Here are some of the biggest stories today.
Bride of ISIS: ‘Happily ever after’ to hell
But instead of bringing love and contentment, their marriage left Islam trapped in a living nightmare. Fast forward four years — and three husbands – and she and her two small children are caught in limbo in northern Syria.
North Korea rhetoric is angry — but is conflict closer?
With all of this, it’s hard to know if war is actually imminent or if these are the growing pains of US President Donald Trump’s new administration figuring out how to deal with North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong Un. Daily reports of the fragile situation fuel worries that war is imminent.
Why hasn’t North Korea conducted its sixth nuclear test?
More than a month after US and South Korean officials publicly declared North Korea was ready to set off a nuclear bomb and almost two weeks since analysts said North Korea’s only nuclear test site, Punggye-ri, was “primed and ready,” no detonation has happened.
Erdogan shuns West with strikes on US allies, detentions
To the irritation of the US, Turkey carried out airstrikes against US allies in Syria and Iraq on Tuesday. A day later, it was revealed that his government had detained another 1,000 “opposition” figures, in an ongoing purge that has outraged Europe.
Chicago artist creates a mural of Michelle Obama and no one’s happy
But the mural, by Chicago artist Chris Devins, has sparked intense debate — and not for the usual political reasons. Shortly after Devins finished the mural last Friday, criticism began bubbling up online. People accused him of copying the image from Rhode Island art student Gelila Mesfin, who had posted a nearly identical portrait of Michelle Obama on Instagram last year.
France: Assad regime was behind Syria chemical attack
The French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said that samples taken from the attack on the rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhoun matched those from a previous incident. “We have definite sources that the procedure used to make the Sarin sampled is typical of the methods developed in Syrian laboratories,” he said.
Brazilian keeper convicted of murder ordered back to jail
By a majority of votes, the first panel of the Brazilian Federal Supreme Court revoked Bruno Fernandes de Souza’s habeas corpus and ordered the reinstatement of the preventive custody of the keeper. The decision by the court means Bruno will wait for appeal on his original sentence behind bars.
Pope Francis is paying the rent on a private beach for the disabled
The group Work of Love has rented a portion of the Little Madonna beach since 2012 and outfitted it with boardwalks, ramps and water vehicles to provide access to people in wheelchairs and those with other issues that make a day at the beach difficult.
Trump’s White House Family Affair Looks A Lot Like The Most Corrupt Nations In The World
WASHINGTON ― For decades, the United States has worked with other countries to eliminate nepotism. There’s a good reason for that: Nepotism breeds corruption. “You’ve seen it in countries all over the world where they’ve appointed family members, whether it’s their son, daughter, in-laws – it provides for tremendous opportunities for corruption,” said Shruti Shah, an international anti-corruption expert at Coalition for Integrity, a good-government nonprofit.
Ivanka Trump Linked To Chinese Factory That Paid Workers $62 A Week
The same day, a new report revealed employees of a Chinese factory contracted by G-III Apparel Group, the company that exclusively licenses Trump’s branded clothing line, were working extra-long hours for little pay.
Fox News Anchor: Employees Of Color Are Not Treated In ‘Fair And Balanced’ Way
Fox News veteran Kelly Wright, the only black man with an anchor position at the network, on Wednesday emotionally described being demeaned, marginalized, and prevented from advancing in his career due to racial bias. “This hurts,” Wright said at the beginning of his remarks at a press conference, telling attendees that he’d prefer to be behind the anchor desk.
Bernie Sanders And Democrats Are Introducing A New $15 Minimum Wage Bill
WASHINGTON ― In a major win for the labor union-backed Fight for $15 movement and the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.) are introducing a bill to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour.
Bill Cosby’s Daughter Writes Letter In His Defense, Says He ‘Respects Women’
Evin Cosby has written a strong defense of her father, Bill, ahead of his June 5 trial. In a piece for Black Press USA, Cosby wrote about the toll that the accusations against her father have taken on her family, and denied that her father has ever been sexually violent with women.
Airline passengers ‘caught smuggling £300,000 of cocaine strapped to legs’
Passengers were found with nearly £300,000 of cocaine strapped to their bodies after stepping off a flight, according to police. Two men were arrested at New York’s John F Kennedy Airport and photos show them with large packs of white powder taped to their legs and torsos.
Shoppers disgusted at ridiculous ‘dirty’ jeans – which will set you back £300
You know how you normally strive to NOT get the nice clothes you buy with your hard-earned money covered in filth? Well, forget that. Mud-spattered jeans are all the rage apparently. But the overlords of fashion don’t want you to do a DIY job on your trusty denims on the cheap.
A 95-year-old gran has become the internet’s latest fashion modelling sensation
Ernestine “Ernie” Stollberg might be aged 95 but she is taking the world of fashion by storm. The gran has been gaining recognition in some very stylish circles ever since she was first seen in promotional shots for a concept store in Austrian capital Vienna.
Yes, a rhino has actually joined Tinder
Flick through Tinder and you may come across Sudan’s profile. He’s 43, 6ft, originally from Kenya, loves the outdoors and travels widely. The catch? He’s a RHINO . Sudan is in fact the world’s last male white northern rhino and desperately needs to mate.
All hail the Trump Twitter bump
Twitter is growing. Twitter. Is. Growing. The service has been mostly flat or shrinking for months, but not this past quarter. In the first quarter of 2017, Twitter’s Daily Active Users rocketed up 14 percent and the Monthly Active number is now 328 million. It rose by 9 million in three months!
Researchers found the body of 25-foot-long shark, and it’s grim but strangely beautiful
Last week, the Marine Strandings Network was called in to investigate a dead shark in Cornwall, England. What MSN found was not just any shark: it was the fully intact floating carcass of a 25-foot-long basking shark. Photographer Matthew Facey also visited the sight to photograph the shark.
Twitter celebrates Trump’s first 100 days with the savage burns you’d expect
We’re closing in on the first 100 days of the Trump presidency, even though it’s felt more like 100 years since the inauguration. Pundits are now trying to gauge where the president falls on the success scale, from “SAD!” to “BIGLY!,” for this somewhat important but still kinda arbitrary milestone.
Uber just released a new update that’s going to be terrifying and helpful for riders
While it’s always been simple for Uber riders to quickly evaluate potential drivers, it’s long been a chore for riders to figure out what drivers think of them. Now, that information will be readily available – Uber is finally making it easier to see your rider rating.
Another day, another Google co-founder building a secret flying craft
The Google co-founders just love to work on secret futuristic transportation projects. This time, it’s Sergey Brin – but instead of glorified water speeders flying cars, like the Larry Page-funded Kitty Hawk Flyer unveiled earlier this week, he’ll reportedly opt for something a bit more extravagant for his airborne transportation: a massive airship.
Turns out Serena Williams’ pregnancy announcement was all an accident
Regardless of whether or not you hold the title of the greatest athlete in the world, Serena Williams is only human and makes mistakes, just like the rest of us. Only her mishap happened to spur countless of headlines this month.
Man attacks robot and humanity will probably pay for it one day
Why? After so many years of peaceful co-existence with our robot friends, why attack one and thus bring inevitable doom to all humans? We may never know the answer to that, as a man who assaulted a security robot in Mountain View, California, at a parking lot of a company called Knightscope, was apparently quite drunk.
