International News
In a Mumbai slum, acting school stirs Bollywood ambitions
Al Jazeera
Mumbai is home to the world's biggest film industry, and many Indians are devotees: stars' houses are treated like temples, and some fans have even builtshrines for their heroes.
But the poor scarcely get a look in when it comes to starring roles: class and caste status, nepotism, fair skin, education, English language, and certain beauty ideals are at play.
Nevertheless, Bollywood "gives people hope," says Laadsaheb. "People come to this city with nowhere to live, many live on footpaths" in their pursuit of a career in cinema, he says.
Kim Jong-un oversees first weapons test since failed US-North Korea summit
The Guardian
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un oversaw the testing of a new type of tactical guided weapon on Wednesday, state media Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said on Thursday.
It is North Korea’s first public weapons test since the second US-North Korea summit in Hanoi ended with no agreement in February.
China Uses DNA to Track Its People, With the Help of American Expertise
New York Times
BEIJING — The authorities called it a free health check. Tahir Imin had his doubts.
They drew blood from the 38-year-old Muslim, scanned his face, recorded his voice and took his fingerprints. They didn’t bother to check his heart or kidneys, and they rebuffed his request to see the results.
“They said, ‘You don’t have the right to ask about this,’” Mr. Imin said. “‘If you want to ask more,’ they said, ‘you can go to the police.’”
US News
White House and Justice Dept. Officials Discussed Mueller Report Before Release
New York Times
WASHINGTON — Not all of Robert S. Mueller III’s findings will be news to President Trump when they are released Thursday morning.
Justice Department officials have had numerous conversations with White House lawyers about the conclusions made by Mr. Mueller, the special counsel, in recent days, according to people with knowledge of the discussions. The talks have aided the president’s legal team as it prepares a rebuttal to the report and strategizes for the coming public war over its findings.
Columbine-obsessed' woman accused of Denver school threats found dead
BBC World News
An 18-year-old woman suspected of making threats to Denver-area schools has been found dead in an apparent suicide, according to police.
Sol Pais was reportedly obsessed with the 1999 Columbine high school massacre, in which two teenagers murdered 12 students and a teacher.
The alleged threat led to school closures, affecting more than 400,000 students, and a manhunt for the woman.
Dixie School District will change its name after heated debate over racism
LA Times
The name Dixie is on its way out for a Northern California school district that for months has been shaken by contentious debate over the word’s racially charged history.
The Dixie school board voted 3-1, with one abstention, Tuesday night to change the name of the 150-year-old majority-white district and its elementary school in San Rafael after activists noted the designation’s link to the Confederacy and slavery.
Science/ Environment
Pig brains partially revived four hours after death
BBC World News
The findings could fuel debate about the barrier between life and death, and provide a new way of researching diseases like Alzheimer's.
The study showed the death of brain cells could be halted and that some connections in the brain were restored.
The first type of molecule to form in the universe has been seen in space
Science News
Helium hydride ions, thought to be the first type of molecule to form in the universe, have finally been spotted in space.
These charged molecules, each made of a neutral helium atom and a positively charged hydrogen atom, first emerged within about 100,000 years after the Big Bang. Back then, the universe was composed almost entirely of hydrogen and helium, and helium hydride was the only molecule that these two elements could create when they collided.
Flying electric cars would have lower emissions over long trips than standard electric vehicles
Scientific American
NASA and several companies — including Boeing Co. and Airbus SE — are racing to develop electric versions of flying cars. The technology is roughly five years away from demonstration and 10 years away from deployment.