| AOC explains why she won't go on Fox News: 'Unmitigated racism' Posted: 11 Dec 2019 12:38 PM PST  Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., lashed out at Fox News hours after host Tucker Carlson and a guest had criticized her climate policy proposals, while suggesting her district is "dirty" due to its immigrant population.
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| Yes, China's New Submarine-Launched Nuclear Missiles Could Destroy America Posted: 12 Dec 2019 07:00 AM PST  But that's why we have M.A.D.
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| Trump hosts pastor who says ‘Jews are going to hell’ at White House Hanukkah party Posted: 12 Dec 2019 04:15 AM PST  US President Donald Trump hosted an evangelical pastor who once said Jewish people were going to hell at the White House Hanukkah reception on Wednesday.Robert Jeffress is a prominent Christian leader from Dallas and has spoken at several religious events, including the opening ceremony of the new American Embassy in Jerusalem in 2018.
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| Rep. Adam Schiff turns over Pence aide's classified letter to Judiciary Committee Posted: 12 Dec 2019 02:54 PM PST  House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) has submitted to the Judiciary Committee a classified letter from an aide to Vice President Mike Pence, according to multiple reports on Wednesday.
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| How an Obscure Part of the Paris Climate Agreement Could Cut Twice as Many Carbon Emissions — Or Become a 'Massive Loophole' for Polluters Posted: 12 Dec 2019 09:43 AM PST  An obscure part of the Paris Climate Agreement could cut more carbon emissions — or make them worse. Here's what you need to know about controversial carbon markets.
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| Saudi Family of Pensacola Gunman: 'Even We Don't Know the Truth' of Motive Posted: 11 Dec 2019 12:10 PM PST  AL AHSA, Saudi Arabia -- Not long before a 21-year-old Saudi Royal Air Force trainee shot and killed three American sailors Friday at a naval base in Pensacola, Florida, he called his mother and his brother back home.The trainee, 2nd Lt. Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani, was wearing his uniform, they could see on the video call -- the uniform he had always wanted to wear as a child, when he dreamed of becoming a pilot.With his elder brother, Abdullah, he joked around on the call: "You're the eldest," Alshamrani teased, "but I'm going to get married first." Talking to his mother, he promised he would be home as soon as he finished his training. "Just a few more months," he said.What was missing was any hint of what was to come: opening fire in a classroom building at the Pensacola Naval Air Station, shooting three fatally and wounding eight more before being killed by a sheriff's deputy.Alshamrani seemed utterly normal in that last conversation, his family insisted in interviews this week in Saudi Arabia. Four days later, they are still baffled."He never had a secret, he was never hiding anything," Saeed Abdullah Alshamrani, 55, the lieutenant's father, said at the family's home in eastern Saudi Arabia on Tuesday evening. "It's such a mystery. Even we don't know the truth.""Are you sure he's dead?" his father asked during the interview, surrounded by several relatives, acquaintances and others whose relationship to the family was not clear. "We haven't even been given any proof of whether he's dead or alive."No motive for the shooting has been determined, although the FBI is treating it as a presumed terrorist attack. The Pentagon announced Tuesday that it was suspending operational training for all of the nearly 900 Saudi military students in the United States.Among the few clues to emerge was a tweet from an account that may be connected to Alshamrani, which condemned United States foreign policy decisions in the Middle East, according to the SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors extremist activity online. There was also a complaint the lieutenant filed earlier this year against one of his instructors for mocking his mustache in class.But in Saudi Arabia, the American focus on possible radicalization has left family and acquaintances bewildered, forced to answer for their son and friend to other Saudis.Sensitive to Western stereotypes that often reflexively brand Muslims as terrorists, and aware that the kingdom cannot afford to lose Washington's support, many Saudis have been eager to portray the lieutenant as a monstrous outlier. A hashtag declaring that he "does not represent" Saudis has dominated Twitter in the kingdom, and the media has echoed the point."This work can only be done by a cowardly villain," Dr. Hamdan Al-Shehri, a political scientist, wrote in the Arab News, a Saudi newspaper. "He has betrayed his country, which trusted him and spent millions on his education. Instead, he stabbed her in the back."The Saudi government is also extremely sensitive about the case, fearing it could jeopardize a relationship already frayed by criticism in Washington over the war in Yemen and the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi last year. King Salman, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and other top officials have all condemned the shooting. Alshamrani's family has said they were questioned by government officials.In interviews, his father, brother, cousins and a family friend said that Alshamrani had always seemed content to be in the United States, working toward his longtime goal, never mentioning difficulties."Since he was a kid, he'd dreamed of being a pilot, and he worked so hard for it," said his brother, Abdullah Alshamrani. Once he arrived in the United States, "he loved it so much, really," his brother said. "He was amazed by America's military force, just really impressed by the military."The third child in a family from Tabalah, a farming town in southern Saudi Arabia, Mohammed Alshamrani grew up in Al Ahsa, not far from the Saudi Aramco compound in eastern Saudi Arabia. His father had moved there to work in the local airport, eventually rising to be a security official.The family spent summers with extended family back in Tabalah, with its date farms nestled amid the undulating desert and stark mountains. They built another house there and frequently came back for weddings and other family events. On summer evenings, with other entertainment scarce, young men like Alshamrani and his brothers and cousins would gather at rented guesthouses in the desert to play cards and watch soccer on TV late into the night.Alshamrani always seemed more serious and less boisterous than the other young men, recalled Galat bin Mitshoosh, a retired longtime detective with the local prosecutor's office in Tabalah who knows the family."I never heard anything political from Mohammed," he said. "He was quiet, just a normal guy. He might talk about sports sometimes."The Alshamranis were observant Muslims who prayed, he said, but their practice of Islam was not considered especially strict.A person familiar with the investigation in the United States has said that friends and classmates told investigators that Alshamrani seemed to have become more religious when he returned from his last visit home in February.During that visit, relatives said, he took his mother to the holy city of Mecca to perform the umrah, a type of pilgrimage that many Muslims routinely undertake. In his relatives' eyes, however, they said there was nothing to indicate his Islamic beliefs had changed or hardened. He did not seem different, they said, except that he had shaven his chin clean.Always a good student, Alshamrani cemented his place as the pride of his family when he became one of the two students picked from his air force academy class of several hundred to enter the training program in the United States on a scholarship. Saudi Arabia has sent hundreds of thousands of young students overseas to study in Europe, Australia, Canada and the United States in recent years, but it was so rare for someone from rural Tabalah to study in the United States that the last young man from the town to do so before Alshamrani is locally famous."I was so proud of him. He's the role model of the family," his brother Abdullah said. "I'm the eldest son, but Mohammed is a big deal."Starting in August 2017, the Saudi government paid for him to spend a year learning English at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio before he moved to Pensacola for military training. He had already received weapons training at his academy in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, the family said. But he did not appear to acquire a gun in the United States until July, when he legally purchased a Glock 45 9-millimeter handgun in late July, shortly after obtaining a state hunting license, the FBI said Tuesday.Over his years in the United States, he shared with his family pictures of himself smiling in Times Square and in uniform with one of his American trainers.A video he took in Florida showed friends splashing around in kayaks, as he laughed behind the camera. When he called home -- almost every day, his father and brother said -- he talked about traveling around the United States, hanging out with his Saudi roommate and coming home after graduation. He was counting down the months.So was his family. His father had told neighbors and friends in Tabalah that he would throw a huge graduation party for his son when the family visited next summer, according to bin Mitshoosh, the retired detective. All the men from all six of the town's tribes would be invited.When he called his family Friday, Alshamrani offered to send his brother some extra money. He promised to be home soon."I'll call you later," he told Abdullah.Only hours later, that night, would they learn the news.This article originally appeared in The New York Times.(C) 2019 The New York Times Company
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| Republican women launch 'Conservative Squad' to take on AOC, progressives in D.C. Posted: 12 Dec 2019 12:15 PM PST  Four Republican women running for Congress have launched the Conservative Squad, aimed at taking on progressives in D.C.
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| Myanmar's suppression of the Rohingya, explained in 30 seconds Posted: 12 Dec 2019 05:00 AM PST  Myanmar's leader is appearing before the UN International Court of Justice this week to address an accusation of genocide against the Rohingya.
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| 18-Year-Old College Student Stabbed to Death in Manhattan Park Posted: 11 Dec 2019 08:40 PM PST  An 18-year-old college student was repeatedly stabbed by a group of assailants in a Manhattan park on Wednesday night before stumbling away for help, only to collapse before she could find any. The woman, identified as Tessa Majors, a first-year student at Barnard College, was later found collapsed in front of a security booth near Columbia University by a security guard who had been out on patrol. But after being rushed to Mount Sinai St. Luke's hospital, she succumbed to her injuries. Law enforcement sources cited by the New York Daily News said a group of suspects approached the woman in Morningside Park and tried to rob her before stabbing her in the torso several times. She was reportedly walking down a set of steps to the park on W. 116th St. near Morningside Drive when she was surrounded by the group.After the attack, she managed to climb back up the stairs but collapsed in front of a Columbia security guard booth. The public safety officer came to her aid "immediately upon recognizing she was injured," a Columbia University spokesperson said in a statement to The Daily Beast. "Officers stationed at this location do not make rounds that cause them to leave their post," the spokesperson said.Mary, a woman who works as a nanny in the area, told The Daily Beast she received an alert from the Citizen app around 7:05 p.m. that there had been an assault with a knife a few hundred feet away. She looked out the window and saw a woman lying in the street as a police officer performed CPR. "There were about six cops in total at that point surrounding the girl," Mary said in a text message. She said police were still searching the area when she left around 10:30 p.m."I hope they catch the guy, no one should ever have to fear their walk home," she told The Daily Beast.Police have not yet announced any suspects, but sources cited by the Daily News said two teenage boys were being questioned in connection with the attack. Police said the two teens were cleared as suspects and released from Manhattan's 26th Precinct Thursday evening.In an email to students, Barnard College President Sian Leah Beilock said Majors was fatally stabbed during an armed robbery in Morningside Park. "Tessa was just beginning her journey at Barnard and in life. We mourn this devastating murder of an extraordinary young woman and member of our community," Beilock said in the email. "This is an unthinkable tragedy that has shaken us to our core."Beilock said the college's counseling services will remain open all night Wednesday and throughout the day Thursday. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said the city is also offering counseling services to the campus, and will be stepping up the police presence in the area."The idea that a college freshman at Barnard was murdered in cold blood is absolutely, not only painful to me as a parent, it's terrifying to think that that could happen anywhere," de Blasio said during an event in Brooklyn on Thursday.Majors interned last spring with the Augusta Free Press, an independent newspaper in Virginia. Her father is the novelist Inman Majors, who's written six books and teaches English at James Madison University."We lost a very special, very talented, and very well-loved young woman," the family said in a statement. "Tess shone bright in this world, and our hearts will never be the same."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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| New climate pact is EU's 'man on the moon moment': chief executive Posted: 11 Dec 2019 04:23 AM PST  The European Union's executive wants to mobilize 100 billion euros worth of investment to help the bloc's economies become more environmentally friendly, European Commission head Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday. Von der Leyen will propose her hallmark "Green Deal" for the EU later on Wednesday to commit the bloc to achieving climate neutrality by 2050. "This is Europe's man on the moon moment," von der Leyen told journalists before making her climate pitch.
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| What’s Worse Than World Leaders Laughing at the U.S.? Posted: 10 Dec 2019 10:00 PM PST ![What's Worse Than World Leaders Laughing at the U.S.?]( "What's Worse Than World Leaders Laughing at the U.S.?") (Bloomberg Opinion) -- That viral video of the leaders of Canada, France and the U.K. laughing about their U.S. counterpart at last week's NATO summit was vivid yet anecdotal evidence of what the rest of the world thinks of President Donald Trump. Now comes some hard data showing America's declining global reputation.Not only is the perception of the U.S. as a top ally fading, according to a new survey of 18 countries from the Pew Research Center, but more people see the U.S. as "posing the greatest threat" to them in the future. Even America's closest neighbors are losing faith in their U.S. alliance.In Canada, the percentage of those who see the U.S. as its top ally has fallen from 54% in 2007 to 46% in 2019; over the same period, the percentage of those who see the U.S. as the top threat has risen from 16% to 20%. (Keep in mind that the 2007 reading, near the end of George W. Bush's calamitous presidency, already represented one of the lowest rates of global confidence and approval.) In Mexico, the percentage of those who see the U.S. as Mexico's top ally fell from 35% to 27%; the percentage who see the U.S. as the top threat has risen from 35% to a poll-topping 56%.The results also suggest that the U.S. is losing ground in perhaps its most important diplomatic challenge: the contest for influence and power with a rising China.The Trump administration has paid lip service to the idea of growing great power competition, and to the need to offer an alternative to China in Africa and Latin America. Yet as the survey notes, "Across many of the Latin American as well as Middle East and North African countries surveyed, more name the U.S. as a top threat than say the same of China." Equally disturbing is that in Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa — democracies that are also sub-Saharan Africa's three biggest economies — the share of respondents who regard China as their country's most reliable ally is about as high as those who choose the U.S. In emerging markets more broadly, "China's economic influence is seen in similar or even slightly more positive terms" than that of the U.S.It's possible, of course, to justify these findings by saying it's better to be feared than loved. You might even argue that the growing U.S. isolation in the United Nations is a sign of America's commitment to its principles. (In 2018, the U.S. voted against a higher proportion of General Assembly resolutions than any other nation; its global average voting coincidence was 31%, below the 10-year average of 36%.)That's certainly how Trump sees it. As he has repeatedly said, "We're respected like we haven't been respected in a long time." Secretary of State Michael Pompeo has doggedly defended his boss's in-your-face approach to foreign policy, declaring that "putting America First means proudly associating with nations that share our principles and are willing to defend them."That raises at least two questions: Who are these nations, and what are these principles?In a speech titled, "Trump Administration Diplomacy: The Untold Story," one example Pompeo offered was getting other nations to join the U.S. in a statement rejecting a right to abortion. Consider the other signatories: Bahrain, Belarus, Brazil, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Guatemala, Haiti, Hungary, Iraq, Libya, Mali, Nigeria, Poland, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.Of these countries, Freedom House ranks only three as "free," while four are "partly free." The other 11 are "not free," including three (Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Libya) that have the worst aggregate scores for political rights and civil liberties. If this is what the U.S. sees as "the trajectory for nations all across the world," as Pompeo put it, then maybe those world leaders were laughing last week because the end state Trump has in mind is too horrible to contemplate.To contact the author of this story: James Gibney at jgibney5@bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: Michael Newman at mnewman43@bloomberg.netThis column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.James Gibney writes editorials on international affairs for Bloomberg Opinion. Previously an editor at the Atlantic, the New York Times, Smithsonian, Foreign Policy and the New Republic, he was also in the U.S. Foreign Service from 1989 to 1997 in India, Japan and Washington.For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Meet the Navy's Small Warships That Help to Deter Iran Posted: 12 Dec 2019 01:45 AM PST  Spunky and important little boats.
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| Grandfather charged in girl's cruise ship death speaks out Posted: 11 Dec 2019 07:00 PM PST  Salvatore "Sam" Anello said he blamed Royal Caribbean for the death of his granddaughter in an exclusive interview with CBS News.
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| Pakistan charges 250 lawyers for treason in hospital assault Posted: 12 Dec 2019 02:50 AM PST  Pakistan on Thursday leveled "treason" charges against 250 lawyers who were part of a mob that stormed a hospital in the eastern city of Lahore the previous day, kicking and punching doctors and staff and trashing equipment and property, police said. Three patients at the hospital died when physicians and medical staff left them unattended for several hours, to flee and escape the mob, officials said. The mob of about 500 lawyers — apparently angered over alleged misbehavior by some of the hospital doctors toward one of their colleagues the month before — stormed the Punjab Institute of Cardiology on Wednesday, punching and beating doctors and other staff.
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| Pro-Trump Network OAN Tried to Get This Ukrainian Millionaire a Visa Before His Arrest Posted: 10 Dec 2019 06:30 PM PST  Before catching the eye of German law enforcement, former Ukrainian parliamentarian Oleksandr Onyshchenko drew attention from the conservative TV channel One America News. Last week, German authorities arrested the multi-millionaire because of a warrant from Ukrainian anti-corruption prosecutors. Before his arrest, though, the Trump-friendly media outlet tried to help him get a visa to travel to the U.S. The effort, which has not been previously reported, was part of a push by OAN to unearth information on Burisma Holdings, the energy company that retained Hunter Biden, the son of former Vice President and current Trump rival Joe Biden. Onyshchenko has claimed to have dirt on the firm. Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, meanwhile, has boosted the channel's Burisma work. "I can confirm that One America News Network did attempt to secure a number of visas for former Ukrainian officials to travel to the United States, including Olekesandr Onyshchenko," network president Charles Herring told The Daily Beast in an email. "One America News Network made the request prior to Mr. Onyschchenko being detained. One America News investigative efforts have cost in excess of $100,000 to date."Herring added that the outlet is also "currently seeking visas" for several other former Ukrainian officials, but is no longer doing so for Onyshchenko. Herring declined to say which other ex-officials his outlet is trying to secure visas for. Efforts by media outlets to secure legal travel authorizations for their sources are in an ethical gray area, according to one expert. Especially when the source in question is accused of embezzlement. Onyshchenko's lawyer did not respond to requests for comment.Ukrainian anti-corruption prosecutors allege Onyshchenko ran a scheme to steal millions from Kyiv's state-owned natural gas company. The news of OAN's effort to help him get a visa comes on the heels of Rudy Giuliani's trip to Kyiv, where Trump's personal lawyer worked with a correspondent and crew member of OAN. On the trip, Giuliani and OAN's Chanel Rion met with Viktor Shokin and Yuri Lutsenko, two former Ukrainian prosecutors who have alleged misconduct by the Bidens. Their claims—that Obama administration officials pressured the Ukrainain government to ignore wrongdoing by Burisma in a bid to protect the Bidens—are at the heart of Giuliani's search for dirt. Giuliani has said he is working with OAN on this project, and the network's segments back that up. OAN's coverage of the impeachment scandal has raised eyebrows. The channel sent a camera crew to the apartment building where they believe the whistleblower who kicked off the Ukraine scandal lives, and to the home of the suspected whistleblower's parents. And Rion's documentary series on the Bidens and Burisma has taken an odd tone. In a promotional segment for one program, she said the sources would "testify under oath" for the show. Giuliani figures prominently throughout the programming. And on Tuesday evening, Rion tweeted effusive praise of Giuliani's communications director, Christianné Allen. "An incredibly talented patriot and a breath of fresh air here in the swamp. @Christianne_L_A — here's to the adventures ahead," Rion wrote, along with a picture of herself and Allen.Onyshchenko told conservative media site CD Media that he applied for a U.S. visa earlier this year. It wasn't his first overture to American officials; in 2016, Onyshchenko met with Justice Department officials to discuss corruption in Ukraine. People familiar with the events told The Daily Beast that Onyshchenko's outreach appeared to be part of an effort to secure a U.S. visa. In recent years, OAN has tried to outpace Fox News, Fox Business, and Sinclair as the most committed Trump ally in television. Beyond traveling with Giuliani on his latest European jaunt in hopes of scoring dirt on Trump's political enemies, the network has run countless hours of explicitly pro-MAGA programming and has even taken the step of naming the alleged whistleblower whose complaint triggered the impeachment inquiry—a step that Fox brass have repeatedly instructed their own staff not to take.And Trump has noticed. The president has tweeted praise of OAN's coverage while chastising Fox News for being insufficiently supportive of him. He also privately recommends the network to total strangers at Mar-a-Lago. Rudy Giuliani's Ukraine 'Investigation' Stars Some of Kyiv's Most Dubious CharactersThe network's efforts on Onyshchenko's behalf raise ethical questions, according to journalism professor Dan Kennedy of Northeastern University. "This sounds like it's in kind of a gray area," he told The Daily Beast."If they're just helping them come over to the U.S. for a short period of time to be interviewed and participate in a story, maybe that doesn't bother me that much. But if this is some sort of long-term arrangement where the Ukrainians would be able to stay in the U.S. a long time, this is something they've been wanting to do, and OAN is making it happen for them, that would probably be going too far.""I'm not really comfortable with any of this," he added, "but as long as it's for some short-term purpose—namely, for participating in a story—I'm not going to get all outraged about it, either."Giuliani's Ukraine project is central to Democrats' impeachment inquiry targeting Trump. In a July phone call, Trump pressured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to help Giuliani with the effort. Meanwhile, the administration held up military aid and refused to schedule a White House visit for Zelensky. Giuliani communicated to Ukrainian officials that Zelensky needed to announce investigations Burisma and of alleged Ukrainian interference in the U.S. 2016 election if he wanted to visit the White House, according to European Union Ambassador Gordon Sondland. Zelensky didn't announce the probes, and the White House has yet to set a date for his visit. 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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| Israel bars Gaza's Christians from visiting Bethlehem and Jerusalem at Christmas Posted: 12 Dec 2019 11:12 AM PST ![Israel bars Gaza's Christians from visiting Bethlehem and Jerusalem at Christmas]( "Israel bars Gaza's Christians from visiting Bethlehem and Jerusalem at Christmas") JERUSALEM/GAZA, Dec 12 (Reuters) - Christians in the Gaza Strip will not be allowed to visit holy cities such as Bethlehem and Jerusalem to celebrate Christmas this year, Israeli authorities said on Thursday. Gazan Christians will be granted permits to travel abroad but none will be allowed to go to Israel and the occupied West Bank, home to many sites holy to Christians, a spokeswoman for Israel's military liaison to the Palestinians said.
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| Airstrikes called in as Taliban attempt to breach Bagram Air Base Posted: 11 Dec 2019 04:59 PM PST  U.S. and Afghan forces were pulled into a nearly nine to 10 hour firefight after a suicide bombing targeted a medical facility that was under construction near the base, a source on the ground detailed to Military Times.
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| Hong Kong Pro-Democracy Camp Wins Big in Accountant Election Posted: 10 Dec 2019 06:26 PM PST  (Bloomberg) -- Hong Kong's pro-democracy supporters can chalk up another election victory.In a vote for seats on the council of the Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants, all six pro-democracy candidates running won against a mix of pro-government and independent opponents. The other seat up for grabs was filled by Roy Leung from accounting firm KPMG, according to the institute.The vote followed a broader citywide election late last month, which saw pro-democracy candidates secure a landslide win. The politicized battle over seats on even an accounting board underscores how the polarization is deepening in Hong Kong amid mounting protests against China's grip on the city.Now Even Accountants Are Fighting Over Democracy in Hong Kong"The result shows how the industry speaks for itself after the district council election," said Rosalind Lee, one of the successful candidates from the pro-democracy camp.The seven new members will serve on the 21-member council for two years, starting Jan. 1, 2020. A new president will be elected after an annual general meeting on Dec. 12.Hong Kong Protesters Rage Against China Inc.'s Growing DominanceTo contact the reporter on this story: Kiuyan Wong in Hong Kong at kwong739@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Candice Zachariahs at czachariahs2@bloomberg.net, Jonas Bergman, Michael PattersonFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Inside the Assassination of Imperial Japanese Admiral Yamamoto Posted: 12 Dec 2019 05:00 AM PST  A daring tale.
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| Charges dropped, brothers in hemp-pot mixup look to sue NYC Posted: 11 Dec 2019 04:45 PM PST  The bust was a bust, and it could end up costing New York City some serious green. A day after prosecutors dropped criminal charges in a case spotlighting confusion over hemp, marijuana and conflicting laws, the Brooklyn brothers caught in the chaos took the first step toward suing the city and the police department. Oren and Ronen Levy filed notices of claim Wednesday, saying the "nightmare" ordeal that began with Ronen's Nov. 2 arrest and the seizure of 106 pounds (48 kilograms) of hemp plants tarnished their reputations and threatened their livelihoods selling CBD, the extract showing up lately in everything candy to coffee.
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| 'Hangover days' for employees criticised by alcohol harm campaigners amid fears it could encourage binge drinking Posted: 12 Dec 2019 01:07 PM PST  A business offering its staff "hangover days" for when they are feeling worse for wear has been criticised by alcohol harm charities who have raised concern that the practice could encourage binge drinking. Digital Marketing firm The Audit Lab lets employees take "hangover days" to try and create a flexible, honest workplace. Company director and co-founder Lee Frame said he would "rather our employees be honest with us and tell the truth than pretend they're ill." Workers merely have to ring up their boss and say that they are simply not up to work, instead putting in a shift from either the comforts of their bed or a sofa. Lee hopes this unorthodox approach will be more attractive to the younger generation, referring to this unusual policy as a "sexed-up work from home day" designed to appeal to workers without children. Ellie Entwistle, 19, who works as a PR manager at Bolton-based The Audit Lab thoroughly enjoys the benefits of having a "hangover day". "I love the perk because it proves that my employer had trust in me, which makes me appreciate them more and means I work hard." She feels that it gives her greater control and creates a flexible work environment that considers what different age groups want in terms of flexibility. However, the "hangover days" concept has been criticised by alcohol harm charities which said the policy could lead to workers "getting trolleyed" unnecessarily. Andrew Misell, Director of Alcohol Change UK in Wales, stated "There's nothing wrong with having a drink, but knowing in advance that you're going to drink to the point where you can't get into the office the next day is a different story." These fears are also echoed by Dr Jill Miller, diversity and inclusion adviser at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), who feels that branding "these 'hangover days' might not be helpful if it's encouraging excessive alcohol consumption." She argues that employers have a duty of care which could be compromised by any promotion of binge drinking. Elaine Hindal, chief executive officer of the charity Drinkaware said: "There should be no place for encouraging risky drinking behaviours in the workplace." Elaine also fears that this policy could alienate workers who do not drink, leading to a less inclusive workplace. "More than half of people in work say they feel there's too much pressure to drink when socialising with colleagues". Employers should be working to create a more diverse workplace rather than rewarding excessive drinking behaviours which are not only divisive but also damaging to health.
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| Trump impeachment vote: Senior Republican attacks Hunter Biden’s alleged crack cocaine use Posted: 12 Dec 2019 04:44 PM PST  Thursday's House Judiciary Committee markup of articles of impeachment took an ugly turn when Florida Republican Matt Gaetz launched a personal attack on former vice president Joe Biden's youngest son.While introducing a proposed amendment to Democrats' articles of impeachment – language that would have replaced a reference to the former VP in the first article with with that of his son Hunter and a reference to Ukrainian energy company Burisma Holdings – Mr Gaetz took it upon himself to read from a profile of the younger Mr Biden in the New Yorker magazine, containing graphic depictions of drug use by the former vice president's youngest son.
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| The campaign to stop Brexit is over and Britain is heading for another decade of Conservative dominance Posted: 12 Dec 2019 03:25 PM PST  If borne out in the results, the official exit poll suggests the UK is heading for Brexit and at least ten more years of Conservative government
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| U.S. reaches deal in principle on trade with China: source Posted: 12 Dec 2019 11:44 AM PST  The United States has reached a "phase-one" trade deal in principle with China, a source briefed on talks between the two nations said on Thursday, saying a statement from the White House was expected soon. Ahead of the meeting, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer told senators that announcements were possibly "imminent" on U.S. tariffs, senior Republican Senator John Cornyn told reporters. U.S. negotiators have offered to reduce tariffs on about $375 billion in Chinese goods by 50% across the board, two people familiar with the negotiations said, and suspend tariffs on $160 billion in goods scheduled to go into effect on Sunday.
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| Bulletproof vest did not fail in fatal shooting of Houston police officer, chief says Posted: 12 Dec 2019 12:16 PM PST  Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo says body armor didn't fail Sgt. Christopher Brewster, who was killed while responding to a domestic violence call
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| Newly discovered Indonesian cave painting could be the world's oldest figurative artwork Posted: 12 Dec 2019 06:37 AM PST  An Indonesian cave painting that depicts a prehistoric hunting scene could be the world's oldest figurative artwork, dating back nearly 44,000 years, a discovery that points to an advanced artistic culture, according to new research. Spotted two years ago on the island of Sulawesi, the 13-foot-wide painting features wild animals being chased by half-human hunters wielding what appear to be spears and ropes, said the study published in the journal Nature on Wednesday.
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| We Tasted 10 Sour Beers That Quenched Our Thirst and Made Us Pucker Up Posted: 11 Dec 2019 12:56 PM PST |
| DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz: My Report Doesn’t ‘Vindicate Anybody’ Posted: 11 Dec 2019 11:42 AM PST  During Wednesday's Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the Justice Department inspector general's report on possible FISA abuses in the Russia probe, top inspector Michael Horowitz pushed back against former FBI Director James Comey's suggestion that the findings vindicated bureau actions.While Horowitz's recently released report finds that there was no political bias by FBI leadership and that there was sufficient evidence to launch a counterintelligence probe of Donald Trump's 2016 campaign, it also chided the FBI for "fundamental errors" in its investigation of former Trump campaign official Carter Page.Noting that Comey figuratively spiked the football over Horowitz's report in a Washington Post op-ed, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-SC) asked the inspector general, "Former FBI Director James Comey said this week that your report vindicates him. Is that a fair assessment of your report?"Horowitz rejected the notion that anyone linked to the investigation should feel exonerated. "You know, I think the activities we found here don't vindicate anybody who touched this," he said.Graham went on to bring up comments Comey made last year that "the notion that FISA was abused" in the investigation was "nonsense," asking Horowitz if he took issue with that."Certainly our findings were that there were significant problems," Horowitz replied.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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| China reportedly threatens tiny Faeroe Islands over Huawei Posted: 11 Dec 2019 04:32 AM PST  Danish media are reporting that the Chinese government threatened to cancel a trade deal with the tiny Faeroe Islands if the country does not agree to use internet networks supplied by Chinese tech company Huawei. Huawei is at the center of a global cybersecurity debate, with the U.S. pushing allies in Europe and elsewhere to avoid the company over fears it could allow the Chinese government to snoop on consumers. Huawei denies that.
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| F-35: Would You Spend $1,500,000,000,000 On a Plane That Can't Fly? Posted: 12 Dec 2019 10:26 AM PST  That's what the U.S. government did on the F-35.
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| Turkey and Russia Judged Bigger Risk Than Islamic State for U.S. Troops in Syria Posted: 11 Dec 2019 12:15 PM PST  WASHINGTON -- The Trump administration's rapidly shifting strategy in northern Syria has U.S. commanders there scrambling to protect their forces from an expected surge in actions by military units from Turkey, Russia, Iran and the Syrian government, as well as their proxy forces, according to Defense Department officials. U.S. commanders now see these armed groups as a greater danger than the Islamic State forces they were sent to fight.Commanders have requested guidance outlining how U.S. forces might deal with an attack from the assortment of armed groups, including Russian-backed Syrian government forces, that have, in the past, tried to seize territory held by the United States. But they have received muddled direction from the Pentagon, two Defense Department officials said.For now, the U.S. command heavily relies on the instincts of junior commanders on the ground, cautionary phone calls to officials from Russia and Turkey and overhead surveillance -- susceptible to failure in poor weather -- to help avoid close encounters with other forces in the Euphrates River Valley, where most U.S. troops are based."These forces are at risk without a clear understanding of what they are expected to achieve, and without the political support of their nation, if or more likely when, one of these American adversaries decided to attack them," said Jennifer Cafarella, the research director for the Institute for the Study of War in Washington. "These guys are deployed in one of the most risky, complex and rapidly evolving environments on the planet."These concerns are the result of President Donald Trump's order to withdraw 1,000 U.S. troops from the country, amid Turkey's invasion of northern Syria in October. Weeks later, Trump approved the Pentagon's plan to leave roughly 500 troops behind at several outposts around the city Deir el-Zour to go after the Islamic State, often known as ISIS.Though Trump said the U.S. presence there is "to protect the oil," the reality is that the Americans are continuing their earlier mission of pursuing remnants of the Islamic State, military officials say. The Americans continue to operate alongside allies in the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces.As U.S. forces pulled back in early October, a U.S. military document circulated to forces in the region, warned of the coming difficulties. "Complexity" surrounding U.S. forces in northern Syria "has only increased in recent weeks as multiple opposing groups and actors have gradually increased their forces in surrounding areas," said the document, a copy of which was obtained by The New York Times. The warning was part of a flurry of situation reports, maps and communiques outlining the movements of Russian military forces around the Syrian city of Manbij and the start of Turkey's military operation along the Syria-Turkey border.Before Turkish-backed forces entered the area in northern Syria previously held by U.S. troops, the American and Russian militaries were responsible for coordinating military operations in that part of the country, and had done so for three years. Both militaries had relied on a "deconfliction" phone line and a separate planning group, using a map broken down into lettered and numbered sectors, known as a keypad, for reference. This allowed officials from both countries to determine where troops were operating.But the introduction of hundreds of Turkish-backed forces quickly strained this long-standing system, as shown by the accidental Turkish shelling close to a U.S. outpost near the Turkey-Syria border in early October. In one of the military documents obtained by The Times, U.S. officials wrote after that attack that they "cannot rule out" that Turkish military forces "will miscalculate U.S. force dispositions again."Speaking to lawmakers on the House Armed Services Committee on Wednesday, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said that the situation in northern Syria has "generally stabilized," although he cautioned that Turkish-backed fighters remained a "wild card."Esper added that there currently are no plans to withdraw U.S. troops from the country."Right now there's no disposition plans that I'm tracking," Esper said.Turkish-backed fighters are often poorly managed by the Turkish military, said several Defense Department officials, who added that the Russian military is far more reliable in navigating the difficulties of such a contested battlefield.To underscore the fact that the battlefield in northern Syria is continuously changing, Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, the head of the military's Central Command, said in a recent interview that protecting the oil fields might ultimately draw a larger challenge from Syrian army troops west of the Euphrates. "I'd expect at some point the regime will come forward to that ground," McKenzie said.But for now, McKenzie said, the remaining U.S. forces in northern Syria, working alongside several thousand allied militia members from the Syrian Democratic Forces, will be able to carry out "effective" counterterrorism missions against the Islamic State in that part of the country. Last month, the forces restarted operations against the terrorist group, after groups of Islamic State fighters began operating again in the chaos created by the Turkish incursion and U.S. retreat."We have enough to very capably, with our SDF partners, pursue a counterterrorism platform against ISIS," McKenzie said.He noted that the United States maintains a strong capability for reconnaissance and combat air power to protect U.S. forces and to carry out strike missions when necessary."We have everything we need," McKenzie said in the interview.The idea that Syrian troops could move to retake ground from the Americans is nothing new.In February 2018, about 500 Syrian troops and dozens of vehicles, backed by Russian contractors, attacked the Conoco gas plant near Deir el-Zour. U.S. commandos there, alongside Kurdish forces and backed by waves of U.S. aircraft, fought back, killing hundreds of the fighters.The hourslong battle was a clear message to other fighters in the region that the U.S. would protect their partner forces.But after months of political tumult in Washington and Trump's assent to the Turkish invasion in October, it remains unclear if U.S. forces, even with an addition of Bradley armored fighting vehicles, would stand and fight as they have in the past, the officials said.The Bradleys, the officials added, were sent only as a signal of resolve, not necessarily to fight the Syrian government's military.This article originally appeared in The New York Times.(C) 2019 The New York Times Company
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| Elizabeth Warren Takes on Democratic Rivals on Fundraising in Speech Posted: 12 Dec 2019 05:05 PM PST  (Bloomberg) -- Elizabeth Warren took an unusually aggressive stance against her moderate rivals for the Democratic nomination in a speech billed as an economic address on Thursday."We know that one Democratic candidate walked into a room of wealthy donors this year to promise that 'nothing would fundamentally change' if he's president," Warren said, referring to Joe Biden."We know that another calls the people who raise a quarter-million dollars for him his 'National Investors Circle' and he offers them regular phone calls and special access. When a candidate brags about how beholden he feels to a group of wealthy investors, our democracy is in serious trouble," Warren said, referring to Pete Buttigieg.For months, the Massachusetts senator refrained from directly criticizing her rivals in the race for the Democratic nomination. But Warren has seen her poll numbers slip both nationally and in the first two primary states. With the Iowa caucuses only a couple of months away, she's taking on her rivals.In her speech, Warren vowed to root out corruption in Washington and Wall Street and protect workers and unions but reiterated that she believes in markets with fair rules. That's why millionaires and billionaires see her as a threat, she said."They believe that I'm the biggest threat to a corrupt system that has enriched them at everyone else's expense. And they're right."While Warren didn't mention the other candidates by name, she referenced comments that Biden made to affluent donors at a campaign fundraiser in June, telling them that he wanted their support and -- perhaps unlike some other Democratic presidential candidates -- wouldn't target their wealth."Truth of the matter is, you all know, you all know in your gut what has to be done," Biden said. "We can disagree in the margins. But the truth of the matter is, it's all within our wheelhouse and nobody has to be punished. No one's standard of living would change. Nothing would fundamentally change," he said.Biden, however, has proposed tax changes including treating capital gains as income, capping deductions for the wealthy and raising the top individual tax rate.Warren also took aim at Buttigieg, criticizing him for "blocking reporters from entering those fancy, closed-door" fundraisers. Under pressure from Warren, Buttigieg agreed on Monday to open his fundraisers.Biden and Buttigieg and their surrogates raise money from Wall Street and Silicon Valley donors at posh fundraisers. Warren has eschewed such events in favor of small, mostly online donations, although she accepts $2,800 donations from individuals, the maximum a person can contribute.In a veiled reference to Buttigieg and Biden, Warren accused "some candidates" of betting on a "naive hope that if Democrats adopt Republican critiques of progressive policies or make vague calls for unity that somehow the wealthy and well-connected will stand down."Buttigieg senior adviser Lis Smith responded Thursday afternoon by accusing Warren of pushing "the politics and divisiveness that is tearing this country apart," while maintaining that Buttigieg "will heal our divides and rally Americans around big ideas" as president.Biden fired back at Warren at a fundraiser in Palo Alto, California, though without mentioning her name, referring to her only as "one of my opponents." "If we can't unify the country you all ought to go home now, because nothing's going to happen except by executive order. And last time I knew it, a president is not allowed to say, 'This is how I'm changing the tax structure, this is how I'm changing the environment,'" he said. "You need to actually get a consensus in the constitutional process. And we can unify the country."Warren also went after billionaire Michael Bloomberg, who entered the race for the Democratic nomination in late November, while she reiterated the necessity for a 2% wealth tax on fortunes over $50 million."It's no secret that I'm not a fan of Michael Bloomberg trying to buy the Democratic presidential nomination," Warren said. "A wealth tax on millionaires and billionaires isn't about being punitive or denigrating success. It's about laying the foundation for future successes."Bloomberg is the founder and majority owner of Bloomberg LP, the parent company of Bloomberg News.(Updates with Biden campaign response in new 14th, 15th paragraphs.)\--With assistance from Sahil Kapur.To contact the reporter on this story: Misyrlena Egkolfopoulou in Washington at megkolfopoul@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Wendy Benjaminson at wbenjaminson@bloomberg.net, Sara FordenFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Turkey says will retaliate against any sanctions ahead of U.S. vote Posted: 10 Dec 2019 11:50 PM PST  Turkey said on Wednesday it would retaliate against any U.S. sanctions over its purchase of Russian defense systems, adding that with Britain it had agreed to speed up a joint fighter jet program to meet Turkish defense needs. U.S. lawmakers will vote - and likely pass - a defense bill later on Wednesday that calls for sanctions against Turkey over Ankara's decision to procure the S-400 defenses. Turkey and the United States, NATO allies, have been at odds over the purchase.
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| Scandinavian woman 'forced to withdraw rape claim' in case similar to British teen's Cyprus ordeal Posted: 12 Dec 2019 09:40 AM PST  A Scandinavian woman says she was forced by Cypriot police to withdraw a rape claim or face arrest, in a striking parallel to the case of a British teenager who was allegedly gang raped on the Mediterranean island. The Scandinavian woman said police officers questioned her aggressively for several hours after she was raped by two men outside a nightclub. The officers accused her of lying and said that if she did not withdraw the rape claim they would arrest her and send her to prison. Her account bears striking similarities to the alleged treatment of a British teenager who is on trial in Cyprus, accused of concocting a claim of gang rape by Israeli tourists in the resort town of Ayia Napa. She made the initial complaint in July but 10 days later, after being questioned without a lawyer for eight hours in a police station, signed a retraction statement. The alleged gang rape of the British teenager happened in the resort of Ayia Napa Credit: AFP On trial for public mischief, she faces up to a year in prison and a fine of €1,700 if found guilty. She has pleaded not guilty. The judge in the case is expected to hand down his verdict on December 30. The 19-year-old British woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has told the trial that officers threatened to arrest her and her friends unless she retracted the claims of being gang raped by a group of young Israeli men. After reading about the Ayia Napa case, the Scandinavian woman decided to come forward with her account of similar treatment at the hands of the Cypriot police 20 years ago. It is the first time she has spoken publicly of the assault and has previously only discussed it with her doctor and her husband. Now aged 43, she was 21 when she met the men in a nightclub in Nicosia, the capital of Cyprus, in January 1998. They offered to give her a lift to her hotel. Instead, they raped her in a car park. "I fought for my life and thought I was going to die," she told The Telegraph. She went to the nearest police station to report the rape and was taken to a hospital for an examination. She was then taken to a police station for questioning. "The main investigator was extremely brutal and aggressive. I was in big shock so I had some difficulties remembering details. "This made him very angry. He then started accusing me of making the whole story up to receive money from my insurance company." The same allegation was made by in court by Cypriot police against the British woman. Both alleged victims said they were mystified by the accusation because they did not think that holiday insurance covered rape and had no intention of claiming any financial compensation. "I was very afraid and felt trapped in the room with them. They treated me as a big criminal. They kept me in the police station for many hours. They told me that if I didn't withdraw the rape allegation they would arrest me and send me to prison. So I did and they let me go," said the Scandinavian woman, who asked to remain anonymous. She said she was still deeply affected by the ordeal and had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder – just like the British teenager who is on trial. "The treatment I received from police was terrible," she said. Michael Polak, a British lawyer representing the teenager in the trial Credit: AFP Michael Polak, a British lawyer representing the British woman, told The Telegraph: "This case bears remarkable similarities to the teenager's case. It raises serious questions about the investigation of rape in Cyprus and the treatment of rape complainants there." In a report in 1998, a Norwegian newspaper claimed that police on the island routinely dismissed rape claims, treating the victims as liars. The report quoted a Norwegian tour operator who said that "police never take rape claims seriously. All such claims are treated as false." "Police have a theory that tourists make such allegations so they can claim expenses for their holiday," the report said. A senior Cyprus police officer was quoted as saying: "Why rape when it's so easy to find somebody to have sex with?" At a hearing on Thursday, a Cypriot defence lawyer denied that the teenager had made up the rape complaint. Ritsa Pekri criticised police for failing to download all the social media messages sent by the Israeli men on their mobile phones and said officers failed to secure the crime scene properly. The prosecution had failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that there had been no rape, Ms Pekri said, calling on the court to acquit the woman. But Adamos Demosthenous, the prosecutor, insisted the British girl had accused the Israelis of raping her because she felt humiliated and ashamed after learning that she had been filmed while having sex with one of them. He called on the judge to convict her.
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| Saudi Arabia is quietly spending millions on a fresh lobbying effort in the US, hoping to finally put to bed Jamal Khashoggi's brutal murder Posted: 12 Dec 2019 03:21 AM PST  Saudi Arabia contracted three US lobby firms in November, its first move since it was abandoned by five firms over the Khashoggi affair in late 2018.
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| Flashback: Trump subpoena stonewall is most dangerous outrage. Why even have a Congress? Posted: 11 Dec 2019 08:22 AM PST  The Founders anticipated our historical moment. They created the House, with 'the people' on its side, to guard against a president like Donald Trump.
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| Beshear becomes target of lawsuit claiming abuse of power Posted: 11 Dec 2019 05:29 AM PST  For nearly four years as Kentucky attorney general, Andy Beshear filed a series of lawsuits accusing then-Gov. Matt Bevin of abusing his executive powers. Now Beshear is being sued by the people he ousted from the state school board on his first day as governor. The new Democratic governor wielded his executive authority Tuesday to reorganize the Kentucky Board of Education with 11 new members, fulfilling a campaign promise he made to teachers.
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| The Air Force Wants To Reinvent The Storied SR-71 As A Hypersonic Bomber Posted: 11 Dec 2019 08:30 PM PST  And it might be unmanned.
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| Turkey set to retaliate against any U.S. sanctions Posted: 11 Dec 2019 12:28 PM PST  Turkey said on Wednesday it would retaliate against any U.S. sanctions over its purchase of Russian defense systems, adding that with Britain it had agreed to speed up a joint fighter jet program to meet Turkish defense needs.
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| China Was Biggest Jailer of Journalists in 2019, Group Says Posted: 11 Dec 2019 05:43 PM PST  (Bloomberg) -- Sign up for Next China, a weekly email on where the nation stands now and where it's going next.China surpassed Turkey to become the biggest jailer of journalists in the world this year, according to a press watchdog group, as Chinese President Xi Jinping steps up efforts to control the mediaChina was holding at least 48 journalists for reasons related to their work, one more than in 2018, the Committee to Protect Journalists said in a report on Wednesday. The group's database shows seven of those were arrested this year, including Australian writer Yang Hengjun, and that China has "tightened its iron grip on the press."Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a news briefing Wednesday that she couldn't confirm the number of detained journalists, but said that "no one is above the law," whether they are reporters or civil servants.Turkey's jailing of 47 journalists put it second on the group's list. Protests in the Middle East also led to a rise in the number of journalists being locked up in that region, particularly in Saudi Arabia and Egypt. The CPJ said that 98% of jailed journalists around the world were "locals covering their own country," and that politics, human rights and corruption coverage was most likely to get reporters in trouble.At least 250 journalists were incarcerated for their work around the world this year, down slightly from 255 last year, according to the committee's annual global survey. After China, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, the biggest jailers are Eritrea, Vietnam and Iran.'False News'The number of journalists charged with reporting "false news" rose to 30 from 28 last year, with Egypt leading the way under President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi. That was compared to one journalist jailed for the charge of fake news in 2012, when press freedom group started tracking the trend. Countries including Russia and Singapore have enacted laws criminalizing the publication of "fake news" in the past year, according to the report.It was the first time in four years that Turkey wasn't the world's top journalist-jailer, although the reduction in the number of prisoners under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan doesn't signal an improved situation for the press, the group said.In China, the world's most populous country, the report cited the recent case of Sophia Huang Xueqin, a freelancer who had been an investigative journalist for Chinese media. She was detained in October after writing about marching with pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong on her blog.The charges against her include "picking quarrels and provoking trouble," a common allegation against critics of the ruling Communist Party, the report said.Dozens more have been arrested in relation to a crackdown in China's western region of Xinjiang, including Ilham Tohti, according to the committee. Tohti is an economist serving a life sentence on separatism charges, and was awarded the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought by the European Parliament earlier this year.Hua, the foreign ministry spokeswoman, didn't address the condition of local reporters in her response to questions about the report Wednesday."You said 48 journalists were detained? I wonder if you were talking about Chinese or foreign journalists?" she said. "Nearly 600 foreign journalists are leading a happy life here in China."(Updates with Chinese official's remarks in third paragraph.)\--With assistance from Iain Marlow, Lucille Liu and Matt Turner.To contact the reporter on this story: Blake Schmidt in Hong Kong at bschmidt16@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Brendan Scott at bscott66@bloomberg.net, James Mayger, Colin KeatingeFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Hong Kong protesters mark six months since pivotal clash with police Posted: 11 Dec 2019 07:34 PM PST  Thousands of Hong Kong protesters gathered on Thursday to mark six months since their first major clash with police, when they blocked legislators from advancing an extradition bill that has since been scrapped. On June 12, police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse protesters occupying roads near the legislative council just as it was to give a second reading to the bill that would have allowed criminal suspects to be extradited to mainland China, where courts are controlled by the Communist Party.
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| Europe tells US to back off over Russian pipeline Posted: 12 Dec 2019 07:27 AM PST  Europe on Thursday warned Washington to mind its own business after US lawmakers gave initial approval to a bill that would sanction contractors working on a Russian pipeline to the continent. "The (European) Commission objective has always been to ensure that Nord Stream operates in a very transparent and in a non-discriminatory way with the appropriate degree of oversight," he said. The 9.5 billion euro ($10.6 billion) Nord Stream 2 pipeline will run under the Baltic Sea and is set to double shipments of Russian natural gas to Germany.
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| Texas inmate executed for killing prison supervisor in 2003 Posted: 10 Dec 2019 09:03 PM PST  A Texas inmate was executed by lethal injection Wednesday evening for killing a supervisor at a state prison shoe factory in Amarillo nearly 17 years ago. Travis Runnels, 46, was convicted of slashing the throat of 38-year-old Stanley Wiley on Jan. 29, 2003. Runnels was executed at the state penitentiary in Huntsville.
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