Israel bans entry to outspoken US congresswomen Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar
Israel said on Thursday that it will bar two Democratic US congresswomen from entering the country ahead of a planned visit over their support for a Palestinian-led boycott movement, a decision announced shortly after President Donald Trump tweeted that it would "show great weakness" to allow them in.
The move to bar Representatives Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota from visiting appeared to be unprecedented.
It marked a deep foray by Israel into America's bitterly polarised politics and a sharp escalation of Israel's campaign against the international boycott movement.
The two newly-elected Muslim members of Congress are outspoken critics of Israel's treatment of the Palestinians and have repeatedly sparred with Trump over a range of issues.
'Hollywood Ripper' found guilty of two murders including Ashton Kutcher date
A man dubbed the "Hollywood Ripper" was found guilty on Thursday (Aug 15) of the murders of two women, including a student who was due to go out with actor Ashton Kutcher on the night of her death.
Michael Gargiulo, 43, was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder by a Los Angeles jury, which deliberated for four days before reaching its verdict.
Prosecutor Dan Akemon had told jurors that Gargiulo targeted the women in "frenzied knife attacks", referring to him as a "stone-cold serial killer who preys on women."
Cardi B, Bernie Sanders talk police brutality, health care while in a nail salon
Look out, Andrea Mitchell and Anderson Cooper: There's a new interviewer capable of eliciting lots of substance from a presidential hopeful.
Rapper Cardi B led a meaty conversation with Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont that touched on immigration, health, wages, police brutality and student debt in a new video released on Thursday (Aug 15) by his campaign.
The setup seemed goofy - the interview took place in a Detroit nail salon, a nod to the "Bodak Yellow" singer's signature striking manis. But the conversation wasn't, with Cardi posing questions submitted by her millions of social media followers.
Dozens of US teens hospitalised with lung disease after vaping
US health officials are investigating the cases of dozens of people, mainly teens, who were hospitalised with severe lung injuries in recent weeks after vaping, though the precise cause of their illnesses remains a mystery.
Health departments in Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin have issued statements describing cases involving patients who exhibited coughs, shortness of breath, dizziness and fatigue, symptoms that led them to hospitals where they had to be intubated.
Officials in the three states, which have reported at least 30 confirmed cases and 22 under investigation, said it was too early to say whether the illnesses were connected, but were working with each other and the Centres for Disease and Control and Prevention to investigate further.
Tennis: Federer stunned by world number 70 Rublev in Cincinnati
Seven-time champion and third seed Roger Federer was knocked out of the Cincinnati Masters by world number 70 Andrey Rublev in the third round on Thursday.
Rublev won 6-3, 6-4 and will face fellow Russian Daniil Medvedev, the ninth seed, for a place in the semi-finals.
Federer, 38, will now head into the US Open later this month with just two matches on hard courts under his belt.
