Federal judge rejects Donald Trump's defence over violence at campaign rally

President Donald Trump's free speech defense in a lawsuit in which he is accused of inciting violence against protesters during his campaign, has been flatly rejected by a federal judge.

Trump's lawyers sought to dismiss the lawsuit by three protesters who say they were roughed up by Trump supporters at a March 2016 campaign rally in Louisville, reports the Guardian.

Trump's lawyers have claimed that when the candidate said "Get 'em out of here", he didn't intend for his supporters to use force.

Two women and a man say they were shoved and punched by audience members as Trump directed them from the podium. Much of the scuffle was captured on video and widely broadcast during the presidential campaign.

Judge David J Hale in Louisville ruled on Friday that the suit against Trump, his campaign and three of his supporters can proceed.

He ruled that there was sufficient evidence supporting allegations that the injuries sustained by the protesters' were a "direct and proximate result" of Trump's actions.

"It is plausible that Trump's direction to 'get 'em out of here' advocated the use of force," Hale wrote. 

Colombia landslide death toll rises to 234: Red Cross

The toll has risen to 234 dead in a violent landslide in Colombia caused by the overflowing of three rivers swollen by torrential rain, the local Red Cross said on Sunday.

Hardest-hit was the southwestern town of Mocoa, in the Amazon rainforest basin, with the previously reported number of fatalities hitting 206.

At least 202 people were wounded, more than 100 people missing, 300 families affected and 25 homes destroyed, the Colombian Red Cross said, citing information complied from rescue workers.

In the southwestern Colombian town of Mocoa, the surge swept away houses, bridges, vehicles and trees, leaving piles of wrecked timber and brown mud, army images from the area showed.

The mudslides struck late on Friday after days of torrential rain in the Amazon basin area town of 40,000.

"The latest information we have is that there are 206 people confirmed dead, 202 injured, 220 missing, 17 neighbourhoods hit hard," Colombian Red Cross chief Cesar Uruena told AFP on Saturday.

President Juan Manuel Santos visited Mocoa, the capital of Putumayo department, yesterday to supervise rescue efforts in the heavily forested region.

He declared a public health and safety emergency to speed up rescue and aid operations. He also expressed his condolences to victims' families.

Putumayo Governor Sorrel Aroca called the development "an unprecedented tragedy" for the area.

There are "hundreds of families we have not yet found and whole neighbourhoods have disappeared," he told W Radio.

Carlos Ivan Marquez, director of the National Disaster Risk Management Unit, told AFP the mudslides were caused by the rise of the Mocoa River and tributaries.

The rivers flooded causing a "big avalanche," the army said in a statement.

Some 130 millimeters of rain fell Friday night, Santos said. "That means 30 per cent of monthly rainfall fell on last night, which precipitated a sudden rise of several rivers," he said.

He promised earlier on Twitter to "guarantee assistance to the victims of this tragedy, which has Colombians in mourning."

"Our prayers are with the victims and those affected," he added.

The authorities activated a crisis group including local officials, military personnel, police and rescuers to search for missing people and begin removing mountains of debris, Marquez said.

A thousand emergency personnel were helping the rescue effort. Mocoa was left without power or running water; there were reports of some looting in efforts to get water. 

Britain's nuclear stations, airports on terror alert

Britain's nuclear power stations and airports have been instructed to "remain resilient" against potential terrorist attacks, amid fears that their systems may be targeted by hackers, according to a media report.

Security services have issued a series of alerts in the past 24 hours, warning that terrorists may have developed ways of bypassing safety checks, The Sunday Telegraph reported.

Intelligence agencies believe ISIS and other terrorist groups may have developed methods of planting explosives in mobile phones and laptops that can evade airport security screening methods.

It was this intelligence which is understood to have led the US and the UK to ban travellers from a number of countries carrying laptops and large electronic devices on board.

Now there are concerns that terrorists will use the techniques to bypass screening devices at European and US airports, the paper said.

There were also fears that computer hackers were trying to bypass nuclear power station security measures, it said.

Security services fear that some will nonetheless try to exploit "vulnerabilities" in the nuclear industry?s internet defences.

Energy minister Jesse Norman said the government was "fully committed to defending the UK against cyber threats, with a ?1.9 billion investment designed to transform this country?s cyber security."

But the threat of attack on Britain's 15 operational reactors, which account for nearly a fifth of the country?s electricity, from terrorists, foreign spies and "hacktivists" remains high.

Norman said the civil nuclear strategy published in February sets out ways to ensure that the civil nuclear sector "can defend against, recover from, and remain resilient to evolving cyber threats."

Professor Malcolm Chalmers, deputy director-general of the Royal United Services Institute, an independent think tank for defence and security, said that it was crucial for the Government to "respond rapidly".

"The potential threats are wide-ranging and are coming from government and non-government sources," the paper quoted him as saying.

"Crucially there has to be clear co-operation with the private sector to tackle this, especially as airports are usually in private hands," he added.

How Many People Can Fit Into a Mini Cooper at Once?(7 pics)

Gymnasts set unusual World record by cramming 28 women inside a mini cooper. 

How Salt Both Causes and Eases Puffy Eyes

You have, no doubt, heard enough about how salt plays villain with our health in multiple ways. Just to recap, the sodium in salt is the real culprit, causing water retention that bloats the kidneys, puts an extra strain on your arteries, and makes you look older than you are. 

Let’s look in detail at how a high salt intake affects your eyes:

Your body removes unwanted fluid by filtering blood through the kidneys. Any extra fluid is sent on its way to the bladder, for removal as urine. The process involved here is osmosis, by which extra water is drawn out of your blood. For osmosis to work well, blood must have a delicate balance of sodium and potassium. 

Eating more salt than recommended increases the amount of sodium in the blood, disturbing the mineral balance. This hampers the kidneys from doing their job well. 

Over time, the unfiltered extra fluid and toxins build up and start pooling in the body. This can manifest as swelling, most typically around the ankles and under the eyes.

A typical sign of sodium-triggered puffiness is that eyes look swollen if you have been lying down for a bit. 

And now, the surprising part! Salt can be a hero when it comes to reducing that puffiness. But don’t reach for the bag of chips just yet — reap sodium’s eye-soothing benefits by applying it on the outside.

This home remedy ranks right up there with cucumber slices and tea bags for soothing puffy eyes:

Mix 1/2 teaspoon salt into a cup of warm water.
Dip cotton balls or facial pads into the solution, then lie down and apply pads to the eyelids.
Rest in this position for at least ten minutes while keeping the pads in place.

When you rise, your eyes will feel fresh and swelling-free.  The sodium in salt leaches out the extra fluid from under the eyes, and constricts blood vessels. 

But no matter what external solutions you may try to soothe the puffiness, remember these are only temporary measures. To keep eyes fresh and healthy, reduce your salt intake, try to get adequate sleep and drink plenty of water to keep the kidneys healthy.  

5 Ways Your Cell Phone Use Is Harming Your Health

We love cell phones, and they certainly come in handy: They help with scheduling and research, give us access to maps, and enable us to make emergency calls. But, helpful as they may be, there are also some unhealthy side effects that come with cell phone use. Withdrawal, neck and eye stress, and germs are just a handful — read on to discover 5 health problems your cell phone could be causing. 

1. NECK PAIN

It’s common to see people walking around with cell phones and texting at the table. Whether we use our phones for SnapChat or reading, our lives are increasingly mobile — and that means that we are constantly looking down, which puts a lot of stress on our necks. A study, published in the journal Surgical Technology International, found that looking down at a cell phone is the equivalent to placing a 60-pound weight on one’s neck. To help put it into perspective, a medium-sized dog and a small child both weigh about 60 pounds. Putting that amount of stress on your neck is bound to cause trouble.

Aches and pains in your neck and shoulders are just the beginning. Unless you train yourself to stare straight into your screen, you are continually stressing your spine. “These stresses,” study author Kenneth Hansraj MD writes, “may lead to early wear, tear, degeneration, and possibly surgeries.” Similar to sitting up straight while you’re on your computer, work on keeping your head in a neutral position while you’re looking at your phone. It’ll keep your neck in alignment and eliminate most of the stress on your neck. 

2. VISION

Blue lights may sound pretty, but the reality isn’t as charming. Although blue light is part of the natural light spectrum, exposure to it at night — which is emitted at high levels by smartphones, tablets, laptops, and other LED screens — can be damaging your vision.

Direct, close exposure to blue light has been shown to cause retina damage, according to research in theBritish Journal of Ophthalmology. A connection has also been found between blue light and cataracts. “Computer Vision Syndrome” is a common side effect of cell phone use (complaints include eye soreness, dizziness, blurry vision, headaches, and muscle strain), partly because when we’re looking at a phone screen, we blink half as often as we normally would.

Limiting cell phone use at night, taking breaks from your screen every 20 minutes, making a conscious effort to blink more, and increasing the font size can all help to alleviate symptoms. 

3. GERMS

If you own a smart phone, chances are you take it everywhere. Cell phones move from the kitchen to work to public restrooms, and possibly even to bed. They’re also in constant contact with our hands, faces, and ears. The Wall Street Journal decided to conduct their own study on this matter and found that cell phones can contain just as many germs as a public restroom toilet.

Even though the heat coming from phones seems minimal, bacteria love it. Germs that cause conditions like pink eye, diarrhea, and the flu can all be found on phones. When you’re washing your hands, don’t forget to show your cell phone a little love. Cleaning your cell phone with an alcohol-based cleanser is your best bet — just make sure it’s safe for screens. 

4. ADDICTION/WITHDRAWAL

Do you wake up and check your phone? Is it the last thing you do before you do to bed? Cell phone addiction sounds like a joke, but it’s likely that you are either heading in that direction or are already addicted.

Dr. David Greenfield, the director of the Center for Internet and Technology Addiction, says around 90% of Americans fall in the category of overusing, abusing, or misusing their devices, according to a nationwide survey he conducted with 1,000 people in conjunction with AT&T.

Here are four easy rules to keep your cell habit on a healthy level:

1. No phones in the bathroom
2. Don’t text and drive
3. Turn your phone off (not vibrate) during social activities
4. Try leaving your phone at home 

5. RADIATION

While there’s no need to go out and build a bunker or toss your phones (yet), the World Health Organizationhas reported that radiation levels emitted from cell phones to be “possibly carcinogenic.” As far as posing a health risk, phone radiation would fall in the same category as DDT and car exhaust.

Although the phone industry does have regulations in place to control radiation output from phones, conditions like genetic damage, brain dysfunction, brain tumors, disorders, and headaches have all been linked to cell radiation.

The best thing you can do is to put your phone down. There’s no need to keep your cell on you 24/7. Creating some digital distance will keep you healthier in the long run.

7 Morning Habits Of Healthy & Happy People

Do you consider yourself a morning person? Studies suggest morning people tend to be happier and even healthier. But you don't have to be morning person to develop simple habits that can help you have a more balanced and productive day.

Waking up can be difficult if you don't have something to look forward to. If you find yourself feeling stuck in life, it could be as simple as shifting and switching up some of your morning routines.

Here are seven habits practiced by the healthiest and happiest people.

1. They speak kindly to themselves

Instead of waking up and thinking negative thoughts about how much they ate the night before or how they failed to meet a goal, or how frustrated they are that they aren't where they think they should be in life, they simply celebrate where they are with kind and compassionate thoughts.

2. They listen to their bodies

The happiest and healthiest people I know don't have a strict morning routine, but instead listen to their bodies and let them guide them. Some mornings their bodies may say, "Today, it will feel good to work out early and drink fresh green juice." While other mornings it may say, "Push snooze one more time." Instead of feeling guilty for their choices or thinking their morning has to look a certain way, they trust themselves and let their bodies' needs lead them.

3. They focus on what they want instead of what they don't want.

Happy people focus on what they want by picturing it in their head and taking steps to achieve it. Instead of wasting precious energy on what isn't working or what they don't want, they commit to a better future by imagining what they want.

4. They leave yesterday in the past.

Most people wake up and start to run through a list of the mistakes, mishaps or problems from the day before. This prevents you from fully moving forward into a positive day. Instead, go to bed each night and say to yourself, "For today, I did the best I could and it is enough. Tomorrow, I will do it again." Then when you wake, you will feel more grounded and balanced to start fresh again.

5. They align with their purpose and higher power.

Connected to a higher power daily. Whether it's a solid gratitude practice, prayer, meditation, journal writing or focused intent, they connect by giving thanks and aligning with love. Sometimes a higher power is a sense of community orgroup of people with similar interests.

6. They ask themselves key questions.

Starting your day with focused intent will help you be more productive and feel accomplished. Steve Jobs said, "For the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today? And whenever the answer has been no for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something." Being strategic with your day will help you live a more fulfilled life.

7. They do what they want to do, not what they have to do.

Healthy and happy people know the most important thing is how they feel, so naturally they don't do anything that makes them feel uncomfortable, nor do they force anything. If things aren't flowing, they go in a new direction. They allow themselves to be who they are and trust the rhymes of their own life, free of society's pressure and standards. True happiness can only come when we let ourselves do what feels right for us. Trusting yourself is the best way to reach lasting fulfillment.