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Sep 30, 2019

Pakistan Leader Warns of Kashmir 'Blood Bath' in Emotional U.N. Speech

Pakistan Leader Warns of Kashmir 'Blood Bath' in Emotional U.N. SpeechPakistan's leader castigated India over its Kashmir crackdown from the podium of the United Nations on Friday, warning of a "bloodbath" when and if Indian authorities lift a curfew over the disputed territory.The speech by Prime Minister Imran Khan at the United Nations General Assembly was partly directed at his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, who in his own speech earlier Friday omitted any reference to Kashmir.Last month India revoked the long-standing autonomy of the mountainous border region, the flashpoint of two wars with Pakistan since both achieved independence from Britain more than 70 years ago.Indian authorities arrested thousands of Kashmiris, severed most electronic access and imposed a curfew on the entire populace of about 8 million. While some curbs have been eased, the curfew remains in effect.Modi and his subordinates have described their move as an internal domestic matter aimed at making the region more prosperous.The Indian prime minister's shift on Kashmir was welcomed by his base of Hindu nationalists, who have long wanted to exert power in the Muslim-majority region and have long accused Pakistan of supporting militant separatists there.Khan has repeatedly denounced what he has described as Modi's reckless disregard of Pakistan's historic claims to the region.The Pakistani leader has frequently reminded the world that Pakistan and India are both nuclear powers. He has used terms like genocide to describe India's intentions for the disputed Kashmir region and has complained that Modi has ignored his entreaties for a dialogue.In an interview with The New York Times Editorial Board on Wednesday, Khan said Modi was leading India down an irrational path, a theme he reiterated in his General Assembly speech."Is it arrogance that has blinded him from what is going to happen when the curfew is lifted? Does he think the people of Kashmir will quietly accept the status quo?" Khan said. "What is going to happen when the curfew is lifted will be a bloodbath."The pent-up frustration of Kashmiris living under what Khan described as Indian military occupation would inevitably come back to haunt India, he said."Would I want to live like that?" Khan said. "I would pick up a gun."Khan, who has conspicuously avoided crossing paths with Modi while both are attending the annual gathering in New York, had said that he would be using his General Assembly speech to emphasize Kashmir and implore the United Nations to intervene.Modi, in his speech, sought to portray India as a peace-loving nation that he said had given the world Buddha's philosophy of serenity. His only reference to Pakistan and Kashmir was oblique, saying India had long been a victim of terrorism."Our voice against terrorism, to alert the world about this evil, rings with seriousness and the outrage," Modi said. "It is absolutely imperative that the world unites against terrorism."This article originally appeared in The New York Times.(C) 2019 The New York Times Company




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How Ukraine envoy's resignation could affect his possible congressional testimony

How Ukraine envoy's resignation could affect his possible congressional testimonyKurt Volker, the State Department's special envoy for Ukraine, resigned Friday amid a formal impeachment inquiry of President Trump and his communications with the Ukrainian government, including the country's president, Volodymyr Zelensky. Volker did not provide a public explanation for leaving his post, but a source familiar with his decision said Volker concluded he could not perform the job effectively as a result of the recent developments.One person familiar with the matter told NBC News that Volker's resignation will likely enable him to be much freer in what he can say about his time at his post if he is called at some point to testify before Congress.The whistleblower complaint that sparked the impeachment inquiry alleges that Volker went to Kiev to help guide Ukrainian officials on how to handle Trump's alleged demands that the government investigate former Vice President Joe Biden's son, Hunter. He also reportedly spoke with Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani in an attempt to "contain the damage" to U.S. national security.Giuliani has said Volker encouraged him to meet with Ukrainian officials regarding the Biden family. That indeed appears to be the case, but The New York Times reports Volker was acting at the request of the Ukrainians, who were reportedly concerned about how Giuliani's attempts to procure information about the Bidens and other Democrats might affect their relationship with the U.S. Read more at NBC News and The New York Times.




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Terrorism charge filed against man who crashed car into Woodfield Mall near Chicago

Terrorism charge filed against man who crashed car into Woodfield Mall near ChicagoThe man who slammed his SUV into a suburban Chicago mall has been formally charged with terrorism and criminal damage to property, authorities said.




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Three more elephants killed in Sri Lanka, bringing toll to seven

Three more elephants killed in Sri Lanka, bringing toll to sevenWildlife officials found three more dead wild elephants in central Sri Lanka Saturday, raising the number believed to have been poisoned by angry villagers to seven. The animals were found at a forest reserve near Sigiriya, a fifth-century rock fortress and UNESCO-protected heritage site, police said. "Since Friday, we have found the remains of seven cow elephants, including a tusker," police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera said.




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Hong Kong protesters to rally after another night of violence

Hong Kong protesters to rally after another night of violenceHong Kong protesters are to join a global "anti-totalitarianism rally" on Sunday, following another night of violent clashes with police after weeks of pro-democracy unrest in the Chinese-ruled city. Police fired tear gas and water cannon on Saturday night to disperse protesters who threw petrol bombs and rocks, broke government office windows and blocked a key road near the local headquarters of China's People's Liberation Army. Thousands, young and old, gathered peacefully on Saturday at a harbourside park to mark the fifth anniversary of the "Umbrella" pro-democracy movement which gridlocked streets for 79 days in 2014.




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A former diet cola addict built a $100m firm

Kara Goldin, the founder of US flavoured water company Hint, used to drink 10 cans of cola a day.

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'A great cop': NYPD Officer Brian Mulkeen killed in the Bronx, possibly with his own gun

'A great cop': NYPD Officer Brian Mulkeen killed in the Bronx, possibly with his own gunOfficer Brian Mulkeen was fatally shot, possibly with his own gun, in the Bronx during a struggle with an armed assailant, police said.




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Former British leader defends Biden Ukraine scenario

Former British leader defends Biden Ukraine scenarioFormer British Prime Minister David Cameron on Sunday supported the explanation offered as to why Vice President Joe Biden pressured the president of Ukraine in 2015 to crack down on corruption. Supporters of President Donald Trump — particularly his attorney Rudy Giuliani — have argued that Trump’s much-criticized July 25 phone call with the current president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, was appropriate because Biden had been corrupt in pushing Poroshenko to get rid of the state prosecutor.




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Jeff Flake: 'At least 35' GOP senators would vote to remove Trump if vote was private

Jeff Flake: 'At least 35' GOP senators would vote to remove Trump if vote was privateThe former Arizona Senator, who was one of Trump's most visible critics in the Senate, said if there was a secret vote, "there would be at least 35" GOP senators to vote for impeachment.




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Zimbabwe's Mugabe buried in home village, ending an era

Zimbabwe's Mugabe buried in home village, ending an eraZimbabwe's founding leader Robert Mugabe was buried on Saturday in his home village of Kutama, ending a dispute between his family and the government of his successor President Emmerson Mnangagwa over his final resting place. Mugabe ruled Zimbabwe for 37 years from independence in 1980 but was a polarizing figure idolized by some for his role in the country's liberation struggle and hated by others for ruining a promising nation through disastrous economic policies and repression against opponents. After Mass by a Roman Catholic priest and speeches by family members, Mugabe was buried in the courtyard of his rural homestead without the pomp and fun fare usually reserved for national heroes.




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Trump reportedly worked with 2 'off the books' lawyers to pressure Ukraine

Trump reportedly worked with 2 'off the books' lawyers to pressure Ukraine"Fox News Sunday" host Chris Wallace said that top U.S. officials confirmed President Trump was working with more than one personal lawyer "off the books" to pressure Ukrainian officials for damaging information on former Vice President Joe Biden.




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China ‘poised to unveil new nuclear missile’ at military parade in warning to Trump

China ‘poised to unveil new nuclear missile’ at military parade in warning to TrumpA parade by China’s secretive military will offer a rare look at its rapidly developing arsenal, including possibly a nuclear-armed missile that could reach the United States in 30 minutes, as Beijing gets closer to matching Washington and other powers in weapons technology.The Dongfeng 41 is one of a series of new weapons Chinese media say might be unveiled during the parade marking the ruling Communist Party’s 70th anniversary in power.




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How Mitch McConnell could give impeachment the Merrick Garland treatment

How Mitch McConnell could give impeachment the Merrick Garland treatmentIt’s on track to be the trial of the century: President Donald Trump fighting to keep his job before a jury of 100 senators. Sure, it would be an unprecedented move in U.S. history for Republican leader Mitch McConnell to table Trump impeachment proceedings without allowing any significant debate or a vote to convict a president from his own party, thereby removing him from office. Conventional wisdom still says there has to be a Trump trial.




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Trailblazing Texas deputy who was first local Sikh officer 'ruthlessly' killed during traffic stop

Trailblazing Texas deputy who was first local Sikh officer 'ruthlessly' killed during traffic stopDeputy Sandeep Dhaliwal, the county's first Sikh officer, was killed Friday during a traffic stop near Houston. Police have arrested Robert Solis.




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2020 Vision: Impeachment is gaining in the polls — and so is Warren

2020 Vision: Impeachment is gaining in the polls — and so is WarrenHow Trump impeachment is polling, Warren's continued rise, Gabbard qualifies for the fourth debate, and campaign cash troubles plague some Democrats.




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Democrats have a long list of possible witnesses in Trump impeachment inquiry

Democrats have a long list of possible witnesses in Trump impeachment inquiryThe list of people Democrats may seek information from regarding President Trump's attempt to obtain dirt on Joe Biden seems to grow by the minute.




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Why much of the internet is closed off to blind people

Retailers are struggling to make their products accessible, and customers are taking them to court.

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Andrew Yang: The 'Asian math guy' trying to be next US president

Andrew Yang's pledge of $1,000-a-month for every American has piqued the interests of many US voters.

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US economy under Trump: Is it the greatest in history?

Is the US economy under President Trump the best it's ever been?

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Surprise! A U.S. F-22 Stealth Raptor 'Flew Under' Iran's F-4 Fighter

Surprise! A U.S. F-22 Stealth Raptor 'Flew Under' Iran's F-4 FighterNever had a chance.




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Barreling toward impeachment proceedings, Pelosi offers Trump her thoughts and prayers

Barreling toward impeachment proceedings, Pelosi offers Trump her thoughts and prayersHouse Speaker Nancy Pelosi and President Trump took to cable news and Twitter on Friday morning as the first week of the impeachment battle came to a close in Washington.




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Hong Kongers kick off days of rallies ahead of China's birthday

Hong Kongers kick off days of rallies ahead of China's birthdayThousands of Hong Kong pro-democracy activists on Friday night kicked off what is expected to be an intense period of protests, aiming to cast a shadow over communist China's momentous anniversary celebrations. Beijing is preparing a huge military parade on Tuesday to mark 70 years since the founding of the People's Republic of China, revelling in its transformation into a global superpower. Four days of action are planned in the run-up to Tuesday with clashes almost certain after police denied permission for a march on the anniversary itself citing safety concerns.




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Pakistan warns of Kashmir bloodbath, India silent

Pakistan warns of Kashmir bloodbath, India silentIndian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has denounced terrorism but avoided any mention of India's crackdown in the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir. Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan denounced India's crackdown and warned of a "bloodbath." (Sept. 27)




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Trump's Ukraine call sparks new questions over intelligence chief's firing

Trump's Ukraine call sparks new questions over intelligence chief's firingThe president removed Dan Coats days after his conversation with Zelenskiy and insisted that Coats’s deputy not get the jobDan Coats, seen in 2018, reportedly interrupted a meeting to convince his deputy to resign. Photograph: Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty ImagesThree days after his now infamous phone conversation with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Donald Trump abruptly fired his director of national intelligence in favour of an inexperienced political loyalist.According to a New York Times report, the White House learned within days that the unorthodox call on 25 July with Zelenskiy had raised red flags among intelligence professionals and was likely to trigger an official complaint.That timeline has raised new questions over the timing of the Trump’s dismissal by tweet of the director of national intelligence (DNI), Dan Coats, on 28 July and his insistence that the deputy DNI, Sue Gordon, a career intelligence professional, did not step into the role, even in an acting capacity.Instead, Trump tried to install a Republican congressman, John Ratcliffe, who had minimal national security credentials but had been a fierce defender of the president in Congress. Trump had to drop the nomination after it emerged that Ratcliffe had exaggerated his national security credentials in his biography, wrongly claiming he had conducted prosecutions in terrorist financing cases.Despite the collapse of the Ratcliffe nomination, Gordon was forced out. She was reported to have been holding a meeting on election security on 8 August when Coats interrupted to convince her that she would have to resign.In a terse handwritten note to the president, Gordon said: “I offer this letter as an act of respect and patriotism, not preference. You should have your team.”The Office of the DNI (ODNI) and its inspector general has the authority to receive whistleblower complaints from across all US intelligence agencies and determine whether they should be referred to Congress.“We all knew Coats’ departure was coming because he had clashed with the president on several issues. What was weird was the president’s forcefulness in not wanting Sue Gordon to take over as acting director,” said Katrina Mulligan, a former official who worked in the ODNI, the national security council, and the justice department.“I was hearing at the time that Sue was getting actively excluded from things by the president that she would ordinarily have taken part in, and she was being made to feel uncomfortable,” said Mulligan, now managing director for national security and international policy at the Center for American Progress.“And then the president tried to install someone who was clearly unqualified,” she added. “Now the timeline of the whistleblower in the White House raises a lot of questions about the Sue Gordon piece of this.”John McLaughlin, the former acting CIA director, said the fact that Ratcliffe’s nomination was dropped and the job of acting DNI ultimately went to an intelligence professional, Joseph Maguire, was a sign that the intelligence community was so far resisting political pressure from the White House.Maguire faced tough questioning in Congress this week about his initial refusal, on justice department guidance, to refer the whistleblower complaint to Congress.“On politicisation, my sense is that the community is holding the line against it although undoubtedly dealing with more or less constant pressure,” McLaughlin said. “I felt kind of bad for the acting DNI, an honourable man with impeccable service to the nation. I believe he made some honest errors in judgment rather than yielding to political pressure. Throwing him into this job in these circumstances on such short notice is a little like assigning me on a navy Seal mission.”




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New chapter opens in Pennsylvania in fight over suing church

New chapter opens in Pennsylvania in fight over suing churchWhen post offices close Monday, the last victim compensation funds at Pennsylvania's Roman Catholic dioceses will also close, hours before lawmakers plunge back into a years-old fight over whether to let long-ago victims of child sexual abuse sue perpetrators and institutions that may have covered it up. It comes more than a year after last year's landmark grand jury report that accused senior Catholic Church officials of hushing up the abuse for decades. In the report's wake, the Philadelphia archdiocese and six Pennsylvania dioceses opened victim compensation funds while state lawmakers fought to a standstill over giving now-adult victims of childhood sexual abuse a legal "window" to sue.




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Joseph Wilson, U.S. diplomat who spoke out on Iraq War, dies at 69: NYT

Joseph Wilson, U.S. diplomat who spoke out on Iraq War, dies at 69: NYTWilson's ex-wife, Valerie Plame, a former CIA officer now running for Congress, told the Times his cause of death was organ failure. Wilson died at his home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, the Times reported. Wilson served in several diplomatic posts during a 23-year career that began in 1976.




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Here's who will be onstage for the October 15 Democratic debate hosted by CNN and The New York Times, what time it'll start, and how to watch

Here's who will be onstage for the October 15 Democratic debate hosted by CNN and The New York Times, what time it'll start, and how to watchThe debate, which will feature 12 candidates all debating on one stage, will be hosted at Otterbein University in Westerville, Ohio.




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How Ukraine envoy's resignation could affect his possible Congressional testimony

How Ukraine envoy's resignation could affect his possible Congressional testimonyKurt Volker, the State Department's special envoy for Ukraine, resigned Friday amid a formal impeachment inquiry of President Trump and his communications with the Ukrainian government, including the country's president, Volodymyr Zelensky. Volker did not provide a public explanation for leaving his post, but a source familiar with his decision said Volker concluded he could not perform the job effectively as a result of the recent developments.One person familiar with the matter told NBC News that Volker's resignation will likely enable him to be much freer in what he can say about his time at his post if he is called at some point to testify before Congress.The whistleblower complaint that sparked the impeachment inquiry alleges that Volker went to Kiev to help guide Ukrainian officials on how to handle Trump's alleged demands that the government investigate former Vice President Joe Biden's son, Hunter. He also reportedly spoke with Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani in an attempt to "contain the damage" to U.S. national security.Giuliani has said Volker encouraged him to meet with Ukrainian officials regarding the Biden family. That indeed appears to be the case, but The New York Times reports Volker was acting at the request of the Ukrainians, who were reportedly concerned about how Giuliani's attempts to procure information about the Bidens and other Democrats might affect their relationship with the U.S. Read more at NBC News and The New York Times.




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Greta Thunberg marches in Montreal for global climate protests

Greta Thunberg marches in Montreal for global climate protestsThe 16-year-old Swede met privately with Trudeau but later told a news conference with local indigenous leaders that he was "not doing enough" to curb greenhouse gases responsible for global warming. Thunberg generated headlines around the world earlier this week with her viral so-called "How Dare You?" speech at the UN climate summit, accusing world leaders of betraying her generation.




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Zimbabwe's Mugabe now expected to be buried on Saturday

Zimbabwe's Mugabe now expected to be buried on SaturdayZimbabwe's longtime leader Robert Mugabe is expected to be buried on Saturday, a family spokesman said Friday, after three weeks of drama over the former strongman's final resting place. Security was tight around the rural home that now will be the burial site after an abrupt change of plans left Zimbabwe's government with an incomplete mausoleum on a hilltop in the capital, Harare. Family spokesman Leo Mugabe confirmed the new plan, a day after the government announced it would comply with the family's latest wishes.




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Impeachment: A Preview for What Could Come Next for Donald Trump

Impeachment: A Preview for What Could Come Next for Donald TrumpAs the inquiry moves forward, it is important to understand that the Framers of the Constitution did not provide for impeachment as a partisan political weapon or as a response to a president’s policies with which members disagree. Here is how the process, according to the Constitution, should work.




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Members of disbanded EPA air quality panel form independent group

Members of disbanded EPA air quality panel form independent groupThe 20 experts are scheduled to review the science on particulate matter pollution and health beginning at a two-day meeting in Virginia on Oct. 10. Dubbed the Independent Particulate Matter Review Panel, the group plans to issue a report on whether the current federal particulate matter standard is adequate, members said. Members of the independent group previously served on the EPA's Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) Particulate Matter Review Panel, which was disbanded last October by EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler.




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Ghosts of China's past haunt former capital Nanjing

Ghosts of China's past haunt former capital NanjingThe eastern city of Nanjing contains vestiges of China's past that represent an inconvenient truth for the government today: the Chinese world has not always revolved around the Communists and Beijing. China is preparing for grand celebrations next month to mark 70 years since Mao Zedong founded the Communist government based in the northern capital. "Nanjing was the capital of short-lived dynasties in history, and regimes died away quickly," Jiang Shaojian, a Nanjing resident, told an AFP journalist.




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2020 Nissan Titan Makeover Adds Sharper Looks, More Muscle

2020 Nissan Titan Makeover Adds Sharper Looks, More MuscleNissan updates its half-ton pickup truck with a revised powertrain, fresh styling, and new features.




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Boeing, FAA should fix 737 Max's automated systems so they don't confuse pilots, NTSB says

Boeing, FAA should fix 737 Max's automated systems so they don't confuse pilots, NTSB saysThe NTSB says the FAA should require Boeing to redesign its system in a way that is more intuitive, so pilots can take corrective action quickly.




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Bangladesh to build barbed wire fences around Rohingya camps

Bangladesh to build barbed wire fences around Rohingya campsBangladesh is planning to install barbed-wire fencing, guard towers and cameras around Rohingya refugee camps, raising fears of prison-like conditions in the already bleak settlements.  The move comes amid growing security concerns and rising impatience in Dhaka that no solution has been found to repatriate or rehouse some one million refugees who have fled from Burma’s Rakhine state to the Bangladeshi port of Cox’s Bazar, most during a murderous military crackdown in 2017. "There are three large camps. We'll fence the three camps with barbed wires," Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan told reporters this week. "Watch towers and CCTV cameras" would also be set up to monitor activity in the Cox's Bazar district settlements, he added, according to AFP.  Tensions over the camps have increased since a repatriation bid to encourage refugees to return to Burma in August failed because of the minority’s fears that they would not be allowed back to their homes and would never be granted Burmese citizenship.  Life inside the Bangladeshi camps is already bleak Credit: Mohammad Ponir Hossain/Reuters The aborted attempt has heightened the possibility that a large section of the Rohingya community could be forcibly relocated in the near future to Bhasan Char, a remote, cyclone-prone silt island that only recently emerged from the sea.  Dhaka has been dialing up the pressure on the Rohingya, taking steps to restrict their activities, including the blocking of 3G and 4G mobile networks, confiscating SIM cards and mobile phones, reportedly over fears that criminal gangs are involved in murder and drug smuggling.  Two refugees were killed in a gun battle with Bangladeshi border guards after failing to surrender when they were caught trying to cross over from Burma early on Friday and reportedly opened fire. The guards claimed the men were carrying 70,000 methamphetamine tablets.  The movement of Rohingya refugees to and from the crowded Cox’s Bazar camps is already severely restricted, and families are unable to earn a livelihood and children cannot receive a higher education.  Aid workers have indicated that conditions in the squalid settlements are rapidly becoming more desperate.  Children in the camps have no hope of a higher education  Credit: Munir Uz Zaman/AFP “As tensions inside Cox’s Bazar mount, violence has become a daily occurrence and we know that there are many Rohingya refugees desperate to return to their homes,” Manish Agrawal, Bangladesh director for the International Rescue Committee, told The Telegraph earlier this month.  “People find it impossible to look to the future and live beyond each day; they cannot access basic services and finding work is out of the question.” But Mr Agarwal added that despite the hardships, there was still “immense fear” of returning to Burma and that any repatriation must be done on a safe and voluntary basis.  “This will only happen if the root causes of the crisis are addressed and the governments of Bangladesh and Myanmar work collaboratively with the international community; the Rohingya people must have a viable pathway to citizenship, have access to jobs and services and, most of all, protected from harm,” he said.  Last year, a United Nations fact-finding team recommended the prosecution of top Burmese military commanders on charges of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. Burma has rejected the allegations.   In mid-September the team cited the lack of accountability for the perpetrators of the alleged crimes when it concluded that "that there is a serious risk that genocidal actions may occur or recur”.




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Japan's Failed Twice to Track North Korean Missiles

Japan's Failed Twice to Track North Korean MissilesWe've got a problem.




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El Salvador president calls on Trump to keep protected status program for migrants

El Salvador president calls on Trump to keep protected status program for migrantsEl Salvador's President Nayib Bukele on Thursday said the United States should promote legal migration as part of its crackdown on illegal immigration, calling on President Donald Trump to continue a program shielding some migrants from deportation. "If the U.S. government is serious about fighting irregular migration, it should support and encourage legal migration," he told reporters after giving a speech to the United Nations General Assembly, where the 38-year-old leader took a selfie on the podium.




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Run by California GOP stalwart pressures indicted incumbent

Run by California GOP stalwart pressures indicted incumbentWealthy former congressman Darrell Issa says he retired from the U.S. House of Representatives because the Southern California district he served for 18 years had grown too moderate and no longer fit him. With his name recognition and wealth, Issa's entry Thursday into the race in the 50th District increases the pressure on six-term Rep. Duncan Hunter to step aside, analysts say. Hunter was one of the first to endorse candidate Donald Trump before the 2016 election, but political analyst Carl Luna said Issa's bid sends the message to voters that the Republican party does not want to take a risk.




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Pakistan overturns man's blasphemy conviction after 17 years on death row

Pakistan overturns man's blasphemy conviction after 17 years on death rowA man sentenced to death in 2002 for blasphemy and who spent 17 years awaiting execution has had his conviction overturned by Pakistan's Supreme Court, his lawyer told AFP on Thursday. Wajih-ul-Hassan, a Muslim, also spent a year in jail before his conviction. Blasphemy is a hugely sensitive issue in Pakistan, where even unproven allegations of insulting Islam can lead to assassinations and lynchings.




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U.S. Ambassador Roped Into Rudy’s Quest to Smear Biden

U.S. Ambassador Roped Into Rudy’s Quest to Smear BidenAlex WongRudy Giuliani’s contacts with officials at the State Department as part of his controversial efforts to dig up dirt on Joe Biden in Ukraine are more extensive than have been publicly reported. And they raise additional questions about the degree to which senior officials throughout the Trump administration were involved in—or privy to—attempts by the president to muddy a top potential political opponent. Over the course of the past year, Giuliani has participated in a far-flung campaign by Trump allies to unearth damaging information about Biden and his son Hunter. As part of that effort, Giuliani pressed the Ukrainian government to investigate so-far unfounded allegations of corruption in the country involving the Bidens. At the time, Hunter Biden was accused of using his father’s political standing to secure lucrative business opportunities abroad. Ukraine’s prosecutor general would subsequently say he had no evidence of any wrongdoing.This summer, Giuliani briefed U.S. diplomats, including special representative for Ukraine Kurt Volker, on his work in Ukraine and his efforts to convince the administration of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate the Bidens. But Giuliani confirmed to The Daily Beast that he also briefed another diplomat: U.S. Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland. President Trump’s lawyer said that he briefed both Volker (who he referred to as the “main one” in terms of his State contacts) and Sondland on multiple conference calls earlier this year about his progress in pursuing a Ukraine investigation.It wasn’t exactly an unknown topic for Sondland. The ambassador was also closely involved with the Trump phone call to Zelensky in which Trump repeatedly pressured the Ukrainian president to investigate the Bidens. “I spoke with both of them before and after this conversation,” Sondland told Ukraine’s state-run news agency after the phone call. “The conversation was very successful. They found a common language immediately.” The two leaders discussed Ukraine’s civil war, energy security, and “the rule of law,” Sondland said in July. That same day, Zelensky met with both Sondland and Volker to discuss Ukraine’s war with pro-Russian rebels. It was a particularly poignant topic at the time; the U.S. was holding back on nearly $400 million worth of equipment promised to Kyiv to deter Moscow and her allies.Not Just Ukraine: Rudy and Bannon Try a Whole New Way to Slime BidenWhile Giuliani has said publicly that his overtures to the Ukrainians were brokered in part by the State Department, the specifics of his contacts with Foggy Bottom have remained opaque—including what, if anything, Secretary Mike Pompeo knew about the Ukraine work. According to two sources inside the department, U.S. diplomats, including Sondland and Volker, were aware of the details Giuliani’s work in Ukraine on Biden as early as this spring. Those sources said senior officials at the department were read in on Giuliani’s calls with Volker and Sondland.“I’ve spoken to Kurt Volker the most about this, but have been on conference calls with [Sondland],.” Giuliani said.  Giuliani also claimed that he had not been asked to be put in touch with Sondland, but one day unexpectedly found himself “on a conference call with him” to discuss the Ukraine efforts.They weren’t the only senior members of the Trump administration brought into the president’s efforts to use a foreign government to squeeze a political foe. According to the Washington Post, Trump ordered Mick Mulvaney, his acting chief of staff and director of the Office of Management and Budget, to hit pause on hundreds of millions of dollars in military aid for Ukraine—just days before a now-infamous July phone call between Trump and Zelensky. Mulvaney’s OMB deputies then directed officials Departments of Defense and State not to distribute the military aid. Giuliani’s work on Ukraine began months earlier. The Trump attorney’s work, done with the president’s explicit blessing, involved chasing leads on possible origins of the Mueller investigation. It eventually led to his attempts to dig up dirt on the Biden family. This was all happening as Trump was preparing to head into a presidential election year, with Trump and his advisers viewing Biden, the 2020 Democratic frontrunner, as a prominent political enemy.Giuliani was planning to travel to Ukraine in May to look into allegations of corruption involving the Bidens there. The trip was pulled. But the president’s lawyer met up with Andrei Yermak, a close adviser to Zelensky, in Spain last month. It was before that meeting that Giuliani said the department reached out to him and requested that he take a call with Yermak. And after the meeting, Giuliani told The Daily Beast he briefed Volker and Sondland.While Volker is known in diplomatic circles as the U.S. special representative for Ukraine, Ambassador Sondland has—until recently—maintained a lower-profile. The founder and chairman of Provenance Hotels, Sondland appeared to be uncomfortable with his status as a Trump supporter during the 2016 campaign. Sondland appeared on a list of bundlers for Trump distributed by the RNC in July 2016 and was listed as a co-host of a Seattle fundraiser for the Trump campaign. When the Seattle Times reported Sondland’s participation in the fundaiser he and wife , said that Trump’s treatment of the family of a Muslim Gold Star family, they were backing out of the event. Trump’s ”constantly evolving positions diverge from their personal beliefs and values on so many levels” that the couple could no longer support him, according to a spokesperson.But as The Intercept subsequently reported, Sondland appeared to have a change of heart after Trump won the election. The hotel magnate donated a million dollars to the Trump inaugural committee using limited liability corporations which masked his name from the list of Trump contributors. The move prompted a Federal Election Commission complaint from campaign finance watchdog, the Campaign Legal Center, but Sondland’s relationship with the Trump administration wasn’t harmed by his apparent discomfort—Trump nominated him for U.S. ambassador to the European Union in May 2018. Sondland attended Zelenskiy’s presidential inauguration as part of the U.S. delegation in May 2019 shortly after Giuliani announced he was canceling plans to visit the country in pursuit of dirt on the Biden family. Sondland is known inside the State Department as key to helping the administration promote better U.S.-Ukraine trade relations. Together with U.S. Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell, Sondland has spoken out against the Nordstream 2 pipeline project, saying it undermines Ukraine’s sovereignty by bypassing the country and cutting off its ability to export natural gas to Europe. In an op-ed Grenell, Sondland and U.S. Ambassador to Denmark Carla Sands said the pipeline would “bring more than just Russian gas.” “Russian leverage and influence will also flow under the Baltic Sea and into Europe, and the pipeline will enable Moscow to further undermine Ukrainian sovereignty and stability,” the op-ed said.Ukraine Likely to Reopen Probe of Hunter Biden Firm: SourcesThe State Department did not respond to a request for comment for this story and did not provide details about whether it had reached out to Giuliani to take a call with Yermak. But it appears the State Department and other Trump administration officials were well on their way to establishing a connection with the Zelensky team. By the time of Giuliani’s debriefings this August, leading Zelensky ally Ivan Bakanov had already visited Washington twice—once in April and once following Zelensky’s inauguration. Bakanov, who now heads the country’s security service, met with members of Congress, including Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), one of the leaders of the Ukraine caucus, and officials inside the administration, including Fiona Hill, then who at the time was served as the top White House advisor for Russia. Bakanov also met George Kent, the Deputy Assistant Secretary in the European and Eurasian Bureau at the State Department.Volker and Sondland had also visited Kyiv twice—once in May and the other time coming on the heels of Trump’s July 25 phone call with Zelensky. They went to Ukraine with Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) and Energy Secretary Rick Perry and briefed the White House on their visit just days later. Sondland and Volker met with Zelensky July 26 to express “unwavering support for Ukraine’s democracy”, according to a U.S. embassy tweet.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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