Here are links to the stories making headlines this Wednesday.
Former North Korea detainee Otto Warmbier dies
Instead, he spent 17 months there in detention where his family believes he was tortured into a coma. On Monday, less than a week after returning to the United States with severe brain damage, his family announced Warmbier had “completed his journey home.” The 22-year-old died Monday afternoon in Cincinnati, Ohio, with his family at his side.
Democrats seek first big win of Trump era today in Georgia
Now, voters will decide whether all the effort was worthwhile. Ossoff and Republican Karen Handel are facing off Tuesday in what has become the most expensive House race in history, with the candidates, their parties and super PACs pouring more than $50 million combined into the effort to win a single House seat in the northern Atlanta suburbs.
Emmanuel Macron’s defense minister resigns over scandal
Goulard, who previously worked in the European Parliament, stepped down after just 38 days on the job amid questions that her party, the Democratic Party (MoDem) — which is allied with that of French President Emmanuel Macron’s — had misused European Parliament funds.
Russian ‘gay propaganda law’ discriminatory: Court
The law bans “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations around minors” and was justified by Russia’s Duma as a necessary measure to protect children from homosexual influence. On Tuesday the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France found that three gay Russian activists were discriminated against and their right to freedom of expression violated when they were fined for protesting against the law.
Qatar Airways wins Skytrax ‘Airline of the Year’ award
During a glitzy awards ceremony Tuesday at the Paris Air Show, Qatar Airways was named “Airline of the Year,” by the international air transport ratings group, Skytrax. The award comes as the Doha-based airline struggles to deal with an attempt by Qatar’s neighbors to isolate the country.
NASA’s Kepler mission finds 219 more exoplanets, 10 Earth-size
Ten of the planets are potentially rocky, close to the size of Earth and within the habitable zone of the stars they orbit — meaning they could support liquid water on their surface, Perez explained.
Two big changes in Antarctica have scientists worried
There’s an area on the west side of the icy continent called the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, and last January, scientists found a 300,000-square-mile portion of its perimeter was melting. That’s an area roughly two times the size of California, covered in slush.
All the clues you might’ve missed in the new ‘Game of Thrones’ footage
As July 16 creeps ever closer, HBO continues to tease us with maddeningly vague snippets of footage from Game of Thrones Season 7, while we continue to desperately dissect each new shot for clues. The latest video comes courtesy of HBO Spain, after the network hosted a pop-up exhibit in Madrid that allowed fans to get a sneak peek at Season 7.
Man promises to get Angela Merkel tattoo on his butt for 10,000 upvotes, delivers
If you make promises for internet points, you’d better be prepared to keep them. Just ask Redditor u/Errk_fu. Last month, he shared a sketch of German Chancellor Angela Merkel alongside a very specific commitment: if the post got upvoted 10,000 times, he’d get her tattooed onto his butt. Unsurprisingly, Reddit came through.
Very tall footballer tweets very good holiday joke
Peter Crouch is a former England player. He’s 6’7” tall. Nowadays he plays in the Premier League for Stoke, and fills his spare time by going on holidays and sending good tweets. Sometimes he combines the two: You can’t go wrong with a mildly self-deprecating joke about height.
Want to become a social media celeb? There’s a college degree for that
Wanna become an Instagram star? Now, you can get a formal education for that. A university in China is offering courses that are meant to equip students with the skills they need for online fame. From make-up classes, catwalk practice to dance performances, the Yiwu Industrial and Commercial College (YWICC) near Shanghai says it knows what you need to become a social media celeb.
Australians have the best foul mouths, and these dash cam reactions prove it
Call us biased, but we’ll say it now, and we’ll say it again: Australians really know how to swear. And there’s no other situation that can test the perspicacity of one’s foul mouth than a near miss or dealing with bad behaviour on the road, as evidenced in this reaction compilation put together by the folks at Dash Cam Owners Australia.
Department of Defense still uses 8-inch floppy disks and other disturbing details from Jared Kushner’s speech
I don’t care what Jared Kushner’s voice sounds like. It’s what he said that blew me away. The globetrotting head of the White House Office of American Innovation broke his cipher-like silence on Monday to offer a stunning outline of the federal government’s recidivistic tech tendencies. Chief among them is that the U.S.
Equity Bank Freezes Ponzi Scheme ‘D9 Club’ Accounts… Public Likes Next?
As more people get onto the internet, more of them will part with their money. Conmen are coming up with new and creative ways to steal from unsuspecting Africans. Most of these cons have been used in more developed countries in the past, and just recently in countries like India and Pakistan.
SGR Passenger Train Hits and Kills Cow
The brand new SGR train service has experienced its first mishap barely 3 weeks after launch. On Saturday, a passenger train headed to the Mariakani station hit a cow killing it instantly. According to reports, the cow managed to get on the line after elephants destroyed a section of the fence.
Lillian Muli’s Father’s Day Message to Her Ex Husband Earns Praise from Kenyans
Just like Grace Masalame did when she congratulated her ex-partner Paul Ndichu on his wedding, Lillian Muli too has earned praise for showing maturity with regards to her ex-husband Moses Kanene. The popular Citizen TV news anchor took to Instagram on Sunday to send a sweet Father’s Day message t
This Mom’s Response To Her Daughter Calling Her Fat Was Pitch Perfect
Kids don’t always have a filter when it comes to commenting on others’ appearances. Case in point: My son recently patted my belly and told me how “big” it was looking in my new sundress.
Twitter’s Having Tons Of Fun With Trump’s Statement About Panama Canal
What in the covfefe? On Monday, President Donald Trump met with the president of Panama, Juan Carlos Varela, at the White House. During their meeting, the two world leaders discussed important international topics such as, uh, the Panama Canal. “The Panama Canal is doing quite well,” Trump said during a photo opportunity with Varela.
Teen Called Out Her School’s Sexist Dress Code In Hilarious Yearbook Quote
Tori DiPaolo is so over her school’s sexist dress code. The senior at West Milford High School in New Jersey called out her school’s dress code in her yearbook quote. “I’m sorry, did my shoulders distract you from reading this quote?” DiPaolo’s quote reads underneath her senior photo.
Panama’s President Slyly Shoots Down Trump’s Brag About U.S. Building Panama Canal
President Donald Trump hosted Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela at the White House on Monday, and took the opportunity to boast about a certain U.S.-led construction project abroad. “The Panama Canal is doing quite well; I think we did a good job building it, right?” Trump asked.
Manchester United are cautious over move for Cristiano Ronaldo
Manchester United are wary of a move for Cristiano Ronaldo and are continuing to focus on Jose Mourinho’s list of targets – which does not include their former player. Ronaldo, 32, has been linked with a return to Old Trafford after it emerged last week that he wanted to leave Spain.
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho accused of £2.9m tax fraud
Jose Mourinho has been accused of defrauding tax authorities by Spanish prosecutors for a sum of £2.9million (€3.3m) during his time at Real Madrid. Spanish prosecutors said on Tuesday they had filed a claim against Mourinho on two counts of tax fraud in 2011 and 2012, when he managed Real Madrid.
Cristiano Ronaldo to testify in £12.9m tax fraud case on July 31
Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo will give evidence to court on July 31 Ronaldo has been accused of tax fraud in the region of £12.9million It is claimed he hid image rights income from authorities between 2011 and 2014 Any chance Cristiano Ronaldo had of playing for Real Madrid against Barcelona in a friendly in Miami on July 29 looks to have disappeared after he was summoned to court in Madrid on July 31 as part of the investigation into his tax affairs.
