| Trump’s 'lynching' tweet draws outrage — and some Republican support Posted: 22 Oct 2019 09:37 AM PDT  President Trump's comparison of the House Democrats' ongoing impeachment inquiry to "a lynching" was promptly condemned by many critics. But three prominent GOP senators came to his defense.
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| Should billionaires exist? Posted: 22 Oct 2019 01:19 PM PDT  Should billionaires, who own more wealth than half the world's population, exist? Some progressive politicians have proposed plans that could make billionaires a thing of the past.
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| UPDATE 1-Kremlin says U.S. betrayed Kurds in Syria, tells Kurds to withdraw or be mauled Posted: 23 Oct 2019 12:19 AM PDT ![UPDATE 1-Kremlin says U.S. betrayed Kurds in Syria, tells Kurds to withdraw or be mauled]( "UPDATE 1-Kremlin says U.S. betrayed Kurds in Syria, tells Kurds to withdraw or be mauled") The Kremlin said on Wednesday that the United States had betrayed and abandoned the Syrian Kurds and advised the Kurds to withdraw from the Syrian border as per a deal between Moscow and Ankara or be mauled by the Turkish army. The comments by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov to Russian news agencies followed a deal agreed on Tuesday between Russia and Turkey that will see Syrian and Russian forces deploy to northeast Syria to remove Kurdish YPG fighters and their weapons from the border with Turkey. Peskov, who was reported to be reacting to comments by U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy for Syria James Jeffrey, complained that it appeared that the United States was encouraging the Kurds to stay close to the Syrian border and fight the Turkish army.
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| U.S. Wins Court Seizure of North Korean Cargo Vessel Posted: 21 Oct 2019 02:44 PM PDT ![U.S. Wins Court Seizure of North Korean Cargo Vessel]( "U.S. Wins Court Seizure of North Korean Cargo Vessel") (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. won a court battle to take control of a North Korean cargo ship that had been used to sell coal and import heavy machinery, skirting economic sanctions on the country.Federal prosecutors in New York said Monday that they secured a judgment from U.S. District Judge Kevin Castel awarding the ship, a Handysize bulk carrier known as the "Wise Honest," to the U.S., after the government filed a forfeiture action to seize it this year.The ship was interdicted by Indonesia in international waters last year. North Korea did not contest the legal action in court but protested the seizure to the United Nations, calling the U.S. a "gangster country."U.S. authorities have indicated they may auction the ship. Among those seeking compensation from the proceeds may be the family of Otto Warmbier, who secured an uncontested $500 million judgment against North Korea over the torture and death of their son stemming from his time in custody. The Warmbiers filed a claim against the ship when it was seized but then withdrew it to allow the case to move forward.To contact the reporter on this story: Christian Berthelsen in New York at cberthelsen1@bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: David Glovin at dglovin@bloomberg.netFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Iranian beauty queen pleads for asylum in the Philippines Posted: 22 Oct 2019 08:11 AM PDT  An Iranian beauty queen is seeking asylum in the Philippines, fearing for her life after Tehran demanded her extradition for a crime she claims she did not commit. Bahareh Zare Bahari, who represented Iran at the 2018 Miss Intercontinental pageant in Manila, and who has studied dental medicine in the Philippines since 2014, has been held for six days at the country's Ninoy Aquino airport after Iran slapped an Interpol Red Notice on her for alleged assault. In a series of messages, the distraught Ms Bahari told the Telegraph that the case was a "big lie," adding that she believed she was being targeted for her political activism and outspoken support of women's rights. If she was deported to Iran, "they will kill me," she said. Markk Perete, undersecretary at the Philippine department of justice, said that "the only reason she was held at the airport - and we really don't call it detention - it is really restraining her from entering the Philippine territory, is only because of that Red Notice issued against her." He added that the request had been made "presumably on account of a pending criminal case against her in Iran, and this case was filed by an Iranian national against her in relation to an assault that happened presumably here in the Philippines." Bahareh Zare Bahari, who is studying dental medicine, is an outspoken advocate for women's rights Credit: Facebook However, Mr Perete said that the Philippines was unaware of this allegation, and that an earlier accusation of commercial fraud against her had been dismissed. There were no criminal cases pending against Ms Bahari, he confirmed. "We don't have any cause for refusing her entry for violation of our laws." Ms Bahari's asylum plea is now being considered by the justice department, with the help of a lawyer. Meanwhile, the dental student is confined to Terminal 3's transit area awaiting her fate. "There is no updating, no information about the reason why [they] keep me here so long," she said. She believes her political statement at the pageant - waving a poster of Reza Pahlavi, the exiled former crown prince, and one of the foremost critics of Iran's Islamic government - made her enemies in Tehran. Mr Pahlavi's name has been invoked by some Iranian groups who have called for a return of the monarchy to deal with corruption and poor economic conditions. "I used his photo on stage to be [the] voice of my people because all news and media are ignoring my people," she said. Human Rights Watch on Tuesday called for "a fair and impartial hearing of her claim" in Manila. "It's absolutely critical the Philippines provides Bahareh Zare Bahari with support, including access to legal counsel, to compile and file her asylum application," said Phil Robertson, HRW deputy Asia director. "While waiting for the details to become clear, there should be no action under Iran's Interpol red notice, especially since under Interpol rules a red notice is null and void if the person named in the notice is found to be a refugee fleeing from the state that issued it."
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| Iraq: American troops leaving Syria cannot stay in Iraq Posted: 22 Oct 2019 08:21 AM PDT  U.S. troops leaving Syria and heading to neighboring Iraq do not have permission to stay in the country, Iraq's military said Tuesday as American forces continued to pull out of northern Syria after Turkey's invasion of the border region. The statement appears to contradict U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper, who has said that under the current plan, all U.S. troops leaving Syria will go to western Iraq and the military would continue to conduct operations against the Islamic State group to prevent its resurgence in the region.
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| Phoenix police officer involved in viral video stop of couple fired Posted: 23 Oct 2019 11:00 AM PDT  Phoenix Chief Jeri Williams announced that the officer involved in a viral video stop of Dravon Ames and Iesha Harper has been fired.
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| Tasmanian Tigers Are Extinct, So Why Are Locals Reporting Sightings? Posted: 23 Oct 2019 08:23 AM PDT  These sightings, if true, would reverse the belief that the carnivore has gone extinct.
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| 'Who gives a s--- about Afghanistan?': Trump stunned officials with his comments during a military briefing, former aide says Posted: 23 Oct 2019 09:54 AM PDT  Trump made the remarks during a meeting with top military officials, according to Jim Mattis' former speechwriter, Guy Snodgrass.
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| Can Israel Fend off an Iranian Missile or Drone Attack? Posted: 22 Oct 2019 08:00 PM PDT  How good are their defenses?
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| Vatican financial regulator denies wrongdoing in London property buy Posted: 23 Oct 2019 06:21 AM PDT  The Vatican's financial regulator on Wednesday rejected a prosecutor's accusations that it acted improperly over the purchase of a luxury building in London, raising the stakes in an awkward internal conflict for Pope Francis. A statement by the Financial Information Authority (AIF) was the latest twist in a saga that has so far included an unprecedented police raid on two key departments, the suspension of five employees and the resignation of the Vatican's longtime security chief and papal bodyguard. In its first public comment since the raid on its offices on Oct. 1, when police seized documents and computers, AIF said it had carried out an internal investigation and confirmed confidence in its director, Tommaso di Ruzza, who was suspended after the raid.
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| Ethiopian Police Deny Claims of Plot to Harm Leading Activist Posted: 23 Oct 2019 05:39 AM PDT ![Ethiopian Police Deny Claims of Plot to Harm Leading Activist]( "Ethiopian Police Deny Claims of Plot to Harm Leading Activist") (Bloomberg) -- Police in Ethiopia refuted allegations by the executive director of the Oromia Media Network of a plan to endanger his life by withdrawing his state-provided security.There is instead a gradual withdrawal of security personnel assigned to activists and politicians, according to the Ethiopian Federal Police Commission's chief, Endeshaw Tasew.Jawar Mohammed, an influential Oromo activist previously based in the U.S., returned to Ethiopia in 2018 following reforms initiated by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. Since taking office in April 2018, Abiy has released thousands of prisoners and began talks with opposition groups after a quarter century of tight control by the ruling party. The state also dropped charges against Jawar and other critics."I am now informed that talk of removing my security so that my adversaries can 'teach me lesson' was discussed privately in some circles," Jawar posted on Facebook. The move exposes him to civilian attackers, he said. Supporters blocked roads and disrupted business in his neighborhood to demand his security.To contact the reporter on this story: Samuel Gebre in Abidjan at sgebre@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: David Malingha at dmalingha@bloomberg.net, Eric Ombok, Helen NyamburaFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Medieval man's face reconstructed from 600-year-old skull Posted: 23 Oct 2019 07:46 AM PDT ![Medieval man's face reconstructed from 600-year-old skull]( "Medieval man's face reconstructed from 600-year-old skull") Researchers found that Skeleton 125 was over the age of 46 years old and shorter than the average medieval man. He was around 5'2" or 5'3".
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| Russia, Turkey seal power in northeast Syria with new accord Posted: 22 Oct 2019 02:45 PM PDT  Russia and Turkey reached an agreement Tuesday that would cement their power in Syria, deploying their forces across nearly its entire northeastern border to fill the void left by President Donald Trump's abrupt withdrawal of U.S. forces. The accord caps a dramatic and swift transformation of the Syrian map unleashed by Trump's decision two weeks ago to remove the American soldiers. U.S. troops in Syria fought five years alongside Kurdish-led forces in northeast Syria and succeeded in bringing down the rule of the Islamic State group there at the cost of thousands of Kurdish fighters' lives.
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| Iraqi Kurds turn to Zoroastrianism as faith, identity entwine Posted: 22 Oct 2019 06:52 PM PDT  Zoroastrianism. Years of violence by the Islamic State jihadist group have left many disillusioned with Islam, while a much longer history of state oppression has pushed some in Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region to see the millennia-old religion as a way of reasserting their identity. "After Kurds witnessed the brutality of IS, many started to rethink their faith," said Asrawan Qadrok, the faith's top priest in Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region.
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| Doctors still need to tell parents about safe infant sleep practices Posted: 21 Oct 2019 02:13 PM PDT  Researchers survey responses from more than 34,000 mothers on how often they followed four essential practices: placing infants to sleep on their back; putting babies to bed in a crib or other safe sleep surface; room sharing without bed sharing; and keeping soft objects and loose bedding away from sleeping babies.
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| Mexico Misleads on Failed Arrest of ‘Chapo’ Son: Ex-DEA Official Posted: 23 Oct 2019 09:52 AM PDT ![Mexico Misleads on Failed Arrest of 'Chapo' Son: Ex-DEA Official]( "Mexico Misleads on Failed Arrest of 'Chapo' Son: Ex-DEA Official") (Bloomberg) -- Mexico's government isn't being truthful about the botched attempt to capture the son of the world's most notorious drug trafficker, according to a former head of international operations for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.The administration of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador hasn't revealed that while trying to bring Ovidio Guzman Lopez into custody, security forces had caught another son of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, Mike Vigil, the former DEA official, said in an interview.Ivan Archivaldo Guzman Salazar had also been detained and let go when gunmen overpowered police, Vigil said, citing unverified intelligence he received from top Mexico police sources. The New York Times had originally reported that Ivan Archivaldo had also been captured and released, citing people who asked not to be identified."There are so many factors that point to the fact that he was there and they also released him," said Vigil. "But they'll never admit to it because they've been lying from the get go." Vigil wouldn't disclose the sources behind his assertions, which couldn't be independently corroborated. He added that authorities have been misleading the public by playing down the amount of planning that went into the operation.Lopez Obrador said at his daily news conference Wednesday that he had no information on whether Ivan Archivaldo had been captured and released. AMLO's press office strongly rejected Vigil's assertion that it misled the public on the botched arrest. "There's been an unusual amount of transparency, not only for Mexico but by international standards. The entire security cabinet was explaining every detail," said Jesus Cantu, the information chief of the president's press office. "The president himself said he'd testify before the authorities if they considered he'd done something illegal."How AMLO's Plans to Transform Mexico Ran Into Reality: QuickTakeLopez Obrador, known as AMLO, has been struggling to convince the public that his government took the right step by releasing Guzman Lopez after gunmen began attacking civilians in efforts to free him in the northern city of Culiacan, Sinaloa. Guzman Lopez is said to have taken over some of the criminal activities after his father was sentenced to life in a U.S. prison.Initially, Mexico's security chief, Alfonso Durazo, had said the troops had stumbled on Guzman Lopez by accident. Afterward, government officials said it was part of a planned operation. More recently, officials signaled that the arrest was approved by low-level law enforcement officials and cabinet ministers may not have been aware.While the president and Durazo have spoken of "errors" regarding the operation, they've been distancing themselves from it. AMLO, as the president is known, said Tuesday that he wasn't informed about the operation to capture Guzman Lopez.He also confirmed that there was an extradition order for the alleged trafficker and raised questions about whether the minister of defense had even been informed about the operation. "I think the Defense Ministry had knowledge of it, the minister? I don't know. I think so."Jesus Ramirez, the president's spokesman and like Cantu is also from AMLO's press office, told Bloomberg News on Monday that Mexico attempted to detain Guzman Lopez upon request by the DEA for extradition. The DEA declined to comment and the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City directed inquiries to the White House press office, which hasn't responded to a request for comment.Vigil questioned why the authorities would target Guzman Lopez for extradition, when Chapo's other sons are far more active in the Sinaloa Cartel once run by their father. "Jesus Alfredo and Ivan Archivaldo are much more important than Ovidio," he said. "Mexico from the very beginning began distorting the truth in order to buy time so they could come up with a plausible deniability story."(Updates with AMLO's comment in fifth paragraph)To contact the reporter on this story: Nacha Cattan in Mexico City at ncattan@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Juan Pablo Spinetto at jspinetto@bloomberg.net, Robert JamesonFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| U.S. Marine Corps Stealth Fighters Get a New Home. A British Aircraft Carrier Posted: 22 Oct 2019 01:11 AM PDT  A squadron of U.S. Marine Corps F-35B stealth fighters will embark on the Royal Navy's new aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth in 2021 when the vessel sails on her first operational deployment.
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| Rep. Ilhan Omar condemns North Dakota state senator's Facebook post Posted: 22 Oct 2019 10:10 AM PDT  Rep. Ilhan Omar has condemned a Republican state senator from North Dakota who posted a long-debunked photo on his Facebook page that purports to show the Minnesota Democrat holding a weapon at an al-Qaida training camp.
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| View Photos of the Mazda MX-30 Posted: 22 Oct 2019 08:08 PM PDT |
| Rudy Giuliani Admits He ‘Did Sort of Look at’ Ukrainian Oligarch Dmitry Firtash for Info Posted: 22 Oct 2019 08:05 PM PDT  Georges Schneider/AFP/GettyVictoria Toensing and Joe DiGenova, the pro-Trump lawyers representing a Ukrainian oligarch wanted by U.S. authorities on conspiracy charges, reportedly met personally with Attorney General William Barr in July—at the height of Rudy Giuliani's hunt for kompromat on Joe Biden in Ukraine. Citing three sources familiar with the meeting, The Washington Post reports that diGenova and Toensing argued against the charges facing Dmitry Firtash—who has been described by federal prosecutors as having connections to the "upper echelons" of Russian organized crime—in the meeting with Barr and other Justice Department officials. Barr is said to have refused to intercede. Firtash, who has been fighting extradition to the U.S. on bribery and corruption charges from Vienna for more than five years, had only recently hired Toensing and diGenova at the time of the reported meeting. According to Bloomberg, he paid them $1 million earlier this year to dig up dirt on Biden in a bid to get Giuliani's help with his legal woes. While Giuliani has maintained he never had anything to do with Firtash's case, Firtash reportedly bankrolled at least one piece of opposition research that Giuliani would later hold up on cable news as proof of Biden's wrongdoing: a witness statement from Viktor Shokin, Ukraine's former prosecutor general, claiming the former vice president had him fired to protect his son from a corruption investigation. Giuliani told the Post that he "did sort of look at Firtash to see if he had any relevant information" that could help with his search for damaging information about Democrats. "As far as I can tell, he didn't. I looked at maybe 20 of these oligarchs."A Justice Department spokeswoman said the Firtash case "has the support of the department leadership" and said DOJ would "continue to work closely with the Austrian Ministry of Justice to extradite Mr. Firtash." Toensing reportedly declined to comment on the Barr meeting.The Post also reports that prosecutors in Chicago who filed the bribery charges against Firtash in 2013 had previously come across two of Giuliani's recently arrested associates, Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, in their case. Prosecutors there are now said to be reviewing whether there is a larger relationship between Firtash and the Soviet-born businessmen accused of campaign finance violations. Parnas and Fruman, who were reportedly enlisted by Giuliani to help find dirt on Trump's political opponents in Ukraine, are accused of making an illicit campaign donation in a bid to have the then-U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch, removed. Giuliani claimed he did not know whether Firtash, Parnas, and Fruman had a relationship. "It's none of my business," he told the Post. Lawyers for Parnas and Fruman have not publicly spoken about their clients' potential ties to Firtash.Firtash reportedly hired both Toensing and diGenova this summer at the recommendation of Parnas, who is said to have worked as a translator for Toensing and diGenova in the Firtash case. A Toensing and diGenova spokesman said Firtash had "no business relationship" with Parnas or Fruman. "No money has been paid to Mr. Parnas by Mr. Firtash beyond his work as a translator for the law firm," the spokesman said.Parnas and Fruman were both arrested at a D.C. airport before they reportedly could board one-way flights to Vienna earlier this month. Giuliani told The Atlantic that he also intended on going to Vienna just one day after Parnas and Fruman were scheduled to depart the U.S.Indicted Oligarch Dmytro Firtash Praises Paul Manafort, Says Trump Has Third-Grade SmartsRead more at The Daily Beast.Get 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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| What Trump gets wrong about war against the Islamic State Posted: 22 Oct 2019 01:05 PM PDT  President Donald Trump has made several incorrect or misleading statements about the five-year battle against the Islamic State group as he seeks to end what he calls "endless wars" and explain an abrupt abandonment of America's Kurdish partners in the face of a Turkish offensive. TRUMP: THE U.S.-LED EFFORT TO DEFEAT THE ISLAMIC STATE GROUP WAS "A MESS" BEFORE I TOOK OFFICE. It's true that he accelerated the military push in Syria, in part by giving U.S. commanders in the field more authority.
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| Malaysian prosecutor: Najib orchestrated graft like an 'emperor' Posted: 22 Oct 2019 03:20 AM PDT  Malaysian prosecutors have begun wrapping up their first case against the ex-premier, who faces seven charges of criminal breach of trust, money laundering and abuse of power linked to alleged transfers of 42 million ringgit ($10.03 million) into his personal bank account from SRC International, a former 1MDB unit.
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| 'Johnny Reb' no longer welcome in Norfolk: Virginia city gets OK to move Confederate statue Posted: 23 Oct 2019 11:56 AM PDT  Virginia's attorney general says the city of Norfolk can move its "Johnny Reb" Confederate statue from a busy downtown intersection to a cemetery
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| South African Airways Recalls Planes for Compliance Checks Posted: 22 Oct 2019 10:47 AM PDT ![South African Airways Recalls Planes for Compliance Checks]( "South African Airways Recalls Planes for Compliance Checks") (Bloomberg) -- Four airlines operating in South Africa were forced to delay flights and ground some planes after a local regulator ordered checks following inspections of a technical and maintenance provider.State-owned South African Airways and its low-cost unit Mango were affected, as was Comair Ltd., which operates Kulula and British Airways domestically, according to statements on Tuesday. Both Airbus SE and Boeing Co. jets were involved in the disruption, according to flight-tracking websites.South African Airways said it will operate an amended flight schedule Tuesday for compliance checks in line with Civil Aviation Authority requirements. The decision followed an oversight inspection conducted by the regulator at South African Airways Technical, which oversees the maintenance for a number of carriers including SAA and Comair."SAA Technical has since submitted a corrective action plan aimed at addressing the irregularities," the transport ministry said in a statement. The move bythe CAA was an act of precaution, Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula told reporters, declining to be more specific. 'Airworthiness'"We can confirm that four of the affected aircraft have been released back into service and we are expecting the full fleet to be back in operation by tomorrow morning," Comair said in a statement.Kutlwano Mtyeku, a spokesman for Airports Company South Africa, wasn't immediately able to comment."The delays and cancellations experienced this morning were precautionary measures taken by the affected airlines in order to ensure that no aircraft takes to the skies without absolute certainty as to its airworthiness," the transport ministry said. (Updates with transport ministry comment in fourth paragraph)\--With assistance from Renee Bonorchis and Felix Njini.To contact the reporters on this story: Jacqueline Mackenzie in Johannesburg at jmackenzie9@bloomberg.net;Paul Vecchiatto in Cape Town at pvecchiatto@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Amogelang Mbatha at ambatha@bloomberg.net, John BowkerFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Dozens of Logs Smash Through Windshield, Driver Miraculously Survives Posted: 22 Oct 2019 09:16 AM PDT  A Georgia man survives a collision with log truck through sheer "dumb luck."
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| U.S. Navy Pilots Admit: We Could Lose a War With China Posted: 23 Oct 2019 12:48 AM PDT  A panel of young aviators voiced a harsh warning to the audience at the U.S. Navy's annual Tailhook aviation convention in Nevada in September 2019: the Navy's pilots aren't ready to do battle with a high-tech foe such as China.
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| America's consumer paradise means hell on Earth for Chinese Muslims Posted: 23 Oct 2019 02:55 AM PDT ![America's consumer paradise means hell on Earth for Chinese Muslims]( "America's consumer paradise means hell on Earth for Chinese Muslims") You're in your bed and you wake up with a black bag over your head. When you can see again you have no idea where you are: exposed concrete room, very cold. You're forced to perform manual labor, to attend talks on patriotism, to learn a new language, to sing inane songs. You are beaten -- for refusing to eat pork, for sending messages on a phone you don't have and wouldn't even know how to use, for refusing to confess to crimes you have not committed, for confessing to crimes you have not committed, for any offense at all or none. If you are under the age of 35, you are raped, often by more than one person at a time; if you are a woman and become pregnant you will be forced to have an abortion, perhaps more than once. Or you may have a contraceptive device inserted inside you against your will. No sleep, and you stink. Then there are the drugs that are supposed to protect you from the flu and AIDS; these weaken your cognitive faculties and lead to the end of menstruation and sterilization. If you are actually sick with a condition like diabetes you will receive no treatment. And it could be worse: You could be brought to the black room, where you will be be electrocuted and made to sit on a bed of nails and have your fingernails ripped out, even though the black room officially doesn't exist and talking about it is forbidden. All of this is carried out by a sinister body with administrative and military as well as economic authority over an entire region; it is known only as "The Corps."This is not a summary of a dystopian novel or a pitch for a new Hulu original series. It is a description of the conditions under which perhaps as many as a million Uighur Muslims live in China in 2019. China, in case you had forgotten, is the United States' largest trading partner, the country whose achievements in everything from infrastructure to STEM education we are supposed to be fawning over, the country our president is an idiot for wanting to tangle with, and prominent sports figures are officially not allowed to criticize. In the last six or so years they have created hell on Earth for the country's largest Turkic ethnic minority group in the ostensibly autonomous Xinjiang region.And no one particularly cares, least of all in the United States. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo criticized China's treatment of the Uighurs earlier this month, but it was in the context of a ludicrous comparison with Iran and Pakistan. There was no indication during a Cabinet meeting on Monday that President Trump or anyone else involved in the ongoing trade talks intends to do anything about the issue, which was not mentioned either by the president or by Wilbur Ross, the commerce secretary.I cannot believe I am typing this about a man who eight years ago said he would be walking on Mars by now, but Newt Gingrich is absolutely right. Our leaders are not prepared to deal with China. Not only do they lack the cunning and the willpower -- they lack the requisite bargaining tools. We are in too deep, and China knows it. Any concession we could possibly demand of them will require a corresponding one that we are unable to grant.Besides, it is not clear to me that a substantial number of Americans particularly wants to see our relations with China change. We are happy to buy cheap water bottles and Halloween decorations and licensed cartoon merchandise and mobile phones. We want our movies shown in Chinese theaters and our sports leagues to have large Chinese fan bases. From our home in this consumer paradise hell looks impossibly remote."I will never forget the camp," says Sayragul Sauytbay, a former teacher in one of the Uighur camps now living in Sweden. "I cannot forget the eyes of the prisoners, expecting me to do something for them. They are innocent. I have to tell their story, to tell about the darkness they are in, about their suffering. The world must find a solution so that my people can live in peace. The democratic governments must do all they can to make China stop doing what it is doing in Xinjiang."Indeed they must. But they will not if their citizens and leaders alike care more about stock prices and Cyber Monday deals than they do about torture, rape, and Mengelean experimentation on human bodies and brains.Want more essential commentary and analysis like this delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for The Week's "Today's best articles" newsletter here.
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| Canadian Court Rules against Transgender Activist Jessica Yaniv in Fight with Beauticians over Waxing Posted: 22 Oct 2019 01:57 PM PDT  The British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal has ruled against Canadian transgender activist Jessica Yaniv in a case stemming from a complaint Yaniv filed against multiple female beauticians who refused to wax Yaniv's male genitalia."Self-identification does not erase physiological reality," said Jay Cameron, a lawyer for the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms, which represented the beauticians. "Our clients do not offer the service requested. No woman should be compelled to touch male genitals against her will, irrespective of how the owner of the genitals identifies."The Tribunal said in its decision that Yaniv had had filed the "complaints for improper purposes," and had contradicted herself in "disingenuous" testimony. Yaniv, who is sexually attracted to women, brought 15 complaints against a number of beauticians in the Vancouver area, seeking as much as $15,000 in damages from each one."Most of the women who were the target of Yaniv's complaints work out of their own home, are of immigrant background, and have small children with them in the house during the day," the Justice Centre's report said. Yaniv also apparently accused immigrants during the trial of discrimination for refusing service on religious grounds, writing earlier this year on Facebook that "we have a lot of immigrants here who gawk, judge and aren't the cleanest of people, they're also verbally and physically abusive, that's one reason I joined a girl's gym."Yaniv is being ordered to pay $2,000 to three of the accused women, one of whom was forced out of business due to the case.In August, Yaniv was arrested for owning a taser, after brandishing it on camera during an interview about Yaniv's alleged history of predatory behavior toward children. Screen-captured messages allegedly from Yaniv highlighted intimate questions to underage girls, and legal documents showed an attempt to organize a topless pool party for such girls.
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| Trump Defends Tulsi Gabbard and Jill Stein Over Hillary’s Russian Asset Claim: ‘She’s Crazy!’ Posted: 21 Oct 2019 08:51 PM PDT  Fox NewsDuring his Fox News primetime interview with close friend and confidant Sean Hannity on Monday night, President Trump took aim at his 2016 presidential election foe, calling Hillary Clinton "crazy" and "sick" for suggesting Russians were "grooming" Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) for a third-party presidential bid.Clinton sparked a multi-day controversy last week when she said on a podcast that Gabbard is a "favorite of the Russians" and that former Green Party presidential nominee Jill Stein is a "Russian asset," suggesting they could both be involved in helping Russia tilt the election for Trump. Clinton did not offer any proof at the time to back up her claims. Gabbard quickly hit back on Twitter, labeling Clinton the "queen of warmongers" while asserting the former secretary of state's attacks were part of a "concerted campaign" to sully Gabbard's reputation.Having defended both Stein and Gabbard earlier in the day while speaking to reporters at a Cabinet meeting, insisting "there's something wrong" and "sick" with Clinton, Trump picked right up on that theme during his Hannity interview.Complaining about former Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report on Russian election interference, the president quickly pivoted to complaints about Clinton's attacks on Gabbard and Stein."Just like she did with Tulsi Gabbard," Trump grumbled. "Just like she did with Jill Stein. She said, 'Jill Stein is a Russian asset.'"Claiming he didn't know either Stein or Gabbard—even though Gabbard met with him shortly after his election to defend Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad—Trump went on to say that neither of them are Russian assets before revisiting his Cabinet remarks about Clinton and her defenders."These people are sick," he declared. "There's something wrong with them."Moments later, Trump circled back to the topic. Grousing once again that the Russia investigation was a "phony scam," the president found a way to also make it about Clinton's comments."And then you have Hillary Clinton saying, two days ago, Tulsi Gabbard is a Russian asset," Trump exclaimed. "And that Jill Stein is a Russian agent.""And I said, 'Wait a minute, it took me two and a half years,'" he added. "I wish you would have said that earlier because people would have realized she's crazy, she's crazy!"Read more at The Daily Beast.Get 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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| North Mexico city of Culiacan cleans up after cartel fight Posted: 22 Oct 2019 03:08 PM PDT  CULIACÁN, Mexico (AP) — Residents of the northern Mexico city of Culiacan tried to get back to their routines Tuesday, five days after gunmen from the Sinaloa drug cartel sowed terror across the city. Hundreds of cartel gunmen took to the streets with heavy weaponry Thursday to open fire on soldiers and police, seeking to force the release of a drug lord held by a military patrol. It now patrols the city streets in trucks and armored vehicles.
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| Germany's SPD to pick leader to decide fate of Merkel coalition Posted: 23 Oct 2019 07:25 AM PDT  Germany's Social Democrats (SPD) will on Saturday announce the result of a ballot for a new leader to guide them out of months of turmoil and, in effect, decide whether to ditch their unloved coalition with Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives. Germany's oldest party is hovering in the polls just above the all-time lows it hit in June after its worst-ever performance in a European election prompted its leader to quit. Since then, the SPD has been embroiled in a leadership race culminating in a membership ballot.
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| Boris Johnson Still Has a Bazooka at His Disposal Posted: 22 Oct 2019 12:50 AM PDT  (Bloomberg Opinion) -- It turned out last week that the key to getting a new Brexit agreement in Brussels wasn't so complicated: Boris Johnson simply gave in on a couple of major negotiating red lines and then declared victory. He'll have a much harder time repeating the trick in Parliament this week.The price of Johnson's concessions to the European Union became clear on Saturday. Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party, whose interests were sold out by the British prime minister so he could strike the deal, gave their backing to a parliamentary amendment that vastly complicates Johnson's task. The Letwin amendment, named after the former Conservative lawmaker who drafted it, says the new Brexit deal isn't done until Parliament passes the legislation to implement it.That had two effects. First, it forced Johnson to ask the EU for an extension to the Oct. 31 deadline, as required by a law that he said he'd rather "die in a ditch" than comply with. Second, it has set up another epic battle between the executive and Parliament that will determine whether Britain leaves on Halloween. It might also determine the shape of future U.K.-EU customs arrangements, whether there's a second referendum and even the timing of new elections.The new battlefield is over the Withdrawal Agreement Bill, which would turn Johnson's agreement into British law, including things such as controversial new customs arrangements and institutional frameworks, among many others.Unlike the U.K.-EU deal itself (a formal treaty), the withdrawal bill can be amended by Parliament. Given the bitter opposition to Johnson's administration from many lawmakers, expect it to be larded with attempted amendments to tie his hands in implementing the new treaty. The two most important ones being discussed are an amendment from the opposition Labour Party that would seek to keep the U.K. in the EU customs union and one to put the deal to a referendum. Johnson would probably abort the effort rather than submit to either.For those who just got their heads around the "Irish backstop" — the guarantee in former prime minister Theresa May's deal to keep the Irish border fully open — my sympathies. Her backstop would have effectively locked the whole of the U.K. into the EU customs union (anathema to Brexiters), while Johnson's deal effectively does that only for Northern Ireland, to the displeasure of his erstwhile allies in the DUP. There was no wriggling out of May's backstop in a way that satisfied Brexiters without exactly these consequences.The central feature of Johnson's deal is a permanent customs arrangement that leaves Northern Ireland in the U.K.'s customs regime legally but that creates a complex customs system in the Irish Sea between the U.K. mainland and Northern Ireland. The system will require the filling in of detailed customs forms for each good being transported from the mainland to Northern Ireland that might end up in Ireland and the EU. And it creates an entirely untested system by which EU tariffs would be paid for those goods, and then refunded if they didn't go to the EU in the end.And people thought the backstop was a brain twister.This arrangement imposes a new barrier on mainland-Northern Ireland trade, however much Johnson tries to dress it up as a simple matter of box-ticking. As such, it drives a cart and horses through the DUP's one main demand: that Northern Ireland be treated no differently from the rest of Britain. It would be surprising, to put it mildly, if the famously recalcitrant DUP moved at all.Johnson has two strong cards, however. First, momentum. Such is the general exhaustion with Brexit (and fear that further delay will see it never delivered) that his parliamentary support is already greater than any registered for May's deal. The European Research Group of hard-core Brexiters, most of the Conservative moderates he booted out of the party for defying him and some Labour MPs seem to be on board. His deal could squeak through if given the chance.The prime minister had hoped to keep the momentum going with a vote on Monday to show his deal could pass Parliament. But the House of Commons speaker John Bercow disallowed the motion. Tuesday will see the government seek approval from lawmakers for the so-called second reading of the withdrawal bill — which would be a huge win for Johnson. If it passes, a second vote would follow immediately on an expedited three-day timetable to try to get the legislation through this week. If his attempt to speed up the legislative process fails, then it will be up to the EU to offer an extension.If the legislation does indeed become bogged down or unacceptable amendments are attached, Johnson would probably play his second card and move to get a general election agreed this week, to be held at the end of November. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn may run out of excuses to deny him a vote, especially once the EU approves Johnson's request for an extension.Another bit of good news for Johnson: Polls suggest that Leave voters express a greater preference for his deal than a no-deal exit, which might just banish his fears of losing support at the ballot box to Nigel Farage's Brexit Party. Things could change once the withdrawal bill gets an airing, but Johnson's election strategy, as I wrote Saturday, is now clear: It's his deal or no deal.Having retreated once in Brussels, the withdrawal bill may be a hill Johnson can't hold either. But once again, he could fall back, this time asking Britain's electorate to arm him for the next battle with a bazooka: a parliamentary majority.(This column was updated with details of the plan to expedite the Withdrawal Agreement Bill.)To contact the author of this story: Therese Raphael at traphael4@bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: James Boxell at jboxell@bloomberg.netThis column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.Therese Raphael writes editorials on European politics and economics for Bloomberg Opinion. She was editorial page editor of the Wall Street Journal Europe.For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Fall of a royal consort and the Thai king's assertive reign Posted: 21 Oct 2019 11:37 PM PDT  The very public downfall of the Thai king's 34-year-old consort -- stripped of all royal titles and military ranks by a late-night command -- left the country open-mouthed Tuesday at the latest abrupt act from its mercurial monarch. Former royal bodyguard and army nurse Sineenat Wongvajirapakdi was dismissed from the rank of Chao Khun Phra, or noble consort, and accused of "disloyalty to the king". Here are five ways royal power has been displayed under Thailand's new king so far, from beefing up his security to taking direct control of a fortune.
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| Driver dies days after pickup collided with small plane Posted: 22 Oct 2019 08:39 PM PDT  Patrick J. Schounard died from injuries he suffered when a single-engine aircraft attempting to land collided with his pickup truck in Wisconsin.
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| Turkey Is No Ally of the United States Posted: 23 Oct 2019 01:09 AM PDT  Turkey says it is acting to defend itself from terror. But what Turkish officials tell their American counterparts is one thing; what they tell regional extremists is another.
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| As teachers strike, Chicago mayor touts $838M deficit fix Posted: 23 Oct 2019 11:54 AM PDT  Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who's still trying to settle a nearly week-old teacher's strike, proposed a combination of debt refinancing, tax and fee hikes and assistance from the state Legislature on Wednesday to close a massive $838 million budget deficit.
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| Trump news – live: Pentagon official set to testify in impeachment probe, as Biden extends poll lead over 2020 Democrat rivals Posted: 23 Oct 2019 04:10 AM PDT  Bill Taylor, acting US ambassador to Ukraine, told the House impeachment inquiry on Tuesday he was informed military aid to the country was "dependent" on president Volodymyr Zelensky agreeing to publicly announce a corruption probe into Donald Trump's 2020 rival Joe Biden, confirming the existence of the suspected quid pro quo at the heart of the Democratic-led investigation.President Trump attempted to distract from the deposition by describing the inquiry as "a lynching" and one of his key defenders in the subsequent outcry, senator Lindsey Graham, has now announced he is planning to table a resolution in the Republican-held upper chamber condemning the House's activities.
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| Lawyer for Kavanaugh accuser to investigate Baltimore police Posted: 23 Oct 2019 09:04 AM PDT  A former federal prosecutor who represented one of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh's accusers will lead an independent review of a corruption-plagued unit of the Baltimore Police Department, the department's chief announced Wednesday. Michael Bromwich will have "full autonomy" to conduct the review of the department's Gun Trace Task Force "without interference from us," said Police Commissioner Michael Harrison. Bromwich was the Justice Department's inspector general from 1994 to 1999 and served as the nation's top offshore drilling regulator after BP's deadly Deepwater Horizon disaster in 2010.
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| Making do with less: Mexican media bruised by president's austerity Posted: 23 Oct 2019 01:02 AM PDT  Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador took office in December promising to reduce public spending to free up more resources for the poor. Between January and August, Lopez Obrador's government spent 88 million pesos ($4.6 million) on advertising, just 3.6% of the sum spent in the same months of 2018 by his predecessor Enrique Pena Nieto, Public Administration Ministry (SFP) data show. The reduction in government publicity, which had accounted for 10% or more of advertising revenue for many outlets, has sparked layoffs and the suspension of projects in an industry still suffering disruption from the shift to the internet.
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| The asteroid that killed the dinosaurs acidified the ocean in a 'flash,' killing most marine life. The seas could see a similar problem a century from now. Posted: 22 Oct 2019 11:39 AM PDT  A new study found that the asteroid impact that led the dinosaurs to go extinct also caused rapid ocean acidification, which killed most sea life.
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| Croatia Gets Green Light to Join EU’s Visa-Free Schengen Zone Posted: 22 Oct 2019 06:40 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- Six years after Croatia joined the European Union, the Balkan nation is getting a green light from the European Commission to join the bloc's passport-free Schengen area.Croatia has continued to fulfill all of Schengen criteria, the Commission said in a statement in Brussels on Tuesday. The European Council would still need to sign off on Croatia's accession. It's the latest country to join the EU."I commend Croatia for its efforts and perseverance to meet all the necessary conditions to join Schengen," President Jean-Claude Juncker said in a statement. "This is why I trust the member states will take the right steps for Croatia to become a full Schengen member soon."Fellow EU nations Romania and Bulgaria, which joined the bloc in 2007, are still waiting to join the world's largest multinational free-travel zone.(Updates with comments from Juncker from third paragraph.)To contact the reporter on this story: Jasmina Kuzmanovic in Zagreb at jkuzmanovic@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Andrea Dudik at adudik@bloomberg.net, ;Ben Sills at bsills@bloomberg.net, ;Nikos Chrysoloras at nchrysoloras@bloomberg.net, Michael WinfreyFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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