Stay Tuned

China’s Breeding Giant Pigs That Are as Heavy as Polar Bears

‘Chinese Vice Premier Hu Chunhua warned that the supply situation will be “extremely severe” through to the first half of 2020. China will face a pork shortage of 10 million tons this year, more than what’s available in global trade, meaning it needs to increase production domestically, he said.’

The Left seems to be opting for civil war.
by James Howard Kunstler

“The Democratic Party is doing everything possible to destroy the legitimacy of these institutions — starting with elections themselves. The origins of the RussiaGate hoax will demonstrate that the party itself was behind “interference” in the 2016 election, and enlisted the help of several foreign governments in doing so. That is why they are so desperate to keep the level of hysteria amped to the max. The day may be not far off when a great and chilling silence falls over this mob as they look to the sky and see the indictments raining down.”

China Says ‘Stay Tuned’ for Retaliation Over U.S. Tech Blacklist

“The companies on the blacklist include two video surveillance companies — Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Co. and Zhejiang Dahua Technology Co. — that by some accounts control as much as a third of the global market for video surveillance and have cameras all over the world.

Also targeted were SenseTime Group Ltd. — the world’s most valuable artificial intelligence startup — and fellow AI giant Megvii Technology Ltd., which is said to be aiming to raise up to $1 billion in a Hong Kong initial public offering. Backed by Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., the pair are at the forefront of China’s ambition to dominate AI in coming years.”

Scientists say that, using data from the Hubble Space Telescope, they have found evidence of a 300,000-year-long burst of radiation originating 3.5 million years ago from or near the center of our galaxy, erupting through both galactic poles, with effects on the Magellanic Stream, 200,000 light-years away. (EarthSky)

Microsoft says a network of hackers linked to the Iranian government has attempted to access the email accounts of people associated with a 2020 presidential election campaign, as well as prominent Iranian expatriates in the United States. Microsoft has not named the specific campaign which was targeted by Iran. (NBC News)

 

Tuesday,  Oct. 8th, 2019

Republicans criticize Trump’s allowing Turkish invasion of Syrian enclave The White House said Turkey will soon invade an area of northeastern Syria currently held by America’s Kurdish allies, adding that U.S. troops “will no longer be in the immediate area.” The news led to backlash from prominent Republicans, including Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Mitt Romney (R-Utah), and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), who expressed concern that Washington was abandoning its Kurdish allies in the region. President Trump tweeted Monday that he would “obliterate” the Turkish economy if Ankara did anything he considers “off limits.” The State and Defense Departments, meanwhile, have offered some contradictory statements on the matter. The latter said it does not endorse a Turkish invasion, while a senior State Department official said only a handful of troops were leaving. Source: The Associated Press

U.S. forces begin to withdraw from northern Syria, and the U.S. Department of Defense expels Turkey from the Combined Air Operations Centre, effectively preventing Turkey from gathering surveillance information on SDF positions in Syria. (Foreign Policy)

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces calls the U.S. withdrawal a “stab in the back”. (BBC)

U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham strongly criticizes President Trump’s decision, describing the event as “a big win for Iran and Assad [and] a big win for ISIL”. Former American envoy Brett McGurk mentions the 60,000 SDF-held ISIL detainees, saying that the State Department and inspectors general at the Department of Defense warn they are the “nucleus for a resurgent ISIL”. (The Guardian)

3 scientists win Nobel physics prize for revolutions in cosmology The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awarded the 2019 Nobel Prize in Physics on Tuesday to James Peebles, Michel Mayor, and Didier Queloz for their “contributions to our understanding of the evolution of the universe and Earth’s place in the cosmos.” Half the nearly $1 million prize was awarded to Peebles, a Canadian-born Princeton professor whose theoretical cosmological framework “is the foundation of our modern understanding of the universe’s history, from the Big Bang to the present day,” the Swedish academy said. Mayor and Queloz, both Swiss, split the other half for their groundbreaking discovery of an exoplanet, or the first planet found outside our solar system. Since their 1995 discovery, scientists have discovered more than 4,000 exoplanets in the Milky Way galaxy. Source:  The Associated Press

Astronomers discover 20 new moons around Saturn Scientists from the International Astronomical Union’s Minor Planet Center announced on Monday that 20 new moons have been discovered around Saturn, bringing its total number of moons up to 82. Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system, has 79 moons, including Ganymede, which is nearly half the size of Earth. Saturn’s newly-found moons are all tiny, no bigger than three miles in diameter. “It was fun to find that Saturn is the true moon king,” Scott Sheppard, an astronomer at the Carnegie Institute for Science, told The Associated Press. Sheppard said the moons were spotted this summer via a telescope in Hawaii, and it is believed there could be roughly 100 additional minuscule moons that have yet to be discovered. Source: The Associated Press

Astronomers announce the discovery of 20 new moons around Saturn, adding to the 62 previously known. The new moons comprise 17 retrograde moons in the Norse group and three prograde moons, two of which belong to the Inuit group. (Phys.org)

 

Monday,  Oct. 7th, 2019

Hong Kong emergency law appears to backfire as protesters return in force Hong Kong’s recent ban on protesters wearing masks, which was implemented after Chief Executive Carrie Lam invoked a colonial-era emergency law, appears to have failed as thousands of demonstrators returned to the streets for the 18th consecutive weekend of anti-government protests Sunday. Many of them continued to cover their faces. The rallies grew more chaotic and violent as the day went on. Protesters reportedly set fires, damaged banks and subways, and constructed road barricades, while police fired tear gas and other projectiles. A taxi driver was reportedly beaten by a mob in one district. “It’s backfired,” one protester said, referring to the emergency law. “It’s made us more angry.” Source: The South China Morning Post

The first people are charged with breaking the ban on wearing face masks in Hong Kong. The government of Hong Kong says the prohibition of face masks is needed to end months of violent protests. (The Guardian)

China bans American animated sitcom South Park in response to the episode “Band in China” which parodied censorship in China and Chinese influence on Hollywood. (The New York Post)

Trump green-lights Turkish invasion of Kurdish-held Syrian enclave The White House said late Sunday that Turkey will soon invade an area of northeastern Syria currently held by America’s Kurdish allies, adding that U.S. troops “will not support or be involved in the operation” and “will no longer be in the immediate area.” It isn’t clear from the unusual late-night White House statement what will happen with the 1,000 U.S troops stationed in Northern Syria. President Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke earlier Sunday, and according to Turkey, Erdogan accepted Trump’s invitation to visit the White House in November and expressed displeasure with the pace of U.S. cooperation in creating a “safe zone” in the area where Turkey could resettle up to 2 million Syrian refugees. Erdogan has long threatened to attack the U.S.-allied Kurdish YPG forces. Source:  Reuters

Holger Bingmann, head of the Federation of German Wholesale, Foreign Trade and Services, tells journalists German businesses have lost €3.5 billion so far this year due to Brexit. (Deutsche Welle)

A North Korean fishing boat collides with a Japanese Fisheries Agency vessel and sinks off Japan. At least 20 North Koreans are pulled from the water. The Japanese ship had been attempting to warn the North Korean vessel away from Japanese territory. (Bloomberg)

An overloaded ship carrying migrants capsizes and sinks off the island of Lampedusa, Italy, in rough conditions in the Mediterranean Sea. Search and rescue is underway; of at least 50 on board, 22 survivors have been saved and 13 bodies found. The deceased and missing both include pregnant women. The International Organization for Migration states the boat had departed from Tunisia. (Deutsche Welle)

The Supreme Court of the United States opens its 2019–2020 nine-month term with eight of its nine justices present. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who underwent a number of medical procedures for cancer throughout the past year, was present, but Justice Clarence Thomas was absent “due to an unspecified illness.” (Reuters)

A judge rules against U.S. President Donald Trump, ordering him to release eight years of state tax returns to New York officials. The defense makes an immediate appeal to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, and is granted a temporary stay “pending expedited review.” (BBC)

A bomb on a rickshaw detonates as a minibus carrying new army recruits passes in Jalalabad, Afghanistan. A military spokesperson says ten including a child were killed and a further 27 wounded. (The Washington Post)

The Ukrainian Ministry of Transport announces it has revoked the air operator’s certificate of Ukraine Air Alliance, effective from October 5. The move results from the October 4 crash of an Antonov An-12 owned by the airline, after it ran out of fuel near Lviv, Ukraine. The decision was taken the same day. (The Aviation Herald)

Two protestors who were arrested in Rostov-on-Don 2017 while holding signs seeking resignations from the Russian government, and have been in custody since, are sentenced to over six years each in high-security prisons. They were charged with planning violent mass disturbances, and claimed to have confessed during torture. (The Times)

There are now ‘multiple whistleblowers’ in Ukraine investigations, lawyer says A lawyer representing the whistleblower whose concerns about President Trump’s interactions with Ukraine sparked an impeachment inquiry said Sunday that “my firm and my team represent multiple whistleblowers” in connection with the investigation. The lawyer, Andrew Bakaj, added, “No further comment at this time.” A second lawyer representing the original whisleblower, Mark Zaid, said that a second whistleblower with firsthand knowledge of Trump’s Ukraine interactions has already been interviewed by the intelligence community inspector general. Trump’s evident efforts to pressure Ukraine into investigating former Vice President Joe Biden is now the focus of a House impeachment inquiry. Three House impeachment committees will depose several witnesses this week. Source:  ABC News

3 scientists split Nobel Medicine prize for discovering how cells use oxygen Two Americans and one British scientist were awarded the 2019 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for their work uncovering “how cells sense and adapt to oxygen availability,” the Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute announced Monday. The discoveries by the three laureates — William Kaelin Jr., Peter Ratcliffe, and Gregg Semenza — “have paved the way for promising new strategies to fight anemia, cancer, and many other diseases,” the institute explained. Kaelin, who works at Harvard, and Semenza, at Johns Hopkins, are American; Ratcliffe, who is British, works at the Francis Crick Institute. The three scientists will equally split the 9 million kronor ($918,000) cash prize. Source: The Associated Press

 

Sunday, Oct 6th, 2019

Following a phone call between U.S. President Donald Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the White House says that Turkish Armed Forces will launch a incursion into Syrian Democratic Forces-held northern Syria, and that United States Armed Forces will be withdrawing from the region to avoid clashing with its NATO ally. (The Guardian)

The Jordanian government announces it has struck a deal with the teachers’ union to end a month-long strike that affected at least 1.5 millon students. The strike was instigated over pay in light of new austerity measures. (Reuters)

 

Saturday,  Oct 5th, 2019

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan threatens to invade SDF-held areas in Northern Syria “today or tomorrow”, after dubbing joint US-Turkish patrols per the buffer zone agreement a “fairy tale”. (Reuters)

Counter-terror investigators confirm the man who killed four people at Paris police headquarters two days ago was a convert who adhered to a radical version of Islam and had contact with radical Islamists. (BBC)

The European Aviation Safety Agency revokes its authorisation of Ukraine Air Alliance, effectively banning the airline from all airspace in the European Union. The move results from yesterday’s crash of an Antonov An-12 owned by the airline, after it ran out of fuel near Lviv, Ukraine. (The Aviation Herald)

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov visits ally Venezuela, reiterating Russia’s support of disputed president Nicolás Maduro and announcing new trade deals with the economically crippled country. (Reuters)

After acquitting five Muslim men of murder, Thaijudge Kanakorn Pianchana gives a speech complaining of corrupt pressure upon the judiciary, including in this case, to convict without sufficient evidence. He then shoots himself in the chest in court in Yala, but survives. Criticism from judges of the Thai legal system is rare, but rights groups claim Muslims often face trumped-up charges in the region, which is Muslim-majority and suffers from insurgency. (BBC)

A pool of citizens of the United Arab Emirates heads to the polls in the country’s fourth parliamentary election. (Gulf News)

In Lower Manhattan, New York City, four homelessmen are beaten to death and a fifth severely injured while sleeping. A 24-year-old man, also believed homeless, is in custody. (CNN)

In the floor exercise, Simone Bileslands a triple-twisting double backflip in a tucked position. The new skill will be named “Biles 2”, the third element named after her, and will have a FIG difficulty value of J. (PopSugar via Yahoo!)

 

 Friday,  Oct 4th, 2019

On the third day of protestsin Iraq, the death toll reaches 100. The government imposes near-total internet blackout. (BBC)

The Iraqi military says “unidentified snipers” have shot four people dead on the streets of Baghdad amid protests, including two police officers, with dozens of others wounded by sniper fire. Reuters reporters witness at least one protester being shot in the head by a sniper, killing him. (Reuters)

An Antonov An-12cargo plane operated by Ukraine Air Alliance runs out of fuel and crashes as it approaches Lviv International Airport in Ukraine. Five of the seven occupants are killed, and the airport closes. (BBC)

Hong KongChief Executive Carrie Lam invokes the colonial-era Emergency Regulations Ordinance and bans the use of face masks in public gatherings. (RTHK Hong Kong English)

A parent is sentenced to five months in prison, a fine of $100,000 and 500 hours of community service for his involvement in the college admissions scandal. (CNN)

Police in South Korea receive confessions from convicted murderer Lee Chun-jae to the serial rapes and murders, which occurred between 1986 and 1991 and left at least nine dead. He denies a tenth murder, now believed to be perpetrated by a copycat. The investigations inspired the movie Memories of Murder and saw 21,000 people investigated. Lee, who is serving life for the 1994 rape and murder of his sister in law, cannot be prosecuted because the statute of limitations has expired. He had been linked to three victims earlier this month by DNA. (CNN)

At a conference in Washington, D.C., Sergio Massa, candidate for the Argentine Chamber of Deputiesfor Frente de Todos, the coalition of candidate Alberto Fernández, says Fernández’s position on Venezuela is clear and that keeping silent about the situation in Venezuela is to “become an accomplice of the government [of Maduro]”. He also is the first member of Fernández’s party to describe Venezuela as a “dictatorship”. (Infobae in Spanish)

 

Thursday, Oct 3rd, 2019

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announces that the number of deaths caused by vaping-associated pulmonary injury (“vaping illness”) linked to electronic cigarettes has risen to 18, with an additional 1,080 injuries reported. The CDC says the cause is still under investigation. (USA Today)

Amid an impeachment inquiry against him, U.S. President Donald Trump says “China should start an investigation” into presidential candidate Joe Biden. Chair of the Federal Election Commission Ellen Weintraub again explains that “it is illegal for any person to solicit, accept, or receive anything of value from a foreign national in connection with a U.S. election”. (NBC News)

Sources for The New York Times allege that two American diplomats presented a statement for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to sign wherein Ukraine would commit to investigate Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden.  (The New York Times)

The End

 

Bernie Sanders Wants To Gas The Jews

Tuesday,  Sept. 24th, 2019

Bernie Sanders unveils sweeping wealth tax Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has unveiled a wealth tax proposal, saying, “I don’t think that billionaires should exist.” Under Sanders’ plan, an annual tax would be applied to the approximately American 180,000 households with a net worth above $32 million, with the tax beginning at 1 percent for the lowest bracket and rising to 8 percent for net worth above $10 billion. The brackets would be halved for single filers, taking effect at $16 million. This proposal is more aggressive than that of Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), who has called for a wealth tax on households with a net worth above $50 million. Sanders’ proposal would reportedly cut the average billionaire’s wealth in half over 15 years. Source: The New York Times

Cities around the world celebrate World Car-Free Day. (UrduPoint)

The World Meteorological Organization publishes a report stating that 2015–2019 was the hottest five-year period since measurements began. The increase in the global carbon dioxide level, the rise of the sea level and the melting of ice caps is accelerating. (PA via breakingnews.ie)

Under pressure from owner Hasbro, the next Brussels edition of the Monopoly board game censors Manneken Pis, the 17th-century bronze statue of a naked boy urinating, with swimming trunks. (The Telegraph)

A bus carrying Chinese tourists overturns near Bryce Canyon national park in Utah, United States. At least four passengers are killed and another five wounded. The National Transportation Safety Board launches an investigation. (The Guardian)

An anonymous U.S. official says the United States is certain that the attack was launched from Iranian territory and that it involved cruise missiles. (The Daily Star)

[Somebody] says the international community must take a firm stand on Tehran and that if confirmed Iran is behind the attacks against the oil facilities, Saudi Arabia will “take the necessary steps” to “respond appropriately”. (Reuters)

A woman who previously accused late United States financier Jeffrey Epstein of sexually abusing her when she was a teenager says she was “trafficked” to Prince Andrew of the United Kingdom and was abused by him at a house in London. She calls him “an abuser” and “a participant”. Prince Andrew denies the allegations. (BBC)

Sudanese Finance Minister Ibrahim el-Badawi says Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok is to ask the World Bank for US$2 million. Sudan has been unable to do business with either the World Bank or the International Monetary Fund because it is featured on the United States’ State Sponsors of Terrorism list. The U.S. Congress is unlikely to remove Sudan before next year, el-Badawi further announces, saying he has been told the process is complicated. (Asharq al-Awsat)

The UK Supreme Court rules that Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s prorogation of Parliament was unconstitutional. (BBC)

Trump to urge joint action against Iran, Venezuela in U.N. speech President Trump spent the first day of the annual United Nations General Assembly in New York taking potshots at a domestic political rival, former Vice President Joe Biden, but he is expected to focus on American leadership in his speech before the General Assembly on Tuesday. Trump will juggle the “America First” message he has brought to his previous two speeches to the U.N. and the multilateral action he says is necessary to confront Iran, especially after an attack on a Saudi oil facility that Tehran says it is not responsible for. In his first U.N. speech, Trump railed against North Korea, but this year he is expected to have only conciliatory words for Kim Jong Un. Source:  The Washington Post

Megan Rapinoe wins FIFA’s Women’s World Player of the Year award U.S. soccer standout Megan Rapinoe received the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year award Monday in Milan, becoming the fourth American to win the honor. This summer, co-captain Rapinoe led the U.S. women’s team to its second consecutive World Cup title. The team’s coach, Jill Ellis, was named the top women’s coach, an award she also won in 2015. “This World Cup, perhaps more than any other, was such an incredible team effort on so many fronts that I feel like I’m accepting this award on behalf of the team,” Rapinoe, a forward, said during the ceremony. For a record sixth time, Barcelona forward Lionel Messi of Argentina was named the world’s best men’s player. Source: Los Angeles Times

 

Monday,  Sept. 23rd, 2019

Boeing announces each relative of victims of two air disasters will be paid US$144,500 by the aircraft manufacturer, and will not have to waive their right to litigate to receive the money. (Reuters)

Doctors Without Borders alleges the World Health Organisation is rationing vaccines for Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo despite adequate resources. (France 24)

Iran says a UK-flagged ship seized several months ago is free to depart. MV Stena Impero, an oil tanker, was captured in response to the seizure of an Iranian oil tanker in Gibraltar over allegations it was carrying fuel to Syria. (The Independent)

Afghan officials say a government strike Sunday night on a militant facility in Musa Qala District, Helmand Province, killed 35 or more civilians at a wedding party nearby. The Afghan Defence Ministry says the operation targeted a training facility for suicide bombers and it killed 22 members of the Taliban. The Taliban say 18 members of the Afghan forces were killed. (Reuters)

British travel company Thomas Cook enters compulsory liquidation, leaving 150,000 British holidaymakers stranded abroad and endangering 22,000 jobs worldwide. In response, the UK government and the Civil Aviation Authority launches Operation Matterhorn, the largest repatriation in the UK’s peacetime history. (BBC)

Raging wildfires in Indonesia cause the sky to turn red over much of Sumatra. The phenomenon is a result of Rayleigh scattering. (BBC)

A group of alleged ISIL sympathisers go on trial in France, including two women accused of an attempted car bombing at Notre-Dame Cathedral in 2016. Defendants also include a man being tried in absentia whom the United States claims to have killed via drone strike in 2017; the court ruled no evidence had been provided to confirm his death. (France 24)

In Port-au-Prince, an Associated Press photojournalist and a security guard are wounded when Senator Jean Marie Ralph Féthière (PHTK) opens fire, reportedly trying to pass through a demonstration outside the Haitian Parliament. The Senate tries to convene and appoint Fritz-William Michel as Prime Minister. (The Guardian)

The World Anti-Doping Agency launches a probe into “inconsistencies” with laboratory results from Russia, promising “the most stringent sanctions” if violations are found. Russia was previously banned from the 2018 Winter Olympics following a similar probe. (France 24)

In a rare joint press release, European car makers warn that a no-deal Brexit, introducing administrative hassle and tariffs, would have a “seismic” impact on frictionless trading conditions and that it would deal a “severe” blow to the industry’s just-in-time manufacturing supply chains, also potentially affecting “consumer choice and affordability on both sides of the Channel”. (AFP via The Guardian)

Tunisian tourism minister René Trabelsi says Thomas Cook owes Tunisian hotels €60 million for stays in July and August, with 4,500 customers still in the country. Tourism in Tunisia is a vital sector. (Reuters)

After “seriously considering feedback from different parties who feel objections on some substantial content”, Indonesian President Joko Widodo postpones the vote on a new criminal code, intended to replace the century-old Dutch colonial-era penal code. The proposed code would criminalise extramarital sex, insults to the president and “obscene acts”. (CNN)

2019 Emmys: Fleabag, Game of Thrones win big The 71st annual Primetime Emmy Awards belonged to Fleabag. Show creator and star Phoebe Waller-Bridge won awards for best writing in a comedy series and best lead actress in a comedy, a surprise upset over Veep‘s Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Fleabag also won the award for best comedy series. Game of Thrones‘ Peter Dinklage took home the best supporting actor in a drama award, and has now won the category four times, setting a record. The HBO show, which ended its run this spring, also won for best drama series. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel‘s Tony Shalhoub won for best supporting actor in a comedy and his co-star, Alex Borstein, won for best supporting actress in a comedy, previously winning the same honor in 2018. Barry‘s Bill Hader also won his second consecutive best lead actor in a comedy award, while Pose‘s Billy Porter became the first openly gay black man to win the lead actor in a drama Emmy. Source: Deadline

Trump heads to U.N. with multiple crises roiling President Trump on Monday starts a three-day trip to join world leaders for the United Nations General Assembly. The trip comes as tensions swirl around Trump’s relationship with Ukraine, a showdown with Iran following strikes against Saudi oil facilities, Trump’s trade war with China, and frozen nuclear talks with North Korea. Trump said “nothing is ever off the table completely,” but that he had no plans to meet on the sidelines with Iranian leader Hassan Rouhani as the U.S. pushes to build a coalition to confront Tehran over the attack in Saudi Arabia, which rattled the world oil market. Trump meets Wednesday with the president of Ukraine as Democrats press the Trump administration to release a whistleblower’s complaint about a phone call Trump had with a foreign leader believed to involve Ukraine. Source: ABC News

More Below The Fold

09.06.2019

Friday,  Sep 6th, 2019

Longtime Zimbabwe leader Robert Mugabe is dead at 95 Robert Mugabe, the former president of Zimbabwe who ruled from its liberation from Britain in 1980 until his ouster in 2017, has died, his successor, President Emmerson Mnangagwa, confirmed Friday. He was 95. “It is with the utmost sadness that I announce the passing on of Zimbabwe’s founding father and former President, Cde Robert Mugabe,” Mnangagwa announced via Twitter. Mugabe died in Singapore, where he often went for medical care in recent years. Mnangagwa did not give any details, but there was speculation Mugabe was battling prostate cancer. Mugabe was originally celebrated as a reformer and liberation hero, but he became increasingly autocratic, especially after brutally crushing a 1987 uprising, and his last few elections were marred by widespread allegations of voter fraud. Source: Reuters

 

Thursday, Aug 5th, 2019

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan threatens to “open the gates” and allow over three million Syrian refugees to freely emigrate into Europe, unless the Northern Syria Buffer Zone, agreed between Turkey and the United States, is set up according to Turkey’s plans. He further claims that the “international community, namely the European Union” fails to provide support with respect to the refugees. (The Guardian)

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan says he cannot accept that his country is not allowed to possess nuclear weapons. (Reuters)

Mexican authorities are preparing the launch of a $1 billion per year oil hedging program, and options trading consistent with such a giant trade. (Reuters)

A United States Department of State spokesperson confirms as accurate a story reported yesterday by the Financial Times, saying that Akhilesh Kumar, the captain of a tanker carrying Iranian oil that was captured in Gibraltar in July and since then released, was offered millions of dollars by U.S. official Brian Hook to change its course, so that it could be impounded on U.S. charges of “terrorism”. (Hindustan Times)

The Court of Appeal in Kyiv, Ukraine, rules to release Volodymyr Tsemakh, a person of interest in the case of the downed Malaysia Airlines Flight 17. President of Russia Vladimir Putin says both countries are finalizing negotiations on a “rather large-scale” prisoner exchange. (RFE/RL)

A Taliban bomb in the middle of a heavily fortified area in Kabul kills twelve people, including a U.S. soldier and a Romanian soldier. (CNN)

Walgreens and CVS ask customers not to bring guns into their stores in response to several deadly mass shootings last month. (CNN)

A jury finds Max Harris, the creative director of the Ghost Ship warehouse in Oakland, California, not guilty on involuntary manslaughter charges in relation to a fire at the location in 2016, which killed 36 people. The jury fails to reach a verdict on similar charges for its leaseholder, Derick Almena, due to a hung jury. (CNN)

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte’s new cabinet is sworn in after the coalition agreement between the Five Star Movement and the Democratic Party. Lega Nord ministers, led by Matteo Salvini, are ousted from the government. (The Guardian)

Special Representative for International Negotiations Jason Greenblatt, in charge of crafting the as yet unreleased Trump peace plan intended to resolve the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, announces his resignation. (CNN)

 

Wednesday,  Sept. 4th, 2019

Google agrees to pay a record US$170 million penalty to settle accusations that YouTube broke the law when it knowingly tracked and sold advertisements to children, the Federal Trade Commission says. (CNN)

CNN hosts a seven-hour town hall on climate change featuring ten Democratic presidential candidates. An official debate sponsored by the Democratic Party had previously been shot down by the DNC. (Vox)

The U.S. State Department announces sanctions against the Iranian Space Agency, Iranian Space Research Center and Aeronautics Research Institute. (Xinhua)

A wave of xenophobic attacks on migrants and foreign owned businesses in South Africa, particularly targeting Nigerian citizens, continues into its sixth day. (Yahoo News)

Michigan becomes the first state in the United States to ban the sale of flavored electronic cigarettes, which the state government says are marketed towards children. (MLive.com)

New Zealand police confirm that a bus carrying 27 Chinese tourists crashed in bad weather near Rotorua and left at least five dead and six injured. (Sky News)

After an assassination plot to kill Samoan Prime Minister Tuilaepa A. S. Malielegaoi is foiled, police are working to extradite a Samoan man who lives in Brisbane, Australia. (Radio New Zealand)

Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam announces the formal withdrawal of the controversial extradition bill. (Reuters)

The House of Commons of the United Kingdom approves a bill to block a no-deal Brexit next month, by a vote of 327 to 299. The bill instructs Prime Minister Boris Johnson to request another Brexit extension if he cannot secure a deal with the European Union in the coming weeks. (The New York Times)

The House of Commons rejects Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s motion to hold a general election in October amid continuing political deadlock over Brexit. (BBC)

British MP Phillip Lee defects from the Conservative Party to the Liberal Democrats, leaving Prime Minister Boris Johnson without a working majority in the House of Commons. (The Independent)

The House of Commons votes to allow an attempt to stop a no-deal Brexit. All 21 Conservative MPs who voted with the opposition have their party whip removed and now sit as independents. (BBC)

The End Friday

dolphins being fucked to death

Friday,  Aug 30th, 2019

Hong Kong protest leaders arrested ahead of Saturday march A number of Hong Kong protest leaders were arrested Friday morning, according to pro-democracy group Demosistō, including its 22-year-old leader, Joshua Wong, and prominent activist Agnes Chow. Wong was seized at about 7:30 Friday morning at a subway stop then “suddenly pushed into a private car on the street” and taken to Hong Kong police headquarters, Demosistō said, while Chow was arrested at her house. A third protest leader, Andy Chan, was arrested as he tried to board a plane at Hong Kong International Airport. The arrests, part of a widening crackdown on protests that have roiled Hong Kong for two months, precede a major protest march on Saturday to mark the five-year anniversary of Beijing ruling out universal suffrage. Source: Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post

The Office of Inspector General of the Federal Bureau of Investigation releases its final report in which former director James Comey is criticised for his leaking of documents regarding U.S. President Donald Trump. However, it does not recommend he be prosecuted. (BBC)

Death penalty trial for 9/11 plotters set for 2021 The death penalty trial for five men charged with plotting the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks will take place in 2021. A military judge on Friday said that the joint trial for Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, the confessed architect of the attack that killed nearly 3,000 people, and four others will begin on Jan. 11, 2021, when the military jury selection at Guantánamo Bay will begin. Mohammed’s case has remained in pretrial hearings for the past seven years, with the start-of-trial dates having been requested as far back as 2012, the year the men were arraigned. Prosecutors were instructed to provide the defense with materials for the trial by October. Source: The New York Times, The New York Times

The Yemeni Ministry of Defense says 300 people were killed and wounded in United Arab Emirates air raids in southern Yemen over the two previous days. The UAE Foreign Ministry has said the “preemptive operation” targeted “terrorist militias”. (Al Jazeera)

A French court jails several members of Generation Identity and fines the organisation over an anti-immigration operation in the Alps. They were found guilty of “exercising activities in conditions that could create confusion with a public function”. The case was that the operation could be mistaken for a government action. (The Independent)

 

Thursday, Aug 29th, 2019

An Iranian Space Agency Simorgh carrier rocket explodes on the launch pad at Imam Khomeini Spaceport in southeastern Iran. This is Iran’s third failed attempt to reach orbit this year following launches in January and February. (NPR)

The U.S. officially reestablishes Space Command. (Reuters)

Hong Kong police ban a planned Saturday march by the Civil Human Rights Front, saying there is “a high chance that certain violent protesters will hijack this event”. The CHRF plans to appeal. (Bloomberg)

Hamas says it has captured an ISIL cell responsible for Tuesday’s suicide bombings that killed three policemen. Hamas says ten are in custody. (The Times of Israel)

The volcano on the Italian island of Stromboli erupts, an event described as “high intensity” by the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology. (The Independent)

Six Pakistani men are found guilty of abusing and raping teenage girls between 1998 and 2002 in Rotherham, England. The National Crime Agency believes as many as 1,510 teenagers were sexually exploited in the town during the same period. (BBC)

Oleksiy Honcharuk becomes the new Prime Minister of Ukraine. (Al Jazeera)

The Court of Session in Edinburgh begins hearing arguments in a case challenging UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s decision to suspend the UK Parliament. The challenge, seeking an interdict, the Scottish equivalent to an injunction, to prevent the move, is being brought by Members of the Scottish Parliament. The judge announces he will consider his position overnight and give his judgement tomorrow at 10:00 local time. (BBC)

Archaeologists in Huanchaco, Peru unearth 227 sets of human remains aged between five and fourteen, and believed to be sacrificed over 500 years prior. The discovery is the largest known child sacrifice in history. (BBC)

At least 25 people are killed and 11 injured in a bar fire in Coatzacoalcos, Mexico, that police believe followed an attack linked to drug cartels. Mexican media reports that the bar was peppered with gunfire and Molotov cocktails were thrown inside. (BBC)

New Zealand bans tourists from swimming with bottlenose dolphins, saying dwindling numbers are caused by excessive interaction with tourists, as the animals choose socialising with people over necessary biological functions. Authorities say the species risks “being loved into extinction”. (The Independent)

The uncrewed Soyuz MS-14 spacecraft successfully docks with the International Space Station on its second attempt, with the Zvezda module. The docking follows the failure of the automated systems aboard the Poisk module with which the spacecraft was originally intended to dock on 24 August. MS-14 carries supplies for the ISS, along with a humanoid robot named Fedor. (SpaceNews, Space.com)

SpaceX executes a successful test of its Starhopper vehicle at Boca Chica. The vehicle was raised 150 metres (490 feet) into the air by its methane-fueled Raptor engine. The engine is planned for use on SpaceX’s Starship vehicle – a crewed spacecraft capable of interplanetary flight. (Forbes)

 

Thursday, Aug 29th, 2019

Hong Kong police ban a planned Saturday march by the Civil Human Rights Front, saying there is “a high chance that certain violent protesters will hijack this event”. The CHRF plans to appeal. (Bloomberg)

Brazil bans land clearance fires for sixty days in response to the ongoing disaster. (BBC)

China announces that it will not immediately retaliate on the latest U.S. import tariffs, but is instead “lodging solemn representations”. (Bloomberg)

Poland states the nation will sign a 5G cooperation deal with the United States when US President Donald Trump visits on Saturday. The Trump administrationhas been lobbying European nations to avoid Huawei, a major international 5G supplier, over security concerns. (euronews)

Tensions escalate between Indonesia and Pacific Island nations as the situation in the province of West Papua worsens after an Indonesian soldier and a West Papuan are killed in clashes. Vanuatuan Foreign Minister Ralph Regenvanu said “something must be done”, amid calls to invite United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet to investigate murders and torture in the area. (Radio New Zealand)

The Supreme Court of Thailand upholds death sentences against two migrant workers convicted of murdering two UK tourists and raping one. Rights groups claim the men were scapegoats and tortured into false confessions by police under pressure to solve the crimes, which attracted international attention. (The Guardian)

The Japan Transport Safety Board concludes its investigation into a fatal collision between USS Fitzgerald and Filipino container ship ACX Crystal. The board’s final report concludes distraction and incomplete radar information aboard the US Navy vessel caused the accident. (The Japan Times)

The Court of Session in Edinburgh begins hearing arguments in a case challenging UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s decision to suspend the UK Parliament. The challenge, seeking an interdict, the Scottish equivalent to an injunction, to prevent the move, is being brought by Members of the Scottish Parliament. (BBC)

Protesters accuse British prime minister of essentially staging a coup After British Prime Minister Boris Johnson decided to suspend Parliament on Wednesday, protesters started gathering in London, Manchester, Edinburgh, Liverpool, Cambridge, and other major cities, with many describing this move as a coup. Parliament was scheduled to reconvene again next week following a summer break, but Queen Elizabeth II approved Johnson’s request to suspend Parliament until mid-October, giving lawmakers a limited amount of time to prevent a no-deal Brexit on Oct. 31. This angered opposition leaders, including Amelia Womack, deputy leader of the Green Party. She joined demonstrators in London, and told The Guardian she was standing with them because the United Kingdom has a “representative democracy and by suspending Parliament, you are removing people’s democratic right.” Source: The Guardian

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand drops out of 2020 race Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) dropped out of the Democratic presidential primary race on Wednesday, after she failed to qualify for the third round of debates by the Democratic National Committee’s deadline. Gillibrand, whose campaign largely focused on women and families, participated in the first two rounds of Democratic debates, but struggled to gain momentum as the qualifications ramped up. Several major polls released Wednesday showed Gillibrand with less than 1 percent support. She said she would endorse another candidate in the primary, but did not announce who. “I think that women have a unique ability to bring people together and heal this country,” Gillibrand said, “I think a woman nominee would be inspiring and exciting.” The senator recommitted to electing more women to Congress. Source: The New York Times

New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand drops out of the presidential race. (The New York Times)

Apple promises not to retain Siri recordings by default Apple apologized on Wednesday following reports that contractors were listening to users’ Siri recordings. The company announced updates to its audio review policies, after reports found that contractors would regularly hear confidential and intimate information while reviewing Siri audio to improve the virtual assistant. After reviewing this program, which it previously suspended, Apple said “we realize we haven’t been fully living up to our high ideals, and for that we apologize.” It plans to resume a Siri audio review program, but going forward, customers will have to opt in. Apple also says it will work to delete any recordings from when Siri is accidentally triggered and won’t retain audio recordings of Siri interactions by default. Source: The Verge

 

Wednesday,  Aug 28th, 2019

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson asks Queen Elizabeth II to suspend Parliament until October 14. Following precedent, the constitutional monarch approves the request. (CNN)

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis declares a state of emergency in anticipation of Hurricane Dorian, which is expected to make landfall in the state on September 2. (WOFL)

Pretoria, the administrative capital of South Africa, experiences widespread looting and violent attacks by rioters focused on foreigners. Police are currently outnumbered and many businesses have been set on fire. The riots follow the death of a taxi driver reportedly shot by Nigerian drug dealers after they realized he’d seen them complete a drug deal and had also seen their supplier. Bus services are suspended and authorities say the capital is currently unsafe. (Radio 702) (ZimEye)

Three Palestinian police officers are killed and several wounded in two separate suicide attacks on police checkpoints. ISIL’s affiliate in Gaza, the Sheikh Omar Hadid Brigade, are the suspected perpetrators. (BBC)

Three people are killed amidst heavy rains in southwestern Japan. Authorities ask almost one million people to evacuate, warning “unprecedented” levels of rainfall could cause the flooding of rivers, trigger landslides, and submerge houses. (BBC)

The Civil Aviation Authority of South Africa concludes its investigation with a final report indicating the accident was caused by poor maintenance and errors by unqualified pilots. (The Aviation Herald)

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro announces all Amazon-region nations except Venezuela will meet to discuss a coordinated response to the disaster. He also reiterates rejection of G7 money to assist the efforts unless French President Emmanuel Macron issues him an apology, but after meeting with Chilean President Sebastián Piñera accepts an offer of four firefighting aircraft from Chile. (BBC)

Through a spokesman Lopeti Senituli for the government, Tonga blames the World Bank over the situation of their schools in Tongatapu, which are still in tents 17 months after Cyclone Gita. (Radio New Zealand)

Forty-eight members of Congress from the Republican Party – eight from the Senate and 40 from the House of Representatives – file a joint amicus brief with the Supreme Court arguing that the Civil Rights Act does not protect LGBT+ people from discrimination. They argue the law “does not prohibit discrimination because of an individual’s actions, behaviours, or inclinations”. (The Independent)

Tuesday,  Aug 27th, 2019

The Donald Trump administration is in the process of shifting at least $155 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to the Department of Homeland Security, in order to fund the return of some migrants to Mexico. The move comes as Tropical Storm Dorian nears hurricane status as it approaches Puerto Rico. (CNN)

Russian aircraft leasing firm Avia Capital Services, which has ordered 35 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, sues Boeing in an Illinois court in the first legal action taken by a 737 MAX customer in the wake of the groundings. Avia seek damages and a cancellation of the order, claiming Boeing were fraudulent, breached their contract with Avia, and negligently introduced design flaws to the aircraft and made negligent representations to the Federal Aviation Authority seeking the plane’s certification. With nearly 400 jets grounded worldwide since March, lawyers representing Avia say they are discussing the possibility of joining the litigation with other companies. (CityNews Vancouver)

An appeals court in Ontario, Canada overturns the terror convictions of Raed Jaser and Chiheb Esseghaier, citing an error by the trial judge regarding jury selection. A new trial is expected to take place. (BBC)

Poland anounces a planned national budget with zero deficit for the first time in 30 years. (Yahoo! Finance)

The End

A Beijing skyscraper that’s meant to look like a dragon and previously belonged to a fugitive billionaire just sold for $734 million — a mere 40% of its reported value

Smart Dragon

Wednesday,  Aug 21st, 2019

Australia announces that it has agreed to join the United States’ coalition, along with the United Kingdom and Bahrain, to prevent Iran from targeting ships travelling through the Strait of Hormuz. Australia will deploy a Boeing P-8 Poseidon and a frigate. (The Sydney Morning Herald)

The Queen of Denmark expresses surprise at the President of the United States’ abrupt cancellation of his planned visit. (TV2)

Trump calls off Denmark trip after being told he can’t buy Greenland President Trump will no longer visit Denmark later this month, putting the cancelation squarely on the shoulders of Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. “Denmark is a very special country with incredible people, but based on Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen’s comments, that she would have no interest in discussing the purchase of Greenland, I will be postponing our meeting scheduled in two weeks for another time,” he tweeted, adding that this saved “a great deal of expense and effort” for both countries. Greenland is an autonomous territory of Denmark, and despite it not being for sale, Trump confirmed over the weekend reports that he was “interested” in buying the island. Trump was invited to visit Denmark by Queen Margrethe II. Source: Donald J. Trump

Trump calls Jewish Democratic voters disloyal President Trump on Tuesday accused Jewish Democratic voters of disloyalty. The comments came after he was asked about a dispute between Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) and Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and Israel. The Israeli government barred the two lawmakers from entering the country ahead of a scheduled visit, then gave Tlaib permission to visit her grandmother in Palestine. Tlaib ultimately opted not to make the trip. Trump slammed the congresswomen over their stances on Israel, before saying that “any Jewish people that vote for a Democrat” show either “a total lack of knowledge or great disloyalty.” About 79 percent of American Jews voted Democratic in 2018, reports NBC News, and Jewish groups criticized Trump’s comments as echoing an anti-Semitic slur. Source: NBC News

Hasbro to stop using plastic packaging for its toys By the end of 2022, most Hasbro products will be free of plastic packaging, the toymaker announced Tuesday. The company now uses plastic bags, elastic bands, and shrink wrap for its board games and some other toys. This move does not affect toys made out of plastic, like Mr. Potato Head, but Hasbro said it is trying to find an alternative material that is safe for kids and still looks like plastic. Because of its harmful environmental impact, more companies are trying to stop using plastic, and many cities are banning plastic bags and eliminating plastic straws. The company said it will start phasing out plastic in 2020. Source: The Associated Press

 

 Tuesday,  Aug 20th, 2019

China announces the successful first launch of the Smart Dragon-1  carrier rocket. (Reuters)

The Russian Ministry of Defence announces that the 6-tonne satellite-controlled reconnaissance drone Altius-U has performed its maiden flight. (TASS)

In a two-hour meeting with his cabinet. US President Donald Trump discusses how to assuage the anger of America’s farmers on his decision to loosen the nation’s biofuels blending laws, making life easier for the refinery industry at the expense of agriculture. (Reuters)

The Al-Qaeda-linked faction Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) acknowledges “a redeployment” south of the strategic town of Khan Shaykhun. (AP News)

Media close to the government reports that the Syrian Army has entered the northern sector of the town of Khan Shaykhun, following the reported HTS withdrawal. (Al-Masdar)

Nicolás Maduro confirms United States reports that top Venezuelan officials have been having secret meetings with members of the Donald Trump administration. Maduro claims the talks encourage Trump to listen to him, United States sources claim the talks encourage Maduro supporters to defect. (The Guardian)

United States President Donald Trump cancels his September state visit to Denmark because Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen says she has no interest in discussing the purchase of Greenland. (BBC)

Pakistan asks the United Nations Security Council to meet over India’s decision to revoke Article 370 of the Indian Constitution that gives special status to the Indian State of Jammu and Kashmir, the sovereignty of which has been in dispute between India, Pakistan, and China since 1947. (BBC)

A modification of the Volcker rule is approved by the OCC and the FDIC. The new version eases rules on proprietary trading by Wall Street banks but is criticized by consumer groups who see risks for the protections on taxpayer money. (Reuters)

The Texas Department of Information Resources reports the computer systems of 23 towns in the state were hit by a ransomware attack on August 16. “One single threat actor” is suspected. (Insider)

Pentagon tests missile previously banned under U.S.-Russia treaty Now that the United States and Russia have scrapped an arms control agreement, the Pentagon announced on Monday it has conducted a test of a previously banned missile. The missile, a modified version of a Navy Tomahawk cruise missile, was tested off the coast of Southern California on Sunday, and after flying 310 miles, hit its target, the Pentagon said. The missile had a conventional warhead. Under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty of 1987, missiles able to fly between 310 and 3,410 miles were banned. The U.S. and Russia withdrew from the treaty on Aug. 2, after both sides accused one another of violating the agreement. Source: The Associated Press

Astronomers led by a team from McGill University in Montreal announce the detection of eight new repeating fast radio bursts (FRBs) using the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME) radio telescope. The astronomers report they also found complex morphologies and downward-drifting sub-bursts in some of the eight new FRBs. (Phys.org)

The biggest multi-storey bicycle parking in the world, with a capacity of 12,500 bikes, opens near Utrecht Centraal railway station, the Netherlands. (SmartCitiesWorld) (The Guardian)

The Al-Qaeda-linked faction Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) acknowledges “a redeployment” south of the strategic town of Khan Shaykhun. (AP News)

Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announces that he will submit his resignation later today. (Reuters)

Kamala Harris has plunged 12 points since the 1st debate The narrative of the 2020 Democratic primary shifted following a strong performance by Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) in the first debate in June. But two months later, a new poll has her roughly back where she started. While Harris surged following her break-out first debate, when she confronted former Vice President Joe Biden on busing, she’s been slipping ever since the second debate in July. In a Tuesday poll from CNN and SSRS, she’s down to 5 percent support, a 12-point drop from a post-debate June poll. She’s now 10 points behind Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), 9 points behind Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and 24 points behind Biden; she had been just five points away from the former vice president. Harris also had about 5 percent support before the first presidential debate. Source: CNN

 

Monday,  Aug 19th, 2019

Syrian Air Force warplanes repeatedly strike a Turkish military convoy driving through the rebel-held region of Idlib, reportedly causing several casualties and forcing it to stop. Turkey claims the convoy was aiming to supply observation posts, while Syria accuses it of carrying weapons and ammunition to rebel groups. (BBC)

The Syrian Army enters the strategic town of Khan Shaykhun in the Idlib Governorate for the first time since losing control of the town to rebels in 2014, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. (Middle East Monitor)

After fifteen days of raging fires in the Amazon Forest in Rondônia, thick smoke clouds cover the Brazilian city of São Paulo in darkness. Street lamps had to be lit in the city around 2PM. The fires, suspected to be intentional, are still burning the forest. (G1)

China condemns Taiwan after President Tsai Ing-wen offered support and asylum to Hong Kong protesters facing prosecution in Hong Kong courts. (Al Arabiya)

Twitter says it has suspended more than 200,000 automated accounts on the social media site that it believes were part of a Chinese government-run campaign to spread misinformation about the protests in Hong Kong. (ABC News)

Turkey’s Ministry of the Interior tweets that 418 people in 29 provinces are detained by police, for suspected links with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). The authorities have also announced that they “replaced” the mayors of three major southeastern cities. (Reuters)

Former President of Sudan Omar al-Bashir appears in court for the first time at a Khartoum court to face corruption charges. (Al Arabiya)

The Palestinian Authority bans LGBT activities in the West Bank in anticipation of an upcoming Al Qaws event. (Jerusalem Post)

 

Sunday, Aug 18th, 2019

ISIL claims responsibility for a terrorist attack against a wedding party in Afghanistan the day prior, which left 63 people dead and over 200 injured. (The Guardian)

Gibraltar authorities reject the request by the U.S. to seize the Iranian oil tanker Grace 1. They argue that EU, not U.S. law, is applicable in Gibraltar. The tanker is also renamed. (Al Arabiya)

The organizers claim that at least 1.7 million people join a peaceful rally in Victoria Park, Hong Kong. Protesters spill into nearby streets, with train service intermittently suspended due to the sheer number of people. (The Guardian)

 

 Saturday,  Aug 17th, 2019

63 people are killed and 182 wounded in a suicide attack at a wedding party in Kabul, Afghanistan. The attacker set off explosives among the invitees. (Al Arabiya)

The ruling military and the civilian opposition formally sign a power-sharing deal establishing a three-year transition period towards the election of a civilian government. (Al Jazeera)

Thousands of school teachers join the 11th weekend of anti-government protests in Hong Kong. (Reuters)

A rally of far-right groups such as the Proud Boys and Patriot Prayer is met by left-wing Antifa in Portland, Oregon. (The New York Times)

The Argentinian Treasury Minister, Nicolás Dujovne, resigns after incumbent President Mauricio Macri’s loss in a primary vote saw Argentina’s peso fall to record lows. (Bloomberg)

 

Friday,  Aug 16th, 2019

According to Israel’s Interior ministry, U.S. Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib sends a letter to Israeli Interior Minister Aryeh Deri, asking for permission to visit her elderly grandmother in the West Bank and promising “not to advance boycotts against Israel” for the duration of her visit. Despite Tlaib’s request being approved, she later declines to come, saying she won’t let Israel impose “oppressive conditions” on her. (CNN)

The death of accused sexual trafficker Jeffrey Epstein is ruled a suicide by hanging by the New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. Epstein’s attorneys say they will be conducting their own investigation into his death. (CNN)

The End

how the fuck are you supposed to save yourself from these?

https://imgur.com/gallery/yL2FajA

 

 Friday,  Aug 16th, 2019

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says U.S. congresswoman Rashida Tlaib can enter the country, on humanitarian grounds, if she submits a request to visit family and promises not to promote a boycott against Israel. (Reuters)

Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib declines saying, “visiting my grandmother under these oppressive conditions meant to humiliate me would break my grandmother’s heart.” (AP)

Rashida Tlaib declines Israel’s offer to visit West Bank after initial barring Israeli Interior Minister Aryeh Deri announced Friday that Israel had decided to let Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich) enter the country after all, allowing her “a humanitarian visit to her 90-year-old grandmother” in the West Bank, but Tlaib declined the offer, tweeting that “visiting … under these oppressive conditions stands against everything I believe in.” On Thursday, Israel said Tlaib and Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) would not be allowed to enter Israel for a scheduled visit after President Trump tweeted that allowing them to come would “show great weakness.” Democrats quickly condemned the decision, as did the pro-Israel lobbying group AIPAC. Tlaib had applied for a humanitarian request and promised not to promote Israel boycotts during her visit. Source: Reuters, The Associated Press

Trump to discuss withdrawal from Afghanistan President Trump will meet with Cabinet officials on Friday to discuss initial U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan. Negotiators have reportedly made major advances in talks with the Taliban, and will soon announce plans for withdrawal of roughly 5,000 of the 14,000 U.S. troops. While Friday’s meeting may not signal a forthcoming announcement, it will involve Trump, Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, along with national security advisers who will be briefed by Zalmay Khalilzad, the envoy to the Taliban talks. In announcing an initial withdrawal, the White House would reportedly also include a statement noting that the Taliban is willing to meet with Afghan officials to “develop a political framework for peace,” reports The Washington Post. Source: The Washington Post

Court upholds order that detained migrant kids have edible food, clean water A three-judge panel for the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on Thursday that migrant children detained by the government must be provided with edible food, water, soap, and toothpaste. Under the 1997 settlement known as the Flores agreement, children in custody have to live in safe and sanitary quarters, and the judges dismissed the Trump administration’s argument that facilities do not have to offer certain items, like soap and toothbrushes. “Assuring that children eat enough edible food, drink clean water, are housed in hygienic facilities with sanitary bathrooms, have soap and toothpaste, and are not sleep-deprived are without doubt essential to the children’s safety,” the panel wrote. The judges upheld an order issued in 2017 by U.S. District Judge Dolly Gee, who ruled that U.S. Customs and Border Protection was not giving kids in custody basic hygiene items or sufficient food. Source: Los Angeles Times

Warren jumps to 2nd place in Fox News poll, eating into Sanders’ support A Fox News poll released Thursday found former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) in the same place they were in March — 31 percent for Biden and 8 percent for Harris — while the two candidates in between them swapped places. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) is now in second place in the Democratic presidential race, with 20 percent, while Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) now has 10 percent. No other candidate tops 3 percent. In March, Sanders was at 23 percent and Warren at 4 percent; she has gained ground steadily since then in the Fox News polls, and her “gains come at Sanders’ expense,” Fox News reports. Each of the top Democrats beats President Trump in a hypothetical head-to-head matchup, Biden by 12 points, Sanders by 9, and Warren by 7. Source: Fox News

EPA reverses approval for ‘cyanide bombs’ used to kill wildlife In a surprising reversal, the Environmental Protection Agency announced on Thursday it is walking back a recent decision to reauthorize use of M-44s, also known as “cyanide bombs,” to kill coyotes, foxes, and other wild animals. M-44s are spring-loaded traps filled with sodium cyanide, which Wildlife Services officials use when they kill animals for ranchers and farmers. Last year, the federal agency killed more than 1.5 million animals, with about 6,500 dying because of M-44s. Last week, the EPA said on an interim basis that Wildlife Services would be able to use the traps again, but after public outcry, EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler announced Thursday the “withdrawal of EPA’s interim registration decision on sodium cyanide,” adding that the issue “warrants further analysis and additional discussions by EPA with the registrants of this predacide.” Source: The Guardian

 

Thursday, Aug 15th, 2019

A Ural Airlines Airbus 321 crash lands in a field near Zhukovsky International Airport in Moscow Region, Russia. The event is dubbed the “Miracle over Ramensk”, as only 23 passengers had minor injuries, similar to US Airways Flight 1549. Preliminary reports say the aircraft struck a flock of seagulls. (CNN)

Gibraltar says the United States has applied to seize the Iranian oil tanker Grace 1, which is being held by the United Kingdom territory for an alleged breach of European Union sanctions against Syria. (Reuters)

The UK releases Grace 1 back to Iran after receiving written assurance that the oil would not be sent to Syria. (BBC)

Two American Muslim congresswomen, Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, are barred from entering Israel before a planned visit to the country due to their support of the BDS movement, a decision which was encouraged by U.S. President Donald Trump. (CNN)

Press sources report that U.S. President Donald Trump repeatedly expressed interest in buying Greenland. (The Wall Street Journal) (AP News)

Belgian Federal Police confirm that fugitive Belgian large weapons smuggler and arms trafficker Jacques Monsieur was arrested in Portugal yesterday. (Het Laatste Nieuws) (Le Soir)

Former Colorado governor John Hickenlooper announces that he is suspending his presidential campaign. (UPI

Stocks suffer worst plunge of 2019 after inverted yield curve stokes recession fears The Dow Jones Industrial Average sank more than 800 points on Wednesday afternoon, its biggest point decline of the year and fourth-largest drop ever. Other markets similarly tanked, following news that the two-year Treasury note yield traded above that of the 10-year note on Wednesday for the first time in more than a decade. The inversion increased recession fears. An inverted yield curve often serves as an early warning of a looming recession because it suggests monetary policy and financial conditions are constraining the economy. Bank stocks led the decline on Wednesday, aiding the S&P 500 in its 2.93 percent slump. President Trump criticized Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell for decisions that he claimed are “holding us back” and causing the “CRAZY INVERTED YIELD CURVE.” Source: CNBC

Three super-Earth exoplanets are announced orbiting around the nearby red dwarf Gliese 1061, one of which orbits within the star’s habitable zone. (Arxiv)

Epstein’s autopsy finds he had broken neck bones Jeffrey Epstein’s autopsy found that he had several broken bones in his neck, two people familiar with the matter told The Washington Post on Wednesday. The autopsy was conducted Sunday, one day after the financier and accused sex trafficker was found dead inside his cell at Manhattan’s Metropolitan Correctional Center. Epstein’s hyoid bone was broken, and experts told the Post this can happen in a hanging, but is more common in victims of strangulation. There are already several conspiracy theories surrounding Epstein’s death, which the Department of Justice describes as an apparent suicide. Multiple women accused Epstein of coercing them into having sex with his rich and powerful friends, and some people believe he was killed before he could reveal any secrets. Source: The Washington Post

U.S. moves to seize detained Iranian tanker before Gibraltar sets it free The U.S. applied to detain the Iranian supertanker Grace 1 on Thursday morning, hours before the British territory Gibraltar planned to release the ship to ease a diplomatic standoff with Tehran. “The U.S. Department of Justice has applied to seize the Grace 1 on a number of allegations which are now being considered,” Gibraltar’s government said in a statement. “The matter will return to the Supreme Court of Gibraltar” Thursday afternoon. After Britain’s Royal Navy seized Grace 1 on July 4 on suspicion of smuggling oil to Syria, Iran’s Revolution Guard Corps nabbed a British-flagged Swedish tanker, Stena Impero, on July 19. Last week, Britain said it will join the U.S. in having its Navy escort merchant ships past Iran in the Strait of Hormuz. Source:  BBC News

Gibraltar says the United States have applied to seize the Iranian oil tanker Grace 1, which is being held by the United Kingdom territory for an alleged breach of European Union sanctions against Syria. (Reuters)

 

 Wednesday,  Aug 14th, 2019

Six police officers are shot, sustaining non-life threatening injuries, by a gunman in Philadelphia; a seventh officer is injured in a related automobile accident nearby. (CNN) (NBC News)

A Syrian Air Force Sukhoi Su-22 jet is missing, reportedly shot down by rebel forces near the town of Khan Shaykhun in the Idlib Governorate, Syria. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham jihadists say they have captured the pilot. (BBC)

The Federal Statistical Office of Germany discloses that Germany’s gross domestic product shrank by 0.1% in the second quarter. (The Guardian)

France bans electric pulse fishing. (AFP via Yahoo News}

In a third trial, Nicholas Slatten is sentenced to life in prison. (AFP via VoA)

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro creates a new government ministry, the Ministry of Tourism and Foreign Trade. (Venezuelanalysis)

Tarek William Saab strips the parliamentary immunity of the opposition politicians Juan Pablo García, Tomás Guanipa and José Guerra. (Venezuelanalysis)

A Norwegian delegation arrives in Venezuela to restart dialogues to end the presidential crisis. (Reuters)

 

Tuesday,  Aug 13th, 2019

Verizon agrees to sell the social networking site Tumblr to Automattic, owner of WordPress.com, for less than $10 million, less than two years after acquiring the site in 2017. (Los Angeles Times) (Axios)

U.S. President Donald Trump claims U.S. intelligence informed him that China is moving troops to the border with Hong Kong. (Bloomberg)

The United States Trade Representative announces a delay until December 15 on a significant number of products affected by 10% import tariffs announced on August 1 and set to be imposed in September.  (Reuters)

According to Interfax, the governor of Arkhangelsk Oblast dismisses as “complete nonsense” the advice by authorities in Severodvinsk to residents of Nyonoksato evacuate on August 14. This follows the accidental explosion on Thursday of what is speculated to be a nuclear-powered missile. Russian nuclear agency Rosatom says the failed test involved a “nuclear isotope power source” for a liquid-propelled rocket engine. (The Independent)

A new poll from Consultores 21 suggests that at least 4.7 million Venezuelans are living outside of the country, with the range going up to 6 million — 19% of the nation’s entire population in 2017. (Miami Herald)

The End 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/music/celebrity/t-pain-says-he-went-from-having-40-million-to-having-to-ask-for-money-to-buy-his-kids-a-burger/ar-AAFJqdD?li=BBnbfcL&ocid=mailsignout

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/trump-blasts-cnns-chris-cuomo-over-video-threatening-man-who-called-him-fredo/ar-AAFJe28?li=BBnbfcL&ocid=mailsignout

World’s Smallest Human Sculpture

Thursday 08.08.2019

Kyrgyzstan’s ex-president arrested after raids on home

The World’s Dumbest Woman Competition

Mysterious Manhattan apartment building on East 66th Street, where underage models, lawyers, and key players in Jeffrey Epstein’s sex-trafficking circle all live.

Leslie Wexner, the billionaire behind Victoria’s Secret, says the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein misappropriated at least $46 million from him

Astronomers from the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy announce the discovery of red dwarf star GJ 357 and its three confirmed exoplanets in the Hydra constellation, one of which (GJ 357 d) is highly likely to be a super-Earth planet located in the system’s circumstellar habitable zone where life can exist. The discovery was made using NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). (The Independent)

 

Scientists at the Spring, Texas Arch Mission Foundation confirm that tardigrades in a cryptobiotic state were added to the payload of the failed SpaceILBeresheet lander that crashed on the Moon on 11 April 2019, and may have survived the crash. (The Guardian)

 

Thursday, Aug 8th, 2019

Floods hit the states of Karnataka and Kerala in India, leaving 11 dead and 43,000 people evacuated. (Gulf News)

The Department of Health of the Philippines declares a national dengue epidemic in the country, as cases spike to 622 deaths. (Gulf News)

Trump visits Dayton, El Paso after shootings, faces protests President Trump visited Dayton, Ohio, and El Paso, Texas, on Wednesday after mass shootings in those cities left 31 people dead and dozens wounded over the weekend. Trump told people in both communities he was “with them.” He visited hospitals where wounded survivors were being treated, and was met by protesters. Some held signs reading “Trump is racist” and “Send him back.” Many called for gun control, and said Trump’s anti-immigrant and racially charged rhetoric was inflaming tensions. White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham said everybody received Trump “very warmly.” Trump tweeted that he “brings people together.” He also tweeted criticism of Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley, both Democrats, saying they were “misrepresenting” his visit. Source: The Associated Press

ICE agents arrest 680 people at 7 Mississippi work sites In a sweep targeting seven agricultural processing plants in six Mississippi cities, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested roughly 680 people on Wednesday. ICE said the individuals arrested were undocumented immigrants, and this was the largest single-state workplace enforcement action in United States history. During a news conference, ICE Acting Director Matthew Albence said the raids were the result of a year-long criminal investigation. The agency did not reveal how many people were targeted in the raids or the number of “collateral” arrests — individuals who were swept up in the operation. Officials also didn’t say if the employers hiring undocumented immigrants will be charged. Source: The Washington Post

U.N. report warns climate change, land exploitation threaten food supply A United Nations scientific report released Thursday says climate change, along with unprecedented exploitation of land and water resources, could threaten the world’s food supply. “The cycle is accelerating,” said NASA climate scientist Cynthia Rosenzweig, a report co-author. “The threat of climate change affecting people’s food on their dinner table is increasing.” The report said that climate change is worsening land degradation by thawing permafrost, causing deserts to expand, and making forests more vulnerable to fire, drought, and pests. But efforts to curb greenhouse gas-emissions, which are blamed for climate change, and to counter the effects of global warming, could be in vain without major changes in global land use and agriculture. Even human diets must change, with the report recommending people eat less meat. Source: The Associated Press

 

Wednesday,  Aug 7th, 2019

 A car bombing by the Taliban kills 14 and injures over 150 in Kabul, Afghanistan. (CNN)

Four people are killed after a man goes on a mass stabbing spree in Orange County, California. (CNN)

GOP embraces ‘red flag’ gun restrictions after back-to-back mass shootings Congressional Republicans, under intense pressure to act after back-to-back mass shootings in Texas and Ohio, have latched on to “red flag” laws, which allow law enforcement to confiscate guns from certain people deemed to pose an imminent danger to themselves or others. President Trump endorsed red flag laws on Monday, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) urged the GOP-led state legislature to enact such a law on Tuesday, and the No. 2 Senate Republican, Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) said he’s “confident Congress will be able to find common ground on the so-called red flag issue.” Democrats, who have already passed stronger background check legislation in the House, also endorse red flag laws, and gun control advocates are enthusiastic about them. Source: The New York Times

China says U.S. ‘undermines international rules’ with currency manipulator label China on Tuesday said the United States “disregards the facts” and has acted “unreasonably” in labeling it a currency manipulator. The U.S. did so on Monday after China’s central bank devalued its currency to its weakest level in a decade, with the Treasury Department in a statement saying that “the purpose of China’s currency devaluation is to gain an unfair competitive advantage in international trade.” The People’s Bank of China on Tuesday responded by saying that “the Chinese side firmly opposes this” and that “this will not only seriously undermine the international financial order, but also trigger financial market turmoil.” Stock futures mostly rebounded Tuesday after the markets on Monday experienced their biggest percentage drops of 2019. Source: Politico

 

Tuesday,  Aug 6th, 2019

The European Space Agency successfully launches the German Aerospace Center-operated ERDS-C laser communication satellite on a Ariane 5 from the Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana. (BBC)

SpaceX successfully launches Israeli communications satellite Amos-17 on a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The launch was provided by SpaceX for free following the destruction of Spacecom’s Amos-6 satellite in 2016. (Space.com)

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan vows to fight India’s unilateral decision to revoke Indian-administered Kashmir’s autonomy, including in the United Nations General Assembly and Security Council. Mr. Khan stated this move is a breach of international law, adding he feared the possibility of ethnic cleansing in the Muslim-majority region. (BBC)

China, which administers the Kashmir territories of Aksai Chin and the Trans-Karakoram Tract, voices opposition to this “unacceptable” Indian move and, along with Turkey, reaffirms their support for a peaceful resolution. (EurAsian Times)

Kashmir remains on lockdown, with the internet out and nearly all phone lines severed. (The New York Times)

U.S. President Donald Trump signs an executive order freezing all assets and interests of the Venezuelan government as contained within the United States, a severe escalation from recent industry sanctions and verbal rhetoric. Twenty-one exceptions are issued, for companies providing services including aid and telecommunications. (Reuters)

The Argentine government says it has already received “hundreds” of reports of human rights abuses and criminal accusations against the Venezuelan government, days after Argentina offered Venezuelans in the country to file reports against the Venezuelan government. (La Nación)

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis orders law enforcement to handle a criminal probe of Jeffrey Epstein’s jail release in 2000. (CNBC)

Four Ukrainian Ground Forces soldiers are killed in an attack by pro-Russian separatists, near the village of Pavlopil in the war-torn eastern Donetsk Oblast. (RFE/RL)

 

Monday,  Aug 5th, 2019

China lets its currency drop to its lowest reported level since 2008 and also asks its state-owned companies to halt imports of U.S. agricultural products. In response the U.S. Treasury Department designates China as a currency manipulator. (Reuters One)

Hong Kong citizens call for a city-wide general strike with various sit-ins in seven districts. With thousands of workers announcing their participation, over 200 flights were cancelled, MTR lines halted and the Hang Seng Index dropped sharply. Chief Executive Carrie Lam blamed protesters for “destroying Hong Kong” and rejected their demands. (Bloomberg)

India revokes Jammu and Kashmir’s special status amidst increased regional tensions. The Indian government moved additional troops into the sensitive area before banning assemblies, closing schools, restricting tourism and announcing a plan to split the state into two union territories. (The New York Times)

A fire and large explosions at a Russian Armed Forces ammunition dump prompts the mass evacuation of civilians from the nearby city of Achinsk. (RFERL)

The United Kingdom announces it is joining a United States-led naval mission in the Persian Gulf to protect oil tankers, following several seizures in international waters by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. (The Guardian)

A Libyan National Army airstrike on the southern Libyan town of Murzuk reportedly kills at least 43 people and injures 51 others, according to local officials. An LNA spokesperson says the raid had targeted “Chadian mercenaries”. (FRANCE 24)

Harland and Wolff, known for constructing several famous ships, including the RMS Titanic and HMS Belfast, collapses into administration. All 130 employees have been given redundancy notices, and the company is expected to cease trading after 158 years. (BBC)

Colombia grants national citizenship to all children born in the country to Venezuelan parents since August 2015. The measure will be in force for two years. (Reuters)

Cesar Sayoc is sentenced to 20 years in prison for sending pipe bombs to CNN and several prominent U.S. Democrats including former President Barack Obama and former Vice President Joe Biden last year. (CNN)

8chan is taken offline after San Francisco-based Cloudflare cuts support for the site in response to the perpetrator posting his white nationalist manifesto The Inconvenient Truth on the site shortly before killing 22 people and injuring 24 others at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas which was an anti-Hispanic terrorist attack. (BBC)

German association football club Chemnitzer FC sacks club captain Daniel Frahn for “openly displaying sympathy for Neo-Nazi groups”. Frahn, who is currently unable to play due to injury, watched the club’s recent match in the stands with far-right hooligan fans. (The Guardian)

R. Kelly is charged with two counts for engaging in prostitution with a person under 18 in Minnesota. (CNN)

 

Sunday, Aug 4th, 2019

A mass shooting occurs at a bar in the Oregon Historic District of Dayton, Ohio, United States. Nine people are killed and at least 27 others are injured. The shooter is killed by police. (BBC)

Iran seizes a foreign tanker, reported to be Iraqi, in the Persian Gulf, according to Iranian state media. The Iranians accuse the tanker of “smuggling fuel for some Arab countries”. (BBC)

A car drives into three other cars causing an explosive crash outside the National Cancer Institute Egypt campus in central Cairo, killing 20 people and injuring 47 others. The Interior Ministry says that the car that hit the others contained explosives and was to be used in a terrorist operation. The driver fled the scene before the explosion. The minister accuses the Islamist Hasm Movement of being behind the attack. (Reuters)

French inventor Franky Zapata successfully crosses the English Channel on the jet-powered Flyboard Air. The 22-mile (35.4-km) journey took 22 minutes with one refueling stop about halfway to Dover, England. (BBC)

 

Saturday,  Aug 3rd, 2019

At least 22 people are killed and 24 others injured in a mass shooting at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas. A suspect was captured alive. The case is being investigated as domestic terrorism. (CNN)

Indian authorities issue evacuation orders for thousands of people, including tourists and Hindu pilgrims heading to the Amarnath Temple for yatra (which has been cancelled) to immediately leave Jammu and Kashmir because of security alerts about possible militant attacks. Also, the pilgrimage to Machel Mata for yatra, which also began on 1 July, has been suspended. (BBC)

Several hundred people are detained by Russian police at unauthorized protests in Moscow. The protests occurred because several opposition candidates were disqualified from running in the upcoming Moscow City legislative election. (RT)

Mitchie Brusco becomes the first skateboarder in history to complete a 1260° (3½-revolution aerial spin) in competition. (CBS Sports)

 

Friday,  Aug 2nd, 2019

The United States formally withdraws from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty with Russia. (CNN)

President Trump announces he will not nominate Representative John Ratcliffe to replace Dan Coats as Director of National Intelligence when he resigns on August 15, and plans to block Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence Sue Gordon from serving as acting director. (The New York Times)

Saudi Arabia grants women the right to travel without permission from a male guardian, and expands their marriage and custodial rights in a series of royal decrees. (Reuters)

Japan carries out the first executions this year, hanging Koichi Shoji, 64, who killed two women in 2001, and serial killer Yasunori Suzuki, 50, who killed three women between 2004 and 2005 in Fukuoka Prefecture. (Kyodo News)

Romanian Prime Minister Viorica Dăncilă sacks Minister of Education Ecaterina Andronescu for her controversial comments in a television interview about murdered 15-year-old girl Alexandra Măceșanu, saying she was “taught not to get in cars with strangers”. A 65-year-old man has since admitted killing Alexandra Măceșanu and another teenage girl who has been missing since April. (BBC)

Brazil’s National Space Research Institute Director-General Ricardo Galvão is dismissed from office as a result of the release of data showing a rise in Amazon deforestation. President Jair Bolsonaro has called the release of the data “irresponsible and sensationalist”. (BBC)

At least 19 Yemeni soldiers are killed by an Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula attack on a military camp in Abyan, Yemen. (Al Jazeera)

Argentine footballer Lionel Messi is suspended from his national team for three months and fined US$50,000 for criticizing the South American Football Confederation. (The New York Times)

 

Thursday, Aug 1st, 2019

President of the United States Donald Trump announces in a tweet that the United States will impose import tariffs of 10% on US$300 billion worth of Chinese exports starting September 1. (CNBC)

U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross says that the United States has “a blueprint” to recover Venezuela’s economy if Nicolás Maduro leaves office as the nation’s disputed President. (Wall Street Journal)

U.S President Donald Trump says that he is considering a blockade of Venezuela as the U.S increases pressure on President Maduro to step down.(Reuters)

At least 36 security forces, including Southern Movement commander Munir Al Yafi, are killed and scores wounded in a rocket attack on a military camp near the city of Aden, Yemen. In an earlier attack, 13 people are killed by a suicide bomber in Sheikh Othman. The rocket attack was claimed by Houthi movement, while the suicide bombing was claimed by Islamic State. (Anadolu Agency)

The End

a little news, not much

AbbVie, the Illinois based pharmaceutical concern best known for Humira, announces its plan to purchase Allergan, the maker of Botox, for about $63 billion. (Reuters)

https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-falcon-heavy-rocket-most-difficult-launch-ever-2019-6

https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Israeli-startup-Eviation-wheels-out-new-electric-airplane-Alice-in-Paris-593316

Here’s how the US’s involvement in the Korean War started 69 years ago

 

Tuesday,  June 25, 2019

United States President Donald Trump signs an executive order sanctioning Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.  (United States Department of the Treasury)

Iranian president calls Trump’s new sanctions ‘outrageous and idiotic’ Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in a televised address on Tuesday criticized President Trump’s newly-imposed sanctions as “outrageous and idiotic.” Trump on Monday signed an executive order imposing what he called “hard-hitting” sanctions on Iran following Iran’s shooting down of a U.S. drone, with the president saying the sanctions would deny Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and others “access to key financial resources and support.” On Tuesday, Rouhani said the White House is “afflicted by mental retardation,” and that the sanctions represent the Trump administration’s “certain failure.” Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman additionally said that the sanctions indicate “the permanent closure of the doors of diplomacy.” Source: The Washington Post

The British newspaper Independent in Arabic quotes an intelligence source as saying that in 2018 Iran had delivered half a ton of TATP explosives in diplomatic packages to a civilian plane that was supposed to be transferred to Paris to carry out an attack in the city. (The Jerusalem Post)

After commemorating the 25th anniversary of the attack (18 July), Argentine Foreign Minister Jorge Faurie addressed the United Nations and demanded the Islamic Republic of Iran to extradite those accused for the attack to be judged by Argentine justice. He added the attack was “not against the Jewish community but against the whole Argentine people”. (Jerusalem Post)

Ibaraki Prefecture says it will start issuing partnership certificates for lesbian, gay and transgender couples starting July 1. It would be the first such prefectural policy in the history of Japan. (Japan Today)

Democrats divided on approach to immigration policy Several Democrats in the House are struggling with the idea of backing a $4.5 billion emergency aid package, as they want to help detained migrants but worry the money will be used to carry out President Trump’s promised deportation raids. The House is planning a vote on Tuesday. Several lawmakers want to ensure the money goes to improving facilities where migrant children are being held. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) said she “will not fund another dime to allow ICE to continue its manipulative tactics,” while Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) said she doesn’t trust Trump to follow restrictions in the bill. Republicans are opposing the package because the money won’t be used to enforce immigration law. The White House said Trump would likely veto the legislation because it “does not provide adequate funding to meet the current crisis.” Source: The New York Times

NASA’s Curiosity rover detects methane spike on Mars NASA’s Curiosity rover has detected methane on Mars several times since landing in 2012, but last week, it measured the highest level yet: 21 parts per billion. This is an “unusually high” level of the odorless, colorless gas, NASA says, but the agency cautioned that while methane is produced by living organisms, this is not absolute proof of life on Mars. “While increased methane levels measured by @MarsCuriosity are exciting, as possible indicators for life, it’s important to remember this is an early science result,” NASA’s Thomas Zurbuchen tweeted. On Earth, major sources of methane include cattle and the production of fossil fuels. Scientists will analyze the information and plan on conducting more observations. Source: NBC News

Boeing is crowding its employee parking lot with undelivered 737 Max jets

Monday,  June 24, 2019

Erdogan Dealt Stunning Blow as Istanbul Elects Rival Candidate

Iran Goes for “Maximum Counter-Pressure”
PEPE ESCOBAR • JUNE 20, 2019

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he had discussed heightened tensions in the region with Saudi Arabia’s King Salman during a meeting in Jeddah. (Reuters)

Turkey’s ruling party loses control of Istanbul Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) took a hit on Sunday, losing the re-run of Istanbul’s mayoral election. Ekrem Imamoglu of the secularist Republican People’s Party, Turkey’s main opposition party, won 54 percent of the vote. Imamoglu also won the first election in March, but the results were thrown out after AKP claimed there were irregularities. Many view Erdogan, who served as Istanbul’s mayor in the 1990s, as becoming more and more authoritarian, with little tolerance for opposing views. He once said “whoever wins Istanbul, wins Turkey,” and experts say AKP’s loss could lead to an early national election and some top leaders leaving the party. Istanbul is Turkey’s largest city and its commercial hub. Source: BBC News

Two German Eurofighters collide in mid-air and crash near Lake Müritz in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. While both pilots were able to eject before the crash, one of them did not survive the accident. (DW)

American serial killer, Michael Madison’s mother was stabbed to death in her home where the 2013 serial murders took place. Three others were injured and her grandson was arrested in the attack. (CNN)

NASA announces that its Curiosity rover has detected the largest ever measurement of methane on Mars. (BBC)

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet says the tens of thousands of Islamic State fighters and family members being held in Iraq and Syria must be tried or released, and calls on countries to take responsibility for their citizens and take them back if not charged. (BBC)

The 2026 Winter Olympics are selected to be held in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. (BBC)

Sunday, June 23, 2019

The re-run Istanbul mayoral election concludes with a landslide victory for opposition leader Ekrem İmamoğlu and defeat for the ruling AK Party. (BBC)

Houthis launch a deadly drone strike that kills a Syrian and wounds 21 more. The attack takes place at the Abha International Airport, which was attacked two weeks ago with a ballistic missile. (Reuters)

Houthis warn of worse attacks if Saudi Arabia continues its escalation and aggression in Yemen. (Xinhua)

A ceremony is held at the former site of Germany’s Buchenwald concentration camp to remember people imprisoned there because they were thought to be gay. (Japan Times)

Chilean President Sebastián Piñera says he agrees with Argentine President Mauricio Macri that the “corrupt dictatorship of Maduro has its days numbered”. (ABC ES)

Chile is extending its offer of “democratic responsibility” visas, allowing Venezuelans to live in the country for up to two years, so that they may be applied for from any Chilean embassy or consulate in the world instead of just in Venezuela. However, Chile border control now also demands visas upon entry for Venezuelans, a tightening of the previous 90-day free period. The move should aid Venezuelans trying to travel through other Latin American nations that have changing restrictions. (Reuters)

Hundreds of thousands take to the streets of Prague to demand the resignation of Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš in the country’s biggest protest since the Velvet Revolution in 1989. (BBC)

 

Saturday,  June 22nd, 2019

Saudi Arabia’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel Al-Jubeir says if Iran closes the Strait of Hormuz, there will be a “very, very strong reaction”. (Arab News)

The United States announces “major” sanctions against Iran to prevent them from obtaining nuclear weapons. (BBC)

The Trump administration releases a $50 billion plan that calls for investment in Palestine’s economy. (NBC News)

 

Friday,  June 21st, 2019

U.S. President Donald Trump spoke to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman about Middle East stability and the oil market, the White House says, after tensions with Iran prompt a rise in oil prices. (Reuters)

Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia Adel Al-Jubeir says Iran “has to understand that its aggressive behaviour cannot be sustained” and that his country is “trying to avoid a war at all costs”. (Sky News)

Japan’s Defense Ministry says Russian Air Force bombers violated southern Japanese airspace, prompting Japan Air Self-Defense Force fighters to scramble and escort the planes out of the area. (Japan Today)

Ten civilians are killed when a suicide bomber detonates his explosive belt in a crowd of worshippers at a Shia mosque in eastern Baghdad, Iraq. (Sputnik)

Korean Air confirms that US carrier Delta Air Lines has acquired a 4.3% stake in Korean Air’s parent company Hanjin Kal, which may help Hanjin resist pressure from an activist shareholder. (Reuters)

A Beechcraft King Air sky diving operation plane crashes near Dillingham Airfield on Oahu, Hawaii, killing all eleven people onboard. (The Guardian)

The End

 

Get Ready For Fireworks

London – March 1977

Friday,  June 21st, 2019

David Gilmour auctions 120 guitars of his personal collection raising $21.5 million, including $3.975 million for The Black Strat, his most iconic guitar. (Christie’s) (Rolling Stone)

Trump Barters for Borders — and Wins, Big Time
ILANA MERCER • JUNE 20, 2019 • 1,000 WORDS

Mexico ratifies USMCA trade deal Mexico’s Senate overwhelmingly voted on Wednesday to ratify the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement. The deal is an update of the North American Free Trade Agreement, and comes despite President Trump threatening tariffs on Mexico a few weeks ago. Mexico’s Senate voted 114-4 to approve the deal, with three lawmakers abstaining. Some of those voting for the deal were cautious, seeing as Trump has been unpredictable when dealing with Mexico, but said the bill was essential in guaranteeing Mexico’s economic viability. Despite largely voicing opposition to Trump, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador also pushed for the deal, essentially ensuring its passage. The deal contains many of the same provisions as NAFTA, but calls for more automotive manufacturing within the three countries. Source: The Washington Post

Riviera Beach, Florida, is paying $600,000 to a hacker who took over local government computers three weeks ago. (CNN)

Trump administration officials say that U.S. President Donald Trump ordered the United States Armed Forces to conduct military strikes against targets of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran in retaliation for downing an American surveillance drone the day prior. However, President Trump reportedly changed his mind hours later and ordered an immediate stop to the operation while American warplanes were in the air and warships were in position. (The New York Times)

Trump reportedly approved, called off retaliatory strike on Iran President Trump approved a U.S. military strike against targets inside Iran in retaliation for Iran’s downing of a $130 million American surveillance drone, but the operation, already underway in its early stages, was abruptly called off Thursday night, The New York Times and The Associated Press report. Planes were in the air and ships in position to strike a handful of targets, like radar installations and missile batteries, before dawn on Friday. It’s not clear whether Trump changed his mind on the strikes or whether the administration backed down for other reasons, but Iranian leaders told Reuters on Friday that Trump had warned them about an imminent attack via Oman, saying “he was against any war with Iran and wanted to talk to Tehran about various issues.” Source:  Reuters

Global airlines re-route flights to avoid Iranian airspace Several global airlines are avoiding Iranian airspace near the Gulf of Oman and the Strait of Hormuz after Iran shot down a U.S. drone flying in the area. Major airlines like British Airways, Qantas, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines, and Air-France KLM all announced they would redirect flights to avoid Iranian-controlled airspace, citing increased safety concerns after escalating tensions between the U.S. and Iran. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration issued an emergency order on Thursday prohibiting U.S. carriers from flying over the area until further notice, saying that the “misidentification of aircraft is possible.” United Airlines announced it had suspended flights to Mumbai and India following the FAA’s warning. Europe’s travel and leisure stocks were down Friday after the announcement, and Germany’s Lufthansa was one of the worst performing airlines on the market. Source: CNBC

Japan’s Defense Ministry said Russian Air Force bombers had violated southern Japanese airspace, prompting Japan Air Self-Defense Force fighters to scramble and escort the planes out of the area. (Japan Today)

Foreign minister of Saudi Arabia Adel Al-Jubeir says that Iran must stop its “aggressive” behaviour and that his country wants to avoid war with Iran at all costs. (Sky News)

Senate votes to block Trump’s $8 billion arms deal to Saudi Arabia The Senate passed three resolutions on Thursday that attempt to block President Trump’s $8 billion sale of munitions to Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern countries. Seven Republicans voted joined all Democrats to pass two of the resolutions, 53-45, while the third passed 51-45, neither tally enough to override a presidential veto. Trump announced the sales last month, invoking an emergency provision to bypass Congress. But congressional members from both parties have taken issue with Trump’s workaround. “This vote is a vote for the powers of this institution to be able to continue to have a say on one of the most critical elements of U.S. foreign policy and national security,” said Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), who co-sponsored the bill with Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) Source: The Washington Post

Apple, Dollar Tree, Fitbit join list of companies opposing Trump tariffs Apple Inc., Keurig, Dr Pepper Inc., Dollar Tree Inc., and Fitbit Inc. are the latest companies to press the Trump administration to ease-up on China tariffs. The companies are urging President Trump not to impose more tariffs, following reports that Trump would be willing to impose more than $300 billion in additional tariffs on Chinese goods. In a letter filed Thursday, Apple said more tariffs would reduce its competitiveness. Trump announced this week he’ll be meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping at next week’s G-20 summit, where the two leaders will presumably discuss some sort of trade agreement. Source: Reuters

S&P 500 closes at record high U.S. markets surged on Thursday, with the S&P 500 setting a new all-time high upon closing. Markets climbed in the wake of the Federal Reserve’s announcement indicating possible interest rate cuts in the future. The S&P 500 closed at 2,954.18, putting the index on track for its best June since 1955. The Dow Jones Industrial Average also enjoyed a 250-point bump, coming within 1 percent of its record. Fed Chairman Jerome Powell said Wednesday that “the case for somewhat more accommodative policy has strengthened,” though the Fed board has not yet announced a rate cut. Source: The Washington Post

Explosions at Philadelphia oil refinery shake nearby homes A massive fire broke out at a major oil refinery in Philadelphia on Friday, and the strength of an explosion in the blaze shook nearby homes. Firefighters are responding at the Philadelphia Energy Solutions Refining Complex after a fire broke out at around 4 a.m., with Philadelphia Deputy Fire Commissioner Craig Murphy saying that “it’s confined, and it’s being addressed, but it is not under control.” Several explosions at the refinery shook homes in Philadelphia and “jolted people from their sleep miles from the scene,” even being felt by some South Jersey residents. No injuries have been reported, the Philadelphia Fire Department said. This is the refinery’s second fire this month. The cause of the fire is currently unclear. Source: CBS News

 

 Thursday, June 20th, 2019

U.S. President Donald Trump, when asked about the attack, says it is “hard to believe it was intentional”. He later approves retaliatory military strikes against Iranian missile and radar facilities, but subsequently changes his mind. (BBC)

NXIVM leader Keith Raniere is found guilty of seven charges, including human trafficking, sex trafficking, sexual exploitation of a child, forced labor conspiracy, and racketeering. (NPR)

At least 44 people are killed when a bus carrying at least 60 plunges into a gorge in the Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh, a mountainous northern Indian state. (BBC)

The Colombian military reveals that dissident FARC groups, in spite of a 2016 treaty, have been recruiting Venezuelan migrants at illegal border crossings, strengthening their numbers and increasing attacks. (Reuters)

Home Secretary Sajid Javid is eliminated after coming in fourth place in the fourth round of voting. Boris Johnson remains the front runner, with Michael Gove and Jeremy Hunt coming in second and third place respectively.(BBC)

In the fifth round of voting, Gove is controversially eliminated. The party membership run-off vote will be between Johnson and Hunt. (The Guardian)

Roy Moore, the former judge accused of sexual misconduct with teens decades ago, announces that he would run for U.S. Senate again in Alabama, defying the wishes of Donald Trump and the Republican Party. (CNBC)

 

 

Iran shoots down U.S. drone near Strait of Hormuz Iran and the U.S. said Iran’s paramilitary Islamic Republican Guard Corps (IRGC) shot down a U.S. drone early Thursday, but the two countries disagreed on where it was flying when it was hit by Iran’s surface-to-air missile. Iran said it downed a U.S. Navy RQ-4 Global Hawk “spy” drone after it crossed into Iranian airspace, but U.S. officials tell Reuters that the MQ-4C Triton reconnaissance drone was in international airspace over the Strait of Hormuz. Tensions are high between Iran and the U.S., and President Trump tweeted that “Iran made a very big mistake.” IRGC commander Gen. Hossein Salami said the “the downing of the American drone was a clear message to America” that “our borders are our red line.” Source: BBC News

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps shoots down an American spy drone after it allegedly violates Iranian airspace. (Raidió Teilifís Éireann)

An anonymous American official says the incident occurred in international airspace, and not over Iranian territory. (The Times of Israel)

China’s Xi Jinping arrives in North Korea for talks with Kim Jong Un Chinese President Xi Jinping landed in Pyongyang on Thursday, where he is expected to discuss aid, the economy, and nuclear talks with leader Kim Jong Un. Xi is the first Chinese president to visit North Korea in 14 years, and will stay for two days. The pair will likely talk about Kim’s failed February summit with President Trump, which crumbled after the two sides could not reach an agreement on North Korea ending its nuclear program in exchange for relief from sanctions. China is dealing with its own trade issue with the United States, and the visit is supposed to strengthen ties between China and North Korea. Source: The Guardian

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in North Korea for a two-day state visit with Kim Jong-un. (Los Angeles Times)

Biden campaign aides reportedly unhappy with his segregationist remarks Former Vice President Joe Biden pushed back on criticism about comments he made Tuesday night in which he touted his ability to get business done with two former senators, both hard-line segregationists, in the 1970s. “I ran for the United States Senate because I disagreed with the views of the segregationists,” he said. Asked if he should apologize for his remarks, as Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) said, Biden asked what he would apologize for, adding: “Cory should apologize. He knows better. There’s not a racist bone in my body.” Later on CNN, Booker called Biden’s pushback “so insulting and so missing the larger point.” Reports on Thursday said Biden’s campaign aides had warned him against mentioning this anecdote and called it a “point of contention.” Source: USA Today

 

Slack set to debut on NYSE with $15 billion valuation Slack is set to make its debut on the New York Stock Exchange Thursday with an estimated initial valuation of $15.7 billion, or $26 a share. In contrast to the majority of tech companies, Slack is not filing an initial public offering but using a direct offering instead. Slack’s reference price will be $26 per share, but its opening price could change on Thursday depending on market makers. By going the route of a direct offering, Slack is allowing its current shareholders to immediately sell their shares into the market instead of offering new shares. Direct offerings can be more beneficial for immediate trading, and they can also avoid underwriting fees, which are accrued in an IPO. Slack follows in the footsteps of Spotify, which popularized direct offerings after filing its own in 2018. Source: Fortune

Mandatory Credit: Photo by Mark Lennihan/AP/Shutterstock (10191127a)
Actress Allison Mack leaves Brooklyn federal court, in New York. Mack pleaded guilty to racketeering charges on Monday in a case involving a cult-like group based in upstate New York. The trial is expected to detail sensational allegations that the group, called NXIVM, recruited sex slaves for its spiritual leader, Keith Raniere
Branded Women, New York, USA – 08 Apr 2019

 

Wednesday,  June 19th, 2019

Four people, three Russians and a Ukrainian, will be charged with murder for the crash that killed 298 people on July 17, 2014. The trial is to be held on March 9, 2020 and take place in Badhoevedorp, Netherlands. (CNN)

Li Ka-shing, “Hong Kong’s richest man”, pledges to pay, via his charitable foundation, the tuition fees of the Shantou University’s 2019 incoming class for up to five years. (BBC)

The UN predicts that over five million Venezuelans, over 15% of the nation’s population, will have left the country by the end of 2019 since the start of the crisis in Venezuela—the total at the end of 2018 was 3.3 million. One million have left the country since November, with a daily average of 5,000 departures. Additionally, over 20% of all worldwide UN asylum requests are from Venezuelans; 350,000 applied in 2018 alone. (Financial Times)

Millions of people in southeast India face water shortages due to drought and depleted groundwater. (CBC)

The Japanese coast guard says its patrol boats have been pushing back hundreds of North Korean boats trying to poach in fishing grounds rich with squid off Japan’s northern coast. (Japan Today)

Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel al-Jubeir says that the UN’s report on the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi is unfounded, saying it has “clear contradictions and baseless allegations.” (Gulf News)

Rory Stewart is eliminated after coming in fifth place in today’s third round voting. The front runner remains Boris Johnson. Jeremy Hunt, Michael Gove, and Sajid Javid came in second, third, and fourth respectively. A fourth round will be taken tomorrow. (BBC)

The End

 

What the fuck is that thing?

https://pagesix.com/2019/06/18/lindsay-lohan-losing-her-mtv-show-and-mykonos-nightclub/

 

Wednesday,  June 19th, 2019

Adel al-Jubeir says that the UN’s Khashoggi report is unfounded. “The report of the rapporteur at the [UN] Human Rights Council includes clear contradictions and baseless allegations that strike at its credibility,” – “We strongly reject any attempt to touch the kingdom’s leadership, push the case out of the track of justice in the kingdom, or affect it in any form,”, Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel Al Jubeir said. (Gulf News)

The Japanese coast guard says its patrol boats have been pushing back hundreds of North Korean boats trying to poach in fishing grounds rich with squid off Japan’s northern coast. (Japan Today)

Four people, three Russians and a Ukrainian, will be charged with murder for the crash that killed 298 people on 17 July 2014. The trial is to be held on March 9, 2020 and take place in Badhoevedorp, Netherlands. (CNN)

U.N. investigator blames Saudi Arabia for Jamal Khashoggi’s ‘extrajudicial killing’ In a long-awaited 101-page report released Wednesday morning, special United Nations human rights investigator Agnes Callamard said Saudi Arabia is legally responsible for the “deliberate, premeditated execution” of Saudi journalist and Washington Post columnist Jamal Khasoggi inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul last October. Callamard, said her investigation, hampered by a lack of cooperation and likely obstruction by the Saudi government, found no “smoking gun” linking Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the “extrajudicial killing,” but she found enough “credible evidence” to warrant “further investigation by a proper authority” independent of Saudi Arabia. Callamard also gave a gruesome, detailed timeline of Khashoggi’s sedation, suffocation, and dismemberment. Source: CNN

4 people to be charged with murder following disappearance of MH17 Four people will be charged with murder and accused of causing the crash of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, the plane that was shot down in Ukraine in 2014, investigators announced Wednesday. The flight crashed, killing 298 people. The four suspects include Igor Kirkin, Sergey Dubinskiy, and Oleg Pulatov, who are Russian nationals, and Leonid Kharchenko, who is Ukrainian. Investigators say that the suspects did not fire the missile that downed MH17, but say they are “just as punishable.” They are suspected of working to obtain the missile, “with the goal to shoot a plane.” The Joint Investigation Team, who announced the charges, is made up of investigators from Australia, Belgium, Malaysia, the Netherlands, and Ukraine. Source: CNN

 

Tuesday,  June 18th, 2019

In response to accusations by the United States that Iran is responsible for last week’s attacks on two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman, and the subsequent increased U.S. military presence in the region, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says “Iran will not wage war against any nation”. (CBC)

Google announces that it is setting aside $750 million in land and $250 million in financing to encourage developers in the San Francisco area to build and rehabilitate housing, in order to ease the homeless crisis in a region where Google has 45,000 employees. (Reuters)

Boeing sells 200 of its 737 MAX planes to International Airlines Group, the first sale of the controversial airliners since two fatal crashes and subsequent worldwide groundings earlier this year. (CNBC)

Colombian authorities deport Venezuelan refugees in the border town of Cúcuta; in response, the Venezuelan government restricts movement of Colombians into the country. (Al Jazeera)

It is reported that Roberto Marrero, aide to Venezuela’s partially-recognized interim President Juan Guaidó, who was arrested several months ago, has his preliminary hearing completed, with Judge Carol Padilla denying his right to defense and ordering his incarceration. (El Universal)

Boris Johnson again leads after the second Tory MP leadership ballot with 126 ballots, 12 more than in the first round. Dominic Raab is eliminated after coming in last with 30 votes, three fewer than the minimum needed to progress. Jeremy Hunt (40), Michael Gove (41), Sajid Javid (33) and Rory Stewart (37) all received enough to advance to tomorrow’s third round. (BBC)

Patrick Shanahan, who has been acting Secretary of Defense since January 1, has withdrawn his name from consideration as Secretary “… to devote more time to his family”, President Trump said. Secretary of the Army Mark Esper will be the acting Secretary of Defense. (BBC)

One of the towers of the centuries-old Citadel of Ghazni, Afghanistan collapses amid heavy rainfall. (BBC)

U.S. President Donald Trump confirms he has been briefed on a spike of UFO sightings in Earth’s atmosphere by United States Navy pilots, saying “people are saying they’re seeing UFOs. Do I believe it? Not particularly”. The U.S. Navy recently updated its guidelines for how its pilots can report “unidentified aircraft”. (ABC News)

Almost half of singles in Japan who wish to get married are unable to find a suitable partner, with 61.4 percent of the group stating they are not doing anything to change the situation, a government survey shows. (Japan Today)

Japanese anime developers report that the industry is in crisis, even as its popularity soars in its native country. Among the reasons are low pay, long hours, and a huge shortage of artists – just as its global popularity reaches record levels. (Japan Today)

A man identified as Yujiro Iimori, who allegedly stabbed and robbed a police officer of his gun, is arrested in Osaka, Japan. He presents a mental health certificate as defense. (The Japan Times)

U.S. to send 1,000 more troops to Middle East over Iran’s ‘hostile behavior’ In response to attacks on oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman, an additional 1,000 U.S. troops are being sent to the Middle East, Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan announced Monday. The U.S. says Iran is behind the attacks, and “hostile behavior by Iranian forces and their proxy groups … threaten United States personnel and interests across the region,” Shanahan said. These troops, who will join 1,500 other soldiers sent to the region last month after similar tanker attacks, are “for defensive purposes to address air, naval, and ground-based threats in the Middle East,” he added. Earlier Monday, Iran said that within 10 days it will go over the 300 kg of low-enriched uranium it can retain under its 2015 nuclear deal. Source: Politico

Trump says ICE will start deporting ‘millions’ of immigrants ‘next week’ In a tweet Monday night, President Trump said that “next week,” Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents “will begin the process of removing the millions of illegal aliens who have illicitly found their way into the United States.” Trump appears to be referring to a real plan “in preparation for months that aims to round up thousands of migrant parents and children in a blitz operation across major U.S. cities,” The Washington Post reports, but ICE officials said Monday night they were unaware Trump planned to tweet about it, and “publicizing a future law enforcement operation is unheard of at ICE.” The agency, whose acting leadership seems willing to conduct the mass raids, doesn’t appear to have the necessary personnel or budget to do it. Source: The Washington Post

Record number of migrants from Central Africa arriving at U.S.-Mexico border In recent weeks, a record number of African migrants have been crossing the U.S.-Mexico border, fleeing from political persecution and economic hardship. During one week, Border Patrol agents in Texas’ Del Rio sector stopped more than 500 African migrants; only 211 African migrants were detained along the entire southern border during the 2018 fiscal year, The Associated Press reports. Most of the migrants are from the Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Angola, and Cameroon. They fly to South America from Africa, then travel by land to the U.S.-Mexico border, with many seeking asylum at ports of entry. Over the last several days, 170 asylum seekers were bused to Portland, Maine, where Somali refugees were resettled in the 1990s. Hundreds more are expected to arrive in the near future. Source: The Associated Press

 

Monday,  June 17th, 2019

Former Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi, who was ousted in a coup in 2013 and has been detained in jail since then, dies after fainting during an espionage court hearing. (CNN)

Acting United States Secretary of Defense Patrick M. Shanahan authorizes the deployment of approximately 1,000 additional U.S. troops to the Middle East region “for defensive purposes to address air, naval and ground-based threats” amid increased tensions with Iran. The move comes four days after two oil tankers were attacked in the Gulf of Oman incident. (NBC News)

Iran announces that within ten days, it will stop abiding by the agreement and will exceed the limit on its stockpile of uranium. (NPR)

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani tells the Fars News Agency “the time is short for Europe to save the international nuclear deal”, and calls on France to take the lead. Reuters reports that Rouhani added the collapse of the nuclear deal would not be in the interests of the region and the world. (BBC)

Ecuador agrees to allow U.S. military planes fighting drug trafficking to operate from San Cristóbal Airport in the Galápagos Islands. National Assembly legislators call on Defense Minister Oswaldo Jarrin and Environmental Minister Marcelo Mata to explain the scope of co-operation. (BBC)

The Venezuelan government releases deputy Gilber Caro, who had been illegally detained and disappeared for three months as a political prisoner. (VOA)

Three Boko Haram suicide bombers blew themselves up among a group of football fans, killing 30 people and wounding 40 others, in Konduga, Nigeria. (BBC)

Twelve people were killed and dozens more injured when a passenger grabbed the steering wheel of a bus in West Java, Indonesia, causing it to crash. (BBC)

Iran says it will exceed nuclear deal’s uranium limits in 10 days Iran said Monday that it will exceed the limits on stockpiled low-enriched uranium set up under a 2015 nuclear deal unless European signatories find a way to work around U.S. sanctions within 10 days. Behrouz Kamalvandi, spokesman for Iran’s atomic agency, said Iran has already accelerated its production of uranium and could soon begin enriching it to up to 20 percent, far above the 3.67 percent limit in the deal and significantly closer to the 90 percent enrichment considered weapons-grade. Iran had previously given the Europeans until July 7 to come up with a plan to salvage the deal, which the Trump administration has chipped away at for two years, and Monday’s announcement coincides with a meeting of European Union foreign ministers in Brussels. Source:  The Washington Post

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