Here are some of the stories making headlines today.
Jared Kushner Helped Push Steve Bannon Out Of The NSC
New details emerged Wednesday about the role President Donald Trump ‘s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, played in convincing the president to remove top political adviser Steve Bannon from the National Security Council. The move was widely interpreted as a sign of Bannon’s diminishing influence in the Trump White House following a series of botched executive orders and the failure of health care reform.
South Africa Lifts Ban On Rhino Horn Sales
JOHANNESBURG, April 5 (Reuters) – South Africa’s Constitutional Court has dismissed an appeal by the Department of Environmental Affairs to keep a moratorium on the domestic trade in rhino horn, according to court documents seen by Reuters on Wednesday.
Japan has officially recognised a same-sex couple as foster parents
Japan has officially recognised a same-sex couple as foster parents, marking a first for the country and signalling a growing recognition of LGBTQ rights in Japan. The city of Osaka recognised two men, one in his 40s and one in his 30s, as foster parents on Wednesday.
7 Shockingly Tone-Deaf Ads That Should Have Never Happened
Pepsi really tried it in its latest stunt. The brand came under fire on Tuesday after releasing a nearly 3-minute ad starring Kendall Jenner. In the video, Jenner stops mid-photo shoot and throws off her blond wig (into the hands of a black woman) to join a protest and save the day by giving a police officer a soda.
Trump Says His Attitude Toward Syria Changed With Chemical Attack
President Donald Trump said Wednesday that a chemical weapons attack on Syrian civilians has changed his attitude toward the country’s president and its ongoing civil war. But he refused to explain in any detail what his shift means for U.S. policy.
Pepsi Pulls Kendall Jenner Ad Following Intense Backlash
Pepsi apologized for its advertisement featuring Kendall Jenner at a political protest and pulled the video from YouTube on Wednesday following intense backlash over the way it portrayed demonstrators and police officers. “Pepsi was trying to project a global message of unity, peace and understanding.
School Principal Resigns After Student Journalists Investigate Her Credentials
An intrepid team of high school journalism students in Kansas is receiving nationwide recognition after an investigative piece questioning their incoming principal’s qualifications led to her abrupt resignation this week. Amy Robertson, who had been hired in March and planned to undertake the leading role at Pittsburg High School in July, resigned from the top position on Tuesday, the school district announced.
Facebook Releases New Tools To Combat Revenge Porn
On Wednesday, Facebook unveiled a handful of new tools aimed at reducing the spread of so-called “revenge porn” on the site, a category Mark Zuckerberg defined as “any intimate photo shared without permission.” To be clear, Facebook has never permitted this type of content, and generally restricts nudity of all sorts.
Passengers stuck on delayed flight get “amazing” surprise
Passengers stuck on a delayed flights were treated to free takeaway pizza ordered to grounded planes sat on the tarmac. Delta Air Lines saw around 300 flights affected in Georgia, Tennessee, Louisiana, Ohio and Kentucky due to raging stormy weather.
Man fed-up with ‘lazy’ delivery drivers leaves sarcastic message on front door
“Sorry we missed you.” Written on an Amazon / Parcelforce / Royal Mail card, they’re some of the most bittersweet words to have emerged out of the online shopping phenomenon. Sometimes we come home to one of those cards simply because the stars have not aligned.
Why April the giraffe’s been ‘giving birth’ for weeks – and still hasn’t had it
If you haven’t seen a live video of a giraffe “about to give birth”, then you’ve missed out on a huge social media craze in the last two months. At first it seemed exciting – we’re actually going to see this miracle of life, a tiny baby giraffe entering the world and stumbling around on its spindly little legs?
Husband sends worrying texts – and his wife was right to be concerned
One hundred lad points to this doting father, who successfully tricked his other half into thinking he’d shaved their son’s head. It all started with a text message. In it, the dad asked his wife to ask whether she could reschedule the family photo shoot. She quickly grew apprehensive, asking questions.
Meet the man who lives in a Boeing 727 in the middle of the woods
This isn’t your usual fixer upper, but iBruce Campbell calls it home – his very own Boeing 727. Bruce Campbell is an inventive engineer who bought the retired aircraft fuselage and upcycled it into an unusual and innovative home.
The one food item the Queen never travels without
The Queen does as she pleases. It’s why she always has a slice of her favourite cake nearby. Her Majesty’s choice? A chocolate biscuit cake. Homemade. Whenever she travels, be it train, car, or plane, there’s always one to hand, just in case she gets peckish and fancies a treat.
Trump: ‘I now have responsibility’ when it comes to Syria
“I now have responsibility, and I will have that responsibility and carry it very proudly,” Trump said responding to a question about a White House statement Tuesday that blamed the attack in part on President Barack Obama. “It is now my responsibility. It was a great opportunity missed,” Trump said.
Teen lost 19 family members in Syria chemical attack: ‘I saw the explosion’
He arrived here at the Reyhanli State Hospital 24 hours ago, one of around 30 Syrians rushed to this southern Turkish town near the Syrian border after what appears to have been a chemical attack by Syrian warplanes on rebel-held Khan Shaikhoun in Idlib province.
Schwarzenegger accuses Trump of ‘robbing (children) blind’
This time, the actor and former California governor blasted the President over his proposed $1.2 billion cut to after-school programs. “President Trump promised us he wants to ‘make America great again.’
Apple sued by regulator over refusal to service ‘bricked’ iPhones
The regulator is accusing the U.S. tech giant of violating consumers’ rights by refusing to service certain iPhones and iPads that were disabled by a software update. Some iPad and iPhone users who used third parties to fix broken screens later received an error message after downloading an Apple software update, rendering their devices unusable, according to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.
Shia LaBeouf film sells one ticket in UK
Shia LaBeouf’s “Man Down” opened in the UK this weekend, and reportedly only one ticket was purchased.
Photographer exhibits ‘Magnificent Failures’
Over the years his oeuvre has been diverse, ranging from fashion editorials and album covers to social awareness campaigns. He’s perhaps best known for his work with United Colors of Benetton, where he served as artistic director for more than 20 years. His controversial campaigns addressed subjects such as sexuality, racism, war, capital punishment and AIDS.
The worst possible ways ‘Game of Thrones’ could end
The end of Game of Thrones is eminent, but will it be loved or will it disappoint? While that’s yet to be seen, one thing is certain: Game of Thrones fans will continue to speculate every single possible outcome, storyline, and ridiculous theory that gets floated into the ether.
Netflix puts troubling rumors about ‘The Office’ to rest in the best way
Fact: Episodes of The Office are not leaving Netflix. Don’t believe us even though we just did our best Dwight Schrute impression for you? Fine. The streaming service also confirmed that the nine seasons of everyone’s favorite show are here to stay – and they used the most epic Michael Scott reference to do it.
Woman’s Fitbit saves her life after it detected a strange change in her heart rate
A fitness tracker could be more useful than just helping you shed weight – the data it’s collecting about your body could go as far as saving lives. 73-year-old Patricia Lauder from Connecticut noticed her Fitbit data was logging an abnormally high resting heart rate of over 140 beats per minute, far higher than her usual 60 to 70, CNN reported.
Citizen phone numbers leaked on Twitter by cops in Bangalore
Did you ever imagine that reporting a street crime to the cops could land you in privacy trouble? Well, if you’re in India’s Silicon Valley, it’s definitely possible. In a serious breach of privacy, Bangalore City Police Control Room has been publishing on Twitter the phone numbers of thousands of citizens who have reported crimes using the emergency number 100, the Economic Times reports.
Apple faces legal action over its iPhone-bricking ‘error 53’ bug
Remember the dreaded ” error 53?” Apple apologised for the bug in early 2016, when it turned out its iPhone 6 and 6 Plus smartphones were being bricked if the user had the home button repaired somewhere other than Apple.
This startup wants hybrid planes in the air by the 2020s
The future of American domestic flight could be electric – or, at the very least, a hybrid. Aviation startup Zunum Aero emerged from stealth mode and announced a bold plan to bring hybrid-electric plane travel to the United States on a large scale.
Kendall Jenner had some words about that Pepsi commercial before any of us saw it, and, welp…
Hindsight: It’s 20-20! And it must be especially sharp today for Kendall Jenner and Pepsi, as they’re both experiencing the neither sweet nor fizzy taste of putting one’s foot in one’s mouth.
Vladimir Putin HATES this meme so much Russia banned it
A viral meme appears to have hurt poor Russian President Vladimir Putin’s very sensitive feelings. Last week, the Russian justice ministry added an image of Putin as a gay clown to its list of banned extremist images. The government now has a list of over 4,000 images they consider “extremist propaganda,” including, apparently, memes of clowns.
