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ISIS Losing Its 'Capital' Is A Pivotal Defeat For The Terrorist Group

The self-described Islamic State finally lost its tenuous grip on the Syrian city of Raqqa on Tuesday as U.S.-backed forces retook the extremist group’s last major urban territory following a four-month military campaign.

Trump defends false claim that predecessors didn't call fallen soldiers' families: 'There’s nothing to clarify'

“You could ask Gen. Kelly if he got a call from Obama,” the president says in a Fox News Radio interview.

Man tortured girlfriend’s son to death because he thought he was gay: prosecutor

(KTLA) -- A man who is accused of torturing his girlfriend's 8-year-old son to death killed the child because he thought the boy was gay, a Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office prosecutor said during opening statements Monday.

California Becomes First State To Legally Recognize A Third Gender

California Governor Jerry Brown signed first-of-its kind legislation over the weekend that enables residents of the state to choose a third, non-binary gender category on California state-issued IDs, birth certificates and driver’s licenses.

Woman Claims Delta Stopped Her From Singing National Anthem For Slain Soldier

A Georgia doctor claims that Delta Air Lines prevented her from singing the national anthem to honor a slain soldier whose casket was on her plane.

Confederate monuments vandalized in 2 Virginia cities

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Two Confederate monuments in two Virginia cities have been vandalized this week.

U.S. diplomat warns to be 'prepared for the worst' right after N. Korean official reportedly shuts down diplomacy

Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan told reporters on Tuesday that while the State Department remained focused on quelling tensions with North Korea through diplomatic channels, that the nation and world must remain prepared for the possibility that those efforts will fail.

Rohingya man refugee again 40 years after leaving Bangladesh

Nearly four decades ago Fazol Ahmed returned to his native Myanmar with his family under a Rohingya repatriation scheme. Now he is back in the teeming camps of Bangladesh with his wife and children, a refugee once again. Ahmed is among the hundreds of thousands of refugees who have crossed into Bangladesh since an upsurge in violence in neighbouring Myanmar in August that the UN has said amounts to ethnic cleansing.

Anita Hill: Harvey Weinstein's Behavior Is No Surprise

Anita Hill, who championed women’s ability to speak out against sexual harassment, didn’t mince words about the allegations against Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein.

McCain on Willingness to Work With Trump 'Dumb Question'

Sen. John McCain chastised a reporter who questioned if he would continue to work with Donald Trump after criticizing him. Lawrence O'Donnell says McCain, who likely won't seek another term, has "nothing left to lose."

Mother Of Slain Teen To Trump: Defend All LGBTQ People, Not Just My Child

WASHINGTON ― Katrina Johnson, the mother of a gender-fluid teenager who was shot to death last year in Burlington, Iowa, appreciates that President Donald Trump’s Justice Department sent a federal hate crimes attorney to aid the prosecution of a man accused of killing the high school student.

Mom's incredible hack for getting her child to take medicine goes viral

No matter the flavor, from orange to grape, we have vivid memories of being force-fed a spoonful, only to quickly chase it down with a glass of milk or a treat. England's Helena Lee was trying to feed her newborn Calpol when she remembered reading about this trick -- all you need is a bottle and syringe.

Trump reverses course on emerging Senate health care deal

A bipartisan Senate deal to curb the growth of health insurance premiums is reeling after President Donald Trump reversed course and opposed the agreement, and top congressional Republicans and conservatives gave it a frosty reception.

Freed Taliban Hostage Caitlan Coleman Reportedly Rushed To Hospital

Caitlan Coleman, the American woman who spent five years as a hostage of the Taliban, was reportedly rushed to the hospital less than a week after her release from captivity.

Woman facing deportation seeks sanctuary a second time

DENVER (AP) — A Peruvian woman has sought sanctuary for a second time in Colorado rather than board a Tuesday flight to her native country as ordered by U.S. immigration authorities, supporters said.

Defeated Isil 'cowards' take the bus home as Raqqa, capital of terrorism, is defeated at last

The Islamic State’s “capital” fell on Tuesday after US-backed forces declared victory in the Syrian city where the jihadist group plotted attacks on the West. Brig Gen Talal Silo, the spokesman for the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, said that clashes with Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) fighters in Raqqa had stopped, ending their three-year reign of terror in the city.  “The SDF is now in control of the former capital of terrorism," Mr Sllo told the Daily Telegraph. “A formal declaration will be made from the city soon, after the clearing operations end. Raqqa is still full of landmines.” The fighters limped out from their final redoubt in Raqqa’s central hospital on Tuesday and onto waiting buses. Rojda Felat, a Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) commander, waves her group's flag at the iconic Al-Naim square in Raqqa on October 17, 2017.  Credit: AFP Having promised to fight to the death for the capital of their so-called caliphate, in the end Islamic State's jihadists surrendered after realising they had been cornered. “Cowards to the end,” said Macer Gifford, the pseudonym of a Briton fighting alongside the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces in Raqqa. He has been battling Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) militants in the city since the start of the offensive in June and was there to watch some of the last of them flee. “It was difficult to see them so close and to just watch them leave,” the former currency trader from Oxford told the Telegraph. ISIS leaving Raqqa hospital. Cowards until the end... pic.twitter.com/sE6K3nPgHh— Macer Gifford (@macergifford) October 17, 2017 After a devastating four-month battle, the remaining 200-odd fighters gave up their fight and agreed to an evacuation deal which saw them bused out of the city to the last-remaining slivers of territory still under the jihadists’s control to the south. The final black flag was taken down from the city’s stadium, which had been used as a prison during Isil's brutal three-year rule and had become synonymous with the group’s violent excesses. Photos showed Kurdish female fighters of the SDF waving their own yellow flag in its place. Fighters of Syrian Democratic Forces gesture the "V" sign in Raqqa, Syria October 17, 2017 Credit:  REUTERS All that was left to do was check the many tunnels Isil had dug for sleeper cells and IEDs, Talal Silo, the SDF"s spokesman, said. “A formal declaration will be made from the city soon, after the clearing operations end. Raqqa is still full of landmines,” Mr Silo told the Daily Telegraph. “But the SDF is now in control of the former capital of terrorism." During the campaign for Raqqa the city suffered massive devastation from Isil's mines as well as from US-led coalition air strikes which left most of its buildings levelled and in ruins. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor put the overall death toll for the battle at 3,250, including fighters and civilians, but said hundreds were still missing or unaccounted for. Five British volunteers were also killed. Isil’s use of civilians as human shields forced the coalition to rely on coordinated air strikes, at a heavy cost. Fighters of Syrian Democratic Forces are seen in Raqqa, Syria October 17, 2017 Credit: REUTERS “They never fought us face-to-face like men,” Mr Gifford told the Telegraph by phone. “They would just shoot at us from sniper positions and drive at us with car bombs. “They surrounded themselves with women and children, which they used as protection against the strikes.”   An international charity group says tens of thousands of people who did manage to flee are now in desperate need of aid and that the nearby camps are "bursting at the seams."   With the high levels of destruction reported in and around the city, most families have nowhere to return home and are likely to stay in camps for months or years to come. The militants seized the city in early 2014 in a blitzkrieg offensive across Syria and neighbouring Iraq, making it the headquarters of its self-styled "caliphate". At one point they controlled approximately a third of Syria and a third of Iraq, making up a quasi-state the size of Britain. So confident was the group during its height they threatened to conquer Rome.   Col. Ryan Dillon, spokesman for the anti-Isil coalition, said on Tuesday the fall of Raqqa would deny Isil the "well spring" that provided planning and support for terror operations in Syria and around the world.   The effect the loss of the city, which had become the administrative heart of the Islamic State, will have on the group cannot be underestimated. It was from Raqqa its miliants filmed their slickly produced and often gory propaganda videos which lured thousands of recruits from around the world to join them. They plotted the most devastating attacks on Europe from the city’s internet cafes. It was from the hills outside Raqqa Briton Mohammed Emwazi, otherwise known as Jihadi John, executed two of his countrymen in videos which shocked the world in 2014. The jihadists would continue to rule over the city’s residents with an ultra-conservative and brutal interpretation of Sharia law for another three years. Schools were closed and children were sent to mosques for indoctrination into jihad and camps for military training. Adults were stoned to death and beheaded for infractions as minor as smoking or listening to music. But the group's fortunes changed dramatically after Iraqi forces began their offensive to retake its most prized territory of Mosul last year. And in recent months in Syria they have been forced back into a strip of the Euphrates valley and surrounding desert. A fighter from Syrian Democratic Forces takes a selfie as he stands near rubble at a damaged site in Raqqa Credit: Reuters Now more than 85 per cent of Isil’s territory in Syria has been liberated and around 90 per cent in Iraq. But experts say Isil will remain a serious threat for the foreseeable future, despite its significant territorial losses. And that while the battle may be over, the war is yet to be won. “Today marks the end of Caliphate ISIS, but the beginning of Insurgency ISIS,” said Hassan Hassan, a resident fellow at the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy and co-author of ISIS: Inside the Army of Terror. Charlie Winter, a senior research fellow at the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation and Political Violence, warned that its ideology would linger long after its "caliphate" was gone. "I don't think it's simply a question of taking away the Islamic State's territory and the Islamic State's idea disappears," he said. He said the group saw itself as successful, having "managed to declare a caliphate and keep it going" - something unprecedented in modern jihadism.   Additional reporting by Luna Safwan in Beirut

After the 19th National Party Congress, China’s Foreign Policy will Likely Become More Assertive

President Xi Jinping is expected to emerge from the 19th National Congress with more power, more allies and more ambitious plans. Since coming to power in 2012, China’s President Xi Jinping has taken his country on a foreign policy path in marked contrast to that of his predecessors. Instead of continuing “peaceful development,” China under Xi has grown more assertive in the South and East China Seas, as well as in other areas of territorial dispute.

GOP Lawmaker Says Emergency Rooms Should Be Able To Turn People Away

proposed on Friday that hospital emergency rooms should be able to turn patients away to help keep health care costs down.

White House slams lawmaker's 'disgusting' criticism of Trump's call to soldier's widow

The back-and-forth dispute between the president and a Florida congressman over what Trump said to a soldier’s widow continued Wednesday afternoon. While not denying a remark that Rep. Frederica Wilson attributed to Trump, the White House criticized her for politicizing the issue.

Capital Murder Charges Filed Against Muslim Teen's Accused Killer

A man accused of killing 17-year-old Nabra Hassanen in Sterling, Virginia in June may face the death penalty after a grand jury charged him with capital murder and rape on Monday.

Billy Joel, 68, and wife Alexis Roderick are expecting a baby

Billy Joel will soon have three Uptown Girls to worry about!

Mandalay Bay Security Guard To Appear On ‘Ellen’ After Ducking Other Interviews

The security guard at the Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas who was among the first to encounter mass killer Stephen Paddock during his deadly Oct. 1 shooting spree has apparently broken his silence.

Boeing could rebut Airbus deal with new plane, partner

Bombardier's alliance with Airbus creates new hurdles for Boeing, but the US giant could respond by deepening its collaboration with Brazil's Embraer and launching a new aircraft, analysts say. The surprise deal with Airbus was designed to let Bombardier proceed with its C Series program and avert draconian US sanctions that had been ordered in a preliminary Commerce Department decision in response to a Boeing complaint. "Anything that's good for Airbus is bad for Boeing of course," said Jim Corridore, an analyst at CFRA Research, summarizing the reaction of many observers to the Airbus-Bombardier venture.

Netanyahu says Israel won't tolerate Iran presence in Syria

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel's prime minister warned Tuesday that he will not tolerate an Iranian military presence in neighboring Syria.

Abedin Sent Government Emails on Weiner Laptop: Report

State Department officials have reportedly found more than 2,800 government-related work emails Huma Abedin sent from Anthony Weiner's laptop.

Southwest Celebrates First 'Unmanned' Max 8 Flight While Shutting Down Haters

Southwest Airlines on Wednesday celebrated its first “unmanned” flight on the company’s new fleet of Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft.

John McCain says he'll block Trump's defence nominees until he gets more details on Afghanistan plan

Senator John McCain has said he’ll hold up Donald Trump’s nominees for key Defence Department posts until the President articulates a more detailed strategy for the war in Afghanistan. Mr McCain, the chairman of the influential Senate Armed Services Committee, said the panel needs new information in order to properly outfit the US armed forces with training and equipment. “If we don't get the information we need, we can't do that,” Mr McCain told reporters.

Wanted man turns himself in after losing Facebook bet with police  

A wanted Michigan man has turned himself in after losing a bet he made with police on Facebook. Michael Zaydel had promised to give himself up to police if a Facebook post about an existing arrest warrant received more than 1,000 shares. The cocky 21-year-old even promised to bring Redford Township Police Department (RTPD) officers a dozen doughnuts if they were victorious in the challenge. “I’m not worried about it,” he wrote. “If your next post gets 1,000 shares I’ll turn myself in with a dozen doughnuts and that’s a promise. “And I’ll pick up every piece of litter around your public schools.” In a follow-up post, the department said he “may or may not be a man of his word,” adding, “it is our experience everyone gets caught at some point. He has drawn a lot of attention to himself, and that makes it hard to hide from reality.” The fugitive eventually surrendered to police, fulfilling his promise by arriving at the station with doughnuts and a bagel. “Zaydel made good on his promise to turn himself in to RTPD for his outstanding warrants,” the department said. “He walked in on his own, and not only did he bring the doughnuts, he brought one bagel! We would again like to express our gratitude for the support of all who followed this, shared it, and left us positive feedback.” Mr Zaydel was sentenced to 39 days in jail after pleading guilty to breaking the terms of his probation. Is this the world's most meta mugshot? 

Bill Cosby Accusers Demand Academy Kick Out Cosby And Polanski Too

Two of the more than 50 women who have accused comedian Bill Cosby of sexual assault are demanding he and film producer Roman Polanski be immediately removed from the Academy of Motion Pictures.

Philippine President Declares Marawi City 'Liberated' From Terrorists

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has declared Marawi City liberated from terrorists, signalling an end to almost five months of fighting in the southern Philippine city.

Stunning Photos Show Faces Of Poverty That Are Rarely Seen

A new portrait campaign asking people to think differently about people living in poverty appeared on billboards in New York City’s Times Square on Tuesday. 

Bidding war heats up for $5 billion second Amazon HQ

It's the prize of a lifetime -- a $5 billion investment creating 50,000 well-paid jobs that everyone wants, but only one US city will get. From East to West, from North to South, metropolises across the United States are locked in a frenzied bidding war desperate to woo Amazon into favoring them as the site of the e-commerce giant's second headquarters. From $7 billion in tax breaks in Newark, New Jersey -- 50 years ago aflame by deadly race riots -- to a giant cactus shipped inter-state, bids range from the colossally ambitious to the silly before Thursday's deadline for submissions.

Iraqi gov't assumes control after Kurds leave disputed areas

BAGHDAD (AP) — Kurdish fighters pulled out of disputed areas across northern and eastern Iraq on Tuesday, one day after giving up the vital oil city of Kirkuk — a dramatic redeployment of forces that opened the way for government troops to move into energy-rich and other strategically important territories.

Tillerson Knocks China, Courts India Ahead of South Asia Trip

Tough words for “One Belt, One Road” and praise for a deepening defense partnership.

Royal Caribbean's newest cruise ship is ‘the largest in the world’

The ‘world’s largest ship’ comes with a giant water slide, zipline and other cool amenities

Georgia State Senator Offers Free Bump Stock In Wake Of Vegas Massacre

A state senator in Georgia who is running for governor is asserting his stance on gun rights by giving away a bump stock “to one lucky winner” in the aftermath of the Las Vegas mass shooting.

Lena Headey Recalls How Harvey Weinstein Made Her Feel 'Powerless'

As women come forward to accuse Harvey Weinstein of sexual misconduct, they paint an increasingly clear picture of the once-powerful studio executive’s disturbing predatory behavior.

Rose Leslie forced Kit Harington to wear a spectacularly embarrassing Halloween costume

If you happen to be Kit Harington, what's the most embarrassing outfit you could wear to a Halloween party? Well, there are probably a whole bunch of possibilities, but there's one costume idea in particular that blows all the others out of the water — and it's something Harington actually has dressed up as. SEE ALSO: Kit Harington played an incredibly cruel April Fools' prank on Rose Leslie Harington shared all the glorious details in a recent interview with Heat magazine, BuzzFeed reports. According to everyone's favourite White Walker-slayer, the costume was for a "bad taste" themed party — and the idea for it came from Harington's fiancée and former Game of Thrones co-star, Rose Leslie. "She pulled out a Jon Snow costume, and Rose just whispered in my ear, ‘I won't love you if you don't wear it... You should do it,'" said Harington. That's right: a Jon Snow costume. And just to make things that little bit more perfect, the costume was apparently one of those all-in-one jobs you get from a Halloween shop. “It was really embarrassing," Harington continued. "The people bringing around canapés were looking at me, thinking: 'You're sad, man! You've come to a party dressed as your character.'" Tragically we don't have an image of the costume itself, but we imagine it looked something like this: Image: halloweencostumesWell played, Leslie. After seeing footage of the April Fools' prank Harington pulled on his partner earlier this year, he almost certainly deserved it. WATCH: Kit Harington surprised his fiancé with a severed head

Virginia's Governor Race Is Shaping Up To Be A Close One

Virginians will head to the polls to choose a new governor in less than a month, and as three new surveys show, the race is shaping up to be a close one.

Delaware indicts 18 inmates in deadly prison riot

DOVER, Del. (AP) — Sixteen inmates have been charged with first-degree murder and assault, and face life in prison if convicted in the death of a corrections officer during February's riot at Delaware's maximum-security lockup.

Mississippi Defends Confederate Flag to Supreme Court

Mississippi voters and lawmakers have upheld that the state flag, which features the Confederate emblem, should be upheld, but the U.S. Supreme Court may get the final word.

Infant Chimp Snatched and Cannibalized Moments After Its Birth

Moments after a wild chimpanzee was born, an adult chimp snatched the infant away from its mother and cannibalized it, according to a new study that is the first to document this macabre behavior. This new finding, along with additional prior work, suggests that female chimpanzees might often go and hide on "maternity leave" before delivery to avoid such infant mortality, researchers said. Scientists made this gruesome discovery while following a party of 21 chimps in the Mahale Mountains on the eastern shore of Lake Tanganyika in western Tanzania.

Jeff Sessions Once Again Dodges Questions About Trump's Firing Of Former FBI Director

WASHINGTON ― Attorney General Jeff Sessions once again dodged questions about his discussions with President Donald Trump about the firing of former FBI Director James Comey.

Mother Burns Her Own Sons to Death by Putting Them in Oven, Cops Say

A Fulton County, Ga., mother-of-four has been charged with murder.

American woman becomes princess after meeting a real prince in a nightclub

Most of us can but dream of rocking up to the club and casually meeting a member of a royal family. But, that's what happened to Ariana Austin on the dance floor of Washington D.C. nightclub Pearl back in December 2005 when she met Joel Makonnen, a.k.a. Prince Yoel.  The story didn't end there for Austin and Makonnen. Twelve years on from their nightclub meet-cute, the couple tied the knot, and Austin became a princess. SEE ALSO: Prince George's favourite film proves once and for all he just can't wait to be king Per the New York Times, Prince Yoel is the great-grandson of Haile Selassie, the last emperor of Ethiopia, part of the Solomonic dynasty. Austin also happens to be of noble blood: she's the granddaughter of the lord mayor of Georgetown, Guyana. A post shared by Ariana Austin Makonnen (@chezariana) on Sep 15, 2017 at 7:14am PDT Enough about royalty, we want to know what went down in that nightclub on that fateful night in 2005. That night, Makonnen strolled over to Austin and her friend and said: "You guys look like an ad for Bombay Sapphire," according to the NYT. It appears Makonnen's regal background didn't help him out in the chat-up line department. Apparently, it took Makonnen just five more minutes to tell Austin: "You're going to be my girlfriend." Well, he certainly didn't waste any time.  Official pics are here! All credit to the talented @dotunayodeji. Planning by @favoredbyyodit Dress @lazarobridal #AriJo #royalwedding #moretocome ❤️ A post shared by Ariana Austin Makonnen (@chezariana) on Oct 16, 2017 at 4:39pm PDT The couple were wed in an Ethiopian Orthodox ceremony in Temple Hills, Maryland, surrounded by family and friends.  And, in case you were wondering, the couple certainly don't sit on thrones all day long. Austin works at the Executives' Alliance for Boys and Men of Color, and Makonnen works at Otsuka America Pharmaceutical.  Congrats to the happy (royal) couple! WATCH: Prince George looks beyond cute for his first day of school