| Airport Apologizes to Mom After 'Unfortunate' Breastfeeding Encounter Posted: 18 Jul 2018 06:03 AM PDT  Richmond International Airport officials issued an apology to a Richmond mom who was breastfeeding her son at the airport.
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| Take A Look Back At Audi TT Concepts Through The Years Posted: 18 Jul 2018 02:06 PM PDT |
| Thailand's cave boys wake up at home for first time in weeks Posted: 19 Jul 2018 12:42 AM PDT  By Amy Sawitta Lefevre CHIANG RAI, Thailand (Reuters) - Thailand's rescued cave boys woke up in their own homes for the first time in more than three weeks on Thursday, with many rising at dawn to take part in a religious ceremony. During a national TV broadcast they smiled, joked and showed solidarity with one another, as they shared details of their traumatic experience inside the flooded Tham Luang cave complex. On Thursday, some of the boys and their relatives took part in religious ceremonies at Mae Sai's Wat Pha That Doi Wao temple – an ancient temple with scenic views of the surrounding countryside.
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| Elon Musk Breaks Silence After Calling Thai Cave Rescue Hero a 'Pedo' Posted: 18 Jul 2018 04:00 AM PDT  Musk has spoken out about the controversy.
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| Trump blames Putin summit backlash on 'Trump Derangement Syndrome!' Posted: 18 Jul 2018 06:51 AM PDT  Facing a continued firestorm over his attempt to clarify his comments at his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, President Trump on Wednesday accused his critics of being "haters" who wanted to see his diplomatic efforts fail.
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| Russian warship ‘carrying £100 billion in gold’ discovered off South Korea Posted: 19 Jul 2018 05:19 AM PDT  A South Korean salvage team has discovered the wreck of a Russian warship that was sunk in a naval battle 113 years ago and is believed to still contain a trove of gold bullion and coins worth 150 trillion won, or £100 billion. The Russian Imperial Navy cruiser Dmitrii Donskoi was discovered at a depth of more than 1,400 feet about one mile off the South Korean island of Ulleungdo. Shinil Group, the company behind the discovery, says it is aiming to raise the ship later this year Credit: Shinil Group A joint team made up of experts from South Korea, Britain and Canada discovered the wreck on Sunday and used two manned submersibles to capture footage of the vessel, with the company behind the discovery promising to use a percentage of the money to fund the construction of a railway line linking Russia and South Korea through North Korea. The video includes images of extensive damage to the vessel caused in an encounter with Japanese warships in May 1905, along with cannons and deck guns encrusted with marine growth, the anchor and the ship's wheel. The identity of the 5,800-ton warship was confirmed when the crew of one of the submersibles were able to read the name on the stern. "The body of the ship was severely damaged by shelling, with its stern almost broken, and yet the ship's deck and sides are well preserved", the Seoul-based Shinil Group said in a statement. Launched in St Petersburg in August 1883, the Dmitrii Donskoi was designed as a commerce raider and fitted with both a full set of sails and a coal-fired engine. The ship spent most of its career operating in the Mediterranean and the Far East and was deployed to Imperial Russia's Second Pacific Squadron after the Japanese fleet destroyed the majority of Russia's naval power in the Far East in the opening salvoes of the 1904 Russo-Japanese War. The Dmitri Donskoii was sunk in 1905 during the Russo-Japanese war Credit: Shinil Group The squadron was intercepted by the Japanese fleet in May 1905 and decimated at the Battle of Tsushima. Assigned to protect the transport ships at the rear of the formation, the Dmitrii Donskoi managed to evade the attacking force, but was later intercepted steaming for the Russian port of Vladivostok. Haul: the Imperial Navy Cruiser Dmitri Donskoii sank more than a century ago with - it is thought - 5,500 boxes of gold bars and coins still on board Credit: Shinil Group Around 60 of the 591 crew were killed and further 120 injured before Captain Ivan Lebedev anchored off the island of Ulleungdo and ordered his men ashore. The following morning, May 29, 1905, the ship was scuttled offshore and the crew were taken prisoner by Japanese landing parties. Captain Lebedev later died of his wounds. There are reports that the Dmitrii Donskoi was carrying the fleet's funds and went down with 5,500 boxes containing gold bars as well as a separate haul of 200 tons of gold coins. The gold was being stored in the ship's holds to stop the Japanese seizing it. Shinil Group estimates the gold would have a total value today of £101.3 billion. Half of any treasure found on board will be handed over to the Russian government Credit: Donskoii The company says it is aiming to raise the ship in October or November. Half of any treasure found aboard the vessel would be handed over to the Russian government, the company said, while 10 percent of the remainder will be invested in tourism projects on Ulleungdo Island, including a museum dedicated to the vessel. A portion of the rest of the treasure will be donated to joint projects to promote development in north-east Asia, the company said, such as a railway line from Russia to South Korea through North Korea.
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| At 99 million years old, this baby snake fossil is the first of its kind to be discovered Posted: 19 Jul 2018 10:41 AM PDT  Palaeontologists have found a tiny fossilized baby snake, the first of its kind to be discovered. The snake embryo, sitting within a chunk of amber from Myanmar, was preserved in the early Late Cretaceous period approximately 99 million years ago, according to research published in Science Advances on Wednesday. SEE ALSO: Giant, newly discovered dinosaur was literally a huge weirdo It's a new species that's been named Xiaophis myanmarensis by the 11 authors , the first Mesozoic snake to be found in a forested environment, which the study's authors believe indicates a greater ecological diversity in early snakes than previously thought. (left) the snake skeleton within the amber. (middle) a dorsal view of skeleton, synchrotron x-ray micro–computed tomography image. (right) a ventral view of the skeleton.Image: science advancesThe unique little snake fossil, according to the report, is an articulated post-cranial skeleton (everything but the skull) and sits at just 47.5 millimeters long. A look at the snake's vertebrae indicates similarities to those of fossil snakes from Gondwana, the ancient supercontinent that broke up about 180 million years ago. National Geographic placed the snake as possibly related to a group of modern snakes found in Southeast Asia. Individual vertebrae are extremely small, comparable in size and morphology to those of a neonate Asian pipe snake.Image: science advancesA second specimen found in Myanmar by the same team includes a preserved fragment of shed skin. That skin hasn't been confirmed by the researchers as coming from a snake, but when compared to modern specimens, the scale-like markings look pretty close to that of a snake. If it is indeed snakeskin, National Geographic reports, it would be the first ever discovered in amber. Photographs of probable snake shed skin.Image: Science AdvancesThe tiny snake fossil is incredibly well-preserved for being approximately 99 million years old. Every fossil unearthed like this brings us a little closer to understanding what creatures slithered across the Earth and where before smartphones and Snapchat ever got a look-in. WATCH: This Golden Record is an alien's guide to Earth
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| Hawaii police: Friends may be hiding police shooting suspect Posted: 19 Jul 2018 08:42 PM PDT  HONOLULU (AP) — A suspect wanted in the killing of the first police officer to be fatally shot on Hawaii's Big Island likely remains hidden on the mostly rural eastern side of the vast island, authorities said Thursday.
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| Facebook must adhere to German Holocaust denial laws, says Berlin Posted: 19 Jul 2018 06:19 AM PDT  Facebook must stick to German laws which ban Holocaust denial, the Justice Ministry in Berlin said on Thursday after Mark Zuckerberg caused outrage by saying his platform should not delete such comments. Zuckerberg's remarks have fueled further criticism of Facebook after governments and rights groups have attacked it for not doing enough to stem hate speech. In the interview with tech blog Recode Zuckerberg said he was Jewish and personally found it offensive to deny the Holocaust but he did not think Facebook should delete people's views.
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| 71-year-old man dies from bacterial infection after eating oyster in Florida Posted: 19 Jul 2018 11:07 AM PDT  A 71-year-old man has died from a bacterial infection after eating an oyster in a Florida restaurant in Sarasota County, according to local reports. The Florida Department of Health has not identified the man or the restaurant but the man died on 10, July. In posts published to Twitter, the health department identified the bacteria in question as Vibrio vulnificus, a rare bacterium that normally lives in warm seawater and that is naturally occurring in warm salty or brackish water.
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| Indonesia's 'child' of Krakatoa spews ash and lava Posted: 19 Jul 2018 04:44 AM PDT  An Indonesian volcano known as the "child" of the legendary Krakatoa erupted on Thursday, spewing a plume of ash high into the sky as molten lava streamed down from its summit. Anak Krakatau -- a small volcanic island that emerged from the ocean a half century after Krakatoa's deadly 1883 eruption -- has rumbled back to life in recent weeks, spitting flaming rocks and ash from its crater. No one lives on Krakatau, which forms a small island in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra, but the peak is a popular tourist spot.
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| Spiky Utah dinosaur had more than 'a face only a mother could love' Posted: 19 Jul 2018 10:06 AM PDT  With its head and snout covered in bony armor shaped like cones and pyramids, a spiky tank-like dinosaur unearthed in southern Utah was not just another pretty face. Scientists on Thursday announced the discovery of fossils of a dinosaur named Akainacephalus johnsoni that lived 76 million years ago during the Cretaceous Period. It was a four-legged, armour-studded plant-eater with a menacing club at the end of its tail. It was a member of a dinosaur group called ankylosaurs, among the most heavily armored animals ever on Earth - and for good reason, considering the predators around at the time. The unique shape and arrangement of its head and snout armor may be its most intriguing trait, the researchers said, giving clues about the Asian ancestry of some of the ankylosaurs that roamed western North America near the end of the dinosaur era. Akainacephalus johnsoni Credit: Reuters "Someone once told me that Akainacephalus, and ankylosaurs in general, were quite ugly and had a face only a mother could love. I must say that I wholeheartedly disagree. These are quite extraordinary and beautiful animals," said paleontologist Jelle Wiersma of James Cook University in Australia. Akainacephalus was a medium-sized ankylosaur, about 16 feet (5 meters) long, with a short boxy head covered in bony armor and a beak and small teeth for cropping vegetation, said paleontologist Randall Irmis of the Natural History Museum of Utah and the University of Utah. It had a short neck and wide torso, walked on four short stout legs, and may have whacked predators with its bony tail club. It inhabited a warm, humid environment similar to southern Louisiana's bayous, with slow-moving streams and rivers and associated swamps. The largest predators were the 30-foot-long (9-meter-long) Tyrannosaurus rex cousin Teratophoneus and 42-foot-long (13-meter-long) crocodilian Deinosuchus. The extensive skeletal remains, including a complete skull, were excavated in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Akainacephalus, as well as a cousin called Nodocephalosaurus that lived in New Mexico a couple million years later, possessed spiky head armor similar to Asian members of this dinosaur group. Other related North American dinosaurs such as Ankylosaurus had relatively flat armor covering the head. This indicates Akainacephalus and Nodocephalosaurus were close kin to Asian ankylosaurs and that multiple emigration events involving this group occurred from Asia to North America late in the Cretaceous Period, the researchers said. This resulted in two distinct lineages in North America of club-tailed ankylosaurs. The research was published in the scientific journal PeerJ.
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| The Latest: Army says 5th person hurt in depot blast, fire Posted: 19 Jul 2018 02:12 PM PDT ![The Latest: Army says 5th person hurt in depot blast, fire]( "The Latest: Army says 5th person hurt in depot blast, fire") LETTERKENNY, Pa. (AP) — The Latest on an explosion at a Pennsylvania Army depot (all times local):
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| Mark Zuckerberg Says Facebook Won't Remove Holocaust Denial Content Posted: 18 Jul 2018 11:53 AM PDT  Mark Zuckerberg got himself into hot water Wednesday after suggesting that
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| President Trump 'Disagrees' With Putin's Interview Offer, White House Says Posted: 19 Jul 2018 11:20 AM PDT  Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders says the proposal was 'made in sincerity'
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| UK police identify Novichok suspects as Russians: report Posted: 19 Jul 2018 11:23 AM PDT  British police believe they have identified the suspects who carried out the Novichok nerve agent attack on a former Moscow double agent and his daughter and that they are Russian, the Press Association news agency reported Thursday. "They (investigators) are sure they (suspects) are Russian," the source added. Government departments and the Metropolitan Police, whose counter-terrorism unit is investigating the poisoning, refused to comment on the report when contacted by AFP.
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| Thai cave rescue: Boys and football coach tried to dig their way out and will be ordained as monks in diver tribute Posted: 18 Jul 2018 05:41 AM PDT  Happy and healthy, the 12 members and coach of the Wild Boars football team showed off their ball skills to a clapping crowd before revealing for the first time the gripping inside details of their Thai cave rescue drama. The boys, aged 11-16, and their coach, Ekapol Chanthawong, 25, spoke of the "miracle" moment when British divers discovered them cowering in the dark after ten days and described how they had clawed at the walls of the cave with rocks in a desperate attempt to escape. The team were finally discharged from hospital to their families on Wednesday night, just over a week after they were extracted from the flooded Tham Luang cave in northern Thailand in a perilous diving operation that had the world on edge for more than two weeks. But before they were allowed to taste their long-awaited favourite pork dishes, the young team spent more than an hour answering questions – vetted by a psychologist – describing the terror of their ordeal, their hopes for the future, and how the experience had changed their lives. Speaking at a press conference, in a room oddly decked out like a football field, in the town of Chiang Rai, the boys also paid a moving tribute to Saman Kunan, 38, the former Thai Navy Seal who died during the rescue, and confirmed they would become novice monks in his honour. Thai cave rescue | Read more The coach, known as Ake, said they felt guilty about his death. In a touching moment, the youngest of the team, Titan, 11, stood in front of a portrait of Mr Kunan to pay his respects. "Thank you for your sacrifice," he said. To an enthralled audience, the team then described their first moments of fear and confusion as they realised they had become trapped by rapidly rising floodwaters on what they had intended to be a short one-hour exploration of the cave. "We realised we were trapped on our way back," said Ake, adding that they had initially tried to swim out. When that failed, they debated whether to go back or forward and decided to retreat further inside the cave in the hope of finding another exit. "I was really afraid at that moment," said one of the boys. But instead of giving in to their fears, they turned to survival, drinking the water that trickled down the limestone walls, and taking it in turns to try to dig their way out. Dramatic rescues that defied the odds | Thai cave operation They hoped the waters would recede and that rescuers would find them. But as the days passed without any food, their strength was sapped. "I felt dizzy and weak," said Titan, the smallest boy in the team. Adul Sam-on, 14, described the moment two British divers discovered the boys ten days later as a "miracle". It was Adul who spoke shaky English to John Volanthen and Rick Stanton as they first shone their torch on the emaciated children in the pitch-black cavern. The teenager has been praised for calmly liaising between the Brits and the exhausted boys before an army doctor and three Thai Navy Seals arrived to look after them and to keep their spirits up by playing chequers. One by one the boys charmed their audience, with their public apologies to their mothers and innocent requests for their favourite food. "I've been talking in my sleep about congee," confessed one boy, laughing as he referred to a popular local rice porridge. But they also showed a glimpse of the maturity and strength that sustained them through an ordeal that would have broken the spirit of many adults. Thailand cave rescue, in pictures "Everyone loves each other so much that there was no fight to go out first," said Ake, revealing for the first time that their order of extraction, in three batches over three days, had been entirely voluntary. Several of the boys stated their newfound ambition to become Navy Seals, while others will pursue their footballing dreams. "This experience taught me not to live carelessly," said Adul Sam-on, who also hopes the ordeal may springboard him to Thai citizenship. Originally from neighbouring Burma, he was left by his parents at a Thai church to ensure his education. Timeline | Thailand cave rescue Adul, Ake and two other teammates are also "stateless" but the authorities have hinted that the politically sensitive issue of their papers may soon be resolved. Sanna Johnson, regional director for Asia at the International Rescue Committee, who help stateless people along the porous Thai-Burma border, said she hoped "the story of heroism" would "break down prejudice." "If they can lead the way so that other children and parents of families are given the same opportunities that would be brilliant," she said. 1:32PM Press conference ends in tribute to Thai king Four of the team are not Thai citizens and are currently stateless, but the governor announced they have submitted their documents already to rectify their legal status. The boys, Navy Seals and doctors ended the press conference by paying tribute to the Thai king, bowing in front of his portrait. Another round of applause echoed around the room before they posed for photographs in front of the stage. 1:24PM Team to be ordained as monks to pay tribute to Navy Seal The boys and their coach have decided to be ordained as monks to pay tribute Saman Kunan - the Navy Seal who died during the rescue. Coach Ekkapol Chantawong said they would all attend a temple and go through the ceremony together. Rescued Thai football coach Ekkapol Chantawong (L) together with 12 children pays tribute to the Navy Seal who died during their rescue Credit: AFP 1:22PM First thing footballers will do when they get home - say sorry to parents When asked about what they will do when they go home, the entire team said they will apologise to their parents and family. They all said they hadn't told their parents that they would be going to the cave, revealing they had only said they were going to play football. Inside the cave, they lived in fear of how much trouble they would get in when they returned home. One boy said: "I know my mother is going to punish me. I'm in big trouble with my mother." When another boy was asked whether he thinks he deserves to be punished, he said he did and that his father would discipline him. 1:18PM Who decided the order the boys would leave the cave? Many media channels asked who decided which boy would go first during the rescue. The coach said they decided that the boys who lived the furthest away would go out first. It was apparently not a question of who was strongest or weakest. "Everyone loves each other so much that nobody competed to go out first," he said. The Navy Seals confirmed that the decision was voluntary. Dr Richard Harris, an Australian anaesthetist who played a pivotal role in the boys' medical care, said that they were all strong enough to leave and that the order of extraction did not matter. 1:16PM Young footballers looking forward to home-cooked food The boys will be taken home immediately after the press conference, which is taking place in Chiang Rai in Thailand where the time is 7.15pm. When asked about the food they would like to eat when they go home, among the favourites was crispy pork. Some of the twelves boys play football before the press conference Credit: AFP One of the boys revealed how he was talking in his sleep about eating congee - a rice-type porridge. 1:12PM Coach would go back to cave - but only as a guide The Wild Boars coach was asked whether or not he would return to the cave. In response, he said: "If someone just invites me then no. But I would volunteer as a guide if needed." One of his players said: "This experience taught me not to live carelessly," while another said: "This taught me to value my life and the values inside me. This event can make me stronger." 1:07PM 'What lessons have you learned from this?' Coach Ake told the gathered media: "We truly appreciated your kindness.We learned that we have to be more careful and have to check things more carefully before we do them." One of the boys adds: "I promise to be a good person." Another said his goal remains the same - to become a professional footballer, while one of his teammates revealed he now wants to become a Navy Seal. A young member of the squad said: "This experience has made me stronger." 1:03PM Thai diver who died during rescue commemorated by team A picture of the Thai Navy Seal diver who lost his life during the rescue was presented to his colleagues on stage. The coach describes Saman Kunan, 38, as "sacrificial", and says they feel very saddened by his death. The framed pencil sketch of the diver was surrounded by messages of thanks from each of the team, wishing the man peace. Dr Pak was with the children for nine days and became very close to the boys. The boys clasp their hands together as a token of thanks to the gathered media Credit: AFP "We really got close to one another. We had to counter problems together and we struggled together, but happily," he said. "We worried about these kids. There were many great feelings but also sadness because we lost a Thai Navy Seal." Titan, 11, wrote: "I would like to express our condolences. Please rest in peace. Thank you very much for your sacrifice. I felt sorry for the Lt commander's family and I want to say thank you." The picture will be sent to the diver's family. 1:00PM 'We were like a family,' says one footballer of team and rescuers The Thai Navy Seals spoke at the press conference, but their identities have not been revealed. W Wearing dark sunglasses and caps, one revealed that it was difficult to sleep and that foil sheets were placed on the floor. One boy said: "We were like a family, with the Seals. We ate and slept together." 12:57PM Doctors played checkers with the boys to keep them energised Doctors played checkers with the boys to keep them energised. The host asks Dr Pak Loharachun, a Thai army medic who stayed inside the cave with the boys for days after they were discovered, what it was like. "We stayed to energise them, warm them up and keep them healthy," he said. Different rescue options were being discussed, including drilling down, or draining the cave. Dr Pak described the full-face masks that the boys were trained to use. "I was scared as they are all young and I didn't know whether they could dive out or not," he said. 12:50PM Wild Boars football team took it in turns to try and dig through cave walls One of the footballers said: "I started digging at the cave walls, to try and find a way out. I digged around three or four metres." "We talked whether we should go forward or should we go further inside." The boys rescued from the Thai cave Credit: AFP The coach said: "One of the boys said there was a way out at the end of the tunnel, so we talked about whether we should move forwards or backwards. "But then it was decided we would move back into the cave. We had two solutions - wait for the rescuers or try to get out, but we could hear the water rising towards us. "And we looked forward and saw it rising - it came up around three metres. "Unfortunately we couldn't go forward, but we could dig at the cave wall. At least we'll do something. "We took turns. That was our routine for 10 days." 12:46PM Boys had no food or water in the cave The Wild Boars footballers have revealed they took no food into the cave with them. They survived by drinking the water trickling down from the rocks inside the cave. After they woke up after spending their first night in the cave, they began to feel weak, so their coach told them to stay as still as possible. "We just drank water," one player said. "On the first day we didn't feel anything but after two days we started to feel tired and weak." 12:43PM Why did the football team go into the cave? The question on many people's lips was - why did you go in the cave in the first place? The coach said that they planned to go after their football trip. The adventure started with a bike ride at 10am in the morning and after football training they rode to the cave. Some had been there before. On a previous trip they experienced some water coming into the cave, so this time they had only planned to go in for an hour. The Wild Boars Credit: AFP On the way back to the exit they realised they were trapped. They had to swim. Asked how they felt at that moment, one team member said: "I was really afraid at that moment." Then it started to get dark inside and they tried not to be frightened. The coach told them to start digging to try to release the water. 12:37PM Coach realised they were in trouble on their way back out of cave "We realised we were trapped on our way back," the coach said. The team had only meant to go in there for a short time, but the water got deeper as they got further into the network of caves. All of the boys can swim, and it was decided to try and swim back out the way they came in. 12:33PM Wild Boars watched World Cup final in hospital The boys watched the World Cup final in hospital - the very first football match they watched having escaped the cave. "It was really fun," the coach said. The majority of the boys were supporting France, who went on to win the tournament. 12:31PM Watch the English-translation version of the press conference here 12:28PM Boy recalls moment British diver found them The first question is - what did you think the first moment you saw the [British] divers. Adul Sam-on, 14, answers. He learned English at church in Mae Sai and conversed with the British divers who first discovered the boys after they had been trapped alone underground for ten days. The boys first saw the divers' torch looming out of the darkness, and then heard a voice. One of the footballers, who speaks a little English, talked about the moment divers made contact with the team. Twelve Thai boys and their football coach, rescued from a flooded cave Credit: AFP He said they were on the rocks and they could not believe someone had made contact with them. The young footballer said the first voice he heard was British, and that his coach went to talk to him. "It was a miracle moment. We were surprised it was not Thai. He said, 'How are you?', and I said: 'We're fine'," he said. The British diver said it was "brilliant" that all 13 people were there. 12:23PM Boys introduce themselves to the gathered media The boys, who were described as "quite obedient" by doctors, have introduced themselves to the audience. Doctors said they had "listened to the instructions given" to them. They each took it in turns to stand up on stage and tell reporters their names and positions to applause. People all over the world are watching the livefeed, posting messages of support. "They are so strong," says one message. "Good to see them strong and healthy," says another. 12:18PM Boys have gained 3kgs each on average in hospital Drs say the health and mental condition of the Thai soccer players & coach is good. They have gained 3 kilos since the rescue. #ThailandCaveRescue— Hannah Thibedeau (@HannahThibedeau) July 18, 2018 12:11PM Thai footballers arrive at press conference The Wild Boars football team have arrived at the press conference wearing football shirts. Sat on stage, they faced the world's media having been discharged from hospital on Wednesday morning.
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| Boeing wins air show as Airbus gets boost from AirAsia Posted: 19 Jul 2018 11:30 AM PDT  Boeing (BA.N) claimed victory on Thursday after outselling rival Airbus (AIR.PA) at this week's Farnborough Airshow, where the world's largest planemakers repeated last year's comparable haul of around 900 orders with the help of leasing industry demand. The world's largest planemaker said it had won 528 orders and commitments at the event in southern England, while Airbus reported 431 new deals, or 371 excluding the recently acquired Bombardier CSeries, now rebranded A220. Airbus blamed the incognito wave on trade tensions that had made some firms nervous about appearing to side with the United States or other economic powers amid heated trade rhetoric.
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| Rep. Jim Jordan interviewed in doctor sex abuse inquiry Posted: 18 Jul 2018 10:09 AM PDT  COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, who used to coach wrestling at Ohio State University, was interviewed by a law firm investigating allegations that a now-dead team doctor sexually abused male athletes there decades ago, his spokesman confirmed Wednesday.
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| GOP Rejects Two Resolutions Affirming Support For U.S. Intelligence Community Posted: 19 Jul 2018 11:30 AM PDT  WASHINGTON ― Republicans on Thursday objected to doing the bare minimum in
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| Philippines issues new order to expel Australian nun Posted: 18 Jul 2018 05:14 PM PDT  The Philippines issued on Thursday a fresh deportation order for an elderly Australian nun who angered President Rodrigo Duterte, as her lawyers pledged to block her expulsion. Sister Patricia Fox, 71, has been accused of illegally engaging in political activism as the government cracks down on foreign critics on its soil. "We find Fox Patricia Anne, Australian national, in violation of the limitations and conditions of (the Philippines immigration law) and order her deportation to Australia," said the government order shown to AFP by her lawyers.
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| U.S. Interior watchdog probes Zinke over real estate deal Posted: 18 Jul 2018 05:44 PM PDT  By Timothy Gardner WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Interior Department's watchdog said in a letter to lawmakers on Wednesday that it was investigating a Montana real estate deal involving a foundation set up by Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke and a development group backed by the chairman of oil service company Halliburton. The letter, a copy of which was seen by Reuters, said that the agency's inspector general had launched the probe on July 16 to look into a development deal in Zinke's hometown of Whitefish, Montana, between a group funded by David Lesar, Halliburton's chairman, and the foundation.
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| Rescued Thai football boys pray at Buddhist temple as they begin first day back home Posted: 19 Jul 2018 04:23 AM PDT  The Thai football boys and their coach began their first day back home with their families since they were rescued from a flooded cave with a trip to a Buddhist temple on Thursday to pray for protection from misfortunes. The 11 boys and the coach kneeled and pressed their hands in prayer to the tune of chanting monks. They were joined by relatives and friends at the Wat Pra That Doi Wao temple, overlooking Myanmar on Thailand's northern border. The remaining member of the Wild Boars football team - Adul Sargon - is not a Buddhist and did not attend the ceremony, meant to extend one's life and protect it from dangers. The team has already said they would ordain as Buddhist novices to honour a former Thai navy SEAL diver who died in the cave while making preparations for their rescue. On Wednesday evening, the boys and coach faced the media for the first time since their ordeal, describing their surprise at seeing two British divers rising from muddy waters in the recesses of the cave. It would be another week before they were pulled out of the Tham Luang cave. Members of the rescued football team take part in a religious ceremony Credit: AP "We weren't sure if it was for real," 14-year-old Adul said. "So we stopped and listened. And it turned out to be true. I was shocked." In one poignant and emotional moment at the news conference, a portrait was displayed of Saman Gunan, the Thai diver who died. One of the boys, 11-year-old Chanin "Titan" Vibulrungruang, the youngest of the group, covered his eyes as if wiping away a tear. "I feel sad. And another thing is I'm really impressed with Sgt. Sam for sacrificing his life for all 13 Wild Boars to be able to live our lives outside happily and normally," he said. "When we found out, everyone was sad. Extremely sad, like we were the cause of this that made the sergeant's family sad and having to face problems." The Wild Boars had entered the cave on June 23 for what was to be a relaxing excursion after football practice. But rain began, and water soon filled the cavern, cutting off their escape, and they huddled on a patch of dry ground deep inside the cave. Coach Ekapol "Ake" Chanthawong said the trip was meant to last one hour, simply because "each of us wanted to see what was inside." The boys hold a portrait of Saman Gunan, the Thai SEAL diver who died during their rescue Credit: AP When the hour was up, they were pretty deep inside and already had swum through some flooded areas in the spirit of adventure. But in turning back, he discovered the way was not at all clear, and he swam ahead to scout the route, attaching a rope to himself so the boys could pull him back if necessary. He said he had to be pulled out. Ekapol said he told the boys: "We cannot go out this way. We have to find another way." The boys told reporters of their reactions at that point. "I felt scared. I was afraid I wouldn't get to go home and my mum would scold me, said Mongkol Boonpiam, 13, prompting laughter. Ekarat Wongsukchan, 14, said they decided "to calm ourselves first, to try to fix the problem and find a way out. Be calm and not shocked." The group had taken no food with them and survived by drinking water that dripped from the cave walls, Ekapol said, adding that all the boys knew how to swim, which had been a concern for rescuers. The boys inside the cave Credit: AP Titan said he tried hard not to think about food. "When I'm starving, I don't think of food otherwise it'd make me more hungry." Adul said they were digging around the spot when they heard the voices and Ekapol called for silence. He recounted how Ekapol told them to "'quickly get down there, that's the sound of a person, or else they're going to pass on by,' something like that." But he said his teammate holding the flashlight was scared, so Adul told him "If you're not going to go, then I'll go." "So I quickly took the flashlight, and quickly went down, and I greeted them, 'hello,'" Adul added. Psychologists had vetted the journalists' questions in advance to avoid bringing up any aspects of the rescue that might disturb them. The dangers of the complicated operation, in which the boys were extracted in three separate missions with diving equipment and pulleys through the tight passageways, were not discussed. Doctors said the 13 were physically and mentally healthy. Although they lost an average of nine pounds during the more than two weeks they were trapped in the cave, they have since gained about six and a half pounds on average since their rescue. They were treated for minor infections. The team bow before novice Buddhist monks during the ceremony Credit: AFP Asked what he had learned from their experience, 13-year-old Mongkol Boonpiam said he felt stronger. "I have more patience, endurance, tolerance," he said. Adul said it had taught him "not to live life carelessly." While many of the boys wanted to be pro football players when they grow up, at least four of them said they hope to become navy SEALs, so they could help others. All expressed their apologies to their families. "I wanted to apologise to my parents. I know that I will get yelled at by mum when I get home," said Pornchai Kamluang, 16. Ekarat said sheepishly he wanted to apologise to his parents because while he told them he was going to a cave, he told them the wrong one. "I told them I was going to Tham Khun Nam," he said. "I didn't tell them I went to Tham Luang. So I was wondering how they found us at the right cave."
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| Report: Weather was deteriorating before Alaska plane crash Posted: 18 Jul 2018 03:51 PM PDT  ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A pilot flying in rapidly deteriorating weather in Alaska confused snow on a mountain with a body of water before crashing a floatplane with 10 passengers onto the rocky mountainside, a preliminary report released Wednesday says.
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| Kirstjen Nielsen: Russian Interference In Election Infrastructure Meant To 'Cause Chaos' For Both Parties Posted: 19 Jul 2018 09:15 AM PDT  Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen on Thursday said Russia's
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| Florida man describes shark attack in just two feet of water while surfing with his son Posted: 18 Jul 2018 01:35 PM PDT  A Florida man has described how a shark attacked him in just two feet of water as he was surfing with his son. Dustin Theobald, 30, had been lying on a surfboard at Fernandina Beach on the Atlantic coast of Florida when he said he felt something pull at his foot. "I touched its head, I could feel it was rough skin," he told Fox News, adding: "It wasn't like a fish skin.
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| Aid group Raices rejects $250,000 from Salesforce over border agency contract Posted: 19 Jul 2018 04:58 PM PDT  Raices has condemned Salesforce's relationship with CBP. A not-for-profit legal aid group for immigrants and refugees has rejected a $250,000 donation from Salesforce over the technology company's contracts with Customs and Border Protection (CBP). "When it comes to supporting oppressive, inhumane, and illegal policies, we want to be clear: the only right action is to stop," wrote Jonathan Ryan, executive director of the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (Raices), in an email to Salesforce published on Twitter.
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