Sasikala: Conviction ends Jayalalitha aide's chief minister bid

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Sasikala: Conviction ends Jayalalitha aide's chief minister bid
India's Supreme Court has convicted the head of the ruling party in Tamil Nadu state of corruption, ending her attempts to become chief minister.
Sasikala Natarajan was an aide of late chief minister Jayalalitha.
Though she has never held public office, the ruling AIADMK party said last week that she would be the southern state's next chief minister.
But the state was plunged into uncertainty after the acting chief minister revolted against her.
Indian law bars convicts in corruption cases from contesting an election for a period of six years after completing a jail sentence.
Tuesday's ruling against Sasikala brought a four-year jail sentence, meaning she will not be able to run for office for 10 years.
Sasikala: The 'new mother' of Tamil Nadu politics
Jayalalitha successor 'forced to quit'
The corruption case, dating back to 1996, centred on accusations that Sasikala held assets disproportionate to her known sources of income. Jayalalitha was also accused of the same offence.
The case was tried in neighbouring Karnataka state and the defendants were convicted in 2014, but later acquitted on appeal, a decision which the Supreme Court has now reversed.
Jayalalitha, one of India's most influential and colourful politicians, died in December, before a final verdict was reached.
The court ordered Sasikala to surrender immediately to authorities in Karnataka, where she will serve her prison sentence.
The verdict is a big blow to Sasikala, who was claiming the support of a majority of Tamil Nadu's lawmakers to become chief minister.
She has been shut away in a resort along with more than 100 legislators, trying to consolidate her support. Indian media reports say police have entered the resort to arrest her.

Michael Flynn: Trump's national security adviser resigns

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US National Security Adviser Michael Flynn has resigned over allegations he discussed US sanctions with Russia before Donald Trump took office.
Mr Flynn is said to have misled officials about his call with Russia's ambassador before his own appointment.
It is illegal for private citizens to conduct US diplomacy.
US reports earlier said the White House had been warned about the contacts last month and was told Mr Flynn may be vulnerable to Russian blackmail.
The national security adviser is appointed by the president to serve as his or her chief adviser on international affairs and defence.
Russia: The scandal Trump can't shake
How Flynn's resignation unfolded
The people around Donald Trump
In his letter of resignation (PDF), Mr Flynn said he had "inadvertently briefed the vice-president-elect and others with incomplete information regarding my phone calls with the Russian ambassador" late last year.
The White House has appointed Lt Gen Joseph Keith Kellogg as interim replacement for the post.
Mr Flynn, a retired Army lieutenant general, initially denied having discussed sanctions with Ambassador Sergei Kislyak, and Vice-President Mike Pence publicly denied the allegations on his behalf.

Trump adviser quits over Russia contacts
Toshiba chairman quits over nuclear loss
Jayalalitha successor barred from top job

Toshiba chairman quits over nuclear loss

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Toshiba chairman Signorine Shiva has resigned, hours after the Japanese conglomerate revealed details of a multi-billion dollar loss.
Earlier Toshiba had delayed issuing its results, but it then said it was set to report a net loss of 390bn yen ($3.4bnin the year to March 2017.
The company said it expected to take a 712.5 billion yen ($6.3bn, £5bn) writedown at its US nuclear business.
The situation has led some analysts to warn the company's future is at risk.
Mr Shiga was stepping down "to take management responsibility for the loss", the firm said.
Shares fell by as much as 9% on Tuesday and have lost about 50% since late December, when it first warned about the extent of the problems.

Syria war: Russian 'friendly fire' kills Turkish soldiers ( Live World News )

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President Vladimir Putin has sent condolences after a Russian air strike accidentally killed three Turkish soldiers in northern Syria.
The strike hit a building near the town of al-Bab, believing it to contain Islamic State (IS) fighters rather than Turkish troops, Turkey's military said.
Eleven others were wounded in the so-called friendly fire incident.
They were supporting Syrian rebels who are locked in a fierce battle to try to capture al-Bab from IS fighters.
Russia and Turkey, who back opposing sides in the Syrian war, have been jointly conducting air strikes on IS in the town in recent weeks. Read More.....



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Supreme Court Nominee Calls Trump’s Attacks on Judiciary ‘Demoralizing’


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WASHINGTON — Judge Neil M. Gorsuch, President Trump’s nominee for the Supreme Court, privately expressed dismay on Wednesday over Mr. Trump’s increasingly aggressive attacks on the judiciary, calling the president’s criticism of independent judges “demoralizing” and “disheartening.”

The remarks by Judge Gorsuch, chosen by Mr. Trump last week to serve on the nation’s highest court, came as the president lashed out at the federal appellate judges who are considering a challenge to his executive order banning travel from seven predominantly Muslim countries. The president called their judicial proceedings “disgraceful” and described the courts as “so political. Read More...

Those remarks followed Mr. Trump’s weekend Twitter outburst in which he derided a Seattle district court judge who blocked his travel ban as a “so-called judge” whose “ridiculous” ruling would be overturned.

newsJudge Gorsuch expressed his disappointment with Mr. Trump’s comments about the judiciary in a private conversation with Senator Richard Blumenthal, Democrat of Connecticut, as he paid courtesy calls on Capitol Hill to build support for his confirmation. An account of the discussion was confirmed by a White House adviser working to advance the Gorsuch confirmation, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment. Read More......





Trump under fire in Nordstrom Ivanka row

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Democrats have condemned President Donald Trump's tweet attacking a clothing retailer after it dropped a fashion line owned by his daughter.
Mr Trump tweeted that "Ivanka has been treated so unfairly" by clothing retailer Nordstrom.
A Democratic senator called the post "inappropriate" and an ex-White House ethics tsar dubbed it "outrageous".
Earlier this month Nordstrom became the fifth retailer to drop the Ivanka Trump clothing line, citing lack of sales.
The move comes amid a boycott of all Trump products, which activists have dubbed GrabYourWallet, in reference to a 2005 comment Mr Trump made about women's bodies. Read more...






They Breed Crime': President Trump Threatens on Fox to Defund California if it Becomes Sanctuary State

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Trump was talking about what California Democrats in the Senate did last week: They advanced legislation that would provide statewide sanctuary for immigrants and keep local law enforcement from cooperating with federal authorities. The bill was introduced by state Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon that and would prohibit state and local law enforcement agencies from using officers or jails to uphold federal immigration laws, effectively a statewide version of so-called sanctuary cities.
But in terms of the "tremendous amounts of money" Trump was referring to, a 2016 analysis by WalletHub proved California is low on the list. The study of least federally dependent states showed that the Golden State came in at number 46 on the list, according to CNBC.
However, the University of California receives at least $9 billion in an assortment of grants, financial aid and research—all of which could be imperiled if Trump made good on a threat he made last week. He tweeted that he would possibly cut of federal funds to Cal after wild protests over Bretibart editor Milo Yiannopoulous that ended in a canceled speech and $100,000 in damage wreaked upon the campus.
California is "out of control" in many ways, and voters agree "otherwise they wouldn't have voted for me," Trump said during the interview.
Trump lost California, which leans left politically, by a wide margin to former Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.
"I don't want to defund the state or city, I don't want to defund anybody, I want to give them the money they need to properly operate a city or a state," Trump said.
That said, "if they're going to have sanctuary cities we may have to do that - certainly that would be a weapon."

Tom Brady suspects Super Bowl jersey was stolen after game

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HOUSTON – Tom Brady suspected that his Super Bowl game-winning jersey was stolen from the New England Patriots locker room in the aftermath of the team's remarkable victory over the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI on Sunday.

Brady looked flustered as he searched his locker area at NRG Stadium but was unable to locate the game-worn jersey that he donned in leading the Patriots to a 34-28 overtime victory.

“It was right here. I know exactly where I put it,” Brady said as he called the security staff and team equipment managers to assist in the search.

Russia wants apology after Fox's O'Reilly calls Putin 'a killer'

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The Kremlin demanded an apology from Fox News on Monday, after the network's Bill O’Reilly called President Vladimir Putin “a killer.”

O’Reilly made the remark, which related to alleged political killings of journalists and other dissenters, in an interview with President Trump that was broadcast Sunday.

Trump said he would like assistance from Russia in the fight against the Islamic State and added, "Will I get along with them? I have no idea."

Afghan diplomat shot dead inside Karachi consulate

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An Afghan diplomat has been shot dead by a security guard at the country's consulate in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi.
Third secretary Mohammad Zaki died of his injuries shortly after the attack, a spokesman for the consulate said.
The private security officer, who is an Afghan, is in custody. Police say he was the diplomat's personal bodyguard.
Officials say he opened fire following a dispute between the two men. What prompted the argument remains unclear.
"We were working at our office when we heard gunshots," consulate spokesman Haris Khan said, Associated Press reports. "Everybody was running in panic when I got out."
Afghanistan's ambassador to Pakistan Omar Zakhilwal confirmed the shooting.
"It seems to be a personal dispute related criminal act," he wrote on his official Facebook account.
Police and paramilitary forces were deployed to the Clifton district area around the consulate after the shooting broke out.
Karachi, Pakistan's largest city and commercial capital, has a history of political, sectarian and militant violence - and there have been a number of attacks on foreign missions based there.

Trump and Staff Rethink Tactics After Stumbles

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WASHINGTON — President Trump loves to set the day’s narrative at dawn, but the deeper story of his White House is best told at night.

Aides confer in the dark because they cannot figure out how to operate the light switches in the cabinet room. Visitors conclude their meetings and then wander around, testing doorknobs until finding one that leads to an exit. In a darkened, mostly empty West Wing, Mr. Trump’s provocative chief strategist, Stephen K. Bannon, finishes another 16-hour day planning new lines of attack.

Usually around 6:30 p.m., or sometimes later, Mr. Trump retires upstairs to the residence to recharge, vent and intermittently use Twitter. With his wife, Melania, and young son, Barron, staying in New York, he is almost always by himself, sometimes in the protective presence of his imposing longtime aide and former security chief, Keith Schiller. When Mr. Trump is not watching television in his bathrobe or on his phone reaching out to old campaign hands and advisers, he will sometimes set off to explore the unfamiliar surroundings of his new home.

During his first two dizzying weeks in office, Mr. Trump, an outsider president working with a surprisingly small crew of no more than a half-dozen empowered aides with virtually no familiarity with the workings of the White House or federal government, sent shock waves at home and overseas with a succession of executive orders designed to fulfill campaign promises and taunt foreign leaders.

Super Bowl LI: New England Patriots recover from record deficit to beat Atlanta Falcons

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The New England Patriots produced the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history to beat the Atlanta Falcons 34-28 in overtime and claim a fifth title in the most dramatic of circumstances.

The Patriots trailed by 25 points in the third quarter but recovered to level at 28-28 and force the extra period - the first in Super Bowl history.

Thanks to everyone back in Boston... we're bringing this sucker home!

Tom Brady
Super Bowl LI MVP
Quarterback Tom Brady led the recovery, finishing with a record 466 yards en route to being named the Super Bowl's Most Valuable Player for a fourth time.

The turnaround was completed when James White scored on a two-yard run - taking his personal haul for the game to 20 points.

The previous biggest deficit overcome by an eventual Super Bowl champion was 10 points, a record emphatically shattered by the Patriots on a quite incredible night at Houston's NRG Stadium, which also featured a spectacular half-time show by Lady Gaga.

Trump ramps up criticism of judge after travel ban setback

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US President Donald Trump has attacked the judge who blocked his travel ban, saying Americans should blame the courts "if something happens".
Mr Trump also said he had instructed border officials to check people entering America "very carefully".
The federal appeals court on Saturday rejected the Trump administration's request to reinstate the ban.
The ban, affecting people from seven mainly-Muslim countries, was blocked by Seattle's federal judge on Friday.
This means that Mr Trump's directive will remain suspended and visa holders from Iraq, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen will be allowed to enter the US until the full case has been heard.
The White House and two US states challenging the ban have been given a deadline of Monday to present more arguments.

Lady Gaga dives into Super Bowl history

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She jumped off the roof of Houston's NRG stadium and bathed in the light of hundreds of drones - but Lady Gaga's Super Bowl show was fairly restrained... by her standards.
The star only changed costume twice, letting her music do the talking in a 12-minute, hit-laden set.
She opened with Woody Guthrie's civil rights anthem This Land Is Your Land, a gentle but pointed rebuke to the Trump administration; which she reinforced by performing Born This Way - her hymn to acceptance and inclusion.
"No matter black, white or beige... I was born to be brave," she sang to an expected US TV audience of 110 million.
But Gaga refrained from overt sermonising, simply saying: "We're here to make you feel good" (and, later on, "hello mum"

Trump vows to restore travel ban suspended by federal judge

US President Donald Trump
US President Donald Trump has vowed to overturn a legal ruling which suspended his ban on travellers from seven mainly Muslim countries.
He described federal judge James Robart as a "so-called" justice whose "ridiculous" opinion "essentially takes law-enforcement away from" the US.
Judge Robart ruled on Friday there were grounds to challenge the ban.
A number of airlines have said they are allowing nationals targeted by the ban to board flights to America.

Trump Attacks Judge Who Blocked Visa Ban

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On Friday night, the White House said it would direct the Justice Department to file for an emergency stay of the ruling that would allow continued enforcement of the president’s order. In his initial statement, the press secretary, Sean Spicer, described the ruling, issued by Judge James Robart of Federal District Court in Seattle, as “outrageous.” Minutes later, the White House issued a new statement deleting the word outrageous.

Mr. Trump’s Twitter post showed no such restraint. It recalled the attacks he made during the presidential campaign on a federal district judge in California who was presiding over a class-action lawsuit involving Trump University.

In the current case, Judge Robart, who was appointed by President George W. Bush, declared that Mr. Trump’s immigration order, restricting the entry of people from seven predominantly Muslim countries, was invalid because the government was “arguing that we have to protect the U.S. from individuals from these countries, and there’s no support for that.”

Trump’s Army Secretary Pick Could Trade One Potential Conflict for Another

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Vincent Viola, the billionaire Wall Street trader who is President Trump’s nominee to be secretary of the Army, has been negotiating to sell his airline, a move that would alleviate a potential conflict of interest. But, if the deal goes ahead, he may be buying himself another headache.

Mr. Viola, co-owner of the Florida Panthers hockey team with an estimated net worth of approximately $1.8 billion, has been trying to swap his majority interest in Eastern Air Lines for a smaller stake in Swift Air, a charter company with millions of dollars in hard-to-track government subcontracts, according to people with knowledge of the negotiations who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

While Mr. Viola’s reasons for seeking a sale of Eastern Air Lines are not known, such a transaction would certainly reduce his exposure to the airline industry, which is heavily regulated by the federal government. But in exchange, Mr. Viola, a retired Army major, may find himself in the precarious position of being a government official who benefits from federal contracts.

Mr. Trump has asked an unusual number of extraordinarily wealthy businesspeople to join his administration, and ethics lawyers and government watchdog groups have predicted that their complicated financial lives could create conflicts of interest. Mr. Viola has remained largely under the radar, but his airline negotiations bring an unexpected twist, showing that even when appointees try to sell assets, the transactions can be bedeviled with ethical issues.