Columbiana

Trump Attacked McConnell on Russia Probe: NYT

Rachel Maddow shares a new report from the New York Times about the strained relationship between Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell and notes that the intensifying Trump Russia investigation may be wearing on Trump.

Some anchors throw shade at eclipse

Monday’s total solar eclipse captivated the nation and dominated news coverage, but not every anchor was as delighted, or even interested, as their audience.

Spain suspect says terror cell planned big attack on monuments

A suspected member of the terror cell that unleashed carnage in Spain last week admitted to a judge on Tuesday that the jihadists had planned to hit monuments in an even bigger attack. Mohamed Houli Chemlal, 21, said he knew of the plans two months ago, as he, and three other suspects, appeared in court for the first time since twin attacks killed 15 people and wounded more than 100. The four are the only surviving suspects from what was believed to be a 12-man terror cell that rammed a van into pedestrians on a tourist-packed boulevard in Barcelona on Thursday.

Brags to Riches: Treasury Secretary's Wife Blasted After Posting Tagging Designer Duds on Instagram

Louise Linton hit back at an Instagram user who chided her after she tagged her designer wardrobe.

US Embassy in Russia stops issuing tourist visas for 8 days

MOSCOW (AP) — In a step that could affect hundreds of thousands of Russian tourists, the U.S. Embassy in Russia said Monday it would suspend issuing nonimmigrant visas for eight days from Wednesday in response to the Russian decision to cap embassy staff.

US Navy orders worldwide 'operational pause' after warship crashes off Singapore

The US Navy has ordered a "worldwide operational pause" after a warship crashed into a merchant vessel in Singapore. Chief of Naval Operations Admiral John Richardson called for the one-day pause for a safety review to be carried out over the next few weeks within the separate commands. The USS John McCain collided with an oil tanker off the coast of the Asian island in the early morning of 21 August resulting in five injuries and 10 missing sailors.

Chelsea Manning Has Epic Response To Tweeter Who Wants Her 'Shot For Treason'

Former Army intelligence analyst and transgender activist Chelsea Manning responded in the best way Monday night to a violent message she received on Twitter.

After U.S. destroyer collision, Chinese paper says U.S. navy a hazard

The U.S. navy's latest collision at sea, the fourth in its Pacific fleet this year, shows it is becoming an increasing risk to shipping in Asia despite its claims of helping to protect freedom of navigation, an official Chinese newspaper said. The USS John S. McCain and the tanker Alnic MC collided while the guided-missile vessel was nearing Singapore on Monday. The collision tore a hole in the warship's port side at the waterline, flooding compartments that included a crew sleeping area.

Phoenix was Trump country long before Trump

President Trump is in Phoenix for a campaign-type rally that is expected to draw some of his fiercest fans and bring thousands of anti-Trump protestors into the streets. His decision to come to Phoenix prompted mayor Greg Stanton to urge Trump to stay away lest the president inflame racial tensions in the wake of white nationalist demonstrations in Charlottesville. ...

The Best Solar Eclipse Photos From Around the Internet

Not everyone could travel to the thin band of totality. Luckily, there were tons of photographers ready to capture the moment.

Barcelona attack: Suspects were planning to bomb Sagrada Familia and other major monuments

The Barcelona terror cell behind last week's van attack planned to use explosives against major monuments including the city's famous Sagrada Familia church, one of the suspects has told a court. Mohamed Houli Chemlal, 21, who survived an explosion at an alleged bomb factory the day before the van atrocities said the Islamist gang had been preparing “an attack of larger dimensions”. He had known of the plans for an attack "at least two months ago", he added. A Spanish High Court judge last night jailed two of the four suspects, Chemlal and Driss Oukabir, charged with membership of a terrorist organisation, murder and possession of explosives. Mohamed Houli Chemlal, one of four arrested in relation to the terrorist attacks in Catalonia is taken to the Audiencia Nacional court in Madrid Credit: EFE A third suspect, Salh El Karib, who ran an internet cafe in the town of Ripoll, where most of the members of the cell lived, was remanded in police custody pending further investigation. The fourth suspect, Mohamed Aalla, will be released on certain conditions. Chemlal, who was injured when an explosion ripped through a house in the town of Alcanar, south of Barcelona, last Wednesday, appeared yesterday at the National Court in Madrid, still dressed in blue hospital pyjamas. The blast is believed to have killed two other members of the cell, including the imam thought to be the mastermind behind the plot, which left 15 people dead and scores injured. The court yesterday heard that a plane ticket to Brussels belonging to the imam, Abdelbaki Es Satty, was found in the rubble of the house. An Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant document was also found at the site of the blast. Spanish Civil Guards escort a man accused of involvement in the Spanish Islamist cell Credit: JUAN MEDINA/Reuters Isil claimed responsibility for the van attack that and a separate deadly assault, hours later, in the coastal resort of Cambrils, south of Barcelona. Earlier, it emerged that Es Satty, a Moroccan national, was told he was to be expelled from Spain, after leaving prison in April 2014 following a conviction for drug smuggling. But the Islamic preacher, 42, won an appeal against the decision by convincing a judge his forced deportation was not in line with international law. Terror in Spain: Dozens killed and injured in Barcelona and Cambrils Chemlal told the court the terrorist cell had been building bombs in the house, but their plans were foiled when an explosion tore through the property, killing two of his co-conspirators, including Es Satty. Chemlal told the judge the imam had wanted to blow himself up while two other suspects "blamed the imam for the plot while another two denied knowing him", a judicial source said. It was also claimed that Driss Oukabir, the older brother of one of the dead terrorists, told the investigating judge that he had hired the vans used in the attacks. Younes Abouyaaqoub was shot dead in a dramatic end to a massive manhunt Credit: EPA/SPANISH MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR Last week, he reportedly told police his ID and documents had been stolen by his brother, Moussa, 17, but it is now understood that while he admits hiring the vans, he will claim he thought they were to be used for removals. There is mounting anger in Spain over claims that Es Satty should not have even been in the country. He was jailed for four years in 2010 after being caught smuggling hashish between Morocco and Spain. Police: Suspect in Barcelona van attack shot dead 00:48 While in prison, it is thought he ­became close to Rachid Aglif, aka The Rabbit, one of the ringleaders of the 2004 Madrid train bombings which left 192 people dead. In line with Spanish immigration laws, as a foreign-born national who had been convicted and sentenced to more than a year in prison, Es Satty should have been expelled from the country on his release from jail. But he challenged the ruling and managed to persuade a judge that deportation would breach his international rights. Terror timeline - Ramming attacks involving vehicles

Spain attacks: The imam who 'ate up the brains' of youths

A dead Moroccan imam has become a key target of the probe into Spain's twin terror attacks, suspected of having created the cell in a picturesque town near the Spanish Pyrenees that allegedly launched the deadly assaults last week. The blast likely changed the plans of the attackers, who instead used vehicles to smash into pedestrians on Barcelona's busy Las Ramblas boulevard and in the seaside resort town of Cambrils. "On Tuesday morning, he left saying he was going on vacation to Morocco," said fruit-seller Nordeen El Haji, 45, who four months ago moved into the apartment that Satty occupied in Ripoll.

The Latest: Russia bristles at US sanctions

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on the U.S. and North Korea (all times local):

Trump administration halts research on mountaintop coal mining's health effects

Donald Trump’s Department of the Interior has told the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine to stop studying the effects of coal mining on health. A branch of the interior department – the office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement – was funding an inquiry into the potential correlation between increased human health risks and living near surface coal mine sites in Central Appalachia. Coal mining in Central Appalachia, where the committee’s work is focused, includes mountaintop removal in which peaks have been blasted off.

2019 Jeep Wrangler Pickup: Everything We Know

We can't wait for this truck.

Energy Transfer sues Greenpeace over Dakota pipeline

Energy Transfer Partners LP on Tuesday sued Greenpeace and other environmental groups, accusing them of launching an "eco-terrorism" campaign aimed at blocking the Dakota Access Pipeline, the center of months of opposition by Native American and green groups. The pipeline operator said Greenpeace, Earth First and other organizations engaged in "acts of terrorism" to solicit donations and interfere with its pipeline construction activities, damaging its "critical business and financial relationships." ETP said the groups' actions and negative publicity against it, its sister company Energy Transfer Equity LP and other firms caused billions of dollars in damages. Greenpeace USA General Counsel Tom Wetterer said the company's lawsuit, filed in U.S. district court in Bismarck, North Dakota, "abuse(d) the legal system to silence legitimate advocacy work." In May the $3.8 billion Dakota Access Pipeline began interstate crude oil delivery, but a federal appeals court judge in June ordered the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to reconsider its environmental review of the line, opening up the possibility that the line could be shut at a later date.

White House Praises Trump's Empty Afghanistan Speech As Very Presidential

WASHINGTON ― Following President Donald Trump’s primetime address on Monday, which provided little substance on U.S. strategy in a nearly 16-year war in Afghanistan, White House officials went on TV to give full-throated endorsements of Trump briefly staying on message and reading from a teleprompter.

Louise Linton, wife of Treasury Secretary Mnuchin, apologizes for nasty Instagram spat

Louise Linton, the 36-year-old Scottish actress newly wedded to Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, sparked a national kerfuffle Monday when she got into a spat with one of her Instagram followers.

Barcelona attack suspect Younes Abouyaaqoub shot dead wearing suicide belt by Spanish police

The terrorist who went on the run after killing 14 people in Barcelona has been shot dead while wearing a fake suicide belt. Younes Abouyaaqoub was shot on Monday by armed police in the town of Sant Sadurni d’Anoia in the district of Subirats, around 30 miles west of Barcelona, bringing to an end a five-day international manhunt. The 22-year-old Moroccan reportedly shouted “Allahu akbar” as he was challenged by officers, leading to fears that he was about to launch a bomb attack. Police used a remote-controlled robot to check his body for explosives, but later confirmed that the suicide belt he was wearing was fake. Police: Suspect in Barcelona van attack shot dead 00:48 Abouyaaqoub was the last remaining member of the jihadist cell responsible for last week’s twin terrorist attacks in Barcelona and Cambrils. Police now believe he was at the wheel of the van when it ploughed into crowds on Las Ramblas on Thursday afternoon, killing 13 people including Julian Cadman, a seven-year-old British boy. He then fled on foot, walking around Barcelona for 90 minutes before hijacking a car and killing its owner, 34-year-old aid worker Pablo Perez, in order to make his getaway. CCTV images emerged on Monday, appearing to show Abouyaaqoub starting to make his escape on foot through Barcelona’s La Boqueria market after the attack. He then rammed the Ford Focus through a police checkpoint before abandoning the vehicle and fleeing on foot. Site where Moroccan suspect Younes Abouyaaqoub was shot Credit: LUIS GENE/AFP/Getty Images Hours later, five of his associates launched a second attack in the coastal resort of Cambrils, in which a woman was stabbed to death and a police officer badly injured. All five terrorists were shot dead by police at the scene. There had been fears that Abouyaaqoub had fled across the border into France and might be preparing another terrorist outrage. But the Catalan police force was alerted shortly before 4.30pm local time, when a resident of Subirats spotted a man acting suspiciously in the street.  She shouted to ask him what he was doing, causing him to run off towards a vineyard, where he was quickly challenged by armed officers.  Roget Queral, an 18-year-old resident of Sant Sadurni d’Anoia, said he believed he had seen Abouyaaqoub in the area before last week’s attacks, leading to suggestions that he may have had a hideout in the town. Armed police officers stand guard near Subirats, Spain Credit: AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti Police were last night continuing to piece together the movements of the cell, which was based in the town of Ripoll, around 60 miles north of Barcelona in the foothills of the Pyerenees.  It is now believed 40-year-old Abdelbaki Es Satty, the local imam, was responsible for radicalising the 12-strong Moroccan group. A former hashish smuggler, it is thought he became a jihadist after meeting one of the ringleaders of the Madrid train bombings while serving a four-year prison sentence in Valencia. After his release, he moved to Ripoll and began working at the local mosque as an imam. Barcelona attack map - 2108 The Spanish authorities have said they are almost certain Es Satty was one of two men who died in an explosion at a suspected bomb factory in the town of Alcanar last Tuesday.  A man who survived the blast has been placed under arrest, and four other suspects, who were arrested in the wake of the attacks, also remain in custody. 7:11PM The tip-offs that led to his capture The chief of the Catalan police force, Major Josep Lluis Trapero, has explained that two different reports were received placing Abouyaacoub in the Subirats area, where he was eventually shot down. One was from two local police officers, who believed they saw a man looking like the suspect from their patrol car. At around the same time, a local woman called in saying she had “no doubt” that she had seen Abouyaacoub, who, she added, had been acting suspiciously near her home before running away into a vineyard. She said that her suspicion was confirmed by the fact that he was wearing a long-sleeved top on such a hot afternoon. Major Trapero described how police officers had approached Abouyaacoub in the vineyard he was crossing. He said that on being asked to stop and identify himself, the terrorist had lifted his shirt to show what appeared to be an explosive belt. Abouyaacoub then said “Allahu Akbar” before the officers shot him down. 6:49PM Peaceful location rocked by terror The mayoress of Sant Sadurni, Maria Rosell i Medall, said the situation was now under control, but that police were investigating every call they had received from residents to establish what had brought Abouyaaqoub to the area and whether he might have any local help.  She said Sant Sadurni had always been "a safe and peaceful place" and that there had never been any indication to suggest any terrorist activity in the area.  Police had been patrolling the area since the attacks, she said, and swung into action when they received the resident's call on Monday afternoon.  6:48PM Catalan President addresses reporters Catalan President Carles Puigdemont announced in a press conference that just before  5pm this afternoon the Catalan police had “shot down Younes Abouyaacoub, the perpetrator of the van attack in Barcelona last Thursday who had caused the death of 14 people”. Mr Puigdemont said he had informed Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy personally of today’s developments. He also expressed his “profound gratitude” to the Catalan police for their effective action, as well as that of all Catalan security forces.  6:27PM Abouyaaqoub's final days of hiding At 4.50pm on Thursday August 17, Younes Abouyaaqoub started his murderous rampage by driving a white Fiat rental van onto the pedestrianised central portion of Barcelona’s famous La Rambla, accessing the northern end of the avenue via Pelai street. After weaving left and right for 500 metres, killing 13 people and injuring scores more, the airbag in the van’s driver seat activated itself, stopping the vehicle in its tracks. Abouyaaqoub got out of the van and, was apparently filmed on CCTV images walking calmly away through the city’s emblematic La Boqueria food market wearing a blue and white polo shirt, dark trousers, trainers and a pair of sunglasses. According to Catalonia’s police chief, Major Josep Lluis Trapero, the 22-year-old Moroccan man then “walked and ran” six kilometres across the city in a westerly direction amidst the din of emergency sirens as ambulances transported the dead and injured to hospitals and the police mounted what they dubbed “Operation Cage” aimed at preventing terrorist suspects from escaping the city centre. At around 6.30pm, an hour and a half after the slaughter on La Rambla, Abouyaaqoub then came across Pau Pérez, a 34-year-old aid worker who was in his car in Barcelona’s University Zone, just off the city’s major El Diagonal traffic artery. According to the police’s version of events, Abouyaaqoub stabbed Pérez several times and took the wheel of his white Ford Focus, shoving his victim’s body into the back of the vehicle. Abouyaaqoub then drove through a police checkpoint on at the western end of El Diagonal, breaking an officer’s leg. Police fired shots but the car was not stopped. The Ford Focus was later found abandoned some two miles further west in the Sant Just Desvern area, on the outskirts of Barcelona, with Mr Pérez’s dead body inside. The police initially thought that the incident was not connected to the van attack on La Rambla, having identified the owner of the car as an unlikely terrorist suspect. When the autopsy revealed that Mr Pérez had been stabbed and not hit by a police bullet, investigators began to search for a link to the attacks. As, over the weekend, investigators untangled the web of the terrorist cell that had formed among young men of Moroccan origins in the small Pyrenean town of Ripoll, Abouyaaqoub was increasingly considered chief suspect of the van attack. Nothing is yet known about what Abouyaaqoub did during that time, except for the fact that he managed to travel some 25 miles west from the place in which he ditched the Ford Focus, possibly across mountainous terrain to the area in which police caught up with him at around 4.30pm on Monday afternoon. La Vanguardia has reported that Abouyaaqoub was located by the police after a woman in the Subirats area called in after seeing a man who looked like the chief suspect in the Barcelona van attack outside her home. The woman reportedly shouted at him and asked him what he was doing there, causing the suspect to run away into a vineyard. According to other unconfirmed reports, the woman said that Abouyaqoub had been whistling, as if trying to communicate with someone he had arranged to meet amongst nearby buildings.  6:00PM Locals say they recognised Abouyaaqoub Roget Queral, an 18-year-old resident of Sant Sadurni d'Anoia,  said he believed he had seen Younes Abouyaaqoub in the area before. He said that when the attacker's image appeared on the news, "I thought, goodness, I recognise him". Mr Queral said his father also believed he recognised him, as did a number of residents of the town. Mr Queral said he could not be certain it was the same man, but believed he had seen him in Sant Sadurni two or three months ago. Despite the rural location, a stranger would not necessarily attract attention as it is a much-visited tourist area, which produces the internationally famous Freixenet cava.  There was heavy police activity in the area, with a 500m cordon established around the scene of the shooting. Helicopters hovered overhead as police guarded roads, the Mossos urging locals not to reveal the location of controls. 4:32PM Bomb robot deployed A robot to defuse the suspected explosives belt has been deployed to the scene of the shooting in Subirats. It is approaching the site and will assess it for officers.  17:23 TEDAX està utilitzant el robot per apropar-se i fer comprovacions / TEDAX està utilizando el robot para acercarse #Subirats— Mossos (@mossos) August 21, 2017 4:19PM Details emerge about shooting State broadcaster TVE report that the operation took place near a petrol station in a wooded area. Armed officers arrived on the scene after receiving a call from a member of the public. The regional Mossos d’Esquadra force tweeted at 4.39pm: “Police operation in progress in Subirats. Spread only official information.” It added in another tweet shortly afterwards: “We received an alert about a suspicious person in Subirats and activated a police response which is continuing.” 4:14PM Shooting confirmed Spanish police have confirmed that they shot dead a man. 17:05h La persona sospitosa de #Subirats porta adherit al cos el que sembla un cinturó d'explosius. L'individu ha estat abatut— Mossos (@mossos) August 21, 2017 3:55PM Police announce operation The Mossos d'Esquadra have announced an operation in the area but have not confirmed any other details. Spanish media claimed the police had received a tip off from a resident in Subirats and on attending the scene were fired upon. The man was wearing an explosive belt and cried "Allahu Akhbar," according to reports. There was no immediate word on whether the suspect was dead or alive.  16:39h Operatiu policial en marxa a Subirats. Difoneu només informació oficial— Mossos (@mossos) August 21, 2017 3:47PM Barcelona suspect caught by police Spanish police Mossos have stopped Younes Abouyaaqoub in Sant Sadurni, 60km from Barcelona, according to local media reports.

Remains of US sailors found on warship that collided off Singapore

Divers have found the remains of some of the 10 sailors who went missing when a US destroyer collided with a tanker off Singapore, the navy said Tuesday, the latest deadly accident involving an American warship. The US Navy has announced a fleet-wide global investigation after the incident Monday involving the USS John S. McCain and the merchant vessel, which left a gaping gash in the destroyer's hull.

You Will Be Able to See Four Planets During the Total Solar Eclipse

When the shadow of totality falls upon the land, the stars and planets will come out in the darkened sky.

Filipino officials: Chinese navy stalked Philippine area

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — China recently deployed navy and coast guard ships in a cluster of uninhabited sandbars in the disputed South China Sea amid concerns that the Philippines may build structures on them, two Filipino security officials said Tuesday. The government, however, said the issue was quickly resolved amid the Asian neighbors' friendlier ties.

Solar eclipse 2017: Aerial photos show staggering number of people gathering in Oregon to see event

Thousands of people have descended on Oregon to witness the total solar eclipse, with the state first to witness the “line of totality” where the sun appears completely covered by the moon. Oregon State Police have been documenting the increase in traffic across Oregon since last week, showing aerial pictures of a 15-mile stretch of backed up traffic on Thursday as people travelled to the state to be ready for the eclipse. On Sunday aerial shots from Prineville Police Department showed the staggering size of the crowds gathered at the Symbiosis Gathering, also called the Oregon Eclipse Festival 2017, taking place on the Big Summit Prairie, and of the Oregon Star party.

2018 BMW M5: 600 Horsepower, All-Wheel Drive, and 189 MPH!

Bavaria's supersedan is on track.

Mitch McConnell Says 'Most News Is Not Fake,' Rejecting Trump's Refrain

Since taking office in January, President Donald Trump has been waging a war against the traditional news media, undermining reporters and news outlets at every turn with his oft-repeated “fake news” trope.

Barcelona attacker stabbed man to death during escape: police

By Angus Berwick BARCELONA, Spain (Reuters) - Spain asked the rest of Europe to join the hunt for a young man thought to have been the driver in last week's deadly van attack in Barcelona as police said on Monday that he had also hijacked a car and killed its occupant during his escape. After driving at high speed into crowds on the city's famous avenue Las Ramblas last Thursday, killing 13 people, the suspected Islamist militant fled on foot and then hijacked the car as it was being parked, stabbing the driver to death, police said. The suspect, Moroccan-born Younes Abouyaaqoub, 22, then drove the hijacked car through a police checkpoint, police said.

WATCH: 16-Foot Great White Shark Circles Fisherman’s Boat

The great white hung around for about a half hour, stealing fish from the area.

The ISS delivers a view of the solar eclipse you just have to see

Now that all the eclipse hype has died down you probably think it's time to move on with your boring old non-eclipse life and get back to business. Nope! Now that the celestial event has wrapped up we get to gawk at all the awesome photos taken from all over North America, and even some particularly fantastic shots from the International Space Station. Obviously, viewing the eclipse from space is tricky business. When you're on the ground, all you have to do is look skyward and, assuming you're within an area that the moon's shadow will hit, you'll see what all the fuss is about. For astronauts aboard the ISS, location is equally important, and while the space station's position wasn't ideal for eclipse viewing, the crew still managed to snap some great photos. That big dark spot is (obviously) the shadow of the moon moving across Earth, blocking out the sun for anyone in its path. The extremely dark center is the spot of totality, where the eclipse is best viewed, while the lighter shadows are experiencing a partial eclipse. It's a great shot, but it actually pales in comparison to the photo captured way back in 1999 from Russia's Mir space station during an eclipse: The Mir happened to be in the perfect position to capture this glorious shot of the "bruised" Earth, and while the ISS wasn't able to snag quite as nice of a photo, it's still a really cool shot anyway. The next total solar eclipse is slated to occur on July 2nd, 2019. Its path will take it across a huge chunk of the Pacific Ocean as well as a slice of South America, so the ISS will have another opportunity to capture eclipse gold very shortly.

'Three dead, dozens injured' as Typhoon Hato barrels through Hong Kong, Macao and China

Dozens of people were injured and at least three dead after a powerful typhoon barrelled into Hong Kong and the nearby city of Macao before hitting China on Wednesday, reports said. Thousands were evacuated from their homes in southern China as Typhoon Hato - the worst storm in the region for five years - slammed into the mainland after flooding streets and uprooting trees in Hong Kong. The maximum category 10 storm had forced Hong Kong’s stock market to close and caused at least 400 flights at the city’s airport to be cancelled. A man walks out on a low-lying wharf while large waves caused by Typhoon Hato break along the waterfront in Hong Kong's Lamma Island Credit: AFP Only one service - a KLM flight from Amsterdam – landed on Wednesday morning when the storm’s force was at its height, according to Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post (SCMP) newspaper. Packing winds of up to 155 kmh (95 mph), the typhoon shattered windows on the city’s skyscrapers, flooded low-lying areas and blew over public bins across the financial hub. The No. 10 signal has only been hoisted 14 other times since 1946, or one for every 72 storms, according to the Hong Kong Observatory. The last time it went up was for Typhoon Vicente in 2012. Hato also brought large-scale power cuts to the gambling hub of Macao, where hotels were turning away customers because of power issues, the SCMP said. A taxi drives on a flooded street as typhoon Hato passes Hong Kong, Credit: EPA Reports in the former Portuguese colony said three people had been killed, while Reuters said 34 were injured in Hong Kong. The centre of the storm skirted around Hong Kong, but was close enough to be considered a direct hit under the city’s storm warning system. However, it made landfall at midday (05.00am GMT) at Zhuhai, in China’s Guangdong province, Xinhua said. A Chinese sanitation worker rides a bicycle against the strong wind caused by Typhoon Hato on a road along the seacoast in Zhuhai in China's southern Guangdong province Credit: AFP The Chinese state news agency also said that “thousands of people were evacuated” as the storm approached, and that 400 fishermen were told to return to harbour. “Guangdong's flood relief agency said Hato could cause severe damage because it is growing stronger as it nears shore,” the news agency said.  “The typhoon also comes at a time when the Guangdong coast was busy with tourists and fish farm workers.”

Cambodia orders US NGO to close, expels foreign staff

Cambodia on Wednesday closed a prominent American NGO and ordered its foreign staff to leave the country, the latest salvo by Prime Minister Hun Sen against perceived critics before a general election next year. The order comes a day after the strongman premier threatened the Cambodia Daily, one of the country's few remaining critical newspapers, with closure over an alleged unpaid tax bill of $6.3 million, calling them "thieves". In a statement on Wednesday the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said foreign employees of the National Democratic Institute (NDI) have seven days to leave after the group allegedly failed to formally register or pay correct taxes.

Young Mother Crushed to Death Hours After Giving Birth When Hospital Elevator Malfunctions: Reports

Rocio Cortes Nunez, 25, had just given birth to her third child when she was killed in a freak hospital accident.

Man who shot judge was stopped earlier for faulty headlight

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The man who shot an Ohio judge outside a courthouse was stopped by a police officer hours earlier for having a defective headlight as he drove downtown in the early morning darkness, authorities said.

White Farmers Sue Zimbabwe President Over Land Seizures

The U.S. and other Western donors put heavy sanctions on Zimbabwe after the controversial seizures, during which several white farmers were killed.

Noam Chomsky: Antifa is a 'major gift to the right'

Noam Chomsky has launched into an attack on the anti-fascist movement and argued its actions are wrong in principle and it is a “major gift to the right”. Antifa, shorthand for anti-fascist organisations, refers to a loose coalition of militant, decentralised, grassroots groups which are opposed to the far-right. The movement, which was founded in Europe in the 1920s, has dominated headlines in the wake of a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville earlier this month.

Netanyahu to Putin: Iran's growing Syria role threatens Israel

By Denis Pinchuk SOCHI, Russia (Reuters) - Iran's growing role in Syria poses a threat to Israel, the Middle East and the world, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday. "Mr. President, with joint efforts we are defeating Islamic State, and this is a very important thing.

Plane Passenger Forced to Sit In Puddle Of Urine For Entire 11-Hour Flight

"At first I thought it was water but the smell was so distinct it could only have been urine."

Men Partially Blinded From A Solar Eclipse Warn Others To Watch Safely

That’s how long two Oregon men say they looked at a partial solar eclipse with their naked eyes 55 years ago before it burned their retinas, causing permanent blindness.

This Is How the Solar Eclipse Looked From Space

Here's what astronauts saw from the International Space Station

Dozens reported dead in US-led strikes as battle nears Raqa heart

Dozens of civilians have died in two days of intense US-led strikes on Raqa, a monitor said Tuesday, as fighting to retake the Syrian city from jihadists approaches its densely populated centre. The coalition acknowledges it has pounded the city and surrounding area with more than 250 air strikes over the past week alone, in support of the Syrian Democratic Forces alliance battling the Islamic State group. The SDF has so far captured just under 60 percent of Raqa, monitors say, leaving IS with about 10 square kilometres (four square miles) in the heart of the city.

More Than 2 Dozen Puppies Found in a Hot Van: 'They Were Literally on Top of Each Other'

The puppies were severely dehydrated after their ordeal.

32 letters filed in support of prof charged in Chicago death

CHICAGO (AP) — More than 30 colleagues and friends of a former Northwestern University professor charged in the brutal stabbing death of a 26-year-old man wrote letters supporting him both as a friend and a scientist whose research included academic work on the bacteria that cause plague.

Once You Have Snickerdoodle Cheesecake, There's No Going Back

It will ruin all other cheesecakes for you.

22 million Americans support neo-Nazis, new poll indicates

Nine per cent of Americans say holding neo-Nazi or white supremacist views is acceptable, according to a new poll. The Washington Post ABC poll was carried out in the wake of the deadly racially-charged violence which erupted at a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville earlier this month. According to the survey, 83 per cent of Americans think holding neo-Nazi views is unacceptable.

'Tired of Flesh,' Cannibal Hands Himself In

When questioned, he produced parts of a human leg and a hand.

Uber Ride Ends In Video Of Ramapage

This Uber ride ended in disaster.