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Trump Russia probe hit by White House gag claims

The House intelligence committee cancelled a hearing on alleged ties between the Trump campaign and Russia after administration officials reportedly told an Obama-era appointee that she could not testify about conversations she had concerning Michael Flynn, who was fired as White House national security adviser.Sally Yates, the acting attorney-general early in the Trump administration, was due to testify before the committee on Tuesday. But the White House [...]

Former Nigerian state governor given bail after graft conviction

YOLA, Nigeria A former Nigerian state governor sentenced to five years in prison for corruption this month has been granted bail on medical grounds pending his appeal, his lawyer said on Tuesday, though prison officials queried the basis of the ruling.James Bala Ngillari, governor of northeastern Adamawa state for seven months until May 2015, was convicted of awarding a contract for the procurement of 25 vehicles at [...]

Ultratravel Smart Shopper: Siem Reap, Cambodia

Dawn is the time to see Angkor Wat. Waiting in the dark as the exquisite 11th-century temple is conjured out of the Cambodian jungle feels ridiculously thrilling. As the sun rises above the tall, minutely carved, lotus-like towers, and the ornate magnificence of the buildings is reflected in the great ornamental lakes, you get a sense of how 19th-century French explorer Henri Mouhot must have felt when [...]

Victorian government distributes AU$5m to telehealth projects

The Victorian government is distributing AU$5 million across 15 telehealth projects to better connect patients in regional and rural areas to medical specialists across the state, Minister for Health Jill Hennessy announced on Tuesday. The projects will allow Alfred Health to provide online video consultations to burns, infectious disease, lung transplant, and HIV patients in regional and rural Victoria. Austin Health's Victorian Respiratory Support Service and the [...]

Center for Public Integrity awarded $3 million grant

The grant announcement continues a run of significant recognition for the Center’s work. In recent days, five separate Center investigations have been honored as part of three prestigious journalism competitions. The Center was a winner in three categories of the Society of American Business Editors and Writers “Best in Business” competition, while taking a first place and a second place prize in the Association of Health Care [...]

Arab FMs reject unilateral steps that ‘jeopardize legal status of Jerusalem’

THE DEAD SEA, Jordan: The Council of Arab Foreign Ministers on Monday approved 17 draft resolutions, including the rejection of unilateral steps that “jeopardize the historic and legal status” of Jerusalem. The draft will be presented to Arab leaders at their summit on Wednesday.It followed an announcement by Jason Greenblatt, US envoy to the Middle East, that he looks forward to attending the Arab Summit as an [...]

Anniversary of Panama Papers leak a time to review impact – NewsAhead Agency

A year since the leak of some 11 million documents from Mossack Fonseca, the owners of the vast wealth hidden away by the Panamanian law firm appear safe from everything but embarrassment. The founders of the law firm were less fortunate. Juergen Mossack and his colleague Ramon Fonseca, were arrested in Panama City in February in connection with Brazil's sprawling car wash corruption scandal. The investigation is [...]

Ultratravel Top 10: Holidays on horseback

Adriaane PielouHolidaying on horseback is guaranteed to lift the spirits. The exhilaration you feel after spending time in the fresh air afforded by the countryside is enhanced by the fact that you can choose from a range of trips. Despite being a sporty kind of activity, a riding holiday can involve weeks crossing mountains and camping out each night. However, you can also choose undemanding meanders through [...]

How two teens in leggings became a PR mess for United Airlines

A bystander who touched off a social media furor after she saw United Airlines stop two teenage girls dressed in leggings from boarding a flight admitted on Monday that she did not fully grasp the situation when she started tweeting her indignation.The girls, who were flying standby on Sunday from Denver to Minneapolis using free passes for employees or family members, were told by a gate attendant [...]

Mexican Archdiocese Blasts "Immoral" Companies Building Border Wall As "Traitors To Homeland"

Last week we noted that Mexico's Economy Minister, Ildefonso Guajardo, was somewhat less than completely supportive of Trump's impenetrable, yet "aesthetically pleasing", 30-foot border wall and issued a stark warning to Mexican companies that it would not be in their best "interests" to participate in the project even though there would be no explicit legal restrictions or sanctions to stop them if they tried.  Per Reuters: "We're [...]

Loss Of Arctic Sea Ice Endangers Entire Ecosystem, Up To The Great Beluga Whale

The recent report on Arctic sea ice levels underlines the grave impact of global warming on marine creatures that depend on the polar ice cap for survival. Rising temperatures in the far north give way to a rapidly reducing ice cover, and when the sea ice is threatened, so is the phytoplankton it sustains. Shrinking sea ice means the microscopic algae have less and less room to grow, and [...]

Why President Trump still plays nice with elite media

Good morning. Here's our morning roundup of all the media news you need to know. Want to get this briefing in your inbox every morning? Subscribe here. So when President Trump raised the white flag on Obamacare Friday, did he pick up the phone and gave the exclusive to Breitbart, The Daily Caller or LifeZette? Nope. He called reporters at The Washington Post and The New York [...]

Uber Suspends Self-Driving Testing Program In Light Of Car Crash In Arizona

Following a car accident involving one of its self-driving cars, Uber is officially pulling out its autonomous testing program in Arizona, in addition to pausing its Pittsburgh test bed. This is the latest for a company currently facing a diverse set of controversies: from workplace sexism to Kalanick's perceived lack of leadership to pressing accounts of its noxious office culture. Uber's Self-Driving Car Crashes In a photo first [...]

Samsung Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8 Plus Official Details Leaked Before March 29 Announcement

As the March 29 official announcement of the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus draw near, leaks regarding the upcoming smartphones have been filling up the rumor mill. While recent reports have left almost nothing to the imagination regarding the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus, the most recent leak has spoiled all the official details regarding the devices, along with the official press images that [...]

United Airlines bars teenage girls in leggings from flight

Two teenage girls wearing leggings were barred from boarding a United Airlines flight on Sunday because they did not meet a dress code for special pass travelers, a company spokesman said amid a furor on social media.The two girls, who were traveling with a companion, would not have been turned away for wearing leggings had they been paying customers, United spokesman Jonathan Guerin said as the airline [...]

Nearly 65 per cent of GCC expats do not have a pension: survey

GCC expats are miles behind their counterparts in North America, Europe and Asia when it comes to retirement planning, a study by global financial firm Guardian Wealth Management has found. In fact, in the annual pensions survey conducted by GWM, it found that 64.21 percent of GCC expats have no pension at all. This is compared to 14.49 percent in North America, 43.85 percent in Europe and [...]

Rough Guide to IETF 98: Trust, Identity, and Privacy

It should come as no surprise that there are numerous activities related to Trust, Identity, and Privacy on the agenda for IETF 98. Below I will highlight a few of the many activities and provide pointers to a number of additional ones. There is something for everyone interested in these areas in Chicago in the coming week! The fun starts before the meeting even begins with the [...]

Ring The Alarm: UK Entering Meltdown Mode

Last week, the Office for National Statistics released the inflation results for the British economy. Even though most analysts weren’t expecting any huge differences, the numbers (updated until February) paint a completely different picture. In February, the inflation rate increased rather sharply. On a month-on-month basis, the CPI increased by 0.7% (whereas January was a month with deflation). The current YoY inflation rate based on the CPI [...]

OPEC, non-OPEC to look at extending oil-output cut by six months

By Vladimir Soldatkin and Rania El Gamal | KUWAIT KUWAIT A joint committee of ministers from OPEC and non-OPEC oil producers has agreed to review whether a global pact to limit supplies should be extended by six months, it said in a statement on Sunday. An earlier draft of the statement said the committee "reports high level of conformity and recommends six-month extension". But the final statement [...]

Southern Lights Delight At Antarctica: First Chartered Flight Flies Through Aurora Australis

The first charter flight that flew close to the Antarctic Circle from New Zealand returned on Friday with excited passengers having a close look at the Aurora Australis phenomenon in green hues, also known as Southern Lights. Buoyed by the good response, the organizer is looking to plan more fights in the future. The initiative was taken by Ian Griffin, an Otago museum director and astronomer himself. Having [...]

China prevents Sydney academic from flying home

China has prevented an academic critical of its growing influence in Australia from travelling home to Sydney, casting a shadow over Chinese Premier Li Keqiang’s state visit to the country.Feng Chongyi, a Chinese citizen who teaches at University of Technology Sydney, was halted from boarding at least two flights from China to Australia this weekend. Mr Feng is a permanent resident of Australia, which means he does [...]

Emirati family 'destroyed' by London hammer attack speak out

ABU DHABI // The mother of the three Emirati sisters who were attacked by a drug addict with a claw hammer in a London hotel three years ago has spoken for the first time about how the family’s lives were "destroyed overnight".Speaking exclusively to The National, Kedhaya Al Mulla recalled the horror of finding out about the incident in which her daughters almost died and which forever [...]

Events cancelled as thunder storms hit the UAE

Heavy rain, thunder and lightning hit Dubai early on Friday, with motorists urged to take extra care in difficult driving conditions while, in Abu Dhabi, Etihad Airways warned of possible flight delays. Local reports suggest the wet weather has resulted in some road accidents while some events have been cancelled. The Desert Warrior Challenge in Ajman has fallen victim to the bad weather, as has the Street [...]

Impeachment wars rage in House – Business Mirror

EVEN if it threatens to affect the legislative agenda of the 17th Congress, House Speaker Pantaleon D. Alvarez has vowed to pursue an impeachment case filed against Vice President Maria Leonor G. Robredo, justifying that, in doing so, the lower chamber is only doing its mandate under the 1987 Constitution.  “Whether it will affect or not [our legislative agenda], we are mandated by the Constitution to process all [...]