On this bright Tuesday, here are some big stories from select sources.
Trump tweet angers survivors of Parkland shooting
On Saturday, Trump tweeted, “Very sad that the FBI missed all of the many signals sent out by the Florida school shooter. This is not acceptable. They are spending too much time trying to prove Russian collusion with the Trump campaign – there is no collusion.
How a plot to kill Kim Il Sung ended in mutiny and murder
But South Korea’s “Unit 684,” created in 1968 following a brazen attack by North Korea on Seoul’s presidential compound, proved anything but. The experiment to create a crack team of would-be assassins ended in disaster. Seven lost their lives — executed for desertion or criminal activity, and dying from fatigue during the arduous training on a remote island.
Netanyahu blasts media ‘witch hunt’ as police announce new investigation
In a statement issued Sunday night, Netanyahu said, “The media witch hunt continues with all its might. After the air came out of Case 1000 and Case 2000 and after it became clear that there is absolutely no air in Case 3000, the media put tremendous pressure to inflate another balloon — [Case] 4000.
LeBron James: ‘I am more than an athlete’
The Cleveland Cavaliers forward responded again in his days-long back-and-forth with Fox News host Laura Ingraham, who took to her show on Thursday to tell James that he should “shut up and dribble.” Late Friday, James issued a response in the form of a photo uploaded to his Instagram account that read “I am more than an athlete” and included the hashtag “#wewillnotshutupanddribble.”
‘Black Panther’ brings in a record-breaking box office weekend
” Black Panther,” Marvel’s first film directed by an African-American, brought in an estimated $192 million for its three-day debut in North America this weekend. That’s the fifth biggest opening of all time. The opening for the film starring Chadwick Boseman and Michael B.
As China concerns grow, India looks to build military presence in Seychelles
Late last month, India and the Seychelles signed a revised agreement granting India permission to construct a military base on the Seychelles’ Assumption Island, roughly 1,650 kilometers (1,025 miles) east of mainland East Africa. The deal, which follows several years of diplomatic negotiations, will provide India with a crucial military staging point in what is fast becoming a critically strategic region.
Trump ‘dinner and chat’ offer criticised
Investors in a luxury property development in India are being offered the chance to have “conversation and dinner” with Donald Trump Jr. The eldest son of the US president is visiting India this week and will promote the Trump Towers development near Delhi. Critics say the Trump family is cashing in on the president’s name.
Oxfam suspects ‘threatened’ witnesses
Oxfam has revealed that three men at the centre of sexual misconduct claims in Haiti physically threatened witnesses during a 2011 investigation. The charity has published its internal report on alleged abuse by some of its staff following public pressure. In the 2011 report, Oxfam said “more needed” to be done to prevent “problem staff” working for other charities.
KFC chicken shortage closes outlets
Fast-food chain KFC has closed a number of outlets across the UK after they ran out of chicken. Things were not so finger-licking good for disappointed fried chicken fans after problems with a new distribution system forced the closures. Last week, KFC switched its delivery contract to DHL, which blamed “operational issues” for the supply disruption.
‘I took my wife’s name and my boss refuses to accept it’
When three men told us why they took their wife’s last name, other readers got in touch to share their experiences. Here two of them explain how it turned out to be way more difficult than they had imagined.
‘Move your van’ note left on ambulance
A woman left an abusive note on an ambulance dealing with a 999 call, ordering paramedics to “move their van”. The writer said she did not care if “the whole street collapsed” and the crew had “no right to be parked here”. The hand-written message was left on an ambulance in Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent, earlier.
Stars (almost) unite in black at Baftas
Guests at the Bafta Film Awards showed their support for the Time’s Up and Me Too campaigns by wearing black and sending messages from the stage. Virtually all the stars at the London ceremony were in black and some were accompanied by rights campaigners.
Trump Spent His Sunday Night Watching ’60 Minutes’ And Hate-Tweeting About Oprah
President Donald Trump capped a long weekend of hate-tweeting by taunting an “insecure” Oprah Winfrey over her latest appearance on ” 60 Minutes.” And he practically dared her to run for president. Winfrey first appeared on the CBS news program last autumn to talk politics with a group of Michigan voters.
Neil deGrasse Tyson Weighs The Scientific Data For Prayers vs. Guns
In wake of last week’s deadly shooting at a Florida high school, Neil deGrasse Tyson has weighed in on politicians offering prayers instead of proposing legislation.
After 10 Years, Here’s Why I’m Over Online Dating
Ten years is a really long time to be single. It’s also a good amount of time to see the natural evolution of a thing. Since I was born in 1982, online dating is one thing I’ve gotten to observe.
‘Black Panther’ Opens With Huge Box Office Numbers
The king of Wakanda roared into theaters. “Black Panther” has grossed an estimated $192 million at movie box offices, including Thursday night early showings, surpassing the opening weekend numbers of all other Marvel films except for the first “Avengers.” The figure also gives “Black Panther” the fifth highest opening weekend gross of all time.
Emma Watson Donates $1.4 Million To Battle Sex Harassment Ahead Of BAFTAs
Harry Potter pal Emma Watson just donated $1.4 million to a British fund established to battle sexual harassment and support its victims. The announcement about Watson’s donation, along with contributions from several other celebrities, to the UK Justice and Equality Fund followed the publication of a “Dear Sisters” open letter in The Guardian on Saturday.
Twitter trolls are using the latest iOS bug to crash iPhones
It looks like trolls are exploiting the latest iPhone bug to make life very difficult for Twitter users. Earlier in the week, yet another iPhone-crashing iOS bug surfaced. For some reason, a single character from the Indian Telugu language will cause whatever app it’s viewed in to crash repeatedly.
These two guys tried that ‘tall man in a trenchcoat trick’ to see ‘Black Panther’
Marvel’s latest hit Black Panther has audiences and critics swooning, and some people will do anything to see it. That includes moviegoers resorting to tactics you’d only see in cartoons, a la Vincent Adultman from Bojack Horseman.
Man eats all the food in ‘Lord of the Rings’ in tribute to his late father
Second breakfast. Elevenses. Luncheon. Afternoon tea. Dinner. Supper. It was all consumed by one dedicated Lord of the Rings fan, who created a themed 14-course menu that mirrors the food eaten by characters in Peter Jackson’s epic film trilogy – and it was all for a very important reason.
‘Black Panther’ just had the biggest box office debut ever for a Marvel solo movie
We knew Black Panther would be a hit. And now, the box office figures are here to prove it. The latest chapter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe opened with an estimated $218 million earned over the weekend, including Monday’s holiday. That’s enough to give King T’Challa’s adventures in Wakanda a second-place finish among all other MCU movie openings.
