| '#ClintonBodyCount': Trump's sharing of Epstein conspiracy theory draws outrage Posted: 11 Aug 2019 10:58 AM PDT  President Trump drew widespread backlash after sharing a baseless conspiracy theory tying the death of Jeffrey Epstein, a well-connected convicted sex offender, to Bill and Hillary Clinton.
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| The Latest: Hong Kong airport to restart flights Tuesday Posted: 12 Aug 2019 05:01 AM PDT  The Hong Kong airport says it will restart flights starting at 6 a.m. Tuesday after it completely shut down operations when thousands of pro-democracy demonstrators occupied its main terminal. Airport staff advised passengers to leave the airport for their own safety, but traffic outside was at a near standstill, and public transportation was clogged. Some passengers and departing protesters opted to walk.
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| Seven dead in DR Congo lake boat capsize Posted: 12 Aug 2019 06:30 AM PDT  Seven people drowned after a transport boat sank after hitting rocks on a lake in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo over the weekend, local authorities said on Monday. Lake and river transport is widely used in the DRC as the highway system is poor, but accidents are common, often caused by overloading and the unsafe state of vessels. The "total number of deaths is seven," the local minister of transport and communication in South Kivu province, Claude Swedy Basila said in a statement.
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| Accused Sex Trafficker Steered $100K Payday to Bannon Posted: 11 Aug 2019 02:30 AM PDT  Photo Illustration by Lyne Lucien/The Daily Beast/GettyAn accused pedophile helped Steve Bannon secure a $100,000 speaking gig from a prestigious Washington think tank, according to emails reviewed by The Daily Beast. The emails—between Republican fundraiser and investor Elliott Broidy and Lebanese-American political operative George Nader—shed light on the relationship between Trump's ex-adviser and a man now in jail awaiting trial on child sex trafficking charges. The emails point to a closer relationship between Bannon and Nader than previously known. It's been widely reported that Nader met with Bannon in the White House during his time as a Trump adviser there. But these emails show they stayed in contact after Bannon left government, and that Nader helped the ex-Breitbart chief secure an appearance with a six-figure payday. A Bannon spokesperson, meanwhile, said Nader was "irrelevant" to Bannon's speech. Nader's work drew the attention of Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who questioned him extensively as part of his probe into foreign meddling in the 2016 presidential race. But Mueller wasn't the only federal prosecutor interested in Nader. On June 3 of this year, he was arrested at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York and charged with possessing child pornography. And just last month, the feds rolled out additional charges for child sex trafficking. Nader is in jail awaiting trial, and has pleaded not guilty. Broidy, meanwhile, also appears to have drawn attention from the feds: The Daily Beast confirmed in April that one of his former associates has spoken with FBI agents about his business dealings. The emails between Nader and Broidy, sent in September and October 2017, involve arrangements for a conference on Qatar hosted by the Hudson Institute. Broidy, then seeking business from the government of the United Arab Emirates, was running a quiet public relations campaign designed to undermine the Qatari government's influence in Washington and with American Jewish leaders. He was particularly incensed that Nick Muzin, a former staffer to Sen. Ted Cruz with deep ties to Jewish leaders, had signed on to lobby for the government of Qatar. They'd run in the same tight-knit circle of Jewish Republicans and Broidy saw Muzin as a traitor. The country's connections to Iran—with which it shares a huge gas field—have long angered many in the pro-Israel community. And its ownership of Al Jazeera also fuels opposition from many supporters of Israel. Steve Bannon Got Russian 'Evidence' From Rob Goldstone During Transition"I want to Puke," he wrote in an email to his wife on Sept. 6. "What a moron.""Is this guy a self-hating Jew or an idiot?" she replied. "What can you do?"Just a few months earlier, the governments of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates started a blockade of Qatar. It was a bid to isolate the peninsular nation, which those governments blamed for funding terrorism. The Qataris kicked off a well-funded lobbying effort to tell their side of the story in Washington and stay in the Trump administration's good graces. Muzin's outreach to Jewish leaders—which Broidy sought to countervail—was part of the Qataris' effort to shore up support. As part of Broidy's project, he helped arrange a conference to be held at the Hudson Institute, a conservative think tank known for its foreign policy work. The conference, set for October of 2017, would make the case against Qatar. In September, Broidy communicated with Nader—whom he had known since Trump's inauguration—about those plans. And on Sept. 22, Nader emailed Broidy about getting Bannon involved [all punctuation sic]. "Hope all is going well with you and the Conference," Nader wrote. "Send me please an update[.] Steve is interested in participating." Nader then shared Bannon's email with Broidy. "Send him pls a letter to brief him…on the conference, what you like him to do and when," Nader continued. "You should get him key time and all by himself with proper guy to introduce him. Let me know what you have in mind!"Two days later, Broidy sent Nader a curious email. It opened with the words "Dear Steve," and then described the plans for the conference. "I would love to have you as one of the keynote speakers," Broidy wrote in the email sent to Nader but addressed to Bannon. The email included a draft of the conference's agenda. It appears Broidy wanted Nader to proof-read the invitation before it went to Bannon, who had left the White House in August 2017.On Sept. 29, event organizers circulated a draft of a Save-the-Date invitation for the conference. Bannon's name wasn't on it. "You need to add please Steve Bannon," Nader wrote in an email to Broidy. "He is as important if not more to that invitation and kindly send me too a draft of the full program as is for now[.]" Two weeks later, Bannon was in. "Still working on many details," Broidy wrote to Nader on Oct. 17. "Will get schedule to you when ready. Steve is on board, FYI $100k honorarium." Five days later, Broidy was still keeping Nader looped in on Bannon's participation. He forwarded Nader an email he sent directly to Bannon that day. "I am very excited about your appearance at the conference tomorrow," he wrote in the email to Bannon that he forwarded to Nader. "George asked me to resend some talking points. See you then." A person close to Bannon said that the two men got to know each other better after Bannon left the White House, and that Nader was one of many people who approached Bannon on behalf of event organizers about making speeches. But a Bannon spokesperson discounted Nader's role in Bannon's speech."This is just one of many speaking requests Mr. Bannon receives," the spokesperson said in a statement. "Hudson Institute is a highly respected think tank, and because of that, he accepted an invitation with others such as Sen. Cotton and Gen. Petraeus. George Nader was irrelevant; neither he nor anyone has influenced Mr. Bannon's longtime position on the condemnation of Qatar as an urgent threat to Israel: a state sponsor of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas, and other Islamic terror organizations."The conference went forward, largely as planned, and a source familiar with it confirmed that Bannon received the $100,000 payment. It featured a host of luminaries, including Gen. David Petraeus; Zalmay Khalilzad, who later became the State Department's Special Representative for Afghan Reconciliation; Democratic and Republican members of the House of Representatives; and Republican Sen. Tom Cotton. Bannon, in his speech, was characteristically bombastic and praised the blockade. "I think the single most important thing that's happening in the world is the situation in Qatar," he said. "What's happening in Qatar is every bit as important as what's happening in North Korea."A lawyer for Nader declined to comment for this story. Spokespersons for Broidy and Bannon declined to comment as well. The Hudson Institute stands by its work."Hudson has held countless panels and produced reports on the Middle East, including Qatar and the pernicious impact of the Muslim Brotherhood specifically," said a statement the Institute shared with The Daily Beast. "We believe our criticisms and analysis of Qatar, Iran, and the Muslim Brotherhood are still valid." George Nader's Phones Had Child Porn—and Communications With a Crown Prince, Feds SayA source close to Hudson said Bannon's honorarium was on par with what other main speakers received. In an ironic twist, Bannon has since gotten to know Muzin—Broidy's old nemesis—and discussed going into business with him. The Daily Beast reported earlier this year that Muzin pitched an executive at Juul, the e-cigarette company, on his lobbying services and said Bannon would be able to help out with his influence efforts. Juul didn't take them up on the offer. For Broidy and Nader, the weeks before the Hudson conference were a comparatively simple time. Two months after the event, hackers stole troves of emails Broidy had sent and received. The emails were fodder for a host of news stories about his business dealings and relationships with foreign government officials, including officials looking to influence Trumpworld. Many of Nader's communications with Broidy have also become public since the hack. And numerous reports have revealed Nader's work as a gatekeeper between Gulf dignitaries and denizens of Trumpworld. The emails The Daily Beast obtained indicate that, on at least one occasion, he also helped connect a Republican financier to Bannon. Broidy has alleged in court that the Qatari government sponsored the hacks. The Qataris say the allegations are baseless, and the litigation is underway. 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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| Freshly Restored 1968 Chevrolet Camaro RS/SS Pro Touring Posted: 12 Aug 2019 09:59 AM PDT  Low miles with modern performance and luxury upgrades. Flemings Ultimate Garage is pleased to announce this 1968 Chevrolet Camaro RS/SS Pro Touring model up for sale. For the 1968 model year, Chevrolet could leave well enough alone with the Camaro; it was an instant hit and racking up strong sales numbers and track figures against the Mustang. After all, the saying does go "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." The changes from 1967 to 1968 were subtle, but thoughtful nonetheless. The vent windows that framed the A-pillars were eliminated, so GM installed air vents below the dash called "Astro-Ventilation" to get proper airflow to the driver. The model you see here is an excellent example from '68 and will make a stunning addition to your garage. The Camaro is timeless, and this recently restored coupe is nothing short of a masterpiece.This '68 Camaro RS/SS is dressed in Cortez Silver paint with a mirror finish and black Super Sport nose stripes. The car is in show-quality, having been waxed and detailed to perfection. The interior features custom fourth-generation Camaro Houndstooth black 10-way power seats. Other cabin goodies include a custom aluminum trim floor console, optional Cool-it floor and door sound deadening, a new Vintage Air a/c system, CPP fast-ratio power steering, and upgraded Pioneer digital sound system with AM/FM/USB/AUX with Pioneer 6x9 speakers. The dash also features new vintage 3-in-1 full custom gauges, including a 140 speedometer and an 8K rpm tachometer.Powering this bad boy is a brand-new GM Performance Parts hi-performance fuel-injected aluminum LS3 V8 engine making over 500 horsepower! It's mated to a rebuilt Tremec T-56 six-speed manual transmission with a modern hydraulic clutch and an LS7 pressure plate. This Camaro has its original 12-bolt rear differential with an Eaton Posi rebuild with Moser axles and 3.73 gears.The car rides on 18x8 and 18x9 Bonspeed Puresport two-piece forged alloy wheels wrapped in Nitto hi-speed radials. It's lowered on Hotchkis springs with brand-new Bilstein shocks, and optional Hotchkis sway bars and tubular control arms. All of the power is stopped via Wilwood four-wheel power disc brakes with 14-inch six-piston calipers up front and 13-inch four-piston calipers at the rear. It sounds incredible too, thanks to the polished stainless dual exhaust with Magnaflow mufflers, X-pipe, and long-tube headers.This Camaro was freshly restored not too long ago and looks the part. Since the resto, it's only clocked 2,290 miles! This baby is now ready for a new owner to continue its story. The current asking price as of this writing is $89,900, and you can make an offer right here. Read More: * Built To Thrill: 800-Horsepower 2011 Chevrolet Camaro SS * Gorgeous Hugger Orange 1972 Chevrolet Camaro Restomod For Sale
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| A Minnesota father told police he dropped his 5-month-old boy on his head for being 'fussy.' The baby died Posted: 11 Aug 2019 02:54 PM PDT ![A Minnesota father told police he dropped his 5-month-old boy on his head for being 'fussy.' The baby died]( "A Minnesota father told police he dropped his 5-month-old boy on his head for being 'fussy.' The baby died") Matthew Hoisser, 35, complained that his son was "difficult" and "fussy," according to court documents. He dropped the baby on his head, killing him.
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| Mocking suspect's hairstyle could get you prosecuted, police warn Posted: 12 Aug 2019 06:10 AM PDT  Police have warned social media users they could face arrest if they "troll" a wanted drug dealer by mocking his distinctive hairstyle. An online appeal to catch the criminal has resulted in tens of thousands of people posting joke comments. Jermaine Taylor, 21, is wanted for breaching his licence conditions after being released from prison in December 2018. Gwent Police launched the social media appeal to find the convicted drug dealer, but it backfired when people began making jokes about his hairstyle, with one saying it had been "pushed back more times than Brexit". The picture shows Taylor with a large, bald forehead and two tufts of hair sticking up. Twitter users joked: "His forehead is bigger than his future," and "that hairline goes further back than Woolworths". Another quipped: "Looks like his hairline is on the run too." The large number of comments prompted Gwent Police to warn users that posting abusive material could be against the law. Many users seemed undeterred, however, with one adding: "He was last seen in town - police are combing the area," and another joking: "He's vanished into thin hair." In a statement, Gwent Police warned users against online bullying. "Please remember that harassing, threatening and abusing people on social media can be against the law," the force said. "Our advice is to be as careful on social media as you would in any other form of communication. If you say something about someone which is grossly offensive or is of an indecent, obscene or menacing character, then you could be investigated by the police." Taylor was jailed for three years at Cardiff Crown Court in September 2017 over the supply of cocaine.
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| 'Words matter': Bloomberg says Trump rhetoric can encourage violence Posted: 11 Aug 2019 05:28 AM PDT  Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg says he hopes President Trump understands that a leader's careless word choice risks encouraging racism and even violence.
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| Typhoon leaves 28 dead in China, 20 still missing Posted: 11 Aug 2019 12:25 AM PDT  A powerful typhoon left at least 28 people dead in southeastern China, including more than 20 who perished after a landslide backed up a river that then inundated homes, state media reported Sunday. Another 20 people remained unaccounted for in Zhejiang province, the official Xinhua News Agency said. After the landslide, the river rose to a level of 10 meters (30 feet) within 10 minutes, trapping 120 people in Yongjia county, Xinhua said.
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| Saudi-led coalition launches strike after Aden 'coup' Posted: 11 Aug 2019 08:22 AM PDT  A Saudi-led coalition launched Sunday a strike against Yemen's southern separatists after clashes in the second city Aden left around 40 people dead, threatening to push the war-ravaged nation deeper into turmoil. The strike came a day after the separatists seized the presidential palace in Aden, a move decried by the Riyadh-backed Yemeni government as a UAE-supported coup. The deadly violence, which threatens to exacerbate Yemen's humanitarian crisis, reflects deep divisions between secessionists and loyalist forces, both of whom have fought Shiite Huthi rebels.
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| Police arrest white supremacist for threatening Walmart attack Posted: 11 Aug 2019 12:42 PM PDT  A white supremacist has been arrested after he posted a message on Facebook threatening a shooting at a Walmart in Florida, police have said.Richard Clayton, 26, was arrested after making an online threat on Friday, according to police, just days after a gunman stormed a Walmart in El Paso, Texas, killing 22 people. That suspect, Patrick Crusius, reportedly posted an anti-immigrant screed on the online messaging forum 8chan shortly before the mass shooting. Mr Clayton reportedly wrote on Facebook: "3 more days of probation left then I get my AR-15 back.""Don't go to Walmart next week," the post continued.He was charged with making written threats to kill or do bodily harm, according to Florida officials, who told the Associated Press he was held on $15,000 (£12,461) bond at the Orange County Jail. The Florida Department of Law enforcement said in a statement: "Law enforcement has zero tolerance for threats being made and will utilise the full force of the Joint Terrorism Task Force to ensure the public's safety." The country has been on high alert amid a wave of deadly mass shootings and an apparent rise in domestic terror incidents which FBI Director Christopher Wray attributed to violent white supremacy during a public Senate hearing this summer. A day before Mr Clayton's arrest, a man was charged with "making a terrorist threat in the first degree" after walking into a Missouri Walmart earlier in the week donning full body armour while carrying multiple firearms and over 100 rounds of ammunition. The suspect, 23-year-old Conor Climo from Las Vegas, reportedly possessed bomb-making materials and shared white supremacist and neo-Nazi sentiments with an undercover FBI agent.Another Florida resident was charged with threatening an attack just one day after the Walmart shooting, calling one of the chain stores in the town of Gibsonton and reportedly threatening to "shoot up the store". There have also been a series of false alarms in recent weeks where crowds have mistaken loud noises for mass shootings, including in Times Square, New York.
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| VIDEO: Homeless man throws rock into windshield of car in Pomona Posted: 11 Aug 2019 08:59 PM PDT  Video shows an apparently homeless man heaving a heavy rock directly into the windshield of a car in Pomona.
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| Strip club seeks stay-at-home moms to dance for 'extra cash.' City leader: 'Distasteful' Posted: 12 Aug 2019 10:30 AM PDT  A gentleman's club is posting provocative signs to pressure Omaha into giving it a liquor license. One advertised for stay-at-home moms as dancers.
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| DHS chief regrets 'unfortunate' timing of ICE raid of food processing plants in Mississippi Posted: 11 Aug 2019 01:53 PM PDT  The sweep took place less than a week after a mass shooting in El Paso, Texas, that targeted Hispanics.
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| India promises to ease Kashmir curfew as Pakistan accuses New Delhi government of 'ethnic cleansing' Posted: 11 Aug 2019 08:49 AM PDT  Indian security forces said they had eased a week-long curfew and restrictions on movement in Kashmir ahead of a major Muslim festival on Monday. The move came as police denied carrying out a violent crackdown against protesters in the region, despite the emergence of footage showing troops firing into a crowd. Jammu and Kashmir police said on Sunday that "not a single bullet had been fired in the last six days" and called the reports "mischievous and motivated news". They claimed the protests were small and peaceably broken up. Earlier the BBC broadcast footage apparently showing officers firing tear gas and live rounds at a crowd of 10,000 protesters after Friday prayers in the city of Srinagar. The BBC stood by its report, while the New York Times and India Today said its journalists had corroborated the incident. Jammu and Kashmir has been under a media, internet and phone blackout since Narendra Modi's Indian government revoked the Muslim-majority region's special constitutional status on August 5. A curfew enforced by thousands of Indian troops has made movement and reporting in the region difficult. The move has provoked outrage in Pakistan, which has fought two major wars with India over the disputed territory since independence. Imran Khan, the prime minister of Pakistan, on Sunday accused the Indian government of pursing "ethnic cleansing" comparable to Hitler's annexation of Czechoslovakia. Describing the move as "the Hindu Supremacists version of Hitler's Lebensraum", he said it would lead to "the suppression of Muslims in India & eventually lead to targeting of Pakistan". "Attempt is to change demography of Kashmir through ethnic cleansing," he tweeted. "Question is: Will the world watch & appease as they did Hitler at Munich? Dilbag Singh, the Jammu and Kashmir police chief, on Sunday said the curfew had been eased ahead of the Muslims festival of Eid ul-adha today. "Things are absolutely normal, not a single incident has been reported from south Kashmir even," Mr Singh told the Hindustan Times. "We are closely watching the situation," he said. Mr Singh said there were incidents of stone throwing in downtown Srinagar on Saturday, but insisted that any report of violence in the region "is false". The New Delhi government on Sunday said deliveries of food and supplies were active again to Kashmir, and banks and stores were being restocked ahead of Eid.
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| Viral clip of Russian policeman punching female protester stirs anger Posted: 12 Aug 2019 06:28 AM PDT ![Viral clip of Russian policeman punching female protester stirs anger]( "Viral clip of Russian policeman punching female protester stirs anger") Video footage of a Russian police officer punching a young woman in the stomach has stirred anger among many Russians who believe the authorities have used excessive force to disperse weeks of political demonstrations in Moscow. The clip, filmed on Saturday and later circulated online by Russian celebrities with millions of followers, shows the moment two helmeted riot policemen drag the woman, Daria Sosnovskaya, to a waiting police bus. Sosnovskaya, 26, is seen struggling to break free and trying to trip up one of the police officers who responds by punching her in the stomach, prompting one of the reporters filming the incident to sarcastically call the policeman "a hero".
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| Father praises Canadian murder suspects for evading police: 'These boys are smart' Posted: 12 Aug 2019 07:57 AM PDT  The father of one of the Canadian teenage boys accused of murdering a coupleand a 64-year-old man recently commended the suspects for eluding authorities
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| Gabon court sets date for Bongo health case Posted: 12 Aug 2019 10:31 AM PDT  A Gabon court will shortly hear a petition for President Ali Bongo Ondimba to undergo medical tests to prove his fitness to govern after suffering a stroke last year, lawyers said Monday. The case will be heard by the Court of Appeal in Libreville starting August 26, attorneys for both sides said. Speculation about Bongo's ability to rule the small oil-rich country has surged since he fell ill while in Saudi Arabia last October.
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| Kamala Harris: Immigration raids will distort 2020 census Posted: 11 Aug 2019 06:02 AM PDT  'I'm telling you that, given the policies of this administration, that is going to be a flawed census,' Harris said.
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| Walmart, Victoria’s Secret, SoulCycle Can’t Avoid Political Outrage Posted: 12 Aug 2019 07:43 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- Business leaders hoping late summer would offer a break from mounting political and social pressures have had a rude awakening.Two lethal shootings and a third attempt at Walmart stores put the retailer back into the spotlight on gun rights. Exercise companies SoulCycle and Equinox worked to fend off a boycott triggered by investor Steve Ross' support for President Donald Trump. Les Wexner, CEO of Victoria's Secret parent company L Brands Inc., tried again to distance the company from alleged sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, as well as models' complaints of harassment.Since 2017, when business leaders were pressured to step down from President Donald Trump's advisory council, companies have found it increasingly hard to separate business from politics. Calls for action have become a quagmire for executives, and there's no clear consensus on how to respond."The more people look to businesses to make a political statement, the more dangerous it is for businesses not to make a political statement," said Kabrina Chang, who teaches business ethics at Boston University's Questrom School of Business. "The problem with that is that they are going to get killed for the political statement. For better or worse, society is looking to business more than ever."Two people died in a shooting at a Walmart in Mississippi on July 30. More than 40 were shot in an unrelated attack Aug. 3 at a Walmart store in El Paso, Texas. An additional shooting may have been thwarted Thursday when a gunman wearing body armor was stopped by an armed private citizen outside a Walmart in Springfield, Missouri.As one of the country's biggest firearms retailers, Walmart is a frequent target of anti-violence activists. In 2015, the company stopped selling military-style weapons, citing sluggish demand. Last year the company said it would increase the age to purchase firearms and ammunition to 21 years old.Walmart ResponseEarlier this week, the New York Times published an open letter calling on Walmart Chief Executive Officer Doug McMillon and other business leaders to use their companies' market power to influence the way guns are bought, sold and tracked in the U.S.In a letter to employees posted on the company's website on Aug. 7, McMillon said Walmart would consider the "broader national discussion around gun violence" and "act in a way that reflects the best values and ideals of our company." Two days later, the retailer said it would remove violent imagery from its stores.Walmart did not respond to a request seeking additional comment.Employers are just as likely to face pressure from their own employees. A Walmart employee was locked out of corporate email and chat services last week after he tried to organize a protest over gun sales. Twitter, Amazon.com Inc. and Alphabet Inc.'s YouTube and Google have all bowed to pressure from their employees or customers to block or limit content or contracts that are considered offensive. Wayfair Inc. employees walked out to protest sales to contractors furnishing border camps for asylum seekers.In the current climate, companies can't play access-driven, politics as usual, said Rashad Robinson, executive director of civil rights organization Color of Change. "Companies are talking a position when they decide to sell guns in the first place, or when they decide that their CEO is going to make certain political donations," he said. "It's not that they've got to make a choice about whether to not do something. They also have to examine what the status quo was in the first place."Wait It Out?It's not always clear what if anything a company should do. Sometimes, the best option is to try to wait it out, Boston University's Chang said. Most controversies are short-lived, and there's no way to please everyone. Companies face the risk of angering groups like Robinson's on the left or a boycott call from organizations like 2nd Vote on the other side. Over the weekend, 2nd Vote re-iterated calls for companies to get stay out of politics and focus on selling products.Stanford research shows that whatever they do, companies should proceed with caution, because people are more likely to stop buying over positions they disagree with than company positions they support.Hundreds of companies have signed pledges to support LGBT rights, but few have spoken out against newly restrictive abortion laws. Nike Inc. built a campaign around its support of Colin Kaepernick and, recently, pulled shoes emblazoned with a historical version of the American flag that's often also used by racist groups. Hobby Lobby and Chick-Fil-A have stuck by controversial positions on gay marriage. Target Corp. augmented its policy to allow customers to use restrooms based on their gender preference by agreeing to add single-occupant bathrooms to stores without them.Hobby Lobby and Chick-Fil-A did not respond to requests for comment on their current positions. Target did not have an immediate comment on the status of the bathroom policy."Businesses are in a really precarious situation," said Chang. "If Walmart stopped selling guns, it might make us feel better. But would it really be long-term change for the better for society?"To contact the reporter on this story: Jeff Green in Southfield, Michigan at jgreen16@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Janet Paskin at jpaskin@bloomberg.net;Anne Riley Moffat at ariley17@bloomberg.netFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| From D-Day beaches to the Champs-Elysees Posted: 11 Aug 2019 07:58 PM PDT  Paris (AFP) - It took less than three months of fighting from the Allied troop landings on France's Normandy beaches for Paris to be liberated from the Nazis, whose surrender in 1945 ended World War II in Europe.
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| How Robert O’Rourke Became ‘Beto’ Posted: 12 Aug 2019 03:30 AM PDT  A great deal of controversy has continued the past few days over Robert Francis O'Rourke's longtime use of a nickname given to him at birth (albeit temporarily jettisoned while in prep school) — especially in the wake of his recent sensational and unfounded charges that Donald Trump is directly responsible for the mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and that white supremacy defines America, past and present, and explains Trump's culpability.The point of the amused contention is not that O'Rourke was given such a nickname at or near birth. Rather, the controversy is over his continued use of the sobriquet for cynical political advantage in a somewhat related manner to Senator Elizabeth Warren's longtime false cultural appropriation of a Native American identity for careerist purposes. After all, we live in a progressive era in which "cultural appropriation" is a mortal sin and non-minority university students are routinely chastised for wearing clothing or hairstyles associated with minority groups or appearing in dramas playing the roles of characters of a different ethnic background.According to the Dallas Morning News, a quite prescient senior O'Rourke once explained why he had given the shortened form of the Spanish "Roberto" to his son as a nickname. And he seemed to imply that such naming was for political reasons in addition to avoiding confusing young Robert with his maternal grandfather of the same first name:> In the backdrop of the city's multicultural community, his father, Pat O'Rourke, a consummate politician, once explained why he nicknamed his son Beto: Nicknames are common in Mexico and along the border, and if he ever ran for office in El Paso, the odds of being elected in this mostly Mexican-American city were far greater with a name like Beto than Robert Francis O'Rourke.While congressman and would-be Senator Beto apparently found the Hispanic nickname advantageous in some ways in local and statewide Texas races (ironically, sometimes in contests opposed to those of authentic Latino ancestries), his continued use of Beto suggests that he thinks it also resonates, at the least, an empathy for assumed marginalized peoples, and at the most offers some confusion to less well-informed voters over whether he is in fact Latino himself.Add in the fact that Beto is also a child of both inherited and maritally acquired wealth and what he would call "white privilege" that likely kept him as a sometimes reckless youth out of jail on one occasion for a serious crime. Thus, in a bizarre way, the misleading nickname offers some concrete authenticity to his chronic resentment of the very privilege he has for so long enjoyed.Certainly, a number of Hispanic politicians and opinion writers have chided Beto for cynically giving incomplete impressions to voters — that he might be ethnically as well as linguistically Latino. Again, one could cite cruder efforts at gaining some sort of political or careerist traction in the minority misrepresentations of Senator Warren, Ward Churchill, or Rachel Dolezal. Warren, after all, who makes the same sort of serial allegations of dominant and endemic white supremacy that Beto does, did not choose to assume a false Finnish or Irish identity to propel her legal and academic career, although, given her appearance, it would have been an easier distortion.But why his nickname is again in the news and additionally matters is because Beto himself is on record recently of damning Trump as a white nationalist and a racist who is responsible for the El Paso shootings. According to Beto, Trump apparently seeks to resonate with kindred white supremacists. Beto additionally goes further in damning the United States as essentially governed by ideas of white supremacy both now and in its past. But again, Beto is no longer running a local congressional or even a Texas-wide race. He has far transcended the clairvoyant predictions of his father that the nickname would come in handy in the anticipated borderland politics of southern Texas.Rather, Beto seems to think that the current and continued Hispanicizing of his nomenclature (remember, at times Beto has dropped his nickname) will pay dividends in a national race. Yet according to his own logic, it should not, given his prior denunciations that America is incurably racist.Given that all politicians entertain a degree of cynicism and opportunism, if we truly lived in a culture of white supremacy, we would more likely see candidates fabricating European dog-whistle names and identities than the sad efforts of a Churchill, Dolezal, O'Rourke, or Warren. And in fact, in a far different America of the past, many minority celebrities and politicians did assume Anglicized names on their unfortunately all-too-accurate assumption that too many white racists would ostracize them for their minority status.Yet the opposite linguistic dynamic has been in play for some time. A young and politically ambitious Obama brilliantly understood that political reality when, in a twist to authenticity, he ceased going by his teenage nickname Barry and reverted to his actual birth name, Barack.In terms of linguistic contortions or just simply adaptations, the force of compound names, accent marks, and ethnic sobriquets is to suggest perceived difference from, not homogeneity with, the majority population — to the extent that, in a racially intermarried and assimilated population, anyone's ethnic heritage is clear.In other words, O'Rourke's use of Beto seems ipso facto to suggest that he privately believes in general that Americans of all backgrounds (including a supposed 70 percent white electorate) either do not care whether a candidate is so-called white or, more likely, are intrigued by or admire those who are not — again, sort of refuting Beto's entire premise of an intolerant and all-powerful white-supremacist society.
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| Teen dies in pit bull attack while trespassing in Texas backyard Posted: 12 Aug 2019 10:20 AM PDT  The incident took place early Saturday morning as Irving, Texas police arrived to the scene in Irving. The teen was trespassing, the owner claimed.
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| Hong Kong flights cancelled as thousands protest at airport after night of violence Posted: 12 Aug 2019 05:34 AM PDT  All flights out of Hong Kong airport were cancelled on Monday after thousands of demonstrators occupied one of the world's busiest travel hubs, as Beijing denounced the protests as "terrorism". The sudden airport shutdown came as mass demonstrations spilled into a third month, despite rising threats from the authorities. On Monday, Beijing officials gave their third press conference in as many weeks, a rarity for authorities in normal times. "Radical protesters have been frequently using extremely dangerous tools to attack the police in recent days, constituting serious criminal acts with sprouts of terrorism emerging," said Yang Guang, a spokesperson for the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office in Beijing, which reports to China's cabinet. Violence escalated significantly between protesters and police over the weekend, as officers shot tear gas into underground subway stations for the first time after mass demonstrations began early June. Police have made more than 600 arrests in recent days. Hong Kong police said 5,000 people were at the airport protest Credit: Vincent Thian /AP Protesters had already occupied the airport for days when more flooded in Monday. Some wore black eye patches, waving signs that read "Hong Kong is not safe," "Shame on the police," and "An eye for an eye," turning out to express their anger after one person thought to have been shot by a beanbag round in her right eye was hospitalised. Stations on the city's airport express line were filled with confused passengers unable to get to the airport, many of whom were on the phone with family, friends and colleagues to sort backup travel plans, while other visitors disembarked from the train after being turned away at the airport. Hong Kong airport is the world's 8th busiest, with frequent departures to more than 180 cities, and a hub for travel to much of Asia. Police have ramped up the use of force against protesters in recent weeks Credit: Manan Vatsyayana/AFP Roads leading to the airport were gridlocked yesterday afternoon, and a nearby hotel was flooded with people looking for a last-minute stay. Shocking footage of HongKong riot police charging into a subway station pursuing pro-democracy activists and firing into them at point blank range. I've seen police being provoked here but I'm speechless. Carrie Lam says no police inquiry needed they're investigating themselves. pic.twitter.com/R61BytE6ft— Stephen McDonell (@StephenMcDonell) August 11, 2019 Many of those whose travel was interrupted expressed support for the protestes. "I think China is facing a difficult time. I am glad they haven't put out tanks yet," said James Campbell, a 26-year-old civil engineer from Sydney en route to Taipei. "I can see where these protesters are coming from." The protests have brought millions into the streets, plunging the former British colony into its most serious political crisis since being returned to Chinese rule and representing the biggest challenge ever to Xi Jinping's power as the leader of the Chinese Communist Party. A pro-democracy protester is held by police outside Tsim Sha Tsui Police station during a demonstration Credit: AFP Demonstrations first began in opposition to a now-suspended extradition bill that would have sent people to face trial in mainland China, where Communist Party control of the courts contributes to a 99.9 per cent conviction rate. Protesters - increasingly angry as police continue to use escalating violence to disperse crowds - have now expanded their demands, calling for wider political reforms including direct leadership elections. Let us admin HK is a police state. Riot police push down peaceful protestor on the escalator of railway station. pic.twitter.com/gycHF8E8Zo— Joshua Wong 黃之鋒 (@joshuawongcf) August 11, 2019 Despite many mass rallies now ending in violence as night falls with police shooting tear gas, rubber bullets, and foam rounds, broad support has continued to swell and show no signs of splintering. After all flights were cancelled, protesters and pro-democracy lawmakers began encouraging the crowds to leave out of concern that police might fire tear gas into the airport as dozens of police vans had been spotted en route. Protesters use steels barricades to form a defensive line inside the Quarry bay MTR station Credit: AP But many continued to stay on, peacefully chanting in the arrivals hall, "Liberate Hong Kong!" and approaching arriving visitors with flyers that listed their demands and explaining the political situation.
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| Venezuela's Guaido says government plans to dissolve opposition-run legislature Posted: 11 Aug 2019 07:42 PM PDT ![Venezuela's Guaido says government plans to dissolve opposition-run legislature]( "Venezuela's Guaido says government plans to dissolve opposition-run legislature") Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido said on Sunday President Nicolas Maduro's government is preparing to dissolve the opposition-run legislature and call new legislative elections, potentially escalating Venezuela's political crisis. Guaido, who is also head of congress, said the decision would be made on Monday by the all-powerful Constituent Assembly - a parallel legislature controlled by the ruling Socialist Party - and could involve more arrests of legislators.
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| Typhoon Lekima death toll reaches 33 in China Posted: 11 Aug 2019 07:02 AM PDT  The death toll from a powerful typhoon that hit southeastern China rose to 33 on Sunday, as rescue workers used rubber dinghies to evacuate stranded people as swift currents swept by homes. China's emergency broadcasting network said that 16 people were still missing in Zhejiang province, where 32 died. Typhoon Lekima triggered landslides and floods after making landfall in Zhejiang early Saturday, about 300 kilometers (190 miles) south of Shanghai.
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| Man armed with AR-15 that killed 2 in rush hour traffic on Thursday arrested Saturday Posted: 10 Aug 2019 09:09 PM PDT  ATF said they assisted HPD with arresting the man from the double shooting.
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| Call waiting: Kashmiris queue for two-minute phone access Posted: 10 Aug 2019 10:46 PM PDT  Outside a guarded government office in Indian Kashmir's main city, an interminable queue forms every day for a near-priceless opportunity: a two-minute phone call to the outside world. Residents of Srinagar and the Kashmir Valley have been starved of phone and internet use for a week as India snuffs out opposition to its military lockdown in the Himalayan region. Only two mobile phones with an outside line are on offer in the deputy commissioner's office, but so desperate are people to contact families in the rest of India and overseas that they come from across Srinagar and beyond to wait in line.
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| Trump’s Top Energy Regulator Invites Execs to Coal Country Posted: 12 Aug 2019 03:00 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- President Donald Trump's chief energy regulator has invited a group of environmentalists, energy executives and other industry leaders to the heart of Coal Country for a summit on "the future of American energy."Neil Chatterjee, the Republican chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and a longstanding champion of the coal industry, recently sent invitations for the Oct. 21 summit. The event comes as the independent agency faces mounting criticism that it's become more political under his charge, and as high ranking officials in the Trump administration continue to push for action to aid the coal industry.Held in partnership with the University of Kentucky, the location was chosen because "it's a pivotal time in the Bluegrass state and a historic moment as we continue to experience changes in our generation mix," according to the invitation seen by Bloomberg.Chatterjee's office confirmed details of the invitation, saying in a statement that "the Chairman liked the idea of getting outside of the 'DC bubble' to provide a different landscape and format for these important conversations." Confirmed guests include Tyson Slocum, energy director for advocacy group Public Citizen; Abby Hopper, chief executive of the Solar Energy Industries Association; and Joe Blount, chief executive of Colonial Pipeline, according to a statement.Chatterjee, a Kentucky native who formerly advised Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell on energy policy, has been criticized for promoting policies that favor coal, including an ill-fated proposal to curb coal plant retirements by paying generators for having fuel on-site. Members of the commission are supposed to be fuel-neutral. In 2017, the agency shot down a Trump administration bid to bail out money-losing coal plants.The invitation characterizes the event as a "bipartisan, wide-ranging energy dialogue" in which participants can share their perspectives on the evolving energy landscape, leadership and innovation. Chatterjee's also organized an entire weekend of activities in addition to the actual program, including a reception at the university president's home on the Sunday before and an event at the Keeneland Race Track.To contact the reporters on this story: Stephen Cunningham in Washington at scunningha10@bloomberg.net;Lynn Doan in San Francisco at ldoan6@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: David Marino at dmarino4@bloomberg.net, Catherine Traywick, Carlos CaminadaFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| 'Exemplary parents': 2 gay penguins have adopted an abandoned egg in Berlin Zoo Posted: 12 Aug 2019 11:24 AM PDT  Skipper and Ping, the two male emperor penguins, have taken in an abandoned egg. Zookeepers say they've been "acting like exemplary parents."
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| Hong Kong's airport canceled all flights on Monday as protests raged. Here's why. Posted: 12 Aug 2019 09:40 AM PDT  Hong Kong International Airport shut down all flights after thousands of protesters flooded the airport's main terminal Monday afternoon.
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| UPDATE 1-U.S. transportation chief asks new FAA head to review agency in wake of 737 MAX crashes Posted: 12 Aug 2019 10:43 AM PDT ![UPDATE 1-U.S. transportation chief asks new FAA head to review agency in wake of 737 MAX crashes]( "UPDATE 1-U.S. transportation chief asks new FAA head to review agency in wake of 737 MAX crashes") U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao said on Monday she has asked the new head of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to assess the agency's performance in the wake of two fatal crashes of Boeing Co's 737 MAX planes since October. Dickson reiterated the position of his predecessor, Dan Elwell, who has been the acting FAA chief since January 2018, that the Boeing 737 MAX "will not fly in commercial service until I am completely satisfied that it is safe to do so.
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| Chief: Killing of young LA officer 'leaves a lasting scar' Posted: 12 Aug 2019 11:21 AM PDT ![Chief: Killing of young LA officer 'leaves a lasting scar']( "Chief: Killing of young LA officer 'leaves a lasting scar'") A young Los Angeles police officer gunned down while off duty at a taco stand was memorialized by his chief for his big smile, bright mind and devotion to public service. Hundreds of his fellow officers packed the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels on Monday to honor Officer Juan Jose Diaz. "Juan's death leaves a lasting wound, his murder a lasting scar," police Chief Michel Moore told mourners.
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| On Ferguson, Elizabeth Warren and Kamala Harris Told a Terrible Lie Posted: 12 Aug 2019 03:34 AM PDT  On Friday afternoon, two of the leading contenders in the Democratic presidential primary lied. There's no other fair way to put it. They flat-out spread fiction, libeled an innocent man, and stoked American divisions — all for political gain.Five years ago, a Ferguson, Mo., police officer named Darren Wilson shot a young black man named Michael Brown to death after an altercation in the street. False rumors about Brown's death — namely that he was shot in cold blood while trying to surrender with his hands in the air — ignited violent protests in Missouri and revulsion across the United States."Hands up, don't shoot" became a national rallying cry — until the Obama Department of Justice comprehensively and thoroughly debunked it in a lengthy report published on March 4, 2015. Writing in December of the same year, the Washington Post's Glenn Kessler called the slogan one of "the biggest Pinocchios of the year."But Kamala Harris and Elizabeth Warren ignored the Obama DOJ. They blew straight through the facts of the case and published these accusations:> Michael Brown's murder forever changed Ferguson and America. His tragic death sparked a desperately needed conversation and a nationwide movement. We must fight for stronger accountability and racial equity in our justice system.> > -- Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) August 9, 2019> 5 years ago Michael Brown was murdered by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri. Michael was unarmed yet he was shot 6 times. I stand with activists and organizers who continue the fight for justice for Michael. We must confront systemic racism and police violence head on.> > -- Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) August 9, 2019To demonstrate just how preposterous it is to accuse Wilson of murder, it's worth revisiting the actual facts of the case, according to the best evidence available to the investigators. On August 9, 2014, Michael Brown and a friend were walking in the middle of the street shortly after Brown had stolen cigarillos from a local market and shoved away the store clerk when he tried to intervene.When Wilson first spotted Brown and his friend, he told them to walk on the sidewalk. He then realized that they matched the description of the theft suspects and blocked their path with his vehicle.Wilson tried to open his door, but it either bounced off Brown or Brown slammed it shut. Brown then reached into the vehicle and started punching Wilson. As Wilson fended off the blows, he reached for his gun. Brown allegedly tried to take the gun from Wilson, and Wilson managed to get a shot off, injuring Brown in the hand. Eyewitnesses corroborated Wilson's claims that Brown was reaching in the car, and these claims were further corroborated by "bruising on Wilson's jaw and scratches on his neck, the presence of Brown's DNA on Wilson's collar, shirt, and pants, and Wilson's DNA on Brown's palm."Brown then started to run away. After a brief pause Wilson pursued, ordering Brown to stop. Brown then turned back to Wilson and started running toward him. According to the report, "several witnesses stated that Brown appeared to pose a physical threat to Wilson as he moved toward Wilson." Wilson fired again, striking Brown several times, yet Brown kept moving toward Wilson until the final shot hit him in the head, killing him.The report's conclusion was crystal clear:> Given that Wilson's account is corroborated by physical evidence and that his perception of a threat posed by Brown is corroborated by other eyewitnesses, to include aspects of the testimony of [Brown's friend], there is no credible evidence that Wilson willfully shot Brown as he was attempting to surrender or was otherwise not posing a threat. [Emphasis added.]The report flatly declared that Wilson "did not act with the requisite criminal intent.""No credible evidence" is a powerful statement, but if you read the report, it's a powerful statement based not just on extensive forensic evidence but also on the courageous testimony of witnesses who feared reprisal for speaking the truth. One witness, a 58-year-old black male, told prosecutors that there were signs in the neighborhood that said "Snitches get stitches." Yet he spoke the truth anyway. Other witnesses overcame their fears and spoke the truth.How do we have confidence that they spoke the truth? Because, as the report notes, their statements "have been materially consistent, are consistent with the physical evidence, and . . . are mutually corroborative."To be sure, there were other witnesses. Some neither incriminated him nor fully corroborated him. And there was an entire category of witnesses whose accounts were "inconsistent with the physical and forensic evidence," the report noted, adding:> Some of those accounts are materially inconsistent with that witness's own prior statements with no explanation, credible [or] otherwise, as to why those accounts changed over time. Certain other witnesses who originally stated Brown had his hands up in surrender recanted their original accounts, admitting that they did not witness the shooting or parts of it, despite what they initially reported either to federal or local law enforcement or to the media.There are few more fraught issues in American public life than the question of police shootings — especially police shootings of black men. I've written about the issue time and time again and have come to believe not only that too many American police officers resort to deadly force too quickly but also that there is an unacceptable pro-police bias in our criminal-justice system. There is also evidence that race plays a more malignant role in policing than many of us hoped.Indeed, while we must of course remember the DOJ's report exonerating Darren Wilson, we should also remember that there was a second DOJ report in 2015 that found systematic misconduct at the Ferguson Police Department, misconduct that disproportionately affected Ferguson's black citizens. I urge you to read both reports, and if you read the second report with an open mind, you'll almost certainly come to believe that Ferguson's black residents possessed legitimate grievances against their police department.That's the complicated nation we inhabit, but the complexity does not mean there aren't simple obligations that attach to every politician, activist, and member of the media. And the simplest of those obligations is a commitment to the truth. We know that lies and falsehoods can cause riots. They can cause city blocks to burn. They can destroy a man's life. At the very least, they can further embitter an already toxic public discourse. When issues are most fraught, the obligation of courageous, honest leadership is most imperative.But Warren and Harris's failure is more than a failure of leadership. The publication of a false accusation of a crime like murder is libelous under American law. In other words, their lies may well have been illegal. Democrats — especially Democrats who seek to address the very real challenges surrounding police violence in the United States — should demand better. Harris and Warren should do better. They should correct and retract their false statements. There is no excuse for their inflammatory lies.
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| The Arctic town at the centre of a Norway-Russia 'spy war' Posted: 11 Aug 2019 10:44 AM PDT  When Frode Berg was a guard on the border near Kirkenes, Norway, in the 1990s and 2000s, relations with neighbouring Russia were so good that he would do joint patrols and go fishing with his colleagues from across the line. They drank vodka toasts after holding an annual cross-border ski race. But in recent years this town of 3,500 on Norway's Arctic coast has found itself caught up in a geopolitical chess game between Nato and Russia. Mr Berg became the first pawn to be captured when he was arrested in Moscow and sentenced in April to 14 years in prison for espionage. Located about 130 miles from Murmansk and the headquarters of Russia's northern fleet, sleepy Kirkenes has become the epicentre of a spy war with Russia—and Norwegians who have worked to develop cross-border trade and cultural exchanges are paying the price. One of them is even suing Norwegian intelligence over lost Russian business. "If Norway has one real challenge regarding foreign policy, it's here," said Kirkenes mayor Rune Rafaelson, a long-time friend of Mr Berg's who attended navy day celebrations in Murmansk last month. "It's not membership of the EU or making peace in Middle East. Here is the only real challenge, because we have an interesting and complex neighbour called Russia." The anti-submarine frigate HNoMS Otto Sverdrup sails through a bay near Kirkenes Credit: Alec Luhn/For The Telegraph Kirkenes traditionally prided itself on having warmer relations with this neighbour, even during the Cold War, when this was Nato's lone point of contact with the USSR. After the Soviet collapse, Russian ships began unloading fish, crabs and oil products in Kirkenes, and many local men married Russian women. Since the two countries offered visa-free travel to residents of border areas in 2012, tens of thousands of Russians have been coming to shop in Kirkenes each year. But Moscow's military modernisation campaign, increasingly assertive foreign policy and annexation of Crimea changed the bigger context. When foreign minister Sergei Lavrov visited Kirkenes for the 70th anniversary of its liberation from the Nazis by the Red Army in 2014, he scolded Norway for joining Western sanctions against Russia. Duelling military manoeuvres and signals intelligence operations have become matters of course. This spring, Russia repeatedly tested missiles off the Norwegian coast, and Norway and Finland also accused it of jamming GPS signals during Nato bomber exercises, putting civilian aircraft at risk. Meanwhile, a Beluga discovered in Hammerfest wearing a "Petersburg" camera harness was dubbed the "Russian spy whale" over espionage suspicions. The Beluga "spy whale" was discovered by fishermen near Hammerfest, to the west of Kirkenes Credit: Jorgen Ree Wiig/AFP In July, a secret nuclear-powered Russian submersible that can reportedly eavesdrop on underwater cables caught fire during an operation somewhere near Murmansk, killing 14 sailors. For its part, Norway hosted the major Trident Juncture Nato war games in 2018 and has welcomed Western troops, including 1,000 Royal Marines who will train there each year. The United States paid to upgrade the Vardø radar station near Kirkenes and begin joint intelligence collection. Many believe that Washington also began pressuring Oslo to deliver more information on Russia's northern fleet. Kirkenes, where many residents have worked across the border, has long been a fruitful recruiting ground. "If you have been active in Russia you are approached, especially if you are a leader because then you're in position to meet people at a higher level," said Rune Rautio, an employee of the Kirkenes business garden who used to travel to Russia every other week and has been occasionally questioned by Norwegian intelligence for years. One of the recruits was Mr Berg, who began bringing envelopes of cash to an informant in Russia in 2015 despite having misgivings. In autumn 2017, intelligence officers approached him to do one last errand. Journalist Trine Hamran, a friend in whom he had confided, counselled him not to do it, but the secret services played upon his patriotism, asking him if he didn't want to be a "good Norwegian," she said. "He said it was not dangerous, just one last thing," Ms Hamran told the Telegraph. "And then he goes to Moscow and we don't hear from him again." A Russian guard tower stands across the river from a Norwegian border marker near Kirkenes Credit: Alec Luhn/For The Telegraph The Russian informant was actually a double agent. FSB operatives arrested Mr Berg as he stepped out of the Metropole hotel with an envelope of 3,000 euros. "After a couple of days we where informed that he was alive," said his wife Anita, who believed he was going to Moscow to meet friends and buy Christmas gifts. "It was such a relief. But then we where shocked to learn that he had been arrested, suspected of espionage." She accused Norwegian military intelligence of recklessly manipulating her husband, who was so guileless he posted a Moscow snapshot to Facebook hours before his arrest, and "sabotaging years of positive collaboration" between Kirkenes and Russia. The agency declined to comment. Mr Berg was not the first to fall victim to the spy services' alleged blundering. In 2015, Atle Berge, the founder of a cross-border oil services company called Ølen Betong, refused to cooperate when approached by Norwegian intelligence looking for information on Russia. FSB agents nonetheless grabbed him on the street in Murmansk shortly thereafter and interrogated him for more than six hours, asking him what his ties to the service were and threatening to inject him with an unknown drug. He was then expelled from the country and lost a contract with a major Russian firm, he said. One of his employees was also interrogated and expelled, only in his case Russian agents also brandished a gun. "Help Frode home!" reads a sign hanging next to the Kirkenes library Credit: Alec Luhn/For The Telegraph Now Mr Berge is suing his government for £12 million, arguing that the repeated approaches by the same Norwegian intelligence agent convinced the FSB that he and his employee were spies. "The Norwegians had behaved very unprofessionally and stupidly," he said. "It seems they have been under pressure from someone and urgently had to find out something," The case also revealed how many eyes Russia has in Kirkenes. During his interrogation, Mr Berge's employee was shown a photograph of the Norwegian agent at his door. Meanwhile, Norway's counter-intelligence service has a list of Russians who are followed whenever they come to Kirkenes, Mr Rautio said. The town is so small that most people know the agent who Mr Berg said had liaised with him. When confronted at his home by the Telegraph, the man first lied that he was a neighbour, then declined to comment. Yet locals are surprisingly blasé about the presence of spies here and largely blame Norwegian intelligence for undermining the warm ties that people like Mr Berg worked to promote. A monument to the liberation of Kirkenes from the German troops by the Red Army in 1944 Credit: Alec Luhn/For The Telegraph Thomas Nilsen, editor of the Kirkenes-based Barents Observer news site, said many residents suffer a "Stockholm syndrome" of sympathy to their larger neighbour. His site, which publishes in Russian and English, has been blocked in Russia, and he was banned from the country as an alleged security threat in 2017. "We have been living for so many years with positive development across the border, then things turn around, and people understand this is bad, but they take the position of Moscow, not Europe," he said. It's also a question of the £140 million Russia contributes to the local economy each year. "Fifty metres from here is the Russian general consulate. There's too many people working there, but how should we develop the economy and municipality?" Mr Rafaelson said in his office. "I do my job I'm elected for, which is too promote a good neighbour policy." Norway and Russia are now discussing a prisoner exchange to bring home Mr Berg, who is suffering from diabetes and high blood pressure, his lawyers said. Yet while Russian diplomats have been expelled from Oslo on espionage suspicions, Norway has no similar prisoners. Instead, they're hoping for a "triangle deal" involving an ally, perhaps the United States. A Norwegian post overlooks the Russian border Credit: Alec Luhn/For The Telegraph When PM Erna Solberg spoke with Vladimir Putin at an Arctic forum in April, days before the Norwegian was convicted, the president said Russia "will take a look at what we can do with this depending on the court's decision". "I think most people in this case understand Russia is doing what any other country would do," Mr Rautio said. "Frode confessed, so people are more waiting now for the Norwegian government to get to the table and make a deal with Russia to get him out so he won't have spend the rest of life in labour camp."
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| Chinese Uighur refugee fears deportation from Turkey Posted: 11 Aug 2019 07:04 PM PDT  A Chinese Muslim refugee has told AFP he is terrified he may be sent back to China after being detained in a deportation centre near Istanbul for more than two months. The Uighur community in northwest China has faced an intense crackdown in recent years, with an estimated one million mostly Muslim ethnic minorities held in internment camps that Beijing calls "vocational education centres". Turkey has been the only Muslim-majority nation to criticise China's policies and offered refuge to tens of thousands of Uighur refugees.
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| Texas Republicans brace for 2020 drubbing Posted: 12 Aug 2019 02:03 AM PDT  "Republicans need to be very concerned," says a GOP member of the state's congressional delegation of next year's elections.
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| I Got 75 Miles Per Gallon in a Range Rover Posted: 11 Aug 2019 07:00 AM PDT  The new P400e plug-in hybrid has 398 horsepower and can get outrageous mileage—so why am I not excited about that?
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| Maryland family asked to leave Outback Steakhouse because son with special needs was too loud Posted: 12 Aug 2019 06:39 AM PDT ![Maryland family asked to leave Outback Steakhouse because son with special needs was too loud]( "Maryland family asked to leave Outback Steakhouse because son with special needs was too loud") A Maryland woman and her family were asked to leave an Outback Steakhouse after her son, who has special needs, was the subject of a noise complaint.
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| Hong Kong airport authority cancels all flights for Monday Posted: 12 Aug 2019 01:31 AM PDT ![Hong Kong airport authority cancels all flights for Monday]( "Hong Kong airport authority cancels all flights for Monday") Hong Kong's Airport Authority has cancelled all flights not yet checked in by Monday afternoon, the agency said, as anti-government protesters peacefully demonstrated at the airport for a fourth day. "Other than departure flights that have completed the check- in process and the arrival flights already heading to Hong Kong, all other flights have been cancelled for the rest of today," the authority said in a statement. The increasingly violent protests have plunged Chinese-ruled Hong Kong into its most serious crisis in decades and presented a serious challenge to Beijing.
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| Black man's family wants review of Colorado police shooting Posted: 12 Aug 2019 09:46 AM PDT ![Black man's family wants review of Colorado police shooting]( "Black man's family wants review of Colorado police shooting") Attorneys for the family of a young black man who was fatally shot by Colorado police called Monday for an independent special prosecutor to investigate his death. Surveillance video obtained last week by The Gazette showed 19-year-old De'Von Bailey running from two officers before falling to the ground. Colorado Springs police have said an officer shot Bailey on Aug. 3 after he reached for a gun but they have not elaborated, citing a pending sheriff's office investigation and subsequent review by the district attorney.
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