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Samsung announces the Galaxy S9 — here's what's new

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galaxy s9 and s9 plus camera

Samsung announced the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ on Sunday at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) event in Barcelona.

Whether you're a Galaxy S8 owner or you've been keeping up with the S9 rumors, little about Samsung's new smartphone is new. The Galaxy S9 retains the overall design of the Galaxy S8, but Samsung listened to criticisms about the placement of fingerprint sensor and adjusted its location, which should make it easier to unlock the phone with your fingerprint.

The biggest advancement in the Galaxy S9 is the camera. Samsung said the new camera could outperform its own Galaxy S8, which was one of the best smartphone cameras you could buy. With some improved camera tech, the Galaxy S9's camera has the potential to take on the Google Pixel 2 as the best smartphone camera.

And for the first time in a Galaxy S phone, the cameras on both new models are not equal. Samsung gave the S9+ a dual-lens camera system while the regular S9 has a single lens system.

Check out the new Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ from Samsung:

SEE ALSO: Here's how the 'unlimited' plans from Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile compare

There are two new Galaxy smartphones, the Galaxy S9 and the Galaxy S9+

Much like the Galaxy S8, the Galaxy S9 has a 5.8-inch quadHD AMOLED display with a tall 18:9 aspect ratio, which is now pretty standard among the top flagship smartphones. 

The Galaxy S9+ has a 6.2-inch quadHD AMOLED display, also with a 18:9 aspect ratio.



The overall design of the Galaxy S9 hasn't changed much since the Galaxy S8.



The Galaxy S9 will be hard to beat in low-light photography.

Samsung boasts that the Galaxy S9 will have a dual-aperture camera that will help with low-light camera performance. It'll also perform better in well-lit settings. Both new devices have a wide f/1.5 aperture that allows more light to hit the sensor than smartphones with narrower apertures. We're unaware of a smartphone with a wider aperture. 

If the Galaxy S9 only had a wide f/1.5 aperture, it could potentially allow too much light for brighter settings, and photos could come out overly exposed and void of detail. As part of the dual-aperture system, the Galaxy S9 camera aperture can narrow down to f/2.4 for brighter settings. 

You can adjust the aperture width in the Galaxy S9's camera app in pro mode, too. 



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Two exes created a museum exhibition with random objects people saved from former loves, from a stolen toaster to a wedding dress in a jar

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museum of broken relationships founders

  • The Museum of Broken Relationships features random objects people saved from former loves, like a stiletto heel and a piece of belly-button lint.
  • It's permanently located in Zagreb, Croatia, and also travels to cities around the world.
  • The museum was founded by two exes who were struggling to divide their possessions after they broke up.


The Museum of Broken Relationships is designed to make you cry, laugh, scratch your head, gasp in outrage — essentially to feel all the feels.

Headquartered in Zagreb, Croatia, the museum is also a traveling exhibition that has popped up everywhere from New York City, to Tokyo, to Paris.

As novelist and essayist Leslie Jamison reported in the Virginia Quarterly Review, the museum was founded by Olinka Vištica and Dražen Grubišić, who ended their romantic relationship with each other in 2003.

Flummoxed over how to divide their belongings, they wondered what it would be like to create an exhibit featuring items from breakups like theirs. The first version of that exhibition came to fruition three years later.

Today, the traveling exhibition continues to attract a steady stream of visitors, many of whom have shared snapshots of the items they saw — from the humorous (a stolen toaster) to the tragic (a juvenile court summons). Below, we've collected some of the most moving images from Instagram.

SEE ALSO: Ashton Kutcher says he went into the mountains and fasted for a week after splitting with Demi Moore — and it's an odd but potentially effective way to get over a breakup

"I hate throwing perfectly functional items in landfills but would hate to see someone walking around in my once beautiful but now sadness infused dress."

Instagram Embed:
http://instagram.com/p/BchcojrDAfl/embed/
Width: 658px

 



"A memento of my grandmother's great love, Karlo, who drowned in a river in 1920."

Instagram Embed:
http://instagram.com/p/4jwe7jtagG/embed/
Width: 658px

 



"One day, as a gift, he gave me a phone with wires hanging from it. He had ripped it off of a payphone in Echo Park the night before. I was not there."

Instagram Embed:
http://instagram.com/p/BEaGQl9niKw/embed/
Width: 658px

 



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UPDATED: An anti-NRA movement is calling for the boycott of these 15 companies

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gun control rally

  • A mass shooting that killed 17 people at a Florida high school has spurred a growing number of calls for companies to cut ties with the National Rifle Association (NRA).
  • A number of retailers still offer perks to NRA members. 
  • These discounts help retain NRA members, according to Boycott NRA Partners.

On February 14, gunman Nikolas Cruz allegedly killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. The shooting swiftly reinvigorated a national debate on gun control, with the teenage survivors leading the charge on demands for reform.

Some of the backlash has centered on the National Rifle Association (NRA), an organization that promotes gun rights in the United States. As multiple news outlets havenoted, the NRA has become a strong political force, due largely to its political donations and millions of members.

One big way that the NRA retains its members is through discounts on everything from car insurance to hotel rooms. Dozens of American companies have partnered with the NRA to offer special perks to members. On the NRA membership benefits page, it stresses the "access to hundreds of dollars in savings" as a reason to join the organization.

As of this writing, the hashtag #BoycottNRA has garnered more than 2.1 million impressions. 

Several companies have decided to stop offering discounts to NRA members after the Florida shooting. They include Enterprise Rent-A-Car, National, Alamo, Hertz, and Avis Budget Group.

An activist group, which simply calls itself "Boycott NRA Partners," has created a Google Doc that lists retailers that haven't cut ties with the NRA. Below are the ones that Business Insider could verify:

SEE ALSO: Photos show how Seattle’s favorite businesses vanished after Amazon showed up — and it could be an omen for the HQ2 city

American Cellars Wine Club (Vinesse Wines)

Vinesse did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.



eHealth

eHealth did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.



Emergency Assistance Plus (Worldwide Rescue & Security)

Emergency Assistance Plus did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.



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Shocking before and after photos of 15 NFL players who lost a ton of weight in retirement

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Brad Culpepper

Many former athletes struggle with weight gain after their playing careers end. This is especially true among football players.

Some players are luckier and actually lose a ton of weight. In many cases, the players are now nearly unrecognizable.

One common theme among many of these players is the position they played.

Most of the players on the following pages were offensive lineman, suggesting those players do more to push their body weight to an extreme, developing dangerous habits like consuming massive numbers of calories to maintain their playing sizes.

Brad Culpepper (No. 77) was a 275-pound defensive tackle for three different teams and retired after the 2000 season.

Source: @monicaculpepper



Here is Brad Culpepper with his wife on the show "Survivor." He says it was pretty easy to lose 80 pounds because he simply stopped eating all the extra food needed to maintain his playing weight.

Source: sptimes.com



Alan Faneca was a 320-pound offensive lineman for the Steelers, Jets, and Cardinals, and he last played in 2010.



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13 signs you're dealing with a psychopath, according to experts

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Psychopath Anton Chigurh No Country for Old Men

  • Robert Hare, author and professor at the University of British Columbia, outlines a number of signs that could indicate someone is a psychopath. 
  • Psychopaths face chronic boredom in all facets of their lives, tell lies with a motivation, and think they're superior to others. 
  • They are impulsive, irresponsible, and have bad tempers — but are also often very charming. 
  • It's important to remember that not everyone with these symptoms is a psychopath — psychopathy is a personality disorder exhibited by specific behavioral patterns and can only be diagnosed by a medical professional. 


In his leading book on psychopaths—
Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us—Robert Hare, emeritus professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia, says a conservative estimate of the number of psychopaths in the United States is 2 million.

While it’s easy to label an unpleasant coworker or an adulterous ex a psychopath, how can you tell the difference between someone truly psychopathic and someone who’s just a jerk?

Keep reading for key psychopath symptoms, but remember that a few signs does not a psychopath make. A proper diagnosis can only be given by a medical professional. “Anything else is speculation,” warns Robert Schug, PhD, a neurocriminologist and clinical psychologist specializing in the biology and psychology of the criminal mind. (Check out these nine things you should do if your boss is a psychopath!)

SEE ALSO: 7 tough lessons people often learn too late in life

1. Psychopaths get bored easily

A psychopath is not just under-stimulated because of an uneventful day at work or a weekend night stuck at home, but he or she faces chronic boredom across all facets of their lives. One common hypothesis is that psychopaths are hardwired to be more under-aroused than other people. “A psychopath’s nervous system is wired so they need to keep doing exciting things to feel normal and reach normal levels of arousal,” says Schug. According to psychologist Randall Salekin, PhD, this means that they’re also the ones in a group most likely to initiate fun-oriented activities, such as suggest post-work drinks.



2. Psychopaths are VERY charming

Perhaps one of the most disarming aspects of interacting with psychopaths is their ability to conceal their true selves in order to appear as likeable as possible. “He or she easily picks out topics that are important to us and reflects sympathetic points of view, sometimes complete with enthusiasm or ‘emotion’ to reinforce the spoken words,” say Paul Babiak and Robert Hare in their book, Snakes in Suits: When Psychopaths Go to Work.

This is not just directed at individuals, but can manifest in groups. Salekin says that they use their storytelling abilities to draw others to them, whether that’s at work or in jail. “They’re able to gather a crowd around them at the water cooler,” he says.

However, while a psychopath’s stories might be interesting, that doesn’t mean they’re true. (Take a look in the mirror because you don't want to  miss these 17 silent signs that you're the toxic one.)



3. Psychopaths lie a lot

Unlike pathological liars, who lie without motivation and sometimes without need, a psychopath’s lies are more goal-directed. They typically use conning and manipulation for their own gain. “It’s more about getting something from somebody else,” says Schug. “Tricking somebody out of their stuff or into an emotional connection.” This could be used to get a promotion at work, build a relationship, or control a romantic partner.



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We went to H&M's sister store and saw why it's become a secret weapon for the struggling company

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Cos 6619

  • Though H&M's business has been struggling, other H&M group brands have been doing well, according to the company's CEO, Karl-Johan Persson.
  • Cos, which launched in 2007, is focused on timeless, minimalist designs sold in a modern setting. Its success is helping to make up for H&M's disappointing 2017.
  • Its strategy differs from its sister brand H&M, which tries to follow trends and sells an abundance of styles in stores.
  • We went to a Downtown Manhattan Cos store to see what shopping there was like.

 

H&M may be struggling, but its more high-end sister brand, Cos, is thriving, according to the company. 

Short for Collection of Style, Cos is known for its high-quality, thoughtful, and timeless designs meant to "last beyond the season," according to its website. While the philosophy is similar to that of H&M in terms of creating relatively affordable fashion, the brand has previously stated that "Cos prices start where H&M's finish." 

Beyond a higher price point, where Cos differs from H&M is its focus on minimalist pieces that feel more high-end. The styles earned praise from the likes of Vogue and The New York Times when the store first landed in the US back in 2014. 

To see what Cos is all about and why it's a bright spot for H&M, we went to a Downtown Manhattan location. This is what we found:  

SEE ALSO: We visited an H&M store and saw everything that's wrong with the brand

We immediately noticed a difference between Cos and H&M. Everything in the Cos store seemed very well-organized — similar clothes were paired together, with shoes and accessories that may match put in the same section.



Pairing up similar color schemes with matching accessories made it feel easy to shop there at first ...



... but we soon noticed the formal and casual clothes were all mixed together, which made it harder to find certain styles. Though the website carries children's clothes, swimwear, and a very wide variety of styles, the in-store selection felt more limited.



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Adidas Ultra Boost vs Nike Air VaporMax: How 2 of the most popular running shoes stack up

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The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

ultra boost vs vapormax

In recent years, sneaker trends have shifted away from performance basketball and retro shoes to more modern runners. Some people choose to wear running shoes strictly for fashion, while others use them for actual sport. Whether you're the former or the latter, there's no question that athletic brands are aiming to reach both types of buyers and are all in direct competition for the number one spot.

As two of the world's biggest sportswear retailers, Adidas and Nike are the top contenders and their best running sneakers have been subject much comparison — the Adidas Ultra Boost and Nike Air VaporMax.

To save you from shelling out close to $400 on both pairs of sneakers, I did exactly that for the sake of comparing the two. In short, you can't go wrong with either pair, but I've compared the specifics to better point you to the sneaker that's right for you.

Shop Adidas Ultra Boost sneakers here, $180

Shop Nike Air VaporMax sneakers here, $190

Learn more about both sneakers below:

Overview: The basics of each sneaker

Both characterized by their lightweight knit materials, innovative cushioning systems, and overall comfort, the Ultra Boost and VaporMax are often thought of as similar shoes, but in many ways, are very different from one another.

The Adidas Ultra Boost debuted in 2015 as an entirely new running silhouette that used then two-year-old Boost technology in the midsole. The design was complemented by a Primeknit upper and a plastic cage lacing system. 

On the other hand, the Nike Air VaporMax launched in March 2017 in celebration of Air Max technology's 30th anniversary. While Air technology itself isn't new, the brand's innovative take on the design resulted in the most Air in any Nike sneaker ever. Using a design intended to strip away all unnecessary elements of a shoe, the VaporMax doesn't have a midsole. Its Flyknit upper sits right on top of large sectional Air units that make up the outsole. 



Knit uppers: Adidas Primeknit vs. Nike Flyknit

The Ultra Boost and VaporMax both use knit materials from their respective brands that are designed to be lightweight, breathable and form fitting. Both can be described as a sock-like fit, but the Nike Air VaporMax is more true to that description. Its seamless Flyknit upper is thinner, lighter in weight, and allows the foot to move as it would if you were wearing a sock. The Flywire lacing system used also lends to the super lightweight and free motion of the design. 

Primeknit is a bit thicker and features more padding, most noticeably around tongue, ankle collar, and heel. Its plastic cage lacing system doubles as the Three Stripes logo and provides added foot support. While this makes it slightly heavier than the VaporMax, it's beneficial for those looking for a locked-in feeling when running. 

As long as you're not concerned with the exact weight of your sneakers, both uppers are equally good for day-long comfort.



Cushioning: Boost vs. Air VaporMax

If you've owned Nikes in the last 30 years, there's a good chance you've experienced Air technology, but the VaporMax is completely different. While previous designs integrated Air units into the sole, the Air unit is the sole on the VaporMax. I found the VaporMax soles to be somewhat stiff at first, but once broken, in they had a bouncy feeling that kept my feet from becoming fatigued.

To make Boost technology, Adidas partnered with leading chemical company BASF to develop a solid granular material that’s essentially blown up and turned into thousands of small energy capsules. When put together to form the distinct Boost midsole, the capsules store and release more energy than any other design on the market. The way energy is stored and released in Boost makes for a soft, cushioned ride. I would describe it as walking on clouds and there's no break-in time needed.

I'm by no means a sprinter or a marathon runner, but the bounce provided by the VaporMax felt better for running faster, while the cloud-like cushioning of the Ultra Boosts felt better for running longer distances.



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How a modern-day James Bond went from uncovering political assassinations to penning the Trump dossier that's enraging Republicans

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GettyImages 918647230 (1)

  • President Donald Trump's first year in office has been plagued by parallel Russia investigations — one led by special counsel Robert Mueller and the other led by the House Intelligence Committee.
  • Behind both of these investigations stands British spy Christopher Steele, and the dossier he authored during the 2016 election about Trump's ties to Russia.
  • The elusive MI6 agent has a fascinating life, from his time uncovering political assassinations to his current role as a defining figure in the Russia probes.


The life of Christopher Steele reads like the script of an international spy thriller.

From the shores of Yemen to MI6 offices in Moscow and London, the British spy amassed an impressive career before he compiled the infamous yet seminal dossier about then-US presidential candidate Donald Trump's ties to Russia in 2016.

The elusive agent's credibility and expertise have come under increasing scrutiny over the last several months.

While the explosive claims about Trump's collusion with Russia that Steele makes in his dossier have yet to be independently corroborated, little by little, investigators are confirming bits and pieces of the document. Now, a second dossier has emerged that reportedly came to many of the same conclusions Steele did.

Although he has been maligned as a political operative who compiled the dossier for partisan gain, it is clear from his activities that over time, the dossier became a deeply personal matter for Steele. He saw its completion as a matter of national security for both his native United Kingdom and the United States.

Here's a look at how Steele became a vital intelligence source on both sides of the Atlantic — and a defining figure in the Russia investigation in the process:

SEE ALSO: Congress just declassified a letter that offers critical clues about the Steele dossier and the Nunes memo

DON'T MISS: Top Democrat offers a simple explanation that undercuts Republicans' central argument that the FBI acted illegally

Steele's story begins in an unlikely location — on a colonial army base in the port of Aden, Yemen, on the Arabian Sea, where he was born in 1964.

Source: The Guardian



Steele's father was a weather forecaster for the British military, which meant that he spent much of his childhood in far-flung locations around the world.

Source: The Guardian



In addition to Yemen, he spent time in Cyprus and in the Shetland Islands of Scotland, where he developed a passion for bird-watching.

Source: The Guardian



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The 40 highest-paying jobs you can get without a bachelor's degree

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real estate agent

Don't have the time or money to get a bachelor's degree?

Don't fret.

There are plenty of high-paying jobs that require only a two-year associate degree, postsecondary nondegree certificate, or even just a high-school diploma — and a few that don't require a formal educational credential at all.

According to the latest data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, these are the 40 highest-paying jobs that you don't need a four-year degree to pursue.

Each has a median annual salary of at least $60,000.

DON'T MISS: The 50 best jobs in America right now

SEE ALSO: The 20 best tech jobs in America in 2018

40. Boilermakers

They assemble, install, and repair boilers, closed vats, and other large vessels or containers that hold liquids and gases.

Median annual wage (2016): $62,060

Education required: High-school diploma or equivalent

Projected job openings (through 2026): 1,900

Work experience: None

On-the-job training: Apprenticeship



39. Electrical and electronics engineering technicians

They design, build, repair, calibrate, and modify electrical components, circuitry, controls, and machinery for subsequent evaluation and use by engineering staff.

Median annual wage (2016): $62,190

Education required: Associate's degree

Projected job openings (through 2026): 12,000

Work experience: None

On-the-job training: None



38. Computer network support specialists

They perform network maintenance to ensure networks operate correctly with minimal interruption.

Median annual wage (2016): $62,670

Education required: Associate's degree

Projected job openings (through 2026): 16,500

Work experience: None

On-the-job training: None



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30 cities around the world where expats earn more than $100,000 a year

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Mumbai

  • HSBC Expat released its annual Expat survey to find the cities with the highest expat income and the most job opportunities.  
  • There are cities from all over the world, including the US, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.
  • Mumbai, India is one of the best places to live abroad if you want to make more money — the average expat salary is $217,165.


Everyone has to leave home at some point. But rather than head across the country, some people head across the world in search of greener pastures.

Choosing where to go can be an overwhelming decision. HSBC Expat is making that decision a whole lot easier thanks to its annual survey of 25,000 expats around the world.

The survey, released Monday, reveals the best places to live in the world to earn the highest income as an expat. While U.S. cities like San Francisco and New York made the top ten, it seems the direction to move is east. Asian cities made up four of the top ten cities for expat incomes. 

We pulled out the top 30 cities for expat incomes, all of which are above the global average of $99,903. Have a look — you might find your new home.

SEE ALSO: 100 trips everyone should take in their lifetime, according to the world's top travel experts

30. Istanbul, Turkey

Mean Income for Expats: $100,577



29. Brussels, Belgium

Mean Income for Expats: $102,482



28. Vienna Austria

Mean Income for Expats: $103, 342



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27 cities around the world where expats say there are more than enough jobs to go around

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shanghai street

  • Data from the Expat Explorer survey reveals the best places for expats to work around the world.
  • Nearly 28,000 expats in 159 countries and territories were surveyed.
  • Below, we've listed the top 27 cities for expats to work, and how many people in each city said the job opportunities there were "fantastic."


If you're looking to move abroad, you'll definitely want to consider how easy it will be to get a job in your new home.

And while you could try asking a few friends and family members who have relocated, it's arguably more efficient to turn to survey data that addresses precisely that concern.

The Expat Explorer Survey, commissioned by HSBC Expat and conducted by YouGov, asked adults currently living away from their home country about the job opportunities in the cities where they live now.

In total, 27,587 expats from 159 countries and territories participated in the online questionnaire. A city had to have 90 expat respondents to be included in the analysis.

The global average for people who said there were fantastic job opportunities in their city was 25%.

Below, we've listed the top 27 cities for expats to work in 2018.

SEE ALSO: 27 cities around the world where expats are happy, rents are affordable, and jobs are plentiful

27. Geneva, Switzerland

How many expats say the city offers fantastic job opportunities: 15%



26. Moscow, Russia

How many expats say the city offers fantastic job opportunities: 15%



25. Shanghai, China

How many expats say the city offers fantastic job opportunities: 16%



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I'm gluten-free and survived on nothing but fast food for 5 days — here's what happened

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Chick-fil-A gluten free

I was diagnosed with a gluten intolerance six years ago and have been gluten-free ever since.

In that time, it has become easier and easier to find gluten-free foods, especially in New York City where I live. 

That is, unless we're talking about fast food. 

Even though an estimated2.7 million Americans follow a gluten-free diet, fast-food restaurants in the US haven't done much to appeal to this growing population of people who avoid foods like bread and pasta made with wheat.

In an effort to survey the gluten-free landscape, I set out on a mission to see if I could survive only on fast-food for five days. My most important rule was to only eat at fast-food chains and consume at least three meals a day. 

Here's how I did it:

First, I mapped out exactly what I could eat.



I kicked off day one with breakfast at McDonald's.

This was my first time eating breakfast at McDonald's so it was a momentous moment. My first hurdle was finding something filling that I could actually eat.

What I ate: Yogurt Parfait (without granola) and two bags of apple slices. 

Verdict: The yogurt was extremely sweet. I gave up halfway through and decided to move on to the apple slices, assuming that these would be a safe bet. I was wrong. The apples were peeled and had lost all their crunch. Overall, not a good start to the day.



By lunch I was starving, so I headed to Shake Shack for a burger.

Shack Shack is one of two fast-food chains that offers a gluten-free bun and prides itself on serving 100 percent Angus beef meat, free of hormones and antibiotics.

What I ate: Shake Shack's gluten-free bun with a burger patty.

The verdict: I was so insistent that my meal be gluten-free that I confused the server when ordering. I ended up with a very bland sandwich that didn't contain Shake Shack's typical burger toppings, like tomato and lettuce. While the bread was tasty, it felt dry, and the limp meat inside was a bit disappointing. But at least I was full. 

 



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15 health myths you need to stop believing

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sex and the city

  • With so much information on health out there, it's hard to know what you should believe and what you should ignore. 
  • Fad diets like "gluten-free" and "detoxes" can actually do more harm than good, so you should talk to your doctor before trying them. 
  • While exercise is great for your overall health, you have to focus on your diet if you want to lose weight. 

Do you believe in "base tans"? Have you sworn off bread forever? Are you logging endless miles on the treadmill? Read this. Now.

The more water you drink, the better.

Water may be the healthiest beverage (not to mention necessary to life) but you can definitely get too much of a good thing, says Neal Schultz, MD, NYC dermatologist, founder of DermTv.com and creator of BeautyRx. At best, overhydrating will have you peeing every 30 minutes and at worst it can kill you. There is a "right way" to drink enough water and it comes down to trusting yourself. Your body is great at knowing how much water it needs, so forget drinking eight cups a day or half your body weight in ounces or any other prescribed amount. "You should drink to your thirst, not to meet an arbitrary number," he advises. Be sure not to fall for any of these 55 rampant health myths that need to die.



Getting a base tan can prevent sunburns.

Even though skin cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in adults under 40, many people still hold the faulty belief that getting a "base tan" will protect them from sunburns and cancer, make them look youthful, or clear up acne. Not so, says Jennifer Caudle, MD, board-certified family physician and assistant professor at Rowan University. There is no such thing as a "little" tan and all tanning increases your risk of cancer. Nor will it help your skin, in fact, sun damage is the primary cause of wrinkles, she adds.



Juice diets or other "detoxes" work.

As long as you have a healthy liver and kidneys, your body can detoxify itself just fine, Apovian says. Moreover, trendy detox diets can harm you. "Drinking lots of juice does not assist with removing toxins from the body," says Dr. Caudle. "In fact, many juices are high in sugar and have no fiber, which results in a blood sugar spike, quickly followed by a crash and accompanying hunger pangs. Furthermore, being on a juice fast for an extended period of time may result in malnourishment."



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9 details you may have missed on 'The Walking Dead' mid-season premiere

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carl walking dead letter

Warning: There are massive spoilers ahead for "The Walking Dead" mid-season premiere, "Honor."

"The Walking Dead" returned Sunday with a huge death to one of the show's original characters and another you may not have seen coming. 

While fans aren't sure what to make of the show's biggest departure from the comics, there still may be some questions you have after the extended episode. Keep reading to see all of the references to previous seasons and the comics you may have missed.

At the start of the episode we see a teary-eyed Rick say a familiar line we've heard before.

"My mercy prevailed over my wrath," Rick says.



The line was said by Siddiq in the season eight premiere.

You can rewatch the scene again here in case you missed it in October's season premiere.

We now know the significance of that line has to do with Carl's final wish for his father to stop the war and to make peace with the Saviors.

It's significant that Rick's reciting a line said by Siddiq. Carl's new friend may help guide Rick in making some difficult decisions moving forward.

You may also remember there was a sign at the entrance to Alexandria which read, "Mercy for the lost, vengeance for the plunderers."



A flashback shows exactly when Carl was bit. But you still may be fuzzy on when it happened.

After surviving everything else, it was a bite to the side from a walker that wound up getting Carl in the end. Fans weren't happy about that.

If you thought the moment above didn't look familiar, you can definitely go back and find it earlier in the season.



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Hands-on: Samsung's new flagship Galaxy phone feels a lot like the old one (SSNLF)

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MWFinal

Samsung has officially unveiled its newest flagship smartphones, the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+.

Business Insider attended the company's press conference in Barcelona, and got some time to spend hands-on with both devices.

The S9 and S9+ will go on sale March 16, but customers will be able to pre-order it this Friday (March 2).

Here are the key takeaways you should know about if you are considering buying either phone:

The design has remained virtually unchanged.

The first thing that's immediately noticeable upon picking up a Galaxy S9 or Galaxy S9+ is just how similar they are to their predecessors.

The same 5.8- and 6.2-inch displays (for the S9 and S9+ respectively) dominate the devices' front; an aluminum strip goes around the edges, and a glass back shimmers.

If you didn't notice the different positioning of the fingerprint sensor — which now comfortably sits below the camera, and not next to it — or stumbled upon one of the new colours, like the "Lilac Purple," you would really have a hard time telling a Galaxy S9 and its predecessor apart.

Samsung's new phone seems a lot like the "s" versions of the iPhones in years past — but that's not to say that the design has any noticeable flaws. The in-hands feel certainly remains solid.



There are some important upgrades, but many of the specs are similar too.

The similarities between the two pairs of phones — if you compare the S8 and S8+ to the S9 and S9+ respectively — don't end there, however.

Those "infinite display" panels are still QuadHD, the screen resolution first introduced with 2015's Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge, and while they still look as good as ever, they fail to impress anymore.

This is not a call for 4K displays on sub-7" displays, but a QuadHD display alone struggles to add anything that previous smartphones didn't have, and therefore the very first impression can't be "wow."

Samsung, in particular, has consistently had some of the very best panels on the market, so the slight improvements in brightness and colour accuracy of the S9's get lost in the bulk of upgrades the Galaxy S8 already brought last year.

The S9 also retains the 3000mAh battery its predecessor had (3500mAh for the S8+/S9+), 64GB of storage, and 4GB of RAM for the base model — the S9+ has 6GB, but the differences in performance were unnoticeable in the brief stress test I made.

The most notable S9 and S9+ upgrades are in the processor, which is now the Snapdragon 845, the Note 8's iris scanner, which can be used for face unlocking, and a new pair of stereo speakers, tuned by AKG.

Overall, however, much of last year's Galaxy S8 has made its way to this year's device, which is a slight refinement and not a rethinking of the Galaxy S brand.



There are some important spec differences between the two models.

Perhaps the biggest difference is not between the old and the new models, but between their respective gaps.

The Galaxy S8 and S8+ were almost identical last year, whereas 2018's Galaxy S9 and S9+ differ from each other more significantly.

(This might also translate in a larger price difference, but Samsung has not shared final details on pricing yet.)

There are four distinctions: Screen, battery, RAM, and camera.

The screen is 0.4 inches larger or the S9+, which is a nice real estate bump considering that the difference in size is negligible, at least in hands.

I use an iPhone X as my daily driver, which is a 5.8-inch device, and I still felt that the slightly larger S9+ got more value out of its added size than its smaller sibling.

The battery, on the other hand, is a full 500mAh larger (3000 vs 3500), which could translate in a solid battery life difference; and the extra 2GB of RAM, too, might come in handy as apps get bigger and the device's battery wears off over time.

But the major difference is still the secondary 12MP telephoto camera, which is only present on the larger S9+.

The dual-lens system is borrowed from last year's Galaxy Note 8, and Samsung again uses it to offer 2x zoom photos without quality loss and some bokeh effects to enhance portrait mode pictures.



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50 places in the US where retirement is affordable, health care is excellent, and life is good

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phoenix arizona

  • Retirement is something to think about years before you get there — especially where you live.
  • Choosing the best place to retire in the US means weighing affordability, quality of life, activities, and health care.
  • WalletHub ranked the best US cities to live during retirement.
  • Many of the top cities are in Florida, Arizona, and other states with warm weather. 

 

Deciding where to live in retirement may be one of the last major financial decisions you'll make, and picking the right spot is important.

WalletHub set out to put worried minds at ease. The site used available data for the 150 largest cities — not metropolitan areas — to find the best and worst places to lay your hat. We already looked at the worst US cities for retirement, so let's take a look at the opposite: the best American urban areas to live in your post-working life.

How people spend time when they don't have to go to the office every after work tends to be a little different. Everyone dreams of hours full of painting and golf, but there are more practical considerations to keep in mind, too, like the accessibility of doctors and care. Along with the perhaps more obvious considerations — sun, museums, tennis courts — reliable health care and affordable housing are important benchmarks when determining where to live.

The cities below offer a great quality of life, good health care, and plentiful activities all for an affordable cost.

Taking that into account, WalletHub scored each city on its list based on affordability, activities, quality of life, and health care. The four categories were weighted equally, and each city was given a total score and then ranked, with the highest overall score designating the best city. WalletHub used data for the city only, not the surrounding metro area.

Florida is the best state for retirement, so it is no surprise that several Sunshine State cities find their way onto this list. The three cities that top the list of best places for retirement are all in Florida.

Other warm weather locations in Arizona and Nevada are also well represented. The five cities with the highest percentage of senior citizens fall in Arizona, Florida, and Hawaii, according to WalletHub.

Keep reading to see the best places to retire in the US, according to WalletHub. We've included the total score for each city, out of a possible 100, with a higher score denoting a better place to live. The rankings out of the 150 cities for each of the four categories is also included, with lower rankings being better for a city.

SEE ALSO: Here's the salary of every governor in the United States

DON'T MISS: These 7 cities have the worst traffic in the world

50. Chandler, Arizona

Total score: 50.07 (out of 100)

Rankings out of 150:

Affordability: 62

Activities: 98

Quality of life: 13

Health care: 51



49. Washington, DC

Total score: 50.13 (out of 100)

Rankings out of 150:

Affordability: 129

Activities: 2

Quality of life: 41

Health care: 99



48. Nashville, Tennessee

Total score: 50.35 (out of 100)

Rankings out of 150:

Affordability: 29

Activities: 28

Quality of life: 122

Health care: 110



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2 of the youngest medal winners from the Winter Olympics are also among the biggest rivals in sport

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Alina Zagitova and Evgenia Medvedeva

Alina Zagitova and Evgenia Medvedeva mesmerised audiences with elite figure skating routines last week.

Medvedeva's brilliance is no surprise — she had been dominating the ice rink for years.

But Zagitova is the new kid on the block.

The teenaged Russians both won medals at the 2018 Winter Olympic games in Pyeongchang.

Their individual successes in South Korea give a clue as to what's in store in the years to come — the start of great rivalry in sport.

Here's what we know so far.

SEE ALSO: The apprentice became the master: 15-year-old Russian figure skater tops 18-year-old counterpart in thrilling duel for gold

DON'T MISS: South Korea has fallen in love with this Olympic skater because of her love of K-Pop, even though she didn't win

UP NEXT: A French figure skater changed costume in the middle of her Winter Olympics routine

Evgenia Medvedeva is a highly-decorated figure skater from Russia. She is a two-time European champion, a two-time world champion, and two-time Winter Olympic silver medalist — at 18 years old.



But Medvedeva has a rival. Ladies and gentlemen, meet Alina Zagitova.



Like Medvedeva, Zagitova is an elite figure skater from Russia. She is a European champion, a Winter Olympic gold medalist, and she is just 15 years old.



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One of our favorite wallet companies just started making work bags, and they’re just as impressive as the wallets

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The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

Bellroy Classic Backpack

I — and other members of the Insider Picks team — have been singing the praises of a company called Bellroy for a while now. Bellroy is an Australian startup that is known for making wallets and a few other leather goods, such as folios, iPad cases, and phone cases.

I've personally been using my Bellroy Slim Sleeve wallet almost every day for more than a year, and it remains my all-time favorite wallet. It's held up remarkably well, developing a nice patina without showing signs of damaging wear or tear. It holds my go-to credit cards, enough cash for my usual needs, plus my driver's license and MetroCard. 

That's why I was so excited when Bellroy announced recently that it would be launching a new line of backpacks and work bags for men and women. Bellroy sent over a sample model and gave us a sneak peak at their product line earlier this year, and I have to say: I'm impressed.

Take a look below at the backpacks and work bags in Bellroy's new collection.

SEE ALSO: The best travel wallets to hold your passport, boarding pass, and other documents

The Bellroy Classic Backpack

The Classic Backpack has a — well, classic — design, with a clean minimalist look. Measuring in at about 17 liters, the bag features a padded laptop pocket large enough to fit a 15" computer, a document/tablet pocket with a spot for a pen, an internal zip pocket, and a quick-access outside valuables section. It's comfortable to wear no matter how full it is, and it has a convenient quick-grab handle. The Classic Backpack is available in three colors, including a cool two-tone.

Buy the Bellroy Classic Backpack from Amazon for $149.



The Bellroy Slim Backpack

The Bellroy Slim Backpack features a water-resistant fold-over closure with a magnetic strap, rather than a traditional zipper or drawstring. It makes for a stylish look that stands out. A little bit smaller than the Classic, it holds 16 liters and has dedicated space for a laptop. It has the same tablet/document pocket with space for a pen, as well as another soft-lined pocket for things like sunglasses or a laptop charger. There's a quick-access external pocket along the side, too, for keys or a phone. The Slim Backpack comes in gray, blue, and black.

Buy the Bellroy Slim Backpack from Amazon for $169.



The Bellroy Duo Totepack

The smallest of Bellroy's backpacks, the Duo Totepack still carries up to a 15" laptop and can hold to 15 liters. It has two handles on top in addition to stowaway backpack straps, and can either be carried as a tote or worn as a backpack. It's built with a water-resistant fabric and has a few different external and internal pockets for organization. Best of all, it has two expansion buckles on the sides. You can close them for a slimmer bag, or open them to carry more. 

Buy the Bellroy Duo Totepack from Amazon for $289.



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The best golf clubs you can buy

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The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

best golf clubs 4x3

The Insider Pick:

  • The old saying in golf is: Drive for show, putt for dough. But there’s one more step in there: Iron play. Put a great set of irons in the hands of almost any golfer, and he or she can show improvement in shot making skills. The Mizuno Golf MP-5 Iron Set allows experienced players to make nearly any shot with success.

Golf can be the most exhilarating and maddening game. Your relaxing round of golf becomes anything but after you’ve shanked your third straight drive into the woods. But you can save the day by sticking that 6-iron within 3 feet on the 18th green. (Just don’t miss the putt.)

Once you begin playing golf, it’s inevitable that you’ll be hooked and want to play better. We can help you select the golf clubs that can help you improve your score.

Of course, new clubs aren't going to magically make you the best golfer ever, but once you have solidified your swing and learned how to make club selections and hit from different lies, your game will improve and having better equipment will be more important.

New clubs feature the latest technologies, delivering better accuracy and length than older clubs. If you’re confused about what each club can do, keep reading.

  • Driver: The driver will carry the largest club head and the shallowest club face angle of any type of golf club (other than the putter), according to Golfweek. Drivers have long shafts and are designed to strike the ball off the tee, as the first shot of a hole, rather than off the ground. When struck properly, this club will drive the ball farther than any other club. Some holes are even too short to use a driver.
  • Fairway Woods: Common fairway woods are the 3-wood and 5-wood. Woods with higher numbers have a deeper club face angle and generate more loft. (The driver also can be called a 1-wood.) A fairway wood will be used from a good lie in the fairway when you still are at least 175-200 yards from the green, according to Pinemeadow Golf.
  • Hybrid Clubs: A hybrid is a newer style of club, designed to be a mixture between a wood and an iron, according to Golf-Information. Many people find hybrids easier to hit solidly than long irons, so they’ll often replace long irons in your bag. They have a greater loft than fairway woods and a smaller head, but they have a larger sweet spot than irons.
  • Irons: An iron is a thin club face that delivers far more loft than woods. You’ll use an iron on an approach to the green, as the grooves in the flat club face help to generate backspin on the ball. That spin, coupled with the higher loft, give you a better chance of having the ball stop on the green, according to Global Golf. Irons run from 1- and 2-irons to 9-irons, with larger numbers representing a greater club face angle and a higher arcing shot with less distance. Because large irons are difficult to strike successfully, some sets don’t include anything larger than a 3- or 4-iron these days, substituting hybrids.
  • Wedges: As Thought Co. discusses, wedges are a subset of irons and have the same shape. However, they have the shortest shafts and the most severe angle on the club face, giving you more loft and less distance. Sand wedges, pitching wedges, and lob wedges all exist, and the different types of wedges deliver different lofts and club face angles for tricky shots around the green.
  • Putters: The putter is the only club you should use while on the green (hence, the term putting surface). Some people will use putters from the fringe area around the green too, but it’s not like other golf clubs, as the face is flat with no loft. Because there are so many different putter designs, we’ll discuss those another time and focus only on the other types of golf clubs here.

Read on in the slides below to learn why the Mizuno Golf MP-5 Iron Set is our top pick and why you should also consider the Callaway Men’s/Women’s Strata Set with Bag, the Ping G400 Driver, the Titleist Vokey SM6 Wedge, and the Ping G Series Hybrid.

The best golf clubs overall

Why you'll love it: Drivers receive a lot of attention, but a great set of irons, like the Mizuno Golf MP-5 Iron Set, can play a bigger role in improving your game.

Mizuno has long been one of the leading makers of blade-style irons that give experienced players the feel and control they need. The Mizuno Golf MP-5 Iron Set is the best one you can buy.

It's a complete set of irons, featuring a 3-iron through pitching wedge. The set is expensive, but it delivers the kind of performance that experienced players want.

Golf a Lot says it’s important to remember these Mizuno clubs are aimed at low handicap players, so you’ll need some experience and skill to take advantage of the features of these irons. They'll even allow you to work the ball on approach shots.

These Mizuno Golf MP-5 irons are not quite your traditional blade style of iron. They have a slightly wider back that helps to give golfers a great feel and the ability to lift the ball properly. The Hackers Paradise calls these irons a channel-back style, as they have a bit more mass than a blade style to help create stability for off-center strikes, which may help average golfers.

These irons also have a rounded edge that moves through the turf well without reducing club speed.

Those with a consistent swing will be able to take full advantage of the quality of these MP-5 irons, according to Independent Golf Reviews. However, high handicap shooters will want to look elsewhere.

Golf Assessor says you can create a variety of shots with these Mizuno irons, helping you work your way out of tough lies. But you also can create accurate approach shots with whatever trajectory you want. These clubs can do just about anything you need them to.

Pros: Full set of irons, clubs from a trusted manufacturer of irons, channel-back style of irons yields a bit more forgiveness than blade style, allows experienced players to work the ball well

Cons: Expensive set of irons, probably not a great investment for high handicap players

Buy the Mizuno Golf MP-5 Iron Set on Amazon for $999.99



The best complete set for beginners

Why you'll love it: If you’re an occasional golfer or if you’re just picking up the game, the Callaway Strata Set will give you a decent set of clubs for a great price.

There’s no question that golf can be a very expensive game. Not only do you have to pay greens fees (and for the first round at the 19th hole bar for missing your 3-foot putt for birdie on number 18), you also have to buy a lot of expensive equipment.

So if you’re just starting with golf, and you aren’t sure you’ll stick with it, you’ll love the Callaway Strata Set, which delivers all of the basics that you’ll need for a very reasonable price. This set is available in both men’s and women’s sizes, as well as in both left- and right-handed orientations.

Understand that this Callaway Strata Set has a limited number of clubs. The women’s Strata set ships with a driver, 5-wood, 5-hybrid, 7-iron, 9-iron, sand wedge, putter, and bag. The men’s Strata set includes a 3-wood instead of a 5-wood and adds a 6-iron and an 8-iron.

You easily could spend as much for one high-end putter or golf bag as you’ll spend on this entire set of clubs and bag. That alone tells you this set isn’t aimed at low handicap shooters. However, as the Golf Guide for Beginners review says, the value beginning players receive with this club set and bag is impressive.

Although the durability and quality of the clubs in the Strata set aren’t perfect, they will work nicely for the inexperienced player who doesn’t use them every day. You’ll be able to enjoy the game more with these clubs than with an old hand-me-down set, according to Laser Golf Range Finder.

The Fast Learners review likes the overall feel these clubs deliver for the novice player. You’ll receive a solid strike with these clubs, even if you can’t precisely control the ball as you can with more expensive sets of clubs.

Amazon reviewer Brett says these clubs are great for those just starting with golf. After all, why spend several hundred dollars on gear when you don’t know whether you’ll stick with the game?

Pros: Inexpensive option to receive all of the gear you’ll need to start playing, delivers a good level of quality for the price you’ll pay, clubs offer a solid ball strike, great starter set

Cons: Not the most durable clubs, includes only the basic clubs, not made for experienced players

Buy the Callaway Men’s Strata Set on Amazon for $184.97 (originally $275)

Buy the Callaway Women’s Strata Set on Amazon for $188.23



The best driver

Why you'll love it: Even if we can’t hit them consistently, we golfers love our drivers. The forgiving Ping G400 will help you get consistent while delivering excellent length.

Ping has been at the forefront of recent upgrades to drivers, leading the change from a forward center of gravity club to a rear center of gravity. The idea behind the change was to continue delivering the length that forward weighted drivers have while giving off-center swings a bit more forgiveness.

Ping’s new designs have been popular enough that many driver makers have followed its engineering change.

Ping’s latest driver, the G400, incorporates the new design with just enough engineering tweaks to make this driver a tremendous performer. The sharp-looking Ping G400 is offered in both men’s and women’s styles.

One owner, HDTV man, says the G400 delivers on its promises of tremendous length with a much more forgiving sweet spot.

The Golf WRX review likes the slightly smaller head size of the G400 versus other drivers and versus previous Ping drivers, as the smaller size allows for slightly faster clubhead speed and a more forgiving contact point.

Sometimes in a club design, the little things matter. The Ping G400 includes small raised areas on the top of the club near the face that help to reduce friction with the air and give you a little more club speed, according to Spargo Golf. Even a slight improvement in club speed can yield several more yards on your drive.

Golf a Lot says the G400 follows the recent pattern of high-quality drivers from Ping, giving you just enough improvement over its predecessors to make the G400 the new king of the hill.

The G400 isn’t cheap. So if you’re happy with your current driver, you may want to stick with it. But if you’re unhappy with your current driver – and honestly, who isn’t a lot of the time – the Ping G400 is an amazing piece of golf technology.

Pros: Delivers the length you want from the driver with a more forgiving face for mishits, includes all of the latest technological updates, comes from a well-respected driver manufacturer

Cons: Drivers are expensive and this is no exception, not hugely different from last Ping driver model

Buy the Men’s Ping G400 Max Driver on Worldwide Golf Shops for $399.99

Buy the Women’s Ping G400 Max Driver on Worldwide Golf Shops for $399.99



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The Catholic Church is trying to oust an African dictator — photos and video show priests being beaten in the streets

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Demonstrators kneel and chant slogans during a protest organised by Catholic activists in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo January 21, 2018.

Democratic Republic of Congo's President Joseph Kabila has refused to relinquish power for more than a year, and the Catholic Church has emerged as the leader in the fight against him.

Since December, when Kabila again refused to step down, the church and a spiritual group called the Lay Coordination Committee have organized a handful of protests, all of which have ended violently. 

Most recently, anti-government protests in the capital city of Kinshasa on Sunday left four people dead and two more injured, according to the Associated Press.

Kabila's refusal to step down has also aggravated violence between government forces and multiple armed groups in other areas of the country. This includes the Kasai and Kivu regions, where mass atrocities have been carried out by both sides, killing and displacing thousands in the last few years.

Here's what's going on:

SEE ALSO: Congo Army gruesomely destroys base of Islamist rebel group blamed for killing 15 UN peacekeepers

DON'T MISS: These are the 25 most powerful militaries in the world — and there's a clear winner

President Joseph Kabila took power of the DRC in 2001 after his father's assassination.

Kabila helped unify the country after the two Congo wars of 1996-97 and 1998-2003, bringing back international business and raising GDP.

But at the same time, his government has been accused of gross incompetence, corruption and human rights abuses. 

Source: AFP



Kabila was supposed to step down after his two-term mandate expired on December 19, 2016, but he stayed on after invoking a controversial law requiring a successor to be elected. This sparked a wave of protests.

In January 2017, the Catholic Church brokered a deal between Kabila's People’s Party for Reconstruction and Democracy and opposition parties that elections would be held in December 2017 and that Kabila would step down.

 



In December 2017, Kabila again refused to step down, saying that an election would have to be held at the end of 2018 because the government didn't have enough money.

Election officials have even said that, because of continued financial and logistical problems, the election might be even held later than that. 



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