| 'Front-row seat to history': The monumental week that changed impeachment and sent Congress into chaos Posted: 28 Sep 2019 07:35 AM PDT  From frantic journalists swarming lawmakers to a news cycle that wouldn't slow, members of Congress saw a week of consequence and chaos that made impeaching President Donald Trump a possible reality.
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| 'Alarming' rise in far-Right weapons seizures prompts Germany to beef up police powers Posted: 29 Sep 2019 06:25 AM PDT  The German government says it will respond to an "alarming" rise in weapons seizures during raids on far-Right extremists by handing police more powers to fight radicalism. Close to 1,100 weapons were confiscated in the course of investigations into Right-wing crime in 2018, marking a 61 per cent rise on the previous year when 676 weapons were found, new statistics show. Horst Seehofer, the interior minister, said the figures represent an "alarming increase" but also show that "our investigations are having an impact and authorities are keeping a close eye on the scene." Mr Seehofer, a member of the conservative Christian Social Union party, said police capabilities would be beefed up in response. "I am determined to strengthen the security services both in personnel and in structure and to give them the necessary legal tools to cope with this threat," he stated. A veteran law-and-order man, Mr Seehofer has previously faced criticism from civil liberties groups for introducing sweeping police powers in his native Bavaria which included abolishing time limits on police detentions. The weapons listed as being seized during raids last year included hand guns, rifles and knives, as well as pepper spray, fireworks and "dangerous tools". No detailed breakdown of the numbers of each type of weapon has yet been released. German police have in the past faced criticism for using a loose definition of what constitutes a weapon. Raids on the radical Left in recent years have led to confiscations of bricks and household implements as police sought to up political pressure on Berlin's militant squatter scene. Matthias Quent, an extremism expert at the Institute for Democracy and Civil Society, told ARD that the new figures showed the far-Right are "massively arming themselves". "Their aim is to intimidate society and drive out ethnic minorities. Parts of the scene even want a civil war," Mr Quent said. Coming just months after the murder of a politician from Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats by a suspected far-right fanatic, the news adds to concern about rising militancy. Walter Lübcke, mayor of Kassel, was shot at point blank range outside his house in June. Weeks later police arrested Stephan Ernst, a man with a long history of involvement in the neo-Nazi scene. In the course of investigations, police found 46 guns at Mr Ernst's home and place of work. While it is still unclear how many of the weapons were held legally, investigators have reportedly told the home affairs committee that they were "hidden professionally".
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| French police break up yellow vest protest with tear gas Posted: 28 Sep 2019 02:05 PM PDT  French police repeatedly used tear gas and water cannons to break up a protest Saturday by nearly a 1,000 yellow vest demonstrators in the southwest city of Toulouse. Police there said four officers were slightly injured and nine demonstrators arrested for offences including throwing projectiles. A police statement in Toulouse said officers made five arrests after being targeted by missiles thrown by some of the protesters.
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| Saudi King’s Bodyguard Is Killed in ‘Personal Dispute’ Posted: 28 Sep 2019 11:54 PM PDT ![Saudi King's Bodyguard Is Killed in 'Personal Dispute']( "Saudi King's Bodyguard Is Killed in 'Personal Dispute'") (Bloomberg) -- A prominent bodyguard of Saudi King Salman was killed following a personal dispute, state-run media reported.Major General Abdulaziz Al Faghem died of gunshot wounds in hospital after a friend shot him at Al Shatti district of the Red Sea city of Jeddah, the state-run Saudi Press Agency reported on Sunday, citing the spokesman of the Mecca region police. The incident took place at a mutual friend's house, he said.The assailant, who also wounded the mutual friend and a Filipino worker, was killed by security forces after refusing to surrender, the spokesman said. Five security personnel were also wounded, he said.Al Faghem, who had often been seen pictured with King Salman and the late King Abdullah, was widely described as "the kings' walking stick." His name was trending on Twitter in Saudi Arabia on Sunday.To contact the reporters on this story: Fahad Alzahrani in Dubai at falzahrani1@bloomberg.net;Nadeem Hamid in Washington at nhamid3@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Chua Baizhen at bchua14@bloomberg.net, Alaa ShahineFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Countries that make weapons of war foment migration but refuse refugees, Pope Francis says Posted: 29 Sep 2019 04:31 AM PDT  Pope Francis on Sunday scolded countries that produce weapons for wars fought elsewhere and then refuse to take in refugees fleeing the very same conflicts. The 82-year-old Argentine pope, whose parents were of Italian immigrant stock, has made the defense of migrants and refugees a plank of his pontificate and he has often clashed over immigration policy with U.S. President Donald Trump and populist anti-immigrant politicians in Europe. Francis has also criticized the arms trade repeatedly and his sermon for 40,000 people in St. Peter's Square on Sunday linked the issues of war and migration as the Roman Catholic Church marked its World Day of Migrants and Refugees.
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| Pakistan Leader Warns of Kashmir 'Blood Bath' in Emotional U.N. Speech Posted: 29 Sep 2019 09:02 AM PDT  Pakistan's leader castigated India over its Kashmir crackdown from the podium of the United Nations on Friday, warning of a "bloodbath" when and if Indian authorities lift a curfew over the disputed territory.The speech by Prime Minister Imran Khan at the United Nations General Assembly was partly directed at his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, who in his own speech earlier Friday omitted any reference to Kashmir.Last month India revoked the long-standing autonomy of the mountainous border region, the flashpoint of two wars with Pakistan since both achieved independence from Britain more than 70 years ago.Indian authorities arrested thousands of Kashmiris, severed most electronic access and imposed a curfew on the entire populace of about 8 million. While some curbs have been eased, the curfew remains in effect.Modi and his subordinates have described their move as an internal domestic matter aimed at making the region more prosperous.The Indian prime minister's shift on Kashmir was welcomed by his base of Hindu nationalists, who have long wanted to exert power in the Muslim-majority region and have long accused Pakistan of supporting militant separatists there.Khan has repeatedly denounced what he has described as Modi's reckless disregard of Pakistan's historic claims to the region.The Pakistani leader has frequently reminded the world that Pakistan and India are both nuclear powers. He has used terms like genocide to describe India's intentions for the disputed Kashmir region and has complained that Modi has ignored his entreaties for a dialogue.In an interview with The New York Times Editorial Board on Wednesday, Khan said Modi was leading India down an irrational path, a theme he reiterated in his General Assembly speech."Is it arrogance that has blinded him from what is going to happen when the curfew is lifted? Does he think the people of Kashmir will quietly accept the status quo?" Khan said. "What is going to happen when the curfew is lifted will be a bloodbath."The pent-up frustration of Kashmiris living under what Khan described as Indian military occupation would inevitably come back to haunt India, he said."Would I want to live like that?" Khan said. "I would pick up a gun."Khan, who has conspicuously avoided crossing paths with Modi while both are attending the annual gathering in New York, had said that he would be using his General Assembly speech to emphasize Kashmir and implore the United Nations to intervene.Modi, in his speech, sought to portray India as a peace-loving nation that he said had given the world Buddha's philosophy of serenity. His only reference to Pakistan and Kashmir was oblique, saying India had long been a victim of terrorism."Our voice against terrorism, to alert the world about this evil, rings with seriousness and the outrage," Modi said. "It is absolutely imperative that the world unites against terrorism."This article originally appeared in The New York Times.(C) 2019 The New York Times Company
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| Mitch McConnell's mastery Posted: 29 Sep 2019 03:35 AM PDT ![Mitch McConnell's mastery]( "Mitch McConnell's mastery") The Kentucky Republican could go down as one of the most influential Senate majority leaders in history. Why? Here's everything you need to know:What is McConnell's strength? As the Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell controls the calendar for the upper chamber, giving him the ability to block legislation by simply refusing to schedule a vote. The Kentucky Republican has combined that authority -- and intricate understanding of Senate rules and procedure -- with ruthless partisanship to ensure that Republican-backed legislation and nominees are fast-tracked while all Democratic priorities are blocked. Democrats complain that McConnell has turned the Senate into a "legislative graveyard" by not allowing bills passed by the House of Representatives to even be considered on the Senate floor. During the Trump presidency, McConnell has focused on confirming judges to reshape the country through the courts. So far, the Senate has confirmed more than 150 lifetime judges appointed by President Trump. Conservative legal activist Leonard Leo of the Federalist Society says McConnell's impact on the courts will be felt for decades to come, describing him as "the most consequential majority leader, certainly, in modern history."How did he get his start? McConnell began his political career in the GOP's once influential liberal wing. As a college student, he wrote an op-ed against segregationist politics, arguing that a "strict interpretation" of the Constitution was "inherently evil" if it was used to deny basic civil rights. He even came out in favor of "truly effective campaign finance reform." In 1977, he won election as judge-executive for Jefferson County, which encompasses Louisville, campaigning in favor of collective bargaining rights for public workers, and for abortion rights. Although not personally charismatic, McConnell showed fundraising savvy and keen political instincts. For his 1984 Senate run, he hired high-profile Republican political consultant Roger Ailes, the future founder of Fox News. Ailes created a devastatingly effective ad depicting bloodhounds searching for Democratic incumbent Walter "Dee" Huddleston, exaggerating his record of missed Senate votes. McConnell won the election by 5,000 votes, about 1 percent of the total, becoming the first Republican elected statewide since 1968.What does he believe in? The Republican Party and winning elections. As the GOP moved right under President Ronald Reagan, so did McConnell. Political scientists tracking McConnell's career have found that he has become more conservative with every session of Congress. His earlier support for campaign spending caps was transformed into fierce opposition to campaign finance reform, and he won the gratitude of many senators by taking the heat for blocking bills to rein in spending on elections. McConnell embraced his villain status. When pundits labeled him "Darth Vader" for opposing the McCain-Feingold reform bill in the early 2000s, he started carrying a toy lightsaber. McConnell admitted that he never would have won his first race for Senate "if there had been a limit on the amount of money I could raise and spend."Why is he so effective? During his 34-year career in the Senate, McConnell has learned to work the rules to his and his party's advantage, both in the majority and out of it. When McConnell took over leadership of the Senate Republicans in 2007, he quickly proved to be a cunning minority leader. Huddling with his shell-shocked GOP caucus in the aftermath of President Obama's overwhelming victory in 2008, McConnell argued for a strategy of near-total obstruction to dim enthusiasm for Obama, who had campaigned as the man who could transcend Washington's partisan divide. McConnell used the filibuster -- a tactic to block action -- to impede or slow-walk almost everything Democrats tried to achieve. During the 2013-14 term, Democrats called 252 cloture votes, which are motions used to prevent or end filibusters -- double the previous record.Did McConnell's strategy work? Arguably, yes. Disgusted by Washington's gridlock and disappointed in Obama, voters punished the Democrats in power, handing the GOP the House in 2010 and the Senate in 2014. Meanwhile, McConnell blocked as many of Obama's judicial appointments as possible. When Obama left office, he'd been unable to fill 88 district- and 17 circuit-court seat vacancies -- plus the biggest vacancy of all. After Justice Antonin Scalia died in February 2016, McConnell infamously refused to hold a vote for Obama's Supreme Court nominee, Merrick Garland, holding the seat open for 10 months for the next president to fill. That vacancy proved critical in convincing many reluctant Republicans to support Donald Trump in a close election. With Trump in office, McConnell abolished the filibuster for Supreme Court nominations, allowing Republicans to confirm Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh with slim majorities. Although initially skeptical of Trump, he has long since made his peace with the president. "To expect Republican elected officials not to try to achieve as much as they possibly can out of pique over presidential behavior," he says, "is nonsense."How he wins elections Despite being the longest-serving Republican Senate leader, Mitch McConnell has never been beloved either in his home state or by conservatives. Activists on the Right have always been suspicious of McConnell's transactional nature and angered by his willingness to cut limited deals with Democrats to keep the government running. He was even booed at the 2016 Republican National Convention. McConnell's 36 percent approval rating in Kentucky makes him one of the most unpopular senators in the country, and this year he is likely to face a well-funded challenge from Democrat Amy McGrath, a former Marine fighter pilot. But McConnell has built up a massive campaign war chest, raising $10.6 million so far, more than any Republican senator -- money he's almost certain to pour into negative ads. Kentucky insiders have seen this play out before. McConnell has never lost any of the nine elections he's run in. "All those polls you see now where he has a low approval rating? That's because he doesn't have a warm-and-fuzzy personality," says veteran Kentucky political reporter Al Cross. "In those polls he's running against himself. When you match him up against somebody, he's pretty good at driving them down to his level."
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| Meghan Markle Privately Visited a Memorial to Murdered 19-Year-Old South African Student Uyinene Mrwetyana Posted: 28 Sep 2019 12:01 PM PDT  Her death launched a wave of outrage and protests
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| Trump's efforts to discredit Joe Biden backfired on him. Will they hurt the former VP anyway? Posted: 29 Sep 2019 02:54 AM PDT  The impeachment inquiry targeted at President Trump over Ukraine has created a complicated dynamic for former vice president Joe Biden's 2020 campaign.
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| Two people killed after Mexico theme park crash Posted: 29 Sep 2019 01:09 PM PDT  At least two people have died after a speeding roller coaster car flipped over midride at a Mexican amusement park. When the last car on the ride derailed at La Feria theme park, two men 18 and 21 years old died from head injuries and other wounds, according to officials.
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| Iran's iconic anti-US murals make way for a new generation of artwork Posted: 29 Sep 2019 12:16 PM PDT  Famous murals celebrating Iran's Islamic revolution daubed on walls of the former US embassy in Tehran have been erased to make way for new paintings to be unveiled on the fortieth anniversary of the hostage crisis. Three workers were on Sunday afternoon seen removing the original artwork with a sandblaster against the wall of Taleqani avenue, bordering the south side of what was once dubbed a US "spy nest" in central Tehran. On November 4, 1979, less than nine months after Iran's last shah was toppled, pro-revolution students took Americans hostage at the embassy to protest the ex-shah's admission to hospital in the US.
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| Every Angle of the 2020 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon Posted: 29 Sep 2019 04:14 PM PDT |
| U.S. and Nazi Soldiers Joined Forces for One World War II Battle Posted: 28 Sep 2019 03:33 PM PDT  A strange time.
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| Thousands rally in Moscow to demand release of jailed protesters Posted: 29 Sep 2019 03:33 AM PDT  More than 20,000 Russians took to the streets of Moscow on Sunday to demand the release of protesters jailed over the summer in what opponents of the Kremlin say is a campaign to stifle dissent. The protesters were arrested at rallies that flared in July when opposition politicians were barred from a local election. Allegations of police brutality and what many Muscovites saw as harsh jail sentences have sparked an unusual public outcry.
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| How Ukraine envoy's resignation could affect his possible congressional testimony Posted: 28 Sep 2019 05:34 AM PDT ![How Ukraine envoy's resignation could affect his possible congressional testimony]( "How Ukraine envoy's resignation could affect his possible congressional testimony") Kurt Volker, the State Department's special envoy for Ukraine, resigned Friday amid a formal impeachment inquiry of President Trump and his communications with the Ukrainian government, including the country's president, Volodymyr Zelensky. Volker did not provide a public explanation for leaving his post, but a source familiar with his decision said Volker concluded he could not perform the job effectively as a result of the recent developments.One person familiar with the matter told NBC News that Volker's resignation will likely enable him to be much freer in what he can say about his time at his post if he is called at some point to testify before Congress.The whistleblower complaint that sparked the impeachment inquiry alleges that Volker went to Kiev to help guide Ukrainian officials on how to handle Trump's alleged demands that the government investigate former Vice President Joe Biden's son, Hunter. He also reportedly spoke with Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani in an attempt to "contain the damage" to U.S. national security.Giuliani has said Volker encouraged him to meet with Ukrainian officials regarding the Biden family. That indeed appears to be the case, but The New York Times reports Volker was acting at the request of the Ukrainians, who were reportedly concerned about how Giuliani's attempts to procure information about the Bidens and other Democrats might affect their relationship with the U.S. Read more at NBC News and The New York Times.
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| Princeton graduate got 30 years to life for murdering father after his allowance was cut Posted: 28 Sep 2019 08:12 AM PDT  Shelley Gilbert asked the judge for "as light a sentence as possible" so her son could receive treatment for a variety of his mental health struggles.
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| 'A great cop': NYPD Officer Brian Mulkeen killed in the Bronx, possibly with his own gun Posted: 29 Sep 2019 12:55 PM PDT !['A great cop': NYPD Officer Brian Mulkeen killed in the Bronx, possibly with his own gun]( "'A great cop': NYPD Officer Brian Mulkeen killed in the Bronx, possibly with his own gun") Officer Brian Mulkeen was fatally shot, possibly with his own gun, in the Bronx during a struggle with an armed assailant, police said.
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| New Democratic polls: Tight race in Nevada, but Biden still strong in South Carolina Posted: 29 Sep 2019 07:33 AM PDT ![New Democratic polls: Tight race in Nevada, but Biden still strong in South Carolina]( "New Democratic polls: Tight race in Nevada, but Biden still strong in South Carolina") Black voters continue to propel Biden to a commanding lead in the first-in-the-south primary state.
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| EU Set to Resume Expansion Push With Balkan Accession Talks Posted: 29 Sep 2019 02:49 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- The European Union will probably authorize the start of formal accession negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia next month, betting that the prospect of membership in the club will help further anchor the continent's troubled Balkan region to the West."In light of the progress achieved on reforms," EU ministers meeting in Luxembourg on Oct. 15 will decide to "to open accession negotiations" with the governments in Tirana and Skopje, according to a draft of their communique circulated on Friday and seen by Bloomberg. While the wording could still change, a previous draft, also seen by Bloomberg, didn't include the recommendation to begin talks.A similar push to open accession negotiations faltered in June, as countries such as France, the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark resisted. Western EU governments are exasperated by the failure of some eastern nations that joined the bloc from 2004 to uphold the rule of law and fight corruption. They are thus wary of admitting new members to the world's largest trading club, where people, goods and services can move freely.Countries including Poland, Hungary and Romania -- among the largest recipients of EU structural funds and agricultural aid -- are at loggerheads with the European Commission over their democratic standards, and the bloc's executive arm has so far failed to force them to fall in line. In its June communique on enlargement, the EU said that admission of new members should take into account the bloc's "capacity to integrate" them.Even though accession negotiations last for years -- or even decades, as in the case of Turkey -- and their conclusion isn't guaranteed, the launch of the process is a victory for the government of North Macedonia. It had invested most of its political capital in a deal with Greece to change the former Yugoslav republic's constitutional name, hoping that this would pave the way for EU membership.The new Greek government has said it disagrees with the deal struck between North Macedonia and its predecessor, but won't seek to annul it due to the need to preserve continuity in international agreements. Still, the wording in the draft communique seen by Bloomberg, which "strongly welcomes the historic Prespa Agreement," could trigger a backlash in Athens, as most of the governing party's voters oppose the pact.To contact the reporter on this story: Nikos Chrysoloras in Brussels at nchrysoloras@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Chad Thomas at cthomas16@bloomberg.net, Keith Campbell, Bruce StanleyFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Surprise! A U.S. F-22 Stealth Raptor 'Flew Under' Iran's F-4 Fighter Posted: 28 Sep 2019 05:43 AM PDT  Never had a chance.
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| UPDATE 1-Police impose restrictions in Indian Kashmir after Pakistan PM's speech Posted: 28 Sep 2019 05:45 AM PDT ![UPDATE 1-Police impose restrictions in Indian Kashmir after Pakistan PM's speech]( "UPDATE 1-Police impose restrictions in Indian Kashmir after Pakistan PM's speech") Authorities in Indian Kashmir tightened restrictions on people's movements on Saturday to prevent possible protests following a speech by Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan. In an address to the United Nations General Assembly on Friday, Khan warned of a bloodbath once India lifts its restrictions in Kashmir, which have been in force since it revoked the region's decades-old autonomy in August and detained thousands of people. Soon after the speech, hundreds of Kashmiris came out of their homes, shouting slogans in support of Khan late on Friday night and calling for the independence of Kashmir.
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| Harvard president compares fundraising changes to abolition of slavery Posted: 29 Sep 2019 01:32 PM PDT  * Larry Bacow apologises for remark about 13th amendment * Colleges should not try to 'own' wealthy alumniThe Widener Library in Harvard Yard at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Photograph: Charles Krupa/APThe president of Harvard University has apologized for likening the 13th amendment to the US constitution – which abolished slavery – to changes in how colleges raise funds.On Tuesday, the Boston Globe reported, Larry Bacow suggested that as the 13th amendment outlawed slavery, wealthy alumni could no longer be "owned" by their alma maters.The comment came during a meeting of "hundreds" of fundraising and alumni relations staffers, in a discussion of a fundraising campaign that encourages graduates to donate money to schools to which they might not have ties.If individual schools try to "own" well-heeled alumni, Barcow was reported to have said, that could place schools which produce civil servants, for example, at a disadvantage."I regret that these comments caused offense," Bacow wrote in an internal email which Harvard provided to the Guardian. "That certainly was not my intent."He added: "People, appropriately, have high expectations for their leaders and their choice of language. In fact, you have high expectations for me as your president. I promise to learn from this experience."Harvard did not comment further.Some staffers felt Bacow's analogy was "tone deaf"."This was not an appropriate comparison," one told the Globe.According to the Washington Post, Harvard has a "history with slavery" and attempts to atone have included the installation of a plaque in honor of four people who were enslaved there in the 1700s. In 2017, Harvard hosted a symposium that examined the relationship between slavery and higher-education institutions.Bacow's comments come on the heels of controversy over the college's acceptance of donations from the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who killed himself in jail earlier this year.Harvard accepted some $9m prior to Epstein's 2008 guilty plea to prostitution charges in Florida. The institution rejected a donation after his conviction. The politically connected financier did not attend Harvard.Earlier this month, Bacow wrote in an email to students and faculty that Epstein's behavior was "repulsive and reprehensible" and "raises significant questions about how institutions like ours review and vet donors".Bacow said $186,000 from Epstein's donations remained and would be distributed to organizations that help human victims of sexual assault and human trafficking.
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| A US soldier working at Mar-a-Lago uploaded photos of an underage girl to a Russian website — a closer look at the site reveals a horrific underworld Posted: 28 Sep 2019 11:53 AM PDT  A cursory look at the Russian website iMGSRC.ru reveals a horrific underworld of shared photos of children.
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| Man yelling over Puerto Rican flag shirt convicted of hate crimes Posted: 28 Sep 2019 11:56 AM PDT  A Chicago man who was seen last year in a viral video berating a woman in a city park for wearing a T-shirt with the Puerto Rican flag was convicted this week of two felony hate crime charges.
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| Like many Americans, my divorce destroyed my mental health and nearly drove me to suicide Posted: 29 Sep 2019 05:38 AM PDT ![Like many Americans, my divorce destroyed my mental health and nearly drove me to suicide]( "Like many Americans, my divorce destroyed my mental health and nearly drove me to suicide") During my long divorce, I was pressed by a fear: If the relationship with my husband could dissolve, what about the relationship with my children?
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| 13 dead in Thailand after truck carrying students flips over Posted: 29 Sep 2019 12:59 AM PDT  Thirteen people, most of them students, were killed when a pick-up truck flipped over while trying to change lanes on Sunday in the Thai capital, police said. Graphic CCTV footage shows passengers riding in the back being hurled out of the vehicle onto the road in Bangkok's suburbs. "Twelve people died instantly and one later died at the hospital," police officer Samran Chaytao told AFP, adding that nine of them were college-age students finished mechanical training for a local company.
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| Protesters take to streets in Mexico to demand safe and legal abortions Posted: 29 Sep 2019 03:33 AM PDT  Mexican activists took to the streets in large cities to demand safe and legal abortions, many wearing green bandannas that have become a symbol with the abortion rights movement in Latin America.
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| Tesla and Elon Musk's Tweet Violated Labor Laws Protecting Unions, Judge Rules Posted: 29 Sep 2019 01:44 PM PDT  Judge Amita Tracy ordered the company to cease and desist a litany of actions
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| Could Africa Be the Next Financial Frontier? Posted: 29 Sep 2019 12:14 PM PDT  The Demoratic Republic of Congo is ready to capitalize on the opportunities created by the U.S.-China trade war.
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| Moroccan king ill, forced to miss Chirac funeral service Posted: 29 Sep 2019 12:07 PM PDT  Doctors have advised Morocco's King Mohammed VI to rest for several days to recover from a viral lung infection that forced him to miss a remembrance ceremony in Paris for France's late president Jacques Chirac, the palace said on Sunday. In a rare statement on the health of the 56-year-old monarch, who last year underwent heart surgery, the palace said Mohammed had been unable to attend the commemoration event for Chirac, who died last week aged 86. Chirac served as French president from 1995 to 2005.
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| Clashes Intensify With Petrol Bombs and Fires: Hong Kong Update Posted: 29 Sep 2019 05:00 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- Hong Kong police used a water cannon, rubber bullets and tear gas on protesters who set a train station entrance on fire and hurled petrol bombs as they tried to march on the government offices in the city center.Demonstrators marched without permission on Sunday after an approved rally the day before. Chief Executive Carrie Lam on Thursday took responsibility for the "entire unrest" that has rocked the city since June in a bid to calm tensions. Even largely peaceful gatherings have descended into chaos in recent weeks as smaller groups of hard-core protesters battled with police.Key Developments:Protesters and police clashed in one of the most violent days in about 17 weeks of unrestTens of thousands gathered for a rally to mark the fifth anniversary of the pro-democracy Occupy movementThe government said it will "take forward constitutional development" in response to demands for political reform and implementing universal suffrageJoshua Wong, a prominent leader of the Occupy Movement, announced that he'll run in the city's district council elections in NovemberHere's the latest (all times local):Stations closed (6:30 p.m.)MTR Corp., operator of the city's rail network, said Wan Chai, Admiralty, Causeway Bay and Tin Hau stations were closed because of public activities. Train services in Tsuen Wan, Island and South Island lines have also been adjusted, it said.Fires started (6 p.m.)An entrance to Wan Chai train station was ablaze and fires were started in other areas as the main march was dispersed by police who fired repeated rounds of rubber bullets and tear gas. Emergency workers were treating a number of injured people in the streets, with at least one laying unconscious.Water cannon, arrests (5 p.m.)Police used a water cannon to spray a blue-dyed liquid at protesters and made numerous arrests, as activists set up barricades across Gloucester Road, a major traffic artery through the city.March goes on (4:30 p.m.)Protesters pushed ahead with their march as police blocked roads and fired repeated rounds of tear gas. The Wan Chai train station, closed because of the demonstrations, was vandalized by a small group. Fire alarms rang out and explosions could be heard after activists set objects alight and smashed glass panes.Police fire tear gas (2:20 p.m.)Riot police fired multiple rounds of tear gas at demonstrators in Causeway Bay after standoffs and clashes, as a helicopter hovered overhead. The protesters were due to march to the government offices in Admiralty, without applying for permission.At least two people were arrested. The weekend's protests come as China prepares to celebrate 70 years of Communist Party rule on Oct. 1.Pro-China rally (11:15 a.m.)Hundreds of demonstrators waved China flags and shouted pro-Beijing slogans as they rallied on the waterfront in the shopping district of Tsim Sha Tsui.Across the harbor on Hong Kong island, some businesses and malls shut and others said they would close early in anticipation of a march planned for later in the day.Sogo said its store in Causeway Bay wouldn't open Sunday out of concern for the safety of customers and staff. In the same district, the World Trade Centre was closed and Hysan Place posted a notice saying it would shut down at 1 p.m.'Rubbish rhetoric' (Sunday 11 a.m.)Claudia Mo, a lawmaker who has been active in the protest movement, dismissed the government's statement that it wants to move toward introducing universal suffrage."This is just one of the many, many propaganda tricks by the government of Carrie Lam. They pretend that they're taking a step towards universal suffrage but they aren't," she said. "It's just rubbish rhetoric."There can't be real freedom in Hong Kong politics because Beijing has the right to screen out any candidates it dislikes, Mo said.Stop and search operations (10:30 p.m.)Police conducted stop-and-search operations at various places across the city, challenging people on foot and on public transportation. Police stopped buses entering the Cross Harbour Tunnel and also carried out searches in Causeway Bay and Wan Chai, where passengers were forced off buses to be checked.Government responds (9 p.m.)The government said that universal suffrage for "selection of the chief executive and electing all members of the Legislative Council is enshrined as an ultimate aim in the Basic Law." In response to demands for political reform, the government will move forward in line with the Basic law and China's interpretation of it, it said in a statement."To achieve this aim, the community needs to engage in dialogues, premised on the legal basis and under a peaceful atmosphere with mutual trust, with a view to narrowing differences and attaining a consensus agreeable to all sides," it said.Water cannon deployed (8:45 p.m.)Police deployed a water cannon, shooting blue dye, and fired tear gas after clashes with protesters. A group of people hurled bricks at officers and blocked off roads, police said in a statement.Protesters praised (8 p.m.)Organizers of the rally and speakers at the event praised the protest movement and the people's solidarity in opposing Lam's extradition bill.Joshua Wong, a prominent leader of the Occupy Movement, said the demonstrations had put Hong Kong in the international spotlight and was the reason the U.S. is considering passing a human rights act to monitor the level of autonomy in the city. He said there was no turning back for the movement.Civil Human Rights Front, the organizer of the rally, said in a statement that five years after the Umbrella Movement fought for universal suffrage, nothing has been achieved and protest leaders have been jailed. This year, a new generation of activists inspired almost one third of the city's population to take to the streets and force Lam into withdrawing the bill. Still, the protesters must continue to fight for their five demands, it said.Rally starts (7 p.m.)Thousands of people packed Tamar Park in Admiralty to mark the fifth year since the Occupy protests that were centered in the area. The protesters sang, waved their mobile phones and shone lasers as they waited for the guest speakers.Protesters took over roads leading to the venue and police said they used "minimum force" to disperse some who had charged at officers' cordons.Red alert at government building (6:40 p.m.)The Legislative Council Secretariat issued a red alert, requiring everybody at the lawmakers' building in Admiralty to evacuate for safety reasons.Riot police guard stations (6:30 p.m.)Some access points into train stations near the site of Saturday's rally were shut, and rail operator MTR Corp. said service could be disrupted, as riot police stood guard outside exits to the facilities.Thousands of people poured into the area for the rally to commemorate the Occupy protest and massed at Tamar Park in Admiralty.Lennon Wall link (4 p.m.)Protesters created so-called Lennon Walls in Victoria Park in attempt to link them through the district of Wan Chai to Admiralty, where the Occupy protest was staged in 2014.In Admiralty, people plastered walls with posters of Mao Zedong, saying "Revolution is no crime, to rebel is justified" -- a popular slogan used by Red Guards during the Cultural Revolution. China's President Xi Jinping's image covered the floor in some areas.Wong to stand in elections (Saturday 11:30 a.m.)Joshua Wong announced that he'll run in the city's district council elections in November. He told a press conference in Hong Kong on Saturday that if the government disqualifies him from taking part, it will face more protests and international pressure.Xi approved bill withdrawal: SCMP (7 a.m.)Hong Kong's Lam asked Chinese President Xi Jinping for approval before withdrawing her controversial extradition bill, the South China Morning Post reported, citing unidentified people.Lam said at the time that it was her decision to withdraw the proposed law to try to break the political deadlock and enter into some form of dialogue with the public, and that China respected her reasons for doing so, the Post reported. The plan was sent to Xi's office for approval before it was announced on Sept. 4, the newspaper cited a person close to the government as saying.Restore rule of law: lawyers (Saturday 7 a.m.)A group of 339 local lawyers called on the government and the people of Hong Kong to uphold and protect the rule of law in a full-page advertisement published in Sing Tao newspaper on Saturday.The lawyers, who didn't provide names but listing their identity numbers, condemned all violence and called for respect for people's safety, rights and freedoms, and for public property. They said Hong Kong must restore its place as a "shining beacon in the region for safety, personal freedoms and economic opportunity for persons of all backgrounds."They said the statement was issued in their personal capacities.\--With assistance from Melissa Cheok and Shawna Kwan.To contact the reporters on this story: Natalie Lung in Hong Kong at flung6@bloomberg.net;Aaron Mc Nicholas in Hong Kong at amcnicholas2@bloomberg.net;Manuel Baigorri in Hong Kong at mbaigorri@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Brendan Scott at bscott66@bloomberg.net, Stanley JamesFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Native American 2020 candidate aims to raise awareness of indigenous peoples Posted: 28 Sep 2019 11:00 PM PDT  Mark Charles knows his bid is a long shot but hopes to shed light on the historic abuse of Native Americans and other ethnicitiesMark Charles speaks on 20 August 2019 in Sioux City, Iowa. Photograph: Stephen Maturen/Getty ImagesIn a video launching his presidential campaign, Mark Charles, hair tied in a tsiiyéeł, a Native American hair knot, introduces himself in the Navajo language."Yá' át' ééh. Mark Charles yinishyé," Charles says."Tsin bikee dine'é nishłí. Dóó tó'aheedlíinii bá shíshchíín. Tsin bikee' dine'é dashicheii. Dóó tódích' íi' nii dashinálí."Roughly translated, Charles is explaining that his father was Navajo and his mother Dutch American. What doesn't need explaining is that if Charles were elected in November 2020, he would become the first Native American president of the United States.It's an extremely long-shot bid. But Charles is also aiming to use his campaign to raise awareness of the historic, and continuing, abuse of Native Americans and other ethnicities, hopefully resulting in an improved constitution that he believes would better reflect the modern-day US."Do we want to be a nation where we the people actually means all the people?" Charles says."Because if we do, then we have some foundational level work to do."Native American people living on reservations, Charles says, have always been overlooked by politicians. The territory of the Navajo Nation covers 27,000 square miles alone – enough to make it the 48th largest state in the US. Despite that, Charles says, the territory of 350,000 people is rarely visited by politicians running for president.Charles is determined to change that with his campaign. He held his first campaign event on the Navajo Nation, at a chapter house – a communal meeting place – near Fort Defiance, north-east Arizona. His second event was at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and another at the Denver Indian Center."Almost every state I go to I want my first contact to be with the indigenous nations, the indigenous peoples of that state," Charles said."I really want to connect with them again because I'm coming on to their land to campaign and I want them to know me and to understand who I am and, and why, why I'm there."Charles believes he is the best person to lead the country as a whole, but he is also running with some ideas that would specifically help Native Americans, African Americans and other people of color. On the stump he talks a lot about creating a "common memory" – educating people on the atrocities committed in the past and the challenges different races face.Independent presidential candidate Mark Charles speaks on 20 August 2019 in Sioux City, Iowa. Photograph: Stephen Maturen/Getty ImagesAt the center of Charles's platform is the establishment of a "truth and conciliation commission", which would work towards creating that memory. His idea is modeled on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission set up in South Africa, after the end of apartheid."I don't call ours truth and reconciliation because reconciliation implies a previous harmony, and if you know our history you know that's not true."In South Africa the Truth and Reconciliation committee hearings, which allowed both victims and perpetrators to explain their experiences, were broadcast live, in what has been described as the "gold standard" for how a divided society might deal with a violent past. Charles believes his committee could eventually lead to an at least partial rewriting of the US constitution.Charles said he had the idea for "that type of conversation years ago"."But I did not know the best way to bring that proposal to the nation. And after observing several presidential campaigns, I realized every four years we have a dialogue about who we are and where we're going: our presidential campaign cycle."So I felt like this is an important enough of a proposal that it actually could very well be the center of a presidential campaign. So one of my motivations in running for president is to raise this issue of truth and conciliation to the national level."Charles grew up in New Mexico, and went to university in California, before spending 11 years living in the Navajo Nation, which is spread across Arizona, Utah and New Mexico.Three of those years were spent on a remote sheep camp, where Charles and his young family lived in a one-room hogan, a traditional Navajo house, which had a dirt floor, no running water, no electricity and was six miles from the nearest paved road.Charles isn't the first Native American to run for the White House. Russell Means, an activist from the Lakota tribe who died in 2012, ran for the Libertarian party nomination ahead of the 1988 election, but came second to the Texas congressman Ron Paul.In 2018 there was a breakthrough for Native American women in particular, when Sharice Davids, from Kansas, and Deb Haaland, from New Mexico, became the first Native American women to be elected to Congress. Both Davids and Haaland are Democrats. Charles says he has voted for both Democrats and Republicans in the past, but believes his best chance for office is to eschew both parties."I don't want people to think that becauseI'm running as an independent I'm not a serious candidate," Charles said. He believes he would not clinch the Democratic or Republican nomination – aside from anything else, he isn't a member of either party – but he plans to be on the ballot in all 50 states, and is committed to running all the way through to November."If our country does not begin creating this common memory, and does not make a decision on whether we want to be a place where we the people means all the people," Charles said, "We're going to continue to face these deep racial divides that we've had in our country since its founding."
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| A 72-year-old Dallas man fatally shot a burglar, then went back to sleep, police say Posted: 29 Sep 2019 03:50 PM PDT ![A 72-year-old Dallas man fatally shot a burglar, then went back to sleep, police say]( "A 72-year-old Dallas man fatally shot a burglar, then went back to sleep, police say") A 72-year-old Dallas man fatally shot a suspected burglar outside his home, authorities said, and went back to sleep before calling police.
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| Now, about Joe Biden's son: Today's Toon Posted: 29 Sep 2019 12:27 PM PDT  Want to keep up with USA TODAY's editorial cartoons? Bookmark this page. We'll update it frequently.
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| China ‘poised to unveil new nuclear missile’ at military parade in warning to Trump Posted: 29 Sep 2019 12:38 AM PDT  A parade by China's secretive military will offer a rare look at its rapidly developing arsenal, including possibly a nuclear-armed missile that could reach the United States in 30 minutes, as Beijing gets closer to matching Washington and other powers in weapons technology.The Dongfeng 41 is one of a series of new weapons Chinese media say might be unveiled during the parade marking the ruling Communist Party's 70th anniversary in power.
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| Man charged with terrorism after driving SUV through Woodfield Mall Posted: 29 Sep 2019 01:05 PM PDT  A 22-year-old Palatine man was charged with terrorism early Sunday morning after plowing his SUV through Woodfield Mall in a bizarre-and still unexplained-incident more than a week ago.
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| FACT: The U.S. Navy's New Frigate Comes Without A Warranty Posted: 28 Sep 2019 11:45 PM PDT  Let's hope everything goes smoothly.
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| Hong Kong Activist Joshua Wong Says He Is Running for Local Office Posted: 27 Sep 2019 09:03 PM PDT  The city's district councils are a potential stepping stone to the legislature
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| The 50 most miserable cities in America Posted: 28 Sep 2019 07:00 AM PDT  Based on US census data, we've ranked the most miserable cities across the country. Here are the 50 most miserable.
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| Trailblazing Texas deputy who was first local Sikh officer 'ruthlessly' killed during traffic stop Posted: 28 Sep 2019 12:07 PM PDT  Deputy Sandeep Dhaliwal, the county's first Sikh officer, was killed Friday during a traffic stop near Houston. Police have arrested Robert Solis.
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| 'I couldn't give up': How I got through college as a homeless student sleeping in my car Posted: 29 Sep 2019 11:33 AM PDT  I wonder how many college students are like me, normal on the outside but actually fighting for their life. For those students, here's how I coped.
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| Stormy Daniels wins $450,000 payout over strip-club arrest Posted: 28 Sep 2019 08:04 AM PDT  Porn star Stormy Daniels, who claims to have had an affair with Donald Trump before he became president, has won $450,000 in a legal settlement with the city of Columbus, Ohio, over her arrest last year at a strip club, officials said Friday. Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, was arrested in 2018 at the Sirens Gentlemen's Club on sexual misdemeanor charges which were quickly dropped. In a lawsuit filed in January, Daniels alleged her arrest was politically motivated and sued for false arrest and false imprisonment in violation of her civil rights.
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| 'We know they aren't feeding': fears for polar bears over shrinking Arctic ice Posted: 28 Sep 2019 11:00 PM PDT  Expert Steven Amstrup says 'the longer the sea ice is gone from the productive zone the tougher it is on the bears'This year's annual minimum of the Arctic sea ice tied with the second-lowest extent on record. Photograph: Chase Dekker/Getty ImagesThe loss of Arctic ice from glaciers, polar land and sea is declining faster than many scientists expected, as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) report on oceans and the cryosphere said this week.That's bad news for polar bear populations, a top expert involved in field studies on the endangered animals has told the Guardian.This year's annual minimum of the Arctic sea ice tied with the second-lowest extent on record, a mere 1.6m sq miles, and badly affected polar bear populations that live and hunt on the north slope of Alaska, plus those that live on the ice floes in the Bering Sea."Now the ice has gone way offshore we know that the bears aren't feeding, and the bears that are forced on to land don't find much to eat. The longer the sea ice is gone from the productive zone the tougher it is on the bears," said Polar Bears International's Steven Amstrup.In 2015, the group reported that the polar bear population in the Beaufort Sea had declined by 40% over the previous decade. "We can only anticipate that those declines have continued," Amstrup said.The loss of sea ice this year was so pronounced early in the season that tagging crews from the US Geological Survey (USGS) concluded that the sea ice offshore in the western arctic was too thin and unstable to be able to conduct their studies – the first time the team have pulled their studies because of safety issues.That's a far cry from the two decades to 2010 when Amstrup did two two-month field studies a year. In recent years, the spring season has also been severely hampered by open water, fog and bad weather.This year, the trends were repeated. Amstrup said: "The ice in the spring … was really tough this year. What ice was there was thin and rough this year. That's part of progressive trend that we've seen over several years."The circumstances of global heating in the Arctic region, from record heatwaves in Alaska to the loss of more than 60bn tons of ice from Greenland's ice cap during a five-day heatwave this summer, including the biggest loss in a 24-hour period since records began.For both polar bear populations, the circumstances are grim. Those that live on shore aren't finding much to eat, says Amstrup, and those that live permanently on the pack ice don't appear to be feeding much either."They're having a long fast in the summer and there's a limit to how long that fast can last. We're already seeing indications in terms of poorer cub survival in the Beaufort Sea. An adult bear has a lot of body mass, and maybe can get through a long summer fast, but young bears don't have the body mass or hunting skills to survive," he said.But because 2019 did not set a record in terms of sea-ice loss, Amstrup stressed, we should not be fooled into thinking that, short of an extreme event, circumstances have stabilized or improved.Amstrup said funding cutbacks and the fact that biologists cannot get out and study the bears means it may never be able to collect the necessary data to assess "just how bad this year was".Instead, Amstrup says this bad ice year and record warm summer are symbols of what the future will bring. Bad years like this will be increasingly frequent and the bad years will be increasingly worse – as long as we allow CO2 levels to continue to rise."We know that as greenhouse gas concentrations continue to rise it's going to be warmer and we're going to have less and less sea ice until polar bears disappear," he said.
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