| Trump impeachment narrative gathers steam as diplomats fill in details Posted: 16 Nov 2019 02:00 AM PST  The first week of public testimony in the impeachment inquiry of President Trump shed new light on the administration's efforts to procure a Ukrainian investigation of former Vice President Joe Biden.
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| NATO ally expels undercover Russian spy Posted: 16 Nov 2019 01:11 PM PST  In a rare move, NATO ally Bulgaria has expelled an undercover spy affiliated with the Russian military intelligence service, according to a Western intelligence source.
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| China's Inner Mongolia reports fresh bubonic plague case Posted: 17 Nov 2019 12:38 AM PST ![China's Inner Mongolia reports fresh bubonic plague case]( "China's Inner Mongolia reports fresh bubonic plague case") China's Inner Mongolia reported a fresh, confirmed case of bubonic plague on Sunday, despite an earlier declaration by the country's health officials that the risk of an outbreak was minimal. The health commission of the autonomous region said a 55-year-old man was diagnosed with the disease after he ate wild rabbit meat on Nov. 5. Bubonic plague is the most common form of plague globally and can advance and spread to the lungs, which is more severe type called pneumonic plague, according to the World Health Organization.
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| Nuclear missile bunker: yours for less than $400k Posted: 16 Nov 2019 10:03 AM PST  Decommissioned nuclear silo accessed 40ft staircase leading underground was once home to US's largest intercontinental ballistic missile ever deployedAll this can be yours for $395,000. Photograph: Casey James with Luxe Realty PhotographyOne local newspaper described the sales listing, with calculated understatement, as a "mid-century fixer-upper": an underground bunker built to withstand a nuclear attack, and to house the fire power to retaliate.The decommissioned nuclear silo in southern Arizona was once home to the Titan II, the largest intercontinental ballistic missile deployed by the US Air Force.The inside of the decommissioned Titan nuclear missile silo in southern Arizona. Photograph: Casey James with Luxe Realty PhotographyThe silo's owner, Rick Ellis, told the Arizona Daily Star newspaper that he was selling the property because he's "bored".Ellis said he originally bought the silo to turn into a commercial data storage center because it is shielded from electromagnetic pulses that can scramble electronics, but his plans were waylaid by the economic recession. So far, he said he has rejected serious offers from a buyer who wanted to turn it into a greenhouse for medical marijuana and another who planned to use it as a porn studio.The threshold to tour the property is much higher than for a typical open house. Interested buyers must prove they have the money to cover the $395,000 cost and sign a liability waiver before descending a 40ft staircase into the bunker to tour the property.An aerial view of the nuclear missile silo. Photograph: Casey James with Luxe Realty Photography"Private yet not too remote," says the listing for the property, which includes more than 12 acres of desert.There are 18 decommissioned nuclear silos which surround Tucson and were operational from June 1963 into the 1980s. They were on alert to launch, or respond, to nuclear attacks with the Titan II missiles, which carried warheads with nine megatons of explosive power – the equivalent to a yield 600 times that of "Little Boy", the bomb dropped over Hiroshima.When the bunkers were decommissioned, the government demolished them, filled them with rubble and sealed the entrances with concrete.Another view of the nuclear missile silo. Photograph: Casey James with Luxe Realty PhotographyEllis took on a major excavation after purchasing the property, which still includes some original equipment such as floor-to-ceiling springs which isolated each level of the basement from seismic shocks and signs revealing the bunker's designated smoking area.Premier Media Group created a 3D tour of the bunker which showcases pools of stagnant water and the 6,000lb blast door which can be closed with one hand.For those who can't provide the paperwork necessary to tour the property, realtors Grant Hampton and Kori Ward recommend a visit to the nearby Titan Missile Museum in Sahuarita, Arizona, which is inside a decommissioned silo.
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| Santa Clarita shooting: What we know about the Saugus High School suspected gunman, victims Posted: 15 Nov 2019 07:02 PM PST  Saugus High School in Santa Clarita, near Los Angeles, will remain closed Friday as authorities continue their investigation of a deadly shooting.
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| Elizabeth Warren takes risk with ad blasting billionaires Posted: 16 Nov 2019 05:26 PM PST  Elizabeth Warren, one of the leading Democratic presidential candidates, has stepped up her assault on billionaires -- a rallying cry popular with her base, but one that could stymie her efforts to garner wider support among US voters. The one-minute campaign ad shows clips of several leading businessmen criticizing her plans for a wealth tax and predicting economic ruin if she is elected to succeed Donald Trump, a billionaire himself. Then the viewer sees Warren at a campaign rally, challenging America's most wealthy to pay up to help reduce income inequality in America.
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| The War That Made India a 'Great Power' (And Hurt Pakistan to This Day) Posted: 17 Nov 2019 10:00 AM PST  The 1971 India-Pakistan War.
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| Elephant dies in captivity after killing villagers Posted: 17 Nov 2019 10:33 AM PST  An elephant named after Osama bin Laden, the late al-Qaida leader, has died in captivity after he was captured following a massive hunt in northeastern India, officials said Sunday.
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| Crowd honors tree as Havana celebrates 500th anniversary Posted: 16 Nov 2019 02:10 PM PST  Hundreds of people in Cuba's capital stood in line to kiss, touch or walk around a towering silk floss tree Saturday in a nod to tradition as they celebrate Havana's 500th anniversary this weekend. The event comes as Cuba deals with an ailing economy and increasingly tense relations with the U.S., concerns that were briefly cast aside as residents prepared for a gala event Saturday night featuring fireworks, music and international dignitaries. "Havana grows, lives, sings, dances and dreams," said Félix Julio Alfonso, a professor who spoke before granting the public access to the revered silk floss tree.
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| Can Pete Buttigieg win the presidency? Posted: 16 Nov 2019 07:15 AM PST  A poll released earlier this week showed Pete Buttigieg leading the Democratic presidential primary pack in Iowa for the first time. Can he really win the presidency?
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| Palestinian militant groups come to blows over Israel diplomacy Posted: 16 Nov 2019 08:10 AM PST  Tensions between Gaza's two largest Palestinian militant groups have spilled into the open as Islamic Jihad supporters angrily accused Hamas of not coming to their aid in this week's fighting with Israel. Islamic Jihad, a smaller militant group backed by Iran, fired more than 400 rockets into Israel this week in retaliation for Israel's assassination of one of their senior leaders. But Hamas, the dominant force in Gaza, stayed out of the fighting. Senior Hamas officials were accosted by Islamic Jihad supporters when they tried to visit a mourning tent for Baha Abu al-Ata, the assassinated Jihad commander. Some Jihad supporters threw stones at the Hamas leaders' cars. The clashes, which were broken up by Hamas policemen, were a rare public show of the fractures between the two groups. An Israeli missile launched from the Iron Dome defence missile system, designed to intercept and destroy incoming short-range rockets and artillery shells Credit: AFP Hamas did belatedly fire fire two rockets into Israel early on Saturday morning, the Israeli military said. Both rockets were shot down by Israel's Iron Dome missile system and Israeli warplanes struck Hamas targets in response. An Israeli official said it was not clear yet who gave the order for the rockets but it may have been a face-saving gesture as Hamas tried to fend off allegations that it had stood by and left Islamic Jihad to fight alone. Islamic Jihad usually cooperates with Hamas but also sometimes tries to outflank the larger group and present itself as the true armed resistance to Israel by firing rockets. That impetuousness has at times been a source of frustration for Hamas, which has been engaged in quiet indirect negotiations with Israel for more than year. About | Hamas The two mortal enemies have held stop-start talks towards a deal in which Israel loosens its 12-year blockade of the Strip, in return for Hamas halting rocket fire and keeping the border quiet. But Israeli officials say those understandings have been interrupted several times recently by al-Ata's rocket fire from Gaza, including an attack that sent thousands fleeing from a music festival this summer. Israel's military described al-Ata as an obstacle to "different diplomatic arrangements", a coded way of referring to an understanding with Hamas. Palestinian pupils hold a commemorative picture of their late classmate Moaz Abu Malhous at his school in Deir al-Balah town in central Gaza Strip, on November 16, 2019, two days after he was reportedly killed in an Israeli strike. Credit: AFP Which is why early on Tuesday morning Israel fired a missile into his home in the Shajaiyah neighbourhood of Gaza City, killing al-Ata and his wife. In the fighting that followed Israel focused its fire on Islamic Jihad and tried to avoid striking Hamas. A total of 34 people, of whom 18 were militants, were killed in Gaza. Eight civilians, including five children were killed in one Israeli strike. Israeli said it was targeting an Islamic Jihad commander but acknowledged Friday it may have been a case of faulty intelligence.
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| First African-American FBI agent finally gets recognition Posted: 16 Nov 2019 12:28 AM PST  There are no known photographs of James Wormley Jones, but there is a record of his hiring
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| Massachusetts man arrested after son, 5, allegedly takes heroin to school and brags it makes him feel like Spider-Man Posted: 17 Nov 2019 05:42 PM PST  A father is facing drug possession charges after his son, 5, allegedly took heroin to school and said tasting it made him feel like Spider-Man.
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| Why Russian Fighter Jets Are Threatening NATO In The Baltics Posted: 16 Nov 2019 12:05 PM PST  A Russian Su-27 recent intercepted an American F-15C.
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| Obama cautions Democratic hopefuls on tacking too far left Posted: 16 Nov 2019 06:20 AM PST  Former President Barack Obama on Friday warned the Democratic field of White House hopefuls not to veer too far to the left, a move he said would alienate many who would otherwise be open to voting for the party's nominee next year. The centrist wing of the party has warned for months that a far-left nominee could alienate moderate Republicans and independent voters needed to oust President Donald Trump.
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| Minneapolis Police Admit to Discovering 1,500 Untested Rape Kits, Spanning Over 30 Years, Found in Storage Posted: 17 Nov 2019 09:09 AM PST  "We had failure in terms of the auditing process of those kits"
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| Diplomat had to 'hold phone away from ear' as Donald Trump loudly asked about Joe Biden investigation Posted: 16 Nov 2019 10:45 AM PST  A US diplomat has told Congress he overheard Donald Trump on a phone call asking about getting the president of Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden. Mr Trump was speaking so loudly that the person he was talking to had to hold the phone away from their ear, allowing those nearby to hear what was being said. The call was described by David Holmes, the political counselor at the US embassy in Kyiv, in evidence given behind closed doors to the impeachment inquiry. Mr Holmes said he was having lunch with Gordon Sondland, the US ambassador to the European Union, and two others, on the terrace of a restaurant in Kyiv on July 26. It was the day after Mr Trump had talked by phone to Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the Ukrainian president, pressing him to investigate Mr Biden. A whistleblower's complaint about that call led to the impeachment inquiry. During the lunch Mr Sondland used his mobile phone to place the call to Mr Trump. Mr Holmes said: "Sondland told Trump that Zelenskiy 'loves your ass'. "I then heard President Trump ask, 'So, he's gonna do the investigation?' Ambassador Sondland replied that 'He's gonna do it,' adding that President Zelenskiy will do 'anything you ask him to.'" Describing how he could hear the telephone conversation, Mr Holmes said: "While Ambassador Sondland's phone was not on speakerphone, I could hear the president's voice through the earpiece of the phone. "The president's voice was very loud and recognisable, and Ambassador Sondland held the phone away from his ear for a period of time, presumably because of the loud volume." Mr Holmes said that, after the call, Mr Sondland said the president was in a "bad mood." He asked Mr Sondland "if it was true that the president did not 'give a s--- about Ukraine." According to Mr Holmes, Mr Sondland replied that the president cared only about "big stuff that benefits the president, like the Biden investigation." Gerry Connolly, a Democrat congressman who heard the evidence, said: "Mr. Holmes heard this conversation and recognised the president's voice loud and clear because he was so loud on the phone." The existence of the July 26 call only became known publicly on Wednesday when William Taylor, the top US diplomat in Ukraine, gave evidence to the impeachment inquiry. He said a member of his staff had brought it to his attention less than a week earlier.
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| French interior minister blames protest violence on 'thugs' Posted: 17 Nov 2019 02:29 AM PST  French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner blamed "thugs" and "bullies" on Sunday for the violence that hit demonstrations the previous day marking marked the first anniversary of the anti-government "yellow vest" protests. "Yesterday, what we saw were few (legitimate) demonstrators but thugs, bullies and morons," Castaner told Europe 1 radio when asked about the violence in Paris on Saturday. Demonstrators torched cars and pelted police with stones and bottles and police fired tear gas and water cannon during the rallies to mark a year since the birth of the anti-government yellow vest movement.
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| Prince Andrew: I Didn’t Have Sex With Virginia Roberts Giuffre. I Was Eating Pizza. Posted: 16 Nov 2019 04:43 PM PST  Screenshot/BBCNewsnight/TwitterPrince Andrew says he is prepared to give evidence about his friendship with late accused child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein under oath, and claimed to have no recollection of the notorious photograph of him with his arm around the waist of alleged Epstein victim Virginia Roberts Giuffre being taken.Inside Jeffrey Epstein's Creepy Parties With Prince AndrewTo support his latter claim, Andrew told the BBC's Newsnight program on Saturday that the "traveling clothes" he was wearing in the picture were not clothes he would wear in London. The claim is demonstrably false, as there are images of him leaving London nightclub Chinawhite in July 2000, wearing almost the exact same outfit.Giuffre has accused Prince Andrew of having sex with her on three occasions when she was being trafficked by Epstein, an allegation he has denied. Andrew also insisted he couldn't have had sex with Roberts on the night she claimed, as he was at a chain pizza restaurant, Pizza Express, in suburban Woking with his daughters. He said the pizza party was at about 4 p.m. or 5 p.m. and then he was at home.He sought to discredit Roberts' account of dancing with him at Tramp nightclub, in which she described him as sweating profusely, by claiming that he was suffering from a post-combat condition that meant he didn't sweat. He went on to dispute Giuffre's claim that he bought her a drink, saying he "didn't know where the bar was" in Tramp, despite admitting having been there several times."I don't believe it's a picture of me in London because... when I go out in London, I wear a suit and a tie. That's what I would describe as my traveling clothes if I'm going overseas. I've got plenty of photographs of me dressed in that sort of kit but not there," Andrew said.He repeatedly questioned the authenticity of the photograph of him and Giuffre: "I'm afraid to say that I don't believe that photograph was taken in the way that has been suggested."He repeatedly said he had "no memory" of the photograph being taken.At one stage he said: "I can't, we can't be certain as to whether or not that's my hand on her left side."Andrew gave a bewildering array of other reasons to support his claim that the picture was fake, including saying he had never been upstairs in Ghislaine Maxwell's London home, and that Epstein never carried a camera (in fact, Giuffre claims the photo was taken on her camera). "Nobody can prove whether or not that photograph has been doctored, but I don't recollect that photograph ever being taken."Andrew flatly denied having sex with Giuffre, saying: "Without putting too fine a point on it, if you're a man it is a positive act to have sex with somebody. You have to take some sort of positive action and so therefore if you try to forget, it's very difficult to try and forget a positive action and I do not remember anything. I can't.""I've wracked my brain and thinking oh… when the first allegations, when the allegations came out originally I went, 'Well that's a bit strange, I don't remember this,' and then I've been through it and through it and through it over and over and over again, and no, nothing. It just never happened."Interviewer Emily Maitlis also asked if Andrew believed rumors that Epstein had not in fact committed suicide.In response, Andrew appeared to show more than just a passing familiarity with the work of celebrity pathologist-for-hire, Dr. Michael Baden, who was hired by Epstein's brother to observe the official autopsy.Jeffrey Epstein Camp Sent Pathologist Michael Baden to Watch Over His AutopsyAndrew replied: "I'm not one to be able to answer that question. I believe that centers around something to do with a bone in his neck, so whether or not if you commit suicide that bone breaks or something. But I'm afraid to say I'm not an expert, I have to take what the coroner says and he has ruled that it was suicide."Baden claimed that a collection of neck fractures in Epstein's hyoid bone and thyroid cartilage were "extremely unusual in suicidal hangings and could occur much more commonly in homicidal strangulation."In fact, numerous studies show that hyoid and thyroid fractures are not rare in suicidal hangings, especially as people age.Emily Maitlis questions Prince Andrew on 'Newsnight'Screenshot/BBCNewsnight/TwitterMaitlis pressed Andrew about the circumstances in which a photograph was taken of himself and Jeffrey Epstein walking in Central Park, after Epstein had been convicted of a child sex offense. Andrew said he had been staying with Epstein with the express purpose of breaking off his friendship with Epstein because of his child sex conviction. He said that he had decided to break off the friendship in person because he believed it was the "honorable" thing to do. "I felt that doing it over the telephone was the chicken's way of doing it. I had to go and see him and talk to him," Andrew said.Asked why he stayed at the home of a "convicted sex offender," Andrew said: "It was a convenient place to stay. I mean I've gone through this in my mind so many times. At the end of the day, with a benefit of all the hindsight that one can have, it was definitely the wrong thing to do. But at the time, I felt it was the honorable and right thing to do, and I admit fully that my judgement was probably colored by my tendency to be too honorable but that's just the way it is."Asked about the steady procession of young girls coming and going, Andrew said: "I wasn't a party to any of that. I never saw them. I mean you have to understand that his house, I described it more as almost as a railway station if you know what I mean in the sense that there were people coming in and out of that house all the time. What they were doing and why they were there I had nothing to do with. So I'm afraid I can't make any comment on that because I really don't know."Andrew repeatedly denied ever noticing there was anything amiss in Epstein's behavior, despite, as he said, being a patron of British child protection charity the NSPCC.Andrew admitted that he had stayed with Epstein on his private island and flown on his private jet, and also confirmed that he invited Epstein to a party at Buckingham Palace, a shooting weekend at the Queen's country estate, and to his daughter's birthday party.Andrew said he was invited because he was the boyfriend of his old friend, Ghislaine Maxwell.Andrew said he did not regret his friendship with Epstein, saying, "the people that I met and the opportunities that I was given to learn either by him or because of him were actually very useful."Maitlis later asked again if he regretted ever befriending Epstein, saying: "Do I regret the fact that he has quite obviously conducted himself in a manner unbecoming? Yes.""Unbecoming?" Maitlis asked in disbelief: "He was a sex offender!"Andrew said: "I'm sorry, I'm being polite, I mean in the sense that he was a sex offender. But no, was I right in having him as a friend? At the time, bearing in mind this was some years before he was accused of being a sex offender. I don't think there was anything wrong then. The problem was the fact that once he had been convicted… I stayed with him and that's the bit that, as it were, I kick myself for on a daily basis, because it was not something that was becoming of a member of the royal family and we try and uphold the highest standards and practices and I let the side down, simple as that."Maitlis asked Andrew if he would "be willing to testify or give a statement under oath if you were asked."Andrew replied: "Well I'm like everybody else and I will have to take all the legal advice that there was before I was to do that sort of thing. But if push came to shove and the legal advice was to do so, then I would be duty bound to do so."Maitlis concluded by offering Andrew the opportunity to say "anything you feel has been left unsaid that you would like to say now?""No, I don't think so," drawled Andrew. " I think you've probably dragged out most of what is required."Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| 'Kill, rob, burn and bury the bodies': Man convicted in 3 grisly farm deaths Posted: 16 Nov 2019 01:22 PM PST !['Kill, rob, burn and bury the bodies': Man convicted in 3 grisly farm deaths]( "'Kill, rob, burn and bury the bodies': Man convicted in 3 grisly farm deaths") Sean Kratz and his cousin were "on a mission to kill, rob, burn and bury the bodies," Assistant District Attorney Kate Kohler told jurors.
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| Leading Muslim groups to challenge India holy site court ruling Posted: 17 Nov 2019 09:25 AM PST  Two leading Muslim groups said Sunday they will file petitions in India's top court challenging its decision to award Hindus control of a bitterly disputed holy site that has sparked deadly inter-religious violence. The Supreme Court ruled on November 9 that the holy site in Ayodhya, where Hindu mobs destroyed a 460-year-old mosque in 1992, must be managed by a trust to oversee the construction of a Hindu temple. A separate piece of land in Ayodhya would be given over to a Muslim group to build a "prominent" new mosque.
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| Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren are the 2020 progressive standard-bearers. Here's where they disagree on policy Posted: 16 Nov 2019 05:58 AM PST  The two progressive presidential candidates have a lot in common, but diverge in several key policy areas.
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| Time for hip waders: Venice sees record 3rd exceptional tide Posted: 17 Nov 2019 03:47 AM PST  Venice was hit Sunday by a record third exceptional tide in the same week while other parts of Italy struggled with a series of weather woes, from rain-swollen rivers to high winds to an out-of-season avalanche. Stores and museums in Venice were mostly closed in the hardest-hit area around St. Mark's Square, but tourists donned high rubber boots or even hip waders to witness and photograph the spectacle. The doors of the famed St. Mark's Basilica were securely shut to the public, an authorities took precautions — stacking sandbags in canal-side windows — to prevent salt-laden water from entering the crypt again.
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| There have been more mass shootings than days in 2019 Posted: 17 Nov 2019 12:03 AM PST  There have been more than 365 mass shootings so far in 2019
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| Officer in Louisiana won't face charges in 94 mph fatal crash Posted: 17 Nov 2019 08:53 AM PST  A Louisiana police officer who crashed a speeding car while off duty in 2017 will face no criminal charges in the death of a child.
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| Trump tweets at North Korea's Kim, tells him to 'get the deal done' Posted: 17 Nov 2019 08:26 AM PST ![Trump tweets at North Korea's Kim, tells him to 'get the deal done']( "Trump tweets at North Korea's Kim, tells him to 'get the deal done'") U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday told North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to "act quickly" to reach a deal with the United States, in a tweet weighing in on North Korea's criticism of his political rival former Vice President Joe Biden. North Korea said on Thursday it had turned down a U.S. offer for fresh talks ahead of a year-end deadline Pyongyang has set for Washington to show more flexibility in negotiations. Pyongyang's official KCNA news agency in a commentary on Friday lashed out at Biden for insulting Kim, calling Biden a "rabid dog" that needs to be put down.
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| Three family murder-suicides within ten days shock Turkey as the country faces record unemployment Posted: 17 Nov 2019 09:31 AM PST  The deaths of three separate families within ten days have shocked Turkey as the country struggles with mass unemployment and a financial crisis. On Friday, authorities confirmed that a family of three had been found dead in their home in the central Istanbul district of Bakırköy, poisoned by cyanide. Police had entered the house after neighbours complained of a chemical smell. Bülent Kerimoğlu, the local mayor, said that the father, a jeweller, had financial troubles, and had poisoned himself, his wife, and his six-year-old child. It follows two similar stories involving cyanide. Earlier in the month, police discovered the bodies of a family of four, including a nine year-old daughter and a five year-old son, in their home in the southern city of Antalya. According to reports in local media the father, Selim Şimşek, left a note explaining he had been unemployed for nine months, adding: "I apologise to everyone, but there is nothing I can to any more. We are ending our lives." On Nov 5, four siblings aged between 38 and 50 killed themselves in their shared flat in Fatih, a conservative district in Istanbul, after leaving a note taped on their door reading: "Beware of cyanide. Call the police, do not enter." Turkish lira crisis sends shock waves on markets as defiant Erdogan prepares for more 'economic attacks' They were reportedly unable to pay their debts. Turkish media has discussed the incidents at length even though conversations about suicide are usually taboo in the predominantly Muslim county. The opposition Republican People's Party has said the suicides are the human cost of the country's slow recovery from its economic crisis last year, during which the lira plunged 30 per cent in value. Fuat Oktay, Turkey's vice president, said there was not enough evidence to link the suicides to unemployment, and pro-government media warned about the risk of news reports fuelling copycat incidents. Unemployment is still near record levels, and according to official statistics published last week, the rate rose to 14 per cent for August, or 4.5 million Turks, with youth unemployment at 27 per cent. Şeyfettin Gürsel, the head of Bahçeşehir University's Centre for Economic and Social Research Centre, describes the current rate of unemployment as "a real threat to the stability of Turkish society." This is the first time Turkey has faced such a sustained period of high unemployment.
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| Forgotten Genocide: How a Quarter of Europe’s Roma Were Murdered by the Nazis, then Erased From History Posted: 17 Nov 2019 02:18 AM PST  LONDON—It's impossible to fathom the scale of the depravity. An eyewitness account by a Holocaust survivor—unearthed for a new exhibition in London—describes the conditions in the "gypsy" section of Auschwitz as even more inhumane than the rest of the appalling facility."The conditions were worse than in the other camps," wrote eyewitness Hermann Langbein in 1945. "The route between the huts was ankle deep in mud and dirt. The gypsies were still wearing the clothes that they had been given upon arrival… footwear was missing… The latrines were built in such a way that they were practically unusable for the gypsy children. The infirmary was a pathetic sight."The Holocaust Didn't End with the Liberation of Auschwitz and the Nazi Death CampsThe report by Langbein, also a survivor of the Spanish Civil War, is just one of the sickening contemporary accounts highlighted in the exhibition Forgotten Victims: The Nazi Genocide of the Roma and Sinti at London's Wiener Holocaust Library (to March 11, 2020).Over 90 percent of the Roma held at Auschwitz did not survive the war.In total, it is estimated that up to half a million Roma and Sinti, the name taken by the nomadic people based in Germany, died during the Holocaust. Accurate estimates are impossible but that may have been a quarter of Europe's Roma and Sinti population.The plight of these people, commonly known as gypsies at the time, was overshadowed by the scale of the genocide perpetrated against Europe's Jewish community, but the Romani suffering was not simply eclipsed; it was systematically erased in the post-war period. Romani survivors did not qualify for restitution; the mass murder of the Roma was largely ignored at the Nuremberg trials; Germany did not formally recognize that there had been a Romani genocide until 1982.Like homeless and gay victims of the Holocaust, the Roma and Sinti people were primarily categorized by the Nazi killing machine as criminals or "asocials." For the tiny minority who survived, this meant they struggled to apply for compensation for their treatment in the same way as Jewish survivors.Despite the German authorities' failure to recognize this as another strand of genocide, there was plenty of evidence that the Nazis were applying similar twisted pseudo-science to portray the Roma and Jews as lesser people.The exhibition highlights the work of a man named Dr Robert Ritter, who was responsible for running the Racial Hygiene and Demographic Biology Research Unit from 1936. In 1941, he was promoted and also became head of the Criminal Biology Unit. Much of his work focused on trying to prove that the Romani people were racially inferior using a vast array of nonsensical and unscientific methods.He supported the sterilization of Roma women and expressed his concern about preventing intermarriage with other Germans. He was also personally responsible for identifying Roma and Sinti communities in Germany and Austria which were then raided by Nazis units who transported thousands to the camps.Ritter was never brought to trial. His racist project had obviously been influential among senior Nazi officials, however. In 1938, the head of the SS Heinrich Himmler wrote: "Experience gained in combating the gypsy nuisance, and knowledge derived from race-biological research, have shown that the proper method of attacking the Gypsy problem seems to be to treat it as a matter of race."It's utterly extraordinary that it took the German government until the 1980s to officially take Himmler's word for it: the mass execution of the Roma and Sinti people was a racially motivated genocide.It wasn't just within Germany; the Roma and Sinti people were largely left out of the picture when the world united to condemn the horrors of the Holocaust."There was no reckoning, no recognition," said Barbara Warnock, curator at the Wiener Holocaust Library. "At the Nuremberg war crimes trials, crimes against Roma weren't part of the indictments. There are some documents that were entered at Nuremberg that are to do with persecution against Jews that happen to mention persecution against Roma too but it wasn't something that was being particularly focused on or investigated even though people were aware of it. There's never been that big moment of acknowledgement."Warnock told The Daily Beast that there has been a historic and continued marginalization of Roma communities in Europe. "The failure to acknowledge the extent of persecution and suffering probably hasn't been helpful," she said.Documents that tell the typically depressing story of Hans Brann, a Roma survivor of Auschwitz, have been located by the Wiener Holocaust Library. He was one of just a couple of thousand Roma who entered Auschwitz and left alive.According to a police letter, the response to his restitution claim was to order a police inspector to investigate his claim, and prove that he was a criminal, not a racial victim. Not all of the documentation survives, but he must have been turned down because six years later Brann made the same claim of restitution. He had waited more than a decade for any recognition of the torment he had suffered.For the Roma people in Europe, the wait goes on. Recent years have seen crackdowns on communities in Italy, France and Hungary."Reflect upon the situation in Europe today," said Warnock. "A massive amount of prejudice and discrimination continues." Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| Racist, anti-Semitic incidents prompt Syracuse to halt fraternity activities; Alpha Chi Rho suspended Posted: 17 Nov 2019 12:50 PM PST  Syracuse suspended a fraternity and halted social activities at all of them for the semester after a series of racist and anti-Semitic incidents.
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| US businesswoman says 'heartbroken' by Britain's Johnson Posted: 17 Nov 2019 06:21 AM PST  A US businesswoman at the centre of controversy over whether Boris Johnson showed her inappropriate favouritism amid an alleged affair said Sunday she had been left "heartbroken" and "humiliated" by the British prime minister. Jennifer Arcuri, who is accused of getting privileged access to foreign trade jaunts and grants when Johnson was previously London mayor, told Britain's ITV he was treating her like "some fleeting one-night stand". The technology entrepreneur said the British premier, now campaigning for re-election, had rebuffed her requests "for advice" after the scandal erupted in September and "hung up" on her.
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| Why Did a Russian Soldier Shoot Eight of His Comrades in Siberia? Posted: 16 Nov 2019 09:30 PM PST  Could it have been a hazing issue? Something more?
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| Iran’s top leader warns ‘thugs’ as protests reach 100 cities Posted: 16 Nov 2019 09:27 PM PST  Iran's supreme leader on Sunday cautiously backed the government's decision to raise gasoline prices by 50% after days of widespread protests, calling those who attacked public property during demonstrations "thugs" and signaling that a potential crackdown loomed. The government shut down internet access across the nation of 80 million people to staunch demonstrations that took place in a reported 100 cities and towns.
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| Epstein jail guards were offered plea deal: Sources Posted: 16 Nov 2019 07:43 AM PST  Federal prosecutors offered a plea deal to two correctional officers responsible for guarding Jeffrey Epstein on the night that he died, but the officers have declined the offer, sources told the Associated Press.
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| The Leonids meteor shower will send bright green shooting stars across the sky this weekend, early next week. Here's how to see them. Posted: 15 Nov 2019 10:21 PM PST  Sometimes the Leonids treat skywatchers to meteor storms, with thousands of shooting stars each hour. They glow green as their metals ignite.
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| UPDATE 2-HP says open to exploring bid for Xerox Posted: 17 Nov 2019 12:00 PM PST ![UPDATE 2-HP says open to exploring bid for Xerox]( "UPDATE 2-HP says open to exploring bid for Xerox") HP Inc said on Sunday it was open to exploring a bid for U.S. printer maker Xerox Corp after rebuffing a $33.5 billion cash-and-stock acquisition offer from the latter as "significantly" undervaluing the personal computer maker. Xerox made the offer for HP, a company more than three times its size, on Nov. 5, after it resolved a dispute with its joint venture partner Fujifilm Holdings Corp that represented billions of dollars in potential liabilities. Responding to Xerox's offer on Sunday, HP said in a statement that it would saddle the combined company with "outsized debt" and was not in the best interest of its shareholders.
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| Barr Attacks Trump Opponents, Democrats in Fiery Speech Posted: 15 Nov 2019 07:08 PM PST ![Barr Attacks Trump Opponents, Democrats in Fiery Speech]( "Barr Attacks Trump Opponents, Democrats in Fiery Speech") (Bloomberg) -- Attorney General William Barr fired a broadside against critics of Donald Trump -- and congressional Democrats in particular -- while defending the president's actions.In a fiery speech Friday before the conservative Federalist Society on Friday, Barr said Trump's opponents are using every tool they can to intentionally sabotage his administration."Immediately after President Trump won election, opponents inaugurated what they called the Resistance," Barr said. "They essentially see themselves as engaged in a war, to cripple by any means necessary, a duly elected government."The attorney general defended Trump on multiple fronts, and castigated Democrats in Congress over their investigations, multiple subpoenas, as well as court rulings against the administration."The sheer volume of what we see today – the pursuit of scores of parallel investigations through an avalanche of subpoenas – is plainly designed to incapacitate the executive branch and, indeed, is touted as such," Barr said. "While the president has certainly thrown out the traditional Beltway playbook and punctilio, he was upfront about what he was going to do and the people decided they wanted him to serve as president."While Barr's speech came as House Democrats were holding their first public hearings in an impeachment inquiry against Trump for what they argue are abuses of power and obstruction of Congress, Barr didn't mention impeachment in his speech.The thrust of his address, which was punctuated by frequent applause, was to promote the idea of a robust executive branch and a strong president, and he argued that constitutional separation of powers has been eroded -- especially in recent years. And the attacks on Trump, he suggested, could weaken the government itself."One of the ironies of today is that those who oppose this president constantly accuse this administration of shredding constitutional norms and waging a war on the rule of law," he said. "Of course there is no substance to these claims.""In waging a scorched earth, no-holds-barred war of resistance against this administration, it is the left that has engaged in the systematic shredding of norms and undermining the rule of law," Barr said.To contact the reporter on this story: Chris Strohm in Washington at cstrohm1@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Bill Faries at wfaries@bloomberg.net, John Harney, Shamim AdamFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Child abuse victims should have right to sue paedophiles caught with images of them, children charities say Posted: 17 Nov 2019 01:30 PM PST  Child abuse victims should be given new rights to sue paedophiles caught viewing or sharing indecent images of them, children charities have said. The Children's Charities' Coalition on Internet Safety (CCCIS) called for the initiative arguing it would act as a deterrent for offenders, who now know they are unlikely to go do jail, as it could mean potentially losing their homes and pensions if caught with abuse material. The CCCIS, which represents charities such as the NSPCC and Barnardo's, said those convicted of indecent images should also face a new automatic surcharge to fund the treatment and therapy costs of victims of abuse. The call comes as police have previously said they are struggling to cope with the now more than 5,000 arrests being made for indecent images every year. Police chiefs have argued that some paedophiles caught with indecent images could be dealt with by conditional cautions to lighten the caseload. John Carr OBE, Secretary of the CCCIS, said : "If you assume these offenders are rational, they must know that the chances of them being caught, convicted and sent to jail are very close to zero. "But if they knew that if they were caught their house, their car, their pension, their assets could be at risk as they are obliged to pay compensation to the victims, that would act as a major deterrent. "Why should the taxpayer pick up the entire bill (for victim treatment) if the guys who are responsible can fund it? We've got the phrase 'the polluter pays' - here we want the abuser to pay." Victims of child abuse can currently sue their abusers through the civil courts, however their rights regarding people caught with images or recordings of their abuse are far less clear. The CCCIS, said that explosion in abuse images being shared on the internet was causing long-lasting trauma to victims whose abuse had been recorded. Last year the US-based watchdog, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, said it received reports of 18 million images worldwide being shared across major tech platforms, including 16 million just from Facebook. The CCCIS also argued an automatic surcharge should be levied on the growing numbers of people caught with images, on top of the current victim surcharge, which would fund care for victims. Currently all people convicted in UK courts pay a victim surcharge of up to £181, the proceeds of which are dispersed among various victims' charities. Mr Carr added: "The victims of sexual abuse are completely clear and know that those images are circulating on the internet and being downloaded. Some of these young people will have that pain and burden the rest of their lives. "That is a huge source of stress and anxiety for them, and so the who business of downloading needs to be discouraged and stopped."
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| Two planes in 'minor' collision at Frankfurt airport Posted: 16 Nov 2019 04:42 PM PST  An Air Namibia plane collided with a Korean Air jet after landing at Frankfurt airport on Saturday evening, officials said, adding that no one was injured. Both aircraft were damaged in what Air Namibia on Sunday called "a minor accident". A spokeswoman for Frankfurt airport said the incident happened at around 6:00 pm (1700 GMT) on Saturday.
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| China's H-20 Stealth Bomber: The One Weapon America Won't Be Able to Beat? Posted: 16 Nov 2019 06:00 AM PST  Or just a myth?
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| Chinese troops join Hong Kong cleanup as protesters retreat Posted: 15 Nov 2019 08:04 PM PST  Chinese troops came out of the barracks in Hong Kong on Saturday — not to quell protests but to help clean up. It was a rare public appearance by the People's Liberation Army on the streets of the semi-autonomous territory, where the local government's inability to end more than five months of often violent protest has fueled speculation that Beijing could deploy its troops. The Hong Kong government said that it had not requested the military's assistance in the cleanup, describing it as a voluntary community activity.
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| Artificial Intelligence Can Now Predict When Lightning Will Strike Posted: 17 Nov 2019 06:58 AM PST  So, hopefully we can get out of the way before it's too late.
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| Motorola's iconic Razr flip phone was one of my favorite cellphones ever— but I wouldn't buy the new one Posted: 17 Nov 2019 05:45 AM PST  Motorola's Razr foldable phone is an exciting throwback, but its high price and somewhat lacking specs can make it a tough sell.
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| UPDATE 1-Belarus threatens to pull out of Russia integration deal over subsidy row Posted: 17 Nov 2019 02:45 AM PST ![UPDATE 1-Belarus threatens to pull out of Russia integration deal over subsidy row]( "UPDATE 1-Belarus threatens to pull out of Russia integration deal over subsidy row") Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko on Sunday threatened to pull out of signing an integration deal with Russia next month if Moscow failed to resolve their dispute over energy subsidies. Russia has propped up its traditional ally with loans and subsidies to keep Belarus in its political orbit but now plans to phase these out to lessen the burden on its economy. Belarus previously said that it stands to lose hundreds of millions of dollars a year from changes to Russian tax policy and has tried to negotiate compensation.
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| Trump Ally Loses Bid to Unseat Louisiana Democratic Governor Posted: 17 Nov 2019 11:54 AM PST  (Bloomberg) -- Democrat John Bel Edwards won re-election as governor of Louisiana on Saturday, dealing a blow to President Donald Trump who campaigned aggressively to support challenger Eddie Rispone, a Republican who fashioned his campaign as a referendum on the president.Edwards won with 51% of the votes, according to a results portal on the Louisiana secretary of state's website, a margin of about 40,000 votes. Turnout was 50.7% against 40.2% in the state's previous election for governor in 2015. It followed an election day in which the president urged Republicans via Twitter to get out and vote. The Louisiana race provided the latest litmus test of Trump's popularity before the 2020 election in a heavily Republican state that he carried by 20 points in 2016. It was the first statewide election since the House on Wednesday started the public phase of its impeachment inquiry of the president with nationally-televised hearings.As of mid-afternoon Sunday Trump hadn't responded to the Louisiana results in any of over 30 tweets and retweets for the day. 'Bless His Heart' Edwards, in a victory speech Saturday night in Baton Rouge, kept his focus on local issues: vowing to raise the state's minimum wage and invest more in early-childhood education. "Tonight, the people of Louisiana have chosen to chart their own path," Edwards said. "As for the president, God bless his heart." The win came less than two weeks after Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin, a staunchly pro-Trump Republican, lost to Democratic state Attorney General Andy Beshear. That was despite a last-minute push by Trump that included a rally the day before that election, where he warned the crowd that Bevin's defeat would send "a really bad message" and adding "you can't let that happen to me."In Virginia, Democrats took both houses of the legislature from Republicans, gaining full control of state government for the first time in 26 years. In the aftermath of those setbacks, Trump pointed to other Republican wins in Kentucky and the Mississippi gubernatorial race where Tate Reeves defeated Democrat Jim Hood.Political CapitalTrump spent a large amount of political capital on the race in an attempt to unseat the only Democratic governor in the Deep South. The president held a rally alongside Rispone on Nov. 9 in Monroe, Louisiana, and another event in Bossier City on Thursday. In between those trips, Trump traveled to Alabama to attend the University of Alabama and Louisiana State University football game. Vice President Mike Pence also campaigned.On Saturday, the president sent multiple tweets during the morning and afternoon that urged support for Rispone, saying "He will be a great governor!" He also included links on his website to help state residents find their polling places.In Bossier City, Trump urged the audience to vote for Rispone to send a message to Democrats in Washington. He lobbed familiar attacks on the media and political opponents, including Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden and House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff, a California Democrat, and railed against the impeachment inquiry."You can send a tremendous message back to Washington because Eddie's running against the failed far-left," referring to Edwards, 53, who he said would join the impeachment push from Louisiana if he was re-elected.Rispone, 70, largely campaigned on his similarities to and support for the president, pointing out that he also built his wealth in construction."Rispone has run such a Trump-specific campaign. It's been a campaign fairly free of policy proposals and focused mostly on his allegiance to Donald Trump and banking on the fact that Louisiana is a red state," Pearson Cross, political science professor at University of Louisiana in Lafayette, said in a telephone interview.Democrats EnergizedCross said that Trump's presence in the election also helped to ignite the Democratic base in the state, particularly among black voters. While Trump's rhetoric and Rispone's alignment with the president may appeal to Trump's base in the state, it could also have mobilized Democratic-leaning voters who may have sat out previous elections.Trump's approach "may work with some voters who are independents, Republicans or even conservative white democratic voters. It's definitely not working with black voters," Cross said."As we look at the impeachment hearings that just started Wednesday, and as you might imagine, there's an impeachment effect. But, what's the impeachment effect? Well I think essentially it's made everybody mad," Cross said.Edwards is a more moderate Democrat who opposes abortion and supports gun rights, making him palatable to red-state voters, Cross said. That makes it difficult to draw any conclusions about Trump's support in the state."You would say well he really is a rarity. He's a fairly popular Democrat in a Republican state. Louisiana's still going to elect every other statewide position as Republican. It hasn't changed any of the fundamentals," Cross said.During a panel discussion on ABC's "This Week" on Sunday, former New Jersey GOP Governor Chris Christie pointed out that Edwards was "not a crazy liberal" and that "most incumbent governors get re-elected if they don't do something to disqualify themselves." In response, former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, a Democrat who was President Barack Obama's first chief of staff, said Trump "put his capital down; he lost it." (A previous version corrected the reference to the House impeachment inquiry.) (Updates with Edwards, Christie, Emanuel from fifth paragraph.)To contact the reporter on this story: Mario Parker in Washington at mparker22@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Wendy Benjaminson at wbenjaminson@bloomberg.net, Steve Geimann, Ros KrasnyFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Disabled Woman’s Boyfriend Told Police He Lured Her to Nevada Desert and Suffocated Her Posted: 15 Nov 2019 07:58 PM PST  Bethel Park PoliceA Maryland man who may have been leading a double life has confessed to kidnapping his disabled girlfriend, luring her into the Nevada desert, tying her to a signpost and suffocating her with duct tape, police said Friday.He allegedly then pretended to be the victim on Facebook, sending her family messages to cover up her disappearance until friends reported her missing earlier this week.Jaime Rae Feden, 33, suffered from a rare congenital condition called VATER syndrome and stood just over 4 feet tall. Authorities said the Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, woman was sweet-natured and trusting.Too trusting."She was a very loving type of a person and I think she was taken advantage of by someone who was a predator," Bethel Park Police Chief Timothy O'Connor told reporters.For several years, Feden had a tumultuous relationship with John Chapman, 39, who allegedly asked her to come with him to Las Vegas in September to look at property.Once there, he convinced her to go with him to the desert for a photo shoot. According to a criminal complaint obtained by WPXI, he used zip ties to bind her to a signpost, and covered her mouth and nose with duct tape, leaving her unable to breathe.He claims he then untied her, stripped off her clothes and left her in the desert, police said.A body was found there in October and while the remains have not yet been identified, police said they bear the characteristics of Feden's medical condition.Meanwhile, Feden's friends and family were becoming increasingly concerned about her. Although an uncle was getting messages from her through Facebook, whoever was sending them was answering questions incorrectly; police say Chapman was behind them.On Thursday, police put out a missing-persons bulletin for Feden. When Chapman showed up at her home, police began questioning him—and he allegedly confessed.According to WTAE, police found Feden's cellphone, along with the duct tape and zip ties, inside the house.Chapman's stepmother told WPXI that the family was stunned by the allegations, in part because he appeared to be happily married to a woman in Maryland.She said relatives knew that he traveled to Las Vegas this fall, but he said it was for a business trip. They also knew of Feden, but said they thought she was just a close friend."What a horribly sad tragedy," the stepmom, Pamela Chapman, told the TV station. "It doesn't seem like it's real."As a handcuffed Chapman was marched past reporters on Friday, he declined to answer shouted questions. It was unclear if he has retained an attorney.O'Connor said Chapman has not been charged with homicide—and that if he is, those charges would come from Nevada, where the slaying allegedly took place. So far, he is facing several other charges, including kidnapping. Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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