| Russia says five died in missile test explosion Posted: 10 Aug 2019 12:46 AM PDT  Russia's nuclear agency on Saturday said an explosion at an Arctic missile testing site had killed five of its staff after the military had put the toll at two. In a statement, Rosatom said the accident killed five of its staff and injured three, who suffered burns and other injuries. The statement came after authorities in a nearby city said the accident had caused a spike in radiation levels but the military had denied this.
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| Elon Musk Says He Supports 2020 White House Hopeful Andrew Yang Posted: 10 Aug 2019 12:33 PM PDT ![Elon Musk Says He Supports 2020 White House Hopeful Andrew Yang]( "Elon Musk Says He Supports 2020 White House Hopeful Andrew Yang") (Bloomberg) -- Elon Musk supports Andrew Yang, the Tesla Inc. chief executive officer said in a tweet that could give the tech entrepreneur's 2020 White House bid a boost.Musk, who often interacts with some of his almost 28 million followers on Twitter, made the declaration while responding to political commentator Dan Carlin, who uses the handle @HardcoreHistory. Carlin's tweet had cited Yang's earlier tweet on leadership.Musk said in a separate tweet that universal basic income, an idea Yang supports, is "obviously needed."The CEO jokingly added that Yang would be the first "openly goth" U.S. president. Yang told Jezebel in April he wanted to be America's first ex-goth president. The comments came after Yang tweeted some pictures of his younger self and revealed his favorite bands were The Smiths and The Cure.Yang has qualified for the next round of presidential primary debates to be held next month in Houston, the ninth Democrat to do so."The country heard my message and is ready to talk about real solutions to gun violence, the new realities of the American economy, and how we measure our health and success as a nation," Yang said in a statement on Thursday. "I'm excited to have those conversations in Houston and throughout the 2020 election."To contact the reporter on this story: Maria Jose Valero in New York at mvalero3@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Polina Noskova at pnoskova@bloomberg.net, Virginia Van Natta, Ros KrasnyFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Vegas man accused of plotting to bomb synagogues, LGBTQ bar Posted: 10 Aug 2019 12:32 PM PDT  Court documents say Conor Climo, 23, of Las Vegas told an FBI informant in recent weeks that he was scouting places to attack.
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| See the 2020 Chevy Corvette in Every Color Available Posted: 09 Aug 2019 08:42 AM PDT |
| A Russian military ammo depot that blew up earlier this week just exploded again Posted: 09 Aug 2019 12:16 PM PDT  The ammo depot, believed to house tens of thousands of artillery shells, exploded on Monday. It just exploded again, injuring at least ten more people.
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| U.S. service member killed in Iraq: coalition statement Posted: 10 Aug 2019 08:11 AM PDT ![U.S. service member killed in Iraq: coalition statement]( "U.S. service member killed in Iraq: coalition statement") A United States service member advising Iraqi security forces on a mission was killed on Saturday in the northern Nineveh province, the U.S.-led international coalition fighting Islamic State said in a statement. "One U.S. service member died today during an Iraqi Security Force mission in Ninewah province, Iraq, while advising and accompanying the (Iraqi security forces) during a planned operation, the statement said. It added that the name of the service member would be withheld until next of kin have been notified.
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| Family sues Glenview nursing home over video of aides taunting woman, 91, with dementia; aides charged and fired Posted: 10 Aug 2019 07:23 AM PDT  Two nursing home aides in north suburban Glenview have been fired and charged after a Snapchat video showed them taunting a 91-year-old woman with dementia. Her family is now taking legal action.
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| Man believes Trump 'ordered him' to attack child for ‘disrespecting’ national anthem by keeping hat on, lawyer says Posted: 09 Aug 2019 06:25 AM PDT  A man suspected of attacking a child who was wearing a hat during the US National Anthem believed he was encouraged by Donald Trump to carry out the assault, according to his lawyer. Curt Brockway, a 39-year-old US Army veteran who was charged on Monday in the assault, suffered a traumatic brain injury in a vehicle crash in 2000 that has affected his decision making, attorney Lance Jasper told the Missoulian. The lawyer said he will seek a mental health evaluation for Mr Brockway, who seemingly became caught up in the heightened animosity and rhetoric gripping the nation, and convinced himself that he was following the president's orders."His commander in chief is telling people that if they kneel, they should be fired, or if they burn a flag, they should be punished," Mr Jasper said.He added that Mr Brockway "certainly didn't understand it was a crime."Mr Brockway told a sheriff's deputy that he asked the boy to remove his hat out of respect for the national anthem before the start of the county rodeo, Mineral County Attorney Ellen Donohue wrote in the document describing the attack.The boy reportedly cursed at Mr Brockway in response, and the man grabbed him by the throat, "lifted him into the air and slammed the boy into the ground," Ms Donohue wrote.Mr Jasper's comments arrived as prosecutors formally charged Mr Brockway with assault on a minor, a felony that carries a maximum five-year prison sentence and a $50,000 (£41,183) fine upon conviction.Prosecutors said the boy was airlifted to a hospital for a possible concussion and skull fracture. His condition was not immediately known.Conduct during the playing of the national anthem has been an issue in recent years, with some NFL players kneeling to protest police brutality. Mr Trump once called for NFL owners to fire players who kneel or engage in other acts of protest during the anthem."Trump never necessarily says go hurt somebody, but the message is absolutely clear," Mr Jasper said. "I am certain of the fact that (Brockway) was doing what he believed he was told to do, essentially, by the president. ... Everyone should learn to dial it down a little bit, from the president to Mineral County."The Associated Press contributed to this report
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| 'She should be shot': Ohio man charged after Facebook threat against Ocasio-Cortez Posted: 10 Aug 2019 09:04 AM PDT  "She should be shot," the man had written on Facebook, along with a link to a story about Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
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| Israeli army kills 4 militants trying to cross Gaza fence Posted: 10 Aug 2019 12:06 PM PDT ![Israeli army kills 4 militants trying to cross Gaza fence]( "Israeli army kills 4 militants trying to cross Gaza fence") Israeli troops killed four Palestinian militants who attempted to cross through the perimeter fence from the Gaza Strip on Saturday, and in the West Bank arrested members of a Palestinian cell suspected in the killing of an off-duty soldier this week. The army said in a statement that militants who killed Dvir Sorek, 18, outside a settlement near Hebron were arrested and the car they used in the attack was seized. Israel's Channel 13 TV reported that the suspects included two brothers from Hebron.
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| Fox News Reporter Publicly Rebukes Tucker Carlson: ‘White Supremacy Is Real’ Posted: 09 Aug 2019 11:35 AM PDT  Chip SomodevillaThree days after Fox News host Tucker Carlson declared on-air that white supremacy is a "hoax," his colleague, Fox News reporter Cristina Corbin, tweeted out a rebuke of the primetime star's comments, noting that his views do not represent hers."White supremacy is real, as evidenced by fact," she wrote on Friday. "Claims that it is a 'hoax' do not represent my views."Corbin is currently listed on Fox News' website as "an investigative reporter and producer based in New York." Her bio page was still active as of this article's publication. Her most recent article with Fox News, a report on Canadian murder suspects, was published on July 31.Corbin's public pushback on Carlson is reminiscent of another recent episode in which a lower-level Fox News employee publicly took a stand against a right-wing host on the network. In March, after weekend host Jeanine Pirro drew outrage for suggesting Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) didn't believe in the Constitution because she wears a hijab, several Fox employees publicly blasted the pro-Trump host. Pirro would eventually be suspended for two weeks for her on-air comments.During his Tuesday night broadcast, Carlson dismissed the notion that white supremacy is an "real problem in America," calling concerns about it a "hoax" and a "conspiracy theory" despite this past weekend's mass shooting in El Paso before which the shooter allegedly posted a white-supremacist manifesto targeting Hispanic immigrants. Carlson's remarks were swiftly met with outrage and backlash, prompting renewed calls for advertisers to drop his show and for Fox News to fire the conservative host.The network has yet to give any official comment or statement on Carlson's inflammatory remarks. The primetime host, meanwhile, announced Wednesday that he will be on vacation until Aug. 19. Fox News quickly noted that Carlson's break was pre-planned, though—perhaps coincidentally—there has long been a pattern of other Fox hosts taking "pre-planned" vacations following controversy over their on-air comments. Fox News did not immediately respond to request for comment on Corbin's tweet about Carlson.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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| Mexico detains migrant children in cramped holding center despite court ruling Posted: 09 Aug 2019 01:40 PM PDT ![Mexico detains migrant children in cramped holding center despite court ruling]( "Mexico detains migrant children in cramped holding center despite court ruling") Overcrowding, prison-like conditions, bed bugs and illness are among the complaints of migrants in a Mexico City detention center that holds dozens of minors two months after a court ruled it was unconstitutional. Under the threat of economic sanctions from U.S. President Donald Trump, Mexico has stepped up migrant detentions this year to stem a surge in asylum-seekers from Central America. Known as Las Agujas, the Mexico City holding center enclosed by spike-topped walls in the eastern district of Iztapalapa held about 108 minors as of this week, some of whom are unaccompanied, said Jesus Quintana, who monitors the station for the Mexican human rights ombudsman's office (CNDH).
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| The Latest: Congress party says people dying in Kashmir Posted: 10 Aug 2019 11:47 AM PDT  India's main opposition leader Rahul Gandhi has demanded a statement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the situation in Kashmir, saying there are reports of violence and people dying. Pakistan says that with the support of China, it will take up India's unilateral actions in the disputed region of Kashmir with the U.N. Security Council and may approach the U.N. Human Rights Commission over what it says is the "genocide" of the Kashmiri people. Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi made the comment Saturday after meeting in Beijing with his Chinese counterpart and other top leaders.
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| Elderly couple found dead from murder-suicide after they couldn’t afford wife’s healthcare: ‘We will be in the front bedroom’ Posted: 10 Aug 2019 05:23 AM PDT A man in Washington state has killed both himself and his wife after raising fears about struggling to pay medical expenses for her ongoing health conditions.The couple were identified by the Whatcom County Medical Examiner as Brian S Jones, 77, and Patricia Whitney-Jones, 76.Mr Jones, who lived near the city of Ferndale, called emergency services on Wednesday morning and said he was going to shoot himself, according to the Whatcom County Sheriff's Office. He said he had prepared a note for the sheriff which contained information and instructions. In spite of the operator's efforts to keep him on the line, Mr Jones is then said to have told the operator, "we will be in the front bedroom", before disconnecting the call.Police arrived around 15 minutes later and set up a perimeter around the house and attempted to intervene for about an hour with a crisis negotiator and loud hailer.But it was too late, as officials then used a robot-mounted camera to look inside the home and found the bodies of the married couple. Authorities said they believe Mr Jones shot his wife and then himself. They were found lying together.A statement from Whatcom Sheriff Bill Elfo said state officials are investigating the incident which is deemed to be a murder-suicide.According to the sheriff, Mr Jones told the operator: "I am going to shoot myself".Several notes were left in the home "citing severe ongoing medical problems with the wife and expressing concerns that the couple did not have sufficient resources to pay for medical care", according to the sheriff's statement."It is very tragic that one of our senior citizens would find himself in such desperate circumstances where he felt murder and suicide were the only option. Help is always available with a call to 911," Mr Elfo said in the post.Numerous firearms were seized and two dogs found in the house were taken to an animal shelter.Sherrie Schulteis, a neighbour of the couple, said she often spoke to Mr Jones and watched out for each other's homes but was totally unaware about the extent to which he was struggling mentally and financially."[Mr Jones and I] were always waving and talking about our yards or our flowers," she told The Lynden Tribune. "It's a little tiny community where we all know each other, but we don't really know each other."
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| 'Unreal scene': Police say shooting melee on Houston highway likely drug-related Posted: 09 Aug 2019 11:05 AM PDT  Two people were killed in a shooting on Interstate 10 in Texas on Thursday evening, Houston Police said.
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| Biden Says He Was Vice President During Parkland Shooting Posted: 10 Aug 2019 03:53 PM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- Joe Biden said he was vice president when the deadly high school shooting in Parkland, Florida, took place. Except, it happened in 2018, more than a year after he left office -- the latest gaffe by the Democratic presidential front-runner.Biden told reporters in Iowa on Saturday that "those kids in Parkland came up to see me when I was vice president." But when they visited Capitol Hill to talk with members of Congress, lawmakers were "basically cowering, not wanting to see them. They did not want to face it on camera."The former vice president was making a point about the changing conversation around gun violence in this country, and how as more and more ordinary people are touched by mass shootings, they are more likely to call for action.An official with the Biden campaign said the former vice president was thinking of the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, when he misspoke. That attack, in which 20 children between six and seven years old were killed along with six staff members, was in December 2012.Survivors of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida, made national headlines for their demonstrations and calls for action, including visits by some students to the nation's capital. The shooting, the deadliest high school killing spree in U.S. history, occurred on Feb. 14, 2018, and left 17 dead and injured more than a dozen others. The assailant was an expelled student.Biden, along with former Representative Gabrielle Giffords, an Arizona Democrat who was shot in the head during an event with constituents in Tucson in 2011, met with Stoneman students in Washington days after the 2018 incident.The statement was the latest in a string of gaffes that have plagued Biden on the campaign trail. On Thursday, Biden, 76, told a group of Asian and Hispanic voters that "poor kids are just as bright" as white children. And last week he referred to mass shootings in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio, as having taken place in Houston and Michigan.In both cases he quickly caught himself. And on Saturday Biden told reporters he misspoke on his "poor kids" comment but said that overall, people understood the point he was trying to make."I don't think anybody thinks I meant anything other than what I said I meant," Biden said.President Donald Trump, who's spending the weekend at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, was quick to seize on Biden's blunder. He said on Twitter that the former vice president "doesn't have a clue." (Updates with Trump tweet in final paragraph.)To contact the reporter on this story: Emma Kinery in Washington at ekinery@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Wendy Benjaminson at wbenjaminson@bloomberg.net, Ros Krasny, Ian FisherFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Bull, meet China shop: Trump's foreign policy in Asia is disastrous Posted: 09 Aug 2019 03:00 AM PDT  Crippling challenges threaten Asia's bright future – and the US is not helping 'The future of Asia remains bright, but a crippling array of challenges threatens to upend its potential – and could have an immense impact on the US.' Photograph: Kevin Lamarque/ReutersAsia's historical, political and economic landmines are increasingly blowing up, and Donald Trump seems intent on accelerating the damage in ways that could threaten US national security and prosperity.Things didn't always seem so bleak. Analysts have long heralded the coming of the "Asian century". Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Indonesia and others have transformed from autocracies to democratic members of the G20. Today, nations across Asia are innovative economies, flourishing democracies and contributors to global security. Any measurement of GDP size, military might or population illustrate how Asia could be the most important region in the world in the 21st century.The future of Asia remains bright, but a crippling array of challenges threatens to upend its potential – and could have an immense impact on the US.Two of the most successful democracies in the region – South Korea and Japan, which are also US allies – are in the midst of a diplomatic brawl. The tensions are being driven by the legacy of Japan's occupation of South Korea in the first half of the 20th century – which remains a devastatingly potent political issue in both countries – and starkly divergent approaches to the region from the two current leaders. The countries' militaries have brushed up against one another, a trade war is under way, and South Korean president Moon Jae-in recently, ominously, said: "We will never again lose to Japan."While the US would usually attempt to patch things up, the Trump administration has been mostly absent. A too little, too late effort by the secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, during a trilateral meeting with the Japanese and South Korean foreign ministers reportedly went so poorly that the two foreign ministers canceled their own bilateral meetings with Pompeo. South Korea is now reportedly considering withdrawing from a trilateral intelligence sharing agreement that was the product of intense diplomacy by previous US administrations. Close coordination with Seoul and Tokyo is essential to dealing with North Korea, and this rift could undermine the prospects for diplomacy with and deterrence against North Korea.That is especially concerning because North Korea has resumed missile testing, sending a reminder of how little recent diplomacy has achieved. And while diplomacy is the only way to address the threat from North Korea, Trump is so invested in the process – and his own narrative that it has been a success – that he can't even bring himself to criticize Kim Jong-un or the missile tests. In fact, Trump bends over backwards to defend his ongoing bromance with Kim each time the North Korean leader sends another missile message. Meanwhile, North Korea continues building nuclear weapons and advancing its missile technology.Like with most dictators, Trump also spares his "friend", China's president, Xi Jinping, from any criticism, even while escalating a trade war. The trade war, meanwhile, hurts American workers and the US economy, according to the Chairman of the Federal Reserve. If the next round of US tariffs is implemented, some estimate they could cost American families between $700 and $1,270 a year. The incoherence of Trump's approach on China undercuts American prosperity and has done nothing to advance our goals in addressing genuine problems with China.Trump also makes clear his willingness to ignore human rights in the hopes of smoothing the way for a trade deal. The people of Hong Kong are standing up for their democratic rights against growing repression from Beijing, and the People's Liberation Army (PLA) is reportedly massing its forces along the border with Hong Kong while the PLA's Hong Kong garrison sends threatening messages in what could be a deterrent to protesters or even a prelude to a Tiananmen-like crackdown.> America's alliances, partnerships and moral authority in the region are frayingBut after talking about the prospects of a trade deal with China, Trump made clear that he doesn't care about what happens in Hong Kong: "Somebody said that at some point they are going to want to stop [the riots]. But that's between Hong Kong and that's between China, because Hong Kong is a part of China … they don't need advice." The message to Xi Jinping was loud and clear: All Trump cares about is trade, and he won't lift a finger if Xi violently cracks down on protesters.The list goes on. Not long after Trump claimed (falsely) to Pakistan's prime minister, Imran Khan, that the Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, asked Trump to mediate the India-Pakistan dispute over Kashmir (the claim itself became a major diplomatic embarrassment for India) the government of India revoked Kashmir's special autonomous status, raising tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors. As the US withdrew from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty, the US secretary of defense, Mark Esper, stoked new concerns of an arms race in Asia when he suggested the US could deploy new ground-based missiles there. Pompeo recently praised the military-run government of Thailand as "returning" to democracy because it held sham elections. And Trump seems unaware of the atrocities being committed against the Rohingya in Myanmar or the Uyghurs in China. America's alliances, partnerships and moral authority in the region are fraying.Trump is an expert at stepping into controversy and making bad situations even worse, and his engagement in Asia is no exception. If these situations continue to spiral out of control, any one of the simmering problems from North Korea to Hong Kong to Kashmir could explode. And that could spell serious trouble for US prosperity and national security. * Michael H Fuchs is a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, and a former deputy assistant secretary of state for east Asian and Pacific affairs
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| London teen missing in Malaysia isn't independent: parents Posted: 10 Aug 2019 03:03 AM PDT  The parents of a 15-year-old London girl who mysteriously disappeared from a Malaysian resort a week ago said Saturday that she wasn't independent and had difficulty walking, in new details to support their conviction that she was abducted. A massive search operation has been underway for Nora Anne Quoirin, who was discovered missing by her family last Sunday morning from the Dusun eco-resort in southern Negeri Sembilan state.
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| Here's the Story Behind That Controversial 'Backless Seats' Photo Posted: 09 Aug 2019 12:50 PM PDT  EasyJet told TIME that the flight departed with five spare seats
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| VIDEO: Danny Trejo rushes in to rescue child in Sylmar car crash Posted: 09 Aug 2019 12:19 AM PDT  New surveillance video shows actor Danny Trejo rushing in to help a child after a car crash in Sylmar.
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| 28 Sweet Summer Peach Desserts (That Aren't Pie) Posted: 09 Aug 2019 07:31 AM PDT |
| Southern separatists overrun barracks in Yemen's Aden Posted: 09 Aug 2019 05:22 PM PDT  Southern separatists gained ground across Yemen's second city Aden on Saturday and surrounded the presidential palace as they fought fierce battles with loyalist forces, military and security sources said. Deadly fighting raging in Aden since Wednesday is pitting unionist forces loyal to the internationally recognised government against a force that supports it but is dominated by fighters seeking renewed independence for the south. The force, known as the Security Belt, overran three military barracks belonging to unionist forces and were surrounding the presidential palace, sources close to the Security Belt said.
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| Should Walmart, Kroger and other retailers ban carrying guns in stores? Posted: 09 Aug 2019 07:45 AM PDT  After shootings at Walmart, Kroger, Waffle House, Macy's and others, are you comfortable visiting a business where patrons can bring their weapons?
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| Scandal-ridden NRA head LaPierre digs in against gun control Posted: 09 Aug 2019 06:55 AM PDT  In the aftermath of the back-to-back shooting massacres in Texas and Ohio, the debate over gun control has returned to the National Rifle Association and its immense power to stymie any significant legislation on the issue. The man largely responsible for the NRA's uncompromising stance is its decades-long CEO, Wayne LaPierre, who has been engulfed in turmoil and legal issues as he orchestrates the group's latest effort to push back against gun control measures. Law enforcement authorities are investigating the NRA's finances, and the gun group has ousted top officials and traded lawsuits with the longtime marketing firm credited with helping to shape LaPierre's and the NRA's image.
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| A floating nuclear plant in Russia features a gym, bar, and pool. An expert calls it 'Chernobyl on ice.' Posted: 09 Aug 2019 05:47 AM PDT  Environmental activists worry about the perils of placing nuclear reactors at sea, where they could be vulnerable to climate-related disasters.
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| Arizona prosecutor who questioned Kavanaugh accuser promoted Posted: 09 Aug 2019 02:29 PM PDT  An Arizona sex-crimes prosecutor who questioned Christine Blasey Ford about her sexual assault allegation against then-Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh has been promoted to a top prosecutorial job in metro Phoenix. Rachel Mitchell was named chief deputy of the Maricopa County Attorney's Office last week, taking on the top staff position with Republican County Attorney Bill Montgomery. Mitchell was chief of the county's sex crimes division when the 11 Republican men on the Senate Judiciary Committee enlisted her to question Ford, hoping to avoid the potentially bad optics of men interrogating a woman about her allegation.
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| Background Checks Won't Stop Many Mass Shootings. We Need Them Anyway, Experts Say Posted: 10 Aug 2019 01:30 PM PDT  Many public health experts agree background checks are a crucial part of efforts to limit gun deaths
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| Mexico Considers Banning Cash for Gasoline Purchases, Highway Tolls Posted: 09 Aug 2019 02:17 PM PDT ![Mexico Considers Banning Cash for Gasoline Purchases, Highway Tolls]( "Mexico Considers Banning Cash for Gasoline Purchases, Highway Tolls") (Bloomberg) -- Mexico is considering a ban on the use of cash for purchasing gasoline and to pay for tolls as a way to fight tax evasion and money laundering, according to people with direct knowledge of the discussions.The plan, which has been discussed between the banking industry and the government, hasn't been fully approved. A final decision may not be taken until after the central bank rolls out its digital payments platform known as CoDi next month which is part of a broader government program to push more Mexicans into the banking system and cut down on cash, said the people who asked not to be named, since the plan isn't public.Mexico is awash in cash from the informal economy of street merchants and the illicit drug trade. Cash is used for between 80% to 90% of transactions in Mexico, Finance Minister Arturo Herrera said in March, when he was still deputy minister. At a time of a slowing economy, the plan could also help widen Mexico's tax base.Mexico's Finance Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The country's banking association declined to comment.In addition, the move will help identify gas stations that are buying stolen fuel by tracking their sales electronically, both people said. President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has made a crackdown on fuel theft from state-owned oil company Petroleos Mexicanos a cornerstone of his drive to root out widespread corruption.For banks, the plan to push for more cashless transactions -- albeit without fees -- could be a boon for expanding their client base and open opportunities to provide more Mexicans with cards, loans and mortgages. The CoDi system -- which relies on QR codes with mobile phones -- and a ban on gasoline and tolls, could increase digital payments tenfold, one of the people said.Only around two-fifths of Mexicans have bank accounts, World Bank data shows, and Mexico has the lowest tax take as a share of its economy among members of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.AMLO, as the leftist president is known, surprised Mexico's bankers by embracing a cashless strategy which his predecessors had previously shunned. The ambitious project gels with his anti-graft campaign as well as a wish to to achieve greater financial inclusion in remote parts of the country of 125 million. To be sure, challenges abound to weaning Mexicans off cash, including poor connectivity for both mobile networks and internet service outside of major urban areas.With the need to give consumers time to prepare for a cash ban on goods like gasoline and highway tolls, the enforcement of such a policy may take some time. Other areas that could be pushed into digital payments include public transportation, school tuition, electricity bills and passport fees, the people said.India instated an even broader cash ban in 2016 - one that prohibited high-denomination currency notes. While it didn't weed out illicit cash use altogether, it did widen the country's tax base and increase digital payments.(Updates with response from bank association in fourth paragraph.)To contact the reporters on this story: Michael O'Boyle in Mexico City at moboyle7@bloomberg.net;Nacha Cattan in Mexico City at ncattan@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Daniel Cancel at dcancel@bloomberg.net, Richard RichtmyerFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Man fights off grizzly bear by stabbing it in neck with pocket knife as it savaged him Posted: 09 Aug 2019 04:46 AM PDT A man savaged by a grizzly bear while mountain biking fought off the animal by stabbing it with a 2in pocket knife – and then cycled four miles to get help.Colin Dowler was out in the backwoods of British Columbia exploring possible hiking routes when he turned a corner and encountered the huge grizzly at a distance of about 30m, the BBC reported.He had hoped the bear would avoid confrontation and pass him by, or retreat into trees near the logging trail on Mount Doogie Dowler, named for his grandfather.But the animal approached him with "methodical, heavy swats" of its paws, Mr Dowler told the broadcaster. He tried talking it down, he said, telling it: "I know this is your territory, I'm just passing through, we don't have to do this."When the grizzly did not retreat the 45-year-old tried throwing his bike at it, to no avail. Then it lunged, sinking its teeth into his stomach.Mr Dowler told Canadian broadcaster CBC: "It grabbed me by the stomach and kind of pushed me down and dragged me toward the ditch maybe 50 feet. I tried eye gouging it away and it didn't really work."The bear also bit into his limbs during the 29 July attack, the reports said.He added: "It sounded like it was grating my bones up. "Somehow, I don't know how I did it. I used both hands to pull underneath the bear to get to that knife, and I grabbed the knife ... and stabbed the bear in his neck."It let go of me immediately. It was bleeding quite badly, I wasn't really sure if it was dying faster than I was."Once free of the bear's jaws Mr Dowler reportedly made a tourniquet from his shirt and rode some 4.3 miles before finding help, in the form of five logging camp workers who gave first aid and called for an air ambulance.Mr Dowler, a father of two, is now recovering at Vancouver General Hospital.The bear was reportedly tracked down and killed by wildlife officers.
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| Pakistan court remands opposition leader to custody on graft charges Posted: 09 Aug 2019 04:37 AM PDT  Some supporters of Pakistan's largest opposition party threw punches on Friday in clashes with police as a top leader, Maryam Nawaz, was remanded to custody on corruption charges filed by a national anti-graft agency. Maryam, daughter of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and a scion of the family that dominated politics for three decades, was arrested over fraud accusations at a sugar mill her family runs, one of several cases it says are politically motivated. "I knew that it would be a tough situation for me to launch a political struggle but I will not budge," Maryam told reporters shortly before she appeared in court in the city of Lahore, to be denied bail and remanded until August 21.
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| Prague Pride parade draws 30,000 Posted: 10 Aug 2019 08:14 AM PDT  Tens of thousands of people took part in the Prague Pride parade of the LGBT community on Saturday while a similar march in neighbouring Poland went smoothly despite fears of far-right disruption. "We had 30,000 people according to our estimate which we arrived at after consulting the police," said Bohdana Rambouskova, spokeswoman for the week-long Prague Pride festival. On Thursday, someone set fire to a rainbow flag in central Prague and fired flares at an island hosting the festival workshops and other events.
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| Man who alleged police locked him in closet awarded $50M Posted: 10 Aug 2019 12:50 PM PDT ![Man who alleged police locked him in closet awarded $50M]( "Man who alleged police locked him in closet awarded $50M") A jury in Cleveland on Friday awarded $50 million to a man who claimed police beat him while he was handcuffed and locked him in a storage closet for four days with no toilet and nothing to eat or drink but a carton of milk. A different Cuyahoga County jury awarded Black $22 million in June 2016 during a three-day trial where no attorneys representing East Cleveland attended. The city subsequently appealed, and the lawsuit was sent back to Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court for another trial.
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| The El Paso shooting has reignited a debate over whether the federal government has a double-standard when it comes to white nationalist terrorism Posted: 10 Aug 2019 06:17 AM PDT  The government has been unable to address homegrown extremism because of civil liberties concerns and because the US has no domestic terrorism law.
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| These 6 Brands Are Making the Coolest Pet Gear Posted: 09 Aug 2019 10:24 AM PDT |
| Police: Florida man drives golf cart into Walmart, attempts to run over people Posted: 09 Aug 2019 03:02 AM PDT  A Florida man is facing charges for driving a golf cart through a crowded Walmart.
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| Trump says students returning to school have 'nothing to worry about' after the recent mass shootings Posted: 09 Aug 2019 12:29 PM PDT  President Donald Trump on Friday assured students going back to school that they "have nothing to worry about," as the nation continues to reel after numerous mass shootings.
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| Fukushima nuclear plant out of space for radioactive water Posted: 09 Aug 2019 07:39 AM PDT  The utility company operating Fukushima's tsunami-devastated nuclear power plant said Friday it will run out of space to store massive amounts of contaminated water in three years, adding pressure on the government and the public to reach a consensus on what to do with it. Three reactors at the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant suffered meltdowns in a massive 2011 earthquake and tsunami that devastated northeastern Japan. Radioactive water has leaked from the damaged reactors and mixed with groundwater and rainwater at the plant.
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| UPDATE 4-Thousands protest in Indian Kashmir over new status despite clampdown Posted: 09 Aug 2019 06:04 AM PDT ![UPDATE 4-Thousands protest in Indian Kashmir over new status despite clampdown]( "UPDATE 4-Thousands protest in Indian Kashmir over new status despite clampdown") Indian police used tear gas and pellets to fight back at least 10,000 people protesting Delhi's withdrawal of special rights for Muslim-majority Jammu and Kashmir state in its main city of Srinagar on Friday, a police official and two witnesses said. The demonstration soon after Friday prayers was the largest since authorities locked down the revolt-torn region five days ago, cutting off telephone and internet services and detaining more than 500 political and separatist leaders. In a tweeted statement on Saturday, spokeswoman for India's Ministry of Home Affairs, Vasudha Gupta, said that the estimate of 10,000 was "completely fabricated & incorrect".
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| Israel navy seeks to raise profile with multi-national drill Posted: 09 Aug 2019 02:59 AM PDT  A huge earthquake hits northern Israel, killing thousands and knocking out infrastructure -- this doomsday scenario was the premise for a multi-national naval drill this week. Sailors from France, Greece and the United States arrived on their vessels and were joined by the Israelis off the Israeli port city of Haifa for the four-day exercise, called Mighty Waves. It was the first time Israel hosted and organised a drill of such scope, said Lieutenant Colonel Liav Zilberman.
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