These are the biggest stories in the world today.
Trump attempts to cloud timing of potential Syria strike
“Never said when an attack on Syria would take place. Could be very soon or not so soon at all!,” the President tweeted. But Trump notably did not rule out plans to attack Syria in retaliation for the weekend’s suspected chemical attack on civilians at the hands of the Assad regime.
Why Mark Zuckerberg didn’t want to talk about your data
How much data does Facebook collect on users — and non-users? It is a question asked in various forms by lawmakers in both the Senate and the House, but in most cases Zuckerberg evaded it by proposing that his team follow up later.
How Putin is bamboozling the West — again
Sergei and Yulia Skripal were poisoned in the quiet English cathedral city of Salisbury on March 4. In the 24 hours that followed, public confusion about their symptoms gave way to the harsh reality that the father and daughter were likely the victims of an evil plot to poison them with a nerve agent.
Australia admits ‘tension’ with Beijing over new anti-influence laws
In December last year, Turnbull’s government announced multiple new laws aimed at tightening Australia’s security and electoral processes, including a ban on foreign donations. The move followed a series of scandals involving China’s alleged influence in Australian politics.
Will the US regulate Facebook? Europe is about to do just that
The European Union is preparing to enforce a sweeping new data protection law that gives consumers much more control over how their personal details are used. Companies are scrambling to comply. Regulators say the new rules are necessary to protect consumers in an era of huge cyberattacks and data leaks, highlighted by Facebook’s admission that the personal details of millions of its users were abused.
Buffon: Referee has ‘garbage bin’ for heart
It was anger that gripped Gianluigi Buffon — the Juventus goalkeeper who was very much at the center of the Italian club’s dramatic Champions League quarterfinal exit to Real Madrid — both in the match’s final minutes and afterward as he spoke to the media.
John Boyega: Hollywood is now ready to tell African stories
“Because of the success of “Black Panther,” now Hollywood wants African stories and I think Nigeria is at the forefront of that,” he said during a recent Lagos visit. “They are ready to see all these epic stories that we have in Nigeria,” Boyega added.
Macron ‘has Syria chemical attack proof’
France’s President Emmanuel Macron says he has “proof” that the Syrian government attacked the town of Douma with chemical weapons last weekend. He said he would decide “in due course” whether to strike Syria. Western states are thought to be preparing for missile strikes in response to the alleged attack.
How ancient DNA is transforming our view of the past
Prof David Reich of Harvard Medical School is one of the leading lights in the field of ancient DNA. His team’s work has cast a new perspective on human history, reconstructing the epic migrations and genetic exchanges that shaped the people of different regions worldwide. Here he explains how this revolution in our understanding unfolded.
Inspectors back UK in spy poisoning row
The international chemical weapons watchdog has confirmed the UK’s analysis of the type of nerve agent used in the Russian ex-spy poisoning. The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons did not name the nerve agent as Novichok, but said it agreed with the UK’s findings on its identity.
Officer who dragged man from plane sues
A former Chicago aviation security officer who was fired after dragging a man off a flight last year has filed a lawsuit against the airline and city. James Long is suing Chicago’s Department of Aviation (CDA), its commissioner and the city, alleging he was not trained on how to use force.
Missing drugs eaten by mice, say police
Eight Argentine police officers have been dismissed for blaming missing drugs on mice. Investigators discovered 540kg (1,191lb) of marijuana missing from a police warehouse in Pilar, north-west of Buenos Aires. The city’s former police commissioner, Javier Specia, and fellow officers told a judge the drugs were “eaten by mice”.
Thunderstorm destroys Taj Mahal minarets
A storm has damaged two minarets located at different entry gates of the iconic Taj Mahal in the northern Indian city of Agra. Officials told the BBC that winds blowing at 130kmh (80mph) caused the 12ft (4m) pillars to collapse. The four longer minarets that surround the main structure remain intact.
Trump Attacks NYT Report, Insists He Has Power To Fire Robert Mueller
President Donald Trump bashed The New York Times once again Thursday, claiming a report that suggested he sought to fire special counsel Robert Mueller in December was “fake news.” Trump tweeted that he “would have fired” Mueller, the head of a federal probe into whether Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign colluded with Russia, in December had he wanted to do so.
Here’s A Poll Trump Won’t Tweet
On the one hand, it might seem like good polling news for the president. Despite the growing scandals, Americans chose Donald Trump as the second most admired man. On the other hand, he’s probably not going to enjoy hearing who ranked ahead of him.
These Were The Most Popular Baby Names In The 1980s
If you’re a child of the ’80s, chances are you knew a lot of Jessicas, Jennifers and Joshuas in school. That’s because those were some of the most popular baby names in that decade. The Social Security Administration tracks these sorts of trends and keeps lists of the most popular names for every year and decade since the 1880s.
‘Major’ Gmail update might convince you to use email again. Maybe.
Let’s face it: Email is played out. The once internet king is long past its glory days, supplanted years ago by the likes of Slack, Signal, WhatsApp, and (shudder) Facebook Messenger. But for those of you who for some ungodly reason still communicate primarily via means of cluttered inboxes there is hope: Gmail is about to get a makeover.
Woah, Tom Hardy is completely unrecognisable as Al Capone
Tom Hardy’s looking a lil bit different these days. OK, massively different, as a matter of fact. Hardy released behind-the-scenes photos of his transformation into Al Capone for upcoming biopic Fonzo, which is being directed by Fantastic Four director Josh Trank.
Student brings record player to exam to get around phone ban, aces the test
Sometimes you just really need to rock out to your favourite album. And, even a cell phone ban didn’t deter this student from finding a way to listen to Kanye during his physics midterm exam.
Hugh Jackman writes adorable anniversary message to his wife, Ryan Reynolds trolls it mercilessly
Ryan Reynolds is back to doing what he does best: trolling Hugh Jackman. This time, Reynolds is playing the role of the naysaying-the dude that mutters “it’ll never last” about a pal’s relationship. Ryan Reynolds joked that he’d given the relationship Hugh Jackman and wife Deborra-lee Furness three months, tops.
America’s favorite hypocrite John Boehner will now lobby for marijuana
Now that he’s retired from Congress, former House Speaker John Boehner has decided to channel his inner flip-flopper and lobby for legalized weed. Boehner announced his decision Wednesday to join the board of Acreage Holdings, “an investment company with an established footprint in the cannabis industry in the United States.”
