| Trump: All El Paso shooting patients being treated at hospital 'refused to meet with president' Posted: 08 Aug 2019 05:54 AM PDT  Every El Paso mass shooting patient being treated at a local hospital refused to meet with Donald Trump when he visited, a spokesperson for the facility has said. The US president on Wednesday travelled to both the Texas city and Dayton, Ohio, to meet with victims and first responders following two mass shootings over the weekend which left 31 people dead and dozens injured. But following Mr Trump's departure from University Medical Center (UMC), where he met two victims already discharged by the hospital, UMC spokesperson Ryan Mielke revealed the eight patients still being treated there did not agree to meet the US leader. "This is a very sensitive time in their lives," Mr Mielke told The Washington Post. "Some of them said they didn't want to meet with the president. Some of them didn't want any visitors."The newspaper reported some of the victims did, however, meet a number of locally elected officials, including Democratic congresswoman Veronica Escobar.Mr Trump's arrival in El Paso was met with opposition by some of the city's elected officials and thousands of its residents, who have accused the 73-year-old of using inflammatory rhetoric and encouraging white supremacy - a racist ideology allegedly espoused by the gunman who attacked shoppers at a local Walmart. Beto O'Rourke, a Democratic 2020 presidential contender and El Paso native who has denounced Mr Trump as a racist instigator, said the president had "helped create the hatred that made Saturday's tragedy possible" and thus "has no place here".Protesters booed Mr Trump as he and the first lady were driven to meet the survivors and first responders at the hospital, outnumbering the president's supporters who cheered his motorcade.Mr Trump was, however, praised by Sherrod Brown, a Democratic senator for Ohio, who said the president was "comforting" and "did the right things" during his meeting with Dayton shooting victims. Despite being cast by some as the "consoler-in-chief", Mr Trump used his flight time on the way back to the White House to attack his critics and boast on Twitter about how shooting victims had shown him "love, respect & enthusiasm". "Leaving El Paso for the White House. What GREAT people I met there and in Dayton, Ohio," Mr Trump tweeted. "The Fake News worked overtime trying to disparage me and the two trips, but it just didn't work. The love, respect & enthusiasm were there for all to see. They have been through so much. Sad!"
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| Louisiana woman reportedly told police the meth found in her body part was not hers Posted: 08 Aug 2019 04:31 PM PDT  A Louisiana woman reportedly told police she did not know where the meth - found in her groin- came from.
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| Judge greenlights libel suit against NPR over Seth Rich reports Posted: 07 Aug 2019 06:06 PM PDT  The lawsuit will proceed to the discovery process, including demands for documents and depositions from the journalists involved.
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| Atlantic hurricane forecast revised higher -U.S. agency Posted: 08 Aug 2019 11:32 AM PDT ![Atlantic hurricane forecast revised higher -U.S. agency]( "Atlantic hurricane forecast revised higher -U.S. agency") U.S. weather forecasters expect "above normal" activity in the current Atlantic hurricane season, revising an earlier forecast of "near normal" activity, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said on Thursday. The earlier forecast in May reflected the presence of El Nino, the climate phenomenon that warms the Pacific Ocean and tends to prevent storms from developing in the Atlantic. Since then, El Nino has abated, making for conditions that increase the likelihood of hurricanes forming, forecasters at the NOOA's Climate Prediction Center said in a statement issued as the hurricane season enters its peak months.
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| US slaps Hezbollah financier with prison, $50 mn fine Posted: 08 Aug 2019 07:43 PM PDT  A Lebanese businessman designated by US authorities as an important financial supporter of Hezbollah was sentenced to five years in prison and ordered to forfeit $50 million, the Justice Department said Thursday. Kassim Tajideen, 63, pleaded guilty in December to one count of conspiracy to launder money as part of a scheme to evade US sanctions. "His sentencing and the $50 million forfeiture in this case are just the latest public examples of the Department of Justice's ongoing efforts to disrupt and dismantle Hezbollah and its support networks," said Assistant Attorney General Brian Benczkowski.
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| See the 2020 Chevy Corvette in Every Color Available Posted: 09 Aug 2019 08:42 AM PDT |
| 2nd ex-New Orleans cop takes plea deal in Hispanic beating Posted: 07 Aug 2019 02:48 PM PDT  WDSU-TV reports that Spencer Sutton pleaded no contest to disturbing the peace. John Galman, the other officer in the case, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor battery in February. Both officers, who are white and were off-duty at the time of the incident, had been on the force less than a year and both were fired a day after the July 24, 2018, beating.
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| Latinos in El Paso after the mass shooting are not living in fear — instead they're outraged at Trump Posted: 07 Aug 2019 02:04 PM PDT  Some of El Paso's Latino residents felt Trump's rhetoric endangered immigrants and that his visit would make things worse after a mass shooting.
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| American Volunteer Branded 'Enemy of State' and Shot Outside His Home in the Philippines Posted: 08 Aug 2019 01:44 AM PDT  He volunteers with a group fighting against a hydropower project
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| Danny Trejo rescues boy trapped in overturned car after crash Posted: 08 Aug 2019 06:32 AM PDT  Actor Danny Trejo helped rescue a boy from an overturned vehicle following a car crash, pulling him from the wreck and tending to his safety while awaiting help.The Machete star was in the Sylmar neighbourhood of Los Angeles when two cars collided on Wednesday, according to CBS LA.Trejo and other witnesses can be seen in security footage rushing to the scene moments after the crash, which left an SUV overturned.The actor then got to work pulling a boy from the crashed vehicle. According to Trejo, the boy was "about five" and was "screaming" following the collision."I just knew how scared he was," the actor told the TV network.Trejo said he climbed inside the vehicle and struggled to unbuckle the child, until a young female bystander stepped in. The two worked together until Trejo managed to pull the boy out of the SUV.At this point, rescuers were still trying to help the child's grandmother, who remained in the vehicle.Trejo said he held the child and wanted to distract him from the rest of the scene. "I started talking about, 'Wait a minute, we've got to use our superpowers!'" he said. "And so he goes, 'Superpowers!'"According to Trejo, the child's mother arrived at the scene, thanked him, and told him she recognised him."I just feel great that the Lord put me right there in that spot to do what I did," Trejo added.
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| Tucker Carlson: Advertisers abandon Fox News host after he says 'white supremacy is a hoax' Posted: 09 Aug 2019 06:03 AM PDT  Advertisers are deserting Fox News' primetime host Tucker Carlson, who called white supremacy "a hoax" in the wake of a mass shooting thought to be racially motivated."The whole thing is a lie," Mr Carlson said live on Tucker Carlson Tonight on Tuesday. "It's actually not a real problem in America … This is a hoax, just like the Russia hoax. It's a conspiracy theory used to divide the country."Mr Carlson's comments came three days after a gunman suspected of writing a white supremacist manifesto referencing a "Hispanic invasion" opened fire in a Texas supermarket, killing 22 people, including eight Mexican citizens.Hours later, the hashtag FireTuckerCarlson began trending on Twitter, with thousands of people calling for consumers to boycott the show's advertisers. A Nestlé spokesperson confirmed to The Independent on Friday that the company, which placed adverts on the programme within the last three months, has no plans to do so again in the future. America's largest fast seafood chain Long John Silver confirmed to watchdog Media Matters that they would no longer be advertising on Fox News, after reportedly running adverts nearly every day in 2018. The FBI has made more than 100 arrests relating to domestic terror in 2019, already higher than the previous year's total.FBI director Christopher Wray in July attributed the majority of these cases to "white supremacist violence", but Mr Carlson dismissed such concerns on Tuesday."If you were to assemble a list, a hierarchy, of concerns or problems this country faces, where would white supremacy be on the list? Right up there with Russia probably," he said. "It's actually not a real problem in America."Mr Carlson's choice of language, previously condemned as racist and misogynistic, has cost him advertisers in the past.More than 20 companies deserted his show in December after he claimed immigration made the US "dirtier". Several more followed suit in January after he suggested that women earning more money than men was bad for society.Fox News has stuck by its presenter throughout the controversy, while watchdogs and campaigners intensified calls for his removal.By March, the number of advertisers on his programme had halved from roughly 36 to 18 per show, according to the Hollywood Reporter."We cannot and will not allow voices like Tucker Carlson to be censored by agenda-driven intimidation efforts from the likes of Moveon.org, Media Matters and Sleeping Giants," the broadcaster said in a December statement. The Independent approached Fox for comment on Friday.Donald Trump, of whom Mr Carlson has long been an ally, was also heavily criticised after the El Paso massacre.Top Democrats, including Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, decried the president's recent use of racist language as emboldening white supremacists.Ms Ocasio-Cortez said the president, who in his 2016 campaign described Mexicans as "in many cases, criminals, drug dealers and rapists", was "directly responsible for what happened in El Paso", according to the New York Daily News.Mr Trump spent a tumultuous Wednesday visiting El Paso and Dayton, Ohio, where a second mass shooting also took place on Saturday.El Paso's congresswoman Veronica Escobar would not meet the president until he discussed how his "racist and hateful words and actions" had harmed her community and country, she said on Twitter.
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| German designated to head Iran trade vehicle bows out at last minute Posted: 09 Aug 2019 05:51 AM PDT ![German designated to head Iran trade vehicle bows out at last minute]( "German designated to head Iran trade vehicle bows out at last minute") European efforts to launch a barter-based trade conduit with Iran that would help offset the effects of U.S. sanctions on Tehran suffered a setback when its designated head bowed out at the last minute. Bernd Erbel, a 72-year-old former German ambassador to Tehran, told the foreign ministry in Berlin this week that he would not be available to take over the role as Instex chief for "personal reasons", a ministry spokeswoman said on Friday. Erbel's decision follows a report in German tabloid Bild drew attention to a YouTube interview in which Erbel voiced criticism of Israel and its role in the Middle East and showed understanding for Iran's ambitions to develop a ballistic missile programme.
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| Mourners pay final respects to Khmer Rouge 'Brother Number Two' Posted: 09 Aug 2019 06:00 AM PDT  Crowds gathered for the funeral of "Brother Number Two" Nuon Chea on Friday, paying their final respects to a man considered the chief ideologue of Cambodia's murderous Khmer Rouge regime. More than two million people were slaughtered under Pol Pot's Marxist reign in the 1970s in Cambodia, where deep -- and often unspoken -- cleavages remain over the legacy of the Khmer Rouge. Nuon Chea, who died Sunday in hospital at age 93, was one of Pol Pot's most trusted deputies.
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| Man cooking in Walmart lot sets van on fire, killing girl Posted: 07 Aug 2019 04:27 PM PDT  A 70-year-old man camping in a Walmart parking lot put a hot cook stove in his van, causing it to catch fire and spread to another van, burning two young sisters and killing one of them, authorities said Wednesday. Prosecutors charged Roberto Lino Hipolito of Long Beach, California, with second-degree manslaughter and two counts of negligent fire, all felonies. According to the complaint, Hipolito and his wife slept overnight in their van outside a Walmart in Fridley, Minnesota, a northern Minneapolis suburb.
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| Five years after Brown's death and Ferguson protests, America must commit to doing better Posted: 09 Aug 2019 06:22 AM PDT  More than 1,000 blacks have died at the hands of police since 2014. Protests, push for accountability show a nation still striving for change.
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| 8 things science has shown to be strongly linked with more gun violence — and 2 things that are not Posted: 09 Aug 2019 05:19 AM PDT  Mental illness and video games are not linked to gun violence. But domestic abuse and access to guns are.
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| Modi says Kashmir decision will rid region of 'terrorism and separatism' Posted: 09 Aug 2019 03:28 AM PDT  The Indian prime minister Narendra Modi on Thursday invoked the country's independence leaders yesterday as he claimed the revocation of Kashmir's autonomy fulfilled their dreams of a united India. In an historic address on live television, Mr Modi said the government's decision to scrap Article 370 of the constitution - which gave the state unique freedoms - "will rid Jammu and Kashmir of terror and separatism". The move "fulfils the dreams of Sardar Patel, BR Ambedkar [two independece leaders] and hundreds of thousands of patriots," Mr Modi said. Underlining the most dramatic constitutional change in India's 70-year history as an independent nation, the leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) claimed that Article 370 "benefited no one" and prevented the state from developing. "The Kashmiris who were deprived of benefits and development because of special status, will no more be left behind," he said, lamenting the deaths of 42,000 people in clashes since independence. Kashmir | Read more TV anchors noted that most Kashmiris were unable to hear the prime minister's words as they have been under lockdown for almost a week with no access to the internet or telecommunications networks. Mr Modi also said that Pakistan and militant groups based in Kashmir had historically "instigated the people of J&K; through certain agents" because of the potential ambiguity of the state's special status. But he pledged that now women, workers, "minorities" and law enforcement would all benefit from the changes and mean Kashmiris would "enjoy equal rights" to other Indians. He also promised "free and fair" state elections, increased investment in sport and a range of other benefits in a speech taken as an address to the rest of India rather than Kashmiris themselves. Information coming from Kashmir is limited, with severe travel restrictions in place especially for journalists and NGOs. In the past week around 500 politicians, activists and alleged separatists have been detained, prompting the UN Human Rights Council to say "we are deeply concerned about the situation in the region". Reports on Thursday said up to 70 "suspected terrorists" were transferred from the Kashmiri capital, Srinagar, to the city of Agra by the air force, an unprecedented move for people not even officially charged. The reaction to the law changes has transcended national borders, with India's old adversary Pakistan saying they are tantamount to human rights abuse against the majority Muslim inhbitants of the state. On Wednesday, Islamabad expelled India's top envoy and announced it would downgrade diplomatic relations. India responded by saying Kashmir was a "sovereign matter". Prime Minister Imran Khan tweeted: "What should be obvious is the international community will be witnessing the genocide of the Kashmiris in IOK ["Indian Occupied Kashmir"]. Question is: Will we watch another appeasement of fascism, this time in the garb of BJP government, or will the international community have the moral courage to stop this from happening?" On Thursday an infamous Pakistani cleric said that "jihad is mandatory now" and called on Islambad to "open the border for our fighters to target Indian forces in Kashmir." Demanding the release from jail of militants in the Jaish-e-Muhammad group, Maulana Abdul Aziz told the Times "we have to respond to Indian atrocities."
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| The El Paso shooting suspect wanted to get Russian-developed ammunition that gun bloggers have raved is the 'most lethal' Posted: 07 Aug 2019 11:55 AM PDT  It's unclear whether the gunman actually obtained ammunition he wanted, but his manifesto describes how the bullets expand and fragment.
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| New Zealand Official Calls 8chan 'the White Supremacist Killer's Platform of Choice' Posted: 09 Aug 2019 05:35 AM PDT  Following the shooting in El Paso
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| UPDATE 2-China issues 'red alert' as super typhoon approaches mainland Posted: 08 Aug 2019 06:13 PM PDT ![UPDATE 2-China issues 'red alert' as super typhoon approaches mainland]( "UPDATE 2-China issues 'red alert' as super typhoon approaches mainland") SHANGHAI/TAIPEI, Aug 9 (Reuters) - China's weather bureau issued a red alert early on Friday as super typhoon Lekima approached Zhejiang province on the eastern coast, after forcing flight cancellations in Taiwan and shutting markets and businesses on the island. The National Meteorological Center (NMC) said the typhoon, the strongest since 2014, was expected to hit the mainland in early on Saturday and then turn north.
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| Hong Kong protesters kick off three-day airport rally Posted: 08 Aug 2019 09:58 PM PDT  Pro-democracy activists kicked off three days of rallies at Hong Kong's airport on Friday, hoping to win international support from arriving passengers as the protests that have rocked the city enter a third month. The rallies, promoted on social media with a mock boarding pass reading "HK to freedom" and "warm pick-up to guests to HK", will be the second time protesters have brought their message to the international travel hub. The gatherings, expected to run over three days, have not been authorised, but the last demonstration at the airport passed off peacefully without causing flight disruptions.
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| Thailand's fugitive ex-premier gets Serbian citizenship Posted: 08 Aug 2019 08:29 AM PDT  Fugitive former Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, who was sentenced in Thailand to five years in prison on graft-related charges, has received Serbian citizenship. State news agency Tanjug reported Thursday that the Serbian government granted her the citizenship "because it could be in the interest of Serbia." Serbian officials did not comment on the reason behind the decision. A government decree confirming she was granted citizenship was published in June in Serbia's official gazette.
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| Emotions Erupt During Court Hearing for DUI Vehicular Homicide Suspect Posted: 07 Aug 2019 02:38 PM PDT  A 62-year-old Washington state woman who has a history of driving while under the influence has pleaded not guilty in the death of a 24-year-old man.
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| Armed Trump supporter detained with gun and knife outside immigrant centre in El Paso Posted: 09 Aug 2019 07:09 AM PDT  An armed Trump supporter sparked a security alert at an immigrant community centre in El Paso when he was spotted "brandishing" a knife outside.Thomas Bartram, 21, was detained by police following reports of a suspicious man parked in front of the building, four days after 22 people were killed in a mass shooting in the city.Mr Bartram, who was legally carrying a gun, was questioned by officers but was released after they decided he had not committed any criminal offence.Photographs and video footage posted online showed Mr Bartram being arrested next to a truck bearing a mocked up image of the US president as Rambo wielding a rocket launcher.Staff at the Casa Carmelita criticised the decision by the El Paso police department, claiming that the man had "clear intent to conduct an armed assault" on the day of Mr Trump's visit."He was sitting in his truck wearing blue latex gloves, and brandishing a knife," they posted on the organisation's Facebook page."Police recovered a loaded gun, ammo, and a bag of white powder from his person. This happens just as Trump departs El Paso and follows a pattern of local organisers being targeted and increased violence and hate crimes." Organisers also claimed the Trump supporter's presence outside the centre caused women to start "fleeing down the street, warning neighbours as they ran away."The El Paso police department tweeted that "officers responded to a suspicious subject at the 900 block of Stanton near Casa Carmelita" at 7pm on 7 July."The subject was detained, interviewed and released after it was determined that no criminal offence had been committed," it added.A police spokesman confirmed the detained man was carrying a firearm legally.Mr Bartram had previously been photographed wearing plastic safety goggles while visiting a vigil for the victims of the shooting in El Paso.He claimed he drove to the city from Houston to "come out and support" Mr Trump and denied allegations he was brandishing the weapons.Asked about the knife and the gloves, he told NBC News: "I was eating prickly pears." The "white powder" was a protein supplement, he said. Mr Bartram added: "I'm definitely not a white supremacist."Seven of the victims of the El Paso shooting carried out by a suspected white supremacist were Mexican citizens. Thirteen were US citizens, one was German and one remains unknown.
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| View Every Angle of the 2020 Mini Clubman John Cooper Works Posted: 08 Aug 2019 04:59 AM PDT |
| Russia's military has been rocked by a string of explosions and fires in recent weeks that have left dozens dead or wounded Posted: 08 Aug 2019 08:50 AM PDT  Russia's accident-prone military has seen a fire on a secret submarine, an ammo depot shockwave and explosion, and a rocket engine explosion.
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| 'We Have Taken an Historic Decision.' Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi Addresses Nation On Kashmir Move Posted: 08 Aug 2019 09:49 AM PDT  Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation after his government revoked Kashmir's constitutionally-enshrined special status
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| Nineteen bodies, some dismembered, found in southwestern Mexico Posted: 08 Aug 2019 12:25 PM PDT ![Nineteen bodies, some dismembered, found in southwestern Mexico]( "Nineteen bodies, some dismembered, found in southwestern Mexico") Mexican authorities said Thursday that they found 19 bodies, some dismembered, in the southwestern state of Michoacan, as the federal government seeks to combat rising violence with a new militarized police. The victims, which included three women, were found at three different locations in the drug-cartel hotbed of Uruapan, state prosecutor Adrian Lopez told reporters Thursday morning. Battles between rival criminal groups have made Michoacan one of Mexico's bloodiest states.
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| Black women deserve better from Kamala Harris. Don't take our vote for granted Posted: 09 Aug 2019 03:00 AM PDT  Instead of championing real structural change, Harris prefers shallow virtue-signalling. We're waiting for more 'A Kamala Harris presidency would be ineffectual for the demographic that will likely comprise much of her base: black women.' Photograph: Mike Blake/ReutersWhen Senator Kamala Harris announced a student loan cancellation plan over the weekend, it was roundly, and justifiably, met with disdain. Convoluted and bloated with caveats, the plan would provide $20,000 of student loan debt relief … for Pell Grant recipients…who also operate a business in a disadvantaged community … for at least three years (sarcastic ellipses mine).After pushback against her rather niche proposal, Harris clarified that the plan is part of a larger package of entrepreneurship policies, not her education policies.But a review of both the education and entrepreneurship packages on her campaign website suggests a bigger problem. A Kamala Harris presidency would be ineffectual for the demographic that will probably comprise much of her base: black women.Black women have more student loan debt than any other graduates in the country. Of college graduates repaying student debt, black women experience more financial difficulty than anyone else in the country. Black women are paid the least of any group of people of both high school graduates and college graduates with a bachelor's degree.The causes for these inequalities vary, but research points to wealth disparities generally, differences in family dynamics between young black and white people, and hiring discrimination. According to a report by Demos, 41% of white college-educated families, compared with 13% of black families, get an inheritance. The report adds that "black people are more likely to financially help older family members, preventing wealth accumulation and leaving them more financially vulnerable". Further, "employers persist in discriminating against black workers in hiring, in assigning more precarious employment prospects to black workers than to white workers, and in requiring more education of black workers for the same job as white workers".> A Kamala Harris presidency would be ineffectual for the demographic that will likely comprise much of her base: black womenYoung black people, and black women in particular, are keenly aware of the latter. Without the same social networks to rely on as non-black workers in the event of lay-offs and to enter fields where we have been customarily excluded, black women heed the lessons that education is the great equalizer. We are at an intersection of racial and gendered expectations to work two times harder, not just because we are black, but also because we are women who tend to be underestimated in the labor force. This creates more pressure to "professionalize" ourselves, and it's not yet proving to pay off.These vast structural hurdles in higher education and employment opportunity cannot be overcome with the sort of piecemeal economic reform Kamala Harris has recommended. By her campaign's estimate, as reported by the Cut, the limited student loan cancellation program will affect .04% of the 45 million Americans with student loan debt.Instead of championing substantial debt relief, which would significantly close the black-white wealth gap, Harris seems to prefer shallow virtue-signaling to black voters. When she's not suggesting these modest proposals, she's taking the language of candidates to her left while muddying the water of what her policies will actually do. Instead of proposing free college tuition, she refers to "debt-free" college, without specifying what that means. While saying she supports reparations, she clarifies that they won't be particular to black Americans. While taking the debate stage to suggest that she supports a single-payer Medicare for All, she later advocates a different plan that won't be single-payer.Even worse, her assertion that she has no intention to "restructure society", even though scholars argue a government-backed redistribution of wealth is necessary for racial equality, makes Harris sound more like Joe Biden than Shirley Chisholm, after whom she has fashioned herself. While she may be able to make distinctions between herself and Joe Biden on civil rights, her brand of economic moderation is in some ways more dangerous.Appealing to black women superficially, without the substance to back it, gives her enough legitimacy to win black women over while offering little in return. This leaves progressive black women in the awkward position of not critiquing her so that she gets the nomination, which becomes not critiquing her so she wins the general election, which turns into leaving her presidency unchallenged so she can govern. While protecting the career of a single black politician, black women as a whole are likely to face unabated, growing inequality.We can't afford the four years of piecemeal moderation that Kamala Harris offers, and we have the debt to prove it. * Malaika Jabali is a public policy attorney, writer and activist whose writing has appeared in Essence, Jacobin, the Intercept, Glamour and elsewhere
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| Critics protest move of Confederate statue to Florida county Posted: 09 Aug 2019 04:22 AM PDT ![Critics protest move of Confederate statue to Florida county]( "Critics protest move of Confederate statue to Florida county") Opponents of the relocation of a Confederate statue to a Florida county with a fraught racial past are protesting the decision to house the monument at a tax-supported historical museum at a time when cities around the U.S. have been removing Confederate monuments. Protesters on Saturday planned to march through downtown Tavares, Florida to voice their opposition to bringing the statue to Lake County. Lake County Commissioners last month endorsed moving the statue of Edmund Kirby Smith to the Lake County Historical Society.
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| Israel navy seeks to raise profile with multi-national drill Posted: 09 Aug 2019 02:59 AM PDT  A huge earthquake hits northern Israel, killing thousands and knocking out infrastructure -- this doomsday scenario was the premise for a multi-national naval drill this week. Sailors from France, Greece and the United States arrived on their vessels and were joined by the Israelis off the Israeli port city of Haifa for the four-day exercise, called Mighty Waves. It was the first time Israel hosted and organised a drill of such scope, said Lieutenant Colonel Liav Zilberman.
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| U.S. Holds Off on Huawei Licenses as China Halts Crop-Buying Posted: 08 Aug 2019 08:00 PM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- The White House is holding off on a decision about licenses for U.S. companies to restart business with Huawei Technologies Co. after Beijing said it was halting purchases of U.S. farming goods, according to people familiar with the matter.Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, whose department has vetted the applications to resume sales, said last week he's received 50 requests and that a decision on them was pending. American businesses require a special license to supply goods to Huawei after the U.S. added the Chinese telecommunications giant to a trade blacklist in May over national-security concerns.The U.S. decision rattled stocks, bonds, currencies and even soybean prices around the world. Huawei suppliers Micron Technology Inc. and Western Digital Corp. declined as much as 2.2% after news of the delay in license approvals, while Qualcomm Inc., Xilinx Inc. and NeoPhotonics Corp. all fell more than 1% in after-hours trading. Huawei's dollar bond spreads widened by 10 to 15 basis points Friday morning, while the Australian dollar and offshore yuan weakened versus the greenback and the yen gained.Trade TrucePresident Donald Trump said in late June after agreeing to a now-broken trade truce with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Japan that some restrictions on Huawei would be loosened. But that promise was contingent upon China beefing up its purchases from American farmers, which Trump has complained the country has failed to do.In the past week tensions have escalated further as Trump said he would impose a 10% tariff on $300 billion of Chinese imports as of Sept. 1 and his Treasury Department formally labeled China a currency manipulator.Still, Trump said last week there were no plans to reverse the decision he made in Japan to allow more sales by U.S. suppliers of non-sensitive products to Huawei. He said the issue of Huawei is not related to the trade talks.The White House had no immediate comment, and the Commerce Department declined to comment. Huawei also declined to comment. China's foreign affairs and commerce ministries didn't immediately respond to faxed requests for comment.Tech PitchTechnology companies have already made their pitch to the White House for a rapid granting of licenses that would allow them to resume some shipments of components to Huawei.The Chinese company is one of the world's biggest purchasers of semiconductors. Continuing access to that market is crucial to the fortunes of chipmakers such as Intel Corp., Qualcomm Inc. and Broadcom Inc. who sent their chief executives to meet with Trump in July.Companies such as Xilinx Inc. and Micron have publicly said they've applied for licenses and called on the U.S. to allow them to resume doing business with Huawei. They argue that many of their products are easily obtainable from their overseas rivals, making a ban ineffective and also harmful to the industry that the trade dispute with China is supposed to be helping.Some U.S.-based makers of electronic components have already reported earnings and given forecasts that show the negative effects of the trade dispute.(Updates with bond spread moves in fourth paragraph.)\--With assistance from Adam Haigh and Jeran Wittenstein.To contact the reporters on this story: Jenny Leonard in Washington at jleonard67@bloomberg.net;Ian King in San Francisco at ianking@bloomberg.net;Jennifer Jacobs in Washington at jjacobs68@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Margaret Collins at mcollins45@bloomberg.net, ;Michael Shepard at mshepard7@bloomberg.net, ;Tom Giles at tgiles5@bloomberg.net, Sarah McGregor, Scott LanmanFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Epstein files unsealed: Thousands of accusers' documents have been released from the defamation suit against his ex-girlfriend and alleged 'madam' Posted: 09 Aug 2019 07:42 AM PDT  Unsealed court documents from the Giuffre v. Maxwell defamation suit in Florida reveal thousands of documents concerning Epstein's sex crimes.
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| Illinois Cop Shot Unarmed Black 12-Year-old in Bed During Botched Raid: Lawsuit Posted: 08 Aug 2019 01:55 PM PDT  HandoutAn Illinois mother filed a lawsuit on Thursday accusing police officers of "terrorizing" innocent children after her unarmed, 12-year-old son was shot in his bed with an assault rifle during a pre-dawn raid on their home. The lawsuit alleges that nearly two dozen Country Club Hills and Richton Park SWAT officers entered Crystal Worship's home in May with exploding flash-grenades and automatic rifles to execute a search warrant intended for her boyfriend. During the raid, her black son, Amir, was allegedly shot by a white officer as he sat on his bed with his hands in the air and suffered a shattered kneecap."There is a silent epidemic of trauma being perpetrated upon the children and families of color by Chicago and South Suburban police barreling into the wrong homes, handcuffing innocent adults, holding guns on children, handcuffing children, trashing their homes, refusing to show warrants, and screaming dehumanizing commands," Al Hofeld Jr., the family's attorney, said in a press release announcing the lawsuit."Now, children are being shot in their beds," he added. 'You're Gonna Kill Me': Body-Cam Footage Shows Cops Mocking Dallas Man as He DiesThe lawsuit, which was filed in the Circuit Court of Cook County on Thursday, names the city of County Club Hills, the village of Richton Park, and several police officers as defendants. The family is seeking $50,000 in damages for alleged negligence, willful and wanton conduct, assault, battery, and false imprisonment.On May 26, 2019, officers dressed in "army fatigues with black cloth covering their faces and wearing goggles" entered the family's home at about 5 a.m. while Crystal Worship and her three sons—Amir, 13-year-old Eric, and 18-year-old Robert—were asleep, according to the lawsuit. The court documents allege the officers "battered open the two entry doors and set off between two and five flash-bang grenades," while executing a search warrant for Crystal's boyfriend.The boyfriend, Mitchell Thurnam, was arrested and charged with drug possession in a case that was dropped weeks later.Once inside the house, the lawsuit alleges, SWAT officers went to the children's bedroom and shouted "commands at them" while holding their assault rifles. "The children were terrified they were about to be killed," the lawsuit states. One officer allegedly continued pointing his firearm directly at Amir, who was shirtless and sitting at the edge of his bed with his hands in the air, even after the room had been cleared. After asking his age, the officer "pulled him up and off of his bed and told him to sit on his brother's bed... and to put a shirt one," the lawsuit alleges. Miami Cop Charged With Misconduct After Violent Arrest of Black WomanThirty seconds later, another officer entered the room and allegedly told Amir to "put his shoes on" but then snatched the child's shoes away when he tried to follow his orders. The officer then "asked which pair of shoes in the room were his" and examined one of the shoes with a flashlight, the lawsuit says.While handing the shoe back to Amir and trying to put his flashlight away in his vest, "the officer quickly moved his right hand back to the handle and trigger of his rifle, grabbing it and firing it," the lawsuit states. After the officer shot Amir in the knee, shattering his kneecap, he allegedly "covered his badge with black tape and covered his body camera." "Mom, they shot me," Amir started to yell, according to the documents. "I can't move it."As Amir started screaming, Crystal Worship asked officers in the next room if they were "shooting" the children, the lawsuit says. Officers allegedly refused to tell her what happened and "lied to her and told her they shot someone walking past outside."The lawsuit also alleges Eric heard his brother being shot while another officer pointed an assault rifle at him. He was handcuffed and placed in a squad car alone for an hour before officers held him at the station for five hours, according to the documents.Amir Worship was transported to the hospital after the bullet "entered his joint and partially exited the back of his leg on the right side"—an injury that required surgery, the lawsuit states. Texas Police Apologize for Viral Photo of Mounted Officers Leading Black Man by RopeThe boy was initially hospitalized for four days after the surgery, and later returned after he "developed complications from infection" which included a high fever, blurred vision, and blacking out twice, the family says."According to an orthopedic doctor, Amir will not be able to play any sports again, will have difficulty in physical education, will walk with a limp, and will have difficulty walking and running for the rest of his life," the lawsuit states. A spokesperson for the Country Club Hills Police Department declined to comment on Thursday's lawsuit, citing an ongoing investigation with the Illinois State Police. Richton Park Police did not immediately respond to The Daily Beast's requests for comment.Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. 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| Detroit Resident Dies After Trump Administration Deports Him to Iraq, Report Says Posted: 08 Aug 2019 02:55 AM PDT  The man had never lived in Iraq before he was deported to the country
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| Timeline: Vladimir Putin - 20 tumultuous years as Russian President or PM Posted: 09 Aug 2019 04:30 AM PDT  Russian President Vladimir Putin was appointed acting prime minister on Aug. 9 1999 by then president Boris Yeltsin. Aug. 9, 1999 - During an economic crisis, Boris Yeltsin names little-known security chief Vladimir Putin as his fifth acting prime minister in less than a year, and says he wants Putin to succeed him as president. In the following weeks, apartment bombings across Russia kill more than 300 people, which Putin blames on Chechen terrorists.
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| Hundreds of poor migrant workers flee Kashmir under lockdown Posted: 07 Aug 2019 06:04 PM PDT  Hit by a complete security lockdown in Kashmir, hundreds of poor migrant workers have begun fleeing the Himalayan region to return to their far-away villages in northern and eastern India. Authorities in Hindu-majority India clamped a complete shutdown on Kashmir as they scrapped the Muslim-majority state's special status, including exclusive hereditary rights and a separate constitution, and divided it into two territories. The Kashmir region is divided between India and Pakistan and is claimed by both.
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| Airline pilot flies dad's remains home from Vietnam 52 years after seeing him off at same Dallas airport Posted: 08 Aug 2019 12:53 PM PDT  When Air Force Maj. Roy Knight, Jr., left Dallas for Vietnam 52 years ago, his 5-year-old son, Bryan, came to Dallas Love field to see him off. On Thursday, Bryan, now a captain for Southwest Airlines, brought back his father's remains aboard a flight to the same Dallas airport.
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| Two bodies found in Canada, believed to be teen murder suspects Posted: 07 Aug 2019 04:51 PM PDT  Canadian police said Wednesday they had discovered the bodies of two men believed to be fugitive teens who allegedly murdered three people last month -- ending a nearly three-week nationwide manhunt. Kam McLeod, 19, and Bryer Schmegelsky, 18, were wanted over the murders of an Australian man and his American girlfriend, as well as of a Canadian university professor. Initially, the pair were reported missing themselves after their car was found torched in British Columbia -- but police then discovered the third body, and the Vancouver teens were named as formal suspects.
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| A group of scientists called the 'Ring of 5' found evidence of a major nuclear accident that went undeclared in Russia Posted: 08 Aug 2019 05:19 AM PDT  A new study traces "an unprecedented release" of radiation in 2017 to the Mayak nuclear facility in Russia.
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| Man fights off grizzly bear by stabbing it in neck with pocket knife as it savaged him Posted: 09 Aug 2019 03:40 AM PDT  A man savaged by a grizzly bear while mountain biking fought off the animal by stabbing it with a 2in pocket knife – and then cycled four miles to get help.Colin Dowler was out in the backwoods of British Columbia exploring possible hiking routes when he turned a corner and encountered the huge grizzly at a distance of about 30m, the BBC reported.He had hoped the bear would avoid confrontation and pass him by, or retreat into trees near the logging trail on Mount Doogie Dowler, named for his grandfather.But the animal approached him with "methodical, heavy swats" of its paws, Mr Dowler told the broadcaster. He tried talking it down, he said, telling it: "I know this is your territory, I'm just passing through, we don't have to do this."When the grizzly did not retreat the 45-year-old tried throwing his bike at it, to no avail. Then it lunged, sinking its teeth into his stomach.Mr Dowler told Canadian broadcaster CBC: "It grabbed me by the stomach and kind of pushed me down and dragged me toward the ditch maybe 50 feet. I tried eye gouging it away and it didn't really work."The bear also bit into his limbs during the 29 July attack, the reports said.He added: "It sounded like it was grating my bones up. "Somehow, I don't know how I did it. I used both hands to pull underneath the bear to get to that knife, and I grabbed the knife ... and stabbed the bear in his neck."It let go of me immediately. It was bleeding quite badly, I wasn't really sure if it was dying faster than I was."Once free of the bear's jaws Mr Dowler reportedly made a tourniquet from his shirt and rode some 4.3 miles before finding help, in the form of five logging camp workers who gave first aid and called for an air ambulance.Mr Dowler, a father of two, is now recovering at Vancouver General Hospital.The bear was reportedly tracked down and killed by wildlife officers.
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