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Showing posts from April, 2019

UN chief demands that the world step up to stamp out hatred

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UNITED NATIONS (AP) — U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres demanded Monday that the world "step up to stamp out anti-Semitism, anti-Muslim hatred, persecution of Christians and all other forms of racism, xenophobia, discrimination and incitement." from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2GIYUUI

California synagogue shooting: Suspect known as quiet, smart while authorities question if he was hateful

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The suspect's name has also been connected to a racist online posting that praised mass shooters. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2VvEVm2

NRA Re-Elects Embattled Leader Wayne LaPierre

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The vote came Monday, following a weekend of drama in the group’s highest ranks, including barb trading between LaPierre and North over allegations that LaPierre had engaged in self-dealing. The office of New York Attorney General Letitia James confirmed it is investigating the NRA’s nonprofit status after the New Yorker published the allegations against LaPierre. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2WfRmiK

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez deletes tweet after mistaking a Democrat for a Republican

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Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez deleted a tweet Thursday after she attempted to call out "older male" Republicans for posing next to a cardboard cutout of her. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2WedXwe

Officials declare measles outbreak in Pacific Northwest over

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PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A measles outbreak that sickened more than 70 people, mostly children, in the Pacific Northwest is finally over even as the total number of cases nationwide continues to spike to near-record levels , officials said Monday. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2J4R9eO

U.S. attorney general balks at closed-door testimony on Mueller findings

Barr is threatening to skip his planned appearance on Thursday, the aide told Reuters on condition of anonymity. The committee's chairman, Jerrold Nadler, has proposed that Barr's public testimony be followed by a second round of questioning, where sensitive matters would be discussed behind closed doors and include committee staff lawyers, a House Democratic aide told Reuters. Barr opposes both stipulations, according to the aide. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2voWUvL

'View' hosts welcome Joe Biden with open arms, Meghan McCain brings him to tears

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Meghan McCain reminded Joe Biden of his last visit, when he comforted her amid her father John McCain's battle with brain cancer. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2vqy9zk

Trump Speaks With Rabbi Injured in Deadly California Synagogue Shooting

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President Trump said Monday that he phoned to offer his condolences to Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein, who was injured in the deadly California synagogue shooting over the weekend.A 60-year-old woman, Lori Kaye, was killed and three others injured, including Goldstein, at the Chabad of Poway synagogue when a young gunman opened fire inside during Passover service Saturday. Kaye took bullets for Goldstein, standing in front of him as he evacuated children from the synagogue, according to law enforcement.> I spoke at length yesterday to Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein, Chabad of Poway, where I extended my warmest condolences to him and all affected by the shooting in California. What a great guy. He had a least one finger blown off, and all he wanted to do is help others. Very special!> > -- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 29, 2019“The President expressed his love for the Jewish people and the entire community of Poway. The President also thanked the brave members of law enforcement w

US stocks tread water ahead of more earnings, Fed

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Wall Street was flat but holding near record levels just after the open on Monday as investors awaited a fresh set of corporate earnings during week loaded with economic data. Markets were also absorbing an upbeat report on consumer spending for March, which showed a big jump at the end of the first quarter. The data come as the Federal Reserve is due to begin its latest-two day policy meeting on Tuesday but is overwhelmingly expected to leave interest rates untouched. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2UKHUTa

Synagogue Shooting Suspect Was a Piano-Playing Nursing Student From Religious Family With a Racist Secret

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Sandy Huffaker/AFP/GettyPOWAY, California—Nineteen-year-old nursing student John T. Earnest, who was charged with murder Sunday as the lone gunman in the deadly Poway Synagogue shooting, played piano for hours a day and earned a 4.31 grade point average. His father was a church elder whom neighbors called “the sweetest man.”But somewhere on his path, Earnest took a terrible turn, claiming Adolf Hitler as an idol and writing what appears to be his own rambling manifesto that Jews “deserved nothing but hell.” He wanted to be the one to, as he put it, “Send. Them. There.”Police say someone purporting to be him posted the anti-Semitic, Islamophobic, white supremacist “manifesto”—which eerily mirrored the Q&A; style that Christchurch terrorist Brenton Tarrant used in his own pre-massacre diatribe—about 20 minutes before he walked into the Poway synagogue with an AR-15 style assault rifle and started shooting—killing one woman and injuring three others—before the gun malfunctioned and he

What's next for the NRA? Subpoenas, investigations and leadership turmoil

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The New York Attorney General's Office announced that it would be opening an investigation into the NRA's tax-exempt status. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2PA4MUk

Trump's attorney general may refuse to attend congressional hearing on Mueller report, officials says

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Donald Trump’s attorney general William Barr may refuse to attend this week's scheduled congressional hearing to review special counsel Robert Mueller’s report on Russian election interference. The Justice Department has told the House Judiciary Committee it has objections over the format of planned questioning, according a Democratic senior committee aide.The department disapproves of plans to allow committee lawyers from both sides to question Mr Barr after the traditional round of questioning by committee members.Justice officials also told the committee they are opposed to the panel’s plan to go into a closed session if members want to ask about redacted portions of the Mueller report, the anonymous aide said.House committee chairman Jerry Nadler has threatened to use subpoena powers should the attorney general refuse to attend this week. The New York Democrat told CNN that Mr Barr would not “dictate the format … the witness is not going to tell the committee how to conduct its

Barr threatens to skip House hearing on Mueller report over format dispute

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Attorney general has expressed objections to House judiciary committee’s questioning format, according to Democratic aide The US attorney general, William Barr, is scheduled to testify before the House judiciary panel, chaired by the Democrats, on Thursday. Photograph: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters The Department of Justice (DoJ) has informed the powerful House of Representatives judiciary committee that the attorney general, William Barr, may not attend a Thursday hearing to review special counsel Robert Mueller’s report of the Trump-Russia investigation. Barr has expressed objections over the panel’s questioning format, according to a senior Democratic committee aide. The department has balked at the panel’s plans to allow committee counsels from both sides to question Barr after the traditional round of questioning by members of Congress who sit on the committee, which is currently chaired by the Democrats because they control the House. Justice officials also told the committee they oppos

Sri Lanka bans face veils after attacks by Islamist militants

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"It is a presidential order to ban any dress covering faces with immediate effect," Dharmasri Bandara Ekanayake, a spokesman for President Maithripala Sirisena, told Reuters. Separately, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who is feuding with Sirisena, issued a statement saying he had asked the justice minister to draft regulations to ban the burqa. The All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama (ACJU), the top body of Islamic scholars in Sri Lanka, said they supported a short-term ban on security grounds, but opposed any attempt to legislate against burqas. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2GIfqV7

Seattle crane collapse: Student among four killed at new Google campus in US city

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A student has been named as one of four people killed when a crane fell from a building on Google’s new Seattle campus.Seattle Pacific University confirmed first year student Sarah Wong was among those who died when the crane crashed onto one of the city’s busiest streets on Saturday afternoon.Ms Wong, who planned to major in nursing, was in a car on Mercer Street at the time.The university said in a statement: “While we grieve the sudden and tragic loss of our precious student, we draw comfort from each other.“We ask that the community join us in praying for Sarah’s family and friends during this difficult time.”All four people had died by the time firefighters arrived, fire chief Harold Scoggins said.The King County Medical Examiner’s office said it intended to release the names of the female and three male victims on Monday.Two were ironworkers who had been inside the crane while the other two were in a car.The crane struck six cars in total on Saturday, leaving a further four peopl

Fearing an Attack, Wounded Rabbi Said California Synagogue Relied on Armed Volunteers for Protection

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“If funds were made available for houses of worship, that could have made a difference” from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2UOd6AE

Brexit Bulletin: Looming Defeats

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Talks between Theresa May and the opposition Labour Party on breaking the Brexit impasse continue this week, with Conservative Party Chairman Brandon Lewis saying Sunday that there’s still time for Parliament to settle on a deal before the U.K. participates in EU elections on May 23. For its part, Labour insists it’s not “dragging its heels” in the talks and that the government has refused to budge on any of its red lines, the party’s business spokeswoman Rebecca Long-Bailey said on Sky News on Sunday. Long-Bailey also hinted that Labour would be prepared to back a Brexit deal even if it comes without a commitment to a new public vote. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2WdQlaS

Latest: Family of terror plot suspect surprised by arrest

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Latest on the arrest of an Army vet suspected in a terror plot (all times local): from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2XZB669

US deputy attorney general who oversaw Mueller probe resigns

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US Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who chose Special Counsel Robert Mueller to lead the Russia interference probe and protected him from political intrusion, announced Monday he was stepping down. In a letter to President Donald Trump, Rosenstein said he would depart on May 11, after more than two turbulent years as the second highest-ranking official in the Department of Justice. The veteran Republican prosecutor, 54, stunned the country on May 17, 2017 when he named an independent lawyer to take on the Russia probe after Trump fired FBI director James Comey. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2GIgf06

U.S. will rethink cooperation with allies who use Huawei: official

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Washington does not see any distinction between core and non-core parts of 5G networks and will reassess sharing information with any allies which use equipment made by China's Huawei, a U.S. cybersecurity official said on Monday. "It is the United States' position that putting Huawei or any other untrustworthy vendor in any part of the 5G telecommunications network is a risk," said Robert Strayer, deputy assistant secretary for cyber, international communications and information policy at the State Department. Sources told Reuters last week that Britain's National Security Council had decided to bar China's Huawei Technologies from all core parts of the 5G network but still allow it in non-core parts with some increased restrictions. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2GUIfit

US STOCKS-Futures edge lower ahead of inflation data

In yet another busy week for earnings, about 160 S&P 500 companies, including Google-parent Alphabet Inc and Apple Inc, are due to report their quarterly reports. An inflation report from the Commerce Department is expected to show personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index for March to have risen 0.7% from 0.1% in February. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2IXQR9o

The Latest: Pence says Lugar was 'leader on the world stage'

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INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Latest on the death of former Sen. Richard Lugar (all times local): from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2ZJfBs2

Family of suspect in synagogue shooting: Son 'now a part of the history of evil' against Jews

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Earnest has been charged with murder and three counts of attempted murder, and they carry special-circumstance allegations of a hate crime. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2PD0VG7

Joe Biden Is Running Against a Myth About Trump

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Democratic voters said they liked elected officials who would compromise with opponents. Republican voters said they preferred officials who wouldn’t compromise. Among Democrats, 69 percent said they liked officials who compromised. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2XVFz9I

From Heisei to Reiwa: how Japan changed under Emperor Akihito

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Japan marks the end of an era with Tuesday's abdication of Emperor Akihito, and the outgoing monarch leaves behind a much-changed country. Crown Prince Naruhito will inherit a Japan vastly different from that of the start of his father's reign, when the country was in the grip of an economic bubble and on the verge of a tech revolution. Japan's shrinking population is among the country's most pressing social and economic issues. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2V6gLz2

Barr's testimony to House on Mueller in doubt amid dispute

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WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department has informed the House Judiciary Committee that Attorney General William Barr may skip a Thursday hearing on special counsel Robert Mueller's report if committee lawyers seek to question him. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2vsXmZY

Follower of Sri Lanka bomber sought India attack: police

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An alleged follower of Sri Lankan bombing leader Zahran Hashim is to appear in a southern Indian court Tuesday after admitting he wanted to carry out an attack in India's Kerala, investigators said. The accused, identified as Riyas A, alias Riyas Aboobacker, 29, was arrested Monday by India's National Investigation Agency (NIA), which handles counter-terrorism cases. During interrogation, he allegedly "disclosed that he has been following speeches/videos of Zahran Hashim of Sri Lanka for more than a year", an NIA statement said. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2UKqKFa

Russia vs. Israel: How a War in the Middle East Could Happen

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As the IDF official said, “We have proven over more than 70 years as a sovereign state that you don’t push us around.”Could Israeli air strikes in Syria trigger war between Israel and Russia?(This first appeared several weeks ago.)Israel remains determined to continue pounding Iranian forces in Syria in a bid to keep Tehran’s forces away from Israel’s northern border. At the same time, Russia has thousands of troops in Syria that could be caught in the crossfire—or even become belligerents if Moscow tires of its Syrian ally being pummeled.And if Israel and Russia come to blows, would Israel’s big brother—the United States—feel compelled to intervene?Not that Jerusalem or Moscow are eager for such a fight. “Neither of us desire a military confrontation,” a senior Israel Defense Forces (IDF) official told me during a recent interview in Jerusalem. “It would be detrimental to both sides.”Yet Israel’s policy boils down to this: it will do whatever it sees as necessary to eject Iranian forc

Ex-diplomat says US signed to pay N.Korea for prisoner, should honor deal

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A former diplomat confirmed Monday that the United States agreed to pay $2 million to North Korea to release an American student who had fallen into a coma after alleged torture -- and said Washington should honor the commitment. Joseph Yun, a veteran US diplomat who had flown to Pyongyang in 2017 to bring back 22-year-old Otto Warmbier, said that North Korea presented him with a $2 million bill for his medical expenses. Tillerson "got back to me very quickly thereafter to say, yes, go ahead and sign," Yun, who has since left government, told CNN. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2GS7rpO

Number of measles cases in the U.S. reach 704, the highest point this century

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The CDC reports 704 confirmed cases of measles. The figure is the highest number of cases since measles was declared eliminated in the U.S. in 2000. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2L9yHUR

Trump, His Family Sue Deutsche Bank, Capital One to Stop Them From Answering Congressional Subpoenas

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Kevin Lamarque/ReutersPresident Trump, members of his family, and the Trump Organization have filed a lawsuit against Deutsche Bank and Capital One to stop the banks from answering congressional subpoenas. According to court documents filed in the U.S. District Court of the Southern District of New York on Monday, the Trump family argues that such subpoenas—part of an extensive House Judiciary Committee investigation into public corruption and obstruction of justice—are meant to “ferret about for any material that might be used to cause [the president] political damage” and that “no grounds exist to establish any purpose other than a political one.” New of of the suit was first reported by The New York Times.“We filed this case to protect the privacy rights of the President, his family and their businesses,” Trump’s attorneys reportedly said in a statement on Monday. “The subpoenas issued to Deutsche Bank and Capital One by Chairpersons Schiff and Waters are unlawful and illegitimate.

The Latest: Islamic State leader says attack was revenge

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AMPARA, Sri Lanka (AP) — The Latest on the Easter bombings in Sri Lanka (all times local): from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2IL7eH3

Here's the biggest news you missed this weekend

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Corey Ballentine, "Avengers: Endgame" and more of the weekend's top news. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2GL4Hce

End of an era: Japan's emperor kicks off abdication rites

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Draped in ornate golden-brown robes and wearing a towering black hat, Japan's Emperor Akihito on Tuesday kicked off ceremonies for his abdication, the first in 200 years for the world's oldest monarchy. Akihito is handing over the Chrysanthemum Throne to his eldest son, 59-year-old Crown Prince Naruhito, in a series of solemn rituals that also usher in the new imperial era named "Reiwa" -- meaning beautiful harmony -- that will last throughout the new monarch's reign. As crowds began to gather early Tuesday in drizzle outside the sumptuous Imperial Palace in central Tokyo, Akihito performed a ritual to "report" his abdication to his ancestors and the Shinto gods at several "sanctuaries". from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2DEFb85

Seattle crane collapse: 'Words can't describe what a good partner he was,' says widow of one of 4 killed

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Among those who were killed in the Seattle crane collapse were two ironworkers and a student. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2WioXbW

Seven people killed in string of rural Tennessee homicides, authorities confirm

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Sunday morning law enforcement was still blocking two roads near where the bodies of five victims were found Saturday. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2IZPB5y

Family of synagogue shooting suspect call his actions 'evil'

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The parents of the teenager accused of shooting dead one worshipper and wounding three others at a California synagogue denounced his actions on Monday as "evil" and said they had no clue what motivated him. "We are shocked and deeply saddened by the terrible attack on the Chabad of Poway synagogue," his parents said in a statement released by their attorney. Prior to the attack Earnest had published an anti-Semitic screed online in which he said Adolf Hitler was among those that inspire him and claimed responsibility for an arson attack against a mosque in the area weeks earlier. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2vultaB

Trump, Pelosi to meet on infrastructure as tensions escalate over Mueller report

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Trump will meet with Democrats about the nation's infrastructure, but they'll first have to swerve around special counsel Robert Mueller's report. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2GIfMLs

Links to Easter bombings put eastern Sri Lanka on edge

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KALMUNAI, Sri Lanka (AP) — Suicide bombings at a militants' safe house have shaken the simple homes of this east Sri Lankan town as well as the rest of this idyllic coast, as the investigation into the Islamic State-claimed Easter bombings has spread here. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2UQijYS

Whoa there Democrats – Joe Biden isn't as electable as you think

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The idea that the presidential candidate has a lock on white rust-belt voters is wrong in so many ways Joe Biden. ‘The assumption that white rust-belt voters can only be won over by white candidates does not stack up to recent history.’ Photograph: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters Joe Biden has many strengths as a presidential candidate: experience, policy smarts, respect for the rule of law, an ability to do something more than watch cable news. Even a Sleepy Joe is a significant upgrade on a Dumbass Donald. But what Biden doesn’t possess, no matter how many times lazy reporters and pundits say it, is a steel-like grip on the rust belt states that could decide the general election. No matter what you think of his politics or personality, the electability debate is – as the candidate might say himself – a bunch of malarkey. Yes, Biden was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and his family stories about his father’s economic hardship are powerful and endearing. Yes, his Finnegan relatives in Scranton

Tenn. police investigating whether suspect knew 7 victims

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WESTMORELAND, Tenn. (AP) — Police on Sunday raised the death toll at two homes in rural Tennessee to seven and said they are investigating whether a suspect captured after an hourslong manhunt knew the victims. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2ZHYHtw

Japanese thank departing emperor whose era marked shift from 1980s boom

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More than anything, people said they hoped peace would define the reign of Crown Prince Naruhito, who will become emperor on Wednesday, ushering in the Reiwa era. "Heisei had a lot of disasters and the economy stagnated," 47-year-old Kaori Hisatomi said in the capital Tokyo, where ceremonies were underway at the Imperial Palace. Now it's more, 'What can I do to survive?'" Japan is marking the transition to 59-year-old Naruhito, who will ascend the Chrysanthemum Throne on Wednesday, with an unprecedented 10-day holiday. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2PzUJ1s

Follower of Sri Lanka bomber sought India attack: police

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An alleged follower of Sri Lankan bombing leader Zahran Hashim is to appear in a southern Indian court Tuesday after admitting he wanted to carry out an attack in India's Kerala, investigators said. The accused, identified as Riyas A, alias Riyas Aboobacker, 29, was arrested Monday by India's National Investigation Agency (NIA), which handles counter-terrorism cases. During interrogation, he allegedly "disclosed that he has been following speeches/videos of Zahran Hashim of Sri Lanka for more than a year", an NIA statement said. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2UKqKFa

U.K. Conservatives Still Seeking Brexit Deal Before EU Election

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Theresa May is still pursuing a Brexit deal that would get the U.K. out of the European Union before elections next month. With negotiations with the opposition Labour Party set to continue next week, there’s still time for Parliament to settle on a deal before the May 23 vote, Conservative Party Chairman Brandon Lewis said in an interview with the BBC on Sunday. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2XRDZWu

AJ Freund death: Parents of 5-year-old Crystal Lake boy appear in court Monday

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The parents of slain 5-year-old Crystal Lake boy A.J. Freund appeared in court for a status hearing Monday morning. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2V33B5Z

Trump flips on Fox News analyst after he calls president's actions 'criminal'

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Dershowitz said on Fox News Saturday that he didn’t agree with Napolitano on whether Trump obstructed justice by interfering with the special counsel’s investigation. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2GOxdLi

Taiwan reports voyage of 2 US warships through Taiwan Strait

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Two U.S. warships sailed through the Taiwan Strait over the weekend, Taiwan's defense ministry said Monday, in a move that Beijing said threatened to hinder U.S.-China relations. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2J0hpXv

Funeral service for San Diego synagogue victim who shielded rabbi held Monday, and more updates

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Lori Gilbert-Kaye was killed Saturday at a shooting at Chabad of Poway near San Diego. Her funeral was held Monday. Here's what you need to know. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2UPpyQO

Officials declare measles outbreak in Pacific Northwest over

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PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A measles outbreak that sickened more than 70 people, mostly children, in the Pacific Northwest is finally over even as the total number of cases nationwide continues to spike to near-record levels , officials said Monday. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2J4R9eO

US stocks tread water ahead of more earnings, Fed

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Wall Street was flat but holding near record levels just after the open on Monday as investors awaited a fresh set of corporate earnings during week loaded with economic data. Markets were also absorbing an upbeat report on consumer spending for March, which showed a big jump at the end of the first quarter. The data come as the Federal Reserve is due to begin its latest-two day policy meeting on Tuesday but is overwhelmingly expected to leave interest rates untouched. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2UKHUTa

Seattle crane collapse: 'Words can't describe what a good partner he was,' says widow of one of 4 killed

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Among those who were killed in the Seattle crane collapse were two ironworkers and a student. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2PKYkKt