Strategic Partnerships

• World Leaders Opt For China's Money Over The Rights Of 1 Million Jailed Muslims -

  WASHINGTON ? Now that United Nations experts have endorsed widespread reports

  
  

• German prosecutors probe Yazidi woman's claim about IS man -

  BERLIN (AP) ? German prosecutors said Saturday they are taking seriously a Yazidi refugee's claim that she ran into her former Islamic State captor twice in Germany, but say they need more information to identify him.

  
  

• Kansas Postal Worker Finds Giant Boa Constrictor Wrapped Around Mailbox -

  No letters for these folks today!

  
  

• Lockheed Martin's #WorldPhotoDay Tweet Backfires -

  Lockheed Martin wanted to turn World Photo Day into a publicity stunt, but

  
  

• Global reactions to death of former UN chief Kofi Annan -

  GENEVA (AP) ? Reactions to the death of Kofi Annan, the first black African to become U.N. secretary-general and a Nobel Peace Prize winner who died early Saturday at age 80 after a short illness:

  
  

• Multiple quakes rock Indonesia's Lombok island, 10 dead -

  A series of powerful earthquakes have rocked the Indonesian holiday island of Lombok, killing at least 10 people and setting off fresh waves of panic after nearly 500 died there following a huge tremor two weeks ago. Ten people were killed in the quake Sunday evening, mostly by falling debris, with four deaths in eastern Lombok and six on the neighbouring island of Sumbawa, according to the national disaster agency. "When the earthquake happened most people were outside their homes or at shelters so there have not been that many fatalities" compared to the August 5 tremor, said national disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho.

  
  

• Netanyahu and Bolton discussions focus on Iran nuclear program -

  White House national security adviser John Bolton arrived in Israel on Sunday on the first leg of an overseas trip, and met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with Iran the focus of talks. Bolton is one of the U.S. administration's leading hawks in dealing with Iran's nuclear program. "We've got great challenges for Israel, for the United States, for the whole world - the Iran nuclear weapons program and ballistic missile programs are right at the top of the list," Bolton said.

  
  

• President Trump Tweets John Brennan 'Cannot Be Trusted' After the Ex-CIA Chief Says the President's 'Drunk With Power' -

  Trump also called John Brennan 'a loudmouth, partisan, political hack'

  
  

• Ariana Grande Brought To Tears While Discussing Anxiety, Manchester Bombing -

  Ariana Grande broke down in tears Friday during a radio interview that touched

  
  

• Elon Musk Responds to Arianna Huffington?s Criticism of Tesla Work Culture -

  The dude needs a nap.

  
  

• Body found in burning vehicle at Disney World in Florida, say police -

  The unidentified victim was discovered when firefighters extinguished the blaze near the Fantasia Gardens miniature golf course. Homicide detectives have joined the investigation, according to a statement from Orange County Sheriff's Office. Deputies were called to the scene at 1209 Epcot Resorts Boulevard to assist the Reedy Creek Fire Department at 4.11am on Saturday morning.

  
  

• Palestinians sort through 8 years of mail held by Israel -

  JERICHO, West Bank (AP) ? Palestinian postal workers in the West Bank are sifting through eight years' worth of undelivered mail held by Israel.

  
  

• Report: White House Counsel Is Cooperating Extensively In Russia Probe -

  Don McGahn, the White House counsel, has been cooperating extensively with

  
  

• How Kofi Annan Once Reacted To Being Mistaken For Morgan Freeman -

  With the passing of former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan,

  
  

• Venezuelans flee economic crisis at home -

  The Pentagon is preparing to dispatch a hospital ship to Colombia and possibly other parts of South America to help relieve strain on health care systems overloaded by an influx of hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans. An estimated 2.3 million Venezuelans have fled the crisis-torn country as of June, mainly to Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Brazil.

  
  

• More bodies found in flooded Kerala as toll hits 370 -

  Rescuers searched submerged villages in southwest India on Sunday in a desperate hunt for survivors after floods killed at least 370 people and drove more than 700,000 from their homes. Entire villages in Kerala have been swept away in the state's worst floods for a century. Thousands remain trapped -- often without food or water -- in towns and villages cut off by the floods, and heavy rain forecast in coming days threatens to compound the disaster.

  
  

• Father, son drive through flames to escape forest fire -

  Justin Bilton and his 70-year-old father barely escaped as the Howe Ridge Fire closed in on them in West Glacier, Montana.

  
  

• Afghanistan announces Muslim Eid holiday ceasefire with Taliban -

  Taliban sources said their leaders had also provisionally agreed a four-day truce during the annual Islamic feast of sacrifice, though supreme leader Sheikh Haibatullah Akhunzada still had to give his final approval. Fighting has been mounting in the Taliban's insurgency against the government in Kabul and NATO coalition forces, launched after the Islamist group was ousted from power in a U.S.-led military intervention in 2001. The truce announcement came a day after clashes erupted in the northern province of Faryab, an interior ministry official said.

  
  

• Short sentence recommended for former Trump campaign adviser -

  WASHINGTON (AP) ? A former Trump campaign adviser should spend at least some time in prison for lying to the FBI during the Russia probe, prosecutors working for special counsel Robert Mueller said in a court filing Friday that also revealed several new details about the early days of the investigation.

  
  

• 2 Shot During High School Football Game in Florida -

  Authorities say both victims are hospitalized with one in critical condition

  
  

• Suspect in UK Parliament crash charged with attempted murder -

  LONDON (AP) ? A driver whose car collided with several people before crashing outside Britain's Parliament has been charged with attempted murder, police in London said Saturday

  
  

• Beautiful shots of diver swimming near sunken ships emerge -

  A series of beautiful shots of divers swimming near sunken ships have emerged. Alex Voyer, 39, was sailing around the Caribbean on a 60-foot boat when he stopped for a dive. The images show  amazing shipwrecks as free divers explore the seabed. Alex, a photographer and free diver, said: ?With my girlfriend, Marianne Aventurier, we are sailing all summer around the Caribbean to learn more about sailing.? (Caters News)

  
  

• What To Watch On Netflix That?s New This Week -

  Streamline recommends "Ghoul" as the thing to watch on Netflix this week. The

  
  

• German finance minister Olaf Scholz warns of 'German Trump' if pensions reforms not backed by Merkel -

  Germany's finance minister warned that a "German Trump" may seize power as he claimed pension reform is the key to preventing the rise of populism in Europe. ?Stable pensions prevent a German Trump. That's why politicians should not shirk this topic,? Olaf Scholz, who is also vice-chancellor, said yesterday. Mr Scholz has been pushing for government reforms similar to the UK?s triple lock to ensure pension levels remain stable despite inflation. The vice-chancellor has something of a reputation for dullness in Germany, but he insisted the issue has implications that go far beyond his brief as finance minister. ?The way I see it is this: globalisation and digitalisation create wealth, but they are also changing our world at a fast pace,? Mr Scholz told Bild am Sonntag newspaper in an interview.  ?Citizens rightly expect us to do everything we can to make sure they live securely. If we do not do that, then the hour of nationalist populism will have struck.? Profile | Angela Merkel Mr Scholz has brought pensions centre stage in his quest to carve out new territory for his centre-Left Social Democrat party (SPD), which is junior partner in Angela Merkel?s coalition government. Mrs Merkel has agreed to secure pension levels until 2025, but Mr Scholz wants them guaranteed until 2040 and has threatened to make them a major issue in 2021?s election. After recording its worst ever results in last year?s election, the SPD leadership is desperate for an issue that will allow the party to differentiate itself from Mrs Merkel?s Christian Democrats (CDU). The SPD has continued to sink lower in the opinion polls, and at times has slipped behind the nationalist Alternative for Germany party (AfD).  A new poll showed that the conservatives had lost one percentage point to poll at 30 percent, while the SPD was steady at 17 percent. That means that if Germany voted again tomorrow, the grand coalition would not have enough support to govern. The poll, conducted by the Emnid institute, showed the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) party gaining one point to 15 percent, and the pro-business Free Democrats adding one point to poll at 9 percent. But Mr Scholz insisted the SPD leadership was not panicking. ?We are in this for the long haul and have to keep cool,? he said. ?If we show a clear attitude and do the right thing over the long term, the people will feel comfortable with the idea of an SPD chancellor in 2021.? The finance minister has also pledged to push for EU reforms to reduce the amount of child benefits Germany has to pay to children living in other member states. Under EU current rules member states have to pay child benefits to anyone who is legally resident, even if their children live in another country. Germany currently pays benefits for more than 260,000 children in other EU countries. Mr Scholz  wants the rules changed so the level of benefits is linked to the cost of living where the children are resident.

  
  

• Man killed on Long Island is New York's first lightning death since 2016 -

  A man was struck and killed by lightning in Kings Park on Long Island, New York, on Saturday evening.

  
  

• ICE agents detain man while he takes pregnant wife to hospital in San Bernardino -

  A man driving his pregnant wife to the hospital for a scheduled C-section was detained by ICE agents when he went to get gas at a nearby station in San Bernardino.

  
  

• U.S. Catholics 'sickened' by sex abuse report, stand by their faith -

  Many churchgoers said they were sickened and saddened by a grand jury report detailing widespread sexual abuse by hundreds of priests in Pennsylvania but they would not let the Roman Catholic Church's cover-up dissuade them from their faith. Nearly 200 parishioners filled almost all the pews for Saturday?s Mass at St. Patrick?s Church in York, Pennsylvania, where six priests who at one time worked in that parish are accused in the report https://bit.ly/2vTa9oY of sexually abusing children. ?I can't talk about it without crying," said Kathy Morris, a retired steelworker and a member of St. Patrick's for over 15 years.

  
  

• Mick Mulvaney Suggests Military Parade Canceled For Reasons Besides Money -

  White House budget director Mick Mulvaney said Sunday that cost wasn't the

  
  

• Europe must 'pay price' to save nuclear deal: Iran FM -

  Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Sunday that Europe had not yet shown it was willing to "pay the price" of defying Washington in order to save the nuclear deal. Zarif said European governments had put forward proposals to maintain oil and banking ties with Iran after the second phase of US sanctions return in November. "Although they have moved forward, we believe that Europe is not yet ready to pay the price (of truly defying the US)," Zarif said.

  
  

• Over 2 million Muslims begin annual hajj pilgrimage -

  MECCA, Saudi Arabia (AP) ? More than 2 million Muslims began the annual hajj pilgrimage at first light on Sunday in Saudi Arabia, circling the cube-shaped Kaaba in Mecca that Islam's faithful face five times each day during their prayers.

  
  

• New panda mom doesn't know she has twins thanks to these sneaky zookeepers -

  Crafty zookeepers are keeping a set of newborn panda twins alive by switching them out every day.  Although twins aren't uncommon, when pandas have multiple babies they tend to devote all of their attention to only one of their cubs, leaving the other to starve.  SEE ALSO: Someone tried to smuggle a snake onto a plane by hiding it in a hard drive But these zookeepers have managed to get new panda moms to care for both babies by rotating them out, tricking the pandas into believing they only have one cub to care for. A BBC Earth video ? narrated by the one and only David Attenborough ? shows the keepers' technique.  New mother Lee Lee hasn't realized that she had twins because her keepers have been switching her 18-day-old cubs out, so she only has one at a time.  When they need to change out the cubs, they distract Lee Lee with a bowl of honey water and worm the young cub from her paws. Then, they put that cub in an incubator and bring the other cub to Lee Lee, ensuring that both get the maternal care they need.  Keepers swap the cubs out at least 10 times a day, keeping a meticulous record of the babies' time with their mom.  The technique has an almost 100 percent survival rate. Although pandas are no longer endangered, they are still vulnerable, so finding new ways to help the species along, even in captivity, is important. Plus, it's freaking adorable. WATCH: This design studio is growing gourds inside 3D printed molds to create organic, biodegradable cups

  
  

• Quakes cut power, topple homes on Indonesia island; 3 dead -

  SEMBALUN, Indonesia (AP) ? Multiple strong earthquakes cut power across the Indonesian island of Lombok, toppled buildings and killed at least three people as the tourist hotspot was trying to recover from a temblor earlier this month that killed hundreds of people.

  
  

• Tough talks, no agreements at Merkel, Putin meeting near Berlin -

  Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters no agreements were reached, but the meeting had simply been intended to "check the watches" after Merkel's meeting with Putin in the Black Sea resort of Sochi in May. Ties between the two countries have been strained since Russia's annexation of the Crimea region of Ukraine in 2014. "That?s why it is necessary to take measures against possible non-competitive and illegal attacks from the third countries in order to complete this project eventually," he told reporters shortly before Putin flew back to Russia. At the start of the talks, Merkel underscored her expectation that Ukraine should continue to have a role in gas transit to Europe, and welcomed the start of discussions among the European Union, Ukraine and Russia on that issue.

  
  

• A Mach 6 SR-71? This Is How Amazing (And Deadly) the SR-72 Could Be. -

  It could have a strike mission. 

  
  

• Fabled 'Little Red' prototype Shelby Mustang discovered! -

  One of two pivotal Experimental cars built by Shelby has been found in a Texas field, 50 years after it disappeared ? and the owner had no idea what he owned...

  
  

• Chinese police nab suspects after $87 mn cryptocurrency theft -

  Chinese police have arrested three suspects alleged to have stolen assets worth 600 million yuan ($87 million) through hacking, state media reported Sunday, as cyber criminals target holders of bitcoin and other virtual currencies. Police in the northern city of Xian began investigating in March when a victim surnamed Zhang complained that hackers had taken control of his computer to steal 100 million yuan ($15 million) worth of cryptocurrency, the Shaanxi Daily reported. The 100 million yuan haul was made up of the popular bitcoin and ether currencies, state news agency Xinhua reported.

  
  

• British woman rescued 10 hours after falling off cruise ship near Pula, Croatia -

  A British woman has been rescued after falling from a cruise ship off the coast of Pula, Croatia and spending 10 hours in the Adriatic Sea at night, Croatia's coast guard said Sunday.

  
  

• Donald Trump's Social Media Solution? A Free-For-All For Both The 'Good And Bad' -

  President Donald Trump used Twitter to tear into social media companies

  
  

• Irish archbishop urges pope to speak frankly about abuse -

  VATICAN CITY (AP) ? The archbishop of Dublin said Sunday he hopes Pope Francis will speak frankly about the "darkness" of priestly sex abuse during his upcoming visit to Ireland, which has been clouded by new revelations of misconduct in the U.S. Catholic Church.

  
  

• Iran lawmakers target Rouhani's finance minister as sanctions bite -

  Iranian lawmakers launched impeachment proceedings against the finance minister on Sunday, ramping up pressure on the president who is already facing attacks from hardliners over his handling of the economy in the face of new U.S. sanctions. A group of 33 MPs signed a motion accusing the minister, Masoud Karbasian, of being unable to manage the economy or form and implement policies. If lawmakers are unhappy with his answers, they can vote to impeach and sack him - a move they took two weeks ago against Iran?s then minister of cooperatives, labor and social welfare, Ali Rabiei, after questioning his achievements.

  
  

• America's Waterways Have a Huge Problem With Contact Lenses -

  All those tiny discs add up.

  
  

• Erdogan vows Turkey will not be cowed by US -

  Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared Saturday that his country would not be cowed by the United States, his latest broadside in the bitter feud between Ankara and Washington. The two NATO members are at odds over Turkey's detention of an American pastor, which has triggered a trade row and sent the local currency the lira into a tailspin. "We will not surrender to those who present themselves as a strategic partner while at the same time trying to make us a strategic target," Erdogan said at a congress of his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).

  
  

• Focus shifts to rescues as rain abates in India's flood-hit Kerala -

  Incessant downpours since Aug. 8 have caused the worst floods in a century in the southwestern state, and close to 200 people have perished in the rising waters and landslides. The India Meteorological Department forecast heavy rainfall in only one or two parts of Kerala on Sunday and withdrew a red alert in several districts. A Reuters photographer on a naval helicopter said water levels had receded in villages around the city of Kochi.

  
  

• Brazil sends troops to Venezuela border after residents drive out migrants from improvised camps -

  Brazil will send troops to its border with Venezuela on Monday after residents of the Brazilian border town of Pacaraima drove out Venezuelan immigrants from their improvised camps, amid growing regional tensions. Tens of thousands of Venezuelans have crossed the border into Brazil over the past three years as they seek to escape the economic, political and social crisis gripping their country. The latest show of tensions began early Saturday, hours after a local merchant was robbed and severely beaten in an incident blamed on Venezuelan suspects, in Pacaraima, where an estimated 1,000 immigrants are living on the streets. Dozens of locals then attacked the two main immigrant makeshift camps and burned their belongings, leading Venezuelans to cross the border back into their home country. Shots were fired, stores were shuttered and debris littered the streets. As the Venezuelan refugee crisis spirals out of control, neighbors are abruptly closing their doors. Ecuador and Peru are tightening entry requirements. And in Brazil yesterday, a mob chased Venezuelan refugees back across the border and then destroyed their camp. pic.twitter.com/dtr9MiDrLt? Hannah Dreier (@hannahdreier) August 19, 2018 "It was terrible, they burned the tents and everything that was inside," said Carol Marcano, a Venezuelan who works in Boa Vista and was on the border returning from Venezuela. "There were shots, they burned rubber tires." Marcano said that some Venezuelans reacted to the attack by destroying a car with Brazilian license plates. She and her companions were among many who took refuge at checkpoints on the Venezuelan side of the border. Three Brazilians were hurt in the clashes, a spokesman for military police said. No information was immediately available on the state of the Venezuelans involved. A Venezuelan man, whose eye is infected with conjunctivitis, holds his son at the Pacaraima border control Credit: REUTERS/Nacho Doce The merchant who was attacked "is known, he is a neighbor, and there was indignation when it was learned that he had been robbed," a local told AFP on condition of anonymity. "People began to expel Venezuelans who were in the center of the city, forcing them to return to their country." Roraima state Governor Suely Campos made a plea to temporarily close the border and asked Brazilia to send security reinforcements to "face the increase in crime" she links to Venezuelans in the region. In turn, the public security ministry vowed to send a contingent of 60 troops due to arrive Monday to join teams in the area.

  
  

• Ebola deaths in DR Congo rises to 49 with 2,000 feared 'contacts' -

  The deadly Ebola outbreak in eastern DR Congo has now claimed 49 lives since the start of the month, the government has said, and the World Health Organization expects more cases. Confirmed cases are verified through laboratory tests on samples taken from patients. The cases treated as "probable" often concern sick people with a close epidemiological link to confirmed cases, but who have not been tested.

  
  

• Frightened Students Recount Shooting That Left 2 Injured at South Florida High School Football Game -

  Two people were shot at a practice game in Palm Beach County on Friday.

  
  

• The Latest: Avenatti in New Hampshire as he weighs 2020 bid -

  GREENFIELD, N.H. (AP) ? The Latest on Avenatti weighing 2020 presidential bid during New Hampshire visit (all times local):

  
  

• Vigil held in Colorado town for slain pregnant woman and daughters -

  Shanann Watts, 34, and her daughters Bella, 4, and Celeste, 3, were reported missing from their home in Frederick, 25 miles north of Denver, by a family friend on Monday afternoon, touching off an exhaustive search by law enforcement agencies. Chris Watts was taken into custody on Wednesday on suspicion of murder, a day before the bodies of his wife and children were found. Watts, 33, had pleaded for the safe return of his pregnant wife and two young daughters while the search was underway.

  
  

• Malaysian leader tours Alibaba, meets Jack Ma on China visit -

  BEIJING (AP) ? Malaysia's leader courted Chinese e-commerce investment in his country on Saturday, the start of his first trip to China since his stunning electoral victory three months ago.

  
  

• Why Japan Truly Failed at Pearl Harbor (And What China May Learn From It) -

  In short, this is a rival who seems to have learned from Yamamoto: don?t jab a sleeping giant, and if you do, don?t steel his resolve. Let him slumber until it?s late in the contest, and you may prevail. China may have learned the true lessons of Pearl Harbor. Let?s do the same?and get ready.