The United States, Britain and France launched punitive military strikes against Bashar al-Assad's Syrian regime in response to its latest alleged chemical weapons atrocity, President Donald Trump announced Friday. Shortly after Trump began a White House address to announce the action, large explosions were heard in the Syrian capital Damascus, signalling a new chapter in a brutal seven-year-old civil war. "A short time ago, I ordered the United States armed forces to launch precision strikes...

When a Donald Trump look-alike rings the doorbell on Halloween night, he or she may solicit a piece of candy but the treat they really seek is recognition. Pop culture experts say ripped from the headlines costumes to celebrate the 31 October holiday - such as Cecil the lion - are a way for adults to connect in a world full of a myriad choices for information and entertainment. We do have a lot of overlap between the two, both of, more traditional sell really well, pop culture sells really well....

The Supreme Court on Thursday reserved judgement in an anticipatory bail plea for human rights activist Teesta Setalvad and her husband, Javed Anand.  Setalvad had appealed a Gujarat high court order that denied her anticipatory bail on 12 February. Setalvad and Anand have been accused of embezzling funds collected through donations for the construction of a memorial for the 2002 Gujarat riot victims at Gulbarg Society. As a temporary relief, however, the apex court directed that no arrests...

The Pakistani interior minister on Saturday accused the US of "scuttling" efforts towards peace talks with the Taliban by killing the militants' leader in a drone strike. Chaudhry Nisar said "every aspect" of Pakistan's cooperation with Washington would be reviewed following Friday's drone attack that killed Hakimullah Mehsud in the country's tribal northwest. Pakistan also summoned the US ambassador on Saturday to protest over two recent drone attacks, the foreign ministry said. Conflicting reports...

 President Barack Obama was told about monitoring of German Chancellor in 2010 and allowed it to continue, says German newspaper Obama 'approved tapping Merkel's phone 3 years ago' Mr Obama was told of the secret monitoring of Mrs Merkel by General Keith Alexander, the head of the NSA, in 2010, according to Bild am Sonntag, a German newspaper.  President Barack Obama was personally informed about secret US monitoring of Angela Merkel three years ago, according to latest reports on...

Even without the rest of the Jackass crew, Johnny Knoxville scored with his latest irreverent prank movie, Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa, which topped the chart on Friday with an excellent $12.6 million. The film, which cost Paramount about $15 million to make, is expected to gross $30 million this weekend. Not a bad return on investment! Audiences issued the film a lukewarm “B” CinemaScore grade. Bad Grandpa‘s success meant that Gravity finally had to give up its spot atop the chart. Warner...

A man was fatally wounded when his 4-year-old son fired a gun he found while they were visiting a residence in Prescott, Arizona, officials said. Justin Stanfield Thomas, 35, and his son made an unannounced trip Friday to the home of an unidentified former roommate, police said. Thomas had previously lived in the residence, according to investigators. "This appears to be an accident. There was no conflict in the stories of those in the house," said police Sgt. Brandon Bonney. "The resident didn't...

A second life on Netflix has become a mixed blessing for the creators of "Arrested Development" -- an unprecedented option with some unexpected burdens. Yes, Mitchell Hurwitz and company have had to contend with sky-high expectations that are all but impossible to meet as they've brought the show back after seven years off the air. But they're also now working in a medium stripped of many of the boundaries that originally shaped the series. Netflix isn't network TV, a fact that goes beyond all...

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie cut the ribbon on Thursday outside Atlantic City’s newest tourist attraction: Margaritaville. The $35 million, 40,000-square-foot complex houses two restaurants, multiple bars, a beach-themed casino, and several breezy, laid-back retail stores—all tucked away in a larger gambling mecca called Resorts. The singer and songwriter of the eponymous song was conspicuously absent from the festivities. For Jimmy Buffett, the grand opening was no special occasion: The Atlantic...

A Washington state man accused of putting his infant daughter inside a freezer long enough for her body temperature to drop to 84 degrees was charged Tuesday with first-degree child assault, first-degree criminal mistreatment and interfering with the reporting of a domestic violence incident. His bail was set at $1 million, NBC station KING5 of Seattle reported. Pierce County Prosecutor Mark Lindquist said the 6-week-old baby also suffered a broken arm and leg and a head injury. Tyler James Deutsch,...

The criminal mind can be cunningly brilliant—or stunningly foolish. You can safely put Emma Way of the U.K. into that second category. She’s the aggressive 21-year-old motorist who allegedly hit a cyclist while out for a drive in the city of Norwich, fled the scene, and bragged about it on Twitter on Monday. More on Shine: 10 Biggest Dating Mistakes People Make on Facebook “Definitely knocked a cyclist off his bike earlier—I have right of way he doesn’t even pay road tax! #bloodycyclists,” she...

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Japan on Sunday for the last stop of his Asian tour, a trip that has largely focused on the provocations coming out of North Korea. He spent early Sunday visiting a 620-year-old Buddhist temple and spoke with university students on their views on America and global issues. He is scheduled to meet with Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida later in the day. His visit comes amid heightened regional tensions. Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military...

Passengers who finally escaped the disabled Carnival cruise ship Triumph were checking into hotels early Friday for a hot shower, fresh-cooked food and sleep or boarding buses for a long haul home after five numbing days at sea on a powerless ship. The vacation ship carrying some 4,200 people docked late Thursday in Mobile after a painfully slow approach that took most of the day. Passengers raucously cheered after days of what they described as overflowing toilets, food shortages and foul odors. "Sweet...

A huge fireball fell from the skies over Russia's Chelyabinsk region early Friday, resulting in a powerful blast that reportedly injured about 400 people. Reports from Russia suggested that the fireball was caused by a meteorite. "Preliminary indications are that it was a meteorite rain," the RIA-Novosti news agency quoted an emergency official as saying. "We have information about a blast at 10,000-meter (32,800-foot) altitude. It is being verified." The Associated Press quoted a spokesman for...

 Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose reiterated Wednesday night there is a chance he will sit out the entire season as he recovers from surgery to fix a torn ACL in his left knee. Rose said he isn't sure when he'll return to the floor. "I really don't know," he said. "I'm feeling good, but like I said, if it's where it's taking me a long time and I'm still not feeling right, I don't mind missing this year." More from ESPNChicago.com Derrick Rose's decision on when to return will be his...

Authorities in Los Angeles have offered a $1 million reward for information leading to the capture of a fired LA police officer sought in connection with a series of killings and threats against his former colleagues and their families. The reward was announced even as investigators continued to comb the snowy mountains around Big Bear Lake, where Christopher Dorner's burned out truck was found on Feb. 7, and hundreds of officers patrolled the neighborhoods where people live who were threatened...

District of Columbia police say they are investigating an incident in which NBC News reporter David Gregory displayed what he described as a high-capacity ammunition magazine on "Meet the Press." Gun laws in the nation's capital generally restrict the possession of high-capacity magazines, regardless of whether the device is attached to a firearm. "NBC contacted [the Metropolitan Police Department] inquiring if they could utilize a high capacity magazine for their segment. NBC was informed that...