samedi 31 août 2019

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China tells Philippines it won't recognize ruling on sea row

Posted: 30 Aug 2019 11:54 PM PDT

China tells Philippines it won't recognize ruling on sea rowChinese President Xi Jinping told his Philippine counterpart that Beijing will not recognize an international arbitration ruling that has invalidated most of China's claims to virtually the entire South China Sea, the Philippine leader's spokesman said. The row over the disputed waters — a major global shipping route thought to be rich in oil and gas reserves — has for years marred China's relationship with the Philippines and other neighboring countries with rival territorial claims. Beijing has transformed a string of disputed reefs into missile-protected island bases.


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Mexican president backs official accused of suspect real estate purchases

Posted: 30 Aug 2019 05:54 PM PDT

Mexican president backs official accused of suspect real estate purchasesMexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Friday expressed support for Manuel Bartlett, the head of national electricity company CFE, despite accusations that Bartlett has improperly accumulated nearly two dozen luxury properties. "I have confidence in Mr. Bartlett," Lopez Obrador told reporters at his morning news conference. The president tapped Bartlett, a veteran politician with a controversial past, to lead Mexico's state-owned power utility.


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vendredi 30 août 2019

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Yahoo! News - Latest News & Headlines


‘I could not ask for better children,' mom said on Instagram before killing adult kids in apparent murder-suicide

Posted: 30 Aug 2019 11:54 AM PDT

'I could not ask for better children,' mom said on Instagram before killing adult kids in apparent murder-suicideAtlanta police silent on more details in the apparent murder-suicide deaths of Christopher Edwards Jr., sister Erin Edwards and mom Marsha Edwards.


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Three Hong Kong Protest Leaders Arrested Before Weekend Rallies

Posted: 29 Aug 2019 08:59 PM PDT

Three Hong Kong Protest Leaders Arrested Before Weekend Rallies(Bloomberg) -- Prominent Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong and others have been arrested amid ongoing protests in the Asian financial hub as the city's authorities try to clamp down on historic pro-democracy demonstrations that have raged for nearly three months.The 22-year-old Wong, who served time in jail for his role in Hong Kong's 2014 Occupy movement, was detained Friday around 7:30 a.m., his Demosisto party said in a statement. A police spokeswoman said she couldn't immediately comment on the report. Two other prominent activists, Andy Chan and Agnes Chow, were also arrested.Wong was on his way to a subway station when he "was suddenly pushed into a private car on the street. He has now been escorted to the police headquarters in Wan Chai on the basis of three charges. We will continue to follow the incident. Our lawyers are working on this case," the statement said.The moves to arrest Wong, Chan and Chow appear to be part of a broader pushback by authorities against the monthslong protest movement, which began over opposition to legislation easing extraditions to China and has widened into a broader push for more democracy. They come the day after police banned a mass protest planned for Saturday that had been called by the Civil Human Rights Front, a key organizer of recent demonstrations.Chow, also a member of Demosisto, was arrested at her home on Friday morning, the group's co-founder Nathan Law said in a media WhatsApp group, saying she would be escorted to the Wan Chai police headquarters and that the group's lawyers were following the case. Pro-independence activist Chan said in a Facebook post that he was stopped at the city's airport Thursday.The detention of Wong -- who is the subject of a Netflix documentary titled "Joshua: Teenager vs. Superpower" -- comes as Beijing and Hong Kong authorities brace for a 13th straight weekend of protest in the the former British colony. It also comes the day after CHRF leader Jimmy Sham was attacked by two unidentified armed masked men. Max Chung, the organizer of a July march in the Yuen Long area, separately said he was attacked by four men Thursday.The summer's political unrest has been the worst since the city's return to Chinese rule in 1997, with demonstrations that have resulted in often-violent clashes between protesters and police.There is also speculation that Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam may seek to use tougher measures available to her administration under the Emergency Regulations Ordinance, which Wong said he was going to discuss with officials on a planned trip to Washington.Wong played a prominent leadership role in Hong Kong's so-called Umbrella Movement, which occupied a key street in the city's Central business district for 79 days five years ago. He has played a minor role in the current protests, which have been largely leaderless and organized via chats on Telegram and other social media platforms.But Wong -- who was released from jail after demonstrations had already started -- has been a focus of attention in recent weeks. His meeting with a U.S. diplomat was singled out by China, which urged American officials to "draw a clear line with all anti-Chinese rioters, stop sending wrong signals to illegal violators, stop meddling in Hong Kong affairs, and stop going further down the wrong path."Wong also played a significant role in a demonstration on June 21, when he encouraged protesters to surround the police headquarters complex in Wan Chai.Joseph Cheng, a Hong Kong pro-democracy activist and former political science professor, said that several people involved in that protest have been arrested in recent days."We've been hearing in the last four or five days, that people have been arrested for that -- it's believed that the police are doing this rather systematically," he said in an interview on Friday. Lam "would like to bring the situation under control by the Oct. 1st national day."\--With assistance from Sheryl Tian Tong Lee.To contact the reporters on this story: Iain Marlow in Hong Kong at imarlow1@bloomberg.net;Natalie Lung in Hong Kong at flung6@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Brendan Scott at bscott66@bloomberg.net, Karen LeighFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.


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North Korea says it won't give up arms modernization

Posted: 29 Aug 2019 03:03 PM PDT

North Korea says it won't give up arms modernizationNorth Korea accused the United Kingdom, France and Germany on Thursday of meddling in its "self-defensive measures for arms modernization," saying the West will make "no greater mistake" than thinking Pyongyang will give up its right to have weapons that it says are needed to ensure peace. The North's official Korean Central News Agency circulated a statement from Kim Son Gyong, an adviser at the Korea-Europe Association, in response to a joint statement Tuesday from the three important U.S. allies condemning Pyongyang's "repeated provocative launches" of ballistic missiles.


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jeudi 29 août 2019

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Yahoo! News - Latest News & Headlines


Hurricane Dorian: What travelers need to know about flight waivers, Disney World, cruises

Posted: 29 Aug 2019 09:02 AM PDT

Hurricane Dorian: What travelers need to know about flight waivers, Disney World, cruisesAs Hurricane Dorian hurtles into the Caribbean, airlines are issues waivers, and cruise lines are modifying routes. Here's what you need to know.


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El Paso shooting suspect says AK-style gun came from Romania

Posted: 28 Aug 2019 06:03 PM PDT

El Paso shooting suspect says AK-style gun came from RomaniaThe suspected gunman in the deadly mass shooting at an El Paso Walmart earlier this month told police that the AK-style rifle he used in the attack came from Romania, according to an investigative report. The Texas Tribune reported Wednesday that Patrick Crusius, 21, told police he ordered the weapon online before picking it up at a gun store near his suburban Dallas home. The Tribune cited a Texas Department of Public Safety document that also says the suspect told police he purchased thousands of rounds of ammunition from Russia.


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FBI searches Detroit-area home of UAW president

Posted: 28 Aug 2019 03:02 PM PDT

FBI searches Detroit-area home of UAW presidentFederal agents on Wednesday searched the suburban Detroit home of the president of the United Auto Workers, apparently another step in a corruption investigation that has netted labor leaders and auto industry officials, and damaged the union's reputation during contract talks with U.S. car companies. The UAW criticized the remarkable search of Gary Jones' home in Canton Township, insisting it has fully cooperated with authorities. "President Jones is determined to uncover and address any and all wrongdoing, wherever it might lead," the UAW said in a written statement.


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mercredi 28 août 2019

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Yahoo! News - Latest News & Headlines


Pound dives on increased no-deal Brexit prospect

Posted: 28 Aug 2019 08:58 AM PDT

Pound dives on increased no-deal Brexit prospectThe pound fell versus the dollar and euro Wednesday as Britain's government moved to extend the suspension of parliament, increasing the likelihood of a no-deal Brexit.


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Puerto Rico braces for rain, power outages as Dorian nears

Posted: 27 Aug 2019 03:04 PM PDT

Puerto Rico braces for rain, power outages as Dorian nearsJorge Ortiz, a 50-year-old construction worker, was taking no chances as Tropical Storm Dorian approached Puerto Rico on Tuesday and threatened to hit the island's western and central region at near-hurricane strength. Wiping sweat from his brow, Ortiz climbed up a shaky ladder under the punishing morning sun and tied down pieces of zinc that now serve as his roof because Hurricane Maria ripped the second floor off his house when the Category 4 storm hit in September 2017. "They told me I didn't qualify because it was a total loss," he said, shaking his head as he added that he was wary about Dorian.


mardi 27 août 2019

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Yahoo! News - Latest News & Headlines


A man's truck was stolen while he was robbing a store across the street, police say

Posted: 27 Aug 2019 12:06 PM PDT

A man's truck was stolen while he was robbing a store across the street, police sayA Washington man called police to report his vehicle as stolen. Police say surveillance footage shows he was stealing from a store when it happened.


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View Photos of the 2019 Hyundai Tucson Ultimate

Posted: 27 Aug 2019 06:07 AM PDT

View Photos of the 2019 Hyundai Tucson Ultimate


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lundi 26 août 2019

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Yahoo! News - Latest News & Headlines


One empty chair at G-7 climate meeting: Trump's

Posted: 26 Aug 2019 12:10 PM PDT

One empty chair at G-7 climate meeting: Trump'sTrump left an empty chair as global power brokers debated Monday how to help the fire-stricken Amazon and reduce carbon emissions. "I'm an environmentalist," Trump told reporters, even as he celebrated America's oil and gas wealth. Environmental activists declared the summit a failure, marching to demand tougher global emissions rules and more aid for the Amazon.


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Atlanta councilwoman adds to reward to catch campus shooter

Posted: 26 Aug 2019 09:10 AM PDT

Atlanta councilwoman adds to reward to catch campus shooterAn Atlanta city councilwoman is pleading with the public to cooperate with police in their search for the suspected gunman who opened fire on a crowd of about 200 people outside a university library last week. The Aug. 20 gunfire wounded four college students, all of whom survived. "Somebody out there knows who this person is," Councilwoman Cleta Winslow said Sunday.


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New Epstein Victims Will Appear in Court With Plans to Sue His Estate

Posted: 26 Aug 2019 03:09 AM PDT

New Epstein Victims Will Appear in Court With Plans to Sue His EstateJohannes Eisele/GettyBefore prosecutors dismiss their case against Jeffrey Epstein, victims of the deceased sex offender will get a chance to speak in court.Tomorrow morning, multiple women are expected to appear in Manhattan federal court—including new accusers with plans to sue Epstein's estate, which is already facing five other lawsuits over his alleged sex-trafficking scheme.Famed lawyer Gloria Allred said she'll be there with a number of clients who say they're victims of the late financier. "We have not filed lawsuits for them yet, but we will be filing lawsuits for them soon," Allred told The Daily Beast.Attorney Brad Edwards, who's represented Epstein's victims for more than a decade, will also watch Tuesday's hearing with his law partner, Stan Pottinger. "Regardless of the number of people who appear, the invitation for victims to be present and participate is very important, not only for the victims of Jeffrey Epstein but for crime victims generally," Edwards said.The closing of Epstein's criminal case comes nearly two months after the 66-year-old's July 6 arrest for child sex-trafficking—and weeks after his jail-house suicide. Epstein killed himself shortly after a cache of court records were unsealed in a 2015 lawsuit filed by Victoria Roberts Giuffre, who has long claimed Epstein kept her as his "sex slave" and forced her to have sex with Prince Andrew. (Buckingham Palace has denied the allegations.) The documents revealed more sexual abuse allegations against Epstein's famous friends. Send The Daily Beast a TipModels Say Jeffrey Epstein's Closest Pal Drugged, Raped ThemAfter Epstein's demise, the focus in the press quickly shifted to British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, who accusers say was Epstein's madam and recruited and groomed girls and took part in the abuse herself. Maxwell hasn't been charged in connection to Epstein's case, and it's unclear whether she's cooperating with authorities. Geoffrey Berman, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, vowed his investigation would continue following Epstein's death. "To those brave young women who have already come forward and to the many others who have yet to do so, let me reiterate that we remain committed to standing for you, and our investigation of the conduct charged in the Indictment—which included a conspiracy count—remains ongoing," Berman said in a statement.The feds have previously suggested they were eyeing possible accomplices. One July court filing, which requested a protective order for certain documents, stated that prosecutors were investigating "uncharged individuals."In the meantime, prosecutors in Paris, France, are looking into rape charges against Epstein, while New Mexico's commissioner of public lands has handed investigators 400 pages of property records which may contain the names of Epstein's alleged co-conspirators. The perverted money manager owned a residence on Paris' Avenue Foch, as well as a 10,000-acre ranch in Stanley, New Mexico. While victims wait to see if authorities charge others in Epstein's orbit, they're pursuing justice another way: in lawsuits against his estate, his companies, his supposed recruiters and employees, and, in one case, against Ghislaine Maxwell.Jennifer Araoz was the first to sue Epstein's estate—and Maxwell—after his death. Araoz claims she was 14 and attending a performing arts high-school when she was recruited into Epstein's sex ring in 2001. Epstein repeatedly abused Araoz at his Manhattan mansion, her lawsuit states, and when she was 15 years old, he raped her.Epstein allegedly preyed on Araoz, who was poor and being raised by a single mother after losing her father to AIDS, and claimed that his connections in the modeling and acting worlds could help launch her career.Soon after Araoz's suit was filed, two women identified only as Jane Does 1 and 2 sued Epstein's estate, an adult recruiter "Sue Roe," whose identity isn't known, and Roes 2 through 10, who were "employees and/or agents of Epstein."In June 2004, the Jane Does were aspiring models and hostesses at The Coffee Shop, a Manhattan restaurant that was opened by a trio of Wilhelmina models and earned a reputation for its attractive waitstaff. The eatery closed last year. Sue Roe allegedly approached the women at work, offering them hundreds of dollars to give Epstein "harmless" massages. According to the complaint, "Sue Roe told Jane Doe 1 that her 'boss' thought Jane Doe 1 was beautiful and that he liked to give young girls 'opportunities.'" Roe had assured the women that Epstein wouldn't touch them, but when they visited his home, he molested them and masturbated, their lawsuit states.The women are represented by Lisa Bloom, who told The Daily Beast a member of her firm will be in court on Tuesday to read statements from four victims she represents. (Bloom says she's in the middle of a trial in Los Angeles and cannot make it.)Last week, the New York Post reported Epstein's last will and testament was inked just two days before he hanged himself at Metropolitan Correctional Center. Epstein left his $577 million fortune to a mysterious entity called The 1953 Trust and named his longtime lawyers, Darren K. Indyke and Richard D. Kahn, as the primary executors of the estate. Records show the men hired the firm of Erika Kellerhals, another loyal Epstein attorney based in the Virgin Islands, to represent them in the probate proceedings. As The Daily Beast previously revealed, Indyke, Kahn and Kellerhals made up a cadre of operatives who handled Epstein's business matters and were officers of his nonprofits, including the financier's secret charity, Gratitude America Ltd. Now Indyke and Kahn, as representatives of Epstein's estate, are named in three new federal lawsuits filed by accusers last week. The women—identified by the pseudonyms Katlyn Doe, Priscilla Doe, and Lisa Doe—are represented by Edwards and Pottinger. Their complaints list as defendants several of Epstein's companies, including the Florida Science Foundation, and HBRK Associates, Inc., an entity registered to Kahn.REVEALED: We Found Billionaire Pedophile Jeffrey Epstein's Secret CharityEpstein Had His Own Lodge at Interlochen's Prestigious Arts Camp for KidsAccording to the complaints, Epstein and his employees had recruiters inform victims that Epstein "possessed extraordinary wealth, power, resources, and influence" and that "he was a philanthropist who would help female victims advance their education, careers, and lives" if they provided him with body massages.Katlyn Doe says she was 17 in 2007 when she met Epstein through a female relative who worked for him. At the time, Katlyn was struggling with an eating disorder and additionally needed surgery for another serious medical condition, and Epstein promised to cure her and fund those expensive medical procedures. But for the next several years, Epstein and his circle allegedly groomed Katlyn for sex—and even coerced her into marrying one of Epstein's recruiters, who wasn't a U.S. Citizen. Katlyn was allegedly sexually abused by Epstein at his New York mansion, in Florida while Epstein was on "work release," and in the U.S. Virgin Islands.When Katlyn turned 18, she says, Epstein forced her to lose her virginity to him during a trip to his private island, Little St. James. And in October 2008, while Epstein was on "work release" in Palm Beach, he had Katlyn send him sexually explicit photos of herself and of a female relative. (The Palm Beach Sheriff has opened a criminal probe into how deputies handled the financier's "work release" stint, during which Epstein was supposedly working for his nonprofit, the Florida Science Foundation, according to Katlyn's lawsuit.)In 2009, Epstein allegedly flew Katlyn to Florida under the guise of working for his charity and coerced her into sexual encounters with him and, on one occasion, another young woman.The complaint describes Epstein's employees and associates as "disciples" who constantly warned Katlyn and other victims "of Jeffrey Epstein's power and ability to improve or destroy a victim's life depending on her level of cooperation."In 2013, when Katlyn urged Epstein to make good on his promises, he made another proposal—this time offering Katlyn $20,000 to marry one of his recruiters so the unnamed woman could stay in the country. Epstein also offered the married couple a place to live on E. 66th Street, where he's provided housing for female employees.Epstein paid Katlyn $10,000 after the marriage and said the second half would come once the couple split. Yet, after Katlyn's divorce in 2017, Epstein failed to pay her or help secure her surgery, which she still needs today.In her own lawsuit, Priscilla Doe says she was 22 in 2006 when she was recruited into Epstein's alleged sex-trafficking operation in New York.During Priscilla's first visit to his mansion, Epstein offered her hundreds of dollars for a massage, which wasn't sexual. Instead, Epstein asked Priscilla questions about her life, learning that she was a virgin, and that she was poor and wanted to financially support her mother.The massages would quickly begin to include sex. "Jeffrey Epstein always reminded [Priscilla] that because of the money he was paying her for the commercial sex acts that he called 'massage,' she was able, for the first time, to pay for her mother's rent and for her own groceries," the complaint states.Epstein forced himself on Priscilla during one encounter and "took her virginity against her will and wishes," the lawsuit alleges.According to the complaint, Priscilla went to Epstein's private island and Ghislaine Maxwell and modeling mogul Jean-Luc Brunel joined this trip.On the island, Maxwell trained her on how to sexually service Epstein and the "proper way to give a blow job," court papers allege. Priscilla claims her passport was confiscated to stop her from leaving the island.Ghislaine Maxwell's Father Was a Dark and Mysterious Figure, Just Like Jeffrey Epstein"Ghislaine Maxwell made it clear to [Priscilla] that it was very important for her to understand and take this instruction seriously," the lawsuit says, adding that Maxwell's orders "instilled genuine fear" in Priscilla, who believed "her failure to comply would cause her serious harm."Priscilla says that from 2006 to 2012, Epstein controlled virtually every aspect of her life including what she wore, her career path, and the food she ate. When Priscilla traveled to Montreal on her own, Epstein allegedly summoned her back, warning she wasn't allowed to leave New York without his permission.Priscilla engaged in sex acts with Epstein in Florida, too, while he was supposed to be on "work release," the lawsuit states.Epstein warned Priscilla not to tell anyone about him or their sexual activities, and he boasted close ties to powerful and influential people. "Jeffrey Epstein commonly bragged to [Priscilla] that Bill Clinton, Donald Trump, Prince Andrew, and the Sultan of Dubai were among his closest friends," the complaint alleges. In 2011, Epstein ordered Priscilla to attend massage school and regularly asked her to recruit students for him. To maintain Priscilla's compliance, Epstein promised he would pay for her relative's serious medical care, her lawsuit says.Meanwhile, Lisa Doe was recruited by an Epstein associate outside her dance studio in 2002, when she was 17 years old. The recruiter approached Lisa—a dancer with a promising future— and offered her a job teaching "dance-based exercise" to a wealthy New Yorker.Epstein allegedly told Lisa he was linked to many major dance companies and had personal friends in New York's dance community. He said he'd buy high-end dancing attire for her and use his resources to advance her career.Yet after Lisa taught Epstein ballet stretches, his recruiter called her and asked her to perform "massages" instead. Lisa continued to return to Epstein's mansion, relying on his promises to help her career, and was routinely sexually abused, the lawsuit states.Epstein and his associates warned Lisa "that if she remained loyal and obedient to him, he would provide her with the dance training and connections she needed to succeed, and, conversely, if she did not remain loyal and obedient to him he would prevent her from becoming a professional dancer," the lawsuit states. In her lawsuit, Lisa accuses Epstein of forcing her into sex acts with other women. He also demanded she recruit other dancers to do "massage" work for him.As in Priscilla's case, Epstein allegedly began to control every aspect of Lisa's life and forced her to become a masseuse, albeit without a professional license. He made a $10,000 donation to one dance company on the condition that the organization use the money to pay Lisa for massage services for the company's dancers, her complaint states.Lisa says she was led to believe that if she didn't have sex with Epstein, he would ruin her reputation in both the dance and massage communities.Experts say it could take years for the secret beneficiaries of Epstein's estate to be paid out, in large part because of the legal actions filed against it.Bridget J. Crawford, a professor at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University, told The Daily Beast last week that creditors and tax collectors could come forward seeking funds from the estate as victims file their complaints.Epstein's brother, Mark Epstein, is listed in the will as the sole relative "who would be entitled to share the estate if he had left no will." According to Crawford, Mark is likely the only person who could challenge the validity of the document. "Mark could come forward and say, 'This is not a valid will, it was executed when he was not of right mind.' There [could] be multiple possible grounds for doing so—fraud, undue influence, duress for example," she said."I expect the court to be inundated with claims against the estate," Crawford added. "This thing's going to go on for years."Matthew R. Reinhardt, a lawyer in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, said "the complexity and character of the estate property usually determines how long the probate process will take.""Here, all of the estate property is given to a single entity … which serves to expedite the probate proceedings," said Reinhardt, a partner at Quintairos, Prieto, Wood & Boyer, P.A. "There is only one heir listed who would be entitled to share the estate if there had been no will.""However, if the validity of the will is questioned or the creditor's claims are numerous or complex, the probate process may get lengthy."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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dimanche 25 août 2019

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200,000 Rohingya rally to mark 'Genocide Day' in Bangladesh camps

Posted: 25 Aug 2019 09:21 AM PDT

200,000 Rohingya rally to mark 'Genocide Day' in Bangladesh campsSome 200,000 Rohingya rallied in a Bangladesh camp Sunday to mark two years since they fled a violent crackdown by Myanmar forces, just days after a second failed attempt to repatriate the refugees. During the brutal August 2017 offensive, around 740,000 of the Muslim minority escaped Myanmar's Rakhine state -- joining those who had fled earlier persecution. A total of nearly one million refugees now live in three dozen squalid camps in Bangladesh's southeastern border district of Cox's Bazar.


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Pope, urging prayers, says Amazon forest vital for our Earth

Posted: 25 Aug 2019 06:22 AM PDT

Pope, urging prayers, says Amazon forest vital for our EarthPope Francis said Sunday that the Amazon forest is vital for our Earth and is urging prayers that fires there are quickly controlled. Francis added his voice to the chorus of international concern that the blazes in Brazil will have grave repercussions on the world's environmental health. The pontiff, who is from the neighboring South American nation of Argentina, told the public in St. Peter's Square that "we're all worried" about the vast Amazon fires.


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Journalist killed in Mexico

Posted: 25 Aug 2019 12:25 AM PDT

Journalist killed in MexicoThe head of a Mexican news website was found stabbed to death in the center of the country, authorities said Saturday, the 10th such killing this year. The body of Nevith Condes Jaramillo "was found Saturday morning... showing injuries from a sharp object," the state prosecutor said in a statement. Condes Jaramillo, 42, was the head of a local news site in Tejupilco and was also an announcer on a community radio station.


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samedi 24 août 2019

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Iceland Held Talks With U.S. Ambassador Over Pence Visit

Posted: 24 Aug 2019 06:24 AM PDT

Iceland Held Talks With U.S. Ambassador Over Pence Visit(Bloomberg) -- Iceland' prime minister is open to extending the visit of Vice President Mike Pence to the Nordic island to allow the two to meet.The option was discussed during a pre-scheduled meeting on Friday between Katrin Jakobsdottir and ambassador Jeffrey Gunter, a government spokesman told Bloomberg.Jakobsdottir, a left-of-center feminist and LGBT advocate, is due to attend a conference by Nordic trade union leaders in Sweden on Sept. 4. That's the same day in which Pence is due to arrive.Jakobsdottir's decision to not change her schedule to accommodate the vice president's visit has been criticized at home. According to her spokeswoman, a final decision on whether the meeting can take place has not yet been made.The White House said Pence planned to discuss trade opportunities, the Arctic and NATO efforts to counter Russian aggression in the region.The scheduling snafu is the latest episode in a series of exchanges involving Donald Trump and the Nordics.Pence's visit would take place in the wake of a very public spat between the U.S. president and Denmark over its refusal to sell Greenland.Trump said Saturday he had held a "nice" conversation with Mette Frederiksen, with the exchange coming just days after labeling the Danish prime minister as "nasty."In 2017, Sweden reacted forcibly to Trump's portrayal of the Nordic nation as being in a state of chaos and overrun by crime after an influx of refugees.(Adds background on U.S.-Nordic relations.)To contact the reporter on this story: Ragnhildur Sigurdardottir in Reykjavik at rsigurdardot@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Jonas Bergman at jbergman@bloomberg.net, Nick Rigillo, Andrew DavisFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.


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The Latest: Hong Kong police fire tear gas at protesters

Posted: 24 Aug 2019 03:24 AM PDT

The Latest: Hong Kong police fire tear gas at protestersHong Kong police have used tear gas to disperse protesters who were massing near a police station. Public broadcaster RTHK says riot officers moved in with batons on Saturday to drive away protesters who threw bricks and what appeared to be a gasoline bomb at them. The clash followed a protest march earlier in the afternoon to Kowloon Bay, an area across the harbor from Hong Kong Island.


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Iranian oil tanker pursued by US says it is going to Turkey

Posted: 24 Aug 2019 12:23 AM PDT

Iranian oil tanker pursued by US says it is going to TurkeyAn Iranian-flagged oil tanker pursued by the U.S. amid heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington changed its listed destination to a port in Turkey early Saturday after Greece said it wouldn't risk its relations with America by aiding it. The crew of the Adrian Darya 1, formerly known as the Grace 1, updated its listed destination in its Automatic Identification System to Mersin, Turkey, a port city in the country's south and home to an oil terminal.


vendredi 23 août 2019

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The Latest: Baltic protest inspires Hong Kong human chain

Posted: 23 Aug 2019 06:20 AM PDT

The Latest: Baltic protest inspires Hong Kong human chainSupporters of Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement are linking hands across the semi-autonomous Chinese territory, inspired by a historic protest 30 years ago in the Baltic states when nearly 2 million people formed a human chain to protest Soviet control. It was the latest protest in a nearly 11-week-old movement that began with calls for the government to scrap an extradition bill and has widened to include demands for full democracy and an independent inquiry into alleged police brutality at protests. China has derided Canada by saying that only those with "ulterior motives" should fear for their safety when traveling in the country.


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Radical gun reform may finally have a voice in Washington

Posted: 23 Aug 2019 03:22 AM PDT

Radical gun reform may finally have a voice in WashingtonAn ambitious agenda by the March for Our Lives activists may be the first time the majority of Americans get real representationA young girl looks on as she attends a vigil for the victims of the recent mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio. Photograph: Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesMarch for Our Lives, the national youth gun violence prevention movement founded by survivors of last year's school shooting in Parkland, Florida, released a sweeping gun reform agenda this week.The agenda calls for significantly raising the standards for gun ownership in America, and reducing by about 100m the total number of guns in circulation.It's a dramatic, ambitious plan. And it may represent the first time in decades that the majority of Americans will get any real representation in the gun control debate in Washington.March for Our Lives' young activists endorsed an Australia-style mandatory government buyback and destruction of "assault weapons". They want to decrease the number of guns in circulation by 30% – which would mean roughly 100m fewer firearms in American hands. They proposed regulations that would dramatically raise the bar for who is allowed to purchase a gun, putting US law much more in line with European countries. And they want to revisit the 2009 supreme court decision, District of Columbia v Heller, which enshrined a pro-gun interpretation of Americans' second amendment right to bear arms.These proposals are substantially more aggressive, and more ambitious, than anything the Democrats in Washington have fought for in years. In fact, for decades, gun control groups and progressive politicians have done a poor job at representing the majority of Americans in Congress when it comes to gun control. A surprising voidDemocrats have fought for minor new restrictions on gun buying – and been defeated by the Republican party's gun absolutists – but, fundamentally, the Democratic party has remained supportive of gun ownership.Democratic lawmakers' efforts to "ban assault weapons", for example, have not meant an actual ban on these guns, but only a ban on future sales, meaning that Americans could keep the millions of military-style rifles they already own. President Obama's signature gun control legislation after the 2012 massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School was a compromise bill that would have closed just a few of the gaping loopholes in the nation's background check system – a measure so weak it's doubtful whether it would have had any effect on gun violence at all.The country's largest gun control groups, too, have made great efforts to portray themselves as pro-"gun safety", not anti-gun. They routinely advertise themselves as supporters of Americans' second amendment right to bear arms. And they have focused on "commonsense reforms," such as getting what activists see as particularly extreme weapons off the streets, or requiring a criminal background check before every gun sale.This lack of any explicit anti-gun side in the American gun debate is strange.Although many Americans may not realize it, gun owners are a minority in the United States. American civilians overall own an estimated 300m to 400m firearms, more than one gun per person. But this frequently cited statistic obscures how concentrated American gun ownership is.In recent surveys, roughly 70% to 80% of Americans said they do not personally own a gun, and a majority said that nobody in their household owns a gun. Just 3% of American adults own half the country's guns, according to a definitive 2015 survey. This small group of gun super-owners have an average of 17 guns each.Gun absolutists – the activists who oppose any gun control measures, who want Americans to be able to own any kind of gun, and carry them everywhere – are a minority within that minority. According to the best available estimates, fewer than 10% of American gun owners overall are members of the National Rifle Association.There appear to be at least as many Americans who are vehemently anti-gun as there are NRA members.Recent Gallup polls have found that 28% of American adults say they would support a law banning handgun ownership, except by the police and other "authorized persons". A 2017 Pew Research Center survey found that 9% of American adults believed that "almost no one" should be legally allowed to own guns – about the same proportion as the number of adults who believed that "almost everyone" should be able to own them.A coalition of 9% of American adults would translate into more than 20 million people. That's a group four times larger than the NRA, which claims between 5 million and 6 million members.Only a minority of Americans oppose most private gun ownership. But there's strong majority support for much tougher gun control laws than the ones currently on the books.A 2017 Pew survey found 68% supported banning assault-style weapons. 71% supported having a federal database to track all gun sales. A 2018 Gallup survey found 68% of respondents supported raising the legal age to buy certain guns. A Quinnipiac poll in May found 77% of respondents were in favor of requiring people to obtain a license before being able to purchase a gun.It's not hard to find Americans who oppose the country's current gun culture. They show up at gun control rallies, holding signs that say things like "Repeal the Second Amendment". They live in neighborhoods burdened by decades of daily gun violence. They've lost family members or friends to shootings. They keep asking: Why can't we just get rid of the guns?But for years, these Americans' views have not been well represented by America's "gun safety" groups, and they have had virtually no representation in Congress.This may finally be starting to change. Moving the gun debateIn 2016, a progressive activist launched Guns Down America, a small organization that advocates not simply for "gun sense laws", but for "a future with fewer guns". Following the Parkland shooting, the young March for Our Lives activists have advocated unapologetically for bold reform, though they, like other American gun control activists, say they're not anti-gun and their proposals for stricter regulation represent the interests of "responsible gun owners".It's not yet clear how much the 2020 Democratic presidential candidates will move towards embracing these majority opinions on gun control policy. But there's already been movement towards the actual middle of the debate.In 2016, Obama argued in a CNN Town Hall that "issues like licensing, registration, that's an area where there's just not enough national consensus at this stage to even consider it". This year, New Jersey Senator Cory Booker made gun licensing the center of his 2020 gun control platform.After the mass shooting targeting Latino families in El Paso, former Texas congressman Beto O'Rourke said he endorsed not just an assault weapon ban, but a mandatory federal buyback of assault weapons. On Wednesday, he became the first Democratic 2020 candidate to tweet that he supported March for Our Lives' new policy agenda.O'Rourke's campaign did not back away from the most controversial elements of the youth activists' plan, including their desire to revisit the supreme court's current interpretation of the second amendment, enshrined in the Heller decision."While Beto agrees with the court's holding that the second amendment allows for regulation, he does not agree with the entirety of the Heller decision," said Aleigha Cavalier, O'Rourke's national press secretary. "One piece of the Heller case Beto believes should be revisited is the court's decision to strike down DC's safe storage requirements."America's gun debate may soon actually have two sides.


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Canada halts Hong Kong consulate staff travel after UK case

Posted: 23 Aug 2019 12:22 AM PDT

Canada halts Hong Kong consulate staff travel after UK caseThe Canadian Consulate in Hong Kong said Friday local staff aren't allowed to travel outside the city including to mainland China, in a move that comes days after a British Consulate worker was detained there. The Chinese government's announcement this week that the British Consulate employee has been detained in neighboring mainland city of Shenzhen has stoked tensions in Hong Kong, which has been gripped by months of antigovernment protests. "At present, locally engaged staff will not undertake official business travel outside of Hong Kong," the Canadian Consulate said in a statement.


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