election offices and election technology companies, according to special counsel Robert Mueller. Although there is no evidence that the intrusions changed any vote totals, the first lesson about foreign governments and U.S. elections is clear: beware of such governments-and not just Russia-as a possible threat to the independence and integrity of U.S. elections.Another...

Multiple reports say AirPods 3 with brand new features will be released this year

• World/Latin America
• 2019-04-24 13:26:44Z

Apple unveiled the AirPods 2 last month, and a few days later it surprised us all with the Powerbeats Pro true wireless earbuds. But a new report says the iPhone maker isn't stopping here when it comes to launching new wireless earphones. According to multiple reports, Apple plans to release third-generation AirPods by the end of the year, complete with new features.Sources said to be familiar with the matter have told Digitimes that AirPods 3 will feature noise cancellation support. The pair of wireless earbuds is expected to start selling by the end of 2019. Taiwan's Inventec is expected to be the main assembler of AirPods 3, with some orders going to Luxshare Precision -- the two...

Earthquake causes chaos in swimming pool as kids frantically try to get out

• World/Latin America
• 2019-04-24 13:21:30Z

As a 6.1 magnitude earthquake rocked parts of the Philippines on April 23, swimmers frantically tried to get out of a pool as the water began to violently move.

Tesla Model S and X get new drivetrains, longer range

• World/Latin America
• 2019-04-24 13:11:06Z

Without changing or upgrading the battery, Tesla has updated the Model S and Model X to increase each vehicle's driving range to 370 miles and 325 miles respectively. On Tuesday, Tesla announced that it has upgraded the powertrains of the Model S liftback and Model X SUV to increase the range by 10 percent for each, and significantly improve the power and torque for all model variants. The new drive unit technology increases the drivetrain efficiency by 93 percent, according to Tesla.

Global groundings of Boeing 737 Max lower company's profit, revenue in first quarter

• World/Latin America
• 2019-04-24 12:45:03Z

Boeing's first-quarter revenue and profit took a hit from the global groundings of its 737 Max jets following two fatal crashes.

Samsung's Galaxy Fold might already have a new release date - and that's awful news

• World/Asia
• 2019-04-24 12:17:13Z

Samsung's Galaxy Fold launch is now nothing short of an unmitigated disaster. Who could have seen this coming... 7 months ago? The last thing a company wants to do when it's about to release a first-of-its-kind product is give consumers any doubt that it's a high-quality product. Well, Samsung went far beyond giving consumers a bit of doubt -- it showed us in the clearest possible light that the Galaxy Fold is a piece of junk. We have now lost count of how many Galaxy Fold review units broke shortly after being sent to bloggers to review, but suffice it to say the figure is painfully high. It was so high, in fact, that Samsung decided to cancel the phone's release this Friday so it can...

Former Barcelona president acquitted of money laundering

• World
• 2019-04-24 11:53:44Z

MADRID (AP) - Former Barcelona president Sandro Rosell has been acquitted of money laundering charges after spending nearly two years in prison.