| Turkish police raided a villa southeast of Istanbul early Monday as part of their search for the body of Washington Post writer Jamal Khashoggi. Turkish intelligence sources told reporters that one of the Saudi agents who made up the hit squad who carried out Khashoggi’s murder called the villa owner—who is also believed to be a Saudi national—a day before the killing. An unnamed official said Saudi agent Mansour Othman Abahussain “placed a call from his personal cellphone” to the owner of a large “farm” in a rural area southeast of Istanbul, where Khashoggi was killed. The report did not specify what was discussed during the call, The Washington Post reports. Photos of the raid showed police officers standing in front of a two-story villa. Drones and sniffer dogs were also being used in the search, Turkey’s state news agency said. |
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| The world’s first genetically edited babies have been made in China, according to a researcher who claims that twin girls born this month had their DNA altered with a powerful new tool. The researcher, He Jiankui of Shenzhen, said he altered embryos for seven couples during fertility treatments, with one successful pregnancy so far. He said his goal was to try to give the babies the ability to resist future infection with HIV. The parents declined to be identified or interviewed. His claim hasn’t been verified by other experts. But, if true, it would be a huge and controversial step in the genetic modification of human beings. “This is far too premature,” said Eric Topol, who heads the Scripps Research Translational Institute in California. “We’re dealing with the operating instructions of a human being. It’s a big deal.” Kiran Musunuru, a University of Pennsylvania gene-editing expert, said the supposed experiment was “unconscionable... an experiment on human beings that is not morally or ethically defensible.” This form of gene editing is banned in the United States. |
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| As for the smart devices, you can grab an Echo Dot for $24, an Echo (2nd generation) for $69, an Echo Plus for $109.99, an Echo Spot for $89.99, or an Echo Show for $179.99. The Echo Look is also just $49.99, which means you're saving $150. Kindle Paperwhites are just $79.99. If you're more interested in the Amazon tablets, you can get a Fire HD 8 tablet for $49.99 or the Fire HD 10 for $99.99. Want to upgrade your home security? Get a Ring Floodlight Cam and an Echo Dot for $189.99, or get the Ring Doorbell Video 2 for $139.00 and get an all-new Echo Dot for free. You can even make your lights smart with Philips Hue bundles like an Echo Dot with Philips Hue White and Color Smart Light Bulb Starter Kit for $94.99, or opt for something simpler with a smart plug and pick up an Echo Dot and a Wemo Mini Smart Plug for $29. And when it comes to audio, there's an Alexa-enabled Sonos Beam for $349 and the Sonos One is $179. Want something a little more advanced? Preorder an Echo Input bundle like this one with an Anker Soundcore XL or an iHome AV2 Speaker and Alarm Clock. Want even more Cyber Monday content? Check out or huge list right here. Scouted is internet shopping with a pulse. Follow us on Twitter and sign up for our newsletter for even more recommendations and exclusive content. Please note that if you buy something featured in one of our posts, The Daily Beast may collect a share of sales. |
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| The British academic who was sentenced to life in jail for allegedly spying in the United Arab Emirates has been pardoned with immediate effect. The UAE came under severe criticism after the sentencing of Matthew Hedges, 31, who denied spying for the British government and said he had been researching his postgraduate doctoral degree. His family claimed his hearing lasted five minutes and he wasn’t allowed a lawyer. They said a supposed signed confession was written in Arabic, which he doesn’t understand. The UAE said Monday that the pardon was part of a series of orders issued on the emirate’s National Day anniversary. His wife, Daniela Tejada, said she was “elated” and “can’t wait to have him back home.” She told the BBC: “It’s taken me by surprise and I’m just so happy and so relieved and really incredulous that it is all happening finally. It’s been an absolutely nightmarish seven months already and I can’t wait to have him back home.” British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt called the pardon “fantastic news” and said Hedges could be released “very soon.” |
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| Hide your monitor from your boss–it’s Cyber Monday, the biggest day for online shopping. It’s time to snag a killer deal on the best gifts that will keep everyone on your list warm: just head to uniqlo.com. Uniqlo’s Cyber Monday deals boast the best markdowns and discounts on strong outerwear gear. From $50 off Ultra Warm Down Coats to the lowest prices of the season on other bestsellers like Cashmere, BLOCKTECH, and more; you’ll look perfect, stay dry, and save a bundle. Visit the site throughout the day for amazing limited-time deals like $30 off Ultra Light Down Coats - but hurry, that deal is only valid from 8AM-8PM ET. These once-a-year prices won’t stick around, so take a “long lunch” and get shopping! |
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| The man who allegedly killed a woman and injured dozens when he rammed his car into a crowd of counterprotesters during a white-supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, last year is set to go to trial Monday. James Alex Fields, a 21-year-old white man who was seen marching with the neo-Nazi group Vanguard America, faces a first-degree murder charge, multiple charges of malicious wounding and assault, and separate federal hate-crime charges. Heather Heyer, a 32-year-old paralegal, was a local resident who protested against the neo-Nazi rally in her town. She was fatally injured in the attack. As a high-school student in Ohio, Fields reportedly idolized Adolf Hitler and his white-supremacist views were a “known issue,” according to one of his teachers who spoke shortly after the alleged attack. Jury selection for the Charlottesville trial is scheduled to begin Monday. |
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| More than 10 million people are under a blizzard warning as the winter storm that caused Thanksgiving travel chaos Sunday pushes northeast from the Midwest toward the lower Great Lakes. Thousands of flights were canceled or delayed Sunday and high winds and snow are expected to continue all through Monday. Kansas Gov. Jeff Colyer issued a state of emergency and said: “We strongly recommend that you postpone travel plans, if possible; however, if you must be on the road, make sure your vehicle’s emergency kit is stocked, your gas tank is full, and your cellphone and charger are with you and someone knows your travel plans.” Some 1,273 U.S. flights were canceled Sunday evening, with delays to 5,091 more. The weather system was forecast to move into the Great Lakes region before hitting the Northeast on Monday. |
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| Mary Beth Peil, who played “Grams” in the hit show Dawson’s Creek, reveals that she knew about co-star Katie Holmes’ crush on Tom Cruise long before they became one of Hollywood's most talked-about couples. In a candid interview about her life and work with The Daily Beast’s Tim Teeman, Peil said that one day on set, after Cruise’s ex-wife Mimi Rogers (who played Helen Lindley in the sixth and final season of Dawson's) had left the hair and makeup room, Holmes launched into a heartfelt and knowledgeable spiel about Cruise being married to Rogers, Scientology, and Nicole Kidman. “She knew everything about him. She said, ‘I have had a crush on him since I was 15, and his posters were on the walls of my bedroom.’ She could not stop talking about Tom Cruise. This was way before they got together, but she was certainly ready for him,” Peil said. Holmes and Cruise started dating in 2005, before having their daughter Suri, and marrying, in 2006. They divorced in 2012. In the interview, Peil also talks about her friendship with Michelle Williams, who played her granddaughter on Dawson’s; her testy relationship with Good Wife co-star Chris Noth; and having her heart “rebooted” this summer after being diagnosed with atrial fibrillation while performing in Anastasia on Broadway. |
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| Bernardo Bertolucci—the Oscar-winning Italian director of movies such as Last Tango in Paris, The Last Emperor, and The Dreamers—has died in Rome at the age of 77. In 1987, The Last Emperor won nine Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director. His final feature, Me and You, had its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in 2012. But Last Tango in Paris, starring Marlon Brando as an American businessman who begins a relationship with a young Frenchwoman, is perhaps his most famous work and was banned in several countries for its sexual content. Bertolucci had been confined to a wheelchair for over a decade after surgery on a herniated disc in 2003 was unsuccessful, and rendered him unable to walk. His publicist confirmed he died of cancer after a short illness. |
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| Brighten your smile, and your day, with a toothbrush that works harder at keeping your teeth clean and breath fresh. At just $$46.99 (with the code CMSAVE20), this sonic toothbrush puts out 40,000 strokes per minute with a battery life of 20 days worth of brushes (if you're brushing the recommended twice-a-day). But the best feature is definitely the UV sanitizer that kills 99 percent of germs and bacteria that collect on brush heads. Bet you're gonna think twice next time you brush your teeth with your old toothbrush. The Platinum Sonic Toothbrush also has a two-minute auto-timer, which means you can get reach the ADA-recommended time for better brushing without having to count down the seconds in your head. The set comes with the Sonic Toothbrush base, two Elite Sonic Toothbrush heads, the UV travel charging case, plus the cable and adapter to keep your new brush fully-charged. Want even more deals? Check out our list here. Scouted is internet shopping with a pulse. Follow us on Twitter and sign up for our newsletter for even more recommendations and exclusive content. Please note that if you buy something featured in one of our posts, The Daily Beast may collect a share of sales. |
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