2019年11月7日星期四

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Yahoo! News: Brazil


Graham now says Trump's Ukraine policy was too 'incoherent' for quid pro quo

Posted: 06 Nov 2019 11:22 AM PST

Graham now says Trump's Ukraine policy was too 'incoherent' for quid pro quoA day after saying he wouldn't bother to read the testimony, Sen. Lindsey Graham now says he did read it, and his conclusion is that the Trump administration's Ukraine policy was too "incoherent" for it to have orchestrated the quid pro quo at the heart of the impeachment inquiry.


The Latest: 2 escaped inmates arrested at US-Mexico border

Posted: 06 Nov 2019 11:21 AM PST

The Latest: 2 escaped inmates arrested at US-Mexico borderAn official says two murder suspects who escaped a California jail were captured Wednesday by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents as they tried to enter the United States from Mexico. Monterey County Sheriff's Office Capt. John Thornburg says authorities received a tip that 20-year-old Jonathan Salazar and 21-year-old Santos Fonseca had been spotted in Tijuana, across the border from San Diego, and had alerted federal officials. Thornburg says the two are in the custody of Monterey County officials and are on their way to a jail in Salinas, 440 miles (708 kilometers) north of the U.S.-Mexico border.


One of the world's thickest mountain glaciers is melting because of global warming

Posted: 07 Nov 2019 11:09 AM PST

One of the world's thickest mountain glaciers is melting because of global warmingFor half a century, Taku had been the one known Alaskan glacier to withstand the effects of climate change – until now.


NY Tech Firm Sold Chinese Equipment to U.S. Military after Falsely Claiming It was American-Made

Posted: 07 Nov 2019 10:14 AM PST

NY Tech Firm Sold Chinese Equipment to U.S. Military after Falsely Claiming It was American-MadeA Long Island tech firm sold Chinese equipment to the U.S. military while fraudulently claiming the products were American-made, according to New York's NBC 4.Federal agents arrested six current and former executives and employees of Aventura Technologies on Thursday morning, and subsequently raided the company's headquarters. Agents representing the FBI, Customs, the IRS and other agencies were seen carrying out the raid.The suspects are expected to appear in Brooklyn federal court."As alleged, the defendants falsely claimed for years that their surveillance and security equipment was manufactured on Long Island, padding their pockets with money from lucrative contracts without regard for the risk to our country's national security posed by secretly peddling made-in-China electronics with known cyber vulnerabilities," United States Attorney Richard Donoghue said in a statement.Company representatives did not return National Review's request for comment in time for publication.The allegations against Aventura Technologies are raising fears about the materials the company sold to the U.S. military, which are currently in use in the navy and other military branches.Aventura describes itself as a "designer, developer and manufacturer" of security hardware and software products for "government, military and enterprise." The company offers cameras and other hardware for video surveillance, face recognition and artificial intelligence software, and a variety of X-ray and scanning equipment, among other products.The raid comes at a time of rising tensions between the U.S. and China. At a Senate subcommittee hearing on Tuesday, Senator Josh Hawley (R., Mo.) criticized tech companies Apple and TikTok for being "two sides of the same coin when it comes to data security: the danger of Chinese tech platforms' entry into the U.S. market, and the danger of American tech companies' operations in China."


Looking for a hero: shirtless Chilean protester, police-hating dog rise to fame

Posted: 07 Nov 2019 12:53 PM PST

Looking for a hero: shirtless Chilean protester, police-hating dog rise to fameA hooded, muscular man shielding himself with a traffic "Stop" sign during a clash with police amid protests in the Chilean capital has gone viral on social networks, with the man being lauded as a romantic hero of the struggle that has raged for the past three weeks. The image of "PareMan" or "Captain Pare," as he has become known - pare means stop in Spanish - was first captured on Oct. 30 by Reuters photographer Jorge Silva during protests on Santiago's central Alameda thoroughfare. The phrase #PareMan has been trending on social media with some eulogizing him as the "First Chilean Superhero" of the protests, which started over a hike in public transport fares and has broadened to include grievances over low pensions and salaries, high utility rates and patchy public services.


Hawaii Man Dies After Falling 22 Feet Into Lava Tube While Trimming His Trees

Posted: 07 Nov 2019 06:57 AM PST

Hawaii Man Dies After Falling 22 Feet Into Lava Tube While Trimming His TreesAn elderly Hawaii man died after falling into a 22 feet-deep lava tube in his yard, police said.


Huge trove of mammoth skeletons found in Mexico

Posted: 06 Nov 2019 03:31 PM PST

Huge trove of mammoth skeletons found in MexicoArchaeologists said Wednesday they have made the largest-ever discovery of mammoth remains: a trove of 800 bones from at least 14 of the extinct giants found in central Mexico. The skeletal remains were found in Tultepec, near the site where President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's government is building a new airport for Mexico City. The herds grew, reproduced, died, were hunted... They lived alongside other species, including horses and camels," archaeologist Luis Cordoba told journalists.


Elizabeth Warren offers to explain her wealth tax to Bill Gates

Posted: 06 Nov 2019 07:06 PM PST

Elizabeth Warren offers to explain her wealth tax to Bill GatesThe billionaire balked at Warren's tax policies during a conference on Wednesday, prompting a response from the Democratic candidateElizabeth Warren tweeted at Bill Gates: 'I'm always happy to meet with people, even if we have different views.' Photograph: Jack Kurtz/Zuma Wire/Rex/ShutterstockElizabeth Warren, who has welcomed, and even rejoiced in the ire of billionaires who oppose her plans to tax the wealthy, can now count the second richest person in the world among her skeptics.Speaking at the New York Times DealBook conference on Wednesday, Bill Gates balked at Warren's tax policies. "I've paid over $10bn in taxes. I've paid more than anyone in taxes," he said. "If I had to pay $20bn, it's fine." "But when you say I should pay $100bn, then I'm starting to do a little math over what I have left over."Warren, who has proposed a 6% tax on wealth over 10 figures, reassured Gates that he wouldn't have to pay $100bn, and offered to meet with him to explain.> I'm always happy to meet with people, even if we have different views. @BillGates, if we get the chance, I'd love to explain exactly how much you'd pay under my wealth tax. (I promise it's not $100 billion.) https://t.co/m6G20hDNaV> > — Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) November 7, 2019At the conference, Gates had said, "I'm not sure how open-minded she is – or that she'd even be willing to sit down with somebody who has large amounts of money."Warren responded: "I'm always happy to meet with people, even if we have different views."Despite being a vocal critic of Donald Trump, Gates also wouldn't commit to supporting Warren in a hypothetical race between her and Trump: "I'm not going to make political declarations. But I do think no matter what policy somebody has in mind … whoever I decide will have the more professional approach in the current situation, probably is the thing I will weigh the most. And I hope that the more professional candidate is an electable candidate."Critics pointed out that the Microsoft founder and philanthropist would still remain extremely wealthy under Warren's plan.> If Elizabeth Warren passed her extra 6 percent wealth tax on fortunes over $1 billion and Bill Gates never gained a single dollar again from any of his investments, he'd still be a billionaire 60 years from now https://t.co/rcAZCLthkx> > — Lee Fang (@lhfang) November 6, 2019And even if he were to pay that much, he'd still have some money left over.> Even if someone was asking Bill Gates to pay 100 billion in taxes (they're not), he'd have 6 billion left over https://t.co/jnslbzT1Sv> > — Steadman™ (@AsteadWesley) November 6, 2019On Thursday, Gates replied to Warren on Twitter, saying: "I greatly respect your commitment to finding ways to address wealth inequality and poverty at home. While we may disagree about some of the ways to get there, we certainly agree we need a lot of smart people committed to finding the path forward."This isn't the first time Warren has contended with disgruntled billionaires. Last week, the billionaire money manager Leon Cooperman exchanged tense words with Warren on Twitter and sent her a letter criticizing her "vilification of the rich"."Leon can and should pitch in more," she responded, "so that every kid has the same opportunities he did to succeed."


Woman claims she was 'slut-shamed' by airline

Posted: 07 Nov 2019 01:11 PM PST

Woman claims she was 'slut-shamed' by airlineAn Australian woman said she was "publicly slut-shamed" by two Jetstar airline employees while trying to board a flight at Sydney Airport.


Trump fumes about reports that he wanted Barr to host news conference clearing him on Ukraine call

Posted: 07 Nov 2019 06:59 AM PST

Trump fumes about reports that he wanted Barr to host news conference clearing him on Ukraine callThe president is lashing out on Twitter over news first reported by the Washington Post that he wanted the attorney general to hold a press conference declaring he had broken no laws during the July 25 phone call in which he urged Ukraine's new president to investigate his political rival.


UK police ID all 39 Vietnamese victims found in truck

Posted: 07 Nov 2019 06:08 AM PST

UK police ID all 39 Vietnamese victims found in truckUK police say they have formally identified the 39 people found dead in a container truck in southeastern England and notified their families in the apparent people-smuggling tragedy. The authorities said Thursday they've been working with Vietnamese police and the coroner to identify the bodies that were found Oct. 23 in the back of a truck in an industrial park in the English town of Grays. "This is an important step in the investigation and enables us to work with our Vietnamese Police colleagues to support the families of those victims," Assistant Chief Constable Tim Smith.


Baby Faith found in bullet-ridden SUV reunited with dad after Mexico family massacre

Posted: 07 Nov 2019 06:02 AM PST

Baby Faith found in bullet-ridden SUV reunited with dad after Mexico family massacreChristina Johnson, Faith's mother, saved her daughter's life by stashing her car seat at the bottom of the vehicle during the attack.


Cheapest Trucks You Can Buy for 2019–2020

Posted: 06 Nov 2019 07:48 AM PST

Cheapest Trucks You Can Buy for 2019–2020


We've Got the Details on China's Submarine Drones

Posted: 07 Nov 2019 05:58 AM PST

We've Got the Details on China's Submarine DronesThe real deal?


Bolivian Mayor Has Hair Forcibly Cut by Masked Protesters as Post-Election Violence Continues

Posted: 07 Nov 2019 10:18 AM PST

Bolivian Mayor Has Hair Forcibly Cut by Masked Protesters as Post-Election Violence ContinuesVinto Mayor Patricia Arce was covered in red paint and had her hair cut in violence after President Evo Morales's contested election.


The Latest: Las Vegas makes sleeping on the streets illegal

Posted: 06 Nov 2019 06:09 PM PST

The Latest: Las Vegas makes sleeping on the streets illegalDespite protests about a war on the poor, Las Vegas officials passed a law Wednesday making it illegal to sleep on the streets when beds are available at established shelters. The measure framed as a ban on camping downtown makes Las Vegas the latest city in the U.S. West to take steps to try to deal with complaints about homelessness. Amid protests that they would criminalize being homeless, Las Vegas elected officials are poised to make it a misdemeanor for people to sleep or camp in public areas when beds are available at established shelters.


Trump Jr. tweets name of alleged whistleblower

Posted: 06 Nov 2019 08:44 AM PST

Trump Jr. tweets name of alleged whistleblowerFor weeks, President Trump and his supporters have demanded the identity of the whistleblower who triggered the impeachment inquiry be exposed. On Wednesday, Trump's eldest son revealed the name of the alleged whistleblower in a tweet.


Thailand drug suspects run to ground days after daring escape

Posted: 06 Nov 2019 05:50 AM PST

Thailand drug suspects run to ground days after daring escapeAn American drug suspect and his Thai wife who went on the run after they shot and stabbed their way out of a courtroom were apprehended Wednesday, authorities said, with the man shooting his wife and then himself as police closed in. The couple, along with an associate, had made their brazen and violent escape from a court holding room in the seedy southern city of Pattaya on Monday, wounding a police officer before fleeing in a pick-up truck. "The foreign suspect shot his wife, and then himself," Sattawat Hiranburana, assistant to the national police chief, told AFP, adding that the American had sustained "serious" injuries.


The flu shot: How effective is it? Here's what Doctors say

Posted: 07 Nov 2019 11:00 AM PST

The flu shot: How effective is it? Here's what Doctors sayThe efficacy of the shot varies drastically from year to year, ranging from  10% to 60%. It all depends on the strains of the virus that appear.


Child seats in Italy to be fitted with alarms after spate of deaths of children trapped in hot cars

Posted: 07 Nov 2019 01:11 PM PST

Child seats in Italy to be fitted with alarms after spate of deaths of children trapped in hot carsParents of babies and toddlers will be required to use special alarmed child seats under a new law in Italy, in response to a spate of children dying in cars from extreme heat. Parents who fail to buy the alarmed car seats, or buy alarm attachments, face fines of up to €326 and five points being docked from their driving licence. If, within two years, a parent is caught again without the special seat, their driving licence will be suspended for two weeks. The special car seats work by motion sensor and set off audio alarms and flashing lights if a child is left alone in the car. Devices can also be linked to a parent's mobile phone. Under the law adopted on Thursday, they are now compulsory for all children under the age of four. The government has promised to contribute €30 to each family that has to buy the specially-equipped seats, which cost around €100. It will operate on a first-come-first-served basis, with warnings that there is unlikely to be enough money for every family in the country. The law was introduced in response to cases of babies and children dying in cars after being accidentally forgotten by their parents or carers during the scorching heat of summer. It applies not only to Italians but to foreigners visiting the country. An Italian road safety group said that parents "need to hurry" to buy the seats or fit alarms to their existing seats, or risk fines and the docking of licence points. Aside from car accidents and collisions, heat stroke is the main cause of vehicle-related death for children under the age of 15, according to the American Academy of Paediatrics. A small child's body heats up much faster than that of an adult's and vital organs start to shut down quicker.


Al-Baghdadi's wife revealed ISIS group secrets after capture

Posted: 07 Nov 2019 12:43 PM PST

Al-Baghdadi's wife revealed ISIS group secrets after captureThe wife of slain Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi revealed "a lot of information" about the jihadist group's "inner workings" after she was captured last year, a Turkish official said.


America vs. China vs. Russia: Who Should You Buy Your Fighter Jets From?

Posted: 06 Nov 2019 08:00 AM PST

America vs. China vs. Russia: Who Should You Buy Your Fighter Jets From?The U.S. government has a message for those nations that would buy Russian and Chines weapons: buyer beware.


A New Arab Spring Is Unfolding in Iraq and Lebanon. But Things Could Get Bloody If Iran Gets Its Way

Posted: 07 Nov 2019 10:05 AM PST

A New Arab Spring Is Unfolding in Iraq and Lebanon. But Things Could Get Bloody If Iran Gets Its WayA new Arab Spring is unfolding in Lebanon and Iraq as citizens lead protests. But Iran's involvement could be dangerous for protesters.


The Latest: Pilot dies as plane crashes into California home

Posted: 07 Nov 2019 01:40 PM PST

The Latest: Pilot dies as plane crashes into California homePolice say the pilot of a small plane that crashed into a Southern California home has died. Upland police Capt. Marcelo Blanco said Thursday that authorities believe the pilot was the only person aboard the single-engine Cirrus SR22. Blanco says authorities don't know what caused the plane to crash into the residence, igniting a fire.


In Trump adviser trial, comedian contradicts Stone's account, regales jury with jokes

Posted: 07 Nov 2019 10:47 AM PST

In Trump adviser trial, comedian contradicts Stone's account, regales jury with jokesComedian Randy Credico testified in the trial of President Donald Trump's adviser Roger Stone on Thursday where he told jokes, did a Bernie Sanders impression and said he never served as a backchannel between Stone and Wikileaks founder Julian Assange. Credico is a key witness in the government's case against Stone, who is charged with obstructing justice, witness tampering and lying to the House of Representatives intelligence committee in its investigation into Russia interference in the 2016 election. The government alleges that Stone misled the committee in September 2017 by claiming, among other things, that Credico was his intermediary to Wikileaks as Stone sought to learn when Assange planned to dump more damaging emails about Trump's election rival Hillary Clinton.


View Photos of 2020 Porsche 911 Turbo S Prototype

Posted: 06 Nov 2019 03:01 PM PST

View Photos of 2020 Porsche 911 Turbo S Prototype


Texas officer who shot woman in her home sometimes had 'tunnel vision,' review says

Posted: 07 Nov 2019 11:37 AM PST

Texas officer who shot woman in her home sometimes had 'tunnel vision,' review saysTexas officer Aaron Dean's review last year shows he was critiqued for having "tunnel vision." Dean is charged with the murder of Atatiana Jefferson.


Johnson, Grassley ask State Department for Hunter Biden docs

Posted: 07 Nov 2019 11:05 AM PST

Johnson, Grassley ask State Department for Hunter Biden docsRon Johnson and Chuck Grassley are asking Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to release any State Department records related to Vice President Joe Biden's son, Hunter. As President Donald Trump faces a House impeachment inquiry for pressuring Ukraine to investigate the Biden family, Republicans are focusing on Hunter Biden's role on the board the Ukrainian gas company Burisma Holdings while his father was vice president.


Bill Gates addressed his multiple meetings with Jeffrey Epstein: 'I made a mistake in judgment'

Posted: 06 Nov 2019 02:22 PM PST

Bill Gates addressed his multiple meetings with Jeffrey Epstein: 'I made a mistake in judgment'Bill Gates addressed his ties to Jeffrey Epstein Wednesday, saying that he "made a mistake in judgement" by associating with the convicted sex offender.


Russia's Su-57 Stealth Fighters Have One Big Advantage the F-35

Posted: 06 Nov 2019 04:00 PM PST

Russia's Su-57 Stealth Fighters Have One Big Advantage the F-35It's time to discuss the Kinzhal missile.


Muslim preachers must speak German to work in the country under proposed law

Posted: 07 Nov 2019 07:56 AM PST

Muslim preachers must speak German to work in the country under proposed lawAll imams who work in Germany will in future have to prove they can speak the German language, under a draft law for religious leaders introduced by the government. The bill, which passed cabinet on Wednesday, means that foreign preachers will only be granted work visas if they can demonstrate basic German. They would then need to show improvements in their language skills after a year in order to prolong their stay.  Although it applies to all religious preachers, the coalition treaty signed by the German government - which includes the rule - specifically refers to imams. Interior Minister Horst Seehofer hailed it as "a vital contribution for successful integration in Germany." The government justified the move by saying that imams have a central role to play as models of integration for other immigrants, who often turn to mosques for help when they first arrive. However, the media has reported concerns about clerics preaching in other languages for several years. There are no official figures on the number of mosques in Germany, nor on where their funding comes from. But authorities suspect that Gulf states including Saudi Arabia have been financing the construction of some mosques in order to spread the fundamentalist Wahhabi Islam practised on the Arabian peninsula. Conservatives complain that, as long as imams preach in other languages, they will feel free to espouse views hostile to democracy. Interior Minister Horst Seehofer said the bill was 'a vital contribution for successful integration' but others disagree Credit: Abdulhamid Hosbas/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images But Germany's Green party attacked the draft law, saying it will exacerbate the already acute shortage of imams to serve the country's growing Muslim population. According to a recent study, over 90 percent of imams active in Germany come from abroad. Criticism also came from the Islamic community. Bekir Altaş, head of the Millî Görüş mosque association, said that many Muslim associations had made German language skills a requirement for preaching in their mosques years ago. "The government's plans smack of populism. The portrayal of language skills equating with 'good imams' is dangerous - it downplays German-speaking hate preachers who use their rhetorical abilities to gain notoriety, while ignoring the good work done by other preachers in their native tongue," Altaş said. The bill now goes to the Bundestag, where it is expected to be approved.


GOP files complaint against possible McConnell challenger

Posted: 06 Nov 2019 01:27 PM PST

GOP files complaint against possible McConnell challengerThe Republican Party of Kentucky has filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission against a radio host who is considering a run to unseat U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. The complaint, filed Tuesday, seeks an investigation of Matt Jones, who has announced an exploratory committee to run as a Democrat in next year's Senate race. The complaint alleges Jones is already a candidate and is using his statewide sports radio show to promote himself.


Holocaust survivor given police escort in Italy after threats

Posted: 07 Nov 2019 05:09 AM PST

Holocaust survivor given police escort in Italy after threatsHolocaust survivor Liliana Segre has been placed under police protection after she received threats from far-right fanatics, security sources said on Thursday, highlighting concern about rising extremism in Italy. Segre, 89, called last month for the creation of a parliamentary commission to investigate hate, racism and anti-Semitism after she was the subject of a daily barrage of abuse on social media. Italy's right-wing parties did not back her proposal and the resulting controversy has only added to the abuse, with a neo-Nazi group this week hanging up a banner to denounce anti-fascism close to where she was making a public appearance.


China jails nine for selling fentanyl into US

Posted: 07 Nov 2019 07:06 AM PST

China jails nine for selling fentanyl into USChina on Thursday jailed nine people for selling fentanyl to Americans, the result of a landmark joint probe, and pledged further co-operation following President Donald Trump's fury at Beijing's perceived inaction against Chinese suppliers fuelling the deadly US opioid crisis. Despite Trump's criticism earlier this year that Beijing had reneged on its promise to crack down on the production of the drug, China said it was "willing to conduct sincere and concrete anti-drug cooperation" with the US to tackle fentanyl trafficking. The court in northern Hebei province described the case as the first successful joint US-Chinese probe related to fentanyl smuggling, and US officials also hailed the verdict.


Suspects linked to New Hampshire couple's deaths found in Mexico

Posted: 07 Nov 2019 03:42 PM PST

Suspects linked to New Hampshire couple's deaths found in MexicoA man and a woman wanted in connection with the missing New Hampshire couple found buried at a Texas beach will be turned over to the Texas Rangers.


Robots 'not evil' says Boston Dynamics as humanoids go viral

Posted: 07 Nov 2019 08:41 AM PST

Robots 'not evil' says Boston Dynamics as humanoids go viralAs videos of robot-like dogs made by Boston Dynamics go viral on the internet, the humanoids' uncanny abilities have also sparked worries that they could become a threat to humans. Not so, says their creator Marc Raibert in an interview with AFP at the Lisbon Web Summit, claiming that the Spot robots aren't evil and won't be turned into weapons. US engineering and robotics firm Boston Dynamics, founded in 1992, was in 2013 bought by Google, which sold the firm on to Japan's Softbank in 2017.


Dirty Indian Politics Have No Answer for the World’s Most Toxic Air

Posted: 07 Nov 2019 01:00 PM PST

Dirty Indian Politics Have No Answer for the World's Most Toxic Air(Bloomberg) -- The politics of pollution in India's capital New Delhi are as noxious as city's air.While Delhi chokes, politicians squabble in an annual phenomenon that lasts for an intense few weeks at the start of winter, then dies down as pollution levels fall. What they haven't done is come together to find sustainable solutions to one of the world's worst air pollution problems that by the World Bank's calculations costs the country as much as 8.5% of its GDP, or around $221 billion each year.Home to seven of the 10 most polluted cities in the world, India's deadly haze was responsible for one of every eight deaths in 2017, while the life of a child born today is likely to be 2.5 years shorter because of air pollution. Delhi, with its unlikely combination of sweeping green boulevards and sprawling, unchecked urban growth, has become the symbol of the country's struggle to contain this toxic cloud.Describing the city as "gas chamber," Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said crop burning in the states of Punjab and Haryana was a key source of pollution, and called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene. The federal environment minister Prakash Javadekar blamed Kejriwal's administration for not taking serious measures, while his colleague, Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, suggested in a tweet eating carrots could help beat pollution-related harm.So far Modi has not issued a statement on the crisis, which prompted the declaration of a public health emergency and the closure of schools for several days. Calls to the prime minister's office went unanswered."One key reason for the air pollution governance falling short is the absence of commitment and initiative by the political executive," said Santosh Harish, environment researcher at the New Delhi-based Centre for Policy Research, adding most policy measures had been taken at the behest of judiciary. "They are negligent in taking on issues of air pollution as a sense of urgency."The country's politicians should be on a war footing, Harish said, and address the lack of staff, equipment and enforcement power in pollution control boards, inefficiency in public transport systems and insufficient clean power generation.Global ConcernsChina -- which is also battling deadly air pollution -- reduced the annual average concentration of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) by a third between 2013 and 2017 in 74 cities, according to the State of Global Air 2019 study. India has long struggled to pull together a similarly coordinated national approach."China's society had strongly expressed their needs for clean air and health when facing air pollution, thus the government took more emphasis on the issue," said Ma Jun, founder and director of the Beijing-based Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs. There had not been a similar, significant public outcry in India, Ma said. "If there's not enough consensus from the public, it's hard for policy makers to be determined to tackle the issue."Air pollution drives up costs for companies, affecting both the bottom line and productivity, particularly when staff suffer respiratory diseases, said Hemant Shivakumar, a senior consultant at Control Risks. "In the absence of action by the government, this can become a long term risk and companies would want some kind of initiative to be taken."The South Asian nation's toxic air is driven by a combination of factors, including vehicular emissions, factory emissions, road dust and construction activities. Crop burning contributed 44% to Delhi's soaring PM 2.5 levels on Oct. 31, dropping to 2% by Nov. 7, according to System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting.Small scale farmers have been burning to prepare their land for planting for hundreds of years, said Helena Varkkey, an expert on air pollution and lecturer at the University of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur, noting baseline pollution in many Asian cities was also high, due to domestic, vehicular and industrial emissions. "If governments focus on these constant issues outside the major haze seasons, there could be a significant improvement on air quality as a whole," Varkkey said.'Out of Hand'India's farmers, already struggling with depressed crop prices, are tired of shouldering responsibility for the crisis."They blame farmers because farmers are the easiest people to beat," said V.M. Singh, convener of the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee, a group representing around 250 farmer's organizations. He urged governments to focus on programs to generate income from crop stubble, rather than expecting farmers to shoulder costs themselves."Either you take stubble away from farmers or you provide a cheap affordable technological solution to them," said Sagnik Dey, associate professor of atmospheric sciences at Indian Institute of Technology in New Delhi. "You can't expect farmers to bear those high costs."Modi's government has promoted solar power, improved emission standards and handed out millions of gas canisters to households to reduce cooking over open fires. In January it launched the National Clean Air Program. But the measures have yet to alleviate the impact of India's rampant growth, from the dust left by thousands of new construction sites to exhaust from millions of cars."The situation is getting out of hand," said Dey. "The real frustration is that we know what to do but we are not able to implement it because of lack of coordination and limited resources."\--With assistance from Manish Modi, Adrian Leung and Feifei Shen.To contact the reporters on this story: Bibhudatta Pradhan in New Delhi at bpradhan@bloomberg.net;Ragini Saxena in Mumbai at rsaxena30@bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: Ruth Pollard at rpollard2@bloomberg.netFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.


'I'd wiped out half a family': F-16 pilot grapples with guilt after a bungled bombing mission in Iraq killed at least 4 civilians

Posted: 06 Nov 2019 02:26 PM PST

'I'd wiped out half a family': F-16 pilot grapples with guilt after a bungled bombing mission in Iraq killed at least 4 civilians"Doing nothing is even worse," the F-16 fighter pilot said. "War is a game that we play because all else has failed."


The Air Force Could Have 100 New B-21 Stealth Bombers

Posted: 06 Nov 2019 01:00 AM PST

The Air Force Could Have 100 New B-21 Stealth BombersAir Force weapons developers are immersed in an intricate plan to bring the service's bomber fleet into future decades -- by adding weapons, avionics and networking technologies to current aircraft and moving quickly to bring new B-21 bombers to the force.


A former Oklahoma prisoner told us what it was like to be part of Monday's historic mass release of more than 450 inmates

Posted: 07 Nov 2019 06:26 AM PST

A former Oklahoma prisoner told us what it was like to be part of Monday's historic mass release of more than 450 inmatesCalista Ortiz, 26, had her drug possession conviction commuted on Monday and released in the largest single-day prison release in US history.


South Korea deports North Koreans who fled after killing 16

Posted: 07 Nov 2019 05:32 PM PST

South Korea deports North Koreans who fled after killing 16In an extremely unusual case, South Korea deported two North Korean fishermen on Thursday after determining they had killed 16 other crew members on their boat and then fled to South Korean waters, Seoul officials said. South Korea has a policy of accepting North Koreans who want to resettle in the South to avoid political oppression and poverty at home. This week's deportations were the first South Korea has carried out of any North Korean who came to the South since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War, according to Seoul's Unification Ministry, which deals with North Korean affairs.


View Photos of Ram 1500 Built to Serve Edition

Posted: 05 Nov 2019 09:01 PM PST

View Photos of Ram 1500 Built to Serve Edition


Warning signs for Donald Trump as suburban voters abandon Republicans in statewide elections

Posted: 06 Nov 2019 12:52 PM PST

Warning signs for Donald Trump as suburban voters abandon Republicans in statewide electionsDonald Trump has been handed a warning ahead of his 2020 re-election bid after a string of statewide elections suggested Republican voters in the suburbs are abandoning the party.  In Kentucky, a state Mr Trump won by almost 30 percentage points in the 2016 election, the Democratic candidate for governor appeared to have won a narrow victory over the Republican incumbent. In Virginia, the Democrats flipped a string of Republican seats and now control the state legislature and the governorship for the first time in 26 years. Elsewhere there were good results for the president, including in Mississippi, and drawing firm national conclusions from local races, each with their own factors and personalities, is problematic. However Republican strategists said the night's results amounted to a red light for the Trump presidency, with the departure of voters - especially women - in the suburbs who had been with him three years ago a particular concern. Most damaging politically for Mr Trump was the failure of Matt Bevin, the Republican governor in Kentucky, to win more votes than his Democratic rival. Donald Trump  shakes hands with Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin the night before polls opened on his re-election bid Credit: ANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images Mr Trump had appeared at a rally in Lexington, Kentucky, just 12 hours before polls opened in an attempt to get Mr Bevin and other candidates over the line. During his speech Mr Trump had implored supporters to make sure Mr Bevin won, warning that if he did not secure reelection it would backlash on the president. "If you lose, they will say Trump suffered the greatest defeat in the history of the world," Mr Trump had said. "You can't let that happen to me, and you can't let that happen to your incredible state." With all the votes counted Mr Bevin was on 48.8 per cent of the vote compared to his Democratic rival Andy Beshear, who was on 49.2 per cent. The margin was around 5,000 votes. By Wednesday morning Mr Beshear had declared victory but Mr Bevin was yet to concede the race. Mr Trump attempted to limit the political damage by pointing to the other five races in Kentucky that Republicans won on Tuesday. Brad Parscale, Mr Trump's 2020 campaign manager, said: "The president just about dragged Gov. Matt Bevin across the finish line, helping him run stronger than expected in what turned into a very close race at the end." But Republican strategist Rick Tyler told The Washington Post of his party: "They continue to lose needed support in suburban districts, especially among women and college-educated voters. That trend, if not reversed, is a death spiral."


COLUMN-Carbon taxes will be needed to reduce CO2 emissions: Kemp

Posted: 07 Nov 2019 07:29 AM PST

COLUMN-Carbon taxes will be needed to reduce CO2 emissions: KempNo one likes paying taxes, but a significant and rising tax on carbon dioxide emissions is probably the only way to stem the rise in emissions contributing to climate change. Putting a price on CO2 emissions and letting the market figure out how best to reduce them is the lowest-cost and least-distorting way to cut the amount released into the atmosphere. There are several alternative routes to establishing a carbon price, all of which are theoretically equivalent, but the simplest, most comprehensive and most straightforward to administer is via the imposition of a tax.


Rep. Tulsi Gabbard clashes with 'View' co-host

Posted: 06 Nov 2019 12:28 PM PST

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard clashes with 'View' co-hostRep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii, a 2020 candidate who as of now is still running as a Democrat, returned to "The View" for the third time on Wednesday morning and immediately confronted co-host Joy Behar for accusing her of "being a traitor to my country, a Russian asset, a Trojan horse or a useful idiot, ... which basically means that I am naive or lack intelligence."


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