Here are today’s top stories.
These North Korean defectors were sold into China as cybersex slaves. Then they escaped
Wearing big black headphones and sitting on a blue floral bedspread, North Korean defector Lee Yumi was video chatting with yet another stranger online, dark rings shading the pale skin under her eyes.
Hong Kong’s protest movement was on life support. Then the government revived it
As Hong Kong welcomed the start of 2019, the city’s pro-democracy movement, made famous around the world after the Umbrella Movement, was in the doldrums.
Kathua child rape and murder: Indian court finds six guilty
An Indian court has convicted six men for the kidnap, rape and murder of an eight-year-old Muslim girl in Jammu and Kashmir state last year, in a high-profile case that sparked widespread protests across the country.
Mass civil disobedience campaign shuts down Sudanese capital as death toll rises
The streets of the Sudanese capital were mostly deserted Sunday, the first day of the country’s Islamic working week, amid a mass general strike called by opposition groups.
Passenger opens plane exit instead of toilet
(CNN) – A passenger on a UK-Pakistan flight at Manchester Airport caused severe delays after opening the emergency exit door in an attempt to reach the bathroom while the plane was still on the ground. Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight 702 was due to fly from Manchester, UK, to Islamabad, Pakistan, on Friday but suffered a delay of seven hours, according to the airline.
Germans fear return of ‘scary’ surveillance
A hidden audio recorder built to fit inside a bedroom door. A tiny camera stashed in a garden birdhouse. Secret odour-samplers embedded into living rooms sofa to collect signature body scents, to be stored for future use so sniffer dogs can track surveillance targets.
He was arrested at 13. Now Saudi Arabia wants to execute him
(CNN) – A group of boys on bicycles gather on a dusty side-street in eastern Saudi Arabia. Foot on pedal, 10-year-old Murtaja Qureiris is about to lead the group of around 30 children. In video footage obtained by CNN, he is wearing rolled up denim jeans and black flip-flops on his feet, and grinning at the camera recording the event.
Rapper found dead from gunshot wounds after his car crashes in Maryland
Officers got a call about shots fired and found a single vehicle crashed at the scene Saturday. The only occupant of that vehicle, Edward Montre Seay, 32, of Chester, died from gunshot wounds, police said.
Microsoft announces new Xbox console
Microsoft has pulled back the curtain on a new Xbox console.
Chris Pratt and Katherine Schwarzenegger are married
Chris Pratt and Katherine Schwarzenegger have tied the knot.
David Ortiz: Former Boston Red Sox star shot in back in Dominican Republic
Boston Red Sox legend David Ortiz was shot in the back in the Dominican Republic on Sunday, police say. The three-time World Series champion, 43, is recovering after surgery, the Red Sox said in a statement. “David’s family has confirmed that he sustained a gunshot wound to the lower back/abdominal region,” it added.
Keanu Reeves fires up Xbox crowd at E3
The John Wick star’s surprise appearance and other highlights from Microsoft’s video games event.
UK and S Korea sign preliminary trade deal
The UK and South Korea have signed an outline free trade agreement (FTA) that seeks to maintain existing trade arrangements post-Brexit. International Trade Secretary Liam Fox signed the deal with his South Korean counterpart Yoo Myung-hee in Seoul. The preliminary agreement marks the first post-Brexit trade deal the UK has secured in Asia.
Xbox One successor to launch in 2020
Microsoft has announced that its next-generation console is set to go on sale before the end of 2020. Codenamed Project Scarlett, the firm said that the machine would be the “biggest leap” over a previous generation there had ever been.
The best and biggest news from Xbox’s 2019 E3 press conference
Xbox kicked off E3 2019 on Sunday, revealing a handful of new trailers and games for Xbox One and PC. We’ve compiled some of the biggest trailers and news for you right here so you can check it all out in one convenient location. How kind of us.
‘Dark Phoenix’ has the worst opening in the X-Men franchise’s entire history. Damn.
The X-Men can’t save everything – including their own movies. Dark Phoenix, one of the most beloved storylines in the X-Men comic books, nonetheless debuted to a record low for the franchise this weekend. The film grossed just around $33 million at the domestic box office, compared to the 2016 opening of Deadpool, a spinoff, which grossed over $125 million opening weekend.
Keanu Reeves won E3 2019
Leave it to Keanu Reeves, one of the greatest human beings to ever grace this planet, to outshine every video game that Xbox showed off at E3 on Sunday. It turns out that Reeves is in the highly anticipated game Cyberpunk 2077, which is being made by the same developer who gave us The Witcher series.
U.S. embassies defy State Department and continue to rock the Pride flag
It’s Pride Month, and rainbow flags are everywhere – even in places where they’re prohibited from flying. U.S. embassies have flown the Pride flag throughout the past decade. In 2011, the Obama administration actually directed embassies to celebrate LGBTQ pride in some form or fashion.
Elon Musk says Tesla cars could eventually support third-party apps and games
If Elon Musk says it’s a possibility, it’s a possibility. During a conversation on the everything Tesla-related Ride the Lightning podcast that aired over the weekend, the Tesla CEO touched on the potential for the electric cars’ infotainment system to support third-party games and apps.
