As usual, we have some links from select sources on the web today.
Trump’s war on Russia probe reaches new peak
First came news of the resignation of Andrew McCabe, the deputy director of the FBI, after weeks of attacks by Trump and his allies on Capitol Hill and in conservative media that he was a symptom of a “deep state” conspiracy against the President.
Indonesian police forcibly shaved transgender women
A group of 12 women were taken into custody during raids on five beauty salons early Sunday morning, North Aceh Police Chief Ahmad Untung Surianata told Antara. The police chief said his men had shaved the women’s hair off and given them men’s clothes to wear, as part of their “coaching” to “become men.”
Coincheck: $530M cryptocurrency heist may be biggest ever
The exchange, Coincheck, has promised to partially refund the 260,000 cryptocurrency investors affected by the theft, although it didn’t say when it would do so or where it’s getting the money from. The hacking at Coincheck, which bills itself on its website as “the leading bitcoin and cryptocurrency exchange in Asia,” came to light over the weekend.
A bus-sized dinosaur is found in Egypt and it offers a clue to an ancient mystery
First, let’s talk size. The dino, Mansourasaurus shahinae, was the length of a school bus and about as heavy as an elephant, weighting in at around five tons. That makes it a part of a group of dinosaurs known as the Titanosauria, which includes the largest land animals known to science.
India’s gender inequality has led to millions of ‘unwanted’ girls
Couples’ tendency to keep trying until a boy is born has led to the birth of as many as 21 million girls who are “notionally… unwanted,” the Economic Survey 2017-18 states. The preference for boys and the availability of sex-selective operations, although illegal in India, means there’s a gender gap of as many as 63 million girls, classified in the report as “missing.”
Liberian President George Weah cuts salary
“In view of the very rapidly deteriorating situation of the economy, I am informing you today, with immediate effect, that I will reduce my salary and benefits by 25%,” Weah said on Monday in his first State of the Republic address.
Teleprompter Trump To Give His Big Speech. Twitter Trump Likely To Step All Over It.
WASHINGTON ― President Donald Trump ‘s first State of the Union speech on Tuesday night will offer an “optimistic” and “forward-looking” view, according to his White House. He will detail the successes of his first year in office. He will reach out to Americans beyond his base.
Facebook Pledges To Add More Local News To Newsfeeds
The company whose goal was once “to make the world more open and connected” is doubling down on local matters. Facebook announced Monday it will begin showing more news from local outlets in the Newsfeed.
Elon Musk Says He’s Sold 10,000 Flamethrowers Through His Boring Co. Website
Entrepreneur Elon Musk has captured the world’s imagination with his electric cars, space rockets and renewable energy systems, and now the billionaire is looking to corner the market in a slightly less benevolent area: flamethrowers.
Package Thief Gets A Painful Dose Of Instant Karma, And It’s All Caught On Video
Instant karma’s gonna get you… gonna knock you off your feet. A package thief was caught on video last week at a home in Lynnwood, Washington, but she didn’t quite make a clean getaway. She slipped in front of the house and was injured so badly she couldn’t get up: The footage shows a driver rushing out to help.
Nearly 700,000 Americans Have Been Subjected To Conversion Therapy, Report Finds
Despite widespread opposition from medical and mental health organizations, tens of thousands of LGBTQ youth in the U.S. will be subjected to anti-gay ” conversion therapy” during their lifetime, a new report estimates.
China ‘as big a US threat’ as Russia
Chinese efforts to exert covert influence over the West are just as concerning as Russian subversion, the director of the CIA has said. Mike Pompeo told the BBC that the Chinese “have a much bigger footprint” to carry out such covert activities than the Russians do.
Ireland to hold abortion vote in May
The Irish government has agreed to hold a referendum at the end of May on whether to reform the country’s near-total ban on abortion. The vote will decide whether to repeal a constitutional amendment that effectively bans terminations. Currently abortion is only allowed when a woman’s life is at risk, but not in cases of rape, incest or fatal foetal abnormality.
Eight-month-old baby raped in India
An eight-month-old baby girl has been raped allegedly by her cousin in the Indian capital, Delhi. The girl is reportedly in a critical condition at a local hospital where she was brought in on Sunday. Police told the media that they had arrested the 28-year-old accused, described as a daily wage worker.
The 69-year-old still working the catwalk
Youth is not everything – at least not 69-year-old model Maye Musk. But, as Alina Isachenka reports, is her success more than just a trend? The recent “Spring 2018” shows in New York, Paris, Milan and London saw a record number of models in their 50s and 60s on the catwalk – 27, according to the industry’s forum, Fashion Spot.
‘Impossible’ test stumps Chinese students
An apparently unsolvable exam question on a Chinese maths paper has left both students and social media stumped. Primary school students at a school in the Chinese district of Shunqing were faced with this question on a paper: “If a ship had 26 sheep and 10 goats onboard, how old is the ship’s captain?”
Russia ‘will target US mid-term election’
The director of the CIA expects that Russia will target the US mid-term elections later this year. Mike Pompeo told the BBC there had been no significant diminishing of Russian attempts at subversion in Europe and the US. He also said North Korea may have the ability to strike the US with nuclear missiles “in a handful of months”.
Someone is already trying to stop sales of Elon Musk’s flamethrower
Elon Musk’s plan to sell Boring Company branded flamethrowers is certainly a fantastic bit of marketing, and it’s no wonder pre-sales are on fire. While Musk has made assurances that the flamethrower will meet national guidelines by emitting a flame less than 10 feet, one Californian assemblyman wants to put an end to the idea for good.
A little-known token may be fueling Bitcoin’s rise. Critics say it’s a scam.
Bitcoin has been on a run. Despite its recent dip, the cryptocurrency has impressed skeptics and believers alike in its monumental rise in value since its creation nine years ago. But all that could be on the verge of change.
