| Trump confirms death of Al-Qaeda heir Hamza bin Laden Posted: 14 Sep 2019 01:04 PM PDT  US President Donald Trump on Saturday confirmed that Hamza bin Laden, the son and designated heir of Al-Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden, was killed in a counter-terrorism operation in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region. US media reported more than a month ago, citing intelligence officials, that the younger Bin Laden had been killed sometime in the last two years in an operation that involved the United States. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said last month that it was "his understanding" that Bin Laden, who was thought to be about 30, was dead.
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| Police: No sign that Duluth synagogue fire was hate crime Posted: 15 Sep 2019 03:01 PM PDT  A fire that destroyed a historic synagogue in northeastern Minnesota doesn't appear to have been a hate crime, authorities said Sunday in discussing the arrest of a suspect. Matthew James Amiot, 36, of Duluth, was arrested Friday in the fire last week at the Adas Israel Congregation in downtown Duluth, the city's police chief, Mike Tusken, said at a news conference. Tusken said he has no reason to believe the fire was a hate crime, although the investigation is ongoing.
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| Muslim American New Jersey Mayor Says CBP Wrongfully Detained Him for Almost 3 Hours Posted: 15 Sep 2019 02:29 PM PDT  According to Mohamed Khairullah, officials asked directly whether he met any terrorists
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| Scores of tigers rescued from infamous Thai temple have died: media Posted: 15 Sep 2019 01:47 AM PDT  More than half of the tigers that Thai authorities confiscated in 2016 from an infamous Tiger Temple tourist attraction have died from a viral disease because their immune systems were weakened by inbreeding, media reported. The Buddhist temple west of Bangkok was a tourist destination where visitors took selfies with tigers and bottle-fed cubs until authorities removed its nearly 150 tigers in 2016 in response to global pressure over wildlife trafficking.
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| Rep. Meadows says Democrats' impeachment investigation already has 'made up conclusions' Posted: 15 Sep 2019 06:05 AM PDT  North Carolina Republican Rep. Mark Meadows calls the Democrats' impeachment push 'political theater.'
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| Is Juul Making It Easy for Kids to Vape in School? New Study Suggests Yes Posted: 14 Sep 2019 02:04 PM PDT  Young people may be vaping during school, a study of Twitter posts suggests.
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| Video shows a Model 3 automatically apply the brakes to avoid hitting a cop who ran a red light Posted: 13 Sep 2019 08:07 PM PDT  Tesla's automated emergency braking (AEB) system, which was first introduced in 2017, has improved markedly in a relatively short amount of time. Just a few weeks ago, for example, Tesla demonstrated its next-gen AEB system which can more ably apply the brakes when a pedestrian or cyclist is detected. With that said, we recently stumbled across a new video which shows a Tesla Model 3 abruptly hit the brakes when a police officer on a motorcycle runs a red light and turns left into oncoming traffic. The officer was presumably chasing someone but his sirens were off at the time. As you can see in the video below, the Model 3 owner begins to accelerate at a green light and doesn't see the police officer swooping in from the right-hand side. Luckily, the Model 3 detected the officer and swiftly applied the brakes. https://youtu.be/SZdRTVfRi48 Describing the incident, the Model 3 owner posted the following on his YouTube channel. > Happened this morning; I was rolling about my way when the light turns green, and out of nowhere a cop without their audio on for their sirens runs a red light. If not for Tesla's emergency stop safety features this would not have been a good day. Thank you Tesla and ElonMusk for making the Model3 the safest car ever or I might've scarred myself for life with a horrible accident.Another angle of the incident can be seen below. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3D3pzSWVjc&t=46s Of course, this is hardly the first time we've seen a Tesla take evasive action and avoid a potentially serious collision. In the video below, a Tesla that was rear ended quickly swerves to the left to avoid the car directly ahead. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=21&v=QVdTAwU07Jc
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| New York bans the sale of flavored e-cigarettes by emergency order from Governor Cuomo Posted: 15 Sep 2019 11:37 AM PDT  Governor Andrew Cuomo is taking action against electronic cigarettes.On Saturday, the New York governor announced an emergency executive action to ban the sale of flavored electronic cigarettes in-state.Gov. Cuomo tweeted the news and noted that State police and the New York Department of Health will "ramp up enforcement against retailers who sell to underage youth" and he will continue to "advance legislation to eliminate deceptive marketing of e-cigarettes" to young people.> BREAKING: Today I am announcing emergency executive action to ban the sale of flavored e-cigarettes. > > -State Police and DOH to ramp up enforcement against retailers who sell to underage youth > > -We will advance legislation to eliminate deceptive marketing of e-cigarettes to youth> > -- Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) September 15, 2019SEE ALSO: Donald Trump wants to ban flavored vapesGov. Cuomo's emergency action comes after a "series of actions to combat the increasing number of youth using vape products." E-cigarette companies have faced a great deal of backlash for marketing flavored products, apparently to young people in hopes of enticing them to try vapes, which could ultimately lead to an increase in teen vaping and youth nicotine addiction."New York is confronting this crisis head-on and today we are taking another nation-leading step to combat a public health emergency," Gov. Cuomo said at today's event."Manufacturers of fruit and candy-flavored e-cigarettes are intentionally and recklessly targeting young people, and today we're taking action to put an end to it. At the same time, unscrupulous stores are knowingly selling vaping products to underage youth -- those retailers are now on notice that we are ramping up enforcement and they will be caught and prosecuted."Earlier this week, after reports of possible vape-related illnesses sparked concern in the medical world, President Trump also shared his thoughts on flavored vape products along with a desire to regulate them."It's not a wonderful thing," Trump said about vaping. "It's got big problems we've got to find out the extent of the problem."First Lady Melania Trump also chimed in on the topic and expressed her concern in a tweet about "the growing epidemic of e-cigarette use in our children."> I am deeply concerned about the growing epidemic of e-cigarette use in our children. We need to do all we can to protect the public from tobacco-related disease and death, and prevent e-cigarettes from becoming an on-ramp to nicotine addiction for a generation of youth. @HHSGov> > -- Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) September 9, 2019As Mashable noted in an earlier piece, Alex Azar, the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, said the specifics of the ban would take several weeks to put together. After the specifics are released the ban would then take 30 days to go into effect, and would remove all flavors, except tobacco, from the market.The plan would reportedly let manufacturers of flavored vapes apply for FDA approval in 2020.
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| A look at the corruption scandals facing Israel's Netanyahu Posted: 15 Sep 2019 09:38 AM PDT  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking to hold on to power in Tuesday's historic repeat election as the shadow of various corruption charges loom over his future. Israel's attorney general has recommended pressing criminal charges against him in three separate corruption cases, pending a long delayed pre-trial hearing scheduled for early October — just three weeks after the election.
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| Virginia Attorney General Concludes Race Information Is Not Necessary for Marriage Licenses Posted: 15 Sep 2019 01:55 PM PDT  The state has new forms, which let applicants "Declined to Answer" about race
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| Mexico targets former attorney general in probe of missing students case Posted: 15 Sep 2019 01:35 PM PDT ![Mexico targets former attorney general in probe of missing students case]( "Mexico targets former attorney general in probe of missing students case") Mexican prosecutors will target a former attorney general and his top aides in their investigation into the handling of a controversial probe into the disappearance five years ago of 43 student teachers, a government official said on Sunday. The attorney general's office said on Saturday prosecutors would hold to account those who oversaw the widely-panned probe into the abduction and apparent massacre of the trainee teachers by corrupt police working with a violent drug gang. The scandal battered the reputation of then-president Enrique Pena Nieto.
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| Iran inks deal to develop gas field in tense Gulf Posted: 14 Sep 2019 03:47 AM PDT  Two Iranian companies signed a $440 million agreement Saturday to develop a gas field in the sensitive Gulf, with the oil ministry saying it showed arch-foe the United States could not stop the country with sanctions. Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said the deal reached between two government-owned firms, Pars Oil and Gas Company and PetroPars, to develop the Balal field would be the first of many. Tensions have soared in the Gulf since last year when the US began reimposing sanctions on Iran after unilaterally withdrawing from a 2015 deal that put curbs on its nuclear programme.
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| Saddam Hussein Thought He Knew How to Sink U.S. Battleships Posted: 14 Sep 2019 09:00 PM PDT  Could it have worked?
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| Tropical Storm Humberto likely to become a hurricane after skirting Bahamas Posted: 14 Sep 2019 01:48 PM PDT  Tropical Storm Humberto in the Atlantic is expected to turn into a hurricane as it moves north of the Bahamas.
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| The Future of Design: Transportation Posted: 15 Sep 2019 01:26 PM PDT |
| Trump lashes out at MSNBC's Joy-Ann Reid, tweets that he 'never met' the TV host but that she has 'NO talent' and a 'bad reputation' Posted: 14 Sep 2019 01:28 PM PDT  Joy-Ann Reid, who recently published a critical book about Donald Trump, was the target of the president's vitriol on Twitter Saturday morning.
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| No kites, pigeon flying as China preps for 70th anniversary Posted: 14 Sep 2019 10:12 PM PDT  China has banned flying kites, drones and captive pigeons over central Beijing for more than two weeks as it prepares for a military parade and other celebrations to mark the 70th anniversary of Communist Party rule on Oct. 1. Flying activities that affect flight safety are prohibited in seven of the capital city's 16 districts from Sept. 15 to Oct. 1, according to a notice posted Sunday on the Beijing municipal government's website.
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| Venezuela's Guaidó pictured with members of Colombian gang Posted: 13 Sep 2019 05:56 PM PDT  Opposition leader plays down images but analysts say they could prove highly damagingJuan Guaidó takes a selfie at the concert in Cúcuta, Colombia, in February. Photograph: Luis Robayo/AFP/Getty ImagesJuan Guaidó, the Venezuelan politician fighting to topple Nicolás Maduro, is facing awkward questions about his relationship with organised crime after the publication of compromising photographs showing him with two Colombian paramilitaries.In an interview on Friday, Guaidó played down the significance of the pictures, in which he posed alongside two members of the Colombian criminal gang the Rastrojos identified as El Brother and El Menor.The photos appear to have been taken on 22 February as Guaidó used an illegal border crossing to sneak across Venezuela's western border into Colombia to attend a Live Aid-style concert in the town of Cúcuta."I took hundreds of photos that day," Guaidó told the Colombian broadcaster Blu Radio. "It was hard to know who was asking for a photo. Misconstruing these photos means playing the Maduro regime's game."> Lo dijimos desde el primer día: la entrada a Colombia el 23 de febrero del sr @jguaido fue coordinada con los Rastrojos. Aquí están alias el brother armado, y el segundo al mando de este grupo paramilitar, alias el menor. pic.twitter.com/qflAYBgWQf> > — WILFREDO CAÑIZARES (@wilcan91) September 12, 2019On Friday Venezuela's state prosecutor's office said it would open an investigation into the photos. Analysts said the images had the potential to cause severe harm to Guaidó's credibility and his nine-month quest to force Maduro from power.The Rastrojos are a drug-trafficking group with paramilitary origins who operate on both sides of the Colombia-Venezuela border. As well as the cocaine trade, they are engaged in illegal mining, kidnapping for ransom and extortion.Phil Gunson, a Caracas-based expert for Crisis Group, said: "I think it is extremely damaging. Regardless of whether this was as innocent as they claim – which is rather hard to believe – or whether there was something more to it, it looks so bad."Gunson said the photos handed "a huge propaganda victory" to Maduro's government, which is fending off accusations of ties to leftist guerrillas and drug traffickers.Maduro sought to exploit the scandal on Thursday, claiming the images were definitive evidence of Guaidó's ties to "paracos, murderers and narco-traffickers".In a televised speech, Maduro declared: "The connection between Colombian narco-trafficking and the Venezuelan right is right there in the photo. No one can deny it."Another senior Chavista, Freddy Bernal, claimed the photos were proof of "the criminal alliance between [Venezuela's] fascist right" and paramilitary and terrorist groups. Maduro's main propaganda channels also gave the scandal top billing.Carlos Vecchio, Guaidó's ambassador to the United States, rejected those claims. "There is no connection between Juan Guaidó's interim government [and] any paramilitary or guerrilla group. Zero, zero," he told the Colombian newspaper El Espectador.Gunson said that whatever the truth, the photos showed "unbelievable naivety" and were an embarrassment to the international coalition backing Guaidó, which includes the US, Colombia, Brazil and the UK."It could almost not have come at a worse time for Guaidó," Gunson said, pointing to the Colombian government's plans to denounce Maduro's ties to leftist guerrillas at the UN general assembly later this month.Gunson said Guaidó's claim not to have realised who he was posing with was "frankly not credible … [One of them] looks like a paramilitary out of central casting."The photos were published on Thursday by Wilfredo Cañizales, the director of a human rights group in Cúcuta, where February's highly politicised concert was held.Speaking to the Guardian, Cañizales claimed the Rastrojos had imposed a curfew along the border before Guaidó's crossing into Colombia "to make sure no locals would take photos of him crossing illegally through the hidden paths".Cañizales declined to say how he had obtained the photos or why he had decided to publish them but said: "The Rastrojos are paramilitaries. They are the ones in this region who decide who lives and who dies."Gunson said the photos also posed uncomfortable questions for Guaidó's backers in the Colombian government and their possible links with paramilitary groups. "There's a lot of questions that haven't been answered," he said.
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| Iran's Submarines: Could They Sink the U.S. Navy in a War? Posted: 15 Sep 2019 03:30 AM PDT  Key Point: Though the new Iranian boats may remain far from the cutting edge of submarine design, they could still prove dangerous adversaries in the confined and shallow waters of the Persian Gulf.
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| Golden Toilet Stolen From the U.K.'s Blenheim Palace, Birthplace of Winston Churchill Posted: 14 Sep 2019 10:34 AM PDT  The artwork has not been recovered, and the investigation remains ongoing
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| DOJ releases part of Mueller’s conflict of interest waiver Posted: 14 Sep 2019 08:13 AM PDT ![DOJ releases part of Mueller's conflict of interest waiver]( "DOJ releases part of Mueller's conflict of interest waiver") Top Justice Department ethics official concluded it was unlikely any reasonable person would doubt Mueller's independence.
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| Biden Draws Domestic Terror Line From Birmingham to El Paso Posted: 15 Sep 2019 11:34 AM PDT ![Biden Draws Domestic Terror Line From Birmingham to El Paso]( "Biden Draws Domestic Terror Line From Birmingham to El Paso") (Bloomberg) -- Joe Biden drew a direct line between the violence of groups such as the Ku Klux Klan and recent mass shootings in a speech on race and domestic terrorism in Birmingham, Alabama, on Sunday, seeking to unify the congregation – and the country – in a fight against hatred and injustice."The domestic terrorism of white supremacy has been the antagonist of our highest ideals from before our founding," Biden said at the 56th anniversary of the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing, where four black girls were killed and more than a dozen others were injured after Klansmen bombed the church in 1963.He added: "The same poisonous ideology that lit the fuse at 16th Street pulled the trigger in Mother Emanuel, unleashed the anti-Semitic massacre in Pittsburgh and Poway, and saw a white supremacist gun down innocent Latino immigrants in an El Paso parking lot with military-grade weapons declaring it would stop a 'Hispanic invasion of Texas.'"Mother Emanuel refers to the African Methodist Episcopal church in Charleston, South Carolina, where a white supremacist killed nine people in 2015. The pastor of that church, Rev. Eric Manning, attended Biden's address.In his 20-minute speech, Biden recounted the impact the bombing had on the Civil Rights movement, most notably the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. But Biden also emphasized the importance of remembering the bombing's personal cost. With a handful of relatives of the four slain girls in attendance, Biden, who lost his wife and one-year-old daughter in 1972, shared the pain of families that lose children at a young age."When you lose a child so young the loss is always punctuated by questions," he said. "What would she have looked like? What might she have done? What memories will never be?"But, Biden, quoting Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., said their deaths implore others to work to combat racism and injustice. Biden then recounted the now-familiar refrain about the "defining moments" in his life, including the death of his first wife and daughter and later his son, Beau, that led him to a life of public service.And as he often does, Biden recalled the march of white supremacists in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017 as a moment that he believed showed the country was "in a battle for the soul of this nation." As congregants chanted "Amen" and "all right," Biden passionately described the need to fight hate in all forms.Revulsion to Hate"Hate only hides, it doesn't go away," he said. "If you give it oxygen it comes out from under the rocks. It can be defeated or drowned out — but never vanquished. But we also should realize that revulsion to hate at its ugliest can summon the very best in us."Biden, the front-runner for the Democratic nomination for president, is highly popular among black voters, a crucial constituency in the party, and his speech on Sunday showed his appeal."It was right on the mark," said Bobbie Adams, 82, a black woman who was born in Birmingham and remembers the bombing. "It was just beautiful. He told us what we needed to know. He's going to bring civility back to our country."She added: "He's a Christian man. We need a Christian man to lead us."As Biden continues his third run for the presidency, he will need to hold onto to black-voter support -- particularly in South Carolina, the fourth state in the 2020 primary calendar, where more than 60% of the Democratic primary voters are black. He plans to campaign there alongside some of his rivals on Monday.Record on RaceBut, Biden has also faced criticism for his record on race. He was the architect of the 1994 crime bill that critics say resulted in the mass incarceration of people of color. One of his rivals, California Senator Kamala Harris, also attacked him in the first Democratic debate for his past positions on school busing and integration.Biden also came under fire after the third Democratic debate on Thursday for his answer on the legacy of slavery."We bring social workers into homes of parents to help them deal with how to raise their children," he said. "It's not that they don't want to help, they don't want -- they don't know quite what to do."Some critics suggested Biden had inferred that black parents were unable to raise their own children. His campaign rejected that characterization, saying the former vice president was talking about his proposal to invest resources to under-served schools.Shirley Gavin Floyd said she was frustrated by Biden's comments at the debate, but she said Sunday's speech helped her move on.'Right Speech'"Today in my mind, he cleared that all up," said Floyd, 66, who is also black and a Birmingham resident. "I think he delivered the right speech."But, Floyd isn't committed to supporting Biden in the Alabama primary on Super Tuesday on March 3. She also likes Harris and Senator Elizabeth Warren.Richard Dickerson, who served in the Clinton administration but then moved to Birmingham years ago, said he supports Biden and appreciated his speech and visit to the church. But Dickerson, 64, said he was looking for more from white politicians."Whenever there's confusion, racial chaos and destruction, white people run to black churches," he said. "I think they also need to go to white churches. Black people didn't create racism. We weren't the bombers."Biden has also rebutted critics of his record on race by pointing to his service as vice president to the nation's first black president. He's closely hewed to former President Barack Obama's legacy throughout the campaign, and he invoked Obama multiple times on Sunday -- including the former president's speech after the shooting in Charleston when he sang "Amazing Grace."As he concluded his speech, Biden received a standing ovation and later joined the congregation in singing "We Shall Overcome." Biden, standing in the front row and locking hands with the people next to him, belted out the lyrics as he swayed with the congregation.(Updates throughout with new material from speech and church.)To contact the reporter on this story: Tyler Pager in Birmingham, Alabama at tpager1@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Wendy Benjaminson at wbenjaminson@bloomberg.net, Mark NiquetteFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Over 2,000 fetal remains found at ex-abortion doctor's home Posted: 14 Sep 2019 03:43 PM PDT  More than 2,000 medically preserved fetal remains have been found at the Illinois home of a former Indiana abortion clinic doctor who died last week, authorities said. The Will County Sheriff's Office said in a news release late Friday that an attorney for Dr. Ulrich Klopfer's family contacted the coroner's office Thursday about possible fetal remains being found at the home in an unincorporated part of Will County in northeastern Illinois. The sheriff's office said authorities found 2,246 preserved fetal remains but there's no evidence medical procedures were performed at the home.
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| Some critics compare Beto O'Rourke's gun ban to what they call a 'failed' buyback program in Australia Posted: 14 Sep 2019 07:14 AM PDT  Foundation for Liberty and American Greatness founder Nick Adams criticizes some Democrats' push to ban some types of guns.
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| Man who dragged shark to death from speedboat and poured alcohol down throats of fish is jailed Posted: 15 Sep 2019 08:56 AM PDT  A Florida man who dragged a shark to its death from a high-speed boat has been jailed for 10 days.Robert Benac III will pay a $2,500 fine, perform 250 hours of service at an animal shelter and lose his fishing licence for three years after pleading guilty to misdemeanour of animal cruelty.
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| General Motors auto workers call strike in US Posted: 15 Sep 2019 04:50 PM PDT  The United Auto Workers union called a nationwide strike against General Motors Sunday, with some 46,000 members set to walk off the job beginning at midnight amid an impasse in contract talks. The decision, which the Wall Street Journal described as the first major stoppage at GM in more than a decade, came a day after the manufacturer's four-year contract with workers expired without an agreement on a replacement. Local union leaders met in Detroit "and opted to strike at midnight on Sunday," the UAW said on its Twitter account.
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| UPDATE 1-Two Afghan Taliban shadow governors killed as air strikes step up Posted: 15 Sep 2019 07:02 AM PDT ![UPDATE 1-Two Afghan Taliban shadow governors killed as air strikes step up]( "UPDATE 1-Two Afghan Taliban shadow governors killed as air strikes step up") Afghan security forces, backed by U.S. air strikes, killed two of the movement's shadow provincial governors on Sunday, as fighting stepped up in the wake of the collapse of talks aimed at ending the conflict, officials said. The operations, launched on Saturday night, were aimed at foiling attacks planned by the Taliban on Afghan forces, said a senior security official in the capital Kabul, adding that clashes have escalated following the collapse of diplomatic talks between the United States and the Taliban. The defence ministry in a statement said at least 85 Taliban fighters were killed in a joint ground and air operation in southern Paktika province on Saturday night.
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| Taiwan Needs New Submarines To Stop a Possible Future Invasion by China Posted: 14 Sep 2019 02:35 AM PDT  But can Taipei really build them or buy them abroad?
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| County lines epidemic blamed as number of children missing or linked to drugs gangs doubles Posted: 15 Sep 2019 02:19 PM PDT  County lines drug networks have been blamed for a huge spike in the number of children identified as having links to gangs, after the figure more than doubled in three years. Social services in England carried out 8,650 assessments of young people whom they labelled as vulnerable with gangs highlighted as an issue in 2017-18. It marked a significant jump on 2014-15, when 3,680 such cases were recorded. A similar trend was found in the number of children who went missing during the same period - from 8,850 to 16,070 - which is considered a trait of county lines networks. Drugs gangs increasingly recruit vulnerable children to ferry narcotics from cities to smaller towns, with around 2,000 operations believed to be operating across the UK. County lines feature The smuggling networks are known as "county lines". Academics and MPs described the figures, analysed by The Guardian, as "shocking". "There will be elements of that about increased reporting and awareness but that is not going to account for such a big rise - there is something happening," Simon Harding, an associate professor of criminology at the University of West London, told the newspaper. "Working in county lines has a great allure for young people. It gives them a tax-free income, gives them a regular income and high income". The Department for Education data showed a steady rise in the number of vulnerable children who go missing or become involved with gangs over the past few years. Factors for a child disappearing are complex but can also include the absence of social services in the area, along with the work of drugs gangs. Josie Allan, of Missing People UK, said: "I did research recently with a small group of young people involved in county lines, and everyone who took part said that going missing was a key feature, especially in the early stages of criminal exploitation." Another factor thought to be driving the trend of children being reported missing is a drop in the number of parents or teachers reporting them as "absent" instead. FAQ | County lines Ann Coffey, the MP for Stockport and chair of the all-party Parliamentary committee on runaway and missing children and adults, told the newspaper: "What concerns me is that we are not really making inroads on arresting and taking those senior gang leaders out of county lines. As long as they continue to operate, the number of children exploited will continue to grow." A Government spokesman said: "Any child that goes missing from home, school or care could be in danger of exploitation from gangs or violent criminals – that's why we are equipping the professionals who protect vulnerable children to help them identify those who are most at risk and keep them safe. "Our national 'tackling child exploitation' support programme is helping specialists in education, social care, health, the police and the voluntary sector to improve how they respond to these kinds of threats in their communities, including gangs, county lines drug activity and trafficking, and our serious violence strategy includes a range of actions to combat county lines."
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| Steven Mnuchin’s Mysterious Link to Creepy Epstein Model Scout Posted: 15 Sep 2019 05:00 PM PDT  Photo Illustration by The Daily Beast/Photos Getty/HandoutIn the late 1980s—before he was a member of Donald Trump's Cabinet, or even a high-rolling hedge fund manager—Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin served in an official capacity for a business run by one of Jeffrey Epstein's most infamous associates. In official records, Mnuchin is listed as the official state point of contact for Next Management Corporation, a company formed in 1988 by modeling-industry insiders Jean-Luc Brunel and Armand Brunel. At the time, Brunel had just been the subject of a 60 Minutes documentary accusing him of drugging and raping at least three models. Later, he would be accused by two women of supplying girls to Epstein to be sexually abused. (Brunel has denied the allegations.)Records accessed by The Daily Beast list Mnuchin as the New York Department of State process for Next Management Corporation. According to department officials, the DOS process is the person who files a company's registration papers and receives lawsuits and other official documents on their behalf—usually a lawyer or some other legal representative.A Treasury Department official said Mnuchin did not know he was listed as the DOS Process for Next Management Corp. before The Daily Beast's inquiry. He said it was "not clear" how Mnuchin wound up serving in that role, and added that the Secretary not recall ever meeting either Brunel brother and has never done business with either of them. Mnuchin's office did confirm that he was longtime friends with Faith Kates, the owner of Next modeling agency. The Brunel brothers co-founded the Next agency with Kates in 1989, and their company, Next Management Corp. owned a 25 percent stake in the agency for several years. The address listed under Mnuchin's name in State Department records is the first address for Kates' company, Next Management Company.Models Say Jeffrey Epstein's Closest Pal Drugged, Raped ThemJeffrey Epstein's Modeling Ties Go Much Deeper Than Victoria's SecretReached by The Daily Beast, Kates denied any involvement with setting up Next Management Corporation, and said she had nothing to do with Mnuchin serving as the DOS process. "Ms. Kates was never involved with Next Management Corp. in any way," a spokesperson said. "Given that, she never designated anyone, including Sec. Mnuchin, to be a DOS process or any officer or director of Next Management Corp."The spokesperson added that Kates' agency sued Next Management Corp. 25 years ago, over allegations that the Brunel brothers had "raided" the agency, and said Kates has not had any contact with them since then. She said Kates had "no knowledge" of why her company's address was listed in official records for Next Management Corp.Kates has her own connections to Epstein, as The Daily Beast previously reported. Former employees say the financier regularly dropped in on the agency's New York offices, and tax filings show he donated tens of thousands of dollars to charities connected to Kates and her family. At least two former Next models have been romantically linked to Epstein, and a third appears in his infamous address book. A spokesperson for Kates said neither she nor the Next agency had any business or financial ties to Epstein, and that Kates never introduced the financier to any models.Mnuchin has been friends with Kates for approximately 30 years, according to the Treasury Department official, and once helped Kates set up a business "as a friend." A spokesperson for Kates confirmed the two had been friendly for decades. She said Munchin had offered Kates business advice when she started Next Management Company, and served as her real estate broker.Mnuchin's spokesperson said the Secretary had no ownership in any of Kates' businesses or served them in any business capacity.The Daily Beast was unable to reach Jean-Luc or Arnaud Brunel for comment. The ties between Jean-Luc Brunel and Epstein, however, have been widely reported. Flight records show Brunel flew on the financier's private plane more than 20 times between 1999 and 2005, and house staff said in depositions that the modeling agent was a regular presence at Epstein's Palm Beach estate. When Epstein was arrested in 2008, Brunel visited him nearly 70 times in jail.One of Epstein's first public accusers, Virginia Roberts (now Giuffre), claimed Epstein forced her to sleep with Brunel and many other powerful men in the years he kept her as his "sex slave." She also accused Brunel of using his modeling industry connections to supply Epstein and other wealthy men with foregin girls to abuse.A former bookkeeper for one of Brunel's agencies told the FBI in 2010 that Brunel used the company to bring in teenage models from around the world, and housed them in Epstein's Upper East Side apartments. The bookkeeper claimed the girls were loaned out to wealthy clients for up to $100,000 a night, and were not paid if they refused to be "molested." French authorities are currently seeking Brunel as part of their probe into Epstein, and recently interviewed two women who say they were victims of the modeling agent in the late 1970s and early '80s, according to French newspaper Le Parisien.Brunel has denied all claims of sexual misconduct, as well as any knowledge of Epstein's wrongdoings. In legal filings, he said the former bookkeeper had been fired from his agency for embezzling company funds."I strongly deny having participated, neither directly nor indirectly, in the actions Mr. Jeffrey Epstein is being accused of," Brunel said in a 2015 statement. "I strongly deny having committed any illicit act or any wrongdoing in the course of my work as a scouter or model agencies manager."Jeffrey Epstein Accuser Names Powerful Men in Alleged Sex RingMy Night With Epstein Pal Jean-Luc Brunel and His Terrified ModelsRead 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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| Iran denies attacking Saudi oil sites but prepared for 'full-fledged war' Posted: 15 Sep 2019 03:15 PM PDT  Yemen's Iranian-backed Houthi rebels said they launched drones that struck the Saudi Arabian oil installations Saturday, disrupting crude oil output.
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| Decks collapse during firefighter event; at least 22 injured Posted: 14 Sep 2019 07:16 PM PDT  A home's multilevel deck collapsed Saturday evening at the Jersey Shore during an event weekend, trapping people and injuring at least 22, including some children, officials said. It was unclear how many people were on or under the decks at the time, or how many were firefighters, but authorities said those who were trapped were quickly removed. The annual convention attracts thousands of current and former firefighters to the resort town.
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| Surveillance video allegedly shows 2 people moving carpet with body in Harlem; victim identified Posted: 13 Sep 2019 05:59 PM PDT  Surveillance video shows two men in baseball caps casually pushing a shopping cart that apparently contained a body wrapped in a rolled-up carpet in Harlem during the overnight hours on Thursday morning.
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| 8 earthquakes strike North Carolina within one week Posted: 15 Sep 2019 10:53 AM PDT  In one week, eight earthquakes between magnitudes 1.4 to 2.5 hit the Western North Carolina region, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).A town called Cherokee in the western part of North Carolina experienced six tremors in five days last week.The strongest earthquake was a magnitude 2.5 around 11:00 p.m. EDT Wednesday approximately 2.5 miles southwest of Cherokee.> Last night's 2.3 magnitude earthquake near the North Carolina/Tennessee border is a reminder that eathhquakes can & do happen in our state. Register for the Southeast Shakeout earthquake drill on Oct. 17 and practice your earthquake preparedness. ReadyNChttps://t.co/u2rZRmmyCu pic.twitter.com/bxWv0jl0Ge> > -- NC Emergency Managem (@NCEmergency) September 12, 2019Three of the quakes were within hours of each other on Wednesday night, and they were nearby one another. The first one was a 2.3-magnitude earthquake at 8:13 p.m. EDT near Cherokee, North Carolina.Four hours later, at 11:03 p.m. EDT, a magnitude 2.5 earthquake struck approximately two and a half miles away.The third earthquake with a magnitude of 2.1 hit a few minutes later, at 11:14 p.m. EDT. The quake was almost at surface level, according to the USGS. Five of the earthquakes near Cherokee, North Carolina were in close to proximity to each other. Two more recent quakes struck closer to central North Carolina, near Greensboro. 1. Sept. 7, 8:14 p.m. EDT: 1.9 magnitude, 5 miles south of Cherokee, North Carolina 2. Sept. 9, 4:21 a.m. EDT: 1.4 magnitude, 3.1 miles south-southwest of Cherokee, North Carolina 3. Sept. 9, 3:08 p.m. EDT: 2.0 magnitude, 3.1 miles south-southwest of Cherokee, North Carolina 4. Sept. 11, 8:13 p.m. EDT: 2.3 magnitude, 3.7 miles south of Cherokee, North Carolina 5. Sept. 11, 11:03 p.m. EDT: 2.5 magnitude, 2.5 miles southwest of Cherokee, North Carolina 6. Sept. 11, 11:14 p.m. EDT: 2.1 magnitude, 3.7 miles south-southwest of Cherokee, North Carolina 7. Sept. 12, 10:48 p.m. EDT: 2.0 magnitude, 1.9 miles east-southeast of Greensboro, North Carolina 8. Sept. 13, 8:25 p.m. EDT: 2.4 magnitude, 3.7 miles east of Advance, North CarolinaMost of the quakes happened between three and four miles in depth below the surface. WFMY News reported people felt their house shake and heard a loud "boom" that sounded like an explosion in the 2.3-magnitude earthquake that hit in between Arcadia and Advance. Others felt the quake as far away as Winston-Salem.There were no reports of injuries or damage.
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| French group to open two hotels in Damascus as airstrikes kill civilians Posted: 14 Sep 2019 11:17 AM PDT  Louvre Hotels Group, owned by China's Jin Jiang, has signed an agreement to open two hotels under its own name in Damascus, it said on Saturday, a day after the UN announced an internal investigation into the bombing of hospitals in Syria. The confirmation of the two hotels opening, after recent media reports, also came as at least six civilians were killed by the Syrian regime and Russian fire in northwestern Idlib province in the past days, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The Hayat Tahrir al-Sham alliance led by Al-Qaeda's former Syria affiliate controls most of Idlib as well as parts of neighbouring Aleppo and Latakia provinces.
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| View Photos of Volkswagen Microbus with Civil Rights History Posted: 15 Sep 2019 08:01 AM PDT |
| Mexico amnesty law eyes reprieve for minor drug offenses, abortions Posted: 15 Sep 2019 04:55 PM PDT  Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has sent a draft law to Congress that aims to grant amnesty to people serving jail time for lesser offenses, including abortion and possession of small amounts of drugs, the government said on Sunday. "The amnesty would benefit those in prison for minor crimes, not murderers or kidnappers or those who have caused serious injury to another person," Lopez Obrador wrote in a preamble to the draft initiative. Lopez Obrador put an amnesty at the center of his strategy to bring down record levels of violence in Mexico, which has been ravaged by turf wars between drug gangs for more than a decade, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths.
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| Spanish activists prepare to take rape trial to supreme court in new challenge to consent laws Posted: 15 Sep 2019 11:53 AM PDT  Spanish feminist groups are expecting a gang rape trial resuming in Barcelona on Monday to go to the supreme court, as activists criticise the country's rape laws. The court has already heard the testimony of the alleged victim – who claims she was raped at a party in the Catalan town of Manresa in 2016 when she was 14 – and from the seven men accused of attacking her. The hearings will continue with the testimony of experts who will analyse DNA samples. Their conclusions could determine whether the seven men are convicted of rape or sexual abuse. Activists in Manresa fear the ruling in Barcelona will be too lenient, due to Spain's idiosyncratic rape laws. "The fact that she went willingly with the accused because she knew one of them is what is seen as counting as consent. Was she taken away at knifepoint? No, so it is not rape [under Spanish law]," said Pilar Polo, a spokesman for the Vicki Bernadet Foundation. Spain's rape laws came under scrutiny during the high-profile trial for the so-called Wolf Pack gang rape in 2018. The case sparked the biggest women's rights protests in Spanish history after five men were initially convicted of sexual abuse instead of rape after attacking a woman in Pamplona. The Spanish supreme court changed the verdict to rape in June. The so-called 'Wolf Pack' gang rape in 2018 sparked the biggest women's rights protests in Spanish history Credit: Gari Garaialde/Getty Images Anticipating a similar supreme court battle, supporters of the alleged victim in Manresa are set to launch a campaign to help pay for the proceedings. "We'll be there when the trial resumes," said Lila Corominas, a spokesman for Acció Lila, a leading feminist group. "Trials are long and hard. We also know they are not cheap." The rise of the movement has triggered a backlash from anti-feminist groups, most notably Vox, the far-Right party. Vox's political agenda includes repealing gender violence laws, banning abortion, and combating what it calls "fake reports" of rapes. Commenting on the trial, Ignacio Garriga, the leader of Vox in Catalonia, said: "I'm sick at those who remain silent when a rape is committed by an undocumented migrant, or as it's the case, migrant children." Vox claims to be the party that "best defends" Spanish women, and says it does this by demanding prison without parole for rapes. It often links rapes with migration, with Santiago Abascal, its leader, claiming that "the great majority" of rapists are immigrants. Since the Pamplona trial, the number of rapes and gang rapes reported has increased dramatically. Experts and police believe the number of rapes committed has remained steady, but victims feel more confident to speak out.
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| Watch Out America: China Is Now Flying Russian Su-35s in Asia Posted: 14 Sep 2019 02:03 PM PDT  Not good news.
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| These 'kamikaze' drones were claimed to be the culprits of the attacks on 2 Saudi oil fields. Here's what we know about them. Posted: 15 Sep 2019 02:36 PM PDT  A UN Security Council report details the types of drones believed to be used by Houthi forces, who claimed a 10-drone strike on 2 Saudi oil fields.
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| 'It's really terrifying': Trump administration allows US hunter to import lion he killed in Africa Posted: 15 Sep 2019 05:11 AM PDT  A hobby hunter from Florida has been given permission to can import a lion trophy from Tanzania – the first time the US has allowed such an import since it ruled the species should receive special protection three years ago.Carl Atkinson shot the animal dead during an £80,000, 21-day safari in 2016.
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| Email indicates former Alaska official invited woman to room Posted: 13 Sep 2019 10:19 PM PDT  An email from Alaska's former first lady sheds new light on the actions that drove Lt. Gov. Byron Mallott from office, suggesting he may have invited a woman into his room, newly released emails shows. The revelation came in an email sent from former first lady Donna Walker to her husband, Gov. Bill Walker, just as he was about to announce Byron Mallott's resignation Oct. 16. At the time, the governor said Mallott had made inappropriate comments.
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| Analysis: Why Julian Castro's attack on Joe Biden's age fell flat at Democratic debate Posted: 14 Sep 2019 11:02 AM PDT  Julian Castro decided to strike hard in the most blatant shot at Joe Biden's age by a fellow Democratic contender since he entered the race.
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