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Accused Russian Agent Maria Butina Reaches Plea Deal With Federal Prosecutors: Reports

Maria Butina, a Russian gun-rights activist accused of working as an agent for

Marco Rubio: Pardoning Paul Manafort would be a 'terrible mistake'

Sen. Marco Rubio said President Trump would be making a 'terrible mistake' if he decides to pardon Paul Manafort.

30 Tweets You'll Find Extra Funny If You're Married

Getting married is easy, but staying married can be hard work. If you and your

Google CEO Sundar Pichaoi to tell Congress company 'supports federal privacy legislation' amid allegations of security violations and political bias

The boss of Google - under fire over allegations of political bias and its failure to protect personal information - is to tell congress it supports government legislation that defends against privacy violations. On the day Google announced it was to terminate earlier than planned its modestly-used social media network Google Plus because of a flaw that had leaked the personal information of 52.5m users, CEO Sundar Pichai made clear he would defend the company against accusations of favouritism or predisposition. “I lead this company without political bias and work to ensure that our products continue to operate that way,” Mr Pichai will say in prepared remarks he is due to deliver on Capitol Hill.

Neon sea creatures light up ocean with vibrant colors

Incredible neon sea creatures have been captured lighting up the ocean with their vibrant colors – in what looked like a scene from Avatar. Photographer Simon Pierce, 39, took the images over several months after visiting both Nosy Sakatia in Madagascar and Mafia Island in Tanzania recently. He was thrilled to spot the biofluorescence creatures – which produce their own light – he managed to capture, including fireflies and glow worms. Simon, who is also a marine biologist, from New Plymouth, New Zealand, said: “I felt like I was in the film Avatar capturing these images. ...

No-deal Brexit more likely amid 'confused' situation in London, France says

A costly British exit from the European Union without a negotiated deal is increasingly likely, France's European affairs minister said on Monday, after British Prime Minister Theresa May postponed a vote on a deal in the face of defeat. "We must not lose sight of the fact that despite the latest developments, a rejection of the withdrawal agreement is more and more likely," Nathalie Loiseau told lawmakers. "The risk of a no-deal exit would also be an exit that would be undoubtedly extremely costly for the United Kingdom but which would be damaging for the EU too." "Some are drawing up other scenarios and the confusion in London remains particularly strong," she added.

NASA's Voyager 2 becomes 2nd craft in interstellar space

WASHINGTON (AP) — NASA's Voyager 2 is now the second human-made object to zip away from the sun into the space between the stars.

The Best Green Monday 2018 Deals We've Seen So Far

Regret missing out on some of those Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals last

Indian tycoon Mallya to find out extradition fate

Indian tycoon Vijay Mallya will appear in a London court on Monday to find out whether he will be extradited to his homeland, where he is accused of fraud. Mallya, chairman of the UB Group drinks conglomerate and chief executive of the Force India Formula One team, will discover his fate at Westminster Magistrates' Court. The loans from the state-owned IDBI bank were intended to bail out his failed carrier Kingfisher Airlines.

I Drove Drunk And It Cost 6 People Their Lives. Here's How My Own Life Changed Forever.

On Nov. 1, 2003, I was involved in a drinking and driving accident. I cost six

Heavy snow batters North Carolina and Virginia, leaving thousands of drivers stranded

At least four deaths have been blamed on "mammoth" snowstorm in the Southeast, causing drivers to abandon their cars on the road due to dangerous conditions.

Trump on Comey's testimony to Congress: 'All lies!'

President Trump claimed that former FBI director James Comey lied to Congress and questioned why he couldn’t remember details about the Justice Department leading up to the 2016 presidential election.

Grace Millane: Man accused over backpacker murder appears in court as PM apologises on behalf of New Zealand for her death

The man accused of killing British backpacker Grace Millane was jeered as he appeared in a packed Auckland court on Monday. Ms Millane, 22, died while travelling in New Zealand and her body was found in bushland on Sunday afternoon, about 30 feet from a highway outside the New Zealand city. The 26-year-old accused, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, appeared in a blue boiler suit as he attended Auckland's District Court on Monday morning. Ms Millane, from Essex, was last seen alive entering the CityLife Hotel with the man last Saturday at 9.41pm. The defendant was listed on a charge sheet as residing at the hotel on Queen Street in central Auckland. In his opening remarks Judge Evangelos Thomas addressed members of Millane's family, some of whom were in attendance. Her father, David Millane, arrived in New Zealand last Friday following his daughter's disappearance. “Your grief must be desperate,” Judge Thomas told the family in court, where every seat was taken by the public and the international and local media. “All of us hope that justice for Grace is fair and swift and ultimately brings you some peace.”  As the defendant was led out of the court, a man at the back of the court yelled out “scumbag”. Meanwhile, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern became became visibly upset as she apologised to Ms Millane's family at her weekly post-cabinet news conference.  "On behalf of New Zealand, I want to apologise to Grace's family," Ms Ardern told a weekly news conference in parliament. Ms Ardern said she could not imagine the grief that her family would be going through, according to Radio New Zealand.  “Your daughter should have been safe here and she wasn't and I'm sorry for that.” Ms Ardern told the family through police that the government would offer any assistance it could. Judge Evangelos Thomas speaks as a man accused of Grace Millane's murder appears in court in Auckland Credit: Getty Judge Thomas rejected an application from the accused's lawyer for his client's name to be suppressed based on fair trial rights. However, the decision was immediately appealed, meaning the accused's name will not be released for at least 20 working days until the appeal is determined. The accused looked at the judge for most of the 90 minutes he was in court, nodding that he understood when spoken to, his eyes only occasionally flicking towards the cameras on the other side of the court. The defendant's next appearance will be in the High Court on January 23. Accused 'was estranged from family' The accused was reportedly estranged from his family after his parents separated, according to his grandfather.  NZ media organisation Stuff reported that the grandfather, who said he'd helped raise him for a period after his parents separated, was struggling to come to terms with what his grandson had been accused of.  “He was a nice kid, but he sort of fell out with everybody, which is what happens with broken-up marriages.”  He was worried about how the allegations would affect the wider family but declined to comment further.  A female relative of the accused told Stuff he'd spent time living in Australia, where his mother lived, but she was unaware he'd returned.  His paternal grandmother told Stuff that while living in Australia the man fathered a daughter but was no longer in a relationship with the mother.  Stuff said the accused's father hadn't spoken to his son for two years, citing: “A difference in opinion on life.” Emotional tributes from family Police have yet to reveal how the pair met or the possible motive for the alleged murder. Security footage at the hotel, along with a scene investigation at a room there, confirmed that Ms Millane was dead.   Detective Inspector Scott Beard said the body was found near Scenic Drive, which leads through the Waitakere Ranges, a popular parkland west of Auckland. Grace Millane was on a year-long round-the-world trip “This brings the search for Grace to an end,” said Detective Beard, who was visibly emotional delivering the news of the discovery. “It is an unbearable time for the Millane family and our hearts go out to them.” Ms Millane's family have described her as “lovely, outgoing, fun-loving and family-orientated”. Her brother Declan paid public tribute on social media with a series of photographs of Ms Millane smiling, celebrating, graduating and, as a little girl, hugging her sibling. He also wrote the lyrics to the song "you are my sunshine, my only sunshine" underneath pictures of the pair together.   View this post on Instagram ��♥️You are my sunshine, my only sunshine You make me happy when skies are gray You'll never know, dear, how much I love you Please don't take my sunshine away A post shared by Declan Millane (@declan_millane) on Dec 9, 2018 at 2:16am PST Ms Millane, who completed a degree in advertising and marketing at Lincoln University, was on a yearlong trip and arrived in New Zealand on November 20 after a four-week group tour to Peru. Her family raised concerns after she failed to make contact for several days, including on her 22nd birthday last Sunday. Police received a missing person report on Wednesday and commenced a major search and public campaign that saw dozens of calls made to a helpline. David Millane, Grace’s father, arrived in New Zealand on Friday morning and gave a press conference with police, issuing a moving appeal for help. He was joined on the weekend by another family member. Tributes to Grace Millane are left at the roundabout in Titirangi, at the start of Scenic Drive  in Auckland Credit: Getty Mr Millane, a property developer, said Ms Millane had typically “bombarded” the family with messages and photographs during her travels but suddenly went silent after last Saturday. "Grace is a lovely, outgoing, fun-loving, family-orientated daughter," he said. "Grace has never been out of contact for this amount of time. She's usually in daily contact with either her mother, myself, her two brothers or members of the family on social media. "We are all extremely upset and it's very difficult at this time to fully describe the range of emotions we are going through." Police took the 26-year-old man into custody several days ago and have charged him with murder.  Detective Inspector Scott Beard speaks at the scene where the body of British tourist Grace Millane was found Credit: Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images Detective Beard said the investigation will continue and searches were still underway at the hotel. He would not comment on whether the pair met on the dating app Tinder. "The focus now is to piece together exactly what happened to a young woman who came to New Zealand on her [overseas experience]," he said. Appeal for information Ms Millane’s body was allegedly transported to the parkland in a red Toyota Corolla hatchback that was rented from a central Auckland firm last Sunday. Police released two photos of the car, which was found in the central North Island town of Taupo, and were appealing for anyone who had seen the vehicle on the morning of Monday, December 3, near the area where the body was found. Expressing condolences to Mr Millane and the family, Detective Beard said: "Any father in this situation is going to struggle. We are putting a lot of support around him. I feel for him, I have a daughter in her twenties.” A 2016 red Toyota Corolla hire car that police are analysing as part of a probe into the death of Grace Millane Credit: PA The case has sent shockwaves across New Zealand, where people expressed outrage and some on social media described the case as a “national shame”. It has also raised concerns about violence towards women in the country. Justin Lester, the mayor of Wellington, the capital, said the case was a "horrible and tragic nightmare". "Our girls should be safe to travel and go out and our men should be looking after and protecting them, not causing harm," he said on Twitter.

Supreme Court: Brett Kavanaugh sides with liberal justices to protect Planned Parenthood funding

Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Brett Kavanaugh unexpectedly aligned with four liberal justices in declining to review the petitions that would have placed a ban on abortion providers. Defunding Planned Parenthood has been a key priority for Republicans, with Mr Kavanaugh’s controversial confirmation sparking concerns among reproductive rights activist that he would back moves to overturn or restrict legal rights and access to abortions. The top court left the rulings from the lower court that halted Kansas and Louisiana from revoking public healthcare funding from Planned Parenthood and its affiliates.

GoPro to move U.S.-bound camera production out of China

The company had previously said it was being "very proactive" about the situation regarding tariffs as U.S. and China ramped up its bitter trade war, in which both nations have imposed tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars of each other's imports. GoPro said international-bound camera production will remain in China. In the company's earnings call in November, GoPro said it had the option to move U.S.-bound production out of China in the first half of 2019, if necessary.

Agency: Fear of returning home spikes at US-Mexico border

SAN DIEGO (AP) — The number of people expressing fear of returning to their home countries when stopped at the U.S. border with Mexico has spiked, according to figures released Monday by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

2 Nuns Accused Of Embezzling $500,000 From Catholic School

Two Roman Catholic nuns have admitted to embezzling $500,000 from a parochial

11 Useful Gifts For The Person Who Can't Cook To Save Their Life

Learning to cook can be intimidating for a lot of people. Maybe they are a

Would Taiwan Fight China Without U.S. Support?

It is in the interests of the United States to send reassuring signals to the public in Taiwan about the U.S. determination to assist and defend Taiwan.

NY Daily News Mocks Trump's Hunt For 'Spineless, Clueless' Chief Of Staff

The New York Daily News has taken aim at President Donald Trump as he searches

Indiana teen charged with killing pregnant schoolmate

MISHAWAKA, Ind. (AP) — An Indiana high school football player told investigators that he killed a 17-year-old schoolmate because he was angry that she waited so long to tell him she was pregnant with his child that it was too late to get an abortion, authorities said Monday.

Qatar emir skips Saudi-hosted summit with Gulf rivals

Qatar's emir skipped a summit in Saudi Arabia on Sunday with fellow Arab Gulf leaders whose boycott of the small but energy-flush neighbour has sparked a major regional diplomatic row. Riyadh is hosting the annual gathering as crises rumble on over the 18-month-old dispute with Doha, the war in Yemen and the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul. The regional powerhouse had invited Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani to attend the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council talks, but the foreign ministry in Doha said he would not go.

An '(Unintentional) Grinch' Tried To Ban Christmas From The Classroom

An elementary school principal from Omaha, Nebraska has been placed on

UK's May pulls vote on her divorce deal, thrusting Brexit into the unknown

British Prime Minister Theresa May on Monday abruptly pulled a vote on her Brexit deal, throwing Britain’s plan to leave the European Union into chaos.

Dow reverses course and ends higher despite trade, Brexit concerns

Stocks largely finished higher Monday after investors shook off trade tensions with China, a delayed Brexit vote and a flattening yield curve.

Inside the Navy's flyover farewell for President George H.W. Bush

Navy pilots who participated in the 21 aircraft flyover at George H.W. Bush's funeral in Texas describe what it was like to be part of that historic tribute for the late president.

Rand Paul Calls Trump's Nomination Of William Barr For Attorney General 'Very Troubling'

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) on Sunday bashed President Donald Trump's nomination of

Former beauty queen sent nude pictures to 15-year-old student on Snapchat, police say

A former beauty pageant queen is facing up to 20 years in prison after allegedly sending nude photographs of herself to a 15-year-old boy. Ramsey Bearse, now a teacher at Andrew Jackson Middle School outside Charleston, West Virginia, was arrested and charged with distribution or display of obscene matter to minors after allegedly sending the lewd images to the former student. According to the Kanawha County Sheriff's Office, Ms Bearse sent the teenager at least four topless photos using multimedia messaging app Snapchat over a period of three months.

The Latest: China, US discuss plans for trade talks

BEIJING (AP) — The Latest on the back and forth between China and the U.S. over trade, technology and the arrest of an executive of the Chinese network gear company Huawei Technologies. (All times local):

Social media tops print as news source for Americans: study

Social media has overtaken print newspapers as a news source for Americans, researchers said Monday, highlighting the growing importance of services such as Facebook and Twitter as well as the troubled state of legacy news organizations. The Pew Research Center report found 20 percent of US adults say they often get news via social media, compared with 16 percent from newspapers. In 2016, newspapers were more important that social networks and in 2017 the percentages were roughly even for both sources, according to Pew surveys.

Teachers union: Tentative deal to end charter schools strike

CHICAGO (AP) — The nation's first teachers' strike against a charter school operator will end after their union and management struck a tentative deal Sunday that includes protections for students and immigrant families living in the country illegally.

Brexit in turmoil as UK's May pulls vote to seek changes to EU divorce

May's abrupt move less than 30 hours before parliament was to vote opens up a range of possibilities from a Brexit without a deal, a last-minute agreement or another EU referendum. Admitting she faced defeat on Britain's potentially biggest political and economic shift since World War Two, May was laughed at by some lawmakers when she said there was broad support for key aspects of her deal reached with the EU last month. With her position in jeopardy, May said she would now go back to the EU and seek reassurances over the so-called Irish "backstop", an insurance policy to ensure no return to a hard border on the island of Ireland.

Jared Kushner Gave Saudi Crown Prince Advice After Khashoggi Slaying: NY Times

Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser, flouted

Talks of impeachment rises among Democrats in wake of federal court filings

Special counsel Robert Mueller's filings reveal that Michael Cohen has provided "useful" information on obstruction and collusion.

Why Israel Confronted Hezbollah’s Tunnel Threat

The impact of Israel’s operation will have wider regional implications.

Nobel laureates urge world to help victims of rape in conflict

Nobel laureates Denis Mukwege and Nadia Murad called on the world to protect victims of wartime sexual violence in their Peace Prize acceptance speeches on Monday, slamming indifference to the plight of women and children in conflict. Congolese gynaecologist Mukwege, whose work has made him a global expert on rape in conflict, and Yazidi activist Murad, a survivor of IS sexual slavery, both said victims were sometimes valued less than commercial interests. In an emotional ceremony in Oslo, which saw the laureates cheered and given standing ovations, Mukwege and Murad called on the world to do more.

How to fight travel fees this holiday season

Appealing to a company's sense of fairness may be the best way to remove a checked-baggage fee or resort fee.

EU renews Congo sanctions ahead of presidential election

The decision is likely to worsen relations between the EU and President Joseph Kabila's government, which has lobbied against sanctions it calls an illegal violation of its sovereignty. Kabila has also refused to accredit EU election observers despite concerns by opposition politicians, civil society activists and foreign powers about the credibility of the Dec. 23 vote. Shadary served as interior minister during some of the protests and as a senior official in Kabila's PPRD party.

3 tools for learning a new language, on sale for an extra 15% off with code

Wish you could give someone the world this holiday season? Well, now you can — (somewhat) literally — with the gift of language lessons. Whether your Secret Santa aspires to be a polyglot or just wants to brush up on their vocabulary so they don't sound like an idiot the next time they dine at their local Mexican place, they'll find it easier to navigate the world around them with a subscription to any of these three online language courses and apps. SEE ALSO: Learn Python for cheap: Shop online classes on sale Oh, and speaking of presents — we have a gift for you, dear reader: You can take an additional 15% off your purchase of any of these already-discounted programs by entering the coupon code MERRY15 at checkout. Mondly: Lifetime Subscription Mondly takes a fresh approach to learning a new language by integrating speech-recognition technology into its education. It actually listens to you when you speak, and only offers positive feedback if you correctly pronounce a new word or phrase. (Cool, right?) It's structured around short lessons that emphasize conversational tools in your choice of 33 languages but also lets you take part in chats with native speakers and supplement your learning with a dictionary and a verb conjugator. A $1,199.75 value, you can snag a lifetime subscription to training in five languages through Mondly for only $69.99 plus an extra 15% off using the coupon code MERRY15. Image: ATi Studios Mondly: Lifetime Subscription See Details uTalk Language Education: Lifetime Subscription  Take your pick from more than 130 different tongues and start busting language barriers through uTalk. Available on any device, its lessons emphasize practical vocabulary and verified translations that help you understand how native speakers actually talk. Valued at $64.99, you can purchase lifetime access to any one language's lessons through uTalk for just $19.99, plus an additional 15% off if you enter the coupon code MERRY15 at checkout. Image: uTalk uTalk Language Education: Lifetime Subscription See Details busuu Premium Subscriptions When it comes to learning a new language, "I'm too busy!" is no longer an excuse thanks to busuu Premium. Since it works both on- and offline, you can brush up on your learning from virtually anywhere with its advanced grammar units, vocabulary trainer, and other useful features. By the time you've completed 22 hours of training with busuu Premium, you'll have reportedly learned the equivalent of an entire college semester of language classes. A $69.96 value, you can get lifetime access to 12 different language courses through busuu Premium for only $34.99 — plus an extra 15% off with the promo code MERRY15. Image: busuu busuu Premium Subscriptions See Details

Meet the Nissan Skyline GT-R with a single owner since 1972

Finding an unmolested Nissan Skyline C10 is difficult enough, yet an S20-powered example boasting only one owner over the last 46 years? Surely impossible…

Donald Trump's 'Smocking Gun' Tweet Triggers A Whole Lot Of Jokes

Twitter was mocking the "smocking."

Gavin McInness: Proud Boys founder and far-right activist ‘dropped’ by conservative US TV channel

A far-right activist linked with English Defence League (EDL) founder Tommy Robinson has reportedly been ditched by an American television channel less than a week after he was recruited as a host. Gavin McInnes, the founder of right-wing group Proud Boys, which the FBI labelled an “extremist organisation with ties to white nationalism”, is no longer working with BlazeTV, the company announced. An FBI agent later denied having called the group extremist, saying it had been trying to characterise the potential threat from individuals in the Proud Boys.

'I can't breathe' were Khashoggi's final words, report says

Jamal Khashoggi's final words were "I can't breathe," CNN said Sunday, citing a source who has read the transcript of an audio tape of the final moments before the journalist's murder. CNN said Turkish officials believe those calls were made to top officials in Riyadh. Khashoggi, a Saudi contributor to The Washington Post, was killed shortly after entering the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul on October 2.