Friday Morning Briefing: How Mueller kept a lid on Trump-Russia probe

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Restrictions on smartphones and other electronic devices which can be turned into covert listening devices or spy cameras. Visitors were required to turn these over before entering. Here is a look at how Mueller kept a lid on Trump-Russia probe

The Muslim call to prayer sounded out over Christchurch and around New Zealand on Friday, as thousands gathered to remember the 50 people killed by a lone gunman at two mosques a week ago. Women all over New Zealand put on headscarves to show solidarity with Muslims a week after the deadly attack.

Shortages of water and food stoked frustrations in Mozambique’s Beira city as a swathe of southern Africa scrambled for survival following a powerful cyclone that killed hundreds of people and may have affected hundreds of thousands more.

Republicans and Democrats over the years have engaged in gerrymandering, manipulating electoral boundaries to entrench one party in power. Critics have said the practice has now become far more effective and insidious due to computer technology and precise voter data, warping democracy. The Supreme Court is due to examine the practice on Tuesday in two cases that could impact American politics for decades.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order linking “free speech” efforts at public universities to federal grants in an effort to combat what he considers a clamp down on conservative students’ abilities to share their views. The order requires that schools ensure they allow students to express themselves in order to receive funds from 12 federal agencies that help fund universities and colleges.

At the headquarters of the Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority, a paper sign balanced above room 107 and a threadbare square of carpet welcome a stream of foreign visitors to the Accident Investigation Bureau. The office - with three investigators and an annual budget of less than 2.5 million Birr ($89,000) - is leading a multi-party, multi-nation probe into what caused an Ethiopian Airlines flight to crash on March 10, killing all 157 people on board.

EU leaders said Britain had a final chance to leave the bloc in an orderly fashion, having given the UK parliament an April 12 deadline to offer a new plan or choose to quit the bloc without a treaty.

 

@Reuters journalists Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo have been imprisoned in Myanmar for 466 days. Follow updates on the case: https://reut.rs/2JwTlgH

8:13 AM - Mar 22, 2019

Middle East

Four years of conflict have pushed Yemen, which was already one of the poorest Arab states, to the brink of famine. The country's war-induced economic crisis has left parents destitute, hungry and watching their children waste away from malnutrition and unclean water.

President Donald Trump said it was time to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights that Israel seized from Syria in 1967, marking a dramatic shift in U.S. policy and giving a boost to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the middle of his re-election campaign. France does not recognize the Israeli annexation of the Golan Heights and its recognition - as called for by the U.S. president - is contrary to international law, its foreign ministry said. Here is a quick guide to the hilly 1,200 square kilometer (460 square mile) plateau that also overlooks Lebanon and borders Jordan.

The United Nations Human Rights Council condemned Israel’s “apparent intentional use of unlawful lethal and other excessive force” against civilian protesters in Gaza, and called for perpetrators of violations in the enclave to face justice.

Business

Apple's iPhone struggles unravel ambitions of Japan Display

When Japan Display broke ground on a new factory in central Japan in 2015, the future looked bright for one of the world’s top vendors of liquid crystal display (LCD) panels. Four years later, Apple’s shifting fortunes have brought Japan Display to its knees and threaten to end Japan’s long run as a leader in display technology.

6 min read

Boeing makes safety change, Indonesian airline cancels order

Indonesian airline Garuda said it would cancel a $6 billion order for Boeing 737 MAX jets, citing concerns over passenger confidence, as Boeing tried to quell safety worries by making a previously optional cockpit warning light compulsory.

4 min read

Chinese smartphone firms jazz up products, seize turf in home market from Apple

Smartphone retailers in China say it’s a tough sell of late with consumers reluctant to upgrade, put off by chill economic winds. Even so domestic brands led by Huawei have made big strides, wooing consumers with top-notch hardware and innovative features as they move upmarket in the $500-$800 price range. The result: a loss of share in a key segment for Apple and fresh price cuts for iPhones by Chinese retailers.

6 Min Read

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