An agile thief nicknamed “Spiderman,” an antiques dealer and an art expert were sentenced to prison Monday and ordered to pay Paris for stealing five masterpieces from the city’s Modern Art Museum worth 104 million euros ($110 million.) The paintings — by Picasso, Matisse, Modigliani, Braque and Fernand Leger — have not been seen since the dramatic 2010 heist. The Paris court convicted “Spiderman” Vjeran Tomic of stealing the paintings and sentenced him to eight years in prison. Jean-Michel Corvez, the antiques dealer who orchestrated the theft, was sentenced to …

The Associated Press and two other news organizations asked a judge Monday to force the federal government to reveal how much it paid for a tool to unlock an iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino, California, shooters. The news organizations said in a court filing there was “no adequate justification” for the FBI to continue to withhold information on the cost of the tool or the identity of the vendor that sold it. They said their requests were narrowly tailored and, contrary to the arguments of the FBI …

Greece will need less in emergency loans from international lenders than originally agreed in its third bailout program due to a better-than-expected budgetary developments, the head of the eurozone bailout fund was reported on Monday as saying. Klaus Regling told German newspaper Bild that at the end of Greece’s money-for-reforms package in August 2018, the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) will “probably have paid out far less than the agreed maximum amount of 86 billion euros” because the Greek budget was developing better than expected. The comments came shortly before eurozone …

Chinese tech giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd has formed a strategic partnership with retail conglomerate Bailian Group, extending a push into bricks-and-mortar retail as online growth slows. The move comes on the heels of a recent purchase of a stake in retailer Suning Commerce Group Co Ltd as well as plans to take a controlling stake in Intime Retail Group Co Ltd and privatize it. There are currently no plans for financial investment, an Alibaba spokesman said. Shanghai-based Bailian Group is one of China’s largest retailers by sales, operating 4,700 …

SpaceX has successfully launched its unmanned Falcon 9 cargo rocket from the Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The cargo rocket is taking food and other provisions to astronauts on the International Space Station. It is the 10th of 20 cargo missions contracted out to SpaceX by NASA. WATCH: SpaceX Dragon Rocket Launch This is SpaceX’s first successful launch in Florida since one of the company’s rockets exploded there in September 2016. The launch pad was last used for NASA’s final space shuttle mission nearly six years …

The International Monetary Fund said Sunday that it and other partners have agreed on terms for a more than $5 billion loan package to the Mongolian government to help get the north Asian country’s economy back on track.    The deal is subject to approval by the IMF’s executive board, which is expected to consider Mongolia’s request in March.   According to the terms agreed by the Mongolian government and IMF envoys, the IMF would provide $440 million over three years. The Asian Development Bank, World Bank, Japan and South …

A paranoid dictator’s estranged brother. Two young female assassins. A crowded international airport. And a mysterious poison that kills within hours.    It’s the perfect recipe for a thrilling cloak-and-dagger spy novel. Except some, or possibly even all, of this tale could be true in the apparent assassination of Kim Jong Nam, the older half brother of reclusive North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. And just like similar intriguing cases from the past, the public is hanging on every detail because there’s just something about murder by poison that captivates.  …

During the most recent New York Fashion Week, several designers took the opportunity to make political statements with their clothing. Others, like Indonesian designer Anniesa Hasibuan, found that remaining true to her roots was a statement in and of itself. Tina Trinh reports from New York. … From: MeNeedIt

Twenty years ago Japanese carmaker Toyota unveiled the first version of its hybrid gas-electric car called Prius. By the beginning of 2017, counting all subsequent models, Prius became the best-selling hybrid car in the world with close to 4 million sold. Its latest model, with a battery-charging solar roof, was just unveiled in Japan. VOA’s George Putic reports. … From: MeNeedIt

Dry Tortugas is a chain of small islands about 113 kilometers (70 miles) west of Key West, Florida, in the Gulf of Mexico. To get there, national parks traveler Mikah Meyer took a sea plane from the southernmost city in the continental United States. Dry Tortugas National Park Part of the National Park Service, the 259 square-kilometer (100 square-mile) park is mostly open water with seven small islands, home to beautiful coral reefs, a vast assortment of bird and marine life, and a magnificent 19th-century fort. Watch video report: Mikah, …

SpaceX halted the planned launch Saturday of its unmanned Falcon 9 cargo rocket with just 13 seconds left on the countdown clock because of a technical issue. The company said on Twitter it was “standing down to take a closer look at positioning of the second stage engine nozzle.” The earliest time SpaceX can reschedule the launch is about 9:30 a.m. EST Sunday, the company said. The weather expected in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Sunday would be favorable for the launch. A spokesman for SpaceX told AFP that engineers found …

A career of heading a soccer ball may raise the risk of dementia, according to a small new study. Six longtime soccer players who died with dementia were found to have brain injuries from repetitive trauma. The injuries are the same kind found in American football players, boxers and soldiers hit by explosions. They include a condition known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, which is linked to declining mental function and mood disorders. WATCH: Soccer May Pose Risk of Repetitive Brain Injury While concussions are relatively rare in soccer …

In a Mexican cave system so beautiful and hot that it is called both a fairyland and hell, scientists have discovered life trapped in crystals that could be 50,000 years old.   The bizarre and ancient microbes were found dormant in caves in Naica, Mexico, and were able to exist by living on minerals such as iron and manganese, said Penelope Boston, head of NASA’s Astrobiology Institute.   “It’s super life,” said Boston, who presented the discovery Friday at the American Association for the Advancement of Science conference in Boston. …

On her website, former acrobat Silke Pan has a quote that says: “You are stronger than you ever expected!” She’s had to be. After working as a professional acrobat for years, she was sidelined in 2007 when a fall left her unable to use her legs. Now she is walking again, thanks to a new modular lightweight exoskeleton. VOA’s Kevin Enochs reports. … From: MeNeedIt

President Donald Trump says the U.S. military might buy Boeing fighter planes rather than those of rival Lockheed, which he has called overpriced. As VOA’s Jim Randle reports, the president spoke Friday at a Boeing factory in South Carolina as the company showed off the newest version of its 787 commercial jetliner. … From: MeNeedIt

Most experts agree that we are past the dawn of robotic age, and one of the countries strongly pushing to the forefront is China. As the cost of human labor in China is rising, factories are increasingly replacing production line workers with robots. VOA’s George Putic reports. … From: MeNeedIt

Sea ice normally melts in the summer in the Arctic and Antarctic, and recovers in both poles in their respective winters. But not this year. The World Meteorological Organization reports that sea ice extent in the Arctic and Antarctic was the lowest for the month of January since satellite records began 38 years ago. David Carlson, World Climate Research Program director, calls temperatures in the Arctic “extraordinary.” “It looks like the Northern Hemisphere circulation has changed such that it allows warm air to penetrate deep into the Arctic,” he said. …

This is the Top Five Countdown! We’re rewarding the five most popular songs in the Billboard Hot 100 Pop Singles chart, for the week ending February 18, 2017. Welcome to our post-Grammy countdown, which sees “nearly” all the artists participating in the big weekend.   Number 5: The Chainsmokers Featuring Halsey “Closer” The Chainsmokers and Halsey weaken two slots, as their former 12-week champ “Closer” falls to number five.  Grammy night proved turbulent for the duo: on the positive side, they won the Best Dance Recording trophy for “Don’t Let …

Tanzania’s government has stopped 40 privately run health centers from providing AIDS-related services, accusing them of catering to homosexuals in a country where gay sex is criminalized.   It is the latest move by this East African country to crack down on the activities of homosexuals.    The government believes that nongovernmental organizations are using some health centers to promote gay sex, Health Minister Ummy Mwalimu said Thursday while announcing the restrictions.    In Tanzania, gay sex is punishable by up to 30 years in prison. Around two-thirds of African …

Iran sits on what are thought to be the world’s largest gas reserves, yet can barely supply its own domestic demand. Since the United Nations-backed deal over Tehran’s nuclear program spurred the lifting of international sanctions, the country has strived to attract foreign investment in developing oil fields and upgrading its aging infrastructure.  The Ministry of Petroleum helped to convene the CWC Iran Gas Conference this week in Frankfurt, Germany, to bring together government figures and private investors. Watch: Energy Giants Say Iran Needs $100 Billion for Gas Upgrade Industry …

Iran sits on what are thought to be the world’s largest gas reserves, yet can barely supply its own domestic demand. Since the nuclear deal lifted sanctions, the country has sought foreign investment in exploration and infrastructure. But will the hawkish stance of U.S. President Donald Trump put them off? Henry Ridgwell reports from the CWC Iran Gas Conference in Frankfurt, Germany. … From: MeNeedIt

Immigrants in the United States have had a bad rap through a divisive presidential election. Now, with a new administration in the White House, there seems to be real consequences, ranging from travel bans to deportations. But immigrants are fighting back, and on Thursday in Washington, some businesses gladly suffered the loss of a day without their workforce. Arash Arabasadi explains. … From: MeNeedIt

Danish toymaker Lego is building a playhouse in its hometown designed to look like 21 giant versions of its bricks stacked on top of each other, the company said on Thursday. The Lego House is due to open in September near the company’s headquarters in Billund, Denmark. “Lego House will be the only one of its kind in the world and it will remain so, because Billund is the home of Lego and this is where we will always be,” its general manager, Jesper Vilstrup, told Reuters. The 12,000-square-meter (130,000-square-feet) …

Keith Urban’s boundary-pushing album “Ripcord” has spawned several top country singles and led him to pick up seven nominations including entertainer of the year and album of the year at this year’s Academy of Country Music Awards. Lady Antebellum announced the nominations Thursday on “CBS This Morning” for the awards show, which will be held April in Las Vegas and aired live on CBS. Urban is also nominated for male vocalist of the year, single record of the year and song of the year. Six-time nominee Miranda Lambert could make …

The political climate in the United States is stressing out Americans, according to a new study. Researchers from the American Psychological Association found that 57 percent of Americans say the “current political climate is a very or somewhat significant source of stress,” according to a poll done in January. Nearly half of Americans, 49 percent, say the outcome of the 2016 presidential election was also a source of stress, but there were differences depending on which party those polled belonged to. For Democrats, 72 percent said the outcome was stressful, …

WATCH: People in America: Meet Tuhin Das — Poet, Activist and Writer in Exile … From: MeNeedIt