| Don't open 'Pandora's Box' in Middle East, China warns Posted: 17 Jun 2019 09:57 PM PDT  The Chinese government's top diplomat warned on Tuesday that the world should not open a "Pandora's Box" in the Middle East, as he denounced U.S. pressure on Iran and called on it not to drop out of a landmark nuclear deal. Fears of a confrontation between Iran and the United States have mounted since last Thursday when two oil tankers were attacked in the Gulf of Oman. The United States blamed Iran for the attacks, more than a year after President Donald Trump withdrew from a 2015 Iran nuclear deal.
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| Earthquake in southern China kills 11 people, injures 122 Posted: 17 Jun 2019 05:53 PM PDT  A strong earthquake that hit Sichuan province in southern China late Monday night killed 11 people and injured 122, the local government said. The Yibin city government posted the casualty toll on its social media accounts Tuesday morning. Xinhua news agency said rescue efforts were underway in the stricken area.
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| Ex-ICE officials criticize Trump's tweet about upcoming deportation sweep Posted: 18 Jun 2019 11:55 AM PDT  President Trump issued a public warning Monday night, by tweet, of a mass deportation effort by Immigration and Customs Enforcement to start next week. His tweet prompted sharp criticism from some former ICE officials.
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| This Tank Could Stop a Chinese Invasion of Taiwan Posted: 18 Jun 2019 12:42 AM PDT  The Trump administration's plan to sell tanks, missiles and ground-launched air defenses to Taiwan embodies what might be called a strategic paradigm shift to empower the small island's deterrence posture against an often-threatened Chinese invasion.While much existing discussion centers upon strengthening Taiwanese air, sea and undersea defenses, there also appears to be an unequivocal need for major land defenses. The existing air-sea emphasis is extremely important, yet there are certainly elements of this approach which invite further discussion about the need to provide Taiwan with a strong, armored ground force as well.The proposed $2 billion arms package includes 108 main battle tanks, 250 Stinger anti-air missiles, as well as 409 Javelins and 1,240 TOW anti-tank missiles.Drawing heavily upon a US Pacific presence along with Asian-theater allied support, a maritime-air Taiwan defense strategy has clearly had a deterrence impact in recent years. Part of this ability to keep a Chinese invasion at bay has naturally hinged upon a strong US posture ensuring defense of the island.
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| Far-right UK student jailed over Prince Harry online posts Posted: 18 Jun 2019 04:46 AM PDT  A far-right university student who called Prince Harry a race traitor and created an image of him with a pistol to his head was on Tuesday jailed in Britain for more than four years. Michal Szewczuk, 19, posted the image, which also featured a blood-splattered swastika, on microblogging platform Gab in August last year, months after the prince married mixed-race actress Meghan Markle. Szewczuk, who was jailed for four years and three months, pleaded guilty to two counts of encouraging terrorism and five counts of possession of terrorist material, including the White Resistance Manual and an Al-Qaeda manual.
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| Tucker Carlson Finds It ‘Painful’ to Watch Trans Women Athletes ‘Stealing Athletic Opportunities From Girls’ Posted: 19 Jun 2019 12:03 PM PDT  AP/ShutterstockIf history is any judge, Fox News host Tucker Carlson and his producers apparently follow that old saying, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" when it comes to the topic of transgender Americans.Let me first make a full disclosure: I am a transgender woman, and I worked in television news for 30 years, including at two of the networks where Carlson once earned a big fat paycheck. I've also appeared on another Fox News show to discuss the issue of trans athletes. But I don't know the man.Despite that, he seems to have a rather unhealthy interest in women like me, especially for a married guy.Admittedly, this could also be said about Laura Ingraham, The Five, and any number of programs on Fox News Channel. But no show at Fox has been as consistent on the topic of trans Americans as Tucker Carlson Tonight, or as a trans friend of mine calls it, "Tucked Crotch Tonight."Parker Molloy, a transgender writer based in Chicago and editor at large for Media Matters, has been keeping a tally. Following the latest episode she tweeted a thread about this phenomenon she's observed: at least 13 shows on trans issues since Tucker Carlson Tonight premiered in 2016 (she later corrected the total to 14 with help from an eagle-eyed follower).Molloy went on to note, "The segments are virtually identical to each other. 'Are women's sports soon to be a think of the past? Hello, I am a genuinely concerned cable TV host who isn't just doing this because it lets me get a jab in at trans people wink wink.' Sometimes it's not even a new story. He's used the same news pegs for multiple stories."And she created this graphic to illustrate her point, calling it evidence of "a sick obsession of his":Carlson himself would not directly comment on Molloy's accusation of having an "obsession."In a statement to The Daily Beast, Carlson wrote, "Probably because I have three daughters, it's painful to watch biological men steal athletic opportunities from girls. And it's completely bewildering to watch so-called progressives cheer it on. They should be ashamed."The topic of transgender athletes is indeed a controversial one. It's true that even some LGBTQ advocates cannot agree on what the correct solution is, but the International Olympic Committee, NCAA, and many state policies favor inclusion of trans women athletes within certain guidelines on hormone suppression, and allow use of testosterone for trans men. One look at any record book will reveal that transgender competitors simply don't dominate any sport, or event, or win every race or contest.And as for that watchword, "biological men," sorry, Tucker. Everyone is biological, and we all have biology. Therefore, I am a biological woman. The word they don't want to use, of course, is "cisgender," which is derived from the Latin meaning "same." Trans women are not cis women; on that we can agree.As I wrote for Outsports (where I am managing editor), Carlson most recently reported the story of three cisgender high school students in Connecticut, who have filed a federal civil rights complaint with the U.S. Department of Education against Connecticut's statewide policy allowing transgender girls to compete with them."Stories about so-called dominant trans athletes are cherry-picked for use in moral panic narratives by far-right outlets," Molloy wrote for Columbia Journalism Review in May 2019.Although I've known Molloy for seven years, we've never met face to face. And while she declined an invitation to comment here, she did confirm for me that she is politically progressive, something that is also clear from her writing.The site where she is editor at large, Media Matters, identifies itself as a "Web-based, not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) progressive research and information center dedicated to comprehensively monitoring, analyzing, and correcting conservative misinformation in the U.S. media." Since 2004, it's earned a reputation as a far-left watchdog famous for its daily take-downs of America's number one-rated cable news network. Today's headline: "Trump and Fox News may start a war."Just who is Carlson trying to reach with his anti-transgender rhetoric? Liz Lenz did some digging for CJR in September 2018:"Since Bill O'Reilly was fired from Fox News in October 2017, Carlson has cannibalized O'Reilly's audience. According to Nielsen Media Research, the top-rated markets for the show are Ft. Myers, Florida; Knoxville, Tennessee; Jacksonville, Florida; West Palm Beach, Florida; Las Vegas, Nevada; Birmingham, Alabama; Orlando, Florida; Atlanta, Georgia; Greenville, South Carolina; and Buffalo, New York. "Only half of these cities went for Trump in the 2016 election, but they are (with the exception of Birmingham and Atlanta) overwhelmingly white and middle class, with an average age of 36. A large part of the jobs held by men in each city are in retail or construction."What's interesting about Carlson's frequency in focusing on transgender issues is how infrequently he's invited someone trans to be a guest, and given them a fair shake.Trans attorney Jillian Weiss accepted an invitation to be on the show in February 2017, and the HuffPost wrote that Carlson immediately insulted her. In April 2017, his first guest for his first show in his current time slot—vacated by MeToo culprit Bill O'Reilly, who got the boot—was Caitlyn Jenner. Variety wrote, "Carlson had Jenner on to make a fool of her." And in August 2018, Salon wrote that Carlson and his conservative guest "spewed hatred" at trans politician Christine Hallquist.About the only time a trans guest didn't get mocked or belittled by Carlson was July 2018, when trans athlete Joanna Harper shocked him into silence. Twice. The world-renowned expert on transgender athletes agreed with Carlson on the subject of trans girls competing in track events. "If I were making the rules, I would allow them to participate in the state meet but not win medals." Carlson was silent for 1.6 seconds, then fell mute again for 1.7 seconds later in the interview.If Carlson is up for it, I'd like a shot at beating Harper's record.Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| Venezuela opposition leader Juan Guaido under pressure over alleged misappropriation of aid funds Posted: 19 Jun 2019 03:15 AM PDT  Venezuela's US-backed opposition on Monday came under increasing scrutiny for a case in which two activists allegedly misappropriated funds designated to help Venezuelan security forces who deserted and crossed into Colombia. Opposition leader Juan Guaido said his diplomatic representative in Colombia will on Tuesday provide Colombian investigators with information about an opposition probe of the case. Guaido, who is trying to topple Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, says anyone found guilty of wrongdoing must be punished. "Dictatorships cover up corruption," Guaido tweeted. "We don't." Still, the alleged theft was a blow to an opposition movement that frequently accuses Maduro and his associates of large-scale corruption, contributing to the economic and humanitarian crisis that Venezuela has endured for years. Maduro was quick to highlight the alleged opposition theft, saying it shows Guaido's camp cannot be trusted. "Corruption isn't new in the opposition," he said. "The evidence is coming out." Hundreds of Venezuelan security forces heeded an opposition call to leave their posts in February, around the time that Guaido tried to deliver U.S.-provided aid from Colombia and Brazil into neighboring Venezuela. The attempt collapsed when Venezuelan forces loyal to Maduro blocked aid trucks and clashes broke out. Activists are accused of pocketing aid cash for regime officials who defected amid clashes on the bridge between Colombia and Venezuela Credit: LUIS ROBAYO/ AFP Many of the Venezuelan security forces who fled into Colombia ended up in limbo, staying in hotels and other lodgings with no means of supporting themselves. Working with Colombian authorities, the Venezuelan opposition set up a plan to provide food and shelter for deserters and any family members who had joined them. Humberto Calderon Berti, the top opposition envoy in Colombia, has said he started an internal investigation into the alleged corruption two months ago after a tip from Colombian intelligence. He will present the results of the probe to the Colombian attorney general's office, according to Guaido. The two suspects in the case were removed from their jobs after the internal investigation started, according to the Venezuelan opposition. They are currently in Colombia. In January, Guaido declared that he was the rightful leader of Venezuela and that Maduro's re-election last year was a sham. The United States led dozens of countries in recognizing Guaido's claim, and imposed sanctions on Venezuela's already deteriorating oil industry. Maduro has defied the pressure, maintaining the support of Venezuela's military leadership as well as allies Cuba and Russia.
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| Bella Thorne slams Whoopi Goldberg's 'awful' views on her nude photo-scandal Posted: 19 Jun 2019 07:26 AM PDT  Bella Thorne is flatly rejecting Whoopi Goldberg's criticisms as "sick and disgusting" after her nude photo scandal.
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| Duterte Stands by China, Doubts Own Fishermen in Sea Collision Posted: 17 Jun 2019 10:51 PM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is standing by China over a collision involving the two nations' boats in the South China Sea, with his spokesman casting doubts on local fishermen's accounts of the incident.In his first public statement about what he described as a "maritime incident," Duterte said China's side should be heard on the collision that resulted in a Philippine vessel carrying 22 fishermen sinking in disputed waters on June 9. The crew were rescued by a Vietnamese fishing boat and a Philippine Navy ship."It is best investigated. I don't issue a statement now because there's no investigation and no result," Duterte said in speech at a Philippine Navy event on Monday night. "The only thing we can do is wait and give the other party the right to be heard."The Philippines will not escalate tensions with China by sending military ships to the South China Sea following the collision, he added, reiterating his nation isn't ready to go to war with Beijing.At a briefing Tuesday, Duterte's spokesman Salvador Panelo said there are "circumstances that give doubt to the version" of the Filipino fishermen, including how most of them were asleep when the collision happened."The President doesn't want this to be blown into an international crisis," Panelo said. "We are being careful because there will be repercussions if we make the wrong move."'Passive' PolicyDuterte stuck to his pro-China stance despite calls from the opposition, led by Vice President Leni Robredo, to change his "passive" China policy by actively asserting the nation's rights in the disputed waters. Robredo, in a Facebook post Sunday, also called on Duterte's government to demand the Chinese fishermen's trial in the Philippines.Duterte now has to convince the public that friendly ties with China is still the way to go, said Jay Batongbacal, director of the University of the Philippines' Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea."Between the Philippine government and the Chinese government the friendship policy has been set, but this incident has happened and casts doubt on the sincerity and wisdom of it to the Filipino people," Batongbacal said.The Philippines' long-term position in the South China Sea dispute may be weakened if Duterte maintains his pro-Beijing stance after the incident, said Professor Jeffrey Ordaniel, a fellow at Hawaii-based foreign policy research institute Pacific Forum. "The Duterte administration's China policy is unfortunately helping the Chinese pursue their maritime ambitions."Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang described the incident as an "accidental collision" at briefing on Monday, adding that politicizing the collision "is not appropriate." Beijing's embassy in Manila earlier said the Chinese vessel's captain tried to rescue the Philippine fishermen after bumping into their boat, but was afraid of being "besieged" by other Filipino fishing boats.The incident took place near Reed Bank, an area claimed by both Manila and Beijing where there's a pending oil exploration plan by Philippines company PXP Energy Corp.\--With assistance from Dandan Li and Philip J. Heijmans.To contact the reporter on this story: Andreo Calonzo in Manila at acalonzo1@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Cecilia Yap at cyap19@bloomberg.net, Ruth Pollard, Caroline AlexanderFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Qatar sends technical experts to Israel, eyeing new Gaza power line Posted: 18 Jun 2019 02:43 AM PDT  GAZA/JERUSALEM (Reuters) - A Qatari technical delegation held talks in Israel and the Gaza Strip this week about helping pay for a proposed new power line between them, officials on both sides said on Tuesday, marking a potential expansion of Doha's aid efforts for Palestinians. Qatar has in recent years funneled hundreds of millions of dollars into relief projects in Hamas-controlled Gaza, which it views as helping stave off privation and fighting with Israel. The intervention is approved by Israel but has gone largely unacknowledged by rightist Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who, along with U.S.-allied Arab leaders, has cold-shouldered Doha for its ties to Iran and Islamist groups like Hamas.
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| Photos of the 2020 Ford Explorer Posted: 18 Jun 2019 03:00 AM PDT |
| Russia's 1st 5th Generation Stealth Fighter: Meet the Secret MiG 1.44 Posted: 17 Jun 2019 09:00 PM PDT  Over the prior decade, Russia's foray into fifth-generation jet fighter development has become synonymous with the upcoming Su-57. But the Su-57 was only Russia's second attempt at developing a fifth-generation aircraft, preceded by several decades with an altogether different project.This is the story of the ill-fated MiG 1.44.In 1979, Soviet high command determined that a new generation of fighter aircraft was needed to ensure the competitiveness of the Soviet Air Force (VVS) into the 1990's and beyond. The timing could not have been more apt; it was only several years later that the US air force began researching and developing what would become the highly capable F-22 fighter.The project, which became known as MFI or "Multifunctional Frontline Fighter," established a set of core design criteria roughly corresponding with the Soviet and early Russian understanding of what makes a fifth-generation fighter: supermaneuverability, supercruise capability (sustained supersonic speeds without the use of afterburners), low radar cross-section, integrated avionics system, and substantially improved landing/takeoff capability.
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| Investigators crack cold case murder of South Dakota woman Posted: 18 Jun 2019 12:55 PM PDT  The murder of a pharmacist who was raped and strangled in her home in a South Dakota city more than half a century ago has been solved with the use of DNA technology and genealogy databases, police said. Investigators believe Eugene Carroll Field killed 60-year-old Gwen Miller in 1968 when he was a 25-year-old living in Rapid City, Detective Wayne Keefe said at a news conference Monday. It is "a little surreal" to finally identify the killer after 51 years and up to 5,000 hours of work, Keefe said.
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| Trump's Pentagon nominee quits, Iran targets CIA network Posted: 18 Jun 2019 04:54 PM PDT  President Donald Trump lost his nominee for Pentagon chief on Tuesday, adding to the volatility in a tense standoff with Iran, which claimed to have dismantled a CIA network. Foreign powers are watching the situation in the Mideast with growing concern as Tehran and Washington exchange warnings about an escalation in their conflict. Trump announced on Twitter that Patrick Shanahan was quitting to spend time with his family.
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| Acting ICE director previews mass deportations, hits back at criticism from Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Posted: 19 Jun 2019 03:54 AM PDT  Acting ICE Director Mark Morgan joins 'Fox & Friends' to break down President Trump's mass deportation order and reacts to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's 'reckless' remarks on 'concentration camps' at the border.
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| Boeing signs first deal for 737 Max jet since deadly crashes Posted: 18 Jun 2019 11:35 AM PDT  Boeing is selling its 737 Max planes again. The company announced at the Paris Air Show on Tuesday that International Airlines Group, the parent company of British Airways and other carriers, signed a letter of intent for 200 Boeing 737 aircraft. Boeing said it's the first sale of the jetliner since the crash of an Ethiopian Airlines 737 Max in March.
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| Popular new $46 true wireless earbuds are only $30 with this special coupon Posted: 18 Jun 2019 06:03 AM PDT ![Popular new $46 true wireless earbuds are only $30 with this special coupon]( "Popular new $46 true wireless earbuds are only $30 with this special coupon") Before you go and spend $159 on Apple's new AirPods 2 earbuds, there's a great new pair from a rival company that you should know about. The TaoTronics Bluetooth 5.0 True Wireless Earbuds offer a better design than AirPods, with silicone tips that isolate sound as well as better water-resistance thanks to the IPX7 rating. They're a bargain at $46, but the special coupon code WSCZS4YF slashes the price all the way down to $29.99! Definitely get a pair while they're down to their lowest price ever -- you'll be glad you did.Here are the highlights from the product page: * Extended playtime: true wireless ear buds that last over 3 hours on a full charge; 3350mAh case can recharge the ear buds up to 40 times to give you 120H of extra playtime, doubles as a power bank * User-friendly: remove ear buds from the charging Pod to auto turn on and connect to your last Device, Disconnects when returned; One touch control for streamlined user interface * Uninterrupted enjoyment: Bluetooth 5. 0 for no signal loss or music dropouts to retain high quality audio within 10M/ 33ft operational range; straightforward to pair with any Device * For all occasions: with a built-in mica in each ear bud, you can utilize both single/Twin mode; use a single ear bud for working or use the pair to enjoy music alone or Share with a loved one * Durable & Water-Resistant: IPX7 waterproof build that keeps up with you during strenuous workouts, lightweight And compact construction to survive every aspect of daily life
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| Dell, HP, Intel and Microsoft Join Forces to Oppose Trump Tariff Posted: 19 Jun 2019 01:00 PM PDT ![Dell, HP, Intel and Microsoft Join Forces to Oppose Trump Tariff]( "Dell, HP, Intel and Microsoft Join Forces to Oppose Trump Tariff") (Bloomberg) -- Dell Technologies Inc., HP Inc., Intel Corp. and Microsoft Corp. are joining forces to oppose President Donald Trump's proposed tariffs on laptop computers and tablets among $300 billion in Chinese goods targeted for duties.The companies submitted joint comments opposing the tariff escalation, saying it would hurt consumer products and industry, while failing to address China's trade practices. The tariffs are poised to hit during the peak holiday and back-to-school sales period, they said."The tariffs will harm U.S. technology leaders, hindering their ability to innovate and compete in a global marketplace," the companies said in comments posted online.Dell, HP, and Microsoft said they account for about half of the notebooks and detachable tablets sold in the U.S. Prices for laptops and tablets will increase by at least 19% -- about $120 for the average retail price of a laptop -- if the proposed tariffs are implemented, according to a study released this week by the Consumer Technology Association.The companies said they spent a collective $35 billion on research and development in 2018 alone, and tariff costs would divert resources from innovation while providing "a windfall" to manufacturers based outside the U.S. that are less dependent on American sales.The Trump administration is considering public comments on the proposed duties and hearing testimony from more than 300 U.S. companies and trade groups through June 25. The tariffs could be imposed after a rebuttal period ends July 2.The U.S. and China said their presidents will meet in Japan next week to relaunch trade talks after a month-long stalemate.To contact the reporter on this story: Mark Niquette in Columbus at mniquette@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Sara Forden at sforden@bloomberg.net, Sarah McGregor, Robert JamesonFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| McConnell Rejects Possibility of Slavery Reparations Posted: 18 Jun 2019 02:17 PM PDT  Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday that he is opposed to the idea of authorizing reparations for the descendants of slaves brought to the U.S. against their will."I don't think reparations for something that happened 150 years ago, for whom none of us currently living are responsible, is a good idea," McConnell said, before going on to argue that the U.S. has taken other steps to atone for the "original sin of slavery.""We've tried to deal with our original sin of slavery by fighting a civil war, passing landmark civil-rights legislation," he said. "We've elected an African American president. I think we are always a work in progress in this country, but no one alive currently was responsible for [slavery] and I don't think we should be trying to figure out how to compensate for it."McConnell's comments came ahead of a House Judiciary subcommittee hearing on Wednesday meant to discuss the possibility of appointing a commission to study the question and recommend what, if "any form of apology and compensation" should be offered to the descendants of slaves.Former representative John Conyers had introduced a bill calling for the establishment of such a commission every year for three decades, to no avail. But amid renewed discussion among Democrats of the question of reparations, Representative Sheila Jackson Lee introduced the bill again this year."It is tragic, but it is real that we've seen an uptick in racial incidences -- white supremacy, white nationalism," Jackson Lee said this week. "And so the question of slavery, frankly, has never been addressed, particularly from the institutional governmental perspective."Speaker Nancy Pelosi has signaled her support for a commission to study the possibility of reparations, calling it "one of the things that we can do not only just in terms of trying to make up for a horrible, sinful thing that happened in our country in terms of slavery, but for our country to live up to who we think we are."
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| As the trade war with China heats up this summer, who is feeling the chill? Posted: 18 Jun 2019 12:35 PM PDT  The number of visitors to the U.S. from China fell 5.7% to 3 million in 2018, the first decline In 15 years. So far, it's not getting better in 2019.
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| Three Russian Security Officers Charged Over Downing of MH17 Posted: 19 Jun 2019 04:01 AM PDT  REUTERS / Maxim ZmeyevIt's been nearly five years since the Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 passenger plane was shot down by a Russian missile over eastern Ukraine, killing 298 people. Finally, the victims' families may see those responsible brought to justice.Four suspects will face murder charges for the downing of MH17 in July 2014 and a trial is set to start next March in the Netherlands, investigators confirmed Wednesday. The Dutch-led investigation team revealed that three of the four have direct links to the Kremlin through previous work in the FSB and GRU intelligence services.The four will be prosecuted for causing the crash, leading to the death of all the people on board, and separately for murdering all 298 passengers. International and national arrest warrants have been issued for the four, and the Netherlands will request that Russia questions the three Russian nationals who are still believed to be living in the country.The most senior suspect was named as Igor Girkin. Investigators described Girkin as a former FSB colonel who was appointed "minister of defense" in the so-called Donetsk People's Republic—the region where MH17 was downed—making him the highest-ranking officer there at the time of the attack. He was in "direct contact" with Russia, investigators said.How We Know Russia Shot Down MH17The second suspect was named as Sergey Dubinskiy, who was previously employed by Russia's GRU military intelligence service. Investigators described him as the deputy head of intelligence services in Donetsk, making him the second-highest-ranking suspect named publicly.The third Russian suspected is Oleg Pulatov—a former soldier with the Spetsnaz GRU, the foreign military intelligence agency of Russia's armed forces. He was given the role of deputy head of intelligence service in Donetsk at the time of MH17's downing.The investigators said the presence of all three of these Russian nationals "formed a chain linking DNR with the Russian Federation," which led to the anti-aircraft system, believed to have been used in the attack, being brought to eastern Ukraine. They are therefore criminally liable for the attack.The final suspect, Ukrainian Leonid Kharchenko, is the lowest-ranked of the four. He had no military background, but led a military unit in the region under the supervision of Dubinskiy.However, the four accused are just the tip of an iceberg.Behind them lies a web including the local Ukranians and reaching into the top of Russia's military and intelligence apparatus. The full extent of the Russian involvement has been exposed by the British-based open-source investigative team Bellingcat.Bellingcat made new allegations Wednesday naming 12 military commanders as being directly involved, including one of those named in the charges, Igor "Strelkov" Girkin.Previous work by Bellingcat identified the exact Russian military unit that launched the attack as BUK 332. They used a BUK-M1, a self-propelled and completely autonomous anti-aircraft vehicle with four missiles and its own radar that seeks and the target and then, locking on to it, fires a missile.Russia Deployed Its Trolls to Cover Up the Murder of 298 People on MH17Bellingcat traced the movement of the unit from when it left Kursk, in Russia, on June 23 to its final track through the countryside of eastern Donetsk, in territory held by the Russian-supported Ukrainian separatists.On July 17, according to the Bellingcat tracking, the BUK 332 unit was positioned in a field near a village called Chervonyi Zhovten (Red October) when its radar found and locked on to the Malaysian Boeing 777 flying at 33,000 feet.Days before, two Ukrainian military aircraft had been shot down by anti-aircraft missiles fired by separatists.This part of Ukraine had clearly met the definition of a war zone in which any commercial flights were at risk—in fact, controllers in the airspace in nearby Russia had effectively eliminated all airline traffic by banning flights below 53,000 feet. Commercial flights operate between 30,000 and 40,000 feet.But on the day of the missile strike, there was confusion about whether it was safe to fly over Ukraine, normally one of the busiest routes connecting Europe and the Middle East. MH17 was cruising in an international air lane.Lacking an international ruling that this was a war zone, some airlines had nonetheless independently chosen to avoid Ukrainian airspace, but not Malaysia Airlines or 32 other nations that had flights passing through that corridor on that day.It took the BUK missile less than a minute to find Flight 17. Its warhead was a fragmentation bomb, triggered by a proximity fuse. When it exploded, the missile was to the left of and a little above the 777.A supersonic wave of shrapnel tore through the cockpit, eviscerating the pilots (part of a cockpit seat, retrieved from the crash site, was perforated by shrapnel). The entire front section of the fuselage broke away from the rest of the airplane and the rest of it lurched violently and exploded into a ball of fire as the gas tanks exploded.The Flightpath to Hell: MH17 Wasn't the Only Flight in Russia's SightsPeople in the villages below watched as the blazing hulk fell into the fields, along with bodies.In addition to those identified by the international investigators, the new report from Bellingcat reveals the command structure of the military in the Donetsk People's Republic.Conversations between these separatist forces after the downing of the Malaysian jet were intercepted by Western intelligence and revealed that while Russia was vigorously denying any role, the Ukrainians knew that BUK 332 was part of Russia's 53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade—and they knew where it was and when it carried out the attack.The Kremlin's response was to forge an alternative scenario, including fake radar images, absolving Russia of any part in the atrocity, and to dismiss Bellingcat as a tool of Western propaganda. In fact, by working with multiple sources who provided eyewitness accounts, Bellingcat assiduously prepared the ground for today's indictments.Although international arrest warrants have been issued for the four, Russia does not normally permit the extradition of its nationals for prosecution. Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| U.S. Navy says mine fragments suggest Iran behind Gulf tanker attack Posted: 19 Jun 2019 04:14 AM PDT  The United States sought on Wednesday to bolster its case for isolating Iran over its nuclear and regional activities by displaying limpet mine fragments it said came from an oil tanker damaged in an attack last week and saying the ordnance looked Iranian in origin. Separately, a senior U.S. official said U.S. intelligence had confirmed that Iranian vessels had approached the damaged tanker, the Kokuka Courageous, as well as a second one, the Front Altair, prior to explosions that damaged their hulls last week. Iran has denied involvement in explosive strikes on those two tankers in the Gulf of Oman last week and on four tankers off the United Arab Emirates on May 12, both near the Strait of Hormuz, a major conduit for global oil supplies.
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| Boeing's troubled 737 MAX gets huge vote of confidence from IAG Posted: 18 Jun 2019 11:16 AM PDT  US aircraft giant Boeing got a welcome vote of confidence in its beleaguered 737 MAX plane on Tuesday when International Airlines Group, owner of British Airways, said it wanted to buy 200 of the planes. It was a coup for Boeing since up to now IAG has been a longtime client of Airbus for its single-aisle jets, used on some of its most popular routes. "We have every confidence in Boeing and expect that the aircraft will make a successful return to service in the coming months having received approval from the regulators," IAG's chief Willie Walsh said in a statement.
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| Venezuela's misery doesn't even spare the dead in Maracaibo Posted: 18 Jun 2019 04:24 AM PDT  Thieves have broken into some of the vaults and coffins in El Cuadrado cemetery since late last year, stealing ornaments and sometimes items from corpses as the country sinks to new depths of deprivation. "Starting eight months ago, they even took the gold teeth of the dead," said José Antonio Ferrer, who is in charge of the cemetery, where a prominent doctor, a university director and other local luminaries are buried. Much of Venezuela is in a state of decay and abandonment, brought on by shortages of things that people need the most: cash, food, water, medicine, power, gasoline.
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| New leak shows us how the Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10 Pro will compare Posted: 18 Jun 2019 06:26 AM PDT  The Galaxy Note 10 series will be announced in about 2 months, which means we'll see plenty of new leaks as we get closer to the release date. The new Note will come in two sizes and each one will have a 5G version, which means you're going to have plenty of choices. But the phones will both share the same design and specs, which means you'll be getting the same overall experience — the only big differences will concern screen and battery sizes, of course. The latest batch of alleged Note 10 accessories seem to reinforce the leaks that we saw in previous weeks. The Note 10 and Note 10 Pro will have an all-screen design like the Galaxy S10, but the new Infinity-O display will be a twist on the one Samsung introduced on its Galaxy S10, S10+, and S10e. Samsung will stick to Infinity-O screens for this flagship series, but the Galaxy Note 10's hole punch display will have only a single-lens selfie camera placed in the middle of the screen. Posted on Weibo initially, the following image shows alleged screen protectors for the smaller Note 10 and the bigger Note 10 Pro: https://twitter.com/Samsung_News_/status/1140876189327925248?s=19 Like previous leaks, these accessories indicate the phones will have very slim top and bottom bezels, as well as curved edges. A different Samsung insider shared new Galaxy Note 10 images that show what appear to be screen protectors for the upcoming phones: https://twitter.com/UniverseIce/status/1140902986404597760 The following image also teases the Note 10's two different sizes: https://twitter.com/UniverseIce/status/1140905271981531137 Again, we're looking at screen protectors that seem to feature big holes near the bottom of the screen that would probably fit the ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensor. If they seem familiar, that's because we saw similar screen protectors for the Galaxy S10 ahead of the phone's arrival. At the time, those leaks sparked a debate about the sensor's functionality, with some people claiming only certain screen protectors would support it. Samsung cleared the air after the S10 launched, explaining that accessory makers would have to adhere to certain standards when making Galaxy S10 screen protectors. The same probably goes for the new Note phones.
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| 'Your Species Isn't Known for Moving Quickly.' Jon Stewart Roasts Mitch McConnell Over 9/11 Bill on The Late Show Posted: 18 Jun 2019 07:35 AM PDT  Stewart went on The Late Show to support the people he calls "the first heroes."
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| View Photos of the 2020 Lexus GX Posted: 18 Jun 2019 03:00 AM PDT |
| Ta-Nehisi Coates revisits case for reparations, five years after landmark essay Posted: 18 Jun 2019 11:00 PM PDT  Coates, who wrote famed Atlantic piece about financial recompense for descendants of slaves, to testify alongside Danny GloverTa-Nehisi Coates will testify on reparations before Congress on 19 June or Juneteenth, the holiday celebrating the emancipation of slaves in the US. Photograph: NBC NewsWire/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty ImagesWhen Ta-Nehisi Coates's watershed essay The Case for Reparations was published in June 2014, the idea of financial recompense for the descendants of slaves was thrust to the forefront of US public discourse.Coates's 15,000-word article in the Atlantic contended that nearly every institution tied to American history, public and private alike, plundered resources and wealth from African Americans. This "piracy" overwhelmingly enriched white Americans while bolstering racist institutions, enabling oppression to continue from the civil war's conclusion until the present.Now, five years after Coates's essay was published, the first congressional hearing on reparations in a decade will take place today, on 19 June, or Juneteenth, the holiday celebrating the emancipation of slaves in the US. Coates and the actor Danny Glover, who has long voiced support for reparations, are poised to testify at the House hearing.While it had some detractors, Coates's essay nonetheless helped reframe the perception of reparations, which had for decades been considered a bold but fringe idea that was sometimes the punchline of jokes.The former Democratic congressman from Michigan, John Conyers, first introduced a bill that sought to establish a reparations commission, with the aim to simply explore what a program might entail, three decades ago in 1989.The legislation was reintroduced every congressional session with little to no progress."John Conyers tried for years to get a bill," said the veteran civil rights campaigner the Rev Jesse Jackson. "But there has been a refusal even to study it. It's only if you study it then you can begin to approximate reality."Black families have an average net worth of $17,100, a tenth of the average accumulated wealth of white households, according to US government statistics. Economists routinely point to the legacy of slavery as a starting point to explain the wealth gap.Although Coates's essay sparked waves of adulation in the media, less than two years later, during the 2016 Democratic presidential primary race, the issue was completely absent from debates.Both Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders ruled out a program of targeted reparations during the campaign. It had also been overlooked by America's first African American president, Barack Obama.But this year, in a hotly contested primary season that has seen more than 20 candidates seek the Democratic nomination for president ahead of the 2020 election, the issue has risen to the surface once again.Several Democratic presidential candidates have voiced support for the idea of compensating descendants of slaves, though their ideas on how it should be done vary dramatically. Sanders has staunchly opposed race-focused programs. Kamala Harris and Cory Booker have supported universal initiatives to help close the wealth gap for lower- and middle-income Americans. Elizabeth Warren and Julián Castro have discussed a taskforce to study possible race-specific reparations. Marianne Williamson has mentioned a $100bn fund to pay slaves' descendants directly.Jackson, who campaigned on the issue during his runs for president in 1984 and 1988, insisted that this in and of itself was a positive, if long overdue, step forward."There was never an attempt to repair the damage done to a people," Jackson said. "Even 40 acres and a mule was just talk. Even then, the few who got it were driven off their property."The Texas Democratic representative Sheila Jackson Lee, the resolution's new sponsor following Conyers' resignation, introduced the measure again in 2019. The House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, the most powerful Democrat in Congress, said in February that she favors a reparations study.Booker has also secured at least one dozen co-sponsors for his Senate reparations bill, which would launch a commission to study slavery's impact on African Americans – and come up with possible ways to repay descendants, according to the Root.Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a congressional representative of New York, supported reparations in a discussion with Coates this year.Following a request for comment, an assistant to Coates said he wasn't adding any more interviews to his schedule. But in a recent interview with the New Yorker, he expressed optimism about how the dialogue on reparations has shifted."I think people have stopped laughing, and that is really, really important," Coates said. "Does it mean reparations tomorrow? No, it doesn't. Does it mean end of the fight? No, it doesn't. But it's a step, and I think that's significant."
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| U.N. Reveals Contents of Secret Tape of Khashoggi’s Brutal Last Moments Posted: 19 Jun 2019 08:18 AM PDT  Huseyin Aldemir/ReutersThe top line out of the new United Nations report released Wednesday on the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi is that there is "credible evidence" that Saudi Arabia's crown prince and other high-level officials are personally liable for the grisly murder. But the 101-page report also shows that while Khashoggi was certainly a wanted man, the kingdom may not have conspired to kill him as a first choice but rather did so as a Plan B, according to the findings by Special Rapporteur Agnes Callamard. Instead, they hoped to take him back to the kingdom to face Mohammed bin Salman personally. When it seemed clear he would not cooperate, they killed him. Saudi Arabia has 11 yet-unidentified people on trial for the murder and is seeking the death penalty for five of them. But Callamard says the trial is a farce and fails to meet international standards. She calls for it to be suspended and for an independent investigative team to look into the kingdom's involvement instead. Khashoggi's body has never been found. "Nothing new," Adel al-Jubeir, the minister of foreign affairs of Saudi Arabia tweeted in response to the report. "The report of the rapporteur in the human rights council contains clear contradictions and baseless allegations which challenge its credibility." Yet Callamard reveals never-before-known information about Khashoggi's final moments—and WARRANTS A WARNING ABOUT THE EXTREMELY GRAPHIC DETAILS FOR READERS ABOUT WHAT IT CONTAINS. Here, some of the U.N. report's most important findings: Khashoggi Wasn't Destined to Die in TurkeyCallamard writes that the interception and murder of Khashoggi was the result of an "elaborate mission involving extensive coordination and resources," but that it was not necessarily meant to happen in Turkey. Khashoggi was under surveillance in Canada and was sought by the Saudi authorities. "When the opportunity arose, an operation was launched in Riyadh, managed at high levels of the Saudi government," she writes. "The operation involved multiple flights, including two private jets, one under diplomatic clearance. It entailed training, with two Saudi attachés from Istanbul flying to Riyadh for 'top secret,' 'urgent' training and preparation, and it required planning and execution in Istanbul."Callamard also points to what she calls "deceptive countermeasures" that include the booking of tickets for the killing squad's families and the use of a tour company to book hotel rooms with sea views, which would imply they were there for leisure. "The fact that a team was put together and operational within 48 hours tends to point to a 'Special Operation' scenario, with core team members already appointed and in place, ready to act whenever the order comes. Such a level of preparation is unlikely to have occurred otherwise." Plans for His Assassination Began the Minute He Asked the Consulate for a Marriage CertificateKhashoggi and his fiancée, Hatice Cengiz, tried to avoid all contact with Saudi officials, but could not be legally married in Turkey without an official document from the kingdom. Khashoggi and Cengiz first tried to obtain the certificate at the Saudi consulate in Washington, D.C., but were told it must be done in the country where he would marry. The journalist was so concerned about his safety, he and Cengiz showed up unannounced at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in September 2018. They were told to come back on Oct. 2, 2018. The special rapporteur says that immediately after he left the consulate, cables were sent to Riyadh and plans were put in place for the Oct. 2 visit. "According to Turkish Intelligence, even before Mr. Khashoggi's plane took off from Istanbul at 14:40, information that he had been at the Consulate, and would return on October 2, had been relayed to Riyadh," the report states, and then goes on to describe the plans that were captured on wiretaps referring to the crown prince wanting to put a top official on the job. "He is saying that the mission is a duty. He is asking for him for just four-five days. They will arrange everything including accommodation. Send me his number. I will send it to them an hour later. They will get in touch." Khashoggi Was Told There Was an Interpol Arrest Warrant on Him and He Must Return to Saudi ArabiaWhen Khashoggi returned on Oct. 2, he was greeted at the consulate by someone he clearly knew, according to wiretaps heard by the rapporteur, who described the initial conversation as cordial. Then he was taken to a room and told by security chief Maher Abdulaziz Mutreb he would have to go back to Saudi. "We will have to take you back. There is an order from Interpol. Interpol requested you to be sent back. We are coming to get you." Khashoggi is heard saying, "There isn't a case against me. I notified some people outside; they are waiting for me; a driver is waiting for me." A short time later, Khashoggi admits there is no driver but his fiancée is waiting. The report then relays a conversation caught by Turkish surveillance. Saudi Officials Made Khashoggi Write to His SonAccording to the transcript, Mutreb asked whether Khashoggi had phones.Khashoggi replied, "Two phones.""Send a message to your son," a man is heard saying. "Which son? What should I say to my son?" Khashoggi asks before the room goes silent."You will type a message—let's rehearse; show us," the man can be heard saying. "What should I say? See you soon? I can't say kidnapping." Then the man tells Khashoggi to "cut it short" before directing him, "Take off your jacket." "How could this happen in an embassy? I will not write anything," Khashoggi pleads. "Cut it short," the man says again. "I will not write anything," he says again."Type it, Mr. Jamal. Hurry up. Help us so that we can help you because at the end we will take you back to Saudi Arabia and if you don't help us you know what will happen at the end; let this issue find a good end." A few minutes later, Khashoggi is heard saying, "There is a towel here. Are you going to give me drugs?" "We will anesthetize you," the man said before struggles can be heard. The Killers Struggled to Knock Out the JournalistThe rapporteur described sounds of struggle caught on the secret Turkish surveillance tape, which she assumes is the injection of a sedative. During the scuffle, a man asks, "Did he sleep?" Another replies, "He raises his head." The first man then says, "Keep pushing." Another replies, "Push here; don't remove your hand; push it." After the injection, the report surmises that the officials then suffocated him by placing his head in a plastic bag. Others caught on the secret tape spoke of a rope, but they could not determine whether a rope was indeed used. "Sounds of movement and heavy panting could be heard in the remainder of the recordings," the report states. "The sound of plastic sheets (wrapping) could also be heard. Turkish Intelligence concluded that these came after Mr. Khashoggi's death, while the Saudi officials were dismembering his body. The Turkish Intelligence assessment identified the sound of a saw at 13:39. The Special Rapporteur and her delegation could not make out the sources of the sounds they heard." The Killers Improvised Some of the WorkAt a certain point in the surveillance tape, before Khashoggi had been brought to them, the voice of Salah Mohammed Tubaigy, the forensics doctor, can be heard preparing the other men about how to move Khashoggi's heavy body, according to the report. As the men discuss the work at hand, including how to dismember the journalist, one mentions leather bags, another cutting through skin."My direct manager is not aware of what I am doing," Tubaigy then says. "There is nobody to protect me." Later in the conversation, Mutreb stops and tells the others to listen, then asks if the "sacrificial lamb" has arrived at the consulate.An unnamed voice then responds, "He has arrived." The Forensic Specialist Was on Tap to Remove the Evidence if Khashoggi Had to Be Killed, Not to Kill HimThe report contradicts denials by a Saudi prosecutor that no forensic specialist had been in Turkey at the time of the killing. It also contradicts initial press reports that Tubaigy was there to do the killing. Instead, the report asserts that he was there on standby in case the special team had no choice but to kill the journalist. Callamard writes that the leader of the mission "contacted a forensics expert to join the team for the purpose of removing evidence from the scene in the case force had to be used to return the victim. The forensics expert joined the team without the knowledge of his superiors." A Turkish Collaborator Was 'on Call' in Case Khashoggi Had to Be Killed The original intent was to return Khashoggi to Saudi Arabia, but a detailed contingency plan was put in place in the event he would not go willingly. "After surveying the Consulate, the head of the negotiation team concluded that it would not be possible to transfer the victim by force to the safe location in case the negotiations with him to return failed," the report says, referring to Khashoggi. "The head of the negotiation team decided to murder the victim if the negotiations failed." The complex investigation by both the U.N. and Turkish officials agreed that the murder was carried out "after a physical altercation with the victim where he was forcibly restrained and injected with a large amount of a drug resulting in an overdose that led to his death." There Is No Way the Plan Was Hatched by Team Who Carried it OutThe special rapporteur concludes that due to the complexity of the murder, the number of people involved, and the disdain for Khashoggi by the kingdom, there is no way the murder was the act of those who committed it, as Saudi officials suggest by holding a secret trial."The presence of the pathologist on the 15-man team is relevant to determining what the original intent of the mission was by those who commissioned it," Callamard writes. "His presence suggests one of three options: 1) that murder was the primary intent of the mission; 2) that murder was planned after several days of interrogation; or 3) that murder was the immediate second option should Mr. Khashoggi refuse to return to Saudi Arabia."As a result, she concludes: "It would appear improbable that any leader of a special operations team would unilaterally change the mission to murder without authorization from his superiors. A unilateral decision to kill, in defiance of orders, would seem only to put the team, and particularly the team leader at risk. It is hard to accept the theory that the 15-persons team leader planned this murder without any authorization from superiors in Riyadh." The Individual Team Members May Not Have Been Told They Would Have to KillCallamard believes that it is possible that not all of the 15 people involved in the murder were aware of the plan. "Experts consulted have suggested that special-operations team members are usually all aware of the precise roles they will play and that they usually knew the exact purpose of the mission," she wrote. "However, it is not known whether those conventions applied here. It is the special rapporteur's understanding that some of the individuals on trial in Saudi Arabia are disclaiming any advance knowledge that Mr. Khashoggi was to be killed." Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Should Be InvestigatedThe U.N. rapporteur suggests on several occasions that the current trial in Saudi Arabia against 11 unidentified people should be halted and that the focus of the investigation should instead turn to top Saudi officials."The special rapporteur addresses the question of credible evidence warranting further investigation of high-level officials currently not being criminally charged, specifically Saud Alqahtani, and the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. No conclusion is made as to guilt," she writes. "The only conclusion made is that there is credible evidence meriting further investigation, by a proper authority, as to whether the threshold of criminal responsibility has been met."Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| Pentagon sending 1,000 U.S. troops to Middle East after oil tanker attacks Posted: 18 Jun 2019 06:16 AM PDT  Last week, the Trump administration accused Tehran of being responsible for an explosion that set two oil tankers on fire off the coast of Iran.
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| Donald Trump 2020: US president launches re-election campaign at Orlando rally vowing political 'earthquake' Posted: 18 Jun 2019 07:42 PM PDT  Donald Trump vowed to deliver another "earthquake at the ballot box" in 2020 as he formally launched his re-election campaign in front of 20,000 cheering supporters in Orlando, Florida. The US president warned that "the swamp" he had vowed to drain during his 2016 campaign was "fighting back so viciously and violently" that he needed another four years in office. Mr Trump boasted of his presidential achievements including creating a US economy that was "the envy of the world", declaring: "The American dream is back." He also painted the Democratic Party, his political opponents, as "radical socialists", warning: "They want to destroy you, they want to destroy our country as we know it." The rally in a key swing state was well received among supporters in the stadium, who cheered and jeered at Mr Trump's punch lines - including repeatedly booing the "fake news" media. President Donald Trump speaks to supporters where he formally announced his 2020 re-election bid on Tuesday in Orlando, Florida Credit: AP Yet the president's speech was largely devoid of new policy pledges, instead often repeating lines delivered on the 2018 midterm elections campaign trail. Mr Trump made only passing reference to Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders, the two front-runners in the race for the Democrat 2020 presidential nomination. The president claimed 120,000 people had applied for tickets for his launch at Orlando's Amway Center. Certainly some had queued overnight and faced torrential rain on Tuesday. The speech was Mr Trump's chance to frame the argument for the election, still more than a year away but increasingly beginning to dominate the US media narrative. Mr Trump picked a familiar overarching theme to his 2016 bid - that he was the best person to stand up for the "forgotten" men and women of America. "Together we faced down a corrupt and broken political establishment and created a government by, of and for the people," Mr Trump said. At another point he said: "Since the very first day I walked through the doors of the White House I have never forgotten who sent me there. You did." A supporter holds a placard during a campaign rally for U.S. President Donald Trump formally kicking off his re-election bid in Orlando Credit: Reuters Mr Trump said that every day in his office he thinks about "how the American people are going to win, win, win today". Large chunks of the speech were dedicated to spelling out how Americans had benefited during his first two-and-a-half years in office and warning what could follow if he left. "Our future has never, ever looked brighter and sharper," Mr Trump said. "The American dream is back. It's bigger and better and stronger than ever before." He listed how Americans had benefited from the booming US economy, which has reached annual growth rates of more than 2 per cent under his presidency. He said the unemployment rate was at its lowest for 51 years, the average household had saved $3,000 a year from his tax cut and more than 16,000 manufacturing jobs were being created every month. Mr Trump also named leaving the Iran nuclear deal and Paris climate change agreement, squaring off with China over trade and standing up against socialist regimes in Cuba and Venezuela as accomplishments. Jared Kushner (L) and Ivanka Trump arrive for the official launch of the Trump 2020 campaign Credit: AFP There was mention of the need to build a wall along the US-Mexico border and stop immigrants "pouring" into the country but the topic was less prominent than in many previous speeches. Mr Trump also repeatedly cast the Democratic Party as a whole as "radical socialists", an apparent attempt to jump on the surge of left-wing energy among party activists for political gain. He said the Democrats had been "inflicted with an ideological sickness" and that they were "more radical, more dangerous and more unhinged than at any time in our history". "They want to destroy you, they want to destroy our country as we know it. It's not acceptable, it's not going to happen," Mr Trump said. "No matter what label they use, a vote for any Democrat in 2020 is a vote for the rise of radical socialism and the destruction of the American dream." Early Democratic front-runner Joe Biden said on Tuesday that Mr Trump's politics are "all about dividing us" in ways that are "dangerous - truly, truly dangerous." Another leading Democratic contender, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, said Mr Trump had delivered "an hour-and-a-half speech of lies, distortions and total, absolute nonsense." The speech was preceeded with addresses by Mike Pence, the vice president, as well as Mr Trump's sons Eric and Donald Jr. Throughout supporters appeared to be enjoying themselves, shouting familiar chants including "build the wall" and "four more years". The rally in total lasted more than three hours. Want the best of The Telegraph direct to your email and WhatsApp? Sign up to our free twice-daily Front Page newsletter and new audio briefings.
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| Historic US drug bust nets 16 tonnes of cocaine Posted: 18 Jun 2019 02:06 PM PDT  US authorities said Tuesday they had seized around 16 tonnes of cocaine with an estimated street value of over $1 billion in a historic drug bust aboard a ship at the port of Philadelphia. "This is one of the largest drug seizures in United States history," tweeted William McSwain, the US attorney for the Eastern District of Philadelphia. "Members of the ship's crew have been arrested and federally charged" following the drug bust at Philadelphia's Packer Marine Terminal, McSwain's office said on Twitter.
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| The migrants risking it all on the deadly Rio Grande Posted: 18 Jun 2019 03:37 AM PDT  The 19-year-old pregnant migrant wades towards the US shore, deep enough in the Rio Grande for waves to splash against her waist. Pushing through the river's current, and mindful of an alligator lingering upriver, she guides her friend's crying 10-year-old boy towards a US border-patrol rescue boat. As the boat carries them on the final leg of their journey to the United States from Honduras, the young woman waves back to a group on Mexico's riverbank cheering her rescue.The day before, border-patrol agents at the Eagle Pass river crossing in South Texas had found the body of a man too decomposed to be easily identified. A couple of days earlier, a video of a man desperately trying to swim against the current before going limp and sinking circulated in Mexican news media. And in early May, border-patrol agents at Eagle Pass pulled the body of a 10-month-old baby from the Rio Grande after a raft carrying nine migrants overturned. Only five survived."The sad moments are the deaths. Unfortunately, we've seen some of those," says Bryan Kemmett, the border-patrol agent in charge of Eagle Pass, a town of 29,000 about an hour from the larger Del Rio. "The more troubling ones, the ones more recently, are the small infants. When you see the small infant and you hear the infant dying, you think about your own children."Migrants have for years traversed the Rio Grande on makeshift rafts to cross illegally into the United States. But facing a surge of families from Central America, border-patrol agents are now pulling dozens of migrants, including young children, from the harsh current of the river almost every day. President Donald Trump's repeated threats and attempts to limit immigration have not deterred migrants. The US Customs and Border Protection agency took more than 144,200 into custody in May, the highest monthly total in 13 years.Policies that separated migrant children from their parents, forced asylum seekers to wait in Mexico for their day in court and detained teenagers in camps likened to juvenile prisons have done little to stem the immigration flow. So far in the current federal fiscal year, which began on 1 October, border-patrol agents have rescued at least 315 migrants from a 209-mile stretch of the Rio Grande – up from 12 migrants the year before.Earlier this month, a 40-year-old migrant woman collapsed at the Eagle Pass station about 30 minutes after crossing the river. She was declared dead at a hospital, and the authorities were investigating the cause of her death.Migrants who are interviewed for this article at Eagle Pass say they are well aware of the risks. But they also say they were convinced by human smugglers and by other migrants that crossing the Rio Grande, which can take about five to 10 minutes, was the fastest and least complicated way to start their requests for asylum, given the Trump administration's clampdown at legal ports of entry."The whole world crosses through the river," says Yevy Leiva, 28, who steered a raft across the Rio Grande with his son and two other migrants. Nine days later, he waits in a shelter in Del Rio, packed with scores of other migrants, for a bus to Dallas to stay with friends. Only migrants who show visible distress or who are travelling with a child are rescued by border-patrol agents. And while far more migrants trying to slip into the United States die on land – from dehydration or other dangers in the desert and brush – the number of deaths in the Rio Grande is rising at an alarming rate.Over the past two fiscal years, at least 11 people have drowned in the Del Rio sector of the Rio Grande. By comparison, the border patrol recovered the remains of four people from the river from fiscal 2015 to fiscal 2017.Randy Davis, the acting deputy chief patrol agent of the border patrol for the Del Rio sector, blames the deluge of migrants on the human smugglers who are increasingly exploiting this stretch of the Rio Grande as a comparatively untapped path into the United States.Since 1 October, border-patrol agents in the Del Rio sector have arrested nearly 18,000 migrant family members – compared with 1,387 during the first eight months of fiscal 2018. Agents in the sector have also rescued nearly three times as many migrants in the water than agents in other sectors along the border with Mexico, taken together.Some of them were infants who had to be flown to a hospital in San Antonio after they nearly drowned, Kemmett says. Davis says he expects to find more bodies. "There have been hundreds and hundreds of rescues," Davis says. "I'm trying to keep them all straight in my mind. I would suspect there are other individuals out there that were never reported missing that we will eventually recover at some point in the future."The US border patrol has issued warnings in Mexico about the dangers of crossing the Rio Grande, and Kemmett says migrants have been urged to at least wear life jackets before making the attempt. He says the river's levels have risen about 3ft because of a water release from a nearby hydroelectric dam and excessive rainfall. While the Rio Grande is shallow in some areas, other parts dip without warning to a depth of 8ft. Debris ricochets along the riverbed, and the banks are littered with inflatable tubes and Styrofoam noodles that migrants use to stay afloat.The river levels are expected to rise again soon and the dam releases to irrigate crops in and around Eagle Pass and to provide electricity for the town. Underscoring the dangers to the migrants, an alligator hid among river weeds one afternoon last month, floating just high enough to show the spikes along its back."They're navigating the currents, they're navigating the river itself, and now you have alligators," says Kemmett, a 24-year veteran of the border patrol. "An alligator is not going to know the difference between a child and a chicken, or any other small animal." Migrants often head to the Rio Grande with one change of clothes as well as their identification and other documents in a plastic bag. After crossing successfully, some change into the dry clothes before they are taken to a border-patrol facility to be processed.> They're navigating the currents, they're navigating the river itself, and now you have alligatorsWalking along the riverbank in Eagle Pass, Kemmett stops to examine a shirt left in the weeds near the water. It belonged to a baby. "We're seeing a lot of families," he says. "But within those families, we're seeing more and more younger infants. Trying to cross the river with a 2-month-old strapped to your chest or your back is not easy.""It's not easy to begin with," Kemmett says, "but now you're trying to hold on to your child. And the desperation and the panic gets in there, and then they start to struggle." Once they cross the Rio Grande and touch US soil, the migrants are taken into custody by the border patrol. They are processed in centres that were built to detain migrants before they were deported.But the sheer number of incoming migrants – many of whom are seeking asylum and are travelling with children who, by US law, cannot be detained for more than 20 days – has created an overwhelming backlog in cases and crowding at the border processing facilities. As a result, the vast majority of migrants who illegally enter the United States are told to report to court at a later date and are released. From there, the migrants search out relatives or other places to stay while their cases wind their way through immigration court.Last month, the Trump administration began flying migrants from overcrowded centres elsewhere in the Rio Grande Valley in Texas to Del Rio to be processed. But agents in Del Rio say the processing facility there was also overcapacity; earlier this month, the authorities there built a tent city to house migrants. Storage areas that had been used for border-patrol equipment in Del Rio "are now storing baby formula, diapers, additional extra space for blankets, heat blankets they can wrap up in", Davis says. Most of the migrants who are caught by the border patrol come to the United States to escape poverty in their home nations, Kemmett says, and do not appear to be the criminals that Trump has warned of in his campaign to limit immigration. Agents in Del Rio say there is no sign that the surge of migrant families will decline.Kemmett says the border-patrol agents he oversees are becoming "battle fatigued". He also questions why migrants would knowingly put their children in that type of danger in attempting the perilous journey to the United States.For some of the immigrants, it is the only way to protect their families. Barefoot and balancing his 8-year-old daughter on his shoulders, Angel Gabriel, 39, crosses the Rio Grande and into Eagle Pass on a hot afternoon.He steadies his 32-year-old wife as they walk into the river current; she tightly grips their barefoot 16-year-old son. Border-patrol agents meet the family in the middle of the river and bring them to land. As soon as agents finish patting down Gabriel to ensure he is not carrying weapons or drugs, he rushes to his family members and embraces them. All four of them weep."Truly thankful," Gabriel says through tears as he sits in a border-patrol van with his family. He says they left Honduras after being attacked. "Thankful to the power of the United States that they helped us get out," Gabriel says. "I feel thankful that my family is OK."A few hours earlier, a pregnant Honduran woman took her first steps on US soil. She had briefly reconsidered crossing the Rio Grande after seeing pictures on Facebook a day earlier of an alligator in the river. But turning her head, she revealed a bruised jaw – the evidence of what she said was an attack by her domestic partner in Honduras.The woman, who said she was to give birth in about a week, wanted to apply for asylum in the United States and hoped to create a good life for her soon-to-be-born son. "The life with my partner was a risk," she said as she looked at the river. "So this is nothing compared to that."© New York Times
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| Boeing may rebrand the 737 Max so people are willing to fly in it again Posted: 18 Jun 2019 02:06 PM PDT  Boeing has a serious problem on its hands. After a pair of fatal crashes that claimed hundreds of lives, the company's 737 Max jetliner has been seriously tarnished. Nobody really wants to fly on the planes, even if Boeing can figure out how to keep them from killing people, and that means the hundreds of planes sitting around in storage right now may have a tough road ahead.Now, Boeing says it might have a plan for dealing with the complete loss of public trust in the 737 Max line, and it could be as simple as just changing its name. As Bloomberg reports, Boeing CFO Greg Smith noted the possibility of a name change in an interview during the Paris Air Show this week."I'd say we're being open-minded to all the input we get," Smith reportedly said. "We're committed to doing what we need to do to restore it. If that means changing the brand to restore it, then we'll address that. If it doesn't, we'll address whatever is a high priority."Boeing followed up the interview with an official statement in which it reiterated its desire to make the plane, you know, not crash. The company also said it had "no plans" to change the name of the 737 Max at the moment, but it's also worth noting that the planes are still grounded, so a name change probably wouldn't do them any good, yet.The first order of business for Boeing is obviously fixing whatever is wrong with its jets. Reports following the second fatal crash suggested that flight software which was designed to avoid a stall may have been to blame for sending both planes plummeting to the Earth, but details have been hard to come by in the months since those reports surfaced.It'll be interesting to see how Boeing handles things once its planes are inevitably cleared to fly once more. Will travelers simply forget the history of the Max line, or ignore it? If not, a name change might be one way to get butts in the seats again.
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| Apple explores moving 15-30% of production capacity from China: Nikkei Posted: 19 Jun 2019 02:13 AM PDT  Apple's request was a result of the extended Sino-U.S. trade dispute, but a trade resolution will not lead to a change in the company's decision, Nikkei said, citing multiple sources. The iPhone maker has decided the risks of depending heavily on manufacturing in China are too great and even rising, it said. Earlier this month, credit rating agency Fitch said it views Apple, Dell Technologies Inc and HP Inc as potential blacklist candidates if China blacklists U.S. companies in retaliation for restrictions on Huawei.
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| Huge iPhone X Plus Looks Like the One to Beat Posted: 19 Jun 2019 07:35 AM PDT  Apple is betting that its biggest upcoming iPhone might just prove to be the most popular.Credit: Tom's GuideThe tech giant has ordered 45 million 6.5-inch OLED panels and 25 million 5.8-inch OLED panels, according to a report from Korean news outlet The Bell. Apple has also placed an order for 30 million 6.1-inch LCD panels for a cheaper version of its iPhone X, according to the report, which was earlier discovered by 9to5Mac.While the orders don't necessarily translate to sales predictions and can change over time, if they're accurate, it would suggest that Apple believes its iPhone X Plus will be the most popular version of all the handsets it releases this year. It also suggests that the iPhone X follow-up will be its least-popular model.Rumors have been swirling for months that Apple is working on three new iPhones for this year. The base model is expected to be a 6.1-inch LCD-based handset that will feature an iPhone X-like design and come with the most affordable price tag of the bunch. Apple's iPhone X, which is equipped with a 5.8-inch screen, is also getting a refresh, according to reports. And Apple will complement those handsets with the 6.5-inch iPhone X Plus, which will come with the same design as the iPhone X, but have a much larger screen.MORE: Case Maker Just Leaked the iPhone of Our DreamsThere had been speculation that Apple would sell more LCD models this year than any other. After all, the company's iPhone X has its biggest screen of all time and its highest price tag but isn't as popular as the cheaper iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus. Some had suggested the same might happen with this year's slate of iPhones.But Apple appears to be basing its decision on older iPhone launches that saw the larger versions attract more shoppers than the smaller and cheaper models. Apple ostensibly believes that customers will follow the same path with the iPhone Xs this year and opt for a larger version if it's available.Of course, price also matters here. And it's believed that Apple will keep all of its models under the $1,000 mark to start, with the iPhone X going for $899 and iPhone X Plus retailing for $999. The base LCD model will be less, but exactly how cheap is unknown. See also : Best iPhone X Alternatives * The Most Anticipated Smartphones - New Phones Coming Out * The Best iOS Apps You're Not Using (But Should Be) * 9 New iOS 12 Features That Make Your iPhone Better
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| Photos of the 2020 Mercedes-AMG GLC63 S Coupe Posted: 18 Jun 2019 11:00 AM PDT |
| Witness: Navy SEAL called dead prisoner an 'ISIS dirtbag' Posted: 19 Jun 2019 04:22 PM PDT  A Navy SEAL charged with killing a captive teenage militant in his care had told fellow troops that if they encountered a wounded enemy, he wanted medics to know how "to nurse him to death," a former comrade testified Wednesday. When a radio call announced an Islamic State prisoner was wounded on May 3, 2017, Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher replied: "Don't touch him, he's all mine," Dylan Dille told jurors in a military courtroom. When Iraqi forces delivered the captive to a SEAL compound in Mosul, he was on the hood of a Humvee and fading in an out of consciousness with only a minor leg wound visible.
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| South Korea to send 50,000 tons of rice to North Korea Posted: 19 Jun 2019 02:49 AM PDT  South Korea said Wednesday it plans to send 50,000 tons of rice to North Korea through the World Food Program, in its second aid package announced in past weeks as it seeks to help with North Korean food shortages and improve bilateral relations. South Korean Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul, Seoul's point man for North Korea, said his government will work with the U.N. agency to ensure that the food reaches North Korean people without delay.
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| Stewart out as Johnson gets birthday boost in race to be British PM Posted: 19 Jun 2019 11:32 AM PDT  Maverick candidate Rory Stewart was knocked out of the race to become Britain's next prime minister on Wednesday, as Boris Johnson extended his lead over the three other remaining contenders. International Development Secretary Stewart actually lost votes to come in last in the third ballot of Conservative MPs. Former foreign minister Johnson, on his 55th birthday, extended his commanding lead with the support of 143 out of 313 members of Britain's governing party.
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| Today’s best deals: Huge Anker blowout, Philips Hue sale, $8 wireless charger, $7 Alexa smart plugs, more Posted: 19 Jun 2019 07:35 AM PDT  We hope you're strapped in because today's roundup of the best daily deals we could find is definitely a wild ride! Highlights include Alexa and Google enabled Wi-Fi smart plugs for only $6.64 a piece when you buy a 4-pack and clip the 8% coupon, a popular fast wireless charger for just $8.49, $50 Philips Hue A19 Multi-Color LED Smart Bulbs for as little as $37 a piece (check the "other sellers" section), the $80 Philips Hue LightStrip Plus for $63.99, Philips Hue White A19 Bulbs for $12.49 a piece, the lowest price we've seen on the Alexa enabled Roomba 690 since Black Friday, a top-rated Wi-Fi range extender for only $16.99, Anker USB-C cables for $8.15, Anker Lightning Cables for $11.99, Super Mario Maker 2 for the Nintendo Switch for only $51.99 if you're a Prime member and you preorder now, and plenty more. Check out all of today's top deals below.
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| IRGC chief says Iran's ballistic missiles capable of hitting 'carriers in the sea' Posted: 18 Jun 2019 09:16 AM PDT ![IRGC chief says Iran's ballistic missiles capable of hitting 'carriers in the sea']( "IRGC chief says Iran's ballistic missiles capable of hitting 'carriers in the sea'") The commander of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards Corps said on Tuesday that Iran's ballistic missiles were capable of hitting "carriers in the sea" with great precision. "These missiles can hit with great precision carriers in the sea ... These missiles are domestically produced and are difficult to intercept and hit with other missiles," Brigadier General Hossein Salami said in a televised speech.
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| Forget Glock or Sig Sauer: This 100 Year Old Gun Might Be Better Posted: 17 Jun 2019 11:00 PM PDT  The response of some weapons designers might have been to develop a fully automatic gun. If one bullet wouldn't stop the enemy, three might. That would be the argument of a disposable, consumerist culture of overabundance, but we weren't there yet. The 1911 was frugal with the bullets, but the ones it dished out really did the job.The 1911 is one of the most notorious handguns in history and easily the most famous in America, having seen action in every U.S. conflict since World War I. One of the most successful product designs ever, the 1911 has achieved something rare in the world of machines: immortality. Over a hundred years old, it remains largely unchanged.What Apple is to consumer electronics, John Browning was to late 19th and early 20th century firearms. The 1911 is his most famous design. The typical 1911 is 8.25 inches from tip to tail and weighs 2.49 pounds empty — about as much as a trade paperback book. The 1911 is made of steel, steel and more steel, and takes a magazine that holds seven bullets.The 1911 has seen service in World War I, Mexico, Haiti, Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic (twice), Lebanon, World War II, the Korean War, Vietnam, Iran, Grenada, Panama, the Gulf War, the Iraq War and Afghanistan. It has chased bad men from Pancho Villa to Osama Bin Laden.
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| Xiaomi Eyes $725 Million Expansion to Stave Off Huawei in China Posted: 18 Jun 2019 11:55 PM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- Xiaomi Corp. aims to spend an additional 5 billion yuan ($725 million) expanding its Chinese retail network over the next three years, anticipating a re-doubled effort by Huawei Technologies Co. to grow its domestic market share.The smartphone maker will spend the money on expanding distribution channels and on reward programs for its partners and sales employees, a person familiar with the matter said, citing an internal meeting convened by billionaire co-founder Lei Jun Tuesday. That spending comes on top of an existing budget for building up its retail operations. Chinese media outlet Caixin reported on the investment earlier.Huawei is said to be preparing for a drop in international smartphone shipments of 40% to 60% as the Trump administration bars its access to American components and software. That means Google will cut off popular apps like YouTube and stop providing updates for the Android system that powers all of Huawei's devices abroad. It wants to grab as much as half of the smartphone market in China in 2019 to offset that decline overseas, people familiar with the matter have said, citing internal discussions about year-end goals. It hopes to get there also by investing in marketing and expanding distribution channels.Xiaomi aims to become the country's top vendor but its priority is to at least become No. 3, the person said, asking not to be identified discussing internal goals. The company currently ranks fourth. It sees the roll-out of next-generation 5G mobile networks in coming years as a golden opportunity to boost sales on its home turf, the person added.Hong Kong-listed Xiaomi now commands about 12% of the Chinese smartphone market versus Huawei's 34%, Canalys estimates. Its shipments slid 13% in the first quarter while its rivals' soared 41%, the research outfit estimated.To contact Bloomberg News staff for this story: Gao Yuan in Beijing at ygao199@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Peter Elstrom at pelstrom@bloomberg.net, Edwin Chan, Colum MurphyFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Attorney: Officer attacked without warning in Costco Posted: 17 Jun 2019 09:28 PM PDT  The off-duty officer who shot and killed a man inside a Southern California Costco last week was attacked without warning as he held his toddler son, the policeman's attorney said Monday. Attorney David Winslow said his client — a Los Angeles Police Department officer whom he wouldn't name — was struck from behind without a word being spoken Friday night as he fed his son samples of teriyaki chicken in the warehouse store in Corona, southeast of Los Angeles. The officer shot and killed French, 32, of Riverside, and critically wounded French's parents.
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