As usual, these are links to the stories making headlines today.
Trump expelling 60 Russian diplomats in wake of UK attack
President Donald Trump on Monday ordered the expulsion of 60 Russian diplomats the US identified as intelligence agents and the closure of the Russian consulate in Seattle, the most forceful action Trump has taken against Russia to date.
After Stormy’s interview, Trump faces the storm alone
The “60 Minutes” interview Sunday slammed into the White House just at the moment that Trump is acting to stamp his dominance on his administration and wider political story by removing officials who tried to tame him.
Saudi Arabia intercepts 7 missiles fired from Yemen, military officials say
Col. Turki Al Maliki, citing Coalition Defense Forces, said the missiles had four target areas: three were aimed at the capital city of Riyadh, one was headed toward the southwest in Khamis Mushait, one along the southern border targeting Najran and two were headed for the southern city of Jizan.
Fire exits blocked in Russian shopping mall devastated by blaze
Russia’s Investigative Committee said it had discovered “serious violations” in its inquiry into the blaze in the Siberian city of Kemerovo, which killed at least 64 people, many of them children. Around ten people are still missing after the blaze broke out on Sunday afternoon, when the mall was packed with shoppers and cinema goers.
Putin to visit China as leaders consolidate power at home
According to Russian state media, an official state visit will be held in conjunction with a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Qingdao, scheduled for June. Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Russia last year, and during an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in November, the two leaders promised to enhance bilateral ties and cooperation on international affairs.
Bill Gates tells Nigerian leaders to ‘face facts’ so they can make progress
“While it may be easier to be polite, it’s more important to face facts so that you can make progress,” the philanthropist told a room of Nigeria’s government elite that included the president. In an exclusive television interview with CNN, Gates said he wanted to speak out to implore Nigerian politicians to focus on human capital and its large youth population.
Study: 76% of sports sponsorships tied to junk food
The study, published in the journal Pediatrics on Monday, reveals that 76% of food products shown in ads promoting a sports organization sponsorship are unhealthy and that 52.4% of beverages shown in sports sponsorship ads are sugar-sweetened.
Billion euro cyber-suspect arrested
A cyber-crime mastermind suspected of stealing about £870m (€1bn) has been arrested in Spain. The individual is alleged to be the head of the organised crime gang that ran the Carbanak and Cobalt malware campaigns that targeted banks. Europol said the group had been active since 2013 and infiltrated more than 100 banks in that time.
Pakistan TV airs first transgender anchor
A Pakistani news channel has hired the country’s first transgender TV newsreader. Marvia Malik, a journalism graduate who has also worked as a model, told the BBC she was moved to tears when she was offered the job. She anchored her first show on private broadcaster Kohenoor on Friday, after three months of training.
If I’ve got your number, so has Facebook
Suddenly lots of people are waking up and asking themselves questions about Facebook. How much data am I sharing with the social media giant? Did I really give permission for it to be collected and stored? And, even more seriously, have I handed over my friends’ data to be stored on some Californian server?
Oldest US gunmaker files for bankruptcy
The oldest gun manufacturer in the US, Remington Outdoor, has filed for bankruptcy in the wake of slumping sales. The firm, founded more than 200 years ago, filed for bankruptcy protection to cut a deal with its creditors. Remington’s chief financial officer said the company’s sales dropped significantly in the year before its bankruptcy, court papers show.
Kim Kardashian Instagram ‘Photoshop fail’
Kim Kardashian’s latest Instagram picture includes what appears to be a pretty big Photoshop fail. The reality star disabled comments on the post after it was spotted by fans. She posted the picture in support of the March For Our Lives rally, a gun reform protest attended by Kim and husband Kanye as well as baby North.
Car smashes into home as family watches TV
Two members of a family suffered broken bones when a car ploughed into their home as they sat watching television. Robert Beattie, his wife Mel and 15-year-old daughter Tash were sitting in their living room when the car smashed into the house. The woman and girl are recovering in hospital following Friday’s crash.
Federal Trade Commission Begins Investigating Facebook
The Federal Trade Commission said Monday it has opened an investigation into Facebook’s privacy practices. “Companies who have settled previous FTC actions must also comply with FTC order provisions imposing privacy and data security requirements,” Tom Pahl, acting director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, said in a release.
Europeans Join U.S. In Kicking Out Russian Diplomats
More than a dozen European Union countries joined the United States in expelling Russian diplomats on Monday in response to the poisoning of a Russian ex-spy in the British city of Salisbury earlier this month. A total of 14 E.U. member states, including France, Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic, plus Ukraine announced the expulsion of the envoys.
Trump Returns To White House Without Melania As CBS Airs Stormy Daniels Interview
President Donald Trump returned to Washington from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Sunday evening, arriving at the White House shortly before “60 Minutes” aired its interview with porn star Stormy Daniels. Melania Trump was not with him.
Steven Spielberg Says Netflix Films Shouldn’t Qualify For Oscars
Steven Spielberg is staying old school. The legendary director said in a recent interview that Netflix movies shouldn’t qualify for Oscar nominations, even if they are screened in a traditional theater first. “Once you commit to a television format, you’re a TV movie,” he told ITV News in a chat to promote his new film, “Ready Player One.”
American Airlines Pilot Reports UFO With ‘Big Reflection’ 40,000 Feet Over Arizona
Pilots on two separate aircraft reported an unidentified flying object high over southern Arizona last month. One of them, a commercial pilot flying a passenger jet for American Airlines, said the object was above 40,000 feet and “had a big reflection.” The Feb.
FTC confirms it’s investigating Facebook – a huge threat to the social media giant
The Federal Trade Commission confirmed Monday that it’s investigating Facebook and its data policies following reports that the data analytics firm Cambridge Analytica accessed personal information of 50 million Americans without their knowledge. Here is the full statement provided by the FTC: The FTC is firmly and fully committed to using all of its tools to protect the privacy of consumers.
Uber has called it quits on another market
Following months of speculation, Uber will be no longer in Southeast Asia. Uber has sold its ride-hailing and food delivery business in the region to competitor Grab, the two companies confirmed in a statement online on Monday. While the sale price wasn’t revealed, Uber will retain a 27.5 percent stake in Grab and Uber’s CEO Dara Khosrowshahi will join Grab’s board.
Meghan Markle’s nephew seems a little salty about not being invited to the royal wedding
Important question: would you go on television just to announce you haven’t received an invitation to the royal wedding? That’s exactly what Meghan Markle’s nephew did. In a painstakingly awkward interview with Good Morning Britain, Meghan’s nephew, Tyler Dooley, and his mom, Tracy, confirmed they were not one of about 600 people to be invited to the service on May 19.
Facebook’s app has been collecting Android phone data for years on some devices
Facebook’s data collection capabilities apparently extend to tracking all the phone calls on Android devices. As the post-Cambridge Analytica scandal fallout continues to unfold, some Facebook users are downloading their data from the social media platform and uncovering a surprise: Detailed phone records, including dates, times, call lengths, call recipients, and phone numbers.
