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Judge approves Donald Trump University payout NEWS: goo.gl/a3kAcQ A judge has approved an agreement for US president Donald Trump to pay 25 million dollars (£20 million) to settle lawsuits over his now-defunct Trump University. The decision by district judge Gonzalo Curiel in San Diego ends nearly seven years of legal battles with customers who claimed they were misled by failed promises to teach success in real estate. The ruling settles two class-action lawsuits and a civil lawsuit by New York attorney general Eric Schneiderman. Mr Trump had vowed never to settle, but said after he was elected that he did not have time for a trial, even though he believed he would have prevailed. Under the terms of the settlement, he admits no wrongdoing. Attorneys for the customers said thousands will get at least 90% of their money back. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the ruling. The lawsuits alleged that Trump University gave nationwide seminars that were ...

Judge approves $25 million Trump University settlement NEWS: goo.gl/a3kAcQ A federal judge has approved a $25 million settlement President Donald Trump agreed to late last year in a bid to head off a civil fraud trial over his Trump University real estate seminar program. U.S. District Court Judge Gonzalo Curiel issued a 31-page ruling Friday deeming the deal fair and overruling claims from some former Trump University students that they should get larger payments or be allowed to drop out altogether in a bid to force Trump into a trial.Under the settlement, former Trump University students are expected to get 80 percent to 90 percent of what they paid — typically about $1,500 for a three-day seminar or $35,000 for an in-depth mentorship program. Curiel called that result “extraordinary” when measured by the yardstick of other class actions that are often settled for pennies on the dollar. “The extraordinary amount of recovery for Eligible Class Members — an estimated 80%, ...

Flynn offers to cooperate with congressional probe in exchange for immunity NEWS: goo.gl/a3kAcQ Former national security adviser Michael Flynn has offered to cooperate with congressional investigators in exchange for immunity from prosecution, a suggestion that has been met with initial skepticism, according to people familiar with the matter. “General Flynn certainly has a story to tell, and he very much wants to tell it, should the circumstances permit,’’ Flynn’s attorney, Robert Kelner, said in a statement Thursday evening. “Out of respect for the committees, we will not comment right now on the details of discussions between counsel for General Flynn and the House and Senate intelligence committees, other than to confirm that those discussions have taken place. But it is important to acknowledge the circumstances in which those discussions are occurring.’’ The committees are both looking into whether any associates of Donald Trump may have coordinated with agents of the R...

Hugh Jackman's 'The World's Greatest Showman' might be the new 'La La Land' NEWS: goo.gl/a3kAcQ It was highly appropriate that Hugh Jackman introduced The World's Greatest Showman at CinemaCon on Thursday. The singing and dancing Oscar-nominated, Tony-winning actor wowed the annual convention of theater owners with a speech before introducing a sneak peek of his musical film inspired by the life of P.T. Barnum (in theaters Dec. 25), founder of the Barnum & Bailey Circus. Based on the footage shown at CinemaCon, the annual convention of theater owners, Showman should fill the holiday season with the ebullient musical joy of La La Land with a dash of Moulin Rouge.The La La Land songwriting duo, Academy Award winners Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, wrote songs for the movie, Jackman noted proudly. The Logan star sounded like Barnum himself as he set up the clip from the film, which has been seven years in the making, directed by Michael Gracey (who wa...

Why Michael Flynn may be seeking immunity NEWS: goo.gl/a3kAcQ Get that? Flynn is only seeking immunity — as was reported on Thursday evening — because the Democrats and the media are whipping up a rigged witch hunt and Flynn can’t trust the process. That spin runs contrary to the assumptions of many fervent opponents of the president. As readily as Trump, Flynn and his allies rushed to criticism when aides to Hillary Clinton sought immunity in the probe of her email server, Trump’s opponents seized on the suggestion of an immunity deal as evidence that Flynn necessarily had secrets to hide. The truth is probably far more subtle than that, according to Todd Bussert, a federal criminal defense attorney in Connecticut who spoke with The Washington Post by phone Friday morning. “It’s not unusual for anybody who’s the subject of a federal investigation to want immunity before speaking to federal authorities,” Bussert said. “Even if they’ve done nothing wrong, there’s this fear t...

Judge approves $25 million settlement in Trump University cases NEWS: goo.gl/a3kAcQ A federal judge has given final approval to a $25 million settlement to litigation against Trump University, a now-defunct real estate seminar program once owned by Donald Trump. Trump had agreed not long after his election to settle two class-action suits filed by former customers of the program in California, as well as a New York state lawsuit. The suits argued that Trump University defrauded customers, some of whom paid more than $30,000 to participate in the seminars, with false advertisements promising that they would learn Trump's personal real estate tricks and that Trump had hand-picked seminar leaders. In depositions, Trump acknowledged he did not choose instructors.The case had been used against Trump during the presidential campaign, with Democrats contending that Trump University was part of a pattern of deceptive Trump business endeavors. It also sparked one of the campaign...

Traffic horrors expected after fire caused I 85 overpass collapse in Atlanta NEWS: goo.gl/a3kAcQ Atlanta’s notoriously tangled commutes were thrown into disarray Friday after a bridge on Interstate 85 collapsed amid a massive fire, shutting down the heavily traveled highway through the heart of the city. Traffic was bumper to bumper on nearby streets as people scrambled to find alternate routes after the fire broke out during rush hour Thursday afternoon. However, officials said no one was hurt despite towering flames and plumes of smoke captured in dramatic video footage. The interstate, which carries 250,000 cars a day, is a major artery for the South and a thoroughfare for traffic heading north and south through Atlanta. Many commuters in some of Atlanta’s densely populated northern suburbs will likely be forced to find alternate routes or ride public transit for weeks or even months. “This is about as serious a transportation crisis as we can imagine,” Atlanta Mayor Kas...

The Trump White House is in deep legal trouble, according to Trump’s own standards NEWS: goo.gl/a3kAcQ President Trump on Friday urged his former top adviser, Michael Flynn, to seek an immunity deal from Congress, after news broke late Thursday that Flynn was seeking such a deal. Trump said Flynn should cut a deal because the entire thing is “a witch hunt” that ostensibly won't lead anywhere.Trump used to have a very different take on immunity deals. It wasn't long ago that Trump seemed to believe such deals signaled guilt and were a very bad thing for a certain presidential candidate.And here's Trump in late September: “The reason they get immunity is because they did something wrong. If they didn't do anything wrong, they don't think in terms of immunity. Five people. Folks, I'm telling you: Nobody's seen anything like this in our country's history.” And at another September rally: "If you're not guilty of a crime, what do you need i...

Senate Intelligence Committee Denies Immunity To Michael Flynn In Russia Probe NEWS: goo.gl/a3kAcQ Retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, once one of President Donald Trump’s strongest supporters and then his national security adviser, is scrambling to save himself from prosecution in exchange for telling Congress what he knows about Russia’s involvement in the 2016 elections. And to do so, he has hired a lawyer who has been a vocal opponent of Trump. “General Flynn certainly has a story to tell, and he very much wants to tell it, should the circumstances permit,” Flynn’s lawyer, Robert Kelner, said in a statement on Thursday evening. Trump fired Flynn in February, after he admitted he had indeed had a conversation in December with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak ― despite previously denying he’d had any contact with Russian officials before Trump took office. Flynn told the FBI and congressional officials that he would be willing to testify in their investigations into Russia’s...

Trump Calls Congressional Inquiry a ‘Witch Hunt’ NEWS: goo.gl/a3kAcQ President Trump said on Friday that Michael T. Flynn, the national security adviser who resigned last month over his contacts with Russian officials, should ask for immunity from prosecution in the congressional investigation into the presidential campaign’s ties to Moscow. Mr. Trump called the inquiry a “witch hunt” by the news media and Democrats. The president made the remark on Twitter the morning after it was revealed that Mr. Flynn was seeking an immunity deal as part of an offer to testify in the investigations by the House and Senate Intelligence Committees into Russian meddling. Those inquiries are looking into the presidential election and potential collusion between Mr. Trump’s campaign staff members and the Russians. “Mike Flynn should ask for immunity in that this is a witch hunt (excuse for big election loss), by media & Dems, of historic proportion!” Mr. Trump wrote. The president has b...

Google pays Britain just £36million in corporation tax NEWS: goo.gl/a3kAcQ Google paid £36.4 million in UK corporation tax for the year to June 30, 2016, the company has revealed. The US search giant recorded sales of £1.03bn and a pre-tax profit of £149m in the UK for the 12 months to the end of June 2016. Google and other major tech firms have come under pressure over their tax arrangements. A Google spokesman said: 'As an international business, we pay the majority of our taxes in our home country, as well as all the taxes due in the UK. 'We have recently announced significant new investment in the UK, including new offices in Kings Cross for 7,000 staff.' The search giant has been under acute political pressure in recent weeks over the presence of extremist content on its YouTube video platform. Google executives were among a delegation summoned to meet Home Secretary Amber Rudd in Whitehall last night. In January last year, Google agreed to pay the Treasu...

I 85 collapse Major north south artery closed as spring break travel kicks off NEWS: goo.gl/a3kAcQ Drivers in one of the nation's most congested cities faced a jarring new reality Friday as they were forced to game out how to get around a collapsed portion of Atlanta's Interstate 85 -- one of the Southeast's major north-south arteries. A mysterious fire collapsed an I-85 northbound overpass Thursday evening -- injuring no one -- and also damaged the southbound portion, forcing the closure of all five lanes in each direction for the foreseeable future. The shutdown likely sets the city up for traffic headaches for months to come after creating navigation hell on Thursday with jams that extended five miles or more and stranded motorists in the immediate area for hours. The closure comes at a sensitive time for a city accustomed to gridlock -- with hordes of spring break vacationers poised to drive though the regional hub and the Atlanta Braves set to play a preseason...

Atlanta Interstate Collapse Sends City’s Commute into Chaos NEWS: goo.gl/a3kAcQ Schools were closed, businesses were encouraging employees to work from home, and traffic was extensively rerouted on Friday, a day after a section of Interstate 85, one of the main highways in the Atlanta area, collapsed from a fire. No one was hurt in the collapse of the northbound lanes. On Friday, Department of Transportation bridge inspectors were at the location and said that both the southbound and northbound sections of I-85 that were damaged by the fire would need to be replaced, a statement from the department’s commissioner, Russell R. McMurry, said. Interactive It was not immediately clear when the work would be completed on the roadway, one of the most widely used in the Atlanta area.  “At this time, we do not have an anticipated duration for the repairs as we have not been able to fully access the site due to hotspots, but we do know that it is expected to be a time consuming even...

Royal Marines face axe as military looks for £10bn savings NEWS: goo.gl/a3kAcQ Military chiefs are being forced to find £10billion of savings over the next decade amid escalating costs of ships and jets, it was claimed last night. They have launched a review to try and find at least £1billion a year in additional savings from budgets that are already stretched. It is understood the size of the Royal Marines could be reduced, with the frontline role of one its three commando units being axed altogether. Overseas training is also about to be suspended, according to the Times. Sources told the newspaper that the replacement submarines for the Trident nuclear deterrent were likely to exceed their £41billion maximum budget by £6billion. The cost of dozens of aircraft bought in dollars - such as the F-35 jump jet - and kit bought in euros is also set to soar because of the weak pound.   The military is also facing a shortage of support equipment such as spare parts and ammun...

Meet the Hunter Troop Norway's tough as nails female soldiers NEWS: goo.gl/a3kAcQ She's marched for miles carrying gear that weighs as much as she does, killed animals for food during survival training and practised jumping out of planes to get behind enemy lines. But Jannike, a pony-tailed 19-year-old from northern Norway, will only concede that she's "pretty tough". She is part of the Hunter Troop, the world's first all-female special forces training programme. "I wanted to do something bigger, the toughest the army could offer me," Jannike says. "I wanted to [see] how far I could push myself." After six months, despite some "really low moments", she is determined to get through the course. Next up on the training schedule is close-combat fighting and offensive driving. The Jegertroppen, as it is known in Norwegian, was set up in 2014. Military commanders here say that the war in Afghanistan proved an "operation...

Venezuela Maduro ally says Supreme Court move 'breaks law'

EU rules out early trade talks with UK in Brexit process NEWS: goo.gl/a3kAcQ Draft EU guidelines for Brexit rule out starting free trade talks with the UK before "sufficient progress" is made on other issues. The paper presented by European Council President Donald Tusk will have to be approved by the 27 member states. Other issues include the status of three million EU citizens in the UK and a million Britons in the EU. Separately, another top EU official suggested the bloc could manage without the UK in defence and security matters. The UK formally triggered the Brexit process on Wednesday after calling for simultaneous talks on exit terms and future trade ties. At a news conference, Mr Tusk said: "Starting parallel talks on all issues at the same time as suggested by some in the UK will not happen. "Only once we have achieved sufficient progress on the withdrawal can we discuss the framework for our future relationship." It is clear the UK will ...

Trump trade crackdown 'not about China' NEWS: goo.gl/a3kAcQ President Donald Trump is expected to sign two executive orders targeting the US trade deficit, ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit. One order will include a study looking at causes of the deficit by examining unpaid duties and foreign trade abuses. Administration officials said Beijing was not the focus, but China is the largest source of the US trade deficit. The orders will also seek to combat dumping by foreign countries, which is considered a form of trade cheating. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and Peter Navarro, the director of the White House National Trade Council, previewed the orders at the White House on Thursday night. The president is expected to sign the orders on Friday, "These actions are designed to let the world know that this is a president taking another step to fulfil his campaign promise," Mr Ross said. Mr Trump spent a large part of his presidential ca...

Trump meets with Condoleezza Rice NEWS: goo.gl/a3kAcQ President Donald Trump met Friday with an unlikely guest, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who called on Trump to withdraw from the presidential race a month before he was elected president. The former top administration official under President George W. Bush met Trump in the Oval Office after first sitting down with Vice President Mike Pence. The meeting comes less than six months after Rice called on Trump to drop out of the presidential race in the wake of the leaked "Access Hollywood" tape showing Trump bragging about sexually assaulting women. GOP heavyweights with ties to Exxon pushed Tillerson "Enough! Donald Trump should not be President. He should withdraw," Rice wrote on Facebook on October 8. "As a Republican, I hope to support someone who has the dignity and stature to run for the highest office in the greatest democracy on earth." Rice and Trump already appear to ha...

Karen Millen is declared bankrupt over £6million tax bill NEWS: goo.gl/a3kAcQ Karen Millen, the fashion designer who founded the upmarket high street brand, has been declared bankrupt over unpaid tax. Miss Millen, who opened her first shop almost 35 years ago, failed to pay £6million to HM Revenue and Customs over her involvement in a tax avoidance scheme. The Times reported that the mother-of-three was declared bankrupt in the High Court on Tuesday and faces losing her £3million home in Kent. But Ms Millen said she was 'deeply devastated', and had been a victim of fraud by collapsed Icelandic bank Kaupthing which financed the buyer who bought her business in 2004 for £95million. She said they had blocked her ability to start again. It came after the administrators to Kaupthing, which now own Karen Millen, had prevented the designer from using her name to launch a new brand. She wanted to use the trade marks 'Karen Millen', and 'Karen' for a new hom...

Perth couple restoring a beautiful French Château NEWS: goo.gl/a3kAcQ 'It started off as a pipe dream - to buy a French farmhouse and holiday home for their family of four to spend the summers in. Now, nearly four years later, Karina and Craig Waters, from Perth in Western Australia, are the proud owners and chief restorers of the sprawling Château de Gudanes in Verdun, in the south of France, which the purchased for an estimated £280,000. The couple have spent the past four years renovating the level one historical monument - which dates from the reign of King Louis XV - learning its secrets and slowly re-building their dream property. Later this year, the couple are set to open the Château as a working hotel for visitors. Mr and Mrs Waters will also release a book about their journey in 2018, but they admit that fully restoring the property to its former glory will be a 'lifelong commitment'. 'Our property search in France began when our daughter, Jasmine,...

Stourbridge teenager parents dig grave for miscarried BABY NEWS: goo.gl/a3kAcQ Confused' teenage parents went to a church graveyard at night, dug a grave and buried their miscarried baby after allegedly keeping the body in their house for two weeks. Police were called to St James Church in Stourbridge, West Midlands on Monday morning after reports that earth in the graveyard had been disturbed. Church officials confirmed human remains were found to have been buried unofficially in the grounds of the church. Residents claimed a local white British teenage couple had dug their own grave for a baby, which they had kept in their house for two weeks after a miscarriage. Church officials said the parents were 'confused' about what to do because they couldn't afford a proper funeral. The Archdeacon of Dudley, Nikki Groarke, confirmed the remains had been exhumed so a proper burial can take place. She said: 'An irregular burial was discovered in St James's ...

Kate Middleton's jeweller reveals five accessory rules NEWS: goo.gl/a3kAcQ We all know that the right makeup and haircut can knock years off our looks but the right accessories can make you look even younger. According to Belinda Scott of the Duchess of Cambridge's favourite jewellery brand, Heavenly Necklaces, the right jewellery can take years off your face. From round earrings to disguise a long face to shunning black, she reveals the most youth-enhancing accessorising tricks. 1. Round earrings to disguise a long face: Faces, noses and ears lengthen with age (a baby's face is almost totally round). So, in anthropological terms, anything that elongates your features makes you look older. Long, thin earrings can elongate a long face even more so make sure you're not making things worse. Round earrings can have the reverse effect. 2. Embrace colour: We all hide behind black clothes day and night. Black is safe; it covers a multitude of sins and hides any fa...

Bin lorry driver avoids jail for getting back behind wheel NEWS: goo.gl/a3kAcQ The driver of a Glasgow bin lorry which crashed killing six people has avoided jail for getting back behind the wheel without a licence just nine months after the tragedy. Harry Clarke, 60, admitted driving a car in September 2015, despite his licence having been revoked for medical reasons. It was just months after his refuse lorry ran out of control in the city centre and killed six people. Jack and Lorraine Sweeney, 68 and 69, and their granddaughter Erin McQuade, 18, Stephenie Tait, 29, Jacqueline Morton, 51, and Gillian Ewing, 52, died in the incident. Clarke appeared for sentencing at Glasgow Sheriff Court today after pleading guilty to the 2015 offence at a hearing last month. He avoided a jail term but was given a three-year driving ban, a 12-month supervision order and 150 hours' unpaid work. He will also have to wear an electronic tag. Sheriff Martin Jones QC told Clarke that he pa...