People
Taiwan battens down as super typhoon Maria approaches
While the storm did not hit Taiwan, instead traveling to the north of the island, it did bring torrential rains and strong winds, according Channel News Asia . Morakot was the deadliest typhoon to hit the island in recorded history, killing almost 700 people, majority in landslides. In 2009, Typhoon Morakot killed nearly 700 people in Taiwan, including about 400 when their village was wiped o... [Full Article...]
Trump wants a patriotic makeover for Air Force One
Trump reportedly wants to give Air Force One a makeover. The White House announced the deal would save taxpayers $1.4 billion, as the cost will be a reduction from the initial $5 billion estimate for the new planes. The shade is officially known as "luxurious ultramarine". "It was all part of this whole pattern of him trying to create increased visibility of the presidency as an active o... [Full Article...]
Labour open to second Brexit vote if deal fails, says Tom Watson
He said: "I accept the principle that if you want the right deal with the European Union and we do that that is going to involve preferential treatment for European Union citizens". "If the Government plans to get the Chequers deal through on the back of Labour Party votes that would be the most divisive thing you could do". "It is highly, highly, highly unlikely we would support a people's vote... [Full Article...]
Commercial whalers 'kill first blue whale in over 50 years'
Although an global moratorium has placed catch limits at zero for blue whales, Iceland , Norway and the Russian Federation all objected to that provision. Here's why this "hybrid" or "not hybrid" distinction is so important. Blue whales reach up to 33 meters (108 feet) in length, and have been protected by the International Whaling Commission since 1966, after uncontrolled and illegal comme... [Full Article...]
Big Twitter Accounts See Follower Numbers Drop After Fake-User Purge
As Twitter continues to rid its platform of suspicious accounts, many users, including influential profiles like U.S. President Donald Trump , could see a significant drop in followers. Even though Dorsey lost a ton of followers, he still should get good engagement on his tweets. The president now has 53.1 million followers, according to his account page. [Full Article...]
Flynn 'eager' for sentencing in lying case, attorney says
Its issuance now in his name appears to have been the result of a misunderstanding". In a statement a few hours after the hearing on Tuesday, Flynn announced that he would be joining the Stonington Global LLC consulting firm founded by Washington lobbyist Nicolas Muzin and NY businessman Joey Allaham, both registered lobbyists for Qatar. [Full Article...]
Japan floods: Death Toll Climbs to 94
In Kurashiki , 2,310 people have been rescued by authorities and the search still continues. HuffPost reports that evacuation orders or advisories were issued for 4.72 million people. "Thankfully, I was OK and nobody in this neighborhood was severely injured", he told The Japan Times . "People believe Okayama is very safe, nobody thought that [a disaster] would happen to this city", Yusuke... [Full Article...]
Black Sarcophagus Unearthed In Egypt... And It's Still Sealed
The nearly three-metre long by two-metre high sarcophagus was discovered in a long-concealed tomb below the earth during a survey of a plot of land for a building construction. Alexandria was founded by Alexander the Great , and the location and dating of the tomb around the ruler's death has led to social media speculation the sarcophagus might belong to him. [Full Article...]