| Himes: Memo is transparent political hit job Posted: 01 Feb 2018 12:19 PM PST  Rep. Jim Himes, member of the House Intelligence Committee, talks with Rachel Maddow about Donald Trump and Republican political strategy around the Devin Nunes memo.
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| Nashville Mayor Megan Barry admits affair with head of her security detail Posted: 01 Feb 2018 06:41 AM PST  Nashville Mayor Megan Barry apologized on Wednesday for engaging in an affair with the head of her own police detail.
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| Truck Driver Blamed For Damaging Ancient Nazca Lines Posted: 01 Feb 2018 03:30 PM PST  A truck driver is accused of ignoring warning signs and carelessly plowing across Peru's famous Nazca Lines on Saturday, causing significant damage to the estimated 2,000-year-old archeological wonder, authorities said.
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| Flu Vaccine About 30% Effective Against Predominate Strain: CDC Posted: 31 Jan 2018 09:00 PM PST  Canadian health officials said its effectiveness could be 10 percent to 20 percent there.
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| The Best New Product Launches This Week Posted: 02 Feb 2018 02:41 PM PST |
| Manson corpse case on ice for another month in heirs dispute Posted: 31 Jan 2018 06:33 PM PST  LOS ANGELES (AP) — The corpse of Charles Manson will remain in a morgue for at least another month while would-be heirs and a friend wait for a court hearing to fight over his remains.
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| The U.N. Human Rights Office Has Identified 206 Companies Linked to Israeli Settlements Posted: 31 Jan 2018 06:14 PM PST  The settlements are considered illegal under international law
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| Trump falsely claims his SOTU TV viewership was 'highest' in history Posted: 01 Feb 2018 05:54 AM PST  President Trump says the 45.6 million television viewers for his first State of the Union address was "the highest number in history." It was not. Not even close.
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| Two students wounded in LA school shooting Posted: 01 Feb 2018 10:57 AM PST  Two 15-year-old students in Los Angeles were shot and wounded in class Thursday, according to witnesses and local media, in the latest school shooting to hit the United States. Paramedics sent to Salvador Castro Middle School the central Westlake area at 9:00 am (1700 GMT) said both students were taken to hospital, with the boy in critical condition and the girl faring better. A 30-year-old woman was treated for unspecified minor injuries, the Los Angeles Fire Department reported.
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| Former USA Gymnastics Doctor Larry Nassar Has 'Over 265 Identified Victims' Posted: 01 Feb 2018 08:01 AM PST  Over 265 young girls and women have accused former USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University team doctor Larry Nassar of sexual abuse under the guise of medical treatment.
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| 'Slender Man' case: Moms on visiting daughters who tried to kill classmate Posted: 01 Feb 2018 08:51 AM PST  Though both Anissa Weier and Morgan Geyser entered a guilty plea, they were then found not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect.
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| These Kids Are Catching the Attention of Football Recruiters Even Before High School Posted: 01 Feb 2018 09:00 PM PST  College football programs are already meeting with young football players, like 11-year-old Bunchie Young.
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| Cuba state media: Fidel Castro's son has killed himself Posted: 01 Feb 2018 08:27 PM PST  HAVANA (AP) — The oldest son of late Cuban leader Fidel Castro killed himself on Thursday after months of treatment for depression, state media reported. He was 68.
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| Syrian opposition will work with Sochi proposal under U.N. auspices: chief negotiator Posted: 01 Feb 2018 08:36 AM PST ![Syrian opposition will work with Sochi proposal under U.N. auspices: chief negotiator]( "Syrian opposition will work with Sochi proposal under U.N. auspices: chief negotiator") Syria's opposition will cooperate with proposals made at a Russia-hosted conference this week to rewrite the country's constitution as long as the process remains under U.N. auspices, the chief opposition negotiator said on Thursday. Participants at Tuesday's meeting in the Black Sea resort of Sochi in Russia - which is a powerful supporter of President Bashar al-Assad - agreed to set up a committee to change the Syrian constitution, and called for democratic elections. The main Syrian opposition negotiating group had boycotted the gathering, while the United States, Britain and France also stayed away because of what they said was the Syrian government's refusal to properly engage.
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| Natalie Wood's Husband Robert Wagner Now 'Person Of Interest' In Her Death Posted: 01 Feb 2018 02:05 PM PST  Los Angeles County Sheriff's investigators say Robert Wagner is "more of a person of interest" in the death of actress Natalie Wood, who died nearly 40 ago under mysterious circumstances.
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| Trump Says He 'Really Didn't Care' About Drilling Arctic Refuge. Then A Friend Called. Posted: 01 Feb 2018 12:06 PM PST  WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Thursday that he had little interest in opening Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling until a friend "who's in that world and in that business" called and told him Republicans have been trying to do so for decades.
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| Check out the new images from 'Red Dead Redemption 2' Posted: 02 Feb 2018 05:07 AM PST |
| Vatican's delicate China mission runs into trouble Posted: 01 Feb 2018 08:51 PM PST  Pope Francis is facing a complex row over the Vatican's warming ties with Communist China, which have sparked a new war of words with a Hong Kong cardinal and growing bitterness among some Chinese faithful. Beijing and the Vatican severed diplomatic relations in 1951, and although ties have improved in recent years as China's Catholic population has grown, they remain at odds over which side has the authority to ordain bishops. The Vatican relaunched long-stalled negotiations three years ago and now seems to be nearing concrete steps towards solving the major stumbling bloc of how to designate bishops.
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| Finsbury Park terror attack: Father of four guilty of carrying out murderous attack on Muslims Posted: 01 Feb 2018 08:01 AM PST  A father of four from Cardiff, who became brainwashed against Muslims after watching a BBC drama on the Rochdale grooming scandal, has been found guilty of carrying out the Finsbury Park terror attack. Darren Osborne was convicted of murdering 51-year-old Makram Ali and attempting to murder others, when he deliberately ploughed a hire van into a group of worshippers who had just left a mosque in the Finsbury Park area of north London last June. Osborne, 48, a lone wolf attacker, had tried to claim that the driver had been another man called "Dave", who then mysteriously vanished from the van. Darren Osborne has been found guilty of murder and attempted murder But he was found guilty after the jury spent just less than hour deliberating its verdict. Osborne, who had denied both charges, nodded and looked around the courtroom as the verdicts were delivered on Thursday afternoon. Makram Ali, who died in the attack, leaves a wife and six children Credit: PA He will be sentenced on Friday morning and the judge will be asked to take account of the fact this was a terrorist act when deciding on the length of the prison term. Woolwich Crown Court had heard how unemployed Osborne, 48, became a "ticking time bomb" after watching Three Girls, a drama based on events in Rochdale, where young girls were raped and abused by a group of predominately British Pakistani men. Video: Moment Darren Osborne ploughed into worshippers He was then "radicalised" within three weeks, after viewing extreme right-wing material online, including social media posts by Tommy Robinson, the former leader of the English Defence League, and Jayda Fransen, the co-founder of the Britain First group. On Sunday 17 June last year, Osborne drove a Citroen Luton hire van from his home in south Wales to London, where he spent several hours scouring the capital for a target. Finsbury Park van attack - How it unfolded Just after midnight, he spotted a group of Muslim men who had gathered on Seven Sisters Road in Finsbury Park to help Mr Ali, who had collapsed after taking ill. Osborne accelerated into the group, driving over Mr Ali and killing him and injuring 12 others. In the van police found a note in which Osborne expressed his extreme racist views and also railed against politicians, referring to Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, as a "terrorist sympathiser" and calling London Mayor, Sadiq Khan, a "disgrace". Osborne was detained by the crowd and handed to police after carrying out the attack During the trial, Osborne's estranged partner, Sarah Andrews, described how he become radicalised by extremist material he had been viewing online. She said: "The first thing that started it was when we watched Three Girls . I think this may have caused Darren to go on the Internet to research this subject further. Darren has always been very unpredictable man in terms of his temperament and I think the feelings he had after watching has fuelled his unpredictability." Osborne just moments after the terror attack Credit: PA Other family members, including Osborne's mixed race nephew, Ellis Osborne, said there had been no sign of racism prior to last summer. Speaking about the investigation, Commander Dean Haydon, head of the Met's counter terrorism unit, said the speed in which Osborne had been radicalised by material online was extremely worrying. He said: "He has become radicalised in a period of three to four weeks. He was certainly not interested in extreme right wing up until that stage." The scene of the murderous attack in Finsbury Park Credit: Geoff Pugh He added: "My view around Osborne is that he is a troubled, vile and hate filled individual. If you go back 30-years, he has a history of violence, a history of alcoholism and drugs abuse, depression, a dysfunctional family background. "Taking all that into account, the first trigger for him on the path to radicalisation was that TV drama documentary. That was the catalyst for him having a hatred for the Muslim community. "From thereafter he accessed extreme right wing material. He then became obsessed with that material and that sent him into a further spiral of him wishing to carry out an attack." Mohammed Mahmoud, won praise for his actions after the attack Credit: PA After carrying out the attack, Osborne leapt from the van and tried to escape, but was detained by some of the crowd he had targeted. Some of the group began attacking him, but Imam from the nearby Muslim Welfare House, protected him from further attack and handed him over to the police. Darren Osborne was found guilty of murder and attempted murder Credit: Elizabeth Cook/PA Sue Hemming from the CPS said: "Darren Osborne planned and carried out this attack because of his hatred of Muslims. "He later invented an unconvincing story to counter the overwhelming weight of evidence but the jury has convicted him. "We have been clear throughout that this was a terrorist attack, and he must now face the consequences of his actions." One person was killed and another 12 injured in the attack Credit: Neil Hall/Reuters Commenting on the verdict, HOPE not hate's chief executive, Nick Lowles, said: "This case highlights the pernicious nature and danger of online hate and sadly confirms the threat from right-wing extremism, which we have long warned about." Harun Khan, secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain said: "The scenes we witnessed last summer were the most violent manifestation of Islamophobia yet in our country. We cannot be complacent and regard this as a one-off terrorist incident. "We heard during the trial how Osborne was motivated by anti-Muslim groups and Islamophobic tropes not only prevalent in far right circles, but also made acceptable in our mainstream. "The case tells us that we must all exercise caution when tempted to stigmatise any group of people, regardless of colour, creed or community."
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| Kate Middleton's Hair Stylist Just Revealed The Surprisingly Affordable Products She Uses Posted: 01 Feb 2018 11:37 AM PST  Though the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are themselves relatively tight-lipped about their personal lives, the secret to getting Kate Middleton's gorgeous, lustrous locks isn't anymore.
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| Correction: GOP Train Accident story Posted: 31 Jan 2018 09:42 PM PST  CROZET, Va. (AP) — In a story Jan. 31 about a fatal train crash carrying dozens of Republican members of Congress, The Associated Press, relying on information from a congressman at the scene, misidentified who was killed in the pickup truck. It was a passenger who died, not the driver.
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| Kurdish militant attacks near Iraq border kill three Turkish soldiers: army Posted: 01 Feb 2018 08:04 AM PST ![Kurdish militant attacks near Iraq border kill three Turkish soldiers: army]( "Kurdish militant attacks near Iraq border kill three Turkish soldiers: army") Three Turkish soldiers were killed and seven wounded on Thursday in separate attacks carried out by Kurdish militants targeting troops stationed in the southeastern Turkish province of Hakkari and in northern Iraq, the army said. Militants from the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) attacked troops positioned in northern Iraq, killing two soldiers and wounding two, the military said. A third soldier was killed and five wounded in the Cukurca district of Hakkari when militants attacked a military base, it said.
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| We saw this deadly 'Hong Kong' flu coming, but no one could prevent its spread Posted: 01 Feb 2018 01:04 PM PST  In 1968, scientists discovered a new strain of flu circulating around Hong Kong. The virus, though, didn't stay put. It soon left Asia and turned into a proper pandemic, traveling around the globe and killing one million people worldwide, including 100,000 in the United States that season. The deadly virus struck in the U.S. when it usually does, during winter. That year, "kids didn't care about when Santa came," remembers Susan Donelan, who is now a medical director and assistant professor of infectious disease at Stony Brook University's School of Medicine. SEE ALSO: This year's flu shot might not stop the virus, but it can fend off the worst symptoms Fifty years later, the Hong Kong flu, known more formally as H3N2, still exists, periodically popping up from year to year. "Now it's considered one of our seasonal viruses," said Donelan, in an interview. The Hong Kong flu influenza viruses, magnified 100,000 times.Image: wikimedia imagesBut the Hong Kong flu is an especially infectious strain of the virus. It has the ability to mutate both during and between flu seasons (more so than other strains), rendering our preventative vaccines less effective. "By the time we're ready for the flu season, the strain has kind of changed itself," Neha Nanda, a hospital epidemiologist and medical director of infection prevention at Keck Medicine of the University of Southern California, said in an interview. "That's why it's a nasty strain." And like most years, scientists knew the Hong Kong flu would make an unwelcome appearance during the 2017-2018 flu season. Doctors predict what flu will hit the U.S., and accordingly, what vaccines to produce, based upon what influenza has been dominant in the Southern Hemisphere — places like Australia. "Every year we look at the Southern Hemisphere," Shane Speights, dean and associate professor of Medicine at New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine at Arkansas State University, said in an interview. "The Southern Hemisphere dictates what goes into our vaccine." So, by watching events unfold in Australia in 2017, where the Hong Kong flu was dominant, doctors knew what to expect and prepared as best as they could. But in this strain's typical fashion, it has likely mutated, rendering our vaccines less effective and resulting in the Hong Kong flu's remarkable 2018 spread. #Flu activity continues to increase nationally in the United States. CDC recommends flu vaccination, even if you've already been sick, and early antiviral treatment for people who are very ill OR those who have flu and are at high risk of complications. https://t.co/KHXucF48vi pic.twitter.com/7oJK4qbUp8 — CDC (@CDCgov) January 26, 2018 "The number of people impacted by it [the flu] has been huge," said Nanda. The CDC, as of January 20, reports "widespread" flu activity around the country, including the deaths of 37 children. Even though some of us may have been exposed to H3N2 in previous seasons (for example, the CDC identified six variants of H3N2 during the 2015-2016 season), the exterior of the virus — home to a variety of specific proteins — may have mutated too dramatically for us to have any substantive immunity from this earlier exposure. "The surface proteins change," said Nanda. "Our body may not remember what we experienced two seasons back." While scientists seasonally do a pretty good job of predicting what will hit the U.S., much less is understood about why strains like the Hong Kong flu wreak havoc for a season or two and then become less dominant or disappear, only to return once again. "We need a crystal ball," mused Nanda. WATCH: Paris is flooding and rats are taking cover
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| Why The GOP Has Followed Trump Off The Deep End Posted: 02 Feb 2018 02:45 AM PST  In the real world, evidence mounts that President Donald Trump has striven to obstruct the Russia investigation ― not least by attempting to fire Special Counsel Robert Mueller.
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| Dwayne Johnson Opens Up About His Mother's Suicide Attempt Posted: 01 Feb 2018 07:48 AM PST  Actor and wrestler Dwayne Johnson opened up about his memories of his mother's suicide attempt in a powerful Instagram post Thursday.
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| U.S. agency says will keep providing water, other essentials in Puerto Rico Posted: 31 Jan 2018 06:55 PM PST ![U.S. agency says will keep providing water, other essentials in Puerto Rico]( "U.S. agency says will keep providing water, other essentials in Puerto Rico") By Nick Brown NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency said on Wednesday it would continue providing water, meals and other essentials to hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico despite earlier reports its humanitarian mission in the U.S. territory would end on Wednesday. "There was never, and is not now, a decision to stop distributing commodities on the island," FEMA said in a written statement on Wednesday evening. Puerto Rico is struggling to recover from Hurricane Maria, which hit on Sept. 20.
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| Suspected Serial Killer and Mall Santa Looked ‘So Normal and Business-Like,’ Clients Say Posted: 01 Feb 2018 11:37 AM PST  Bruce McArthur was arrested Jan. 18 and charged with two counts of murder
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| Mass Graves Suggest Systematic Killing Of Rohingya In Myanmar Posted: 01 Feb 2018 11:30 AM PST  A new report discloses at least five previously unreported mass graves in Myanmar, adding further evidence of the systematic killing of Rohingya Muslim civilians by the country's military.
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| Florida lawmaker: Law that OKs child marriage well-crafted Posted: 01 Feb 2018 11:33 AM PST  TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — A Florida lawmaker who opposes a bill to ban child marriage said Thursday that the current law allowing child rapists to marry girls they impregnate is well-crafted.
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| Five things to know about Costa Rica Posted: 01 Feb 2018 09:38 PM PST ![Five things to know about Costa Rica]( "Five things to know about Costa Rica") San José (AFP) - Costa Rica, which hold presidential and legislative elections on Sunday, is a tropical tourist destination in Central America that boasts of being an eco-friendly nation. The elections are in part being influenced by the population's socially conservative tendencies, brought to the fore by a debate over whether to make gay marriage legal.
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| Pence, Manchin square off in Twitter battle over tax vote Posted: 01 Feb 2018 07:24 AM PST  Sen. Shelley Moore Capito reacts to the war of words between her West Virginia Senate colleague and the vice president.
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| Devin Nunes Made 'Material Changes' To Secret Memo Before It Went To Trump, Democrat Says Posted: 31 Jan 2018 09:50 PM PST  WASHINGTON — The chairman of the House Intelligence Committee made "material changes" to a secret memo he shared with lawmakers before sending it to the president to approve for final release, the top Democrat on the committee said Wednesday night.
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| Instagram model Jen Selter removed from American Airlines flight after 'humiliating' row Posted: 02 Feb 2018 03:56 AM PST  An Instagram fitness model was "humiliated" after being removed from an American Airlines flight following a row with staff. Jen Selter, who has 11 million followers on Instagram, posted footage of her arguing with a pilot and a flight attendant on the delayed flight from Miami to New York on 27 January. "I did nothing wrong but got kicked off the plane," she wrote, adding she had the "worst experience" following a delay which left the aircraft stuck on the runway for two hours. The 24-year-old claims she and her sister were told to leave the aircraft following a disagreement with a male attendant when she got up to put her coat away and stretch her legs. She argues that two other passengers had been allowed to go to the bathroom when she stood up, adding she was being sarcastic after responding "yeah" when asked by the attendant, "Do you want to get kicked off the plane?" Current situation @AmericanAir .. insane. pic.twitter.com/kIOh3VysnU— Jen Selter (@JenSelter) January 28, 2018 Ms Selter says the attendant told her to sit down and they began arguing resulting in the pilot calling the police who then arrived on board. "The crew is asking for you guys to be removed off the plane," the pilot tells them in one clip. Just like that, 5 cops coming at me. Worst experience American Air ✌�� pic.twitter.com/1LY1NrAQ3k— Jen Selter (@JenSelter) January 28, 2018 In another video, a police officer tells the sisters: "American Airlines calls the shots. They don't want you to fly on their plane today." Ms Selter told the New York Post: "It was humiliating. They made me feel like a terrible person, and I did nothing wrong." A spokesperson for American Airlines said in a statement: "Ms. Selter was asked to leave the aircraft after a disagreement occurred Saturday night at Miami International Airport (MIA). "American offered her hotel accommodations and transportation, which she declined. She flew on American Sunday morning back to New York (LGA) – arriving around 8:30 a.m. ET yesterday morning." Ms Selter has vowed "to never fly American Airlines again".
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| Isaiah Canaan's Ankle Injury Is So Horrible, Fellow Players Can't Look Posted: 01 Feb 2018 04:03 AM PST  When fellow players can't even look, you know the injury is bad.
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| Taiwan says China air route dispute will determine future ties Posted: 31 Jan 2018 08:04 PM PST ![Taiwan says China air route dispute will determine future ties]( "Taiwan says China air route dispute will determine future ties") A dispute with China over its opening of new air routes near Taiwan will determine future relations between Taipei and Beijing, Taiwan's government said amid a deepening disagreement that could strand thousands over an important holiday. The spat has become increasingly bitter, with both sides trading accusations after two Chinese airlines canceled extra flights to Taiwan over the Lunar New Year, the most important holiday in the Chinese calendar, potentially leaving thousands of Taiwanese without tickets to go home. Whether this disputed issue can be resolved is an important indicator of how Taiwan people will view the future direction of relations between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait," Taiwan's China-policy making Mainland Affairs Council said in a statement late Wednesday.
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| Hong Kong's 'Umbrella Movement' Has Been Nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize Posted: 01 Feb 2018 07:00 AM PST  Joshua Wong, Nathan Law, Alex Chow and others are in consideration
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| Parents Shared The Creepiest Things Their Kids Have Ever Said Posted: 01 Feb 2018 02:47 PM PST  Children regularly say adorable, hilarious things.
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| Polish senate passes Holocaust bill slammed by Israel Posted: 31 Jan 2018 06:11 PM PST  Poland's senate on Thursday passed a controversial Holocaust bill, which was designed to defend the country's image abroad but has instead sparked a diplomatic row with Israel. The bill, which sets fines or a maximum three-year jail term for anyone who refers to Nazi German death camps as Polish or accuses Poland of complicity in the Third Reich's crimes, was approved by 57 votes to 23 in the upper house of parliament, with two abstentions. Israel had earlier called for the bill to be dropped, seeing one of its provisions as an attempt to deny Polish involvement in Nazi Germany's extermination of Jews.
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| Bernie Sanders Slow-Clapping Donald Trump Is Your New Favorite Meme Posted: 01 Feb 2018 02:43 AM PST  initial reaction to President Donald Trump's State of the Union address was one for the books.
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| Four migrants critical after 'unprecedented' shooting in Calais as mayor lashes out at 'manipulative' charities Posted: 02 Feb 2018 01:55 AM PST  Four migrants are in a critical condition after being shot in Calais in what the French government dubbed "unprecedented" scenes of violence among those seeking to reach Britain. The brutal attack came days after Theresa May pledged an extra £44.5 million to beef up border security in Calais and President Emmanuel Macron promised there would be no return to the "jungle" – the notorious migrant camp razed in 2016. Calais mayor Natacha Bouchart slammed charities and activists who "manipulate" migrants. "They are people who live off this. Culturally, they are against the state, institutions. They help neither the migrants nor the population," she said. Her comments came as the government promised to take over control of food distribution from local aid groups "within two weeks" and conduct the handouts outside the town. The four men, all Eritreans, were shot in the neck, chest, abdomen and spine at a food distribution point. A fifth gunshot victim was not facing life-threatening injuries. In all, some 22 people were hospitalised after three giant brawls across the city on Thursday between hundreds of Afghans and Eritreans camped out in squalid conditions in the hope of sneaking to the UK as stowaways in trucks. Two officers were injured in the clashes. French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb (C) meets in Calais, northern France, following a large brawl between a hundred migrants which resulted in several injuries. Credit: PHILIPPE HUGUEN/AFP It was the worst violence in Calais since clashes on July 1, 2017 left 16 people wounded. A year earlier in June, 40 people were injured in clashes in the northern port town. Police were searching for a 37-year-old Afghan, a suspected migrant smuggler, over the attack but witnesses reported seeing several people fire shots, according to local prosecutors. "There were migrants who had no money, the smugglers got angry and fired shots," said one 18-year old Afghan migrant called Daniel. In response, around 100 Eritreans armed with iron rods and sticks then attacked a group of around 20 Afghans at the industrial estate where food was handed out, prosecutors said. Police intervened to protect the Afghans. Visiting the scene, Gérard Collomb, the French interior minister, said the "unprecedented" level of violence was "intolerable for the people of Calais and the migrants". He urged migrants to stay away from Calais, calling the port town a "mirage" and "a wall" into which they were "slamming". Those that camped there were "illegal immigrants" who did not want to claim asylum in official centres, he added. French authorities say four migrants have been shot in the northern port city of Calais in a confrontation that police tried to stop. Credit: AP The clashes came just two weeks after President Emmanuel Macron visited Calais and promised that there would be no return to the "jungle", the notorious camp that at one point housed almost 10,000 migrants and was bulldozed late in 2016. He also attacked "certain organisations" for spreading "lies" - referring to volunteers and charities accused of encouraging migrants to enter Britain illegally, and of fabricating claims of police brutality against them. The French president later travelled to Britain, where he agreed to preserve the Le Touquet treaty, which authorises British border checks on French soil. In return, Theresa May agreed pay for more fencing, CCTV and detection devices, and to take in more unaccompanied minors. An aid work in Calais told Le Monde that there had been an influx in migrants since the Franco-British summit. "In Paris and elswehere, exiles heard that the President had visited Calais then Theresa May. "So they have arrived en masse here to benefit from family entry and settlement and the passage of accompanied minors, the subject of negotiations (between Britain and France)." On Friday, Mr Collomb insisted: "The message I want to get across is that if you want to go to Britain, it's not here you should come." He blamed the latest violence on people smugglers who reportedly charge as much as €2,500 (£2,200) to hide migrants in lorries crossing the Channel by ferry or through the Eurotunnel."These networks must be broken up," he said, pledging riot police reinforcements for the area. Migrant wakes up in shelter tent in Calais Credit: PASCAL ROSSIGNOL/REUTERS Despite state claims that Calais' border is now impregnable, the number of migrants camping there has risen to between 550, according to state figures, and 800, according to local associations. By day they hide from the police in camps in the woods. By night they try to board passing trucks. The police systematically tear down their encampments and tents, and chase them away with tear gas and batons when they try to hold up truckers. "Given this precarious situation, naturally the smugglers don't help matters," said Jean-Claude Lenoir, president of the charity, Salam. Mr Macron has pledged to step up the deportation of economic migrants and speed up processing asylum requests in a mixture of "efficiency" and "humanity". His interior minister warned that half a million migrants had been refused asylum elsewhere in Europe – mainly in Germany – and risked heading for France. "The situation's untenable," he told reporters, noting that France registered a record 100,000 asylum requests last year – a record high. Tens of thousands more were turned away at the border. France is due to table a new immigration and asylum law later this month.
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| North Korean athletes arrive in South Korea for Olympics Posted: 01 Feb 2018 05:42 AM PST  GANGNEUNG, South Korea (AP) — Ten North Korean skaters and skiers arrived in rival South Korea on Thursday to participate in this month's Winter Olympics, which has brought a temporary lull in tensions over the North's nuclear weapons program.
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