| North Korea conducts new missile tests as Trump backs Kim on war games Posted: 09 Aug 2019 08:17 PM PDT  North Korea fired what appeared to be two short-range missiles on Saturday, South Korea said, in a "show of force" against US and South Korea joint military exercises. More missile launches are highly probable, as the North Korean military is conducting its own summer drills, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement. The launch came a few hours after U.S. President Donald Trump said he had received a "very beautiful letter" from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. North Korea has fired a series of missiles and rockets since Kim and Trump agreed at a June 30 meeting to revive stalled denuclearisation talks. Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un Credit: Kevin Lamarque/REUTERS A US official said that at least one projectile was launched and that it appeared to be similar to previous short-range missiles fired by Pyongyang. Two missiles flew about 400 km (250 miles) at a height of about 48 km, according to the South Korean military. Trump played down the recent North Korean weapons launches when he spoke to reporters earlier on Friday, saying: "I say it again: There have been no nuclear tests. The missile tests have all been short-range. No ballistic missile tests. No long-range missiles." NOT HAPPY Kim has said the weapons tests were a response to US and South Korean military drills being held this month. Trump said Kim had written in his letter that he was "not happy" about the war games and missile tests. He added he could have another meeting with Kim. The United States and South Korea have kicked off largely computer-simulated exercises as an alternative to previous large-scale annual drills that were halted to expedite denuclearisation talks. North Korea decries such exercises as a rehearsal for war aimed at toppling its leadership. The projectiles were fired at dawn on Saturday from an area around the northeastern city of Hamhung, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement. Large solid-fuel rocket engines for North Korea's ballistic missile program are most likely being produced at a factory complex in Hamhung, monitoring group 38 North said last year. Hamhung also has a testing site for those engines. The missile launches on Saturday were apparently testing capabilities of a new short-range missile Pyongyang is developing, South Korea's presidential office said. "Because of concerns that North Korea's series of launches can raise military tensions on the Korean Peninsula, ministers called for North Korea to stop it," the Blue House said, citing a meeting of South Korea's top security officials. Kim Dong-yup, a former naval officer who teaches at Seoul's Kyungnam University, said the weapons tested on Saturday could be related to the completion of North Korea's new rocket artillery system that required multiple launches of the same kind.
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| Elderly couple found dead from murder-suicide after they couldn’t afford wife’s healthcare: ‘We will be in the front bedroom’ Posted: 10 Aug 2019 04:19 AM PDT  A man in Washington state has killed both himself and his wife after raising fears about struggling to pay medical expenses for her ongoing health conditions.The couple were identified by the Whatcom County Medical Examiner as Brian S Jones, 77, and Patricia Whitney-Jones, 76.Mr Jones, who lived near the city of Ferndale, called emergency services on Wednesday morning and said he was going to shoot himself, according to the Whatcom County Sheriff's Office. He said he had prepared a note for the sheriff which contained information and instructions. In spite of the operator's efforts to keep him on the line, Mr Jones is then said to have told the operator, "we will be in the front bedroom", before disconnecting the call.Police arrived around 15 minutes later and set up a perimeter around the house and attempted to intervene for about an hour with a crisis negotiator and loud hailer.But it was too late, as officials then used a robot-mounted camera to look inside the home and found the bodies of the married couple. Authorities said they believe Mr Jones shot his wife and then himself. They were found lying together.A statement from Whatcom Sheriff Bill Elfo said state officials are investigating the incident which is deemed to be a murder-suicide.According to the sheriff, Mr Jones told the operator: "I am going to shoot myself".Several notes were left in the home "citing severe ongoing medical problems with the wife and expressing concerns that the couple did not have sufficient resources to pay for medical care", according to the sheriff's statement."It is very tragic that one of our senior citizens would find himself in such desperate circumstances where he felt murder and suicide were the only option. Help is always available with a call to 911," Mr Elfo said in the post.Numerous firearms were seized and two dogs found in the house were taken to an animal shelter.Sherrie Schulteis, a neighbour of the couple, said she often spoke to Mr Jones and watched out for each other's homes but was totally unaware about the extent to which he was struggling mentally and financially."[Mr Jones and I] were always waving and talking about our yards or our flowers," she told The Lynden Tribune. "It's a little tiny community where we all know each other, but we don't really know each other."
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| Michael Brown's father seeks new investigation into killing Posted: 09 Aug 2019 11:10 AM PDT  On the fifth anniversary of Michael Brown's death in Ferguson, his father urged St. Louis County's top prosecutor Friday to reopen the investigation into the white police officer who fatally shot the black and unarmed 18-year-old. Before a memorial service in the Ferguson street where a white police officer fatally shot his son on Aug. 9, 2014, Michael Brown Sr. addressed reporters outside of the St. Louis County Justice Center in the St. Louis suburb of Clayton. "Justice has not been served," Brown, 41, said as he was flanked by about three dozen supporters.
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| Jeffrey Epstein dies by suicide in Manhattan jail; Death raises 'serious questions,' AG Barr says Posted: 10 Aug 2019 10:12 AM PDT  U.S. Attorney General William Barr said the suicide death of accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein raises "serious questions that must be answered." The FBI is investigating.
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| U.S.-based experts suspect Russia blast involved nuclear-powered missile Posted: 09 Aug 2019 04:09 PM PDT ![U.S.-based experts suspect Russia blast involved nuclear-powered missile]( "U.S.-based experts suspect Russia blast involved nuclear-powered missile") U.S.-based nuclear experts said on Friday they suspected an accidental blast and radiation release in northern Russia this week occurred during the testing of a nuclear-powered cruise missile vaunted by President Vladimir Putin last year. The Russian Ministry of Defense, quoted by state-run news outlets, said that two people died and six were injured on Thursday in an explosion of what it called a liquid propellant rocket engine. Russia's state nuclear agency Rosatom said early on Saturday that five of its staff members died.
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| Massive Collection of Classic Cars Up For Auction In MN Posted: 09 Aug 2019 09:06 AM PDT  There's plenty of classic farm equipment available, too!The recent episode of Hagerty's The Barn Find Hunter shows how extensive collections can get with the right kind of acreage. That's exactly the case with the James Graham Collection that is going up for auction this weekend in Beardsley, Minnesota consisting of almost 200 classic cars and trucks alone not to mention almost 40 vintage tractors. Graham, an 88-year-old military veteran and Minnesota farmer, passed away late last year, and his obituary noted that he was "always interested in collecting old cars and attending car shows." That is definitely obvious is his collection, which spans almost every era (from the '20s to the early Malaise Era) and vehicle type (coupes, convertibles, sedans and trucks). Aside from a 2004 Pontiac Bonneville GXP (with just 21,000 miles!) , the newest car in this collection is a 1976 Cadillac Eldorado Convertible!This collection really has everything you could imagine from typical cars like the Mustang, '57 Chevy and Thunderbird to rarer cars from Studebaker, Nash and DeSoto. The tractors and heavy-duty trucks are just as interesting, too, including a 1938 John Deere tractor, 1946 Dodge fire truck and a 1971 Ford F800 dump truck. Just like the cars themselves, the condition of this collection varies extensively from a super-clean 1957 Chevrolet Cameo truck to cars rotting away and sunk to the rocker panels in dirt. This collection is a barn find heaven.VanDerBrink Auctions will be auctioning off the farm equipment today (August 9) and the collection of cars and trucks tomorrow, August 10. In addition to vehicles, Graham had also amassed a huge collection of die cast toys (no surprise there) as well as collector decorative plates, Jim Beam decanters and more. h/t: Inforum Read More... * Quality Over Quantity: One Man's Classic Chevrolet Car Collection * Honda Shows Off Peter Cunninghan's Car Collection
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| Nancy Pelosi to join group of lawmakers for McAllen migrant detention facility visit Posted: 09 Aug 2019 04:38 PM PDT  The visit to McAllen's facility follow a "three-day fact-finding mission to the Northern Triangles countries on the root causes of migration from Guatemala and El Salvador."
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| Hundreds of Mexicans and Guatemalans Among Those Detained in Mississippi Raids Posted: 09 Aug 2019 04:40 AM PDT  122 Mexicans and 176 Guatemalans among those arrested in immigration raids
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| Biden lashes out at reporter who suggested he misquoted Trump on Charlottesville Posted: 08 Aug 2019 02:24 PM PDT  At the Iowa State Fair, the former vice president snapped at a Breitbart radio host who said he misquoted President Trump's infamous statement saying there were "very fine people on both sides" of the deadly clash between neo-Nazis and counterprotesters.
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| Indians plant 220 million trees in single day Posted: 09 Aug 2019 06:55 AM PDT  More than a million Indians planted 220 million trees on Friday in a government campaign to tackle climate change and improve the environment in the country's most populous state. Forest official Bivhas Ranjan said students, lawmakers, officials and others planted dozens of species of saplings Friday along roads, rail tracks and in forest lands in northern Uttar Pradesh state. Ranjan said the trees, including 16 fruit species, will increase forest cover in the state.
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| U.S. service member killed in Iraq: coalition statement Posted: 10 Aug 2019 08:11 AM PDT ![U.S. service member killed in Iraq: coalition statement]( "U.S. service member killed in Iraq: coalition statement") A United States service member advising Iraqi security forces on a mission was killed on Saturday in the northern Nineveh province, the U.S.-led international coalition fighting Islamic State said in a statement. "One U.S. service member died today during an Iraqi Security Force mission in Ninewah province, Iraq, while advising and accompanying the (Iraqi security forces) during a planned operation, the statement said. It added that the name of the service member would be withheld until next of kin have been notified.
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| Border Patrol Agents Shot at from Mexican Side of Rio Grande Posted: 09 Aug 2019 12:26 PM PDT  A U.S. Customs and Border Patrol boat patrolling the Rio Grande was shot at Friday morning, the agency has announced."Early this morning, agents assigned to the Rio Grande City Station Marine Unit patrolling near Fronton, Texas, reported they were fired upon from the Mexican riverbank," CBP said in a statement released Friday morning. "Agents saw four subjects with automatic weapons who shot over 50 rounds at them. The boat was hit several times but no one on board was injured."Running along the Texas–Mexico border, the Rio Grande is a hotbed of illegal immigration. Smugglers routinely expose migrants to unsafe conditions in order to raft them across the river into U.S. territory. The perilous but common journey captured national attention in June after a photo emerged of a father and daughter who drowned while trying to cross the river. The photo, which went viral on social media and appeared in newspapers around the world, showed 25-year-old Oscar Ramirez face down on the river bank next to his two-year-old daughter.CBP had rescued 63 migrants from the river this year as of April 26.
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| British astrophysicist died 'instantly from fall' on Greek island Posted: 08 Aug 2019 01:57 PM PDT  The British scientist found dead at the bottom of a ravine on a Greek island died instantly from a fall, a Greek coroner said on Thursday. Natalie Christopher, 34, was discovered on Wednesday morning on the Greek island of Ikaria, which she was visiting on holiday. Miss Christopher, an astrophysicist and avid trail runner who lived in Cyprus, had set off for a run from their hotel, her boyfriend said. The area has trails along steep cliffs and ravines, and Miss Christopher was found at the bottom of a 65-foot ravine. Vangelis Kriaras, a volunteer, told local TV that rescue workers had come close the site "at least twice before", but because of its inaccessibility had failed to spot her. It was only when one volunteer walked through the gorge that her body was discovered, hidden beneath a boulder. Natalie Christopher, a British scientist based in Cyprus Nikos Karakoukis, a Greek coroner who travelled to the island from Athens, said evidence from an initial assessment of the area where Miss Christopher's body was found was "consistent with a fall from a height." He said she had suffered a head injury and died instantly. Her body was on Thursday being transported to a morgue in the Greek capital, Athens. Miss Christopher's disappearance led to a two-day manhunt across the island. Greek media reported that traces of blood had been found in the hotel room she shared with her Cypriot partner, but he explained that she had suffered a nose bleed. The forensic police examined the hotel as well as her partner's telephone. Miss Christopher was well known in Cyprus as an active sportswoman and for her involvement in several social media projects, including one - "Cyprus Girls Can" - which aims to break down barriers between Greek and Turkish youngsters on the divided island. Natalie Christopher was a keen trail runner President Nicos Anastasiades was among those who expressed sorrow, calling her death "an unjust loss of a young scientist and active citizen who had her whole life ahead of her and much to give". The incident comes a month after the murder of US molecular biologist Suzanne Eaton on Crete. The 59-year-old had been attending a conference near the city of Chania and gone out on July 2 without taking her mobile phone, the police said. Her body was found six days later in an abandoned World War II bunker. A 27-year-old farmer confessed to raping and killing Eaton, who had worked for the Max Planck Institute at Dresden University.
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| A floating nuclear plant in Russia features a gym, bar, and pool. An expert calls it 'Chernobyl on ice.' Posted: 09 Aug 2019 05:47 AM PDT  Environmental activists worry about the perils of placing nuclear reactors at sea, where they could be vulnerable to climate-related disasters.
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| Trump says students returning to school have 'nothing to worry about' after the recent mass shootings Posted: 09 Aug 2019 12:29 PM PDT  President Donald Trump on Friday assured students going back to school that they "have nothing to worry about," as the nation continues to reel after numerous mass shootings.
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| Southern separatists overrun barracks in Yemen's Aden Posted: 09 Aug 2019 05:22 PM PDT  Southern separatists gained ground across Yemen's second city Aden on Saturday and surrounded the presidential palace as they fought fierce battles with loyalist forces, military and security sources said. Deadly fighting raging in Aden since Wednesday is pitting unionist forces loyal to the internationally recognised government against a force that supports it but is dominated by fighters seeking renewed independence for the south. The force, known as the Security Belt, overran three military barracks belonging to unionist forces and were surrounding the presidential palace, sources close to the Security Belt said.
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| Arizona prosecutor who questioned Kavanaugh accuser promoted Posted: 09 Aug 2019 02:29 PM PDT  An Arizona sex-crimes prosecutor who questioned Christine Blasey Ford about her sexual assault allegation against then-Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh has been promoted to a top prosecutorial job in metro Phoenix. Rachel Mitchell was named chief deputy of the Maricopa County Attorney's Office last week, taking on the top staff position with Republican County Attorney Bill Montgomery. Mitchell was chief of the county's sex crimes division when the 11 Republican men on the Senate Judiciary Committee enlisted her to question Ford, hoping to avoid the potentially bad optics of men interrogating a woman about her allegation.
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| Jeffrey Epstein dies in apparent suicide in New York jail Posted: 10 Aug 2019 06:06 AM PDT  Wealthy financier, 66, had been accused of sex trafficking and was being held without bail after being arrested on 6 JulyJeffrey Epstein in court in West Palm Beach, Florida, on 30 July 2008. Photograph: Uma Sanghvi/APWealthy financier Jeffrey Epstein has killed himself at a New York jail, according to authorities in New York and media reports."Saturday, August 10, 2019, at approximately 6.30am, inmate Jeffrey Edward Epstein was found unresponsive in his cell … subsequently pronounced dead by hospital staff," reads a statement from the Metropolitan Correctional Center where Epstein, 66, had been held without bail since his arrest on 6 July on charges of sex trafficking girls as young as 14.Multiple media reports said Epstein had died by suicide.The FBI is investigating the incident, and the attorney general, William Barr, said he had also opened an investigation by the Department of Justice's inspector general and was "appalled" by the death. "Epstein's death raises serious questions that must be answered," Barr said. Lawyers for several of Epstein's alleged victims, including Virginia Giuffre, whose depositions detailing her experience as one of the financiers' "slaves" when she was just 14 years old were released yesterday, called for the investigations into his crimes to continue, despite his death."We are hopeful that the government will continue to investigate and will focus on those who participated and facilitated Epstein's horrifying sex trafficking scheme that damaged so many," Sigrid McCawley said.The New York representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tweeted shortly after Epstein's death was reported: "We need answers. Lots of them."Epstein's death comes a day after unsealed documents in New York revealed the extent of his abuse of young women at his home in Palm Beach, New York and the Virgin Islands.Epstein had been held since he was arrested on charges relating to alleged sexual misconduct from at least 2002 to 2005. He had pleaded not guilty to the charges.An earlier attempt to prosecute him on similar charges collapsed when authorities granted him an unusually generous deal to plead guilty to state prostitution charges in Florida.His death comes just days after he was found unconscious in a Manhattan jail cell with injuries to his neck, US media had reported, citing unidentified sources.It was not clear how he suffered those injuries. Two anonymous sources told New York's local NBC News 4 that Epstein's injuries may have been self-inflicted, while another said an assault by another inmate had not been ruled out.After the incident, Epstein had been placed on suicide watch.The Brooklyn-born financier made his name at the investment bank Bear Stearns before opening his own firm in 1982, managing money for clients with wealth in excess of $1bn. The business came with an intensive social schedule. Epstein positioned himself as a party figure in Manhattan and Palm Beach, Florida, and courted the rich, famous and powerful across America and the world.Epstein's circle of friends and acquaintances has included Donald Trump; Bill Clinton; Prince Andrew; Leslie Wexner, founder of the company that owns the Victoria's Secret lingerie brand; and many other prominent names in law, entertainment and politics.The first allegations of sexual abuse came in 2005 when a woman contacted the Palm Beach police, alleging her 14-year-old stepdaughter had been taken to Epstein's mansion by an older girl. The girl was allegedly paid $300 to strip and massage Epstein.That triggered an 11-month investigation that drew in the FBI. Interviews with alleged victims and witnesses showed that some of the girls involved were under 18.A large tranche of documents released on Friday from a lawsuit against Ghislaine Maxwell – who allegedly procured girls for the financier – contained both lurid claims and denials of world leaders' involvement in his alleged sex trafficking.Giuffre, who is among Epstein's many accusers, sued Maxwell in 2015, alleging the British socialite and daughter of the former media tycoon Robert Maxwell defamed her by claiming she was a liar in her accusations against Maxwell and Epstein.The documents appeared to bolster claims that many in Epstein's circle had taken part in his hospitality that included "massages" from dozens of underage girls.After original attempts to prosecute Epstein collapsed, Trump's former labor secretary Alex Acosta came under repeated scrutiny for being seen as too lenient when he oversaw the case.In February, a judge ruled prosecutors in the case violated the law by concealing the deal from his underage alleged victims. Acosta resigned from his administration post in July.As Epstein's world unraveled, some of those who had sought his financial investment advice came forward while many more preferred to distance themselves, issuing statements painting their interactions in minimal terms. They included Trump and Clinton, who both issued statements saying they had had little to do with Epstein in recent years.Wexner said this week that financier had "misappropriated" more than $46m of his personal fortune. He said money went missing a decade ago, according to a letter to the Wexner Foundation."We discovered that he had misappropriated vast sums of money from me and my family," Wexner said in the letter. "This was, frankly, a tremendous shock, even though it clearly pales in comparison to the unthinkable allegations against him now."Wexner hired Epstein in 1991 to manage his money, giving him vast power over his investment and tax affairs. Deutsche Bank and JP Morgan also said they were examining trades Epstein made when he was a client.The allegations of fraud came as Florida's governor, Ron DeSantis, ordered a state criminal investigation of a Palm Beach sheriff and former Palm Beach state attorney over their handling of Epstein's 2007 sex abuse case.The latest investigation, reported the Miami Herald, will probably focus on the lenient work privileges Epstein enjoyed while serving a 13-month sentence for soliciting prostitution from underage girls, the product of the controversial 2008 deal with federal authorities.The financier was allowed to work from his office six days a week, according to Palm Beach county sheriff's records. His personal limousine picked him up from jail as early as 7.15am and dropped him off as late as 10.40pm. * In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at www.befrienders.org.
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| Here's the Story Behind That Controversial 'Backless Seats' Photo Posted: 09 Aug 2019 12:50 PM PDT  EasyJet told TIME that the flight departed with five spare seats
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| Democratic presidential contenders demand action on guns Posted: 10 Aug 2019 06:05 AM PDT  Democratic presidential contenders urged Congress on Saturday to take action to curb gun violence in the wake of mass shootings last weekend in Texas and Ohio that left 31 dead. Speaking at a hastily convened forum in Iowa, they called for the imposition of universal background checks on gun buyers, so-called "red flag" laws, and ultimately a ban on military-style assault weapons. "The heat's been on like it's never been on before," said U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota.
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| Explosion at interracial couple's home treated as hate crime after swastika painted on garage Posted: 09 Aug 2019 12:14 PM PDT  An explosion which destroyed the home of an interracial couple after a swastika and a racial slur were found painted on the garage, is being investigated by the FBI.The suspected arson attack on the house of Brad and Angela Frase in the township of Sterling in Wayne County, Ohio, as a hate crime, investigators said. Police were called to the scene by a neighbour who reported a blast and fire at the building in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Firefighters managed to extinguish the flames but the house – which was not occupied at the time – was severely damaged."What makes this case worse is that it appears that this case was racially motivated," said captain Doug Hunter, of the Wayne County Sheriff's Office. "The couple that lived in the home – a white man and a black woman – lived there for many years without any type of problems but when the fire was set the perpetrators felt the need to write racial slurs on a nearby garage."A video taken by police at the scene showed an attempt at the n-word and a swastika daubed on a garage next to the smoking remains of the house.Racial slurs were also found painted on several vehicles parked nearby, according to the Ohio fire marshal.Ms Frase told the local ABC 5 News channel that she hoped the people responsible were caught."It's sickening to do this to somebody's home and not even know if they're home or not," she said. "We could've been in there."Ms Frase and her husband were not living at the house at the time because repairs were being carried out following an electrical fire a month earlier.The day before the explosion, the repair company alerted the gas company to the smell of natural gas inside the property.Engineers discovered one of the burners on a stove had been left on but the pilot light was not lit, and the meter was removed to prevent further leaks.A $5,000 (£4,100) reward is being offered for information about the attack."We are going to spare no expense when it comes to calling in resources to track down individuals that are accountable for this crime," said captain Doug Hunter. "It is totally out of character for Wayne County to have racial crimes like this, yes they have happened in the past but only a couple of times as far as I am aware."
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| The Polish village where no boys have been born for almost a decade Posted: 10 Aug 2019 06:08 AM PDT  It was during a competition for junior firefighters that somebody first noticed something unusual about the small Polish village of Miejsce Odrzanskie. Every single one of the uniformed children showing off their skills was a girl. The reason is as simple as it is surprising. No boys have been born in Miejsce Odrzanskie for almost a decade, while the village's women in the rural backwater of 300 souls have given birth to 12 girls. The boy shortage is so acute that the mayor has offered a cash reward for the first family to produce a son. The world's media have descended on the village in the fields of south-west Poland not far from the Czech border to investigate the phenomenom. "Of course the media attention was a surprise for us, for the residents and the area," Rajmund Frischko, the local mayor who offered the reward—and the father of two daughters—told The Telegraph. "There has been so much talk about us in the media that for a minute there I was considering naming a street after the next boy born here," he said. "He will definitely get a very nice gift. And we will plant an oak and name it after him." "The situation was that the girls were growing up, and the kids were around us, so we didn't pay much attention to it. Until, that is, someone noticed during a competition for volunteer firefighters that the team consisted of just girls," he said. The all-girl young volunteer firefighters team in the village of Miejsce Odrzanskie, Poland, Credit: Kasia Strek/NYTNS / Redux / eyevine The mayor said doctors from across Poland has been calling him with tips on how to encourage the birth of a boy. One retired doctor had told him that the sex of a baby depended on the mother's diet, which must be rich in calcium to guarantee a son. "There is always the tried way of the Polish highlanders: If you want a boy, keep an axe under your marital bed," he joked. "We treat the whole affair as something as a curiosity," said Krystyna Zydziak, the head of the village and the mother of two daughters. "I always say that nature can find ways to balance things. There may be more girls born here but somewhere else in the world more boys are probably being born." Krystyna Zydziak of Miejsce Odrzanskie Credit: Kasia Strek/NYTNS / Redux / eyevine The lack of male births over the past few years compared to the dozen or so female births has fuelled worries about the future of the village. Miejsce Odrzanskie, like many Polish villages, has been fighting a losing battle to retain its population as people leave the fields for Poland's flourishing cities. Without men going into farming, people fear, that struggle could get harder. Ms Zydziak, said that everyone in the village had family living and working elsewhere in the EU. "Some villagers are concerned who will fill the farming jobs in the future," she said. The Facebook page of the local volunteer fire brigade, a centre of community life in the village, has taken to listing all the stories now featuring the village, along with numerous pictures of happy, if somewhat bemused, villagers being interviewed for television cameras. The all-girl young volunteer firefighters team. Credit: Kasia Strek/NYTNS / Redux / eyevine Malwina Kicler, 10, has been a volunteer firefighter for three years. The lack of boys has not stopped her crew from scooping up trophies in major competitions across Poland in the six years since the tram was founded. "Boys are noisy and naughty," she told the New York Times. "At least now we have peace and quiet. You can always meet them somewhere else." The comments below the links to the stories range from the baffled to proud "Go girls!" posts. One joked that perhaps the lack of boys was due to a particularly libidinous postman delivering more than letters to the village's womenfolk. Malwina Kicler, center, and Liliana Kicler, left, of the village of Miejsce Odrzanskie, Poland, Credit: Kasia Strek/NYTNS / Redux / eyevine Scientists have stressed that people should not jump to conclusions as to why so many girls are being born in the village. "You have to go deep into the history and check the birth statistics," said Professor Rafal Ploski, head of the genetics department at Warsaw's Medical University. "They you have to check to see if the girls' parents are not related to each other, even to a very distant extent. Then you have to conduct detailed interviews with the parents and the children, and check the environmental conditions. Only then can a trail appear." Not everyone sees the dearth of boys as a problem. One villager, perhaps making a veiled reference to Poland's war-scarred history said that the string of daughters was a good omen. "They once said that 'when boys are born there will be war, when girls are born there will be peace' so thank God it is as it is," she said.
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| Apple is launching a special new iPhone designed for professional hackers — but you won't be able to buy it (AAPL) Posted: 09 Aug 2019 11:04 AM PDT  Apple is allowing security experts to apply for a special new iPhone to be used for research purposes. It's part of the firm's bug-bounty program.
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| Trump administration re-authorizes 'cyanide bombs' to kill wildlife Posted: 08 Aug 2019 05:04 PM PDT  US President Donald Trump's administration has re-authorized the use of controversial poison traps known as "cyanide bombs" to kill wild foxes, coyotes and feral dogs despite overwhelming opposition from conservation groups. The devices, known as M-44s, which are implanted in the ground and resemble lawn sprinklers, use a spring-loaded ejector to release sodium cyanide when an animal tugs on its baited capsule holder. The decision to re-instate their use was announced in the Federal Register earlier this week, and met with outrage by environmental groups that led a campaign to flood the Environmental Protection Agency with more than 20,000 letters.
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| Kashmir's streets silent as people's despair and rage grow Posted: 08 Aug 2019 09:08 PM PDT  An unusual silence cloaks the center of the city. Its streets, once teeming with traffic, are dotted with spools of concertina wire, blocking movement. The population has been forced indoors while thousands of Indian soldiers in camouflage are on patrol, carrying guns at their waists.
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| EPA won't approve warning labels for Roundup chemical Posted: 09 Aug 2019 02:04 PM PDT  The Trump administration says it won't approve warning labels for products that contain glyphosate, a move aimed at California as it fights one of the world's largest agriculture companies about the potentially cancer-causing chemical. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency disagrees, saying its research shows the chemical poses no risks to public health. California has not enforced the warning label for glyphosate because Monsanto, the company that makes Roundup, sued and a federal judge temporarily blocked the warning labels last year until the lawsuit could be resolved.
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| 28 Sweet Summer Peach Desserts (That Aren't Pie) Posted: 09 Aug 2019 07:31 AM PDT |
| Family sues Glenview nursing home over video of aides taunting woman, 91, with dementia; aides charged and fired Posted: 10 Aug 2019 07:23 AM PDT  Two nursing home aides in north suburban Glenview have been fired and charged after a Snapchat video showed them taunting a 91-year-old woman with dementia. Her family is now taking legal action.
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| U.S. calls China 'thuggish regime' for singling out U.S. diplomat in Hong Kong Posted: 08 Aug 2019 11:58 AM PDT  A U.S. State Department spokeswoman on Thursday called China a "thuggish regime" for disclosing the photographs and personal details of a U.S. diplomat who met with student leaders of Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement. The Hong Kong office of China's Foreign Ministry on Thursday asked the United States to explain reports in Communist Party-controlled media that its diplomats are in contact with student leaders of protests that have convulsed Hong Kong for nine weeks.
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| Child pornography was found on a man's phone that was accidentally left on a bus. Authorities say his arrest may have prevented a hate crime. Posted: 09 Aug 2019 11:21 AM PDT  A federal judge ordered Wesley David Gilreath to be held without bail, arguing his actions and behavior demonstrated a threat to the community.
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| A Russian military ammo depot that blew up earlier this week just exploded again Posted: 09 Aug 2019 12:16 PM PDT  The ammo depot, believed to house tens of thousands of artillery shells, exploded on Monday. It just exploded again, injuring at least ten more people.
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| Jeffrey Epstein 'misappropriated vast sums of money,' billionaire Leslie Wexner alleges Posted: 08 Aug 2019 11:56 AM PDT  Accused child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein misappropriated millions from Leslie Wexner, the L Brands retail billionaire alleges
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| These 6 Brands Are Making the Coolest Pet Gear Posted: 09 Aug 2019 10:24 AM PDT |
| Man believes Trump 'ordered him' to attack child for ‘disrespecting’ national anthem by keeping hat on, lawyer says Posted: 09 Aug 2019 06:25 AM PDT  A man suspected of attacking a child who was wearing a hat during the US National Anthem believed he was encouraged by Donald Trump to carry out the assault, according to his lawyer. Curt Brockway, a 39-year-old US Army veteran who was charged on Monday in the assault, suffered a traumatic brain injury in a vehicle crash in 2000 that has affected his decision making, attorney Lance Jasper told the Missoulian. The lawyer said he will seek a mental health evaluation for Mr Brockway, who seemingly became caught up in the heightened animosity and rhetoric gripping the nation, and convinced himself that he was following the president's orders."His commander in chief is telling people that if they kneel, they should be fired, or if they burn a flag, they should be punished," Mr Jasper said.He added that Mr Brockway "certainly didn't understand it was a crime."Mr Brockway told a sheriff's deputy that he asked the boy to remove his hat out of respect for the national anthem before the start of the county rodeo, Mineral County Attorney Ellen Donohue wrote in the document describing the attack.The boy reportedly cursed at Mr Brockway in response, and the man grabbed him by the throat, "lifted him into the air and slammed the boy into the ground," Ms Donohue wrote.Mr Jasper's comments arrived as prosecutors formally charged Mr Brockway with assault on a minor, a felony that carries a maximum five-year prison sentence and a $50,000 (£41,183) fine upon conviction.Prosecutors said the boy was airlifted to a hospital for a possible concussion and skull fracture. His condition was not immediately known.Conduct during the playing of the national anthem has been an issue in recent years, with some NFL players kneeling to protest police brutality. Mr Trump once called for NFL owners to fire players who kneel or engage in other acts of protest during the anthem."Trump never necessarily says go hurt somebody, but the message is absolutely clear," Mr Jasper said. "I am certain of the fact that (Brockway) was doing what he believed he was told to do, essentially, by the president. ... Everyone should learn to dial it down a little bit, from the president to Mineral County."The Associated Press contributed to this report
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| Family of slain Chinese scholar holds memorial Posted: 09 Aug 2019 02:26 PM PDT  Held just weeks after Yingying Zhang's killer was convicted and sentenced to life in prison and just two days after the family's attorneys held a news conference to explain why recovery of the dismembered remains believed to be buried deep in a landfill will likely never be recovered, her father, Ronggao Zhang, told stories that he hoped would convey what made his daughter so special. In Mandarin, his words translated for those sitting before him at the First Baptist Church in Savoy, just a few miles from the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana campus where Zhang attended school, he talked about how hard she worked at school and how she excelled despite the financial struggles of a family that could simply not afford to pay for the tutors that are available to wealthier students.
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| Some 2.5 million Muslim hajj pilgrims scale Mount Arafat Posted: 10 Aug 2019 07:57 AM PDT  Nearly 2.5 million Muslim hajj pilgrims converged on Mount Arafat in Saudi Arabia Saturday marshalled by tens of thousands of stewards in a bid to prevent any repetition of previous years' deadly stampedes. Raising their palms skywards, the pilgrims set off on the climb to the summit where they held prayers to atone for their sins in a ritual that is regarded as the high point of the annual hajj.
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| Trump attacks Biden following the former VP's latest gaffe Posted: 09 Aug 2019 02:32 PM PDT  Biden says 'poor kids' just as bright as 'white kids'; reaction and analysis on 'The Five.'
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| Two Armies Face Off Online as Kashmir Wakes to a New Reality Posted: 09 Aug 2019 06:19 AM PDT ![Two Armies Face Off Online as Kashmir Wakes to a New Reality]( "Two Armies Face Off Online as Kashmir Wakes to a New Reality") (Bloomberg) -- India and Pakistan's military are in open conflict on Twitter, trading accusations and threats over the disputed state of Kashmir.For now, the conflict is staying online. But the possibility of it spilling across the defacto border that divides the Indian- and Pakistan-controlled parts of Jammu and Kashmir, or erupting on the streets of the summer capital, Srinagar, remains a dangerous prospect.The rival nations have been at loggerheads for the past week after India scrapped a measure that granted autonomy to the restive Kashmir region. Islamabad has downgraded diplomatic ties and cut trade relations."Lately Pakistan has been openly threatening about certain incidents in Kashmir," India's Chinar Corps, stationed in Srinagar, tweeted Friday. "Notwithstanding we'll take care of all of them; let anyone come & try & disrupt the peace in valley, we will have him eliminated!"Pakistan responded. "Usual blatant lies," tweeted Pakistan Armed Forces spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor. "Should there be an attempt by Indian Army to undertake any misadventure, Pakistan's response shall be even stronger than that of 27 Feb 2019," he said referring to a recent military conflict between the two countries.Meanwhile, the hashtag SaveKashmirFromModi was trending in India on Friday.But behind the online posturing are nuclear-armed adversaries who've fought three wars since the British left the subcontinent in 1947 -- two of them over Kashmir -- which is claimed in full and ruled in part by both. Artillery and small-weapons fire are exchanged often and cross-border infiltrations are reported regularly but so far, the threat of a nuclear conflict has prevented the situation from spiraling out of control.Increased ThreatsPrime Minister Narendra Modi shocked the nation on Monday when his government took just a few hours to end seven-decades of autonomy in Kashmir by diluting Article 370 of the constitution. Since then, India's paramilitary troops have locked down the region, which for the last five days has been under an Internet and phone blackout and a strict curfew, its citizens shut out from the world and the fierce debate over Modi's decision."A new era has been started in Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh," Modi said on Thursday night in an address to the nation, referring to the Himalayan regions in northern India. "Article 370 did not give the people anything apart from separatism and terrorism and kept them from progress -- it was being used as a weapon by Pakistan."At the same time, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan warned of violence when the now five-day long curfew is lifted. "I am saying it today, they will blame us," Khan told a special sitting of his parliament. "They will do one more thing, I fear they will do ethnic cleansing in Kashmir."Observers say Modi's actions have increased the risk of conflict.Kashmiris have been placed in a very difficult situation, said Mahmud Durrani, former Pakistan general, national security adviser and ambassador to the U.S."This is like cutting their jugular vein," Durrani said. "There is going to be a very obvious reaction in the valley. They may be able to suppress it for a month, two months or four months but there will be definite reaction to it."Still, he said Pakistan's options were very limited, with diplomatic protests unlikely to have any impact on India. In the meantime, Durrani warned, "we must be careful about the boost that these jihadis will get all over India, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Terrorists and religious fanatics will draw mileage from this and they will become stronger."Analysts shared similar concerns."We expect more decisions driven by Modi's Hindu nationalist policy platform during his second term, risking intensified sectarian violence and civil unrest in the country," Marthe Hinojales, Asia politics analyst at Verisk Maplecroft said in note. "This dynamic suggests a continuing fragile bilateral relationship."This is the second time the neighbors have clashed on Kashmir this year. After an attack killed 40 Indian security personnel, India responded with its first airstrikes on Pakistani soil since 1971, which led to an aerial dogfight. Khan said in an Aug. 6 parliament session called to discuss India's move that any possible violence in response would be again blamed on Pakistan. The South Asian nation has denied involvement in the February attacks as well as accusations it harbors militants who engage in cross-border attacks.Economic PressuresBeyond long-standing territorial disputes, Pakistan is facing a whole other set of pressures.It just took a $6 billion International Monetary Fund loan to avert an economic crisis and it's seeking China's help to avoiding tough financial sanctions, amid signs it is running out of time to meet global anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing standards.Pakistan has been on the Paris-based Financial Action Task Force "grey" monitoring list since last year, after a campaign by the U.S. and European nations to get the country to do more to combat militancy and close financing loopholes to terrorist groups.Given Islamabad's financial challenges, it's unlikely to opt for a war over Kashmir, said Ajai Sahni, executive director of the Institute for Conflict Management in New Delhi."There is no immediate intent on part of Pakistan to escalate to that level," said Sahni, adding it may intensify the efforts of militant groups to infiltrate India. "In terms of a credible calculus of risks this does not seems to be one of the options the Pakistanis are currently considering."Within the Indian side of Kashmir, there will be protests and efforts to engineer terrorist attacks, said Sahni. "But with the kind of saturation of India's security forces, I don't think this is going to grow into anything large scale.''\--With assistance from Ismail Dilawar.To contact the reporters on this story: Faseeh Mangi in Karachi at fmangi@bloomberg.net;Bibhudatta Pradhan in New Delhi at bpradhan@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Ruth Pollard at rpollard2@bloomberg.net, Unni KrishnanFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Philippines to protest Chinese ships presence amid troubled ties Posted: 08 Aug 2019 11:29 PM PDT ![Philippines to protest Chinese ships presence amid troubled ties]( "Philippines to protest Chinese ships presence amid troubled ties") The Philippines will lodge a protest over the unannounced presence of two Chinese research vessels in its exclusive economic zone (EEZ), one of at least three diplomatic challenges in recent weeks amid a souring of relations. The protest comes ahead of President Rodrigo Duterte's planned visit to Beijing this month, during which he has promised to raise Manila's South China Sea international arbitration victory over Beijing with leader Xi Jinping, having avoided confronting the thorny issue for three years. Historically frosty bilateral relations had warmed under Duterte, but he is looking increasingly awkward in defending his controversial approach to China amid constant activity by its coastguard, navy and paramilitary fishing vessels in Philippine-controlled areas of the South China Sea.
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| Police identify armed man arrested at Missouri Walmart Posted: 09 Aug 2019 10:24 AM PDT  Five days after 22 people were killed at a Walmart store in El Paso, Texas, panicked shoppers fled a Walmart in Springfield, Missouri, after a man carrying a rifle and wearing body armor walked around the store before being stopped by an off-duty firefighter. Police on Friday identified the man as 20-year-old Dmitriy Andreychenko, who lived in the Springfield area. Andreychenko was being held in the Greene County jail on suspicion of first-degree making a terrorist threat.
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| Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says tweets by her ex-chief of staff were 'divisive' Posted: 08 Aug 2019 12:22 PM PDT  Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez maintained her and her ex-chief of staff, Saikat Chakrabarti, departed amicably.
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| Amazon's Alexa devices are being made by Chinese schoolchildren illegally working overtime Posted: 09 Aug 2019 04:03 AM PDT  China Labor Watch found that hundreds of Chinese schoolchildren were working long and often illegal hours in a factory making Amazon's Alexa devices.
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| Fox News Reporter Publicly Rebukes Tucker Carlson: ‘White Supremacy Is Real’ Posted: 09 Aug 2019 11:35 AM PDT  Chip SomodevillaThree days after Fox News host Tucker Carlson declared on-air that white supremacy is a "hoax," his colleague, Fox News reporter Cristina Corbin, tweeted out a rebuke of the primetime star's comments, noting that his views do not represent hers."White supremacy is real, as evidenced by fact," she wrote on Friday. "Claims that it is a 'hoax' do not represent my views."Corbin is currently listed on Fox News' website as "an investigative reporter and producer based in New York." Her bio page was still active as of this article's publication. Her most recent article with Fox News, a report on Canadian murder suspects, was published on July 31.Corbin's public pushback on Carlson is reminiscent of another recent episode in which a lower-level Fox News employee publicly took a stand against a right-wing host on the network. In March, after weekend host Jeanine Pirro drew outrage for suggesting Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) didn't believe in the Constitution because she wears a hijab, several Fox employees publicly blasted the pro-Trump host. Pirro would eventually be suspended for two weeks for her on-air comments.During his Tuesday night broadcast, Carlson dismissed the notion that white supremacy is an "real problem in America," calling concerns about it a "hoax" and a "conspiracy theory" despite this past weekend's mass shooting in El Paso before which the shooter allegedly posted a white-supremacist manifesto targeting Hispanic immigrants. Carlson's remarks were swiftly met with outrage and backlash, prompting renewed calls for advertisers to drop his show and for Fox News to fire the conservative host.The network has yet to give any official comment or statement on Carlson's inflammatory remarks. The primetime host, meanwhile, announced Wednesday that he will be on vacation until Aug. 19. Fox News quickly noted that Carlson's break was pre-planned, though—perhaps coincidentally—there has long been a pattern of other Fox hosts taking "pre-planned" vacations following controversy over their on-air comments. Fox News did not immediately respond to request for comment on Corbin's tweet about Carlson.Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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