| Top Dem on House intel panel hopes Comey ends ‘wild goose chase’ over Trump wiretap claims Posted: 19 Mar 2017 10:14 AM PDT  The leaders of the House Intelligence Committee continue to say they have seen no proof of President Trump's explosive, evidence-free claim that former President Barack Obama ordered the wiretapping of Trump Tower before the 2016 presidential election. "Was there a physical wiretap of Trump Tower?
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| North Korea Says It Has Tested New ‘High-Thrust’ Rocket Engine Posted: 19 Mar 2017 08:31 AM PDT  State-run media KCNA said that the rocket engine would help the country's plans to launch satellites, but the isolated regime has also in the past conducted nuclear tests and has said it is preparing to test an intercontinental ballistic missile.
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| Judge rejects US request to clarify order halting travel ban Posted: 19 Mar 2017 02:12 PM PDT ![Judge rejects US request to clarify order halting travel ban]( "Judge rejects US request to clarify order halting travel ban") HONOLULU (AP) — A federal judge on Sunday rejected the U.S. government's request to clarify his temporary order blocking President Donald Trump's revised travel ban.
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| Anthem Lobbyist May Head Antitrust Division Posted: 18 Mar 2017 03:05 PM PDT  Report: Trump may appoint a health insurance company's former lobbyist to run the agency just as Anthem presses for approval of its merger.
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| French presidential candidates face off in first TV debate Posted: 20 Mar 2017 07:13 AM PDT  France's tumultuous presidential race steps up a gear on Monday as the five leading candidates face off in a TV debate, the first of its kind in the eurozone's second biggest economy, with just a month to go before the vote. In the most unpredictable election in years, far-right National Front (FN) leader Marine Le Pen and centrist Emmanuel Macron have been running neck-and-neck for weeks, with the latest opinion poll showing Macron just half a percentage point ahead for the first round of voting on April 23. The debate will be the first time in history that French voters get an opportunity to compare the leading candidates before the first round as the frontrunners share the stage with the candidates currently in third and fourth place, Francois Fillon of the right and Benoit Hamon of the left, along with the far-left Jean-Luc Melenchon.
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| Global energy CO2 emissions could be cut by 70 percent by 2050: IRENA Posted: 20 Mar 2017 01:04 AM PDT ![Global energy CO2 emissions could be cut by 70 percent by 2050: IRENA]( "Global energy CO2 emissions could be cut by 70 percent by 2050: IRENA") Global energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions could be reduced by 70 percent by 2050 and completely phased out by 2060, research by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) showed on Monday. To help achieve this, the share of renewable energy in primary energy supply would need to increase to 65 percent in 2050 from 15 percent in 2015, the report said. An additional $29 trillion of energy investment would be needed to 2050, equivalent to 0.4 percent of global gross domestic product (GDP).
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| Tourism to food, Buddhist Thailand hunts halal gold Posted: 19 Mar 2017 02:44 PM PDT  From hotels with segregated swimming pools to jelly made from seaweed instead of pig bones, Buddhist Thailand is chasing halal gold as it welcomes Muslim visitors and touts its wares to the Islamic world. Inside the cavernous dining hall of the five-star Al Meroz hotel in a Muslim suburb of Bangkok, an elderly man with a wispy beard recites verses of the Koran as a nervous-looking groom awaits the arrival of his bride. The ceremony is one of dozens of marriages held over the last few months at the Al Meroz -- the city's first entirely halal hotel.
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| Principal Pushes 5th Grader With Autism An Entire 5K Race Posted: 19 Mar 2017 01:11 PM PDT  The 5th grader's twin brother also ran alongside him.
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| 10 Things to Know for Monday Posted: 19 Mar 2017 06:41 PM PDT  Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about Monday.
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| Trump: Kim Jong Un ‘acting very, very badly’ Posted: 19 Mar 2017 03:01 PM PDT  President Trump reiterated on Sunday that he believes North Korea and its leader, Kim Jong Un, are misbehaving with their nuclear provocations.
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| New Zealand expels U.S. diplomat with black eye after 'incident': media Posted: 20 Mar 2017 02:47 AM PDT ![New Zealand expels U.S. diplomat with black eye after 'incident': media]( "New Zealand expels U.S. diplomat with black eye after 'incident': media") New Zealand has expelled an attache at the U.S. Embassy after Washington declined to waive his right to diplomatic immunity after an "incident" which gave him a broken nose and a black eye, media and authorities said. New Zealand police said they responded to the incident near the capital Wellington on March 12 involving an employee of the U.S. Embassy. The U.S. government later declined a police request to waive the employee's diplomatic immunity, the New Zealand Foreign Ministry said on Monday.
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| Spicer: Secret Service stops attempted White House intrusion Posted: 18 Mar 2017 02:31 PM PDT  PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — The White House said Saturday that an individual was apprehended after jumping a low metal barrier just outside the White House fence, a week after an intrusion raised questions about lapses in security under the watch of the U.S. Secret Service.
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| Israeli archaeologists shine light on life in time of Christ Posted: 19 Mar 2017 09:43 AM PDT  The Israel Antiquities Authority on Sunday offered a rare glimpse into its storerooms, where staff said recent archaeological discoveries have cast new light on life at the time of Christ. The event was organised ahead of the upcoming Christian holiday of Easter, which marks the resurrection of Jesus following his crucifixion. Among finds from the first century AD discovered around Jerusalem and the Galilee, where the Bible says Jesus lived and preached, are vases, cooking utensils, a wine press, nails used in crucifixions, jewellery and ossuaries.
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| In Iowa, more constituents flood a GOP town hall to protest Trump policies Posted: 19 Mar 2017 07:23 AM PDT ![In Iowa, more constituents flood a GOP town hall to protest Trump policies]( "In Iowa, more constituents flood a GOP town hall to protest Trump policies") Sen. Joni Ernst (R) of Iowa jostled with a tense crowd of constituents Friday, becoming the latest GOP leader to field criticism over what voters see as dangerous complacency under President Trump's agenda. Speaking at a town hall at Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Senator Ernst was met by angry constituents who booed her responses to questions about Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, climate change, and healthcare policy.
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| TSMC says to decide on U.S. chip plant next year Posted: 20 Mar 2017 12:41 AM PDT ![TSMC says to decide on U.S. chip plant next year]( "TSMC says to decide on U.S. chip plant next year") Taiwan's TSMC, the world's largest contract chipmaker and a major Apple Inc supplier, on Monday said it would take a decision next year on whether to build a U.S. chip plant. In January, TSMC Chairman Morris Chang had said the company did not rule out the idea of building a U.S. foundry, joining a slew of global firms from automakers to luggage makers that are considering manufacturing in the United States amid President Donald Trump's push to create more jobs. "We won't make a decision until next year," TSMC spokesperson Michael Kramer said.
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| Pope begs God's forgiveness for Church sins in Rwanda genocide Posted: 20 Mar 2017 08:13 AM PDT  Pope Francis on Monday begged for God's forgiveness for "the sins and failings of the Church and its members" implicated in the 1994 Rwanda genocide that killed around 800,000 people. The pontiff "conveyed his profound sadness, and that of the Holy See and of the Church, for the genocide against the Tutsi," the Vatican said in a statement after a meeting between Francis and the Rwanda President Paul Kagame.
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| Man Breaks Leg Allegedly Escaping From Burglary and Then Calls Cops For Help Posted: 18 Mar 2017 12:06 PM PDT  Police said he'll be charged when he is released from the hospital.
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| Vodafone, Idea tie-up creates India's biggest telecom firm Posted: 20 Mar 2017 04:15 AM PDT  British mobile phone giant Vodafone will merge its Indian unit with Idea Cellular to create India's largest telecoms operator, the firms said Monday, as they combine to fight a price war sparked by the country's richest man. The confirmation ended months of speculation that the two operators were ready to sign a deal to help fend off the Mukesh Ambani-backed Reliance Jio, whose recent arrival has shaken up India's ultra-competitive mobile network market. "Vodafone Group Plc and Idea Cellular today announced that they have reached an agreement to combine their operations in India," they said in a statement to the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE).
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| The Latest: EU praises year-old migrant deal with Turkey Posted: 20 Mar 2017 06:37 AM PDT  ROME (AP) — The Latest on migration to Europe (all times local):
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| Man killed at Paris airport planned to 'die for Allah': prosecutor Posted: 18 Mar 2017 02:36 PM PDT ![Man killed at Paris airport planned to 'die for Allah': prosecutor]( "Man killed at Paris airport planned to 'die for Allah': prosecutor") By Gus Trompiz and Emmanuel Jarry PARIS (Reuters) - A man shot dead by French soldiers at Paris Orly airport on Saturday shouted he was there to "die for Allah" and tried to seize a soldier's assault rifle, apparently intending to open fire on passengers, a prosecutor said. The latest in a series of attacks in France forced the evacuation of France's second-busiest airport and thrust security back to the forefront of France's presidential election campaign. The attacker, named as Ziyed Ben Belgacem, arrived at Orly airport on Saturday morning, threw down a bag containing a can of petrol and seized hold of a woman air force member who was part of a military patrol at the airport, Paris prosecutor Francois Molins said.
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| Faster Wi-Fi Over Optical Network Posted: 19 Mar 2017 03:44 AM PDT  Using rays of light to transfer data, a researcher in the Netherlands managed download speeds of up to 42.8 Gbps over a distance of about 8.5 feet.
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| Crocodile attacks Aussie teen who jumped into river on dare Posted: 19 Mar 2017 06:08 PM PDT ![Crocodile attacks Aussie teen who jumped into river on dare]( "Crocodile attacks Aussie teen who jumped into river on dare") BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — An Australian teen who was attacked by a crocodile after jumping into a crocodile-infested river on a dare was recovering from serious wounds to his arm, officials said Monday, as authorities recovered the body of another man who also may have been attacked by a crocodile in nearby waters.
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| Germany's SPD endorses Schulz as leader and Merkel challenger Posted: 19 Mar 2017 09:10 AM PDT ![Germany's SPD endorses Schulz as leader and Merkel challenger]( "Germany's SPD endorses Schulz as leader and Merkel challenger") By Michelle Martin BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's Social Democrats (SPD) on Sunday formally endorsed former European Parliament President Martin Schulz as their leader and challenger to Chancellor Angela Merkel in what is set to be a tightly contested national election in September. The SPD has undergone a revival since nominating Schulz in late January, gaining around 10 points in opinion polls and signing up thousands of new members as the 61-year-old focuses his campaign on social justice. "The SPD is back! We're back!" Schulz told around 600 delegates at a party meeting in Berlin shortly before he was chosen as SPD leader in a vote in which all 605 of the valid votes gave him a 'yes'.
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| Brazil says exports safe despite rotten meat scandal Posted: 19 Mar 2017 03:43 PM PDT  Brasília (AFP) - Brazil tried to reassure the world Sunday that its huge meat industry poses no threat -- with President Michel Temer even inviting ambassadors to a steak dinner -- despite allegations that corrupt exporters sold tainted products. Temer smiled as he invited diplomats to a traditional Brazilian meat restaurant called a churrascaria, saying "if you accept the invitation we will be very happy." Nineteen of the 33 envoys who met with him accepted the offer. The scare started Friday when police said a two-year probe had found major meat producers bribed health inspectors to certify tainted food as fit for consumption.
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| The World's Best Heart Health Found in Indigenous Amazon Group Posted: 20 Mar 2017 12:04 AM PDT ![The World's Best Heart Health Found in Indigenous Amazon Group]( "The World's Best Heart Health Found in Indigenous Amazon Group") In an indigenous group of people in South America, researchers are finding the healthiest blood vessels ever studied, thanks in part to a diet that's rich in complex carbs. The Tsimane people — who live in the Bolivian Amazon — were five times less likely to have atherosclerosis compared with people in the United States, according to the study. Atherosclerosis is sometimes referred to as "hardening of the arteries" and is a major risk factor for heart disease.
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| Elon Musk’s lab forced bots to create their own language Posted: 19 Mar 2017 06:01 AM PDT 
Have you ever experienced the dread of overhearing two people, speaking a language you don't understand, begin laughing wildly? You just have to wonder what it is they're talking about, and if it's a joke at your expense. Heck, maybe you even check your teeth to make sure you aren't walking around with half of your lunchtime ham sandwich stuck to your gums. Now, thanks to Elon Musk's OpenAI lab, we're one step closer to experiencing the exact same thing, only with software bots doing the talking.
As Wired reports, researchers at OpenAI have made some huge strides in getting bots to communicate with each other, and without actually telling them how to do so. The group published a research paper earlier this week explaining exactly how they were able to accomplish the complex task, and it's all based on reinforcement learning. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liVFy7ZO4OA Reinforcement learning is the same concept that many pet owners use to train their animals, and centers on rewarding correct behaviors. In the case of AI, it means knowing what actions help it in completing a task, and continuing to do them. In OpenAI's experiments, bots were assigned assigned colors, red, green, and blue. Then they were given a task, such as finding their way to a certain point in a flat, two-dimensional world. Without giving the three separate AI a dictionary of commands to help each other, the bots were force to create their own in order to achieve their goal. The bots successfully assigned text characters to represent themselves as well as actions and obstacles in the virtual space, sharing that information with each other until they all understood what was going on. Check out the video above to see the bots in action.
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| Authorities arrest 17-year-old in his mother's death Posted: 18 Mar 2017 01:52 PM PDT ![Authorities arrest 17-year-old in his mother's death]( "Authorities arrest 17-year-old in his mother's death") CARY, N.C. (AP) — A woman was strangled by her teenage son in a case that has puzzled an affluent North Carolina town for more than a year, authorities said.
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| In conflicts, faith leaders must often stay above Posted: 19 Mar 2017 01:30 PM PDT ![In conflicts, faith leaders must often stay above]( "In conflicts, faith leaders must often stay above") If faith leaders take sides in a conflict, do they give up any possible role as a trusted mediator? The North African country, which had a budding democracy in 2011 after ousting dictator Muammar Qaddafi, is fast descending into violent chaos. Libya is no backwater country whose internal strife can be ignored.
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| Hardline priest's elevation a sign Modi is moving toward Hindu India Posted: 19 Mar 2017 03:39 AM PDT ![Hardline priest's elevation a sign Modi is moving toward Hindu India]( "Hardline priest's elevation a sign Modi is moving toward Hindu India") By Douglas Busvine NEW DELHI (Reuters) - A saffron-robed Hindu holy man was sworn in on Sunday to lead India's most populous state, sealing what appears to be a shift in course by Prime Minister Narendra Modi that could redefine the world's largest democracy as a Hindu nation. The choice as Uttar Pradesh chief minister of Yogi Adityanath, a firebrand Hindu ascetic with a history of agitation against minority Muslims, stunned observers who said it marked a departure from the platform of development for all on which Modi rose to national power in 2014. "Modi is saying India is a Hindu country and shall remain so," veteran journalist and commentator Shekhar Gupta told Reuters.
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| G-20 Finance Ministers Drop Anti-Protectionist Pledge Posted: 19 Mar 2017 05:25 AM PDT  The Group of 20 nations had pledged during the September 2016 summit in Hangzhou, China, to resist all forms of protectionism, but that's out the window now — at U.S. insistence.
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| Correction: Radioactive Lab-Indictment story Posted: 19 Mar 2017 10:50 AM PDT ![Correction: Radioactive Lab-Indictment story]( "Correction: Radioactive Lab-Indictment story") KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — In a story March 17 about a Kansas man accused of tainting a lab with radioactive waste, The Associated Press misstated the name of an organization he founded. Ahmed el-Sherif founded the American Muslim Council of Greater Kansas City. The words "Kansas City" were mistakenly left off in the original story.
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| Uber president Jeff Jones quits, deepening turmoil Posted: 20 Mar 2017 12:28 AM PDT ![Uber president Jeff Jones quits, deepening turmoil]( "Uber president Jeff Jones quits, deepening turmoil") By Heather Somerville SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Ride services company Uber Technologies Inc has been thrust deeper into turmoil with the departure of company president Jeff Jones, a marketing expert hired to help soften its often abrasive image. Jones quit less than seven months after joining the San Francisco company, an Uber spokesman said on Sunday. In a statement to Reuters, Jones said he could not continue as president of a business with which he was incompatible.
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| New Zealand expels US diplomat after police probe stymied Posted: 19 Mar 2017 10:30 PM PDT  A US diplomat has been expelled from New Zealand after Washington refused to waive diplomatic immunity so police investigating a serious crime could question him, officials said Monday. Prime Minister Bill English labelled the US knockback on immunity regrettable and said he expected American authorities to carry out their own investigation. Earlier, Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully said he was "disappointed" at the US refusal and in response had asked for the man at the centre of the police investigation to be withdrawn from New Zealand.
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| Waiter Fired After Asking Latina Women For 'Proof of Residency' Posted: 19 Mar 2017 12:05 PM PDT  Diana Carrillo, pictured, was taken aback by the waiter's question.
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| SpaceX cargo ship returns to Earth Posted: 19 Mar 2017 10:08 PM PDT  A SpaceX reusable cargo ship splashed down in the Pacific Ocean safely on Sunday, ending a mission to supply astronauts on the International Space Station, the company said. The Dragon capsule -- the only such vessel capable of returning research samples and other material to Earth -- remained docked with the ISS for nearly a month after delivering more than two tonnes of food, water and scientific equipment for NASA on February 23. Before its departure, the crew loaded the cargo ship with old equipment, waste and almost 4,000 pounds of research samples from experiments carried out in the station's condition of microgravity.
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| Saffron growers look to get a foothold in the US Posted: 19 Mar 2017 09:09 AM PDT  BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) — As spring crocus blooms approach, some growers have visions of a fall-flowering crocus that produces saffron, the world's most valuable spice.
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| Will Steve King’s immigrant comments keep wary tourists out of Iowa? Posted: 19 Mar 2017 12:03 PM PDT ![Will Steve King's immigrant comments keep wary tourists out of Iowa?]( "Will Steve King's immigrant comments keep wary tourists out of Iowa?") A travel boycott of Iowa could have serious economic impact on the state, which takes in around $8 billion a year in tourism revenue, according to state officials. Last week, staffers grappled with an unwieldy influx of correspondence following Representative King's retweet of a post endorsing Geert Wilders, a controversial, far-right candidate for Dutch prime minister who came in second place during a Wednesday election. "We're in a politically charged environment," Shawna Lode, the tourism office's manager, said Friday, according to The Des Moines Register.
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| 'Don't use Taiwan', Taipei frets ahead of Trump-Xi meeting Posted: 20 Mar 2017 01:29 AM PDT !['Don't use Taiwan', Taipei frets ahead of Trump-Xi meeting]( "'Don't use Taiwan', Taipei frets ahead of Trump-Xi meeting") By J.R. Wu and Jess Macy Yu TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan's government, worried about being used as a pawn by China and the United States, said on Monday the self-ruled island must protect its own interests as concerns in Taipei rise ahead of an expected meeting of U.S and Chinese leaders. China has never renounced the use of force to take back what it deems a wayward province and has been pressuring Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, who leads an independence-leaning ruling party, to concede Taiwan is a part of China. The United States is Taiwan's only major political ally and sole arms supplier, and weapons sales to Taiwan have repeatedly upset Beijing.
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| White House Security Arrests Man For Bomb Threat Posted: 18 Mar 2017 11:43 PM PDT  The man drove to a security check point and claimed to have a bomb in his car. He was detained by officers from the Secret Service Uniform Division.
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| Slain NYC medic's son: 'I know she didn't die in vain' Posted: 19 Mar 2017 12:32 AM PDT  NEW YORK (AP) — The eldest son of a fire department medic fatally run over by a stolen ambulance urged her colleagues and loved ones Saturday to be humbled rather than sad in her memory.
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| South Koreans prepare to raise sunken ferry, three years after disaster Posted: 19 Mar 2017 04:42 AM PDT ![South Koreans prepare to raise sunken ferry, three years after disaster]( "South Koreans prepare to raise sunken ferry, three years after disaster") By Suyeong Lee SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea prepared on Sunday to raise the Sewol ferry that sank nearly three years ago, killing more than 300 people, most of them children, testing a system to bring the ship to the surface in the hope of finding the last nine bodies. Mourning families have been calling for the ship to be raised and for a more thorough investigation into the disaster.
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| Three US soldiers wounded in Afghan 'insider attack' Posted: 19 Mar 2017 08:03 AM PDT  Three American troops were wounded Sunday when an Afghan soldier opened fire in southern Helmand province, officials said, in the first known "insider attack" on international forces this year. No insurgent group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack in Camp Antonik in Washer district, which highlights long-simmering tensions between Afghan and foreign forces. "Three US soldiers were wounded this afternoon when an Afghan soldier opened fire on them at a base in Helmand province.
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| Woman Whose Best Friend Agreed To Adopt Children After She Fell Terminally Ill Has Died Posted: 18 Mar 2017 01:33 PM PDT  Hankins has four children.
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| US stocks dip on oil retreat, protectionism fears Posted: 20 Mar 2017 07:30 AM PDT  New York (AFP) - Wall Street stocks dipped early Monday with worries about trade protectionism pressuring global markets, while petroleum-linked equities fell on the latest drop in oil prices.
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| Plane that landed at NYC airport gets stuck in snowdrift Posted: 18 Mar 2017 11:44 AM PDT ![Plane that landed at NYC airport gets stuck in snowdrift]( "Plane that landed at NYC airport gets stuck in snowdrift") NEW YORK (AP) — A plane from Chicago that landed at LaGuardia Airport on Saturday got stuck in a snowdrift while turning off the runway and had to be pulled out by a tug.
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| Philippines' Duterte welcomes prospect of ICC case, says 'brutal' war on drugs to go on Posted: 19 Mar 2017 04:02 AM PDT ![Philippines' Duterte welcomes prospect of ICC case, says 'brutal' war on drugs to go on]( "Philippines' Duterte welcomes prospect of ICC case, says 'brutal' war on drugs to go on") Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Sunday welcomed the prospect of the International Criminal Court (ICC) putting him on trial over his bloody war on drugs, saying he would not be intimidated and his campaign would be unrelenting and "brutal". A self-confessed assassin who testified to being in a "death squad" under Duterte is expected to file a case at the ICC this month or in April, accusing the president of crimes against humanity, his lawyer said recently.
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| Stephen Hawking has a message for Trump: Don't ignore climate change Posted: 19 Mar 2017 08:29 PM PDT  The UK's most renowned theoretical physicist and cosmologist is still using his exceptional mind to map a theory of how the universe works. But when it comes to matters here on Earth, Stephen Hawking is just as concerned about President Trump's science policies as anyone. During a recent interview with Good Morning Britain, set to air Monday, Hawking bluntly laid out his views on U.S. administration's science policies. SEE ALSO: Stephen Hawking reminds us technology will kill us all and it's all our fault "Climate change is one of the great dangers we face, and it's one we can prevent," said Hawking, according to the Guardian. "It affects America badly, so tackling it should win votes for his [Trump's] second term. God forbid." Hawking also suggested that Trump should, "replace Scott Pruitt at the Environment Protection Agency [EPA]." Pruitt, who has sued the organisation in the past over environmental issues, was a controversial choice to lead the EPA, with current and former staffers protesting his selection. 'People who boast about their IQ are losers.'Catch @PiersMorgan's exclusive interview with Professor #StephenHawking on tomorrow's GMB. pic.twitter.com/4GG6nFExhQ — Good Morning Britain (@GMB) March 19, 2017 But one of the biggest surprises from Hawking — a recipient of the U.S. Franklin Medal for science and the Presidential Medal of Freedom (from Barack Obama in 2009) — was his personal concerns regarding the new immigration policies in the U.S. "I would like to visit again and to talk to other scientists," said Hawking, "but I fear that I may not be welcome." The television program gave a small preview of Hawking's appearance via Twitter, where the scientist tossed off his now familiar quip about intelligence: "People who boast about their IQ are losers." WATCH: Take a dive with a marine biologist working to restore our ecosystem
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