Newz Monkey

As Zimbabweans  head to the polls for the presidential election on Monday July 30, the outcome has never been less certain. Emmerson Mnangagwa, the president who came to power by overthrowing his long time boss and ally Robert Mugabe in November, bets that Zimbabweans will back him as the safest pair of hands to repair the country’s ruined economy and usher in an era of national renewal. Nelson Chamisa, the young leader of the Movement of Democratic Change, hopes to pull off an upset by offering a completely fresh start and persuading voters to punish the ruling Zanu PF party - including Mr Mnangagwa - for decades of misrule. But whoever wins next week will inherit a legacy of massive economic mismanagement, profound demographic changes, and a rapidly changing international landscape. Emmerson Mnangagwa sworn in as Zimbabwe's new president Mr Mugabe came to power on a surge of optimism in independence in 1980. With the end of a long and bloody war against the minorit...

Despite assurances he would stop giving interviews about his daughter Meghan, from https://www.yahoo.com/news/thomas-markle-attacks-meghan-markle-135639463.html

Grieving relatives described the panicked phone calls they received as fires closed in on their California neighbourhood and their desperate two-day search for an elderly woman and her two great-grandhildren, before discovering they died when flames engulfed their home. The death toll from California’s summer wildfires rose to five at the weekend when fire crews said they had found human remains at a charred home on the outskirts of Redding in the north of the state. More than 38,000 people remain under evacuation orders from a fire that has destroyed more than 500 buildings and continued to rage unchecked into a seventh day yesterday. Melody, 70, and two great-grandchildren – James Roberts, 5, and Emily Roberts, 4 died in the blaze Ed Bledsoe described how he left his home with the family’s only car to run errands on Thursday leaving his wife Melody, 70, and two great-grandchildren – James Roberts, 5, and Emily Roberts, 4 - behind. He told Capital Public Radio his wife telephoned an h...

An Italian prosecutor asked Facebook users to help crack the cold case from https://www.yahoo.com/news/social-media-helped-italian-police-100612888.html

By Rozanna Latiff KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Investigators released a report on missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 on Monday, saying the Boeing 777's controls were likely deliberately manipulated to take it off course but they were not able to determine who was responsible. The 495-page report draws no conclusion about what happened aboard the plane that vanished with 239 people on board en route to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur on March 8, 2014, leaving one of the world's greatest aviation mysteries unsolved. "The answer can only be conclusive if the wreckage is found," Kok Soo Chon, head of the MH370 safety investigation team, told reporters. from https://www.yahoo.com/news/mh370-families-no-findings-investigation-report-060259780--finance.html

from https://www.yahoo.com/news/16-things-really-really-want-204406024.html

MH370 vanished on March 8, 2014 with 239 people on board from https://www.yahoo.com/news/malaysia-flight-370-apos-steered-114036494.html

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Latest on the release of body-camera video in the June fatal shooting of a black man by Minneapolis police (all times local): from https://www.yahoo.com/news/latest-minneapolis-cops-feared-lives-200157606.html

A.G. Sulzberger, the publisher of the New York Times, warned President Trump during a meeting at the White House that his anti-press rhetoric is “contributing to a rise in threats against journalists and will lead to violence.” from https://www.yahoo.com/news/ny-times-publisher-implored-trump-stop-calling-journalists-enemy-people-162456874.html

Zimbabwe’s leading opposition candidate accused the country’s electoral authorities of trying to suppress voter turnout at presidential elections on Monday, raising fears of a disputed outcome to the historic poll.  Millions of Zimbabweans turned out to vote in the country’s first presidential, parliamentary, and local government elections since dictator Robert Mugabe was ousted in a military coup in November. The outcome will decide whether Emmerson Mnangagwa, a 75-year-old former ally of Mr Mugabe, or Nelson Chamisa, a 40-year-old lawyer and preacher leading the opposition MDC alliance, will be the country's next president.  The only poll released in the run up to the vote showed Mr Mnangagwa leading Mr Chamisa by just 3 per cent, and the results, which must be announced by Saturday, are expected to be tight.  Emmerson Mnangagwa cast his ballot in Kwekwe, 100 miles southwest of Harare Credit: Xinhua / Barcroft Images Mr Chamisa, who has repeatedly accused the country's ...

Mourners gathered in a church in the Greek coastal town of Mati on Sunday where they wept and lit candles in memory of those killed when a massive wildfire swept through the popular resort near Athens earlier this week. Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras is facing fierce recriminations for the government's response to the fire and has promised a national plan to avoid a repeat of the disaster. Rescue crews are still looking for survivors of the blaze which began last Monday in Mati, 30 km (17 miles) east of Athens, as the death toll rose to at least 91 with dozens more injured. from https://www.yahoo.com/news/greek-seaside-town-remembers-lives-lost-wildfire-165424872.html

The Carr fire has destroyed at least 517 structures and damaged 135 from https://www.yahoo.com/news/northern-california-wildfire-slowing-down-013400746.html

Firefighters are rushing against uncertain weather forecasts to contain a multitude of wildfires in northern California that have already claimed the lives of at least six people and forced 50,000 to flee their homes. With hot, dry conditions and high winds fuelling the blazes, 12,000 firefighters have been drafted in to try to contain 17 wildfires that have destroyed buildings in its path – including the home of a fire chief. As those firefighters continued to fight the blaze, families of the dead on Sunday told their harrowing tales of loss. from https://www.yahoo.com/news/california-wildfires-six-dead-tens-213500362.html

By Alexandria Sage REDDING, Calif. (Reuters) - A 70-year-old woman and her two great-grandchildren were among six people killed when a wildfire engulfed entire communities in northern California, officials and family members said. Shasta County Sheriff Tom Bosenko told a news conference near the city of Redding at the edge of the blaze on Sunday one more person had been killed in a residence consumed by fire, bringing the total to six, including two firefighters. from https://www.yahoo.com/news/california-wildfire-spreads-killing-six-destroying-more-homes-033719978.html

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey is seeking to hold a summit in Istanbul with France, Germany and Russia on September 7 to discuss regional issues including the Syrian conflict, in comments published on Sunday. "We will discuss what we can do in the region together," Erdogan said, quoted by Hurriyet daily. from https://www.yahoo.com/news/turkey-planning-summit-france-germany-russia-erdogan-080404855.html

Vice President Mike Pence stood by the White House's decision to ban a CNN from https://www.yahoo.com/news/mike-pence-defends-white-house-173945656.html

Blevins took the gun out of his pants pocket and turned towards the officers just before they fired 14 shots, according to the Hennepin County prosecutor's office. Blevins then collapsed and blood began to pool beneath his body, as an officer kicked away a handgun that had fallen to the ground. "Mr Blevins represented a danger to the lives of (the officers)," County Attorney Mike Freeman said in a written statement. from https://www.yahoo.com/news/no-charges-us-police-kill-man-yelled-dont-183441165.html

Norwegian authorities said a polar bear on Saturday attacked and injured a polar bear guard who was leading tourists off a cruise ship on an Arctic archipelago. The polar bear was shot dead by another employee, the cruise company said. The Joint Rescue Coordination for Northern Norway tweeted that the attack occurred when the tourists from the MS Bremen cruise ship landed on the most northern island of the Svalbard archipelago, a region between mainland Norway and the North Pole that is known for its remote terrain, glaciers, reindeer and polar bears. The German Hapag Lloyd Cruises company, which operates the MS Bremen, told The Associated Press that two polar bear guards from their ship went on the island and one of them "was attacked by a polar bear and injured on his head." The polar bear was then shot dead "in an act of self-defense" by the second guard, spokeswoman Negar Etminan said...

Six women have accused the CBS CEO of sexual misconduct from https://www.yahoo.com/news/cbs-apos-board-meet-monday-115704032.html

By MacDonald Dzirutwe and Joe Brock HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabweans voted on Monday in the first election since the removal of former president Robert Mugabe, a watershed moment they hope will rid the country of its pariah status and spark a recovery in its failed economy. The election pits 75-year-old President Emmerson Mnangagwa, a long-time Mugabe ally, against 40-year-old Nelson Chamisa, a lawyer and pastor vying to become Zimbabwe's youngest head of state. On the eve of the election, Mugabe emerged from eight months of obscurity since the military ousted him in a bloodless coup, to announce he would vote for the opposition, surprising former ally Mnangagwa who accused him of striking a deal with Chamisa. from https://www.yahoo.com/news/zimbabweans-vote-first-election-since-mugabes-removal-065813884.html

A long-awaited official report into the disappearance of Flight MH370 gave no new clues about why the plane vanished, relatives of those on board the aircraft said Monday, expressing anger and disappointment. Family members had been hoping that the official investigation team's report could provide them with some closure, over four years after the Malaysia Airlines flight carrying 239 people went missing. Some angry relatives walked out of the briefing. from https://www.yahoo.com/news/mh370-families-hope-answers-official-report-030512329.html

California firefighters on Monday were gaining ground on a massive blaze that has killed six people and destroyed hundreds of homes and businesses, while rescuers searched for seven people unaccounted for in the wildfire. The Carr Fire, outside Redding, California, ignited a week ago and doubled in size over the weekend, charring an area the size of Detroit, forcing 38,000 people to flee their homes and claiming lives of two firefighters and another person, as well as a woman and her two young great-grandchildren. Centered 150 miles (240 km) north of Sacramento, it is the deadliest of the 90 wildfires burning across the United States. from https://www.yahoo.com/news/northern-california-wildfires-forces-thousands-slideshow-wp-141258983.html

WASHINGTON (AP) — For more than a decade, audiences and interviewers have had one pressing question for Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg: When will you retire? from https://www.yahoo.com/news/retirement-justice-ginsburg-answers-190158504.html

Investigators released a report on missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 on Monday, saying the Boeing 777's controls were likely deliberately manipulated to take it off course but they were not able to determine who was responsible. The 495-page report draws no conclusion about what happened aboard the plane that vanished with 239 people on board en route to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur on March 8, 2014, leaving one of the world's greatest aviation mysteries unsolved. "The answer can only be conclusive if the wreckage is found," Kok Soo Chon, head of the MH370 safety investigation team, told reporters. On May 29, Malaysia called off a three-month search by US firm Ocean Infinity, which spanned 112,000 sq km (43,243 sq miles) in the southern Indian Ocean and ended with no significant findings. It was the second major search after Australia, China and Malaysia ended a fruitless A$200 million (£112.06 million) search across an area of 120,000 sq km (46,332 sq miles) ...

Islamabad's military high command seems well positioned to benefit from the country's recent election. from https://www.yahoo.com/news/pakistan-election-results-tailor-made-223300830.html

CBS directors are weighing whether chairman and chief executive Leslie Moonves should step aside as the US television network investigates claims he sexually harassed women, The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday. The CBS board is expected to choose a special committee that would oversee the probe, which will include an examination of the company's workplace culture, people familiar with the matter told the Journal. Board members meet via conference call on Monday. from https://www.yahoo.com/news/cbs-weighs-moonves-suspension-over-assault-claims-report-014538431.html

By MacDonald Dzirutwe HARARE (Reuters) - Former President Robert Mugabe said he would vote for Zimbabwe's opposition in Monday's election, turning on one-time allies in the government ahead of the first vote since they ousted him in a de facto coup. The election will see 75-year-old President Emmerson Mnangagwa, a long-time Mugabe ally, face 40-year-old Nelson Chamisa, a lawyer and pastor who is vying to become Zimbabwe's youngest head of state. Polls, which are unreliable, give former intelligence chief Mnangagwa only a slim lead over Chamisa, making a runoff on September 8 a possibility. from https://www.yahoo.com/news/eve-election-zimbabwes-mugabe-condemns-ruling-party-113931025.html

Desperate search for Iowa college student gone missing for nearly 2 weeks. Mollie Tibbetts's father exclusively joins 'The Story.' from https://www.yahoo.com/news/father-missing-iowa-college-student-231952879.html

Here's what we know about it from https://www.yahoo.com/news/carr-fire-california-apos-deadliest-171445453.html

Fueled by the tremendous threat of wildfires raging in parts of the United States each year is the growing concern for adverse health effects resulting from smoke exposure. from https://www.yahoo.com/news/inhaling-wildfire-smoke-wreak-havoc-115752929.html

He wasn't just "hungry 4 success," he had more going for him, too. from https://www.yahoo.com/news/homeless-resume-man-tells-us-050900413.html

Rudy Giuliani baffled Fox News hosts Monday when he attempted to clarify from https://www.yahoo.com/news/rudy-giuliani-stuns-fox-news-204809836.html

Cambodia's ruling party said it had won a landslide in Sunday's one-horse election, an expected outcome after the main opposition was banned paving the way for leader Hun Sen to prolong his 33 years in power. Hun Sen, who came to power in 1985 in a country still plagued by civil war, has cracked down on dissent in the run-up to this year's poll, pressuring civil society, independent media and political opponents. That left him with little competition and no serious challengers. Cambodian People's Party (CPP) spokesman Sok Eysan told AFP late Sunday they expected to win "over 100 seats" in the 125-seat parliament, citing preliminary figures from the National Election Committee. "The CPP will get more than 80 percent of the popular vote," he said. "This is a huge victory for us." Hun Sen, 65, a one-time defector from the brutal Khmer Rouge regime, has pointed to stability and growth as the fruits of his rule - a message that resonates with hi...

By Rozanna Latiff KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Investigators released a report on missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 on Monday, saying the Boeing 777's controls were likely deliberately manipulated to take it off course but they were not able to determine who was responsible. The 495-page report draws no conclusion about what happened aboard the plane that vanished with 239 people on board en route to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur on March 8, 2014, leaving one of the world's greatest aviation mysteries unsolved. "The answer can only be conclusive if the wreckage is found," Kok Soo Chon, head of the MH370 safety investigation team, told reporters. from https://www.yahoo.com/news/mh370-families-no-findings-investigation-report-060259780--finance.html

A UK parliamentary report finds that sexual exploitation and abuse is "endemic" across the international aid sector, highlighting an established culture of complacency amongst leadership personnel. CNN's Erin McLaughlin reports. from https://www.cnn.com/videos/world/2018/07/31/sexual-abuse-aid-sector-oxfam-uk-report-mclaughlin-dnt-vpx.cnn

US spy agencies: North Korea is working on new missiles    Washington Post WaPo: New indicators show North Korea potentially working on missiles    CNN US Spy Satellites Reportedly Detect New Activity At North Korea Missile Factory    HuffPost Full coverage

Carr Fire has now scorched over 100000 acres in California; containment up to 23 percent    ABC News 'Extreme isn't even the right word' for conditions fueling California's destructive fires    PBS NewsHour Carr Fire burning in Northern California's Shasta County grows to 103772 acres; 23 percent contained    KABC-TV When fire season lasts all year long    Los Angeles Times Northern California wildfire 9th most destructive in history    Chicago Tribune Full coverage

Pompeo sets conditions for Iran meeting after Trump says he'll meet without preconditions    The Hill Threats aside, Trump says he's willing to meet with Iranians    Fox News Did Obama Meet Iran's President Rouhani? Trump Says He'd Talk With The Nation's Leader "Anytime"    Bustle The Run on Iran's Rial    Wall Street Journal Trump says he's willing to meet Iran's president without precondition    Chicago Tribune Full coverage

Trump's shutdown threat upends congressional GOP plan to fund government    Washington Post GOP leaders hope to circumvent Trump on shutdown    The Hill President Trump Has 'No Problem Doing a Shut Down' if He Doesn't Get Border Wall Funding    TIME Donald J. Trump on Twitter: "I would be willing to “shut down” government if the Democrats do not give us the votes for ...    Twitter How much do NATO member nations spend on defense?    DefenseNews.com Full coverage

A Rush to Block Downloadable Plans for 3-D Printed Guns    New York Times Attorneys General Sue Trump Administration To Block 3D-Printed Guns    NPR States sue Trump administration to block 3D printed guns    The Hill Gun control advocates can't stop group from posting instructions to 3-D print a gun    CNN Should the government ban software for making deadly, untraceable guns with 3-D printers? No, actually    Los Angeles Times Full coverage

How Trump Allies Shifted Their Defense as Evidence of Contacts With Russians Grew    New York Times Late Night Hosts Dig Into Rudy Giuliani For Saying “Collusion Is Not A Crime”    Deadline Trump attorney Rudolph Giuliani: 'Collusion is not a crime'    Los Angeles Times What Is Rudy Giuliani Talking About?    The New Yorker Reliable Sources: Moonves remains atop CBS. For now...    CNNMoney Full coverage

Young horn shark stolen from Texas aquarium is safely returned    CBS News Thieves snatch shark from San Antonio Aquarium, wheel it out in a baby carriage    NBCNews.com Suspects confess to swiping shark from San Antonio Aquarium in baby stroller    Fox News Three thieves steal a live shark from an aquarium petting pool by pretending its a baby, swaddling it in a blanket and ...    Daily Mail Full coverage

Trump administration considers tax cut for the wealthy    Washington Post Trump weighs big tax cut for rich: report    The Hill Trump Wants To Give the Wealthy Another Tax Cut, With No Vote In Congress    New York Magazine Full coverage

Undercover TSA agents began watching people at US airports and on planes 9 years after the Sept. 11 attacks    Washington Post Lawmakers want answers about TSA program that tracked Americans    CBS News Former TSA Administrator Discusses 'Quiet Skies' Surveillance Program    NPR A federal program that makes every American passenger a would-be terrorist    The Boston Globe Full coverage

Bob Woodward's New Book Will Detail 'Harrowing Life' Inside Trump White House    New York Times Bob Woodward's New Book Will Chronicle Trump's 'Harrowing' Presidency    HuffPost Bob Woodward to detail 'harrowing life' inside Trump White House in new book    The Hill Bob Woodward is writing an inside account of the Trump White House    Los Angeles Times Full coverage

Probe: Someone changed course of doomed flight MH370    The Mercury News A Shortlist of Aviation's Most Vexing Disappearances    New York Times Lessons to learn, despite another report on missing flight MH370 and still no explanation    The Conversation AU MH370 report a disservice to Australian victims    The Australian Full coverage

More than 200 interviews conducted in the case of missing University of Iowa student    CNN Mollie Tibbetts case investigators keeping details close to the vest, key questions remain unanswered    Fox News Mollie Tibbetts' Father Speaks Out About the Search for His Daughter    whotv.com Full coverage

LeBron James' love, loyalty for hometown shines through with new school    NBA.com LeBron James says President Trump is using sports to 'divide' nation    USA TODAY LeBron James: 'I Can't Sit Back' as Donald Trump Uses Sports to Divide America    Bleacher Report LeBron James is moving on, but his new school ensures his legacy in Ohio    Washington Post Full coverage

ICE union asks Portland mayor for police protection    OregonLive.com Mexican woman slated to be deported dies following heart surgery, says ICE    Washington Examiner Attorney: Portland Police Ignored Help Requests From Employees At ICE Building    OPB News Full coverage

Sexual misconduct investigation reveals 'lapses in professional responsibility,' says FEMA administrator    CNN Former FEMA Official Under Investigation For Fostering Culture Of Sexual Harassment    NPR Full coverage