| Do You Like Paying Tolls? You're Gonna Love Trump's Infrastructure Plan Posted: 12 Feb 2018 10:57 AM PST  WASHINGTON ― If you like paying tolls, you're going to love Donald Trump's infrastructure plan.
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| Mother sobs in court while testifying about 8-year-old daughter's rape and murder Posted: 13 Feb 2018 08:40 AM PST  The mother of a young girl who was abducted by a man posing as a good Samaritan in 2013 sobbed in court as she faced her daughter's accused killer.
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| NTSB investigating Grand Canyon helicopter crash that left three dead Posted: 12 Feb 2018 07:56 AM PST  Three people were killed and four others were injured after a helicopter with seven aboard crashed in the Grand Canyon Saturday, authorities said.
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| OFF THE AIR: NBC Pulls Commentator Whose Insensitive Japan Comments Sparked Furor Posted: 12 Feb 2018 02:59 AM PST  The NBC commentator who was skewered by viewers for insensitive remarks he made during the Winter Olympics opening ceremony in Pyeongchang, South Korea, has been relieved of his duties, the broadcaster announced on Monday.
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| ANC orders Zuma to step down as South African president Posted: 13 Feb 2018 07:47 AM PST  By Alexander Winning and James Macharia JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South Africa's ruling party ordered Jacob Zuma on Tuesday to step down as head of state after marathon talks over the fate of a leader whose scandal-plagued years in power darkened and divided Nelson Mandela's post-apartheid 'Rainbow Nation'. Leading members of the African National Congress now want new party leader Cyril Ramaphosa to replace Zuma as president, ANC Secretary General Ace Magashule told a news conference. There was no word from Zuma or his spokesman but Magashule said the president had promised to respond to the order by Wednesday.
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| Russian Rival Offered To Lend Luge To Struggling U.S. Silver Medalist Posted: 12 Feb 2018 07:42 AM PST  An athlete from doping-tainted Russia is behind one of the more heartwarming sportsmanship stories to emerge at the Winter Olympics.
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| Undocumented Father of Cancer-Stricken 5-Year-Old Allowed To Stay In U.S. Posted: 13 Feb 2018 04:49 AM PST  Jesus Berrones, 30, had taken refuge inside a Phoenix church.
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| Facebook Messenger's latest update unlocks never-before-seen features for one group of people this Valentine's Day Posted: 13 Feb 2018 05:00 AM PST  Millennials often take flak for not being able to accurately or openly express themselves, especially when it comes to romantic endeavors and relationships.
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| Devastated Iraq seeks $90 billion for reconstruction Posted: 12 Feb 2018 06:31 AM PST  Iraq needs nearly $90 billion to rebuild after three years of war with the Islamic State group, officials said Monday, with large parts of the country in ruins and tens of thousands left homeless. As a three-day international reconstruction conference got underway in Kuwait, officials were seeking pledges from donors and investors to restore Iraq's devastated homes, schools, hospitals and economic infrastructure. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was joining the conference after holding talks on Monday in Cairo where he launched his latest Middle East tour.
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| 2 Baltimore detectives convicted of racketeering, robbery Posted: 12 Feb 2018 06:50 PM PST  BALTIMORE (AP) — Two Baltimore police detectives were convicted of robbery, racketeering, and conspiracy Monday in a trial that's part of an ongoing federal investigation into corruption among rogue members of the city's beleaguered police force.
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| Everything You Need To Know About Michelle Obama's Portrait Dress Posted: 12 Feb 2018 12:44 PM PST  If you saw artist Amy Sherald's portrait of former first lady Michelle Obama and thought, "Tell me all the things about that gown," then you're in luck.
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| Raleigh man landed helicopter at SAS to impress woman, Feds say Posted: 12 Feb 2018 01:18 PM PST  Federal authorities said a Raleigh man charged with impersonating an Army officer and landing a helicopter at SAS in Cary, did it to impress a woman.
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| South Africa's ANC decides to remove Zuma as head of state: source Posted: 12 Feb 2018 07:17 PM PST  By Alexander Winning and James Macharia PRETORIA/JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South Africa's African National Congress party executive committee has decided to "recall," or remove, President Jacob Zuma as head of state, a senior ANC source told Reuters on Tuesday, after a 13-hour meeting of the party's top leadership. Since Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa was elected party leader in December, Zuma has faced mounting calls from his party to end his scandal-plagued second term scheduled to run out in mid-2019. The 75-year-old Zuma has been South Africa's most controversial president since the end of white-minority rule in 1994, overseeing a tumultuous nine years marked by economic decline and numerous allegations of corruption.
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| The Education Department Officially Won't Deal With Transgender Students Experiencing Bathroom Discrimination Posted: 12 Feb 2018 09:45 AM PST  The Trump administration's Education Department will no longer investigate complaints filed by transgender students who are kept from using the bathroom that aligns with their gender identity, a department official told BuzzFeed News.
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| The Best Comeback Story At Westminster Dog Show Sadly Ends On Day One Posted: 12 Feb 2018 09:15 AM PST  A German shepherd who recovered from a shattered leg to become one of the favorites at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show had his comeback cut short on the first day of competition Monday.
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| Could Russia and America Accidently Go to War in Syria? Posted: 12 Feb 2018 04:53 PM PST  With American, Russian, Syrian government, Syrian rebels, Iranian forces, Turkish forces, ISIS and others operating in the close confines of Syria, there is a real possibility that a miscalculation or error might lead to a wider conflict. Indeed, one only needs to look to a recent confrontation between U.S. forces and the Syrian regime in eastern Ghouta to see the potential danger. In the ensuing battle, U.S. forces killed approximately 100 regime fighters.
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| Power station blast plunges Puerto Rico into darkness Posted: 11 Feb 2018 09:10 PM PST  Most of San Juan and a strip of northern Puerto Rico municipalities were plunged into darkness Sunday night after an explosion at a power station, five months after two hurricanes destroyed the island's electricity network. The state electric power authority (AEE) said the blast was caused by a broken-down switch in Rio Piedras, resulting in a blackout in central San Juan and Palo Seco in the north. San Juan's mayor, Carmen Yulin Cruz, said on Twitter that emergency services and local officials attended the scene in the neighborhood of Monacillos, but no injuries were reported.
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| Melinda Gates: President Trump’s ‘Misguided’ Budget Shows U.S. Doesn’t Care About Women and Children Posted: 12 Feb 2018 03:48 PM PST  The philanthropist argues that cuts in international health programs can harm Americans back home
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| Plane crash outside Moscow leaves 71 dead amid snowy conditions Posted: 12 Feb 2018 06:01 AM PST  An airplane carrying 65 passengers and six crew members crashed outside Moscow amid snowy conditions on Sunday.
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| The Latest: Israel closes doors on trial of Palestinian teen Posted: 13 Feb 2018 01:07 AM PST  JERUSALEM (AP) — The Latest on the trial of Palestinian teenager who slapped, punched two Israeli soldiers in December (all times local):
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| Suspected poacher mauled to death by pack of lions in South Africa Posted: 12 Feb 2018 12:00 PM PST  Authorities in Limpopo, which is the northernmost province of South Africa, discovered the unidentified man's remains alongside a rifle and ammunition at a private nature park outside of the famous Kruger National Park. Police spokesman Moatshe Ngoepe told AFP that he believes the victim was poaching in the game park when he was attacked and killed by the pack of lions.
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| Barack Obama praises ‘invisible’ workers in dig at Republicans during official portrait unveiling Posted: 12 Feb 2018 07:39 AM PST  Barack Obama has praised the importance of "invisible" workers who underpin America in an apparent dig at the Republican immigration stance during his official portrait unveiling. The former US president said that the cleaners, food servers and garbage collectors who are so important to the country's success are too often overlooked. He said such people "belong at the centre of American life" and warned against "simply celebrating the high and the mighty". It comes as the Senate debates whether to grant citizenship to millions of migrants brought to America illegally while children, many of whom now work in the country. Mr Obama gave these so-called 'dreamer' migrants a path to citizenship while in office, however Mr Trump ripped up his presidential protections and instead handed the issue to Congress. Mr Obama was giving a rare public speech at the unveiling of the official portraits of himself and his wife Michelle at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery in Washington DC. His portrait, featuring Mr Obama sitting in a chair before a colourful background of leaves, was painted by Kehinde Wiley while Mrs Obama's was done by Amy Sherald. Former President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama hold hands prior to portraits unveiling at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery in Washington Credit: Reuters Discussing what impressed him about Mr Wiley's past portraits, Mr Obama mentioned the way they "challenged our conventional views of power and privilege". Mr Obama said the artist focused on "the beauty and the grace and the dignity of people who are so often invisible in our lives and put them on a grand stage, on a grand scale and force us to look and see them in ways that so often they were not". He added: "People in our families, people who helped to build this country, people who helped to build this capitol, people who to this day are making sure that this place is clean at night and serving food and taking out the garbage and doing all the other stuff that makes this country work, so often out of sight and out of mind. "Kehinde lifted them up and gave them a platform and said they belong at the centre of American life and that was something that moved me deeply because in my small way that's part of what I believe politics should be about. "Not simply celebrating the high and the mighty, expecting that the country unfolds from the top down but rather that it comes from the bottom up." The comments, while not mentioning immigration or the Republican Party explicitly, come in a week when a fierce political battle about the future of undocumented migrants is playing out in Washington. .@MichelleObama: "I am humbled. I am honored. I'm proud. But most of all, I'm so incredibly grateful to all the people who came before me in this journey." pic.twitter.com/Dyo6mBv5j8— Fox News (@FoxNews) February 12, 2018 The Senate is due to debate immigration legislation all week, though it remains unclear what proposals will be voted on or whether a majority can even be achieved. Mr Trump has proposed giving a path to citizenship for 1.8 million 'dreamer' migrants but only in return for $25 billion to fund his Mexican border wall and tighter rules on legal migration. Mr Obama has largely been reluctant to criticise Mr Trump since leaving in January 2016, in line with predecessors who have held their tongue. During the ceremony on Monday, Mr Obama also joked that he had asked for his portrait to have less grey hair and smaller ears than in real life, but the artist rejected his requests. Meanwhile Mrs Obama said she hopes an official portrait of her will serve as an inspiration to young black women who will see "someone who looks like them" hanging in Washington's National Gallery. Artist Amy Sherald and former first lady Michelle Obama participate in the unveiling of Mrs. Obama's portrait at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery in Washington Credit: Reuters She told the audience: "I'm thinking about the young people, particularly girls and girls of colour who in years ahead will come to this place and they will look up and see an image of someone who looks like them...I know the kind of impact that will have on their lives, because I was one of those girls." The paintings were unveiled on Monday at the gallery, which is part of the Smithsonian group of museums. The gallery has a complete collection of presidential portraits. In an emotive speech, Mrs Obama said: "I've never had any portrait done let alone a portrait that will be hanging in the National Gallery. But all those folks who helped me be here today, they're with us physically and in spirit. "I'm thinking of my grandparents... they were all highly intelligent capable men and women. Their dreams and aspirations were limited because of the colour of their skin. Artists Sherald and Wiley gather with Hanks prior to unveiling of Obamas' portraits at the Smithsonian Credit: Reuters "I'm thinking of my dad, who sacrificed everything for me and my brother. And I'm thinking of my mum... always putting herself last. "I'm also thinking of the young people, the young girls who in the years ahead who will come here and see someone who looks like them hanging on the wall of this great institution. And I know what kind of impact that will have on their lives, because I was one of those girls." In a reference to the current political climate, Mrs Obama said: "We have come so far, and yes, as we see today we still have a lot more work to do. But we have every reason to be hopeful and proud."
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| Omarosa Dishes On Mike Pence: 'He Thinks Jesus Tells Him To Say Things' Posted: 13 Feb 2018 01:39 AM PST  Omarosa Manigault-Newman issued a dire warning about Vice President Mike Pence.
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| Republican Senate candidate's parents donate maximum amount to his Democrat opponent Posted: 13 Feb 2018 02:30 AM PST  The parents of a Republican candidate trying to unseat a Democrat Senator in Wisconsin have made the maximum possible donation to her primary campaign. Each of GOP nominee's Kevin Nicholson's parents made $2,700 (£1,947) contributions to Tammy Baldwin's campaign in December, according to Federal Election Commission (FEC) records, first reported by CNN. The amount is the largest allowed under FEC rules during the primary election, but they can give the same amount again during the general election.
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| Katie Couric Is Skating On Thin Ice With Dutch Olympics Fans Posted: 12 Feb 2018 01:07 AM PST  NBC Olympics commentator Katie Couric managed to tick off plenty of people in the Netherlands when she attempted to explain the country's dominance in speed skating.
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| Trump tells Putin more steps needed to scrap North Korea nuclear program Posted: 12 Feb 2018 05:03 PM PST  U.S. President Donald Trump, who complained last month that Moscow was "not helping us at all with North Korea," told Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday that more needs to be done to scrap Pyongyang's nuclear program, the White House said. "President Trump reiterated the importance of taking further steps to ensure the denuclearization of North Korea," the White House said in a statement about the call with Putin.
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| Cured French nun named as 70th miracle in Lourdes Posted: 11 Feb 2018 10:31 AM PST  The case of a French nun who recovered from a decades-old back problem that prevented her from walking normally has been recognised as the 70th miracle at the fabled French shrine of Lourdes, her church said Sunday. Sister Bernadette Moriau from northern France visited the holy spring in the foothills of the Pyrenees mountains in July 2008, aged 69, seeking a cure to her ailment like millions of other pilgrims each year. Sister Bernadette had undergone four unsuccessful operations.
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| Police: Man pointing gun at his own head killed by officers Posted: 12 Feb 2018 03:56 PM PST  WILLISTON, Vt. (AP) — A distraught man who was pointing a pistol at his own head was shot by police as he walked toward two officers next to a busy interstate and refused repeated commands to drop the weapon, state police said Monday.
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| Philadelphia police: Man abducted, held for ransom, set on fire Posted: 13 Feb 2018 05:31 AM PST  Philadelphia police say a 34-year-old man was abducted while leaving work on Sunday night, held for ransom, then set on fire in the Olney section of the city.
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| Server Fired After Complaining About Getting Stiffed on Tip by Church Group Posted: 12 Feb 2018 01:17 PM PST  Tamlynn Yoder, 25, said she prepared 75 orders for a church group that called Outback Steakhouse in Palm Beach Gardens for a massive takeout meal.
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| People Are Going Hog Wild Over A Monstrous Wild Boar Dubbed 'Pigzilla' Posted: 12 Feb 2018 09:13 PM PST  A massive wild boar dubbed "Pigzilla" was caught on video in Hong Kong going through some trash near a school, according to CBS News.
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| South African president Jacob Zuma 'recalled' by ruling ANC party, after refusing to resign immediately Posted: 13 Feb 2018 04:35 AM PST  South Africa's ruling party says the scandal-tainted President Jacob Zuma must leave office. Ace Magashule, secretary-general of the African National Congress, confirmed the party's national executive committee has decided to "recall" Mr Zuma, who has been discredited by corruption scandals. Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Mr Magashule said Mr Zuma previously had agreed to resign but wanted to stay in office for several more months, a condition that the party committee rejected. If Mr Zuma refuses his party's instruction, the matter could go to parliament for a vote on a motion of no confidence. Mr Zuma's presidency has been marred by corruption scandals, slow economic growth and record unemployment that have fuelled public anger in Africa's most developed country. Cyril Ramaphosa, the deputy president, told a meeting of African National Congress's leaders on Monday night that Mr Zuma had 48 hours to resign or face dismissal in a no-confidence debate in parliament later this week. After a nine-hour meeting, the ANC's 86-member National Executive Committee (NEC) agreed to "recall" Mr Zuma from his position. Mr Ramaphosa then left the meeting at midnight and took the ultimatum to Mr Zuma at his official residence in Pretoria, according to the South African Broadcasting Corporation and the Cape Times. Profile | Jacob Zuma He told Mr Zuma, whose term as head of state is not up until next year, that if he does not resign by midnight on Wednesday he will be sacked by parliament where the ANC has a 62 per cent majority. All South Africa's 13 opposition party MP's would vote with the ANC. Earlier on Monday, in a long and politically charged day, South Africa's opposition parties called for parliament to be dissolved and early elections to be held while the ANC remained locked in talks on whether or not to recall Jacob Zuma. The president has faced a barrage of calls to step down in recent weeks. Mr Ramaphosa has been negotiating with Mr Zuma over the terms of an early exit for days before he called a special meeting of the 86 member NEC, including several cabinet ministers loyal to Mr Zuma, to decide whether or not the party should recall the president. In a speech on Sunday afternoon, Mr Ramaphosa said the matter of Mr Zuma's leaving office would be "finalised" during an NEC meeting. Earlier in the day the SABC, South Africa's public broadcaster, reported that Mr Zuma had agreed to step down, but the president's spokesman denied the reports, calling them "fake news". As the talks carried on, several opposition parties issued a joint ultimatum demanding that a vote of no confidence against Mr Zuma, currently scheduled for Feb 22, be moved forward to this week, so that parliament be dissolved and that fresh elections be held. "To think that when Zuma leaves our problems are going to disappear, that is disingenuous," said Julius Malema, head of the radical Left Economic Freedom Fighters. "The problem is not Zuma. The problem is not Cyril. The problem is the ANC. So the ANC must be voted out." Several cabinet ministers loyal to Mr Zuma and who were in the difficult NEC meeting are likely to lose their jobs when Mr Ramaphosa becomes president of South Africa, either after Mr Zuma's resignation or following his departure via the vote of no confidence.
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| At long last, Senate debates 'Dreamer' immigrants' future Posted: 12 Feb 2018 03:41 PM PST  By Richard Cowan and Lawrence Hurley WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate began a major, free-for-all immigration debate, its first in nearly five years, on Monday evening that could decide the fate of at least 700,000 "Dreamer" immigrants, young people brought into the country illegally years ago as children. Late on Monday, Senator John Cornyn, the No. 2 Republican, put tight time constraints on the normally slow-moving Senate. "It's this week or not at all," Cornyn said of the need for quick Senate action.
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| Twitter Bans GOP Candidate For Racist Meghan Markle Tweet Posted: 12 Feb 2018 11:53 AM PST  Twitter has permanently banned the account of a GOP congressional candidate after he posted a racist picture targeting soon-to-be royal bride Meghan Markle.
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| Sea level rise is accelerating: study Posted: 12 Feb 2018 01:03 PM PST  Sea level rise is accelerating and could reach 26 inches (66 centimeters) by century's end, in line with United Nations estimates and enough to cause significant problems for coastal cities, a study said Monday. The past annual rate of sea level rise -- about three millimeters (0.1 inches) per year -- may more than triple to 10 millimeters per year by 2100, said the report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a peer-reviewed US journal. The findings are "roughly in agreement with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 5th Assessment Report (AR5) model projections," said the report, based on 25 years of satellite data.
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| The Latest: White House extends condolences for Russia crash Posted: 11 Feb 2018 02:40 PM PST  MOSCOW (AP) — The Latest on a Russian plane crash Sunday near Moscow (all times local):
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| Lions Kill And Eat Suspected Poacher Posted: 13 Feb 2018 02:03 AM PST  A suspected poacher was found dead last week after being killed and partially eaten by lions, according to reports out of South Africa.
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| Openly Gay U.S. Olympian Adam Rippon Says His Feud With Mike Pence Isn't Distracting Him Posted: 12 Feb 2018 07:26 AM PST  "You know, I've worked my entire life for this moment"
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| Isil leader Baghdadi 'alive in Syria but injured and no longer in control' Posted: 12 Feb 2018 05:45 AM PST  Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the Islamic State, is still alive but injury and poor health has forced him to relinquish control of the terror group, according to an Iraqi intelligence chief and US officials. Baghdadi is hiding out in the desert on the Syrian side of the Syria-Iraq border northeast of Deir Ezzor province, said Abu Ali al-Basri, director general of Iraq's intelligence and counter-terrorism office at the ministry of interior. "We have irrefutable information and documents from sources within the terrorist organisation that al-Baghdadi is still alive and hiding," Mr Basri was quoted on Monday in the government daily As-Sabah. The official said the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) chief had suffered from "fractures and serious wounds" which were likely the result of previous airstrikes on the organisation's strongholds in Iraq and Syria. Iraqi displaced people flee their houses due to the fighting between Iraqi forces and Isil at the old city areas, western Mosul, Iraq, Credit: EPA Baghdadi, who also suffers from diabetes, is thought to have been left unable to walk unassisted from injuries incurred from a raid in 2015 which were exasperated by another last May. Mr Basri described his condition as "severe", saying he added that the jihadist had recently been admitted to a hospital in the Jazeera desert for his "deteriorating psychological state". Russia had claimed it killed the reclusive leader, who has not been seen in public since declaring Isil's caliphate from the Iraqi city of Mosul in July 2014, in an air strike on a meeting of senior Isil commanders near Raqqa on May 28. However it offered no evidence to back up the claim and it was questioned by the US-led coalition against Isil at the time. US officials confirmed to CNN that while Baghdadi's injuries were not considered life-threatening they did mean he has not been able to continue to command the daily operations of the group. Baghdadi, whose real name is Ibrahim Awad Ibrahim al-Badri, is thought to be communicating with the group's followers via voice messages sent over encrypted app services. His last public message was in September last year. Isil militants pose with the jihadists' flag after they seized an Iraqi army checkpoint in the northern Iraqi province of Salahuddin in 2014 Credit: AFP In the 46-minute audio, he called on supporters to carry out attacks on the West. Baghdadi's whereabouts has been the subject of much speculation since the group's defeat in all its former major strongholds in Iraq and Syria. The 46-year-old was believed to be holding up near Baaj, west of Mosul, until the US-backed Iraqi army offensive on the area in the spring of last year. Since then he is thought to have been moving around villages along the Syria-Iraq border still under Isil's control. The Telegraph was told by a resident of the village of Jdaidet al-Okaibat in the outskirts of Deir Ezzor that he appeared on June 24 last year for Ramadan prayers, where he greeted followers and appeared "in good spirits". Haider al-Abadi, Iraq's prime minister, declared final victory over Isil late last year but stressed Iraqis to stay vigilant as sleeper cells and insurgencies remain a threat. Isil retains a significant presence in the desert plains of northeastern Syria's Hasakeh province despite having lost most of its cross-border "caliphate" which once also covered a third of neighbouring Iraq. Since the end of the offensives in Raqqa and Deir Ezzor - when thousands of fighters fled west - Isil had been taking advance of chaos elsewhere in Syria to regroup. There have been reports of the group launching numerous attacks against Syrian troops in Hama province. Hisham al-Hashimi, an adviser to the Iraqi government on its battle with Isil, said that of the group's 43 founding members Baghdadi is the last one left. He said most of Isil's most senior commanders had been killed, leaving the jihadist group without any real leadership.
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| The Merkava Tank: How Israel Plans to Crush Any Army, Anytime Posted: 12 Feb 2018 04:30 AM PST  Trophy is combat proven, having saved several Merkava IV tanks (and their crews) from antitank weapons fielded by Hamas in 2014's Operation Protective Edge in the Gaza Strip. Israeli tankers are also set this year to experiment with Iron Vision, an augmented reality system designed to allow crews to "see" outside of their tank with a combination of VR goggles and distributed aperture system. In the past forty years, just a handful of countries have proved themselves capable of building their own main battle tanks.
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| Attack On Pennsylvania Supreme Court Is An Attack On The Rule Of Law Itself Posted: 12 Feb 2018 08:58 AM PST  Congratulations of a cynical sort are in order for Republican Pennsylvania state Rep. Cris Dush, who has accomplished something notable.
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| 'Yay': Man in US illegally says after being found guilty of killing 2 California deputies Posted: 11 Feb 2018 08:34 PM PST  A man in the United States illegally was convicted of killing two deputies in a case that helped fuel the national immigration debate.
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| Expert: Copter in Grand Canyon crash more likely to explode Posted: 13 Feb 2018 06:56 AM PST  FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — Six British friends boarded a sightseeing helicopter outside Las Vegas on their way to one of the busiest and noisiest stretches of the Grand Canyon — tribal land that is less regulated than the national park and allows tour pilots to descend into the natural wonder.
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| Sri Lanka ex-leader demands snap polls after victory Posted: 12 Feb 2018 01:33 AM PST  Sri Lanka's former leader Mahinda Rajapakse on Monday demanded a snap general election and challenged his successor's right to govern after drubbing the ruling coalition in crucial mid-term polls. Rajapakse's new party secured two-thirds of Sri Lanka's councils in a surprise blitz of local elections, humiliating the governing alliance as it reels from internal crises and divisions over leadership. "The government no longer has a mandate," said Rajapakse, who lost presidential and parliamentary polls in 2015 after ruling the island with an iron fist for a decade.
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