These are the stories making headlines today.
Trump changes his story about Stormy Daniels
Trump — who previously said he was not aware of the $130,000 Cohen paid to Daniels before the 2016 election in an effort to keep her quiet about an alleged affair between her and the President — denied on Thursday that any campaign money was used to reimburse Cohen and that he was paid via retainer.
Nobel Prize for Literature in jeopardy over sex scandal
In recent weeks, six members of the Swedish Academy — one of Sweden’s most highly respected cultural bodies — have stepped down, including the head of the institution, Sara Danius. The flurry of withdrawals is potentially catastrophic for the 230-year-old academy, whose members, elected by secret ballot, must be approved by the King and traditionally hold their positions for life.
US slams ‘abusive’ North Korean regime after Trump calls Kim ‘honorable’
The US State Department issued a scathing rebuke of North Korea’s human rights record on Wednesday, calling the regime “one of the most repressive and abusive governments in the world” just days after President Donald Trump praised dictator Kim Jong Un’s “honorable” intentions ahead of a possible face-to-face sit down between the two leaders.
Experts want to exhume alleged Syria chemical attack victims
At least 48 people died in the suspected chemical attack in Douma, the last rebel-held town in Eastern Ghouta, on April 7. A fact-finding team from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons finally collected samples from the site in Douma on April 21, after waiting days for access.
Deadly floods devastate parts of East Africa
Kenyan authorities and humanitarian organizations have been working to airlift stranded residents to safety and provide aid to isolated communities after weeks of heavy rain and landslides. The flooding comes as many continue to recover from the severe drought in 2017 that threatened millions of people across East Africa.
Video shows how close Air Canada flight came to landing on taxiing planes
In the nighttime video, the Air Canada plane appears to be on a collision course with aircraft that were waiting on the taxiway, when air traffic controllers urgently demanded the pilots abort the landing. The Air Canada airliner can be seen descending as it travels along the top of the frame.
Brain tumor study raises cell phone concerns in England
The rate of glioblastoma climbed from 2.4 to 5.0 per 100,000 people in England between 1995 and 2015, according to the study, published Wednesday in the Journal of Environmental and Public Health.
Fellow rapper T.I. says he is not giving up on Kanye West
“We, as the black delegation, cannot afford to lose Kanye West,” T.I. said during an interview Wednesday. “He is our Michael Jackson.” T.I. sat down with New York radio hosts “The Breakfast Club” and talk turned to West. The pair teamed up on “Ye vs.
Trump Backs Rudy Giuliani’s Claim That No Campaign Money Went To Stormy Daniels
POLITICS He said lawyer Michael Cohen was paid a monthly retainer “from which he entered into, through reimbursement, a private contract” with the porn star. President Donald Trump on Thursday tried to explain Rudy Giuliani’s startling claim that Trump reimbursed personal lawyer Michael Cohen for a $130,000 settlement to silence adult film star Stormy Daniels, who alleges she had an affair with the president.
Newly Released Bodycam Footage Shows Officers Entering Las Vegas Shooter’s Hotel Room
Las Vegas police released body camera footage on Wednesday showing officers entering Stephen Paddock’s 32nd-floor hotel suite on Oct. 1, 2017, about an hour after he opened fire on thousands of concertgoers, leaving 58 people dead and hundreds wounded.
Michelle Obama Just Embraced Her ‘Forever First Lady’ Nickname
Former first lady Michelle Obama lightheartedly referred to herself as the “forever first lady” during a rousing speech on Wednesday. “I know you have everything it takes to succeed,” Obama told around 8,000 high school students attending the 2018 College Signing Day at Temple University in Philadelphia.
18 Tweets About The Horrifying Reality Of Accidentally Sending A Sext
There are few things in life that will make your stomach drop faster than realizing you just sent a saucy, eggplant emoji-laden text message to the wrong person. How do you recover from something like this? Do you apologize, try to explain the mishap or just pretend it never happened and go into permanent hiding?
‘Why I revealed my friends’ racist messages’
“It went from crude humour to racial slurs. Awful things were said about rape. Every group was targeted.” Exeter University student Arsalan Motavali is talking about the WhatsApp group he was in with fellow members of the university’s law society. “[The messages] started to get progressively worse after certain people were added.”
Dust storms kill dozens in India
At least 76 people have died and scores more were injured in fierce dust storms that hit the northern Indian states of Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. The storms on Wednesday disrupted electricity, uprooted trees, destroyed houses and killed livestock. Many of the dead were sleeping when their houses collapsed after being struck by intense bursts of lightning.
Teenager arrested outside burglar funeral
A teenager was arrested on suspicion of assault outside the funeral of a burglar who was stabbed to death during a break-in in south-east London. The male was arrested following an “incident” during the funeral of Henry Vincent, 37, police said.
Elon Musk: No ‘bonehead’ questions please
Technology entrepreneur Elon Musk made the unusual choice of vetoing “boring” questions during Tesla’s latest earnings call. Tesla posted a record quarterly loss of almost $710m (£523m) for the three months to March – more than double the same period last year. Following a series of probing financial questions posed by analysts, Mr Musk decided to stop answering.
Indian star wins posthumous acting gong
Bollywood actress Sridevi Kapoor, who died in February, has been awarded posthumously India’s National Film Award for Best Actress. Actor and politician Vinod Khanna, who died last year, was also honoured, with India’s highest film prize, the Dadasaheb Phalke award. The families of both actors attended the 65th annual ceremony in New Delhi.
While you weren’t looking, Facebook hit Snap where it hurts most
In between apologizing for Cambridge Analytica and giving his new favorite stump speech in support of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg somehow managed to squeeze in the fact that his company is still hell-bent on hitting Snapchat where it hurts.
Thanos: I am not the villain here. Stop saying I’m the villain.
Hey it’s me, Thanos. I have a bone to pick with all of you. I’m being vilified and mocked by a lot of people online right now and I am not just going to sit there and take it from you people. It’s unjust, it’s unfair, and it’s completely uncalled for.
Brooklyn Beckham surprised his dad on his birthday and the reaction is just so pure
Surprises might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but David Beckham’s reaction to his birthday surprise is the sweetest thing on the internet today. The former footballer was just having a casual birthday dinner when his eldest son Brooklyn rocked up out of the blue to surprise him.
Tesla sued for ‘copying’ its semi-truck design
Every product here is independently selected by Mashable journalists. If you buy something featured, we may earn an affiliate commission which helps support our work. Tesla might be in trouble. Nikola, a hybrid-truck startup, has filed a $2 billion lawsuit against Tesla. Nikola alleges Tesla’s semi-truck design infringes upon multiple patents it holds.
Gut-wrenching ‘Black Panther’ deleted scene shows T’Challa’s grief
As always, you can find us obsessing over every new morsel of Black Panther we can get our hands on. And the latest is sure to elicit a somber “Wakanda forever” from fans. Yesterday we shared a deleted scene between Okoye and W’Kabi. This new deleted scene is shorter, but equally as riveting and revealing.
