[HONG KONG] As the Chinese zodiac switches into the Year of the Dog later this week, Hong Kong feng shui experts predict anything but a walk in the park for global leaders.Born in another dog year, 1946, United States president Donald Trump faces a run of bad luck, according to soothsayers, as his zodiac animal clashes with 2018's canine theme.Feng shui - literally meaning "wind-water" - is influential in many parts of Asia, where people adjust their lives and carefully position items such as a cup of wine or pieces of crystal in offices and homes to maximise their luck and wealth.The philosophy says that all events are dictated by the varying balances in the five elements that make up the universe: metal, wood, water, fire and earth.Mr Trump's birth date makes him a "fire dog", but 2018 is an "earth dog" year, a mismatch of elements.The fire in Mr Trump's own birth chart will foment and affect his health, says feng shui master Thierry Chow, while his words - the fire element also … [Read more...] about Feng shui masters predict claws out in Year of Dog
Trumping dogs
Explosive memo released as Trump escalates fight over Russia probe
[WASHINGTON] President Donald Trump and his Republican allies in Congress on Friday escalated a campaign against US law enforcement agencies over their probe of Trump's ties to Russia, releasing a disputed memo that the FBI warned was misleading and inaccurate.The previously classified document, written by Republicans on the House of Representatives intelligence committee, alleges that the federal probe of potential collusion between Mr Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and Russia was a product of political bias against Mr Trump at the FBI and Justice Department.Ignoring a plea from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Mr Trump approved the memo's release without redactions, deepening an extraordinary breach between the president and senior law enforcement officials over a probe that has dogged him during his first year in office.Democrats said the four-page memo mischaracterises highly sensitive classified information and was intended to undermine Special Counsel Robert Mueller's … [Read more...] about Explosive memo released as Trump escalates fight over Russia probe
Melania braves public eye after Trump cheating claim
[WASHINGTON] First Lady Melania Trump made a very visible return to the public stage Tuesday by attending her husband's maiden State of the Union address, her first official appearance since accusations of infidelity surfaced about the president.The enigmatic wife of Donald Trump emerged publicly for the first time since she fed the Washington rumour mill by cancelling her trip to Davos, Switzerland, leaving her husband to attend last week's World Economic Forum on his own.Melania's no-show in Davos came on the heels of a bombshell report that the billionaire Trump allegedly had a fling with porn star Stormy Daniels in 2006.But for Mr Trump's big night in Congress, Melania arrived smiling and waving, to warm and extended applause - dressed in a crisp cream white pantsuit that stood in contrast to the black donned by Democratic lawmakers in solidarity with the victims of sexual harassment.Minutes later, her husband took the floor and exchanged waves with his wife.Among Mr Trumps' guests … [Read more...] about Melania braves public eye after Trump cheating claim
The Trumps wanted to borrow a Van Gogh painting from the Guggenheim — the museum is offering this 18-karat gold toilet instead
The Trumps requested to borrow a Vincent Van Gogh painting from the Soloman R. Guggenheim Museum. The president and First Lady hoped to display it in the Oval Office. The Guggenheim’s chief curator declined the request. Instead, she offered a fully functional, 18-karat gold toilet called “America.” It’s tradition for US presidents to borrow famous artwork from museums in order to decorate the White House. The Smithsonian loaned the Kennedys “The Smoker,” a Eugène Delacroix painting. The Obamas picked abstract works by Mark Rothko and Jasper Johns. In September 2017, the Trumps requested Vincent Van Gogh’s “Landscape With Snow” from the Soloman R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City. The 1888 painting depicts a man in a black hat and his dog walking along a path in Arles, France.In an email, Guggenheim chief curator Nancy Spector declined. Instead, she offered an … [Read more...] about The Trumps wanted to borrow a Van Gogh painting from the Guggenheim — the museum is offering this 18-karat gold toilet instead
A look at the career of Olympic gold medalist Lindsey Vonn, who competed just hours after an ‘excruciating’ crash in 2006 and recently said she doesn’t represent Trump
• In the Winter Olympics and beyond, Lindsey Vonn is the face of alpine skiing for Americans. • She began skiing at the age of three and competing at the age of six. • Vonn won a gold medal in downhill skiing at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, but missed the subsequent Olympic Games in Sochi due to a major injury. She also placed eighth during the 2006 Turin Olympics, just 48 hours after a horrific crash. • She’ll be tackling the downhill, Super G, and combined events in the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. For years, Lindsey Vonn has reigned as the queen of alpine skiing for many Americans. As one of the most visible skiers out there, she’s become the face of the sport in the US. And now, with Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang approaching, she may be preparing to close one chapter of her athletic career.Reuters reported the upcoming games “are likely to be her last … [Read more...] about A look at the career of Olympic gold medalist Lindsey Vonn, who competed just hours after an ‘excruciating’ crash in 2006 and recently said she doesn’t represent Trump