Here are some of the stories making headlines today.
London attack: Police investigating associates of lone attacker
Investigators were “working to look at associates” of the suspect who rammed a car into a crowd on Westminster Bridge before attempting to storm the Houses of Parliament, Mark Rowley, Britain’s most senior counterterror police officer, told journalists late Wednesday.
Nunes: Trump communications may have been collected
Nunes hurried to the White House to personally brief Trump on the revelations, after talking to the press but without sharing the information with Democrats. His Democratic counterpart on the committee — Rep. Adam Schiff of California — warned that his colleague had cast a “profound cloud” over their effort to investigate Russian attempts to interfere in the election.
Laptop ban may force business travelers to skip Middle East airports
Their European rivals appear best placed to capitalize on the needs of higher paying passengers who refuse to be separated from their devices. By Wednesday, Qatar Airways flights from Doha to the U.S. were already operating under the new restrictions, which U.S. and U.K.
South Korea: Sewol ferry emerges from the water 3 years after sinking
Engineers worked overnight to lift the 140-meter vessel several feet out of the water Thursday morning. Great care has been taken to ensure it did not break apart. More than 300 people — mostly teens on a school trip — died when the ferry sank.
Japan PM Shinzo Abe embroiled in land-sale scandal
Lawmakers are calling on Yasunori Kagoike to testify about revelations his Moritomo Gakuen group purchased land from the government at one-seventh the price of the plot’s assessed value, according to a public copy of the land sale. More than $7 million was lopped off for waste removal, a discount that’s raised eyebrows around the country.
House GOP still scrambling for health care deal
House Speaker Paul Ryan held a long meeting Wednesday night in his office with moderate Republicans. Cameras from networks were set up for possible reactions and readouts, but it was clear leadership had no good news to share. With the exception of a few members who rushed away without speaking to press, all leaders, including Ryan, ducked out using side exits.
MP rushes to victim’s aid during London chaos
Chat with us in Facebook Messenger. Find out what’s happening in the world as it unfolds. Surrounded by a throng of police officers and emergency personnel, Ellwood was seen crouching on the cobblestone street applying pressure to the bare, bloodied torso of the victim.
Vehicles as weapons: London attack is part of a disturbing trend
“It appeared that a car was coming towards the House of Commons mowing down pedestrians on the way, and the driver then got access to the parliamentary estate, stabbed a police officer and was shot,” Member of Parliament Sir Gerald Howarth said. By the end of Wednesday’s melee, four people were killed and many more were injured.
Alaska Airlines is killing off the Virgin America brand
Sure enough, the parent company announced Wednesday that all Virgin America flights will become Alaska Airlines flights, likely sometime in 2019. But don’t despair, Virgin America groupies: Alaska promised that it will keep much of the “flair” that accompanied Virgin flights, including all that free in-flight entertainment, mood lighting and music.
$27,000 melons? Japan’s expensive fruit habit
But a peek inside the sparkling glass display cases at any of Sembikiya’s Tokyo outlets reveals expensive treasures of a surprising kind. From heart-shaped watermelons to “Ruby Roman” grapes, which are the size of a ping pong ball, this retailer specializes in selling mouth-watering produce at eye-watering prices.
Eiffel Tower Goes Dark In Solidarity With London
The Eiffel Tower turned off its lights at midnight in a solemn tribute to victims of Wednesday’s London terror attacks. JUST IN: Eiffel Tower goes dark at midnight in Paris in honor of London terror attack victims. pic.twitter.com/I9mhoPUg2r – NBC Nightly News (@NBCNightlyNews) March 22, 2017 Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo announced Wednesday evening local time that the city’s most famous landmark would go dark in solidarity with those killed and injured near the British Parliament building earlier in the day.
Here’s What’s New On Netflix In April
Netflix is going for gold in April. Yup. The streaming video gods have heard your prayers, and in the upcoming month they’re blessing us with everyone’s favorite movie about a Jamaican bobsled team, “Cool Runnings.” We’re talking Derice, Sanka and the whole gang getting together. Maybe they’ll even win gold medals this time?
Romeo And Juliet Born In Same Hospital Just Hours Apart
It’s the sort of star-crossed coincidence worthy of William Shakespeare: two babies born in the same hospital 18 hours apart, one named Romeo and one named Juliet. Romeo Archangel Hernandez was born at 2:06 p.m. Sunday at Coastal Carolina Hospital in Hardeeville, South Carolina.
Trump Team Asked About ‘Military Tactical Vehicles’ For Inaugural Parade: Emails
WASHINGTON ― The month after Donald Trump won the presidential election, his staff asked the Pentagon to send photographs of military tactical vehicles that he could include in his inaugural parade, emails obtained by The Huffington Post show. The Presidential Inaugural Committee “is seriously considering adding military vehicles to the Inaugural Parade,” a Pentagon official wrote in an internal email dated Dec.
Teacher Can’t Stop Smiling After Being Accused Of Having Sexual Relations With Teen
A married high school science teacher is facing felony charges after accused of having sexual relations with a student ― but it appears to be her smiling mug shot that’s creating the most buzz. Police arrested Sarah Fowlkes, 27, Monday after she was accused of having sexual contact with the 17-year-old boy, who attends Lockhart High School, near Austin, Texas, the Houston Chronicle reported.
Women Of Twitter Share Their Most Infuriating Mansplaining Stories
Writer and co-host of Buzzfeed’s podcast ” Another Round,” Tracy Clayton, Tweeted on Tuesday morning about a Lyft driver who mansplained to her what an airport terminal was. The concept of “mansplaining” was first articulated by author Rebecca Solnit in 2008, and women recognized the phenomenon immediately.
Demi Lovato Is Thoroughly Unfazed By Hackers Stealing Her Private Pics
What’s wrong with being confident? Absolutely nothing when you’re Demi Lovato and you have better things to worry about than a hacking scandal. The “Body Say” singer is the latest victim of the recent hackings of intimate celebrity photos, joining stars like Emma Watson and Amanda Seyfried in a club of famous women that absolutely no one asked to be in.
People are making fun of Airbnb’s new Chinese name
The ink has barely dried on Airbnb’s new Chinese name, but the jokes have come fast. To launch Trips in China, U.S. home-rental company showed off a new name to match, Aibiying. It says Aibiying (爱彼迎) means to “welcome each other with love.” But the Chinese think it sounds awkward, and isn’t easily understood.
Ryan Gosling finally explains why he giggled his way through the Oscars mix-up
Many of the questions surrounding that Oscars “Best Picture” blunder have been answered, except this one: Why was Ryan Gosling giggling to himself during the fracas? While those watching were aghast, and the cast and crew of La La Land looked shocked, there was Gosling – ever-so-slightly amused by the moment.
This startup wants to send electric planes from London to Paris within 10 years
One ambitious startup is aiming to put passenger planes powered by electricity in the air within the next decade. Or, perhaps more realistically, in the next 20 years – depending on battery technology advancements.
3 reasons to worry about the FBI’s facial recognition program
The FBI quietly developed a facial recognition network that allows law enforcement to identify people in the United States without their knowledge. Now lawmakers want to know why the agency didn’t tell people about it. “Why did the FBI not fulfill the requirement of the law?”
YouTube is finally paying a big price for hosting hateful content
Some of America’s biggest advertisers are joining their British counterparts in boycotting Google. AT&T, car rental giant Enterprise, and pharmaceutical company GSK have each decided to suspend all YouTube ads after The Times of London reported that the brands had appeared alongside videos with hate speech and extremism.
There is only one man worse at Twitter than Donald Trump
Donald Trump’s frequently misspelled tweets put the increasingly fragile world order at risk. Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee’s, by contrast, pose a far greater danger: They threaten America’s comedic leadership in a world increasingly dominated by “funny” reddit photoshops and bad homemade cat GIFS.
