| Downtown D.C. burns after another night of protests and provocation near the White House Posted: 01 Jun 2020 05:17 AM PDT  Protesters clashed with law enforcement for the third straight evening outside the White House, and numerous businesses were vandalized by rioters defying a citywide curfew.
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| New Yahoo News/YouGov poll: Most Americans say Trump is a 'racist' and want him to stop tweeting Posted: 01 Jun 2020 09:08 AM PDT  By a bare majority, Americans think President Trump is a racist, and want him to stop tweeting, according to a new Yahoo News/YouGov poll. The public's response to Trump's tweets and racial attitudes is predictably divided along party lines.
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| China's state media says US can now 'enjoy' protests after criticizing China's handling of unrest in Hong Kong Posted: 02 Jun 2020 10:40 AM PDT  A foreign ministry rep tweeted "I can't breathe" above a screenshot of a State Department flack condemning how Hong Kong protesters were treated.
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| Cop in Las Vegas critically wounded, others elsewhere injured in protests Posted: 02 Jun 2020 08:59 AM PDT  "This has been a long night for your police department ... and a tragic night for our community," the Las Vegas sheriff said Tuesday.
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| Iranian professor acquitted of sanctions busting leaves U.S., Zarif says Posted: 01 Jun 2020 10:02 PM PDT  An Iranian professor imprisoned in the United States after being acquitted of stealing trade secrets has left the country and is on his way back to Iran, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in an Instagram post on Tuesday. Dr. Sirous Asgari is in the air on a flight back to Iran.
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| The head of the Minneapolis police union called protests a 'terrorist movement' and blamed politicians for unrest in a leaked email Posted: 01 Jun 2020 03:29 PM PDT  Bob Kroll called Black Lives Matter a "terrorist organization" in 2016. In a new email, he said current protests were part of a "terrorist movement."
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| Senator tells MPs Huawei puts US troops at risk Posted: 02 Jun 2020 09:26 AM PDT  Senator Tom Cotton also claimed that the US, UK and their allies could make superior 5G tech.
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| Pakistani girl dies of her injuries from Karachi plane crash Posted: 02 Jun 2020 02:55 AM PDT  A Pakistani girl who was critically injured on the ground last month when a passenger plane went down in a crowded neighborhood of the port city of Karachi has died at a hospital, her relatives and a doctor said Tuesday. Meanwhile, the plane's black box flight recorders were sent to France, where their data was downloaded Tuesday. The Airbus A320 crash killed 97 passengers and crew members; two passengers survived the crash.
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| Tumultuous Trade Relations Have Created an Exit Door and Opportunity for America Posted: 02 Jun 2020 12:07 PM PDT  While walking out of the World Trade Organization is, in part, the right action for Washington, remaining outside of a global free and fair-trade regime is not.
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| Obama to George Floyd protesters: Channel 'justifiable anger' into action Posted: 01 Jun 2020 09:28 AM PDT  Former President Barack Obama addressed nationwide protests over the death of George Floyd, condemning the violence brought on by a "small minority."
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| Appeals court mulls making Hillary Clinton testify on emails Posted: 02 Jun 2020 03:58 PM PDT  A bid to block her deposition shares legal tactic with Michael Flynn's move to shut down his prosecution.
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| Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez accuses New York police union of threatening Mayor Bill de Blasio's daughter after her arrest at Saturday's protests Posted: 01 Jun 2020 10:34 AM PDT  Ocasio-Cortez urged the NYPD to de-escalate with protesters and told the union to "apologize and own this egregious behavior."
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| Cops Beaten, Shot, Rammed by SUVs as George Floyd Protests Boil Over Posted: 02 Jun 2020 12:09 AM PDT  Violent factions attacked police officers across the U.S. over the last 24 hours as demonstrations against the death of an unarmed black man in police custody have spiraled out of control.George Floyd, 46, died after former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was caught on video kneeling on his neck for nearly nine minutes while he was handcuffed on Memorial Day. Chauvin has been arrested and charged with third-degree murder, but three other officers who also took part in the brutality or watched on have been fired but not arrested for their role, prompting anger among the demonstrators.In Las Vegas, an officer responding to a looting incident was reportedly shot in the head early Tuesday after exchanging gunfire with an angry mob, according to several Nevada news sources. County Sheriff Joe Lombardo told the Las Vegas Review Journal that the officer survived. "He is in extremely critical condition on life support," Lombardo said "This is a sad night for our LVMPD family and a tragic night for our community."Two police officers in Richmond, Virginia, and a third person were reportedly shot during clashes early Tuesday morning. Their condition is unclear. Late Monday night, video of a police officer apparently being run over by an SUV in the Bronx went viral. In the video, which has not been verified by The Daily Beast, an officer is struck by a speeding SUV and left in the middle of an intersection. Moments later, a New York City Police Department vehicle arrives and puts the officer, whose condition is unknown, in the back. In Buffalo, two officers were deliberately targeted by a car in front of the E District police station. New York State Police confirmed to the media that one was a trooper and the other a Buffalo Police officer. Both were taken to the Erie County Medical Center. Both have serious injuries and are in stable condition, according to WTHR News. Posts on social media also captured a fallen officer on Madison Avenue in New York. Details and the circumstances of that officer's condition are unknown. The New York City Sergeant's Benevolent Association tweeted a photo of an officer being attacked by two looters in the Bronx late Monday night. The officer survived that incident and pulled his weapon after the perpetrators ran off, but did not appear to retaliate. Early Monday morning, another officer was rammed by an SUV as he tried to make an arrest after giving chase to looters. Video of that incident posted by New York Daily News shows an SUV with Wisconsin license plates speeding away after the hit and run. That officer was taken to Bellevue Hospital and remains in stable condition.Elsewhere, four police officers were shot in downtown St. Louis after a gunfight erupted as they tried to disperse violent crowds with tear gas and flash bangs. Largely peaceful protests have been held in all 50 states, but violent rioters and looters have moved in as night falls even as curfews are in effect. Thousands of National Guard soldiers who have been called up to bolster local law enforcement have also been involved in skirmishes. In some cases, police have acted aggressively towards peaceful protesters. Over the weekend, a New York City Police Department squad vehicle rammed into a group and on Monday, law enforcement in Washington, D.C. used teargas to scatter peaceful protesters to clear a space for President Donald Trump to take a photo in front of a defaced church.Police have also marched with peaceful protesters and in cities including New York, Portland and Philadelphia, where many have taken a knee against police brutality. On Tuesday, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that New York City will be subject to an 8 p.m. curfew throughout the week. He said 700 people were arrested Monday night—the highest numbers since the protests started last week."We will not tolerate violence of any kind. We will not tolerate attacks on police officers. We will not tolerate hatred being created," de Blasio said. "We saw vicious attacks on police officers. That is wholly unacceptable. That does not represent the people of this city. Anyone who attacks a police officer attacks all of us."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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| Armenia may face a new lockdown, prime minister says Posted: 02 Jun 2020 09:57 AM PDT  Armenia may have to impose a new total lockdown if people do not follow hygiene rules, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Tuesday after the number of confirmed coronavirus cases topped 10,000. Pashinyan, who tested positive along with other members of his family on Monday, warned that a new lockdown could cause a severe economic crisis. "Either the rules are not followed and we go to complete restrictions accompanied by a curfew, subjecting the country to new social and economic shocks, or we cooperate and take control of the situation and achieve quick results," Pashinyan said during a Facebook live video.
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| 'Here to offer you grace': Protesters in Minneapolis bringing peace met with police force Posted: 02 Jun 2020 02:31 PM PDT  "We cannot back down now. We have come way too far. We are literally in the midst of history."
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| UK warns China: do not destroy the jewel of Hong Kong Posted: 02 Jun 2020 07:34 AM PDT 
China's parliament last week approved a decision to create laws for Hong Kong to curb sedition, secession, terrorism and foreign interference. Mainland security and intelligence agents may be stationed in the city for the first time. "There is time for China to reconsider, there is a moment for China to step back from the brink and respect Hong Kong's autonomy and respect China's own international obligations," British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab told parliament. Hong Kong fell to sixth place from third in the latest ranking of global financial centres, according to the Z/Yen global financial centres index, behind New York, London, Tokyo, Shanghai and Singapore. It was Asia's top hub in 2019. Raab said the security law was in breach of the "one country, two systems" principle enshrined in the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration, and also conflicted with Article 23 of China's own basic law. If it goes ahead, Raab said the United Kingdom will form an alliance of countries to resist China, whose $14 trillion economy dwarfs every Western economy apart from the United States, which has a $21.4 trillion economy.
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| Iranian 'spy' scientist flies home after release from US prison, raising hopes of prisoner swap Posted: 02 Jun 2020 08:47 AM PDT  The families of British dual nationals imprisoned by Iran today criticised the Foreign Office for "complete inaction" in trying to secure their release, as an Iranian scientist previously jailed by the US was allowed to fly home. A plane carrying Sirous Asgari took off early this morning and was on its way back to Tehran to bring him home, Iran's foreign minister announced, raising hopes of a potential prisoner swap for Western dual nationals in Iran. Mr Asgari was accused by a US court in 2016 of stealing trade secrets while on an academic visit to Ohio, where he visited a university working on projects for the US Navy. However, the 59-year-old scientist from Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, was acquitted in November when an American judge dismissed the case against him. Several British, US and other dual nationals remain imprisoned or on temporary release in Iran, typically on controversial charges of espionage. They include British-Iranian mother Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, jailed in 2016, and retired engineer Anoosheh Ashoori, 66, who has been held in Tehran's notorious Evin prison since August 2017. Both the US Department of Homeland Security and the Iranian Foreign Ministry today denied reports that Mr Asgari's release was part of a prisoner swap, but such arrangements have been made in the past, despite the breakdown in diplomatic relations between Washington and Tehran.
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| Bangladesh confirms 1st death of Rohingya from coronavirus Posted: 02 Jun 2020 01:38 AM PDT  Authorities in Bangladesh have confirmed the first death of a Rohingya refugee from the coronavirus, as infections rise in sprawling camps where more than 1 million Rohingya Muslims have been living since fleeing from neighboring Myanmar. The 71-year-old refugee died Saturday at Ukhiya in Cox's Bazar, and samples collected from him tested positive on Monday, said Abu Toha M.R. Bhuiyan, chief health coordinator of the office of the Refugee, Relief and Repatriation Commissioner. The man died in an isolation center set up by the government and aid agencies where he had been admitted with COVID-19 symptoms a week earlier.
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| Car appears to run over protesters live on-air in Boston amidst George Floyd protests Posted: 01 Jun 2020 05:11 PM PDT  A live broadcast from protests in Boston has appeared to show an SUV drive into a crowd.The incident occurred live on air while WCVB's Peter Eliopoulos described the action unfolding from the protests, which turned violent in the late hours of Sunday.
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| Australia probes US police assault on its journalists Posted: 02 Jun 2020 03:56 AM PDT  Australia is investigating a US police attack on two Australian television journalists outside the White House, the foreign minister said Tuesday, expressing "strong concerns" about the assault caught live on camera. "We have asked the Australian embassy in Washington, DC to investigate this incident," Marise Payne said after the journalists were slammed with a riot shield, punched and hit with a baton while broadcasting from the protest.
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| 'You will move, or you will die': A frightened truck driver's widely shared Facebook post says truckers will 'defend themselves' by running over protesters Posted: 02 Jun 2020 11:38 AM PDT  "Air horns will sound, steering wheels will be held tightly, but those brakes will not be touched," the truck driver wrote.
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| Michael Flynn judge defends decision to challenge DOJ request to drop case; no 'rubber stamp' Posted: 01 Jun 2020 03:35 PM PDT  Judge in Michael Flynn case fires back; defends decision to challenge DOJ move to drop case
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| A New York police officer drew his gun on protesters. Mayor Bill de Blasio says he 'should have his gun and badge taken away.' Posted: 01 Jun 2020 10:01 AM PDT  The mayor appears to have taken a stricter tone with police violence, some of which has trended on social media.
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| UK PM plans Brexit talks with EU's von der Leyen, warned to reach deal pre-autumn: FT Posted: 01 Jun 2020 10:43 AM PDT  "We need a broad agreement in place by the summer," an unnamed UK official was quoted as saying by the newspaper on Monday. Downing Street said that the European Union's plan for a common regulatory framework was "novel and unbalanced", the report added.
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| Forget Russia, Pakistan's Tactical Nuclear Weapons Are A Real Threat Posted: 02 Jun 2020 04:00 AM PDT  A dangerous environment.
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| For most churchgoers, controversy between religious freedom and public health is not real Posted: 02 Jun 2020 08:38 AM PDT  Amid the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, partisans and our political process may be turning the freedom of religion into a threat to public health.
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| Southwest offers buyouts to 'ensure survival' Posted: 02 Jun 2020 08:54 AM PDT 
Southwest Airlines is trying to avoid the first-ever layoffs in its 49-year history by extending buyout packages and temporary paid leaves to employees. CEO Gary Kelly said a reduction in labor costs were necessary for the airline to survive, according to documents detailing the voluntary leave incentives seen by Reuters. The airline expects travel to rebound slowly - with the number of flights this fall to be 30 percent below normal. Southwest is not alone. Airlines around the world are slimming down their flight schedules and cutting back on staff. But U.S. air carriers have their hands tied when it comes to job cuts after agreeing to not layoff any workers until October 1st -in exchange for government aid. In order to avoid actual layoffs, Southwest is offering employees who agreed to at least a six-month leave, half their salary plus benefits and those who take the buyout can get up to a full year's pay...and even more for pilots. The cost-saving measures were well received by investors, sending the stock higher in Tuesday trading.
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| George Floyd: Anonymous hackers re-emerge amid US unrest Posted: 01 Jun 2020 01:52 PM PDT  As the US is engulfed in civil unrest, the masked hackers are being credited with new action.
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| Philippine exit from key US military pact 'suspended' Posted: 02 Jun 2020 08:10 AM PDT  The Philippines has told the United States it is suspending its bid to break off a key military pact, the two allies said Tuesday in a sharp turnaround of President Rodrigo Duterte's foreign policy. Duterte in February gave notice to Washington he was axing the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) after accusing the US of interference in his internationally condemned narcotics crackdown. Philippine Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin said Tuesday the plan has been put on hold for at least six months.
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| The Trump administration was just hit with the first lawsuit challenging its executive order targeting social-media companies Posted: 02 Jun 2020 02:09 PM PDT  The lawsuit argues that Trump's executive order violates the First Amendment.
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| Amid Mass Arrests in Washington D.C., One Resident Sheltered More Than 50 Protesters in His Home Overnight Posted: 02 Jun 2020 01:46 PM PDT  After he closed and locked his door, the people who were inside were putting water and milk in their eyes, while the police were shooting pepper spray in through his window. There were around 70 people in his home
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| New York, Denver, Minneapolis: Disturbing videos show vehicles plowing into George Floyd protests across USA Posted: 01 Jun 2020 01:38 PM PDT  As protests swell across the USA, disturbing images have cropped up showing a horrifying trend: vehicles ramming into crowds.
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| After protests shake Brazil, Bolsonaro tries to rein in his backers Posted: 01 Jun 2020 09:37 AM PDT  Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro urged his supporters on Monday to put off their protests against the country's Supreme Court next weekend after counter-demonstrations triggered violent clashes on Sunday. "Leave things alone on Sunday," the right-wing president said, referring to the protests. Bolsonaro's critics say he has undermined democracy by endorsing almost weekly protests against the top court, which authorized an investigation into the president for allegedly interfering with police appointments for personal motives.
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| China's Navy Is Testing Out Its its First Indigenous Aircraft Carrier Posted: 02 Jun 2020 06:37 AM PDT  It's all a part of the PLAN.
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| The New Top Prosecutor in Ukraine Has Joe Biden in Her Sights Posted: 01 Jun 2020 01:00 AM PDT  Ukraine's recently appointed prosecutor general, 41-year-old Iryna Venediktova, is a woman to watch. The president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, expects her to investigate and prosecute his predecessor. She seems more than enthusiastic about that, and it's a process that's been set up from the start to (once again) try to smear Donald Trump's leading challenger for the presidency of the United States, Joe Biden.On the night of May 19, Venediktova personally approved the beginning of criminal proceedings against former President Petro Poroshenko for high treason and abuse of office. The move was triggered by leaked recordings of confidential conversations that allegedly took place in 2015-2016 between Poroshenko and then Vice President Biden, as well as John Kerry, who was the U.S. secretary of state at the time.Before her appointment as prosecutor general in March, Venediktova—a graduate of Ukraine's police academy who holds the rank of captain—had served Zelensky as acting chief of the State Bureau of Investigations (DBR). She reportedly launched investigations into Poroshenko while in that position, and is said to have clashed with the well-respected prosecutor general at the time, Ruslan Ryaboshapka, because of the way she conducted them. Ryaboshapka was dismissed in March, clearing the way for her to take his position.The nature of the private Biden-Poroshenko recordings and the way they were leaked is reminiscent of the way the Soviet KGB exploited wiretaps and disinformation, but that has not prevented Zelensky and Venediktova from sensationalizing what's now been put on the record.Who Leaked Biden's Calls to Ukraine?It was first presented at a press conference given on May 19 by Andriy Derkach, a member of Ukraine's parliament who has a very pro-Moscow past. Derkach, like Russian President Vladimir Putin, is a graduate of the former Soviet Union's Higher School of KGB, the foreign intelligence training facility now known as the FSB Academy. In recent years Derkach has worked closely with Trump's personal attorney, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, to promote accusations that Biden as vice president strong-armed the Ukrainian government to try to protect the interests of his son, Hunter Biden, who was serving in a lucrative position on the board of a Ukrainian gas company called Burisma. Anyone familiar with the history of Ukrainian corruption knows that Biden's pressure on the government in 2015 and 2016 was part of a major campaign by the International Monetary Fund and the European Union, as well as the Obama administration, to get Poroshenko to clean up his act. Hanging in the balance were $40 billion in IMF loan guarantees, with a $1 billion loan guarantee from the U.S. opening the way.At the time, one key symbol of reform was the replacement of Poroshenko's long-time crony, Chief Prosecutor Viktor Shokin, who was notorious for not convicting any major oligarchs or public officials known for corruption—even those from the infamous regime ousted by the Maidan Revolution in 2014. Starting in the mid-1990s, general prosecutors in Ukraine acquired reputations for exploiting corruption rather than fighting it. Often, prosecutions in Ukraine have been launched to shake down the targets rather than put them in prison.According to an extensive report in the British newspaper The Independent based on multiple interviews with lower level prosecutors, an investigation of the owner of Burisma, the company with Hunter Biden on the board, fit that shakedown scenario precisely. "Neither Shokin nor Poroshenko wanted to investigate [Burisma owner Mykola] Zlochevsky," former deputy prosecutor David Sakvarelidze told The Independent. "They simply began a criminal case, arrested a few assets, and began negotiating with the corruptioneer for a bribe."So, there are no real revelations in the Biden-Poroshenko conversations. What's revealing is the use that Venediktova, Derkach, and Zelensky are making of them."The leaked recordings are a nothingburger," says Poroshenko's defense lawyer, Ilya Novikov, borrowing a term from Biden's spokesman. "But Venediktova rushed to open the case late in the evening after Derkach had published the leaks," Novikov told The Daily Beast. "That to us indicates that President Zelensky personally expected his prosecutor to begin the process before his own press conference [the next day]." In fact, there is no mention of Burisma on the Derkach recordings. But the tough talk does force Ukrainian listeners to realize once again, as they did when they read the transcript of the Trump-Zelensky phone call last year, just how dependent on Washington Kyiv has become.Poroshenko clearly was reluctant to dismiss Shokin, who had been "his" prosecutor on and off for a dozen years, well before Poroshenko (an oligarch who made his fortune selling chocolate candy) moved up the political ladder to the presidency. Poroshenko can be heard on the recording telling Biden he's willing to ditch Shokin even though, according to Poroshenko, Shokin had done nothing wrong. In a subsequent call, Biden congratulates Poroshenko on appointing a new general prosecutor."I know there's a lot more of that that has to be done," says Biden. "But I really, I really think that's good, and I understand you're working with the Rada [Ukraine's parliament] in the coming days on a number of additional laws to secure the IMF [loan guarantees], but congratulations on installing the new prosecutor general. It's going to be critical for him to work quickly to repair the damage Shokin did, and I'm a man of my word, and now that the new prosecutor general is in place we're ready to move forward in signing that new $1 billion loan guarantee."When Derkach presented these recordings to the press in May, he publicly accused Biden of offering Poroshenko $1 billion of U.S. taxpayers' money "in exchange for maintaining Burisma schemes and international corruption." As Derkach described his version of the events, "Biden leaves for Kyiv to put pressure on Petro Oleksiyovych [Poroshenko] regarding Shokin. There's a powerful argument… in Biden's pocket... a $1 billion loan guarantee... such was a price to save [Hunter] Biden from prison." Then Derkach took the recordings to Venediktova. If charged, Poroshenko could face up to 15 years in prison.When President Zelensky marked the end of his first year in power the day after Venediktova drew up the treason charges against Poroshenko, he left no room to doubt he supported them and found the recordings incriminating. "I think it's not the last sign that Ukrainians will see. The prosecutors, law enforcement bodies should react," said Zelensky. "The prosecutor general of Ukraine registered criminal proceedings at the request of deputy [Andriy] Derkach yesterday. They will investigate."During the impeachment proceedings that grew out of the U.S. President Trump's notorious July 25, 2019, phone call pressuring Zelensky for dirt on Biden, Zelensky did his best to avoid taking sides. That will be harder to do if Venediktova continues to pursue the treason case based on Biden conversations. The Ukrainian president still enjoys rare popularity with an approval rating of more than 60 percent, but that is a steep decline from nearly 80 percent last year and Zelensky is the target of increased criticism. Marking the first anniversary of his presidency by threatening his predecessor with accusations of high treason does not look good. "I do not believe Zelensky," Kristina Berdyskykh, a leading Ukrainian political journalist, said on Ukraina 24 television. "All young and progressive members have left Zelensky's team."As these controversies develop, Zelensky's prosecutor will be at the center of them. Less than two years ago, Iryna Venediktova was teaching law at a university in the city of Kharkiv in eastern Ukraine. "She specialized in theory of civil and corporate law at a not very significant faculty, not on criminal justice," a civil society activist in Kharkiv, Volodymir Rysenko, told The Daily Beast. But in a matter of months, Venediktova's career jumped from a university teacher to a seat at the Rada. She is a member of Zelensky's Servant of the People party, and she was made number 3 on its electoral list last year, virtually guaranteeing she would get a seat. Then she was given another head spinning job when Zelensky appointed her to be the acting director of the State Bureau of Investigation.Finally, in March, Venediktova was appointed to be Ukraine's prosecutor general, the first woman to hold that position."When we look at Venediktova from Kharkiv, we see nothing to be proud of," says Rysenko. "We hear Venediktova accusing people in her interviews without any understanding of what presumption of innocence really means." "She has little experience for such a huge job and was appointed on the basis of being a political buddy of Mr. Zelensky," says global affairs analyst Michael Bociurkiw. "She's reversing the reforms of her predecessor which were lauded by civil society, diplomats and the international community. She has already made several controversial appointments, reinstated incompetent or politically tainted prosecutors rightfully sacked by her predecessor, and blocked civil society and foreign partners from vetting some appointments." The executive director of the non-governmental Anticorruption Action Center, Daria Kaleniuk, does not see any legitimate grounds for triggering a criminal case of high treason based on the recordings. "In my opinion Derkach deserves to be investigated for treason for his long-term work with people like Giuliani, for spreading disinformation and conspiracies, which undermine U.S.-Ukraine strategic relationships," Kaleniuk told The Daily Beast. "I think Zelensky still clearly indicates that he doesn't want to interfere in the American elections and to support any side there; but I am concerned he has appointed Venediktova, who among other strange things—like blocking prosecution reform—makes this nonsense case based on Derkach audio. It shows the lack of professionalism of both the prosecutor general and the president."For progressives in Ukraine, a huge question looming over the treason case is how the Biden-Poroshenko recordings were obtained in the first place, and who passed them on to Derkach. He claims he got them from some "investigative journalists," but nobody knows the journalists' names.Kyiv-based experts following the Bidens, Burisma and Trump ordeal in detail want prosecutor Venediktova to pay serious attention to the source of the leaked recordings."I personally know Derkach," says Yevgeny Kiselev of the TV show Real Politics. "He sounds like he is the bridge between the Ukrainian and Russian special services. In our conversations he bragged about his meetings and connections in Moscow; his father, former head of the Security Service of Ukraine, was involved in publishing compromising recordings to discredit President [Leonid] Kuchma and now Derkach junior is leaking very dubious recordings." "The former foreign minister, Pavel Kilimkin, told me that Poroshenko, Biden and Kerry had lots and lots of conversations about financial aid and about the Congress approving money," Kiselev told The Daily Beast. "He also said that Poroshenko used to invite all sorts of people to those virtual conversations, mostly to show how important he was; one of them must have recorded the conversations—that is a matter for an investigation."The Daily Beast asked Prosecutor General Venediktova if her office has also been investigating the source of the recordings but did not receive any answer.—Christopher Dickey also contributed to this article.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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| Cincinnati police raise ‘Blue Lives Matter’ flag outside justice center Posted: 01 Jun 2020 06:51 AM PDT  Hamilton county sheriff said US flag was stolen and 'thin blue line' flag was raised to honor officer who was shot * George Floyd killing – latest US updates * See all our George Floyd coveragePolice officers in Cincinnati, Ohio, stoked tensions with groups protesting against police brutality by raising a provocative flag that represents police officers outside a law enforcement building in place of the stars and stripes.The so-called "Blue Lives Matter" flag is a black-and-white US flag with a blue stripe replacing one white stripe. Thin Blue Line USA, the group that sells the flags, says the thin blue line represents officers in the line of duty and the black represents fallen officers.Pictures of the flag flying outside a local justice complex went viral, stoking anger nationwide among people protesting the death in Minneapolis of George Floyd, a 46-year-old African American man, the latest case to fuel the Black Lives Matter movement against police brutality.Cincinnati, has like scores of other major cities, been the setting for protest over the last three nights which has seen protesters and officers injured.> The Cincinnati police pulled down the American flag at the justice center and replaced it with the thin blue line. Infuriating. Picture from a friend. pic.twitter.com/1bM0ovH0T6> > — ✌Pokes✌ (@P0kes) May 31, 2020On Sunday, the Hamilton county sheriff, Jim Neil, said on Twitter the American flag that usually flies outside Cincinnatti's county justice center "was stolen during the vandalism of the Justice Center. The Thin Blue Line was raised by our deputies to honor the CPD Officer who was shot. The flag has been removed and we will replace it with the American Flag in the morning."Local media reported that the officer in question had been struck on his helmet by a bullet, but was not injured.Chris Seelbach, chair of the Cincinnati city council, tweeted that the raising of the flag would make unrest worse in the city. "[It] should have been replaced with American flag immediately. Not replaced with a politically charged blue lives matter flag when thousands are protesting in our streets because BlackLivesMatter. Sheriff Neil has only made things worse. Again."The flag has been a previous center of controversy.In Portland, Oregon, last year, a government employee won $100,000 in a settlement after she alleged she was bullied by fellow employees who displayed the flag in her office. As the Associated Press reported then, in her lawsuit against Multnomah county, Karimah Guion-Pledgure said the flag demeaned the Black Lives Matter movement.
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| World Bank: Palestinian economy could shrink by 11% Posted: 31 May 2020 10:18 PM PDT  The Palestinian economy could shrink by as much as 11% in the coming year as the coronavirus pandemic inflicts yet another blow to the Palestinian Authority's already shaky finances, the World Bank said Monday. The economic deterioration comes as tensions with Israel soar ahead of Israel's plans to annex large parts of the occupied West Bank, which would make it virtually impossible to create a viable Palestinian state. The reports were both released ahead of a meeting this week of international donor nations that support the Palestinian Authority, the internationally recognized entity that governs autonomous areas of the West Bank.
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| WHO pushes to keep ties with 'generous' U.S. despite Trump's exit move Posted: 01 Jun 2020 08:51 AM PDT  The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday praised the United States' "immense" and "generous" contribution to global health in a push to salvage relations after President Donald Trump said he was severing ties with the U.N. agency. Accusing it of pandering to China and overlooking an initially secretive response to the COVID-19 outbreak, Trump said on Friday he was ending Washington's relationship with the WHO. "The United States' contribution and generosity towards global health over many decades has been immense, and it has made a great difference in public health all around the world," he said.
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| Police Chief: Arrested Looters in NYC Are Immediately Released Because of Bail-Reform Law Posted: 02 Jun 2020 03:01 PM PDT  Most of the looters and rioters arrested by the NYPD over the past several days are immediately released as a direct result of New York's new bail-reform law, New York City police chief Terrence Monahan told the New York Post on Tuesday.While the city police made over 650 arrests on Monday night alone, Monahan said that "just about all of them" will be released without bail."We had some arrests in Brooklyn where they had guns, [and] hopefully [Brooklyn district attorney] Eric Gonzalez will keep them in, [but] I can't guarantee that'll happen," Monahan said. "But when it comes to a burglary [at] a commercial store, which is looting, they're back out. . . . Because of bail reform, you're back out on the street the next day. You cannot be held on any sort of bail. I spoke to [Manhattan district attorney] Cy Vance about that, he told me there's nothing he can do."New York's bail-reform law, which went into effect earlier this year, eliminates the bail requirement for suspects accused of most misdemeanors, including burglary and stalking. Suspects in violent felonies are still required to post bail. Even before the law was adopted, New York law forbade judges from considering many suspects' potential danger to the community before setting bail.New York City has seen widespread rioting and looting during demonstrations sparked by the death of George Floyd, an African-American man who was killed during a confrontation with white police officers in Minneapolis, Minn. The NYPD has stated that organized groups of "anarchists" are targeting stores in wealthy neighborhoods, especially in lower and midtown Manhattan. On Tuesday, Governor Andrew Cuomo slammed both the NYPD and Mayor Bill de Blasio for their handling of the riots."The police in New York City were not effective at doing their job last night. Period," Cuomo told reporters. He also floated the idea of "displacing" de Blasio, but immediately retracted the suggestion, saying it would create a "chaotic situation in the midst of an already chaotic situation, that doesn't make sense."Chief Monahan told the Post that he was "extremely outraged" by Cuomo's remarks."I'm watching my men and women out there dealing with stuff that no cop should ever have to deal with, bricks, bottles, rocks, hit in the face with bottles and continuing to go forward to make an arrest," Monahan said. "For a governor to be sitting in his office saying that we're not doing a good job -- I'm outraged."
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| Cuomo: Don't "blur the lines" between looters and protesters Posted: 02 Jun 2020 10:30 AM PDT  "COVID-19 is one issue, the outrage over Mr. Floyd is another issue, looters are another issue," he said.
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| 'My face exploded': Police firing rubber bullets have wounded and permanently disabled protesters and journalists Posted: 02 Jun 2020 09:11 AM PDT  Experts tell Insider that rubber bullets are considered "less lethal" weapons — a "legitimate tool" employed by policemen for decades.
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| George W. Bush says it remains a 'shocking failure' that African Americans are 'harassed and threatened in their own country' Posted: 02 Jun 2020 02:24 PM PDT  "It remains a shocking failure that many African Americans ... are harassed and threatened in their own country," Bush said.
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| The Soviet Union Pioneered Airborne Assault—But... Posted: 01 Jun 2020 08:45 PM PDT  Missions were small in scale, tactical in nature, and for most soldiers it was a one-way trip.
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| Ohio woman still missing months after mysterious disappearance from grandparents' house on Christmas Day Posted: 01 Jun 2020 04:17 PM PDT  Parris Hopson, 26, of Columbus, Ohio, was visiting her grandparents in Massillon, Ohio for a family gathering on Christmas Day, December 25, 2020. She left the house saying she needed to go on a walk to clear her head. Relatives say she left her cell phone, debit card and ID behind in her car. The Massillon Police Department is investigating.
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| New York protests: Video shows NYPD officer being attacked in the Bronx Posted: 02 Jun 2020 06:35 AM PDT  A video has emerged online appearing to show a New York Police Department (NYPD) officer being attacked by several people in the Bronx, New York, on Monday amidst the George Floyd protests.The footage, which was tweeted by the city's Sergeant's Benevolent Association appears to show an NYPD officer struggling on the ground with someone.
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| Biden blasts removal of protesters so Trump could be photographed in front of a church Posted: 02 Jun 2020 08:16 AM PDT  On Tuesday, Joe Biden, former vice president and presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, criticized President Trump for the clearing-out of protesters with tear gas near the White House on Monday evening so the president could be photographed in front of St. John's Episcopal Church.
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| Deadly police raid fuels call to end 'no knock' warrants Posted: 31 May 2020 10:10 PM PDT  It's the stuff of nightmares: Breonna Taylor and her boyfriend were in bed when a trio of armed men smashed through the front door. The three men turned out to be plainclothes police detectives, one of whom was wounded in the chaos and violence that March night. Taylor's death led to protests and a review of how Louisville police use "no knock" search warrants, which allow officers to enter a home without announcing their presence, often in drug cases to prevent suspects from getting rid of a stash.
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| Exclusive: U.S. small business program handed out virus aid to many borrowers twice Posted: 02 Jun 2020 06:05 AM PDT  A technical snafu in a U.S. government system caused many small businesses to receive loans twice or more under a federal aid program to help businesses hurt by the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly a dozen people with knowledge of the matter said. The money mistakenly handed out could amount to hundreds of millions of dollars that the government and lenders - which made the loans - have been trying to identify and recover in recent weeks, one of the people briefed on the matter said. The technical issue and scale of the resulting duplicate deposits made under the Small Business Administration's $660 billion Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) have not been previously reported.
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