| Trump declares 'major breakthrough' in Syria, lifts sanctions on Turkey Posted: 23 Oct 2019 09:30 AM PDT  President Trump on Wednesday declared his strategy in Syria a success amid bipartisan anger over the president's decision to pull U.S. troops from the region.
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| PHOTOS: Wildfire rages in Northern California Posted: 24 Oct 2019 07:48 AM PDT  A Northern California wildfire exploded in size early Thursday as dangerously windy weather prompted the state's largest utility to impose electrical blackouts in an effort to prevent fire catastrophes.
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| After El Paso and Odessa shootings, my plan to reduce mass violence: Sen. John Cornyn Posted: 23 Oct 2019 09:03 AM PDT  No person, family, or community should endure the heartbreak caused by the recent mass shootings in Texas. It's time to answer their call for action.
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| NYPD officer fired in chokehold death sues to get job back Posted: 23 Oct 2019 08:04 PM PDT  The officer who was fired in the 2014 chokehold death of Eric Garner is suing the New York Police Department and the police commissioner to be reinstated. Video of the confrontation between Garner, a black man, and the officers trying to arrest him for selling untaxed cigarettes drew outrage and was viewed millions of times online.
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| Texas Gov. Announces Investigation Into Custody Battle Over Boy’s Gender Transition Posted: 24 Oct 2019 05:23 AM PDT  Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced Wednesday night that the Texas Attorney General's Office and the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services are looking into a case involving a custody battle over a seven-year-old boy who is said to be transgender by his mother.> FYI the matter of 7 year old James Younger is being looked into by the Texas Attorney General's Office and the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. JamesYounger> > -- Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) October 23, 2019On Tuesday, a Texas jury ruled against James's father, Jeff Younger, and awarded sole conservatorship to his mother, who has been encouraging James's "social transition" against his father's wishes.James's mother, Dr. Anne Georgulas, who is a pediatrician, separated from Younger several years ago after James and his brother were born, and was given exclusive rights and duties, while Younger's custody rights were limited.Georgulas has said that seven-year-old James began to show signs of identifying as a girl when he asked for a girls' toy from McDonald's, began imitating the female characters from Disney's "Frozen," and started asking to wear dresses.After being referred to a LGBT family therapist, Georgulas was advised to begin "affirming" James by calling him "Luna," as well as "socially transitioning" him at school. Medical records presented by the boy's pediatrician list James as "Luna Younger, female," and included a recommendation to visit GENecis clinic at Children's Hospital Center, which offers "hormone therapy" and "puberty suppression."Georgulas' legal team has brought several therapists and counselors as witnesses, all of whom testified that James told them that he was a girl and wanted to be called "Luna."Younger has contended in court that James is happy to present as a boy when they are together, referring to himself as "James" and wearing male clothing.He has also argued that the situation violates one of the two requirements for "gender dysphoria" in the DSM-V, the current manual used by the American Psychiatric Association. In addition to displaying characteristics related to gender expression, such as clothes, pronouns, etc., the patient must "display distress." Witnesses who testified in the case — including those who diagnosed James with gender dysphoria — said that he has not displayed any such distress, according to the Texan.Conservatives, including Texas Senator Ted Cruz, voiced their concerns about the case on Twitter ahead of Abbott's announcement.> This is horrifying & tragic. For a parent to subject such a young child to life-altering hormone blockers to medically transition their sex is nothing less than child abuse.https://t.co/sl8VcBgfTD via @nypost> > -- Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) October 24, 2019Georgulas' legal representation told the Daily Caller in a statement Wednesday that a "completely distorted and untrue version of events in this case has been circling the media . . . The pleadings in this case are available online, including, but not limited to, the Court's prior annulment proceedings and the numerous findings of fraud that the Court made in this case against Mr. Younger."The lawyers said that Georgulas' case "is being viciously attacked and threatened by complete strangers based on false and untrue statements."The judge presiding over the case is expected to read the final ruling and order on Thursday, which may force Younger to call his son "Luna," and attend classes on transgenderism. He could also be barred from taking his son outside the home dressed as a boy.
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| Bernie Sanders defends Tulsi Gabbard, says claim that she's a Russian asset is 'outrageous' Posted: 24 Oct 2019 08:38 AM PDT  Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump are both among the many lawmakers who have come to Tulsi Gabbard's defense.
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| ISIS is staging attacks in symbolically important places to send a message: We're back Posted: 24 Oct 2019 08:26 AM PDT  "ISIS absolutely intends to rule terrain again," an analyst told Insider, and it's staging attacks on symbolically important places.
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| 39 Bodies Including One Teenager Found in Back of Semitrailer in Britain Posted: 23 Oct 2019 05:37 AM PDT  Peter Nicholls/ReutersPolice in South-East England have launched a murder investigation involving a 25-year-old man from Northern Ireland after 39 dead bodies, including one that appears to be a teenager, were found in the trailer of a semi truck in an industrial park. Authorities were called to the Waterglade Industrial Park in Essex early Wednesday morning where the gruesome discovery was made. All 39 people were pronounced dead on the scene. It is yet unclear how the victims died, how long they had been dead when they were discovered, or if they died at the same time. Seventy Dead Migrants Found in Chicken TruckWednesday, British immigration services had joined the investigation, which is presumed to be a case of people smuggling, though British authorities said they could not officially confirm details until the identities of the victims are known. Each year thousands of migrants die attempting to cross into Europe. Many sink to the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea without a trace. Others die on land and mountain routes. The International Organization for Migration estimates that 4,503 people are known to have died worldwide in 2018, with the highest number perishing in the Mediterranean Sea. Human smugglers and traffickers are by contrast rarely caught and punished. There are around two dozen people in jail in Italy related to trafficking crimes, but the masterminds are generally in countries of origin and difficult to hold accountable. Authorities working to determine the nationalities of the victims in Essex have warned that the process is complicated because of lack of documents in the victims' possession. Chief Superintendent Andrew Mariner said in a statement that the process could be lengthy. "This is a tragic incident where a large number of people have lost their lives," he said. "Our enquiries are ongoing to establish what has happened." Mariner originally said the semitrailer started its journey in Bulgaria. Later Wednesday, the police corrected that statement and now say they believe it starts its deadly journey in Zeebrugge, Belgium. Police have also suggested that two different trucks pulled the semitrailer at different times though it is not clear when the 39 people. Records show that it entered the U.K. in Holyhead, Wales, on Saturday, Oct. 19, which is one of the busiest ferry ports in the area with primary service to Ireland. Authorities called such a route into the U.K. "unusual."Seamus Leheny, the head of Northern Ireland Freight Transport Association told the BBC that increased security and checks in places like Dover and Calais have made smugglers and traffickers rethink traditional routes. "It might be an easier way to get in by going from Cherbourgh or Roscoff, over to Rosslare, then up the road to Dublin," he said of the presumed route via Ireland.Historically, migrants and refugees coming into Europe from Syria by way of Turkey have used long established smuggling routes through the so-called Balkan route, while migrants coming from sub-Saharan Africa tend to try to cross the Mediterranean Sea. In 2014, 71 migrants and refugees were found dead in the back of a chicken truck in Austria. In June 2000, 58 dead Chinese migrants were discovered in a truck at the busy port of Dover, U.K. The Dutch driver was convicted of multiple homicides after that incident. Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| Thai king fires palace officials for 'extremely evil' conduct Posted: 23 Oct 2019 04:41 AM PDT  Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn has dismissed six palace officials for "extremely evil" conduct, a palace announcement said on Wednesday, in a shake-up that come days after the sacking of the king's royal consort. The six included a woman, a senior police official and two royal guards, all of whom worked in the palace. Two separate announcements published in the official royal gazette accused the six of severe disciplinary misconduct that caused harm to the royal service, and said they had been fired and stripped of all their official ranks.
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| De La Hoya denies accusations in sexual assault lawsuit Posted: 24 Oct 2019 06:07 AM PDT  Boxing promoter Oscar De La Hoya denies accusations of sexual assault contained in a lawsuit filed against him this week. The lawsuit filed Monday in Los Angeles County Superior Court alleges that the unnamed woman had a consensual sexual relationship with De La Hoya until he assaulted her at his home in Pasadena in November 2017.
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| 'It's the jungle': Bosnian migrant camp in crisis Posted: 24 Oct 2019 01:07 AM PDT  No running water, putrid portable toilets and surrounding woods littered with land mines -- these are the bleak conditions of a camp where hundreds of migrants brace for winter in Bosnia. "It's the jungle," says Mohammad Nawaz, a 30-year-old Pakistani living in the tent-city built on a former garbage landfill in the northwest village of Vucjak. The camp was set up outside the city of Bihac in June after inhabitants became frustrated with the growing migrant presence.
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| Uneasy Democrats still hope for a white knight to save them from Biden, Warren or Sanders Posted: 23 Oct 2019 08:22 AM PDT  With questions about the former VP's fundraising and the general election viability of the two New England senators, the Democratic establishment is looking for a new option in the primary race.
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| 500,000 Californians in the dark, more outages likely as fires rage in Sonoma, San Bernardino counties Posted: 24 Oct 2019 10:05 AM PDT  Californians are evacuating in Sonoma County due to the Kincade Fire. Meanwhile, a small fire is developing in San Bernardino County
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| Honduran woman accuses immigration agent of sexual assault over seven years Posted: 22 Oct 2019 05:14 PM PDT  In a $10m lawsuit against Immigration and Customs Enforcement, she says the officer threatened her with deportationA Honduran woman has sued the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency over sexual assault she says occurred over a period of seven years. Photograph: Bryan Cox/Associated PressA Honduran woman living in Connecticut has accused a US immigration agent of sexually assaulting her over a period of seven years under the threat of deportation, according to a federal lawsuit. The woman, identified in the lawsuit as Jane Doe, sued the US Department of Homeland Security, the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice), and the former Ice agent Wilfredo Rodriguez on Saturday, seeking $10m in damages."My only comment is that my client had a choice: cooperate with Ice or be deported with her family," said George Kramer, the woman's lawyer. "She remains in a very fragile psychological state. She is not only seeking compensation for the physical and emotional damage she suffered but to change the way those who are cooperating with Ice are treated by those in a position of power and who often wield total control over the ability to remain in the United States."An Ice spokesman told the Associated Press he couldn't comment on litigation but confirmed Rodriguez no longer works for the agency. Homeland security didn't immediately return a call seeking comment.It was not immediately clear whether Rodriguez had a lawyer to speak for him, and a phone listing for him could not immediately be found, according to the AP.Tom Carson, a spokesman for the US attorney's office in Connecticut, told the AP he could not comment on whether there has been or will be a criminal investigation.The woman first met the Ice agent in 2006 after her brother was arrested for entering the US illegally, according to the lawsuit.Rodriguez found out she was also living in the country illegally and said that to avoid deportation she would have to become an informant by helping Ice locate criminals. According to the lawsuit she did so, but, in 2007, Rodriguez sexually assaulted her in a motel.He called himself the "wolf" and said he was the reason she and her family weren't deported, she says in the lawsuit.The woman alleges that the assaults continued and resulted in three pregnancies, each followed by abortions, one of which Rodriguez paid for. Later, he told her that he was leaving the agency but that if she told anyone what happened, "she and her family would pay", according to the lawsuit.The woman finally told her story last year when her father, living in the US and fearing deportation because of her friendliness with Ice, applied for asylum. She opened up to an agent who approached her about her father's application, the lawsuit says.The agent, she says, suggested she consult an attorney.
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| Report documents decades of abuse by Colorado's Catholic priests Posted: 23 Oct 2019 05:12 PM PDT ![Report documents decades of abuse by Colorado's Catholic priests]( "Report documents decades of abuse by Colorado's Catholic priests") At least 166 children have been sexually abused at the hands of 43 Roman Catholic priests in Colorado since 1950, an investigative report disclosed on Wednesday, far exceeding the scope of the scandal previously documented in the state. The scathing 263-page report, presented by former U.S. Attorney Robert Troyer, accused the Archdiocese of Denver and the Dioceses of Pueblo and Colorado Springs of fostering a culture of secrecy that placed the reputations of offending clergy and church leaders over the welfare of children. "This dynamic in the Colorado Dioceses was a severe impediment to the protection of children, and it is one (they) are not done addressing," the independent report said.
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| The World’s Most Beautifully Designed Ocean-Fed Pools Posted: 23 Oct 2019 02:34 PM PDT |
| Hunter dies after being attacked by deer he just shot Posted: 24 Oct 2019 06:29 AM PDT  A hunter died after he was attacked by the deer he had just shot, according to officials in the US state of Arkansas"It's one of the stranger things that's happened," Keith Stephens of the midwestern state's Game and Fish Commission told the KY3 news channel, adding that he had worked there for 20 years.
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| 'White terror': Hong Kong's China critics beaten in targeted attacks Posted: 23 Oct 2019 11:17 PM PDT  The men jumped Stanley Ho without warning, smashing both his hands with metal rods -- one of multiple recent attacks against prominent Hong Kong pro-democracy figures that activists have dubbed a "white terror". Since late August, eight well-known pro-democracy figures have been beaten by unknown assailants as fear swirls that some "triad" crime networks have flocked to Beijing's cause after five months of protests. "The cause of the attack may be related to two things -- the upcoming district council election and the ongoing movement," Ho told AFP, referring to the protests.
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| Hillary Clinton would run again in 2020 if she thought she could win: Report Posted: 22 Oct 2019 12:03 PM PDT  Hillary Clinton has told people privately that she would consider joining the 2020 Democratic primary, but only if she thought she could win. The private conversations were aired publicly in a new report from the New York Times, which spoke with several people involved with Democratic politics, many of whom are concerned that the current crop of candidates is less than ideal.
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| Trump's plan to leave some US troops in Syria to guard its oil is now doomed, thanks to Putin Posted: 23 Oct 2019 12:41 PM PDT  "The implementation of this memorandum will strongly interfere with these plans," a Russian official said. "We will work to nullify them."
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| Meghan McCain Goes Off on ‘Wannabe’ TV Star Matt Gaetz Posted: 24 Oct 2019 09:10 AM PDT  The View/ABCMeghan McCain was not impressed with the House Republicans' publicity gambit this week to disrupt Democrats' impeachment hearings led by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL).After Abby Huntsman mentioned that Gaetz is reportedly filming a documentary series for HBO called The Swamp—and allegedly broke House rules to get the crew members into the Capitol building, McCain went off."I hate political stunts across the board in general," McCain said. "I think we elect people in order to serve in Congress." Comparing what Republicans did this week to the Democratic sit-in for gun control in 2016, she said, "Democrats shouldn't be doing it, Republicans shouldn't be doing it." "We elect you to get your freaking job done one way or the other," McCain continued, "and when you are sitting on a sit-in for 26 hours or you're doing what Republicans did yesterday, it's the reason why Congress has a 13 percent approval rating." "By the way, Matt Gaetz, when did you become a TV star or wannabe a TV star?" she asked in disgust. "You want to do that? Get the hell out of Congress! Get a TV job! But you're probably not interesting enough to do it." "No one's going to hire him, he's boring," Joy Behar added. It was a relatively rare moment of agreement between McCain and Behar, who said earlier of Republicans, "I think they're scared because, you know, because Trump said that any never-Trumpers are considered 'scum.'" "So they don't want to be labeled as scum in his eyes and they're afraid of getting thrown out of their job," she added. "And it's just based on pure, you know, fear—just fear and cowardice in my opinion." Jimmy Kimmel Tears Apart Trump 'Ass-Kisser' Matt Gaetz for Threatening Michael CohenRead more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| UPDATE 1-Chinese ship leaves Vietnam's waters after disputed South China Sea surveys Posted: 24 Oct 2019 02:28 AM PDT ![UPDATE 1-Chinese ship leaves Vietnam's waters after disputed South China Sea surveys]( "UPDATE 1-Chinese ship leaves Vietnam's waters after disputed South China Sea surveys") A Chinese oil survey vessel that has been embroiled in a tense standoff with Vietnamese vessels in the South China Sea left Vietnamese-controlled waters on Thursday after more than three months, marine data showed. The Chinese vessel, the Haiyang Dizhi 8, was speeding away from Vietnam's exclusive economic zone towards China on Thursday under the escort of at least two Chinese ships, according to data from Marine Traffic, a website that tracks vessels. China claims almost all the energy-rich waters of the South China Sea but neighbours Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims.
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| 'The Idea Was To Get Rid Of Me': Justice Clarence Thomas Speaks About His Confirmation Fight in New Documentary Posted: 23 Oct 2019 06:26 AM PDT  In an upcoming documentary, "Created Equal: Clarence Thomas In His Own Words," Clarence Thomas describes his faith, his political awakening, his judicial philosophy, and the role race has played in his life
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| Drug lord delivers blunt Lebanon protest support Posted: 24 Oct 2019 04:27 AM PDT  A week into daily demonstrations that have gone on into the early hours, the Lebanese may be in need of a pick me up -- and the country's most famous drug dealer offered just that Thursday. Nouh Zaiter, a hashish dealer on the run from Lebanese authorities, delivered a blunt message in support of anti-corruption protests that have crippled the country. The self-styled Lebanese Robin Hood released a video on a local news site calling on protesters in the eastern Baalbek region to demonstrate on Thursday evening.
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| Biden extends polling lead over 2020 Democrat rivals to widest margin in six months Posted: 23 Oct 2019 06:14 AM PDT  Joe Biden is leading by his widest-set margin among Democratic presidential contenders since his campaign's launch in April, according to a new poll from CNN.More than 35 per cent of Democrat and Democrat-leaning voters support the former vice president, compared to other frontrunners Elizabeth Warren, who polled at 19 per cent, and Bernie Sanders, who was on 16 per cent.
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| Syria's Assad gets a prize with US withdrawal, Russia deal Posted: 23 Oct 2019 04:22 PM PDT  Once again, Syrian President Bashar Assad has snapped up a prize from world powers that have been maneuvering in his country's multi-front wars. Without firing a shot, his forces are returning to towns and villages in northeastern Syria where they haven't set foot for years. Assad was handed one victory first by U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw American troops from northeastern Syria, analysts said.
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| Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez asked Mark Zuckerberg how big a lie she could buy on Facebook Posted: 24 Oct 2019 02:55 AM PDT ![Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez asked Mark Zuckerberg how big a lie she could buy on Facebook]( "Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez asked Mark Zuckerberg how big a lie she could buy on Facebook") The House Financial Services Committee held a hearing Wednesday ostensibly about Facebook's cryptocurrency, Libra, but lawmakers weren't going to waste their chance to question Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg on some Bitcoin knockoff. Here's how Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) made her pivot: "In order for us to make decisions about Libra, I think we need to kind of dig into your past behavior and Facebook's past behavior with respect to our democracy."Ocasio-Cortez grilled Zuckerberg on the Cambridge Analytica election-data-manipulation scandal -- Zuckerberg said he learned of the breach "around" March 2018, even though correspondence unearthed in a lawsuit this year showed executives knew about potential improper data harvesting as early as September 2015 -- and then she turned to Facebook's "official policy" of allowing "politicians to pay to spread disinformation in 2020 elections and in the future. So I just want to know how far I can push this in the next year," she said.Zuckerberg said Ocasio-Cortez couldn't buy an add targeting black voters with the wrong election date, but when she asked if she could "run advertisements on Facebook targeting Republicans in primaries, saying that they voted for the Green New Deal," Zuckerberg said yes, probably. "Do you see a potential problem here with a complete lack of fact-checking on political advertisements?" Ocasio-Cortez asked, and Zuckerberg said he thinks "lying is bad, and I think if you were to run an ad that had a lie in it, that would be bad," and voters should know if she or any other politician is a liar."Facebook doesn't need to run political ads; they're not a significant portion of its business," Vox notes. "But the company appears determined to leave its policy unchanged. So prepare for some your-Republican-congressman-supports-the-Green-New-Deal ads from Democrats in 2020. Maybe."
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| Children are being sexually abused every seven minutes, NSPCC reveals as figures hit new high Posted: 23 Oct 2019 03:57 PM PDT  Children are being sexually abused every seven minutes, according to police data obtained by the NSPCC. Reported sexual offences against children rose to 76,204 in the last 12 months, a record high, according to the figures from 44 of the 45 police forces released under Freedom of Information laws. That is a rise of 63 per cent compared to five years ago when there were 46,738 recorded child sexual offences. Analysis of the data also reveals that where age of victim was provided, a fifth of the offences - some 16,773 - were recorded against children aged ten and under, with 341 of the offences against babies under the age of one. The NSPCC say the rise in offences which include rape, sexual assault and grooming is partly explained by better recording and increased reporting but believe there has also been a rise fuelled by paedophiles exploiting social media to contact children. In 2018/19, there were 8,656 recorded child sexual offences flagged as involving an online element – an increase of 18 per cent from the previous year where there were 7,362. Duty of Care white paper Peter Wanless, chief executive of the NSPCC, said: "Record numbers of child sexual offences means we are facing a nationwide crisis in the help available for tens of thousands of children. "These children are bravely disclosing what happened to them but in too many cases there is not enough timely, joined up and child-friendly support. Instead they are shunted from overstretched service to service. "We need a radical rethink in the way we help these young people, otherwise they could struggle for the rest of their lives with long term, deep seated trauma." The charity is calling for the provision of specialised services around the UK, with an emphasis on early joined up support from police, local NHS services, children's services and advocacy for children who have experienced sexual abuse, offered in child-friendly spaces. Last year there were 69,543 recorded child sexual offences, more than three times the 20,698 when figures were first collected in 2007/08. Duty of Care white paper Chief Constable Simon Bailey, the National Police Chiefs' Council lead for child protection, said: "Policing is doing all we can to pursue and prosecute criminals who exploit and abuse young people. "But much more must be done to stop this abuse happening in the first place. Social media and tech companies need to acknowledge their responsibility and do more to stop children accessing harmful content and prevent abuse on their platforms. "They have a social responsibility to design out this type of offending and to cooperate in full with police investigations into child abuse or exploitation."
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| Saudi Prince Tells U.S. Congress to Get Over Its Frustrations Posted: 24 Oct 2019 08:24 AM PDT ![Saudi Prince Tells U.S. Congress to Get Over Its Frustrations]( "Saudi Prince Tells U.S. Congress to Get Over Its Frustrations") (Bloomberg) -- Prince Turki Al-Faisal, a former Saudi intelligence chief and an influential royal family member, told U.S. lawmakers to get off their "high moralistic horses" as ties between the historical allies remain frayed a year after the murder of columnist Jamal Khashoggi.Prince Turki criticized congressional representatives on Wednesday for the "horror" and "disdain" they express for Saudi Arabia, saying U.S. lawmakers are unable to perform their jobs to address "issues of racism and racial inequality" and to reform gun ownership laws. He also said that most U.S. media has a "consistently blinkered view" of Saudi Arabia, one that portrays negative events in the kingdom as "being the norm."The murder last year of Khashoggi, a U.S resident and Washington Post columnist, as well as the long-running war and humanitarian crisis in Yemen and the detention of Saudi female activists have all strained the kingdom's relations with much of the Washington establishment outside the White House. Senior lawmakers in both parties remain unified on the issue of punishing the kingdom.Prince Turki spoke at an event in Washington about a week before Saudi Arabia hosts its annual investment forum, the Future Investment Initiative. The Oct. 29-31 event is set to attract some of Wall Street's top dealmakers, as well as representatives from major institutional investors across the globe, after many skipped the forum last year.Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Jared Kushner, a White House adviser and President Donald Trump's son-in-law, plan to attend the investment event. Mnuchin last year boycotted the investment meeting after Khashoggi was killed and dismembered by Saudi agents in Turkey.How many congressional leaders "have deigned to pay a visit to the kingdom?" Prince Turki said at the event. "Should they visit Riyadh they may learn something about universal health care, which the kingdom has provided for its citizens since its establishment" or "they may get an insight into our improving and evolving educational system."Saudi Arabia has been working hard to remake its image since the Khashoggi killing, marketing it as a tourist destination. It is building major tourism projects, transforming its Red Sea coastline to bring in holidaymakers and developing an entertainment city near the capital of Riyadh. The kingdom also said it plans to drop a requirement for men and women who visit to prove they're related in order to share a hotel room.Last month, Saudi Arabia announced it would drop its strict dress code for foreign women, who will no longer be required to wear an abaya, the flowing cloak that's been mandatory attire for decades. "Modest clothing" will still be called upon, according to Ahmed Al-Khateeb, chairman of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage.\--With assistance from Patrick Donahue.To contact the reporter on this story: Glen Carey in Washington at gcarey8@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Bill Faries at wfaries@bloomberg.net, Elizabeth WassermanFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Woman doused with gasoline, set afire at Florida Taco Bell. Police arrest suspect Posted: 24 Oct 2019 06:35 AM PDT  Police are searching for a suspect who entered a Tallahassee Taco Bell, doused a woman with gasoline, set her on fire, then fled.
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| "A better life somewhere else": Europe-bound African migrants wait in Rwanda Posted: 23 Oct 2019 09:54 AM PDT !["A better life somewhere else": Europe-bound African migrants wait in Rwanda]( "\"A better life somewhere else\": Europe-bound African migrants wait in Rwanda") At the United Nations emergency transit centre next to a serene lake south of Rwanda's capital on Wednesday, the quiet mood was broken by the sobs of a group of female migrants from Ethiopia. "They were evacuated from Libya but they don't want to live here," said a U.N. refugee agency translator. "Brighter future is not only resettlement in Europe," said Elise Villechalane, a UNCHR spokeswoman in Rwanda.
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| Japan Has Something Called "Helicopter Destroyers" (Code For Aircraft Carrier?) Posted: 23 Oct 2019 11:00 PM PDT  And they might get F-35s?
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| Bamboozled: 'Panda dog' cafe sparks China animal rights debate Posted: 23 Oct 2019 03:58 AM PDT  A pet cafe in China where dogs are dyed black and white to look like panda cubs has triggered a heated online debate over the treatment of animals. The Cute Pet Games cafe opened last month in Chengdu, capital of southwest Sichuan province which is home to China's famous giant pandas, and features six panda-like Chow Chow dogs, according to a video posted by Hongxing News on Tuesday. The cafe owner, only identified by his last name Huang, told Hongxing News that he had started offering pet dyeing services after the panda dogs became an instant hit with clients.
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| Former ICE Head Slams L.A. Police for Releasing Illegal Immigrants Posted: 23 Oct 2019 12:16 PM PDT  The former head of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency Tom Homan slammed the Los Angeles police department on Tuesday after an ICE spokesman testified to Congress that L.A. police were releasing as many as 100 illegal immigrants from custody per day.The L.A. police chief "has taken a political stance," Homan asserted during an interview on Fox and Friends. "He forgot the oath he's taken; he stopped being a cop and became a politician."During a Monday Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on "sanctuary jurisdictions," ICE official Timothy Robbins stated that the L.A. police department was releasing captured illegal immigrants at a high rate, up to 100 per day, in accordance with a policy implemented by chief Michel Moore."Cooperation between ICE and state and local law enforcement agencies is critical to the agency's efforts to identify and arrest removable aliens, and to protect the nation's security," Robbins said. "Unfortunately, we are seeing more jurisdictions that refuse to work with our officers, or directly impede our public safety efforts.""Are you saying that local law enforcement, if they knew they had a violent offender in custody, that they would release those persons?" asked Senator Mazie Hirono (D., Hawaii) during the hearing."Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying," Robbins responded.A 2017 California law signed by former governor Jerry Brown greatly restricts the ability of local law enforcement agencies to work with the ICE to capture illegal immigrants. The legislation in effect turns California into a "sanctuary state."However, Homan said during the Tuesday interview that California police generally opposed the legislation.California is home to roughly 2.5 million illegal immigrants comprising about one tenth of the state's workforce, according to the Public Policy Institute of California, a non-profit think tank.
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| Meet the Fox reporter who is bedeviling Trump on Syria Posted: 23 Oct 2019 01:12 PM PDT ![Meet the Fox reporter who is bedeviling Trump on Syria]( "Meet the Fox reporter who is bedeviling Trump on Syria") When President Donald Trump claimed in a Monday Cabinet meeting that "we never gave a commitment to the Kurds," the U.S. ally recently abandoned in northern Syria, an immediate rebuke came from a source not easily dismissed as "fake news": a Fox News correspondent. "Not true," Jennifer Griffin tweeted. "According to a former top senior military adviser to President Trump, 'We told them over and over 'We are your friends.
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| Workers at large GM plant in Michigan approve contract Posted: 23 Oct 2019 06:03 PM PDT  Workers at one of the largest General Motors factories have voted to ratify a new contract with the company, an indication that a five-week strike could be coming to an end. United Auto Workers Local 598 at a pickup truck plant in Flint, Michigan, approved the contract Wednesday. The Flint local is the second-largest in the nation, so its approval is a strong sign the contract will be ratified.
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| The Balkans fuse Posted: 23 Oct 2019 07:56 AM PDT ![The Balkans fuse]( "The Balkans fuse") Three nations in what was once Europe's powder keg set plans to blend their economies, replicating the "common home" of the EU.
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| Sen. Schumer: Democrats will try to overturn tax deduction cap Posted: 22 Oct 2019 11:26 AM PDT  Senate Democrats are attempting to repeal an IRS regulation that is designed to keep people from exceeding the $10,000 limit on state and local tax deductions.
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| Ex-U.S. Marine accused of spying in Russia says guard threatened him with gun: Ifax Posted: 24 Oct 2019 12:19 AM PDT  A former U.S. Marine held in Russia on suspicion of spying told a court on Thursday that a prison guard had forced him to his knees in custody and that he had been threatened with a gun, the Interfax news agency reported. Paul Whelan, who holds U.S., British, Canadian and Irish passports, was detained in December and accused of espionage. At a hearing on Thursday, the court ordered Whelan held in custody until Dec. 29.
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